December 23, 2013

Long Form

7

The curse of the two-thirds

Poush 9, 1420 Safar 19, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 269

International

8

Sport

14

S Sudan sends more troops to retake flashpoint town

Five-star Bayern win Club World Cup

MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2013 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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More buses start rolling

Army, joint forces providing support to vehicular movement Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Abu Hayat Mahmud The flow of vehicles on highways and the capital’s streets returned to almost normal yesterday, the second day of the opposition’s 83-hour blockade programme.

An increased number of intercity and intra-city passenger buses were seen operating on the streets and highways under police protection.

Army was also seen providing security and guidance for smooth vehicular movement in some places, including Jatrabari in the capital and Mirersarai in Chittagong.

Transport workers, however, said the presence of passengers had been thin.

P2 BNP MULLS NONCOOPERATION Visiting three major bus terminals in the capital, a handful of buses were found leaving the capital. But few long-route buses left the capital because of the absence of passengers and support. Many passengers were apprehensive about boarding a bus despite their urgency.

ABM Kausar, manager of a garment factory, said he needed to go to Comilla as his father was ill, and “I was afraid of taking the bus as it might come under an arson attack. But I feel a little

safer, hearing that the police are giving security and the army are patrolling the streets.”

A nine-member monitoring cell has been formed to ensure smooth bus transit under Deputy Inspector General of Highway Police Asaduzzaman. The team will instruct local administrations accordingly in case of any emergency.

Private bus services and that of the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation will start operating from today across the country except a few districts such as Bogra, Rajshahi and Sirajganj. BRTC Chairman Jashim Uddin Khan told the Dhaka Tribune that the corporation had made the decision at a meeting of the communication ministry.

Asaduzzaman, the DIG of highway police, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were ready to provide foolproof security to buses that left the capital.

From Gabtoli terminal, a few buses left for Manikganj, Paturia and Aricha.

Around 200 buses left the Mohakhali and Sayedabad bus terminals. Hazi Mohammad Ali, president of Sayedabad intercity bus-terminal workers’ association, said over 150 buses had left the terminal yesterday and the number would double at night.

“The presence of passengers is low, but if the law enforcers support us, we think it will go up,” he said.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

Bangladesh Army vehicles escort goods-laden transports on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway yesterday

Pickets set two men on fire in Sirajganj n Mohammad Jamil Khan Cruelty by pro-blockade pickets reached a new level on Saturday, when miscreants poured petrol on two people and set them on fire in Sirajganj.

Although recent hartals and blockades had seen vehicles being torched, the latest act of brutality left Mohammad Shahin, a 30-year-old truck driver, and Mohammad Majedul, a 25-year-old

Fanatics suspected in ‘pir’ murder n Kailash Sarkar

Both the intelligence and the family members of self-proclaimed pir Lutfor Rahman Faruk blame fanatic Islamists for the murder of six people including the religious leader at his Ramakrishna Mission Road house on Saturday afternoon.

Lutfor’s younger son Abdullah Al Faruk in the case statement hinted the involvement of Islamist militants by mentioning about several previous attacks on his father, brother and their house. He filed the case with Wari police station accusing 10-11 unknown killers.

Police suspect that some of Lutfor’s

INSIDE Business

B1 The government has planned to defer the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) 2014 by 10 days due to the political turmoil and violence.

News

3 Yet another arson victim died yesterday from his injuries.

Nation

6 Despite many reports published in different media, including the Dhaka Tribune on December 12, a group of land grabbers have been continuing construction of a kitchen market on a canal in Nathullabad area in Barisal city.

Entertainment

12 Young Bangladeshi filmmaker Kamar Ahmad Simon has won The Asian Pitch held in Singapore last week.

disciples might have links with the murder including those kept as hostages during the killings which took place around 5:30pm.

Abdullah, who is a bank official, told the Dhaka Tribune that his father, brother Sarwarul Islam Monir and four disciples might have been killed for the religious practices and views.

Lutfor claimed himself to be the commander-in-chief of the forces of Imam Mahdi since 1997.

Pointing fingers at the militants, Abdullah said: “The killings could be the continuation of previous attacks carried out by cadres. Later we were informed that those were followers of [detained Huji chief] Mufti Abdul Hannan.

“My father had also been vocal against the Islamist fundamentalist leaders like Delawar Hossain Sayedee, former Islami Oikya Jote leader Mufti Fazlul Huq Amini, Charmonai Pir Fazlul Karim and Shaikh-ul Hadis for their anti-state activities and corruption.”

He also suspects some disciples of his father.

When asked, Abdullah said he was out for a walk at the time of the incident.

Lutfor’s wife Salma claimed that although a lot of money was looted from the house, the motive was something else. “The killers also wanted to be disciples. But all on a sudden, they swooped on us with sharp weapons.”  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Charge sheet at last in the Tazreen fire case n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu The Criminal Investigation Department of Police yesterday pressed charges in the Tazreen factory fire case against 13, including the absconding owner, more than a year after the disaster that killed over a hundred.

Owner Delwar Hossain, his wife Mahmuda Akhter, and 11 others were charged with culpable homicide and unplanned construction of the building under the penal code.

CID Inspector AKM Mohosinudzaman Khan filed the charges with the court of Washim Sheikh, senior chief judicial magistrate of Dhaka. If proven guilty, the accused may get maximum of 10 years in jail.

Inspector Khan filed a charge sheet once before on December 2, but the general recording officer of the court did not produce the charge sheet before the magistrate without citing any cause.

Delwar, managing director of Tazreen Fashions, his wife Mahmuda Akhter, a director, and factory manager Abdur Razzaq were among those found guilty in primary investigation.

According to the charge sheet, the accused did not allow workers to get out of the factory saying the fire alarm that started ringing after the fire broke out, was just a drill.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Among the 13 accused, six, including the owners, are currently on the run. One is in custody and the others are out on bail. Three others who were found guilty in primary investigation, were relieved of the charges.

The absconding six are: Delwar, Mahmuda, Razzaq, quality manager Shahiduzzaman Dulal, engineer M Mahabubul Morshed and production manager Mobarak Hossain Manju.

The charge sheet accused the owners of erecting the factory building in an unplanned way that eventually led to the disaster The other seven accused are: admin officer Dulal, security in-charge Anisur Rahman, security supervisor Al-Amin, store in-charges Hamidul Islam Lavlu and Al-Amin, loader Shamim Mia and security guard Rana.

All these seven have been arrested, but only Anisur Rahman is now in jail.

The rest have all secured bail from the High Court and a judge’s courts.

Inspector Khan said the prosecution had filed for producing a total of 111 witnesses in the case. Earlier, December 31 was fixed by the court for hearing to take the charge sheet in cognisance.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

truck helper, with 70% and 90% burn injuries respectively. Both are now undergoing treatment at the burn and plastic surgery unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Shahin and Majedul were on a Comilla-bound vegetable-laden truck, when it was attacked by pickets with crude bombs near the Baingati area of Sirajganj at around 10pm on Saturday; causing truck driver Ataur Rahman to

steer out of control into the roadside.

Ataur was hurt, but managed to take shelter in a local residence; but both Shahin and Majedul were chased down by the pickets and beaten up before the culprits poured petrol on their bodies and torched them.

Shahin – the only earning member of his family – described the incidents in a whispered voice.

affidavit in the ninth parliamentary election said he had passed only Class VIII while this time he claimed he is pursuing BBA programme.

And in the biography of MP

Most of the 14-party ministers and state ministers who are not in the pollstime cabinet are still enjoying government accommodation facility even after their tenure is over.

As per the Ministers and State Ministers Privileges Act ministers and state ministers are not entitled to housing facility one month into their resignation or dismissal.

The resignation papers of the outgoing minister were accepted on November 20.

Only five ministers and state ministers handed over their official residences until yesterday to the Department of Public Accommodation (DPA).

The ministers who are yet to hand over their official residences are Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, Shahara Khatun, Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, Rezaul Karim Hira, Abul Kalam Azad, Enamul Hoque Mustafa Shaheed, Muhammad Faruk Khan, AFM Ruhal Haque, Dipu Moni and Mostafa Faruque Mohammed.

The state ministers who are still enjoying the government accommodation facility are AB Tajul Islam, Yeafesh

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When lawmakers are found guilty of perjury... n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Political integrity of a section of lawmakers has been called into question following their fraudulent and contradictory statements on their educational qualifications.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, contesting from Patuakhali-1 constituency for the 10th parliament, in his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission (EC) said he was doing his MBA. However, in 2008, Howlader, also secretary general of Ershad-led Jatiya

22 ex-ministers still enjoying housing facility n Mohosinul Karim

Party, who was elected from Barisal-6 constituency, said he had a college degree.

Md Aslamul Hoque, already elected from Dhaka-14 constituency unopposed on Awami League ticket, in his

P3 AL REQUEST TO EC

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, December 23, 2013

Now BNP mulls noncooperation movement

Zohra Tajuddin buried in state honour n BSS

Khaleda Zia to hold a press conference tomorrow after blockade ends

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Amid the prevailing ambience of skepticism within the party regarding the success of the ongoing movement, main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia is likely to announce “noncooperation” programmes in her much hyped press conference tomorrow.

A senior leader of the party said Khaleda Zia’s presser was scheduled for 5:45pm at her Gulshan office tomorrow, minutes after the end of the ongoing 83-hour fifth spell of countrywide rail, road and waterway blockade programme enforced by the BNP-led opposition combine.

The leader also said the opposition chief might reply to the prime minister’s recent statements, give her views on why the dialogue initiatives failed and urge leaders and activists to build stronger resistance at the polling centers.

According to a press release signed

by BNP chairperson’s Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan, Khaleda will present her speech before the nation regarding the prevailing political situation in the country.

About the skepticism, party insiders said it was a result of two mainly things: firstly, because most of the senior leaders had not been on the field during the five spells of blockade; and secondly, there had not been much participation from people either.

Seeking anonymity, a senior leader told the Dhaka Tribune that the Dhaka city unit of the party had been completely inactive. This, he said, had not only triggering questions about the success of the movement, but also utterly frustrated the grassroots.

Apparently frustrated with the poor

performance of the Dhaka city unit, Khaleda Zia has reportedly decided to take the charge in her own hands to mobilise the mass into the movement.

Khandakar Mahbub Hossain, adviser to the BNP chairperson, said Khaleda Zia would soon take to the streets herself to gear up the movement.

However, another senior leader, seeking anonymity, said she might go to the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters to cheer up the party leaders and activists.

Diplomatic efforts

Reportedly, the BNP has also been trying to keep the foreign missions in the loop about how “controversial” the upcoming 10th parliamentary elections were.

The party is also maintaining contacts with India over the current political situation.

The European Union has already said they would not send any observer to the January 5 elections.

Senior leaders of the party have already held a series of meetings with the diplomats, portraying to them the latest political scenario and explaining their positions.

Yesterday, two BNP leaders held a meeting with some diplomats at a city hotel. BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and adviser to the BNP Chairperson Sabihuddin Ahmed were present at the meeting with UK High Commissioner Robert Gibson, Canadian High Commissioner Heather Cruden, Dutch Ambassador Gerben Sjoerd de Jong, Australian High Commissioner Greg Wilcock and South Korean Ambassador Lee Yun-young were present in the meeting.

A senior leader said the party high command considered the meetings successful. l

Fuel oil tankers line up at Matuail in the capital as they are escorted for smooth supply during the opposition's blockade

FOCUS BANGLA

Chinese foreign secy due in Dhaka n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

EC asks AFD to deploy troops for polls

Just three weeks after the visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, China is now sending its Foreign Secretary Liu Zhenmin to discuss political situation in Bangladesh.

Sujatha Singh who came to Dhaka on December 4 also discussed political situation with the Bangladeshi leadership.

Zhenmin in his visit will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and have a bilateral meeting with Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque, his Bangladesh counterpart.

China sent a letter on December 18, expressing desire to have diplomatic consultation and learn about current political situation from the Bangladesh leaders, said an official of the Foreign Ministry.

“The Chinese side proposed to have the visit on December 26 and 27, but we want to defer the dates to December 27 and 28,” he said. l

n Mohammad Zakaria

to the house he was interested to entertain them.

One of the killers was wearing a blazer and all of them were wearing jeans. They had long daggers and Chinese knives with them.

Shahida told the DB officials that the killers had been asking for Abdullah.

They also claimed to have been ordered to kill six people, “but said ‘none of you will be spared if you make noise,’” she said quoting a killer.

also came under attack several times.

Earlier, Lutfor had long beard while residing at Bibirbagicha of Demra in 2007, but trimmed it later.

The Election Commission yesterday sent a letter to the Armed Forces Division (AFD), formally asking to deploy troops for maintaining law and order surrounding the 10th parliamentary elections slated for January 5.

The letter, signed by the EC’s Joint Secretary Jesmin Tuli, has been sent to the principal staff officer of the AFD, stating that as per article 126 of the constitution, the commission has decided to deploy army – along with law enforcement agencies – for holding the election in free, fair and peaceful manner.

The letter also stated that at a meeting with law enforcement agencies on December 20, the EC had decided to deploy army from December 26 to January 9.

The army would assist the civil administration regarding the election-related works, as per the code of criminal

procedure directed by executive magistrates, the letter stated.

The army personnel would be deployed at the nodal points of every district/upazila/metropolitan area and other areas as striking force. Coordinated by the returning officer, the army would be deployed at upazila/thana levels as striking force.

The letter also stated that the army personnel would be deployed at important roads and highways to maintain law and order, while also assisting the commission in election-related works, if needed.

The copies of the letter were also sent to the concerned authorities.

About army deployment, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday told reporters that the commission would not deploy army in five districts where candidates of all constituencies were set to be elected uncontested. l

Fanatics suspected in 'pir' murder  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

Some seven people including the family members and two disciples were kept as hostages – hands tied and faces zipped with cellulose tape – in another room at that time.

According to the case statement, Lutfor’s daughter Shamsunnahar had untied herself and cried out. She then freed Monir’s father-in-law Golam Mostafa, Manjurul’s brother-in-law Anwar and another unknown disciple. But within minutes, Mostafa and the unknown disciple ran out of the house.

‘Killers repented’

According to the police, the killers expressed disappointment as they could not kill Abdullah. During the incident, they were searching for him and asked the captives his whereabouts.

The killers had left the house say-

ing that they could not complete their mission as they could not kill Abdullah, said Deputy Commissioner Jahangir Hossain Matubbar of the Detective Branch (east).

“We are carrying out investigation focusing on the militant links as well as the controversial religious practices of Lutfor,” he said adding that they were verifying whether there was any other issue like personal enmity.

DB detains two

DB sources said they detained Mostafa and disciple Shahida Khatun, 54, who was among the hostages.

DC Jahangir, however, did not admit the detention.

Quoting captive eyewitnesses, the sources said the killers had been known to one of the deceased Shaheen, a disciple, as after the killers had come

Details of the deceased

Hailing from Bhorua village under Bhuapur in Tangail, Lutfor passed SSC in 1975 and HSC in 1977 from Pingna High School and College in Jamalpur. He had come to Dhaka in 1997.

He is facing several cases filed against him with Shahbagh, Sutrapur and Demra police stations for his activities. He

Other deceased

The other victims are Lutfor’s elder son Monir, 40, who was an official of the Sadarghat branch of City Bank; and disciples – Manjurul Alam, Mujibur Rahman, 25, Russel Bhuiyan, 20, and Md Shaheen, 25.

Manju, son of Khalil Sheikh of Brammangati in Sirajganj, was Lutfor’s principal disciple. His brother Abdul Mumin said Manju and his wife Asma had been staying at Lutfor’s house for the last two years along with their child aged three and a half years.

Shaheen, son of Kauser Ahmed, hailed from Badarpur village under Lalmohan upazila in Bhola. His father said

Shaheen had been engaged in trading vegetables with him at Jatrabari. But four years ago, he became a follower of Lutfor and left the business.

His uncle Mafidul Islam said they could not take Shaheen back despite repeated attempts in the last two years.

Another victim Mujibul is the son of Fazlul Huq from Gazipur. His wife Rabeya said Mujibul had worked at a garment factory. On Thursday, he had gone to Savar to visit her and returned to Dhaka.

Russel, son of Tofazzal Islam Bhuiyan of Comilla, was a student of textile engineering at BGMEA Institute of Fashion Technology. His uncle Zakir Hossain said they had no idea about Russel’s links with Lutfor.

The bodies were sent to Sir Salimullah Medical College morgue early yesterday for autopsy. l

Habibul Islam, officer-in-charge of Sirajganj police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that the injured driver Ataur was also undergoing treatment at the sadar hospital as the crude bomb attack burned his hands.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina spoke on television, calling to bring out vehicles for work; then why is she not coming and saving us?” asked Shumi, sister of Majedul. In an angered voice, she said there were demons around us who carried out such destructive activities following the two female leaders’ order.

Shumi said Majedul had come out from home after quarrelling with his wife Ashrafun, as there was no food at home. The family members would also

not be able to come to the capital to see Majedul as they lacked the necessary money, she said.

“Last night, when the police officials informed me about the incident, I ran over to sadar hospital. My brother was telling me ‘they set fire on me by pouring petrol. Do you have something to eat? I haven’t eaten anything, please feed me.’

Shumi later bought some food and fed both the injured men at the hospital.

Meanwhile, Md Shahjahan, another burn victim was also admitted at the hospital yesterday and was undergoing treatment at the ICU with 31% of his body burnt along with respiratory damages.

The victim was reportedly returning

to his home at Noyahati in Mymensingh on an auto-rickshaw on Saturday evening, when pickets hurled petrol bombs at the vehicles near Ahmedpur area.

However, Hamidul Islam, OC of Gouripur police station in Mymensingh, claimed that no auto-rickshaw was set on fire in the area, adding that other passengers of the same vehicle were unharmed. A probe was being carried out, the OC said.

Partha Shankar Pal, residential surgeon at the DMCH, said the condition of Shahjahan was too critical because of the damaged respiratory system, while the other two victims were kept at the observation ward and would be shifted to specialised ward as per their conditions. l

prepared by the parliament he said he had strong command over English, Bangla and Hindi languages.

“Earlier I did not collect my certificates in 2008. But now I am doing a BBA,” Md Aslamul Hoque told the Dhaka Tribune. But interestingly he could not recall where he was doing his BBA from.

Aslam also made silly mistakes in the spelling of his mother’s name in the affidavit submitted to the EC. In 2008 he spelt his mother’s name as Feroza Hoque which was later changed to Reroza Haze.

LGRD Minister and Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam provided three different information on his educational qualifications in three different documents.

A few days back in his affidavit to the EC he said he passed only the sec-

ondary level. But in the declaration of the ninth general election he claimed to be a graduate saying he was about to collect his certificates.

But in his biography prepared by parliament Syed Ashraful Islam, elected from Kishorganj-1 constituency, said he obtained Masters of Arts Degree. He provided the same information in the parliamentary document in 2005.

Nasrin Jahan Ratna, a lawmaker of the ninth parliament and wife of ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, who has been declared elected unopposed in the 10th parliament in her affidavit said she was “self-educated.”

But earlier in her life sketch prepared by parliament she claimed she passed SSC examination.

Earlier, Khaleda Zia, leader of the opposition, for the first time declared

herself to be “self-educated” during the election in 2008. But later in the document of parliament she claimed she studied in Dinajpur High School and Surendra Nath College in Dinajpur.

Death penalty awarded war criminal Salah Uddin Quader Chowdhury before the ninth general elections said he had no education.

After that the detained MP claimed in the parliamentary document that he was a graduate from Panjab University, Pakistan, in Political Science. Salah Uddin Quader, the six-time elected member of the parliament, also obtained post graduate degree under London University.

In both affidavits before the ninth and tenth parliamentary elections Whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury Liton (Madaripur-1) mentioned he had passed Higher Secondary Certificate

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

Osman, Ahad Ali Sarkar, Md Shahjahan Miah, Abdul Mannan Khan, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Muhammad Enamul Huq, Mozibur Rahman Fakir, Mahabubur Rahaman Talukdar, Omor Faruk Chowdhury, Md Abdul Hyee and Meher Afroze Chumki.

However, the DPA authorities are not planning to serve them any notice to quit the houses.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, in accordance of his wish, has recently been allocated an official residence in the Hare Road by the DPA. None of the other ministers of the polls-time government, however, expressed their willingness to get a residence.

Public Works Secretary Dr Khondakar Showkat Hossain said: “Some ministers and state ministers have already handed over their houses.

Some others are leaving and the rest are taking preparation to leave the houses. We hope they will leave their houses shortly.”

When asked whether the ministry has any plan to serve a notice in this regard, the secretary said: “I think it would not be necessary to serve notices. They will leave willingly.”

Dr Ashraful Islam, director of the DPA under the housing and public works ministry, said: “Only a few ministers and state ministers have handed over their official residences to the DPA.” “We will wait until they intend to hand those over themselves. We hope they will do it shortly,” he added.

“If they do not leave within the expected time they will have to pay for overstay.”

According to the DPA, former ministers Afsarul Amin, Abdur Razzaque and Abdul Latif Bishwas and former state ministers Mostafizur Rahman and Motaher Hossain have already left their houses. l

More buses start The Mohakhali bus-terminal workers’ association said around 95 buses had left the terminal yesterday and reached their destinations without facing any problems.

Asked if the army was providing support to vehicular movement, InterServices Public Relations’ Director Shahinur Islam told the Dhaka Tribune: “The winter exercise [of the army] is going on. Vehicles also move during the exercise and the troops are providing support if roads are not clear. The people are getting its benefit.” l

Tazreen fire  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

Shahdat takes care of Shaheen in DMCH burn unit yesterday

RAJIB DHAR

When lawmakers found guilty of perjury...  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

22 ex-ministers

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

Pickets set two men on fire in Sirajganj  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

Syeda Zohra Tajuddin, Awami League Presidium member and wife of the country’s first prime minister Syed Tajuddin Ahmad, was laid to eternal rest at Banani Graveyard in the capital yesterday evening.

She was given state honour during the burial.

She died of old-age complications on Friday morning at the age of 80.

A pall of gloom descended on Kapasia of Gazipur, her birthplace, after her body reached there.

Three namaz-e-janazas of Zohra were held at her native district. Zohra’s son and former state minister for home affairs Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj, MPs and political leaders, among others, attended the janazas. l

(HSC) examination.

But in the book of introduction to lawmakers of the ninth parliament Liton declared that he obtained his Bachelor Degree (Accounting) in 1986 from Bazlul Haque College in his own town.

Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury from Chittagong -11 constituency in both affidavits submitted to the EC before the ninth and tenth parliament said he passed HSC examination but in the book published by parliament he was mentioned a man with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree.

AKM Rahmatullah in his affidavit declared he had passed HSC but later he claimed he was a graduate.

Parliamentarian Shamsur Rahman Sherif in his affidavits in 2008 and 2014 said he had a Matriculation degree.

But in the parliamentary document he

mentioned he passed BA from Pabna Edward College in 1962.

When contacted he only said: “I can’t manage the certificate as I obtained the degree half a century ago.

May be it was destroyed during the Liberation War.” “When we stepped in politics we never thought that a certificate would really matter. So I have never tried to collect it.”

The Election Commission amended the Representation of the People Order (RPO) before the ninth parliamentary election where they had introduced aspirants’ educational qualifications with other information.

“If one provides any incorrect or wrong information his/her candidature will be cancelled,” a high official of the EC told the Dhaka Tribune. l

On November 24 last year, the devastating fire at the factory of Tazreen Fashions in Nischintapur of Ashulia near Dhaka, claimed 111 lives and left another 104 workers injured, the charge sheet said.

The charge sheet also said at 7pm on November 24, 2012, the workers of the factory tried to run out after the fire alarm started ringing. But they could not go past the main gate of the factory because it was locked. The security guards on duty told the workers that the alarm was a part of a fire drill.

The report also accused the owners of erecting the factory building in an unplanned way that eventually led to the disaster. There was no emergency exit in the building.

The fire at Tazreen factory raised a wave of concern throughout the national and international community over factory building standards in Bangladesh.

On April 24 this year, the multi-storied Rana Plaza, located in Savar near Dhaka, caved in killing over a thousand garment workers and injuring more two and a half thousand. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

BNP still shying away from Pakistan resolution issue

MPS’ WEALTH STATEMENTS

Awami League asks EC to stop n publishing affidavits CEC says the matter is not in his hand – the commission will work as per laws The Awami League delegation also than 10% representation in the current statements were published in the n Mohammad Zakaria media in the last couple of days. told the Election Commission that the parliament, does not join the polls,” he Awami League has requested the Election Commission to stop publishing the affidavits submitted by election candidates.

A delegation of the Awami League’s election steering committee made the request in a meeting with the chief election commissioner yesterday.

Sources at the Election Commission said former home minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, who led the delegation, had asked CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad whether it was mandatory to publish the candidates’ affidavits or not.

“Alamgir told the CEC that reports had been published in media on the affidavits in the last few days. He said if it was not mandatory, the commission should stop publishing the affidavits,” an EC source said.

The affidavits submitted by the candidates include their wealth statements and educational information.

Reports on candidates’ wealth

The publishing of affidavits by the EC started from 2008 parliamentary elections. The reports showed that a significant number of ministers and lawmakers had amassed sizeable fortunes while in office during the last five years.

The Anti-Corruption Commission has said it is unwilling to probe into the surge in wealth of ministers and lawmakers.

The nine-member delegation to the CEC was a sub-committee of the Awami League Election Steering Committee.

The CEC told the delegation that the commission would work as per the Representation of the People Order (RPO) and publishing the affidavits was mandatory in the RPO. “But he told them that the full commission would take a decision after examining the request. He also told them the matter was not in his hands and the commission would work as per the laws,” the source said.

two sides could work in a coordinated manner to make the 10th parliamentary elections acceptable to the people.

MK Alamgir told the CEC that reports had been published in the media on the affidavits in the past few days. He said if it was not mandatory, the commission should stop publishing the affidavits The party also extended its offer to cooperate with the Election Commission in this regard.

After the meeting, Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir told reporters that more candidates were contesting in the 10th parliamentary elections compared to the ninth.

“A total of 12 political parties are contesting in this election. There is no reason to say the election is not acceptable, if a party, which has less

told reporters after the meeting at the EC secretariat.

A total of 1,567 candidates contested in the ninth parliamentary election held in 2008, according to the EC. In the 10th parliamentary elections, 540 candidates are contesting the polls.

In the history of parliamentary elections in the country, this is the lowest number of candidates contesting in any general elections.

Of the contestants, 154 are already set to be elected uncontested. The elections would be held only in 146 constituencies.

“On behalf of Awami League and the committee, we have expressed our determination to assist the commission to hold the election peacefully,” Alamgir said.

Responding to a question about foreign observers, he said foreign observers not praising the polls could not be a reason for the election to be unacceptable. l

Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

The main opposition BNP still shirks from making any comment on the Pakistan’s resolution over war criminal Quader Molla’s execution.

On December 16, the Pakistan parliament adopted a resolution, expressing concern over the execution of Quader Molla who was hanged at 10:01pm on December 12 for his crimes against humanity in 1971.

On Sunday, during a press conference, BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan was asked about his party’s stance on the resolution.

Avoiding the query, Nazrul rather questioned: “Does the government not have [diplomatic] ties with Pakistan? If not, it should make matters clear.”

Following the Pakistan resolution, the Foreign Ministry summoned the Pakistan’s envoy to Dhaka to register its protest.

Protesting the resolution, Ganajagaran Mancha activists marched towards the Pakistan High Commission on December 18.

They also demanded cancellation of any diplomatic relations with Pakistan.

BNP leader Nazrul also reacted to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s remarks that the BNP chief had remained silent on the resolution for her alleged ties with Pakistan. “[Diplomatic] relations cannot be between an individual and a state, rather

Hefazat mulls alternative programme n Manik Miazee Retracting from its firm stance to hold tomorrow’s rally at Motijheel, Hefazat-e-Islam is now considering a protest demonstration in Kamrangirchar in the capital as until last night the Dhaka Metropolitan Police had not allow ed them to hold the rally.

Leaders of the Chittagong-based Islamist group told the Dhaka Tribune that they were thinking about the alternative as the government said it would not allow them in Motijheel.

For the last few days, Hefazat leaders have been expressing resolve to hold the rally at any cost demanding implementation of its 13-point demands that include an anti-blasphemy law.

One of the central leaders said: “We are taking preparation to hold demo in Kamrangirchar madrasa area.”

This madrasa is run by Shah Ahmadullah Ashraf, Hefazat’s central leader and chief of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon.

State Minister of Law Quamrul Islam alleged that the opposition were trying to create anarchy using Hefazat. A DMP source confirmed that Hefazat would not get the permission.

DMP Commissioner (media) Masudur Rahman, however, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were yet to make a decision. l

Hefazat Dhaka chief ‘detained,’ ‘freed’ later n Kailash Sarkar Dhaka City unit Hefazat-e-Islam Convener Maulana Nur Hossain Quashemi, also a nayeb-e-ameer of the Islamist organisation, was allegedly picked up

by Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) along with five of his associates at the capital’s Gulshan.

However, Rab 1 Commanding Officer Lt Col Kismat Haiyat rejected the allegation outright, saying: “We did not arrest or detain Quashemi or any of his associates. He came to us and after a discussion he left.”

