24 December 2013

TMAG

7

Something old, something new

Poush 10, 1420 Safar 20, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 270

Long Form

The justice we owe to our freedom fighters

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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Illegal VoIP under RMG cover AL and BNP in rare 37 foreigners were on tourist visas, had no work permits Zahidul Islam n Muhammad and Kailash Sarkar Arrested along with the country’s biggest ever haul of VoIP equipment on Sunday night, 37 Chinese and Taiwanese nationals had been operating illegally under the cover of running a garment business, said the Rapid Action Battalion yesterday.

Rab also confirmed that all the detained had come to Bangladesh with

tourist visas and did not have any work permits.

“The arrest of so many foreigners at once is the highest ever, while the seizure of VoIP equipment was also the largest ever,” he said.

Accompanied by three BTCL officials, Rab-1 arrested a total of 40 individuals, including five Chinese, 32 Taiwanese and three Bangladeshis, seizing a huge quantity of illegal VoIP equipment from a house in Uttara sec-

tor-12 on Sunday. The detained Bangladeshis were identified as a driver and security guards.

Wing Commander ATM Habibur Rahman, director of the Legal and Media Wing of Rab, said the entire six-storey building was being used for a VoIP business under the cover of a garments business.

“They came to Bangladesh with tourist visas one and a half years ago.

After that they had gone back to their

countries, and returned again by extending their visas. But, none of them had work permits in Bangladesh.” said Habibur Rahman.

He said several Bangladeshis had been co-operating with them, but the building owner, who is also suspected of being involved, was still at large.

Meanwhile, members of the Rab and BTRC suspected the use of advanced satellite equipment.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Nine-year-old girl ‘raped’ to death in capital n Mohammad Jamil Khan The dead body of a nine-year old girl, who police suspect could have been raped, was brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday.

“Police recovered the body of victim Antara Akter around 10am yesterday from her house in Meradia of Baipara in Khilgaon,” said Rassel Kabir, sub-inspector of Khilgaon police station.

“The body was sent to the DMCH for an autopsy.”

Nur Alam, assistant police commissioner of Khilgaon, told the Dhaka Tribune: “In primary checkup, we have found some evidence of rape and physical assault on her body. But we will be able to take action only after the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Antara’s body lies lifeless at the DMCH morgue yesterday. Police suspect she was raped to death

Hefazat ‘postpones’ Dhaka rally n Tushar Hayat and Manik Miazee The chief of Dhaka unit of the Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam yesterday said they have postponed the organisation’s grand rally scheduled for today at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel. Central Hefazat leaders, however, said they would continue their efforts to hold the rally.

“Though all the preparations are complete, we are cancelling tomorrow’s rally because we have not been given permission,” Hefazat Dhaka unit Convener Nur Hossain Quashemi told a press conference at a Baridhara madrasa in the capital.

Meanwhile, Chittagong police yesterday allegedly barred Shah Ahmed Shafi, the ameer (chief) of Hefazat, from going to Dhaka to attend the grand rally.

Azizul Hoque Islamabadi, the organising secretary of Hefazat, said police intercepted Shafi and Hefazat Secretary General Junaid Babunagari at the gate as they stepped out from the Hathazari Madrasa around 11am.

He said the leaders went back into the madrasa following the incident.

Later, Hefazat chief’s Press Secretary Munir Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that they would try until the last moment to hold the rally. “We will not engage in any clashes.

The government has been provoking us to come to a confrontation,” he alleged.

Regarding the announcement of the Dhaka unit leaders, he said no such announcement had been made by the Dhaka unit leaders.

“A section of the media has distorted their statements,” he claimed.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

EC to review law on AL’s plea on affidavits n Mohammad Zakaria

On request of the ruling Awami League, the Election Commission will review the related law to stop publishing the affidavits submitted by candidates of the January 5 elections.

“It is nothing new. The commission will review the law following the request made by the Awami League,” Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad told reporters yesterday evening.

The affidavits include the candidates’ wealth statements and academic information.

On Sunday, the Awami League requested the EC to stop publishing the affidavits on its website. A delegation of the party made the request in a meeting with the CEC. Sources at the EC said former home minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, who led the

team, had asked Rakibuddin whether it was mandatory for the EC to publish the candidates’ affidavits or not.

“Alamgir mentioned that several 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.

Rakibuddin then said disclosure of the affidavits had been mandatory as per the Representation of People Order (RPO).

Newspapers and television channels in the last couple of days published reports on the MP candidates from the ruling party leaders, some of who were MPs and ministers. The reports showed that many of them had amassed sizeable fortunes while in office during the last five years.

The EC started publishing affidavits in the 2008 parliamentary elections. l

INSIDE Business

B1 The telecom regulator would block six International Gateway Operators (IGWs) as they owe around Tk200 crore to the national exchequer, officials said.

Nation

6 The government is losing around Tk50lakh in revenue daily from the Bhomra land port in Satkhira due to disruptions in export-import activities caused by the latest spell of opposition blockade.

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

consensus over resisting Jamaat n Our Correspondent, Nilphamari When reports of Awami League and BNP men fighting are flooding the newsroom, a rare case of the two arch-rivals joining hands to protest against Jamaat has been reported from Nilphamari.

Local BNP leaders and activists joined a human chain staged by local unit Awami League in the Tupamari Bazar area in Nilphamari yesterday morning, protesting the recent Jamaat attack on noted actor and Awami League lawmaker Asaduzzaman Nur. Local people from all walks of life joined the human chain and the following meeting organised to protest against the attack on Nur, a popular figure not only in his area but also at the national level.

On December 14, four Awami League activists and one Jamaat man was killed in a clash that ensued after Jamaat-Shibir men swooped on Nur’s motorcade. He was on his way to visit in electoral constituency Nilphamari 2.

Alongside the ruling party men at the human chain, leaders and activists of main opposition BNP, of whom Jamaat-e-Islami is a key political ally, condemned the attack and vowed to resist such attacks in future.

At the meeting, speakers, including the BNP leaders, blamed Jamaat-Shibir

for the attack on Nur and the killing of the Awami League men.

The people who attended the meeting demanded exemplary punishment for the killers and expressed their determination to restore law and order in the area. They also vowed to resist unlawful activities by JamaatShibir men.

Alongside the ruling party men at the human chain, leaders and activists of main opposition BNP, of whom Jamaat-e-Islami is a key political ally, condemned the attack and vowed to resist such attacks in future Tupamari union unit BNP president and union parishad chairman Masirat Ali Shah Fakir, Secretary Saidur Rahman, Organising Secretary Shamsudoha Shah, and secretary of Zia Parishad Zulfikar Ali were present at the human chain and the meeting that followed.

The meeting was presided over by Vice-President of Tupamari union unit Awami League Nazrul Islam. Organising Secretary Moksedul Islam, Convenor Moshiur Rahman, local Awami League leader Samir Uddin and former union parishad chairman Babul Hossain Chowdhury also attended the meeting. l

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

ACC to examine candidates' affidavits after polls n Tribune Report The Anti-Corruption Commission has said it will examine the affidavits of candidates in the 10th parliamentary polls, but not until the end of the election.

“We have come to learn through newspapers that several candidates’ affidavits show huge differentials in their wealth compared to the 9th parliamentary polls’. We are collecting all newspaper reports on the issue and will conduct scrutiny,” ACC chairman M Bodiuzzaman told the media yesterday.

He said, however: “Due to time constraints, we cannot carry out the task

now, but we will surely examine all the files. We will also conduct inquiries on whether the candidates have any other property than that listed in the affidavits.”

Speaking at the ACC headquarters, he said: “Along with the polls contestants, we will examine the files of 154 individuals, who have been elected uncontested. The list contains names of several ministers as well; we will examine all of the files.”

There were no connection between the ACC inquiry and the elections, the candidates must have some explanation behind the accumulation of their wealth, he said.

“Since the candidates have publicly

submitted these affidavits, they must have some logic behind this. We will ask for their statements and examine them. Following the examination, we will decide whether their arguments are acceptable or not,” he said.

According to official affidavits uploaded in the Election Commission’s website, a significant rise was observed in many of the candidates’ income and property.

Former state minister for housing and public works Abdul Mannan Khan had reported having wealth and property worth Tk11.03 crore, a surge of over 100% since the ninth parliamentary elections when he said he had Tk10.33 lakh. Meanwhile, Awa-

mi League lawmaker Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury’s wealth shot up from Tk62.63 lakh to Tk41.64 crore over the last five years.

A number of other ministers and ruling party lawmakers including Environment Minister Hasan Mahmud, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, former state minister for LGRD and cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Chief Whip Abdus Shahid and lawmakers Aslamul Haq and Nazrul Islam Babu were also reported to have unusual increases in their incomes.

However, ACC Commissioner M Shahabuddin said last week that the ACC had decided not to investigate the issue to try and avoid chaos prior

to the polls.

“The country is in the mood for to go to the polls. If we start inquiring now, an chaotic situation might cripple the country. So we have dropped any such plan as for now,” Shahabuddin told reporters.

Anti-graft body Transparency International Bangladesh on Friday alleged that the candidates had amassed huge wealth illegally during the last five years beyond their known sources of income. He termed accumulation of such wealth “illegal and unconstitutional.”

The TIB urged the ACC to take immediate action in accordance with legal procedures. l

Taranco submits Dhaka tour report

Govt increases retirement benefits for public servants n Asif Showkat Kallol The government has increased gratuity for public service holders by about 15 per cent. The finance ministry issued a gazette notification regarding the matter on Monday.

For half the amount of the surrendered money in the time of their service, the government will now give Tk260 for every Tk1 from the surrendered money, this applies to those who have been in service for 10 to 15 years.

The amount before was Tk230 for each surrendered Tk1.

For those who have been in service for 15 to 20 years, Tk245 will be given for every surrendered Tk1 in the time of job instead of the previous Tk215.

And for the service holders who have served for more than 20 years, the new amount would be Tk230, which was Tk200 earlier.

The government will pay half the amount it has fixed for every Tk1, for the other half of the surrendered money.

The policies would be effective from December 1, this year. l

n Kailash Sarkar

Army personnel conduct search on a CNG-run auto-rickshaw yesterday in the capital’s Jatrabari during the 18-party alliance's blockade

'I am already dead' n

Mohammad Jamil Khan

At the high dependency unit of the burn and plastic surgery unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Mohammad Majedul, 25, was found taking off his bandages despite having 90% burns over his body after being set on fire.

The terrible pain in his entire body was driving him mad, Majedul said. He was trying to sit up in his bed and stand up to walk despite knowing it could be harmful and he might contract a urinary infection.

His sister Shumi Akter, was trying to stop him. Majedul broke into tears in his sister’s arms, saying, “Please help me, the pain is unbearable. It would be easier to be dead.”

“Call my mother, father and tell my children to come. If they do not come, I may not see them ever again. I have a feeling that I will die soon,” Majedul whispered to his sister.

Hearing his appeal, Shumi also started crying. She made an appeal to our correspondent to tell him not to move. “It is dangerous,” Shumi said.

Hearing her speak, Majedul said: “You think that I am alive, but I am already dead

and they are just talking to a dead man. Is it possible for a living person to bear this pain?”

Our correspondent lost the power of speech and left the scene.

Majedul was going to Comilla in a truck on Saturday evening when the truck was attacked by picketers at Sirajganj around 10pm. He and the truck driver Mohammad Shahin managed to escape from the truck, but in a horrifying act of cruelty, the picketers caught them, poured petrol on them and set them on fire.

Just two beds from Majedul, Shahin was suffering in pain. None of his family members were able to come from Natore due to the absence of transport during the ongoing opposition blockade.

Shahin’s uncle Shahadat Hossain said whenever Shahin wakes up, he searches for his mother and newly married wife. He is unable to keep his eyes open for too long.

A total of 26 patients, all of them victims of arson attacks during the opposition’s programmes, are undergoing treatment at the burns unit. Around 16 patients have died at the ward since October 25 and over 140 burn victims have received treatment at the hospital. l

Illegal VoIP under RMG cover  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

“They had been using the latest technologies and methods. Earlier, they had been using the mobile phone networks, but had recently switched to PSTN to dodge the BTCL and law enforcers,” said Lt Col Kismat Hayat, Commanding Officer of Rab 1.

“Though we have not found any satellite equipment there, but we got some clues that points towards equipment, which can terminate a thousand minutes of calls at a time, was being used by the gang,” he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

A senior BTRC official said the huge amount of terminations could be compared to an International Gateway (IGW).

The telecom regulator suspected that information on Sunday’s drive may have leaked, thus not all the equipment could be recovered.

In the meantime, Post and Telecommunication minister Rashed Khan Menon said he had directed the formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the whole incident.

According to Rab’s estimation,

Member of Bangladesh Public Service Commission Ikram Ahmed has been appointed as the new chairman of the commission.

The public administration ministry issued an order regarding the matter yesterday.

The order will be effective from the date of resignation of incumbent Chairman AT Ahmedul Huq Choudhury.

PSC Secretary Chowdhury Babul Hasan said the tenure of existing Chairman A T Ahmedul Huq Choudhury had expired on December 19. l

Six expats remanded for murder

n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco has submitted the report on his recent visit to Bangladesh to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The envoy came to Dhaka on December 6 and stayed until December 11 to resolve the political stalemate over the arrangement of a polls-time government.

In the report, Taranco stressed that the United Nations should stay engaged with the stakeholders in Bangladesh, said an official of the foreign ministry.

During his visit, Taranco had a series of meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin and other political leaders.

The leaders of the Awami League and the BNP, in his presence, had two meetings to discuss the interim government issue while the third meeting was held two days after he had left the country. l

Ikram Ahmed made new PSC chairman n Mohosinul Karim

equipment found there was worth crores. They also recovered $150,000 fromthe building.

Sources in the Rab and BTRC hinted that fixed phones, especially stateowned BTCL connections were being used for the termination of inbound international calls.

“I do not know which connections were being used to terminate international calls, but I can assure you that PSTN (land phones) were being used,” Colonel Md Zakir Hossain, Director General (Engineering and Operations Division) of BTRC told the media.

However, acting managing director of BTCL Nadir Shah Qureshi said he has visited the place but could not trace any connection from the house.

Rab sources claimed that the detained foreign nationals were not cooperating even after an interpreter had been engaged.

“All the detained foreigners are very clever. We have come to know that they understand Bangla, but during questioning, they are pretending that they do not understand anything we ask,” said Lt Col Kismat.

Truck driver faces arson attack in Gazipur n Mohammad Jamil Khan A truck driver suffered 20% burn injury when blockaders hurled a petrol bomb at his vehicle at Konabari in Gazipur last night.

“Several pickets hurled a petrol bomb at my truck around 7pm when I was passing through Konabari,” said victim Nazrul Islam, 32.

He was admitted to the burn and plastic surgery unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 10 pm.

Partha Shankar Paul, resident surgeon of the unit, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Over 20% of the victim’s body is burnt. He is now under observation.”

Meanwhile, three people were injured as pickets in Anandabazar area of Chankharpool hurled crude bombs around 8pm. They are Raju, 20, Nur-e-Alam, 22, Rafique, 16.

Mozammel Haque, inspector of DMCH police outpost, said the injured had left the hospital after taking primary treatment. l

Dhaka Tribune

Six among 29 expatriates, who were deported from Iran on Sunday, were placed on a two-day police remand yesterday in connection with the killing of a fellow Bangladeshi on December 14 in Iran.

Md Yasin from Feni, Lalon from Madaripur, Jurith Ullah from Sunamganj, Manik from Chandpur, Selim Ullah and Nur Mohammad from Cox’s Bazar were remanded for the murder of Jewel Molla of Shariatpur.

Sub-Inspector Shafiqul Islam of Airport police station told the Dhaka Tribune that the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court had granted the police two days.

He said the detainees and the victim had gone to Iran through Jordan together in course of their attempt to enter a European country. But they were arrested in Tehran for their illegal entry to Iran.

“Jewel was killed while all of them were in police custody,” said the SI. “So far I know, the killing took place following a feud among them over monetary dealing as they were cheated by Bangladeshi brokers, who sent them abroad.” l

Ban on carrying legal firearms n Mohosinul Karim The government has imposed a ban on carrying legal firearms from December 27 to January 15 for holding the January 5 parliamentary polls.

The home ministry issued the ban order yesterday, asking private owners to surrender their firearms and ammunitions to the nearby police stations or authorised dealers before December 27. The notice was signed by Mostafizur Rahman, joint secretary of the home ministry.

The arms and ammunitions will remain in the custody of the police sta-

tions or the dealers until January 15 as per The Arms Act 1878.

The home ministry order also said: “It is mandatory to surrender the legal firearms and ammunitions within the said period. Violation of the order will be a punishable offense.”

Members of the law enforcement agencies and the security guards of various public and private offices and installations would remain out of the purview of the order. When surrendering the arms, the owners will be given authorisation slips. By producing these slips, they will be able to get their arms back after the ban is over. l

Milad for Zohra Tajuddin today n UNB A milad mahfil will be held at Banani DOHS Community Centre in the city today after Maghrib prayers for late Syeda Zohra Tajuddin, wife of Bangladesh’s first prime minister Tajuddin Ahmad.

All her friends, relatives and well wishers have been requested to attend the milad mahfil.

Also an Awami League Presidium member, Zohra Tajuddin died of oldage complications on Friday morning.

She was laid to rest on Sunday evening at the Banani Graveyard in state honour.

Earlier, three namaz-e-janazas were held for Zohra Tajuddin in Gazipur. Her son and former state minister for home Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj was present during that time. l

Hefazat ‘postpones’ Dhaka rally Recovered equipment

Sources claimed that the Rab and BTRC team on Sunday recovered 107 FOX gateways with four ports and six other gateways with eight ports.

They also sized an ADSL router, two Juniper routers, six wi-fi routers, eight switches, nine laptops, six signal up-loaders and many cables.

Rab-1 Commander Kismat Hayat, said, however, that the seizure list was not finalised, and thus he could not confirm the equipment and its quantity. Minister questions BTRC monitoring Earlier at a meeting with BTRC on Sunday, Telecommunication Minister Rashed Khan Menon and Telecom Secretary, Md Abubakar Siddique questioned the BTRC’s monitoring system.

Md Abubakar Siddique said: “The illegal call termination business has now spread down to district and upzila levels. You people must take this into consideration.”

The minister also warned BTRC to take the necessary action and said: “You claim the scenario is developing, but whenever I receive a call from abroad I see a local number.” l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

“The Dhaka unit of our organisation will try to hold the grand rally, even if the central leaders cannot attend it,” he said. “We will announce tougher programmes if the government does not allow us to hold the programme eventually,” Ahmed said.

Hefazat, a Qawmi madrasa-based Islamist organisation, had called the December 24 rally weeks ahead of the

January 5 national elections, amidst ongoing agitation programme of the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance.

Mohammed Ismail, the officer-in-charge of Hathazari police station, said police had only requested Hefazat leaders Shafi and Babunagari to refrain from heading towards Dhaka, and that they had complied with the request.

“We requested them not to head towards Dhaka in consideration of their

safety during the ongoing blockade programme.” The request had been made on direction from higher authorities, he said.

Local sources said the students of Hathazari Madrasa staged a demonstration after the police intercepted the Hefazat leaders; however, no violent incidents were reported. A huge contingent of law enforcers remained deployed at the area. l

Nine-year-old girl ‘raped’ to death  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

evidence is confirmed in medical report.” A forensic report generally takes about seven days. Nur Alam said the victim’s maternal uncle had been detained for interrogation.

The girl’s family has not filed any case in connection with the death until filing of this report yesterday evening.

Antara, a student of grade three at a local school, and her 13-year-old elder sister had been living with their maternal aunt Fatema Begum for three years.

Fatema, who doesn’t have any children, said Antara’s parents got divorced six years ago. “Her mother Kulsum got

married again and went to Mauritius with her second husband soon after.”

Antara’s father Mohammad Ali Hossain, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, also got married again and had been living in the capital’s Sipahibagh area with his second wife.

On Sunday night, Fatema’s husband Anowar Hossain, a garment factory worker, was not at home. Fatema said he went to his village home to visit his ailing father. One of Fatema’s brothers, that is Antara’s maternal uncle, came to stay with them for the night.

Antara went to bed around 12:30am in one room. Fatema and Mitu slept in

another room, while Fatema’s brother slept in the drawing room.

Around 8am yesterday, Mitu went to Antara’s room and found her dead.

The lower portion of the girl’s body was dripping in blood.

Neither Mitu nor Fatema nor her brother was able to say anything about the death. Antara’s father Hossain, who did not live with his daughters, could not say anything as well. They had not been able to name any suspect either.

The statement that Fatema gave to police could not throw any light at all on how the girl could have possibly died in sleep. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Goods-laden trucks operate near Matidali area in Bogra as army personnel keep an vigilant watch during the 18-party alliance’s blockade yesterday; however, pickets torched three trucks at Shahjahanpur in the city

Pickets target BRTC buses 25 injured in Jhenaidah and Gazipur n Tribune Report The state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation buses have become the target of pickets as passenger vehicles run on a number of routes, ignoring the risks during the blockade yesterday.

Pickets torched a bus at Bogra bus depot and vandalised another two in Noakhali and Brahmanbaria. In Dinajpur, they compelled a bus to go back to the depot.

On Sunday, Communications Minister Obaidul Quader held a meeting at which he directed the BRTC authority to start its usual services immediately.

A committee, headed by the deputy inspector general of highway police, was formed at the meeting to ensure security on the highways.

Our Noakhali correspondent reports that blockaders launched an attack on the BRTC AC buses as they were running under police escort. The BRTC passenger vehicles were running between Sonapur Bus depot and Dhaka.

In response, law enforcers fired their weapons to disperse the pickets, shooting four blockaders. Law enforcers detained five pickets whilst conducting raids in the surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, pickets hurled a petrol bomb at a BRTC bus, burning it badly as it was preparing to leave Bogra bus depot for Joypurhat in the morning. They also blasted four crude bombs, creating panic among the passengers.

In Brahmanbaria, pickets vandalised another BRTC bus on the bypass road around 11am.

The third day of the BNP-led 18-party opposition’s 83-hour blockade, in protest of the 10th parliamentary election arrangements, was marked by stray incidents of violence and vandalism in a number of districts.

In many districts, defying the protest programme and overcoming the fear of violence, people tried to go back to their normal lives.

Especially on Dhaka city roads, a large number of vehicles were running.

Many business establishments, offices and shops were open.

Dwellers of major cities like Chittagong, Rajshahi, Barisal, Khulna and Sylhet have also been trying to defy the blockade.

Train and launch services on all routes remained normal, however only a small number of long-distance buses, especially BRTCs, left the capital.

Yesterday, law enforcers arrested 52 opposition men from Nilphamari, Comilla and Lalmonirhat. Activists of Jamaat-Shibir hurled crude bombs at the village home of Jatiya Party Presidium Member Rawshan Ershad in Mymensingh, and at the district office of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD).

However, no injuries were reported from the bomb attacks.

Witnesses said Jamaat-Shibir activists exploded two petrol bombs at the JSD office on Gangadas Guha Road around 12:30am, and within 10 minutes they also hurled two crude bombs at Rawshan’s home, just half a kilometre from the JSD office.

The same party activists blasted two

Hasina set to begin campaigns Thursday n Emran Hossain Shaikh Ruling Awami League chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to start campaign in different districts from December 26 to drum up public support for the January 5 polls.

Hasina will go to her own constituency Tungipara and Kotalipara (Gopalganj 3) in two days of the first phase of the tour, Md Saifuzzaman Shekhor, assistant personal secretary II to the prime minister, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

“She will take part in campaigns for the party candidates in Munshiganj, Madaripur and Faridpur districts during the tour,” he said. “In the second phase of her election campaigns, the premier will go another part of the country. But the details are not set yet,” Shekhor said.

On Thursday, the party’s central leaders will also start countrywide political tour. In 17 teams, they would visit 73 organising districts of the party and campaign for the party candidates.

Apart from holding discussions with alliance partners, the leaders will encourage people to cast their votes, and tell them about the opposition BNP-Ja-

maat’s “destructive activities” in name of anti-government movement.

Rally today

The alliance will hold a rally in the capital’s Bangabandhu Avenue at 3pm today against the censure motion in Pakistan parliament on execution of war criminal Abdul Quader Molla and the BNP-Jamaat’s “destructive activities.”

Coordinator of Dhaka City 14-party Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya told reporters that they had called the programme to encourage the party activists ahead of the polls.

Sources said the alliance had taken massive preparation to make the programme successful. The organisers met with the leaders of adjacent districts to increase presence. Moreover, the 14-party held three joint meetings with their associate bodies in this regard.

Yesterday, the programme organisers sat in a joint meeting with the alliance leaders from Dhaka, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Narsingdi and Manikganj districts.

Party leaders said the alliance wanted to create an electoral atmosphere through this rally. l

Minister Anisul Islam joins office n Mohosinul Karim

Anisul Islam Mahmud became the first Jatiya Party minister of the polls-time cabinet to join the office yesterday, 15 days after reportedly submitting their resignations to the prime minister.

No other ministers were reported to have joined office since the “submission” of resignation letters.

On December 8, all six Jatiya Par-

ty leaders, who were enlisted in the polls-time cabinet, reportedly sent in their resignation letters to the prime minister by post after “failing” to get the premier’s appointment.

Mizanur Rahman, personal secretary to the minister, said Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud went to his office around 12:30pm and stayed until 2:30pm, adding that 10 official files were signed yesterday. l

more handmade bombs in front of the house of Rowshan, health minister of the polls-time cabinet.

In Shailakupa upazila of Jhenaidah, at least 15 people, including four policemen, were injured in a clash between BNP activists and law enforcers. The 30-minute clash ensued around 8:15am when police intercepted a procession of BNP at Kabirpur in the upazila headquarters.

In a clash between ruling Awami League and Jamaat men, ten people sustained injuries in the Hazratpur Bazar area of Natore district headquarters.

Assistant Superintendent Tariqul Islam of Natore police said that at Hazratpur, BNP and Jamaat leaders vandalised two trucks, attacking from behind, when a number of goods-laden trucks were heading to Natore with a police escort around 10am.

Laxmipur union’s AL men protested against the clash. During the clash Jamaat men torched two motorbikes and vandalised a Grameenphone office there.

At a procession, Jamaat-Shibir men damaged a union office of the local AL unit at Sujanagar upazila in Pabna. They also torched three motorbikes parked in front of the office. The blockaders also hurled a bomb at a police car in Magura, and Jamaat men snatched mobile phones from a trucker before torching the vehicle on the Khulna-Mongla highway of Bagerhat early yesterday.

In another incident, blockaders torched 10 vehicles in different parts of Sirajganj on Sunday night and early yesterday.

Hatikumrul highway police station’s

OC Ali Farid Ahmed said Jamaat-Shibir men set fire to a cattle-laden truck and a vegetable-laden truck around 2:30am at Shimanto Bazar, on the west side of Bangabandhu Bridge.

They set fire to a North Bengal-bound fertiliser-laden truck and a Bograbound gram-laden truck leaving from Chittagong around 3am on Hatikumrul-Bogra highway in Raiganj upazila.

A Bogra-bound covered van of SA Paribahan from Dhaka, and a North Bengal-bound truck at Royhati, were set on fire on the Hatikumrul-Bogra highway at the same time.

Earlier, blockade supporters set fire to three goods-laden trucks at Saydabad intersection, and to a motorcycle at Chatiantali around 9pm Sunday.

