January 23, 2014

Magh 10, 1420 Rabiul Awal 21, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 1 No 299

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Jamaat: BNP to face trouble if it breaks ties n Manik Miazee

Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islam are confident that the BNP would not break up ties with them, saying it would make the BNP highly unpopular in the long run.

Several leaders of the party told the Dhaka Tribune that they were confident the BNP would face political obstacles if it disowned the Jamaat – a key ally of the 18-party alliance. The BNP has maintained an alliance with Jamaat for more than a decade, calling the Islamist party a “strategic partner.”

Jamaat leaders pointed out that the two parties were working together at the grass-roots, and had already formed anti-government committees.

They also said at present the BNP is not in a position to dissolve their partnership; rather, they are very much in need of Jamaat if they want to win politically.

Wishing to remain anonymous, one of Jamaat’s working committee mem-

bers told the Dhaka Tribune: “In the last two years, every opposition political programme was a success because of Jamaat- Shibir’s participation.”

“In fact, we rarely saw enough BNP activists joining 18-party’s processions, demonstrations and rallies,” he added.

He said the government was trying to hamper the unity between the BNP and the Jamaat “because they want to eliminate a strong opposition.”

A Shibir central working committee leader said, “We know much better than BNP and Chhatra Dal about politics, and we know how to resist government oppression.”

Jamaat Working Committee member Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said: “The government wants to divide our alliance so that it can rule the country as long as it wants.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that her government would hold talks with the BNP if the party severed ties with the Jamaat. In response,  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Children from four schools in Bandarban were made to queue for hours yesterday to welcome State Minister for CHT Affairs Bir Bahadur. Story on Page 3

ACC to probe rising fortunes of three ministers, four MPs

Drive against foreigners staying illegally soon

n Syed Samiul Basher Anik

Islam and n Rabiul Mohammad Jamil Khan

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday assigned seven officials to investigate three former ministers and four members of parliament from the ruling Awami League, following reports of a phenomenal rise in their wealth and assets.

After the Election Commission published the wealth statements submitted by candidates last month ahead of the 10th parliamentary polls, media reports highlighted large discrepancies between the information they had provided for the 9th general elections in 2008.

Following news reports of the huge increase in the fortunes of several prominent Awami League men and their family members over the past five years, the ACC started collecting newspaper clippings and analysing relevant documents, ACC officials said.

ACC Secretary Faizur Rahman Chowdhury on Monday told reporters that the anti-corruption watchdog

would form a committee to investigate dozens of candidates and their relatives, who are suspected of accumulating riches illegally.

The commission will initiate the probe by investigating former health minister AFM Ruhal Haq, former state minister for housing and public works

Cox’s Bazar MP increases his earnings by 500 times in 5 years Abdul Mannan Khan, former state minister for water resources Mahbubur Rahman, and lawmakers Abdur Rahman Badi of Cox’s Bazar 4, Aslamul Haque of Dhaka 14, Enamul Haque of Rajshahi 4 and Abdul Jabbar of Satkhira 2.

The ACC has designated six deputy directors and an assistant director to conduct the inquiry, commissioner M Shahabuddin Chuppu told reporters yesterday.

The officers are deputy directors Sheikh Faiyaz Alam, Mirza Zahidul

Alam, M Nasir Uddin, Khairul Huda, Syed Tahsinul Haque and Ahasan Ali, and assistant director Masudur Rahman.

Ruhal Haque, had Tk88 lakh in his bank account in 2008, but the amount jumped to Tk2.63 crore in 2013. His wife Ila Haque’s bank balance showed Tk7.53crore, up from Tk4.64 lakh five years back, according to the affidavit they handed to the EC. The value of the former minister’s movable property grew four times from Tk4 crore to Tk16 crore, while his wife’s rose to Tk8.39 crore from Tk95 lakh.

Mannan Khan’s assets grew 110 times from Tk10 lakh in 2008 to Tk11crore.

Mahbubur Rahman now owns Tk5.25 crore in immovable property, which was worth Tk36.33 lakh in 2008.

Just five years ago, his annual income was Tk2.15 lakh. He now earns Tk1.50 crore.

Abdur Rahman’s earnings rose astronomically, increasing by more than

Manzoor murder case verdict on Feb 10 n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday set February 10 for delivery of the judgment on Major General Manzoor murder case.

Dhaka First Additional District and Sessions Judge Hosne Ara Akhtar recorded the argument of the prosecution side and set the date after the final hearing which took place in a special court on the Nazimuddin Road adjacent to the Dhaka Central Jail.

Earlier, on November 20 last year the court completed the argument of the defence side.

Public Prosecutor of the First Additional District and Sessions’ Judge Ahaduzzaman Khan Rochi completed the argument of the government side.

The main accused in the case is former

military dictator HM Ershad who has recently been appointed a special envoy to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Ershad was present at the court during the arguments.

The defence counsel of Ershad in his argument said a total of 28 witnesses gave the deposition and none of them said Ershad was involved in the murder. “He is the victim of circumstances and also the nasty politics.”

Other accused Major Retd Emdadul Islam and Lft Col (Retd) Mostafa Kamal Uddin Bhuyain were also present at the court.

Legal proceedings against Lt Col Shams and Major Gen Latif have been stopped by an order of the High Court.

General Manzoor was killed in 1981, just two days into the assassination of BNP  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

INSIDE Business

B1 The government has sought a detailed legal suggestion from law ministry on a separate pay scale for Bangladesh Bank and four state-owned commercial banks.

International

9 Delhi’s ‘anarchist’ chief minister Arvind Kejriwal faced savage press criticism Wednesday after a two-day protest in the capital that could check the dizzying rise of India’s new political star.

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

The government is set to launch a special operation targeting the foreign nationals staying illegally and carrying out different unlawful activities in the country.

“We have been keeping close watch on foreign nationals so that they cannot contribute to violence in the country,” Home Ministry Additional Secretary (political) Kamal Uddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

A section of foreign nationals have been residing in Bangladesh illegally even after expiration of their visas.

Besides, they do not pay any tax to the government. They are sending money to their country of origin by earning here illegally.

Members of the intelligence agencies have already started their investigations into their locations, movements and financial activities.

The intelligence wing of police, Finance Ministry and Bangladesh Bank

will jointly conduct the operation coordinated by the Home Ministry.

Sources said illegal foreign nationals were staying in the country even after the expiration of their visas and sometimes without visa and passport.

These nationals are not only doing jobs in different Bangladeshi organisations but also involved in VOIP business, drug smuggling, bank note forgery, dollar manipulation, and militancy.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

HC asks for judicial probe report on 2001 post-poll violence n Nazmus Sakib

As part of special drive, members of Detective Branch of police arrested three African citizens including two females on Wednesday with fake currency and equipment.

On Sunday, DB police also arrested three members of the Pakistan-based militant group Tehrik-E-Taliban from the capital.

Of the arrestees, Fakrul Hassan’s visa was found to have expired while two of his accomplices Mehmood

The High Court yesterday ordered the home secretary to submit within February 2, the judicial probe report into the attacks that were carried out on the minorities and the then opposition members following the eighth parliamentary elections on October 1, 2001.

The court also issued a rule seeking an explanation by two weeks as to why it should not direct the government to make public the inquiry report.

The bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain passed the order yesterday in response to a petition lodged by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

In 2009, the High Court bench led

by Justice ABM Khairul Haque (who later became chief justice) ruled that a three-member judicial probe committee be formed to submit a detailed report on the attacks to the government by six months, and made the writ petition

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P3 IMMIGRATION ALERTED

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Government marks 6 fast track projects Padma, Rampal, Metro rail, Rooppur and Sonadia Deep Sea port are among those

n BSS The government has identified six projects including the much-awaited Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) as a fast track project and directed the authorities concerned to implement them with highest priority.

The five other projects are Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project, Rampal Coal-fired Thermal Power Plant, Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Metro Rail Project), Sonadia Deep Seaport in Cox’s Bazaar and Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal Construction Project.

The projects were identified at the first meeting of the reconstituted Fast Track Project Monitoring Committee held at the Prime Minister’s Office last morning.

Chairperson of the Committee Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting. After the meeting, Deputy Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Bijan Lal Deb briefed reporters. He said the crucial meeting held a detailed discussion on the progress and future activities of the six projects.

At the meeting, he said, the prime

minister directed the authorities concerned to execute the projects within the stipulated time.

On the much-awaited Padma bridge project, she underscored the need for dredging of the river to check river erosion and run economic activities on the reclaimed lands, Deb said.

On the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and Rampal Power Plant projects, Hasina said the government has given emphasis on producing electricity through multi-source power projects.

She also mentioned that a process was underway to generate electricity on joint venture with India, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Communications Minister Obaidul Quader, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Environment Minister Anwar Hossain Monju, Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sharif Dilu, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Prime Minister’s Adviser Moshiur Rahman, State Minister for Science and Technology Yeafesh Osman and State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid Bipu attended the meeting. l

Miscreants cut the tendons on arms and legs of UP Member and Awami League leader Nurjahan Begum of Mobarakpur union in Shibganj, Rajshahi, allegedly in reaction to the arrest of a local BNP leader DHAKA TRIBUNE

Jubo League man killed, Drive against Jamaat continues Jubo Dal leader hacked n Tribune Report

n

Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Police recovered the body of a Jubo League supporter from a roadside ditch in Satkania upazila while a Jubo Dal leader was hacked by unknown miscreants in Sitakunda upazila in Chittagong yesterday.