In reply to a query, he said: “We just spoke to him about Hefazat’s rally, scheduled for December 24 at the capital’s Shapla Chhatar in Motijheel. After an hour-long discussion, he left the Rab 1 office by 2:30pm.”

He said: “The claim of arrest or detention of the Hefazat leader is completely false and nothing but a rumour.” l

Twenty nine Bangladeshis yesterday returned home from Iran with the help of Bangladesh embassy in Tehran, a police official at Hazrat Shajalal International Airport said.

A flight of Qatar Airline carrying the 29 Bangladeshis landed at the Shahjalal International Airport around 10:20am,

between states,” the BNP leader said.

Hasina on Saturday said Khaleda did not feel good with the victory of Bangalees and for this she was remaining silent about the resolution adopted on December 16. It might have grieved her to speak against Pakistan.

War criminal Quader Molla was handed life imprisonment on February 5, triggering a countrywide protest and the formation of the Ganajagaran Mancha.

The government later amended the International Crimes Tribunal acts (1973) that paved the way for an appeal against the Molla verdict.

The Supreme Court handed the war criminal death sentence upon the International Crimes Tribunal appeal.

Molla, scheduled to be executed on December 10, applied to file a review petition hours before his hanging. On December 12, the Supreme Court dismissed his application.

About the prime minister’s statement that the BNP should cut off relations with the Jamaat-e-Islami, Nazrul said: “Is it the government that should decide which party to remain in politics and which not? People will take the decision.”

Asked whether BNP would tone down its ongoing protest because of Hefazat-e-Islam’s rally on December 24, Nazrul said: “Hefazat-e-Islam is not a political party. It is an organisation.”

“There has yet to be any decision on whether to let up blockade or not.” l

JaPa ‘confused’ over polls: Firoz Rashid n Manik Miazee

People recover some of the goods that went under water after an overloaded trawler sank in the Buriganga River at Sadarghat in the capital yesterday. Traders are forced to use the waterway to transport goods as the roads are unsafe during blockades SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

One succumbs to injuries from blockade arson 171 arrested in nine districts, section 144 imposed in Joypurhat, Bogra n Tribune Report Yet another victim of an arson attack during the opposition-enforced blockade died yesterday from his injuries.

The victim, Md Ahsan Ullah, 35, of Laxmipur, had sustained burn injuries when blockaders torched his vehicle on December 17 in Chittagong. He died on his way to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Ahsan died around 7am when his ambulance was near Dhaka.

On December 17, miscreants spread gunpowder on his vehicle and set it on fire on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Sitakunda upazila. Trapped in the driver’s cabin, he was burnt severely and was under treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital. His condition deteriorated on Saturday night and he was referred to DMCH for better treatment.

Yesterday a number of incidents of violence, arson attack, vandalism and

clashes were reported from several districts on the second day of the fifth spell of blockade.

In Satkhira, known as a stronghold of Jamaat-e-Islami, a Shibir man sustained bullet wounds and three policemen were injured in a clash on Saturday night.

Joydeb Chowdhury, an additional superintendent of police in Satkhira, said the joint forces went to Kaliganj upazila to arrest the killers of local Awami League leader Moslem Uddin. Jamaat-Shibir men armed with local weapons confronted them, throwing brick-chips and crude bombs at Gorer Math area.

In Bogra, at least 30 opposition activists were injured when law enforcers allegedly attacked their rally at Battala in Shajahanpur upazila. Law enforcers also detained 65 opposition men from the spot.

Later blockaders torched three goods-laden trucks on the Bogra-Dhaka highway and three others on

Bogra-Rangpur highway. Another truck was set on fire in Bogra-Noagaon road at Arulia around 12am.

Section 144 was imposed in Gabtoli upazila town yesterday as both the ruling and opposition alliance called a rally at Tinmatha Bazar around 12pm.

In Joypurhat’s Pachbibi upazila, blockaders vandalised and torched a local Awami League office following a clash. They also vandalised and set fire to the Awami League men’s homes and business establishments.

Local Administration imposed section 144 at Pachbibi municipality following the incident.

In Laxmipur, blockaders attacked the motorcade of Abdullah Al Manun, Awami League’s candidate for the Laxmipur-4 constituency at Mia intersection. They vandalised 7-8 motorbikes and torched a private car. Blockaders also hacked local Jubo League leader Md Solaiman.

Twenty nine return from Iran with help of embassy n Rabiul Islam

3

Monday, December 23, 2013

Special Police Super for Immigration Nafiul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune.

Six of them reportedly killed a fellow Bangladeshis – Jewl Molla of Shariatpur – on December 14 in Iran, the official said adding that the accused were handed over to Airport Police Station.

But the detailed could not be known immediately.

Six alleged killers are Yasin from

Feni, Lalon from Madaripur, Jurith Ullah from Shunamganj, Manik from Chandpur, Selim Ullah and Nur Mohammad from Cox’s Bazar.

Talking to this correspondent, Borhanuddin, an official of the Crime Investigation Department said a case is under process against the six.

Joya, Jewel’s brother’s wife, told this correspondent that Jewel was killed on

December 14. “We do not know the reason behind the murder.”

Nafiul Islam said all of them went to Dubai through legal process but with the help of middlemen they went to Iran in a bid to get to Turkey or some other countries. But they were detained in Iran.

He said twenty three migrants were handed over to their relatives. l

In Sirajganj, Rab in overnight drives arrested four Jamaat leaders. The joint forces also arrested 64 opposition men from Bogra, 49 from Dinajpur, 18 from Gaibandha and Barisal each, 14 from Natore, 10 from Chittagong, 2 from Kishoreganj and one from Lalmonorhat. Mozammel Hossain, the head of the Rangpur branch of an NGO, Muslim Aid, was arrested for financing subversive activities.

District units of Chittagong and Noakhali Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal called dawn-to-dusk hartal there for today protesting arrests of their leaders.

In the capital, blockaders exploded 1214 crude bombs in Gabtali, Karwanbazar and Hatirjheel areas from processions.

A mobile court sentenced five Shibir activists to different terms of imprisonment for attacking cops and exploding crude bombs in the city’s Shahjahanpur area. Vehicular movement on the city streets was almost normal. l

Jatiya Party leader Kazi Firoz Rashid yesterday said his party was confused about whether to participate in the parliamentary elections, mainly due to conflicting statements made by the party’s top brass.

“We are going to participate in the January 5 polls under the instructions of Ershad’s wife Rawshan Ershad,” Rashid told journalists yesterday.

Earlier, JaPa chairman HM Ershad announced that the party was going to stay away from the polls. On the other hand, Firoz Rashid on Thursday said JaPa was joining the polls with Ershad’s consent.

“The party leaders and activists are confused whether JaPa is participating in the polls or not,” said Rashid, who is contesting the polls from Dhaka 6.

Rashid also said JaPa’s election manifesto was ready, but there was no instruction from the top about announcement.

“We need help from the country’s biggest political party Awami League,” said Rashid.

A total of 88 JaPa candidates are contesting the polls.

Meanwhile, Party Secretary General, ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader avoided a scheduled press conference on Saturday.

However, GM Quader, Ershad’s brother, told reporters on Saturday that the party chief was determined not to join the polls. l

Five-day remand for Chhatra Dal acting president n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka Court yesterday granted fiveday remand for Chhatra Dal acting president Fazlul Karim Chowdhury Abed in connection with violence, arson attack, vandalism and assaulting the law enforcers.

Metropolitan Magistrate Anwar Sadat passed the order after Inspector Md Serajul Islam of Detective Branch of Police filed 10-day remand prayer.

On the other hand, defence counsel Zainul Abdin Mesbah filed bail petition with remand rejection prayer.

In his remand prayer, the DB inspector said they needed to quiz the accused to find out the motive of crimes.

After the hearing, the court rejected the bail plea and passed the order.

DB police arrested Abed along with another Chhatra Dal leader in the capital’s Science Laboratory on December 21. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, December 23, 2013

Ganajagaran demands punishment of guilty policemen

Commonwealth will not send election observers n Mohammad Zakaria After the European Union, now the Commonwealth says it would not send officials to observe the 10th parliamentary elections slated for January 5.

Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma yesterday sent a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad in this regard, EC sources said.

Seeking anonymity, an official told the Dhaka Tribune that the EC had received a letter of the commonwealth where the organisation said there was no proper environment for holding an election and that all parties were not contesting the polls.

On December 20, the EU said it decided not to deploy its Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the polls.

Asked, EC Secretary Muhammed Sadique said he did not know about the Commonwealth’s decision.

On December 4, a three-member delegation led by Commonwealth’s Head of Democracy Section Martin Kasirye met with the CEC on invitation.

After an hour-long meeting, Martin later said they would send a report to the headquarters after discussions with political parties, representatives of civil society and diplomats. l

Urges people to boycott Pakistani goods criticised the execution. n Rabiul Islam In protest against the resolution, the Ganajagaran Mancha yesterday submitted a note of protest to the home ministry, demanding action against the responsible police officials for attacking its activists during demonstrations in Gulshan last week.

The platform submitted a separate memorandum to the foreign ministry, requesting the government to suspend diplomatic relations with Pakistan.

A team led by spokesperson Imran H Sarker submitted the protest notes to Additional Home Secretary Mainuddin Khandker and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali at their offices.

Imran told reporters: “The additional secretary has assured us that the matter will be conveyed to the higher authorities and legal action will be taken accordingly at the shortest possible time.”

After the execution of death sentence against war criminal Abdul Quader Molla, the National Assembly of Pakistan on December 16 adopted a resolution, proposed by a Jamaat-eIslami lawmaker, expressing concern.

Earlier the Pakistan home minister

platform on December 18 and 19 tried to besiege the Pakistan High Commission at Gulshan in the capital.

“We were observing our programme as per law,” Imran said alleging that the police obstructed the peaceful programme “without any reason,” and charged batons on the activists. They also hurled abusive towards a Hindu woman and assaulted her.

“We have already disclosed to the media about the seven-day ultimatum for taking action against the policemen who assaulted the protesters,” he said adding that they would go for tougher programmes if no action was taken.

He also urged the people to boycott Pakistani commodities as a protest.

Imran also expressed concern over the rising incidents of attacks on its activists in the capital and other places of the country.

The Mancha, a platform of youths, in February waged a historic movement at Shahbagh demanding capital punishment for all war criminals and a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami’s politics. l

Only Bangladeshis can resolve crisis: Mozena n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Chhatra Sangram Parishad demands ban on Jamaat-Shibir n Arif Ahmed Activists of Bangladesh Chhatra Sangram Parishad brought out a procession yesterday morning, protesting Jamaat-Shibir violence and the bomb attack on a Ganajagaran Mancha organiser Bappaditya Basu.

The procession which ended in front of the National Press Club was brought out around 11am from Dhaka University Madhur Canteen, following different streets of the campus. The platform also staged a rally in front of the club and demanded a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir. They also vowed to protest and resist the organisation’s violent activities across the country.

Speaking at the rally, Chhatra Sangram Parishad Coordinator, and Chhatra League president, Bodiuzzaman

Shohag said: “Jamaat-Shibir men are continuing their heinous acts across the country with the help of BNP and its leader, they are responsible for all the recent killings.” He also alleged that Shibir activists had attacked Chhatra Maitri President Bappaditya Basu on the orders of BNP chief Khaleda Zia. Shohag also criticised the BNP-led 18-party alliance for calling frequent blockades and had compared the opposition’s activity with that of Taliban.

Siddique Nazmul Alam, Chhatra League general secretary, said: “BNP and its ally Jamat-Shibir are attacking our progressive minded students, but we did not give any stern response because we do not violate the law.” “But if the evil forces continue their attacks, we as well as the general people will never remain silent and will take appropriate revenge,” Nazmul added. l

‘Ongoing violence Weather to remain crimes against humanity’ unchanged n UNB n Tribune Report WEATHER

Weather is likely to remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country. Having chances of light rain or drizzle at one or two places over Rajshahi, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions and the regions of Jessore and Kushtia until 6pm today.

Moderate to thick fog might occur at places over the river basins and light to moderate fog elsewhere over the country during midnight till morning, Met Office said. Night and day temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 5:18pm today and rises at 6:38am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 28.5 degree Celsius was recorded at Cox’s Bazar and lowest 10.2 degrees at Dinajpur yesterday.

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

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

25.0 25.2 25.3 24.8 28.0 27.5 25.5 28.5

16.3 16.0 13.7 12.0 16.6 15.6 13.2 15.5

Barrister Amir-Ul Islam yesterday termed the ongoing violence crimes against humanity.

Bangladesh had to build ties with Pakistani people so that 195 military personnel listed as war criminals could be prosecuted, the member of the constitution framing committee said at a roundtable.

He said the resolution passed by the Pakistan parliament condemning the execution of Abdul Quader Molla justified the war crimes trial and recognised genocides carried in 1971. l

People gather to buy rice from a TCB Open Market Sale (OMS) outlet set up on a truck yesterday in the capital’s Lalbagh SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Remove barriers on Indo-Bangla rice seed trading n Tazlina Zamila Khan Formalisation of rice seeds trading between India and Bangladesh is necessary to meet farmers’ demands in ensuring the quality of rice, said speakers.

They said this while addressing an international press conference titled “Addressing Barriers to Rice Seeds Trade between India and Bangladesh” in the capital’s Brac Centre Inn, yesterday. The conference was jointly organised by CUTS International of India and Unnayan Shamannay, and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

Bipul Chatterjee, the deputy executive secretary of CUTS International, said, “Rice is the staple for both countries so a sustainable production is important for the growing population.

There is a lot of informal trading of rice seeds in the bordering areas and a large area is used for the cultivation of informally traded seeds such as Miniket and Swarna.”

5:16am 6:37am 11:57am 3:42pm 5:18pm 6:38pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

and other Eastern states of India during Boro season.

The key points of such trade were Jessore, Lalmonirhat, Rajshahi, Kushtia and other areas. Small local syndicates usually do the informal trading with farmers.

Swapan K Datta, the deputy director general (Crop Sciences) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, said farmers were not being benefitted by the low quality seeds they received through informal trading.

India has strict regulations and policies against importing rice seeds. It is difficult for farmers to complete the processes required to import seeds legally.

Director General Anwar Fauque, of the Seed Wing of the agriculture ministry, said the government was trying to accelerate the speed of seed trade among Saarc nations to ensure quality rice production in the South Asian region. l

37 foreigners held for illegal VoIP business n Kailash Sarkar Members of Rapid Action Battalion arrested five Chinese and 32 Taiwanese nationals yesterday for running Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) business illegally in the capital’s Uttara.

Two Bangladeshis were also held with the foreigners in the raid around 9pm from a building in Uttara’s Sector 12.

Officials of Rab 1 said they had also seized a large number of VoIP equipment from their possessions.

Lt Col Kismat Hayat, commanding officer of the unit, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had arrested the 39 people for running VoIP business illegally and dodging taxes and duties.

“The foreign nationals were staying in Bangladesh for few years now and ran the illegal business in cooperation with the detained Bangladeshis,” he said adding that the building owner was one of the associates in the business. l

Army gets new SP guns, Metis M-1 missiles n BSS

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

Formalising rice seed trading between the two countries would ensure the availability and accessibility of quality seeds and at an affordable price to farmers. There was scope for such cooperation because of the similar agro-climate condition of the two countries, he added.

AH Iqbal Ahmed, the director of Seed Certification Agency, said the demand and supply gap of rice seeds among the farmers of Bangladesh is met by the import of Chinese hybrid seeds, as Indian hybrid seeds are not performing well.

“Indian scientists should invest more on research to give farmers a larger variety of hybrid seeds,” he added.

A study made by CUTS International and Unnayan Shamannay revealed that during the Amon season Indian Swarna variety dominated at least 70% of the cultivated areas in Bangladesh and Bangladeshi varieties such as BR11 and BR-12 were being used in Assam

Only Bangladeshis can break the ongoing political impasse over the formation of a polls-time government, according to the US envoy to Bangladesh.

“It is not a question of America or anyone else having a plan to break this political impasse; only Bangladeshis can resolve the impasse,” US Ambassador Dan W Mozena said in reply to a question during a live chat on Facebook yesterday.

When asked what steps the US would take if the BNP did not join the elections, he replied: “I think the next step is for the two major parties to engage in a meaningful dialogue to ensure that elections are free and fair in the eyes of the Bangladeshi people.”

He also urged all sides to eschew violence and protect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities. l

PM Sheikh Hasina formally hands over Metis M-1 anti-tank guided missiles to the Infantry Regiment of Bangladesh Army at Dhaka Cantonment yesterday PMO

Bangladesh Army entered into a new era as the much-awaited self-propelled (SP) guns and Metis M- 1 anti-tank guided missiles were inducted in the force yesterday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally handed over the Serbia- made 155mm NORA B-52 SP guns to the 11 SP Regiment, the lone SP Unit of Bangladesh Army, and the Russsia-made Metis M-1 missiles to the Infantry Regiment of Bangladesh Army in Tarmac Area at Dhaka Cantonment this morning.

She also handed over the China -made PF-98 anti-tank weapons and Turkey-made light armoured vehicles to the Infantry Regiment and sound ranging equipment to Locating Wing of the Artillery Regiment.

On the occasion, a spectacular parade was held with the participation of

the members of Artillery and Infantry Regiments of Bangladesh Army.

The Prime Minister accompanied by Chief of Army Staff General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan inspected the parade riding on an open jeep. The Premier also took a state salute.

Lieutenant Col Md Aminul Islam and Captain Md Sajib were the parade commander and parade adjutant respectively.

Ministers, defence adviser to the Prime Minister, the chief of air staff, defence attaches and advisers of different embassies and high commissions and high civil and military officials were present on the occasion.

Earlier on her arrival at the Tarmac Area , the Prime Minister was received by the chief of army staff.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister hoped that with the addition of most-modern canons, armoured vehicles and equipment, the moral

strength of the Artillery and Infantry Regiments meaning all members of Bangladesh Army would be boosted to a great extent.

“I think that induction of most modern equipment in Bangladesh Army would cross a crucial step in achieving the Forces Goal-2030,” she said.

Besides, she said, necessary equipment have been purchased for Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force.

Sheikh Hasina said most modern SP guns, sound ranging equipment, anti-tank missiles and light armoured vehicles have been procured for Bangladesh Army to build it as a wellequipped modern force and Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu.

The Prime Minister said agreements have already been signed to buy more modern war equipment including the multiple rocket launcher system which would be inducted in the army very soon. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

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Monday, December 23, 2013

Rice price draws mixed reactions City schools risk having late starts next year from farmers and millers n Mushfique Wadud

Millers are worried they might fail to meet government’s procurement target

n Abu Bakar Siddique After a bumper production of T-Aman and positive market trends so far, farmers are expecting a higher turnover this year to recoup the losses incurred over the past two years.

Small-scale farmers, who hold the key to meeting the country’s rocketing food needs, are happy with the surge in price and have already started preparing for the next cultivation season.

The millers, however, are worried they might not be able to meet the procurement target set by the government.

Currently, the price of each maund of coarse rice is around Tk750, which is almost Tk200 more than the previous year’s rate.

“The price is good this year and turning in favour of smallholders like me,” said Sajjad Hossain, a farmer of Dinajpur who cultivated T-Aman on a five-plot.

“This year’s production was better than last year’s, thanks mostly to favourable weather conditions all through the season.”

The countrywide production may outstrip the government target by

nearly 200,000 metric tonnes, according to Rafiqul Hasan, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension. The government had fixed a target of producing over 1.28 crore metric tonnes.

T-Aman is the second highest food grain in the country in terms of production after Boro, which recorded a production of over 1.87 crore metric tonnes last season.

Small-scale farmers, who hold the key to meeting the country’s rocketing food needs, are happy with the surge in price and have already started preparing for the next cultivation season However, the high price of rice has led many farmers to resort to hoarding in the hope of getting still better prices at a later point of time.

“Many farmers are hoarding their produce with the expectation that the price will go up further within a short time,” said Masud Chowdhury, a farmer of Thakurgaon, who admitted to storing his stock of rice produced on an

eight-acre farm.

What motivated the hoarders further was the assurance of getting seeds, fertilisers and other resources on credit as they prepare to cultivate Boro in the coming season.

But the millers, procuring rice for the government so that it can build up a stock of its own, say they are being affected by both the current trends of pricing as well as the hoarding.

“It is astonishing that there is not enough rice to buy despite a bumper production. An artificial crisis is being created by the hoarders,” said Towfiqul Islam Babu, president of Naogaon Rice Mill Owners Association.

“If the existing trends continue for another month, we will have to face huge losses since most of the millers have been purchasing rice on loan.”

The government on November 27 fixed a target of procuring 200,000 tons of T-Aman for its own stock at Tk30 for each kilogramme of rice. The decision was based on estimates that farmers would get “fair prices” against their production cost of Tk25.42 per kg.

However, the millers maintain that the price fixed is not in proportion to

the rising market trends.

“The production cost of rice has risen and so has the price at the market,” said Towfiqul Islam Babu, urging the government to provide millers with an incentive of Tk4 against each kilogramme of rice.

In this regard, Quazi Shahabuddin, former director general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), told the Dhaka Tribune that the current price would go down once there was a steady supply of rice.

Until that happens, argues Nirod Baran Saha, president of Naogaon Rice Wholesalers Association, most of the suppliers will have to continue procuring rice at a loss in order to retain their supply license. “Some suppliers may discontinue supply but there will be some who may supply imported rice, which will be unethical and against the law,” he said.

According to Mahabub Hossain, executive director of Brac, it is important that the millers have their due profits but it is more important to save the farmers first. “Otherwise, they may switch their attention to cultivating other crops.” l

Several schools in the capital are likely to fail to start class in the first week of the new academic year because of pending examinations.

Normally, textbooks are distributed on the first or second of the new year and classes begin following the distribution.

But this year, academics say, there might be an exception as schedules of year-end exams and admission tests were heavily disrupted by the consecutive shutdowns and blockades of past weeks.

Several schoolteachers said the problem would not be over with the completion of exams only, since they would need additional time to evaluate answer scripts and prepare result-sheets.

Schools may have to face further delay because of the general elections slated for January 5, they added.

According to sources, Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, which has a track record for timely completion of exams and admission tests, is headed for a sure delay with its annual exams yet to be over.

But the school management is hopeful of finishing all exams by this week and publishing the results on December 31, although teachers and guard-

ians have expressed scepticism about such a possibility.

When contacted, the school’s principal Manjua Ara Begum said the management was trying to complete all exams as soon as possible but shutdowns remained a constant irritant.

Several schoolteachers said the problem would not be over with the completion of exams only, since they would need additional time to evaluate answer scripts and prepare result-sheets “We had been conducting exams only on Friday these past weeks.”

The management of Government Laboratory School said it would announce the results of its students on December 29, but several teachers said 30% of the scripts were yet to be checked.

The school is expecting to start class on the second day of the new year.

On the other hand, Monipur School and College has reportedly finished its examinations but is yet to get admissions over and done with.

Basirul Islam, president of Bangladesh Teachers’ Association, told the Dhaka Tribune that a good number of schools in the capital could not complete their annual examinations and would fail to start classes in time. l

JU VC takes office in Dhaka n JU Correspondent The vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University yesterday started occupying a house in the capital’s Uttara, as his office, with the ongoing teachers’ movement reportedly making him unable to stay at the campus.

Sources said Prof Anwar Hossain had started conducting the VC’s duties from a house in Uttara, where he had been living since the start of December during his medical leave.

Since then, the VC had been unable to enter the university as the agitating teachers announced him prohibited in the university and sealed his residence on campus.

A resolution from the authorities, signed yesterday by registrar Abu Bakr Siddique, said: “VC Prof Anwar Hossain cannot stay on the university campus as his house has been kept locked illegally. So the house in which he is living would be considered as the office of the VC from now.”

The current office address of the JU VC was 89 Gausul Azam Avenue (Level-4), Sector 14, Uttara, Dhaka – an office order of the university signed by the registrar said.

Sources said Prof Anwar Hossain informed registrar Abu Bakr Siddique about his return to work from his medical leave – through a letter he had sent on Saturday.

Meanwhile, agitated teachers staged demonstrations and threw away a copy

of the office order into a dustbin, protesting the VC’s decision of returning to work and taking up an office in Dhaka City.

Sources said around 30 to 40 members of the JU Teachers-Students and Officers-Employees United Forum gathered in front of the administrative office sometime near 12pm and threatened to prevent the incumbent VC if he tried to enter the campus.

Criticising Prof Anwar, the forum members claimed that the only reason behind the university’s ongoing crisis and halt was the VC’s attempt of holding onto his post despite the government having him removed from JU. Prof Kamrul Ahsan, the secretary member of the united forum, said: “Taking an office for JU in Dhaka city and doing office there is an unheard of incident in the whole history of the university, and this is illegal. We are rejecting the decision with much ire.”

At the demonstration, the forum also decided that the VC would not be allowed to make any decisions concerning JU, no files of the university would be allowed to be sent to the VC for signatures and no employee or vehicle would be provided for the VC. Forum leader Prof Hanif Ali said: “Nobody from this university is allowed to meet Prof Anwar Hossain.

If anybody does so, the united forum would take steps against them.”

Despite repeated attempts, the JU VC could not be reached on his phone for comments. l

Charges against two for embezzling Tk38 lakh n Tribune Report The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday approved charge sheets filed against two on charges of embezzling around Tk38lakh.

“The accused – Shawon Kumer Das and M Selim Reza, misappropriated Tk37.70lakh from land acquisition funds from the deputy commissioner office in Dhaka,” ACC Public Relations Officer Pranav Kumer Bhattacharya told reporters.

ACC sources said Shawon Kumer Das had withdrewn the money from Dholaikhal branch of Jamuna Bank

Limited through cheque forgery.

He created an account with the bank changing his name to Shahriar Chowdhury Ahmed which M Selim Reza authorised to.

Though not affected by land acquisition, Shaon issued the cheque and withdrew the money as compensation by forging signatures of land acquisition officials Delowara Begum and Mahmudul Kabor Murad, and former Audit and Accounts Officer M Golam Mostafa.

The charges will be filed under sections of Money Laundering Prevention Act 2009 and 2012 respectively. l

Tomato traders stack sacks filled with tomato on roadside fields as they are unable to transport them anywhere because of the continuous blockade. The photo was taken yesterday from Rajshahi’s Kakonhat area DHAKA TRIBUNE

‘Government puts emphasis on coal for electricity production’ n Aminur Rahman Rasel The government is emphasising coal out of its seven options to generate electricity, aiming to reduce costs and alleviate the fuel shortage.

Adequate electricity supply is a major challenge for the country and it’s also important to provide electricity to consumers at reasonable price, said Power Division Secretary Monowar Islam while addressing a workshop at Bidyut Bhaban in the city yesterday.

The seven options to which the secretary referred are gas, liquid fuel, coal, regional power trades, liquefied natural gas, nuclear power and renewable energy.

Currently the Power Development Board buys electricity per unit from a

gas run plant at less than Tk2 while the cost of electricity per unit produced from a diesel or oil run plants is Tk14 to Tk 18. The electricity produced from coal-fired plants will cost Tk6.

“The government aims to reach electricity generation capacity of about 40,000MW by 2030, of which 24,000MW will be achieved by 2021, under its Power System Master Plan.” he added.

“To ensure sustainable energy the country needs technical, financial and environmental sustainability.

“We have achieved a lot in the acquisition of technical sustainability and financial sustainability, and we are also putting emphasis on environmental sustainability,” he told the workshop entitled “Sustainable Energy Securi-

ty: options for Bangladesh” organised by the Power Development Board and Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company limited.

Md Anwar Hossain, joint secretary of the Power Division, in his keynote paper, said they had planned to generate electricity through clean coal technology. Clean coal technology was introduced in the USA during the 1980s. The main benefits of clean coal technology are reduction in emissions, fuel flexibility, increases in generating efficiency and a reduction of generating cost.

“The coal power plant will cause no harm to the Sundarbans.” Managing Director of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company limited VS Tamrakar said, adding that steps would also be taken to improve the ecosystem and bring sound pol-

lution under control. The projected cost of the power plant has been estimated at Tk 1,4510 crore.

The 1,320-megawatt Maitree super thermal power plant will be set up in Rampal of Bagerhat under a joint venture of the Bangladesh Power Development Board and Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company limited.

Among others, the following addressed the programme: PDB Chairman Md Abduhu Ruhullah, Rural Electrification Board Chairman Brigadier General Moin Uddin, Power cell Director General Mohammad Hossain, North-West Power Generation Company limited Managing Director AM Khurshedul Alam and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Managing Director Chowdhury Alamgir Hossain. l

Pabna science university teachers for immediate appointment of VC n Our Correspondent, Pabna

Teachers of Pabna Science and Technology University form a human in the district town yesterday, demanding appoinment of vice-chancellor DHAKA TRIBUNE

Teachers at Pabna University of Science and Technology formed a human chain in front of the administrative building of the university yesterday morning, demanding the appointment of a vice-chancellor for the university.

Teachers from all departments joined the human chain, which was held in front of the administrative building of the university around 11am.