In Gazipur, at least 10 people were injured in a clash between police and opposition activists in the Sombazar-Boali area of Kaliganj upazila in the morning. Police arrested five people at the scene.

In the capital, unidentified men exploded two crude bombs in front of the Dhaka District and Sessions Judge’s Court building. Nobody was hurt in the blasts.

Two handmade bombs exploded in front of the main gate of the court around 10am, said Shah Alam, officerin-charge of Kotwali police station.

At least 29 crude bombs went off in the capital yesterday. Of them, seven were exploded at Dhaka University, Middle Badda and Kataban in the morning, and other explosions were in old Dhaka. l

BNP: Government has turned Satkhira into a death valley n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The main opposition BNP yesterday said the government had turned Satkhira into a “death valley” in the name of joint forces’ operation.

“Police, joint forces and ruling party men are together killing, arresting and repressing opposition leaders and activists across the country. Thousands of opposition men are now behind bars.

BNP claims one was killed and 527 injured, three missing and 375 arrested on the third day of the ongoing nationwide blockade “Satkhira has turned into a death valley – completely destroyed – because of the joint operations in the past three days,” Nazrul Islam Khan, BNP Standing Committee member, told reporters at a press briefing at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office.

He alleged that the govern-

3

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

ment had made the “record of repressing people just to cling to power.”

He said: “Satkhira is burning, the air is filled with wails…A few thousands of people have lost their belongings. In the last five years, 216 cases were filed against 18-party leaders and activists in Satkhira.”

He asked the government to come to the path of compromise leaving the path of repression and suppression.

One was killed and 527 injured, three missing and 375 arrested on the third day of the ongoing nationwide blockade, he claimed.

On Awami League leader MK Alamgir’s request to the Election Commission on stopping to disclose ruling party candidates’ affidavits, the BNP leader said: “It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to inform the people about the candidates’ affidavits.

The media can publish it. We are observing whether the Election Commission accepts the illegal demands of the ruling party.” l

FOCUS BANGLA

‘Khokon Razakar shot dead six persons’ n Udisa Islam Two prosecution witnesses yesterday told the war crimes tribunal that fugitive accused Zahid Hossain Khokon alias Khokon Razakar himself had killed people including their family members at their village and set fire to houses in Faridpur during the 1971 Liberation War. Chunnu Sheikh, 56, and Yakub Molla, 57, testified at the International Crimes Tribunal 1 on charge nine. They claimed that Khokon had been in leading position of the group that carried out the massacre at Purapara village in Nagarkanda with the help of Pakistani occupation forces.

Witness said: ‘Seeing Khokon, I hid myself in a jute field. Then I saw Khokon killed my uncle with a rifle’ Eighteenth witness Chunnu said around 3pm on 16th of the Bangla month of Joistha, Khokon accompanied by collaborators Ainal and Atahar razakar had gone to their village.

At that time, he and his uncle Ratan Sheikh were going to the field with cattle. “Seeing Khokon, I hid myself in a jute field. Then I saw Khokon killed my uncle with a rifle,” the witness said.

He also said Khokon had torched many houses at their village. He also told the tribunal about the murder of Barek Molla. Khokon and his accomplices had dragged Barek from a mosque. Then Khokon shot him, and burnt the body and also his house.

“On that day, Khokon also shot dead Safez Uddin and Manik Sardar on the bank of a pond at their village. Another elderly woman, Chhoto Khatun, was also shot dead,” Chunnu said.

Before him, the prosecution’s 17th witness, Yaqub also told the tribunal about the murder of Barek and his paternal grandmother Chhoto Khatun.

He said: “On May 31, 1971, Khokon came from the southern part of the village and started torching houses.” The witness said he had seen the incidents while hiding in a field.

In the next morning, when he had returned home, he heard that Khokon killed Chhoto Khatun beside the canal.

Her son Gofur Molla buried her.

After their depositions, state defence counsel Md Abdus Shukur Khan cross examined the two witnesses separately.

Meanwhile, in the case against war crimes suspect AKM Yusuf, the defence started cross-examination of the prosecution’s witnesses which were closed by the tribunal as the defence counsels did not appear at the court during blockade programmes.

Yesterday the defence questioned the 12th witness, Abjal Hossain, a wounded freedom fighter who gave his deposition on November 26.

On December 17, the tribunal 2 allowed a defence petition to recall seven prosecution witnesses. The tribunal ordered that the defence will have to complete grilling 12th to 15th witnesses on December 23 and 24; and the three others, 16th to 18th, on December 29 and 30. For this Yusuf paid Tk40,000 as transportation cost. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Public med schools gaining popularity among foreign students n

Moniruzzaman Uzzal

The public medical and dental colleges in Bangladesh have become a popular choice for the students of a number of Saarc and non-Saarc countries.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has so far received a total of 344 applications from foreign students seeking admission in the public med schools for the ongoing session (2013-14).

Among the applications, 282 are made by students from the Saarc countries – Nepal, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Maldives – and remaining 62 from outside – Malaysia, USA, Canada, UK, Australia and Palestine.

In the public med schools and dental colleges, only 112 seats are reserved as quota for foreign students.

This year, 186 applications have come from Nepal, 74 from India and 18 from Pakistan. The allotted seats for these countries are 11, 13 and 13 respectively.

Of the non-Saarc countries, 36 applications have come from Malaysia, 13 from the USA and six from Palestine.

Over last few years, 95-100 foreign students on an average got admission

in the public med schools.

Professor Dr ABM Abdul Hannan, director (medical education) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), told the Dhaka Tribune that an eight-member committee, headed by an additional secretary of the health ministry, would sit in a meeting today to finalise the merit list for the foreign applications.

The foreign students do not sit in any admission test. The merit list is prepared on the basis of the secondary and higher secondary grades that they have attained in their respective countries.

He also informed that the students from the Saarc countries paid the same amount as the Bangladeshi students paid for studying in the public med schools. But those from outside Saarc would have to pay around $5,000 (over Tk39 lakh) per year.

A foreign student needs to pay around $30,000-$40,000 every year as tuition fees for studying in some of the private med schools in Bangladesh.

According to Professor Dr Khondokar Md Sifayetullah, director general of DGHS, the rise in interest among for-

eign students is a result of the goodwill and standard that medical education in Bangladesh has achieved in recent times.

Country

MBBS applicant

different kinds of diseases had been widespread, allowing for diverse practical learning opportunities for medical students, Prof Sifayetullah said.

BDS applicant

Allotted Seats MBBS

Allotted Seats BDS

Saarc India

73

1

13

1

Nepal

183

3

11

1

Pakistan

17

1

13

1

Bhutan

2

2

4

Malaysia

22

14

USA

12

1

Palestine

6

Canada

3

U.K

3

Australia

1

Non-Saarc

The significantly lower cost of education compared to the developed countries has also had a role to play.

Additionally, because of poor hygiene conditions, occurrence of many

However, there are allegations that an organised and influential group, comprising leaders of the ruling partybacked doctors’ association, is trying to manipulate with the merit list in ex-

change of huge bribes.

Sources said the group had been primarily targeting the foreign students of Bangladeshi origin.

The group members reportedly keep close contact with these foreign students and offer them to get their names included in the merit list in exchange for hefty commissions.

A part of the money that these foreign students give them are paid as bribes to some unscrupulous government officials, who are involved with preparing the merit list for the public med schools.

For a foreign student from a nonSaarc country, the cost of studying in a public med school is about one-eighth of the cost of going to a private medical or dental college in Bangladesh.

DGHS Director Prof Hannan, however, snubbed out the bribery allegations terming them “nothing but propaganda.”

“The eight-member committee in charge of preparing the merit list includes officials from the foreign ministry as well. Therefore, there is no scope of bribery,” he claimed. l

BCL leader held with firearm n Our Correspondent, Pabna Members of Rapid Action Battalion arrested a Chhatra League leader with firearm from Pabna sadar upazila’s Bhojendrapur village early yesterday.

The arrestee Md Nasim Uddin Mondol, 27, was president of Maligasa union unit of Chhatra League.

Rab sources said an operation team of Rab 12 raided the leader’s residence around 3am acting on a tip-off. A gun and 12 rounds of bullets were also recovered from his possession.

Meanwhile, protesting the arrest, president of Pabna district unit of Chhatra League, Ahmed Sharif Dablu, claimed that Nasim was a victim of a conspiracy.

“Nasim is a devoted party man in the area. His enemies planned the conspiracy against him for which he was arrested,” Sharif said.

Pabna district unit Chhatra League also demanded his immediate release.

Refusing district unit Chhatra League’s claims, ABM Farukuzzaman, commander of Pabna Rab camp, said Nasim was caught red handed with firearm and ammunition.

“We do not consider the political identity of anybody.

“Since illegal arms were recovered from his possession, he was arrested,” the commander said. l

WEATHER

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

Light to moderate fog might occur at places over the country during midnight till morning, Met Office said.

Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 5:18pm today and rises at 6:39am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 28.5 degree Celsius was recorded at Khulna and lowest 10.3 degrees at Srimangal 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

26.6 25.8 26.6 23.3 28.5 27.8 24.0 27.8

17.0 14.0 14.8 14.0 16.0 15.5 14.2 14.2

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:17am 6:37am 11:58am 3:42pm 5:18pm 6:39pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

Police seek EC approval for promotion n Mohammad Zakaria

Police Headquarters sent three letters to the Election Commission seeking permission for promoting 510 police personnel yesterday ahead of the 10th parliamentary elections slated for January 5 next year.

The letters sought permission for promoting 137 police supers, 480 constables and transfer eight police personnel, confirmed the EC officials.

The EC had already started processing transfer of the Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer of Habiganj Monindro Kishore Mujumder, they said.

The EC would issue a show-cause to the deputy commissioner Nuruddin and take initiative to transfer Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Monoj Kanti Boral, the officials said.

According to the article 44E of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), the election commission’s approval is needed for ordering any transfer and leave in the police headquarters prior to national polls.

Earlier, the Election Commission had received around 1800 applications related to transfer, maternity and general leave.

It also received applications from 1695 consultants of the Health Ministry for promotional transfer, according to EC officials.

A senior EC official said the commission would approve most of the applications about transfer, promotion and casual leaves with careful scrutiny.

The commission was scrutinising the applications only in case of the officials associated with the election process, he said.

Any official associated with the elections would be transferred after 15 days of the elections, he added. l

Justice Badrul Haque buried

n Nazmus Sakib

Activists of Jubo League form a human chain with placards on Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital yesterday, protesting Pakistan parliament’s resolution against the execution of war SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN criminal Abdul Quader Molla

United States, Commonwealth decline to observe polls EC takes initiatives to deploy its own observers Shahariar Zaman and n Sheikh Mohammad Zakaria After the European Union, the Commonwealth of Nations and the United States have declined to send polls observers for the 10th parliamentary elections, undermining the international acceptance of the election.

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

Seeking anonymity, an EC official told the Dhaka Tribune that the EC had received a letter from the Commonwealth in which the organisation said there was no proper environment for holding an election as all parties were not contesting in the polls.

The United States yesterday said it would not send a delegation to observe the parliamentary elections slated for January 5.

“The United States notes with disappointment, however, that the major political parties have not yet reached consensus on a way to achieve such elections, since more than half of the parliamentary seats are uncontested for the January 5 polls. In this context, the United States will not deploy observers for these elections. We remain prepared to reengage our observation efforts at a later time in a more conducive environment,” Jen Psaki, Spokesperson of US Department of State, said in a statement issued from Washington Monday.

The US said it believed Bangladesh

had an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to democracy by organising free and fair elections that would be credible in the eyes of the Bangladeshi people.

The country urged the major parties to continue their dialogue and redouble their efforts to find a solution worthy of the people of Bangladesh.

The international community cannot categorically state that this election has lost all credibility just because they do not support the confrontational position of the two major parties On December 20, the EU said it decided not to deploy its Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the polls.

In a recent meeting with local polls observers, Chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad assured them about ensuring their security. But the local observers told the CEC that they would not observe the elections if violence continued in the country.

Only 12 political parties including Awami League is participating in the polls and rest of the 28 political parties including main opposition BNP is not participating in the polls. In 154 constituencies, candidates are set to be elected uncontested.

Meanwhile the Election Commission has taken the initiative to deploy its own observers in holding elections at 146 parliamentary constituencies, an EC official said.

The CEC asked concerned officials to take a plan for deploying EC’s own observers in the polls, the official said, adding that the commission had once again sent letter to local observer organisations requesting them to observe the elections.

EC officials said foreign observer organisations did not apply to the commission for observing the elections. 35 out of 120 registered election observers.

In ninth parliamentary elections, 158,978 local observers observed the polls. Of them, 149,835 observers were from the Election Working Group, while 585 foreign observers of 17 foreign organisations observed the polls.

“The election which is not credible in the eyes of Bangladeshis will not be credible to the international community,” former secretary Syed Muazzem Ali told the Dhaka Tribune, when asked for his reaction.

“The international community cannot categorically state that this election has lost all credibility just because they do not support the confrontational position of the two major parties,” he said.

Former diplomat Ashfaqur Rahman said it was clear that the election would not be acceptable to the international community.

“Two months back I said that the international community would not send observers due to the one-sided election and it has happened now,” he added.

The international community would be watching what the next government would do and when the 11th national elections would be held, Rahman said. l

Justice Badrul Haque, a former High Court judge, was buried at the capital’s Banani graveyard yesterday. He died at 4:20pm on Sunday at the Apollo Hospital, Dhaka. He was 72.

His namaz-e-janaza was held on the Supreme Court premises.

Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain, Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, Justice Nizamul Huq Nasim, Minister of Post and Communication Rashed Khan Menon, President of Communist Party of Bangladesh Mujahidul Islam Selim, Attorney General Mahbbubey Alam, Bar Council Vice-Chairman Khandker Mahbub Hossain and Supreme Court Bar Association President AJ Mohammad Ali were present at the namaz-ejanaza.

Justice Badrul was appointed to the High Court in 1996, and retired in 2008. l

AL yet to publish manifesto n Emran Hossain Shaikh With only 13 days left before the 10th national elections, the ruling Awami League is yet to publish its election manifesto.

When asked to highlight the surprise in the manifesto, Awami League presidium member Nuh-Ul-Alam Lenin, who is a member of the manifesto’s preparation committee, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Last time we published the manifesto 17 days before polls, but this year we will do it one week before – and that is the surprise.”

On Saturday Co-Chairman of the Awami League Election Steering Committee HT Imam told journalists that the party election manifesto would be announced within one or two days.

Party sources said there would be no special attractions in the manifesto for the 10th national elections, and that it was an upgrade on the manifesto for the 2008 elections.

An Awami League member involved in the preparation of the manifesto told the Dhaka Tribune that it was being prepared as a continuation of the 2008

manifesto, which was unique and had set 2021 as the target year for many of its development goals.

The sources said, in the manifesto the Awami League was likely to focus on increasing per capita income to US$1500, producing 24,000MW electricity, becoming a middle-income country by 2021, reducing poverty to 13%, completing the trials and executing the sentences of the war criminals.

The manifesto would likely also include promises of attaining food autarky, containing corruption and establishing good governance. The slogan of the election manifesto for 2014 is likely to be: “Peace, Democracy and Development.”

According to sources, a draft of the manifesto is now on party President Sheikh Hasina’s table. The manifesto will be finalised at a working committee meeting.

In the last election, Sheikh Hasina had started her election campaign by announcing the manifesto. However, this year the manifesto may be declared after the first phase of the party chief’s election campaign, which will start on December 26. l

US, German embassies to remain closed on Dec 25 n UNB The US Embassy in Dhaka, including the Consular Section, will remain closed on December 25 on the occasion of Christmas Day, an American holiday.

The American Center Archer K. Blood American Center Library and the Student Advising Center will also remain closed on the day, the embassy said a press release. German Embassy in Dhaka will

also remain closed for three days from Tuesday (December 24-26) on the occasion of Christmas.

Meanwhile, the Embassy will remain closed for another couple of days from December 31, 2013 to January 1, 2014 for New Year holidays, said a media release on Monday. The visa section of the Embassy will also remain closed during the entire holiday period and will re-open on January 2. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Dhaka New Super Market needs urgent repairs Shoppers and shopkeepers call for urgent renovation after several injuries from falling ceiling plaster occurred in recent months ing the centre to remain as it is could be n Abu Hayat Mahmud high, with thousands of shoppers comShoppers and shopkeepers of Dhaka New Super Market have called for urgent renovation of the complex, calling into question the structural fitness of the once popular shopping centre in the city.

The complex, with its five blocks, each three stories high, has been in a state of disrepair for a long time.

Recently there have been accidents in which loose chunks of plaster fell off the walls and ceilings, injuring shoppers and sparking fresh concerns over the buildings’ safety.

Several shoppers said they feared that there could be a catastrophic tragedy if no renovation was carried out soon.

Aklima Akhter, a resident of Paribagh, said: “I have to come to the market to make daily purchases; almost all household essentials are found here.

However, I cannot help but worry about its shabby condition these days.”

She blamed the city corporation – Dhaka South City Corporation – for its “lack of interest” in repairing the complex, despite it having been in such a state for quite a while.

Md Shahidullah, a banana trader operating his business near the South Block, said he had been injured by a piece of ceiling plaster on the building’s second floor about 2-3 months ago.

“Recently, one shopper in the adjoining block was also injured, after a chunk of plaster struck his head. Such accidents have occurred intermittently in the past few months.”

Traders argue that the cost of allow-

ing to the market on a daily basis.

“We have requested the city corporation to undertake an urgent repair project to avoid potential negative eventualities, but they did not respond positively, citing a lack of funds,” said Manjur Ahmed Manju, president of Chandrima Super Market Traders’ Association.

“So recently, we started repair work on our own initiative. That said, I think it is the responsibility of the city corporation to develop the market for which it collects money from the traders.”

Chandrima is one of the five blocks of the market, and is currently undergoing renovation, cooperatively funded by its storekeepers.

Meanwhile, DSCC officials claimed to have no funds for renovation work on the market, although a development fund of Tk1,560.96 crore was allocated to it in the current fiscal year. Last year, the allocation was over TK1,032 crore.

Chief Executive Officer of DSCC Md Ansar Ali Khan admitted that the market’s structural condition was “vulnerable,” but citied insufficient funds as the reason for not doing anything in this regard.

However, he said the corporation had contacted the Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation (BRTC), of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), about testing the current condition of the five blocks, but that “it charged Tk70 lakh for the test, which it is not simply possible for us to pay.”

An under-repair portion of New Super Market In this regard, Prof AFM Saiful Amin, who oversaw the matter on behalf of BUET, said the buildings were built following the national building code.

NASHIRUL ISLAM

“But they became dilapidated over the years because of lack of maintenance and negligence by the authorities concerned. The corporation con-

tacted us only once, but that’s it,” he added.

According to sources, the construction of Dhaka New Market square be-

EC to send electoral items under Rab-BGB-police protection n Mohammad Zakaria The Election Commission has decided to send its electoral equipment to field levels under the security of the BGB, Rab and police.

A five member delegation, led by EC Secretary Muhammed Sadique, yesterday visited the electoral equipment which were kept in the prime minister’s relief fund, EC officials said.

In this regard, Election Commissioner Mohammad Abu Hafiz said the commission would start sending the electoral equipment to the field level

this month, adding that the printed voter list might be sent under the security of the army.

The printing of ballot papers of 386 contenders was likely to be ended on December 25, EC officials said, and added that already 50% printing had been completed.

Sources also said the commission had sent electoral equipment like stamp pad, official seal, marking brash, indelible ink and manuals to the field levels before starting the ballot paper printing. Because of opposition enforced blockade programmes

and attacks on different election offices, the commission had decided to send the equipment with security, they added.

Meanwhile, the EC had returned 40,000 “transparent” ballot boxes to the UNDP as the boxes were not transparent. The UNDP would provide another 20,000 ballot boxes to the EC in the current week, sources said.

On the other hand, the EC has taken preparations to train election officials from December 25, but the commission is yet to send manual of electoral directions to the field levels. l

JaPa lawmaker assaults trucker, helper on polls campaign trail n Our Correspondent, Barisal

Workers pullup a decoration piece on the top of the Holy Rosary Church at Tejgaon yesterday as part of Christmas celebrations RAJIB DHAR

A trucker was beaten, along with his helper, and his vehicle damaged by JaPa (Ershad) lawmaker Golam Kibria Tipu, during his election campaign in the Agarpur School area under Barisal-3 constituency yesterday.

Victims and witnesses said Tipu started his election campaign on Monday morning in his native union Jahangirnagar, under Babuganj upazila.

As the lawmaker and his entourage reached Agorpur School of Birshrestha, Jahangirnagar union, about one kilo-

President for a stronger naval force n Tribune Desk

President Abdul Hamid yesterday underscored the need for making the Navy a stronger force to protect the country’s huge maritime areas.

“There’s no alternative to building a stronger Navy with a view to maintaining sovereignty of the country’s huge sea areas. We always work with the belief that we need the capacity of self-defence to live with the respect of a dignified nation without waging any war against anyone,” he said.

The president said this while addressing the President Parade for Midshipman-2012-A and DEO 2013-B batch at Bangladesh Naval Academy at Patenga.

President Hamid witnessed the smartly turned out parade and took salute as the chief guest. President’s wife Rashida Khanoom was present.

Abdul Hamid also distributed prizes among the winners in different categories for their best performance during the training.

Midshipmen Merajul Islam Saimon was adjudged the best all-round midshipman and awarded with ‘Sword of Honour` while Afjalul Alam Farid `Osmani Gold Medal` and mid-

shipman Sanjudur Rahman “CNS Gold Medal.” Acting Sub Lieutenant Ashraful Arefin was awarded with “CNS Medal” in recognition of his best performance during the training among the direct entry officers batch of 2013/B DEO (Direct Entry officer) batch, reports UNB.

‘I firmly believe Bangladesh Navy will gradually develop under your able leadership which will benefit the whole country as well as the state’ Mentioning that the sea areas between Bangladesh and Myanmar have finally been settled after a long time through the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in 2012, Abdul Hamid said, “In this work, Bangladesh Navy carried out the overall survey of the sea and provided information. This has been possible for the able leadership of the government. Similarly, the unsettled sea areas with India will be finalised in 2014 and I hope the verdict will come in our favour.”

Pointing at the new navy officers, Abdul Hamid said, “The duty of carrying the flag of success to build a good future by enriching the country’s econ-

omy is bestowed upon you. I firmly believe you’ll be able to put Bangladesh in a more prestigious position at the global stage by engaging yourselves in the supreme duty of protecting the nation.”

Hamid went on: “I firmly believe Bangladesh Navy will gradually develop under your able leadership which will benefit the whole country as well as the state.”

Mentioning various activities of Bangladesh Navy, including the commissioning of missile frigate “Bangabandhu,” large petrol craft “Modhumoti,” petrol crafts “Barkat,” “Titas,” “Kushiara,” establishment of naval aviation, and the process of installing two submarines in the naval fleet, Abdul Hamid said it is now only matter of time to fulfill the dream of implementing tri-dimensional navy.

LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, the chiefs of the three services, MPs, diplomats, high civil and military officials and guardians of passing-out batches also witnessed the smartly turned out parade.

Through this passing-out parade, 15 direct entry officers of 2013/B batch and 44 midshipmen of 2012/A batch got commissioned. l

meter from his village home, they were faced with a truck loading fuel wood on the road which became too narrow for the lawmaker’s vehicle to get past.

At this the lawmaker got angry, came out of his vehicle, and hurled abuse at the trucker, Harun Haoladar, and his helper Md Sohag.

“We were trying to leave room for the lawmaker’s vehicle to get past, but still he abused us verbally, beat us and broke a wing mirror of the truck,” Harun said.

In reply to a question as to whether

they would take legal action against the lawmaker, the transport workers said they were mere labourers and dared not go for legal action.

They added that they only sought the justice from almighty Allah.

Jahangir Hossain, a fuel wood trader, also alleged that the JaPa lawmaker assaulted him.

He would opt for legal action against the JaPa parliamentarian after consulting Mantu Bepari, the Fuel Wood Traders Association president, said Jahangir. Tipu was not available for comment. l

gan in 1952 on a 35-acre plot and was completed in 1954. Later, five blocks, each with over a thousand shops, were built. l

DU schedules science viva exams n Arif Ahmed The Dhaka University authorities scheduled the viva voce admission examinations for the Ka unit’s 20132014 session, on December 26 and 27.

The examinations will be held at the science faculty dean’s office at Curzon Hall, Dhaka University.

The announcement was on the Dhaka University website. Science Faculty Dean Prof Yousuf Ali Molla signed the announcement paper yesterday.

According to the announcement, candidates who have secured positions 1to 600 have been asked to appear for the viva at 10am to 12:30pm on December 26 in. Then the candidates securing positions from 601 to 1200 have been asked at 2pm to 4:30pm on the same day. The candidates securing position from 1201 to 1772 have been to come at 9:30am to 12:30pm on December 27.

The announcement also mentioned that, The students must bring their necessary papers including admission cards for the admission test, grade sheets of SSC and HSC, and two copies of passport size colour photographs.

Out of 59,253 candidates, 23,374 (39.44%) succeeded in the written test, they are in competition for just 1,618 seats. The admission tests were held on November 22.

Candidates can find the details about the viva on the DU website – (admission.eis.du.ac.bd). l

DMP announces further bounty n Tribune Report

In the wake of persistent violence during the opposition’s blockade programmes, Dhaka Metropolitan Police authorities yesterday announced another bounty on the criminals who damage vehicles and hurl bombs.

Persons assisting the police in DMP areas to arrest vandals and arson attackers would be awarded Tk1 lakh to Tk25,000 to help nab those who hurl

hand bombs or petrol bombs, Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman said.

The DMP authorities have requested people to contact them through phone, email or Facebook (932640, 01191001100, 01678024652, dmpmedia@dmp.gov.bd, www.facebook.com/ dmp.dhaka).

As an experiment, the DMP on December 15 announced a Tk1 lakh bounty on each of the 11 individuals who were allegedly involved in the rampages and

arson attacks on law enforcers in the capital’s Motijheel area two days ago.

Terming them “criminals, enemies of the nation and threats to the country,” the DMP authorities urged all to help the law enforcement agencies arrest the criminals by providing information.

The Jamaat-Shibir men conducted arson attacks and vandalised over 100 vehicles and shops in Motijheel and surrounding areas. They also exploded over 200 crude bombs. l

BSF returns 4 Bangladeshi women in Satkhira

RU admission test on Jan 10 n RU correspondent

n Our Correspondent, Satkhira

The admission tests at Rajshahi University for the first year honors courses under the 2013-14 academic session have been rescheduled for the fifth time because of the continuous countrywide blockade programmes.

Now the university admission tests will be held from January 10 to 14, 2014, says a press release.

Details of the admission tests are available on university website www. ru.ac.bd/. l

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday morning returned four Bangladeshi women through the Bhomra border at the Satkhira sadar upazila.

Following their return, officers of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) handed them over to the Satkhira sadar police. The women were allegedly trafficked to India, sources claimed.

Enamul Haque, officer-in-charge at

the police station said: “Human traffickers lured them with job offers in India and sent them off without passports.”

Upon arriving, members at BSF’s Ghojadanga camp detained them and returned them to the Bhomra BGB camp.

The returnees were, Laiju Khatun, 32, of Pirojpur, Mahfuza Khatun, 28, and Runa Akhter, 32 of Narayanganj and Shahnaz Akhter from Savar, Dhaka.

