05 january 2014

Poush 22, 1420 Rabiul Awal 3, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 282

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

ARTS & LETTERS

7 THE CASE FOR THE OPPOSITION

20 pages plus 8-page monthly Arts & Letters supplement | Price: Tk10

8 ITALIAN NAVY SAVES HUNDREDS 15 SERENA FIRES HER WAY

Security, turnout major challenges 10th parliamentary polls start at 8am amid boycott by BNP and allies kar Ali Manik and n Julfi Mohammad Al-Masum Molla With the 10th national parliamentary elections starting from 8am today, the biggest challenge of bringing the electorate to vote centres and holding polls peacefully looms large amid the ongoing violence and the opposition’s vow to resist.

Today’s polling scenario including the voters’ turnout will be the most significant issue to observe people’s response to the polls – a determining factor in measuring the strength of the government that will be formed through the election without participation of the main opposition BNP and its allies.

The opposition BNP also held an election on February 15, 1996 which was boycotted by the then opposition Awami League, Jatiya Party and Jamaat-e-Islami.

17 years after that election, similar polling is being held today.

In the February 15 election, the Election Commission had announced 26.5% voters’ turnout and that government lasted less than a month.

The present EC has also expressed concern over the low turnout of voters in today’s polls, violence in polling centres and burning of ballot papers.

Rashed Khan Menon, a minister of present election-time government, who is one of the 153 candidates elected uncontested, told the Dhaka Tribune last night over phone, “If there is a low turnout it will leave a kind of im-

Waiting with bated breath n Emran Hossain The members of Hindu community in Satkhira are waiting with bated breath as the 10th general elections begin today, amid the opposition’s threats of a “civil war” if elections are held without their participation.

Several thousand Hindus from Satkhira have left their homes since communal violence started in the district in the aftermath of a death sentence given to war crimes convict and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee on February 28.

P3 JAMAAT-SHIBIR READY Those who returned after the deployment of army are now afraid the elections would provide little respite for them unless violence is contained once and for all.

About three dozens of people have died since last February.

Govinda Lal Sarder, who returned home on December 25 after over two weeks of stay in India, said he was hesitant to disclose the news of his return fearing backlash.

“Very few people know that I came back. I might have to leave again if the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

INSIDE Business

B1 Four state-owned commercial banks had to reschedule loans to the tune of Tk3,700 crore in the first nine months of last year.

News

3 The ruling AL has initiated belated campaigns to convince maximum voters to cast their votes amid fear that voter turnout in the 147 constituencies may appear embarrassing for it.

pact, but the government cannot create a political vacuum.”

“Future political scenario will depend on how the oppositions behave, how soon they reach an understanding,” Menon said, adding that, “There

is a fear and a sense of insecurity prevailing among voters, but in rural areas, I visited and saw a huge interest of people to cast vote tomorrow. If the oppositions prevent them, this will be a different issue.”

Polling officer killed; centres torched n Ashif Islam Shaon Violence by miscreants against the national elections left one dead yesterday. About 100 polling centres were burnt down, as were polling materials.

At least 20 polling officials and law enforcers were injured.

Assistant Presiding officer of Thakurgaon 1 constituency ABM Jubaidul Islam, 45, was beaten to death by miscreants in Thakurgoan on Saturday night. He was a laboratory demonstrator at Salondar Degree College.

Thakurgaon Assistant Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Muksed said the incident took place at the Raipur polling centre that came under attack by miscreants.

At least 10 others were injured in the attack and were admitted in a hospital in Thakurgoan.

The attackers also hurled petrol bombs in a number of polling centres in Thakurgaon. Sadar upazila’s Bholajan Madrassa polling centre’s Presiding Officer Kutub Uddin and Jhargaon Registered Primary Government School centre’s Assistant Presiding Officer Rezaul Karim were burned in the attacks.

In Moulvibazar, unknown assailants

stabbed Assistant Presiding Officer Md Selim at Borolekha upazila around 7:30pm.

“We assume that the Jamaat-Shibir men did this,” said Tofail Ahmed, SP of Moulvibazar.

An attack by Jamaat-Shibir cadres left 10 policemen, an Ansar member and a driver injured at Samoskati village, a stronghold of Jamaat-Shibir, under Monirampur upazila in Jessore last night. The law enforcers came under attack while patrolling in a vehicle with Ansar members in the area.

Police said the Jamaat-Shibir men hurled bombs at the vehicle and then attacked with sharp weapons. All members of the team were injured. The condition of Ansar member Mohsin and driver Khaliq was critical, police said.

Jamaat-Shibir activists snatched voting materials from eight polling centres in Sadallapur upazila in Gaibandha at gunpoint. Presiding officer of Tajnagar Government Primary School Sabdar Rahman said Jamaat-Shibir men held them hostage at gunpoint, snatched the voting materials and set fire to them.

In Rajshahi, a group of 12-15 BNP-Jamaat activists in a sudden attack blasted  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Many ifs feature BNP’s future plans n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla After having failed to resist the polls despite giving several ultimatums to the ruling party and months of violent street protests, main opposition BNP and its allies are now heading into an uncertain future.

Some senior leaders of the party have said the truth is that they have very little idea about how many more days they will have to carry on with the movement and get some results out of it.

On the eve of the polls day, the party claimed that there would not be any violent resistance in the areas where voting was taking place because it had successfully mobilised public opinion against what it said were “one-sided farcical” polls.

With non-stop blockades already in place, the party is planning to continue the movement to mount pressure

on the new government – to be formed after January 5 – to arrange for another polls under a neutral administration at the earliest possible time.

One leader said the political and economic situation in the country and the effectiveness of the opposition’s movement would determine the length of the new government’s tenure.

Another leader said the idea now was to keep the movement on and wait for the government to make the first move for a compromise.

The party also believes that it will not be possible for the government to stay in power for too long because the movement has spread across the country.

Leaders said their main challenge now was to continue the movement despite the government oppression.

“We cannot fight against police and RAB or any other force because we are  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Some opposition leaders believe political and economic situation of the country and movement of the opposition combine will determine the tenure of the new government.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, January 5, 2014

AL activists to guard polling centres The move comes as a warning to the BNP-led opposition Hossain Shaikh and n Emran Mushfique Wadud Supporters of the ruling Awami League will guard polling centres alongside law enforcement agents to prevent any violence and ensure voter turnout during today’s parliamentary polls.

Party sources said strict orders were given to party leaders and activists all over the country to resist any attempts to attack polling centres or intimidate voters.

All associate bodies of AL, including Jubo League, Chhatra League and Shechhashebak League, have already taken preparations, including guarding polling centres, to ward off anyone who might try to foil the polls, the sources said.

In a warning to the BNP-led opposition alliance that is boycotting the polls, AL advisory council member Tofail Ahmed told a press briefing yesterday: “All preparations for the elections have been taken. Elections will be held.

Elections cannot be foiled by burning polling centres.”

“The presence of voters will be the same as before. Our party men will assist the voters to reach the poll centres,” AL organising secretary Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said.

Dhaka City AL general secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya told the Dhaka Tribune: “AL leaders and activists will be guarding poll centres along with the law enforcement agencies.”

While visiting Awami League electioneering offices at Lalbagh in Old Dhaka, party leaders and activists were seen discussing ways to ensure security and bring voters to the polling centres.

Of the nine city constituencies where voting will be held today, the Dhaka 7 seat is expected to be wellfought as a rebel candidate is vying against the party nominee to win votes from residents of Lalbagh, Chawkbazar, Kotwali and Bangshal.

The two aspirants are Haji M Selim, joint secretary of Dhaka City AL who is running as an independent, and Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, the AL nominee.

Meanwhile, Chhatra League and

Juba League members were seen taking position yesterday outside different polling centres in the capital to prevent possible attacks by opposition supporters.

Activists of the ruling party’s student and youth wings said they would continue guarding the polling centres until all the votes were cast and counted.

Gazi Sarwar Hossain Babu, organising secretary of Juba League Dhaka Metropolitan (south), along with about 50 supporters, was seen visiting polling centres in Dhaka 6.

During stops at Kabi Nazrul Islam College and Government Shahid Suhrawardy College, Sarwar assured the polling officials that his followers would ensure security of the centres as well as the voters.

Ruling party activists were also seen standing guard around polling centres in Dhaka 4 constituency.

Khalilur Rahman Patawari, officer in charge of Sutrapur police station, said they had taken necessary security measures in the area so that voters can cast their votes without any problem. l

Dhaka candidates busy with ‘counter-resistance’ plans n Udisa Islam Sahara Khatun, one of the former telecommunications ministers of Awami League government, spent a busy day yesterday planning “counter resistance.”

The 10th national elections are scheduled to begin in the morning today, under an ongoing hartal by the opposition alliance, which has vowed to resist the polls at all costs.

Sources said Sahara was busy the whole day with political activists, chalking out plans for the election day.

She reportedly gave instructions to her supporters to resist if anybody wanted to create obstacles for voters trying to reach polling centres.

Some Awami League activists were also borrowed out from other areas to her constituency.

Compared to her campaigns in the 2008 elections, Sahara has done almost nothing this time. In 2008, she started her campaigning one month before election and in the last 10 days, she went to different wards every day and campaigned from early morning to night. She also attended at least eight to 10 meetings daily.

Many residents of her constituency, Dhaka 18, said they did not see her or any other known face from her campaign come seek votes. Others said she was most likely to win as they did not even know the other candidates.

In her constituency, Sahara attended only a big rally when the prime minister went to Rabindra Sarani near Azampur bus stand in Uttara.

Like Sahara, some other Awami League candidates also spent their last

day chalking out plans to create a suitable environment so that voters feel safe at the polling centres.

Awami League candidate Kamal Ahmed Mojumdar of Dhaka 15 told the Dhaka Tribune he had planned to counter any efforts to stop the election.

“If anybody tries to create obstacles for voters we will resist them. All our supporters are ready to resist them,” he said.

When asked whether this counter-resistance might create a violent situation, he said, “We will counter the opposition to give security to voters.”

Ekhlas Uddin Molla, an independent candidate from Dhaka 15, said he was worried about the environment of poll centres.

“Both the Awami candidate and the opposition are threatening to resist each other. Those who are contesting independently like me, are afraid,” he said. l

Polling officer killed; centres torched  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

10 crude bombs and two petrol bombs at Baya Government Primary School polling centre.

Two police constables on duty at the polling centre sustained splinter injuries. Police detained two BNP activists with several crude bombs from the spot, said Hafizur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Shah Makhdum police station.

In Chittagong miscreants torched ballot papers and other election materials in Satkania upazila. While carrying ballots and other election materials

for Sadaha Adarsha Mahila Madrasa polling centre, two pickup vans were burned down in Fakirhat area.

In Rangpur over 30 miscreants attacked Damur Chakla Dewan Saleh Madrasa polling centre with sticks and snatched ballot papers and ballot boxes from the centre around 7pm.

Presiding Officer Asad Ali and two Ansar and VDP members were injured in the attack.

In Comilla BNP activists in Monohorganj upazila hijacked five ballot boxes from a polling centre. In Tangail

The polling centre at Nondongachhi Kalabipara Model High School in ruins after miscreants burned it on Friday night

EC unsympathetic in encouraging voters

BGB on high alert along borders n Tribune Report

n Udisa Islam

Security has been tightened along the border ahead of the 10th National Parliament Election to prevent violence at the polls.

Border Guard Bangladesh members are on high alert to prevent illegal infiltration into to the country, as security agencies suspect outsiders might create violence around the polling centres.

Lieutenant Colonel Imam Ahsan, captain of 28 BGB in Satkhira, said the EC issued an order to keep an eye on borders.

He added that a huge area was brought under a security blanket, so that no culprits would be able to transport any explosives to create violence on Election Day. Shahidul Islam, immigration officer-in-charge of Bhomra, said they have a list of criminals, and the officials have been checking every passenger’s passport, so that no criminal can escape.

CQK Mostak Ahmed, home secretary, said the BGB was asked to keep alert with strict security measures in the border areas centring the 10th National Parliament Election.

The home secretary said the borders were sealed-off, but restrictions have been imposed because of the elections. l

People in different social medias expressed their discontent with the Election Commission’s campaign to urge the voters for casting their votes in the 10th parliamentary elections.

'I have no right to cast my vote.

In this situation the message from EC is a farce to me,' says a voter Before every polls, the EC starts campaigning for a free and fair election through television advertisements after the declaration of election schedule.

However, such type of campaigning to raise awareness among the people was almost absent this year.

This time, a text message was sent

by Govt Info that says: “Selling votes is equivalent to selling conscience. Do not sell your vote.

All security measures have been taken. Cast your votes fearlessly.” [Vote Bikri to Bibek Bikri, Bhote Bikri Korben Na. Nirbachone Sarbik Nirapotta Nis-

chit Kora Hosse. Nirvoye, Nirbighne Vote Dite Kendre Jaben.]

On condition of anonymity, a senior official of the EC said the text message has been sent to everybody, regardless of whether they would vote or not.

When asked why the campaigning was being carried out at the eleventh hour, he said it had been done in right time.

On the other hand, many people viewed that such text messages were meaningless to almost half of the total voters as they would not cast their votes. A total of 153 constituencies will not see any election this year, as lone candidates of those seats had been elected uncontested.

One Saif Uddin updated his Facebook status that says: “I have no right to cast my vote. In this situation the message from EC is a farce to me.”

Another Facebook status update by Mouli Parvin, who became voter for the first time, says: “I want to choose my candidate. But I have to accept the candidate who was selected by AL. EC can be more sensitive to send this type of text. What will I do with this message?” l

Waiting with bated

over 30 miscreants attacked Simla Public School polling centre in Gopalpur upazila and snatched away over 1700 ballot papers this evening.

Two Ansar members were injured when attackers exploded a petrol bomb during the attack. Miscreants also stormed into the Khamarpara Government Primary School polling center in Gopalpur upazila around 7:00pm and snatched away all 2869 ballot papers from there, said Tanzina Islam, upazila nirbahi officer in Gopalpur upazila.

Polling centres, mostly schools,

have been burnt down across the country since Friday.

The arson attacks increased after the announcement of a 48-hour hartal on Friday night, alongside the nonstop country-wide blockade, by the opposition 18-party alliance that has called upon the nation to resist the elections.

By 11am yesterday the miscreants had burnt down more than 88 polling centres in at least 32 districts including the capital. They also set fire to election materials, including ballot papers, in Chittagong and Gaibandha in the afternoon.

In many places, schools books, furniture and classrooms were burnt to ashes.

In the Jamaat dominated district Satkhira, miscreants torched two polling centres at Godaghat Government Primary School in broad daylight.

Police said the incident took place around 11am.

In the capital, miscreants torched two schools at Gaunia and Mollartek in the morning. Locals and law enforcers doused the fire before the flames could spread. l

phone switched off most of the time.

Our reporters and correspondents in the constituencies described similar picture from many other districts.

But there might have some exceptions in some constituencies where some ruling alliance candidates may face a head-to-head ballot battle for having strong independent candidates who were once in the ruling alliance.

Dhaka-7 (Lalbag-Chakbazar-Kotowali-Bangshal area) constituency is likely to be one of those as former AL lawmaker Haji Selim is contesting the polls as an independent candidate against an AL top leader Dr Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin. The contest between the two crated a contesting atmosphere which might inspire voters to go to polls center.

But a usual festive mood during the polls was absent in most of the constituencies, rather fear gripped the voters.

“Who will ensure our security if

anything untoward happens,” Hamidul Islam Chowdhury, a voter of Habiganj 3 constituency, told the Dhaka Tribune.

“People are afraid. We will not go to the polling centres.”

A different scenario was there in Gopalganj. The Dhaka Tribune observed a changed atmosphere at the eleventh hour in Gopalganj constituencies because of the opposition leader Khaleda Zia’s remarks on December 29 on Gopalganj, which is the home district of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Khaleda said the name of Gopalganj would be changed. People of Gopalganj reacted to her remarks angrily.

Following the remarks, people from all walks of life in Gopalganj have been gearing up for giving a sharp reply to the comment through ballot.

They are also planning to cast more than 95% vote. That is why it can boost the number of total casting and ensure the higher percentage of the country’s av-

erage vote casting, according to conversation with some locals and AL leaders.

“We have already made committees for every centre to ensure a big turnout of voters. If any committees fail to bring in more than 90% vote casting, they must be held accountable,” Mahabub Ali Khan, joint secretary to the district unit Awami League told the Dhaka Tribune.

Meantime, grass roots BNP formed election-resistance committees for every polling centre in all 147 constituencies as per the direction of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Some BNP leaders said these committees had been working to discourage voters from going to polling centres.

They would do the same thing today, added the leaders.

(Zahidul Islam contributed Reporting from Gopalganj and Emran Hossain from Jessore) l

electoral activities because they have been robbed of their voting rights.”

Media reports suggest that at least 88 polling centres around the country have been torched allegedly by opposition activists in the two days before the elections.

Leaders believe that they have been successful with their all-out efforts to ensure poor voter turnout to make the elections controversial, from an early realisation they will not be able to prevent the government from holding the elections.

“The government is overseeing the elections unilaterally. This election has

already lost its credibility both internationally and nationally. Today people will boycott the polls to say no to the government. It is not possible to stay in power forcefully,” Farruk said.

The BNP-led 18-party opposition combine have deviated several times from its initial stance, which it adopted in 2011 after the Awami League-led government annulled the caretaker government system through the 15th amendment to the constitution.

Last year, the party dropped the “caretaker” and started pressing the government for a “neutral” polls-time

arrangement. Soon after, the opposition parties said they would not accept Awami League President Sheikh Hasina as the head of the polls-time cabinet.

Opposition leader Khaleda Zia even came up with her own formula of an interim government, which she said could be formed with former members of past caretaker governments.

The call for resisting the polls came up only after they failed to avert announcement of schedule for the elections that they had already boycotted and 153 candidates were elected unopposed soon after. l

Security, turnout biggest challenges  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

Mohammad Shahjahan, joint secretary general of BNP, said the government would have to come to the path of compromise soon after the election as it would not be able to run the country in this way.

The protesters of today’s polls already set fire to around 100 polling centres of 18208, torched ballot papers in different places including the capital that deepened the sense of fear among voters to think twice before going to vote centres.

At least one assistant presiding officer of a polling centre in Raipur of Thakurgaon was killed and a few others were critically injured in separate incidents of attacks last evening.

Some protesters also launched an attack on some policemen in in the district and took away their arms.

Many other challenges remain in the 147 constituencies where vote will be cast from 8am to 4pm today.

A 55-year-old man at Joypur village

of Monirampur upazila in Jessore said he voted in all general elections since he became a voter.

His identity is withheld for security concerns as he has decided not to exercise his franchise in today’s election.

“I am from the Hindu community living in a village where the minority houses were set afire by Jamaat-Shibir activists, who are against the election,” said the man who always voted for “boat”, except once, when he voted a Jamaat candidate for the candidate’s personal reputation for being honest.

“If I go to polling centre for casting vote, their (Jamaat-Shibir) men will identify me as an Awami League man,” said the man.

Yet, if he does not go to vote, there are chances that he will draw wrath from the AL men for siding with Jamaat-Shibir.

It is a dilemma he had never faced, and now he had been keeping his cell-

Many ifs feature BNP’s future plans  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

a democratic party. We have built a public opinion against voting and our election resistance committees around the country have been working hard to this end,” Mohammad Shahjahan, joint secretary general of BNP, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Shahjahan is now at his home in Noakhali, working to discourage the people in his area from voting.

“We have campaigned at every house to discourage the voters. We will do the same tomorrow,” Shamsuzzoha Khan, president of Naogaon district

BNP, told the Dhaka Tribune.

However, our Bogra correspondent Hasibur Rahman Bilu reported that the local leaders and activists of BNP had not done anything like that. They resorted to widespread violence to scare the voters and keep them away from the polling centres.

When asked who were torching polling centres and attacking law enforcers and election officials, BNP chairperson’s adviser Osman Farruk said no opposition man was involved with the violence. “The common people are expressing their anger by attacking the

DHAKA TRIBUNE

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

situation turns volatile again,” said Govinda, during an interview with the Dhaka Tribune on December 29.

Govinda said as many as 1,000 people, mostly Hindus, had left the country through Bhomra land port on the day he and one of his acquaintances left. There were some Awami League activists too.

The number of people leaving their homes increased in November and December when over 16 people were killed in violence as Satkhira remained virtually cut off from rest of the country because of a Jamaat siege.

“Most of them have not returned yet. Many are waiting in anticipation of a political reconciliation, which seems highly unlikely at this moment.”

Those stuck in India are having “difficult times” because of their lack of preparation for a long stay, Govinda said, adding he himself had to change his addresses four times and travel frequently. Many went there without legal documents.

“Those who stayed back are keeping an eye on the situation in the country.

Any sign of normalcy and then would return straight home.”

Swapna, a resident in Kolaroa upazila, described how Jamaat-Shibir activists were bearing down on the Hindus.

“Hindu women have to suffer bullying almost on a daily basis. There is always someone telling them: ‘Who split your forehead, dear Boudi [referring to the red line married Hindu women draw on their head]? Do you want us to help you get across the river to India?’”

She said in order to avoid being bullied she had stopped drawing her marriage symbol and wearing attires typical of a Bangalee Hindu woman.

“Is it a sin to be born in Bangladesh?

My father’s home is in Noakhali and father-in-law lives in Chittagong. I hear it [torture] is the same with the minority people everywhere.”

She recalled the horrific nights when the Jamaat-Shibir men went to Hindu houses and asked parents to hand over their daughters to them. “There is no way to deal with such insanity."

Govinda and Swapna are two of a community that had been waiting for a stable situation with bated breath.

The elections would not mean anything to them unless order is restored in the district. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

AL campaigns to save face Reza Chowdhury and n Kamran Emran Hossain Shaikh The ruling Awami League has initiated belated campaigns to convince the maximum number of voters to cast their votes amid fear that voter turnout in the 147 constituencies may appear embarrassing for it.

It has now become a key test for the ruling party to ensure at least over 50% turnout that would help the government to consolidate its authority after the polls. Around 48% of the total voters will exercise their franchise today as polls would not be held in 153 seats where the candidates has been elected uncontested.

In 1988, voter turnout was 51.8% while it was 26.5% during the February 15, 1996 elections when there were no polls in 10 constituencies.

The grassroots leaders are not interested in campaigning in the BNP strongholds including Bogra and greater Noakhali districts where the AL leaders are either in hibernation or assembled in groups to protect them from the attacks of the BNP-Jamaat activists.

The AL leaders in other areas have been working hard to attract the voters through door-to-door campaigns just to get at least 50% turnout. They are said to be arranging transportation facilities for the voters and have pledged to protect them from attacks of the opposition men.

But the voters are hesitant to go to the polling centres.

The AL leaders in the 147 constituencies were not active until the party’s central leadership asked them to conduct campaigns mainly to increase the voter turnout.

Subrata Das Shimul, AL general secretary of Dakkhinbagh union of Barolekha, Moulvibazar, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had been campaigning in the villages and asking them to turn up at the polls centres. The union has around 19,000 voters.

Voting takes place in two out of the four seats in the district.

Dakkhinbagh falls within Moulvibazar 1 constituency where the AL has nominated Shahab Uddin as its candidate against the Jatiya Party’s (JaPa) Ahmed Riyaz Uddin.

“We will go to every house tomorrow [Sunday] for increasing the number of voters as the BNP-Jamaat has been intimidating the people. Besides, we will provide rickshaws for the voters to reach the polling centres,” said Subrata, whose shop was raged by the opposition activists recently.

He said: “I think we will be able to cast 60% votes against the party’s target of 50%.”

Faruk Ahmed Chowdhury, general secretary of Jamalpur district AL, admitted that the people were in severe panic in his area.

“We have been trying to allay the fear of the voters belonging to the pro-liberation forces. We have arranged transportation facilities for them too.

Our target to see casting of up to 60% votes,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said the party had been mobilising the workforce as the BNP-Jamaat voters would not come to the polling

centres.

“Bringing more people to the polling centres will be better for the party and the government. Therefore, we have initiated the move to encourage the voters,” Abdul Malek, general secretary of AL’s Naogaon district unit and candidate from Naogaon 5 seat, told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said the local leaders had been asked to go to every house and pursue them to cast their votes.

Elections would take place in three constituencies out of six in the district, a BNP-dominated area.

The situation is very difficult for the ruling party in Bogra and greater Noakhali, two strongholds of the opposition BNP and Jamaat.

The AL leaders have been very inactive there as the party has no candidate in the two of seven constituencies where voting is set to take place.

“Our leaders are not enthusiastic about the votes here as we have no party candidates [for Bogra 7 constituency]. The Jatiya Party candidate will get our votes. Let us see how we can increase the voters’ presence,” Azam Khan, president of Gabtali (BNP founder Ziaur Rahman’s village) unit of AL, told the Dhaka Tribune.

The situation in Kahalu and Nandigram (Bogra 4) constituency is similar to Gabtali, say the AL’s grassroots leaders.

Nazrul Islam, president of the AL’s Joylashkarpur union under Daganbhuiyan upazila in Feni, said the upazila-level leaders had not passed to them any instruction to increase turnout.

“They [the upazila AL] have formed a bahini [team] which will work for taking voters to the polling centres. Please ask them, how they will do that. They have not arranged any vehicular facilities for the voters,” Nazrul told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said the AL and its front organisations had been working in favour of JaPa candidate Rintu Anwar in Feni 3 constituency.

Jyonti Rani Sardar, women affairs secretary of the AL’s Dakop upazila, Khulna, told the Dhaka Tribune that the Khulna 1 constituency (Dakop-Batiaghata) had not witnessed any violence as it was a Hindu-dominated area.

AL candidate Panchanan Bishwas is facing immediate past MP Noni Gopal Mondal (independent) and JaPa’s Shunil Shubho Roy. “Hopefully, we will see 75% vote cast in our constituency. All the candidates are doing their campaigns peacefully,” said. Out of the total 1,08,000 voters in Dakop, around 60,000 are Hindus.

Shahriar Alam, AL candidate for Rajshahi 6 seat, said he had ensured that the voters get rickshaw vans to reach the voting centres.

“Besides that, our workers will cook food tonight [Saturday] around the polling centres so that no attackers can harm the centres. Again, our ward-level workers have been campaigning doorto-door,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

Our correspondents report that the turnout in Faridpur 4 seat and three others in Gopalganj districts is likely to be higher following opposition chief Khaleda Zia’s remark about the name of Gopalganj. l

News

ALfights itself in 30 seats n Emran Hossain Shaikh

There will be tough competition in 30 seats in the 10th parliamentary elections today, among Awami League candidates and the party’s rebels. Central leaders and ministers like Matia Chowdhury and Kazi Jafar Ullah are going head to head against fellow party leaders in the polls.

The 104 independents contesting in the elections are mostly Awami League leaders, and at least seven of them are current and former MPs. Around 70 Awami League nominees are facing rebel candidates.

Voters said Awami League presidium members Kazi Jafar Ullah, Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku were the ones facing the toughest competitions from rebels.

Jafar Ullah is facing independent candidate Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury alias Nixon Chowdhury at Faridpur 4 constituency.

Matia Chowdhury, party candidate for Sherpur 2, is facing Badiuzzaman Badsha, Chairman of Nalitabari upazila and vice-president of Krishak League.

Former AL MP Haji Mohammad Selim is vying as an independent against Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin in Dhaka 7.

State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku facing former state minister Abu Sayeed, known as a reformist in the party, in Pabna 1. In Narail 2 and Satkhira 1, ruling ally Workers Party’s candidates are facing Awami League rebel candidates. l

3

Sunday, January 5, 2014

RESULTS OF ALL PARLIAMENTARY POLLS AT A GLANCE Election Year Parties

1973

1979

1986

1988

1991

1996 (15 Feb)

1996

2001

2008

2014

14

29

28

8

75

41

81

54

38

12

1,192

2,787

1,450

2,574

1,939

1,567

390 [in 147 seats] 153

Candidates 1,209 2,547 1,980 Unopposed

11

11

0

18

0

49

0

0

0

Turnout(%)

55.6

51.3

66.3

51.8

55.5

26.5

75

75.6

87.13

AL

BNP

JP

JP

BNP

BNP

AL

BNP

AL

Winner

Tarique: Do not wait for any directive n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla In a rare video address to the nation from exile, opposition leader Khaleda Zia’s eldest son Tarique Rahman, also senior vice-chairman of BNP, urged people to rise above “petty interests and put in all-out efforts” to resist todayu’s “farcical” polls.