During the human chain, the teachers said there was deadlock at the university, as there has been no vice-chancellor for the last month.

Teachers of the university have already submitted memorandums to the Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and President Abdul Hamid, but no steps have been taken to appoint a new VC for the university.

Former VC Professor Mozaffar Hossain ended his four year tenure as VC on November 22. He left the university on November, 23, since then the university has had no VC, which is not only hampering administrative activities, but also academic activities.

“After the departure of the former VC, we submitted a memorandum to the honourable president and educa-

tion minister on November 25, seeking the appointment of a new VC. But the government is yet to appoint a VC,” said Shamim Reza, secretary of the university teachers’ association.

The university authority could not make preparations for admission test for the 2013-14 academic session untill now because of the absence of a vice-chancellor.

“December is ending, but the university could not set the admissions test, although it is usually completed within November,” said Rashedul Haque, chairman of the Civil Engineering Department of the university. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Monday, December 23, 2013

Construction of kitchen market on canal continues Authorities concerned have not taken any action despite publication of reports in different media about land grabbing in Barisal city n Our Correspondent, Barisal Despite many reports published in different media, including the Dhaka Tribune on December 12, a group of land grabbers have been continuing construction of a kitchen market on a canal near Nathullabad area in Barisal city.

Following the reports, the authorities concerned had taken no action in this regard.

Construction of 18 shops on 300 yards of the canal has been in full swing since last month.

Visiting the spot yesterday, we found that the squatters, led by Nathullabad Khudra Bebosayee Samity, President Mokbul Mirdha and Sub-Assistant Land Officer Zillur Rahman, had constructed roofs on their structures.

Enayet Hossain Chowdhury, an activist of a movement for the preservation and recovery of canals, ponds and wetlands in the city, alleged that not only did the authorities concerned fail to protect the canal, but that they were instigating the squatters to fill up the wetlands.

Mokbul Mridha claimed that the Barisal City Corporation mayor had per-

Housewives torch gamblers’ den in Rajbari n Our Correspondent, Rajbari Some housewives in Bokshiabari village, under Nababpur union in Baliakandi upazila of the district, torched a den of gamblers on Saturday night.

Locals said some gamblers of the village had been gathering at Sirajul Islam’s to gamble and take hemp.

As a result, many of the gamblers have sold their land and properties.

When family members prevented them from going there, they misbehaved with them.

Bring irritated, the family members decided to set fire to the residence of Sirajul. When gamblers were gambling, they set fire to the house, burning down a motorcycle and other valuables.

However, no casualties were reported. l

mitted him to run a kitchen market on the spot.

On the other hand, Zillur Rahman claimed that after taking a lease from Barisal Zila Parishad legally, and with consent and permission of the BCC mayor, he had started the construction work of the kitchen market.

However, Ahsan Habib Kamal, BCC mayor, denied giving any permission to construct a kitchen market on the canal.

Makbul Hossain, chief executive officer of Barisal Zila Parishad, asserted that the parishad never leased the canal to anybody.

BCC Market Inspector Abdus Salam said after visiting the spot he would submit a report against illegal construction of the kitchen market.

BCC Chief Executive Officer Nikhil Chandra Das, who earlier said a group of small businessmen had requested him to give them 10 days to remove the illegal structures, claimed that he did not know of any developments to the status of their request.

He also said if BCC authorities directed him, he would carry out an eviction. l

Land grabbers have set up makeshift shops on a canal at Nathullabad in Barisal city

Nine get life in prison for killing in Rajshahi n

Tribune Report

A tribunal in Rajshahi yesterday convicted nine people and sentenced them to life imprisonment for killing a man in 2009.

The convicts are Kashem Ali, Khadem Ali, Azam, Mintu, Lal Chan, Tuel alias Rezaul, Abdul Latif, Toufiq and Badal. Of them, Mintu was tried in absentia. All of the convicts are the residents of Rasulpur village under Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj.

The court also fined the convicts Tk10,000 each, in default, to suffer six months more in prison.

According to the prosecution, Mafiz Uddin, a trader of Rasulpur village in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj district, was hacked to death by the

convicts following an enmity over the ownership of a mango grove on June 16, 2009, reports BSS. Kashem, Khadem and Azam were nephews of the victim.

A case had been filed with Shibganj Police Station accusing 11 people in this connection.

Police submitted the charge sheet against four people. Following the complaint of the plaintiff, the case was shifted to the Criminal Investigation Department and sent to the Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal.

After examining records and witnesses, Judge Shamsul Alam Khan of the tribunal pronounced the verdict acquitting two other accused as allegation brought against them was not proved. l

Balance of fertiliser and pesticide advocated to boost production n Tribune Desk A balanced use of compost, fertilisers, and pesticides can boost crop production and ensure food security in disaster-prone areas.

The comments came at a training course on how to use fertiliser and pesticide properly.

The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society organised the programme in Chilmari upazila of Kurigram district.

The district unit BDRCS hosted the training programme under the Flood Recovery Project for the benefit of the farmers of Chilmari and Noyarhat unions in the upazila. The British Red Cross provided financial support for the programme.

Aminul Islam Manju Mandal, vice-chairman of the Kurigram unit

Production at Thakurgaon Sugar Mill suspended for indefinite period n Tribune Report Production in Thakurgaon Sugar Mill has been suspended for an indefinite period for disruption in sugarcane supply.

Authority of the mill said that they had been compelled to shut down the mill as they were not getting sufficient supply of sugercane because of frequent blockade programmes enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance.

Police escort nine people sentenced to life-term imprisonment for killing a man

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Safe drinking water and sanitation needed in the dry regions n Tribune desk Speakers at a meeting in Rajshahi called for the right to safe drinking water and sanitation in the vulnerable communities in the dry regions of the country, to ensure the health of local inhabitants.

They made the call at a discussion entitled, “Knowledge Sharing on Salient Governance-related Issues.” The event on Saturday was organised by the regional office of the NGO Forum for Public Health.

Lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a national problem rather an individual one, observed the speakers.

There was no alternative but to ensure transparency, accountability and good governance in the sector, they said.

Executive Editor of Daily Sonar Desh

Akbarul Hassan Millat, Talanda Union Parishad Chairman Akheruzzaman Hannan and Centre for Capacity Building of Voluntary Organisations Chief Executive Sarwar-e-Kamal Swapan spoke at the occasion.

They said people in the drier part of the country had become vulnerable in terms of access to safe water and sanitation, as both surface and underground water resources were depleting.

Supply of safe drinking water and sanitation were the prerequisites to meet fundamental rights like education and health.

Moreover, safe water and adequate sanitation facilities are crucial to protect the underprivileged community from different waterborne diseases, as many of them suffer from such diseases because of their ignorance about

healthcare, they said.

District Facilitator of Bangladesh Local Governance Support Project (LGSP)II Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal said climate change had been posing a serious threat to public health in the vast Barind Tract covering the Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts.

To mitigate the situation, substantial promotion of water management and modern technology related to sanitation was needed immediately, he remarked.

Coordinated efforts from different government and non- government sectors were essential to fight the vulnerability, he suggested.

Programme Facilitator of NGO Forum for Public Health Sabit Jahan Sisir conducted the technical sessions with Regional Manager Rabiul Haque in the chair. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sugarcane growers and the mill authorities urged the local unit of BNP to keep sugarcanecarrying vehicles out of the purview of blockade, but it fell on deaf ears The mill authorities announced yesterday morning that they would not accept sugercane from farmers until further notice. Production in the mill came to a complete halt for lack of sugarcane on Saturday night.

Managing Director of the mill SM Abdul Aziz said they could not collect adequate sugarcane due to the blockade which led to the suspension of cane crushing on Saturday night.

He, however, said the mill will resume production once the sugarcane supply gets normal, reports UNB. Earlier, sugarcane crushing that began in the mill on December 13 also remained halted on December 17-19 due to blockade.

Meanwhile, sugarcane growers and the mill authorities urged the local unit of BNP to keep sugarcane-carrying vehicles out of the purview of blockade, but it fell on deaf ears. l

of BDRCS, inaugurated the day programme as the guest of honour.

Secretary to the Kurigram unit of BDRCS Alhaj ATM Akhter Hossain Chinu attended the ceremony as a special guest, with Chilmari Union Parishad Chairman Jahangir Alam in the chair.

Speaking at the programme, in front of an audience of farmers from 25 flood-hit areas of Chilmari union, were: Kurigram unit BDRCS Officer ABM Bayezid, British Red Cross Technical Officer Kazi Asaduzzaman, Chilmari Upazila Organiser of the Flood Recovery Project Md Kawser, Noyarhat Union Community Organiser SM Nurul Amin Sarker, DAE Agriculture Extension Officer Ahsan and DAE Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Zahid Hossain Ansari.

A similar training course was also hosted simultaneously for another 25

project beneficiary farmers at Koria Barishal Junior High School under Noyarhat union in the upazila.

The participating farmers were provided with practical technology training and knowledge of how to produce vermi compost, and how to balance compost fertilisers alongside chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

The trainers demonstrated the process of preparing vermi fertiliser, its preservation and uses in the crop fields, and described the benefits of earthworm fertilisers for soil health and crop production.

The speakers highlighted the use of vermi compost to revive soil health, increase bio-diversity, improve ecological balance, and to expand sustainable and environmentally friendly agrotechnology. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Cotton mill gutted in Khulna fire A cotton mill was gutted in a devastating fire at Bejerdanga area in Fultala upazila yesterday morning. However, no casualty was reported in the incident. Fire service sources said the fire had originated from electric short circuit in the cotton mill owned by former union parishad chairman Sheikh Robiul Islam and soon engulfed the mill at about 7:50am. On information, four firefighting units from Khulna and Nayapara fire stations rushed to the spot and controlled the flames around 10pm. The extent of loss from the fire could not be known immediately.

Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of police visited the spot after the incident. – UNB

Five held with arms in Bogra Detective Branch of police arrested five activists of Jubo League, youth wing of Awami League, along with arms and weapons in Circuit House area of district town on Saturday night. The arrestees were identified as Rakib, 21, Nantu, 28, his younger brother Jhantu, 26, both sons of late Shukur Ali, Nazmul, 28, son of Abdul Zabbar of the town and Tuhin, 18, son of Mozibur Rahman of Darogapara village in Munshiganj. Mizanur Rahman, officer-incharge of Bogra DB police, said a patrol team of DB police intercepted the five on suspicion while they on two motorbikes were going through the road in front of circuit house. Later, detectives searched their bodies and recovered seized a US made pistol, four bullets and two draggers. – UNB

14 crude bombs recovered in Comilla Police recovered 14 crude bombs from separate places in the town early Sunday. Detective Branch officer-in-charge

AKM Mohsin Khan said being tipped off, they recovered eight crude bombs from Chartha area and six bombs from Taltola area in an abandoned condition. – UNB

One person killed in Magura road accident A truck driver was killed and four others were injured in a road accident at Salai village under sadar upazila of the district yesterday morning. The deceased Chanchal Mullah, 27, is son of Mujibur Rahman of the same area.

Police and local said when a mini truck turned turtle into a roadside ditch as its driver lost control of the steering wheel, leaving five persons injured.

The injured were sent to Magura Sadar Hospital wh ere Chanchal died.

– UNB

400 opposition leaders and activists sued in Dinajpur A case has been filed against some 400 opposition leaders and activists in connection with Saturday’s violence in Kaharole upazila. Shafiquzzaman, sub-inspector of Kaharole police station, filed the case against 48 identified and 350 unidentified opposition men under the Speedy Trial Act on Saturday night, said its officer-in-charge Mosabberul Haque.

On Saturday, the 18-party men from a procession swooped on the rally of Awami League arranged in Dashmile area protesting hartals and blockades being enforced by the opposition alliance, triggering a clash. During the clash, four people were injured, 10-12 motorcycles and several shops vandalised. As police rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control, the opposition men started hurling brick chunks at the law enforcers, leaving one of them injured. – UNB

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Monday, December 23, 2013

7

The curse of the two-thirds In South Asia, 11 out of 35 elections delivered supermajority to a ruling party, resulting in serious political instability

P

n Ali Riaz olitical parties participate in elections to win, and surely they aspire to win big. Any political party would hope that the election provides a mandate to implement its agenda.

The larger the scale of the victory, the better it is for the winner.

In the parliamentary system of governance, usually victory means securing an absolute majority of seats in the legislature. Occasionally plurality or relative majority (that is the number of seats for the party receiving the greatest number but less than half of the seats) may be enough in getting to power. In some cases parties may have to be satisfied with sharing power but prefer to gain an absolute majority which party leaders view as the vindication of their leadership.

But do parties like to have a super majority – that is a two-thirds majority - in the legislature? Is supermajority helpful for democracy? Is a two-thirds majority in a parliamentary system of government a blessing for the country or a curse?

As it is now evident that, if the election scheduled on January 5, 2014 is held, the Awami League-led coalition will have more than two-thirds of seats in the 10th parliament of Bangladesh, these questions warrant closer attention.

This will be the third consecutive parliament in Bangladesh where a party or a coalition will have the supermajority. It is worth exploring whether the experience of Bangladesh is different from that of other countries in South Asia.

Between 1971 and 2011, four South Asian countries namely Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, have held 35 parliamentary elections. All of them, except Sri Lanka after 1978, follow the Westminster style parliamentary system which is based on the First Past The Post (FPTP) system.

The FPTP system allows a candidate to win when she/he secures relatively more votes than her/his opponent in a single constituency. A party can thereby secure a majority of parliamentary seats without securing the majority of popular votes. Among these 35 elections, Bangladesh had nine elections, India had eleven, Pakistan had eight and Sri Lanka had seven elections.

Of these, 11 elections had delivered a supermajority to a ruling party or a coalition. Save one exception, these countries have experienced tumultuous times under the supermajority, faced serious political instability, experienced erosion of civil liberties.

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Rahman was elected president by the parliament.

Despite some weaknesses, the constitution, framed by the Constituent Assembly (1972) dominated by the AL in the previous year, ensured fundamental rights to the citizens. But two amendments to the constitutions, the Second and the Fourth, essentially took away these rights. The Fourth Amendment made the judiciary subservient to the executive. The AL rule came to an end through a brutal coup on August 15, 1975 leading to coups and counter-coups until the end of the year.

The 1979 election, which delivered 69% of seats to the then ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), established under the aegis of the military government led by Ziaur Rahman, was manipulated from the outset with an objective to legitimise the actions of the military rulers after the brutal coup of August 15, 1975. The Fifth Amendment changed the nature and course of the Bangladeshi state forever.

The amendment also indemnified those who killed the founder President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family, and the leaders of the liberation war. The 1988 election, held under another military ruler, was boycotted by major political parties namely the AL and the BNP, and delivered 83.67% of seats to the Jatiya Party (JP) led by then military ruler HM Ershad.

The legitimacy of the election is questionable, to say the least. But the ruling party went ahead with another amendment of the constitution – the Eighth Amendment – making Islam the state religion. Despite popular opposition and a commitment by the opposition to repeal it, it has become a permanent feature of the Bangladeshi constitution.

The epitome of the supermajority in parliament by a single party was achieved in February 1996 through a sham election boycotted by all parties and with a small voter turnout. The election held under the BNP regime led by Khaleda Zia constituted a parliament with 100% BNP members,

Is a two-third majority in a parliamentary system of government a blessing for the country or a curse?

And during the periods under supermajority rule drastic constitutional changes have been made with significant consequences.

Bangladesh’s brush with the supermajority began with its first election in 1973. The Awami League (AL) led

by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman secured 97.67% of seats in the parliament. This provided the party with the opportunity to change the constitution to the extent that the country ended up with a one-party system within less than two years, the parliament extended its own tenure and Sheikh Mujibur

had the shortest tenure in the history of the country. Yet, its single legislative action has remained a source of contention among the political parties to date.

The Thirteenth Amendment, as many are aware, introduced the caretaker system during the elections but it was not done in consultation with the electorate.

While one can exclude these three elections as anomalies, for the results of two elections were outcomes of the machinations of the military rulers to earn legitimacy and one was to make

constitutional changes under pressure from the opposition, one can hardly discount the 2001 and 2008 election results as such.

The 2001 elections, one of the fairest elections held in Bangladesh, delivered 70.67% seats to the BNP-led 4-party coalition which included the Islamists.

The five-year rule of the BNP regime is marked by the rise of Islamist militancy, but most importantly its

court declared Indira Gandhi’s election null and void and unseated her from her parliamentary membership. The court also banned her from contesting any election for an additional six years. During the nineteen months of the emergency, elections for the parliament and state governments were postponed.

The INC garnered the second supermajority – in 1984 – largely a sympathy vote following the assassination of

It is worth noting that parliaments with a supermajority held under civilian regimes have resorted to constitutional manipulation as much as the military rulers did

effort at constitutional manipulation through the Fourteenth Amendment which increased the retirement age of the chief justice to ensure that the CTG is headed by a BNP sympathiser.

The instability that it engendered led to the deferral of elections for two years, and the installation of a military-backed CTG. The 2008 election, after a two year hiatus, with more than 85% turnout, delivered an unprecedented result of 81% of seats to the ALled coalition headed by Sheikh Hasina.

Within three years, the parliament amended the constitutional proviso of holding elections under a non-partisan caretaker government. The experience of all parliaments with a supermajority has been the amendment of the constitution which has influenced the quality of governance and the electoral system.

It is worth noting that parliaments with a supermajority held under civilian regimes have resorted to constitutional manipulation as much as the military rulers did.

In the past four decades India experienced the rule of a supermajority twice, both by the Indian National Congress (INC). The 1971 election provided the Indira Gandhi-led INC 67.95% of seats in the parliament.

This supermajority enabled the ruling party to pass the 24th Amendment to the constitution. The genesis of the amendment lay with the battle with the judiciary.

The Supreme Court, in a verdict stated that parliament has no power to amend the parts of the constitution relating to fundamental rights. Declaring fundamental rights “transcendental in nature,” the court opined that parliament cannot abridge or take away any fundamental rights.

Subsequently, the ruling party introduced and passed amendments to Article 368 and Article 13 enabling parliament to suspend fundamental rights. The amendments, made in 1971, were viewed by many as overreach by the incumbent. This amendment was instrumental in the declaration of the state of emergency on June 26, 1975, suspending civil liberties and elections.

The declaration came soon after a

Indira Gandhi (October 31, 1984). The INC secured 75.8% of seats under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi. While his tenure (1984-89) was marred by large scale corruption scandals, particularly the allegation that he received kickbacks from a Swedish arms company in the 1986 weapons buying deal, there were no extra-constitutional measures implemented to further his political power.

The criticisms of Rajiv Gandhi, for ineffective leadership, should be tempered by the acknowledgement that he is the only leader in South Asia who has not abused his supermajority in the past four decades.

Pakistan’s history of supermajority parliaments, in 1977 and 1997, ended with the demise of civilian government. The 1977 elections, the first since the country lost its eastern wing (as Bangladesh emerged as an independent country in 1971), was a mark of its step towards democracy.

The incumbent Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) led by Zulfiqur Ali Bhutto, who ruled the country from 1972 allegedly manipulated the elections to secure an absolute majority. The 77.5% of seats in the parliament provided credence to the allegation and helped the opposition to intensify the street agitations on the one hand while the government adopted a heavy-handed policy to curb the opposition.

Capitalising on public agitation, the military intervened and Pakistan fell into a long spell of military rule.

The military rule continued until the suspicious death of the then President Zia ul Huq in a plane crash on August 17, 1988.

In the 1997 election, the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) under the leadership of Newaz Sharif emerged as the winner, one seat shy of the supermajority. But soon it managed to get the support to ensure a two-thirds majority. Subsequently the parliament adopted the Thirteenth Amendment of the constitution which stripped the president of the power to dismiss the government and made his power to appoint military service chiefs and provincial governors contingent on the “advice” of the prime minister.

While many viewed these changes

as corrective measures for balancing power between the PM and the president it also made the PM virtually unaccountable. With the Fourteenth Amendment, called the anti-defection clause, elected members were prohibited from “floor crossing” or voting against party lines. Arguing that it will stop horse-trading and provide stability to the government, it also became impossible to dissent with the party, particularly the PM. The arbitrary power assumed by the PM through these changes was revealed when the Newaz Sharif government became engaged in a protracted dispute with the judiciary, culminating in the storming of the Supreme Court by ruling party loyalists in November 1997. The PM was also alleged to have engineered the dismissal of the chief justice and the resignation of President Farook Leghari in December 1997.

All in all, Pakistani politics became embroiled in a battle between the legislature and the judiciary. As the PM attempted to remove the chief of the army, Pakistan experienced another coup in 1999.

The election of 1977 in Sri Lanka dealt the United National Party (UNP) and its leader JR Jayewardene a resounding victory with 83.33% of parliamentary seats. The former ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) secured only 4.76% of seats. The ruling party amended the 1972 constitution through the Second Amendment in 1977 which created the powerful executive presidency.

The election results, including the ones participated in by well-organised competing parties, show that a South Asian electorate has never voted a party or a coalition to secure two-thirds majority. That is, in a fair election no political party has secured 66% or above popular votes (in this account we have excluded two Bangladeshi elections – 1988 and February 1996. In both instances, there were no viable alternatives for electorates to choose from. Notably voter turnout was low in these two elections).

The only exception to this is the 1973 election. But that too was fraught with widespread rigging and electoral manipulation. In Bangladesh, ruling AL garnered 73% popular votes, in 2001 the BNP-led alliance secured 46.62% of popular votes, in 2008 the AL-led alliance received 57% of popular votes.

In India, only 43.68% popular votes were bagged by the ruling INC 1971 election (percentage of their seats was 67.95); in 1984 the share of popular vote was 49.01% (75.8% seats).

Pakistan People’s Party had 60.1% of popular votes in 1977 (77.5% seats), and PML’s share of popular votes was 45.9% in 1997. In similar vein, with only 50.92% of popular votes, UNP in Sri Lanka secured 83.33% of seats.

These results reflect a deep-seated problem with the FPTP system. The system has allowed and will continue to allow a party to claim for a supermajority when the electorate have not provided an express mandate.

Recurrence of such kind of results, particularly in such short interval, is bound to have long-lasting effects on the institutions, political psyche and political culture

Jayewardene assumed the presidency on February 4, 1978. Then a new constitution was framed which removed the FPTP system. But through subsequent amendments the tenure of the parliament was extended until 1989 (the Fourth Amendment in 1982), weakened the judiciary, and extended the immunity of the president (via Fourteenth Amendment in 1988).

Overall a different political landscape and system of governance emerged out of the parliament that remained effective between 1977 and 1989.

Overall, the supermajority in parliament has accorded enormous powers to the ruling parties and its leaders in South Asia in the past four decades which have been used to change constitutions and strengthen the executive power of the prime minister (or the president, in case of Sri Lanka).

The only exception is India in 1984.

One can argue that many of these elections were held fairly and these parties have been elected by popular votes. Therefore, these should be seen as expressions of the popular will. But close scrutiny of these results reveal otherwise.

One can draw a tentative conclusion from these experiences which will be akin to what Chris Addock, in his study of Guatemala, Colombia and Algeria, mentioned: “The presence of [a] functioning electoral system does not automatically ensure the existence of true democracy or rule out the possibility of authoritarian structures or practices.”

The survey also shows that among the South Asian countries Bangladesh has experienced the phenomenon more than any other country in the past four decades.

The discrepancy between the popular votes and the parliamentary seats allowing a party to operate with almost no checks has been detrimental to democracy, in Bangladesh and elsewhere.

But recurrence of such kind of results, particularly in such short interval, is bound to have long-lasting effects on the institutions, political psyche and political culture. l Ali Riaz is Professor and Chair of the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University, USA.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Monday, December 23, 2013

AFRICA

S Sudan sends more troops to retake flashpoint town n Reuters, Juba South Sudan said it had sent more soldiers to retake the flashpoint town of Bor from rebels and kept control of oilfields as fighting spread to a neighbouring state in a conflict that has raised fears of a collapse into ethnic civil war.

Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said the army in Bor had spotted former Vice President Riek Machar - the man the government accuses of starting the fighting in Africa’s newest country - on the battlefield, but he had escaped by boat.

It was impossible to verify the minister’s account independently and Machar could not be reached for comment. There have been varying reports of his whereabouts since the fighting started.

Clashes between rival groups of soldiers in the capital Juba a week ago have spread across the landlocked and impoverished country, which won its independence from Sudan in 2011 with support from successive US administrations.

The army acknowledged losing Bor in the northern Jonglei state on Wednesday, and a day later the United Nations said oil workers had taken refuge in its bases in neighbouring Unity.

International and regional powers have urged both sides to stop fighting, fearing for the stability of an already fragile surrounding region that includes some ofAfrica’s most promising economies, including Kenya and Ethiopia.

President Salva Kiir, from South Sudan’s Dinka ethnic group, accused Machar, a Nuer who he dismissed in

Madagascar polls free, credible, democratic n AFP, Antananarivo Observers certified Madagascar’s run-off presidential polls as free, credible and democratic on Sunday, urging bickering candidates to stay calm as counting continued after the vote to restore democracy. “According to the parameters and methodology of the European Union, the elections were free, credible and democratic,” said EU mission chief Maria Muniz de Urquiza of Friday’s vote to restore democracy to the island nation.

But she cautioned that “the process has not finished. We have to wait for counting to end and the reporting of the results,” after both candidates claimed victory in an ominous reminder of similar disputes during 2001 polls.

Freemason doctor Robinson Jean Louis, 66, candidate of ousted president Marc Ravalomanana, and his rival Hery Rajaonarimampianina, backed by strongman Andry Rajoelina, have also traded accusations of fraud such as stuffing ballot boxes and transporting pre-marked ballots. The parliamentary and run-off presidential polls were aimed at pulling the island nation out of its stagnation after Rajoelina seized power from Ravalomanana in an army-backed coup in 2009. l

July, of trying to launch a coup. The two men have long been political rivals.

Machar dismissed the charge but has since told the BBC and other outlets that he is commanding troops fighting the government.

Government soldiers had come across Machar with a group of fighters in Bor, foreign minister Benjamin said, without going into details of where or when the encounter took place.

“Riek managed to escape, used his boat along the Nile and ended up in his village of Ado and went into Bentiu (the administrative capital of Unity) ... the night before he attacked government institutions,” Benjamin added.

Reuters television footage showed the government sent more troops on Saturday to Bor - the scene of an ethnic massacre carried out in 1991 by Nuer fighters loyal to Machar.

“The government had to assert its sovereignty and send in troops in order to push out these renegades in the main city centre ... they are being cleared from this city now,” he added.

Benjamin said Machar was not in control of oilfields in Unity state.

“Of course there is a threat. But ... he is not occupying the oilfields. The oil has been running. It is just because the workers there are frightened because of what is happening. I am sure this is an area that must be properly protected,” he said.

Information Minister Michael Makuei said on Saturday an army divisional commander in Unity State, John Koang, had defected and joined Machar, who had named him the governor of the state. l

Who wouldn’t love a set of traditional Russian nesting dolls painted to look like famous gay icons? Probably not anybody working at the Kremlin. But officials there will still receive the novelty gift as a Christmas present this year meant to “stick two fingers up at homophobia in Russia.” For its holiday campaign titled, #To Russia with Love, UK-based creative agency Mother London commissioned seven sets of the matryoshka dolls, each painted to look like a openly-gay celebrity, such as Elton John and Stephen Fry. One set of the dolls will be sent to the Kremlin, and another to the Russian Consulate in London. The rest of the dolls are being auctioned off on eBay to raise money for Kaleidoscope Trust, a human rights organization dedicated to promoting LGBT equality worldwide.

Blind man, guide dog safe after subway track fall

Gallant guide dog Orlando was just doing his duty. The black Lab bravely leapt onto the tracks at a Manhattan subway platform Tuesday after his blind owner lost consciousness and tumbled in front of an oncoming train. Cecil Williams, 61, and Orlando both escaped serious injury when the train passed over top of them — a miraculous end to a harrowing ordeal that

MIDDLE EAST

Air strikes on Aleppo kill dozens n AFP, Beirut Dozens of people were killed in an eighth day of air strikes on Aleppo in Syria on Sunday, a watchdog said, as a bombing in Homs killed five schoolchildren.

“Dozens of people were killed or wounded” in attacks that saw loyalist warplanes drop so-called barrel bombs near the Friday market in Aleppo city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Separate attacks also targeted the rebel-held Sakhur, Ahmadiyeh, Baideen and Ard al-Hamra neighbour-

hoods of the former commercial capital, it said.

The Aleppo Media Centre, a network of citizen journalists on the ground, also reported the attacks, adding that the barrel bomb attack “destroyed a bus, leaving no survivors.”

The bombing also destroyed “some 10 cars, as well as a residential building,” the AMC said.

It added that “hospitals are packed with wounded,” and that the number of dead could not yet be confirmed.

The air force was “continuing to bombard several areas of Aleppo,” the AMC added. l

Half a million wounded in Syria n AFP, Beirut Half a million people across war-hit Syria have been wounded, many of them lacking access to basic healthcare and treatment, the International Committee for the Red Cross said on Sunday.

Millions have also been displaced inside Syria and tens of thousands detained, ICRC chief Magne Barth said in a statement.