All four were sent to jail through court. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Trucks stranded at port with goods n Our Correspondent, Satkhira The government is losing around Tk50lakh in revenue daily from the Bhomra land port in Satkhira due to disruptions in export-import activities caused by the recent spell of opposition-enforced road and rail blockades.

“The government has lost more than Tk11 crore in the last 24 days. If the situation persists, the businessmen will turn their backs on the port.

And consequently, the workers will get involved in smuggling and other irregularities at the border,” said Jahangir Hossain, superintendent of Bhomra revenue station.

Imam Hossain, general secretary of a handling workers’ union, said there were 6,000 workers registered under four unions. But only 4,000 of them managed to get work every other day.

Alam Hossain, an importer from Chuadanga, described how he faced the wrath of picketers for defying the ongoing blockade programme.

Alam had taken delivery of a consignment of rice imported from India last Friday, and was headed back to Chuadanga later that night when his transport vehicle came under attack.

“Jamaat-Shibir men broke the glass of the truck at Badamtola area on the Satkhira-Bhomra road. They also took away Tk13,000 from me,” said Alam.

However, he managed to return to the land port with the truck after beg-

ging for forgiveness from the picketers.

Now stranded at the Bhomra port, he is losing Tk2,000 a day and does not know when he will be able to return to Chuadanga with the imported commodities.

GM Abdul Gaffar of Jessore and Moslem Ali of Magura were also facing similar predicaments, each incurring Tk3,000 losses daily.

Ameer Hamja, a C&F (clearing and forwarding) agent at Bhomra, said two truckloads of imported onions have been rotting at the port for three days due to transport shortages.

Eskendar Ali, another importer at Bhomra, said export and import activities at the port had come to a standstill since November 26.

Ali, who was stuck at the port with a truck of imported Indian wheat, said: “Every day, I have to pay INR1,000 to the Indian authorities, Tk100 as parking to the godown owner and Tk3,000 for food and sundries,” said Ali. Abdul Momen Khan Santu, a member of Bhomra C&F agents’ association, said the port had not experienced such inactivity since its establishment in 1996, despite several changes in regimes and intermittent political unrests.

He urged the government and the political parties to keep the port out of the purview of any sort of political protests in order to keep the country’s economy running and ensure the livelihood of more than 10,000 port workers. l

A good number of trucks with imported goods are stranded at Bhomra land port in Satkhira

Sales of used clothes go down in Jhenaidah n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah Sales of second-hand winter clothing in Jhenaidah have showed a downward trend following an upturn in price, triggered by the opposition’s consecutive communication blockades.

Low-income consumers, who form the core of the customer base for used clothing, complained of “unusually” high prices making it difficult for them to purchase.

The increase in price was linked to an insufficient supply of clothes since the start of winter, which coincided with the commencement of the series of blockades that rocked the country’s communication sector.

Jayeda Bari, 41, a housewife in Jhenaidah town, said she had purchased a sweater for her 12-year-daughter for Tk160 but could have been offered at Tk80 last year.

Another customer, Rashida Khatun, said she was astonished to find a vendor charging Tk400 for a waistcoat which, she presumed, could have been bought at no more than Tk250 last year.

“This is unusually high.”

Mahmudur Rahman, an NGO official, argues that the price of clothes is double of what it was last year. “It has become difficult for the poor and lowincome consumers to purchase warm clothes at such exorbitant prices.”

Vendors selling used clothes said

they cannot procure enough clothes from Chittagong and Dhaka, the two biggest suppliers of such clothing, because of the risks associated with transportation.

“Most of the clothes are supplied from Chittagong, but problems such as security threats on the streets and high transportation costs are making it difficult for us to turn profits,” said Mohammad Selim, a used clothes supplier.

He also said shipments of old clothes in Chittagong were also being hampered because of the political crisis. “The prices may go down if uninterrupted transportation can be ensured.” l

Husband sets wife on fire n Our Correspondent, Gaibandha A housewife yesterday sustained severe burn injuries when her husband allegedly set her on fire following an argument over paying micro-credit instalments at Khankasharif in Gaibandha town.

The victim Afroza Begum, 24, daughter of Khoka Miah of Kholahati union under sadar upazila, was living with her husband Jahangir Alam at his house.

Neighbours said two months ago, to fulfil her husband’s wish, Afroza took a micro-credit loan of TK 8,000 from a nearby ASA office, a leading microfinance provider in the country, and gave all the money to her husband.

Moreover, yesterday the couple were exchanging harsh words over paying the instalment of loan as they had been paying the instalments of ASA.

19 back home after serving 3 years in Indian jail n Tribune Desk

Growers with agri-produce are going to Sonadanga wholesale kitchen market in Khulna by Nasimon, shallow-engine run vehicle, as truck owners are reluctant to run their vehicles fearing vandalism and arson attack FOCUS BANGLA

19 fishermen returned home on Sunday after serving three years’ jail term in Indian prison.

Border Security Force of India handed them over to Border Guard Bangladesh through Benapole check post at night.

Subedar Abdullah, camp commander of BGB Benapole check post camp, said the Bangladeshi fishermen had been arrested by the Indian Coast Guard as their boat entered the Indian territory after being struck by a storm in 2010.

Later, the fishermen were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each and fined 51,500 rupees.

The process to bring them back home started through intervention of the home ministries of the two neighbouring countries.

BSF handed over the returnees to BGB from whom Benapole port police station received them later. l

Record wheat output likely in northern region n Tribune Desk

Record wheat production is likely in the northern region during this year’s Rabi season, as the tender plants are growing excellent.

Official sources said enthusiastic farmers exceeded their wheat farming target given the reduced costs and added benefits from the cultivation of wheat.

The farmers of the region have already brought 2.66 lakh hectares of land under wheat cultivation, officials in the Department of Agriculture Extension said.

Horticulture Specialist of DAE Khandaker Md Mesbahul Islam said the farmers had been achieving re-

peated bumper wheat production with lucrative prices over recent years and would continue sowing seeds till the end of this month even after exceeding the farming target.

According to the DAE sources, the government fixed a target of producing over 8.13 lakh tonnes of wheat from 2.66 lakh hectares of land this season for the northern region, commonly known as the country’s food granary.

The fixed wheat production target for the region is about 63.50% of the total national production target of 12.81 lakh tonnes from 4.20 lakh hectares land this season.

The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and

different agriculture- related organisations have taken adequate steps to make the wheat farming programme successful.

Regional Additional Director of the DAE Sikander Ali said quality wheat seeds, latest technology, training, fertiliser and other input was provided to the farmers to achieve the production target.

Over recent years, farmers are getting excellent production of high yielding BARI Gom 26, Pradip, Bijoy, Protiva, Sotabdi, Sourav, Gaurab, Swarna and other wheat varieties using the latest conservation agriculture (CA)based technologies, he said.

Associate Director Agriculture of BRAC International (South Asia and

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Africa) Dr M A Mazid said expanded cultivation of high yielding varieties adopting the latest CA-based technologies has started increasing wheat production.

Large-scale adoption of the CAbased technologies would further increase yields of all cereal crops including wheat at reduced expenses, saving a huge number of seeds, irrigation water, power and fuel to ensure food security amid climate change impacts, he added.

Farmers Abdul Haque, Ayub Ali, Ivy Begum and Abdul Mannan of Mominpur village here said they had been showing more interest in profitable wheat farming which fetched better profits than rice cultivation. l

At one stage of the argument, Jahangir beat Afroza indiscriminately, poured kerosene on her, and set her on fire.

Hearing Afroza’s screams, neighbours took her to Gaibandha Sadar Hospital in critical condition.

However, later, Bangladesh Mohila Parishad’s district unit send her to Rangpur Medical College Hospital as her condition deteriorated, said Riktu Prasad, general secretary of the organisation’s district unit.

Soon after the incident, Jahangir fled his house.

Neighbours added that Jahangir used to force Afroza to taking money from her parents. In addition, whenever Afroza refused to ask her parents for money, she used to get beaten.

Gopal Chandra Chakrabartee, officer-in-charge of sadar police station, said Afroza’s mother filed a case in this connection. l

Milk powder factory fined Tk22.3 lakh n Tribune Desk Department of Environment yesterday fined a milk powder factory in Narayanganj Tk22.3 lakh for constructing a new unit on its premises without any environmental clearance.

After a hearing at the DoE headquarters, its director (enforcement) M Alamgir fined the factory under New Zealand Milk Products Ltd for constructing an eight-storey building over a 16,000 square feet plot on the factory premises at Rupganj upazila.

According to the Environment Conservation Act 1995, it is mandatory to have a clearance certificate before the construction or expansion of any industrial structure, said Alamgir. l

NEWS IN BRIEF 10 injured in Magura clash At least 10 people were injured following a clash between two rival groups at Gangni village under Sadar upazila of the district yesterday morning. Police said the clash erupted in the morning between two rival groups of villagers over establishing supremacy in the area. As a sequel to enmity both groups equipped with local weapons attacked each other, leaving 10 people injured. The groups also vandalised at least 30 dwelling houses in the village. Seriously injured Jannu, Sakawat and Bablu were admitted to Magura Sadar Hospital while others were given first aid. Being informed, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. – UNB

One held with firearms in Pabna Members of Rapid Action Battalion in a drive arrested a man and recovered a revolver and 12 round bullets from Vogendrapur village under sadar upazila of the district on Sunday night. The arrested was identified as Nasim Uddin, 27, son of Iman Ali of the same area. On a tip-off, a team of the elite force conducted a drive in the area and arrested Nasim with the firearms from his house, RAB sources said. A case was filed with Pabna police station in this connection. – UNB

UNO foils child marriage in Panchagarh Upazila nirbahi officer of Debiganj upazila of Panchagarh yesterday foiled the marriage of a schoolgirl at Sonaher Jumma para village of the upazila. Sources said the marriage of schoolgirl Hamida Banu, 13, daughter of Abu Hanif of Jumma para village, was fixed with one Mostofa Kamal, 14, son of Abdul Kader of Tapriganj village and was scheduled to be solemnized at the bride’s residence on December 22. Being informed, UNO Md. Mahabubul Haque along with Sonaher UP chairmen rushed to the spot and stopped the marriage of the girl. Later, he successfully convinced the parents of the bride and bridegroom

to refrain from child marriage. Local people welcomed the initiative taken by the upazila nirbahi officer. – BSS

63 opposition men held in Bogra A team of joint forces in a drive arrested 63 activists of the 18-party opposition alliance from separate places of Shajahanpur upazila on Sunday night. The law enforces, however, did not disclose the identity of the arrestees. Police said a joint team of police and Rapid Action Battalion members conducted a drive in separate places of the upazila and arrested the 63 people – 27 BNP and 36 Jamaat activists. Among the arrestees, 18 were sentenced to different jail terms by a mobile court while others were produced before a regular court. – UNB

One held with yaba tablets in Munshiganj Members of Rapid Action Battalion in a drive arrested a drug peddler and recovered 400 pieces of yaba tablets from Goalimanda Bada Polly under Lohajang upazila of the district on Sunday night.

The arrested was identified as Ashraf Hossain, 42, of the same area. On a tip-off, a team of the elite force conducted a drive in the area and arrested Ashraf with the yaba tablets, Rab sources said. A number of cases were pending against Ashraf in different police stations, Rab said. – UNB

Health fair begins in Jamalpur A two-day Health Fair began on the premises of Jamalpur General Hospital yesterday. District Health Department organised the fair under the programme on “Mother and Neo-natal Health Service” with the joint initiatives of government of Bangladesh and the United Nations.

Deputy Commissioner of Jamalpur Md Shahabuddin Khan inaugurated the fair with Civil Surgeon of Jamalpur Dr Mohammad Hafizur Rahman in the chair. A total of 16 stalls were set up in the fair. – BSS

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

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Joy Bangladesh Quader Molla’s execution stands for the justice we owe to our freedom fighters, and to the freedom that we enjoy today

It is an insult to our nation to let these people run governing parties, it is an insult to the victims to not punish them, and it is an insult to our nation and to the victims to underestimate the importance of this cause

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

T

n Niyonta Nahia Chowdhury here is an eerie but serene sort of poeticism in this phenomenon that the day a war criminal of ’71 is first hanged is in such close proximity to our Victory Day. What should have been a time of two-fold celebration for the people of Bangladesh has become a time of destruction and massacre, anarchic leftist conspiracies, and psychotic zealotry.

The perpetrators are comparatively few in number but the damage they are causing the nation is beyond tangible measure. It is almost like watching the manifestation of a deep-seated masochistic disorder – a country trying to do unto herself what had been done unto her 42 years ago. It is also quite evidential of where one’s priorities lie – nationalism and welfare, or self-relevant beliefs and terrorism.

Sensationalist reporters and journalists like John Pilger, and even lawyers like Toby Cadman, have taken it upon themselves to distort reports and have at times gone as far as circulating photos of Gonojagoron Moncho and Projonmo Chottor as photos of people protesting Molla’s execution. BBC, CNN, The Economist, The Guardian and other international news broadcasters and publications have flaunted headlines such as “Bangladeshi Islamic leader hanged” and “Bangladesh executes Islamist leader.”

Yes, that was Abdul Quader Molla’s (I would spell it as Quader Mullah since I don’t want to tarnish Bengali phonology with his name and I’m sure that’s how he would have preferred it himself, but I’m not sure I would be able to take myself seriously if I keep writing the word ‘Mullah’) formal

recipe of a veritable Muslim.

More importantly, it is highly irrelevant because information regarding Molla’s Islamic leader status without his war criminal status serves no purpose but to make for a compelling Western narrative, where the government is villainised and portrayed as using the trials as a front for disabling opposing parties and suppressing religious freedom.

Yes, the men on trial are members of opposition. But let us take a moment to methodically examine the political careers of these men, and let us think about who we allowed to sit in authoritative positions all these years.

It would be helpful, for example, to recall that Nizami was one of the founders and commanders of the Pakistani military force Al-Badr, that Molla was a member of this force, that Sayeedi was an active informant in Pirojpur, that Azam, for as long as six years after our independence, attended conferences worldwide denouncing and lecturing against Bangladesh and urging nations to not acknowledge it as an independent country.

These men, along with other terrorists, like Zaman, Mueen-Uddin, Salahuddin Quader, Kamaruzzaman and Mujaheed were either exiled or went into hiding after independence.

It was only after the military coup of 1975 that killed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family, and the subsequent coming to power of Major Ziaur Rahman who not only removed secularism from the constitution and replaced it with Islamic ideals but also rehabilitated all the razakars and their political groups, that they could come back to Bangladesh or come out of hiding.

For every Molla and every other razakar, there are all the victims and all the fighters, who were and who are the living, breathing stories of 1971

identity throughout his career. While it is not unnatural or incorrect to label him as such, it is problematic and misleading.

Islam, like all other religious institutions, damns evil, and the evils Molla has committed throughout his life cannot be committed by an authentic subscriber of any religious doctrine. Maintaining a grizzly beard, wearing giant white robes and garbling in Arabic does not nullify murder, rape and other atrocities, and is not the

Let us also not forget that the promise of the trials was in the current government’s manifesto in the general elections of 2008 and this is exactly what had helped them win their landslide victory. It was one of their promises to us, and while their competency at keeping other promises may not always be supreme, this is one promise they are keeping, and striving to keep despite the fact that it will unquestionably open the door to the very well-funded and powerful an-

ti-democracy fundamentalists making it their mission to end their lives.

Ever since the execution of Abdul Quader Molla, ardent Jamaat supporters, and self-proclaimed Islamic scholars like Ajmal Masroor have been calling him a martyr. A martyr of which country exactly do they mean?

It certainly cannot be our one. You see, comedians like Zaid Hamid and Munawar Hassan are meanwhile lamenting the loss of their patriotic martyr. There is left little to doubt of the implications of that.

unless one is well aware and informed of the history of Bangladesh’s uprising and formation, its early years, and the details of its current affairs.

Of course everyone has a voice and it is unreasonable to demand expertise on a topic as a prerequisite of voicing one’s opinion. But it is also important to remember that there is a difference between freedom of speech and bad propaganda; a voice without sufficient knowledge tends to be an empty one and a fodder for the latter.

Yes, the country has become a cradle of destruction. But negotiating with and making compromises for terrorists is never the answer

But yes, any human death is a tragedy, and irrespective of all that he has done, Molla’s death merits the same solemnity as any other’s. Yes, I mourn the end of a fellow human being’s life.

But I applaud the end of an epitome of sadistic corruption.

Yes, the International Crimes Tribunal may be a less-than-ideal tribunal and the trial proceedings may be unconventional. But a trial held more than forty years after the commission of the crimes is neither a typical war crime case nor a conventional one. It may or may not abide by international standards.

The court may or may not have changed legislations after already declaring a trial decision so that retroactive application of the amendment could be used to alter the previous decision. The process may or may not be flawed. But the decision was not.

Sometimes, just sometimes, an impaired justice is better than no justice at all.

There is feverish urgency because if and when opposition comes to power, all progress made will be lost and all evidences acquired will disappear, and the razakars will not only be restored to their political positions, but they will do their level best to terrorise each and every person and each and every party involved and in support of the war crimes trial.

Yes, the country has become a cradle of destruction. But negotiating with and making compromises for terrorists is never the answer. It is important to understand the significance of this cause before assuming its worth. As with any other issue, it is also important to refrain from dropping remarks about this one

Most of us fall into one of the following two pitfalls – blindly adopting our parents’ political beliefs without personal research, or blindly internalising beliefs generated by American and English media regarding international politics without critical analysis.

Please remember that all anecdotes are products of personalisation whose integrity is reinforced by confirmation bias, and all reports are always part of a bigger commercial narrative whose intention is never to encourage objectivity. More importantly, please also remember the US involvement in our liberation war and their current international ties, and what that might mean today.

In the end, however, it is alright.

It is alright because for every Yahya Khan, every Bhutto, for every Nixon, every Kissinger, for every Pilger and every Cadman, there is a Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, there is an Abu Taher, there is a Ziaur Rahman, there is an Indira Gandhi, there is a David Frost, there is a Lawrence Lifschultz.

For every Molla and every other razakar, there are all the victims and all the fighters, who were and who are the living, breathing stories of 1971.

For every razakar, there is now also us.

This needs to happen because it is not about the razakars. What happens to their lives is far less important than all the lives that are currently being lost and all the damage that is being done every day in this chaos.

It needs to happen because it is about all the victims – those who have not survived and those who have.

It is less about delivering justice to the razakars and more about serving justice to the people whose lives were deliberately and systematically

destroyed because of these men. It is about bringing peace and balance in the long run, even if that means sacrificing it in the short run.

Our country may have been free since 1971, but we are not truly free until these people are removed from positions that allow them to exercise power over us, and until justice has been served.

It is an insult to our nation to let these people run governing parties, it is an insult to the victims to not punish them, and it is an insult to our nation and to the victims to underestimate the importance of this cause and deem it gratuitous in light of the country’s current state.

This is not a cosmetic movement.

We owe it to our martyrs, we owe it to our freedom fighters. We owe it to our country, and we owe it to ourselves. l Niyonta Nahia Chowdhury is a freelance contributor.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

AFRICA

African troops fire on CAR protesters, one dead n AFP, Bangui African peacekeepers shot dead a protester in the capital of the Central African Republic on Monday, a killing likely to exacerbate tensions in the country where UN-mandated troops are struggling to stem sectarian violence.

The Chadian soldiers opened fire on stone-throwing protesters who accused them of complicity with rebels in the strife-torn country, according to AFP reporters on the scene.

Several hundred Christian demonstrators had massed outside Bangui airport to call for the departure of President Michel Djotodia, a former rebel who became the first Muslim leader of the majority Christian nation after a March coup. They were also demanding the departure of Chadian troops within the African Union’s MISCA force that, alongside French forces, is battling to restore order in the country.

South Sudan army readies to wrest back rebel-held town n AFP, Juba South Sudan’s army was poised for a major offensive against rebel forces, the president said Monday, as the country slid towards civil war despite international peace efforts. Expectations of a major upsurge in fighting came as the United Nations warned that the situation in the world’s youngest nation was fast unravelling, with hundreds of thousands of civilians now at risk.

Fighting has gripped South Sudan for more than a week, after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar, who was fired from the government in July, of attempting a coup.

Machar denied the claim and accused Kiir of carrying out a vicious purge of his rivals. Vowing to oust Kiir, his forces have since seized the town of Bor, capital of the powder keg eastern Jonglei state and located just 200 ki-

MIDDLE EAST

Militants kill five Iraqi journalists in TV assault n AFP, Tikrit Four suicide bombers attacked a local television station headquarters Monday in Tikrit, north of Baghdad, killing five journalists, police officers said.

The dead were Salaheddin television’s chief news editor, a copy editor, a producer, a presenter and the archives manager, the officers said. Another five employees were wounded. Two of the bombers blew themselves up, and security forces killed the other two when they stormed the building.

The attack came after a December 16 assault by militants on the Tikrit city

council headquarters, in which a council member and two police were killed.

Iraq has come in for repeated criticism over the lack of media freedom and the number of unsolved killings of journalists. With the latest violence, 12 Iraqi journalists have been killed in attacks in less than three months.

Violence in the country has reached a level not seen since 2008, when the country was emerging from a period of brutal sectarian killings.

More than 6,650 people have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of the year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources. l

lometres (125 miles) north of Juba, as well as the town of Bentiu, capital of crucial oil-producing Unity state.

The army is “now ready to move to Bor,” President Salva Kiir told parliament, adding that the counter-attack to wrest back the town after it was captured on Wednesday was delayed until US had airlifted citizens out.

South Sudan army spokesman Philip Aguer said the government was on the offensive. l

Army officers among 17 dead in Iraq

Russia has sent 25 armoured trucks and 50 other vehicles to Syria to help transport toxins that are to be destroyed under an international agreement to rid the nation of its chemical arsenal, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday.

Saudi Shia jailed for 30 years over protests n AFP, Riyadh A Shia citizen of mainly Sunni Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to 30 years in jail for violence and protesting against Riyadh’s 2011 intervention in neighbouring Bahrain, media reported Monday.

The defendant, whose name was not given, was found guilty of taking part in protests in Qatif in Eastern Province and calling for the withdrawal of Saudi forces sent to Bahrain.

Saudis helped Bahraini security forces to crush a Shia-led uprising demanding democratic reforms in Sunni-ruled but Shia-majority Bahrain in March 2011.

The defendant was charged with throwing petrol bombs at security forces who intervened to disperse protests in Qatif, Al-Hayat newspaper reported.

It said both the accused and the prosecutor, who had demanded the death penalty, will appeal.

Protests first erupted in Eastern Province, where the majority of the kingdom’s two million Shias are concentrated, in March 2011. l

In a report to President Vladimir Putin, Shoigu said Russian aircraft delivered 50 Kamaz trucks and 25 Ural armoured trucks to the Syrian port city of Latakia on December 18-20 along with other equipment, state-run news agency RIA reported. “The Defence Ministry has very swiftly implemented actions to

Police in the Philippine capital have banned the wearing of caps and sunglasses in shopping malls to stop criminals concealing their identity from security cameras. The ban was imposed after a gang of hammer-wielding robbers looted a jewellery store at a popular suburban Manila shopping mall on December 15. The suspects are believed to have used baseball caps to hide their identities. “These criminal elements know about the presence of (closed circuit TVs) in commercial establishments like malls. That’s why they are trying to hide their identity by wearing caps and even dark sunglasses,” said Carmelo Valmoria, head of police forces in the capital which is home to 11 million people. “Besides, why will you wear sunglasses inside (a) mall?” He said those wearing caps and sunglasses will not be allowed into malls and security guards will be on the lookout for those flouting the ban. Police have proposed similar precautions for banks and pawn shops.

Malls are packed during the Christmas season and the jewellery store robbery had panicked thousands of shoppers, drawing the attention even of President Benigno Aquino.

Chad’s President Idriss Deby Itno has long been kingmaker in the CAR, and while Chadian troops are only one component of the 3,700-strong MISCA, African commanders admit that they have been following their own agenda.

Djotodia was the leader of the mostly Muslim Seleka coalition and although he disbanded the group after the coup, some members went rogue.

Months of killing, raping and pillaging followed, sparking international warnings of a major humanitarian crisis and prompting Christians to form vigilante groups.

Chadian and Sudanese mercenaries within Seleka ranks are blamed for many of the worst crimes against the population.

As a consequence Christian reprisals have been targeting Chadian nationals, along with Muslims and people from the country’s north, all seen as complicit with Seleka. l

French troops killed presidential guards: CAR presidency n AFP, Bangui Three ex-rebels shot dead by French troops in the capital of the Central African Republic on Sunday were members of the presidential guard and were “killed in cold blood,” the CAR presidency said.

“They were killed in cold blood by members of Sangaris,” presidential spokesman Guy Simplice Kodegue said

on Monday, referring to the French force sent this month to disarm ex-rebels sowing chaos in the country.

They are “members of the presidential guard,” he told AFP. President Michel Djotodia, who became the first Muslim leader of the majority Christian nation after a March coup, was formerly leader of the Seleka rebel coalition.

He has officially disbanded Seleka

but some members went rogue, leading to months of killing, raping and pillaging – and prompting Christians to form vigilante groups in response.

The French army said its troops opened fire in Bangui on Sunday against “a group of half-a-dozen people suspected of being ex-Seleka” and who “were preparing to use their weapons.”

But the presidential spokesman said the shooting was unprovoked. l

AMERICAS

Mortar fire killed four officers and two soldiers near Baghdad and 11 people died in violence elsewhere Monday as officials said unrest in Iraq was fuelled by the Syrian war. A brigade commander was among those killed by the mortar attack on an Iraqi army base in the Abu Ghraib area west of Baghdad, security officials said. Two days before, five senior officers, including a division commander, and 10 soldiers were killed during an operation against militants in the mainly Sunni western province of Anbar.

Bombings and shootings in Baghdad also killed at least nine people and wounded 21 on Monday, while violence elsewhere in the country left two more people dead and eight wounded. l

deliver to Syria equipment and materiel to provide for the removal of Syrian chemical weapons and their destruction,” Shoigu was quoted as saying.

Syria has agreed to abandon it chemical weapons under a deal proposed by Russia to avert potential US military action. l

IN OTHER NEWS Caps, sunglasses banned as Philippine malls fight crime

Many in the mostly-Christian capital Bangui accuse Chad of masterminding the Seleka rebellion behind the coup that has unleashed waves of violence.

When two 4X4 vehicles with AU troops from Chad approached the demonstrators, the latter started throwing rocks in their direction.

The soldiers responded by firing their weapons in the air and towards the crowd, killing at least one person and wounding another, according to AFP reporters.

French troops quickly intervened to evacuate the victims.

“We ask for our rights and we get killed. There are too many abuses, we can’t take it any more,” charged one demonstrator after the incident. “The Chadians are terrorists.”

“They are killing us like animals,” said another distraught young woman.

“We don’t want these Chadian MISCA troops.”

n AFP, Baghdad

Russia sends armoured trucks to Syria to transport chemical arms n Reuters, Moscow

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Femen bare breasts against Spain abortion law

Feminist activists mounted a bare-breasted protest outside a Madrid church on Monday to decry Spain’s plan to ban women from freely opting for abortion. A member of the protest group Femen kneeled on the pavement baring her breasts with the slogans “Christmas is Cancelled” and “Free Abortion” daubed on her chest. Two other activists circled her, spilling a red liquid on the ground outside the city centre’s Church of San Manuel y San Benito, shortly after worshippers celebrating morning mass had left the building. One of the three protesters, who gave only her first name, Carmen, criticised the conservative government’s new abortion restrictions. “We are going back to the dictatorship,” she complained.