The five-minute video that was circulated in social media yesterday, was not his first. A similar message was circulated during the last national council of BNP in 2008.

Tarique has been living in London since 2008.

Before going into “exile,” he had promised that he would not get involved in any political activity. However, last year, Tarique elaborated his future plans in a programme in London marking the launching of a book written by him.

Cylinder blast kills 1 n Kailash Sarkar

But [certain] political elements are using the relations to serve their narrow personal and party interests

A housewife was killed and a youth injured in gas cylinder explosion in East Daniya of Jatrabari area in the capital last night.

The deceased was identified as Josna Begum, 35, wife Mosharraf Hossain alias Phoolchan.

Jatrabari Police Station Officer-inCharge Rafiqul Islam said Josna had fallen victim while she had been coming out from the 2nd floor of her building. l

Jamaat-Shibir ‘ready to foil’ elections n Tribune Report Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has instructed all its party offices across the country to resist people from going to their respective polling centres, said sources in the party.

“The Jamaat-Shibir activists would remain active on the field to foil the polls for the sake of saving Islam,” said a leader of the party.

Meanwhile, more than 100 polling centres were reportedly torched yesterday until 9pm.

A number of Jamaat leaders claimed the activists were going door to door to convince voters not to go to the polling centres to cast votes for “saving Islam and democracy.”

“The central committee has instructed our leaders and activists to coordinate with BNP activists and take position at the polling centres where Jamaat has strong connections,” a Jamaat leader told the Dhaka Tribune wishing anonymity.

The central committee of Jamaat

had instructed its activists to form “poll resistance committees” with BNP in all the constituencies at zilla, thana, upazila, union and wards to foil the polls, however, many of the Jamaat activists were yet to form such committee, according to the sources The Jamaat-Shibir men also have threatened to make a list of those who will go to the polling centres in several constituencies including Satkhira 1, an area considered to be stronghold of Jamaat.

In last few days, the main opposition parties including BNP and Jamaat went on a rampage to thwart the “one-sided 10th parliamentary election” to be held today.

Fourteen-party alliance candidate in Satkhira 1 Mostafa Lutfullah alleged that some Jamaat activists hiding faces behind masks brought out a procession in Jalalabad area in Satkhira 1 on Friday night. They chanted slogans against the election.

“The local administration did not take any step against them even after being informed,” he said.

Independent candidate of the same

constituency SM Mojibur Rahman alleged that Jamaat men had been threatening voters in different areas for not going to the polling centres.

He demanded that law enforcement agencies be more active in the violence-prone areas.

Many people from the minor communities have already left Satkhira sadar in the wake of the violence broken out by Jamaat in Satkhira 2 in February last year.

“Still Jamaat-Shibir activists are threatening the minorities and those who have left are yet to return to their homes out of fear,” said a leader of Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Parishad on condition of anonymity.

Another 11-party candidate Mir Mostaque Ahmed and independent candidate Saiful Karim demanded the law enforcement agencies to pay special attention to Jamaat-dominated areas.

“The supporters of liberation war will go to the polling centres if assurance is given by the local administration,” Mostaque said.l

He was arrested in 2007 in the anti-graft crackdown of the then military-backed caretaker government. Before going to London, he secured bail in all the 16 cases filed against him. Recently, a Dhaka court acquitted Tarique from a major money-laundering case.

Branding the ongoing movement as the one for “restoring democracy,” Tarique said in the video message: “It is time to wage all-out efforts. No more waiting for any direction.

From today the only target is to resist the autocratic government and the farcical polls at any cost burying the all small differences.”

Claiming that his mother Khaleda Zia had been placed on “house arrest,” Tarique hinted that the law enforcers might have to face trial in future for what he said was going “against the people of the country” by siding with the “autocratic” government.

Pointing fingers at a neighboring country, Tarique said the relations with that country could have been one of “mutual welfare and understanding.”

“But [certain] political elements are using the relations to serve their narrow personal and party interests.”

The BNP senior vice chairman also said the deep crisis prevailing in the country had posed a question whether the constitution was for the people or whether the people were for the constitution.

Tarique’s message comes only a day after Khaleda Zia had issued a statement on Friday asking people to join in boycotting and resisting the “farcical” polls. l

Many voters indifferent in Tuku’s seat Fear of ‘uncontested’ fake votes n Abu Bakar Siddique, from Pabna A large number of voters at Pabna’s Bera and Santhia upazilas have expressed their unwillingness to cast ballots in today’s parliamentary polls, saying the “one-sided” election meant nothing to them.

“This is not a national election, rather it should be called as the election of Awami League where the main contest is between an incumbent and a former Awami League MP”, said Mohammad Shafi, a resident of Dowlatpur village of Santhia upazila, which is known as a hub of Jamaat-e-Islami because former ameer of the party Motitur Rahman Nizami hailed from there.

The reluctance to vote is evident in the absence of festive election mood in the Pabna 1 constituency, which consists Bera and Santhia upazilas.

Shafi also said the common people had no interest in the kind of election which had no future, adding that everybody – except a few party men – were busy with their livelihoods.

Regarding popularity among the voters, independent candidate Prof Abu Sayeed was leading the race ahead of incumbent lawmaker Awami League candidate Shamsul Haque Tuku.

Talking to over a hundred people in the constituency, the Dhaka Trib-

une found that most were uninterested about the polls. Many of the locals however said if they were to vote, they would choose Sayeed, who was a former state minister for information.

“If the election turns out to be fair, I hope Abu Sayeed will be elected,” said Joynal Abedin, a voter from Nakalia village. He however added that the results were uncertain as Shamsul Haque Tuku – the incumbent state minister for home – controlled the law enforcement agencies.

The locals also claimed that they were refraining from supporting the incumbent lawmaker because he served his own interest instead of serving the people.

“He [Tuku] did nothing for the locality, rather Tuku engaged himself to earn wealth in different ways,” said Mobarak Hossain, a tea-stall owner at Koromja Bazar of Bera, adding that Sayeed was far better than Tuku.

Tuku did not bear the weight to be a lawmaker, another voter Faruk Hossain from Sharisha village claimed. People voted for Tuku in the previous election because of the wave of change promised by the Awami League and because Sayeed – the lawmaker elected in the 1996 elections – did not get AL nomination, he added.

However, some workers of Tuku’s election office were seen yesterday

morning to persuade people to cast vote for the candidate.

On the other hand, Sayeed expressed concerns of failing in his election bid, as the local police were allegedly working on behalf of Tuku.

Three officers-in-charge of Bera, Santhia and Ataikula police stations were closed on Friday by a special order from the Election Commission, following allegations from Sayeed.

The supporters of Sayeed were also reportedly harassed by Tuku’s followers in different ways including the filing of lawsuits, Ishrafil Alam, a supporter of Sayeed said.

With the election race lacking any opposition candidate, including former Jamaat chief Nizami who was twice elected lawmaker from the constituency in 1991 and 2001, rumours suggested that the opposition activists secretly supported Sayeed because they wanted Tuku to fail.

Rais Uddin, secretary of Bera upazila unit of BNP, however told the Dhaka Tribune that they were boycotting the election and would no way support anybody from Awami League.

Mostafizur Rahman Firoz, acting ameer of Santhia upazila Jamaat, also denied allegations of extending support to any candidate, and said no Jamaat worker will join the polls. l

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Traditionally, polling agents of contenders challenge each other and also suspicious voters to make sure that nobody casts fake votes during elections.

But this year, because of the opposition boycott, there will not be any polling agent at the centres to challenge the agents of those candidates, who are contesting the elections.

Experts have said the EC’s main challenge will be ensuring a healthy voter turnout and give the polls credibility amid apprehension that the ruling parties – the only contenders this time – may adopt unfair means.

They said ensuring credibility was also mandatory for the Awami Leagueled ruling combine because of the opposition boycott and the absence of reputed international observers.

One way of doing that could be showing substantial voter presence although until a day before the elections, many voters from different social classes were undecided about going to the polling centres fearing violence, experts said.

Torching of polling centres and attacks on law enforces and election officials on the eve of the election day would only reinforce the prevailing fear, they said.

In a video clip that has reached jour-

nalists via the agent of an independent candidate in the Jessore 1 constituency, Awami League leader Afil Uddin can be seen telling his supporters: “Do not leave the field vacant. A hundred of our [Awami League] supporters will be present at every voting centre. They will go to the booths to cast vote and queue up again for voting once more.

This will go on over and over again. It will create an impression among observers and journalists that many voters have gathered to cast their votes.”

Afil is the uncontested-elected lawmaker from the Jessore 2 seat who had been campaigning for his fellow party ticket-holder in the Jessore 1 constituency.

“Usually, the polling agents of con-

tenders challenge a voter if they suspect something fishy. But it will not be possible to perfectly identify the voters from their pictures only,” Rokhsana Khondker, steering committee member of the Election Working Group, told the Dhaka Tribune.

“Since there is no opposition side in these elections, challenging of fake voters will not take place at the polling centres,” former election commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune.

Hossain also said to what extent it would be possible for the election officials to remain “neutral” would be a big question because the ruling party leaders had been desperate to show huge voter turnouts. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Dhaka 17 voters unaware of candidates, symbols Hayat Mahmud and n Abu Md Sanaul Islam Tipu The residents of Dhaka-17 constituency, which comprises the posh neighbourhoods of Banani, Gulshan and Dhaka Cantonment, have no interest in the one-sided 10th parliamentary polls and most voters of the area said they would not go out to vote today.

Many voters told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday evening that they had no information on the candidates vying for the seat or their election symbols.

The voters also claimed that the candidates did not run adequate campaigns or meet with the locals. Some also said they had no idea that polls

would be held in their area or where the polling centres were.

“Polls are being held in our area? I did not know,” said Jubaida Begum, owner of a tea stall at Banani Road 17.

“Even if the polls are held tomorrow, I will not go to vote.”

Since the incumbent lawmaker and Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad withdrew his candidature, three new aspirants have entered the race.

The new faces on the ballot paper include Abdul Latif Mallick of Jatiya Party (Manju) with “bicycle” symbol, SM Abul Kalam Azad of newly-floated Bangladesh Nationalist Front with “television” and independent candidate MA Hannan Mridha, whose symbol is “football”.

The ruling Awami League did not field any candidate as it had earmarked the seat for Ershad, while the BNP-led opposition parties are boycotting the polls.

The candidates who are running, meanwhile, seem to have failed to create much enthusiasm among the voters.

“In every (past) parliamentary election, I have gone to vote with special interest. But this year, I will not go to the polling centre as I have no interest in the one-sided polls,” said Ashique Anowar, a school teacher and Banani resident. “The polls have not obtained support from all over the world, so how can I go to cast my vote?”

“I know another election will be held within a little time just after the

polls tomorrow, so why should I go to cast my vote spending my vehicle fuel for this one-sided polls?” he added.

Ashique also said he did not know the names nor the symbols of the three new candidates. “None of the candidates and their supporters came to my house with voter slips and leaflets like in previous polls,” he added.

Md Dulal, an electrician who lives inside the cantonment, said he would not be going to the polling centre for fear of possible violence.

Belal Hossain, a resident of Gulshan 1, also said he would not cast his ballot this time, although he had voted in almost every national election from 1991 to 2008. l

Arson in ‘polling centre’ shatters children’s dream n Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur Students of Rosulpur Primary School under Ramganj upazila of the district became heartbroken as their new books were burned to ashes yesterday.

According to sources, activists of 18-party alliance allegedly set fire to the school at night in order to foil today’s election as the school was selected as polling center.

The fire burned 1,100 books, six pairs of benches and a chair.

The fire also shattered dreams of the students as they did not get new books in their new classes.

The teachers were supposed to provide the books among the students on January 2 as they had to attend training sessions for today’s election. But they could not provide the books as the school was torched.

Arafat Hossain, a fourth-grade student of the school, went to the school with the hope for getting new books.

But he became heartbroken because of the incident.

Nusrat, Minhaj, Shampa, Pria and others echoed Arafat.

Sahena Akter, Abul Kalam, Anwar Hosain, Jahanra Begum, guardians of the students, also expressed frustration over the incident.

Nurunnahar, the headmistress of the school, said “We have become disappointed likewise the students as we could not provide the books among them.”

Deputy Commissioner AKM Mizanur Rahman, Police Superintendent Abul Foyej, district Primary Education Officer Nurul Islam and upazila Primary Education Officer Nabir Uddin visited the spot.

District Primary Education Officer Nurul Islam says a demand letter has been sent to the directorate seeking books and benches.

We hope we can provide the students with new books within a couple of days, he says. l

WEATHER

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

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

Night and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country. The sun sets in the capital at 5:25pm today and rises at 6:43am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 25.6 degree Celsius was recorded at Chittagong and lowest 6.6 degrees at Chuadanga 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

22.5 25.6 22.3 20.5 22.8 22.8 24.9 24.5

13.5 15.0 08.5 11.4 11.6 10.2 11.0 15.5

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:22am 6:41am 12:04am 3:49pm 5:25pm 6:46pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

A number of ballot boxes stacked at MA Aziz Stadium premises in Chittagong under police surveillance yesterday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Rajshahi voters confused, panicked Jamil Khan, n Mohammad from Rajshahi The voters in Rajshahi division’s two constituencies – Rajshahi 3 and Rajshahi 6 – allege that the opposition supporters are threatening them not go to the polling centres today while the Awami League candidates have been asking them to exercise their franchise fearlessly.

Moreover, the persistent incidents of violent clashes and attack on polling centres to thwart the polls have put them in a dilemma about the voting.

According to district Election Officer Saiful Islam, there are 3,19,698 voters in Rajshahi 3 constituency and in Rajshahi 6 election area, it is 2,73,000.

The number of female voters is almost half. The polls will be held at 180 polling centres in the two seats.

In both the constituencies, the ALnominated MP aspirants are ahead of their contending independent candidates.

Reports of threatening the voters came from Bagha and Charghat area.

Police said they were receiving complaints from Nimpara, Halua, Patiakandi, Bagubagha, Chatari and Monipur union saying they were instructed not to go to cast votes.

Confirming the incident, Khandokar Golam Mortoza, officer-in-charge of Charghat police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were trying to trace the criminals.

Many among the Hindu communities of the area are also in fear. Pulak Chowdhury, a resident of Bagha area, said they had been frightened over the reports of attack on polling centres across the country. “Moreover, some people cut down trees and attacked our houses in Habashpur area recently but no one had the courage to file any cases,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

“If we go to cast votes and anything happens to us, who will take the responsibility?” Pulak asked.

In this regard, Abul Khayer, officer-incharge of Bagha police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that patrol teams were active in the area while the joint forces had also been deployed. He claimed that the situation was under control.

Meanwhile, some voters think about

CHT people take on challenge to cast vote

Postal ballot ignored

n Adil Sakhawat

Ignorance surrounding the postal ballot voting system, added with the Election Commission’s lack of initiative to publicise the procedure, is causing at least 600,000 election-related officials and many expatriates to be deprived from their voting rights every election year.

Voting through a normal process is not an option for most of the public servants, law enforcers, teachers and other officials, who are involved with the election process and are deputed to different places away from where they are enlisted as voters.

Bangladeshi missions abroad are also in the dark about the postal ballot voting system, while most of the 80 lakh Bangladeshi expatriates are not voters.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Shaikh Yusuf Harun, the Election Commission has a provision of taking postal votes by sending postal ballots to the interested officers or persons.

The postal ballot is sent to an interested person, after they submit an

People in CHT areas are facing problems to reach polling centres as it takes a long time to reach the voting stations crossing the bumpy roads from their abode.

The voters are in a festive mood about polls though they have to face trouble to reach polling centres.

Mrinal Kanti Tripura, independent candidate of Khagrachhari told the Dhaka Tribune, “As this area is very impassable, voters will face trouble to reach the voting stations. They have to approach the centres on foot only.”

Many voters have already gone to their relatives’ houses, close to polling centres, the day before polls only to cast vote, he said.

About the pre-election violence, Mrinal told the Dhaka Tribune his family were detained by the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) men two days before polls and later released

UP chairman murdered n Tribune Report Awami League leader and acting chairman of Dhamalia union parishad in Dumuria upazil of Khulna was killed yesterday.

Locals said acting chairman Shahidul Islam came out of his residence around 11:30am as some people called him out. Miscreants shot him there and fled from the scene. Locals rushed him to Khulna Medical College Hospital but Shahidul succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital.

Local AL activists detained Shohan, a Shibir activist, in connection of the killing. They handed him over to police. Later he died in a cross-fire. Police recovered arms, bullets and bombs from the spot.

Officer-in-Charge of Dumuria police station Shah Mohammad Awlad Hossain said Shohan informed police that some fellow members were waiting in a field named Napitar Math. Police went to the spot and the miscreants opened fire. Shohan shot dead on the spot. Two police members were injured in the cross-fire. l

following negotiations with them.

Voters in Rangamati are also in a festive mood ahead of the election, but those living in the inaccessible areas came near polling centres the day before polls.

'As this area is very impassable, voters will face trouble to reach the voting stations. They have to approach the centres on foot only,' says Khagrachhari independent candidate Independent candidate Ushatan Talukdar of Rangamati alleged that the voters had been facing harassment by the UPDF members.

Ushatan also alleged that Awami league activists were continuously threatening his agent in the area.

“My supporters were more than other candidates in this constituency,” he said. l

Karim and n Mohosinul Rabiul Islam

application to the returning officer of the concerned area 15 days prior to the election date. The applicant will then resend the ballot to the returning officer after casting his vote confidentially, the Dhaka DC said.

The returning officer will send the postal ballot to the EC and it will be counted for the aspirants for whom the officer or person will give their vote, he added.

“We are yet to receive a single application. Nobody is interested to give such votes as most of them are not aware about the system. They would be interested, if the commission takes any initiative to create public awareness in this regard,” the Dhaka DC said.

Deputy Secretary Piyar Mohammad said: “Though they have an option to cast their votes by postal ballots, most of the officers are not interested to do it. There is no publicity in this regard.

As a result, around 600,000 voters cannot cast their votes every election year.”

Senior Assistant Secretary Nurul Karim Bhuiyan, who is now in Patuakhali on election duty, said: “I have never

38 injured as RMG workers-police clash n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong At least 38 people, including eight policemen, were injured in a clash between readymade garment workers and police near the Chittagong Export Processing Zone yesterday.

Police and local sources said workers had vandalised two RMG factories – Section Seven and Section Apparels – five vehicles, and torched a motorcycle at the CEPZ intersection around 10am. They were demanding the immediate implementation of the newly announced wage board.

Arifur Rahman Arif, inspector (intelligence) of Industrial Police in Chittagong, told the Dhaka Tribune that around 8,000 RMG workers locked into clashes with the police when they tried to disperse the agitated workers. Eight policemen had sustained injuries during the clash, he added.

The situation was brought under control after additional police from the EPZ police station went to the scene and fired blank rounds and conducted baton charges, Mostak Ahmed, additional deputy commissioner of Port Zone of Chittagong Metropolitan Police said.

The workers claimed that at least 30 of them received injuries because of the police action.

Later, RMG factory owners, the workers’ body, officials from Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authorities and law enforcement agencies

conducted a meeting and decided to implement the new wage board for workers bywithin January 9, the ADC said.

After receiving the assurance, the workers withdrew their demonstration around 1:30pm. l

Garment workers of Section Seven Garment Factory stage demonstration yesterday, demanding salaries under new structure DHAKA TRIBUNE

casting the ballots or else they would be marked as activists of any political party opposing the polls.

Abdu Sabur, a resident of Bagha area, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We fall in traps. If we do not go to poling centres then the Awami League will treat us as BNP men while if we vote, the BNP will treat us as Awami League supporters.”

Local AL leaders said they were prepared to ensure a peaceful election.

Abdus Salam, president of AL’s Mohonpur upazila unit, told the Dhaka Tribune that the activists and leaders would be present on the streets. “If anyone tries to create any barrier for the voters, the party activists will help the law enforcers taking action.”

Aspirants hopeful

In the two seats of the division, both the strong candidates belong to the Awami League and they hope to win the polls.

According to district returning office, AL-nominated Shahriar Alam is participating in the polls with boat symbol from Rajshahi 6 seat while former ruling party lawmaker Raihanul Haque as independent candidate with butterfly as his election symbol.

Contacted, Shahriar told the Dhaka Tribune: “I have worked in the area for the last five years and the people also love me so much. Learning all these about me, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given me the nomination.”

He hoped that the voters would reject those who were working for their personal interests and took their position against the AL. In Rajshahi 3, district AL President Meraz Uddin Mollah, who was elected as an MP in 2008 elections, is contesting as independent candidate since the party nominated Ayne Uddin.

Meraz, told the Dhaka Tribune: “I have sacrificed many things for the party and worked for the development of the area. Despite these, the party did not give me the nomination. For this reason, on request of the local people, I am participating in the polls as an MP candidate.”

He asked the people to exercise their voting rights not considering the election symbol of the candidates but their activities. l

heard that any officer applied to any returning officer for casting his votes by postal ballots. I am also not interested to do so.”

Asked about publicity surrounding postal ballots, the EC Secretary Mohammad Sadique refused to comment saying he was “very busy.”

Lack of awareness about the postal ballot system also failed to create enthusiasm among expatriates living abroad.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the UAE Mohammad Imran said: “We have not received any letter from Bangladeshi expatriates for giving vote by post.”

“I have no knowledge about postal ballot and we have no such activities,” Labour Counsellor to Riyadh Emdadul Hoque told the Dhaka Tribune.

Shajahan Bhuiyan, a Bangladeshi expatriate in Saudi Arabia, said: “We are not voters and the government has not made us voters, which is our big demand”.

Mohiuddin Babul, a Bangladeshi businessman in South Africa, said: “We do not know anything about postal ballot.” l

AL man violates domestic help n Our Correspondent, Rajbari A domestic help was allegedly raped by a local Awami League leader in Rajbari district on Saturday.

Sources said Siraj Mandal, 45, son of Tasel Mandal in Barabanglot village under Koshbamajail union of Pangsha upazila had raped the maid while she had been working in his house. Siraj is the AL joint- secretary of the union.

When contacted, Pangsha Police Station Sub-inspector (SI) Nizam Uddin confirmed the incident.

Police sources also said the house help had been working in the house of Siraj for a long time and he tried to develop an illicit relation with her.

Locals formed a human chain in front of Pangsha Press Club protesting the incident. l

Special

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Map of Constituencies 1 2 4

16

12

3 13

6

5

14 15

9

7

8

21

44

45

52

27 29

24 31

34

32

35

48 49

43

26

22

23

10 11

46

18

19

20

47

25

17

50

30 33

41 39

42

138 139

37

38

28

36

140 141

5

Sunday, January 5, 2014

NO VOTING 004 007 013 015 017 019 020 023 026 027 033 034 035 036 037 038 040 041 043 045 046 047 051 052 053 055

Thakurgaon-2 Dinajpur-2 Nilphamari-2 Nilphamari-4 Lalmonirhat-2 Rangpur-1 Rangpur-2 Rangpur-5 Kurigram-2 Kurigram-3 Gaibandha-5 Joypurhat-1 Joypurhat-2 Bogra-1 Bogra-2 Bogra-3 Bogra-5 Bogra-6 Chapainawabganj-1 Chapainawabganj-3 Naogaon-1 Naogaon-2 Naogaon-6 Rajshahi-1 Rajshahi-2 Rajshahi-4

145 143 142

144

056 058 059 061 062 063 064 065 067 069 071 072 076 085 087 093 095 096 097 102 103 104 107 108 112 114

Rajshahi-5 Natore-1 Natore-2 Natore-4 Sirajganj-1 Sirajganj-2 Sirajganj-3 Sirajganj-4 Sirajganj-6 Pabna-2 Pabna-4 Pabna-5 Kushtia-2 Jessore-1 Jessore-3 Narail-1 Bagerhat-1 Bagerhat-2 Bagerhat-3 Khulna-4 Khulna-5 Khulna-6 Satkhira-3 Satkhira-4 Patuakhali-2 Patuakhali-4

146

157

147 161 150 149

115 118 119 123 124 126 127 128 130 132 133 136 137 140 146 147 149 150 153 154 160 161 162 163 165 166

Bhola-1 Bhola-4 Barisal-1 Barisal-5 Barisal-6 Jhalkathi-2 Pirojpur-1 Pirojpur-2 Tangail-1 Tangail-3 Tangail-4 Tangail-7 Tangail-8 Jamalpur-3 Mymensingh-1 Mymensingh-2 Mymensingh-4 Mymensingh-5 Mymensingh-8 Mymensingh-9 Netrokona-4 Netrokona-5 Kishoreganj-1 Kishoreganj-2 Kishoreganj-4 Kishoreganj-5

224

167 169 170 173 175 176 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 192 193 194 195 196 198 202 203 205 206 207 208 209

Kishoreganj-6 Manikganj-2 Manikganj-3 Munshiganj-3 Dhaka-2 Dhaka-3 Dhaka-8 Dhaka-9 Dhaka-10 Dhaka-11 Dhaka-12 Dhaka-13 Dhaka-14 Dhaka-19 Dhaka-20 Gazipur-1 Gazipur-2 Gazipur-3 Gazipur-5 Narsingdi-4 Narsingdi-5 Narayanganj-2 Narayanganj-3 Narayanganj-4 Narayanganj-5 Rajbari-1

160

228 225

226

230 231

Panchagarh-1 Panchagarh-2 Thakurgaon-1 Thakurgaon-3 Dinajpur-1 Dinajpur-3 Dinajpur-4 Dinajpur-5 Dinajpur-6 Nilphamari-1 Nilphamari-3 Lalmonirhat-1 Lalmonirhat-3 Rangpur-3 Rangpur-4 Rangpur-6 Kurigram-1 Kurigram-4 Gaibandha-1 Gaibandha-2 Gaibandha-3

260 261 262 263 264 265 266 268 269 270 271 272 275 276 278 282 283 284 285 287 291 294 295 296

Chandpur-1 Chandpur-2 Chandpur-3 Chandpur-4 Chandpur-5 Feni-1 Feni-2 Noakhali-1 Noakhali-2 Noakhali-3 Noakhali-4 Noakhali-5 Lakshmipur-2 Lakshmipur 3 Chittagong-1 Chittagong-5 Chittagong-6 Chittagong-7 Chittagong-8 Chittagong-10 Chittagong-14 Cox’s Bazar-1 Cox’s Bazar-2 Cox’s Bazar-3

233

229 234

159 235 153 40 62 55 151 152 154 131 237 60 240 239 164 64 54 132 236 165 56 59 162 63 155 53 156 133 238 65 241 137 61 163 66 134 166 57 58 70 242 243 196 67 197 202 167 71 135 136 194 244 68 75 201 189 190 72 198 245 195 76 193 200 203 170 192 168 188 69 247 199 74 191 187 78 184 77 204 187 246 248 2 05 73 169 184 209 210 175 178 186 79 251 206 81 182 176 250 174 185 181 213 208 82 171 252 253 91 180 173 249 80 179 254 214 211 172 255 212 177 261 260 84 256 221 218 92 83 222 215 219 264 257 259 88 94 262263 298 86 87 258 274 223 265 220 216 268 85 217 93 269 89 266 275 119 270 276 267 122 105 90 101 102 95 120 121 299 278 103 100 272 279 106 123 115 128 271 277 96 127 126 116 125 124 280 281282 107 293 283 112 99 111 286 284 273 117 129 287 289 98 288 290 104 113 97 109 118 110 286 285 108 292 291 114 295 287 300 294 51

130

295

VOTING 001 002 003 005 006 008 009 010 011 012 014 016 018 021 022 024 025 028 029 030 031

Rajbari-2 Faridpur-1 Faridpur-2 Faridpur-3 Madaripur-1 Madaripur-2 Madaripur-3 Shariatpur-1 Shariatpur-2 Shariatpur-3 Sunamganj-2 Sunamganj-4 Sylhet-1 Sylhet-3 Sylhet-5 Sylhet-6 Maulvibazar-3 Maulvibazar-4 Habiganj-1 Brahmanbaria-4 Brahmanbaria-6 Comilla-2 Comilla-7 Comilla-8 Comilla-10 Comilla-11

232

227

158

148

210 211 212 213 218 219 220 221 222 223 225 227 229 231 233 234 237 238 239 246 248 250 255 256 258 259

032 039 042 044 048 049 050 054 057 060 066 068 070 073 074 075 077 078 079 080 081

Gaibandha-4 Bogra-4 Bogra-7 Chapainawabganj-2 Naogaon-3 Naogaon-4 Naogaon-5 Rajshahi-3 Rajshahi-6 Natore-3 Sirajganj-5 Pabna-1 Pabna-3 Meherpur-1 Meherpur-2 Kushtia-1 Kushtia-3 Kushtia-4 Chuadanga-1 Chuadanga-2 Jhenaidah-1

082 083 084 086 088 089 090 091 092 094 098 099 100 101 105 106 109 110 111 113 116

Jhenaidah-2 Jhenaidah-3 Jhenaidah-4 Jessore-2 Jessore-4 Jessore-5 Jessore-6 Magura-1 Magura-2 Narail-2 Bagerhat-4 Khulna-1 Khulna-2 Khulna-3 Satkhira-1 Satkhira-2 Barguna-1 Barguna-2 Patuakhali-1 Patuakhali-3 Bhola-2

117 120 121 122 125 129 131 134 135 138 139 141 142 143 144 145 148 151 152 155 156

Bhola-3 Barisal-2 Barisal-3 Barisal-4 Jhalakathi-1 Pirojpur-3 Tangail-2 Tangail-5 Tangail-6 Jamalpur-1 Jamalpur-2 Jamalpur-4 Jamalpur-5 Sherpur-1 Sherpur-2 Sherpur-3 Mymensingh-3 Mymensingh-6 Mymensingh-7 Mymensingh-10 Mymensingh-11

157 158 159 164 168 171 172 174 177 178 179 180 188 189 190 191 197 199 200 201 204

Netrokona-1 Netrokona-2 Netrokona-3 Kishoreganj-3 Manikganj-1 Munshiganj-1 Munshiganj-2 Dhaka-1 Dhaka-4 Dhaka-5 Dhaka-6 Dhaka-7 Dhaka-15 Dhaka-16 Dhaka-17 Dhaka-18 Gazipur-4 Narsingdi-1 Narsingdi-2 Narsingdi-3 Narayanganj-1

296 214 215 216 217 224 226 228 230 232 235 236 240 241 242 243 244 245 247 249 251 252

Faridpur-4 Gopalganj-1 Gopalganj-2 Gopalganj-3 Sunamganj-1 Sunamganj-3 Sunamganj-5 Sylhet-2 Sylhet-4 Moulvibazar-1 Maulvibazar-2 Habiganj-2 Habiganj-3 Habiganj-4 Brahmanbaria-1 Brahmanbaria-2 Brahmanbaria-3 Brahmanbaria-5 Comilla-1 Comilla-3 Comilla-4

253 254 256 257 267 273 274 277 279 280 281 286 288 289 290 292 293 297 298 299 300

Comilla-5 Comilla-6 Comilla-8 Comilla-9 Feni-3 Noakhali-6 Lakshmipur-1 Lakshmipur-4 Chittagong-2 Chittagong-3 Chittagong-4 Chittagong-9 Chittagong-11 Chittagong-12 Chittagong-13 Chittagong-15 Chittagong-16 Cox’s Bazar-4 Parbatya Khagrachari Parbatya Rangamati Parbatya Bandarban

297

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Feature

Sunday, January 5, 2014

From A to Z: What I love about Bangladesh Jenny Gustafsson’s ode to our country – in words and pictures

A

Khichuri

Baul

Lungi Meetings, random ones

rt everywhere

Bangladeshis love their meat. They really do. But one dish that is usually spared the meat treatment is khichuri: a simple but ingenious dish made from rice and lentils. There are very few things that beat eating (with your hands, there’s no other way) a plate with warm khichuri in the morning, at a small communal table overlooking the street life outside.