“At least half a million people have been wounded across the country and millions remain displaced and tens of thousands detained,” he said.

“The wounded are often not cared for properly and the chronically ill of-

n AFP, Khartoum

Soldiers in Juba join battle in a bid to end fighting that threatens to drag the world’s newest country into an ethnic civil war

ten do not receive the treatment they need,” Barth added.

The ICRC urged again the Syrian government and the rebels to allow humanitarian assistance to reach all people affected by the 33-month conflict.

Barth said Syrian authorities were preventing access to rebel-held areas besieged by loyalists troops, including in Homs and Damascus provinces, despite saying more humanitarian assistance was needed.

“Our staff are still not allowed to enter besieged areas to deliver aid, including much-needed medical supplies, to all people in need whoever they may be,” said Barth. l

REUTERS

Obama warns South Sudan over violence n Agencies US President Barack Obama has warned South Sudan that Washington and its allies would cut aid to the country over any attempted military coup, amid growing fears of civil war.

Obama also urged South Sudan’s leaders to help protect US personnel and citizens in the conflict-ravaged country, after four US military service members were

IN OTHER NEWS Gay Icon Nesting Dolls Sent to the Kremlin for Christmas

Sudan court acquits award-winning journalist of ‘lies’

began when Williams began to feel faint on his way to the dentist. “He tried to hold me up,” an emotional Williams told The Associated Press from his hospital bed, his voice breaking at times. Witnesses said Orlando began barking frantically and tried to stop Williams from falling from the platform. Matthew Martin told the New York Post that Orlando jumped down and tried to rouse Williams even as a train approached. “He was kissing him, trying to get him to move,” Martin said. Witnesses called for help and the train’s motorman slowed his approach as Williams and Orlando lay in the trench between the rails.

“The dog saved my life,” Williams said.

Few women attend Rio topless ban protest

A protest in Brazil against a decades-old ban on topless sunbathing has failed to attract more than a dozen women. Instead, hundreds of photographers and men turned up for the event on Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema beach. More than 2,000 women had said they would take their tops off on the beach on Saturday morning to call for the law to be scrapped. Organisers say most women probably felt too intimidated to join the protest. Protesters say Brazilian legislation, which defines beach topless as an obscene act, is anachronistic and hypocritical. They argue that nudity is tolerated during the annual carnival parade in Rio.

Al-Qaeda ‘sorry’ for hospital attack n AFP In a rare public apology, the military leader of al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen has said that one of his fighters disobeyed orders and attacked a hospital attached to the defence ministry during a December assault that killed 52 people.

Qassim al-Rimi, commander of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, said in a video posted on the Internet that the attackers were warned in advance not to enter the hospital within the complex, nor a place for prayer there.

But he said one fighter did. That fighter and eight others were killed in the December 5 suicide bombing and gunmen attack on the ministry complex in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital. Seven foreigners from Germany, India, the Philippines and Vietnam were among the dead - all who were providing aid at the hospital.

“Now we acknowledge our mistake and guilt,” al-Rimi said in a video released late Saturday by al-Qaeda’s media arm al-Mallahem.

“We offer our apology and condolences to the victims’ families. We accept full responsibility for what happened in the hospital and will pay blood money for the victims’ families.”

The apology seemed prompted by Yemen state television earlier broadcasting a video showing a gunman attacking doctors and other hospital staff. l

wounded when their aircraft were fired upon on Saturday during a mission to evacuate American citizens. “Any effort to seize power through the use of military force will result in the end of longstanding support from the United States and the international community,” the White House said in a statement following Obama’s call with National Security Adviser Susan Rice and other top aides.

Violence is escalating in South Su-

dan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, despite an offer from President Salva Kiir to open talks with his former deputy, Riek Machar, whom Kiir accuses of having started the fighting last week by attempting a coup.

Machar denies a coup plot and in turn accuses Kiir of conducting a violent purge over the past week. His loyalists are now fighting the central government on several fronts. l

A Sudanese court on Sunday acquitted award-winning journalist Faisal Mohammed Salih of publishing lies in a column he wrote about an activist’s allegation of rape in custody.

A member of Sudan’s security bureau charged Salih under the criminal code, alleging he had lied and insulted the state in a 2011 column.

Salih could have been jailed for up to six months if convicted but Judge Esmat Suliman threw out the charge.

The journalist “did not publish lies and did not insult the state,” Suliman ruled.

“A lot of media published about this case.” Salih could not be immediately reached for comment.

In his article, Salih had called for a “serious investigation” into the activist’s allegation that she was raped in detention.

Last year, a judge also acquitted Salih after security agents charged him following comments he made about President Omar al-Bashir.

Salih, who also teaches journalism and advocates for press freedom, said it was inappropriate for Bashir to call South Sudan’s government an “insect.”

In October, Salih travelled to Washington to receive the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism.

The annual prize is named for the late Agence France-Presse reporter and editor Peter Mackler.

Sudan ranks near the bottom, at 170 out of 179, in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2013 World Press Freedom Index. l

EUROPE

Khodorkovsky: I won’t get into politics n AP, Moscow Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the onetime Russian oil tycoon who was imprisoned for a decade in a politically tinged case, says he doesn’t intend to get involved in politics now that he’s been pardoned and released.

President Vladimir Putin pardoned Khodorkovsky on Friday, and hours later he flew on a private jet to Berlin.

Khodorkovsky had been imprisoned for tax evasion and money-laundering.

The cases were widely criticized as political revenge, for Khodorkovsky had challenged Putin’s dominance by funding opposition parties. He was also believed to have personal political ambitions.

In an interview published Sunday on the website of the Russian newspaper Novoye Vremya, Khodorkovsky is quoted as saying in his pardon application he said he did not intend to get involved in politics or seek the return of the assets of his dismantled Yukos oil company.

However, Khodorkovsky was quoted as telling reporters in Berlin on Sunday that he does intend to continue appealing his convictions.

The accusations “were so phantasmagoric that to describe them by

Former Russian oil tycoon and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky holds a photograph of him running that was handed by a photographer after a press conference at the Wall Museum at Checkpoint Charlie AFP non-political reasoning you would probably have to accept the postulate that people who aren’t completely ad-

New pro-EU protest in Ukraine, turnout down sharply n AFP, Kiev Some 40,000 people on Sunday rallied at the latest protest in Ukraine against the government’s rejection of a pact with the European Union, a turnout that was down sharply on previous weeks.

The rally on Independence Square in the capital Kiev was the fifth in a series of regular Sunday protests against the U-turn by the government in November, when it decided not to sign the Association Agreement for closer ties with the EU. But all the previous rallies had attracted hundreds of thousands of protesters. The turnout at the latest rally was the lowest since the Sunday protests began on November 24.

The protest movement has so far

been at a loss as to how to respond to a controversial deal clinched by President Viktor Yanukovych in Moscow this week for billions of dollars in Russian help to bail out Ukraine’s ailing economy.

One of the chief opposition leaders, the world boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, told those gathered Sunday that the protests would continue. “We are going to fight and we are not going to go anywhere from here,” he said.

“We demand not only the resignation of the government but snap presidential elections,” he added.

The protesters have occupied Independence Square – known in Kiev as the Maidan – since late November and erected barricades to prevent security forces from entering the area. l

equate work in the special services,” he said, according to the news agency Interfax. l

Turkey removes another 25 police chiefs over graft inquiry

n Reuters, Ankara Turkish authorities have removed another 25 police chiefs from their posts, media reported, widening a crackdown on the force since it launched a corruption investigation that Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has called a “dirty operation” against his rule.

Erdogan accused “international groups” and “dark alliances” on Saturday of encouraging the graft investigations and signaled the purge of people behind it would continue.

The furore has roiled markets and exposed deep rifts between Erdogan and his former ally Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Islamic preacher who wields influence in the police and judiciary. l

Patient receives first artificial heart in France n AFP Surgeons in France have successfully implanted an artificial heart into a patient suffering from heart disease. According to The Telegraph, the artificial heart, made partly from bovine tissue, could add as much as five years to the 75-year-old patient’s life. “This news brings great pride to France,” Marisol Touraine, France’s health minister,

told reporters, according to The Telegraph. “It shows we are pioneers in health care, that we can invent, that we can carry an innovation that will also bring great hope to plenty of people.” A team of surgeons performed the transplant at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris on Wednesday.

The artificial heart, which weighs just less than 2 pounds, is made of several soft “biomaterials” and a variety of

sensors that simulate the contractions of a real heart, and is powered by a battery belt that is worn outside the body. The patient who received the artificial heart is said to be recovering well. “The intervention took place in good conditions ... There were no complications linked to the innovative nature of the implant operation,” said Christian Latremouille, one of the doctors who performed the operation, during a press conference. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

ASIA

Protesters swarm in Thai capital to demand PM resigns n Reuters, Bangkok Tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators massed at sites around Thailand’s capital on Sunday in a bid to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra before an uncertain February election the main opposition party will boycott.

Yingluck has called a snap poll for February 2 to try to cool tension and renew her mandate, but protesters reject any election until the implementation of vague reforms ostensibly aimed at weakening the influence of the Shinawatra family.

The weeks-long political deadlock became more uncertain on Saturday when the opposition Democrat Party, Thailand’s oldest, announced it would boycott the election, saying the democratic system had failed Thais.

The boycott adds to concern that powerful forces allied with the opposition would try to scuttle an election that is otherwise likely to return Yingluck’s Puea Thai Party to power, and perpetuate the influence of her self-exiled brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Chanting “Yingluck, get out,” thousands of whistle-blowing protesters gathered at locations around the city and set up stages in at least four places, bringing traffic to a halt at three main intersections and in two commercial districts.

Hundreds surrounded Yingluck’s house and demanded she quit. Yingluck, now caretaker premier, is not in Bangkok and has been visiting the northeast, her party’s stronghold.

The protest leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, a former Democrat heavyweight, wants a suspension of democracy and the installation of an appointed “people’s council.”

“I don’t know what Yingluck is thinking. But, what I know for sure now is that all civil servants, the army the police have realized all Thai people are rising up against the government,” Suthep told Blue Sky, an anti-govern-

Three times a day dozens of men pack the auditorium, the air heavy with hashish smoke, to watch graphic sex movies: welcome to the Shama – a pornographic cinema in Pakistan’s Taliban heartland.

For more than 30 years it has supplied erotic fantasies in Peshawar, the main city of northwestern Pakistan which borders the tribal districts that are a haven for Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants.

Terrified of being recognised, the Shama’s customers hide their faces as they make their way to the cinema between a goat market and a bus station.

There are three X-rated shows a day in the Shama’s discreet back room, while the main hall is reserved for mainstream movies – the only ones advertised outside.

“Class X” customers pay 200 rupees ($1.90) and after a brief search by a Kalashnikov-toting guard, they are whisked through a courtyard and down a concrete passageway.

Inside the auditorium a thick cloud of cannabis smoke hangs over the 20-odd rows of tattered fake-leather seats.

During one showing, the hall was more than half full, populated by labourers, farm-

Early end-life plan for elderly in aging Japan

n AP, Tokyo

Japan’s Emperor Akihito surprised the nation last month when palace officials announced plans for his funeral. His wishes for a relatively modest one — and the act of planning ahead — were widely seen as a good example in this rapidly aging country.

Akihito, who turns 80 on Monday, is still active, making an official visit to India in November with his wife, the 79-year-old Empress Michiko. But concerns have grown since he had heart bypass surgery nearly two years ago on top of prostate cancer earlier.

After an expert panel discussion for more than a year, the palace announced that Akihito would be cremated, and his remains placed in a mausoleum smaller than those of his predecessors, with Michiko by his side at the Imperial compound in western Tokyo. Akihito’s cremation breaks a 400-year burial custom of the world’s oldest monarchy, as he wishes to trim cost, space and burden on the people, officials said.

The revelation of the couple’s lifeend plans was well received in the world’s fastest-graying nation, where 20 years from now one in three people will be senior citizens. l

Cambodian protesters demand Hun Sen’s exit n Reuters Tens of thousands of Cambodian opposition party supporters have staged demonstrations demanding new elections, or the resignation of Prime Minister Hun Sen. The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), an alliance of opposition groups, vowed on Sunday to hold protests every day until the prime minister steps down or calls for a new election.

They urged Hun Sen to follow the lead of Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who last week dissolved parliament and called for snap elections.

Opposition party leaders Sam Rainsy and his deputy Kem Sokha joined the protests, waving to supporters, which the opposition CNRP claimed numbered up to 500,000.

“I want Hun Sen out because he sold our Khmer land, our nation, our logs and other things,” Som Chanthy a factory worker said. Another protester accused the prime minister of being corrupt, helping neighbouring Vietnam instead of Cambodia.

Hun Sen, facing his biggest political challenge in two decades, has ignored the opposition’s demands for an investigation into last July’s elections, and forged ahead with forming a government and parliament. l

Tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators massed at sites around Thailand’s capital on Sunday in a bid to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra before an uncertain February election the main opposition party will boycott REUTERS ment cable television station.

Suthep has earned a reputation for overstated rhetoric during fiery nightly speeches, where he has told police and civil servants to report to him, promised to retire to the beach and issued deadlines to army leaders to meet him to discuss ousting Yingluck.

Yingluck and Thaksin remain hugely popular in the north and northeast, but Suthep’s movement is backed by a

powerful minority - Bangkok’s middle class, bureaucrats, conservative elites and top army generals.

Thaksin’s mainly working-class supporters see him as a benevolent billionaire committed to raising their living standards, but his enemies call him an authoritarian crony capitalist who exploited the poor and abused his power by helping wealthy business friends and family.

Sex, drugs and beards: an afternoon in a Pakistani porn cinema n AFP, Peshawar

9

Monday, December 23, 2013

ers, students and others who had come to escape the day-to-day claustrophobia of life in a deeply conservative Muslim region where family and neighbours keep a close eye on everything. Most arrive alone and want to remain so, arranging themselves around the seats to avoid sitting next to anyone.

They are all soon gripped by the drama of the day’s offering, “Dostana” (“Friendship”), a semi-amateur production made for the Shama in the more liberal eastern city of Lahore.

The plot hinges on a romantic dilemma: the hero, Shah Sawar (“the Horseman” in the local language) cannot decide whether to marry his sweetheart Gulpana or his cousin Doa, chosen for him as a wife by his family.

He decides to “test” his would-be brides and much of the film’s two hours is taken up with long and extremely graphic sex scenes between the Horseman and his paramours.

A reverential hush reigns over the audience throughout, broken only by a few suspicious noises from certain rows, while at least half sneak out before the end.

The formula has made the Shama one of Peshawar’s most successful cinemas at a time when many others have been forced to close.

The Islamisation that Pakistan witnessed in the 1980s persuaded many that the silver

screen was a sinful depravation bad for the soul of a good Muslim.

The rise of videos, DVDs and the Internet accelerated the decline and now of around 15 cinemas in Peshawar 20 years ago, only seven remain.

Three of them show pornography, sometimes discreetly via clips hidden part way through mainstream action movies.

The Shama, the best-known of the three, is regularly full, with tickets three or four times the price of normal films.

Key to its success is showing local-made pornography, which is much harder to find in Peshawar – or on the Internet – than Western adult films.

Coming to see “Dostana” for a second time, Khaliq Khan, 30, said: “Like a lot of people here I prefer films with Pakistani girls. It’s better, it seems more amateur, more real.” “Dostana” is certainly amateurish, with actors regularly turning to the camera quizzically, looking for direction for their next move.

The dialogue is dubbed in Pashto, the main language of the northwest, with an enthusiasm somewhat at odds with the bored, uninterested way the actors seem to be speaking in the original Punjabi. l

The protests enjoy big support from Bangkok and though the size of the crowd often dwindles, Suthep has managed to mobilize more than 100,000 on some marches.

The Election Commission on Friday ruled out postponing the vote having earlier said it was concerned the polls could be marred by violence.

The politicized military, which has staged 18 coups since 1932, some suc-

cessful, some failed, insists it is neutral, but many Thais suspect the allegiance of the generals, who removed Thaksin in a 2006 coup, is with the anti-government camp.

The Democrats boycotted an election called during similar protests in 2006, when Thaksin tried to renew his mandate. His party won in a landslide, but the result was annulled on a technicality and he was later overthrown in a coup. l

India keeps up pressure on US in diplomat row n AFP, New Delhi India kept up pressure on the United States on Sunday over a furore at the arrest and strip search of one of its diplomats in New York, saying “they must do something.” Foreign minister Salman Khurshid has sought to ease the crisis, saying the episode should not be allowed to derail “the valuable relationship” between the world’s two largest democracies.

But when told the US State Department had welcomed his remarks, Khurshid told the Press Trust of India news agency on Sunday: “They (the US) must do something. Welcoming is not enough.”

Asked if he was hopeful of a resolution of the issue soon, Khurshid also said: “World keeps moving forward, world never dies, world never stops.

Something will happen.”

The crisis was sparked by the arrest of Devyani Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general at its mission in New York, on December 12, over accusations that she underpaid her maid.

Subsequent revelations that Khobragade was stripped by US Marshals and subjected to an invasive body

search have caused outrage in India, which wants Washington to drop the case and offer an apology.

The US and India have been holding a series of talks to try to draw a line under the crisis, while US Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed “regret” over the episode. Khurshid said on Friday that he hoped the “valuable relationship” with Washington would soon return to an even keel, remarks that he repeated on Saturday.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki pointed to Kurshid’s comments during a press briefing, saying “we certainly fully agree that it’s important to preserve and protect our partnership. “It’s not just about diplomatic ties. We have over $90 billion in bilateral trade. We’re supporting thousands of jobs in both of our countries,” she said in Washington on Friday.

The diplomat, a mother of two, now free on bail, was arrested over accusations that she lied about the salary she was paying her Indian maid in a US visa application.

According to New York authorities, she was paying the domestic worker a third of the figure mentioned in the visa application. l

Australia to monitor Japanese whalers as conflict looms n AFP, Sydney Australia will send a government jet to conduct aerial surveillance of the Southern Ocean as an annual showdown brews between Japanese whalers and militant conservationists, the environment minister said Sunday.

Greg Hunt said Canberra would dispatch an Airbus A-319 Customs and Border Protection crew to monitor exchanges between Japan’s harpoon fleet and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

“The purpose of the Customs mission will be to record the incidents on the high seas. It will be to ensure there is a presence to make sure that there is no conflict between the parties,” Hunt said.

“It will also be to ensure that there is awareness from all parties that the world is watching.”

The government had promised to send a ship to tail the clashing groups, but Hunt said he had settled on aerial surveillance as a more effective way of covering the vast area in which the whalers hunt.

“The flexibility and the range of the A319 allows it to operate across a large area at great speed and therefore it can identify any breaches,” he said.

“So this is an important asset... it gives us the ability to cover not just one point in the fleet but a variety of points within the whaling fleet.”

The aerial mission will run between January and March 2014.

Sea Shepherd activists left Australia for their 10th annual harassment campaign of the Japanese last week as the international community warned against violence from either side.

High-seas clashes between the groups are common and Sea Shepherd, which has sent three ships to the Antarctic this year, regularly pelts the whaling ships with stink bombs, attempts to foul their propellers and manoeuvres vessels between harpoons and whales.

Last year, the environmental group claimed that a Japanese boat had rammed its vessels on multiple occasions – destroying masts and a radar on the Bob Barker and leaving it without power. l

India anti-graft crusader hints at forming Delhi government n AFP, New Delhi India’s anti-corruption crusader Arvind Kejriwal vowed Sunday to clean up “dirty politics” in a fiery speech suggesting that his party will team up with the Congress party to form a state government in Delhi.

Kejriwal, a former civil servant turned politician, has been under pressure to form a government with support from a major party since the stunning performance of his Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party in the December 4 state election.

The party won 28 of the 70 seats, trouncing Congress which previously ruled the state but took only eight seats and depriving the biggest winner – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with 31 – of an overall majority.

But Kejriwal has been wary of accepting support from either the nationally ruling Congress or the main national opposition BJP, after voters flocked to him because they were disillusioned with mainstream politics and angry at rampant corruption. l

Iran: World powers should avoid ‘troublemaking’

n AP, Tehran

Iran’s foreign minister Sunday urged the world powers to avoid “troublemaking” issues as expert-level talks continue over its contested nuclear program.

Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comment in a joint news conference with Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino. He also expressed hope the talks will conclude “sooner or later,” though he said the current expert-level talks in Geneva are “slowly” moving forward.

“All parties should avoid addressing issues that could be troublemaking,” Zarif said. He did not elaborate.

Also Sunday, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television from Geneva that the talks have faced trouble. He said there are “incorrect interpretations” in settling a protocol to implement the deal. He suggested there might need to be a “pause in the talks.” l

Karzai should sign US pact: new German defence minister

n AFP, Mazar-I-Sharif

Japan factory ship Nisshin Maru whaling a mother and calf in 2012

WIKI

Germany’s first female defence minister visited troops in Afghanistan on Sunday and appealed for President Hamid Karzai to sign a troubled deal to allow some foreign forces to stay in the country after 2014. Ursula von der Leyen, who was appointed a week ago, made an unannounced two-day trip to the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif to meet German soldiers in the NATO coalition that is now withdrawing from Afghanistan.

The US and other coalition members are pushing Karzai to sign a long-delayed deal with Washington to enable several thousand troops to remain in Afghanistan to train the local security forces and target Al-Qaeda remnants. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

Justice for Tazreen a boon for RMG

Please stop the destruction of our economy December 20

A

t long last, formal charges have been finally filed against those thought to be responsible for the Tazreen factory fire that claimed the lives of 112 garment workers last

year.

Delwar Hossain, the managing director of Tazreen Fashions, is among 13 people charged for manslaughter and negligence under the Code of Criminal Conduct.

In addition to the 112 people killed in the devastating fire The arrests a helpful that swept through the factory step in ongoing moves on November 24 2012, over 200 towards winning back workers suffered burn injuries. confidence in the RMG Reports point to improper sector maintenance and violation of the building code and many workers indicated that the factory exits were locked, preventing them from escaping when the fire broke out.

We welcome the filing of charges in this case which can now be decided on by the legal system. It is reassuring to see that the gears of justice have finally begun to move. Six of the thirteen accused are currently on the run so it is important to ensure that they too are brought before the legal process.

Progress in the Tazreen factory fire case is not only crucial towards providing long-overdue justice for the victims of the incident, it can also demonstrate to international buyers that meaningful progress can be made in the sector to protect the rights of the workers.

In light of the considerable challenges the garment industry is currently facing, these arrests represent a helpful step in ongoing moves towards winning back confidence in the health of the sector.

Build regional trade links

Nobody has the right to stop others from working. At the same time, everybody has the right not to work.

A group of people are trying to destroy the economy of Bangladesh. Bangladesh cannot, should not, and must not tolerate this type of forced blockade. Let the government of Bangladesh use all its power diligently and judiciously to stop these blockades.

Muktijoddha Dr Emarat Hossain Pannah USA

Pakistan critisises Quader Molla’s execution December 15

Tandua ketra Nisar Khan is being simplistic and insensitive. Does he know enough about the 1971 issue? It appears not. Kader Mollah’s death is not my issue. Nisar calls the ’71 war a civil war, when it was a war of independence. War was perpetuated by the West Pakistanis.

Naveed Tandua ketra: One nation’s hero is another’s villain.

Pen Muni After the Second World War, Germany as a nation realised the horrible atrocities its military leaders committed. “Never again” they said, and decided to teach their children about the past shame. Even today, a large part of their textbooks consist of events from WWII. This is not to make them feel inferior, but to make them understand the history, so they never repeat the same mistakes again.

It is not the case with Pakistan. Their textbooks are filled with convoluted history, often glorifying the army, completely eradicating the facts about the Pakistani army’s genocide in Bangladesh. It is presented as though Pakistan was a victim of India’s diplomacy. Because of these manipulative academia, they have not learned the truth about

Be Heard

W

e welcome the discussions being held by the Bangladesh–China–India–Myanmar Forum for Regional Cooperation (BCIM) to improve integration of trade and investment relations.

After preparatory discussions in Dhaka in October, a joint working group is meeting in Beijing this week to follow up Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang’s proposal for building the economic corridors linking the four countries.

Developing economic partnerships among BCIM is vitally needed to boost regional stability. Such negotiations can help provide greater economic resources to Bangladesh and Myanmar by easing the flow of goods in the region.

In this context, it is encouraging to note that Bangladesh and Myanmar Developing will be holding a Joint Trade partnerships between Commission in January 9-10, Bangladesh, China, to discuss ways to ease and India and Myanmar increase trade between our will increase economic bordering nations. opportunity and boost Bangladesh’s trade with regional stability Myanmar is very low by regional standards but is beginning to grow. Officials say the talks could help to increase trade from $160m now to $500m.

As Myanmar’s economy is now attracting huge inward investment, it is vital that Bangladesh works in partnership to boost trade and investment links. Mutual trade with Myanmar has the potential to grow very fast and benefit both economies.

The JTC meeting can help improve cross border trade and linkages by easing export and credit processes. We welcome moves to remove trade barriers and improve trade relations bilaterally. Multilateral initiatives such as BCIM also need to be encouraged as they have the potential to deliver even greater benefits.

CROSSWORD

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their army, and they continue to make the same mistakes in Pashtun, Baluchistan, and other tribal areas today. Once a jewel of the East and soon to become in economic par with Dubai, Pakistan went down the drain because of their army’s mindless intervention into the country’s politics. Before the internet arrived and facts became more available, most Pakistanis had never seen a single picture of the Pakistani army’s genocide in Bangladesh. It seems that the honourable minister is a product of that “pre-internet” age.

Most of the Pakistanis today have nothing to do with 1971. Neither do we in Bangladesh. Our qualm is not with them. Our deal is with the war criminals that Pakistan still fails to recognise. If the minister was sensible and educated, he would not be hurting so many Bangladeshi people’s sentiments in the month of independence with his atrocious words.

We wish him peace and send him independence ay greetings from Bangladesh.

Asif As a Pakistani I feel ashamed at the statement of our home minister. He does not speak for us. The victims of Quader Mollah got justice when he was hanged. My respects to the Bangladeshi people for not being intimidated by Jamaat-e-Islami thugs.

Ganajagaran Mancha demands execution of all war crimes verdicts December 15

I hope our Bangladeshi friends also remember General Shabeg Singh who trained the Mukti Bahini fighters. msingh

Imran Khan: Quader Molla innocent December 17

YasserTamim Haque Not expected from Imran Khan.

Alo Adhar I used to think, Mr Imran Khan is different, compared to other Pakistanis, but thanks to him for proving me wrong.

Shuvo Shams Say what?! Does he even know about our war?

Fahad Muzaffar Shuvo Shams: Other news sources seem to indicate he was simply quoting the lawyer, and those were not his words.

Tilka When Imran Khan quoted the lawyer, he gave his support to the statement. Had he not felt the same way he wouldn’t have said it in their parliament. Now he is also responsible for the statement. He didn’t say the lawyer claimed it. He said it himself and gave the lawyer as reference to prove the statement right.

Mahmudul Islam Did Mr Khan represent Mollah in the lawsuit against the latter? Does he know the ins and outs of the whole matter? If not, then how does he claim that Molla was innocent and the charges brought against him were false? waheed Imran has always condemned the military operation against East Pakistan and now Bangladesh. He is closely affiliated with Reprieve NGO, which is working on Guantanamo Bay prisoners and drones in Pakistan. While I agree that he should not have made this sweeping statement, it is also true that we Pakistanis wish Bangladesh well, and even we feel happy for you on your economic improvements. Good luck.

Awami League to win 127 seats uncontested December 15

Under the current disturbing situation, this is about the best option to keep people safe from further problems.

WaliulHaqueKhondker

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEANUTS

CODE-CRACKER ACROSS 1 Suffering (4) 3 Younger son (5) 8 Thin and delicate membrane (4) 9 Exhibit (4) 11 Of the kidneys (5) 12 Part of a church (4) 14 Writing fluid (3) 15 Snake poison (5) 18 Headwear (5) 19 Corn spike (3) 21 Deep drink (4) 24 Dwell (5) 26 Grotto (4) 27 Melody (4) 28 Precipitous (5) 29 Break suddenly (4)

Monday, December 23, 2013

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

Sudoku

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Monday, December 23, 2013

Pakistan and us n Sajib Arman

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When will this cycle of power politics end?

DHAKA TRIBUNE

No solution in sight

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n Shafiqur Rahman ower politics is political action characterised by exercise of power, especially of physical force, by a political group as a means of coercion in the attainment of its objectives. Like many political terms with aggressive undertones, the term came from the Germans who were determined to set out to develop the archetypes in un-subtlety in political actions in their not too distant past.

In Bangladesh too, the main political parties have been engaging in naked power politics since the dawn of the new democratic era in 1991, but it has reached hitherto unknown depths of depravity this time around.

In the everyday violent melee of power politics, it is sometimes easy to lose sight of the strategies behind the tactics. With some presumption, it is not hard to divide the broad strategies behind the two warring factions.

Basically, the AL government is pursuing a two-pronged strategy. Its preferred strategy is to get BNP to participate in an election managed and supervised by AL so that the next AL government gets the stamp of legitimacy from domestic constituents and international partners.