Upon information, police recovered the body of Mohammad Alamgir, 33, of Kanchana Adarsho Gram with several injury marks around 11am. They suspect that Jamat-Shibir activists might have killed him over a political feud.

The body was sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for

post mortem examination. A case was lodged with Satkania police station.

Meanwhile, unknown miscreants hacked ward 3 Jubo Dal joint convener Mamun Reza, 30, of Sobhanbagh in Godown Road area around 4pm. He was taken to Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex but later shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said police sources.

Iftekhar Hasan, OC of Sitakunda police station, said receiving information police had rushed to the spot and rescued Mamun. Police were looking into the matter but none was arrested in this connection yet, added the OC. l

Law enforcement agencies continued their drives throughout the country yesterday to arrest several Jamaat-e-Islam activists, while a mobile court also punished two Jamaat members on different charges.

Our Barisal correspondent reported that the police arrested Abdul Alim, president of Jamaat’s Chandpura union unit, from the city’s Baitul Mokarram Mosque area at around noon.

Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said the police acted on a tip-off and arrested Alim during a raid at the residential unit of the mosque, recovering a huge number of anti-state leaflets, stickers, handbills

and books on Jihad. Alim would be shown arrested in a case of conspiracy against the state, he added.

Elsewhere in Satkhira, our correspondent reported that a mobile court has handed different jail terms to two Jamaat-Shibir men at the town’s Kaliganj area.

Ali Azam, the OC of Kaliganj police station, said Hossain Dablu, 38, and Yehia Khan, 22, were arrested on Tuesday for their involvement in subversive activists. Executive Magistrate Faruk Ahmed later sentenced Dablu to two years and Yehia to one year in jail, the OC said, adding that both the men were sent to Satkhira jail in the evening.

In Nilphamari, a Jamaat activist was held at Khalisha Chapani village under Dimla upazila yesterday afternoon.

The arrestee was Ajharul Islam, 35, a madrasa super of Sukandighi Dakhil Madrasa of the upazila.

Mansun Ali, Sub-Inspector of Dimla police station, said police acted on a tip-off to detain Ajharul, who was accused of arson, looting of ballot materials and vandalising voting centres of the upazila on January 5.

Our correspondent in Sirajganj also informed that the Detective Branch of the police arrested district Swechchhasebak Dal Vice-President Hasinur Rahman Hasi, 45, from Masumpur area.

Nasir Uddin, inspector of district DB police, said Hasinur was arrested for obstructing police work, while he was also accused in eight cases filed with the district’s police stations. l

No more new private med schools for now

ACC grills Odhikar’s Adilur, Nasir n UNB n Moniruzzaman Uzzal The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday interrogated Odhikar Secretary Adilur Rahman and its Director Nasir Uddin in connection with misappropriation of foreign fund.

ACC Deputy Director Harunur Rashid questioned them for an hour from 3pm at the commission’s head office.

Talking to reporters before leaving the ACC office, Adilur said the ACC had sought some documents of Odhikar which they provided yesterday.

Adilur and some others had allegedly received money from foreign donors showing fake projects of the human rights organisation, and plundered it. l

The health ministry has decided not to give approvals to any new private medical colleges and to review the 12 medical colleges that had been given primary approval over the last few months.

In a primary observation, the ministry found faults in the process of the previous approvals and suspended all activities regarding the process until a report was submitted by a review committee.

Newly appointed Health Minister Mohammed Nasim announced the decisions yesterday during a press briefing at the secretariat.

Asked if the ministry had plans

Bomb threat disrupts state minister’s rally n Our Correspondent, Gazipur A false bomb alert disrupted a rally attended by State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki at Gazipur sadar yesterday afternoon.

Jangalia union Awami League president Humayan Kabir, who organised the rally, got a phone call during the event telling him that a bomb was planted near the stage at the Norun High School

field, Kaliganj upazila nirbahi officer Md Kamrul Ahsan Talukder said.

The anonymous caller told Kabir that the bomb would go off any moment. The state minister was delivering her speech at the time, and a mass reception was to follow.

However, Chumki left the scene immediately after learning of the bomb threat.

Kaliganj police inspected the area, but did not find any bombs. l

to relax the cut-off marks for private medical college admission tests, Nasim said there would be no compromise with the cut-off marks, but added that the ministry had decided to extend the admission deadline to January 30.

Eleven new private medical colleges had been given permission last year, allegedly in violation of existing policies.

There are claims that former health minister AFM Ruhal Hoque had granted the permissions during his final days in office.

The new private medical colleges were Addin Basundhara Medical College, Brahmanbaria Medical College, Shah Makdum Medical College, Care

HC asks for judicial probe report on 2001 post-poll violence  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

mandamus so that any party could come to the court seeking direction in this regard.

The plea was registered with the bench led by Justice Reza-Ul in light with the verdict of 2009 so that proper actions could be taken against the perpetrators, said Manzill Murshid, the lawyer of the petition.

Also in 2009, the government formed a commission led by former district judge Md Shahabuddin to investigate the incidents. Later, the judicial commission handed over a probe

Drive against foreigners staying illegally soon  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

and Usman had no passport and visas.

Last month, Rapid Action Battalion officials arrested 37 foreign nationals from a resident of the capital’s Uttara area with huge VOIP equipment.

Rab officials think these foreign nationals are committing crimes staying illegally in the country for years.

Besides, a large number of Rohingyas are living in Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Bandarban and Khagrachari illegally for years. No substantial steps have yet been taken against them.

For this reason, the Home Ministry has been planning to take action against them in a bid to strengthen security of the country and collect some revenues.

Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB police, told the Dhaka Tribune there were a number of foreign nationals living illegally in the capital and other parts of the country, and the number of African citizens was quite large.

Intelligence officials are keeping eye on their activities and movement.

Intelligence sources said a special monitoring team in collaboration with the Finance Ministry had already been formed to check the financial transaction of the foreign nationals in a bid to learn whether any of them was providing financial support to criminal activities in Bangladesh.

Sources also said the intelligence officials were also verifying the activities of those foreign nationals doing jobs in the

Medical College, United Medical College, Universal Medical College, Advocate Abdul Hamid Medical College, Khulna City Medical College, Park View Medical College, Port City Medical College, US-Bangla Medical College and Kachiruddin Medical College.

Seeking anonymity, several senior ministry officials said influential people including the president, several former ministers and state ministers, medical university teachers, and senior health sector officials had direct or indirect stakes at the ownership of the colleges.

An official of the health directorate, preferring to stay unnamed, said a large amount of money had changed hands

country without any work permit and not giving any tax to the government.

It was learnt that the visas of around 13,000 foreign nationals had already expired.

They entered Bangladesh as tourists and are living in the country illegally.

Foreign nationals, who have come under investigation, belong to India, Nigeria, Ghana, Kanga, Cameron, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Algeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Sri Lanka.

Of them, a large number of Pakistan and Afghan nationals are involved in criminal activities, and Rab officials have already arrested 250 African and Pakistani citizens in the last three years. l

report on April 25, 2011 to the then home minister Sahara Khatun.

Manzill told the court that if the probe report was made public and proper punitive action was taken against the perpetrators, the recent attack on the minorities after tenth general poll of January 5 might not have taken place.

Deputy Attorney General Biswojit Roy represented the government yesterday.

The same bench on January 15 directed the law enforcers to give protection to the minorities and vulnerable groups across the country. l

under the table, with some medical college owners bribing Tk40m-Tk50m for securing the final approval.

The country currently has 65 private medical colleges, a figure which stood at 40 in 2008.

Most of the new med schools reportedly failed to follow the Private Medical College Establishment and Management Policy 2011, as they did not apply for approval within January-April last year.

The authorities of the new medical colleges also failed to meet the requirement of opening full-fledged hospitals with at least 250-bed capacity, two years prior to submitting applications to the ministry. l

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia spoke at several media interviews claiming that the BNP would cut ties with Jamaat “at the right time.”

Pointing to PM’s suggestion one of Jamaat’s central leaders Rezaul Karim said it was a matter of BNP and Jamaat, not that of the government.

Since the alliance began its street movement last year, Jamaat activists have allegedly perpetrated a great amount of violence across the country.

After national election on January 5, Jamaat-Shibir was accused of attacking Hindu community members in several areas.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on January 17, urging the

3 bodies formed to probe allegations against govt officials n Tribune Report The government has formed three committees to investigate the allegation that many high officials have acquired freedom fighter certificates illegally to raise their job tenures and get other facilities.

According to the Liberation War affairs ministry, which formed the committees yesterday, an additional secretary and two joint secretaries of the ministry will head the probe bodies.

“All job-related documents of these officials have been sought from the public administration ministry within three days for verification,” said Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque yesterday.

“I will examine the documents myself and I will reveal the names of the officials found to have taken fake certificates to the media within seven days,” he said.

He added that action would also be taken against Liberation War affairs ministry officials found involved in the “unethical” activity of issuing fake certificates.