There are few better ways to discover a place than through its popular art. In Bangladesh, some of the nicest artistic stuff is very accessible. It’s on display on the country’s roads, where rickshaws, autos and trucks are decorated in a beautiful manner.

Wear it however you want, whenever you want.

Baul is a musical tradition that can be found in both India and Bangladesh. The music, played by a group of musicians called fakirs, is fascinating and deeply spiritual. Lalon Fakir, a mystic who lived in the 19th century and called himself a fakir, is the most important player of bauls. Lalon Fakir’s teachings transcend traditional Hinduism and Islam, which makes him an important figure for people regardless of religion.

If you visit Bangladesh from abroad, your typical day will probably look like this: Get up, put on your sandals, step outside, and within a minute or two, you’ve met someone on the street who wants to talk to you (using Bangla, broken English, perfect English, body language – whatever). Often, this someone is up for helping you out, inviting you over, hearing about your life, sharing stuff about her/his own life.

Civil society

Bangladesh has made a quite an impressive journey in the past decade. Much of this is courtesy to Bangladesh’s civil society, which is innovative, hardworking and does much of what the state is neither able nor willing to do. Between 2000 and 2010, poverty levels went from 49% to 32%, and life expectancy has jumped to 69 years. Bangladeshis now live four years longer than Indians across the border, who are twice as rich.

The 19th century poet, author and musician Rabindranath Tagore is probably Bangladesh’s #1 national symbol, even though he was from the part of the Bengal that today belongs to India. In 1913, he became the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He is also the only person to have written the national anthem for two countries, both India and Bangladesh. His family was rich and influential and owned houses in many locations, one of them is a beautiful spot called Shelaidaha, in rural Kushtia.

N

o waste

E

ntrepreneurship

With a population of more than 160 million, sharing a small geographical space which lacks in infrastructure and facilities, Bangladesh is a place where people create their own opportunities.

Finding ways to do that requires a lot of inventiveness and imagination, and getting creative with very few resources.

F

anciful, kitschy visuals

If you don’t buy into that consumerist idea – that things are disposable and should be costantly replaced with a new, improved version – Bangladesh is the place for you. If you didn’t reflect on your own use of the world’s resources before, you will start to here.

Vegetables

As meat-loving as they might be, Bangladeshis also grow fantastic vegetables. Your standard fare in any small eatery is shobji, Bangla for “vegetables.” It’s usually a very simple dish with mixed vegetables and chilli cooked in. When good, it’s excellent.

Bangladeshi girls deal with a whole different set of social pressures. They are often married off early and face more restrictions than their brothers and male friends. Public spaces remain male-dominated territory. But things are changing. Much of Bangladesh’s development has been female-driven, and women are increasingly influencing decision-making, both inside and outside the family. The country’s schools now have more girls than boys – a reverse of earlier patterns. These are the girls of the future.

Water X-crossing wires

Water, everywhere. And it’s not even the monsoon!

Yoga on the roof

Quays

Zen

Bangladesh has a rich tradition of photography, which in recent years has emerged as one of the most popular means of visual expression in the country. Much of that is to the credit of Shahidul Alam, who first organised Chhobi Mela, the first photo festival of its kind in Asia, in 1999/2000. Since then, it has been on every other year in Dhaka.

Rickshaws Intense. I guess there’s simply no other way to be for a country that’s one of the most crowded in the world.

Jessore

Jessore is the first town you arrive at when traversing the India-Bangladesh border. Banchte Shekha, an NGO working for rural women, runs a lovely guesthouse on the outskirts of the city.

Everywhere you look, there are criss-crossing telephone and electrical wires.

Photography

If Bangladesh has a body, the rivers are her veins. Rivers crisscross the country from north to south, and make important routes of connection, traffic and transportation. Most towns and cities, even the smallest villages, have their own quays or launch ghats, where boats arrive and depart. Passing time at them is great.

Intensity

A boy playing an arcade game (which I remember very well from being a kid in the 1990s). A girl walking home in rural Barisal. The old railway station in Khulna. Beauty products and a cassette tape in a shop-window in Dhaka.

Many workplaces in Bangladesh are a bit like that free software: open. You can pass by, stop for a moment, talk to people and see what they’re doing. These small enterprises are in direct connection with the world outside.

Girls

In pastel colours.

Unexpected things

Open office

Mosques, pop stars, holy people, colourful portraits.

You will not be bored.

Houses made from stone

were in Bangladesh for two months, during which they witnessed the dynamic eruption of the Shahbag revolution. They have returned for what is shaping up to be yet another energetic chapter in our country.

“I think something happens when you move towards people,” Gustafsson said while discussing how Mostafa’s photography career has been an integral part of their travels. “It’s almost like you are meant to be there.” l

Tagore

Dhaka

So many things can be said about the Bangladeshi capital. It’s crowded, polluted, noisy and impossible to get around. But it’s also a fascinating place. Somehow, there is as much love as there is nonstop activity. The alleyways lead to curious places, the markets are filled with anything and everything. And it’s inhabited by some of the most friendly, helpful and generous capital-dwellers I’ve ever come across.

JENNY GUSTAFSSON is a journalist from Sweden, who was interested to visit Bangladesh to see its people.

“We wanted to go somewhere not brimming with tourists.

Bangladesh is so vibrant, because the people are always doing something.”

They say you don’t know what you got till it’s gone. Perhaps you also don’t know what you got till you’ve seen it from an outsider’s perspective.

When this article originally appeared on Gustafsson’s blog, it went viral on social media.

Whether it’s the people, the culture, or a sight as common as girls wearing scarves, we forget about the beauty because we are too focused on the problems.

Gustafsson has lived in Lebanon and travelled around the Middle East since 2009.

In early 2013, she and her partner Karim Mostafa started travelling in South Asia. They

If boats are the way to travel on Bangladesh’s rivers, rickshaws are the means to move around its urban streets. Dhaka and other cities are full with the three-wheeled, man-powered bikes that transport all sorts of people: commuters, school kids, families and office workers. The drivers are impressively strong and hardworking. And fearless – the first requirement for anyone working on Bangladesh’s roads.

Scarves

The single most useful thing for Bangladeshi winters is the warm scarf. The thin and summery ones are nice too!

In Bangladesh, there’s no better place for yoga than the rooftops. You’re close to the sky, you’re overlooking the surroundings, you’re in your private space but still part of the city around you.

Bangladesh is intense, but it’s also zen. Zen as in connecting to what is inside, what is unsaid, what is shared. I don’t know how, but there’s something with the energy that lifts you up, grounds you and makes it very hard for you not to keep smiling.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Sunday, January 5, 2014

7

The case for the opposition Why the BNP was right to boycott the Jan 5 elections

One of the now infamous sand trucks that ‘went broke‘ in front of the leader of the opposition’s residence (left), water cannons drench through BNP supporting lawyers in the high court premises (right) MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

T

n Saqueb Mahbub he current MP of my constituency is behind bars, the only independent candidate was disqualified on technical grounds, and the Awami League nominee, having already been declared a winner, is all set to represent me in parliament. Just like 53% of the country’s population, I can’t vote to elect my representative in the parliament.

In a roundtable discussion last Saturday, bigwigs of Bangladesh’s civil society called for stopping the polls that are being held today, having reached the consensus that it is going to be nothing more than a farcical or “arranged” event. Coming only 8 days before the elections, it is probably too little too late to have the desired effect, but the Awami League’s unmoved stance, aggressive rhetoric, and a series of recent actions have made one thing clear: the democratic right of the people to vote in a free and fair election was not guaranteed under this government.

As the old saying goes: “Hindsight is a beautiful thing,” and it is hindsight that gives us a picture of what could have happened if BNP had given up its stance, and participated in the polls.

Opinion polls published in Prothom Alo, a leading Bangla newspa-

per showed BNP, with 50% popular support, leading the Awami League (at 37%), by a margin of 13 percentage points in September this year. Another poll published later in the Daily Star showed BNP to be leading Awami League by an even bigger margin of 27 percentage points (BNP-55%, AL-28%).

Even though more recent polls, such as the one published by Dhaka tribune on Friday, suggest that the margin is closing, statistics like this and five city corporation election victories for BNP this year would give anyone the impression that BNP would be runaway winners in a free and fair election.

So, by deciding to boycott them, BNP had more to lose than any other party. But why would they do it? The answer, perhaps, is that unlike opinion polls, elections require an unbiased administration to conduct it, and Awami League never even got close to creating one.

At the outset, let us look at the Election Commission itself. At different points during the present government’s tenure, the Election Commission scrapped the provision of the No Vote (which gave the voter the option to reject all candidates), the provision requiring membership of a party for 3 years (which was meant to prevent buying and selling of party nominations), and most shockingly, the provision giving the power to the EC to cancel a candidate’s candidature for violation of election laws.

The EC somehow allowed registration for Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), a party clearly formed to create confusion among voters about BNP’s participation in the polls.

The EC had earlier introduced extremely stringent rules for the participation of independent candidates in the elections (e.g. requiring them to obtain signatures with personal details from 1% of the total voter number), and using technicalities, disqualified a huge number of rebellious independent candidates from the Awami League, which, in turn, led to the colossal figure of 153 uncontested seats.

A disqualified independent candidate, whom I represented as a lawyer, was disqualified by the EC on the simple ground that the list of signatures he had collected had some missing serial numbers, a technicality that could have been easily corrected by the returning officer himself. Even an RPO provision and a High Court di-

rective that technical mistakes should be remedied by the Returning Officer could not save my client.

The changes in the rules made by the EC have, somehow or the other, benefitted the Awami League. Imagine the embarrassing situation when the uncontested Awami League candidate could have been defeated by a No Vote, or where Awami League’s rebel candidates could have ridden the anti-government sentiment, and then as independent candidates could have formed a majority in parliament.

Despite facing widespread criticism, the EC’s role in allowing registration to BNF, a party named similar to BNP, and it scrapping its own power in relation to dealing with violation of election laws have only empowered the government.

However, the EC perhaps lost the last straw of its credibility when it refused to allow the withdrawal of nomination by the Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad despite his public statement that he did not want to participate in elections. Again, EC used a minor technicality that he was not present at the EC with his withdrawal application to keep him in the elections as per Awami League’s wishes.

With a less than credible EC in place, one would have hoped for a strong-willed law enforcement and justice system to back up the election process. However, from the experience of the present, that is not to be seen.

At the time of writing, 16 key members from the senior ranks of the BNP are behind bars on “political” grounds.

The lower judiciary, has shown unprecedented subservience by refusing bail for all of them despite the lack of any specific allegations against them.

A High Court directive from 2003 makes remand illegal without specific evidence of involvement in an offence, but no heed of that has been taken by the magistrates on duty.

One breaking news after another has shown nearly every person making a press-statement on behalf of BNP, either being picked up by the Detective Branch, or having a case slapped on them – driving them underground fearing arrest. The pattern is uncannily similar – person X briefs journalists on BNP’s position, and moments later person X is picked up and taken to the DB office.

Nearly all senior leaders have been picked up on the basis of vague “suspicions” and then shown arrested in

There would be no guarantee that the grassroots of BNP would not be pushed underground with mass arrests and false cases

RAJIB DHAR

enough cases to put them behind bars till the elections on Januray 5.

The law enforcement authorities’ subservience to Awami League’s interests has been no less than naked the last few days. It started with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police refusing permission for BNP’s March for Democracy, its most peaceful sounding demonstration so far. It was followed by a blockade by the law enforcers of all road, rail, and waterways to prevent party supporters from coming to Dhaka to join. Simultaneously came the arrests of senior leaders from Dhaka and mass arrests of grassroot-level BNP organisers. Khaleda Zia’s protocol was withdrawn in an unprecedented violation of her legal right as the leader of the opposition.

are either behind bars or in hiding to avoid arbitrary arrest. Its Chairperson is under effective house-arrest. Most of its activists are arrested or in fear of arrest.

That being said, one thing that BNP must be proud of is of having made the right decision about the January 5 elections. It is the strongest message against an election that is flawed, and only meant to give a particular regime legitimacy that it does not deserve.

If Awami League does, in the end, go ahead with the elections, not only will it be a colossal waste of public money, democracy will go from the frying pan to the fire. l Saqueb Mahbub is a barrister at law and a freelance contributor.

8 platoons of policemen and 5 sand-laden trucks requisitioned by the police to guard her gate, one point was made clear – if the Awami League wants to suppress the BNP, the police will execute their will with mighty force

Finally, when she was prevented from leaving her house by 8 platoons of policemen and 5 sand-laden trucks requisitioned by the police to guard her gate, one point was made clear – if the Awami League wants to suppress the BNP, the police will execute their will with mighty force.

In the hypothetical situation, where the BNP has participated in polls under the AL government, there would be no guarantee that BNP’s top brass would not be somehow disqualified by the EC from participating in elections, or that they would not be picked up one-byone by the Detective Branch ahead of the elections. As things appear now, there would be no guarantee that the grassroots of BNP, who are its election organisers, would not be pushed underground with mass arrests and false cases and no guarantee that Khaleda Zia’s election campaign would not be banned by the police on “security grounds,” or blocked by sand-laden trucks. AL’s recent actions do not, at all, paint a happy picture of participatory democracy needed for a free and fair election.

The civil society has called for stopping the farcical elections of January 5, and, conscious citizens have outrightly condemned the undemocratic and illegal heavy-handedness of the government preventing BNP’s March for Democracy, but to no avail. It only goes to show that under Sheikh Hasina’s government, there is not much space for voices against her regime.

As we stand, the BNP is in a position that no democratic political party wants to be in. All of its senior leaders

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Top al-Qaeda chief dies in Lebanese custody n Agencies Senior commander of an Al-Qaedalinked armed group, which has killed 23 people in a November bomb blast in Beirut, has died days after he was taken in by Lebanese Armed forces.

Majid al-Majid, a Saudi citizen who was the senior leader of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, died on Saturday after suffering kidney failure, Lebanese army and judicial sources said.

The man, believed to be responsible for attacks across the Middle East before focusing on civil war-torn Syria, was held at an undisclosed place in Lebanon. He was one of the 85 most-wanted individuals in his native Saudi Arabia.

Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed responsibility for the November 19 twin suicide bombings that targeted the Iranian embassy in Beirut. The explosions killed at least 23 people and left more than hundred injured.

Nearly three years of violence in next-door Syria has exacerbated sectarian strife in multi-confessional Lebanon, as politicians sided with rivalling

parties in Damascus.

Sunni radicals and Shia Hezbollah has engaged for months in a tit-for-tat killings for months, leading to a spate of attacks, the latest of which was on Thursday, when four were killed in a suicide bomb attack.

Lebanese army revealed on Saturday the identity of Thursday’s suicide bomber who blew himself up in south Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold.

“The DNA test results on the remains of a suicide attacker found in the car used in the bomb attack... confirm they belong to the youth Qutaiba alSatem,” an army statement said.

“Investigations are ongoing by the relevant judicial authorities to uncover the full details of the event,” the military said.

An official from Satem’s native Sunni-majority area of Wadi Khaled told AFP on Friday suspicions over the 20-yearold’s role were based on a family document found at the scene of the blast.

Satem’s father was then called in for DNA tests. The attack Satem is suspected of being behind killed four people and wounded 77 people. l

South Sudanese rebels to hold direct talks with govt n Reuters, Addis Ababa South Sudanese rebels will hold their first face-to-face talks with the government on Saturday in a bid to end weeks of bloodletting that have raised fears of a slide into civil war in Africa’s newest state, Ethiopia’s foreign minister said.

The talks in South Sudan’s neighbour Ethiopia made a slow start on Friday after days of delay, with both sides meeting mediators from the regional IGAD grouping but not each other.

But further clashes between President Salva Kiir’s SPLA government forces and rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar on Friday suggested the ceasefire demanded by bordering nations was still a long way off.

“We’ve successfully finished the proxy talks,” Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom said late on Friday. “We will proceed to holding face-to-face discussions tomorrow (Saturday).”

South Sudan’s neighbours fear the fighting, which rapidly spread from the capital last month along ethnic faultlines, could destabilize East Africa and international pressure is mounting for a deal.

More than a thousand people have been killed and 200,000 driven from their homes in three weeks of fighting that has also rattled oil markets.

South Sudan remains one of the continent’s least developed countries for all its crude reserves, estimated by BP to be sub-Saharan Africa’s third largest.

In a sign of deteriorating security, the United States on Friday ordered more its staff out of South Sudan, which only won its independence from Sudan two years ago in a peace deal that ended one of Africa’s longest civil wars.

Washington also ordered all US citizens to leave. More than 440 US officials and private citizens have now been evacuated on charter flights and military aircraft, the State Department said.

Kiir has accused his long-term political rival Machar, whom he sacked in July, of starting the fighting in a bid to seize power. Kiir is from the country’s Dinka group while Machar is a Nuer.

Machar denies the claim but he has acknowledged leading soldiers battling the government. He says the president has been purging political opponents within the ruling SPLM party ahead of elections next year.

The negotiations in Ethiopia are meant to focus on when a ceasefire should begin and how it should be monitored. Both the SPLA and rebels have said they intend to put down their weapons. l

Iraq’s Fallujah falls to al-Qaeda-linked militants

Smoke billows from a police car following clashes between Jihadists and Iraqi forces backed by tribesmen in the Iraqi city of Fallujah

n AFP, Fallujah Iraq has lost Fallujah to al-Qaedalinked fighters, a senior security official said on Saturday, putting militants who repeatedly battled American forces for the city back in control.

Parts of the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah, west of Baghdad, have been held by militants for days, harkening back to the years after the 2003 US-led invasion when both were insurgent strongholds.

Fighting erupted in the Ramadi area Monday, when security forces removed the main anti-government protest camp set up after demonstrations broke out in late 2012 against what

n Agencies

Italian and Maltese rescuers have saved more than 1,000 migrants in rough seas off Sicily since Thursday, authorities revealed.

The update on Friday came a day after navy helicopters spotted four migrant boats struggling to stay afloat in the Mediterranean Sea, as the immigration crisis that killed hundreds in shipwrecks in 2013 showed no signs of letting up in the new year.

The 823 men, women and children rescued from the four vessels were from countries including Egypt, Pakistan, Iraq and Tunisia.

In an earlier, separate operation, the navy rescued 233 migrants from Eritrea, Nigeria, Somalia, Zambia, Mali and Pakistan and took them to a port on Sicily’s eastern coast.

A young girl with bandages on her legs smiling after receiving treatment at the Pedriatic hospital in Bangui, children have become deliberate targets of armed gangs because of their family’s faith AFP

Children in the Central African Republic have become deliberate targets of armed gangs, aid workers have said.

An official with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) confirmed to Al Jazeera on Saturday that “more children are being targeted and killed” as concerns over civilian casualties escalate in violence that has not ceased since a coup in March 2013. The latest remarks follow a UNICEF statement on December 30 that described attacks against children as having “sunk to a new low,” including

cases of beheading and mutilation.

“Attacks against children have sunk to a vicious new low, with at least two children beheaded, and one of them mutilated, in the violence that has gripped the capital...,” the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in their December 30 statement.

Ombretta Pasotti, who coordinates work by the Italian NGO Emergency at the paediatric hospital in Bangui, confirmed to the AFP news agency on Saturday: “Before now, children were collateral victims, but today some of them are targeted directly.”

Sunni Arabs say is the marginalisation and targeting of their community.

Anger at the Shia-led government among the Sunni minority is seen as one of the main drivers of the worst violence to hit Iraq in five years.

“Fallujah is under the control of ISIL,” a senior security official in Anbar province told AFP, referring to al-Qaeda-linked group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

However, the city’s outskirts were in the hands of local police, the official added. An AFP journalist in Fallujah also said that ISIL seemed to be in control, with no security forces or Sahwa anti-al-Qaeda militiamen visible on the streets.

AFP

In Ramadi, a witness said Iraqi special forces had deployed on Street 60, where ISIL militants were positioned the day before.

More than 100 people were killed on Friday in Ramadi and Fallujah, in the country’s deadliest single day in years.

Fourteen died in and near Ramadi on Monday and Tuesday, while later tolls were not immediately clear.

Hundreds of gunmen, some bearing the black flags often flown by jihadists, gathered at outdoor weekly Muslim prayers in central Fallujah on Friday, a witness said.

One went to where the prayer leader had stood, and said: “We announce

that Fallujah is an Islamic state and call you to stand by our side.”

Fallujah was the target of two major assaults after the 2003 invasion, in which American forces saw some of their heaviest fighting since the Vietnam War. American troops fought for years, aided by Sunni tribesmen in the Sahwa militia forces from late 2006, to wrest control of Anbar from militants.

Militant power rising US forces suffered almost one-third of their total Iraq fatalities in Anbar, according to independent website icasualties.org.

But two years after US forces withdrew from the country, the power of militants in the province is again rising.

Clashes erupted in the Ramadi area on Monday as security forces tore down the sprawling anti-government protest camp.

The violence then spread to Fallujah, and a subsequent withdrawal of security forces from areas of both cities cleared the way for ISIL to move in.

ISIL is the latest incarnation of an al-Qaeda affiliate that lost ground from 2006, as Sunni tribesmen and former insurgents allied with US troops against jihadists in a process that began in Anbar and came to be known as the “Awakening.”

But the extremist group has made a striking comeback following the US withdrawal and the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2011.

Charles Lister, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Centre, said its “strength and territorial control and influence has been expanding in Anbar for some time,” although mainly in rural desert areas.

The Ramadi protest camp operation pushed Sunni tribes into conflict with the government, and ISIL “has ridden this wave of popular Sunni anger,” Lister said. l

Italian navy saves hundreds off Sicily coast

Children targeted in CAR violence

n Agencies

Sunday, January 5, 2014

“Some children are victims of stray bullets and shell fragments... Some were wounded ‘by chance’, but here we also have children who were shot because they are Muslims,” Pasotti said.

UNICEF said it had verified 16 killings of children since December 5, while 60 more youths were wounded in clashes that broke out between Muslim former rebels and fighters from the Christian majority.

UNICEF appealed to sectarian fighters to “halt grave violations against children,” to release those in their ranks and to avoid attacks on health and education workers. l

The first boat was first sighted by a navy helicopter on Wednesday night as it ran into difficulty off the southern island of Lampedusa. The fiberglass vessel was packed to overflowing as it tried to cross the Mediterranean waters near Lampedusa, south of Sicily.

Each year, thousands of migrants and refugees attempt risky voyages across the Mediterranean in unseaworthy boats, and hundreds die en route.

Sea arrivals to Italy from Northern Africa more than tripled in 2013, fuelled by refugees from Syria’s civil war and political strife in the Horn of Africa.

Figures from the Italian Interior Ministry show about 25,000 migrants arrived by boat in 2013, with 10,000 of them fleeing conflict in Syria.

In October, 366 Eritreans drowned in a shipwreck near the shore of the Italian island of Lampedusa. l

Nine dead after gunmen storm Mexican prison n Agencies Gunmen posing as public officials have stormed a prison in south-western Mexico, sparking a shootout that killed four inmates and five attackers.

Six armed men entered the prison in the Guerrero state town of Iguala after midnight on Friday by fooling a guard into thinking they were delivering an inmate, police and prosecutors said.

“Once in the prison, the armed group started a confrontation against inmates and later against guards in a security tower,” the state prosecutor’s office said.

The sixth assailant was injured in the attack, while a prison guard was hospitalised with a bullet wound.

State authorities and army troops restored order in the prison, the prosecutor’s office said, and federal police were deployed around the facility.

One of the dead inmates was a convicted cocaine dealer, another was a kidnapper and the remaining two were imprisoned for carrying illegal weapons.

Mexican drug gangs have been known to assassinate members of rival gangs in prison, and to storm prisons to break out their own members.

Authorities were still investigating the motive behind Friday’s attack.

Police had seized a stolen pickup truck used by the assailants, who were carrying heavy-calibre weapons.

Guerrero is home to the fabled beach resort of Acapulco, but also high poverty and crime.

It has become the deadliest state in Mexico, with more than 2,300 murders in 2012 amid deadly turf battles between drug gangs. l

Immigrants being rescued by the Italian Navy near the Italian island of Lampedusa

AFP

OTHER NEWS Bodies of beheaded fishermen found in Philippines

Eight fishermen including two boys have been shot and beheaded in a gruesome attack at sea off the troubled southern Philippines, police said Saturday. The victims were among a group of fishermen who went missing after being attacked in the Moro Gulf off Mindanao island on December 26, said regional police spokesman Ariel Huesca. Five headless corpses were first found aboard a boat drifting at sea on Friday by police who had gone in search of the missing fishermen, said Senior Inspector Joel Lozano, police chief of the district where the boat was taken.

“When we further inspected the boat (on Saturday morning), we discovered more headless bodies beneath the floorboard....

In all, it contained eight bodies,” Lozano told reporters. The corpses, including those of two boys aged about 12 and 14, were all decomposing, suggesting they were killed a few days earlier, Lozano said.

One fisherman remains missing after the attack by unknown gunmen, Huesca said in a written report. The motive of the attack is not known. The waters off the southern Philippines are rife with piracy, and the region is also a hotbed of Islamic militants. The nine fishermen had gone missing a day after Christmas following the attack off the town of Olutanga, Huesca said. Two other wounded fishermen in the party were recovered shortly after the attack and taken to hospital for treatment, he added. The boat with the headless corpses was found adrift eight days later off the coastal village of Manicahan on Zamboanga’s outskirts.