Failing that, AL’s second option is to try to paint Jamaat as a full-fledged terrorist organisation internationally, with BNP as its patron-accomplice, and manage the low level insurgency

by BNP and Jamaat indefinitely while sitting snugly at the throne of state power.

BNP’s strategy is singular. It is going by the tested and proved way to pry

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open the government’s grip on power by preparing the ground for a third party to intervene. BNP is incapable of creating that scenario on its own, and that is why Jamaat is so indispensable to them now. Few would doubt that if BNP could achieve the goal of power politics without the help of Jamaat, it would discard Jamaat in an instant like a used tissue paper.

of this current round of confrontation.

BNP wants a free and fair election – an election that most neutral observers agree the BNP will easily win. The AL recognises that as well, which is why it is determined to hold the election under its own terms denying the people their voice.

This foundational subtext of power politics is not because of any inherent

The main political parties have been engaging in naked power politics since the dawn of the new democratic era in 1991, but it has reached hitherto unknown depths of depravity this time around In pursuing this strategy, BNP is again following the “manual of tactics” to create maximum destabilisation by interrupting regular life in the country.

But this year, the BNP-led opposition has upped the ante. The lives of general people are not only being interrupted, but they are even being targeted.

The series of vehicles burning with people inside has aroused universal disgust and apprehension of this dastardly deed becoming a regular part of Bangladeshi politics.

The ruling Awami League on the other hand is using state power in an unprecedented crushing of the opposition. Entire ranks of senior leaders have been rounded up and all mass political activity has been clamped upon. In scenes reminiscing brutal foreign occupation, law enforcement agencies are using lethal force without restraint.

In the daily barrage of atrocities and excesses of the political power players, it is easy to lose sight of the root cause

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virtue of either party. This situation is essentially the reverse of what was in place in 1996 and 2006, the only difference being that this time opinion polls and local elections have repeatedly underscored this fact on the ground.

The AL government is aware of the original sin of its position, and that is why it is throwing around a host of allegations about BNP to obfuscate the issue. BNP doesn’t want elections, it wants to free war-criminals. BNP does not want to respect the rule of law as enshrined in the constitution recently amended by AL to uphold democracy.

BNP wants to install a religious theocracy. BNP is colluding with hostile foreign entities. BNP wants to reverse the great developmental achievements of the AL government. BNP is joined at the hip with Jamaat, a terrorist organisation. Terror tactics cannot be allowed to succeed. Terrorism is the biggest threat facing the country. And so on.

Every time I hear this litany of com-

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plaints from AL leaders and apologists, I am reminded of the world’s most contentious issue, the Israel-Palestine conflict. The global community broadly recognises the fundamental injustice at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict – an occupying power appropriating land from a native people and denying them the freedom to choose their own destiny. Again to obfuscate the core injustice, apologists of Israeli Lebensraum employ a myriad of complaints against the Palestinians.

They say that Israel doesn’t have a reliable partner in Palestine for a peaceful settlement. Palestinians do not want peace. Palestinian authority is deeply in cahoots with religious absolutists and terrorists. Palestinians use heinous terror tactics. Palestinians are backed by foreign entities determined to annihilate Israel. Palestinians are living far better under Israeli occupation than their counterparts living in Arab absolutist regimes. Israel is an oasis of civilisation and progress in the midst of a sea of barbarism.

Sound familiar? And all the while Israel is busy changing the facts on the ground so that a peaceful settlement becomes all but impossible.

Just like the Israel-Palestine issue, the current political problem in Bangladesh is complex and there is no easy solution that will satisfy all parties.

But this should not mask the simple injustice lying at the heart of the issue.

The controversy about the means used in political confrontation should not mask the cause of the conflict. l

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he customary political news was elbowed out on Sunday from the main headlines. The focus was on the gruesome murder of a selfproclaimed holy man, Lutfar Rahman Faruque, who claimed to be the sole representative of Imam Mahdi.

Reportedly, unknown assailants entered his rented flat, locked up all the people, and then systematically went about killing six persons, including the son (also a cohort) of the so-called spiritual leader. They spared the children and Lutfar Rahman’s wife, which suggests that the killing was done mainly to silence the spiritual leader and his closest aides.

One newspaper, reporting the death, has hinted at conflict of religious sects, though there can be many reasons, the prime being that too many tigers in one jungle will only result in a scuffle for the top spot.

It reminds me of the line “ek gharme do pir” from Syed Waliullah’s novel on the fraud of holy men.

Sorry to sound so harsh, but the culture of holy men in Bangladesh and most parts of South Asia has become so entrenched that traditional faith is often relegated to glorify these spiritual gurus.

The trend actually began in the 60’s when India, in a bid to present to the world an exotic side to its culture, also promoted people like Mahesh Yogi and the likes.

A new generation in the West, severing ties with the old order which always remained aloof to the mystical attraction of the East, found itself imbued by the psychedelic explosion of the time, espousing unequivocally the need to immerse in the “unknown magic” of the Indian sub-continent.

Whether the magic existed or not, with psychedelic senses overtaking all, people needed to believe in something novel.

The rush to taste a morsel of eastern mysticism even beguiled The Beatles. Meditation, communal living, discarding of all social divisions were topped by something which never fails – unrestrained carnal association.

Enlightenment or not, no one says no to some old-fashioned fun in the hay. The trend quickly spawned several spiritual directions and the culture of the holy man became a social mainstay.

In Bangladesh, the “pir” culture is so intertwined with common life that we find a large number of socially influential people regularly thronging the homes of such people to seek

blessings.

There are quite a few such “pirs” who have a large fan base … I mean disciples. They sit around the blessed one, serve him, capitulate to him, and in the case of the killed “pir,” we find that his acolytes not only bowed to him but also touched their forehead at his feet in the form of traditional “sijda” performed by Muslims during prayers.

Interestingly, a few months back, when a reporter of a local TV channel asked these followers to show their respect in front of a camera, they refused along with the “pir” himself.

It’s safe to speculate that Lutfar Rahman was a charlatan because he had not performed any miracle, at least not one which was documented with credible evidence. In fact, this is possibly true for all those who ply the trade of spiritual healer or guru across the country.

The stories of miracles are either opaque or propagated by a set of paid actors.

However, one must give the devil his due. These people have one great talent – the power of the gab, the force of persuasion. Once people’s trust is secured, the toughest challenge is won.

This is attained by an array of fascinating ploys: some prefer large

Bangladeshis of my generation will continue to remain hostile, negative and antagonistic towards Pakistanis until and unless Pakistan offers a formal apology

Of course we need to move forward, but playboy-turned-(born again) Islamist politicians like Imran Khan are an impediment for us in gaining closure for the past. Imran Khan’s statement does not come as a surprise because it falls in the same pattern of pandering to religious extremism in the guise of a third-party alternative. Other politicians are also adding insult to injury by making deplorable statements attacking Bangladesh.

I hope the next generation of Pakistanis will make an effort to learn their history and make amends – there is no reason why they need to carry the baggage of the past by defending Bangladeshi anti-liberation forces. Pakistanis need to come to terms with their history, instead of being in denial, if they want a healthy relationship with us. It’s as simple as that. Godspeed Southasia! l Sajib Arman is a political and security analyst.

Shafiqur Rahman is pursuing his PhD in Business in the USA and blogs regularly at alalodulal.org.

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Don’t worry, there is a miracle man n Towheed Feroze

o be honest, I was never a big fan of Pakistan (or anything Pakistani) from a young age. I had politely returned a kabli set (the Pakistani-style punjabi) I had received as a gift for Eid – it was not possible for me to bear the sight, let alone consider wearing an outfit that represented the Pakistanis and their local collaborators.

As a matter of principle, I have always refused to drink a certain juice originally imported from Pakistan and now a Pakistan-Bangladesh joint venture. I have told many shopkeepers that self-respecting Bangladeshis cannot drink a Pakistani juice. I have also found it revolting to see a handful of shameless Bangladeshis flying the Pakistani flag during cricket matches – what an insult to our history and founding fathers.

Anyone who knows me would tell you this is quite uncharacteristic of me – I am a patriotic Bangladeshi, but not a jingoist. In fact, I consider myself more of a global citizen than only Bangladeshi/Bengali/Muslim. Not only that, I envision a Southasia (as opposed to South Asia) of the future, when countries can come together in a spirit of collaboration and cooperation. Maybe the day will come when we will compare regional, economic, and social development rates. However, none of this will be possible until we get closure for 1971.

Bangladeshis of my generation will continue to remain hostile, negative and antagonistic towards Pakistanis until and unless Pakistan offers a formal apology to Bangladesh for atrocities amounting to ethnic cleansing, compensates Bangladesh for its deprivation during the East Pakistan era and losses during the occupation period, justice is served for the crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation war, and correct history is taught to the next generation of Pakistanis.

Bangladeshis are willing to start afresh in the spirit of regional collaboration between Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and other countries, but this

requires Pakistan to make an effort too. So far we have not seen any attempt by Pakistan to make amends as a state. It is evident from the statements by Pakistani politicians in the past week that they continue to be insensitive and indifferent about our pain and suffering during the Liberation War. Pakistani civil society leaders have apologised for the atrocities in 1971, while I have many Pakistani friends who have privately and publicly expressed sympathy and apologised for the atrocities committed by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local collaborators. Sadly the same cannot be said of the Pakistani state or political elite.

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(docile and illiterate) audiences; some adopt radical measures like going around with mud smeared all over the body and performing simple conjuring tricks which involves taking a piece of small rock from a curious listener to turn it into a raisin.

What Lutfar Rahman did to mesmerise a few hundred people is unknown, but it’s on record that his followers paid him a regular amount.

And they got receipts in return!

Solid accountancy never fails.

Not surprisingly, this is where all holy men fall on the same platform – whatever the operating style, at one point of the game there is a monetary transaction. Either it’s done directly or the amount is collected by some trusted cohorts, because obviously, being a holy man, the “hujur” (lord) cannot deal in something so material and unrefined.

For good reason this trade now has many branches, going into astrology and treatment of human problems with stones.

Right in this city there are quite a few people who have given the rather hoary trade of the “pir” a new flashy appearance. These people dress smart, talk smoothly, have nicely maintained offices, and use religious references in their dialogue.

The main objective is to part a

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person from his/her money, though in no way will there be an attempt to demean a major religious faith. The strategy is to earn someone’s trust by showing total reliance on religion.

Having problems getting married?

The stories of miracles are either opaque or propagated by a set of paid actors. However, one must give the devil his due. These people have one great talent – the force of persuasion

A lover has jilted you? Your boss is a nightmare? Caught in a legal wrangling with relatives over property? No problem is beyond solution. And of course, results are guaranteed!

In the desperation of the moment, many of us do not realise that most problems in life eventually lose their intensity. Over time, we become resigned to them or learn to live with them, while in between, some people get rich.

Well, let the recent killing be a warning: some also end up murdered. l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Simon wins Asian Grand Pitch

n Punny Kabir Young Bangladeshi filmmaker Kamar Ahmad Simon has won The Asian Pitch held in Singapore last week.

Kamar’s name was declared on the website along with two others: Da Jung Jang from Taiwan and Chaitali Mukherjee from India. The Asian Pitch’s mission is to uncover compelling human interest stories and to discover new and hidden talent in Asia. Out of 164 submitted proposals, 11 filmmakers were invited to present their ideas in Singapore and from there the three best projects were declared winners for 2013. An aspiring director Simon told the Dhaka Tribune: “The title of the film has not been finalised yet. However, like my previous film Shunte Ki Pao!, this one will also narrate stories of our ordinary people.” While talking about the style of the narration, Si-

Swapnadal pays tribute to Khaled Khan n Entertainment Desk

mon said: “I am trying to establish my own style of storytelling as you saw in Shunte Ki Pao! Which neither followed the fundamental style of documentary nor had any scripted story-like fiction.

I believe reality is stranger than fiction if it can be portrayed with authenticity and creativity.”

Early this year Kamar’s first film Shunte Ki Pao! (Are You Listening!) won the Grand Prix in the main international competition as the best feature of the 35th Cinema du Reel held in Paris and the Jury Award in Film South Asia 2013.

Simon said, due to the current political unrest in the country, they had postponed their plan to screen the film countrywide, like eminent filmmaker late Tareque Masud and his team screened Runway. “But today or tomorrow we will definitely do it since we made the film for the people of Bangladesh.” l

In expressing homage to the late eminent cultural personality Khaled Khan, theatre troupe Swapnadal will stage Rabindranath Tagore’s Chitrangada at the Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on December 25.

Tagore’s play revolves around the princess of Monipur Chitrangada who has been brought up like a prince and is trained in all the techniques of war. One day, she meets legendary hero Arjun while he is visiting Manipur. Seeing him in action, Chitrangada falls in love with him. But Arjun refuses her.

Being refused, Chitrangada, who is also called Kurupa in the story, approaches the god of love Madan and begs for beauty. Pleased with her prayer, the god of love blesses her with a new formation, granting her a beautiful appearance as Shurupa for a year so that she can impress Arjun.

Chitrangada upholds the fact that the beauty of soul and spiritual strength are eternal human qualities rather than external beauty, through the symbolic portrayal of some legends of the epic Mahabharata.

Swapnadal’s production, directed by Zahid Repon, is full of dialogue in verse with Tagore songs from the dance drama version of Chitrangada. l

Drama series Gobrachor airs tonight n Entertainment Desk Drama Series Gobrachor airs on Mohona TV at 11:15pm. Directed by Saidul Anam Titu and written by Brindabon Das, the drama series airs every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

The story of the drama series revolves around a poor family who lives in a village. The family contains only two members, a widowed mother and her son. The son takes all responsibility and looks for work here and there.

But, he can not manage anything and decides to be a thief for survival.

After being a thief, he is named Gobrachor by the villagers. Once, a traditional Kabadi tournament is held between two villages where Gobrachor plays for his village and wins the game. After winning the game, no one calls him a thief anymore. Then he starts changing his habit of stealing.

He falls in love with a girl in the same village. That is how the story goes forward.

Monday, December 23, 2013

A scene from Ohetuk Kichchha by Prantik Theatre

SADIA MARIUM

Prantik Theatre hits the stage with Ohetuk Kichchha A satirical portrayal of social irregularities lives. The plot revolves around an n Afrose Jahan Chaity influential person of the society and Prantik Theatre launched with its satirical comedy, Ohetuk Kichchha at the Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy yesterday.

With the core theme adapted from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ohetuk Kichchha is written and directed by Kamruzzaman Liton.

However, it does not contain any dialogue from the original play. So far the third production of the troupe, the play was staged for the eleventh time.

The play projects social irregularities in a humorous manner with manifold stories from people’s daily

narrates how he misuses his power for own personal interest. A pet crow of the protagonist steals the show with punches.

The story rolls on with the crow going missing one day. The protagonist finds the crow on a lamp-post near a police box. He uses all his power and even manages to drive out a pregnant lady from her place to provide the crow a more hygienic nest.

The play was successful in projecting the powerplay of our society and the misdeeds that cripple the lives of the underpriviledged.

It demonstrates how the big guns of our society with forces manipulate the mass for their own personal interest.

It also highlights that this particular group of society believes that money can buy anything and everything.

Niloy designed the set while Nazim did justice to the lighting -both resulting in a powerpac performance.

The cast includes Nazim, Mala Talukder, Shahriar Bakul, Sheikh Nurunnabi, Mominul Islam Nayan, Noman Uddin, Kutubuddin, Marziana Bithi, Kamruzzaman Liton, Maksuda Parvin, Sajal, Mohon, Akash and Hashi. l

TODAY IN DHAKA Exhibition

City of Rhythm Second phase of Kazi Salahuddin Ahmed Time: 12-8pm Shilpangan, House 7, Road 13 (New) Dhanmondi Eternal Japan

By Monzurul Huq Time: 12-8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts House 42, Road 16 (New) / 27 (old) Sheikh Kamal Sarani, Dhanmondi

Music

Open mic & jam session Time: 7:30pm – 9:30pm Kozmo, Banani

Theatre

A scene from Gobrachor Popular soap actors, such as, Mir Sabbir, Tamalika Karmaker, Wahida Mallick Joly, Brindaban

Dhoom 3 sets North American record

Das, Mosharraf Karim, Saju Khadem and many more acted in the drama series. l

Rarang

By Aronok Natyadol Time: 7pm Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

Popular actor Tisha plays the role of a terrorist in an upcoming drama serial ‘Bijli’ directed by Sumon Anwar. Here Tisha plays the role of Bijli who is the daughter of a smuggler and also follows the path of her father. The serial features the clash between two underground troupes. The drama includes Raunak Hassan, Jyotika Jyoti, Sabbir Ahmed and many others in different roles.

ON TV MOVIE 7:30pmHBO

Wrath of the Titans

11:20pm Fox Movies Premium Oz the Great and Powerful

DRAMA 8:00pm Star Plus Saraswatica

Malibu Country

10:30pm Colors

10:30pm Fox Crime

8:30pm AXN

Uttaran

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug rules US Box office n Entertainment Desk Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug became number 1 at the weekend box office with $73.7 million, beating last weekend’s box office ruler Disney’s animated fable Frozen.

Despite its first place position, The Desolation of Smaug fell short of topping its prequel’s debut. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which opened this same weekend last year, gained $84.6 million. It earned $131.2 million in international sales.

“We had an excellent weekend,” said Dan

MIXED 10:30am Travel XP

n Entertainment Desk Yash Raj Films’ action thriller Dhoom 3 opened with a roaring $9.54 million worldwide total on its first day.

The motorbike-heavy picture clocked up $6.1 million in India and a further $3.44 million in the rest of the world, according to company sources.

That total included $1.28 million from the Gulf and Middle East, which YRF claims is a record, and $1.1 from North America, which also would be a record for a Bollywood film. The film plays on 236 screens in North America and with close to $4,500 per screen average on Friday is comfortably the best performing film in the top ten.

In Pakistan, where authorities have recently tried to crimp Indian films, Dhoom 3 scored $210,000, which YRF says is the highest first day ever for any film.

In Australia it took $172,00, some $100,000 higher than previous record holder Jab Tak Hai Jaan. In the UK it managed a more moderate estimated $400,000.

Aamir Khan starrer action thriller is the highest ever grossing collection, beating both holiday and non-holiday releases, in Bollywood.

Though the stars of the film were not seen hopping from one TV show to another to promote their latest offering, they tried other innovative marketing strategies like launching an extensive range of merchandise and dolls. l

COMEDY 2:30pm Z Cafe

Fellman, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros. “Of course, it could have been a little better, but the weather back East was really tough last night and probably took a couple million dollars out of my pocket. But our box office will survive. We are right on target to do very similar numbers to the last ‘Hobbit,’ which grossed a $1 billion worldwide (overall).”

In the film, the dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring. l

Psych

The Nordic Quest

So You Think You Can Dance?

Singer Shakira’s first single from her upcoming album will be released in January next year. The title of the track and the album are currently unknown.

The album, which is her first under Sony label RCA, is set for an early 2014 release. The 36-year-old had earlier mentioned that the new recording, her first since 2010’s Sale el Sol, is dedicated to Spanish soccer player Gerard Pique, her partner and the father of her son Milan.

Recently, Shakira confirmed on Twitter that she shot a video for the song with director Joseph Kahn. “I just finished the video for my first single with director Joseph Kahn,” she tweeted.l

Did you know?

This was the third time Bayern coach Pep Guardiola has won the Club World Cup after lifting the trophy with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011

Sport

Monday, December 23, 2013

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

0 8 3 DAYS TO GO

14 Five-star Bayern win Club World Cup

15 Swann calls time on England career

BFF get hold of Kamalapur stadium n Shishir Hoque

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and National Sports Council (NSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 10 years at the NSC conference room yesterday, in order to setup artificial turf at the Bir Sreshtho Shaheed Sipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur.

BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag and NSC secretary Sibnath Roy signed the contract on behalf of their respective association. The deal means BFF now has no barrier to send necessary documents to Fifa to get the stadium approved for the turf, which is under Fifa’s Goal Project Four.

“The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed according to instructions from Fifa. We will send the required documents to Fifa within this month. The stadium will get the permission after the next meeting of Fifa technical and development committee. After that, the installation process will start,” said Shohag yesterday.

The BFF general secretary also spoke about the possible time to set up the astro turf at the venue.

“It will take few months to finish the formalities to get the approval officially. By this time, the league will be complete and World Cup will start.

During the break for World Cup, we expect to finish the installation process,” he added.

Sibnath Roy said that the renovation work of BFF football academy at Sylhet BKSP will resume very soon. BFF development committee chairman Badal Roy is also hopeful that if everything goes according to plan the academy will begin in February.

Earlier Fifa wanted BFF to get the long-term control of Kamalapur stadium before they start working on the turf. l

Bangladesh Cricket Board officials and players of UCB-BCB XI and Abahani Ltd stand during the inauguration of the Amber Victory Day Twenty20 at the Sylhet Divisional Stadium yesterday

UCB BCB team win opening nail-biter n Minhaz Uddin Khan UCB BCB XI won a nail biting game against Abahani Limited by six wickets in the inaugural match of the Amber Victory Day Twenty20 tournament at Sylhet Divisional Stadium yesterday.

Chasing 140, UCB BCB XI needed 11 to win off the last over. Wicket-keeper batsman Mohammed Mithun hit the first ball for six and UCB BCB needed one to win from the last ball. Middle order batsman Naeem Islam scampered the required run without making contact with the ball.

UCB BCB XI suffered early set-backs

in their chase with Ront Talukder falling for a golden duck and his opening partner falling for 14 to leave the side at 15/2. An 89 run partnership for the third wicket between skipper Tamim Iqbal and Mithun however, went a long way to repair the damage.

Mithun was aggressive in his approach while Tamim played a more patient innings. The latter accelerated after reaching 30 and in all, made 43 from 46 balls (three fours, one six). Mithun went on to remain 67 not out off 44 balls (five fours, four sixes). Shuvashis Roy took two wickets for Abahani while Nabil Samad and Farhad Reza claimed one apiece.

Earlier UCB BCB XI won the toss and invited Abahani to bat. Opening bats-

men Aftab Ahmed and Soumya Sarkar scored two runs in the first over. The side lost their first wicket, Soumya (1), with four runs on the board. Aftab how-

BRIEF SCORE

Abahani: 139/8 in 20 overs Aftab 33, Sohrawardi 31, Delwar 4/18 UCB BCB XI: 140/4 in 20 overs Mithun 67*, Tamim 43, Shuvashis 2/24 UCB BCB won by six wickets

ever stood strong and put on 32 for the second wicket with Mizanur Rahman.

UCB BCB pacer Delwar Hossain dismissed Mizan for a run-a-ball 18 and two balls later removed Abahani skip-

per Mushfiqur Rahim for a duck. Delwar struck again in his next over as well as he sent Mahmudullah back for another duck.The 28-year old paceman’s fourth wicket was that of Aftab for a 26-ball 33 (six fours). With six wickets down, it was left to Sohrawardi Shuvo (31 off 29 balls) and Ziaur Rahman (20 off 19 balls) to take Abahani to a respectable total of 139/8.

Delwar returned figures of 4/18 while Al Amin and Muktar Ali took a wicket each for UCB BCB XI. Earlier, Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan inaugurated the 10-day tournament. Sylhet city mayor Ariiful Haque Chowdhury, BCB acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury were also present at the opening ceremony. l

Mohammedan cruise to victory n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Iranian coach Ali Akbar Parmoslemi during a training session yesterday

Parmoslemi hits Dhaka running n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) giants Abahani Limited’s newly re-appointed Iranian coach Ali Akbar Parmoslemi arrived in Dhaka yesterday.

On his first day back, the Iranian coach who guided the sky-blue outfit to the BPL title in 2011, held a training session in the afternoon and admitted that the situation is “challenging” for him as he has only five days to prepare his team for the league.

After an unproductive spell with another Iranian coach Ardeshir Pournemat, Abahani brought in Australian coach Nathan Hall for the season but later sacked him just a day before the Federation Cup. “Ardeshir is a good coach. I have no idea why he didn’t have any success last season,” said Parmoslemi, referring to Abahani failing to reach the final of any tournament and finishing fourth in the league last season.

Parmoslemi was expected to arrive during the Federation Cup but the coach explained there was no contractual obligation for him to have come that early. The three-phase BPL is set to kick-off on December 27 and the coach said the first phase will be a preparation period for the team.

“Current situation is very challenging for me. Jamal are a very strong

COURTESY

MUMIT M

team, Muktijoddha are also playing very well. I only have five days to get my team prepared for the league, so the situation is difficult for me. I need to work more on technical and tactical sides,” said the Iranian coach who after leaving Abahani, worked as a Fifa instructor in Afghanistan, Malaysia, Pakistan and his own country Iran.

“Tomorrow we will do aerobic training where I can get an idea about my players’ capability and ability. As the league is a three phase league, the first phase will be a preparation period for me as well as build up time. But we will fight to get maximum points from the nine matches in the first phase,” he added.

Abahani won the title the season Ali Akbar left them in 2011. The previous season he won the Federation Cup title with the four-time league champions.

Ali Akbar admitted that those two titles were good for him and he would “be very happy if I can do it again.”

A coach-less Abahani side were outplayed by Sheikh Jamal DC in the semifinal of the recently concluded Federation Cup. Parmoslemi said he needed to “mentally boost up” his players for the league after the defeat.

The Iranian went on to admit, “It would have been better for me if I had come here early so that I could understand my team in a better way.” l

Riding on opening batsman Jahurul Islam’s unbeaten half-century, Mohammedan Sporting Club beat Prime Bank CC by five wickets in the second game of the Amber Victory Day Twenty20 at Sylhet Divisional Stadium yesterday.

Jahurul remained unbeaten on 65 from 52 balls as Mohammedan chased down their target of 127. The lefthander struck eight fours and a six in his innings and hit the winning runs in the 19th over. Mohammedan were always poised in their innings and the opening stand of 41 in fives overs put them well ahead of the required run rate.

After opener Junaid Siddiqe fell for 13, Jahurul went on to add 35 in partnership with Shahriar Nafees, who scored nine. Mominul Haque also

INDIA, FIRST INNINGS, 280 SOUTH AFRICA, FIRST INNINGS, 244 INDIA, SECOND INNINGS, 421

SOUTH AFRICA, SECOND INNINGS A. Petersen b Mohammed Shami 76 G. Smith run out (Rahane) 44 H. Amla b Mohammed Shami 4 F. du Plessis run out (Rahane) 134 J. Kallis lbw b Zaheer Khan 34 A. de Villiers b I. Sharma 103 J. Duminy b Shami 5 V. Philander not out 25 D. Steyn not out 6 Extras (b2, lb7, nb2, w8) 19 450

Fall of wickets 1-108 (Smith), 2-118 (Amla), 3-143 (Petersen), 4-197 (Kallis), 5-402 (De Villiers), 6-407 (Duminy), 7-442 (Du Plessis) Bowling Zaheer Khan 34-1-135-1 (1w), I. Sharma 294-91-1 (2nb, 1w), Mohammed Shami 28-5107-3 (1w), Ashwin 36-5-83-0 (1w), Vijay 1-0-3-0, Dhoni 2-0-4-0, Kohli 6-0-18-0 Result Match drawn

BRIEF SCORE

Prime Bank: 126/7 in 20 overs Anamul 35, Saykat 25, Elias 3/26 MSC: 130/5 in 19 overs Jahurul 65*, Sharif 22*, Taihul 2/23 MSC won by five wickets

having scored 22 off 23 balls to put the finishing touches on the chase.

Taijul Isam picked up two wickets for Prime Bank, while paceman Robiul Islam and spinner Sohag Gazi took one each.

Earlier, Prime Bank won the toss and opted to bat. Alok Kapali captained the

side as Shakib al Hasan was on leave.

The ace all-rounder is expected to play from today.

Opening pair Anamul Haque and Saykat Ali got Prime Bank off to a smooth start as they put on 56.

Saykot scored 25 off 18 before he was sent back to the dressing room

by Elias Sunny in the sixth over and Anamul score 35 off 27 balls with two fours and two sixes.

There were no other notable partnerships in the Prime Bank innings as they lost wickets at regular intervals.

With Kapali, Sabbir Rahman and Sohag Gazi all falling cheaply, it seemed unlikely that Prime Bank would even reach 120 at one stage, but a striking late innings of 24 not out off 24 balls from Mehrab Hossain took them to 127/7 at the end of the allotted 20 overs.

Sunny Elias took three wickets for MSC, Alauddin claimed two, while Mominul and Sharif took one each. l

V-Day hockey final today n Tribune Desk Abahani Limited will lock horns with Bangladesh Army in the final of the Walton Victory Day Hockey at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium today. Earlier, Abahani defeated Azad SC while Army beat Usha KC on Saturday to set up the final clash. l

South East Bank to sponsor TT n Tribune Desk In a bid to develop the standard of table tennis in Bangladesh, South East Bank Limited became the title sponsor of National Table Tennis tournament after signing a new two-year deal with Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation yesterday. The sponsor will provide a total of Tk1.5m to the federation to arrange the National Table Tennis tournament in 2014 and 2015. l

SA just fall short in record run chase

SCORE CARD

Total (7 wkts, 136 overs)

chipped in with 11, but Rakibul Hasan, who impressed in the Dhaka Premier League fell for two and wicket-keeper/ batsman Nurul followed immediately afterwards for a duck.