Under pressure from the Roman Catholic Church, Spain’s government Friday agreed to roll back a 2010 law which had brought Spain into line with much of Europe by letting women opt freely for abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. Ministers adopted draft legislation allowing abortion only in cases of rape or a threat to the mother’s health. The bill is almost certain to be enacted because the ruling Popular Party enjoys an absolute majority in parliament.

Residents survey the damage after power lines came down across a street in Toronto’s east end

AP

Winter’s start ices eastern Canada, US n AP, Toronto Approximately 200,000 people in Canada’s largest city were still without power following a weekend ice storm that wreaked havoc from southwestern Ontario to Canada’s Atlantic Coast, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said Monday.

“We believe that the worst weather is over,” Ford said. About 75,000 peo-

EUROPE

Freed Russian punk band member dismisses Putin

n Reuters, Nizhny Novgorod

Pussy Riot punk band member Maria Alyokhina walked free from jail on Monday, immediately dismissing the Kremlin’s amnesty that granted her early release as a stunt that would not change her attitude to President Vladimir Putin.

Alyokhina, 25, one of two women serving two-year sentences for a profanity-laced protest against Putin in a Russian Orthodox church in 2012, was released under the amnesty the president has said would show the Russian state is humane.

They were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for their “punk prayer” criticizing Putin’s ties to the Church, and had been due for release in March.

Alyokhina echoed critics who said the amnesty proposed by Putin was far too narrow and appeared aimed at deflecting criticism over human rights before Russia hosts the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi in February.

“I do not think it is a humanitarian act, I think it is a PR stunt,” she said by telephone in comments to the Russian Internet and TV channel Dozhd. l

ple had power restored in the city overnight, he added.

Freezing rain across much of eastern Canada on Sunday turned roads and sidewalks into skating rinks and hit holiday plans at one of the busiest travel times of the year.

The first full day of winter also brought ice and high wind in the upper US Midwest and northeastern New En-

gland states and flooding in the South.

Snow and ice knocked out power to 400,000 homes and businesses in Michigan, upstate New York state and northern New England. It could be days before the lights are back on everywhere.

At least nine deaths were blamed on the storm in the US. l

BA plane clips Johannesburg airport building, 4 injured n AFP, Johannesburg A British Airways airplane carrying 202 people struck an office building at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport with its wing while taxiing for take-off late on Sunday, slightly injuring four, aviation authorities said.

The Boeing 747-400 en route for London Heathrow Airport took a runway that was too narrow for the plane, said South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokeswoman Phindiwe Gwebu on Monday. “This resulted in the aircraft’s right-hand wing impacting the office building,” she told AFP. l

Man, woman shot pointblank and killed at Paris bar n AFP, Paris A man and a woman were shot dead at a Paris bar on Sunday evening by a gunman who then fled on foot, police said, labelling the crime as “mysterious.”

The two were shot at point-blank range with one bullet each as they were in the outside terrace of the bar in a residential part of the French capital’s southern 14th arrondissement, or district.

They tried to take refuge inside but the man died at the scene and the woman died as she was being taken to

hospital, said police investigator JeanJacques Herlem.

Herlem called the shooting “mysterious” and said police did not yet know the motive. “All hypotheses are obviously open. The investigation has just started,” said a source close to the probe.

The identities of the victims were not immediately given.

The police crimes squad was handling the investigation. There was a heavy police presence at the bar where the shooting took place, the Cafe Chineur. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

9

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

ASIA

Anti-corruption crusader to lead Delhi govt Pakistan boosts security ahead of procession n Agencies Pakistan is preparing for a spate of religiously-motivated violence during the next 24 hours, introducing security measures that include the suspension of mobile phone services.

The Shia Muslim procession of Chehlum takes place on Tuesday, marking the 40th day after Ashura and the martyrdom of Imam Hussain.

Commemorations in previous years have seen dozens of people killed and hundreds more injured.

This year Pakistani newspapers are widely reporting that 10,000 police officers will be on duty in Karachi alone, with a further 5,000 in Quetta, as intelligence reports suggest that armed groups will once again target processions and the law enforcement officials protecting them.

To further reduce the possibility of bloodshed Pakistani authorities are also closing schools, markets and banning pillion riding in some areas.

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority has ordered the temporary closure of mobile phone networks in 31 cities.

Aam Aadmi Party or Common Man’s party leader Arvind Kejriwal, second right, shakes hand with his supporters after meeting Lt. Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung in Delhi

n AFP, New Delhi India’s anti-corruption crusader Arvind Kejriwal announced Monday he would head a state government for New Delhi in a stunning breakthrough for his fledgling party just months before a general election.

The former tax official is set to become chief minister in a minority administration after his Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party won the second highest number of seats in the state assembly polls earlier this month.

The Congress party, which is in power at national level and ran New Delhi for years before being trounced in the state elections, said it would provide support for a Kejriwal-led government but would not join it.

“The people of Delhi want us to form the government. We are ready to form the government,” he told reporters, as elsewhere AAP supporters danced in celebration and waved brooms – the

party’s symbol for a clean sweep of graft-ridden politics.

Although the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the most seats in the assembly, it has declined to form government without a majority, in the fortnight since the results were announced.

Aam Aadmi won 28 of the 70 seats in the assembly, trouncing Congress whose share slumped to eight. The BJP, which is expected to come out on top in a general election due in May, won 31 seats and a BJP ally took one.

Kejriwal had been wary of accepting support from either Congress or the BJP, given that many voters cited the two parties’ record on corruption as their reason for siding with Aam Aadmi.

But an Aam Aadmi official said that 74 percent of supporters who took part in an informal poll had endorsed the idea of it forming a government.

The party, born out of an anti-cor-

ruption movement that swept India two years ago, has tapped into anger about everyday graft as well as scandals that have embroiled the national government.

Kejriwal, 44, only started the party a year ago but has indicated that he wants to field candidates across the country in the general election.

Although analysts say his party has no chance of winning at national level given its lack of finance and infrastructure, the showing in Delhi has underlined its potential to damage the BJP and Congress when the world’s biggest democracy goes to the polls.

Kejriwal pledged in its manifesto this month to send corrupt politicians to jail and end the VIP culture of Delhi’s political elite.

He has also promised to slash power prices for Delhi families by cracking down on falsely inflated bills and give households 700 litres of free water a month – promises critics have dis-

AP

missed as extravagant and unrealistic.

“We will start working (on our promises) immediately. The job of any government is to provide good governance and we are confident of living up to our pre-poll promises,” AAP spokeswoman Shazia Ilmi told AFP. Chandra Mohan Sharma, an AAP supporter who turned out to hear Kejriwal’s announcement Monday, said unlike the major parties Aam Aadmi would never let the common people down.

“They (AAP) just have to remove the middlemen and change the corrupt system and prices will come down automatically,” said Sharma, 45.

Former chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who oversaw Congress’s defeat in the polls, said her party would give “issue-based support from outside” to Kejriwal’s administration in Delhi.

“We are not going to be a part of the government,” she told NDTV news network. l

Pakistani army offensive near Afghan border kills civilians n Reuters, Islamabad Residents of Pakistan’s ethnic Pashtun region of North Waziristan accused government troops on Monday of killing dozens of civilians during a military operation against Taliban insurgents.

The operation started just after a December 18 suicide bomb attack on a checkpoint in North Waziristan, a stronghold for al Qaeda-linked Taliban militants on Pakistan’s mountainous border with Afghanistan. Speculation that the army might launch a major offensive in the frontier tribal areas has been building as the government’s attempts to engage the Pakistani Taliban in peace talks have floundered in recent months. Military officials said more than 30 militants, most of them ethnic Uzbeks, had been killed in the operation.

“Security forces exercised utmost restraint to avoid any collateral dam-

Thai protesters try to block election sign-up

Vaccine suspected after China n AP, Bangkok baby deaths Anti-government protesters determined to unseat Thailand’s prime n Reuters minister surrounded a Bangkok sports Chinese health authorities have launched an investigation after seven infants died following routine hepatitis B vaccinations, state media reported.

State news agency Xinhua said on Monday that four of the seven deaths were in the southern province of Guangdong. The other infants died in the south-central province of Hunan and the south-west province of Sichuan.

All hospitals have been ordered to stop using the vaccine, produced by Shenzhen-based Biokangtai, until the Health Ministry completes its investigation.

The company said in a statement last week, carried by state media, that it rigorously followed safety rules, but was testing the batches suspected of causing the deaths. l

stadium on Monday in an unsuccessful attempt to block political parties from registering for February elections.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is popular among the rural majority but disliked by the urban middle class and elite, called the Feb. 2 elections to defuse tension after several weeks of sometimes violent demonstrations in the Thai capital.

The attempted blockade comes after the main opposition Democrat Party said over the weekend it will boycott the vote, which Yingluck’s ruling party would likely win.

Officials from her party and eight others managed to sign up for the election by slipping into the stadium in the middle of the night, despite the presence of some protesters who had camped out overnight, the state

Iran’s Rouhani eyes rebuilding relations with UN n Reuters, Berlin Iran wants to improve bilateral relations with the United States and other Western powers, President Hassan Rouhani said in an editorial published in a German newspaper on Monday, broaching an issue he has so far avoided since he took office.

Rouhani won a landslide election victory in June promising a policy of engagement with the West and has had regular diplomatic contacts with the United States, but they have been limited to negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.

“We want to rebuild and improve our relations to European and North American countries on a basis of mutual respect,” he wrote in a contribution for the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

“We are striving to avoid new burdens on relations between Iran and the United States and also to remove the

tensions that we have inherited,” said Rouhani, who has promised to reduce Tehran’s isolation and to win an easing of sanctions.

Tehran and Washington severed relations after Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran cannot forget everything that has affected relations with the United States over the last 60 years, he said, but added: “We must now concentrate on the present and orientate ourselves towards the future.”

Rouhani’s diplomatic pragmatism has already resulted in significant progress. While in New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September, Rouhani held an historic telephone call with Barack Obama, the first time the presidents of the two nations have spoken in more than three decades.

Iranian officials subsequently emphasized the call was to support a diplomatic resolution of Iran’s nuclear program and did not concern direct bilateral ties. l

Anti-government protesters chant slogans while blocking a police station near a sports stadium to prevent political parties from making a registration in the upcoming general election in Bangkok AP

In Peshawar preparations of a different kind are under way, as Christians in the city contemplate their first Christmas since a devastating attack on the congregation.

Eighty-two people were killed when a double suicide attack targeted their place of worship three months ago.

The incident at All Saints church is believed to be the deadliest ever against Muslim-majority Pakistan’s small Christian community.

“As Christmas gets nearer I miss them more and more. I miss them as much as it is possible to miss anyone,” Anwar Khokar told AFP news agency on Sunday.

The 53-year-old lost six members of his family in the attack, including three brothers.

“I miss our relatives so sadly, one of my brothers especially. It’s so hard that he’s not with us this Sunday and especially at Christmas.”

Security at the church has improved since the attacks, with extra guards manning the gateway through the thick blast walls and barbed wire.

A fingerprint-scan entry system has been installed but is not yet operational. l

Election Commission said.

“We were aware that protesters would be blocking all entrances, so we went into the stadium at 4 a.m. while they were sleeping,” said Prompong Nopparit, spokesman of the ruling Pheu Thai party. “Despite all this, the elections will continue as planned on Feb. 2.”

With registration continuing for two weeks, the protesters have vowed to continue their blockade.

Bluesky Channel, a web and satellite television station that serves as the voice of the protest movement, showed a protest leader asking followers to guard all the gates to the stadium Monday night as well because representatives of the ruling party had managed to “sneak in” the night before.

More than two dozen other parties were able to begin the registration process at a nearby police station, where they filed complaints saying they were unable to access the main venue because of the blockade, the commission said. l

age,” the army said in a statement.

“The Pakistan military spokesman reiterated that the military action against the terrorists in North Waziristan on December 19 was in response to an attempt by terrorists to ambush a military convoy. “The intelligence-based sting military operation later was specifically targeted against foreign terrorists holed up in a nearby compound.” Foreign militants from various places including central Asia have long been known to be based in the region.

The army in its statement did not say anything about residents’ accusations of civilian casualties. The military’s media wing could not be immediately reached for comment. Pakistani authorities imposed a curfew and residents said many people had fled from their homes after days of shelling and raids by helicopter gunships in the Mir Ali region of North Waziristan following the suicide attack. l

N Korea purge sparked by mineral disputes n AFP, Seoul The shock purge and execution of the North Korean leader’s uncle stemmed from his attempts to take control of the country’s lucrative coal export business, South Korea’s spy chief told lawmakers Monday. Jang Song-Thaek, the once-powerful uncle and political regent to young leader Kim Jong-Un, was executed on December 12 on charges which included plotting a coup and corruption.

The execution – the biggest political upheaval since Kim took power two years ago – sparked speculation that Jang had lost out in a power struggle with hardline army generals.

Nam Jae-Joon, the head of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, said Jang’s attempts to secure control of state-run natural resources businesses played a big part in his downfall. l

Japan to supply ammunition to S Korea troops in South Sudan

China, Koreas in modern conflict over ancient kingdom

n AFP, Tokyo

n AFP, Jian

Officially pacifist Japan will waive its customary restrictions on arms exports to supply ammunition to South Korean peacekeepers in South Sudan, where fierce fighting has broken out, reports said Monday. Japanese peacekeepers engaged in non-combat operations in the African country will provide 10,000 rounds of ammunition to the South Koreans there, the reports said.

It will be the first time for Japan, which is barred by its post-World War II pacifist constitution from using force to settle disputes, to provide weapons to the military of another country through the United Nations, the Jiji and Kyodo news agencies said.

They said the decision was made at an emergency meeting Monday of Japan’s National Security Council chaired

by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in response to a South Korean request. l

Centuries ago Kwanggaet’o the Great ruled over a mighty empire stretching from south of Seoul deep into Manchuria in China’s northeast, but his Koguryo dynasty is now at the centre of a historical tug-of-war.

He is revered as a Korean national hero on both sides of the divided peninsula, while Chinese attempts to claim Koguryo as its own have provoked fury among its neighbours.

One of Koguryo’s capitals, now the modern Chinese city of Jian, stands on the Yalu river on the frontier between China and Kim Jong-Un’s North Korea.

It hosts a treasure trove of historical sites and cultural relics, including royal mausoleums designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites and decorated with murals depicting traditional wrestling and tiger-hunting.

A towering stone stele more than six metres (20 feet) tall illustrates the dispute, with Kwanggaet’o’s name carved into the granite

– in the classical Chinese characters used for writing in northeast Asia at the time.

“Koguryo is in fact part of Korean history, not Chinese history,” said Hwang Seon-Goo, a South Korean visitor. “We think that China insists on having its own way.”

Soon afterwards Zhang Ming, who identified himself as a Chinese tourist, expressed keen interest in knowing what the South Korean visitor had said.

In response, he pointed to the language of the inscription as evidence of its Chineseness, asking “how it could be Korean” if it was written in Chinese. The general Chinese view can be seen in a description in a Jian museum devoted to the dynasty. “Koguryo was engaged in wars with ancient central China and surrounding nations and tribes,” reads one label. “However, they finally accepted the authority of ancient central China dynasties and had a main historical trend of tributary kingdom.”

The sensitivity of the issue is such that

an AFP reporter visiting the museum was briefly detained by public security officials, before being ordered to leave Jian and followed out of town. Koreans on both sides of the divided peninsula claim Koguryo as an inherent part of their history, and it is a popular theme in South Korea for novels and television dramas, such as this year’s “The Blade and Petal,” a tale of romance and political infighting toward the dynasty’s close.

Koguryo lasted from at least 37 BC until 668 AD, when it was brought down by an alliance between Tang dynasty China and Silla, a rival Korean kingdom.

But the areas governed by the empire, spelled Goguryeo in South Korea and Gaogouli in China, lie in what today are four modern sovereign states: the two Koreas, China and Russia.

Tensions heated up about a decade ago when China launched the Northeast Project, a re-examination of the history of the country’s border areas in the region. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

Why the BNP silence on Pak resolution?

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

Nilphamari awakened - stay together

T

he BNP has been conspicuously silent in voicing its views on the controversial Pakistan parliament resolution condemning the execution of Quader Molla.

This is unacceptable. The resolution came as an affront to the nation, and apart from being offensive in the extreme was simply wrong on the facts and betrayed the depth of ignorance and denial that still exists in Pakistan about the horrors committed on the Bangladeshi people in 1971.

The statement touched a chord with the Bangladeshi people, who have been all but universal in their condemnation. It requires a strong response. It would have behooved the main opposition political party which claims the people’s mandate to have come out with a strong statement in line with the sentiments of the people.

The silence from the BNP seems to suggest at the very least that it finds the Pakistan parliament resolution inoffensive and unworthy of remark or at the worst that it agrees with the sentiments voiced.

When asked to explain the party’s official silence, BNP standing committee member and spokesperson Nazrul Islam Khan made the unconvincing argument that it was because it is a matter for the government as part of its responsibility to manage diplomatic relations.

This is not good enough. We believe that public concern about the Molla resolution is a simple issue of national sovereignty and that the BNP would benefit from taking a clear stance on the resolution rather than ducking the question.

Khaleda Zia is holding a press conference on Tuesday evening to discuss the country’s political situation. This will provide her with a good opportunity to clarify the BNP’s position. She should use the occasion to clear up any confusion and respond to any questions that have been raised.

It would have behooved the main opposition political party to have come out with a strong statement in line with the sentiments of the people

It is now a known fact that Nilphamari is in utter despondency after the latest carnage by Jamaat-Shibir there. Awami League activists Khorshed, Farhad, Murad, Lebu, pedestrian Abu Bakar Siddique – all these people have laid down their lives in the heinous attack of Jamaat-Shibir. Several other people were injured and are moaning in severe death-pang in Rangpur Medical College and Nilphamari Sadar Hospital. Some of them have become impaired forever due to injuries.

Any conscious person will shudder to know the horrifying attacks by the miscreants on the people of the Hindu community in Palashbari and Laxmichap as well as on the Awami League activists in the dark of the night. The dissidents looted their belongings, blazed their houses and so on. They stabbed political activists and supporters of Awami League with sharp blades and Chinese hatchets.

The women of that area had to hide themselves in the jungles, passing sleepless nights amidst the freezing cold, just to save their honour. The men fled away from their houses. All these remind us of the atrocity of ’71.

Life goes on. People rise up and turn around from debris. So do the people of Nilphamari. Now the question remains, how will the families of the departed souls survive? How can those people, who have become homeless in this massacre, manage to have a shade over their heads? How will they earn their livelihood? How to ensure long-term proper treatment of the injured? We must face the unpleasant reality and find answers to all these questions. To support this purpose, we have initiated a fund-raising program named “Jagrato Nilphamari.”

The dwellers in Nilphamari are peace-loving and they want a nonviolent life. They want to protest the horrendous acts of Jamaat-Shibir. Today Nilphamari has risen up and stood still to fight against all barriers.

Yet another sector hurt by political crisis

V

egetable growers are yet another segment of the populace that is being seriously damaged by the on-going blockades and disruption to communications.

Seasonal growers typically operate on very low margins, particularly in the winter months, and so are hit hard if they cannot get produce to market or are having to sell it below their costs of production.

The present situation is resulting in increasing debts and income shortfalls for many growers and traders alike. Consumers are also impacted by glaring disparities in prices and supply.

Disruptions to transportation and markets urgently need to end in order to alleviate the hardship being caused to vegetable growers and sellers.

This is merely the latest in a long list of sectors to have been hit hard by the current crisis. The economic marginality of the small producers and traders, together with the fact that the winter is traditionally a lean season, means that many are on the brink of catastrophe.

The government should make no bones about taking whatever effective protective and preventive steps are necessary to ensure that growers can bring their produce to market and that markets are not disrupted.

In the medium-term, measures to develop alternative supply chains and routes may help provide a better protective buffer to future disruptions. Longer term efforts to improve preservation or facilitate sales of surpluses better also need to be implemented to increase the efficiency of the market. Transport, distribution and storage between producers, retailers and consumers can all be co-ordinated better to improve the functioning of the market.

But in the short-term, and as an immediate step, it is essential to ensure the security necessary so that vegetable growers and traders can earn their living and feed their families.

Sajol Ray Come on, hurry up. Decide to deploy them already.

Mahmid Abdullah A welcome move.

Shafikul Islam Liton No, it’s bad for democracy!!

Tk 50 lakh bribe: Railway SP gets 35-years jail

Faisal Mohammed Hossain That is because of the elections and our politics!

Asaduzzaman Noor Member of Parliament Nilphamari - 2

An excellent and timely editorial condemning Pakistan’s brazen interference in the internal matter of sovereign Bangladesh. Thanks to Mr Abdul Sattar Bachani of PPP for maintaining a sensible posture on the issue.

WaliulHaqueKhondker

Imran Sajol LOL!! Wait a minute, I don’t understand. You are saying that it took the deaths of almost half a thousand people for the army to come to take this decision?

Abdul Moonim Biswas But justice has come after such a long time.

JAGRATO NILPHAMARI A/C # 017312100041907 Mercantile Bank Limited Nilphamari Branch.

December 18

December 19

December 20

This is our earnest request to all of you to extend your hands to help the affected people of Nilphamari. Send your contribution to:

How dare they?

‘Decision on army deployment Friday’

They should be freed

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

December 21 The report, “48 birds freed in Rajshahi,” has drawn my attention. The Rajshahi Wildlife Management and Nature Preservation Department freed these different types of native birds. Now they are no longer caged.

Around 100,000 prostitutes have been living in brothels across the country and around 30,000 of them are children. They live there as prisoners in inhuman conditions; many of them try to escape, but eventually fail. Every day, many innocent girls become trapped and are forced to work as sex workers. We urge the authorities concerned to free these girls so that they too can live freely.

Mawduda Hasnin Rajshahi

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Disruptions urgently need to end in order to alleviate the hardship being caused to vegetable growers and sellers

CROSSWORD

PEANUTS

SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Destiny (4) 4 Of the sun (5) 9 Frozen treat (3) 11 Sport (4) 12 Play for time (5) 13 Greek letter (4) 14 Minute particle (4) 15 Build (5) 19 Zodiac sign (5) 21 Fasting period (4) 25 Leave out (4) 26 Sends out (5) 28 Charge (4) 29 Faucet (3) 30 Woody plants (5) 31 Refuse to admit (4)

DOWN 1 Clenched hand (4) 2 Perform (3) 3 Tantalise (5) 5 Narcotic (6) 6 Plunder (4) 7 Singing voice (4) 8 Wanders (5) 10 Young eel (5) 16 Disconcert (6) 17 Apple drink (5) 18 High up (5) 20 Venomous ill will (5) 22 Eastern ruler (4) 23 African river (4) 24 Catch sight of (4) 27 Make brown (3)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

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

Code-Cracker

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

An open letter to US senators n Sabbir Ahmed

H

A difficult road ahead

BIGSTOCK

I stand accused n Ikhtisad Ahmed

T

his is supposed to be an eloquent discourse on politics, articulated professionally in the third person, and attempting profundity. Indeed, for a country that has come apart at the seams and descended into the worst nightmare that saints can imagine, the best dream that sinners can conjure, that defies all sense by plummeting further, Bangladesh has more than its fair share of intellectuals, pseudointellectuals, quasi-intellectuals and false prophets.

Everyone, regardless of class or creed, seems certain that he or she knows about politics, and in a mad dash to the top – for the political sphere is our latter-day Olympus – is desperate to be relevant by having a say about politics and the state of affairs. Talk-shows on television and radio, podcasts, social media, and traditional media are in a constant frenzy with such enlightened beings salivating at the prospect of preaching about the ills of our motherland. I apologise for being unable to partake in this charade.

That apology is superseded only by another deeply sorrowful one for having commented on politics on these pages in the past, subtly, cautiously, learnedly shedding light on a country forever teetering on the brink of becoming a failed state.

My accusations and defences, discussions about ideology and precedence, thrusts and parries have made me complicit in this travesty.

Today I stand accused. This repentant Bangladeshi is taking responsibility for failing his country, and begging, pleading, imploring, for another chance so that he may perform penance for the rest of his days.

streets on a daily basis. They are ill, they are starving, they are burning, being beaten, broken, taken apart.

I refuse to be desensitised to the point where that is acceptable, where that is normal. I refuse not to feel anything because it has not happened to my friend, my family or me, yet. I refuse to stand by, watch it happen, and talk about it as if that is

No rhetoric, no polemic, no words should mask the fact that there are people dying on our streets on a daily basis

I dearly hope that that may be enough, only just enough, to make amends. Should it not be, I shall be joining my countrymen and the land we call ours and pretend to hold so dear in hell. If there is any justice, my fellow meaningless commentators, well-versed in the art of deception, practising their skills by making predictions, talking strategy, regurgitating the most basic information in the shiny packaging of something insightful, will have the best seats in the house.

No rhetoric, no polemic, no words should mask, should even lessen, the fact that there are people dying on our

the right thing to do, as if that makes everything right. I refuse to indulge in self-congratulatory, self-aggrandising, self-promoting empty words that do nothing to put an end to repeatedly breaking promises and defeating the founding principles of Bangladesh.

Our country has been falling apart for 42 years. This fact is highlighted every time a general election comes around. There is uproar, there is feigned shock at the disgrace, then there is a restoration of the status quo, a rerun. No one side, no one party, no one leader can lay any credible claim to doing anything other than holding on to power or gaining power at any

cost, to caring about the country, to putting Bangladesh and its people first.

I am helpless to stop that, for I am an insignificant, inadequate, worthless citizen. My rights may have been taken away, my spirit may have been broken, but I refuse to give up my humanity. I need to fathom the depths of depravity we, as a nation, have plunged to, and I need to keep myself from losing my mind when faced with the fact that I have had a hand in it.

That should be enough to force me out of this comfortable catatonic state we have all assumed.

While I realise that it would be far easier to play along as I have done in the past, I acknowledge that that has only served to make matters worse.

My cries are a prayer, if it is allowed, if it is heard, to every single Bangladeshi at home and abroad, in high office and in the fields, entrepreneurial and professional princes seated on thrones overlooking their fiefdoms and penniless on the streets, from an accused soul, to stop this madness, once and for all.

Stop failing Bangladesh, allowing it to die a slow, painful death, and start performing penance. The road ahead is the most difficult, but it needs to be travelled if we are to give our motherland some dignity, some integrity. l Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer. He can be contacted on Twitter via @Ikhtisad

onourable senators, The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations resolution S.Res.318 that was introduced to the senate on December 18 has drawn Bangladeshi citizens’ attention. We observed that key concerns of the committee are: Political violence, the arrest of opposition leaders and human rights activists, the standard of the International Crime Tribunal (ICT), democratic processes, and the impact of the current political crisis on regional and international security.

Since February, Bangladesh has been experiencing an unprecedented level of violence in the name of demanding reinstallation of the caretaker government and release of criminals who committed crimes against humanity during our liberation war.

During the week of December 8, UN Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco visited Bangladesh and brought two major political parties, the Awami League (AL) and the BNP, to a discussion table.

In the discussion, the opposition’s main demand for the reinstallation of the caretaker government system was not in the agenda. Meaning, both the parties accepted that a free and fair election was possible under a political government.

The violence is being committed mainly by an anti-liberation force, Jamaat-e Islami, who are a radical Islamist political party banned in Bangladesh from doing politics. A few months back, Jamaat was declared a terrorist political organisation by the ICT, and banned from taking part in elections by the Supreme Court.