Mexican cartel leader arrested in Netherlands A Mexican man described as an alleged leader of the powerful Sinaloa drug syndicate has been detained in the Netherlands on a US arrest warrant, US

authorities said Friday. Jose Rodrigo Arechiga-Gamboa, also known as “Chino Antrax” and “Norberto Sicairos-Garcia,” was arrested Monday at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the office of the US attorney for the southern district of California, based in San Diego, said in a statement. A federal grand jury in San Diego returned a sealed indictment on December 20 charging Arechiga-Gamboa with conspiracy to import and distribute controlled substances. An arrest warrant was issued the same day. Arechiga-Gamboa was arrested at the airport “under a fraudulent name as he deplaned from KLM Flight 686 from Mexico City, Mexico to Amsterdam,” the statement read. US officials are seeking his extradition to face charges in southern California. The main leader of the Sinaloa cartel, based in the western Mexican state of the same name, is Joaquin “El Chapo” (Shorty)Guzman.

Guzman escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001 and is now the drug trafficker most wanted by US officials. He is also considered by Forbes as the most powerful criminal on the planet.More than 77,000 people have been killed in Mexico in connection with organized crime since now former president Felipe Calderon launched a nationwide war against the drug cartels after taking office in 2006.

First Taiwan-born panda charms media

The first Taiwan-born giant panda cub was unveiled to the media on Saturday in a warm up for her highly-anticipated public debut next week. Yuan Zai agilely climbed up and down for most of her 30-minute media preview inside an exhibition enclosure, as mother Yuan Yuan sat lazily aside munching bamboos. “Yuan Zai is growing bigger and bigger. She is very robust and is gaining strength. After evaluation she can meet the public in two days,” Taipei Zoo spokesman Chao Ming-chieh said.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Cambodian police put an end to opposition rallies

Chinese ship used in Antarctic rescue stuck in ice n AFP, Sydney

n AFP, Phnom Penh Cambodian authorities Saturday dispersed opposition protesters from their rally base in the capital and halted further protests against the kingdom’s premier, a day after police launched a deadly crackdown on striking garment workers.

Dozens of security personnel armed with shields and batons flooded into the area in central Phnom Penh, causing several hundred protesters to flee, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.

“They won’t be allowed to rally, to protest, or to hold any political activities at the park any more,” military police spokesman Kheng Tito told AFP, adding that police had not used force.

It comes a day after a crackdown on textile workers that left at least three dead, and which rights campaigners condemned as the country’s worst state violence against civilians in more than a decade.

Strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen faces a growing challenge to his nearly three-decade rule from garment workers protesting for better conditions and opposition supporters demanding that he step down and call a new election because of alleged vote fraud in a July poll.

Authorities said unrest in recent days had prompted them to put a stop to the capital’s daily anti-government rallies.

Phnom Penh governor Pa Socheatvong said in a statement that the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) would not be allowed to hold demos or marches “until the security situation and public order is restored to normal.”

The opposition party, which has boycotted parliament since the disputed July election, slammed the police action.

“This is the act of a communist dictatorship,” opposition spokesman Yim Sovann told AFP. The party, which had planned a major three-day protest starting from Sunday, issued a statement urging sup-

Taliban fighters’ release delayed after US protest

n AFP, Kabul

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has delayed the release from jail of 88 suspected Taliban fighters following complaints from the United States that they could return to the battlefield, officials said Saturday. The planned release had angered US military commanders and senators as Washington and Kabul edge closer to signing a long-delayed security pact allowing some American soldiers to stay in Afghanistan after 2014.

“Based on a recent president’s order, we have started again reviewing the cases of the 88 prisoners,” Abdul Shokur Dadras, a member of the Afghan Review Board, told AFP. “The president has also ordered the security and intelligence agencies to check their backgrounds and cases to make sure justice is served.”

US General Joseph Dunford, commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan, had lodged an official objection to the planned releases, saying they went against an agreement signed when Bagram was handed over. l

A Cambodian soldier stands guards near a factory in Phnom Penh porters to “keep calm” while the party deliberates over a fresh strategy.

Protesters have occupied Democracy Park since December as part of demonstrations against premier Hun Sen’s government that swelled to an estimated 20,000 opposition supporters on the streets last Sunday.

Hun Sen, who last month ruled out holding new elections or stepping down, was given parliamentary approval for a new five-year term in late September. The opposition decried that as a “constitutional coup.”

Cambodia’s leader has faced mounting criticism over his rights record and accusations of excessive force used against demonstrators in a series of clashes between security forces and protesters in recent months. Striking garment workers have also been seen to team up with opposition protesters

demanding Hun Sen step down.

Friday’s violence saw striking workers armed with sticks, rocks and Molotov cocktails clash with rifle-wielding police in the Veng Sreng factory district of Phnom Penh.

The protest demanding a minimum wage of $160 per month followed similar action by workers in another industrial district of the city on Thursday, which rights groups said was dispersed by armed military police.

The UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, Surya P Subedi, criticised Friday’s shootings, calling on the government to launch an investigation.

Washington on Friday also appealed for peaceful dialogue and denounced the violence, urging all sides to exercise restraint.

Disputes over wages and safety

AFP

conditions are common in Cambodia’s multi-billion dollar garment industry which supplies brands like Gap, Nike and H&M and which has brought buoyant economic growth to what is still one of Asia’s poorest countries.

The sector employs about 650,000 people and is a key source of foreign income.

The Cambodian Centre for Human Rights, an independent activist group, has said at least 25 demonstrations were violently repressed in 2013 by security forces using guns, tear gas, water cannon and batons, leaving two people dead, one person paralysed and causing three women to suffer miscarriages.

Hun Sen – a 61-year-old former Khmer Rouge cadre who defected and oversaw Cambodia’s rise from the ashes of war – has ruled for 28 years, and has vowed to continue until he is 74. l

A Chinese icebreaker that went to the aid of a Russian ship stuck in heavy floes in Antarctica has now itself become trapped by ice, officials said Saturday, amid anger about the impact of the rescue on research.

The Xue Long, which on Thursday used its helicopter to ferry dozens of passengers on the stranded Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy to the safety of an Australian vessel, has been unable to free itself.

“Xue Long has confirmed to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority it is beset by ice,” the authority said in a statement.

The Xue Long, or Snow Dragon, came tantalisingly close to cutting through heavy ice to reach the Shokalskiy a week ago but had to abandon its attempt once it realised it could not break through. It has hardly moved in recent days.

Chinese news agency Xinhua, which has reporters onboard the Xue Long, said the ship’s passage had been blocked since Friday by a drifting, one-kilometre long iceberg.

Captain Wang Jianzhong said the constantly changing position of the massive iceberg, which sometimes came as close as 1.2 nautical miles to the ship, and ice floes was making conditions complex, Xinhua reported.

The Chinese vessel will only attempt to free itself after this huge block of ice moves away, with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urging the ship’s team to stay calm as they wait for the best moment to act.

Australian authorities said the master of the Chinese ship had confirmed that the vessel was safe, was not in immediate distress and did not require assistance. The ship has food supplies for several weeks.

The Shokalskiy remains stuck in ice 100 nautical miles from the French Antarctic base of Dumont d’Urville with 22 crew on board.

Several attempts by icebreakers to reach the Russian ship failed, including by the Australian Antarctic supply

ship the Aurora Australis, while poor weather initially delayed helicopter rescue plans.

The 22 scientists, 26 paying passengers and four journalists on board the Shokalskiy who were helicoptered off the ship are now on the Aurora Australis, which had been standing by to help the Xue Long.

However, AMSA Saturday released the Aurora Australis to continue its journey to Australia’s Antarctic base Casey, where it is due to deliver supplies before heading to the Australian city of Hobart.

Several attempts by icebreakers to reach the Russian ship failed, including by the Australian Antarctic supply ship the Aurora Australis, while poor weather initially delayed helicopter rescue plans “The masters of both Akademik Shokalskiy and Xue Long agree that further assistance from Aurora Australis is no longer required and they will be able to provide mutual support to each other,” AMSA said.

Australian authorities have said that any inquiry into how the Shokalskiy came to be stranded would have to be conducted by Russian authorities but have acknowledged that the incident could impact guidelines for polar expeditions.

The rescue mission, which also initially involved the French ship the Astrolabe, has also impacted some Antarctic research programmes, according to Yves Frenot, director of the French Polar Institute.

The rescue mission forced French scientists to scrap a two-week oceanographic campaign this month using the Astrolabe, he said.

“But we are relatively lucky. The Chinese have had to cancel all their scientific programme, and my counterpart in Australia is spitting tacks with anger, because their entire summer has been wiped out,” he said. l

Protest in Malaysia after government suspends magazine n AFP, Kuala Lumpur Dozens of journalists protested Saturday in Malaysia against the suspension of a weekly magazine, urging the Southeast Asian nation to allow greater press freedom.

The Heat stopped publication last month after the Home Ministry suspended it, saying it had violated its printing permit as a weekly business magazine and failed to respond to the ministry to explain the matter.

Some 50 journalists and activists, wearing red and chanting “free the media,” held an hour-long protest in the capital Kuala Lumpur where they urged the government to lift the suspension and stop controlling the press.

“This is not just about the suspension of The Heat. It’s about the freedom of the press,” activist Ambiga Sreenevasan said in a speech.

“It is about fighting for the rights of the people, the rights of the people to speak and to receive information.”

The Heat, which was launched last year, denied it has not responded to the ministry’s letters sent to it in late November and early December.

On Monday, Home Minister Zahid Hamidi was quoted by local media as saying that the suspension was “temporary.”

The Heat on its website describes itself as “a weekly that intends to push the boundaries of press freedom” with investigative stories on social, economic and other current issues.

The suspension followed an article on Prime Minister Najib Razak’s “growing expenditure” on overseas trips and other expenses.

Najib’s 56-year ruling coalition, which was re-elected in May with its poorest showing yet, dominates mainstream media through permits and ownership.

But criticism of the regime is flourishing online on news portals and social media sites.

Amid pressure, Najib has vowed to grant greater civil liberties, loosening decades-old security and other laws deemed as repressive by critics.

But he is facing resistance, including from his own party members used to decades of iron-fisted leadership, and critics accuse him of mere window-dressing to gain votes. l

Malaysian journalists hold placards and banners during a protest against the suspension of Malaysian magazine ‘The Heat’

Suu Kyi urges Myanmar army to back charter reform

Pakistan not lifting Musharraf’s travel ban

n AFP, Yangon

n AFP, Rawalpindi

Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Saturday called on the powerful military to get involved in reforming the country’s junta-era constitution, which currently bars her from becoming president.

The Nobel laureate, who has repeatedly asserted her readiness to take on the top political job, said the nation’s “tatmadaw” army was “essential” in amending the charter, which is currently being debated by a parliamentary panel that includes soldiers.

“The tatmadaw must not remain in a dilemma about whether to take part in amending the constitution. It must take part in it,” she told members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) at a ceremony to mark Myanmar’s independence from colonial rule.

Myanmar’s President Thein Sein, a former general who has won international praise for reforms since he took power in 2011, on Thursday lent his support to constitutional reform in a monthly

9

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Aung San Suu Kyi

AFP

speech published in state media.

He also said he supported amending provisions which exclude anyone whose spouse or children are overseas citizens from becoming president – a clause widely believed to be targeted at Suu Kyi, whose two sons are British.

“I would not want restrictions be-

ing imposed on the right of any citizen to become the leader of the country,” Thein Sein said.

The charter change issue is rising to the fore as Myanmar prepares for key 2015 parliamentary elections, seen as a definitive test of whether the military is willing to loosen its grip on power.

The country’s president is selected by the legislature.

Suu Kyi has ramped up her campaign for a change to the 2008 constitution, which also ring-fences a quarter of the seats in parliament for unelected military personnel.

“We have to accept openly that the constitution is not fair, not in accordance with democratic standards and not a charter that is good for our country’s future,” she said Saturday.

Any change to the charter needs the support of over 75% of the legislature, so at least some soldiers would have to vote for the reforms.

The NLD last week said it would not boycott the 2015 poll, even without a constitutional amendment first. l

Pakistan’s home ministry on Saturday said they were not immediately lifting a travel ban on former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who suffered a heart problem on the way to his treason trial earlier this week. The 70-year-old former ruler was taken ill and rushed to a military hospital on Thursday as he was being transported under heavy guard to hear treason charges against him at a special tribunal in Islamabad.

The former army chief was Saturday spending his third day at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi, the garrison city bordering Islamabad. His lawyer Ahmed Raza Kasuri said doctors were monitoring his condition in the intensive care unit.

The sudden health scare was met with scepticism from some observers and feverish media speculation that his departure from Pakistan on medical grounds could be imminent.

But Musharaf’s name has been put on an official “Exit Control List” (ECL)

to bar him from travelling abroad, and a court in the Southern Sindh province ruled last month against lifting the ban.

“There is no intention to allow him overseas travel at the moment,” a senior official of the ministry of interior told AFP. He denied reports that Musharraf’s wife Sehba has filed a application with the ministry seeking to lift the ban.

“No fresh application has been filed

by Madam Sehba, and it is clear that the travel ban on Musharraf is not being lifted. He won’t be allowed to travel abroad immediately,” the official said.

Musharraf’s lawyer Kasuri told AFP earlier on Saturday that the doctors have sent his medical reports to experts in Britain, who will determine his further treatment. “The reports of the medical tests of General (retired) Musharraf have been sent to the experts for further examination in the UK,” Kasuri told AFP. “The decision about his further treatment to be carried out in Pakistan or abroad will be taken in the light of the British experts’ opinion,” he said. l

AFP

Nepal’s court rules out amnesty for serious war crimes n AFP, Kathmandu Nepal’s top court has rejected a demand by ultra-leftists that an amnesty be granted to people who committed serious rights abuses during the country’s civil war, an official said Saturday.

More than 16,000 people died in the conflict between Maoist rebels and the state, which ended in 2006, and more than 1,000 are still missing.

The Himalayan nation’s top court was responding to a petition filed last year by the National Network of Families of the Disappeared and the Missing, an organisation of victims’ families.

Last year, a Maoist-led government proposed legislation in which it sought amnesty for those responsible for cases such as “forced disappearances” – kidnappings in which the victims never were found – and other crimes. The amnesty was put forward as part of the powers of a planned Truth and Reconciliation Commission aimed at healing the wounds from the long civil war. But the court said no amnesty could be given for serious cases of rights abuses. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

A limited mandate

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

T

he holding of today’s 10th parliamentary election in the absence of the main opposition party can only be justified on the basis of constitutional necessity. The results cannot and should not be viewed as a mandate to rule for a full term.

Indeed, it is the ruling party’s explicit articulation of this understanding that allows us to accept today’s election, and we take the ruling party at its word that it will immediately set in motion the steps necessary to come to a mutually acceptable compromise with the main opposition for holding fully participatory elections as soon as practicable.

Today’s result is predetermined due to the boycott by the main opposition party. Even within many of the 147 out of 300 seats which are being actively contested, there appears to be scant evidence of public enthusiasm for this election.

The next government formed subsequent to today’s 10th parliamentary election will thus not be supported by a full choice of the voters or by a majority of voters at the polls.

Accordingly, the new government has to make a generally acceptable resolution of the current deadlock its first and only priority. The opposition, too, must be ready to come to the negotiating table in good faith to work out a resolution to the crisis.

The bloodshed that has marked the opposition’s campaign so far must be abandoned, and the opposition must press its case for the modalities of the 11th parliamentary elections in a peaceful manner.

We acknowledge that today’s elections neither resolve the political crisis nor bring an end to the issue of representative elections that are the people’s right. We call on both AL and BNP to move forward together to give the people elections acceptable to all.

The new government has to make a generally acceptable resolution of the current deadlock its first and only priority

January 2

December 29

What is going on in this country? Is the public safe and secure? No, because thousands are killed every year in political violence. The destruction continues every day.

The homes of many minorities are being destroyed. If any political crisis arises, religious minorities are always attacked. What is their crime? They are guilty because they are few in number; nothing more.

They are observing their own religious festivals, culture and customs. From Teknaf to Tetulia, they were confined, and still are now. Their families are suffering, and their daughters are unable to go to school safely. Their religious establishments are being looted and burned to the ground. Is there no one to save them and bring their unfortunate situation to light? Are there no international groups that can help them?

This persecution must end. They must be allowed to observe their festivals without any obstruction, and any threat. They must be allowed to live their lives like the rest of us.

Uttam Kumar Das

PM does not have to agree, but she should not dismiss December 30

Akhtar Shah Because she can!

Sam What makes you think that she is a “democratic” leader? Just because someone gets elected doesn’t make her/him democratic. The PM by her words, actions, and history has shown abundantly that “democratic” is the last word that should be used to describe her (or her main opponent, for that matter). Anyone who dares dissent is considered a war criminal while the PM’s supporters keep on waxing lyrical about the “glorious democratic history” of the ruling party. Give me a break. The PM’s party is only “democratic” when in the opposition.

WaliulHaqueKhondker A very sensible editorial. But what amazes me is the contradictory position of hosts of the talk and the ruling party. The AL general secretary before television cameras unequivocally declared that none from AL was invited to the talk. Whereas, the editorial mentions scores of them being invited but they chose not to participate! Politicians are better known globally for telling the untruth! :)

Let election day be peaceful

S

eeing as today’s elections are a mere constitutional necessity and cannot be a mandate for government for the next five years, the turnout is something of a moot point.

With 153 out of 300 seats already decided and without the main opposition party contesting, the legitimacy or illegitimacy of the elections is not in question.

A high turnout will not confer legitimacy on the elections, if legitimacy is understood to mean a mandate to rule for five years.

Similarly, a low turnout will not render the elections illegitimate.

We already know that 48 million out of 92 million voters will not be voting, and many of the ones remaining may choose not to vote due to the non-participatory nature of the elections.

Many will also be deterred from voting due to the risk of violence.

Indeed, by threatening violence BNP is handing a defense for low turnout to the ruling party.

Most importantly, BNP’s violent campaign so far has not succeeded in stopping the elections. Even if there are any tragic incidents on election day, it will most likely not foil the polls.

This being the case, there is no call for the BNP to upset the elections through violence and bloodshed. It is perfectly free to boycott the elections and urge voters to not cast their vote.

But it must not stop voters who wish to vote from doing so, and there can be no justification for violence or agitation against the process.

Its point about the non-inclusive nature of the elections has already been made. Voters can make up their own minds and must be left free to decide themselves whether to vote or not.

Similarly, the government party too must not engage in any violence itself in defense of the elections. In particular, no one wishes to see its cadres take on the role of the law enforcement authorities.

We call on both sides to let today’s elections be held peacefully and according to the law.

Capital tense ahead of Dhaka March

Religious minorities and persecution

What do the common people want?

December 31 No violence, peace and stability.

Zifan Johan

Money talks for Jamaat-Shibir in Patgram

Wacef Chowdhury You don’t say! :-p MJ Really??

Fakhrul: Government observing unofficial strike December 29 BNP should postpone their march for a couple of days every two days. The government would make it a peaceful hartal.

Purpose served: no violence.

Anjan Kumar Deb

December 28

Guest Take advantage of the weak, of course.

Aleef Khan In operations of the last two days, police have arrested people with even a remote connection with Jamaat? Why? What wrong did they commit?

Can you please write a piece on that as well?

Jamaat responsible for Islamophobia December 28

Islamophobia isn’t that big a problem in Bangladesh as it is in places like France or the Netherlands. Jamaat, however, isn’t responsible for whatever Islampohobia that does exist. Right from the start, the vast majority of Bangladeshis have always separated the actions of Jamaat from actual Islamic teachings.

So who is responsible for Islamophobia in this country? Primarily secular personalities who want the status of Islam as a state religion removed, who want the Bismillah abrogated from the Constitution, who want all religious political parties banned, who mock madrassah students and want religious schools closed, among other things.

KmAK

Corruption is good December 29

Yes, good for some, bad for many and worst for the country!

Zahurul Islam

Pro-AL lawyers not to observe ‘work abstention’

December 31 What a joke!! Urging the chief justice to ban any procession on the Supreme Court premises from a rally held at the same place! Think before pointing a finger at someone else, that your other fingers are not looking back at you.

Ishtiaque Ahmed

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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Voters can make up their own minds and must be left free to decide themselves whether to vote or not

CROSSWORD

PEANUTS

SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Command (5) 6 Regret (3) 7 Affirms with confidence (5) 10 Unsuitable (5) 12 Obtains (4) 13 Courtyard (5) 15 Old cloth measures (4) 16 Limb (3) 18 Sister (3) 20 Vast ages (4) 22 Tiny island (5) 23 Teaching period (4) 25 Encourages in crime (5) 27 Storehouse (5) 28 Fish eggs (3) 29 Comforts (5)

DOWN 1 Beginning (6) 2 Cricket score (3) 3 Grow deeper (6) 4 Disconcerts (7) 5 Part of the verb “to be” (3) 8 Self (3) 9 Main actor (4) 11 Close friend (3) 14 Set apart (7) 16 Plants (6) 17 Church services (6) 19 Employed (4) 21 Beak (3) 22 Little devil (3) 24 Blushing (3) 26 Digit (3)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

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

Code-Cracker

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Beyond band-aids every five years

L

n Esam Sohail

et us dispense with the notion that any of our four major political parties are democratic, notwithstanding the fond remembrances of non-existing history by their apologists in the media and intelligentsia.

Never in the history of the Bengali people, going back to the first partisan legislative elections in 1937, has a party been “democratic” when in office.

Short term solutions every five years at election time are not going to fix a problem that is so deeply embedded in our political culture. If there is a failing that the international community has vis-à-vis Bangladesh, it is that our friends intervene only to fix the symptoms every few years rather than help fix things more permanently.

Bangladesh is no real democracy except in the minds of those who hold state power

Having a neutral government or fair election is good, but such band-aids do not address the deeply ingrained realities on the ground that have been unchanged since day one of the republic, except for those two occasions in 1990 and 2007 when no-nonsense non-partisan governments (for all their faults) actually upheld the fundamental constitutional idea that the law be applied to all, irrespective of party.

The fact of the matter, which is plain to everyone except committed apologists of old style politics, is that this government has broken every one of its pledges when it came to establishing the independence of the lower judiciary or statutory bodies; to add insult to injury, the current manifesto of the ruling party makes the same promises again.

How different today is from 1990 and 2007. Every institution of the state, from the Election Commission to the Road Transport Authority to the lower judiciary to the capital’s police,

is no more than a pathetic, grovelling, subservient appendage of the ruling party.

It is obvious that in Bangladesh, the law of the land does not apply to those affiliated with the ruling party, while at the same time, arbitrary extra-legal measures are generously used to subdue and harass those who dissent.

Why else would the leader of the opposition in parliament have her home surrounded by hundreds of shock troops who prevent her from leaving or others from entering while the police chief, almost comically, claims that there is no house arrest?

The long term solution lies not in merely having a free election so a different set of “democratic” tyrants can simply exact retribution, but rather in major constitutional changes that can go beyond the greedy impulses of temporary majorities in parliament. The impasse today is horrible, but if the will is there, it can be used to our benefit, should Bangladesh’s civil society and influential development partners pledge to utilise it for a more lasting answer to the perennial problem of free elections.

For starters, the original 1972 constitution’s separation of powers guarantees are restored vis-à-vis Articles 115 and 116 dealing with judicial independence, and such changes are further augmented by incorporating the conveniently (for the ruling party) lapsed Judicial Service Ordinance of 2008 into the body of the constitution itself.

Secondly, the original Anti-Corruption Commission law should be coupled with the long-ignored constitutional requirement of a national ombudsman. Thirdly, constitutional protections should be afforded to a new national police commission and reformed National Human Rights Commission and Election Commission, so that all three are appointed by a formula where the government, the parliamentary opposition, and the higher judiciary all have substantive input, and the positions themselves are staggered so that there is no wholesale turnover every time a government changes.

Finally, the entire constitutional reform package must be protected from the well proven capriciousness of professional politicians by adding a provision that disallows changes to the package, unless such changes are approved by a two-thirds majority of a parliament elected under its

We need a permanent solution to this mayhem provisions and ratified in a national referendum, notwithstanding existing amendment procedures in the constitution.

deep, long-lasting, organic changes to the broken constitutional system, the world should take note and act accordingly.

It is time to go beyond band-aids and adopt a real cure to what ails a political culture that is anything but democratic This once-every-five-years-teethgnashing is a perennial problem which requires a solution that is both long-lasting and appropriate, given our sorry history of using democracy for undemocratic ends. Should the parties not agree to making such

As much as it pains me to admit it, history bears witness that the only time Bangladesh’s political parties negotiate in good faith is when development partners and export markets finally decide that enough is enough.

Foreign interference? You bet it is.

NASHIRUL ISLAM

But nothing else has worked to protect the interest of ordinary Bangladeshis from the limitless lust for absolute power that all these “democratic” parties possess. If the international community truly wants to help Bangladesh, it is time to go beyond bandaids and adopt a real cure to what ails a political culture that is anything but democratic.

The truth of the matter is that Bangladesh is no real democracy except in the minds of those who hold state power at any given mo ment, or those whose livelihoods depend on continuously propagating that falsehood on the basis of myths. Mere elections are not going to change that scheme of things; only longterm, deeply embedded, structural changes that put fetters on the proven capriciousness of professional politi-

cians can have a shot at snatching a sustainable, pluralist, representative democracy from the jaws of the elected absolutist tyranny that Bangladesh has been since 1990.

As John Adams, America’s second president, so memorably said in the early years of his own new republic (that was born of a war of independence, not unlike that of Bangladesh’s own freedom struggle): “Their vanity, pride, resentment, or revenge must be mitigated and controlled as much as possible.” President Adams was referring to the necessity of constitutional provisions to check the very primal nature of politicians to desire absolute power. l Esam Sohail is an educational research analyst and college lecturer of social sciences. He writes from Kansas, USA.

What are you willing to sacrifice?

For a free and fair election

n Bobby Hajjaj

n Mohammed Fahimul Islam

S

ajeeb Wazed, scion of the Sheikh dynasty and technology adviser to the prime minister, penned an opinion piece last Sunday. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Sajeeb a future candidate for the prime minister’s office. It is important for such a potential leader of this nation to voice his opinions and let us assess his thoughts and vision.

No one can fault Sajeeb for making his piece a diatribe against the opposition his party is facing, nor are we surprised that his piece reflected or reinforced the ruling party’s ethos.

As a burgeoning leader of the largest political party in Bangladesh, it behooves Sajeeb to uphold that party’s esteem. At the same time, as a budding national leader and a representative of a new generation, we do expect to see him push beyond narrow party interests and speak and work for the nation at large.

Sajeeb starts his piece by criticising the opposition for having denied his party’s attempts at conciliation. The airwaves have been inundated with such criticism from many ruling party leaders and cabinet ministers, and I have personally heard the same argument from numerous senior AL party officials. They have said it so vociferously and with such unaffected sincerity that I now think the AL leadership actually believes wholeheartedly in that rhetoric.

There is no denying that the opposition has refused to accept the olive branch offered by the ruling party, but would a more critical look at the offer on the table not proffer a different view of the situation? How much of a compromise was really on offer when the honourable prime minister had already put her foot down regarding any possible change to the head of the interim government?

One can also argue that the treatment meted out to former coalition partner HM Ershad clearly reflects the ruling party’s mood for conciliation.

The facts do seem to contradict the

ruling party rhetoric.

A true leader is always concerned about what the people want, and Sajeeb made multiple references to the demands of the people. But his reference to the people’s demands does beg another question: Does the ruling party leadership really know what the people of the country want?

As difficult a question as it is to try and answer, we have seen tens of opinion polls conducted by reputable national and international organisations that have given us some indication of what the people demand.

We need future leaders to stop propagating the same old worn and tired party lines

These polls have consistently shown that the people of this country do not support the kind of election the ruling party is trying to hold; from these same polls we’ve seen overwhelming support for a caretaker government.

How then can the ruling party justify their claims of fulfilling the people’s demands?

We have been told that the farce of the 10th election has to be conducted in order to maintain constitutional legitimacy. But how is the constitution being honoured when the very basis of a representative democracy – an election – is turned into a mockery?

And if the 10th wasn’t an absolute sham, then why would the ruling party start making noises about the 11th general election even before the 10th was concluded?