Nonetheless, Mohammedan were untroubled as Jahurul kept up an end.

Sharif Ullah was with him at the end,

Mithun Ali

n AFP, Johannesburg Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers hit centuries as South Africa and India fought out an epic draw in the first Test at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.

Set a world record victory target of 458, South Africa finished eight runs short on 450 for seven after a day of tension and drama.

Du Plessis (134) and De Villiers (103) shared a fifth wicket partnership of 205 -- a world record for a fifth wicket stand in the fourth innings of a Test match.

For much of the day, a draw seemed to be the best result that South Africa could hope for, but with De Villiers in particular batting with positive intent, the required run rate was always below five runs an over.

With Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni forced to set defensive fields, De Villiers was bowled with 56 runs required in 13.5 overs, attempting to run the ball down to third man but

edging it into his stumps.

JP Duminy cracked a boundary off Mohammed Shami but was then bowled off an inside edge, attempting another drive.

Vernon Philander, who hit a halfcentury in the first innings, joined Du Plessis and pushed the score along while Du Plessis remained rock solid.

With 20 needed off four overs, Du Plessis pulled Zaheer Khan for four but was then run out by a direct hit from Ajinkya Rahane at mid-off as he attempted to retain the strike.

Du Plessis, who saved a Test with a century against Australia in similar circumstances on his debut in Adelaide last year, batted for 395 minutes, faced 309 balls and hit 15 fours.

South Africa settled for the draw but Dale Steyn hit the last ball of the match from Shami for six to leave the hosts tantalisingly close.

“We showed a lot of mental strength not to fade away. I thought Faf and

Ab’s knocks would go down as the best in all time,” said South Africa captain Graeme Smith.

Dhoni praised his attack for seeing his side through to the draw.

Du Plessis and De Villiers came together before lunch and batted through the afternoon session with only minimal alarms on a pitch which played reasonably easily, although there was still some uneven bounce and deviation from a cracked surface.

The partnership was launched after Khan claimed his 300th Test wicket when he won a leg before wicket decision against Jacques Kallis, South Africa’s senior batsman.

At that stage there were 74.2 overs remaining and India were favourites to close out victory, but Du Plessis continued to play an anchor role, while AB de Villiers played positively. The world record for a successful run chase is 418 for seven by West Indies against Australia in St John’s in 2002/03. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Monday, December 23, 2013

Mourinho demands Chelsea show more focus in title chase n AFP, London

Bayern Munich celebrate their victory after winning their 2013 Fifa Club World Cup final against Raja Casablanca in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh, on Saturday

Five-star Bayern win Club WC n AFP, Marrakech European champions Bayern Munich claimed their fifth title of 2013 as they lifted the Club World Cup with a 2-0 win over Raja Casablanca in Saturday’s final.

The Bavarian giants had few problems against Moroccan champions Raja as Bayern grabbed both goals inside the opening 22 minutes from Brazil centreback Dante, then midfielder Thiago.

Having become the first German team to win the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup titles last season, Bayern now add the Club World Cup to the UEFA Super Cup title they won in August.

This was the third time Bayern coach Pep Guardiola has won the Club World Cup after lifting the trophy with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.

“2013 is now finished and it’s behind us,” said Guardiola.

“Five titles is really a great achievement. I am proud of this club and for all the people involved.”

He added: “Since my arrival I have tried to care for the heritage of the club.

“Now I will try and add other things that I hope will be positive for the club.

We have to turn to the future.”

Raja coach Faouzi Benzarti said he was proud of his team’s efforts.

“I think my players were a little nervous in the first half, with the crowd and with the king being present,” he said.

“But to lose to Bayern by only 2-0 is very honourable.”

Bayern winger Franck Ribery was voted player of the tournament. The France winger must wait until January 13 to find out if he has beaten Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the Ballon d’Or. Even without injured Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger and Netherlands winger Arjen Robben, Guardiola’s Bayern had too much firepower for Raja at the 45,000 sell-out Marrakech Stadium.

Just as they had done in Wednes-

Hat-trick hero Pedro revives Barcelona n AFP, Madrid Barcelona ensured they will finish 2013 on top of La Liga as a Pedro Rodriguez hat-trick helped them come from 2-0 down to win 5-2 at Getafe on Sunday.

The hosts had got off to a flying start as goals from Sergio Escudero and Lisandro Lopez put them 2-0 up inside 14 minutes.

However, the Catalans responded like champions as Pedro scored three times in eight minutes before the break.

Cesc Fabregas gave Barca breathing space when he volleyed home Pedro’s cross 22 minutes from time and the former Arsenal captain doubled his tally from the penalty spot moments later.

Atletico Madrid moved three points clear at the top of La Liga after coming from behind to beat Levante 3-2 thanks to another two goals from Diego Costa.

Andreas Ivanschitz had stunned the

RESULTS

4-2

Getafe

2-5

Sergio Garcia 5-P, Stuani 37, 70, Sanchez 68 Escudero 10, Lisandro 14

Valladolid

Javi Guerra 75, Perez 88

Barcelona

Pedro 35, 41, 43, Fabregas 68, 72-P

Saturday Villarreal

1-2

Real Betis

0-1

Atletico Madrid

3-2

Granada

1-3

Perbet 88-P

Godin 30, Diego Costa 47, 77-P Piti 37

final where they had plenty of home support.

With time running out, they so nearly grabbed a consolation goal.

After substitute Vianney Mabide’s shot was parried by Neuer, Raja’s captain Mouhcine Moutouali fired the rebound over the bar six minutes from time.

Bayern are on course to defend all their titles in 2014 having reached the Champions League knock-out phase as group winners.

They are also seven points clear in the Bundesliga with a game in hand having broken or equalled 25 German league records last season.

In the third-place play-off earlier Saturday, Atletico Mineiro defeated Guangzhou 3-2 thanks to a last-minute strike from substitute Luan.

The Brazilians played the closing minutes of the match with 10 men after veteran star Ronaldinho, who had scored his team’s second goal, was red-carded. l

Spurs edge Southampton to get back on track n AFP, London Tim Sherwood claimed his first victory as interim Tottenham Hotspur coach on Sunday as his side came from behind to win 3-2 at Southampton in the Premier League.

Tottenham lost at home to West Ham United in the League Cup in mid-week, following the sacking of manager Andre Villas-Boas, and Sherwood saw his side fall behind against Southampton to an early goal from Adam Lallana.

Emmanuel Adebayor equalised for Spurs and a Jos Hooiveld own goal put the visitors in front, only for Rickie Lambert to draw Southampton level, but Adebayor struck again to seal the first win of the post-Villas-Boas era.

“In the second half they (the players) took it on. We showed we have real

quality,” Sherwood told Sky Sports.

On Adebayor, who made his first league start of the season, Sherwood added: “Emmanuel Adebayor has not been playing, so he did not require much motivating. You put him back in because of what he has done in history.”

RESULTS Southampton

2-3

Swansea City

1-2

Lallana 13, Lambert 60

Oviedo 70-og

Tottenham

Adebayor 25, 64, Hooiveld 54-og

Everton

Coleman 66, Barkley 84

In the late game, England midfielder Ross Barkley scored a brilliant 84th-minute free-kick to earn Everton a 2-1 win at Swansea City that propelled his side into the Champions League places.l

Hafeez all-round acts help Pakistan beat Sri Lanka

Vicente Calderon inside two minutes as he slotted home the first league goal Atletico had conceded at home since early October. l

Espanyol

day’s 3-0 semi-final win over Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande, the Germans dominated throughout.

Bayern took the lead after only seven minutes when Germany star Jerome Boateng found his centre-back partner Dante onside with the goal at his mercy.

The Raja offside trap had failed and with his second touch, Dante hit the back of the net.

Munich doubled their lead on 22 minutes when left-back David Alaba won the ball, then laid it back for Thiago, who blasted his shot into the top right-hand corner from the edge of the area.

Bayern gifted Casablanca a strong first-half chance when goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s lazy clearance was snapped up by Chemseddine Chtibi who fired wide from 26 metres out with 38 minutes gone.

The Moroccans have earned admirers for a tremendous run which saw them beat Auckland City, Monterrey and Atletico Mineiro en route to the

AFP

Jose Mourinho has warned his Chelsea stars they cannot afford any more careless lapses in concentration when they face title rivals Arsenal on Monday.

Mourinho is growing increasingly vexed by the misfiring form of Chelsea’s strikers and his defenders’ alarming habit of switching off at key moments.

The Blues boss has so far been unable to find solutions to problems that threaten to wreck Chelsea’s challenge for the Premier League crown.

Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba have scored just five league goals between them this term, while Mourinho has chopped and changed in an unsuccessful bid to find his best back-four.

Chelsea dropped to fourth place in the table on Saturday, three points adrift of new leaders Liverpool and one behind third placed Arsenal.

And, with so much at stake when Chelsea visit the Emirates Stadium for the final top-flight match before Christmas, Mourinho has made it clear he won’t tolerate more sloppiness from his players. l

Sevilla

Cala 24, Bacca 71

Almeria

Azeez 4

Levante

Ivanschitz 2, Pedro Rios 57

Real Sociedad

Vela 29, 64, Griezmann 42

n AFP, Sharjah

Mohammad Hafeez demonstrated his all-round skills to guide Pakistan to a convincing 113-run win over Sri Lanka in the third day-night international on Sunday.

The 33-year-old right-hander smashed a career best unbeaten 140 to steer Pakistan to an imperious 326-5 before Hafeez the bowler took 2-35 to dismiss Sri Lanka for 213 in 44.4 overs at Sharjah stadium.

The win gives Pakistan a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Hafeez accounted for the dangerous Dinesh Chandimal (36) and Seekkugge Prasanna (22) in an incisive spell to thwart any hopes Sri Lanka had harboured.

Paceman Umar Gul, playing his first match since March this year after a knee operation, gave Pakistan a sound start by dismissing Kusal Perera (seven) and Dimuth Karunaratne (nought) in his first spell of five overs and then had the last man Lasith Malinga to finish with 3-19.

Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan hit ten boundaries in an aggressive 62-ball knock of 59 but fell to Shahid Afridi as the Sri Lankan innings fell apart.

Kumar Sangakkara also hit a six in his 14 before he fell to paceman Junaid Khan who took 2-40. Skipper Angelo Mathews chipped in with 44 but his dismissal signalled the end.

The remaining two matches will be played in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Friday. l

BRIEF SCORE

Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas (L) celebrates his goal against Getafe with teammates Pedro (C) and Iniesta during their La Liga match at Coliseum Alfonso Perez stadium yesterday REUTERS

Pakistan 326 for 5 Hafeez 140*, Shehzad 81 Sri Lanka 213 Dilshan 59, Gul 3-19 Pakistan won by 113 runs

RESULTS Bologna

1-0

Goals galore as Juve, Roma distance Napoli

Atalanta

1-4

Verona

4-1

n AFP, Milan

Roma

Benatia 18, 59, Destro 55, Gervinho 80

4-0

Juventus' Paul Pogba (C) hits an aerial ball during the Italian Serie A match against Atalanta at Atleti Azzurri d'Italia stadium in Bergamo yesterday REUTERS

Title chasers Juventus and Roma piled on the goals on the final Serie A matchday before the festive break on Sunday to leave misfiring Napoli frustrated with a 1-1 draw against Cagliari.

Champions Juventus conceded their first goal in nine games but saw Carlos Tevez, Paul Pogba, Fernando Llorente and Arturo Vidal all hit the net in a 4-1 win away to Atalanta.

Juventus’s 15th win in 17 games means Antonio Conte’s men will enjoy

a five-point lead over Roma during the Christmas break. Roma sit second with a five-point lead on Napoli, who saw Fiorentina edge to within three points of third place after Giuseppe Rossi hit an 80th-minute winner for La Viola away to struggling Sassuolo.

Elsewhere, Bologna claimed a precious 1-0 home win over Genoa, their third win of the season, to move out of the relegation zone.

Parma were one of the biggest winners on the day, Roberto Donadoni’s men securing a 1-1 draw away to Sampdoria which, thanks to results elsewhere, moved them from 13th to eighth. l

Diamanti 57 Moralez 15

Toni 5, 78, Iturbe 44, Romulo 63

Sampdoria

1-1

Sassuolo

0-1

Torino

4-1

Eder 44

Immobile 45+2, 65, Vives 80, Cerci 90+3

Genoa Juventus

Tevez 6, Pogba 46, Llorente 75, Vidal 79

Lazio

Biglia 27

Catania

Parma

Lucarelli 64

Fiorentina

Rossi 82

Chievo

Thereau 9

On Saturday Livorno

1-2

Cagliari

1-1

Siligardi 32

Nene 9

Udinese

Nico Lopez 10, Heurtaux 65

Napoli

Higuain 19-P

DHAKA TRIBUNE

QUICK BYTES

Bima edge past Purbachal Sadharan Bima KS edged past Purbachal Parishad 1-0 in the Kool 2nd Division Football League at the Kamalapur Stadium yesterday. Md Tufan scored the all important goal in the 40th minute.

In the day’s other game BG Press and Kawran Bazar Progati Sangha played out a 1-1 draw at the same venue. Md Awlad put BG Press ahead in the 25th minute before Md Manik restored the parity in the 70th minute from penalty.

–Tribune Desk

Fahad 21st after round five Young Fide Master Fahad Rahman defeated Maache Jawad of France in the 5th round of Under-10 Open Classic Section of the World Youth Chess Championship in Al-Ain, UAE on Saturday. Fahad earned four points after the end of 5th round game and he is placed 21st among more than 200 players. Fahad was scheduled to play against CM Ngo Duc Tri of Vietnam in the 6th round yesterday.

–Tribune Desk

Handball president elected to Asian body Bangladesh Handball Federation president A K M Nurul Fazal Bulbul has been elected a member of Asian Handball Federation marketing commission. The polls took place in Qatar on October 25 at a meeting of the Asian council and the final result was published on Saturday.

Bulbul will remain in his elected position in the marketing commission till 2017.

–Tribune Desk

Pearson joy as Leicester down promotion rivals QPR

Leicester boss Nigel Pearson conceded he was a relieved man as the Foxes got their Championship promotion push back on track with a crucial 1-0 win at QPR. Pearson’s team had taken just one point from a possible nine and were in danger of falling adrift in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League. But that poor run came to an end at Loftus Road on Saturday with Jamie Vardy’s fine first-half strike securing a 1-0 win that shattered QPR’s unbeaten home record and moved Leicester level on points with their second placed hosts. “We did well and it was needed,” Pearson said. “Results haven’t gone the way that we would have liked of late.

–AFP

Sport

Swann calls time on England career n AFP, Melbourne England spinner Graeme Swann announced his retirement from international and first-class cricket with immediate effect on Sunday, in a bombshell just days before the beleaguered tourists meet Australia in the fourth Ashes Test.

Swann, who took 255 wickets in 60 Tests in just five years and is sixth on the list of Test wicket-takers for England, said defeat in Perth last week, where Australia sealed the Ashes, had cemented his decision to call it a day.

His abrupt announcement further unsettles England, who trail 3-0 in the series after three heavy defeats and are battling to avoid a humiliating 5-0 series whitewash.

“I know I’m making a decision for the right reasons. I made the decision after the Perth Test. It was probably halfway through that Perth game, to be honest,” Swann, 34, told a press conference in Melbourne.

“My body doesn’t like playing long forms of cricket, my arm doesn’t cope with bowling 30-40 overs in the first innings and then repeating it in the sec-

Australian interest in Int'l Premier Tennis

Lehmann wants Australia to pile woe on wounded England

Czech Davis Cup captain extends deal

Tennis Australia is investigating buying an Asian-based franchise in the planned lucrative International Premier Tennis League team tournament, a report said Friday.

The IPTL, the brainchild of veteran Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi, is inspired by the television-friendly format of cricket’s IPL in India and will have teams of six to 10 players compete for six franchises dotted across Asia.

Like the IPL, international players would be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to represent city-based franchises, with the potential to disrupt the existing tennis calendar.l

Australia coach Daren Lehmann has called on his top order to hammer home the Ashes pain for a dispirited and depleted England in the fourth test starting on Thursday as they chase a 5-0 whitewash.

The hosts have already reclaimed the urn with three big victories in the opening tests against a woeful England side that suffered a further blow on Sunday with the shock retirement of spearhead spinner Graeme Swann.

Australia opener Chris Rogers has hit two fifties in his six Ashes innings but said on Saturday he still felt on shaky ground. Lehman said the 36-year-old would keep his place in what he hoped

Jaroslav Navratil has extended his contract as captain of the Czech Republic’s Davis Cup team through to 2015.

Navratil, 56, who has overseen the Czech team’s triumphs in the 2012 and 2013 tournaments, also indicated that his two leading players, world number seven Tomas Berdych and 44th-ranked Radek Stepanek, would continue to play Davis Cup tennis next year.

“I was waiting for a decision from Berdych and Stepanek, and then I decided to sign for two more seasons,” Navratil, who has been captain since 2006, told agency CTK. The Czech Republic will face the Netherlands in the first round of the 2014 World Group. l

n AFP, Sydney

n Reuters, Singapore

DAY’S WATCH Ten Golf 9: 00AM The Royal Trophy 2013 Day 4 Star Sports 4 1: 45AM English Premier League Arsenal v Chelsea

would be an unchanged side for the Melbourne test.

“Our top order know they have to make some more runs and one of the big things is making them in the first innings,” Lehmann told reporters on Sunday.

“We need our guys performing straight up, day one, if we bat first.”

Rogers opening partner David Warner has been a great form with the bat, smashing centuries in Perth and Brisbane and an unbeaten 83 in Adelaide.

But Lehmann, who said there was ‘no dramas’ with Rogers, opted to share the praise, hailing the work of the duo whose performances have been a huge improvement on the 3-0 away series loss to England earlier in the year.

SCORE CARD WEST INDIES 1ST INNINGS 367 S. Chanderpaul 122 not out, D. Ramdin 107, K. Brathwaite 45; T. Southee 4-79, C. Anderson 3-47 NEW ZEALAND 1ST INNINGS 349 R. Taylor 131, K. Williamson 58; S. Narine 6-91. D. Sammy 2-69 WEST INDIES 2ND INNINGS 103 Sammy 24; Boult 4-23, Southee 3-12 NEW ZEALAND 2ND INNINGS (overnight 0-6) P. Fulton c & b Sammy 10 H. Rutherford not out 48 K. Williamson b Permaul 56 R. Taylor not out 2 Extras: (b7, nb 1) 8 Total: (2 wickets, 40.4 overs) 124

Bundesliga coaches Jens Keller of Schalke and Hanover’s Mirko Slomka face an uncertain start to 2014 with their respective clubs set to decide their futures over the winter break. Keller, 43, and Slomka, 46, find themselves in the uncomfortable position of knowing their futures are being discussed. Both have fallen a long way short of their clubs’ pre-season objections as the league breaks for winter on Sunday. Hanover, 13th, are already ten points off a targeted top six spot to claim a European place next season after suffering their eighthstraight away defeat on Saturday.

–AFP

Less than 24 hours after being voted player of the tournament at the Club World Cup, France’s Franck Ribery has again been named Man of the Year in Germany. After he also won the title in 2008, German football magazine Kicker voted the 30-year-old France star their man of 2013 for his outstanding displays for Bayern Munich. The France winger joins some prestigious previous winners including Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp in 2012 and Germany boss Joachim Loew, the 2011 recipient. On Saturday, Ribery picked up the top player award at the Club World Cup as Bayern beat hosts Raja Casablanca 2-0 in the Marrakech final to collect their fifth title of 2013. “This year he has taken the step up to the level of absolute world class,” Bayern’s chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Ribery was a key factor in Bayern becoming the first German team to win the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup last season, as well as the Uefa Super Cup. –AFP

mer against Sri Lanka and India, I feel that it is a great time for someone else to strap themselves in and hopefully enjoy the ride as much as I have,” Swann said.

“It was very difficult decision. This England team has been my family for the best part of a decade now, and you spend so much time with guys you absolutely love to pieces.

“There are things I will genuinely miss and I am nervous about that, but to carry on just for those reasons would be really selfish and I’m not prepared to do that.”

“Why didn’t I stop then? I knew more or less that the time was coming up,” he said. “But I’d never forgive myself – we had the chance to potentially come out here and win four Ashes series on the bounce.”

Swann, who made his Test debut in 2008 and averaged 29.96 with the ball, said his decision had nothing to do with uproar over comments he made on Facebook last week that likened the third Ashes Test loss to being “raped”.

England team director Andy Flower said Swann had played a major role in England’s recent success. l

ond innings a day later.

“I could feel my performances tapering off to the back-end of games and I wasn’t happy with that. As a spinner, that’s when you need to come into your own. I am not willing just to hang on and just get by, by being a bit-part player. I want to win matches for England and I don’t feel like I was doing that in the second innings any more.

As a result, it’s time to go.”

The off-spinner, a jovial and popular character within the England team, has been under pressure to keep his place in the squad after taking just seven wickets at an average of 80.00 in the three Tests in Australia.

Swann, a key member of the English team that won the previous three Ashes series, will miss the fourth Test starting in Melbourne on Thursday and the final Test in Sydney, with fellow spinner Monty Panesar likely to take his place for the Boxing Day Test.

Swann’s withdrawal means further disruption for England following the departure of batsman Jonathan Trott earlier in the tour with a stress-related illness.

“With two games to go in Australia and then a fiercely competitive sum-

Schalke, Hanover bosses face an anxious Xmas

Ribery scoops second award in 24 hours

15

Monday, December 23, 2013

New Zealand players celebrate series win over the West Indies after day four of their third cricket Test at the Seddon Park in Hamilton yesterday AFP

New Zealand cruise to series win over Windies n AFP, Hamilton New Zealand eased to an eight-wicket win over the West Indies on Sunday to claim their first victory in a three-Test series in nearly eight years.

The home side, needing just 122 runs to seal the series 2-0, reached their target for the loss of two wickets after the West Indies collapsed in the face of hostile New Zealand swing bowling.

The rapid end to the match surprised New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum after his side trailed by 18 runs on the first innings following a mesmerising spell of spin bowling by Sunil Narine.

But once New Zealand seamers Trent Boult and Tim Southee tore through the West Indies’ second innings, scuttling the tourists for a paltry 103, it became easy work for New Zealand to bat out the win.

Hamish Rutherford, who sealed victory with a boundary to take New Zealand to 124-2, finished on 48 not out, with Ross Taylor on two.

Peter Fulton was the first wicket to fall on Sunday, caught and bowled by Darren Sammy for 10, and Kane Williamson was dismissed for 56, bowled

by Veerasammy Permaul.

New Zealand take the series 2-0 after the first Test in Dunedin was drawn and they won the second by an innings and 73 runs in Wellington.

It is the first time New Zealand have achieved back-to-back Test victories against a top-eight side since March 2006 – also against the West Indies.

The Black Caps also won that threeTest series 2-0.

New Zealand resumed their second innings on the fourth morning at 6-0 and although Narine, who took six wickets in the home side’s first innings, bowled unchanged throughout the first session, he went without reward.

Rutherford, who was stuck at the spinner’s end for a prolonged spell, offered a chance on 20 but Permaul did not see the ball early enough and it landed short of his grasp. It was a remarkable change in the complexion of the match after the West Indies restricted New Zealand to 349 in their first innings, with the home side struggling to handle Narine on a turning wicket.

But the tourists suffered from questionable shot selection against the swing bowling of Boult and Southee in their second innings on Saturday, leaving New Zealand with a straightforward task. l

Fall of wickets 1-33 (Fulton), 2-116 (Williamson) Bowling Best 7-3-22-0, Narine 16-6-39-0, Sammy 9-3-21-1 (1nb), V. Permaul 7-129-1, Deonarine 1.4-0-6-0 RESULT New Zealand won by eight wickets Series: New Zealand 2-0

Graeme Swann arrives for his retirement press conference in Melbourne yesterday

CAREER AT A GLANCE Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI Tests

60

BBM

Ave

Econ SR 4w 5w 10w

109 15349 7642 255 6/65 10/132 29.96 2.98 60.1 14

ODIs

79

76

T20Is

39

38

3809 2888 104 5/28 810

859

51

3/13

“They have had some good opening partnerships for us, which we didn’t get in England,” the former batsman said.

“The 150 they put on in Perth, when we had a lead but we needed to start well... he’s (Rogers) contributed.”

Some of those runs came off the bowling of Swann, who had struggled to replicate his Ashes successes of past in the opening three matches of the current series before announcing his shock retirement.

His departure follows that of number three batsman Jonathan Trott, who returned home after the first test defeat with a stress-related illness.

Lehmann did not want his side to become distracted by the crisis in the England camp. l

17

3

5/28 27.76 4.54 36.6 3

1

0

3/13 16.84 6.36 15.8 0

0

0

n AFP, Prague

Marseille battle back to draw with Bordeaux n AFP, Paris For the second week running, Marseille fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 on Sunday, sharing the spoils with Bordeaux in an engaging contest at the Stade Velo-

drome.

A week after showing great spirit to hold Lyon in their first Ligue 1 match since sporting director Jose Anigo was asked to replace the sacked Elie Baup in the dugout, OM were rescued by two goals a minute apart in the second half in a game played on a poor pitch.

The hosts had looked the more likely side in the first half but were denied by a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping from Cedric Carrasso.

And it was Bordeaux who seized the lead 11 minutes before the interval when Brazilian forward Jussie - again standing in for top scorer Cheick Dia-

bate - headed in from Ludovic Obraniak’s corner.

It was Jussie’s third goal in as many games but he went off injured at halftime. Nevertheless, the visitors went on to increase their lead on 66 minutes when Kassim Abdallah failed to cut out a cross at the back post and Nicolas Maurice-Belay pounced to score.

At that point, Bordeaux seemed set for a fifth successive win, but OM got a goal back in the 73rd minute, Alaixys Romao scrambled the ball over the line after Carrasso had pushed away a Florian Thauvin free-kick.

And the equaliser followed immediately after, Benjamin Mendy lifting the ball into the box for Andre-Pierre Gignac to convert despite the presence of two defenders.

They might even have won it had Carrasso not produced a superb save to keep out a Souleymane Diawara header, but it is Bordeaux who are in the better position after this result. l

Deputy President of Coca-Cola India & SWA Venkatesh Kini (L), Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar (2L), Fifa WC 2014 Ambassador Alberto Torres (2R) and former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly speak to media during the Fifa WC Trophy Tour in Kolkata yesterday AFP

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Monday, December 23, 2013

Rampant political promotions at BSMMU Around 200 medical officers to be promoted

n Moniruzzaman Uzzal Around 200 medical officers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) would soon be promoted to junior consultants, after members of the BSMMU syndicate gave their primary approval to the move.

However, sources said the decision – made during a meeting on Friday – was not unanimous. Many syndicate members reportedly opined against the move, but the syndicate was compelled to approve the proposal, allegedly because of a few influential doctors’ leaders.

Seeking anonymity, several syndicate members told the Dhaka Tribune that the approval was not a healthy decision for the university.

They said the huge number of medical officers was not a big burden for the BSMMU, as it was not an ordinary hospital.

Another source claimed that only the medical officers who had already completed their post-graduations would be given promotion.

It has been learnt that the BSMMU currently had more than 800 medical officers, most of whom had no work to do. Moreover the university also had around 1,000 daily-basis employees.

Despite having more than a sufficient number of medical officers, the authorities reportedly appointed 38 new medical officers recently – almost all of them on political consideration – ignoring the recruitment rules.

Political influence allegedly also played a part in the authority’s ad hoc appointment of 140 daily-basis employees.

The BSMMU also recently recruited 200 nurses – out of 3,000 who applied for the posts – amid allegations that most appointments were made on political consideration.

Several doctor leaders of the BSMMU have reportedly been trying to gain popularity by ensuring appointments or promotions. It has been learnt that a single leader had provided ad hoc appointment to around 40 daily-basis employees.

Seeking anonymity, several senior officials admitted that political pressure had been increasing day by day at the BSMMU, with the authority having no other choice but to accept recommendations.

Several departmental heads told the Dhaka Tribune that medical officers were being appointed and given posting at their departments without their concern.

No work could be offered to medical officers, as the residency course students – who were more competent – worked closely with the patients on the limited number of beds, they said.

There are allegations that several groups of the ruling party-backed Swadhinata Chikitshyak Parishad have interfered in the selection process.

Swachip’s BSMMU unit President Professor Sharfuddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune: “We made some requests. But sweeping allegations about the selection process are not true.”

Prof Dr Ruhal Amin, Pro-VC (education) of BSMMU, however claimed that all recruitment and promotion decision were made in accordance with the rules. The appointments of medical officers were given as the university needed the recruitment, he claimed. l

AL discriminates between rebel candidates n Emran Hossain Shaikh The ruling Awami League plays a dual role in dealing with the rebel candidates running for the upcoming election as independent candidates.

Central Awami League has so far expelled one candidate and the party local units sacked some rebel Awami League leaders contesting the polls, violating the party order.

Incumbent lawmaker Shafiqul Azam Khan of Jhenaidah 3 is one of the rebel candidates excluded from the party’s local unit.