Some 895 opposition political leaders were arrested against specific charges relating to massive violence that took 120 lives, injured 385 people and 293 police, torched 479 and vandalised 392 vehicles and blasted 1,617 crude bombs between November 25 and December 18.

International media, human rights organisations, and the resolution S.Res.318 all are saying that the ICT is falling short of international standards, but nobody says what those international standards are. The ICT allows appeals against its verdict to the regular Supreme Court.

If you compare the ICT process with that of the famous Nuremburg Trial, you will find that the ICT is more humane. Stephen Rapp, US ambassador-at-large, visited the ICT in May and expressed satisfaction over the trial of the four war crimes criminals.

Jamaat has been orchestrating violence to destabilise the government and the country’s democratic process, and foil the trials. Jamaat is depicting the trial as a process for eliminating opposition by the government. This version has gained some acceptance from both local supporters and international communities. We cannot perceive how the international community can believe their propaganda.

In the veil of protesting the ICT and its verdicts, Jamaat is organising local

and international Islamist terrorist groups to convert Bangladesh into an Islamic republic. They named their cherished country “Banglastan” and showed their dream flag on March 26 in an Independence Day rally. Possible usage of international terrorist groups (that have already showed their support in Bangladesh) will not only ruin the country, but will also destabilise regional and international security mechanisms.

We, common Bangladeshi liberal and progressive citizens, perceive that the international media, human rights organisations, and some foreign governments are echoing Jamaat, which wants to impose a totalitarian form of Islam on everyone.

International media says that the ICT is falling short of international standards, but not what those are In one article published in American Thinker, the author said Jamaat had employed US lobbying firm Cassidy & Associates, and has been conducting a publicity campaign in Europe and the US to get one of the accused war criminals facing trials released from jail. Earlier, our law minister told the public that Jamaat engaged a Washington-based lobbying firm for the campaign for $30m.

Progressive Bangladeshis are seeing the impact of millions of dollars worth international campaigns favouring criminals who committed heinous war crimes in collaboration with the Pakistani occupation army in 1971.

This week, Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said there was no doubt that Abdul Quader Molla was hanged in Bangladesh because of his loyalty and solidarity with Pakistan in 1971.

The trials of war criminals is a long pending issue that burns in the hearts of family members of countless martyrs, rape victims and the nation as a whole since 1971. The ruling party AL included the demand for the trial in its election manifesto of 2008. People responded with enthusiasm.

AL was voted in to power with more than three fourth majorities, and installed the ICT. The world saw millions of people gathering at Shahbagh, demanding the trial of war criminals.

We believe that the completion of the trials and the uprooting of terrorists from Bangladesh will bring stable democracy and sustainable secularism that most Bangladeshi people are pursuing. Bangladesh possesses thousands of years of secular heritage, and does not belong to extremists.

We expect that the US Senate would understand Bangladeshi politics from a liberal and progressive perspective, and take decisions accordingly. l

Sabbir Ahmed is a freelance contributor.

It’s time to talk peace n Mohammad Ali Sattar

I

t is with a deep sense of grief and despair that we watch the unremitting decay of the social, economic, and political situation of the country. Over the past week we have been a wretched bunch of wounded onlookers of this senseless drama.

As though the conflagration of the conflict was not enough, we are being subjected to stunning and frustrating acts and deeds, mainly by the political players.

Amidst the soaring amusement of the Jatiya Party joining or shunning the upcoming polls, we have yet one more party born. This time it is the veteran Kazi Zafar Ahmed revolting against HM Ershad, forming his bloc of Jatiya Party.

We haven’t had a splitting of parties for some time now, so thought the political pundits. They opine that now is the time for all parties to stand united and cement their internal bond, and look for trusted partners to be allied with. Kazi Zafar thought the 18-party alliance was suitable for him.

After the series of melodrama, the Ershad faction of JP has decided to participate in the upcoming polls, but without its chairman in the fray. So, Ershad kept his pledge not to partic-

ipate. It doesn’t matter to the ruling party, as long as JP is in the race to make the elections look good.

Face-saving for both, Ershad will console himself by being uncompromising (!) while his party will serve the ruling party alliance as its loyal partner.

BNP and allies have not budged from their position, and it is improbable that further peace efforts will be in the offing. Even half-hearted efforts of a few from both sides have finally gone down the drain.

We have entered yet another episode of troubled times

The ruling party is self-assuredly over with the 10th parliamentary polls. If any negotiations are considered, it will be relating the (11th) polls that are now five years away!

By all indications, we are bracing for another political party emerging:

Hefazat-e-Islam. So far, it has taken a firm stand on various issues. The last rally held in May this year was initially taken in good grace by all, but later things turned nasty. We have had various versions of the rally, and its eventual dispersement.

After taking extensive time off, the Hefazat members are coming out to hold a rally on the 24th of December in the capital to place their 13-point demand.

Our qualms have not only put the nation in extremely aggravating conditions, in the process, we have allowed others to ridicule Bangladesh politics, targeting the government and the opposition alike.

Adding fuel to the fire, Pakistan comes up with a controversial move in its parliament by placing a resolution condemning the death penalty handed to Abdul Quader Molla.

The members of parliament, including the interior minister and a few prominent figures, have come out with strong condemnation of the sentence to Molla by our International Crimes Tribunal. This move was inspired by the recent developments in Bangladesh and the role of the countries that expressed their opinions about our ongoing political wrangling.

If the US, the EU and the UN have shown their interest in our political

situations, they have been maintaining a degree of diplomatic norms. They showed their intent for a peaceful resolution to the current political deadlock. Regarding Quader Molla’s capital punishment, some of them did ask the government to reconsider the decision. But Pakistan went a step further by taking things to such a place, that now the relation between Bangladesh and Pakistan is on the rocks.

Following the nationwide uproar against the Pakistani move, we have entered yet another episode of troubled times. We have tension in the streets in the shape of agitation, and violent protest by various groups. So we have another issue at hand which the nation ought to handle collectively and in a mature manner.

I believe the issue of Jamaat being a Pakistan-friendly party with its links in that country should have been binned by us. Simply because we should let the world know that we really don’t care what they think.

To me, this move is only an expression of the lifelong frustration and angst that Pakistan harbours in its bleeding heart. The country still licks its wounds of defeat in 1971, and cannot forget the nightmarish memories of humiliation of December 16, 1971.

It is time that we read the pulse of the nation, and realise pains of the

people who are suffering like those homeless wandering refugees spread round the globe.

Look at our own people. They don’t feel safe inside the four walls of their homes, losing work, plunged in uncertainties, losing hope every second. The schools are shut, workplaces almost deserted, small traders and big businesses going red, things have almost come to a grinding halt.

It is time that we read the pulse of the nation, and realise pains of the people who are suffering like those homeless wandering refugees

Now is the time to abandon political maneuverings, scratch out all agendas, and talk about peace and only peace.

Nothing deserves priority over establishing peace in the society if we want to save the people and the country.

Remember, God helps those who help themselves. l Mohammad Ali Sattar is a journalist, political analyst, and DT columnist.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Japan through the lens of Monzurul Huq

n Shadma Maik Japan based journalist Monzurul Huq’s exhibition titled The Eternal Japan is on at the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, till December 25.

Monzurul discovered the joys of capturing reality through lens, when he was pursuing his two MAs in Moscow.

Around one hundred thirty-three photographs are on display at the unique exhibition where the photographer has tried to show Japan the way he perceives it. Monzurul has spent over two decades in Japan and explored the fascinating life, tradition, nature and beauty of the country. He travelled to the remote areas of the country and captured many images that engaged his attention.

The images taken by Monzurul reflects his interest and knowledge of Japan. The photos explain various aspects of the Japanese lifestyle. With the rich history of Japan, Monzurul has introduced the country’s contemporary time to Bangladesh.

“I have tried my best to make a blend of the two categories, photography-documentary and artistic. My attempt is to uphold the oriental aspect of the unique Japanese beau-

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Theatre troupe Shomoy goes to Kolkata n Entertainment Desk

ty. The photo Shrine and Temples- shows the sacred place of worship, but nowadays, the Japanese people use these monuments to represent their culture, rather than an actual places of worship and meditation. Also, the expressions and the natural beauty of Japan dominates my photos. In another of my photo, I have captures the Majestic Mount Fuji standing proudly against backdrop of a clear blue sky and exposing its fascinating beauty. It was mere luck for me to capture Fuji, as the mountain remains hidden under the cover of haze or thick clouds and can hardly be seen,” expressed Monzurul.

He also added: “Japan has a unique way of honouring the dead, in most occasions, candles are frequently used by placing them in a hollow bamboo canister along with the names of the person who died.

“Many of my photos show the glorious festivity of summer, with colourful fireworks and men and women dressed up in social gatherings.”

Eminent artist Qayyum Chowdhury, Hiroyuki Minami, Minister Counsellor, Embassy of Japan in Dhaka and noted cultural activist Aly Zaker were present at the inauguration which was held on December 21. l

Popular theatre troupe Shomoy will present their plays Shesh Songlap and Bhager Manush at the 16th Ganga Jamuna Theatre Festival in Kolkata. Organised by the West Bengal’s theatre Aneek, the festival has begun on December 22 and will continue till January 3.

Shomoy is going to stage Shesh Songlap on December 27 at Kolkata Academy and Bhager Manush on December 28 at Niranjan Sadan.

Directed by Akhteruzzaman, Shomoy’s highly-praised production, Shesh Songlap is an adaptation of Egyptian playwright Towfiq Al Hakim’s well-acclaimed play Sultan’s Dilemma. Syed Jamil Ahmed and M Saiful Alam Chowdhury translated it into Bangla. The play is about a Mam-

luk sultan who at the height of his power learns that he was not born to the immediate past sultan. He was brought up as a slave child, adopted by the late sultan and raised as a prince. However, during death his foster father never freed him from his bondage. The law of the state, however, states that a slave can never rule over free men.

On the other hand, Mannan Heera has adapted Bhager Manush from a popular Urdu short story Toba Tek Singh by Saadat Hasan Manto. Here, the play satires the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 which brought immense suffering to the people living in the border areas of the two countries - India and Pakistan.

The theatre troupe will set off to Kolkata from Dhaka today along with their twenty six members. 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 Return to Eden

By Nasima Khanam Queenie Time: 10am – 8pm Alliance Francaise Dhanmondi

Film

Pacific Rim in 3D Escape Plan The Conjuring The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Star Cineplex, Level 8 Bashundhara City 13/3 Ka Panthopath Tejgaon Ki Prem Dekhaile Udhao Balaka Cineworld

Nirbikar Manush airs tonight

Digital filmmaking workshop for children n Entertainment Desk

Dhallywood’s newbie Bobby Haque will be seen in action avatar in Iftakar Chowdhury’s upcoming film Action Jasmine. Here the sizzling star is pairing up with another new heartthrob of the industry Saymon. She recently ended shooting for Rajotto featuring megastar Shakib Khan as the hero and the film’s release is postponed due to the recent political unrest in the country.

Moviyana Film Society and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy jointly organised a four month long digital film making workshop for children.

For the first time, such a workshop is going to be held for children in middle school and junior high. Students studying in class 4-9 can apply for participating in the workshop that will give them theoretical and practical knowledge of digital filmmaking. Nowadys, digital filmmaking is one of the biggest and aspiring professions for people from all walks of life.

At the end of their training, the participants will have to make a film based on the training they received throughout the learning period. Renowned filmmakers, cultural activists and actors will be the trainers at the workshop.

The workshop will start from January 20 and interested students will be able to enroll in the programme till January 11. l

n Entertainment Desk

Watch out for drama serial Nibikar Manush at 11pm tonight on ATN Bangla. Directed by Masud Mohiuddin, the drama series features celebrated actors of the small screen such as, Anisur Rahman Milon, Nazifa Jahan, Adnan Faruq Hillol, Noushin, Nazneen hasan Chumki, Humaira Himu and many more.

The drama revolves around a man named Hasan, who has an attractive personality. He was a meritorious student who had outstanding results in his SSC and HSC. But, suddenly after his graduation, he decides to quit studying and becomes a vagabond.

Because of his dynamic personality, whoever comes in contact with Hasan becomes influenced by his choice of lifestyle. His charms are not dismissed easily by the opposite gender either, for Hasan has many admirers who pursue him for marriage. The story takes a dramatic turn when he is abducted by a girl’s admirer, the individual in question kidnaps Hasan in the

belief that he is involved in an affair with the girl of his affection. The drama portrays Hasan as a reluctant and

mysterious person who has no big expectations from life and likes to take everyday as it comes. l

ON TV MOVIE 6:30pmStar Movies Independence Day

9:30pm WB

Daybreakers

DRAMA

COMEDY

NEWS

MIXED

8:30pm Star Plus

1:30pm Comedy Central Awkward

4:30pm Maasranga Tv

3:30pm AXN

Meri Bhabi

11:00pm Colors

7:30pm Z Cafe

7:00pm Desh Tv

10:30pm Vh1

BaniIshq Da Kalma

The Ellen Degeneres Show

Maasranga English News News

Top Gear

Easy Listening

Queen might bring twist to Kangna’s career n Entertainment Desk Bollywood beauty Kangna Ranaut might have failed to impress the masses as in her last film Rajjo, but it looks like she is all set to make up for the loss, in her upcoming film Queen. The first trailer of the film is out, and it has impressed the critics and audience.

From youngsters to adults – everyone has been going gaga about it on the social networking websites.

Queen is an unusual story of a Delhi girl – Rani (played by Kangna), who is all set to be married, but somehow ends up going for her honeymoon to Amsterdam and Paris all alone. That, in itself, sets a hilarious plot of the film. However, the mystery behind her husband’s (played by Rajkumar Yadav) absence during their honeymoon, is not revealed

in the trailer.

To top it Kangana Ranaut brings her comic charm to the trailer making it a cute and funny treat for the audience.

The antics of Kangana Ranaut are quite interesting with the typical West Delhi accent making the character more believable. Her attire (jeans, skirts, kurta and sweaters) add up to the character.

Here Kangana wailing, complaining, experiencing jitters before the honeymoon, and later dancing and having fun in foreign lands. The act reminds one of her film Tanu Weds Manu – another hilarious comedy.

There are, however, no other similarities between the two films. Just the way Kangana manages to look wonderfully cute and has brilliant comic timing. l

Tom Cruise settles slander case n Entertainment Desk Cruise and Bauer, which publishes two US celebrity lifestyle magazines, mutually agreed to drop the action. They agreed to pay their own costs and legal fees, according to papers filed in Los Angeles District Court.

Cruise’s lawyers said two reports “never intended” to imply abandonment. Bauer has not commented on the case. The 51-year-old’s legal representatives added that the full terms of the settlement were confidential.

They said the media company, which publishes US magazines Life and Style and InTouch Weekly, “never intended to communicate that Tom Cruise had cut off all ties and abandoned his daughter, Suri, and regret if anyone drew that inference from anything they published.”

The case was scheduled to go to trial in June over claims that Cruise was unable to be present in seven-yearold Suri’s life due to overseas filming commitments. l

Vin Diesel has announced a new release date for Fast & Furious 7, which was put on hold after co-star Paul Walker died in a car accident over Thanksgiving break. Diesel wrote on Facebook that the film would be released on April 10, 2015, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He uploaded a picture from his last scene with Paul Walker. ‘There was a unique sense of completion, of pride we shared,’ Diesel wrote, ‘in the film we were now completing.’

Did you know?

Ross Taylor’s average of 247.5 against West Indies is the highest ever in a Test series (5+ innings)

Sport

13

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

DHAKA TRIBUNE

14 Ancelotti confident of success in 2014

15 Debate rages on drawn Test

0 8 2 DAYS TO GO

BFF to evaluate its coaches n Raihan Mahmood

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has formed two committees to finalise the names of its AFC funded coaches list yesterday.

With just one week time left for BFF to finalise the names, the federation picked its technical director Bayezid Alam Jobayer Nipu, along with Saiful Bari Titu and AKM Maruful Haque to evaluate the performances of the 19 existing coaches.

To monitor the proceedings, another committee was also formed with vice president and the chairman of the Development Committee Badal Roy as chief, along with fellow members of the committee Hasanuzzman Khan Bablu, Satyajit Das Rupu and Iliyas Hossain.

BFF appointed Saiful Bari Titu as the assistant coach as well as the others to ensure proper implementation of its development plans. l

Fahad defeats Vietnamese opponent

n Tribune Desk

MUMIT M

Bangladesh Fide Master Fahad Rahman beat Ngo Duc Tri of Vietnam in the 6th round of the under 10 open classic section in the World Youth Chess Championship at Al-Ain, UAE on Sunday. With the win Fahad earned 5 points and was positioned 9th among the 200+ participants.

Fahad was scheduled to play Saberi Mahan in the 7th round on Monday night. l

Despite not securing any sponsors, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is set to kick off the next edition of Bangladesh Premier League from Friday.

The decision taken in the previous meeting of the Professional League Committee was reaffirmed in the meeting that was held at the BFF House yesterday. BFF also altered their previous plans of three match days due to the existing political turmoil in the country.

Instead of two matches per day, there will be one match per day in the five match days in a week and all the matches will be held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Considering the political climate, the BFF has decided to consider holding some games at the Gazipur and Manikganj but the decision has not yet been finalised.

A matter that remains to be resolved is sponsorship for the tournament.

Walton, the leading conglomerate of

the country, may arrive as saviors by sponsoring the event but the BFF has been struggling to fix a sponsor for the sole professional league in the country for the last few months and the existing political turmoil has pushed them onto the back-foot. Walton, who sponsored the recently concluded Federation Cup, discussed options with the federation at the BFF yesterday. “The discussion will be continued, it not final yet but Walton has the intention of being the sponsors of the BPL. The issue will be settled shortly,” said F.M. Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, the additional director of Walton.

Abdus Salam Murshedy, the senior vice president of BFF and the chairman of the Professional League Committee, said they are confident of finishing the calendar by June.

“We will hold the Independence Cup and it will take 15 days to wrap the tournament up. Otherwise, the league will be a continuing process and we want to finish the league and the Super Cup before the World Cup (of football) starts,” said Murshedy. l

Abahani players, along with their officials and supporters, pose for a photo after winning the Victory Day Hockey at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday

Planning worked for Sky Blues n

Raihan Mahmood

Reluctant approach from Abahani’s coach former national star Jumman Lusai made the press flock to advisory coach of the team Mahbub Harun after the final of the Victory Day Hockey tournament yesterday. Harun was realistic and humble as usual and was happy to see his players implement their plans.

“As the Army team was physically strong our major plan was to score off the penalty corners and mix long and short balls. I am happy with the result, but I think we should have finished some attacks into strikes,” said Harun at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Meanwhile, his counterpart Jamal Haider said, “We gradually lost the grip after a good start, the second goal was not justified as it hit Mimo’s leg before it was pushed to the goal, and we also missed our two best players due to injury. Among them Sabbir Rana, the national midfielders’ injury was crucial.” l

Abahani trounce Army BPL kicks off on Friday to lift V-Day hockey n Raihan Mahmood

n Raihan Mahmood Abahani outplayed Bangladesh Army 7-1 in the final to lift the Walton Smartphone Victory Day Hockey title at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

It was the victory of tactics and techniques over the physical fitness and hit and run hockey as the Army men fought neck to neck in the initial minutes before fading away gradually.

Abahani proved the superiority in the final with their thinking game and the variations of converting the penalty corner which in the end made all the difference. Army, who routed Usha 5-2 in the semis, lost the fighting spirit in the finishing stages as the rampaging Sky Blue forwards struck three goals in as many minutes to put the icing on the cake.

Overall Abahani earned seven penalty corners and converted three despite having three different sets of penalty corner converting units. Army on the other hand could not make use of any of the three penalty corners they received.

Abahani came close to take the lead in the 10th minute, but skipper Niloy failed to push the ball past the goal line after Pushkor Khisha Mimo’s hit rebounded off the pad of Army goalkeeper Sadekur Rahman.

However, penalty corner specialist Ashraful Islam drilled a low hit in the 21st minute to take the lead before Mimo doubled the margin in the 31st minute. Ashraful scored his second seven minutes later as Abahani went to the breather with the game already in their bag.

However, Army’s Milon Hossain re-

All square at Amber Victory Day T20 n Minhaz Uddin Khan Abahani Limited cruised to a 77 run win over arch rivals Abahani Limited in a highly anticipated fixture on the second day of the Amber Victory Day Twenty20 tournament at Sylhet Divisional Stadium yesterday, while Prime Bank Cricket Club defeated UCB BCB XI later in the day.

Mohammedan SC v Abahani Ltd Abahani Limited bounced back from losing their first game of the tournament with a resounding 77 run win over Mohammedan.

Abahani were sent in to bat after losing the toss and began shakily as both openers – Mehedi Maruf (0) and Aftab Ahmed (4) – were dismissed cheaply. The Dhanmondi based club fought back through a 70 run stand for the third wicket between Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim. Soumya scored 37 off 33 balls before he was caught behind off Sajedul Islam, while skipper Mushfiqur, who made a duck in the first game, went on to slam a 38ball 59 (eight fours, one six). Abahani’s innings was made all the more formidable when the hard hitting Ziaur Rahman smashed 24 off 11 balls towards the end (three sixes), to see the side to a total of 172/8.

Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Dewan Sabbir and Sajedul claimed two wickets each for Mohammedan.

In reply, Mohammedan were tormented by Abahani’s tight attack to the tune of being bowled out for just 92 in 14.2 overs.

BRIEF SCORE Abahani v MSC

Abahani: 172/8 in 20 overs (Mushfiqur 59, Soumya 37, Mashrafe 2/17) MSC: 95/10 in 14.2 overs (Shahriar 34, Sohrawardi 2/9, Forhard 2/9) Abahani Ltd won by 77 runs Prime Bank CC v UCB BCB XI UCB BCB: 123/8 in 20 overs (Marshal 40, Rony 34, Shahadat 3/20) Prime Bank: 124/3 in 17.2 overs (Sabbir 50*, Shakib 33, Delwar 2/27) The openers and the one-down batsmen all failed to reach double figures before number four Shahriar Nafees steadied the innings with a 27-ball 34.

However, with the rest of the side unable to contribute significantly, Mohammedan were left with no hope, despite skipper Mashrafe striking 16 off 8 balls towards the end.

Shuvashish Roy, Forhad Reza, Nabil Samad and Sohrawardi Shuvo all claimed two wickets for the bowling side, to go along with Mahmudullah and Ziaur Rahman one wicket contributions.

Prime Bank CC v UCB BCB XI

Sabbir Rumman’s unbeaten half century drove Prime Bank as they clinched their first win of the tournament by defeating UCB BCB XI by seven wickets.

Chasing 124, Prime Bank lost opening batsman Saykat Ali (2) in the second over. Nonetheless, Prime Bank continued on undeterred as opener Anamul Haque and Sabbir took charge in putting on 32 for the second wicket.

Anamul eventually fell for 24 from 23 balls (two fours, one six), but skipper Shakib al Hasan came in to smash 33 from 25 balls (two fours, two sixes).

After the 15th over, Prime Bank were well poised at 108/3 and Anamul saw his side home in the 18th over alongside Liton Kumar. Sabbir finished 50 not out off 41 balls (six fours, one six).

Delwar Hossain picked up two wickets for UCB BCB XI. Earlier, UCB BCB XI were in early trouble after losing opening batsman Imrul Kayes, who was run out without facing a ball. Skipper Tamim Iqbal was sluggish in making five from 11 balls but Rony Talukder made 34 runs, Marshal Ayub struck 40 off 30 balls (three fours, two sixes) and Naeem Islam was ultimately left unbeaten on 32 from 38 balls to guide the batting side to a total of 123.

Shahadat Hossain claimed three wickets for Prime Bank and he was supported by Taijul Islam who claimed two victims. l

duced the margin in the 45th minute, but it took just a minute for Abahani to restore the three-goal lead as Khorshedur Rahman’s fierce strike on a penalty corner ended on the inside roof of the net. The pressure piled up on the Army men as they eventually lost concentration and paid heavily in three consecutive minutes from 65 to 67. Nannu, Mimo and Niloy scored from three quick counter attacks to kill the game.

Ashraful Islam was adjudged as the player of the tournament while Abdul Malek finished as the highest scorer with nine goals.

ATN Bangla chairman Mahfuzur Rahman distributed the prizes as the chef guest. FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, the additional director of Walton, and Bangladesh Hockey Federation general secretary Khwaja Rahmatullah were also present on the occasion. l

Taekwondo training at Shaheed Anwar Girls College n Raihan Mahmood A total of 165 students of Shaheed Bir Uttam Lt Anwar Girls College have been undergoing an extensive taekwondo training program at the college auditorium. In connection with the program Bangladesh Taekwondo Federation organised a seminar on Sunday.

The Taekwondo Federation has taken a special program of arranging training programs in the different educational institutes across the Dhaka Cantonment. The federation

also hosted a certificate awarding ceremony for the trainees of Dhaka Cantonment Public School and College where Major General Mizanur Rahman, the Chief Patron of the school distributed the certificates and the special costume of taekwondo among 20 top performers. Brig.

Gen. Mushfiqur Rahman the director education Bangladesh Army, Col. Md. Zahidur Rahman, the principal of Shahid Bir Uttam Lt. Anwar Girls College, Mahmudul Islam Rana, the general secretary of BTF were also present on the occasion. l

Major General Mizanur Rahman hands over a certificate to a taekwondo trainee at Shaheed Bir Uttam Lt Anwar Girls College yesterday COURTESY

Brazil’s TAM to overhaul 40% of flights for World Cup n AFP, Rio de janeiro Brazil’s main airline TAM has asked the National Civil Aviation Agency for permission to reschedule 40 percent of its traffic during next year’s World Cup in order to focus on host cities.

This will represent “a major change in just a month” but there will be no additional flights during the event, which kicks off June 12, TAM President Claudia Sender told the daily Folha de Sao Paulo.

TAM operates 800 daily flights with a fleet of 120 aircraft out of 42 airports across Brazil. It wants to increase daily flights to the northeastern city of Fortaleza from 28 to 32 and those to Cuiaba, capital of central Mato Grosso state, from five to 11. Fortaleza and Cuiaba are two of the 12 host cities for the first World Cup to be held in Brazil since 1950.

Latin America’s economic giant hopes to welcome 600,000 foreign visitors during the tournament, which is also expected to draw three million Brazilians.

There is no real alternative to air travel in this continent-sized country of 200 million people, where airports are often congested and in urgent need of an upgrade. There is also a shortage of domestic routes.

Sender said TAM will not gain much financially from the traffic overhaul and will have to invest more during the tournament to recruit and train more staff. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

'Rooney on the verge of legendary status at United' n Reuters

AC Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati (L) reacts after Inter Milan's Rodrigo Palacio (8) shoot to score during their Italian Serie A match at San Siro stadium in Milan on Sunday

Xabi Alonso has perforated eardrum n AFP, Madrid Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso suffered a perforated left eardrum when he took a knock in Sunday’s game against Valencia, the club said Monday.

“After undergoing medical tests it has been found that Xabi Alonso has a perforated left eardrum as a result of a blow received in the match against Valencia,” said a club medical report released online.

Real Madrid gave no details on Alonso’s outlook beyond the fact it depended on the player’s progress.

Perforated eardrums usually heal on their own within two months but surgery is sometimes performed in severe cases.

Alonso was elbowed by Valencia’s French player Jeremy Mathieu in the 58th minute of Sunday’s match, which Madrid won 2-3. It was Real’s last game before the Christmas break.