Unfortunately for us, the key cause of this crisis is actually no more than a power struggle, which has been

dressed up in divisive nationalistic rhetoric. After the revolutionary struggle of 1971, the AL took ownership of the independence issue and since then they have been unable and unwilling to move on to anything else.

This singular attempt at political profiteering from the 1971 issue has now turned so radical that , 42 years after independence, it still seeks to divide the country along imaginary lines of pro- and anti-liberation.

Sajeeb’s piece as well seemed no more than another attempt to draw support for that position. In effect, we are seeing an artificial distinction being created by the AL machine that denounces all critics of the party as anti-1971 or anti-Bangladesh. It is important for leaders of Sajeeb’s generation to realise that divisive policies and rhetoric can never help build a strong nation.

It goes without saying that no one party is culpable for the failure of our government, or our democracy. For 42 years we have failed to develop the robustness in our institutions that could ensure a vibrant democracy.

This election crisis is but a symptom of the deeper problems of flawed institutions, and we need our future leaders to focus on rebuilding or restructuring those institutions to help guarantee democratic stability and responsible governance.

We need future leaders like Sajeeb to stop propagating the same old worn and tired party lines and bring new solutions. His attempt at emulating the British government’s policy of “Digital Britain” was a novel solution, and we expect to see more of those from him.

The onus is on all of us, and on the new generation of leadership that Sajeeb represents, to build a nation we can all be proud of. We will not be able to build that Bangladesh if we devote all our energies to fighting amongst ourselves. We can’t sacrifice the nation’s interests for the interest of a political party. l Bobby Hajjaj is Special Advisor to HM Ershad.

I

n this age of democratic emancipation, the demand for a “free and fair” election has not remained confined to rhetoric only. Several studies have taken place to analyse and theorise the accepted standards of a free and fair election, against which the electoral system of a country can be assessed.

As Bangladesh is about to undergo an election which has caused not only controversy but widespread violence among the major political actors, it is pertinent to gauge the internationally accepted standards of free and fair elections to afford the major stakeholders an option to compare Bangladesh’s standards against it.

Among the major studies on which these standards were shaped, the first study was a White House-commissioned report by the US National Science Foundation, Internet Policy Institute, and the University of Maryland. The report was the product of a workshop in October 2000, in which political scientists, computer scientists, and election officials took part.

The second study was conducted in 1998 by KPMG for Elections Canada entitled “Technology and the Voting Process.”

The first principle of free and fair elections is the participation principle. This makes it mandatory that the electoral systems provide an equal opportunity to all citizens to participate in the electoral process and that they can access the ballot box.

The premise of this principle is that people should have the right to vote on a non-discriminatory basis, as opposed to a system that denies the right to vote to certain segments of the society in an arbitrary manner. However, this principle is subject to certain reasonable limitations and exceptions, such as age, mental sanity, criminal convictions, and non-nationals.

This principle also enshrines the right of citizens to form and participate in political parties and that these parties have the scope to contest in elections. There may be reasonable

limitations placed before the parties can contest the elections, like registering and requiring a small deposit from candidates, in order to maintain the sanctity of the process and as a precaution against dummy candidates.

The second principle is the free-conscience principle. It means that voters must be afforded the opportunity to cast their votes without undue influence, intimidation, or coercion. In other words, voters must be allowed to cast their votes with a free conscience as opposed to being influenced or instructed into voting for a particular party or candidate.

The system of secret ballots is the best mechanism to ensure that voters are not coerced.

The third principle is the election outcome principle. It lays the onus upon the electoral commissions to put up a system to accurately record, store, and count each vote, and accurately report the outcome. Electoral commissions must ensure that votes are not lost, intentionally disposed of, miscounted, or misreported.

must ensure that the candidates and the political parties have the opportunity to express and publicise their policies and programs.

These principles are not static, but continue to evolve to embrace current international practices as well as community standards. For example, from the Roman time up until the midto-late nineteenth century, it was not only an accepted norm but a guiding principle of democracy and free and fair elections that voters declare their vote in a public forum Today, it would be construed as an intrusion on voter privacy as well as inconsistent with the free-conscience principle, given the reprisals that could result from such an open system of voting.

It is rather unfortunate that Bangladesh is still in a nascent stage of democracy, in spite of achieving independence 42 years ago. Though our journey towards democracy has been chequered, we have reached the stage where elected governments can fulfil their full term without any unconstitutional or undemocratic intervention.

It is rather unfortunate that Bangladesh is still in a nascent stage of democracy, in spite of achieving independence 42 years ago

The fourth principle is the knowledge principle. It requires that voters possess a minimum knowledge about the voting process, the candidates, and the political parties contesting the election. This principle is important for equipping the voters to make an informed decision.

The duty falls to the electoral commissions to educate voters about the electoral system, how to register to vote, and how to correctly fill out a ballot paper. In addition, the government and the electoral commission

In spite of this achievement, Bangladesh periodically sinks into a deep political crisis, with a heavy toll on people as well businesses, on the modalities of election-time government. It is time that our major political parties come to a mutual understanding on what should be the standards of a “free and fair” election for which so many lives are lost every five years. l Mohammed Fahimul Islam is a former diplomat currently living in Australia.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

National Museum displays works of Shilpacharya and Patua n Shadma Malik The Bangladesh National Museum has organised a month-long painting exhibition of the works of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin and Patua Quamrul Hassan to mark its 100th anniversary.

The biggest museum in Asia has put on display a total of a 100 paintings – 50 each by the two maestros – at the Nalinikanta Bhattashali Art Gallery.

The exhibition is part of the concluding programme of a two-year long celebration of hundred years of the museum.

It displays a rich archaeological interest, along with a host of metal and

wooden sculptures, gold, silver and copper coins, stone inscriptions, copperplates, terracotta and other artifacts.

On August 7, 1913, Lord Carmichael, the then governor of Bengal, inaugurated the Dhaka Museum in a single room at the then Secretariat building, now the Dhaka Medical College. The Museum was opened for the public on August 25, 1914.

The Dhaka Museum was shifted to the Baraduari and Deuri of the Naib-Nazim of Dhaka in July 1915. Bangladesh National Museum, incorporating the Dhaka Museum, was established on September 20, 1983 and formally inaugurated on November 17 that year.

The centenary exhibition is displaying the Shilpacharya’s sketches and water colour works. His famine sketches in particular have won international acclaim. His drawing and wash on paper titled the Tidal Bore Victims is an iconic image of human suffering. The maestro painted this masterpiece in 1972. One of his sketches is titled The Struggle that portrays a man trying to move a bullock cart wheel stuck in the mud. Human emotions had always played a central role in his works, visible in most of his works on the famine. Other than all these, the Face of a Woman and Mother and Child had tinges of both elements of emotion and contemporary artistic sophistication.

Quamrul Hassan had also aptly represented the Bangalee culture through his work. The Folk Design shows his deep patriotism and awareness of the native folk culture.

His series work Bride in charcoal and water colour depict the traditional rural bride of Bangladesh. Another water colour on paper of the National poet of Bangladesh Kazi Nazrul Islam is also on display. His rural village and Nabanna detailed the rural culture of the country.

Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad ShirinSharmin Chaudhury inaugurated the exhibition on December 22. The show will remain open until January 18. l

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Agnila’s career on the roll n Entertainment Desk An emerging star, Agnila has been seen involving herself completely in the showbiz world now-a-days after she came into limelight by appearing in Grameenphone’s TV commercial Bondhu.

She debuted on the small screen through the drama serial Gias Uddin Selim’s Biproteep few years back and then, with the same director, she again appeared in a drama serial Rod. However, the young talent went to Canada to pursue higher study and had a break in the media world. It seems she is gearing up having quite a few projects in her hand.

She is now working in a hundred episode drama series Poribaar Porikolpona, produced

by Mahfuz Ahmed and directed

by Ali Fida Ekram Tojo. She will also be seen in the telefilm Hotobihol Bhalobasha where she is pairing up with model cum actor Kazi Asif. Written by journalist Tushar Abdulla and Sarkar Milton’s direction, the telefilms will be aired on the Valentine’s Day on NTV. An aspiring actor Agnila says: “I want to be regular on the screen with good scripts and meaningful characters.” l

TODAY IN DHAKA Exhibition

Shilpacharya and his Outer World of Art Time: 12pm-8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, House 42 Road 16 (New) / 27 (old) Dhanmondi City of Rhythm Second phase of Kazi Salahuddin Ahmed Time: 12-8pm Shilpangan, House 7 Road 13 (New) Dhanmondi

Zainul Quamrul Exhibition Time: 10am – 8pm Nalini Kanta Bhattasali Gallery, National Museum Shahbagh, Dhaka

Film

Pacific Rim in 3D Escape Plan The Conjuring The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Star Cineplex, Bashundhara Cityd Gravity Blockbuster Cinemas, Jamuna Future Park

From left, artworks Folk Design by Quamrul Hassan and Tidal Bore Victims by Zainul Abedin

Suchitra Sen’s health improves

Ichheghuri airs on NTV tonight n Entertainment Desk Drama series Ichheghuri will air on NTV at 8:15pm tonight.

Written and directed by Safayet Monsur, the drama series airs every Saturday and Sunday.

Story of the drama series revolves around a friend circle.

They have different plans for life and career. After completing MBA, Mishu starts an online matrimonial business through Facebook. Shyamol is an engineer and works to build robots.

Asif completes his study on Marketing and he is yet not decided what to choose for his profession. Ria is a photographer and wants to explore the world through her lens. Aparna is a dentist and her wish from life is very simple. Partha is the leader of this group who wants to be rich like Bill Gates. They don’t know about their future but, they don’t stop dreaming.

This is how the story goes on with interesting twists and turns.

Popular soap actors, such as, Partha Barua, Aparna, Mishu Sabbir, Mashiyat, Sporshiya, Sumon Patowary, Kazi Asif, Shyamol Mawla, Monira Mithu and many more acted in the drama series. l

ON TV

n Entertainment Desk Iconic actor of Bangla cinema Suchitra Sen’s health improved on Saturday, says her granddaughter Raima Sen, a celebrated actor in West Bengal.

“My grandma is better. Thank you for your prayers...

Keep praying,” Raima tweeted Saturday.

The veteran actress, 82, is undergoing treatment for a chest infection at the Belle Vue Clinic since December 23.

Suchitra was taken to the critical care unit (CCU) after her condition deteriorated December 28 night. “Her other vital parameters like heart rate and blood pressure remain stable,” said a doctor, adding that she was on a light diet.

Besides a cardiologist, the 82-year-old actress was also examined by two chest specialists.

A five-member medical board at the hospital led by Dr Subrata Maitra was monitoring her health round-theclock.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the hospital on Friday and met doctors and her daughter actor Moon Moon.

Suchitra Sen is known for her performances in films like Deep Jwele Jaai and Uttar Falguni in Bangla as well as Hindi movies Devdas, Bambai Ka Babu and Mamta. She won the Best Actress Award for Saat Paake Bandha at the Moscow film festival in 1963. l

n Entertainment Desk

A scene from Ichheghuri

Aamir Khan wants to act opposite Kiran Rao

MOVIE 8:35pm Zee Studio Out of Sight

11:30pm Star Movies Australia

COMEDY 1:30pm Z Cafe Friends

8:30pm Comedy Central Outsourced

MISC 1:30pm FTV

Fashion Divas

8:30pm AXN Top Gear

n Entertainment Desk

Today’s episode of Desh TV’s A Tribute to Legend will feature legendary Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley’s life and works. The show will be aired on 7:45pm.

DiCaprio optimistic about getting Oscar this time

Whenever a real life couple decides to come together for a project, it generates a lot of curiosity among the audience.

Earlier, it was Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in Fida and Jab We Met; Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai in Guru and Dhoom 2.

For a forthcoming movie, the pairing how- ever will be of a different kind - an actor and his director wife.

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao could be seen on the silver screen for the first time.

A source close to Khan informed us, “At this point, Aamir is contemplating doing a mature romantic film, and that is how this script came his way.”

While discussing the script, he felt Kiran would be perfect for the role.

Infact, he is a big fan of her acting prowess since Lagaan, in which she was the assistant director.

He wanted her to do Yasmin’s role in Dhobi Ghat. But she was clear she couldn’t act and direct in the same frame. So, now it remains to be seen if Kiran will do the film.”

However, Rao did not disclose anything to the media. l

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio says he wants his latest movie The Wolf of Wall Street to receive awards and recognition galore. Winning an Oscar, he says, would be meaningful.

“Of course it would be meaningful to win an Oscar. I think everyone wants to be recognised by their peers, absolutely, without question. But the truth of the matter is, you learn very quickly you have absolutely no control of what critics or audiences are going to think,” said the 39-year-old.

“You really just have to do everything you can to make the best film. That’s the one thing that I do know,” he added.

DiCaprio, considered as one of the most powerful actors of Hollywood in recent times, has previously received Oscar nominations for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Aviator and Blood Diamond, but had never received one. This time, he especially wants The Wolf Of Wall Street to get recognition as he feels the Martin Scorsese-directed movie helped him evolve.

“I would love for this film, on all fronts, to get some attention because there’s only been two films in my entire career that I’ve really developed myself, really championed to get financed and got a director involved with, and that’s been ‘The Aviator’ and this.

“And so, in a lot of ways - and I hate to use the term - those two are my ‘babies’,” he said.

“Those were the films that I really did everything I possibly could to get made in the right way. And I think that they’re very difficult movies to pull off, especially with this one, a film that opens yourself and the movie up to a lot of criticism. So to get any kind of recognition would be amazing for this, absolutely,” added the Titanic star. l

Did you know?

Six of the last eight Tests between Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been drawn, with one win apiece

Sport

Sunday, January 5, 2014

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

0 7 0 DAYS TO GO

14 City face fixture pile-up as Rovers earn replay

15 Sri Lanka salvages draw in first Pakistan Test

Russell sweat past Chittagong Abahani n Shishir Hoque Sheikh Russell KC came from behind to earn a hardfought 2-1 victory over the spirited Chittagong Abahani to salvage all three points in their second Bangladesh Premier League match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Following their convincing 4-0 victory against Uttar Baridhara in their opening encounter, the reigning champions had to toil hard against the newly promoted side to get their successive victory of the league. Chittagong Abahani’s Nigerian striker Nepoleon Gabriel’s 13th minute opener was cancelled out by French midfielder Maxime Eric Roger three minutes later before Moroccan forward Younes Roux

slammed the winner for Sheikh Russell in the second-half.

Sheikh Russell’s Moroccan forward Youness Raux scores the winner against Chittagong Abahani at the BNS yesterday

MUMIT M

Asia Cup remains in Bangladesh Afghanistan to feature as fifth team in this edition just called from Colombo and informed eleven,” Nizamuddin added. n Minhaz Uddin Khan ACC CEO Syed Ashraful Huq inthat we will be hosting the tournament,” Millions across the country were relieved after the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in its executive meeting at Colombo yesterday confirmed that the Asia Cup in March will not be shifted and it will be hosted by Bangladesh.

The current political turmoil in Bangladesh had raised questions of whether it would be correct to host the tournament here and should it be shifted to another country. It created more doubts with the Sri Lanka Cricket Board offering to hold the tournament recently, but the phone call from Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hossain, who attended the ACC meeting in Sri Lanka, to Jalal Younus cleared the gloomy weather.

“Asia Cup is going nowhere. The president (BCB president Nazmul Hasan)

said chairman of media and communications, BCB, Jalal to the media personals who were around him at the BCB office premises during the call.

The concrete announcement of the decision followed within minutes after the ACC meeting ended in Colombo.

“As of now, the decision has been made that Bangladesh will retain hosting rights of the Asia Cup,” said BCB acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury.

Meanwhile, the traditional fourteam Asia Cup will see another nation joining the event. “We had a good meeting with ACC board members, and they have been convinced that we can host the tournament. Afghanistan has also been added to the tournament, making it a five-team event and the number of matches has gone up to

formed the media that the members did not have any precise queries about the security in Bangladesh while the tournament being held.

“Bangladesh provided a detailed security plan to the ACC, which was studied and agreed to. If any member has any other concerns, they should address it with Bangladesh,” said Ashraful.

In December, the West Indies Under-19s withdrawal from their tour after a bomb exploded near their hotel in Chittagong caught attention of the international media. The news around the globe made cricket boards of the participating nations in the Asia Cup show concern. Pakistan Cricket Board, who have been in bitter terms with the BCB for some time now, were the most

vocal with the issue.

It was reported that the PCB might reconsider of sending its team for the Asia Cup and for the growing anti-Pakistan feelings across Bangladesh over the war-criminal’s trial.

“The BCB and the Bangladesh government have no issue with Pakistan participating in the Asia Cup. It is their (PCB) decision whether to send their team or not,” said BCB president Nazmul to a local news channel in Dhaka over phone yesterday.

“We always believe that cricket will remain above politics in Bangladesh and the country is crazy for the game.

The situation is not like the tournament needs to be shifted to some other country. We have always said that the trouble is political, not terrorism. The situation will better as days passes by,” Nazmul added. l

The port city club, who finished the Bangladesh Championship League as champions to earn the top flight ticket, put a brave display throughout the game. Led by Gabriel, Chittagong Abahani fired all cylinders and played as a total unit despite the absence of their head coach Habibur Rahman.

Russell coach Maruful Haque handed the debut to his new foreign recruits Eric Roger and Younes Roux in the premier league and they repaid the faith in some style.

However, it was the Chittagong side who initiated the first attack with just three minutes on the clock. Gabriel did well to break into the penalty area from the left flank, but his shot hit the side netting.

They, however, didn’t have to wait long to make the first breakthrough as Gabriel put Chittagong Abahani ahead with a brilliant solo effort in the 13th minute. Receiving a through from defender Masuk Mia Jony, Gabriel dribbled past two defenders before firing home through the gap of two defenders. Biplob dived to his right but his touch on the ball was not enough from stopping it roll inside the goal.

Abahani’s delight lasted for only three minutes when Eric Roger restored the parity from a 20-yard leftfooted free-kick.

The lead was almost restored three minutes after the resumption but Biplob saved his side producing a superb

McInnes disappointed with early exit UCB Club Cup Hockey n Minhaz Uddin Khan Bangladesh Under-19 cricket coach Richard McInnes is disappointed with Bangladesh’s exit from the ACC U-19 Asia Cup in spite of a good run. With wins in the first two games, the young tigers were a strong contender for the semi-finals.

But Afghanistan denied Bangladesh from the next stage of the tournament.

The former moved onto the semi-finals on the basis of the net run-rate after three teams – Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka - had the same number of points in the Group B. “It is really disappointing not to reach

the final stage of the tournament. The team was consistent beating Afghanistan by 16 runs and later Malaysia by nine wickets and a narrow defeat against Sri Lanka. But net run-rate pushed us out of the competition,” said McInnes to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Bangladesh U-19 has no scheduled international matches ahead of the ICC U-19 World Cup in February. McInnes informed that a few more matches in the Asia Cup could have helped the cricketers prepare more as the venues are the same for the World Cup. “It’s our bad luck not to have played few more games and that we don’t

have any scheduled series ahead of the World Cup. I don’t think we are prepared up to the mark for the big event as of now but I hope we will be able to hold a healthy camp and few matches with senior teams once the political unrest cools off,” informed McInnes.

The 39-year old Australian marked the U-19 skipper Mehidy Hassan Miraz as a good prospect for the future if nurtured well. “We don’t have players which can replace Shakib or say Mushfiq in future. However there are very good talents in the team and they only thing needed is to groom them well,” he added. l

Shakib al Hasan flashes the shirt of Adelaide Strikers at Adelaide yesterday. Shakib is likely to become the first cricketer from Bangladesh to play in the Big Bash today against Sydney Sixers COURTESY

Sheikh Russell coach Maruful Haque fought hard to content his emotions after his team edged past a spirited Chittagong Abahani 2-1 in the Bangladesh Premier League yesterday. His counterpart thought his team did not enjoy the favour of lady luck as they dominated the procedure yet finished as the losers.

The young players of Chittagong Abahani sent the chill through the Russell spine on many occasions and Maruf said he was expecting it.

“To be frank I was ready to see Chittagong Abahani put the strong resistance against us, they are speedy and the players have been together for a long time, however we were focused

RESULT Sheikh Russell Roger 16 Roux 65

2-1 Ctg Abahani

Gabriel 13

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

breaks from left of the 3” Gabriel penalty area but hits the side

netting GOAL! Gabriel put Chittagong Abahani ahead with a brilliant solo effort. Receiving a through from Jony, Gabriel dribbled past two defenders and fired the ball home.

GOAL! Maxime Eric Roger equalises from a 20-yard out left-footed free kick. Moroccan forward Youness Roux earned the free-kick when Nazrul Islam fouled him just outside the box Biplob produces a superb diving save to deny Atikur Rahman’s powerful shot from going in Ricardo Cousins header hits the sidebar on an Imrul Hasan Emu cross GOAL! Younes Roux sealed the victory for Russell slotting home with an angular shot, thanks to pin-pointed cross of Cousins Atiqur Rahman’s left-footed shot hit the woodwork after the striker received a pass from Sohel Mia

13”

16”

48” 57”

65” 75”

starts tomorrow

Sri Lanka to decide on Jan 9

n Raihan Mahmood

n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Sonali Bank and Shadharan Bima will feature in the inaugural match of the UCB Club Cup Hockey at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium at 1:00pm tomorrow.

Later at 3pm Abahani Ltd will face Dhaka Wanderers in the second match of the opening day. The other three clubs of the seven-team meet, which by tradition has always served the purpose of a warm-up tournament of the premier division hockey league, are Usha KC, Ajax SC and Azad SC.

The four rebel hockey clubs - Mohammedan, Mariners, Wari and Bangladesh Sporting Club - who declared not to play under the current executive committee remained out of the tournament.

The champions of the meet will receive a purse of Tk30000 while the runners-up will get Tk20000.

In a press conference yesterday tournament secretary Anvir Adil Khan presented the meet to the press. Sponsors United Commercial Bank will provide Tk200000 for the tournament while the approximate budget of the event is Tk250000. l

Maruf relieved, Taher blames luck n Raihan Mahmood

diving save to deny Atikur Rahman’s powerful strike after the midfielder owned the rebound from a goalmouth melee.

It was hard for anyone to take their eyes off the game as the flurry of attacks and counter attacks was heading for an interesting finish. Amid a number of attacks from both the sides, Roux scored the all-important goal in the 65th minute to open his league account. The Moroccan forward slotted the ball past Piaruzzaman with an angular shot from inside the box after receiving a cross of Cousins. Chittagong Abahani had an opportunity to equalise as Atiqur Rahman hit the woodwork in the 75th minute.

With two victories from two Russell sits at the top of the chart with six points. l

upon our job and we at last emerged victorious,” said Russell.

Maruf said his team struggled to adapt the system of 3-3-1-3 as French midfielder Maxim Rogers and

Chittagong Abahani created more pressure than we expected, they were spirited, however we fought hard to win the match Moroccan forward Younnes Raux played their first match in the league.

“They did not play the first match as Raux was injured and Maxim was on a vacation, two changes made my formation unstable but I hope with more time it will improve,” he added.

Having no seasoned left-back Maruf had to go with the relatively unfamiliar formation.

Younnes Raux, the scorer of the winner said he was happy to see his team win. “Chittagong Abahani created more pressure than we expected, they were spirited, however we fought hard to win the match,” said the Moroccan.

Meanwhile Chittagong Abahani assistant coach Abu Taher Siddque and his forward Sohel Miah thought they could have won if luck was in their favour.

“I think if we could have kept the lead further then it would have been a different story, we have been practicing for the last two months and we dominated the match,” said Siddique. l

Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) decision of Bangladesh remaining as the host of the Asia Cup should relax Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) with their concern of security, believes cricket experts. This will also give the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) the momentum to convince SLC of going through with the bilateral series scheduled to begin on January 27.

The BCB chairman of media and communication Jalal Younus informed that the BCB president Nazmul Hasan and the BCB CEO had a meeting with SLC yesterday and so far any negative is unlikely.

“The meeting was fruitful and there were no negatives as far as I know. They (SLC) will wait for clearance from their government and asses the post-election condition in Bangladesh,” informed Jalal to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Jayantha Dharmadasa, the SLC chairman also echoed the same thought and said a decision on the tour will be made soon.

“Sri Lanka are also due to tour Bangladesh from January 24, and SLC is presently conducting its own security appraisal. A final decision on whether that tour will go ahead as scheduled will be made on January 9,” Dharmadasa said to the media.

Bangladesh, scheduled to host the ICC World Twenty20 in March, will also look forward to the ICC’s move on the situation. The ICC, too, will hold security inspections of the country, before deciding whether to retain Bangladesh as the host for the World Twenty20. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Sunday, January 5, 2014

City face fixture pile-up as Rovers earn replay n AFP, Blackburn

Blackburn Rovers English midfielder Jason Lowe (L) vies with Manchester City's Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo during their FA Cup third round match at Ewood Park in Blackburn, north-west England yesterday AFP

No Elche return for Messi n AFP, Madrid

Four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi will need to wait to make his return from a hamstring injury after being left out of Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino’s squad for Sunday’s visit of Elche.

Messi only returned to the Catalan capital on Thursday after a month of recovery work and training in his native Argentina. Martino insisted that his compatriot looks in fine shape, but is still someway short of being fully match fit.

“In my view Messi is full of desire, I think he is in very good shape physically and has the look of a killer,” said Martino. He needs to gain more rhythm from training with his teammates and then in competitive action, but he is doing very well.”

Barca are hoping that Messi will be fit to play some part in their top-ofthe-table clash away to Atletico Madrid next weekend.

And Martino wants to ensure that his side maintain their position as league leaders with a win against Elche ahead of their trip to the Vicente Calderon.

Despite Messi’s absence, Barca have been boosted on the injury front as Victor Valdes is fit again to take his place in goal. Neymar and Xavi Hernandez also return to the squad which won 5-2 away to Getafe last time out, but Dani Alves and Sergio Busquets miss out due to illness and suspension respectively. l

FIXTURES Sevilla Barcelona Osasuna Real Sociedad

v v v v

Getafe Elche Espanyol Athletic Bilbao

Rodgers charged for City ref rant n AFP, London Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was charged by the Football Association on Friday for allegedly questioning the integrity of referee Lee Mason in his side’s 2-1 defeat against Manchester City.

Rodgers asked whether it was correct to have an official from Greater Manchester in charge of the game after a series of decisions went against his team at Eastlands on December 26.

As a result Rodgers has been landed with an FA charge to which he has until 1800GMT on Wednesday to respond.

“Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has been charged by The FA over post-match media comments he made following his side’s game against Manchester City on 26 December 2013,” the FA said in a statement. l

Manchester City face the prospect of an unwanted FA Cup thirdround replay after being held to a 1-1 draw by Championship side Blackburn on Saturday.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini spent much of the festive period bemoaning the hectic schedule that forced his team to play five times in 15 days over Christmas.

Now the Chilean has one more fixture to squeeze into a packed January that already features both legs of City’s League Cup semi-final against West Ham, as well as three more Premier League matches and a potential FA Cup fourth-round tie.

Pellegrini has Scott Dann to blame for having to face Blackburn again, this time at Eastlands, as the Rovers defender’s second-half goal cancelled out a first-half opener from Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo in a hard-fought clash at Ewood Park. To add to Pellegrini’s frustration, City had defender Dedryck Boyata sent off in the closing stages.

England goalkeeper Joe Hart was rested by Pellegrini as Costel Pantilimon came back into the side, but City

still fielded a strong line-up including Negredo, Edin Dzeko and David Silva.

Rovers boss Gary Bowyer left leading scorer Jordan Rhodes on the bench, while former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson played his first game in more than a year after recovering from a blood clot on his lung.

Blackburn, currently 10th in the Championship, are 29 places below City in the league structure, but they hardly looked intimidated by their more illustrious visitors in the early stages.

They harried Pellegrini’s men out of their usual smooth passing rhythm and engineered the first chances of the tie.

Chris Taylor advanced unchecked and tried his luck with a long-range effort that deflected wide, with Dann’s header bringing Pantilimon into action for the first time from the resulting corner.

City began to take control in the latter stages of the first half and they should have been in front in the 35th minute when Fernandinho pulled the ball back to David Silva in space inside the Rovers penalty area.

Silva had time to pick his spot but the Spanish winger instead slashed his shot wildly over the crossbar.

Negredo eventually broke the deadlock in the final minute of the half. l

Leaders Juve set for Roma test n AFP, Milan The first weekend of the New Year features the biggest game of the season so far in Serie A, as leaders Juventus entertain second-placed Roma in Turin on Sunday.