Sources said around 60 Awami League men were contesting the 10th national election as independent candidates.

Even there is no let-up in rebellion against veteran Awami League leaders – Agriculture Minister of the interim government Begum Matia Chowdhury, presidium member Kazi Zafarullah and State Minister for Home advocate Shamsul Haque Tuku.

A few independent candidates are

bearing the brunt of dismissal from the ruling party while most of them running for the polls without facing any opposition. The expelled candidates alleged that the party had been playing a dual role for which they were facing discrimination.

“Awami League has done injustice by dismissing some of us from the party politics while a large number of independent contestants are campaigning for the polls,” alleged Dr Awlad Hossain, an independent candidate for Dhaka 4 constituency involved with Awami League politics.

AL presidium Member Zafarullah said he was also facing a rebel candidate in his parliamentary seat.

“It gives me pain to face the rebellion of the independent candidates within the party,” he added.

A source in the party said Awami League chief wanted to boost voters’ turnout in the polls and that was why the party was reluctant to take any action against the rebel candidates still vying for the polls. l

Activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance dig a portion of a road to disrupt communication in Gaibandha, protesting arrest of its leaders and activists

FOCUS BANGLA

Government price too low compared to actual prices of assets n Syed Samiul Basher Anik Discrepancies between actual prices of tangible assets and those set by the government have been hampering revenue collection, especially from sale of assets such as land, apartments and cars.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) yesterday discussed the issue in a meeting, chaired by its Chairman Ghulam Hussain, with all its commissioners from the Dhaka Zone.

An official, who attended the meeting, said the prices that the government had set, were far too low compared to the prices at which these assets were actually sold, especially by private owners.

The sellers often take advantage of these discrepancies and prepare documents quoting assets at the rates set

by the government, while in reality, the amounts they actually realise as proceeds are much higher; thus depriving the government from huge amounts of tax revenue.

“The board will soon recommend the land and law ministries and the inspector general of the Directorate of Registration to reevaluate the prices set for lands, apartments and vehicles in order to narrow the gap and ensure smooth tax collection,” the NBR official said.

According to the NBR, there are around 5,000 “wealthy” people in Bangladesh who own properties worth over Tk2 crore.

When these people sell any of their assets, the government generally charges them 10% surcharge in addition to their regular income taxes.

However, NBR officials said the

actual number of “wealthy” people would be much higher because many take advantage of the low prices set by the government and underquote their properties to evade tax.

An official said: “As per the rule, we charge 10% surcharge in addition to the income tax paid by a person, who owns net asset worth over Tk2 crore. But, because of the information gap, we cannot identify many of them.”

“Let us say a person inherited a piece of land in Gulshan. He handed that land over to the developers and got three apartments in return. If that person lives with his family in all those three apartments, then there will be no rent income from those apartments. But considering that fact that the person owns three apartments in such a posh area, it is hard to believe that the person has no income,”

the official said.

“People evade tax by registering newly bought apartments or lands in the names of their relatives. Vehicles are often registered against company names. If the actual and government prices could be synchronised, we would be able to conduct surveys and collect legitimate taxes from them,” he said.

According to the World Ultra Wealth Report 2012-13, there are 85 Ultra High Net Wealth Individuals in Bangladesh who own a total wealth of $13bn (approximately Tk1 lakh crore).

The official also said the Central Intelligence Cell of the NBR had been collecting information on the owners of vehicles, lands and apartments. As soon as the problem was resolved, NBR would impose taxes on them to boost revenue collection. l

Nizami verdict ‘delayed for prosecution’ n Udisa Islam

Some “unnecessary” public statements made by the prosecution are behind the delay in delivering verdict in the war crimes case against Motiur Rahman Nizami, the incumbent chief of Jamaat-e-Islami.

On every working day, reporters visit the International Crimes Tribunal to hear announcement of the verdict date, but they get no confirmation.

They assume that the verdict may come up before December 31, the day when tribunal 1 Chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir retires.

Earlier, a prosecutor told the media that the verdict might be pronounced before the Victory Day, December 16.

His statement irked the tribunal.

The nation is eagerly waiting for the verdict in the case against Nizami, allegedly a top collaborator of the Pakistani occupation forces. He is facing 16 counts of crimes against humanity that include conspiracy, planning, complicity, incitement and active participation in Pabna and Dhaka during the 1971 Liberation War. The trial began on May 28 last year and after around 18-month-long proceedings, it was kept for verdict on November 20. A total of 25 witnesses testified against Nizami while four in his favour.

According to the formal charges, Nizami had been the chief of Islami Chhatra Sangha (Jamaat’s stu-

dent wing) of erstwhile East Pakistan chapter before October in 1971. Later he became the chief of all Pakistan Chhatra Sangha. Para militia group al-Badr, which is responsible for the systematic killings of intellectuals, was formed with the Chhatra Sangha members.

On December 3, the tribunal 1 expressed disappointment after a prosecutor had commented on a possible date of verdict before the media.

The tribunal warned him saying: “Do not mix up politics with your profession. Some unnecessary comments [you made] sometimes hamper proceedings of the tribunal.” It also said since it was the month of the Victory Day, the court would go slowly.

Mohammad Ali, the conducting prosecutor in the case, told the tribunal that he had made the comment based on assumption. “We are not saying anything that may hamper any decision or position of the tribunal.”

Yesterday, he also echoed the prediction that the verdict might be given

by December 31.

This would be the 10th verdict in war crimes cases. Earlier, the tribunal 1 gave three verdicts and took three months for the Ghulam Azam case – from keeping the case for verdict until its pronouncement. In the case against Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, the tribunal took one and a half months. l

Cold to intensify n Tribune Report The country may face severe cold at the beginning of January as strong cold waves are expected to sweep through its most parts of the country during the period, according to a meteorologist.

Met Office sources said intensity of cold has increased as minimum temperature has fallen slightly, reports BSS. The weather might start cooling down at the end of December as mild to moderate cold waves may sweep northern, north-eastern and central parts of the country during the period, they added. l

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Continue to the Business section...

Business

B3 RMG exports jump by 30%

B4 ‘RMG industry falling from frying pan into the fire’

MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2013 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Minister asks BTRC to Bankers see it tough sans BB intervention realise outstanding Central bank sits today to devise an incentive plan bills soon n MEETING CASH DEMAND FOR BUSINESS

Jebun Nesa Alo

The country’s banks are facing difficulties to meet the businessmen’s demands for low cost finance as a contingency measure to help overcome the setback in business due to the prolonged political crisis.

The bankers also expressed concern that the non-performing loans (NPL) would be increased by the end of the year.

Businessmen are demanding loan facilities from the banks to recover the losses as they could not pay timely as their business activities are now almost suspended.

Bangladesh Bank, however, has announced providing some incentives and relaxing conditions on loans, considering the consequences of the situation.

Bangladesh Bank holds a meeting with the commercial banks and businessmen today to decide how the special incentive could be given to the businessmen badly affected by the political unrest.

“Due to the political unrest, both the banks as well as the businessmen are

suffering. So, who will take the benefit and how much it would be have to be decided,” Bangladesh Bank Executive Director M Mahfuzur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune.

Pubali Bank Managing Director Helal Ahmed Chowdhury said keeping the non-performing loans (NPL) under control is the big challenge for the banks at the end of the year, as transports do not move and production being hampered.

“Under this circumstance, the banks will face pressure to meet the demand of businessmen.”

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) demanded low cost loans to pay wages for next four months as they were facing fund shortage due to failure of shipment caused by the political unrest.

Of their other demands, garments and backward linkage industry should not be classified in next two years from Q4 of 2013. They also appealed to block the term loan, project loan, loan against trustee receipt, Murabah Post Import (MPI) and installment without any interest for next two years.

“The demands of the apparel sector

are negative for the growth of banking sector,” Prime Bank Managing Director Ehsan Khasru said. They demanded interest block, rearranging loan instalments for two years, labor wages for four months. “The demands may be justified, but banks are not capable to fulfill them.”

He said the banks’ major responsibility is to pay depositors a certain percentage of interest as we already committed. “We all are demanding for one side of businessmen, but nobody is talking about depositors’ interest.”

He said the affected businessmen could get support under the bailout process, but the banks are not capable enough to give the support as every bank operates marginally. “So, we have to think who is going to give the bailout programme.”

The central bank might give us instruction, but where the money is going to come from, he said. “This question is unresolved yet. We need a solution,” said Ehsan Khasru.

‘We do not need of that high forex reserve of $18bn. This reserve can be used for bailout package,” said the se-

DITF 2014 may defer

NBR requests finance ministry to lower tax revenue target in revised budget n Tribune Report In the face of the ongoing political unrest, the National Board of Revenue has requested the finance ministry to lower the NBR’s revenue target in the revised budget for the current fiscal year, a senior tax official said.

The NBR official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the frequent shutdowns and blockades enforced by the opposition have been adversely affecting the country’s business sector, particularly import and export businesses. As a result, businesses were unable to pay due taxes, which would largely hamper revenue earnings.

This fiscal, a target was set to collect about Tk136,000 crore, but the unabated political turmoil has made the target almost impossible to achieve.

During the July-November period, revenue collection fell Tk6,000 crore short of target, according to provisional data.

Since the government is working on preparing the revised budget for FY2013-14, the NBR has requested the finance ministry to give the revenue issue high importance, the official said.

“We will request the finance ministry to set the revised target at Tk125,000 crore from the existing Tk136,000 crore,” the official said.

Earlier, NBR Chairman Md Ghulam Hussain told the Dhaka Tribune that revenue collection in July-November was Tk5,000 crore less than the target.

The political situation has also impacted other revenue sectors.

The NBR had to extend the income tax return deadline thrice due to poor response from businesses and individual taxpayers.

Meanwhile, the E-TIN project is also far from reaching its target. Only 9.5lakh people had registered for E-TIN until last week, whereas there are some 17lakh valid taxpayers in the country. l

nior banker, recommending that the central bank could release the reserve as compensation package by taking consent of the government instead of putting pressure on the banks.

“The central bank can refinance the affected businessmen at lower rate by using the package,” he said.

Bangladesh Bank already announced cutting interest on loans taken from the export development fund and allowing the member manufacturer-exporters of Leather Goods & Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association of Bangladesh (LFMEAB) and Bangladesh Ceramic Wares Manufacturers’ Association (BCWMA) to take EDF finance for bulk imports against estimated requirements for up to one year, based on their export performance over the preceding year.

It asked the scheduled banks to offer some privileges for the small and medium enterprise sector hit by political unrest.

The central bank also provided $25m loan to fire-ravaged Standard Group from EDF with 1% interest for helping its business to revive. l

n Asif Showkat Kallol

Photo shows International Telecommunications Union office in Geneva

Bangladesh to contest ITU council election n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

Bangladesh has decided to participate in the next council election of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to retain membership.

The next plenipotentiary conference of ITU to be held from October 20 to November 7 next year in Busan, South Korea will elect the council for a four-year term.

Bangladesh is currently a member of ITU Council which expires in 2014.

A meeting chaired by post and telecommunication minister Rashed Khan Menon at the ministry office in Dhaka yesterday made the decision, said official sources.

“We have primarily decided to compete in the next election of ITU,” Abu Bakar Siddique, secretary of post and telecommunication ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune.

“However, it will be finalised after January 5 election,” he added.

According to the government sources, if Bangladesh can retain its membership in the ITU Council, the country will be able to exert influences to help developing countries get favours in global telecommunication policies and

priorities.

In 1973, Bangladesh became a member of ITU. The ITU Council acts as the Union’s governing body in the interval between plenipotentiary conferences and regulates telecommunication policies at the both national and international levels.

ITU Plenipotentiary Conference is the top policy-making body of ITU, which is held every four years and sets the ITU’s general policies.

It also adopts four-year strategic and financial plans, and elects council members. The conference determines the ITU’s position on issues such as convergence, telephone tariffs, internet, universal service and electronic commerce.

The present Council was elected at the October 2010 conference in Guadalajara, the capital of Mexican state of Jalisco.

In that election Bangladesh had secured sixth positionwith 123 votes, where 17 candidates competed for the 13-seat Asian Group of ITU Council.

That was the first time Bangladeshcontested in the 46-member ITU Council election. l

The government has planned to defer the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) 2014 by 10 days due to the political turmoil and destruction ahead of the general election.

“A summary on the delayed start if the annual event will be forwarded to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today for her approval,” said an official at the commerce ministry.

He said the 19th DITF would then start at Sher-E-Bangla Nagar in the capital from January 11 instead of existing schedule of January 1.

A summary on the delayed start if the annual event will be forwarded to the Prime Minister today Earlier, nearly 100 domestic and foreign participants have threatened not to participate in the DITF -2014 unless it is deferred beyond the general election. Small businessmen have also decided to stop construction of pavilions and stalls for the month-long fair if there is no immediate announcement to defer the event.

The ministry sources suggest a large number of domestic and foreign participants of the DITF last week submitted applications to Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed in this regard.

Small businessmen who participate in the DITF expressed concern that they might lose money if the event starts before the election.

The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), the organiser of the event has constituted a 20-member team for supervising progress of the DITF-2014.

The bureau could not complete allocation of pavilions and stalls to the participants until yesterday.

The event is being held to display exportable items of Bangladesh to visitors from home and abroad. On the other hand, the overseas participants would have the opportunity to display their products to consumers of Bangladesh, where domestic market of consumer goods is gradually expanding. l

Economic losses from unrest not repairable Fears finance minister after meeting with Canadian envoy n Tribune report Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has expressed fear that the economic loss incurred by the continuous hartals and blockades could not be recovered.

He was talking to the journalists after the meeting with Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Heather Cruden at his secretariat in Dhaka yesterday.

The Canadian High Commissioner

expressed concern over the current political crisis and violence in Bangladesh.

“It will be impossible to recover economic loss during the last two months of political violence,” said finance minister.

“If Bangladesh economy was a sophisticated one, emergency would need to be declared by this time,” he viewed, adding that “the government will be strict after the January 5th polls.”

AMA Muhith said to help exports continue during hartals and blockades, the government has initiated giving police escorts in the highway.

According to him, the agriculture sector was also affected by the political crisis, but not to that great extent.

Finance minister said a deal on the import of Muriate of Potash (MOP) would be signed with Canada after approval of cabinet committee on economic affairs. The committee will

hold meeting on 29th this month.

He harshly criticised the opposition and its leaders Begum Khaleda Zia for resorting to “violent politics.”

Canadian envoy in Dhaka Heather Cruden expressed concern over the country’s political situation.

While speaking at a press briefing after the meeting with finance minister, she said it is unfortunate that political parties in Bangladesh could not reach a consensus regarding general elections. l

Telecom operators owe Tk3,000cr to government n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) came under heavy criticism in Dhaka yesterday for their negligence in realising outstanding bills from different service operators, especially few international gateway operators.

The operators earned a huge amount of money and allegedly went out of operation without paying the government at least Tk2,611 crore remained due against spectrum charges, revenue sharing and annual licence fees.

BLOCKED IGW AND THEIR OUTSTANDING IGW

Paid

Vision Tel Ltd Bestec Telecom Limited Ratul Telecom Ltd Telex Limited

Tk28 Crore Tk6 Crore Tk19 Crore -----

Kay Telecommunications Ltd Apple GlobalTel Com Ltd

Tk9 Crore Tk9.5 Crore

Outstanding left Tk146.5 Crore Tk127.5 Crore Tk96.5 Crore Tk92.5 Crore Tk91.5 Crore Tk58.5 Crore

Newly appointed Post and Telecommunication Minister Rashed Khan Menon lambasted the regulator at a meeting with the officials, forewarning them to collect the money for the national exchequer.

In October, BTRC sent a statement to the post and telecommunication ministry apprising of the outstanding bills, which sources believe would cross Tk3,000 crore by now.

“You need to be tough to collect the thousands of crores of taka remained outstanding,” Menon told the officials of the regulator, expressing his dissatisfaction.

“I will give you all the support even if there is any pressure from any corner of the government.”

Menon learned about the outstanding bills from newspaper reports that some of the IGW’s doesn’t share their revenues in accordance with the guideline.

He requested the regulator to suspend some of the IGW’s licences,

which would be an example for other operators.

According to the guideline, IGW’s earn $.03 for every minute of incoming international calls and they have to share 51.75% of it with the regulator.

In response to the minister’s warning, BTRC Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose said they would show zero tolerance in collecting the revenue from the IGW’s and, at the same time, they would take some legal actions.

BTRC could not collect Tk613 crore from only six IGW operators, most of them are politically powerful and the total outstanding amount of IGW’s revenue sharing stood at Tk1,115 crore so far, sources say.

An amount of Tk146.5 crore remained unpaid in the name of Vision Tel Ltd, previously owned by a former minister’s daughter. Ratul Telecom Limited, an IGW of Ex-LGRD State Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak’s wife and daughter owes Tk96.5 crore.

Kay Telecommunications Limited a company of ruling party leader Shamim Osman from Narayanganj only paid Tk9 crore and their outstanding remains at Tk91.5 crore.

Telex Limited’s outstanding Tk92.5cr while two other IGWs Bestec Telecom Limited and Apple GlobalTel Com Ltd’s outstanding respectively Tk127.5 crore and Tk58.5 crore.

At the meeting, Telecom Secretary Md Abubakar Siddique questioned about BTRC’s monitoring system. “Now the illegal termination system spread out to district and upzila headquarters.

You people must think about it.”

The minister warned BTRC to take necessary action and said: “You are claiming the scenario is developing, but whenever I got any call from abroad I find it from local numbers.”

He said: “I found this sector is already going to be unstable. We need to take care the people who are the real businessmen putting their money and labor into it.”

He asked for monitoring the blogs, protect open sources SMS and regulate the proper bandwidth uses.

The BTRC chairman said abusing blogs, SMS and facebook is a current phenomenon and they are aware of it.

“We’re taking up projects and you will see the results within a week,” he assured the minister. l

Mobile transactions surge 8.6% in November n Tribune Report Transactions under the Mobile Financial Service (MFS) system increased by nearly 8.6% to Tk5,533 crore in November from the previous month’s Tk5,095 crore, showed a Bangladesh Bank report yesterday. In the month, a total of 2.67 crore transactions took place under the system.

According to the MFS report, the number of registered agents stood at some 172,000 while the number of registered clients reached 1.15 crore at

15.70% monthly growth rate.

Of different types of transaction, the “cash-in” transaction was the most popular among the MFS users, the data showed.

A total of 1 crore “cash-in” transactions were made by the users in November with an amount totalling Tk2,333 crore which was 7.81% higher than the previous month.

The use of MFS to pay utility bills and in person-to-person transactions has also surged by 52.38% and 21.04% respectively in November. l

STOCKS DSEX DS30 CSEX

1.04% 0.94% 1.13%

4288.87 1480.87 8435.24

▲ ▲ ▲

CURRENCIES Average selling rates to public in BDT Rupali Bank Sonali Bank SELL BUY SELL BUY USD 77.4 78.4 79 80 EURO INR SAR

105.190 1.171 20.536

108.417 1.328 21.004

103 1.17 20.532

107 1.287 21.009

B2 Stocks rally after 5-day fall n Tribune Report

Turnover (Million Taka)

As government intensifies efforts to keep law and order, investors hope for a reduction in political volatility and thus some improvement in short term business outlook. This created an impetus for the investors to move in

The benchmark DSEX index ended at 4,288 with a rise of 44 points or 1%. The DS30 Index comprising blue chips was up nearly 13 points or 1% to 1,480.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, rose 89 points to 8,429.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) saw higher trading with a turnover of Tk7oo crore, which was 49.5% higher over the previous session and highest in the last six sessions.

“As government intensifies efforts to keep law and order, investors hope for a reduction in political volatility and thus some improvement in short term business outlook. This created an impetus for

4288.87 1480.86 13337.82 10818.36 8435.23

DSE LOSERS

Samata LeatheR -Z CVO PetroChem RL-Z Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Hakkani P& Paper -B Legacy Footwear -A Eastern Cables-Z Prime Bank 1st MF-A Delta SpinnersA Aziz PipesZ BD. Thai Alum -B

Closing (% change) -9.09 -7.50 -7.15 -6.39 -5.74 -5.72 -5.00 -4.78 -4.13 -4.13

CSE LOSERS Company Samata LeatheR -Z CVO PetroChem RL-Z Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Hakkani P& Paper -B Legacy Footwear -A Eastern Cables-Z Prime Bank 1st MF-A Delta SpinnersA Aziz PipesZ BD. Thai Alum -B

Closing (% change) -9.09 -7.50 -7.15 -6.39 -5.74 -5.72 -5.00 -4.78 -4.13 -4.13

ANALYST

Average (% change) -11.11 -7.50 -2.05 -4.28 -1.07 -3.71 -1.37 3.19 -3.08 -1.72

Average (% change) -11.11 -7.50 -2.05 -4.28 -1.07 -3.71 -1.37 3.19 -3.08 -1.72

Closing average 22.00 757.40 59.33 37.16 45.19 85.57 5.78 43.63 21.07 33.23

Closing average 22.00 757.40 59.33 37.16 45.19 85.57 5.78 43.63 21.07 33.23

(+) 1.04% (+) 0.94% (+) 1.06% (+) 0.76% (+) 1.13%

Closing 22.00 757.40 57.10 36.60 44.30 84.00 5.70 41.80 20.90 32.50

Closing 22.00 757.40 57.10 36.60 44.30 84.00 5.70 41.80 20.90 32.50

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

285

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

209

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

72

DSE Million Taka 429.17 599.23 254.37 810.57 320.16 387.26 3.05 2452.49 527.46 1.28 39.29 125.77 50.91 190.86 131.92 126.77 243.67 132.87 104.51 168.82 0.40

% change 6.04 8.44 3.58 11.42 4.51 5.45 0.04 34.54 7.43 0.02 0.55 1.77 0.72 2.69 1.86 1.79 3.43 1.87 1.47 2.38 0.01

Million Taka 52.17 75.87 29.22 87.65 55.76 41.77

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,060.85

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

24.98

Turnover (Million Taka)

293.91 51.31 0.05 4.23 10.82 5.88 13.23 34.60 5.06 15.65 7.66 12.95 27.51 0.00

Bay Leasing.-A R. N. Spinning-A GSP Finance-A Sinobangla Indu.-A Tallu Spinning -A Miracle Industries -B I P D C -A S. Alam CR Steel -A Deshbandhu Polymer-A Malek Spinning-A

Closing (% change) 10.00 9.84 9.82 9.71 9.66 9.57 8.06 7.36 6.94 6.81

Average (% change) 7.89 8.45 9.08 13.44 9.59 8.76 9.29 6.77 7.99 6.00

Closing average 80.32 41.28 33.10 20.22 31.07 39.37 33.32 31.25 20.22 8.40

Closing average 33.36 39.39 30.88 33.43 41.71 20.37 20.00 53.44 26.23 29.50

Closing 81.90 41.80 33.90 20.60 31.50 40.10 33.50 32.00 20.50 8.40

Closing 34.10 40.20 31.30 33.90 42.00 20.60 20.10 54.00 26.20 29.80

Daily high 82.00 41.90 33.90 20.60 31.60 40.30 33.70 32.20 20.70 8.50

Daily high 34.10 40.20 31.30 33.90 42.10 20.60 20.40 55.00 26.60 30.30

Daily low 67.50 38.10 29.00 18.50 26.00 34.00 31.70 27.50 17.20 7.80

Daily low 30.60 37.00 28.70 32.60 38.70 19.00 18.80 51.60 25.00 28.30

Yearly high 92.9 47.1 43.7 23.5 39.0 44.0 33.7 41.2 23.0 10.3

Yearly high 43.5 42.7 37.0 33.9 47.9 23.9 22.2 55.0 28.0 32.7

Yearly low 13.0 17.5 22.5 10.4 20.0 22.6 17.8 22.2 14.5 6.5

Yearly low 23.0 23.1 22.0 16.5 18.5 11.0 14.6 33.0 15.4 15.4

Turnover in million 24.188 276.711 68.435 22.139 43.537 552.433 36.106 39.772 31.951 0.315

Turnover in million 9.042 90.626 3.357 9.428 43.282 3.066 1.090 8.123 10.771 9.486

825.28

Turnover (Volume)

23,668,021

Number of Contract

26,486

Traded Issues

223

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

171

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

45

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

1,982.22

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

24.03

Yearly high

Daily low 22.00 757.40 55.90 36.10 44.00 83.00 5.60 41.20 20.20 31.00

22.00 757.40 55.90 36.10 44.00 83.00 5.60 41.20 20.20 31.00

Yearly low

27.5 943.7 72.0 43.5 51.1 111.0 7.8 46.0 25.0 38.3

Yearly high

Daily low

22.20 757.40 63.70 39.70 48.80 90.00 5.90 45.70 22.10 34.30

CSE

CSE GAINERS Company

10.7 87.0 44.0 15.6 12.4 46.0 4.9 25.0 14.3 17.4

Yearly low

27.5 943.7 72.0 43.5 51.1 111.0 7.8 46.0 25.0 38.3

10.7 87.0 44.0 15.6 12.4 46.0 4.9 25.0 14.3 17.4

Turnover in million 0.275 12.270 161.445 1.282 9.626 5.622 2.980 88.297 0.393 24.683

Turnover in million 0.275 12.270 161.445 1.282 9.626 5.622 2.980 88.297 0.393 24.683

BSEC’s becoming ‘A’ category regulator coupled with investors hope for a less volatile political situation contributed to pull up stock prices

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Traded Issues

9.79 9.71 9.71 9.57 9.38 9.26 9.12 8.47 8.47 7.69

Average (% change) 7.42 9.24 7.26 7.44 8.94 8.16 13.26 6.51 6.81 7.55

CSE key features December 22, 2013

22.20 757.40 63.70 39.70 48.80 90.00 5.90 45.70 22.10 34.30

Daily high

155,084

Rahima Food -Z Tallu Spinning -A Bay Leasing.-A Miracle Industries -B GSP Finance-A R. N. Spinning-A Sinobangla Indu.-A United Leasing - A Bank Asia -A Meghna Con. Milk -B

Closing (% change)

Capital Market Highlights

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

Daily high

179,341,707

Number of Contract

Daily capital market highlights DSE Broad Index DS - 30 Index CSE All Share Index CSE - 30 Index CSE Selected Index

Company

7,100.86

Turnover (Volume)

Monday, December 23, 2013

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features December 22, 2013

the investors to move in,” said IDLC Investment.

The positivity was widely perceived, resulting in a towering surge of 49% in turnover, it said.

Lanka Bangla Securities said while frequent country wide shut down and blockade has broken down the industrial operation with slow growth in credit and financial sector, market reacted positively amid unrest ahead of parliamentary election.

Among the major triggers, the news on the IOSCO’s approval of up-gradation of BSEC’s category to ‘A’ from existing ‘B’ might have turned on the market direction forward, it said.

Activities were still extremely consolidated to a handful of stocks, especially from textile sector.

The sector captured 34% of total turnover and spurred significant return due to investors’ expectation regarding government incentive to the sector.

Top gaining sector was non-banking financial institutions that gained 2%, while top loser was life insurance that shed almost 1%. But low cap companies shined on the day, rising 1.85%.

Gainers took a strong lead over the losers as out of 274 issues traded, 169 advanced, 89 declined and 26 remained unchanged.

RN Spinning was the most traded stocks with shares worth Tk55.2 crore changing hands.

It was followed by Generation Next Fashion, Tallu Spinning, Golden Son, CMC Kamal, Paramount Textile, Argon Denim, Delta Life Insurance and Lanka Bangla Finance. l

Stocks rallied yesterday on buying spree, ending a five-day losing streak.

The market opened positive in the morning and the momentum scaled up till close, driven by textile sector that rose more than 2%.

Company

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

% change 6.32 9.19 3.54 10.62 6.76 5.06 0.00 35.61 6.22 0.01 0.51 1.31 0.71 1.60 4.19 0.61 1.90 0.93 1.57 3.33 0.00

Million Taka 481.35 675.10 283.59 898.22 375.92 429.03 3.05 2746.41 578.77 1.33 43.52 136.60 56.79 204.10 166.52 131.83 259.31 140.54 117.46 196.34 0.40

Total

News from trade server GOLDENSON: The Company has informed that "GSL Export Ltd., a subsidiary company of Golden Son Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mr. Stephen Christenson, a famous German Industrialist and businessman to set up a large scale 100% export oriented toys manufacturing factory in GSL Export Ltd. Under the said MoU, Mr. Stephen has agreed to invest in 50% shares of GSL Export Ltd., Golden Son will invest 40% and Mr. Belal Ahmed will invest in 10% shares.

Presently, Mr. Stephen has business and factories of similar product lines in Germany, Latvia and China of which the business and factory of Latvia named Latvian Corporation has been in operation for last 103 years. Due to recent increase in labour and production cost in those countries, Mr. Stephen has decided to shift his business from those countries to Bangladesh and signed the said MoU with GSL Export Ltd. GSL Export Ltd. has hired a floor space of 50,000 sft. from Golden Son Ltd. to set up its own factory to manufacture various types of toys for export purpose.

The production in the factory will start from April 2014 and the products will be exported to whole over the world. As the parent Company, the Board of Directors of Golden Son Ltd. has also approved the said proposal/scheme."