The player alerted club doctors when the pain in his left ear did not ease after the end of the game, and he had to return to Madrid by car instead of taking the plane due to the injury, Spain’s press said. l

Palacio class wins derby for Inter n Reuters, Rome A brilliant back-heel finish from Rodrigo Palacio with four minutes left gave Inter the derby spoils with a 1-0 win over AC Milan in Serie A on Sunday.

Palacio’s 10th goal of the season, which came when he met a Fredy Guarin cross from the right with a delicate touch that left Milan keeper Christian Abbiati standing, lifted Inter to fifth place on 31 points.

“For me it’s my most important ever goal in the most important derby in the world and I’m very happy both for me and the team,” the Argentine striker told reporters.

Milan’s defeat meant they have only won one league game in two months and are languishing in 13th place on 19 points, only five away from the relegation zone, after a poor

performance in which Sulley Muntari was sent off in stoppage-time following a late scuffle.

“I couldn’t celebrate too much after the goal because often when we take the lead we give away an equaliser straight away, like we did with Juventus,” said Inter boss Walter Mazzari following his first derby win.

“We risked it again tonight and the way we played the second half it would’ve been a real shame.

“In the first half we suffered but we gave ourselves a good shake in the changing-room at half time and in the second period we played as we know how.”

The victory could have been easier had Inter been given a penalty five minutes before the break when Palacio was clearly brought down by Cristian Zapata’s clumsy challenge.

“We can’t count on getting penalties as we saw today. It was a clear stone-

wall penalty,” added Mazzari.

Struggling Milan played with passion but little quality, even though they should have taken the lead when Andrea Poli skied his shot after Samir Handanovic flapped at a 29th minute corner.

A subdued Mario Balotelli forced a smart save from Handanovic in the second half with a curling strike but they created little else and ended 2013 in the most miserable fashion.

“For an hour I think we played well,” said their visibly irritated coach Massimiliano Allegri.

“I don’t think Milan have been able to play a full starting 11 in six months.

In 26 matches Abate and De Sciglio haven’t once played together.

“We played with 10 men for 80 minutes with Ajax, then played well against Roma, and then tonight the team did very well, but in the last 20 minutes we paid for that.” l

REUTERS

Lille battle PSG to capital draw as Marseille come back again n AFP, Paris

RESULTS

Ligue 1 leaders Paris SaintGermain were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Lille on Sunday after a late own goal handed Laurent Blanc’s side a deserved draw at the Parc des Princes.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic took his league leading tally to 15 goals from 19 matches with a deflected free-kick on 36 minutes that left Lille’s Nigerian ‘keeper Vincent Enyeama stranded to put the home side in front.

However a lapse of concentration on the stroke of half-time led to the Lille equaliser.

A teasing cross from the right ran into the path of Lille skipper Rio Mavuba who slotted the ball past PSG’s Italian ‘keeper Salvatore Sirigu as the teams went in at the interval on level terms.

Ivory Coast international Salomon Kalou then stunned the capital club when he cooly slotted home his 53rdminute penalty after a foul by PSG leftback Lucas Digne just inside the box.

However a botched clearance from a

PSG

2-2

Marseille

2-2

Lorient

2-2

Real maintain chase of Barca n AFP, Madrid

Real Madrid shrugged off the loss of the injured Gareth Bale as they beat Valencia 3-2 on Sunday to move back to within five points of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga.

Bale’s replacement Angel di Maria put Madrid in front with a fine left-footed drive on 28 minutes, but Pablo Piatti headed home an equaliser for the hosts six minutes later.

Cristiano Ronaldo then headed home Di Maria’s free-kick to put Madrid back in front five minutes before half-time, only for Valencia to level once more when Jeremy Mathieu met Dani Parejo’s corner.

However, Madrid were not to be denied as substitute Jese Rodriguez

Fellaini faces long Man Utd absence n Reuters, Manchester Manchester United’s big-money signing Marouane Fellaini faces several weeks on the sidelines after having an operation on his wrist.

The club told Reuters yesterday that Fellaini had undergone surgery and said that manager David Moyes would provide more details on his anticipated return to competitive action at a news conference later in the day.

The injury means the mop-haired Belgium midfielder could miss both legs of United’s Champions League last-16 clash with Olympiakos Piraeus in February and March. l

RESULTS Athletic Bilbao

2-1

Rayo Vallecano

Valencia

2-3

Real Madrid

Celta Vigo

1-1

San Jose 33, Mikel Rico 66 Piatti 34, Mathieu 62 Jese 82 Fernandez 34

Bueno 61

Di Maria 28, Ronaldo 40,

Osasuna

Armenteros 17

grabbed the winner with a low drive that beat Vicente Guaita at his near post 10 minutes from time to condemn Nico Estevez to defeat in his first league game in temporary charge of Valencia.

With Bale sidelined for a second consecutive game by a calf injury, Di Maria made his presence felt in style as he controlled Marcelo’s cross-field pass before firing past Guaita into the far corner.

Valencia, buoyed by the news earlier in the day that Singaporean business-

man Peter Lim may be on the verge of taking over the club, responded almost immediately as the diminutive Piatti found space inside the area to head home Juan Bernat’s cross.

Madrid were back in front six minutes later in somewhat controversial circumstances as Ronaldo’s goal was allowed to stand despite the Portuguese appearing to be slightly offside as Di Maria delivered a free-kick from wide on the right.

The hosts were level once again, though, just after the hour mark when Mathieu outjumped Sergio Ramos to flick home Parejo’s corner.

However, Madrid found the goal they desperately needed to keep their title hopes alive as Luka Modric picked out Jese inside the area and his fiercely driven effort slipped through the grasp of Guaita. l

Schalke 04 confirmed on Sunday that coach Jens Keller will remain in charge of the Royal Blues going into 2014, despite a string of erratic results.

“All topics have been discussed constructively and openly with a clear analysis of what must be improved,” said the club in a statement.

“All this Jens Keller and his coaching team will work on when the preparations for the second part of the season begin on January 3.”

The 43-year-old Keller was forced to watch Saturday’s goalless draw at Nuremberg on television at home after suffering with a stomach virus.

The result left Schalke seventh in the table -- 16 points behind leaders Bayern Munich -- after suffering five league defeats in the first half of the season.

Although Keller has earned a reprieve from Schalke’s advisory board, only improved results after the winter break, which started Sunday, will safeguard his future.

Although they have already been knocked out of the German Cup, Schalke have reached the last 16 of the Champions League where they will meet Real Madrid. Having taken charge in December 2012, the 43-yearold Keller has fallen some way short of the club’s pre-season target of challenging for the league title. l

Ibrahimovic 36, Basa 72-og Romao 73, Gignac 74 Aboubakar 59, A. Traore 90+3

Lille

Mavuba 44, Kalou 53-pen

Bordeaux

Jussie 34, aurice-Belay 66

Lyon

Grenier 21, B. Gomis 49

PSG corner with 18 minutes left forced Marko Basa to steer the ball into his own goal to hand Blanc’s men a point which pushes them three points clear of Monaco with Lille a further point back in third.

“I am disappointed with the result but Lille, and before them Monaco, put in fine performances at the Parc des Princes,” said Blanc.

“But I have seen the statistics and PSG did not deserve to lose.”

Lille coach Rene Girard added: “It’s a bit of a shame but they pushed really hard in the second half although we proved we’re not in this position by luck.”

“For us, this is like a victory.” l

Ancelotti confident of success in 2014 n AFP, Madrid

Schalke keep Keller for 2014 n AFP, Berlin

Manchester United manager David Moyes has suffered a stuttering start to life at Old Trafford but it could have been far worse for the Scot if he had failed to retain the services of striker Wayne Rooney.

The England forward was again the central figure as United brushed aside relegation-threatened West Ham United 3-1 at home on Saturday, dropping deep to act as the fulcrum for the side and bursting forward to provide two assists.

Rooney had been coveted by English Premier League rivals Chelsea prior to the close of the transfer window in September after he admitted to his frustrations at being played in midfield by former boss Alex Ferguson last season.

Moyes, though, managed to repel Chelsea’s advances and keep Rooney, whose form has been a big boost in the ongoing absence of senior players Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Robin van Persie and midfield pivot Michael Carrick.

“Do you know what I see more than anything in Wayne? I see leadership. I see somebody who wants to take responsibility for the team,” Moyes was quoted as saying by British media. “I see somebody who cares for how he plays and how the team plays. More than anything, that is what I see from Wayne.

“He is getting to an age now where he realises he is not a boy any more. He is one of the senior men in the team. He is actually on the verge of being one of the great legends at this club.” l

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his goal during the Spanish league match against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia on Sunday AFP

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted his side are still very much in the La Liga title race as they moved back to within five points of leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid with a 3-2 win away to Valencia on Sunday.

Valencia put up a strong fight as they levelled twice through Pablo Piatti and Jeremy Mathieu to cancel out efforts from Angel di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, Jese Rodriguez struck the all-important winner 10 minutes from time to keep Madrid within sight of the leaders.

“Five points is not a small gap, but we had a lot of pressure before this game when we were eight points back so it is a very important win.

“I am satisfied with how the firsthalf of the season has gone and I am very excited for 2014. The team has character, quality and fights until the end.

“At the moment the table speaks for itself. Barca and Atletico are doing very well and have a five-point lead, but I am very excited for the second part of the season. It could be a very good year for Real Madrid.”

It was a particularly good evening for Di Maria as he made his claim for a regular starting spot in the absence of the injured Gareth Bale with the opening goal and an assist for Ronaldo’s headed second just before half-time.

The Argentine international has been linked with a move away from Real after seeing his opportunities limited by Bale’s arrival, but Ancelotti stressed the importance of having competition within his squad. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

QUICK BYTES

Iniesta signs with Barca until 2018 Barcelona’s emblematic midfielder Andres Iniesta signed a three-year contract extension with the La Liga leaders Monday, keeping him with the club until at least 2018. “Andres Iniesta signed his new contract with FC Barcelona at midday,” the club said in a statement. The 29-year-old Spanish international’s previous contract was due to run out next year and delays in announcing a new deal had sparked speculation about his future in the club.

But Iniesta is now tied to Barcelona until June 2018. After that date, his contract is automatically extended annually if he has played a certain number of matches in the previous season, the club said.

– AFP

Pakistan opener Ahmed fined for Dilshan shove Pakistan opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad has been fined half of his match fee for pushing Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan in the shoulder during their 113run victory in the third one-day international on Sunday. Ahmed has pleaded guilty to the charge of ‘inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players’ brought by the umpires, the International Cricket Council said in a statement on Monday. The incident occurred at the end of the 19th over of the Pakistan innings after a debate between Dilshan and Ahmed, who scored 81 before being run out in the match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates. The win put Pakistan 2-1 up in the five-match series. The fourth ODI will be played on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi with the final match on Friday.

– Reuters

George, Hibbert spark Pacers rout of Celtics Paul George scored 24 points and Roy Hibbert added 15 points and 12 rebounds Sunday to power the Indiana Pacers to a 106-79 NBA rout of the Boston Celtics.

Indiana’s Lance Stephenson achieved his third “triple double” of the season with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

No other NBA player has more than one game with double digits in three statistical categories this season. The Pacers, with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 22-5, also has 12 points off the bench from Danny Granger, who made his season debut Friday against Houston due to patellar tendinosis that limited him to only five games last season. The Celtics, who fell to 12-17, lost their third game in a row despite 13 points from Avery Bradley and 11 each from Jeff Green and Courtney Lee. The Pacers broke open a deadlocked game with a 19-3 run midway into the second quarter for a 42-26 edge. Granger hit two 3-pointers in the spurt and the Celtics never came so close again.

–AFP

Singapore businessman lines up Valencia takeover

Singaporean businessman Peter Lim has made a bid to take over financially stricken La Liga side Valencia and wipe out its debts, the club’s president Amadeo Salvo announced on Sunday. The club’s hierarchy has been looking for investors since principal creditor Bankia refused earlier this month to refinance the combined 306 million euro ($418 million, £256 million) debt the club and its foundation has with the bank. Salvo said that Bankia had still to give the green light to Lim’s proposal and had asked for more time to study other offers.

–AFP

West Ham defender Tomkins charged after nightclub incident

West Ham United defender James Tomkins has been charged with resisting arrest and being drunk and disorderly after an incident at a nightclub, police said on Monday. The 24-year-old was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning at a nightclub in his home town of Brentwood, just outside London.

“Police were called by security staff ... shortly before 12.30am on Sunday following reports of a disturbance,” Essex police said in a statement. “Officers arrived and arrested James Tomkins before later charging him with one count of assaulting a police officer, one count of resisting arrest and one count of being drunk and disorderly in a public place.”

– Reuters

Sport

Debate rages on drawn Test n Most of South Africa’s cricketers might have expected to wake up on Monday morning to headlines praising their valiant batting effort in saving the first test against India at the Wanderers.

But instead the country was locked in a heated debate over whether the hosts should have pushed on for a historic victory.

Set 458 to win on a wicket with variable bounce, the Proteas needed 16 runs from 19 balls at one stage but eventually fell eight short, having abandoned their chase in the fear of losing their final three wickets and the match.

Victory would have comfortably eclipsed the current world record of 418 runs chased down by West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.

And that Faf du Plessis (134) and AB de Villiers (103), whose 205-run fifthwicket stand contained some of the most skillful test batting seen in difficult conditions and under extreme pressure, are being lauded for saving the match rather than winning it for South Africa has irked many. Playing ‘brave cricket’ has become a mantra for this South African team in recent years and has helped them to back-to-back series wins in Australia, a series victory in England and to the top of the world test rankings.

But as Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn shouldered arms for the final three overs as boos from the home support rang out around the ground, questions were raised as to where that bravado had disappeared to.

It was only once the draw was secured that Steyn launched the ball over the boundary for six, an act that was

perhaps ill-advised in that it incensed the crowd even more by not only taking South Africa agonisingly close to their target, but also showed what was still possible on the wearing pitch.

Captain Graeme Smith, who was jeered at the post-match presentation, was quick to say that though Steyn and Philander were not acting on team orders, he supported their decision.

“Ultimately the guys out in the middle did what they thought was in the best interest of the team,” Smith told reporters. Morne (Morkel) is struggling to stand really. And Immy (Imran Tahir) would probably say himself that you are not too sure what you are going to get from him. “I think we as a team have to support the decision Dale and Vernon made in the middle. The strength of this team is that there are good decision makers. Each guy is mature.

“They’ve made great decisions over a period of time which have won cricket games for South Africa. I think that’s how we have got to number one, by trusting each other and trusting each others’ decision making. Dale and Vernon have 100 percent support from me.”

India admitted their surprise that South Africa had taken their foot off the pedal having played themselves into a position of superiority, while a number of former players have expressed astonishment too.

Former test captain Kepler Wessels used his column on the SuperSport website to suggest the team had more to gain than lose. l

South Africa right to apply brakes on epic chase, says Smith n

India's Shikhar Dhawan (L) shakes hand with South Africa's batsman Dale Steyn (2L) at the end of the first Test match at Wanderers on Sunday AP

South Africa skipper Graeme Smith defended the controversial decision to abandon his team’s epic pursuit of a world record score and settle for a tense first Test draw against India.

South Africa needed just 16 runs off the final three overs with three wickets remaining as they chased down 458 to win the opening match at the Wanderers.

But when top-scorer Faf du Plessis was run out off the fifth ball of the 133rd over, having hit a majestic 134, the batsmen in the middle -- Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn -- opted to bat out for the draw.

The next two overs were maidens and even though eight came off the last over, including a six by Steyn off the final ball, it was too little, too late.

“Ultimately the guys out in the middle made the decision that they thought was in the best interests of the team,” said Smith of a decision greeted by boos from the home crowd.

Smith said it was the best option with only the injured Morne Morkel and number 11 Imran Tahir left to bat.

“With Morne struggling to stand and with no ability to run between the wickets and with Imran you’re not too sure what you are going to get. We as a team have to support the decision that Dale and Vernon made in the middle,” said Smith after his side reached 450 for seven at the close.

“With two overs to go, and one Test match to go with an opportunity to win the series in Durban, we have to be 100 percent committed to the decision.

The second Test between South Africa and India starts in Durban on Thursday. l

Swann denies link with players in criticism Jayawardene and Herath n back for Pakistan Test Series Graeme Swann on Monday denied he was referring to any of his current England teammates with his caustic comment “they have no idea how far up their own backsides they are”.

The off-spinner stunned the sport by announcing his immediate retirement on Sunday from all forms of cricket following England’s defeat to Australia in the Ashes.

But the 34-year-old caused a stir with comments that were intrepreted as being directed towards members of the England team, who are trying to avoid a 5-0 series sweep by Australia in the final two Ashes Tests.

“Some people playing the game at the minute have no idea how far up their own backsides they are,” Swann said in comments carried by the Daily Telegraph ahead of the fourth

Test which starts in Melbourne on Thursday.

Some people playing the game at the minute have no idea how far up their own backsides they are “It will bite them on the arse one day and when it does I hope they look back and are embarrassed about how they carry on.” Former England captain Michael Vaughan and ex-English player Derek Pringle were among those who were convinced that Swann was referring to current members of the side.

But Swann, who last week was forced to apologise for a “crass and offensive” comment after he compared the third Ashes Test loss to Australia to being “raped,” again took to social media to deny the claims. “Don’t jump to conclusions Vaughney. I wasn’t talk-

Dropped Hafeez catch aided defeat: Mathews n

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews admitted dropping a catch off Pakistan centurion Mohammad Hafeez played a crucial role in his team’s defeat in the third one-day match in Sharjah.

Leg-spinner Lasith Malinga dropped a sitter at long-on when Hafeez was on 26 in the 18th over Sunday. The Pakistani vice-captain went on to hit a career best 140 not out in his team’s imposing total of 326-5 in 50 overs.

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 213 in 44.4 overs, losing by 113 runs and conceding a 2-1 lead. Pakistan won the first

match by 11 runs while Sri Lanka took the second by two wickets. Mathews said the dropped catch was crucial.

“It was pretty crucial and Hafeez went on to get a big one. We let him go and he got them a big score and it was unfortunate we let him go,” said Mathews.

Mathews said his team’s otherwise good fielding was not up to the mark on Sunday.

“We can’t blame it on one man, to be honest. I thought our fielding was also a let down and also chasing a total like 320 plus we needed a good start but we kept losing wickets at regular intervals and we could not really get on from there.” l

DAY’S WATCH Sony Six NBA 2013-14 6:30AM Miami v Atlanta 9:00AM Sacramento v New Orleans

15

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza walks the ramp with designer Shivali Singh on the fourth day of the Hyderabad International Fashion Week, in Hyderabad on Sunday AP

ing about the England dressing room or anyone in it. You too bbc,” Swann tweeted.

In another post, Swann took aim at Pringle with: “just because Derek Pringles writes something I find it astonishing that people buy into it?! Making stuff up sells papers I suppose.”

Swann did not identify the people he was most disenchanted with in his initial comment, but in his autobiography ‘The Breaks Are Off ’, published two years ago, he doubted teammate Kevin Pietersen’s credentials as a captain.

Pietersen was “never the right man to captain England” -- a position the batsman held only briefly before he and former coach Peter Moores lost their jobs at the start of 2009. Swann is behind only Derek Underwood as England’s most prolific wicket-taking spinner with 255 victims in his 60 Tests. l

n Experienced batsman Mahela Jayawardene and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath will return for Sri Lanka’s threetest series against Pakistan in UAE after skipping the ongoing one-day contests due to personal reasons.

The duo were named in a 16-man squad on Monday along with three uncapped test players.

Vishwa Fernando, a 22-year-old left-arm fast-medium bowler, has not represented his country in any format while off-spinners Sachitra Senanayake and Dilruwan Perera have appeared in ODIs and T20s for Sri Lanka.

Wicket-keeper Kaushal Silva, a consistent scorer in domestic cricket, finds a place in the test squad as a

replacement for Tillakaratne Dilshan, who retired from test cricket early this year.

Fast bowler Shaminda Eranga has been recalled to the test side after being rested for the ODIs against New Zealand and Pakistan.

The three-test series starts in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 31.

Sri Lanka Test squad

Angelo Mathews (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne, Mahela Jayawardene, Prasanna Jayawardene, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Shaminda Eranga, Vishwa Fernando, Sachitra Senanayake, Nuwan Pradeep, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera. l

England add Borthwick, Tredwell to touring party n England on Monday added spinners Scott Borthwick and James Tredwell to their Ashes tour squad in Australia following Graeme Swann’s retirement from international cricket.

Durham leg-spinner Borthwick was scheduled to arrive in Melbourne late Monday and will train with the squad before the fourth Test starts on Thursday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Team officials said Borthwick, recommended by Swann for the England team, would be available for selection in the Boxing Day Test.

Swann announced his immediate retirement from international and firstclass cricket mid-way through the series, with Australia already holding an unassailable 3-0 lead and retrieving the Ashes urn they lost in 2009.

“Personally I hope Scott Borthwick gets a chance before long,” the off-spinner said at his Sunday press conference to announce his retirement. “He’s a legspinner with a bit of X-factor and he can bat as well.” Kent off-spinner Tredwell will arrive in Melbourne during the fourth Test and will be available for selection for the final Test in Sydney beginning on January 3. Monty Panesar, who is expected to be part of the England attack in the Melbourne Test, paid tribute on Monday to fellow spinner Swann.

He noted Swann took 255 Test wickets compared to Australian legend Richie Benaud, who snared 248 with his legspin. “That’s the elite class ... he’s obviously an icon cricketer, (he’s) been a match winner for England and probably one of the best spin bowlers in the modern game,” he told reporters. l

Brazil's Marta Vieira, center, kisses the championship cup as the team celebrates a 5-0 victory over Chile during the final match at the International Women's Football Tournament in Brasilia, Brazil on Sunday AP

Switzerland tap Lazio’s Petkovic as new boss n

Switzerland on Monday named Lazio manager Vladimir Petkovic as their new coach when German veteran Ottmar Hitzfeld bows out after the World Cup next year.

In a statement, the Swiss Football Association said 50-year-old Petkovic would take the helm on July 1, 2014.

He has been offered an initial 18-month contract, which will be extended through to July 2016 in the event that Switzerland qualify for Euro 2016, the SFA said. Petkovic was born in communist-era Yugoslavia, where he started his playing career as an attacking midfielder before emigrating to Switzerland in 1987.

He plied his trade with clubs including FC Sion and Bellinzona, becoming the latter’s player-manager in 1997.

He spent four stints at Bellinzona, in

Switzerland’s Italian-speaking Ticino region, leading them to promotion to the Swiss top flight and a cup final.

Petkovic has also managed Swiss clubs including Young Boys and Sion, and Turkish side Samsunspor.

In 2012 he joined Lazio in Serie A and guided then to the Italian cup final.

Hitzfeld announced in October he would be retiring from the game after the World Cup, at the age of 65.

The former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich boss has been at Switzerland’s helm since 2008 and has succeeded in taking them to their third World Cup in a row. Unbeaten in the qualifiers – albeit in a relatively easy group along with Iceland, Slovenia, Norway, Albania and Cyprus – they jumped seven places to seventh in the FIFA rankings and were among the top seeds in the draw for the finals in Brazil. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

‘Jamaat-Shibir activists fell 40,000 trees’ Forests minister says opposition activities are like those of a banned political party sions with the opposition, and to hold a n Mohosinul Karim free and fair election. I briefed him on Since the protests against the sentence handed down to war criminal Delawar Hossain Sayedee on February 28, the activists of the opposition BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir have destroyed around 40,000 trees across the country during hartal and blockade programmes.

They chopped down around 15,000 roadside trees in the past two months, during the opposition’s blockade programmes enforced in demand for a non-partisan polls-time government.

Environment and Forests Minister Hassan Mahmud disclosed the information at his office yesterday.

Earlier, Australian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Greg Wilcock held a meeting with the minister at his office.

Hassan Mahmud said: “The diplomat expressed concern on the prevailing political unrest and violence all over the country. He urged the government to find a solution through discus-

the situation. When we amended the constitution, we had invited the opposition to give their opinion. But, they did not join the dialogue,” he said.

Terming the attacks “activities like those of a banned political party,” the minister said: “The prime minister has already made an announcement on the dissolution of the 10th parliament followed by fresh polls, if the opposition comes to a compromise.”

But, the opposition has declared a war against the people and trees of the country, avoiding the proposal of the premier, he added.

The minister urged conservationists to raise their voice against such mindless tree felling.

When asked about the action of the government against such activities, he said: “Cases have been filed against the saboteurs who cut down the trees.

Tough action will be taken against them.” l

With more vehicles having started operating in the capital yesterday, Gulistan saw severe traffic congestion during the opposition’s 83-hour blockade

NASHIRUL ISLAM

BNP activist hacked to death Flow of buses turning normal amid tight security n Our Correspondent, Jessore

Miscreants hacked a BNP activist to death in Masna Khanpur village under Monirampur upazila in Jessore yesterday afternoon.

The deceased, Habibur Rahman, 30, was an activist of Monirampur upazila unit BNP. Abdur Rahim, elder brother of the deceased, alleged that assailants, led

by Awami League activists Tauhid, Alamgir, Lingkon and Shohag swooped on Habib at his residence while he was having lunch.

They stabbed him with sharp weapons, Rahim said, adding that doctors at Jessore Medical College Hospital pro-

nounced him dead.

However, Mir Rezaul Islam, officer-in-charge of Monirampur police station, said two people were injured in a clash between two groups and they were rushed to Jessore Medical College Hospital where Habib died.

Monirampur Municipality Mayor and President of the upazila unit BNP Shahid Iqbal Hossain claimed that Awami League cadres killed Habib, saying: “The killers are notorious criminals of the area.”

Syed Saberul Haque Sabu, general secretary of Jessore district unit BNP told the Dhaka Tribune that the local BNP leaders and activists staged demonstrations, protesting the killing. l

Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Abu Hayat Mahmud

The flow of vehicles on highways increased yesterday, the third day of the opposition enforced 83-hour blockade programme and fifth consecutive one in one month.

An increased number of intercity buses and goods-laden trucks were seen plying the highways under protection of the law enforcers. Transport workers, however, said the presence of passengers had been thin.

Mahbub Hossain, who came to the capital to sit for a recruitment examination of a bank yesterday, said he was apprehensive about boarding a bus

fearing an arson attack. “However, I did not face any hurdle on my way as the army and the police personnel were on alert on the highway,” he said.

Sources in the joint force said the army personnel had been helping goods-laden trucks and vans to cross the Aricha and Mawa ferry terminals.

They had also been checking vehicles thoroughly on the highways.

Hedayetullah, driver of a bus of Ena Paribahan, said after a drawn out period marked with anarchy and violence, he had witnessed some security measures on the highway.

No bus left the Gabtoli terminal in the capital for long route yesterday.

However, a large number of passengers

were found collecting tickets to travel today as the blockade ends at 5pm.

Nasir Uddin Howlader, general secretary of Sayedabad Bus Terminal Workers’ Association, told the Dhaka Tribune that the number of intercity buses had risen yesterday, compared to the previous day.

Buses left the terminal for Chittagong, Sylhet, Comilla, Daudkandi, Chandpur and other nearby districts.

Abdul Malek, general secretary of Mohakhali Bus Terminal Owners’ Association, said over 50 buses left the terminal yesterday for Tangail, Mymensingh and Sherpur and reached destinations without hassle.

Jasim Uddin, chairperson of state-

owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, said the BRTC buses had started ferrying passengers yesterday to all districts under tight security.