A total of 11,150 people took freedom fighter certificates from the ministry in the past five years. A gazette notification shows that several secretaries, including Health Secretary Nizamuddin Mia, Liberation War Affairs Secretary KH Masud Siddique, Science and Technology Secretary AKM Amir Hossain, and prime minister’s former secretary Mollah Waheeduzzaman, took the certificates l

Manzoor murder case verdict on Feb 10  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

founder and military leader Ziaur Rahman. The murder case was filed in 1995 and the charge sheet was submitted to the court the same year.

The trial related to the Major General Abul Manzoor murder case, filed 17 years ago, is being delayed as the prosecution has delayed in presenting its arguments.

According to the trial documents, 28 out of 49 witnesses, including Investigation Officer Abdul Kahar Akand, testified before the court.

On June 2012, the court completed

Jamaat: BNP to face trouble  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

FAKE FREEDOM FIGHTER CERTIFICATES

BNP to distance itself from the Jamaat.

The EU Parliament stressed that “parties which turn to terrorist acts should be banned.”

On January 20, for the first time since the emergence of the BNP-led 18-party alliance, the BNP held a public rally alone yesterday in Dhaka, apparently keeping its distance from the Jamaat.

However, Jamaat leaders told the Dhaka Tribune their men had participated in the rally, but without the usual banners and festoons demanding the release of their leaders who were convicted for war crimes. This was part of their “strategy,” they said, but refused to disclose any further details. l

prosecution witnesses.

The court had previously granted bail to all of the accused.

On February 28, 1995, barrister Abul Monsoor Ahmed, brother of slain Abul Manzoor, lodged a case with Panchlaish police station in Chittagong accusing Major Emdadul of killing Manzoor.

On July 15, the then assistant police super Abdul Kahar Akand, submitted the charge sheet to the court.

The then army chief Abu Saleh Md Nasim and metropolitan judge Abul Hashem gave testimony before the court on October 28, 2010. l

ACC to probe rising fortunes of 3 ministers, 4 MPs  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

500 times over the past five years. His income was only Tk3.01lakh in 2008, but was Tk15.46 crore in 2013.

Aslamul Haque’s six acres of land turned into 145 acres over five years.

Enamul Haque’s annual income was Tk20 lakh from his salary and allowances, now makes nearly Tk50 lakh from agriculture, rented properties and other businesses. His wife owns Tk8.34 crore in movable property, up from Tk 2.89 crore in 2008.

Abdul Jabbar’s wealth information was not immediately available. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, January 23, 2014

3

Two sets of MPs at a time!

Gazette on dissolution of ninth JS likely today

n Kamran Reza Chowdhury The parliament secretariat is set to publish a gazette notification on dissolution of the ninth parliament today apparently acknowledging the fact that the legislature has two sets of lawmakers – 295 of the 10th parliament and 350 of the previous one –at the same time.

According to parliamentary practices, one constituency cannot have two MPs simultaneously.

In line with the charter the ninth parliament will expire after the midnight of January 24 – five years since the first session that took place on January 25.

But 295 MPs-elect of the 10th parliament took oath starting on January 9 without dissolving the ninth parliament.

On January 11, the parliament secretariat published a gazette notification replacing the BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia (opposition leader of the ninth JS) with Jatiya Party’s Raushan Ershad as the opposition leader of the 10th parliament.

But the parliament secretariat earlier did not make it clear that the oath-taking of the newly elected MPs on January 9 had terminated the ninth parliament.

The official website of parliament shows the names and photos of the ninth Jatiya Sangsad, not the 10th parliament.

“According to the rules of procedure, a gazette (on dissolution of parliament) is a necessity. Hopefully, we can make it tomorrow (Thursday), subject to the approval of the honourable speaker,” Ashraful Moqbul, the parliament secretary, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

In accordance with the article 72 of the charter, a parliament will dissolve after five years unless the president dissolves it. The rule 4 of the Rules of Procedure says: “When parliament is prorogued or dissolved the secretary shall (must) cause a notification to that effect to be published in the gazette.”

The parliament records show that the parliament secretaries of all previous parliaments, in line with the Rules of Procedure, published the gazettes on dissolution of the legislatures after the

speaker approved the same.

The article 123 of the charter says MPs elected in a general elections “must not assume office” before the expiry of the five-year tenure of the previous parliament.

Again, the article 148 of the constitution stipulates that MPs taking oath “must be deemed to have entered upon the office immediately after he makes the oath”.

The authorities on Jan 14 served notices to the ninth parliament MPs, who failed to get elected in the Jan 5 polls, to vacate their flats by Jan 30 “At present the 10th parliament exists, not the ninth parliament as the MPs have taken oath,” ASM Feroz, the whip of the ninth parliament, told the Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday.

“I have stopped using the flag since I have become an MP of the 10th parliament. I am no longer a whip of the ninth parliament,” he said.

Senior Awami League MP Suranjit Sengupta and barrister Rafiq-ul-Haque at a discussion at a private TV channel agreed that the oath-taking by the 10th parliament MPs had terminated the ninth parliament.

JS notice for vacating houses

The authorities on January 14 served notices to the ninth parliament MPs, who failed to contest or get elected in the January 5 polls, to vacate their flats by January 30.

“The newly elected MPs are asking for flats. So, the honourable MPs not re-elected in the 10th parliament must vacate the apartments,” Syed Ahmed, an additional secretary, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He said some of the outgoing MPs belonging to the Awami League had requested the parliament authorities to extend the deadline by 15 more days. Some 171 members of the ninth parliament were re-elected to the 10th parliament. l

A woman looks at the remains of her home which was gutted in a fire yesterday in Chittagong’s Nahar Monjil Colony

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Investigation officer to testify against Yusuf Sunday n Udisa Islam Md Helal Uddin, the Investigation Officer (IO) of the war crimes case against detained Jamaat-e-Islami nayeb-eamir AKM Yusuf will begin his deposition before the International Crimes Tribunal 2 on Sunday as the prosecution ends the deposition of its witnesses.

The International Crimes Tribunal 2 yesterday adjourned the trial against Yusuf till Sunday after recording of the deposition of a seizure witness.

Meanwhile, the prosecution filed an application seeking rejection of the full defence witness list that was placed by

the defence on last September 5. The defence placed the names of 56 witnesses in front of the tribunal.

Yusuf is facing trial on 13 counts of crimes against humanity including genocide, murders, arson attacks, abduction, torture in confinement, forced conversion of Hindu people to Muslim and deportation committed at different places in Bagerhat during the Liberation War in 1971.

As the day’s proceedings began, the tribunal recorded the evidence of a seizure witness, Rabiul Anam Khan, a cataloguer of the Press Institute Bangladesh. He is the second seizure witness.

He said investigation officer Helal Ud-

din had seized copies of Daily Samakal and Janakantha from his office and he had signed this list.

The prosecution submitted formal charges against Jamaat leader Yusuf, 84, on May 8, 2012 for his involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War. Before that on April 22, the investigation agency submitted their probe report.

In his background report, investigation officer Helal Uddin said Yusuf was a member of Jamiat Talebi-e-Arabia during student life. He joined Jamaat in 1952 and in 1957 he became the top leader of Khulna. Helal Uddin will place his collected information and documents

as PW 26 and will describe how he completed his investigation at Bagerhat.

Conducting prosecutor Hrishikhesh Saha said the prosecution had placed 25 witnesses including seizure witnesses against 13 charges.

“And we have collected enough information to prove the case. We have many more witnesses to testify, but under the current situation, our witnesses are feeling unsafe. So we decided to end the deposition of witnesses,” he said.

On July 1, 2012 Tribunal shifted the case against Yusuf to ICT 2 for quick disposal as the prosecution pleaded to the ICT 1 for transfer. l

Immigration alerted BNP: Nothing seditious in Khaleda’s speech DEMANDING BRIBE about entry of involvement of outsiders with the joint ings were increasing day by day, and said: HC suspends 35-year jail Mohammad Al-Masum Molla n “Ten bodies were found in the last 10 forces operation in Satkhira district.

Pakistanis On Tuesday, Syed Ashraf gave a 24- days while 187 leaders and activists were The BNP has claimed that party Chairsentence for SP person Khaleda Zia’s recent speech on hour ultimatum to the BNP chairperson forcefully ‘disappeared’ and 227 were n Rabiul Islam local police station asking for security. government law enforcers’ drives did for withdrawing Monday’s statement killed in the last three months. Three n Nazmus Sakib But after their arrival at the police The home ministry has directed immi- not contain any comment that was tanta- that “affected the credibility” of the bodies were found in Nilphamari who gration authorities to be more cautious when checking documents of Pakistani nationals entering the country.

The directive comes following a recent intelligence report that a section of Pakistani nationals may be carrying out acts of violence in Bangladesh.

The order, signed by deputy home secretary Md Habibur Rahman, was sent to the Directorate of Passport and Immigration on January 15.

A senior home ministry official said such a step was taken so that “hostile elements” cannot come into the country.

“We have no intention to make poor relations with any country, but we cannot allow any foreign national to carry out terrorism in our country,” Kamal Uddin Ahmed, additional secretary (political) of the home ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The law enforcing agencies were closely monitoring the movement of a section of Pakistani nationals who may be planning to carry out terrorist acts in the country, Kamal added.