NPOLYMAR: The Company has informed that it has credited the bonus shares for the year ended on June 30, 2013 to the respective shareholders' BO Accounts on December 18, 2013.

RUPALILIFE: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to procure a floor space measuring 6,240 sft. including common space at 4th floor of S.B Trade Centre, 94 Sheikh Mujib Road, Agrabad, Chittagong @ Tk. 12,500.00 per sft. amounting a total of Tk. 7.80 crore only excluding registration cost, subject to approval of Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority.

RAKCERAMIC: The Company has informed that Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Co. Ltd. (A concern of Petrobangla) has approved the increase of gas load in the existing factory of RAK Ceramics (Bangladesh) Limited from 1,18,839 cft/hour to 1,64,563 cft/hour i.e. from 16,79,879.17 cubic meter/month DSE TURNOVER LEADERS

% change 6.07 8.52 3.58 11.33 4.74 5.41 0.04 34.65 7.30 0.02 0.55 1.72 0.72 2.57 2.10 1.66 3.27 1.77 1.48 2.48 0.01

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

Company R. N. Spinning-A Generation Next-A Tallu Spinning -A Golden Son -A CMC Kamal Tex. -A Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Argon Denims Limited-A Delta Life Insu. -A LankaBangla Fin. -A Envoy Textiles Ltd-N CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company R. N. Spinning-A Tallu Spinning -A Generation Next-A Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Golden Son -A Beach Hatchery -A BDCOM Online-A LankaBangla Fin. -A Grameen1:Scheme2 -A Bengal Windsor-N

Volume shares 14,032,743 8,919,960 6,702,973 4,430,507 4,688,345 2,721,000 1,576,420 570,800 2,256,781 2,438,610 Volume shares 2,300,953 1,037,700 906,660 564,250 412,075 553,434 552,082 247,195 816,000 246,000

to 23,26,222.50 cubic meter/month for enhancement of the production capacity of the Company.

Dividend/AGM

DESHBANDHU: 5% Stock, AGM: 29.12.2013, RD: 29.10.2013.

AAMRATECH: 5% Cash & 10% Stock, AGM: 22.12.2013, RD: 07.11.2013.

TITASGAS: 35% Cash, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 05.11.2013.

RAHIMTEXT: 25% Stock, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 12.11.2013.

FUWANGCER: 10% Stock, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 13.11.2013.

MALEKSPIN: 10% Cash, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 13.11.2013.

USMANIAGL: 11% Cash & 10% Stock, AGM: 27.12.2013, RD: 07.11.2013.

MICEMENT: 40% Cash, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 10.11.2013.

DESCO: 10% Cash & 15% Stock, AGM: 04.01.2014, RD: 05.11.2013.

LIBRAINFU: 20% Cash, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 12.11.2013.

BDCOM: 10% Stock, AGM: 25.12.2013, RD: 17.11.2013.

FUWANGFOOD: 10% Stock, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 20.11.2013.

ANLIMAYARN: 10% Cash, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 10.11.2013.

MIRACLEIND: 5% Stock, AGM: 21.12.2013, RD: 19.11.2013.

OLYMPIC: 10% Cash and 50% Stock, EGM and AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 21.11.2013.

ZAHINTEX: 5% Cash, 15% Stock, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 07.11.2013.

METROSPIN: 10% Stock, AGM: 30.12.2013, RD: 17.11.2013.

IMAMBUTTON: No dividend, AGM: 21.12.2013, RD: 11.11.2013.

AGNISYSL: 10% Stock, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 13.11.2013.

CVOPRL: 10% Stock, AGM: 15.12.2013, RD: 18.11.2013.

SAVAREFR: No dividend, AGM: 30.01.2014, RD: 19.12.2013.

ANWARGALV: 7% Case for general shareholders, AGM: 13.01.2014, RD: 11.11.2013.

BDAUTOCA: No dividend, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 13.11.2013.

PRIMETEX: 10% Cash, AGM: 28.12.2013, RD: 12.11.2013.

DAFODILCOM: No dividend, AGM: 30.12.2013, RD: 21.11.2013.

Value in million 552.43 357.48 276.71 275.86 165.64 161.45 154.99 152.72 150.03 143.61 Value in million 90.63 43.28 36.47 33.85 25.66 19.23 17.28 16.40 16.10 16.00

% of total turnover 7.78 5.03 3.90 3.88 2.33 2.27 2.18 2.15 2.11 2.02 % of total turnover 10.98 5.24 4.42 4.10 3.11 2.33 2.09 1.99 1.95 1.94

Daily closing 40.10 39.30 41.80 61.20 35.30 57.10 98.20 264.30 66.70 58.80 Daily closing 40.20 42.00 39.40 57.70 61.60 33.60 32.60 66.40 19.40 62.20

NORTHERN: No dividend, AGM: 22.12.2013, RD: 09.12.2013.

HAKKANIPUL: 5% Cash, AGM: 30.12.2013, RD: 13.11.2013.

SAMATALETH: No dividend, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 25.11.2013.

MONNOCERA: 5% Cash, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 13.11.2013.

SAMORITA: 30% Stock, AGM: 06.03.2014, RD: 25.11.2013.

STANCERAM: 10% Cash, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 19.11.2013.

MPETROLEUM: 70% Cash & 20% Stock, AGM: 17.01.2014, RD: 28.11.2013.

DELTASPINN: 10% Cash, AGM: 28.12.2013. RD: 21.11.2013.

POWERGRID: 15% Cash, AGM: 18.01.2014, Time: 10:00 AM. RD: 01.12.2013.

PADMAOIL: 90% Cash, 10% Stock, AGM: 15.02.2014, RD: 23.12.2013.

EASTRNLUB: 30% Cash, AGM: 25.01.2014, RD: 04.12.2013.

PHARMAID: 15% Cash, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 04.12.2013.

ORIONINFU: 12% Cash, AGM: 17.12.2013, RD: 25.11.2013.

KOHINOOR: 25% Stock, AGM: 17.12.2013, RD: 25.11.2013.

DACCADYE: 10% Stock, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 28.11.2013.

ENVOYTEX: 17% Cash and 3% Stock, AGM: 20.12.2013, RD: 28.11.2013. EPS of Tk. 3.19, NAV per share of Tk. 39.00.

RAHIMAFOOD: 10% Cash to the shareholders other than the Sponsor shareholders, Directors and Deposed Directors, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 28.11.2013. EPS of Tk. 0.52, NAV per share of Tk. 4.45.

ATLASBANG: 50% Cash, AGM: 28.12.2013, RD: 01.12.2013. EPS of Tk. 9.14, NAV per share of Tk. 222.05.

JAMUNAOIL: 90% Cash & 10% Stock, AGM: 25.01.2014, RD: 04.12.2013.

GEMINISEA: No dividend, AGM: 30.12.2013, RD: 04.12.2013.

AFTABAUTO: 8% Cash & 12% Stock, AGM: 23.12.2013, RD: 05.12.2013.

PTL: 12% Stock, AGM: 30.12.2013, RD: 12.12.2013.

SONALIANSH: 10% cash for only public shareholders, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 12.12.2013.

ECABLES: 10% cash, AGM: 01.03.2014, RD: 29.12.2013.

Price change 9.26 1.03 9.71 0.49 6.01 -7.15 -1.50 -2.22 3.25 2.08

Daily opening 36.70 38.90 38.10 60.90 33.30 61.50 99.70 270.30 64.60 57.60

Daily high 40.30 41.00 41.90 65.00 36.40 63.70 100.80 273.80 67.50 59.60

Daily low 34.00 36.00 38.10 55.00 31.90 55.90 90.00 262.10 58.50 52.20

Daily average 39.37 40.08 41.28 62.26 35.33 59.33 98.32 267.55 66.48 58.89

Price change 9.84 9.66 0.77 -6.03 0.98 -2.89 4.15 2.95 3.74 -2.05

Daily opening 36.60 38.30 39.10 61.40 61.00 34.60 31.30 64.50 18.70 63.50

Daily high 40.20 42.10 41.00 63.60 64.60 36.50 34.00 67.60 20.00 68.50

Daily low 37.00 38.70 39.00 56.20 61.00 33.40 30.60 65.50 19.20 62.00

Daily average 39.39 41.71 40.22 59.99 62.27 34.74 31.30 66.35 19.73 65.05

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Golden Son to set up toy manufacturing factory n Kayes Sohel The GSL Export Ltd, a subsidiary of the listed company, Golden Son Ltd (GSL), will set up a toy-manufacturing factory in its premises in Chittagong.

The Bangladesh-Taiwan joint venture company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Stephen Christenson, a German industrialist and businessman, to commence production by April next year. The produce will be exported all over the world.

Under the agreement, Christenson will own 50%, Golden Son will own 40%, and Belal Ahmed will own10% stakes in GSL Export Ltd. GSL Export has hired a floor space of more than4,500 square metres from Golden Son to set up the factory.

“I formed the GSL Export Ltd a long time ago, to explore a new business, but political uncertainty delayed the overall process,” Belal Ahmed, managing director of GSL, told the Dhaka Tribune.

However, it came true after Stephen decided to shift his business to Bangladesh due to recent increases in labour and production costs in Latvia and China, he said.

Presently, Stephen has business and factories of similar product lines in Germany, Latvia and China,among which, the factory in Latvia has been in operation for the last 103 years.

GSL is one of Bangladesh’s largest public companies involved with the manufacturing, importing and exporting of a variety of products.

Since its inception in 2003, GSL has embarked on a joint venture with Taiwan’s finest engineers and Bangladesh’s industrial experts to provide the highest quality products and services at competitive prices.

Currently, GSL makes an array of products: CPU casing, LED light, aerosols, household items, perfumes, body sprays, air-fresheners, garment accessories, sporting toys, fans, fan accessories, and garment accessories. l

Samata Leather worst loser at DSE n Tribune Business Desk Samata Leather Complex Limited was the worst loser as its share prices dropped more than 9% to Tk22 each at the Dhaka Stock Exchange yesterday.

The “Z” category or junk stock rose 85% in the first two week of December without any fundamental reason.

Earlier in a DSE query, the company replied that there is no undisclosed price sensitive information. The DSE, however, formed an enquiry committee to investigate the unusual price movement of the stocks.

In its first quarter (July 2013 to September 2013) report, the company made losses of Tk2.1 lakh against a loss of Tk3.2 lakh during the same period last year.

Net asset value of the company is Tk4.74 as of 2012, which is lower than its face value of Tk10. The stock price swung between Tk10.7and Tk26.2 in the last six months.

Accumulated loss of the company was Tk8.7 crore as of the beginning of 2013. l

Business

Monday, December 23, 2013

RMG exports jump by 30% n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Bangladesh’s readymade garment exports have seen a 30% jump to US$1,767m in November 2013 compared to the same period last year, defying all political and labour unrests, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data released yesterday.

The exports rose sharply, which runs counter to the apparel exporters claim that they failed to ship products due to the ongoing political unrest.

Bangladesh exported RMG products worth US$1,767m in November compared to US$1,364m in the same month last year, which is 30% higher than that of the last year.

In November 2013, Bangladesh exported knitwear products worth US$878m while it fetched $889m by exporting woven products, which is 34% and 25% higher respectively compared to the same period last year.

“The troubles being faced by the RMG sector took place in the second quarter and the impact of this disruption would be seen in February onward,” Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Vice President Shahidullah Azim told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

On the other hand, he said the sector did not witness the impact of political unrest as manufacturers shipped the products by air, which caused them losses.

Azim, however, said this is the execution of June-July orders. “I have to talk based on the facts and figures not on the allegation,” said Shubhashis Bose, EPB vice chairman. He said price competiveness helped the country to maintain the growth.

“There were less working day in September due to holidays on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, which caused less exports and in November export volume was high that pushed the earnings up,” BGMEA former president An-

The troubles being faced by the RMG sector took place in the second quarter and the impact of this disruption would be seen in February onward

war-ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez said.

“It is not the real reflection of exports. Look at the export earnings of October and it was only 3% up,” he added.

Export earnings will see negative growth in December-January period as the country’s export-import supply chain has collapsed due to political deadlock, said Parvez.

Following the demands of apparel makers, the government has provided security through deploying police on the highways to facilitate shipments of RMG products.

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.

Meanwhile, the country’s export earnings rose to US$12bn in July-November period of the current fiscal year, which is 18% higher compared to US$10.13bn of the same period last year.

Bangladesh exported knitwear products worth US$4.9bn while fetching US$4.75bn by exporting woven products, which is 20.48% and 21% higher respectively compared to the same period last year.

The export earnings from jute and jute goods including raw jute, jute yarn and twine, jute sacks and bags and others posted a negative growth by 20% to $332.40m in July-November against $414.45m during the same period last year. In July-November frozen foods export earnings went up by 37% to $325m from $238m in the same period of last fiscal year.

Leather export grew by 49.57% to $194.39m in July-November of the FY14 from $130m of last year’s value, followed by footwear up 37% to $238.18m and leather products, which went up by 24.34% to $78m.

The agricultural products that include tea, vegetables, and tobacco, cut flower and foliage, fruits, spices and dry food fetched $229.48m posting a 13.43% growth.

Specialised textiles sector marked 0.67% rise to $49.51m, while home textile fetched $298 m with 3.79% negative growth.

“Export earnings showed continuous growth due to our price competitiveness,” said Shubhashis Bose, EPB vice chairman. “We can offer products at reasonable price while others cannot provide the products at same prices.”

Bose said the supply chain strength is another reason behind the growth as we have strong workforce with cheaper labour cost.

“The country’s export earnings would have increased by at least 35% to 40% if there was no political turmoil,” said BGMEA vice president Reaz Bin Mahmood. “We have to spend time to see the impact of present political unrest as most of the buyers held up orders due to the escalating political deadlock.” l

RN Spinning becomes market leader n Tahmidur Rahman RN Spinning Mills Limited emerged as the top market leader with a rise in price of 9.81% in the opening trading session of the week at Dhaka Stock Exchange yesterday.

Its turnover worth more than Tk55 crore was changed hands, making up 7.7% of the total DSE turnover.

In October, the court has stayed the commission’s order issued on January 14 for a period of six months

Yesterday, its stock prices closed at Tk40.1 each before rising as high as Tk40.3 and falling as low as Tk37. The company’s face value is Tk10 each.

According to its third quarterly unaudited statement, the textile company’s profit stood at Tk40.8 crore, a sharp increase of 174% from profit it made in the same period a year earlier.

In the first nine months of this calendar year, its net profit was Tk111.3

crore, which is more than 25% from Tk88.7 crore in the corresponding period a year ago, said the company.

Company’s performance over the last couple of years has been improving consistently as its retain earning doubled from Tk125 crore in January 2012 to Tk263 crore in September 2013.

The textile company’s stocks attracted investors because of the company’s satisfactory performance, said a stock dealer. The company’s a net asset value is Tk14.05 as of 2011.

The company plans to expand its business by investing approximately Tk95 crore, which will allow the company to produce the necessary raw materials, said a company official.

Currently it imports the raw materials from Germany.

Earlier, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) fined the company and its directors for breaking securities rules in issuing rights shares.

In June, an investigation by the BSEC found major breaches of procedure in the rights offer subscription of RN Spinning Mills.

The BSEC also found that the RN Spinning Mills provided fake docu-

ments to the BSEC inquiry committee.

Then, the regulator directed RN Spinning to decrease rights offer issue to Tk1.2bn from Tk2.78bn.

In October, the court has stayed the commission’s order issued on January

14 for a period of six months.

The High Court (HC) has issued a rule upon the securities regulator to show cause as to why the reduction of rights offer by RN Spinning should not be declared unlawful. l

Award giving ceremony arranged by NBL

Jamuna Bank Limited awarded Jamuna Bank Limited (JBL) has been awarded for the Best Presented Annual Reports 2012 in the Private Sector Banking Organisations by ICAB. JBL Managing Director Shafiqul Alam received Certificate of Merit from chief guest Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, MP in

a program in Dhaka city recently. Ministry of Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed was present in the program as special guest. Besides ICAB president Md Abdus Salam FCA, high officials of different govt and private organisations were also present. l

'Hope for the Poorest' gives vaccines Hope for the Poorest (HP) took part in the 21st National Immunisation Day at its Dhaka office and ten other primary health centres of HP in 10 different districts to give polio vaccination to children recently. ASA President and HP Chairperson Md Shafiqual Haque Choudhury inaugurated the pro-

gramme. ASA University Vice Chancellor Dr Dalim Ch Barman, ASA EVP HR Shusil Roy, HP Member Secretary Md Enamul Haque, HP Treasurer Md Azim Hossain, HP Governing body Member Md Taufiqul Islam chowdhury, HP Executive Director Dr A T M Nazrul Islam were also present at the event. l

National Bank Limited (NBL) arranged a scholarship program to distribute certificates of appreciation and crests among the children of it's employees under the ‘NBL Employees Welfare Scheme’ at National Bank Training Institute (NBTI) recently. Total 55 students who secured outstanding result in the HSC & SSC examinations held in 2012 have been awarded with scholarship.

NBL Managing Director (Acting) Md Badiul Alam, attended the function as chief guest and Additional Managing Director A K M Shafiqur Rahman was present on the occasion as special guest.

EVP & Head of system and operations division Mohammad Salim, VP & head of HRD Md Jahangir Bin Hamid, VP & head of GBD Md Abdul Wahab spoke on the meeting. Among others, the meeting was attended by NBL senior executives, officers, staffs and parents. l

B3 S&P downgrades EU debt, Commission hits back n AFP, Brussels The Standard and Poor’s ratings agency slapped a credit downgrade on the European Union, blaming threats to cohesion including Britain’s role in curtailing budgets and holding a membership referendum.

But Brussels shrugged off the agency’s decision to slash its long-term debt rating by one notch from “AAA” to “AA+”, saying the grounds cited were “questionable”.

French President Francois Hollande said he found it “strange” that the S&P was even issuing ratings on the EU which has very little borrowings. S&P made the cut while EU leaders were holding a summit marking a big political step forward with an agreement on a banking union intended eventually to ring-fence failing banks from bringing down an entire economy as happened in Ireland.

The ensuing crisis forced the bloc to step in with billions in funds to bail out entire economies, putting national budgets under constraints and exposing an endemic debt problem in some countries such as France and Italy.

Explaining its decision, the agency said: “In our view, EU budgetary negotiations have become more contentious signaling what we consider to be rising risks to the support of the EU from some member states.”

“The downgrade reflects our view of the overall weaker creditworthiness of the EU’s member states. We believe the financial profile of the EU has deteriorated, and that cohesion among EU members has lessened.” But Brussels said the EU’s credit-worthiness should be assessed on its “own merit” as the bloc’s budget benefits from a special treaty status and runs neither a deficit nor debt. l

Tallu Spinning tops DSE gainer n Tribune Business Desk Tallu Spinning Mills Limited was the highest gainer a sits share prices rose 9.97% to Tk41.9 each on Dhaka Stock Exchange yesterday.

Its shares peaked as high as Tk41.9 and fell as low as Tk38.1 during the trading session.

Upswing of the company’s price was centred on the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held on Friday.

According to the company’s unaudited first quarter report ended on September, it stood at Tk7.2 crore, which is more than twice from Tk2.9 crore in the same period a year earlier.

On November 14, the company proposed to give bonus share of 15% for the year 2013.

In October, the company’s board decided to declare rights share (one rights share for every one existing share with a face value of Tk10) for financing project expansion and term loan liquidation subject to the approval of the shareholders in the AGM and the regulatory authority.

The net asset value of the shares stood at Tk10.08 in 2012. The company has paid out no cash dividend but stock dividend in the past three years. Sponsor-director holds 59.11% and general public 15.86% stakes in the company. l

Marico donates DMP a pick-up van

Agricultural Marketing Company Ltd –AMCL (PRAN) held its 28th Annual General Meeting (AGM) recently. AMCL declared 31% dividend to its shareholders for the year 2012-2013 at the AGM. Chairman Lt Col Mahtabuddin Ahmed (Retd), Managing Director Maj Gen Amjad Khan Chowdhury (Retd), Deputy Managing Director Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Director Sabiha Amjad, Independent Director M A Mannan, Director (Finance) Uzma Chowdhury, Executive Director Md Eleash Mridha, Chief Financial Officer Choudhury Atiur Rasul, Director (Marketing) Kamruzzaman Kamal and Company Secretary Muhammad Aminur Rahman attended the AGM

The 22nd Annual General Meeting of Mithun Knitting and Dyeing (CEPZ) Limited was held recently. The meeting was presided over by the Director Md Atiqul Haque. Among others Managing Dirctor Md Mahbub-Ul Haque, Executive Director and Company Secretary S M Shahid-ul-Arafin were also present in the meeting.

Marico Bangladesh MD Aditya Shome handed over the key of the pick-up van to Deputy Police Commissioner Nisharul Arif recently. The donation was organised as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives driven by the company’s strong aspiration to reach out to its community. l

Korean bbq team up with Roop in Dhaka Genesis BBQ, a global franchise group from Korea came with their premium cafe in Bangladesh in collaboration with Puro Foods Limited named ‘bbq’. Covering 56 countries bbq is now in Dhaka with their brand promise of “best of the best quality”. Roop has been awarded the brand strategy, management consultancy and IMC mandate to launch, nurture and build the brand- bbq. An agreement has been signed between Brig Gen (Retd) Md Manzur Qader, MD & CEO, Puro Foods Limited and Yusuf Hassan, CEO, Roop in presence of General Manager, Young An Choi and Asst. Manager, Kwang Ho Kyeong of Genesis BBQ global operation. l

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Monday, December 23, 2013

‘RMG industry falling from frying pan into the fire’ Are buyers abandoning Bangladesh?

Md Atiqul Islam, president of BGMEA

n Kayes Sohel The country’s economy feels the pinch of political unrest as businesses transport and all other aspects of daily life almost grind to a halt due to long spells of anti-government strikes and blockades. For the $20bn-apparel industry, which employs more than 44 lakh people and accounts for nearly 80% of the country’s total exports, the situation becomes worse as it is a fully export-oriented industry.

In the present situation, Md Atiqul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Bangladesh (BGMEA), talks about the state of the readymade garments industry and a possible way out in an exclusive interview with Dhaka Tribune.

You see, we – owners and buyers – recently had a meeting with the labour and employment minister. This is a clear message on how much we are concerned about the political unrest.

Buyers have already started to look for new out-sourcing countries. This is very bad news for us.

Some buyers recently mailed me. They said there was nothing a buyer could do to protect his business from acts of terrorism, sabotage and political instability, other than reevaluating the risk factors of the production order to assess the practices in place, take out a world map and review it country by country, and most probably, redistribute the business.

How do you see the recent labour unrest and sabotage in factories?

If you look at the pattern of unrest in the apparel industry,you can see it occurs in a certain area. Some (people) are trying to fish in troubled water to

as the country’s economy.

Will Bangladesh lose its competitiveness after implementation of the new wage board for workers?

Some buyers recently mailed me. They said there was nothing a buyer could do to protect his business from acts of terrorism, sabotage and political instability, other than reevaluating the risk factors of the production order to assess the practices in place, take out a world map and review it country by country, and most probably, redistribute the business

If the political unrest lingers, what might happen?

Buyers will not come to Bangladesh as they cannot wait for long. Then, factories will be closed down … workers will become unemployed. Entrepreneurs will go bankrupt. Large number of unemployment means social unrest. The nation will slip into crisis.

ruin our industry. Some NGOs are instigating the innocent workers to serve someone’s interest. The government should take this into account seriously and immediately, and save us as well

Of course, it will lose competitiveness.

Production costs will rise by up to 40%, which might force 30% of factories to shut down. Buyers are reluctant to cut down on costs.

It is also true that we have been getting negative international attention since the Tazreen fire, Rana Plaza building collapse and Standard Group arson incidents, and it has just scaled up beyond tolerance.

Everybody needs to know that most of the manufacturers are having extreme difficulties with paying the increased wages, as most of the brands have not been agreeing to pay the upcharge.

Who will bail the sector? The government? The buyers? The banks?

What are you doing to come out of the present situation?

If you take a look at our recent activities, you will understand this. We have taken to the street. We will do business and politicians will do politics. Why should we form human chains? Why should we be on the streets?

Our requests and appeals have gone unheeded. This is very concerning for the nation. Politicians should bear in mind that if the economy collapses,

they will fail to run the country. That is the reality.

What is a permanent solution for running business smoothly?

The bottom line is that political stability is a prerequisite for putting everything on track. Political unrest, strikes and the lack of ease in doing business are major concerns for entrepreneurs and buyers. If the supply chain is disrupted, pressure mounts every day.

It is high time for our politics to be cleaned up – this has become urgent for now and the future.

The government, the opposition parties, suppliers and buyers must work together to realise the potential of Bangladesh’s RMG market.

Infrastructure constraint, including transportation and energy supply, is the single largest bottleneck hampering our garments industry. This issue will become even more important in the future, since buyers want to source more fashionable products with shorter lead times. l

What is the impact of the ongoing spell of political unrest on the RMG industry?

No doubt the situation is serious. Unhealthy politics has made healthy factories sick. It means people will become jobless. The spinal cord of the RMG sector is about to break as it has already been hit hard by labour unrest, fire incidents and sabotages. It is now facing order cancellations and rising transport costs, which have skyrocketed by more than 30% due to expensive air shipment.

Exporters are failing to meet the lead time due to transport problems.

To rub salt to our wounds, some buyers are even imposing penalties in case of delayed shipments, and cutting prices of products by demanding discounts.

Many factories have stopped production as they are unable to bring imported raw materials from Chittagong port, and many exporters cannot afford shipment by air.

Small factory owners and newcomers will face bankruptcy if they fail to deliver goods and pay bank interests on time.

Also, the cost of production increased around five-folds in some cases during the blockades. Investment is at stake. Moreover, the taka has become stronger against the US dollar, making business costlier.

So, we are falling from the frying pan into the fire.

Women make 2013 gains, but glass ceiling still there n AFP, New York In two high-profile firsts, women were named to lead General Motors and the US Federal Reserve this year - posts that had always been held by men. Yet women are still rarely found at the top.

In addition to Mary Barra at GM and Janet Yellen at the Fed, 2013 also saw Marillyn Hewson chosen to take charge of Lockheed Martin.

In Europe, Inga Beal was named to head British insurance firm Lloyd’s and Daniele Nouy was picked to lead the eurozone-banking supervisor.

“We finally have role models,” cheered Tami Polmanteer, director of human resources for the Daymon marketing group.

Stanford University sociologist Marianne Cooper said “each time a woman gets a position like this, it is a victory because there are so few of them.”

But a similar wave of high-profile nominations a decade ago failed to trigger major changes.

Cooper contributed to Facebook top exec Sheryl Sandberg’s bestseller “Lean In,” which encouraged women to take on more responsibility in business.

Yesterday, more women graduate with four-year college degrees than men. Women hold around half of the mid-level management positions in big companies.

But the presence of women in top-level management tapers sharply:

women hold just 15% of the top posts.

And the numbers drop even further in the biggest companies.

Just 4.5% of the bosses in Fortune

1000 companies are women, including Meg Whitman at the head of Hewlett-Packard, Virginia Rometty at IBM, Indra Nooyi at PepsiCo and Ellen Kull-

man at DuPont, according to Catalyst consultants.

“We would have to see a lot of women” named CEO, before “it even chang-

Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg attends the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos

REUTERS

es the percentage,” said Columbia University professor Katherine Phillips.

That said, over the past two decades, the numbers are improving, if slowly.

In 1995, not one of the Fortune 1000 companies was run by a woman, and just two percent were in 2005, according to Phillips.

Worldwide, women hold 11% of board seats, according to GMI Ratings.

But some countries are doing far better than others. In Finland, Norway and Sweden, where the governments have created parity quotas, women hold 30% of board positions.

“Italy and France are seeing significant increases in women’s representation following the passage of recent laws on board diversity,” GMI Ratings said.

But outside Europe, progress is slow, especially in the United States and Canada.

And the developed country with the worst record of women in the top levels of business is Japan, where just one percent of board member positions are held by women.

Few cracks in the ceiling Certain sectors are particularly behind in promoting women, including finance and the sciences, where the number of women in top positions is actually decreasing.

Experts trace the difficulties in increasing parity to a lack of support from management, insufficient child-

care, distrust in abilities and a stubborn cultural bias against women.

“Women are being judged more harshly,” said Marianne Cooper, referring to a study by consulting firm McKinsey.

“Women are more likely to get into leadership roles in times of crisis, (which) highly increases the likelihood of failures.”

In a perfect example, Hewson was promoted at Lockheed Martin as the company faced major budget cuts from the Pentagon and only after revelations of an “inappropriate” relationship by the previous pick for CEO. And “women tend to earn less” than men in equivalent jobs across the board, said Cooper. In the United States, the difference is around six percent.

There’s also a “mommy penalty,” said Phillips, citing a study by a Stanford researcher that found women earn less as soon as they have children, because they are viewed as less invested.

The opposite is true when men have children.

A study of 130 countries on salary equality by the World Economic Forum found the countries with the best records were Malaysia and Singapore.

The United States was somewhere in the middle of the pack, and France, where women earn 27% less than men in the private sector, was second to last ahead of just Mauritania. l