Asaduzzaman Mia, deputy inspector general of highway police, said the highways were almost under control.

Enquired about the army’s role, Inter-Services 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.”

A nine-member monitoring cell has been formed to ensure smooth bus transit under DIG Asaduzzaman. l

Saarc, Asean envoys worried about their nationals’ security n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Ambassadors of Saarc and Asean countries have expressed concerns over the security of their nationals staying in Bangladesh.

In a meeting with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali yesterday, the foreign envoys said they were happy about the security measures taken for the embassies and their staff members, but they were worried about their nationals living in Bangladesh.

The minister had briefed them on the current political situation and the

upcoming 10th parliamentary elections, said a ministry official after the meeting held in state guesthouse Padma.

The official said the foreign envoys had conveyed their anxiety when the foreign minister asked if they had any concerns.

Many students and professionals from Nepal, Bhutan, the Philippines and Malaysia reside in Bangladesh.

“The minister assured them of providing extra security to the dormitories where international students lodge,” the official said.

In a press release issued yesterday,

the government assured all ambassadors of ensuring safety and security of the diplomatic missions and foreign nationals, including students and expatriate workers, during the critical period preceding the elections.

Gowher Rizvi, adviser to the prime minister for international affairs, and Md Shahidul Haque, foreign secretary, were present at the briefing.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will brief the envoys of the US, China, Japan, the UN and Islamic countries today and ambassadors of the European countries on December 30. l

Conflicting info embroils ‘pir’ killing n Kailash Sarkar Three days into the sensational six murders, detectives yesterday were assessing witness accounts and background of so-called religious leader Lutfor Rahman Faruk to unearth the motive behind the killings.

Admitting failure to ascertain the motive, the detectives claimed that they had been confused by the information provided by Lutfor’s family members and the witnesses.

Unknown killers slaughtered Lutfor, his son Sarwarul Islam Monir and four followers at his house on Ramakrishna Mission Road in the capital on Saturday afternoon by keeping his family members and other followers as hostages.

Lutfor was a self-proclaimed pir and claimed to have been the commander-in-chief of Imam Mahdi’s forces since 1997.

“We are yet to arrest or detain anybody. We also did not find the motive behind the brutal murders,” said Jahangir Hossain Matubbar, DB deputy commissioner (east zone).

Lutfor’s family members and followers, who had been present in the house during the incident, were providing contradictory information, he said.

The official, however, claimed that they were trying to identify and locate the killers by using advanced technology.

According to Jahangir Hossain, another DB deputy commissioner, once the family members said the killers introduced them as Jamaat-e-Islami men and asked for shelter as they were chased after by the police.

Lutfor’s family members and his followers, who were present in the house during the murder, are providing contradictory information “They further said the killers introduced them as saying that they were robbers and went to the house to kill them all,” he said. “But during the interrogation, they said they were informed of the visit of a group of 14 guests, and for this Shaheen [one of the deceased] bought commodities to entertain them.”

Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam of the DB police said: “A total of persons took part in the killings while several others remained guard in the surrounding area. All the killers were highly professional.”

He said: “We are carrying out inves-

tigation keeping three issues in considerations – religious practice or views of Lutfor, financial dealing and robbery.”

A retired army man Son of Hossain Zoarder, Lutfor had been known to all of Haluaghat in Mymensingh as Lal Chan Munshi.

His wife Salma Begum claimed that after passing the HSC, Lutfor had been with the army in 1978. But he left the job within few years and joined Eagle Garments factory in Dhaka.

He had also launched buying house business.

“But my husband appeared as a pir in 1997,” Salma said.

Sources said Lutfor had first become disciple to one Shahjahan, who was also a self-proclaimed pir in Natiyapara of Tangail in 1991. But within two years, he left Shahjahan following a feud them, and in 1997, he claimed himself to be a pir in his area.

At one stage, he was driven away by the local people and later he started residing in the capital’s Gendaria. There he had been claiming himself to be the commander-in-chief of the forces of Imam Mahdi.

Lutfor faces several cases filed against him with Shahbagh, Sutrapur and Demra police stations. He also came under attack several times. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

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Continue to the Business section...

Business

B3 Green Delta Ins DSE’s top gainer

B4 SME and retail loans

can help revive banks

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013 www.dhakatribune.com/business

BTRC to block six BB to relax NPL provisioning rules for banks n more IGWs Bangladesh SUPPORTING UNREST-HIT BUSINESS

Tribune Report

Mos5 Tel Limited, Ranks Telecom Limited, First Communications Limited, SM Communication and Sigma Engineers Limited among the hit list earn $.03 for per minute of incoming n Muhammad Zahidul Islam international calls and they have to The telecom regulator would block six International Gateway Operators (IGWs) as they owe around Tk200 crore to the national exchequer, officials said.

They said a decision would be taken likely today, a couple of days after Post and Telecommunication Minister Rashed Khan Menon forewarning Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission on Sunday.

Five of the six IGWs could be confirmed. They are Mos5 Tel Limited, Ranks Telecom Limited, First Communications Limited, SM Communication and Sigma Engineers Limited.

Mos5 Tel Limited owned by former Health Minister A F M Ruhal Haque.

First Communications Limited owned by the Prime Minister’s advisor Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu.

The minister also informed representatives from Telecom Reporters’ Network, Bangladesh (TRNB) about the action at his office in Dhaka yesterday.

“I have told the BTRC to be tougher to collect the outstanding bills,” Menon told the reporters. “I also requested them to suspend some licences of the IGWs, which will be an example for other operators.”

According to the guideline, the IGWs

share 51.75% of it with the regulator.

Earlier in September, BTRC had blocked six IGWs having an outstanding of Tk613 crore – most of the companies were politically powerful.

A sum of Tk146.5 crore remained unpaid against Vision Tel Ltd, previously owned by a former minister’s daughter.

Ratul Telecom Limited, an IGW of former State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak’s wife and daughter with an outstanding of Tk96.5 crore.

Kay Telecommunications Limited a company of ruling party leader Shamim Osman from Narayanganj. The company paid only Tk9 crore against their outstanding Tk91.5 crore.

Telex Limited’s outstanding is Tk92.5 crore while two IGWs – Bestec Telecom Limited and Apple GlobalTel Com Ltd – owe respectively Tk127.5 crore and Tk58.5 crore.

And total outstanding amount of IGWs revenue sharing stands at Tk1,115 crore so far, sources said.

Earlier, the government had awarded 25 IGW licenses in 2012 on political consideration. Before that, three licences, including one government operator, have been awarded in 2008 under an open auction. l

Business houses badly affected by the ongoing political unrest would get an opportunity to reschedule their loans at less-than-required down payment and an extended time for instalment payment as bankers agreed with a Bangladesh Bank proposal at a meeting in Dhaka yesterday.

In exchange, Bangladesh Bank would relax the non-performing loan (NPL) provisioning rules for the banks.

The agreements were reached at two separate meetings of Bangladesh

Bank with the CEOs of state-owned bank in one group and the CEOs of private banks in another group.

The central bank convened the meetings to devise a plan on how to support the business houses affected by the prolonged political crisis.

Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor S K

'We discussed about the overall economic situation and the possible impact on the financial statements of the banks at the year end'

A man walks past main entrance of Bangladesh Bank in the capital

RAJIB DHAR

Buyers lift orders from Bangladesh Survey shows over $3.6m orders of RMG have been cancelled in December

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi As political unrest continues, international garment buyers have continued to cancel orders in Bangladesh, which already crossed $3.6m in 21 days.

A survey conducted by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has found the figure. It was conducted during 1-21 this month.

The figure of order cancellation signals that buyers are shifting their orders from Bangladesh Thirty factories faced the order cancellations even after spending an additional money of over $1.2 for air shipment, the report said.

It also said those factories also had to pay $1.7m because of failure in shipping products on time.

Vandalism during the blockade cost

Barring a late price surge, gold’s value will suffer its first annual drop since the start of the millennium, while the precious metal risks further losses in 2014.

Gold stood at $1,205 an ounce Friday on the London Bullion Market, down almost 27% in 2013 on weaker demand and easing inflation - snapping twelve years of uninterrupted an-

nual price growth.

That leaves gold, whose twin drivers are jewellery demand and investment buying, set for its the first annual price loss since 2000 when its value had fallen by 5.6%.

“There are two distinct factors behind the gold price decline this year,” Macquarie banking group analyst Matthew Turner told AFP. “The first one is obviously the in-

A goldsmith arranges gold bangles at a jewellery shop at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul REUTERS

Bank asks banks to support business n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank yesterday asked the commercial banks to continue financing the productive activities and all business sectors affected by the ongoing political unrest.

To maintain the existing loan facilities, the banks would consider fixing the down payment of rescheduling the loans and repayment period at a rational level on bank-client relationship, according to a circular issued yesterday.

However, the banks will have to obtain no objection from the central bank after necessary approval by the appropriate authorities of the banks.

The exemption is to facilitate the sectors, excluding agriculture and SMEs sectors, continue their business operations and ensure repayment of the loans, said the circular.

Earlier, on December 18, Bangladesh Bank issued a circular, directing the banks to offer same privileges for SMEs. The facilities would also be applicable for the agriculture sector.

Bangladesh Bank said the normal movement of the agriculture and industrial goods is being hampered, affecting the smooth operation of the country’s business and economic activities due to the present unstable situation. l

ADB assured of FRA

by January

The lender has stalled $150m of stocks development scheme as condition of enacting the law is not met yet CMDP as condition of introducing FRA n Asif Showkat Kallol has not been fulfilled yet. The second

the exporters $2.3m while the shipment delay cost $7.7m during the period.

“Global buyers are cancelling orders as exporters fail to meet the lead time due to transport crisis caused by the unending blockades,” said BGMEA vice president Shahidullah Azim.

He feared that buyers might not put fresh orders in future.

“The figure of order cancellation signals that buyers are shifting their orders from Bangladesh,” said Abdus Salam Murshedy, president of Exporters Association of Bangladesh.

Reaz Bin Mahmood, BGMEA vice president (finance), said political unrest added salts to our wounds as the RMG industry has already been facing challenges -implementation of new wage structure and compliance issue.

Since November 26, the country has been going through continuous blockades called by the opposition, breaking the supply chain of the country. l

Asian Development Bank has been assured by the government of enacting Financial Reporting Act (FRA) by next month.

“The bill will be placed in the new parliament in January,” a senior official of finance division told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The election of 154 from the ruling Awami League and its allies uncontested before the January 5 opposition-free polls has already confirmed that the incumbents are going to form next government.

Gold facing first annual price drop since 2000 n AFP, London

Sur Chowdhury chaired both the meetings.

The exemptions for the banks and business houses would, however, be allowed going beyond the existing prudential guidelines. No official orders would be issued against the facilities, but they would be given under the mutual understanding.

S K Sur Chowdhury said only the businessmen, who were affected during the political violence, would be entitled to get the facilities on the basis of bank-client relationship. The contexts of the existing real situation and subject to the logical reason, the businessmen would get the loan reschedule facility.

“We discussed about the overall economic situation and the possible impact on the financial statements of the banks at the year end,” NCC Bank Managing Director Nurul Amin told reporters after the meeting.

The president of Association of Bankers Bangladesh (ABB) said the bankers made a presentation on the banking sector problems and the affected business sectors, including transportation, housing, SMEs and agriculture.

He said Bangladesh Bank would offer banks as much exemptions as possible so they could facilitate the businessmen.

The central bank would take final decision in this regard soon to support the banks so that they could keep their provisions, profitability and loss at tolerable levels.

He said the banks requested Bangladesh Bank for positively considering their appeal so that their balance sheets are not affected at the year end. l

vestor sell-off,” he said, citing a sharp slump in demand from so-called exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that allow investment without trading on the futures market.

According to Turner, ETFs are on course to have sold 840 tonnes of gold this year with the metal’s haven status dented by signs of economic recovery despite ongoing strains across the eurozone.

Gold’s value took a knock during 2013, also from growing speculation that the US Federal Reserve would start to scale back its quantitative easing (QE) stimulus programme that propped up the world’s biggest economy by billions of dollars.

Gold in June hit a three-year low at $1,180.50 an ounce on Fed speculation, before bouncing back.

It came close to matching this level at the end of last week as the US central bank ended months of speculation by finally announcing it would start to scale back its stimulus next month.

Turner said gold demand had fallen for a variety of reasons, including “a growing anticipation of the Fed ending QE ... a reduced sense of crisis around the world and the fact that inflation has fallen in most countries this year, especially in the US.” He added: “This last point is very important - the concept of QE leading to in-

flation has not really happened.” Gold is seen also as a hedge against rising prices.

Fed tapering of its $85bn a-month QE policy is meanwhile set to boost the greenback, making dollar-priced gold more expensive for countries using other currencies, further weighing on demand.

Gold has been pushed lower also by rising supply, Turner said, noting that global gold mine output was increasing amid falling purchases by central banks.

In a further blow, the government of top consumer India has hiked gold customs duty three times this year to curb imports and rein in its current account deficit.

“In the very near term, Fed monetary policy stimulus will continue to be the big driver of gold prices, with improving economic data in the US increasing bets of (further) stimulus withdrawal,” said National Australian Bank (NAB) economist James Glenn.

The US central bank last Wednesday announced that it would cut QE by $10bn (7.3bn euros) a month to $75bn from the start of 2014. Analysts are forecasting further $10bn cuts throughout the course of next year.

While NAB predicts that the price of gold will drop to $1,050 an ounce by late 2014/early 2015, Commerzbank is forecasting the metal to reach $1,400 by the end of next year as global monetary policy stokes inflation. l

'They (CA) do not want the law as it will make them responsible for financial reports full of mistakes' In August, the cabinet committee approved the draft of the country’s first-ever FRA. Because the chartered accountants lodged strong opposition against FRA, the government could not place it in the parliament for passage, said finance ministry officials.

The initiative to enact FRA has been taken under the finance ministry’s capital market development programme (CMDP). ADB already halted disbursement of $150m from second instalment of its loan to implement

instalment was of $300m.

Last week Finance Minister AMA Muhith also said the government would place the bill in the next session of the parliament. He expressed the government’s resoluteness to enact the FRA against the chartered accountants’ demand not to do that.

“They (CA) do not want the law as it will make them responsible for financial reports full of mistakes,” said finance minister, alleging that the CAs are careful enough in preparing financial reports.

Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) is opposed to the FRA which is mainly to set up a council to strengthen monitoring over financial reports.

ICAB currently regulates the job. According to it, if the law is passed, there will be a conflict in the overseeing of the work.

“If passed, the FRA will cause clash in regulating accountancy profession,” said ICAB president Abdus Salam.

“It will also disrupt the preparation of financial reporting and auditing,” As per the draft law, the violation will lead to five-year imprisonment or Tk100,000 fine, or the both.

If any person or institution continues to violate, they will have to Tk5,000 as penalty for each day. l

STOCKS DSEX DS30 CSEX

-0.55% -0.58% -0.51%

4265.24 1472.33 8392.52

▼ ▼ ▼

CURRENCIES Average selling rates to public in BDT Rupali Bank Sonali Bank SELL BUY SELL BUY USD 77.4 78.4 77.4 78.4 EURO INR SAR

105.337 1.180 20.537

108.550 1.336 21.006

105.315 1.18 20.534

107.756 1.28 21.010

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

n Kayes Sohel

Turnover (Million Taka)

appeared again as investors went cautious, pulling down index,” said IDLC Investment in its market analysis.

Despite positive textile export data, the sector was the worst loser declining 2.52% as investors’ weighted expected suboptimal performance of the sector in the future.

Lanka Bangla Securities said the market showed certain degrees of volatility and uncertainty with weak market turnover.

It seems like all eyes are on outcome of ruling party’s stance to come to a consensus on the recent slaying political tensions, which is yet to show any abatement, it said.

Some major sectors saw selling pressure as investors are anticipating that business would start scaling back in next quarter on account of ongoing unrest, it added.

“Investors bagged profit on large and mid-cap securities, where textile sector got the highest beat in market losing 2.5% capitalisation.”

All the sectors ended lower except general insurance and tannery that edged higher. Non-banking financial institutions posted the highest loss more than 1%. It was followed by telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, power and banks.

Losers took a strong lead over the gainers as out of 289 issues traded, 96 advanced, 154 declined and 39 remained unchanged.

Generation Next Fashion was the most traded stocks, followed by RN Spinning, Bangladesh Electrodes Ltd, Lanka Bangla Finance and Golden Son. l

Stocks fell slightly yesterday, after a day’s rally, as renewed worry over the latest political development gripped investors.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange extended its trading session to 2:45pm instead of usual 2:30pm as trading was suspended at around 2:20pm due to power failure in the network setup.

'Investors bagged profit on large and mid-cap securities, where textile sector got the highest beat in market losing 2.5% capitalisation'

The benchmark DSEX index lost more than 23 points or 0.6% to 4,265. The DS30 Index comprising blue chips also dropped over 8 points or 0.6% to 1,472.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, shed nearly 43 points to 8,392.

After the previous sessions’ sudden spike, the DSE turnover went down to Tk460 crore, which was 35.7% lower from six-session high of Tk700 crore.

“Hesitation of market sentiment

Turnover (Volume)

121,766,501

Number of Contract

115,306

Traded Issues

290

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

81

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

206

DSE LOSERS Company Samata LeatheR -Z Kay & Que (BD) -Z 4th ICB M F-A CVO PetroChem RL-Z Sinobangla Indu.-A EBL NRB M.F.-A Reckitt Benckiser -A Eastern Cables-Z Deshbandhu Polymer-A Aziz PipesZ

Closing (% change) -10.00 -8.33 -7.77 -7.38 -7.16 -6.25 -5.62 -5.36 -5.36 -5.26

CSE LOSERS Company Midas Financing-Z Eastern Cables-Z Aziz PipesZ Sinobangla Indu.-A S. Alam CR Steel -A LR Global BD MF1-A Paramount Insur-A Malek Spinning-A Sonargaon Tex -A Aramit -A

Closing (% change) -9.80 -9.43 -9.09 -6.49 -6.11 -5.71 -5.34 -5.03 -4.93 -4.88

ANALYST

Average (% change) -10.00 -3.95 -7.77 -6.46 -4.98 -6.13 -5.60 -5.28 -3.73 -5.60

Average (% change) -9.80 -7.17 -4.95 -3.98 -3.63 -5.71 -5.19 -2.61 -4.66 -4.86

Closing average 19.80 18.50 190.00 708.47 31.66 7.51 885.00 81.05 25.26 19.89

Closing average 31.30 79.29 20.95 32.10 51.50 6.60 24.83 28.73 21.49 331.60

(-) 0.55% (-) 0.58% (-) 0.68% (-) 0.23% (-) 0.51%

Closing

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,055.16

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

24.91

19.80 17.60 190.00 701.50 31.10 7.50 885.00 79.50 24.70 19.80

Closing 31.30 78.80 20.00 31.70 50.70 6.60 24.80 28.30 21.20 331.60

Sector 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

DSE Million Taka 419.12 517.08 138.92 450.16 231.92 469.66 1.55 1183.54 292.93 0.98 32.04 62.07 33.03 96.32 69.65 123.26 131.94 81.03 127.55 101.40 0.27

% change 9.18 11.33 3.04 9.86 5.08 10.29 0.03 25.93 6.42 0.02 0.70 1.36 0.72 2.11 1.53 2.70 2.89 1.78 2.79 2.22 0.01

Million Taka 276.49 51.94 9.42 38.97 38.61 41.62 132.96 710.28 0.24 5.77 147.91 3.95 11.38 14.00 3.90 67.03 5.50 20.85 20.21 0.02

99.71 35.13 32.46 403.75 20.91 35.68 29.12 43.92 103.18 31.74

Closing average 97.50 48.01 20.57 19.90 57.40 53.10 32.76 433.20 35.80 23.90

Closing 102.80 35.80 32.70 414.90 21.30 35.30 30.00 44.00 104.00 31.70

Closing 100.00 48.10 20.90 19.90 57.40 53.10 32.70 433.20 35.30 23.90

Daily high 102.90 35.90 33.30 414.90 21.70 37.40 30.00 44.60 105.50 32.10

Daily high 101.00 49.00 21.00 19.90 57.40 53.10 33.90 440.00 36.50 23.90

Daily low 88.00 31.00 29.00 400.00 18.60 30.60 27.00 39.00 96.00 27.90

Daily low 92.00 47.30 19.80 19.90 57.40 53.10 31.50 428.00 34.40 23.90

Yearly high 140.0 43.7 57.7 703.3 23.0 47.0 39.9 68.9 121.8 38.0

Yearly high 138.0 72.0 22.9 25.1 74.0 77.0 54.5 454.0 44.4 40.0

Yearly low 48.0 22.5 18.6 170.0 14.5 22.4 18.5 37.0 81.0 21.9

Yearly low 49.2 38.1 14.4 13.0 48.0 42.0 20.1 215.0 22.5 15.5

Turnover in million 29.326 64.925 34.042 0.323 26.808 162.617 2.116 5.783 15.234 66.441

Turnover in million 0.985 0.059 1.707 0.010 0.057 0.021 3.756 1.300 15.465 0.131

19,823

Traded Issues

223

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

71

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

149

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

5

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

1,970.88

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

23.89

Yearly high

Daily low 19.80 17.60 190.00 700.60 30.70 7.40 885.00 78.60 23.50 19.60

27.5 25.6 242.1 943.7 33.9 10.4 999.0 111.0 28.9 25.0

Yearly high

Daily low

31.30 81.30 22.80 33.80 53.90 6.60 25.00 29.50 22.20 331.60

CSE

8.81 5.48 5.03 4.74 4.36 4.12 3.48 3.22 3.22 3.02

Average (% change) 6.05 5.31 5.06 4.74 5.07 4.12 3.77 3.22 5.76 3.33

Closing average

30,360,466

31.30 78.30 20.00 31.10 50.50 6.60 24.50 28.20 21.10 331.60

48.0 99.9 26.0 33.9 55.0 8.8 30.9 32.7 25.6 385.0

Yearly low 10.7 12.5 122.1 87.0 17.8 6.0 606.1 46.0 15.0 14.3

Yearly low 27.0 46.2 14.6 16.5 33.0 6.6 20.2 15.4 12.1 190.0

Turnover in million 0.020 0.037 0.038 66.979 21.053 2.076 0.089 2.391 25.466 0.183

Turnover in million 0.016 0.111 0.056 7.062 5.047 0.003 0.037 1.901 0.892 0.033

Hesitation of market sentiment appeared again as investors went cautious, pulling down index

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY

GreenDeltaInsu -A Eastland Insur -A Bank Asia -A Kay & Que (BD) -Z Delta Brac HFCL-A 6th ICB M F-A National Housing Fin.-B ApexAdelchi Ftr -A Barakatullah E. D.-A Prime Bank-A

Closing (% change)

Average (% change) 8.31 6.13 3.41 1.57 3.41 5.31 (0.10) 1.55 3.08 4.00

1,600.89

Turnover (Volume)

19.80 19.10 190.00 773.00 33.90 7.90 885.00 85.50 26.30 20.70

Daily high

9.83 5.60 4.47 4.32 3.90 3.82 3.09 3.04 2.97 2.92

CSE GAINERS Company

Turnover (Million Taka)

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Daily high

GreenDeltaInsu -A Bay Leasing.-A National Housing Fin.-B Libra Infusions-A Bank Asia -A Barakatullah E. D.-A Union Capital -A Republic Insu.-A Prime Islami Life -A GBB Power Ltd-A

Closing (% change)

CSE key features December 23, 2013

Daily capital market highlights 4265.24 1472.32 13247.12 10793.02 8392.51

Company

4,564.41

Number of Contract

DSE Broad Index DS - 30 Index CSE All Share Index CSE - 30 Index CSE Selected Index

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features December 23, 2013

Stocks return to red

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

% change 17.27 3.24 0.59 2.43 2.41 2.60 0.00 8.30 44.36 0.01 0.36 9.24 0.25 0.71 0.87 0.24 4.19 0.34 1.30 1.26 0.00

Million Taka 695.61 569.02 148.33 489.14 270.53 511.28 1.55 1316.50 1003.21 1.21 37.82 209.99 36.97 107.70 83.65 127.16 198.97 86.54 148.40 121.61 0.28

Total

% change 11.28 9.23 2.41 7.93 4.39 8.29 0.03 21.35 16.27 0.02 0.61 3.41 0.60 1.75 1.36 2.06 3.23 1.40 2.41 1.97 0.00

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

News from trade server Appollo Ispat Complex Limited: Trading of the shares of Appollo Ispat Complex Limited will commence at DSE from December 24, 2013 under 'N' category. DSE Trading Code for Appollo Ispat Complex Limited is "APOLOISPAT" and DSE Company Code is 13233.

OLYMPIC: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors has approved execution of a Tripartite Agreement with R.B. Group of Companies Ltd. and its agent Mr. Mohammod Sirajul Islam for manufacture of Walton Brand UM-3 (R-6), Size-AA and UM-4 (R-03), Size-AAA, 1.5V, Mercury and Cadmium free Drycell Battery in its factory as per their requirement and to supply those to them or to their appointed agent against approved rates. The detailed terms and conditions for manufacture and supply shall contain in the agreement which will remain valid initially up to December 31, 2014 with provision for renewal under mutually agreed terms.

RUPALILIFE: The Company has further informed that the subscription period for rights issue will be from 06.04.2014 to 05.05.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 16.01.2014.

BATASHOE: The Company has informed that it has sent the interim dividend warrants for the year 2013 on 22 December 2013. The Company has also informed that the folio holders will get dividend warrants to their mailing address by "Padma Courier Service" and the BO holders will get dividend through BEFTN to their bank account which is mentioned in their BO account.

DACCADYE: The Company has further informed that due to unavoidable circumstances, the 35th AGM of the Company will now be held on December 27, 2013 instead of December 24, 2013. Other information of the AGM will remain unchanged.

MONNOCERA: The Company has further informed that due to unavoidable circumstances, the 32nd AGM of the Company will now be held on December 27, 2013 instead of December 26, 2013. Other information of the AGM will remain unchanged.

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Generation Next-A R. N. Spinning-A Barakatullah E. D.-A LankaBangla Fin. -A Golden Son -A Argon Denims Limited-A Tallu Spinning -A Envoy Textiles Ltd-N Summit PPower-N UNITED AIR-A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Square Pharma -A Bata Shoe Ltd. -A Beximco Pharma -A UCBL - A Berger Paints-A Brac Bank -A Al Arafa Islami B-A Delta Life Insu. -A R. N. Spinning-A National Life I -A

Volume shares 6,703,060 4,498,639 4,557,071 1,981,008 2,135,115 1,215,640 2,746,010 1,670,290 1,501,845 5,149,895 Volume shares 2,622,009 200,000 2,016,824 3,607,145 100,050 2,024,570 2,227,764 136,000 822,715 100,085

DELTASPINN: BSEC NEWS: Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has imposed penalty of Tk. 10.00 lac upon Delta Spinners Ltd. for contraventions/violations of BAS-16 (for non -disclosure of revaluation of fixed assets) and BAS-1 (true and fair view); Rule 12(2) of Securities and Exchange Rules, 1987 and Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Ordinance, 1969 (submission of untrue and incorrect financial statements).

Dividend/AGM

ECABLES: 10% cash, AGM: 01.03.2014, RD: 29.12.2013.

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.

ANLIMAYARN: 10% Cash, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 10.11.2013.

AGNISYSL: 10% Stock, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 13.11.2013.