On Sunday night, the detective branch of police arrested three Pakistanis outside Dhaka’s Shilpakala Academy and seized bomb-making manuals and training methodologies from their possession.

The men, identified as Usman, 23, and Fakrul Hasan, 50, of Kourangi district, and Mehmud, 26, of Malir district, are suspected to be trained members of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, a Pakistan-based terrorist group.

Two separate cases were filed against the suspects with Ramna police station under the Anti-Terrorism Act-2009 and Foreign Act-1964. l

mount to being seditious.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of the party, made the claim at a press briefing in BNP’s Nayapaltan headquarters yesterday, ahead of the end of the 24-hour ultimatum set by Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam for Khaleda to withdraw her comment.

“Syed Ashraf does not have his facts clear. There was nothing seditious in Khaleda Zia’s speech. He lied to mislead the people,” Fakhrul told journalists at the briefing, where many BNP leaders, who had recently been in hiding, were also present.

At a rally in the capital on Monday, Khaleda Zia said: “It is difficult to believe that our law enforcers have conducted such violent drives against their own countrymen.” She also hinted the

country’s law enforcers.

LGRD Minister Syed Ashraf also said: “Khaleda delivered a similar speech related to the crackdown on Satkhira Jamaat-Shibir members that the daily Inqilab had reported. The newspaper authority has since apologised for its false report.

“However, Khaleda still has not apologised. She has to withdraw her statement immediately, otherwise the government would make necessary steps,” he added.

Meanwhile, Fakhrul also alleged that the government has made all sorts of arrangements to destroy the country’s democracy. The spokesperson claimed that the ruling party was moving forward with a plan to eradicate the BNP by bringing allegations of violence against the opposition party.

Fakhrul alleged that extrajudicial kill-

were accused of attacks on Asaduzzaman Noor’s motorcade.”

Demanding neutral investigation into these incidents, Fakhrul urged the rights bodies to come forward for probing the incidents.

“It [extrajudicial killings] happens when there is no rule of law in the country. People having differences in opinion were killed in this way, which is a threat for democracy.”

The BNP leader claimed that real democracy was dead and the funeral procession of democracy had started from January 5.

In the briefing, party’s Standing Committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Joint Secretary General Amanullah Aman, Mizanur Rahman, and Member Secretary of Dhaka city unit BNP Abdus Salam were present. l

Students forced to queue up to welcome state minister n Our Correspondent, Bandarban School children had to wait in queue for hours with flowers and banners to welcome State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Bir Bahadur in Bandarban yesterday.

Students along with their teachers were brought to welcome the minister suspending their classes.

Students of Bandarban Town Model Government Primary School, Bandarban Adarsha Government Primary

School, Collectorate School and Government High School were reported to have been forced to join the queue to give a warm reception to the newly elected MP for the Bandarban-300 constituency.

Seeking anonymity the headmaster of a school said his students went to welcome the minister due to pressure from the higher authorities.

Earlier, the education ministry imposed a ban on using children in any political programmes or reception programme of ministers and lawmakers.

Ashraful Islam, a guardian of a school, said: “We sent our children to school for study not to stand in lines to receive a minister.”

It was learnt that Tk70, 000 was spent on flowers to decorate gate and stage.

Bohmong King Ongsroi Prue Chowdhury was made food minister for the first time during the regime of Ziaur Rahman in 1973.

After 37 years Bir Bahadur took the office as state minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs. l

Bail of 5 BNP leaders rejected once again n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday rejected the bail petitions of five BNP leaders in two cases filed with Motijheel police station and a case filed with Ramna police station.

The BNP leaders are Moudud Ahmed, Rafiqul Islam Mia, MK Anwar, Shamsur Rahman alias Shimul Biswas and BNP Chairperson’s Advisor, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.

Dhaka Metropolitan Session’s Judge Md Jahrul Haque passed the order in the afternoon.

BNP leader Moudud Ahmed, Rafiqul Islam Mia, MK Anwar and Shimul Biswas have been shown accused in two cases filed with Motijheel police station while Khonder Mahbub was shown accused in a case filed with Ramna police station.

Md Sanaullah Miah, the defence

counsel for the BNP leaders, filed separate bail petitions for each arguing that the government is now trying to harass these politicians by filing false cases against them. During the bail hearing, he also argued that the accused were entitled to bail as they were not involved with the crimes stated in the cases.

However, the court rejected the bail pleas after the hearing.

Meanwhile, Sanaullah Miah said an appeal will be made to the High Court regarding the court’s bail rejection.

On the other hand, another BNP leader Shammi Akhter has received bail in a case filed against her with Banani Police station for torching a bus.

Metropolitan Magistrate Hasibul Haque granted her bail after hearing the bail petition filed by her defence counsel Sanaullah Miah. l

The High Court yesterday suspended a sentence of 35 years’ imprisonment for Superintendent of Police Mostafa Kamal in a case filed for demanding Tk50 lakh in bribe from the SA Paribahan proprietor in December 2002.

The bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed also granted the police official bail as an appeal had been lodged against the sentence pronounced

by Dhaka Special Judge Court 3.

According to the statement of the case filed on November 20, 2003, SA Paribahan owner Salauddin Ahmed and staff members of his office were going to Sylhet by a private car on December 22, 2002 with a bag of Tk 20 lakh.

A team of Habiganj police halted their car, seized the money and asked them to lodge a general diary with the

station, the then SP Mostafa Kamal ordered the policemen on duty to detain Salauddin and his officials and filed a money laundering case against them. The SP and Inspector (now retired) Wahid Miah also demanded Tk50 lakh from the SA Paribahan Head Office in exchange for their release.

In his verdict on December 19 last year, Judge Md Motahar Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court 3 acquitted the inspector and sentenced SP Mostafa, who is now posted at Syedpur Railway.

The court also fined Mostafa Tk30 lakh, defaulting which he will have to spend another year in jail. Supreme Court lawyer Rokanuddin Mahmud contended for the police officer while Deputy Attorney General Khandaker Diliruzzaman represented the state. l

EU stresses ‘international standard’ for war crimes, BDR mutiny cases n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman The European Union has stressed the importance of following “international standards” for judicial proceedings in Bangladesh concerning the crimes committed during the Liberation War and the mass trial in the Bangladesh Rifles mutiny case.

In reply to questions in the EU parliament related to the death penalty in Bangladesh, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said the position of Brussels on death penalty was very well known in Dhaka.

“In our contacts with the government of Bangladesh, we have also stressed the importance of following international standards for due process, in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other instruments ratified by Bangladesh,” she said.

“From the start of the trials, we have repeatedly stressed in public statements and in our high level contacts with the government, that while the EU does not favour impunity for crimes, we are opposed to the death penalty in any circumstances, even in the case of the worst crimes,” she said. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, January 23, 2014

LPG prices go up, consumers suffer n Aminur Rahman Rasel Prices of 12kg cylinders of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) saw a Tk100-150 increase in local markets following a price hike in the international market and pipeline gas crisis in Dhaka city and adjacent areas, industry insiders said.

Private traders said the price of per tonne LP gas was $1,250 in October 2013, but it rose to $1,400 in November.

“The price of LPG in the international market generally goes up in winter as its demand increases,” TOTALGAZ Bangladesh General Manager Mujibur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is imported to Asia mainly from different parts of Middle East.

“We are selling 12kg cylinders to dealers at Tk1,500. Dealers sell the cylinders at different rates to retailers,” Petredec Elpiji Ltd General Manager Md Saidul Islam told the Dhaka tribune.

While a residential user has to pay a maximum of Tk450 a month for a 24-hour-gas supply through pipelines, a 12.4 -12.5 KG cylinder LPG cylinder now costs around Tk1, 650-1,700.

The cylinders are available from

Chhatra League men vandalise district LGED office

n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj Chhatra League activists yesterday vandalised the LGED engineer’s office at Kotalipara in Gopalganj cantering an argument over submission of papers to bid a tender.

Witnesses said a heated argument started between the league activists and the officer as he denied to accept the paper they brought to submit to bid the tender called for the construction of a bridge at Maranpara village under Kotalipara upazila of the district.

The tender worth Tk30 lakhs.

The Engineer Khan A Shamim said the reason behind the denial was the group came after 12pm while the deadline for the submission was over.

After the denial Kayum Hajra and Kalam— the activists— involved in an argument and at one stage of the argument one of the duo hurled a paper weight at the engineer, but the man managed to saved himself.

The activists also vandalised a door and windows of the office.

Witnesses who wished to be anonymous said after the incident locals and officers at the office asked the activists to say sorry to the engineer to resolve the matter.

They did so and left the scene, witness added.

But the accused Kayum Hajra denied the allegation against him and said that was a “misunderstanding”.

Shafiqul Islam, upazila Nirbahi officer of Kotalipara upazila, admitted that the matter was resolved by the locals. l

WEATHER

Temperature to remain unchanged

n UNB

Weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country until 6pm today.

Moderate to thick fog may occur over the country during night till morning, Met Office said.

Night and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The sun sets in the capital at 5:38pm today and rises at 6:42am tomorrow.