Juve come into 2014 five points clear of Roma at the summit, and so a win will see them take a big step towards retaining their title.

Antonio Conte’s side are in fine form, having won their last nine league games on the bounce since suffering their sole league defeat this season, a 4-2 reverse at Fiorentina in October.

Meanwhile, Roma could still match Juve’s 2011-12 achievement of going the entire campaign undefeated.

Under French coach Rudi Garcia,

Roma have yet to lose in 17 matches, although since winning their opening 10 games they have managed just two wins and five draws.

That run has allowed Juve to pull clear and they are defending an unbeaten home record in Serie A stretch-

FIXTURES Chievo v Cagliari Fiorentina v Livorno Juventus v Roma ing back almost exactly a year and a 2-1 defeat to Sampdoria on January 6, 2013.

Earlier on Sunday, fourth-placed Fiorentina entertain Tuscan neighbours Livorno, but most matches this weekend will be played on Monday’s Epiphany holiday.

Napoli, in third, are set to welcome

back Marek Hamsik for their home meeting with a Sampdoria side unbeaten in five matches since former player Sinisa Mihajlovic became coach in November.

Meanwhile, chaos reigns at Lazio, where two coaches are claiming the right to sit on the bench for Monday’s home clash with Inter.

The capital club have insisted that Vladimir Petkovic was in breach of contract when he agreed to take over as coach of Switzerland from July, and are trying to sack him and avoid paying the 600,000 euros ($818,000) in compensation being claimed by the coach.

He insists he is still in charge of Lazio but former boss Edy Reja has been leading training sessions this week and the club plan to present him as their new coach at a press conference on Sunday. l

‘All players cheat,’ claims Pellegrini

Lazio sack Petkovic, bring back Reja n AFP, Rome n AFP, London

“I think it is very difficult and I respect them (referees). Of course nobody likes it when the referee whistles against your team when it is wrong, but a lot of time he whistles and gives you an advantage that maybe you didn’t have.”

Chelsea midfielder Oscar was widely criticised after being booked for diving in an unsuccessful attempt to win a penalty during his side’s 3-0 win at Southampton on New Year’s Day. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho supported the decision, describing the fight to rid the game of diving as “an important issue”, but he also claimed that there were no habitual divers at his club.

“I want to make it clear: there are

many divers in the world of football.

There are many divers in some big clubs in the world of football,” said the Portuguese.

“There are some divers in England.

Not many, some. In Chelsea, no divers, no divers at all.

“Oscar made a mistake, which he tells me and I believe him. He was completely convinced the goalkeeper was coming to smash him.

The goalkeeper didn’t, he made his mistake, he was punished with a yellow card, he accepts the yellow card in a very calm way.

“His manager comes after in the press to say, ‘Well done (referee) Mr Atkinson.’ End of story. Here we don’t have divers.” l

Serie A club Lazio announced on Saturday that they had fired coach Vladimir Petkovic and replaced him with former boss Edy Reja.

In a statement, the capital club revealed they had parted companty with the entire management team, saying: “Lazio announce that they have rescinded the contract of Vladimir Petkovic, Antonio Manicone and Paolo Rongoni.

“The club has installed coach Edoardo Reja, who will be assisted by Alberto Bollini and Adriano Bianchini.”

Lazio are currently 10th in the Serie A table ahead of their opening game of 2014, at home to Inter Milan on Monday. l

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has waded into the debate about diving in football by claiming that “players are always trying to cheat”.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter broached the issue earlier this week when he called for tougher sanctions to punish simulation, but Pellegrini fears that it may be a losing battle.

“I think it is very difficult to be a referee,” said the Chilean, in comments reported by several British newspapers on Saturday.

“The players play too quickly. The players are always trying to cheat because football is cheating.

Argentina deny Cameroon World Cup warm-up n Reuters, Buenos Aires

United lose Southampton’s Osvaldo Young to banned after Newcastle brawl shoulder injury n AFP, London

n AFP, London

Confusion reigned for two World Cup finalists on Friday with Cameroon announcing a warm-up against Argentina on June 6 that the South Americans later denied, instead confirming a friendly with Slovenia a day later.

Guillermo Tofoni, whose World Eleven agency organises all Argentina’s friendlies, told Reuters they would play their last warm-up against the Slovenians at the River Plate stadium in Buenos Aires on June 7.

He denied Argentina would meet Cameroon in a friendly before the Brazil finals.

Apart from the Slovenia game, Lionel Messi’s team will play Trinidad and Tobago, probably on June 4 at a venue yet to be settled, in preparation for their Group F matches against Bosnia, Iran and Nigeria.

Argentina will also meet Romania in Bucharest on March 5. l

Southampton striker Dani Osvaldo was fined £40,000 ($65,000, 48,0000 euros) and suspended for three matches on Friday for his part in a touchline brawl during an ill-tempered Premier League clash at Newcastle.

Osvaldo, an Argentina-born Italy international, was watching from the sidelines after already being substituted during the 1-1 draw on December 14 when he reacted angrily to an aggressive tackle in stoppage-time.

The ugly scenes were sparked by Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin’s yellow card for a late challenge on Newcastle defender Massadio Haidara.

Staff and players from both benches became embroiled in a touchline ruckus, with referee Mike Jones sending Newcastle coach Andy Woodman and Saints back-room staff member Toni Jimenez to the stands.

Osvaldo’s ban takes immediate ef-

Manchester United manager David Moyes has admitted that winger Ashley Young is set for a spell on the sidelines with an injury suffered in the New Year’s Day defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

Young hurt his shoulder in a collision with Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris that Moyes insisted should have led to a penalty for his side.

The former Aston Villa player landed awkwardly as he leapt over Lloris and will certainly miss this weekend’s FA Cup third-round meeting with Swansea City.

“Ashley has got an injury that is going to keep him out for a time,” said Moyes.

“It is a shoulder injury he received in the challenge by the goalkeeper. I am not sure how long it will be.”

Meanwhile, Moyes offered no further update on the fitness of Robin van Persie, who has missed six games with a thigh injury. l

fect after the charge of violent conduct was proved by an FA independent regulatory commission hearing.

The 27-year-old, who joined Southampton for a club record £12.8 million in August last year, is ruled out of Saturday’s FA Cup third round tie against Burnley.

Newcastle coach Woodman has been fined £1,250 and warned as to his future conduct after he admitted a charge of improper conduct.

Osvaldo will miss the Burnley match and Premier League fixtures against West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland. l

Mourinho wants Mata to stay at Chelsea n AFP, Cobham Jose Mourinho insists he does not want Juan Mata to leave Chelsea and expects the Spain international to remain at Stamford Bridge this month.

Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, appeared to pave the way for Mata’s departure after the player’s frustrated reaction to being substituted during the New Year’s Day win at Southampton.

Mata, the club’s player of the year for the last two seasons, has struggled to establish himself as a first-choice selection since the Portuguese returned to the club during the close season and has been linked with a move to Manchester United.

And the manager’s claim that the club’s “door was open” if the player wanted to discuss a move away was taken as an indication that Mata’s days at the club are numbered.

But Mourinho declared himself happy with the way Mata has reacted to the latest disappointment.

Speaking on Friday ahead of Chel-

sea’s FA Cup third round trip to Derby County, the manager said: “He’s not been in to see us and today he trained in a fantastic way.

“He focused more on what I said after the game, when I said ‘I don’t want him to leave’. He focused on that rather than ‘the door is always open’.

“When he focuses on me not wanting him to leave, he moves on, he was happy with the victory and trained fantastically, no problems.”

Mourinho refuted suggestions there had been interest in the Spaniard from United, saying: “There has been no interest from other clubs.

“I keep saying I want him to stay.

There is no other offer, no offer.”

Mourinho also denied negotiations are underway that will see Belgian international Kevin De Bruyne leave Chelsea to join Bundesliga club Wolfsburg.

But he admitted the player has struggled to adapt to life at Stamford Bridge while insisting he would not be allowed to leave on the cheap. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

SCORECARD, DAY 5 Sri Lanka 1st innings 204 A. Mathews 91; Junaid Khan 5-58, Bilawal Bhatti 3-65 Pakistan 1st innings 383 Younis Khan 136, Misbah-ul Haq 135; S. Eranga 3-80, R. Herath 3-93 Sri Lanka 2nd innings Overnight 420-5) D. Karunaratne b Junaid 24 K. Silva c Akmal b Junaid 81 K. Sangakkara c Younis b Bhatti 55 M. Jayawardene c Shafiq b Bhatti 0 D. Chandimal c Ali b Junaid 89 A. Mathews not out 157 P. Jayawardene not out 63 Extras: (b4, lb7) 11 Total: (five wkts dec; 168.3 overs) 480 Bowling Junaid 36-3-93-3, Ali 38.3-9-92-0, Bhatti 36-8-146-2, Ajmal 49-10-115-0, Hafeez 9-1-23-0 Pakistan 2nd innings K Manzoor c Prasanna b Lakmal 8 Ahmed Shehzad lbw b Herath 55 Mohammad Hafeez not out 80 Younis Khan not out 13 Extras: (b1, nb1) 2 Total: (for two wkts; 52 overs) 158 Bowling Lakmal 13-1-43-1, Eranga 11-0-38-0 (1nb), Herath 21-8-37-1, Mathews 2-09-0, Senanayake 5-0-30-0 Result: Match drawn

QUICK BYTES

Zia draws in 7th round After two consecutive defeats, Bangladesh Grandmaster Ziaur Rahman salvaged a draw against Fide Master Croad Nicolas of New Zealand in the 7th round at the Masters event of the 89th Hasting International Chess Congress which is being held in Horntye Park, Hastings, East Sussex in England.

With the draw Zia earned four points out of seven games.

–Tribune Desk

Naveed rushes home Naveed Alam, the Pakistani head coach of Bangladesh hockey team, flew home yesterday to be at the side of his ailing father. Naveed’s father, suffering from cardiac arrest, requires an operation and Naveed after completing his preliminary camp of the Asian Games rushed back to his home at Sheikhupura. Wing Commander Rafiul Islam, the representative of federation president said Naveed is scheduled to return before January 15. The camp is scheduled to resume after Naveed returns. A total of 61 players were under the scrutiny in the preliminary camp of the Asia Cup. –RM

DAY’S WATCH Sony Six NBA 2013-14 6:00AM Orlando v Miami 9:00AM Sacramento v Charlotte 12:00PM Detroit v Memphis 11:30AM Brisbane International 2014 Finals Ten HD Ram Slam T20 Challenge 2:00PM Dolphins v TitansLive 6:00PM Lions v WarriorsLive Star Sports 1 2:00PM Big Bash T20 Adelaide Strikers v Sydney Sixers 5:30AM Australia v England 5th Test, Day 4 (Monday) Star Sports 2 5:30PM Aircel Chennai Open Star Sports 4 FA Cup (3rd Round) 6:00PM Nottingham Forest v West Ham 8:15PM Derby County v Chelsea 10:30PM Man United v Swansea 1:45AM Italian Serie A Juventus v Roma Star Sports HD1 La Liga 9:00PM Barcelona v Elche 11:00PM Osasuna v Espanyol Star Sports HD2 1:00AM La Liga Real Sociedad v At Bilbao

Sport

15

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Sri Lanka salvage draw n AFP, Abu Dhabi The first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka ended in a draw on the fifth and final day in Abu Dhabi on Saturday after Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad hit half-centuries.

Hafeez finished with 80 not out for his ninth Test half-century, his first in 11 innings, while Ahmed Shehzad notched his maiden fifty on his debut as Pakistan, set 302 runs in a possible of 67 overs, finished on 158-2.

The draw left the three-Test series open, with the second Test starting in Dubai on Wednesday. The third Test will be played in Sharjah from January 16.

The no-result is also a moral victory for the Sri Lankans who were in a danger of losing after conceding a big 179-run lead in the first innings and were 186-4 after the third day, leading by just seven runs with six wickets intact.

Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews hit a career-best 157 not out to pull his team out of danger on the fourth day when they lost only one wicket in the

full day’s play for 234 runs.

The target always looked beyond Pakistan’s reach as their best winning chase in all Test cricket was 314 against Australia in Karachi in 1994.

Pakistan lost opener Khurram Manzoor early, caught behind off paceman Suranga Lakmal after scoring eight, but Hafeez and Shehzad avoided any further loss and put on 94 in an unbroken second wicket stand.

Hafeez reached his half-century with two fours in one Sachitra Senanayake over. He had been dropped from the Pakistan team for the twoTest series against South Africa, also in Abu Dhabi, in October, after scoring just 113 in 11 innings.

Shehzad also hit spinner Rangana Herath for his seventh four to reach his maiden 50 before he was trapped legbefore by the same bowler soon after tea for 55.

Hafeez hit 11 fours during his sedate knock. Younis Khan was the other unbeaten batsman with 13.

Mathews said he was happy with his team’s fightback. l

Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez raises his bat in celebration after scoring a half-century as Ahmed Shehzad (L) looks on during the final day of their first Test against Sri Lanka at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi yesterday AFP

Serena fires her way to victory, Federer sets up Hewitt showdown n Reuters, Brisbane Serena Williams laid down an imposing marker ahead of the first grand slam of the year by powering to a 6-4 7-5 victory over Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka at the Brisbane International.

The American won the battle between the world’s top two players to pick up her 58th career title.

In the men’s draw, Roger Federer will be chasing a 19th win over home favourite Lleyton Hewitt when the two 32-year-olds renew their friendly rivalry in Sunday’s final.

Both players needed three sets to reach the final with top seed Federer beating Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 and Hewitt downing Japan’s Kei Nishikori 5-7 6-4 6-3 in stifling conditions.

The women’s final lacked the intensity of Williams’ victory over Maria Sharapova on Friday but lived up to its promise in a pulsating second set.

The world number one’s serve was far more consistent than in her previous match and she did not face a break point in taking the first set.

She was gifted the only break in the seventh game when Azarenka blasted a forehand wide down the line.

The American then sealed the set with an ace and an early end to the match seemed likely when she broke the Belarusian in the first game of the second set, but instead it brought her opponent to life.

Azarenka broke Williams twice to take a 4-2 lead but lost her own serve to restore parity.

In the crucial 11th game, Williams hit a vicious backhand down the line to secure her third break of the set and then served out for victory.

Her second set efforts showed Azarenka is not far off from toppling Williams, who she split four matches with last year, and after the match said: “I hope to meet you in Melbourne.”

Williams is also eyeing another meeting between the pair before they leave Australia.

“I hope we do play in Melbourne too because that would mean we’d be going the farthest,” Williams said.

Conditions were far easier for the

Serena Williams holds up the Brisbane International women's singles trophy after defeating Victoria Azarenka (L) as she walks off the court in Brisbane, yesterday REUTERS

Atletico clear at top n AFP, Madrid

Spanish international Koke rolled home the winner as Atletico Madrid moved three points ahead of Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a 1-0 over Malaga on yesterday.

In a game short on clear-cut opportunities, Koke was in the right place to slot home his fourth goal of the season 20 minutes from time after Willy Caballero had denied Lopez from close range.

Barcelona can move back to the top with a win over Elche on Sunday before travelling to face Atletico at the Vicente

Calderon next weekend. Real Madrid are now eight points adrift of the leaders, but can also cut the gap when they host Celta Vigo on Monday.

Atletico’s Juanfran had the first big chance of the match when he broke into the Malaga box on 21 minutes, but Caballero parried his low drive and the ball rebounded fortunately off Marcos Angeleri away for a corner.

The goal forced Malaga onto the front foot for the fist time in the match.

However, despite a late rally, they failed to seriously test Courtois as Atletico held on for another vital three points in the title race. l

Ivanovic battles past Williams for Auckland title n AFP, Auckland Ana Ivanovic outlasted Venus Williams to win the clash of the two former world number ones 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a marathon Auckland Classic final on Saturday.

It is the 12th title for the 26-year-old Serb and second seed but her first success since victory in Bali in 2011.

What started as a one-sided affair, with Ivanovic racing to a 5-1 lead in the first set, took two hours 19 minutes to complete as seven-times Grand Slam winner Williams fought her way back

women finalists than for the first men’s semi-final between Hewitt and Nishikori, where both players struggled as the temperature reached 42 degrees.

“When you just come off the court it feels like it’s the worst you’ve played in,” Hewitt said.

“It was a really heavy humidity feel out there. I was sweating just walking out to have my warm-up.”

Federer was far from his best against Chardy, losing the second set in a tiebreak. However, crucially as his French opponent’s serve fell apart in the third set, Federer swooped to set up a 27th meeting with Hewitt. l

into the contest.

“It was very tough. Venus showed once again what a great sport she has been over the past years and I hope for many more years to come,” said Ivanovic, a former French Open winner.

“At the end of the second set I made a few errors that I didn’t make up to that point. I really tried to still play, enjoy it, move forward and be aggressive.”

Williams acknowledged she had been beaten by the better player. “I just kept fighting, despite the odds. She was playing so well,” she said. l

New Zealand beat Windies in rain-hit tie n AFP, Nelson

New Zealand won a rain-affected fourth one-day international by 58 runs on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead over the West Indies in their five-match series.

The game in Nelson was decided under the Duckworth-Lewis method after wet weather set in with the West Indies apparently heading for their second consecutive heavy defeat.

A timely return to form for opener Martin Guptill, who made 81, saw New Zealand make 285-6 in their 50 overs and the West Indies were 134-5 after 33.4 overs when the rain sent the players from the field.

New Zealand, who won the Test series 2-0, now lead the ODI series 2-1 with one match to play in Hamilton next Wednesday.

Guptill opened with a determination to occupy the crease as long as possible after struggling against the West Indies.

He crawled to eight off 40 deliveries before cracking his first boundary when he drove a full-length Dwayne Bravo delivery back over the bowler’s head and beyond the sightscreen.

From there, man-of-the-match Guptill never looked back as he batted at nearly a run a ball for the remainder of his innings, which included four fours and two sixes to lay the foundations for the victory. Ravi Rampaul was ruled out with a broken finger, becoming the sixth injured first-choice ODI player in the West Indies squad.

With their bowling weakened, the West Indies needed their batsmen to compensate but were again let down.

Lendl Simmons and Kirk Edwards managed to put on 60 for the third wicket before another run out when Edwards gambled on out-running McCullum’s throw from short cover and lost by a wide margin. l

SCORECARD New Zealand M. Guptill c Bravo b Holder J. Ryder c Ramdin b Bravo K. Williamson c Ramdin b Best R. Taylor run out B. McCullum c Bravo b Narine C. Anderson not out L. Ronchi b Bravo N. McCullum not out Extras: (lb5, w6, nb1) Total (six wickets; 50 overs)

81 47 47 49 14 17 9 9 12 285

Bowling Holder 10-2-58-1 (2w), Best 9-0-70-1 (1nb), Bravo 7-0-35-2 (3w), Miller 10-047-0, Narine 10-0-47-1 (1w), Deonarine 4-0-23-0 West Indies C. Walton run out 0 J. Charles c Southee by McClenaghan 0 K. Edwards run out 24 L. Simmons c Guptill b Williamson 43 D. Bravo not out 43 N. Deonarine c Mills b N. McCullum 3 D. Ramdin not out 17 Extras: (lb3, w1) 4 Total (5 wickets; 33.4 overs) 134 Bowling Southee 5-1-21-0, McClenaghan 6.4-130-1, Mills 2-0-10-0, Anderson 2-0-100, N. McCullum 10-0-30-1, Williamson 8-0-30-1 (1w)

Australia close in on clean-sweep SCORECARD, DAY 2 Australia 1st innings 326 S. Smith 115, B. Haddin 75; B. Stokes 6-99 England 1st innings (8 for 1 overnight): Alastair Cook lbw b Harris 7 Michael Carberry c Lyon b Johnson 0 James Anderson c Clarke b Johnson 7 Ian Bell c Haddin b Siddle 2 Kevin Pietersen c Watson b Harris 3 Gary Ballance c Haddin b Lyon 18 Ben Stokes b Siddle 47 Jonny Bairstow c Bailey b Siddle 18 Scott Borthwick c Smith b Harris 1 Stuart Broad not out 30 Boyd Rankin b Johnson 13 Extras (lb1, w5, nb3) 9 Total (all out; 58.5 overs) 155 Bowling Harris 14-5-36-3, Johnson 13.5-3-33-3, Siddle 13-4-23-3, Watson 3-1-5-0, Lyon 15-3-57-1 Australia 2nd innings Chris Rogers not out 73 David Warner lbw b Anderson 16 Shane Watson c Bairstow b Anderson 9 Michael Clarke c Bairstow b Broad 6 Steve Smith c Cook b Stokes 7 George Bailey not out 20 Extras (lb9) 9 Total (4 wickets; 30 overs) 140 Bowling Anderson 10-4-36-2, Broad 7-1-26-1, Rankin 6-0-25-0, Stokes 5-0-36-1, Borthwick 2-0-8-0

n AFP, Sydney Australia were closing in on a 5-0 Ashes sweep after demolishing England’s batting and pushing their lead to 311 runs after just two days of the final Sydney Ashes Test yesterday.

The relentless Australians blasted out the hapless tourists for 155 – the fifth time England had been dismissed for less than 200 in the series – and set their sights on batting them out of the game with three days to play.

At second day stumps Australia were 140 for four with Chris Rogers compiling his fourth half-century in five innings on 73 and George Bailey not out 20.

The home side in the process lost the wickets of David Warner (16), Shane Watson (9), skipper Michael Clarke (6) and Steve Smith (7) as England tried to restrict Australia’s mushrooming lead on a flattening Sydney Cricket Ground pitch.

“Day two, 300 plus lead’s a pretty good position to be in,” Australia paceman Ryan Harris said.

“It’s obviously not a done thing yet, we’ve got to make sure we bat well in the morning and get some more (runs) and bowl like we did today to bowl them out again.”

“We figure they are going to fire at some stage, we hope they don”t but they’re going to have to. I don’t think the wicket’s getting any easier. If we bowl like we did today, I think we’ll go alright.”

Australia’s pace trio of Harris,

Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle earlier took three wickets apiece as England narrowly avoided the follow-on in response to Australia’s first innings score of 326.

The tourists never recovered from a disastrous morning session when they crashed to 23 for five despite the efforts of young guns Ben Stokes, Gary Ballance and Jonny Bairstow to repel the hostile home attack. l

England's batsman Gary Ballance fails to avoid a bouncer by Australia's paceman Mitchell Johnson on the second day of their fifth Ashes Test at the SCG yesterday AFP

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Sunday, January 5, 2014

One killed, many injured on the eve of polls n Ashif Islam Shaon Incidents of bomb attacks, vandalism, arson and clashes escalated in several districts yesterday amid the opposition-called hartal and nonstop blockade to resist today’s “one-sided” election.

In Lalmonirhat, a ward-level leader of Swechchhasebak Dal, a wing of main opposition BNP, was killed during a clash with the ruling Awami League men at Patgram upazila. The victim was Mobarak Hossain, 38, president of Bawra union’s ward four unit.

Police and witnesses said as the traders at Shafirhat tried to open shops in the morning defying the hartal, the BNP men resisted them. They beat up several traders which resulted in the clash. At one stage, the AL men joined the traders and Mobarak was stabbed to death.

Officer-in-Charge of Patgram police station Amiruzzaman said they had dispersed the clashing men.

In another incident, a group of miscreants torched the residence of Organisational Secretary of BNP’s town unit Abdus Salam around 11pm on Friday in Saptana area.

Meanwhile, an auto-rickshaw driver sustained burn injuries in Feni when the pickets hurled crude bomb at the vehicle; in Natore, miscreants torched a train; while the ruling party men torched a BNP leader’s house in Lalmonirhat. There were incidents of clashes and attacks from processions in Dinajpur, Sirajganj and Kurigram.

On the other hand, apparently due to the prevailing tense situation, the capital witnesses fewer passengers and transports on the streets.

At least seven vehicles including a cattle-laden truck were torched in Gazipur. A bus was torched in the city’s Gabtoli.

GOPALGANJ 3

A candidate who thinks defeat to bring glory for him n Muhammad Zahidul Islam AZ Apu Sheikh, the only competitor who is fighting against Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in Gopalganj 3 constituency in this tenth parliamentary election, expressed that he is feeling “lucky enough” to have a chance of contesting against the prime minister.

He also thinks that it is “glorious” for him to be a competitor of Sheikh Hasina as people are voicing his name with the name of the premier.

Apu Sheikh, who is a car decorator by profession, said he had borrowed Tk200,000 from his brothers to manage his election expenditure.

Apu knows it well that he will not be able to win against Hasina, but his only expectation is to save his election deposit of Tk20,000 by bagging at least 12% votes.

According to the election affidavit, Apu has no academic degree and never even attended any school to learn basic education.

Our Feni correspondent reports that auto-rickshaw driver Shahab Uddin, 26, came under attack in front of Central High School of the town in the afternoon. Critically injured, he was taken to a local hospital.

At least 12 passengers of Dinajpur-bound Ekata Express were injured when the BNP activists, led by district unit Jubo Dal president Saiful Islam, set fire to one of its compartments by hurling a crude bomb in Natore Railway Station yesterday morning.

The attackers also threw bricks as the train came from Dhaka. Apprehending danger, the driver left the station before its schedule.

At one stage, the agitating BNP men hurled the crude bomb on a compartment, leaving the passengers injured.

Most of the commuters sustained injuries while they were trying to get down from the compartment, said Aslam Hossain, OC of Sadar police station.

The opposition activists also vandalised few shops adjacent to the station, he claimed. A Jubo League man was injured critically when the blockade supporters clashed with the law enforcers and the AL men following the train attack.

In Shaluavita Bazar, Khokshabari, Char Shoilabari, Tukra Chhongaccha and Fakirpara areas of Sirajganj sadar, the AL and the BNP-Jamaat activists vandalised at least 40 houses and shops belonging to both the party’s supporters in a fierce clash in the morning.

In Dinajpur, hartal activists vandalised three banks from the outside, two residential hotels and the rail station from a procession. They also attacked a team of Ansar.

In Pabna’s Ishwardi, at least 25 people were injured in a clash between the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League and the BNP-Jamaat in the morning.

The opposition activists also vandal-

Violence rises with evening

BGB members patrol the capital’s English road and its nearby areas yesterday ised some 50 shops and ATM booths as well as intercity train Mohanonda Express at the station.

In Bogra, several handmade bombs were hurled at a Chhatra League procession in the morning.

At least 10 people including two Rab men were injured in clashes between the pickets and the law enforcers assisted by Chhatra League activists in Jessore town and Rupdia yesterday afternoon.

The clash ensued after the blockad-

Fire service kept on alert for polls today n Moniruzzaman Uzzal The Election Commission has appointed Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) personnel across the country to handle possible arson attacks during the 10th parliamentary polls today.

It has asked the FSCD to keep their officials on high alert with necessary fire fighting tools like rescue ambulances, water tanks, water pumps etc.

As per the demand of EC, the fire service has deployed its manpower and 69 rescue ambulances under the custody of police stations across the country.

Seeking anonymity, a high official of the FSCD said arson attacks are currently the biggest threat to human lives and public and private properties of the country. The Election Commission has sought help of the FSCD to save the people from such attacks.

Statistics of the FSCD shows 857 vehicles were torched in the last one year.

The vehicles include inter-district buses, minibuses, trucks, private cars, motor cycles, tractors and even vehicles of the fire service.

Among those, 354 were burnt within October to December last year while 204 were burnt only in the month of November. The incidents of arson attacks are continuing still now. In December, most of the incidents of arson attacks occurred during blockades, hartals and other programmes of the opposition alliance.

During the last two months, around 140 people succumbed to burn injuries in the arson incidents. Several hundred people including elderly and children fell victim to the violence.

Seeking anonymity, a number of top-brass officials of the FSCD said: “Usually during pre-election period, the election commission appoints police, special branch of police, detective branch of police, RAB and other law enforcement agencies to help maintain the law and order situation.”

“However, never before had they assigned the fire service on the occasion of national elections.

Probably this is the first time in the history of Bangladesh the FSCD is going to get involved in the national elections,” they added.

They also said the FSCD officials and staff were worried as they had no firearms to protect themselves on field unlike members of other law enforcement agencies.

Fire Service and Civil Defence is a self-governed institution, however, this is the first time that they have been ordered to act as an aide to maintain security during the election.

“Though we are a service-oriented organisation, we are going to assist in providing safeguard during polls as per orders from the election commission,” said an official.

At present, the Fire Service and Civil Defence has 272 fire service stations across the country providing service in three categories.