BDAUTOCA: No dividend, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 13.11.2013.

SAMATALETH: No dividend, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 25.11.2013.

DACCADYE: 10% Stock, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 28.11.2013.

SONALIANSH: 10% cash for only public shareholders, AGM: 24.12.2013, RD: 12.12.2013.

BDCOM: 10% Stock, AGM: 25.12.2013, RD: 17.11.2013.

STANCERAM: 10% Cash, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 19.11.2013.

MONNOCERA: 5% Cash, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 13.11.2013.

LIBRAINFU: 20% Cash, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 12.11.2013.

FUWANGFOOD: 10% Stock, AGM:

Value in million 255.86 176.68 162.62 129.87 127.94 119.45 112.63 97.70 95.38 87.86 Value in million 505.02 142.00 95.00 91.06 86.04 63.76 43.74 35.94 32.39 29.93

% of total turnover 5.61 3.87 3.56 2.85 2.80 2.62 2.47 2.14 2.09 1.92 % of total turnover 31.55 8.87 5.93 5.69 5.37 3.98 2.73 2.25 2.02 1.87

Daily closing 38.20 38.90 35.30 65.50 58.80 97.40 40.00 57.80 63.20 17.00 Daily closing 191.80 691.00 47.00 25.30 807.10 31.00 19.80 261.30 38.60 290.00

26.12.2013, RD: 20.11.2013.

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.

PHARMAID: 15% Cash, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 04.12.2013.

RAHIMAFOOD: 10% Cash to the shareholders other than the Sponsor shareholders, Directors and Deposed Directors, AGM: 26.12.2013, RD: 28.11.2013.

PRIMETEX: 10% Cash, AGM: 28.12.2013, RD: 12.11.2013.

DELTASPINN: 10% Cash, AGM: 28.12.2013. RD: 21.11.2013.

ATLASBANG: 50% Cash, AGM: 28.12.2013, RD: 01.12.2013. EPS of Tk. 9.14, NAV per share of Tk. 222.05.

DESHBANDHU: 5% Stock, AGM: 29.12.2013, RD: 29.10.2013.

METROSPIN: 10% Stock, AGM: 30.12.2013, RD: 17.11.2013.

DAFODILCOM: No dividend, AGM: 30.12.2013, RD: 21.11.2013.

HAKKANIPUL: 5% Cash, AGM: 30.12.2013, RD: 13.11.2013.

GEMINISEA: No dividend, AGM: 30.12.2013, RD: 04.12.2013.

PTL: 12% Stock, AGM: 30.12.2013, RD: 12.12.2013.

DESCO: 10% Cash & 15% Stock, AGM: 04.01.2014, RD: 05.11.2013.

ANWARGALV: 7% Case for general shareholders, AGM: 13.01.2014, RD: 11.11.2013.

MPETROLEUM: 70% Cash & 20% Stock, AGM: 17.01.2014, RD: 28.11.2013.

POWERGRID: 15% Cash, AGM: 18.01.2014, Time: 10:00 AM. RD: 01.12.2013.

EASTRNLUB: 30% Cash, AGM: 25.01.2014, RD: 04.12.2013.

JAMUNAOIL: 90% Cash & 10% Stock, AGM: 25.01.2014, RD: 04.12.2013.

SAVAREFR: No dividend, AGM: 30.01.2014, RD: 19.12.2013.

PADMAOIL: 90% Cash, 10% Stock, AGM: 15.02.2014, RD: 23.12.2013.

SAMORITA: 30% Stock, AGM: 06.03.2014, RD: 25.11.2013.

Price change -2.80 -2.99 3.82 -1.80 -3.92 -0.81 -4.31 -1.70 1.44 1.80

Daily opening 39.30 40.10 34.00 66.70 61.20 98.20 41.80 58.80 62.30 16.70

Daily high 39.90 41.00 37.40 68.00 63.00 102.00 43.80 62.50 64.30 17.40

Daily low 35.50 36.20 30.60 60.10 55.10 89.00 39.00 53.00 56.10 15.40

Daily average 38.17 39.27 35.68 65.56 59.92 98.26 41.02 58.49 63.51 17.06

Price change 0.37 0.00 -1.88 0.00 -7.12 0.00 0.51 -1.21 -3.98 1.33

Daily opening 191.10 691.00 47.90 25.30 869.00 31.00 19.70 264.50 40.20 286.20

Daily high 192.50 691.00 47.70 25.80 860.00 31.90 20.30 268.00 41.50 299.10

Daily low 191.00 691.00 46.80 25.20 807.10 30.80 19.60 260.50 38.50 265.00

Daily average 192.61 710.00 47.10 25.24 859.97 31.50 19.63 264.26 39.36 299.08

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Appollo Ispat debuts today at bourses n Tribune Report Share trading of Appollo Ispat Complex Limited begins at the stock exchanges today.

It received more than Tk500 crore against public issue of IPO of Tk220 crore, which is oversubscribed by 2.27 times.

The corrugated and galvanised sheet manufacturing company offers equity shares at a price of Tk22 per share, including a premium of Tk12.

According to the IPO prospectus, Appollo Ispat used around Tk153 crore from the IPO proceeds to repay bank loans, Tk60 crore for project development and the remaining to bear the IPO expenses.

According to its quarterly financial report ended in September this year, the company reported net profit after tax of over Tk9.8 crore from Tk9.7 crore in the same period a year ago.

During the period, the company’s earnings per share (EPS) is Tk0.66 against Tk0.64 calculated based on weighted average pre-IPO paid-up number of shares. l

Business

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Green Delta Ins DSE’s top gainer Higher claims weigh on its 3rd quarter profits n Tahmidur Rahman Green Delta Insurance Limited yesterday became the highest gainer as its stock price rallied 9.94% to close at Tk102.8 a share on the Dhaka Stock Exchange.

Its price movement ranged between Tk102.8 and Tk92.7 during the trading session.

Share price increased despite poor third quarterly profit because of the company’s strong fundamental and on the news that the company obtained positive rating by Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB), according to stock brokers.

The company was given the ratings “AA1” in the long-term and “ST-1” in the short-term loan.

As per un-audited accounts for the 3rd quarter ended on 30th September, 2013, the company has reported net loss of Tk4.3crore, which is almost three times lower than the profit of Tk6.97 crore in the same period a year ago.

The company made losses in the third quarter this year because of rise in net claims that was Tk6.9 crore.

Olympic Industries teams up with RB Groups to produce batteries n AFP, New York n Tribune Report Apple on Sunday unveiled a long-an-

However, in nine months of the current calendar year, it posted profits Tk12.7 crore, which is close to the profit of Tk13.1 crore in the same period a year earlier.

An increase in the management expenses played a significant role in declining profit, the company said in its 3rd quarter report.

In 2010, the company made sur-

prising profit of Tk47 crore from share business, which was 15 times higher than income it made in 2009.

The company is consistent at paying out both stock and cash dividends over several years. In 2012, the company distributed 15% cash dividend and 15% stock dividends among its shareholders.

As of 2012, the company has a re-

stated net asset value Tk78.24 per share, which is over 76% from the current market price.

According to the unaudited reports, the company stocks have an EPS of Tk1.99 each and a price to earnings ratio of 38.74.

Sponsors-directors have 54.99% and general public 24.31% stakes in the company. l

Apple, China Mobile sign iPhone deal

Olympic Industries has teamed up with RB Group of Companies for manufacturing dry cell batteries for Walton brand.

The company in a statement yesterday said the board has approved a tripartite agreement with RB Group of Companies and its agent Mohammod Sirajul Islam for manufacturing different sizes of dry cell batteries.

The company will supply batteries to the agent against approved rates.

The agreement will remain valid up to December 31 next year.

Yesterday, shares of Olympic Industries rose 0.27% to close at Tk147 each.

According to its un-audited quarterly accounts for the 1st quarter ended on 30th September, the company has reported net profit after tax of Tk18.6 crore from Tk13.8crore in the same period a year ago. l

Delta Spinners fined n Tribune Report The securities regulator has fined Delta Spinners Tk10 lakh for breaching securities rules.

The penalty was imposed for non-disclosure of revaluation of fixed assets and submission of untrue and incorrect financial statements, said the company in a statement yesterday.

The stock lost 2.5% to close at Tk46 each yesterday.

According to its un-audited first quarter accounts ended in September, the company reported its consolidated net profit after tax of Tk1.34 crore against Tk1.89 crore in the same period of the previous year. l

ticipated deal with China Mobile, the world’s biggest wireless carrier, to bring the iPhone to customers in a market dominated by low-cost Android smartphones.

The deal gives Apple a bigger entry into the huge Chinese market and China Mobile’s estimated 760 million subscribers. The network is also rolling out the world’s biggest 4G network.

Under the agreement, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c phones will be available at China Mobile and Apple retail stores across mainland China starting January 17, Apple said in a statement. Pricing details were not announced.

“We know there are many China Mobile customers and potential new customers who are anxiously awaiting the incredible combination of iPhone on China Mobile’s leading network,” said China Mobile chairman Xi Guohua.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook stressed that “China is an extremely important market for Apple and our partnership with China Mobile presents us the opportunity to bring iPhone to the customers of the world’s largest network.”

He said “iPhone customers in China are an enthusiastic and rapidly growing group, and we can’t think of a better way to welcome in the Chinese New Year than getting an iPhone into the hands of every China Mobile customer who wants one.”

Negotiations between Apple and China Mobile took years, with one key hurdle reportedly being the US firm’s demand for sales volume guarantees.

Analyst Horace Dediu at the consultancy Asymco said a conservative esti-

The Apple logo is shown on the front of the company's flagship retail store near signs for the central subway project in San Francisco REUTERS mate of 4% of China Mobile customers would yield sales of some 30 million iPhones in the first year.

Cantor Fitzgerald Research estimated that 35 million to 45 million iPhones were already on China Mobile’s network as of October, despite the lack of a deal between the companies.

Apple could sell as many as 24 million iPhones on the China Mobile network next year, Cantor Fitzgerald said.

However, Morgan Stanley analysts recently estimated Apple would add only around 12 million new iPhone sales in the coming year with China Mobile.

Apple drew some $25bn in revenue from China in the fiscal year ended in September, despite some softness in the second half of the year.

IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said the deal will certainly boost sales for Apple but that what bears watching is how competitors respond.

“I don’t think that they will be wiped out -- remember, iPhones are expensive -- but for those who are competing in the high end of the market like Samsung or some of the Chinese vendors like Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo, having a presence in the midrange will help deflect the challenges in the high end posed by Apple,” Lamas said in an email.

IDC forecast that smartphone sales in China will reach 360 million this year and, with the issuance of 4G network licenses and iPhones launched on China Mobile, top 450 million in 2014.

China Mobile has a unique 3G standard of its own that is not compatible with any existing iPhone models. Still, the California giant’s handsets can be used on other networks in China.

But the Chinese government granted three state-owned operators licenses early this month to offer services on the faster and better quality 4G network, expected to usher in a new era of competition between mobile phone makers.

Apple will still have to compete with low-priced smartphones powered

by Google’s free Android software.

Earlier this year, Apple rolled out its iPhone 5C, with a slightly reduced cost to appeal to cost-conscious consumers, notably in developing markets.

The unsubsidized price of the iPhone 5C was $550 in the United States but higher in other countries, often due to tax and regulatory costs. In China, the 5C sells at more than $700.

Analyst Ben Bajarin at Creative Strategies said in a tweet that he expects “some kind of subsidy” for the iPhone in China.

“Carriers know the iPhone is the best smartphone on the market at helping them sell premium services.

This is why it will always be relevant,” Bajarin wrote.

The iPhone 5C is part of Apple’s bid to counter the flood of low-cost smartphones from rivals, most of which use the Google Android operating system.

Android’s market share rose in the third quarter to 81%, extending its lead over Apple’s iOS, used on its iPhones, according to an IDC survey.

Even though iPhone sales grew 25.6% from a year earlier, the growth was slower than the overall market and Apple’s share fell to 12.9% from 14.4% in the same period last year. l

NRBCB opens new branch NRB Commercial Bank Limited (NRBCB) inaugurated its 7th branch at Hemayetpur recently. NRBCB Chairman Engr. Farasath Ali and AJI Group of Industries Chairman and Managing Director M A Jalil Ananta jointly inaugurated the branch.

Among others, NRBCB Managing Director and CEO Dewan Mujibur Rahman, DMD Shoaib Ahmed, Senior Executive Vice President Arif Mohammad Sahedul Haque and Branch Manager Monirul Islam were also present on the occasion. l

Envoy Textiles Ltd holds AGM The 18th AGM of Envoy Textiles Limited (ETL) was held recently. The meeting was presided over by ETL Chairman Engr Kutubuddin Ahmed.

Among others, Managing Director Abdus Salam Murshedy, Company Sec-

retary Saiful Islam Chowdhury ACS, directors were also present.

In the meeting, 17% cash & 3% stock dividend were approved for the shareholders of the company for the year ended September 30, 2013. l

Shahjalal Islami Bank holds board meeting Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited (SJIBL) held its 186th Board of Directors (BoD) meeting recently. The meeting was presided over by the BoD Chairman A K Azad. The board approved a number of investment proposals and discussed various issues relating to policy matters of the bank.

Among others BoD Vice-Chairman Alhaj Syed Nurul Arefeen, directors Alhaj Sajjatuz Jumma, Alhaj Akkasuddin Mollah, Alhaj Mohammad Younus, Alhaj Md Sanaullah Shahid, Alhaj Abdul Barek, Alhaj Abdul Halim, Alhaj Khandoker Sakib Ahmed, Alhaj Tofazzal Hossain, Independent Director Mosharraf Hossain, Managing Director Farman R Chowdhury, Additional Managing Director Masihul Huq Chowdhury, Deputy Managing Directors Md Abdul Jabber Chowdhury and Md Setaur Rahman were present in the meeting. l

Samata Leather biggest loser at DSE n Tribune Business Desk Samata Leather Complex Limited was the biggest loser as its stock prices eroded by 10% to Tk19.8 a share at the Dhaka Stock Exchange yesterday.

The junk company’s share trade volume stood at only Tk19,800. Its share prices rose up to 85% in the first two week of this without any fundamental reason.

Stock dealers believe the company’s stock price fell on price correction.

On December 9, the company replied to a DSE inquiry that there is no undisclosed price sensitive information. DSE, however, formed an enquiry committee to investigate the unusual price movement of the stocks.

According to its unaudited first quarter report ended on September, it made losses of Tk2.1 lakh against a loss of Tk3.2 lakh in the same period a year earleir.

As of 2012, its net asset value is Tk4.74, which is lower than its face value of Tk10. The company’s stock price ranged 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. Samata Leather’s EPS and price to earnings ratios are negative over a decade. l

Generation Next most traded stocks at DSE n Tribune Business Desk Generation Next Fashions Limited yesterday emerged as the market leader at Dhaka Stock Exchange. The company was the market leader in three trading sessions last week.

Its shares worth Tk25.5 crore was changed hands, making it top turnover leader and accounting for 5.58% of the total turnover.

According to its quarterly financial statement for the third quarter ended on September 30, it made profit of Tk11.6 crore against Tk5 crore in the same period a year earlier Its stock prices shed 4% to close at Tk37.7 per share before rising as high as Tk39.9 and falling as low as Tk37.5 a share.

Recently, the company was rated “A-” in the long-term and “ST-3” in the short-term in consideration of financials of the company up to June 30, 2013 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

According to its quarterly financial statement for the third quarter ended on September 30, it made profit of Tk11.6 crore against Tk5 crore in the same period a year earlier.

The company has also reported a profit of Tk28.5 crore in the first nine months of the current calendar year, an increase of 75% from the same period last year.

Listed in the engineering segment of the stock market, it has an EPS of Tk1.69 and a price to earnings ratio of 16.73, according to the Dhaka Stock Exchange. l

FSIBL hands over blankets to BB

Standard Bank Ltd holds board meeting

Standard Bank Ltd (SBL) held its 217th Board of Directors (BoD) meeting recently. BoD Chairman Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed presided over the meeting. Among others, Managing Director Md Nazmus Salehin, DMD and Group Company Secretary A F M Nizamul Islam Chowdhury and DMD Mamun-ur Rashid were also present. In the meeting BoD Director Gulzar Ahmed has been unanimously elected as SBL Vice-Chairman. l

B3

The 18th annual general meeting (AGM) of Niloy Cement Industries Ltd was held at a city community centre recently. Independent Director Sheikh Fazlul Karim presided over the meeting. Shareholders and directors of the company board attended the AGM. During the AGM, cash dividend of 11 percent (other than sponsor shareholders) was confirmed and approved for the year ended June 30, 2013

First Security Islami Bank Limited (FSIBL) Head of Marketing, Development and Public Relations Division Azam Khan handed over five hundred blankets to Bangladesh Bank Governor Secretariat General Manager, A F M Asaduzzaman to distribute among cold affected people recently. Among others FSIBL Marketing and Development Division official Moniruzzaman Chowdhury was present on the occasion. l

Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd gets new DMD

Union Capital Limited CEO and Managing Director Md Akter Hossain Sannamat receives the second prize of ‘ICAB National Award-2012’ from Finance Minister Abul Maal A Muhith

Mohammad Abdul Jalil has joined Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd (AAIBL) as DMD on December 20. Prior to his new assignment, he was the EVP of Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd. Jalil started his banking career with Uttara Bank Ltd in 1983. He is a Diplomaed Associate of the Institute of Bankers’ Bangladesh. l

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

SME and retail loans can help revive banks

Prime Bank Managing Director Ehsan Khasru, one of the country’s most senior bankers, expressed his view about how the banks could face the challenges of the current sluggish business. He also shares his banking experience with the Dhaka Tribune’s Jebun Nesa Alo in an exclusive interview banks should adopt their lending plans on the basis of this fact.

At which stage Bangladesh’s banking sector is now?

Ehsan Khasru: Bangladesh’s banking industry is now at its third generation.

The evolution in the sector has taken place in consistent with the change in clients’ demand. The demands that evolved are mainly related to three areas – SME sector, consumer products and large corporate loans.

The first generation banks focused on some selected areas, which were later unable to cope with the changes in customers’ demand. But the second generation banks in Bangladesh could not bring about any diversification in their products. The eventually became sick companies. But the subsequent changes in the banking sector helped it become a vibrant industry.

You have been involved with the banking industry for a long period of time. What do you think about the leadership in banking sector?

A positive attitude is one of the most important things in the leadership position.

A leader has to be technology-friendly in the current settings. Introduction of online banking and the widespread use of ATM cards for transaction have made technological knowledge quite necessary. As you see frauds related with online banking and ATM transaction are increasing, having a sound command over the related technology is crucial for a person in the leadership.

The current increase in such frauds is due to lack of knowledge over the technology.

In Prime Bank, we are also focusing on enhancing efficiency to handle online banking frauds. I personally have special education on the online banking technology.

Introducing paperless banking is one of our green-friendly goals.

How do you spell out the banking sector’s contribution to the economy?

Bangladesh’s banking sector has a total asset of Tk400,000 crore. It has a significant contribution to the country’s GDP and is helping boost the economy. The driving forces of the country’s economy like GDP, inflation, remittance and reserves have a direct involvement with the banking sector.

Corruption in the sector will affect the country’s 16crore population directly or indirectly. While the share market fall may affect the highest 1-2crore directly and indirectly, the banking sector irregularities will impact the whole economy and the GDP growth.

What strategies a bank should follow to be successful in its business?

The banks need to be innovative while thinking business expansion. The capital management is a bank’s major task. Our main business is keeping deposits and lending money to borrowers. The banks have their own capitals too. Most of the banks mainly offer corporate loans. The proceeds from a large loan is 14% of capital money. But if the banks want to get 16%, they will have to shift capital from corporate sector to another offering

Does Prime Bank has any special plan for future?

Ehsan Khasru

RAJIB DHAR

Ehsan Khasru was appointed as executive vice president of Eastern Bank in 2008 before shifting to the City Bank as senior executive vice president and became deputy managing director in 2010. He also worked as additional managing director in the bank before joining Prime Bank as managing director in 2011 the rate. For example, SME and retail loans offer such a higher rate.

Banks will not need to think of the highest return if they have a mixed asset book of the balance sheet. Banks are worried about the prolonged political turmoil as their 80% of loans are in the corporate sector. So, the eighty per cent loans of banks are at risk.

To lower the risks, the banks should prefer now SME and retail loans.

To make the Bangladeshi banks internationally competitive, what actions are required?

Economic capital framework is an essential thing here. All banks should be aware of economic capital framework

and its management to reap the highest return on capital.

The banks also should bring down lending rates. We are not internationally competitive due to high lending rates which create chance for foreign funds entering the country.

The outside world knows that Bangladesh has potentials and investment

ensures good returns. We see that foreign direct invest is increasing.

The banks in Bangladesh therefore need to ease interest rates on lending to be competitive against foreign financiers.

The rate of nonperforming loans in SME and retail sectors is very low compared to corporate sector loans. So, the

ANALYSIS

In banking reform, Europe zig-zags but still moves forward n Reuters The European Union does not draw straight lines.

Last week’s tortuous agreement on a common system for shutting failed banks exemplifies the awkward, often unstable compromises by which Europe advances.

Banking union is the biggest leap forward in EU integration since the launch of the euro single currency in 1999, and one of its main architects wasted no time in trumpeting the momentous landmark.

“I want to underline the speed and the magnitude of this achievement,” European Council President Herman Van Rompuy boasted after the deal among finance ministers. «I know it means a huge deal for markets and the financial world.»

From next year a single supervisor based in the European Central Bank (ECB) will take direct charge of the EU’s 126 biggest banks, with a single resolution board to decide when a bank needs to be broken up or closed, backed by a fund financed by a levy on the financial sector.

In line with the precedent set in the euro zone’s bailout of Cyprus in May, the bank’s shareholders, creditors and large depositors would all take losses before national and ultimately European resolution funds were tapped.

Yet the complex procedures required to order the winding up of a bank, the multiple decision-makers potentially involved, and the absence of a common public financial backstop have led critics to warn that the wobbly new system will not work, let alone break the “doom loop” between weak banks and weak states.

It will take a decade for contributions levied on banks to fill a resolution fund, and it’s not clear whether that fund will be able to borrow on the markets.

What happens, economists ask, if the ECB review of banks’ balance sheets and stress test of their ability to withstand financial shocks reveal large capital holes next year, before the fund is in place?

Such criticism, while technically accurate, misses the point. The EU has shown its determination to keep the

be given a credit line by the euro zone’s bailout fund for states.

Red line

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy speaks at a news conference at the end European Union leaders summit in Brussels REUTERS

show on the road through four years of financial and economic crisis.

Draghi’s pledge

That resolve was best illustrated by ECB President Mario Draghi’s July 2012 pledge to do “whatever it takes” to preserve the euro, ending speculation of a possible break-up.

Those words continue to keep markets calm, even though Draghi’s offer to buy the bonds of any euro zone country that accepts an internationally monitored bail-out program has not been and may never be implemented.

When it came to banking union, the conflicting demands of creditor and debtor states and of members of the euro and non-members, some of

which like Britain may opt out while remaining part of the single financial market, made any solution complex.

As so often in the past, when EU countries cannot agree to do something immediately, they set a timetable for doing it in the future, leaving irksome details to be thrashed out later.

So the bank levies paid into the resolution fund will be mutualised at the end of the 10-year phase-in.

Complexity, delay, interim steps and planting flags of intent for the future are all part of the toolkit of the architects and plumbers building and fixing an edifice that is neither a federal state nor just an international organization.

That’s how the single currency was born in the first place - a deliberate-

ly incomplete construct to which its founders knew additional features would have to be added over time.

Much of the criticism of the European approach to banking union has been based on comparisons with the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which underpins American banks with a credit line from the U.S. Treasury.

The EU may eventually reach such a system - possibly after another crisis - but for now its main paymaster, Germany, is not prepared to go that far.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, determined to shield taxpayers from liability for other countries’ banks and to avoid censure by the German constitutional court, insisted that the European bank resolution fund should not

Permanent fiscal transfers to weaker EU partners remain a red line for the Germans, who insist that Europe’s economic woes can be overcome with stricter enforcement of agreed rules.

As to the practical aspects of the new system, closing a bank may be simpler in practice than it looks in theory, EU regulators say, because it is highly unlikely that any national authority would challenge a recommendation of the single resolution board in an emergency.

In reality, a few telephone calls between the resolution board’s chief, the ECB and the European Commission may settle the matter.

If the system doesn’t work, it will be fixed, probably at night on a weekend.

That’s the way Europe works.

On two weekends in May 2010, for instance, EU finance ministers meeting almost around the clock agreed on a rescue for heavily indebted Greece and, when that proved insufficient to calm markets, on the creation of a temporary bail-out fund.

That was eventually followed by a permanent rescue fund with a larger financial firewall, but still subject to unanimous decision-making that gives Germany, and its parliament, but also Finland and Slovakia, a veto over bailouts.

Merkel often cites the Latin term “ultima ratio” - the last resort.

It doesn’t look pretty. In design terms, the EU’s decision making process produces camels rather than horses.

But the EU keeps moving forward because of the political capital invested in it and the strong awareness of how much each member, especially Germany, stands to lose if the monetary union and the single market were to fall apart.

European officials have long compared European integration to a bicycle which has to keep moving to avoid falling over.

The European bicycle sometimes advances so hesitantly that it zig-zags rather than tracing a straight line.

But as last week’s banking union deal shows, it is still moving forward. l

We want to develop our technological side further. We are going to bring a new credit card system from Japan Credit Bureau. We have already signed with the JCB, and this will be the fourth type of credit card in Bangladesh.

Prime Bank also has a long-term strategic plan. We will administer at least four types of banking separately – Sharia-based corporate, retail and SME. All of them will be separate banks under the name of Prime Bank. They will have different managing directors and prepare different balance sheets.

There will four MDs and one group CEO. We are focusing on separation on the basis of banking types. I think it’s possible, and we are working on it.

Prime Bank is a large bank in the country, and my goal is to make it the safest bank by 2014. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Dollar extends losses in Asian trade The dollar extended losses against the yen and euro on profit-taking yesterday following solid gains last week, but analysts said upbeat sentiment over the improving US economy would continue to provide long-term support. – AFP

PM: Italy ‘stability dividend’ lowers borrowing costs Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta admitted Monday his country was suffering from “social fatigue” but said his government had brought “a stability dividend” worth billions of euros due to lower borrowing costs. – AFP

World shares inch up as markets wind down for holidays Signs of improving US economic growth helped ease markets into holiday mode yesterday, though a credit squeeze in China took the edge off gains. – Reuters

Gold futures ease on stronger rupee Gold futures in India edged down on Monday on a stronger rupee, though premiums stayed on the higher side due to lack of supplies. – Reuters

When China seeks investments, diplomatic rows are no barrier Two foreign investments in Chinese financial institutions this month suggest China will not turn away cash from countries it has taken diplomatic or trade measures against after blaming them for interference in its domestic affairs. Santander, Spain's largest bank, announced on December 10 that it was buying an 8% stake in Chinese state-controlled Bank of Shanghai. Two days later, Norges Bank Investment Management, Norway's sovereign wealth fund, was part of a consortium of cornerstone investors that pumped $1.1bn into asset manager Cinda's initial public offering. Both Spain and Norway have drawn Beijing's ire for actions unrelated to trade and investment. – Reuters

US growth hopes help shares shrug off China money market jitters Signs of improving US economic growth helped ease markets into holiday mode on Monday, though a credit squeeze in China took the edge off gains.

– Reuters