Country’s highest temperature 31.4 degrees Celsius was recorded yesterday in Sitakunda and lowest 10.0 degrees in Ishwardi.

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

High

Low

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

28.2 29.2 24.8 26.4 23.5 26.4 30.7 29.8

12.5 15.0 10.8 13.0 11.8 12.6 13.5 16.2

four sources – government LP Gas Limited and privately-owned TOTALGAZ Bangladesh, Bashundhara LP Gas Ltd, Jamuna Spacetech Joint Venture Ltd, Linde Bangladesh Limited and Petredec Elpiji Ltd While the supply from private firms often stays steady, their prices do not – because of the crisis of the government brand.

Md Eunusur Rahman, the chairman of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), also the monitoring agency of LP Gas, told the Dhaka Tribune that the private firms were importing 80,000 tonnes of LPG while the government produces 20,000 tonnes a year against an annual demand of 300,000 tonnes.

Expressing his helplessness, the chairman said the mismatch between supply and demand was the main reason for the high price.

Consumers said the seller companies had hiked the price of the cooking gas by Tk100-150 per cylinder from the beginning of winter.

Kazi Hasan, a dealer of Petredec Elpiji Ltd companies, said, “We have raised the price by Tk50 per cylinder from this month.”

“We are suffering a lot because of

the gas price hike,” said Sumuna Yasmin, a housewife from Mohammadpur.

A cylinder of BPC-produced LP gas is priced at Tk700 at the end-consumer level. But this subsidised gas is traded for Tk1,600-1,700, almost the same prices charged by private companies.

BPC chairman Md. Eunusur Rahman said that it is not possible to take control of the price due to low productivity.

“Besides we have no the work force needed to monitor the private sector about controlling price,” he added.

Our Correspondent in Barisal reported that the prices of LPG cylinders had gone up by Tk100-150 within a month and reached Tk1,500-1,550 per cylinder in Barisal city markets.

There was no supply of natural gas by pipeline and public sector LPG producing companies Padma, Meghna and Jamuna, which sold the cylinders for Tk678 per cylinder, had not supplied them to the region in the last four months.

Price of per 12.5kg cylinder of Basundhara, Klinhit, Total Gas and Jamuna at the city markets was Tk1,320/1,340 till June 2013.

However from July last year the

price increased to Tk1,380-1,420 and from mid-January 2014 it became Tk1,500-1,550, said Nurul Alam Shahin, owner of LPG retailer Sharif Enterprise of the Battala market in the city.

He informed that monthly total demands of LPG cylinders near about one lakh in Barisal region. But its supply never exceeded sixty thousand cylinders causing crisis, price hike and black marketing.

Usually dealers fix the retail price at about Tk80- 100 over the factory rate, the LPG dealers said.

Ranjit Dutta, the Barisal district coordinator of Consumers Association of Bangladesh, said urban and middle class people and small food shops depended on LPG cylinders as there was no easy or cheap alternative of cooking fuel in the region.

Shohidul Alam, the deputy commissioner of Barisal, said dealers and retailers of LPG in the city had decided at a meeting that LPG cylinders would be sold with a 10-15% mark-up over the factory rate.

Mobile courts would operate drives against illegal price hikes and hoarding LPG to prevent creation of any fake crisis, the DC said. l

5:24am 6:42am 12:10am 4:02pm 5:38pm 6:57pm

Source: IslamicFinder.org

Police still in the dark n Mohammad Jamil Khan Although a month has elapsed since the sensational murders of six members of a religious group at the capital’s Gopibagh, the Detective Branch of police was yet to unveil the mystery behind the killings, or arrest any perpetrator.

Despite having interrogated over 50 people in connection with the incident, the police have so far only been able to disclose that the murders were committed because of “religious disputes,” but did not clarify details of their findings.

According to DB officials, all the perpetrators were “trained” and “professional” killers who did not leave any clue at the murder spot. The investigators were now reportedly taking a slow approach in solving the mystery with the help of technology.

Earlier on December 21, self-proclaimed pir (religious preacher) Lutfor Rahman and his son Monir Hossain, along with the pirs’ assistant Manju Ahmed and followers Md Shahin, Md Rubel Mia and Mujibar Rahman, were killed at Lutfor’s RK Mission Road house.

Some eight to nine people, identifying themselves as followers of the pir,

entered the house and committed the murders after allegedly tying up the victims in two separate rooms of the flat.

Following the incident, Lutfor’s younger son Abdullah Al Faruk filed a case with Wari police station, accusing 10 to 12 unidentified people.

Jahangir Hossain Matubbor, deputy commissioner of the DB (east) police, told the Dhaka Tribune that maximum priority has been given to the investigation of the case and several teams were working on it.

Separate interviews with Lutfor’s wife, son and close relatives have revealed that the killers were familiar to Lutfar, Jahangir said, adding that the killers had carefully planned the murders.

The mobile phone connection used by the killers to contact Lutfor had stayed switched off since the murders, the deputy commissioner said, adding that special investigative teams of the DB have been analysing several more mobile phone numbers.

The police suspected that the murders had been committed by some professional killers over a conflict surrounding religious sentiment, Jahangir said. l

3 foreigners held making counterfeit dollars n Kailash Sarkar Three foreigners, including two women, were arrested with huge quantity of materials used for making counterfeit dollars from the capital’s Uttara yesterday.

The arrested foreigners are Perez Wise Perez Ifrain from Guatemala and his female associates Scen Karin Notre and Mikk Sandino Laurel from Cameroon.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Media) Masudur Rahman said, the three foreigners were nabbed from a house on Road 4 of Section 5 in Uttara.

“30 bundles of papers used for making of counterfeit banknotes, various manuals on making counterfeit dollars and different types of chemicals were recovered from the detainees,” said the DC. Detective Branch Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam, at a press briefing,

said the Detective Branch arrested the foreigners following a tip-off from Interpol on the dollar forgery syndicates in Bangladesh.

He further informed that all three of the detained foreigners have been staying in Bangladesh from last October on tourist visas. Their passports have also been seized.

He also said nationals from different foreigners countries, who are involved with various illegal activities like producing counterfeit banknotes of different countries, are now residing in various places of the capital.

Last month, 37 citizens of China and Taiwan were arrested by members of the Rapid Action Battalion from the same area for running illegal VOIP business.

According to sources, over 600 foreigners are now serving various jail terms in the country for illegal activities, such as forgery, drugs smuggling or fraudulent activities. l

The three arrested African citizens in front of DMP media centre yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Arguments in Ramna blast case on Four people killed February 3, witness deposition ends n Tribune Report

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday fixed February 3 as the date to hear arguments in the Ramna bombing case.

Dhaka Second Additional Metropolitan Session’s Judge Md Ruhul Amin declared that the recording of depositions and cross-examinations was concluded, after he rejected a time petition by the defence lawyer.

Earlier in the day the defence lawyer failed to present a witness to give a deposition on behalf of the accused, Moulana Showkat Akbar.

Thus the court declared the recording of statements concluded.

The seven accused, including Mufti Hannan, were present before the court.

The court has recorded depositions

of 61 prosecution witnesses including investigation officer Abu Hena Md Yusuf out of 84 in the case.

A powerful blast during the traditional celebrations of Bangla New Year 1408 (April 14, 2001) claimed the lives of 10 people and left 50 others wounded at Ramna Batamul in the capital.

Following the incident two cases, one for murder and the other under the Explosive Substances Act, were filed with Ramna police station.

Seven years after the incident, investigators were able to link the militant organisation Harkat-ul Jihad AlIslami (HuJi) to the blast.

On Nov 29, 2008, CID inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf, the sixth investigating officer to work on the case, pressed charges in court against 14 ac-

cused, and showed 84 people as prosecution witnesses.

The court framed charges on April 16, 2009 against HuJi chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and his 13 associates.

Seven of the accused; Mufti Hannan, Arif Hasan Sumon, Shahadat Ullah Jewell, Hafez Maulana Abu Taher, Maulana Abdur Rauf, Maulana Sabbir Hossain, Moulana Yahiya and Maulana Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid; were produced before the court yesterday while Moulana Akbar Hossain, now on bail, was also present.

Five others; Moulana Tajuddin – brother of BNP leader Abdus Salam Pintu, Hafez Jahangir Alam Badar, Maulana Abu Bakar, Mufti Shafikur Rahman and Mufti Abdul Hai; are absconding. l

Four people were killed in separate incidents in Lalmonirhat, Narayanganj, Jhenaidah and Faridpur yesterday.

Of the victims, two were school students and one was an infant, report our correspondents.

In Lalmonirhat, a schoolboy was found dead in Char Kurul of Dharla River in village Mogholhat yesterday.

The dead Rayhan Islam, 13, was a student of class eight at Kurigram Government High School.

Rayhan was kidnapped from Rowmari para area in Kurigram town on January 18, said the police. The boy was strangled to death on Monday night and the dead body was thrown into sand hole in the char on the night.

The boy's alleged killer Shamim Rahman Sagar, 18, was arrested in this connection.

Earlier, the kidnappers took Tk3 lakh as ransom from the victim’s father and after receiving the money they killed the boy, said Ershadul Haque, father of the victim.