When asked about involvement with the Election Commission, Muhammad Mahbub, operations director for Bangladesh’s Fire Service and Civil Defence, said: “We have received order from the upazila nirbahi officers, district commissioners and the Election Commission to provide ambulance and other fire extinguishing instruments.” l

Apu knows it well that he will not be able to win against Sheikh Hasina, but his only expectation is to save his election deposit of Tk20,000 by bagging at least 12% votes

The election affidavit also stated that Apu has no fixed property or asset and his yearly income is only Tk50,000.

This time, there are 211,839 voters under Gopalgonj 3 and according to the electoral rolls, a candidate can save his deposits if the person can ensure at least one-eighth (12.5%) of the total voter turnout.

But the records says no candidate against Sheikh Hasina was able to save his or her deposit in the last few elections as Hasina got landslide victory against all her contestants.

Apu said he did not do his electioneering as he believes that he would not be able to win this election.

But he organised two public meetings in his constituency where “a huge number of people” participated and inspired him.

Apu Sheikh, a member secretary of Dhaka City Tarun Party (north), said though now he was not capable enough to be a lawmaker, he intended to contest the 11th parliamentary election as a strong rival. l

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

ers damaged two vehicles of the Rab and one of police, said Reshma Sharmin, assistant superintendent of police.

Two people were injured at Daratana in Jessore town at noon as the ALBNP men locked in clashes.

Pickets torched seven vehicles in Chhoydana Maleker Bari under sadar upazila, Shreepur’s Beriderchala, Zoina Bazar and Kaliakoir’s Mouchak area on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur yesterday between 7pm and 7:30pm. The driver of a cattle-carrying truck was critically injured and was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

In Savar, at least 10 people were injured when the activists of Jubo Dal went on the rampage in the night, according to UNB. Pickets in Sirajganj torched two trucks at Boalia while in Faridpur, unknown miscreants set fire to the district land office around 7pm.

At Mirpur of Kushtia, blockade supporters hurled crude bombs targeting a sand-laden truck around 7pm. The driver and the helper received burn injuries while the truck was burnt to ashes.

In Magura, pickets hurled crude bombs at a tea stall, an NGO office and an auto-rickshaw around 7pm at Bhayana intersection. They also obstructed the fire fighters dousing the fire.

The opposition supporters torched a BRTC bus parked on a school compound at Charfashion of Bhola. In the guise of passengers, pickets set fire to a human haulier on Binoykathi-Barisal road of Jhalakathi leaving its driver burnt around 8:30pm.

At Islampur bus stand of Dhamrai, pickets set a bus on fire around 7:15pm when it was waiting to pick garment workers up. The bus driver and helper sustained injuries while trying to douse the fire.

In Kurigram, four Chhatra League leaders and activists were injured in a fight with the blockaders in the morning. Police picked up two Chhatra Dal activists from the spot. l

Election a ‘prestige issue’ in Gopalgonj Zahidul Islam and n Muhammad Monoj Saha, from Gopalgonj Awami League is determined to give a fitting riposte to opposition leader Khaleda Zia’s Gopalganj remarks by ensuring the highest ever voter turnout recorded in the district.

Local leaders of the party said they were expecting a turnout of 95% voters in all three constituencies of the district in the tenth national elections that start early this morning.

Khaleda on December 29, while speaking outside her Gulshan residence, launched a stinging criticism of Gopalganj, a traditional stronghold of the ruling party, after officials debarred her from going out and attending a prescheduled rally.

The comment sparked an instant outcry from the residents of the region and renewed the debate about political provincialism in the country.

Following the incident, local AL leaders and activists went door to door to encourage voters to turn out on the Election Day and make a “fitting reply” to the rebuff of the opposition leader.

They are hopeful that a high turnout will also help boost the total number of votes to be cast in an election already tainted by unopposed pre-polls wins in over half of the constituencies across the country.

“We have formed committees for every centre to ensure maximum voter turnout. If any committee fails to ensure more than 90% voter turnout, it will be responsible for that,” said Mahabub Ali Khan, joint secretary of the district unit. “It is our will to give her [Khalada] a fitting reply. It has become a prestige issue.”

Statistics show that Gopalganj has been a vote-loving region historically and a proven power base for the AL.

In 2001 elections, the average voter turnout in the country was recorded at 75.59% while it was 79.49% in Gopalganj. The district’s turnout rate rose to 84.61% in 2008.

“This time, we want to register a record 95% turnout from our three constituencies,” said Bimal Krishna Biswas, upazila chairman of Kotalipara, which is under Gopalgonj 3 constituency from where AL chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will contest.

It has a total of 211,839 voters of which 148,306 reside in Kotalipara alone.

However, during a visit to the district town yesterday, few posters and banners were seen around and few slogans in support of the contesting candidates heard.

The reason, argues schoolteacher Mominul Islam, has to do with the fact that candidates of other parties “stand little chance to win.” “Despite knowing this, we will participate in the polls.”

Another voter, Arif Hossen, an NGO worker, said it was “unfortunate” that the AL candidates never really had to face stiff competitions from their opponents. “But it is different this time; we have been slighted by a national leader and here is our chance to pay her back.”

A similar sentiment was echoed by Rony, a lawyer working at the Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.

He remarked that he had come back home only to vote against Khaleda.

According to sources, the AL leaders and activists in every ward of the district were instructed to ensure huge turnout. The party is also planning to reap benefits from the 100,000 individuals newly added to the Election Commission’s voter list.

The three AL candidates will contest their opponents from HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party, but in the past few days there had been no campaigns by them. l

Largest human flag recorded on Guinness n Tribune Report

A staggering 27,117 people stand united, holding green and red boards above their heads, to put up the world’s biggest-ever human flag at the National Parade Ground on the Victory Day, December 16, 2013 SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

The Guinness World Record authorities have recognised Bangladesh’s human flag record of 27,117 people as the world’s largest one.

The record has been posted on the Guinness World Record website.

Robi Axiata Limited, in partnership with the Bangladesh Army, shattered the Guinness World Record for Bangladesh with the creation of the world’s

largest human national flag on December 16 – the Victory Day – at the National Parade Ground in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.

Dhaka Tribune was a media partner of the event.

The previous human flag record was held by none other than Pakistan, having recreated its flag using 24,000 people, was the icing on the cake. Pakistan broke the earlier record of 21,726 people set by Hong Kong about five years ago. 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.

Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

Continue to the Business section...

Business

B3 Argon Denim: Week’s

B4 Shoot for success by

worst loser

goal setting

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Aggressive loan reschedule before polls 'The facility for all will be incentive for corrupt people in the banking sector' n Jebun Nesa Alo Four state-owned commercial banks had to reschedule loans to the tune of Tk3,700 crore in the first nine months of last year, mainly due to pre-election regularisation of loans taken by the politically influential people – many of them taking part in the general election being held today.

It was almost three times than the amount of Tk1,326 crore rescheduled in the whole year of 2012 thanks to candidates rescheduled their default loans, according to Bangladesh Bank data.

Bankers, however, see the facility as a temporary solution to show cleaner balance sheet while paving the way for defaulters to take part in the election through paying only a marginal amount against big overdue loans.

Maximum of the big default loans of the banks were taken mostly by the politicians, said a senior executive of a state-owned bank.

Before any election, it’s a regular practice intended candidates want to regularise their default loans through rescheduling.

The banks are suffering from provision shortfall, capital deficit and huge non-performing loans due to severe credit scams in last few years, said a senior Bangladesh Bank executive told the Dhaka Tribune, requesting anonymity.

To recover the financial health of the banks, International Monetary Fund (IMF) put pressure to reduce the NPL. But, he said, the banks rescheduled the classified loans as an alternative

means instead of recovering loans.

According to the central bank, Son-

Short selling of shares still galore n Kayes Sohel

Despite warnings from the regulator, the short-selling of shares continues to be rampant in the country’s stock markets.

Dhaka Stock Exchange president Ahsanul Islam Titu has however ruled out any such chance of short-selling in the present technical setting.

“There is no room for short-selling as DSE software automatically rejects them,” he said.

But when asked about the penalty given to some DSE members for short-selling recently, Ahsanul Islam said he was ignorant of it. A DSE official said short selling still continues and it is because of punching error.

In short selling of shares, an investor borrows a security from a broker in order to sell it, hoping to buy it back later at a lower price to repay the broker.

Then, the investor pockets profits from the price difference.

In the country’s stock markets, short-selling of shares is banned.

“Punching error is responsible for short-selling now. The error means that a trader mistakenly executes selling order from a different investor, not from the real one,” said a DSE official.

But the traders said short selling happens not out of mistake, but out of full knowledge.

Some of these short sellers were able to pay back shares while some failed, they added.

After warning three months back, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has detected so far a notable number of short-selling cases.

The newly set-up Instant Watch Surveillance System Software detected them, for which, nine brokerage firms were fined.

Of them, four brokerage firms were DSE members while five were the members of Chittagong Stock Exchange.

DSE members were DMR Securities, RN Trading, Tamha Securities and Azam Securities.

And CSE members included Hilly Securities, Be Rich Securities, Jalalabad Securities, Pioneer Shares & Securities and Kabir Securities.

In October, BSEC issued warned the two bourses of short selling as the breach of rules had increased in the recent time. Former CSE chief executive Wali-ul-Maroof Matin said short selling is a widely practised act of the risk loving traders.

He said some investors even use it for hedging risks. “We cannot change the risk appetite of the investors. Rather, what we can do is to make sure that a trade involving short selling doesn’t fail.”

“The buyers should be free of counter party risks. Formal stock borrowing is a prevention to such likely failure.

We should arrange for that in the formal system of the bourses. BSEC has been upgraded to “A” category at IOSCO,” said Wali-ul-Maroof, chairman and managing director of Alliance Capital Asset Management Company Ltd. According to him, all the international practices need to be adopted immediately.

BSEC recently has been upgraded to “A” category from the existing “B” category, which is expected to benefit the regulator globally. l

STOCKS - WEEKLY DSEX

2.69%

4314.09

▲

DS30

3.95%

1505.08

▲

CSEX

2.72%

8478.37

▲

EXCHANGE RATES Average selling rates to public in BDT Banks Rupali Bank Currencies SELL BUY USD 78.4 77.4

Sonali Bank SELL BUY 80

79

EURO

109.27

106.04

107.9

103.9

INR

1.33

1.18

1.28

1.18

SAR

21.01

20.54

21

20

ali Bank rescheduled loans of Tk976 crore during the period of January to

Government fails to appoint administrator to Destiny group in 4 months n Asif Showkat Kallol The government has failed to appoint an administrator to the controversial Destiny Group in last four months despite the Multi-level Marketing Activities (control) Ordinance became effective since September 2.

Officials of commerce ministry said a committee was working on appointing the administrator and formulating rules for starting the MLM business.

The rules have been finalised and waiting to be approved by the ministry.

Recently, the Banking and Financial Institutions Division requested the commerce ministry to appoint an administrator under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. But the commerce ministry informed the division that it has not been possible yet to appoint the administrator.

With the new ordinance in force, the government should have no problem to appoint administrator(s) for a MLM company if found guilty of fraud or in breach of customer rights, according to section 48 of the ordinance.

The ordinance paved the way for the government to appoint administrator(s) at the trouble-stricken Destiny Group. l

September last year – 115% higher from Tk453 crore in December 2012.

In case of Janata Bank, it increased by 500% to Tk630.62 crore in September last year from Tk106 crore in December 2012. For Agrani Bank, the amount stood at Tk704 crore with an increase of 322% from Tk166.47 crore.

Rupali Bank rescheduled the loans of Tk1392 crore, which was 131% higher from Tk600.57 crore in December 2012.

The reschedule, however, helped slightly mitigate the burden of classified loans during the period.

According to Bangladesh Bank data, total classified loan of Sonali Bank stood at Tk12,570 crore in September down from Tk12,597.5 crore in December 2012 while Janata Bank’s default loan stood at Tk4,787 crore from Tk5,240 crore, Agrani Bank at Tk5,119 crore from Tk5,380 crore and Rupali Bank Tk1,697 crore from Tk2,262 crore.

Agrani Bank Managing Director Sayed Abdul Hamid said many candidates have a tendency to reschedule loans in the election year, which was one of the major causes of increasing loan rescheduling.

He said Bangladesh Bank also provided opportunities for the banks to reschedule loans by paying lower down payment than required.

However, he said, the loan rescheduling would help improve the banks’ financial health though temporarily.

But it is less harmful for the banks than what they are facing due to the political unrest.

“The classified loans of the banks however reduced due to the reschedul-

ing. But it is an accounting concept, not theoretical,” said former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed.

It would facilitate the banks to show on paper lower level of NPL so they would need to keep less provision than required, he said. It is not expected as well.

“Banks could provide loan rescheduling facility to the really affected businessman by considering case to case basis. But the facility for all will be incentive for corrupt people in the banking sector. But it would make life a hell for those want to work in a level-playing field,” he said.

Dr Ahmed said it is not a rational decision to recapitalise the state-owned banks, which are full of corruption, from the public money.

“The contamination of the financial sector is spreading through other sectors and harming the overall economy as we can see already.”

According to the Bangladesh Bank data, Sonali Bank registered a negative credit growth by 13% in September last year, followed by Janata Bank negative 8.50% and Agrani Bank negative 3.90%. Rupali Bank, however, recorded positive credit growth by14.31%.

Capital shortfall of Sonali Bank stood at Tk4,639 crore against required provision of Tk3,645.49 crore in September last year from Tk3,875 crore in December 2012.

The capital shortfall of Janata Bank stood at Tk1,574 crore from Tk2,011 crore, Agrani Bank Tk2,481 crore from Tk3,414 crore and Rupali Bank’s shortfall stood at Tk170 crore in September. l

ATM booths empty of cash again as election violence erupts n Tribune Report The clients faced cash crunch in the ATM booths in Dhaka yesterday as the banks could not refill them due to security concerns.

To resist the one-sided parliamentary polls today, the opposition has enforced non-stop blockade and a two-day hartal from yesterday. The resistance has been marked by violence.

“We didn’t send money to ATM booths fearing attacks. That’s why most of the booths are empty of cash now,” said a senior executive of a private bank in Dhaka.

For few days in last month, Dhaka Metropolitan Police provided security to cash transport to the ATM booths on the request of Bangladesh Bank.

“But DMP has stopped the service now. So, we feel insecure to carry cash in this politically unstable situation,” he said.

As this is the beginning of month, the ATM booths face extra pressure of withdrawing salaries.

Last month, the users in Dhaka rampantly met ATM booths void of money, which led the central bank to request DMP for special security.

Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd and BRAC Bank Ltd customers suffered the most as these two private banks operate the highest number of ATM booths, said the banking sector sources. l

RMG workers to get food and transport allowances even in absence n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi The country’s readymade garment workers are entitled to get food and transport allowances even in their absence from 1 December, 2013, as per new wage structure.

But, the workers who work for the sweater factories on piece basis, however, will not enjoy the overtime facilities as per existing labour law, which lacks any such provision.

“The government has made it clear that the RMG workers will get food and transport allowances along with their monthly salary as the new wage structure included both the two allowances in the minimum monthly wage,” Labour and Employment Secretary Mikail Shipar told the Dhaka Tribune.

“We have already verbally informed the BGMEA about the matter and will also send an official letter on Monday on the issue, he added.

Commenting as to what would the grade of the workers who do not fall in any existing grades Shipar said, ‘We will make such a decision after holding a meeting with the BGMEA leaders and labour leaders as they are the key stake holders.’’

Meanwhile, the decision for providing food and transport allowance for RMG workers even in absence was made at a meeting between the Ministry of Labour and Employment and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), which was held on Wednesday at the ministry.

'We will not tolerate any conspiracy hatched by BGMEA as they are trying to convince the government to reduce the monthly wages on the ground of workers absence' “We have sought clarification over some issues such as food and transport allowance, status of some RMG officials and workers in some sections, But, we did not get any clarification from the ministry as yet, said BGMEA vice president Shahidullah Azim.

On the other hand, workers’ leaders warned of thwarting any conspiracy in the implementation of the newly fixed minimum monthly wage.

“We will not tolerate any conspiracy

hatched by BGMEA as they are trying to convince the government to reduce the monthly wages on the ground of workers absence,” said Sirajul Islam Roney, president of Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employee League.

Food and transport allowances are workers right which should be ensure at any cost, he added.

On December 22, the BGMEA sought clarification from the labor ministry as to whether food and transport allowance would be given to the workers in their absence.

The BGMEA also sought clarification over the grades of the quality inspectors, sample men, laymen, dying and washmen, packers, the staff medical assistance, boiler operators, liftmen and others.

On November 21, last year the government-formed wage board announced Tk5,300 as minimum wage with a basic of Tk3,000 for entry-level garment workers with a 5% yearly increment of basic. The new structure includes Tk1,200 as house rent, Tk250 as medical allowance, Tk200 for transportation and Tk650 per month as food subsidy. l

Gold, silver extend gains n BSS, New Delhi Gold prices maintained an upward march for the third consecutive day by rising Rs290 to Rs30,490 per ten grams in the Indian national capital yesterday on sustained buying by stockists amid a firm global trend.

Silver also extended its gains by jumping Rs750 to Rs45,500 per kg on increased buying by jewellery fabricators and industrial units. Traders said sustained buying by stockists and jewellery fabricators for the wedding season mainly led an upward journey in bullion prices for the third day.

They said a firm global trend where gold recorded the best weekly gain since October on speculation that demand will increase in Asia, the largest consuming region, further fuelled the uptrend.

Shifting of funds from weakening equity to rising bullion and a weak rupee against dollar too boosted the sentiment, they added. l

RMG workers performing quality checks at a factory in Dhaka

RAJIB DHAR

B2 WEEKLY STOCK MARKET REVIEW

Stocks back to black; Turnover continues to decline too n Kayes Sohel

Welcoming New Year, investors probably started taking position again, it said.

From the first day of 2014, large cap stocks started getting momentum, contrary to the small cap rally for last few months.

“Turnover activity was 25.13% lower than the previous week showing lack of strength in movement. Market is highly liquid, as credit demand is low due to the political clashes. So, financial institutions are full of liquidity and are looking for investments.”

“The bridging week between the year 2013 and 2014 indulged investors with significant return,” said IDLC Investments in its weekly market analysis.

According to the analysis, investors started moving to sidelines at the dawn of the week, causing a 28% plunge in turnover on the maiden session.

Yet, puzzlingly, the market managed to stay positive, depending on small cap stocks. Portfolio rebalancing of large investors spawned robust growth in turnover in the first trading session of the week.

The following session, which was the last trading session of 2013, highlighted year-end effect dominating scrip pricing and activities, said the merchant bank.

In the third session and maiden day of the New Year, the market posted modest gain. The final session of the week started slow but gained momentum in late hours, also generating modest rise. All the major sectors ended in green with non banking financial institutions and energy were the top movers of the week, with a gain of 4.5% and 4.2% respectively. It was followed by telecommunications and pharmaceuticals.

The heavyweight banks gained the least and closed at 1% higher in the week. l

Stocks were back to black after a twoweek fall backed by the institutional buying support while the volume of trade continued to decline due to the ongoing political turmoil.

The investors, mostly retailers, preferred to stay on sidelines in the wake of deadliest political unrest that forced the investors to refrain from buying and selling spree of stocks throughout the week.

During the last week ended on Thursday last, the benchmark index DSEX gained 113 points or 2.7% to settle at 4,314, which is a 3-week high. The blue chip index DS30 rose 57 points or 4% to 1,505.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, ended at 8,414 with a rise of 224 points or 5.3%.

The market witnessed poor participation in trading, representing in the falling turnover that stood at Tk357 crore, registering a sharp drop of more than 25% over the previous week’s average of Tk477 crore.

Overall activities remained confined only to the textile, engineering and financial institutions, accounting for 19%, 17% and 16% respectively of the total DSE turnover.

The stock exchange shortened trading sessions from five to four due to bank holiday on December 31. It will also remain closed tomorrow—a day which the government declared general holiday on the occasion of 10th parliamentary polls.

“The week has been a much relief for the investors as at the end of the year, profit booking by institutions was over and market started to bounce back,” said Lanka Bangla Securities in its weekly market analysis.

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 20 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSERS Company R. N. Spinning-Z Midas Financing-Z Argon Denims Limited-A Sinobangla Indu.-A Bay Leasing.-A Usmania Glass -Z Reliance Insur -A Standard Ceramic -A Miracle Industries -B Bank Asia -A

Closing (% change) -9.76 -9.02 -8.32 -6.29 -6.12 -6.07 -5.14 -5.00 -4.59 -4.35

CSE LOSERS Company Argon Denims Limited-A Midas Financing-Z Bank Asia -A Beach Hatchery -A Kay & Que (BD) -Z BDCOM Online-A Savar Refractories-Z R. N. Spinning-Z BD. Autocars -Z GeminiSeaFood-Z

Closing (% change) -14.06 -10.86 -6.93 -6.13 -5.98 -5.18 -5.00 -4.83 -4.81 -4.79

4314.0945

(+) 2.69%

1505.08033

(+) 3.95%

13375.3777

(+) 2.64%

10997.9092

(+) 3.21%

8478.3657

(+) 2.72%

Average (% change) -9.16 -9.01 -6.56 -2.66 -2.75 -7.40 -5.12 -5.00 -2.10 -0.87 Average (% change) -15.13 -7.11 -5.27 -5.80 -5.62 -4.66 3.45 -7.24 -5.89 -4.79

ANALYST

Closing average 33.61 35.33 88.99 30.73 41.00 131.82 75.60 38.00 19.16 22.71

Closing average 82.54 32.00 21.73 29.42 17.30 29.48 60.00 34.48 27.48 149.00

Weekly closing

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 1268.30 2262.74 284.16 2357.68 647.01 1164.58 5.62 2623.64 919.17 2.34 56.40 175.29 90.36 374.61 128.20 261.39 698.47 486.64 234.43 247.64 0.92

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ Weekly high

33.30 35.30 87.00 29.80 39.90 133.00 75.60 38.00 18.70 22.00

Weekly closing

34.60 36.00 96.00 32.10 42.90 137.00 75.60 38.10 20.10 24.00

Weekly high

82.50 32.00 21.50 29.10 17.30 29.30 55.10 35.50 27.70 149.00

96.30 39.70 24.00 32.00 17.30 31.30 55.20 37.40 29.80 151.00

DSE key features - Dec 29, 2013 to January 2, 2014

DSE GAINERS

Turnover (Million Taka)

Samata LeatheR -Z Rahima Food -Z CVO PetroChem RL-Z EBL NRB M.F.-A LankaBangla Fin. -A Meghna Con. Milk -B BD Submarine Cable-A IDLC Finance -A AramitCementA ApexAdelchi Ftr -A

1,608.86

Turnover (Volume)

45,497,714

Number of Contract

69,028

Traded Issues

238

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

143

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

90

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,000.25

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

24.25

% change 8.88 15.83 1.99 16.50 4.53 8.15 0.04 18.36 6.43 0.02 0.39 1.23 0.63 2.62 0.90 1.83 4.89 3.41 1.64 1.73 0.01

Million Taka 121.94 239.79 18.90 398.52 72.00 99.30 0.00 261.22 91.27 0.40 4.67 28.46 10.78 29.71 22.52 8.87 38.35 46.23 47.47 55.85 12.95

CSE

% change 7.58 14.90 1.17 24.77 4.47 6.17 0.00 16.23 5.67 0.02 0.29 1.77 0.67 1.85 1.40 0.55 2.38 2.87 2.95 3.47 0.80

Company

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Closing (% change) 36.67 27.72 15.23 12.00 11.27 11.11 10.76 10.73 10.65 9.79

CSE GAINERS Company Rahima Food -Z Aramit -A Samata LeatheR -Z AramitCementA ApexAdelchi Ftr -A IDLC Finance -A Northern G Insur-A LankaBangla Fin. -A BD Submarine Cable-A National Life I -A

Closing (% change) 20.47 17.61 13.21 12.06 11.50 11.44 11.32 11.13 10.83 10.38

Average (% change) 35.33 22.28 13.35 11.69 9.07 7.99 9.30 9.90 7.97 9.24 Average (% change) 19.14 17.61 13.48 8.90 11.50 9.49 11.32 9.14 9.67 7.41

Closing average 24.67 80.35 706.07 8.41 69.64 8.79 174.51 67.70 89.02 453.42

Closing average 77.13 390.00 24.00 90.22 446.00 67.63 41.30 69.61 174.80 321.24

Weekly closing 24.60 81.10 709.60 8.40 71.10 9.00 176.00 68.10 90.40 457.60

Weekly closing 77.10 390.00 24.00 92.00 446.00 68.20 41.30 70.90 176.00 320.10

Weekly high 25.00 81.90 709.70 8.50 71.70 9.00 182.00 70.00 90.70 459.80

Weekly high 77.20 390.00 24.00 93.00 446.00 69.30 41.30 71.60 176.50 326.50

Weekly low 18.20 57.20 569.70 7.60 60.00 8.00 143.50 58.00 77.00 410.60

Weekly low 57.60 344.00 20.40 83.00 434.00 61.00 31.00 62.50 156.00 295.00

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

1.469 28.908 39.307 8.469 625.222 2.835 190.615 130.845 55.492 139.001

Turnover in million

-0.08 -0.64 -6.76 0.40 2.75 -4.60 3.80 3.00 2.31 28.27

Latest EPS

5.094 0.340 0.380 5.658 0.437 13.646 0.185 41.602 17.451 1.137

-0.64 11.53 -0.08 2.31 28.27 3.00 3.04 2.75 3.80 12.46

Latest PE -ve -ve -ve 21.0 25.3 -ve 45.9 22.6 38.5 16.0

Latest PE -ve 33.8 -ve 39.1 15.8 22.5 13.6 25.3 46.0 25.8

TUE

CSE key features - Dec 29, 2013 to January 2, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

14,289.57

Turnover (Volume)

344,573,310

Number of Contract

373,302

Traded Issues

296

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

190

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

103

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,083.60

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

25.26

Weekly low

Turnover in million

33.30 35.00 85.50 29.60 38.30 127.50 75.60 38.00 18.60 20.70

Weekly low

164.561 0.212 66.114 10.816 47.815 6.090 0.076 0.057 4.608 5.737

Turnover in million

78.80 32.00 20.00 27.00 16.20 28.00 55.10 31.00 26.20 136.00

Latest EPS

Latest PE

3.33 -2.48 1.41 0.79 -0.89 1.68 0.40 6.11 -0.56 -15.39

Latest EPS

320.618 9.699 38.331 71.702 0.217 35.204 0.006 389.182 1.829 0.163

24.8 -ve 15.4 37.2 -ve 17.5 150.0 5.6 -ve -ve

Latest PE

-6.76 3.33 6.11 1.60 0.79 -2.48 1.68 3.96 0.76 1.00

-ve 24.8 5.6 20.1 37.3 -ve 17.5 23.5 17.8 24.8

The week has been a much relief for the investors as at the end of the year, profit booking by institutions was over and market started to bounce back

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Million Taka 1390.24 2502.53 303.06 2756.20 719.01 1263.88 5.62 2884.86 1010.44 2.74 61.06 203.75 101.14 404.32 150.72 270.26 736.82 532.87 281.89 303.49 13.87

Total

% change 8.74 15.74 1.91 17.34 4.52 7.95 0.04 18.15 6.36 0.02 0.38 1.28 0.64 2.54 0.95 1.70 4.63 3.35 1.77 1.91 0.09

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

Weekly news from trade server Credit Rating

BIFC: Alpha Credit Rating Limited (AlphaRating) has rated the Company as "A-" in the long term and "AR-3" in the short term along with a stable outlook based on audited financial information of the Company up to 31st December 2012 and relevant qualitative information up to November 30, 2013.