In Narayanganj, a school student named Jahidur Rahman was killed in Sonargaon upazila. Jahidur was a student of class VII of Kachpur Omor Ali High School. Family members said Jahidur had been missing since Tuesday and he was killed because they could not give the ransom money demanded

by the kidnappers.

Police recovered the body of Jahidur at 11am. The throat of the boy was slit and packed up in a sack from an embankment of Sadipur union under Sonargaon upazila.

Officer-in-Charge of Sonargaon police station Atiqur Rahman said another student of the same school named Shakil was also missing, he added.

In Jhenaidah, a two years old girl was strangled to death allegedly by her mother at Solaimanpur village under Kotchandpur upazila.

The kid was Sumaya Khatun, 2, and the mother was Rafeza Khatun of Solaimanpur village.

Sirajul Islam, a neighbour, said Rafeza was a mentally challenged woman.

Kotchandpur police station Officerin-Charge Mizanur Rahman said Rafeza killed her daughter with a pillow and they arrested Rafeza.

A case was filed with Kotchandpur police station. The body was sent to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital morgue for post mortem examination, OC said.

In Faridpur, a driver was found dead at his rented house at village Algi under Bhanga upazila early yesterday. The dead was Rubel Sheik, 25, of village Heraldi under the same upazila.

Sub-inspector Lyakot of Bhanga police station said they suspected that Rubel might have been killed and they arrested Pinki, wife of the deceased. l

Warrant against 64 activists of 18-party in Dinajpur n Tribune Report

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

GOPIBAGH SIX-MURDER CASE

A guest speaks in memory of former chief justice Habibur Rahman at a condolence meeting organised by Nagarik Committee in the National Shaheed Minar yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Dinajpur Speedy Trial court yesterday issued a warrant order against 64 activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance accusing vandalism and looting valuables.

The case was lodged by Parul Begum, an electoral agent for Awami League candidate Iqbal Rahman in the last election, who accused that he was attacked by the members of 18-party alliance.

In his case statement Parul named 84 persons, including more 250 un-

named people as accused.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Tauhidul Haq Chowdhury issued the warrent after examining the Charge sheet submitted by the investigation officer of the case Anisuzzaman.

Of the 64 activists, the court excluded 9 person’s name from the charge sheet as their involvement with the incident could not be proved.

The excluded persons were the local leaders of the BNP. Police said 11 persons among the accused are in jail and the court rejected their bail petition. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

NHA housing schemes fall behind deadline Inefficiency of authorities, legal loopholes cited as hurdles scheduled time,” said an official of the is zero percent and financial progress n Abu Hayat Mahmud 0.034%.

NHA, preferring anonymity.

The construction of mega housing projects under the National Housing Authority continues at a snail’s pace, with almost all of its housing development schemes behind their completion deadline.

The inefficiency of the construction authorities concerned, wrong selection of bidders, sheer dilly-dallying in land-recovering move and negligence in starting the groundwork are attributed to the delay.

Sources in the National Housing Authority (NHA) said there had been little progress in the implementation of five apartment projects belonging to the government-owned agency due to lack of funds and land, the High Court ruling because of the grabbers’ writ petitions, and bureaucratic tangle of the relevant ministry etc.

“It may not be possible to implement some of the projects within the

According to the NHA officials, there are five apartment projects for middle and low income people being implemented in and around the Dhaka city.

The five are Joynagar apartments for the government and semi-government officials in Mirpur, Anandanagar apartments at section 16 in Mirpur, 100-flat project at section 15 in Mirpur, Residential-cum-commercial multi-storey building at Nababganj upazila in Dhaka and Residential flats for middle income group at Dohar upazila in Dhaka.

The construction of Joynagar apartments is set to miss the deadline as much of the groundwork is yet to be laid. Undertaken in July 2011, the project was supposed to be completed by December 31 last year.

The government approved Tk321.86 crore for the housing project on a fouracre area at section 15 in Mirpur. Now the physical progress of the project

The residential project will feature 520 apartments – each having 1,500 square feet – in five 14-storey buildings. Sheer delay in land-recovering move and negligence in starting the groundwork are attributed to the procrastination.

The NHA officials now said the timeframe for the implementation of the government-run housing project had been extended to December 2016.

The construction of Anandanagar apartment delays is because land for the project is yet to be recovered from the grabbers. The project will have 1,456 flats – each with 1,385 square feet – in the 14-storey building of double basement on a total of 15.12-acre land.

The implementation period of the Tk893.96-crore housing project was between July, 2013 and June, 2016. At present there has been no progress in the Anandanagar project.

5

Thursday, January 23, 2014

The construction of the 100-flat project at section 15 in Mirpur also continues at a very slow rate because of legal tangle. The High Court declared a stay order on the land recovery because of a writ petition by the land grabbers.

The 100-flat project, each with 1,500-square feet, in the 14-storey building will be constructed on a oneacre land.

The implementation period the Tk35-crore project was between July, 2011 and December, 2013.

The NHA has clearly failed to meet its implementation deadline and later extended time till June, 2016.

At present the physical progress of the construction project is only 7% and financial progress 0.38%.

According to the NHA officials, the construction of Nababganj residential-cum-commercial 12-soriey building is going on very slowly as a suitable bidder is yet to be entrusted with the task.

The Tk43.56-crore project time is scheduled to be completed in June 2014, starting from July, 2012, but its physical progress is zero percent and financial progress 3.74%.

Besides, the residential project in Dohar remains suspended since May 2013 as its bidder and construction companies have stopped work for reason unknown. Around 6% of the project work has been completed. The financial progress of the project is 5.05%.

When contacted, NHA Executive Engineer Md Khaled Hossain, also the project manager, denied facing fund crunch. He said: “It will take more time to take possession of most of the projects’ land occupied by the grabbers.”

“When we step in for an eviction drive, the grabbers file writ with the High Court against us. But at last we got permission from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court to reclaim the land from the grabbers,” he said. l

35 brick kilns, two wheat factories sued in Chittagong

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

The Chittagong court yesterday sued a total of 35 brick kilns and two wheat factories on charges of producing, trading and distributing of goods without maintaining quality measures.

A press release of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) in Chittagong said the BSTI lodged a case with the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate against 23 kilns and two wheat factories at Fatikchhari upazila, 11 kilns at Lohagara upazila and one kiln at Satkania upazila.

Showkat Osman, one of the deputy directors of BSTI in Chittagong, said they conducted a drive at 50 kilns and at several wheat factories in three upazilas to check the quality measures.

During the drive they found that the 37 organisations— brick kilns and wheat factories— had no legal papers, while they were not following the instructions for maintaining the quality of production, sale and distribution of goods. l

Post of CU registrar vacant for 18 years n FM Mizanur Rahaman The post of registrar at the Chittagong University (CU), one of the most vital administrative positions of the institute, has remained vacant for the past 18 years.

Since then, the duties of the post were carried out by teachers and mid-level officials in different times under the post of ‘acting registrar’, breaching the university’s rules and regulations.

The duties of the post were carried out by teachers and mid-level officials in different times under the post of ‘acting registrar’, breaching the university’s rules On Sunday, CU Vice-Chancellor Professor Anwarul Azim Arif appointed the university’s chief engineer Md Alamgir Chowdhury as the acting registrar.

Md Alamgir Chowdhury, who had been the university’s chief engineer on a contractual appointment, will now hold both of the posts for the time.

Sources in the university’s administration said the recent appointment has triggered anger among the university’s teachers and officials.

Earlier, Professor Dr Safiul Islam from the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Science, has stepped down from the post of acting registrar, showing personal reasons.

Professor Safiul said: “I have resigned because I want to get involved with academic activities again.’

He further added that he found it very uncomfortable to keep away from teaching students.

Administrative sources said, a total of 16 persons served the university as registrar since its inception in 1966,

and added that 11 of them had carried out their duties as acting registrar.

The last regular registrar of Chittagong University, Abdur Rashid, retired in 1995.

Sources said the university’s vice-chancellors had repeatedly kept the post vacant after Rashid’s retirement.

Even after issuing several circulars in different times to fill the post, the university has repeatedly failed to appoint a registrar for the past 17 years.

University sources said in April 21, 2011, CU authorities had issued circulars on newspapers for appointing a registrar. Even though several deserving candidates applied for the post, the university authorities, however, halted the recruitment processes due to unknown reasons.

“Actually, the VCs intentionally keep this position vacant as it is the driving force of the university,” a dean of the university told Dhaka Tribune, seeking anonymity.

“The VCs appoint their preferred individuals as acting registrar and use them for their personal interest,” he added.

Sources said a candidate must have at least 16 years of administrative experience; however, none of the acting registrars appointed so far have met the criteria.

AKM Mahfujul Haque, president of officer association at CU, told Dhaka Tribune that the university authority had paid no heed to their repeated demands to appoint a registrar.

‘We sent an official letter to the vice-chancellor, urging him to appoint registrar as per the requirements,” he added.

Meanwhile, Professor Ifekhar Uddin Chowdury, pro vice-chancellor of CU, told Dhaka Tribune that eligible persons would have to be appointed in right capacities to run the university smoothly. l

A mobile court led by Razzakul Islam, upazila nirbahi officer of Poba, conducts a drive at Shyampur char in Rajshahi yesterday and set three dredging machines on fire following the publication of a photo in the Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday about illegal sand lifting from the Padma River by influential quarters DHAKA TRIBUNE

Political clashes leave SBMC in disarray n Anisur Rahman Swapan, Barisal

Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College is in a turmoil following clashes between the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student front of the ruling Awami League, and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student front of the BNP, on the campus.

Activists of BCL and Chhatra Dal were locked in clash at Jamiur Rahman Hall of the medical college in the early hours of yesterday.

Campus sources said BCL activists led

by SBMC unit convener Harun Ur Rashid entering Jamiur Rahman Hall, assaulted Golam Sarwar, literature and publication secretary, and Rakib Hasan, library secretary of SBMC unit Chhatra Dal.

Later, their supporter were locked in the clash and were involved in chase and counter-chase, leaving the aforesaid two and Avishek Barman, finance secretary of SBMC unit JCD, injured.

Later, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Jamshed Ali, SBMC unit JCD president, alleged the BCL cadres attacking opponent activists created reign of terror on the campus, hampering peaceful coexistence and the academic environment.

He also alleged that authority of the medical college failed to control the situation.

Denying the allegation, BCL convener Harun said they were only trying

to be vigilant against anti-state and anti-government conspiracies by the opposition activists.

Harun also claimed that Tarik Aziz was engaged in anti-government and anti-state propagations through Facebook and other social media.

On Tuesday noon, BCL cadres beat Islami Chhatra Shibir activist and 42thbatch student Tarik Aziz, and handed him over to police, accusing him of being involved in subversive activities.

Sub-Inspector of Kotwali police station Golam Kabir said Tarik was indicted in a case of assault on police.

On early Sunday, BCL activists beat ICS activists Md Jony, Afzal and Gaffar, students of 43rd batch at the SBMC hostel No 2.

Navy decommissions first two frigates

JU acting VC appointed n Tribune Report

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

The government appointed an acting vice-chancellor to Jahangirnagar University yesterday.

Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof MA Matin was made acting VC on a temporary basis, said a press release of the Ministry of Education. The ministry issued an order in this regard.

The press release said the acting vice chancellor would make a panel for appointment of vice chancellor in a special senate meeting.

He would inform the chancellor and the president of the country about the decision of the meeting in the next 30 days.

The post of vice chancellor was vacant since Prof Anwar Hossain, the fifth VC of the institute, resigned on January 13. l

The first two frigates of Bangladesh Navy, BNS Abu Bakar and BNS Ali Haider, were decommissioned from Bangladesh Navy through a function at BNS Isha Khan Jetty in Chittagong yesterday morning.

The two renowned warships of the country’s navy force were going to be replaced with newly procured 053H2 Frigate ships from China, said navy sources.

The new ships have already started from China and are set to arrive in Bangladesh at the end of this month, said the sources.

Chittagong Naval Area Commander Rear Admiral Akhtar Habib was present at the function as chief guest.

He said the two first frigates played a very important role when natural disasters struck the country.

“Both the ships discharged their duties appropriately on the Bay of Bengal

to protect the country’s economic maritime area and save the country from external enemies, terrorists and smugglers,” he said.

The area commander also thanked present and former officials of the two ships for operating the ships with discipline, and proved themselves as true patriots.

Present and former high officials of Bangladesh Navy in Chittagong were also present at the programme.

BNS Ali Haider was previously commissioned as HMS JAGUAR with the Royal British Navy (RBN) in 1959. It was re-commissioned in Bangladesh Navy in 1978.

BNS Abu Bakar was previously commissioned as HMS LUNX in 1957 in the RBN. It was re-commissioned in Bangaldesh Navy in 1982.

However, Bangladesh Navy authorities are yet to decide about what to do with this two decommissioned ships. l

NU teacher suspended n Tribune Report An aspirant government primary teacher speaks at a press conference at the National Press Club yesterday, demanding job regularisation NASHIRUL ISLAM

Later, campus police rushed to the spot controlled the situation.

BCL activists alleged that when Shibir men were planning to hold a conspiracy meeting for sabotage, general students challenged them.

But Jony denied the allegation and said he called other two classmates to discuss about their study, curriculum and course.

Dr Ranjit Kha, principal of the SBMC, said he asked the authority to strengthen police presence on the campus to avoid any untoward incident.

Shakhawt Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said they were monitoring the situation and strengthening their presence to maintain law and order on the campus. l

The authorities of National University have temporally suspended Dr Md Saleh Uddin, a lecturer of Islami Studies Department of the university, be-

cause of his imprisonment.

The matter was disclosed through a press release sent by Director (acting) of Public Relations ad Information and Consultation Directory of the institution yesterday. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Renovation of flood control dyke goes on at snail’s pace Sirajganj residents worried that a flood next season might bring disaster

n Our Correspondent, Sirajganj Locals in the district remain vulnerable to flooding as a 2.5-kilometre flood control embankment has been damaged by the recurrent cyclones over the past four years.

The embankment was yet to be repaired though the deadline to repair it has been long over, sources said.

The damage was found at least at 10 points of the flood control dyke and around 900 meter of its concrete part had been devoured by the Jamuna Riv-

er that misplaced the earth underneath the dyke.

Local administration and inhabitants expressed concern over the Water Development Board (WDB) officials’ reluctance to repair the embankment.

Even recurrent repairs to the dyke cost Tk200crore for the last couple of years have failed to control disaster.

The WDB has taken up a Tk80-crore project titled “Water Management Improvement Project” with the support of the World Bank, Nederland’s

Government and the Government of Bangladesh.

The objective of the project is to fill up the bottom of the embankment with 1,23,450 cubic metres of rock to strengthen the dyke.

The rock were supposed to be imported from abroad or brought from the rock mine of Moddopara area in Dinajpur district.

Local contractor MA Munim Ltd was awarded the tender, but the company clearly fell behind the deadline.

Local and WDB sources said only

one-third portion of rock was brought till yesterday which had been stored beside the dyke and only three decimal of the embankment’s bottom had been filled with the stones so far.

Although the renovation deadline had been extended to next April 30, the WDB officials were uncertain about finishing the work within the stipulated time.

Executive Engineer Sajedur Rahman, who had been recently transferred, sent a letter to the higher officials concerned, alleging that lack of manpower,

equipment, experience were a bar to speeding up the project work.

Sub-divisional Engineer of WDB Rafiqul Alam Chowdhury said the WB had not entrusted BRE with the responsibility and so it was not interested in the project.

The project team leader Drubo Kumar met journalists Monday noon, but Akhtaruzzaman of the contractor company allegedly forbade him to talk anything about the renovation project.

Nurul Amin, WDB executive engi-

neer, said: “The construction has been going on at a snail’s pace because of lack of rock. We have nothing to do in this matter.”

Water Development Board Chief of Taskforce Tofayel Ahmed said, “MA Munim Ltd has no experience of construction work. Basically, it is the contractor company for Roads and Highways department.”

The renovation had been delayed because the inexperienced company had been tasked with the responsibility, he added. l

Mongla Export Processing Zone Mongla, Bagerhat.

Web: www.epzbangladesh.org.bd No.03.371.007.01.00.455.2010. 2462

Date: January 15, 2014

Invitation for Tender No. 09/2013-2014

Sealed Tenders are hereby invited from the eligible contractors for the following works as per terms & conditions stated below: 1

Ministry/Division

Prime Minister’s Office

2

Agency

Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA)

3

Procuring Entity name

Executive Engineer (Civil), Mongla EPZ.

4

Procuring Entity district

Bagerhat

5

Invitation for

Works

6

Invitation Ref. no and date

03.371.007.01.00.455.2010 Date: 15.01.2014

KEY INFORMATION The photo taken on Tuesday shows that labourers are engaged in the renovation work of Sirajganj flood control embankment DHAKA TRIBUNE

52 buildings at sorry state in Kushtia n Our Correspondent, Kushtia

At least 52 buildings in Kushtia town may collapse any time as most are in dilapidated condition with cracked ceilings and damaged walls, threatening the lives of a large number of people residing in the buildings.

The buildings, though unstable, are used for commercial purposes, accommodating different offices and shops.

Offices of different organisations and businesses have been set up in the buildings along with residences for people.

While talking to locals on the issue, they feared that the old buildings may collapse anytime. They said the number of risky buildings in the town were also increasing as standard repairs and renovations were not conducted by landlords or the authorities concerned.

Visiting some of the spots, it was found that ceilings in most of the buildings floors had developed cracks and the walls in some of the rooms were damp with heavy moss coverings. Chunks of concrete plasters were also falling apart

from the walls at some of the places.

Among the buildings visited, the one at Amlapara which housed Udichi Shilpi Gosthi, district unit CPB party office and Amlapara Sporting Club were in the worst condition.

A three-storeyed abandoned building at Mesua Bazar in the town, owned

by Piar Khan Abdus Sattar, was also in sorry state. Mizanur Rahman, owner of Kushtia Hardware located on the building’s ground floor, said though the building was unstable, he and his employees were carrying out the business with serious concerns about their safety He said traders of Barobazar led by president of Barobazar Businessmen Association, Mokarram Hossain Moazzem, had collected signatures from the association’s members to repair and renovate the building.