DBH: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has announced the surveillance rating of the Company as "AAA" in the long term and "ST-1" in the short term based on audited financial statement of the Company up to 30 June 2013 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

BEDL: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has announced the entity rating (surveillance) of the Company as "AA2" based on audited financial statements up to June 30, 2013; bank liability position as on December 30, 2013 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

NPOLYMAR: Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL) has rated the Company as "A+" in the long term and "ST-3" in the short term in consideration of financials of the Company up to 30th June 2013 (audited) and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

EASTERNINS: Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL) has announced the CPA (Claim Paying Ability) Rating of the Company as "A+" in consideration of unaudited financials of the Company up to September 30, 2013, audited financials up to December 31, 2012 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

PEOPLESINS: Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL) has announced the CPA (Claim Paying Ability) Rating of the Company as "A+" in consideration of unaudited financials of the Company up to September 30, 2013, audited financials up to December 31, 2012 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

AGNISYSL: Credit Rating Information

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Golden Son -A Appollo Ispat CL -N LankaBangla Fin. -A Generation Next-A Delta Life Insu. -A R. N. Spinning-Z Bay Leasing.-A Argon Denims Limited-A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N Grameenphone-A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Appollo Ispat CL -N Golden Son -A R. N. Spinning-Z Paramount Textile Ltd.-N Generation Next-A LankaBangla Fin. -A UNITED AIR-A People`s Leasing-A Delta Life Insu. -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A

Volume shares 12,238,699 18,245,200 9,179,198 12,654,980 1,498,550 11,089,039 8,715,740 3,476,900 5,290,500 1,450,594

Volume shares 6,231,400 1,269,473 2,019,874 883,500 1,129,880 609,700 2,423,014 1,334,504 123,500 961,759

and Services Limited (CRISL) has rated the Company as "A+" in the long term and "ST-3" in the short term in consideration of financials of the Company up to 30th June 2013 (audited) and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

Fixed Assets/Right/Investment:

PRIMEBANK: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors has accepetd the revaluation report on the assets (Land and Building) of the Company. As per revaluation, an increase of Tk. 148.22 crore will be accounted for in the Balance sheet of the Company as at 31.12.2013 subject to approval of the regulatory authorities.

EXIMBANK: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors has approved the revaluation report on three fixed assets comprising land and building of the Company. As per revaluation, an increase of Tk. 206.78 crore will be accounted for in the Balance sheet of the Company as at 31.12.2013.

EASTLAND: BSEC is not in a position to process the application for issuance of Rights shares of Eastland Insurance Company Limited as the Company has failed to disseminate any specific decision regarding the rights issue, rather requested to keep in abeyance for indefinite period, which is not practicable.

ICB M. FUNDS: Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) has informed that BSEC has extended the term of 8 Mutual Funds of ICB (i.e. 1st to 8th ICB Mutual Fund) up to December 31, 2014.

Miscellaneous

MITHUNKNIT: The Company has informed that it has credited the bonus shares for the year ended on June 30, 2013 to the respective shareholders' BO Accounts.

TALLUSPIN: The Company has informed that it has credited the bonus shares for the year ended on June 30, 2013 to the respective shareholders' BO Accounts.

GHAIL: The Company has informed that it has credited the bonus shares for the year ended on June 30, 2013 to the respective shareholders' BO Accounts on December 26, 2013.

BDFINANCE: The Company has informed that it has credited the Rights shares to the respective shareholders' BO Accounts on January 01, 2014.

Value in million 785.20 668.04 625.22 471.67 395.28 389.18 358.51 320.62 311.17 296.02

Value in million 227.91 81.43 71.12 46.97 42.19 41.60 40.03 34.10 32.32 31.39

% of total turnover 5.49 4.68 4.38 3.30 2.77 2.72 2.51 2.24 2.18 2.07

% of total turnover 14.17 5.06 4.42 2.92 2.62 2.59 2.49 2.12 2.01 1.95

Weekly closing 63.60 37.40 71.10 36.90 265.10 35.50 39.80 82.50 57.60 206.30

Weekly closing 37.10 63.50 34.90 52.40 37.10 70.90 16.80 25.40 264.00 33.50

DESHBANDHU: The Company has further informed that due to unavoidable circumstances, the 7th AGM of the Company will now be held on December 29, 2013 at 9:00 AM at Factory Premises of the Company at Kawadi, Charsindur, Palash, Narsingdi instead of Jamuna Resort, Eastern Approach of Bangabandhu Bridge, Bhuapur, Tangail at 10:00 AM. Other information of the AGM will remain unchanged.

TRUSTBANK: The Company has further informed that the EGM of the Company will be held on February 06, 2014 at 10:00 AM at Trust Milonayaton, 545 Airport Road, Dhaka. Record Date for EGM: 12.01.2014. Other information of the EGM as announced earlier.

DESHBANDHU: The Company will be placed in "B" category from existing "A" category with effect from December 30, 2013 as the Company approved 5% stock dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2013.

GEMINISEA: The Company will be placed in "Z" category from existing "A" category with effect from January 01, 2014 as the Company did not approve any dividend for the year ended on September 30, 2013.

RNSPIN: The Company will be placed in "Z" category from existing "A" category with effect from January 01, 2014 as the Company failed to hold AGM in the year 2013.

USMANIAGL: The Company will be placed in "Z" category from existing "A" category with effect from January 01, 2014 as the Company failed to hold AGM in the year 2013.

DAFODILCOM: The Company will be placed in "Z" category from existing "A" category with effect from January 01, 2014 as the Company did not approve any dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2013.

RIGHT SHARE: ARAMITCEM: Subscription 23.03.2014 to 17.04.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 09.01.2014. RUPALILIFE- Subscription 06.04.2014 to 05.05.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 16.01.2014.

IPO Subscription: Emerald Oil Industries Limited subscription date 06-12 January 2014, NRB upto 21 Januray 2014. At per, face value taka 10 and market lot 500.

Matin Spinning Mills Limited subscription date 26-30 January 2014, NRB upto 08 Feburay 2014. @ Tk. 37/-, face value taka 10 and market lot 200.

Price change 2.25 -1.58 11.27 1.37 4.25 -4.83 3.11 -14.06 -2.70 3.25

Weekly opening 62.20 38.00 63.90 36.40 254.30 37.30 38.60 96.00 59.20 199.80

Weekly high 68.00 38.50 71.70 38.70 275.90 37.40 43.80 96.30 60.60 208.10

Weekly low 56.00 34.80 60.00 32.80 247.50 31.00 35.00 78.80 57.00 195.00

Weekly average 63.02 36.94 69.64 37.36 264.76 34.48 39.14 82.54 58.50 206.62

Price change -3.39 1.76 -6.43 0.00 2.20 11.13 1.20 7.17 4.47 4.36

Weekly opening 38.40 62.40 37.30 52.40 36.30 63.80 16.60 23.70 252.70 32.10

Weekly high 38.20 67.20 37.50 55.80 38.70 71.60 16.90 27.00 276.00 34.00

Weekly low 34.60 61.10 33.00 51.20 33.50 62.50 15.00 21.40 246.00 29.00

Weekly average 36.69 62.63 34.08 53.18 37.43 69.61 16.64 25.30 264.16 33.19

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Argon Denim: Week’s worst loser n Tahmidur Rahman Stock prices of Argon Denim Limited fell by more than 14% to Tk82.5 each on Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) last week.

Brokers believe price correction pulled down the stocks from its peak of Tk99.7 recorded on December 19, 2013, when it was listed with the stock exchange.

Its stock prices ranged between Tk31.3 and Tk99.7 each since its listing.

The stocks valued Tk31.9 crore were exchanged hands.

In response to a DSE query on December 9, the company said there was no undisclosed price sensitive information for the recent unusual price hike. The DSE query came after the stock prices of the company rose more than twice without any reason since October.

According to its unaudited third quarter (July to Sept 2013) report, the company’s net profit stood at Tk6.52 crore, an increase of over 32% from Tk4.4 crore in the same period last year.

In the first nine months of last year, it made profits of Tk17.9 crore, a rise of over 46% from Tk9.6 crore in the corre-

Fed’s bitter medicine may help heal emerging markets n Reuters

sponding period a year earlier. The impressive increase in its profits was results from a surge in its exports or sales.

The apparel company used its IPO fund to repay its bank loans of Tk16.4 crore and rest for project expansion.

The company listed in the textile segment of the stock market has an EPS of Tk2.5 and a price to earnings ratio of 24.75, according to its latest unaudited reports. The net asset value per share stood at Tk24.41 as of 2012,

which is 29.5% of the last traded price.

Sponsor-directors hold 50% and general public 47.86% stakes in the company. It paid out a 20% bonus shares for the year 2012 as dividend for its shareholders. l

Oil prices fall on US Carmakers rack up big gains in 2013 US sales stockpile data sales rose seven percent to 1.5 milrooms in November, McNeil said in a AFP, Chicago n lion, the Japanese automaker’s second conference call. n AFP, Washington GM reported a seven percent in- highest annual tally.

Major automakers closed out 2013 with Global oil prices fell Friday, pushed by the expected return to the market of Libyan supplies and a bearish report on commercial stockpiles.

In New York, West Texas Intermediate for February delivery fell $1.48 to $93.96 a barrel. Friday’s fall left the US benchmark more than $6 down from a week earlier.

And in London, Brent crude for February gave up 89 cents from Thursday to $106.89 a barrel.

The US Energy Information Administration’s weekly stockpiles report appeared at first glance a strong support for prices -- commercial crude inventories fell by 7.0 million barrels to 360.6 million barrels, more than triple the fall predicted.

Some analysts suggested that yearend destocking for balance sheet reasons was behind the sharp fall.

The EIA data showed rises in product stockpiles such as gasoline, suggesting demand was not as strong as the fall in crude reserves implied.

Also behind the fall was the expected return of more Libyan crude to the market as protests that have blocked production and shipping for months eased.

“The Libyan government is preparing to reopen one of its larger oilfields, El Sharara, over the next few days, as protesters agree to stop a strike that has cut the field’s production for three months,” said Lucy Sidebotham at British-based energy consultancy Inenco. l

B3

Sunday, January 5, 2014

mixed results for December US sales yesterday, as the booming auto industry racked up its best annual performance in years.

“The auto industry was a consistent bright spot in the economic recovery throughout 2013,” said Bill Fay, general manager of the Toyota division. “We expect the economy will continue to gain strength in 2014, with car sales rising to pre- recession levels.”

Total industry sales rose 7.6% to 15.6 million vehicles in 2013, according to Autodata.

The last time annual US auto sales topped 15 million vehicles was in 2007.

They slowly recovered to 14.8 million in 2012 after crashing to a low of 10.6 million in 2009 as a result of the financial crisis, which pushed the industry into a deep downturn.

In the 14 years prior to the 2008 crash, annual US auto sales had ranged from 15 to 17 million vehicles.

“2013 was the year that GM and the auto industry put the last traces of the recession in the rearview mirror,” said General Motors US sales chief Kurt McNeil.

“Now we can devote our full attention to the things that matter most to customers: compelling design, worldclass quality and delivering the best ownership experience in the business.”

December sales were weaker than expected as a result of brutal winter storms and Thanksgiving discounts which had drawn shoppers to show-

crease in 2013 US sales to 2.8 million vehicles despite a six percent drop in December sales to 230,157.

Ford posted its best annual performance since 2006 as US sales jumped 11% to 2.5 million vehicles in 2013. December sales rose a more modest two percent from the same period a year ago to come in at 218,058.

In a hotly competitive market, where every manufacturer brought their best products, our core models demonstrated significant growth without having to resort to fleet sales to drive volume as some of our competitors do “December was a strong close to an even better year for Ford,” sales chief John Felice said. “We saw strong growth across the entire Ford lineup and made significant gains in the import- dominated coastal markets.”

Toyota posted a seven percent gain in 2013 as US sales rose to 2.2 million vehicles - despite a two percent drop in December sales to 190,843. Chrysler reported its 45th consecutive month of gains as December US sales rose six percent to 161,007. Its 2013 sales were up nine percent at 1.8 million.

Honda managed to top the record it set last December as US sales grew two percent to 135,255 vehicles. Its 2013

“Breaking our December sales record is a great way to finish a near-record year,” said American Honda sales chief John Mendel.

“In a hotly competitive market, where every manufacturer brought their best products, our core models demonstrated significant growth without having to resort to fleet sales to drive volume as some of our competitors do.”

Nissan posted its best annual US sales ever with a nine percent increase to 1.2 million vehicles. Its December sales were up 11% from the previous year at 109,758.

Hyundai’s sales were up five percent for the year at 720,783 after gaining six percent in December to 63,005 while Kia sales rose three percent to 535,179 in 2013 after falling 14% in December to 33,631.

Volkswagen bucked the upward trend by posting a seven percent drop in annual US sales to 407,704 vehicles in 2013, while December sales fell 23% to 34,015.

But the German automaker celebrated the fact that - for the first time in 40 years - it managed to sell more than 400,000 vehicles in back-to-back years and nonetheless posted its second best US December performance since 1972.

“Volkswagen is now operating at a new plateau,” Mark McNabb, chief operating officer of Volkswagen of America, said in a statement.

“We are well positioned for our next phase of growth to come over the next few years.” l

If the medicine tastes bad, it’s probably doing you good. Emerging economies might console themselves with that thought when they’re suffering market cramps and haemorrhaging capital as the US ends its monetary stimulus.

The Federal Reserve will begin winding down, or tapering, its $85bn a-month money-printing programme this month, and emerging markets are seeing foreign investment pull back as a result. Last year, around $30bn fled emerging equity and bond funds tracked by EPFR Global, provisional data shows.

That is a blow, particularly for socalled deficit countries such as India or Turkey, which rely on foreign inflows to plug balance-of-payment gaps. The hope is the volatility induced by tapering will prod governments into reforms that ultimately reduce their sensitivity to shifts in global capital.

“Policymakers are under pressure to implement reforms that were put on the back burner. Tapering is at least getting that narrative going,” said Manik Narain, a strategist at UBS. “It’s too early to position for it, but if we do get reform it could be the start of the rebirth of emerging markets.”

The Fed’s $3.7tn expansion of its balance sheet was a mixed blessing for developing countries. Economic growth was pumped up by record-low borrowing costs and hundreds of billions of dollars in stock and bond market investments.

But with so much easy money coming in, most governments got away with very little labour reform, privatisation, productivity gains or improvements to power and transport infrastructure. Progress in those areas will be key to attracting longer-term investment in manufacturing or services.

What reform?

Past emerging-market crises - India in 1991, Mexico in 1994, Russia in 1998 and Turkey in 2001 - led to reforms that transformed those economies.

Mexico and India are ahead of the game this time. Punished by investors for messy politics and current account deficits, India has begun to shrink budget deficits, cut some subsidies and raise energy tariffs. Expectations of reform after the Indian elections due in mid-2014 have helped the rupee rise 11% from record lows in mid-2013.

Energy-sector reform kept the Mexican peso’s 2013 loss versus the dollar to 1.6%, compared with 10% plus falls elsewhere in Latin America.

But analysts say elections in a range of countries this year will discourage

China pledges further support for solar industry

Workers install a solar panel in Jiuquan, Gansu province edge of bankruptcy.

China’s support for its solar indus-

try has been a source of trade friction.

The United States and European Union

REUTERS

have accused China of dumping underpriced solar panels on foreign mar-

‘Let’s get on with it’

Considering all that possibility and taking a longer-term view, a quick end to money printing is probably not a bad thing.

Expectations of reform after the Indian elections due in mid-2014 have helped the rupee rise 11% from record lows in mid-2013

Brazilian central bank governor Alexandre Tombini may have spoken for many emerging-market policymakers when he recently called US policy “normalisation” a “net positive”. The sooner the Fed withdrew its stimulus, the better, he said.

That is unsurprising. The Fed’s money printing gave central bankers headaches, by fuelling explosive spending and debt, property bubbles, price and currency inflation.

As domestic interest rates were cut to levels well below what was justified by fundamentals, current account gaps blew out. Brazil’s deficit, for instance, is running at 3.5% of annual economic output, up from 1% in September 2009.

“Policymakers are focusing on short-term volatility, which means they are too busy to focus on longer-term issues. The later the tapering the bigger the imbalances,” said David Hauner, head of EEMEA fixed income strategy and economics at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

As tapering progresses, markets will be able to better reward reformers and punish the laggards, by focusing more on country-specific factors, Hauner said, adding: “The best for emerging markets will be: let’s get this done, have the US Treasury yields repriced to 3.5% or so and let’s move on.” l

Facebook faces suit for data mining private messages n AFP, Washington

n Reuters China pledged further support for its ailing solar power industry yesterday as the government seeks to revive a sector struggling with overcapacity and falling prices.

The State Council, China’s cabinet, said in July that the country aimed to more than quadruple solar power generating capacity to 35 gigawatts by 2015 in an apparent bid to ease a glut in the domestic solar power industry.

The State Council, in a statement published on its website, said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology was taking measures to “promote the healthy development of the photovoltaic industry”.

The ministry, it said, was implementing the July directive by supporting consolidation in the industry, drafting guidelines for mergers and acquisitions and promoting standardization.

It said the ministry was encouraging technological innovation, especially related to decentralized solar power installations not connected to the power grid. It was also supporting research and development efforts for batteries that can store solar electricity.

The ministry sought to improve standardization and ensure “orderly competition” in the industry, the statement said.

The State Council said the solar industry had enjoyed a recovery in 2013.

Total installed solar power generating capacity increased by around 8 GW, of which 6 GW were in power plants and 2 GW were in decentralized instillations, the statement said, citing preliminary estimates from the China Photovoltaic Industry Alliance.

Still, Chinese solar equipment producers LDK Solar Co Ltd and JA Solar Holdings Co Ltd are teetering on the

unpopular reforms for now. Any proposed changes in Russia or South Africa could be hampered by healthy prices for their oil and metals exports. “(The volatility) has spurred reform in some countries, but it’s not EMwide, that’s for sure,” said Christian Keller, head of EEMEA research at Barclays in London.

Capital Economics told clients that policymakers had an opportunity to undertake supply-side reform, but it feared that “incumbent governments may try to boost re-election prospects by pushing ahead with populist spending plans, causing current account deficits to widen further.”

kets and China has responded with anti-subsidy duties of its own. l

Facebook has been hit with a class-action lawsuit alleging the social networking behemoth gleans data from purportedly private messages, in violation of users’ rights.

Two plaintiffs claim the site scans private correspondence between users for links to third-party websites, sharing that information with the likes of “advertisers, marketers and other data aggregators.”

The suit accuses Facebook of violating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and California privacy laws.

Facebook has “systematically violated consumers’ privacy by reading its users’ personal, private Facebook messages without their consent,” said the complaint, filed December 30 in the US District Court for Northern California.

“Representing to users that the content of Facebook messages is ‘private’ creates an especially profitable opportunity for Facebook, because users who believe they are communicating on a service free from surveillance are likely to reveal facts about themselves that they would not reveal had they known the content was being monitored,” it said.

Asked for comment, Facebook said in a statement: “The allegations in this lawsuit have no merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously.”

The suit was brought forth by two Facebook users from different US states, Matthew Campbell of Arkansas and Michael Hurley of Oregon.

It was filed on behalf of all US Facebook members who have used the site to send or receive a message that includes a link. l

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Career

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Shoot for success by goal setting Five golden rules to set yourself up for accomplishment

you want to take, and you will develop focus along the way.

Time-bound goals: This is another benchmark to gauge the degree of success of your goal. Your goals should always have a deadline. Working under a deadline will help you develop a sense of urgency and accelerate a goal’s achievement.

Put it in writing

Put your goals in writing – make it a tangible thing you see everyday instead of something in the back of your head.

Write them in firm and positive language such as “will” instead of “would like to”. A goal such as “I will meet all my deadlines this week” is more motivating than “I will not miss deadlines this week.”

Make an action plan

n Career Desk

putting in the work required to make it happen. Goal achievement requires devotion and commitment; in order to increase the chances of success you need to feel the urgency and necessity of the achievement.

A sure path to disappointment and frustration is setting yourself goals that are not related to the big priorities in your life – you are basically setting yourself up for failure because the likelihood is that you will frequently put off necessary work for day to day priorities.

What do you expect to get out of your work? What do you hope to accomplish today? What would you like to have done by the end of this year? If you want any of these expectations and wishes to succeed, you need to set yourself goals. Goal setting not only establishes focus and direction in your life, it also provides you with a benchmark to determine whether you are succeeding the way you want to or just wasting time.

Goal setting isn’t as simple as making a list of things you want to do. It starts with careful meditation on what it is that you want to achieve and is followed by a lot of hard work to actually make it happen. Following are five golden rules of goal setting.

Motivation is crucial to achieving goals.

When you are setting goals, make sure they are important to you and that their achievement will give you value.

When the outcome seems irrelevant to the bigger picture of your life from the get go, you will be less inclined to

Measurable goals: One needs to measure their goals to assess their degree of success. This is why you need to include exact amounts and dates in your goals. For example: if you are planning to save more money this month, how will you know if you have achieved your goal unless you have a specific amount that you aim to save?

In order to give your goals the best chance at success, they need to be designed to be SMART. While there are a few different versions of what SMART stands for, it is essentially what a good goal should be: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Attainable goals: If you set far-fetched unattainable goals, you will only demoralise yourself and lose your confidence when you fail to achieve them.

Set yourself realistic goals. However, setting goals that are easy is also not recommended. A 2006 study called New Directions in Goal-Setting Theory suggests that ambitious goals lead to a higher level of performance than easy or general goals.

Specific goals: Your goal has to be clear and well defined – vague goals lack in focus and direction, which is contrary to the point of goal setting. Goals need to reflect the path you need to take, make sure you don’t end up getting lost

Relevant goals: Setting yourself lots of different kinds of goals that have little to do with the direction you want your life and career to ultimately take will only derail you on your path. Keep your goals aligned with the direction

Set SMART goals

Find motivation

along the way.

Life Events

Value

1

Death of spouse

100

2

Divorce

73

3

Marital separation

65

4

Jail term

63

5

Death of close family member

63

6

Personal injury or illness

53

7

Marriage

50

8

Fired at work

47

9

Marital reconciliation

45

10

Retirement

45

11

Change in health of family member

44

12

Pregnancy

40

13

Sex difficulties

39

14

Gain of new family member

39

15

Business readjustment

39

16

Change in financial state

38

Tick if this applies

This is a step often missed in goal setting – most people are prone to getting so obsessed with the ultimate goal that they miss planning a step by step process to achieving the goal. It’s not necessary for the small day to day goals, but it is especially important for demanding and long-term goals. If you have a step by step plan, you will be aware of your progress along the way to your ultimate goal.

Stay focused

Goal setting is an on-going process and not a onetime activity. For higher chances of success, review your goals regularly; ask yourself if you are happy with the progress and course that you are taking. The end game remains the same but the action plan to get there may have to adapt to circumstances or change entirely for definite chances of achieving the goal.

Goal setting is entails a lot more than simply saying you want something to happen in your life. If you do not visibly identify exactly what you want and understand why you want it the first place, your likelihood of succeeding at achieving them are significantly reduced. By following the five golden rules of goal setting you can set goals with conviction and ultimately enjoy the pleasure of knowing that you have successfully achieved what you set out to achieve. l

A checklist of clear communication n Career Desk

We spend a big part of an average workday communicating. We do it when we are in a meeting, debating with colleagues, participating in conference calls, replying to emails, pitching a new idea – it goes on. We often have workdays when we spend the whole day communicating.

If we are to follow the seven Cs of communication, suggested by the career portal mindtools.com, we could give our work a huge boost.

Clear When communicating with a colleague, be clear and to the point. Ask yourself what your purpose in communicating with this person is. If you can’t answer it, then they won’t know what you’re talking about either.

To be clear, do not communicate too many ideas in one sentence. Make sure the person you are communicating with knows what you mean without having to infer or make assumptions on their own.

Concise Being concise is one of your biggest assets at work. Being concise means sticking to the point and keeping it brief. No one wants to read six sentences when two will suffice. To make sure you’re being concise, check to see if you are using a lot of filler works such as “for instance,” “basically,” “I mean” etc. Check if you have any unnecessary sentences and whether if you have reiterated any point several times in different ways.

Concrete Making a message concrete gives the audi-

How much stress are you dealing with? n Ahsan Sajid A wide variety of situations in our work and personal life can lead to stress; from colleagues slowing down the pace of a project to the death of a pet – it all adds to the weight. The most widely accepted definition of stress comes from Richard S Lazarus who describes it as: A condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that “demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilise.” In other words, we feel stress when things seem out of our control.

Not all stressful events are equally difficult to deal with – compare the stress regarding a minor fever to that of getting fired. Because the stress levels for different events vary, one needs to be able to appropriately rate and calculate their total stress. Not dealing with stress can lead to even more stress, and can ultimately become a major obstacle both at work and personal life and get in the way of contentment and satisfaction.

stress load we carry and figure out what we should, or could do about it.

Psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe studied 5,000 medical patients in 1967 to see whether stress contributed to illnesses. They asked the patients whether any of a series of 43 life events had occurred in their lives in the last two years. Each event, or Life Change Unit (LCU), had a different value or weight for stress. They found that the higher the score, the more likely the patient was to become ill.

The scale

To measure your total stress level, check each Life Change Unit from the table in the previous column that applies to you and add the total. If you experienced any of the events twice, add the number twice. The table is taken from The Social Readjustment Rating Scale by Thomas H Holmes and Richard H Rahe in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Volume 11, Issue 2, published in August 1967.

Score

Comment

300+

You have a high or very high risk of becoming ill from too much stress in the near future.

150-299

You have a moderate to high chance of becoming ill from stress in the near future.

<150

You don’t have much stress and only a low to moderate chance of becoming ill in the near future.

the events are in fact out of our hands, but certain things can be helped. You could avoid moving, minimise conflict with colleagues by learning more conflict resolution skills, avoid taking on more responsibilities and obligations than you can handle etc. Additionally, do not dwell on your score if it is very high, but rather take actions with it that will positively affect your mood.

Stress can cause severe health problems and in extreme cases can even cause death.

If stress is persistently causing you grief, it may be time to seek the help of a relevant health professional, instead of simply brushing it off. l

ence a clear picture of what you’re telling them. Without straying from the focus of the communication, provide details (but not too many) and vivid facts and your message will be solid.

Correct Being correct in communications doesn’t only refer to proper spelling and grammar but whether or not it fits your audience, whether the technical terms used are not above their level of education, whether you’re spelling or pronouncing their names correctly etc.

Coherent Coherent communication is logical communication. All points are related and relevant to the main topic of discussion and the tone and flow of the text is consistent.

Complete A complete message is one where the audience is well aware of the point in discussion, has everything they need to be informed about and take action. Make sure your message includes a “call to action” so they know what you want them to do, and all other relevant information such as contact names, dates, times etc.

Courteous Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. A courteously communicated message should not have any hidden insults or passive-aggressive tones that may be considered workplace harassment. Even when you disagree with someone, keep their viewpoint in mind, and be empathetic to their needs. l

Set for meetings n Career Desk

BIZ VOCAB

AGM (abbreviation) - Annual General Meeting AOB (abbreviation) - Any Other Business (usually the last item on an agenda)

Absent (adjective) - not here; not at the meeting; not present Agenda (noun) - a written programme or schedule for a meeting Apologies (noun) - item on agenda announcing people who are absent; apologies for absence Ballot (noun) - a type of vote, usually in writing and usually secret

17

Death of close friend

37

18

Change to a different line of work

36

19

Change in number of arguments with spouse

35

20

A large mortgage or loan

31

21

Foreclosure of mortgage or loan

30

22

Change in responsibilities at work

29

23

Son or daughter leaving home

29

24

Trouble with in-laws

29

25

Outstanding personal achievement

28

26

Spouse begins or stops work

26

27

Begin or end school/college

26

Consensus (noun) - general agreement

28

Change in living conditions

25

29

Revision of personal habits

24

Decision (noun) - a conclusion or resolution to do something

30

Trouble with boss

23

31

Change in work hours or conditions

20

32

Change in residence

20

33

Change in school/college

20

34

Change in recreation

19

35

Change in church activities

19

36

Change in social activities

18

37

A moderate loan or mortgage

17

38

Change in sleeping habits

16

39

Change in number of family get-togethers

15

40

Change in eating habits

15

41

Vacation

13

42

Christmas

12

43

Minor violations of the law

11 Total Score

The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale, better known as the Holmes and Rahe Scale was created for this express purpose. The tool helps us measure the

What to do about it

If you are at a moderate or high level of stress, then the most obvious thing to do is to avoid all future life crises. This is easier said than done, and many of

Casting vote (noun) - a deciding vote (usually by the chairman) when the votes are otherwise equal Chairman (noun) - the person who leads or presides at a meeting; chairperson; chair Conference (noun) - formal meeting for discussion, especially a regular one held by an organisation Conference call (noun) - telephone call between three or more people in different locations

Item (noun) - a separate point for discussion (as listed on an agenda) Matters arising (noun) - item on agenda for discussion of what has happened as a result of last meeting Minutes (noun) - a written record of everything said at a meeting Proxy vote (noun) - a vote cast by one person for or in place of another Show of hands (noun) - raised hands to express an opinion in a vote Unanimous (adjective) - in complete agreement; united in opinion Video conference (noun) - conference of people in different locations linked by satellite, TV, internet etc.

Vote (verb) - to express opinion in a group by voice or hand etc.