Later, an application was submitted along with the signatures to the district’s deputy commissioner to press home their demands but no initiative was yet taken, he added.

However, sources at the district’s Public Works Department claimed that

people were living in those buildings though the department declared the establishments risky and unsafe a long time back.

Abdus Sattar, an official of the district PWD in-charge of abandoned property, said: “So far we have a list of 52 buildings, but the efforts to repair and renovate those are being hampered mainly because of lack of fund.”

Executive Engineer Mohammad Shahin Mia of district PWD said they would inform the higher authorities again and urge them to take necessary steps as soon as possible.

When contacted, district Deputy Commissioner Syed Belal Hossain said it has not been possible to take necessary initiatives in this regard because of lack of directives.

Sources at the department said the government earlier had decided to sell the abandoned houses to the private sector but no directive was yet issued.

However, they acknowledged that a tragedy similar to the Rana Plaza collapse in Savar might take place anytime for non-implementation of the decision and negligence. l

Dense fog leads to accidents, three killed in Natore

Clash over buying a SIM card, 30 hurt n Tribune Report

n Our Correspondent, Natore

At least 30 people were injured yesterday while several houses and shops were torched in Sherpur-Jamalpur district’s peripheral border as hundreds of people of two neighbouring villages of the districts locked in a clash following an argument over purchasing a mobile SIM card.

They also vandalised houses and looted valuables from shops during the series of clashes among the villagers.

Jamalpur sadar police, Sherpur police, armed police and the RAB members were deployed in the area and ten round bullets were fired to bring the situation under control.

Witnesses said a villager of Chonkanda village in Jamalpur had an altercation with a villager of Kulurchar village in Sherpur on Tuesday night at the bridge over the River Brahmaputra. They then, also involved themselves in a scuffle.

After the altercation between the two, a wave of anger spread among the villagers of Chonkanda and Kulurchar— the two neighbouring villages situated in the two sides of the bridge.

At first, the agitated villagers of Chonkanda rampaged through Kulurchar yesterday in the morning. They made the attack with local sharp weapons and sticks and vandalised eight houses and 10 shops.

After that the villagers of Kulurchar made a counter-attack and rampage through the village Chonkanda.

Later, Jamalpur sadar police went to the spot, but they failed to control the situation. Then Sherpur police, armed police and the RAB went to the spot to foil the fray. l

Three people were killed as three trucks collided with each other as dense fog significantly lowered visibility in Baraigram upazila in Natore yesterday morning.

Two trucks collided as both drivers could not see vehicles coming from opposite direction. Later, another truck turned turtle on the road after hitting them and fell below the bridge at about 7:15am Officer-in-charge of Banpara highway police outpost Masud Parvez said two trucks collided as both drivers could not see vehicles coming from opposite direction. Later, another truck turned turtle on the road after hitting them and fell below the bridge at about 7:15am.

Truck driver Selim Reja, 35, son of Mozammel Haque of Chapainawab-

ganj sadar upazila, and helper, Nazrul Islam, 25, died on the spot. Police recovered body of Mohibul Hossain from under a truck wrecked in the accident.

The accident happened because of poor visibility, the OC said.

Meanwhile, Shaker Hossein was crushed under the wheels of a train while he was trying to get on board at Abdulpur rail station under Lalpur upazila.

On the other hand, Rezaul Sarker was critically injured after a speeding motorcycle hit him in Fulbari area. He was taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

In Khulna, an elderly man died when a train ran over him at the rail crossing adjacent to Goalkhali tempo stand area in the city.

Police said the man who has been identified as Osiar Rahman, 50, hailed from Demra area in the capital city.

Osiar died instantly as he was crushed under the wheels of a Khulna-bound running train while he was crossing the rail track around 11am. l

Child marriage foiled in Rajbari n Our Correspondent, Rajbari A child marriage was foiled in Pangsha upazila under the district on Tuesday.

According to sources, marriage of Rumana Sultan, 14, class IX student of Patikabari Mohammadi Uchha Biddaloy and daughter of Kurban Ali of

Patikabari village under Bahadurpur union in the upazila was fixed with Abdul Alim, 32.

On information, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Aminul Islam Khan, along with a team of upazila officials went to the spot and stopped the marriage. l

7

Procurement method

Open Tendering Method (OTM)

FUNDING INFORMATION 8

Budget and source of funds

Self finance of BEPZA

9

Development Partners (if applicable)

Not applicable

PARTICULAR INFORMATION 10 Project/Programme Code (if applicable)

Not applicable

11 Project/Programme Name (if applicable)

Not applicable

12 Tender Package No.

Not applicable

13 Tender Package Name

Not applicable

14 Tender Publication Date

On or before January 28, 2014

15 Tender Last Selling Date

February 18, 2014 During office hour

16 Tender Submission Date & Time

February 19, 2014 at 12:00 PM

17 Tender Opening Date & Time

February 19, 2014 at 3.00 PM

18 Name & Address of the officer(s)

19

Selling of Tender Document (principal)

Accounts section, Mongla EPZ, Mongla, Bagerhat.

Selling of Tender Document (others)

(i) Office of the Divisional Commissioner, Khulna. (ii) Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Bagerhat.

Receiving of Tender Document

(i) Executive Engineer (Civil), Mongla EPZ, Mongla, Bagerhat. (ii) Office of the Divisional Commissioner, Khulna. (iii) Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Bagerhat.

Opening of Tender Document

Executive Engineer (Civil), Mongla EPZ, Mongla, Bagerhat.

Place/DatelTimie of Pre-Tender meeting Not applicable (Optional) INFORMATION FOR Tenderer

20

Eligibility of Tenderer

The invitation for tender is open to all eligible tenderers who satisfy the following: (a) The Tenderer must have successful completion experience of at least 01 (one) building construction work including sanitary, water supply, electrical works for a single work amounting not less than Tk. 124.00 lac during last 5(five) years in Govt./Semi-Govt./Autonomous Bodies. The work completion certificates shall have to be issued by the Officer not below the rank of Executive Engineer or equivalent Officer of concern Department/Organization. (b) In case of JVC / JVCA eligibility and other conditions are shown in Tender Data Sheet (TDS) of tender documents. (c) The required minimum average annual construction turnover is Tk. 635.00 lac. Which will be based on work completion certificates. (d) The required minimum liquid asset is Tk. 124.00 lac. (e) Black listed 1 debarred bidders from any Govt./Semi-Govt./Autonomous organization will be treated as ineligible to participate in the Tender. (f) Up-to-date trade license, Income Tax clearance certificate, VAT registration certificate, valid A,B,C category electrical contractors and supervisory license from electricity licensing board, Government of Bangladesh. (g) Other required conditions and documents of the tenderer are shown in Tender Data Sheet (TDS) of tender documents must be fulfilled. (h) All other criteria will be taken according to the Public Procurement Act-2006 and its amendment.

21 Brief description of related works

Dismantling, RCC work, MS work, Brick work, Aluminum windows, Tiles, painting, Sanitary and plumbing works, Electrical works etc.

22 Price of Tender Documents

TK. 2,500.00

23 SI. no Identification of lot

Location

i.

Tender Security Amount (Tk.) (In favor of BEPZA)

Construction of 3rd floor of Mongla EPZ, Standard Factory Building # 01 at Mongla, Bagerhat.

Mongla EPZ, Mongla, Bagerhat.

Tk. 6,80,000.00

Completion Time 210 days

PROCURING ENTITY DETAILS 24 Name of Official Inviting Tender

Md. Abdul Matin Miea

25 Designation of Official Inviting Tender

Executive Engineer/Civii

26 Address of Official Inviting Tender

Mongla EPZ, Mongla, Bagerhat.

27 Contract Details of Official Inviting Tender

Phone: 04662-75195, Fax: 04662-75198

28 Special Instruction: (a)

Eligible firms 1 authorized representative may purchase tender documents from the offices mentioned in SN-18 on submitting written request in their letter head pad.

(b)

Any false, forget and miss leading documents furnished by Tenderer shall result in rejection of the Tender.

(c)

In case of any confusion arises due to printing mistake or other reason, the Public Procurement Rules-2008 will govern.

(d)

Tender should be submitted original along with one duplicate copy and it should be mentioned on the cover sheet.

(e)

Tender shall be valid for a period of 120 days from the date of opening the Tender(s).

The tender notice is also available at web site: www.cptu.gov.bd of Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) and www.epzbangladesh.org.bd of BEPZA

29 The procuring entity reserves the right to accept any or reject all the Tenders or annul the Tender Proceedings.

(Md. Abdul Matin Miea) Executive Engineer (Civil) Tel. :04662-75195.

DG – 07/14 (16”x4c)

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Juris

7

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Opening a company in Bangladesh

JURIS QUOTE

Companies Act, 1994 provides the basics of incorporation of a new company

LAW CARTOON

BIG STOCK

n Md Raziur Rahman

I

f you are an entrepreneur and hoping to start your own business, you need to register your firm under the Companies Act, 1994. Here is a general guideline for new entrepreneurs who want to get their company registered in Bangladesh.

The regulatory authority

The Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC) is the regulatory authority which facilitates formation of companies and firms. The body is also responsible for keeping track of all ownership related issues as prescribed by the laws in Bangladesh. The Registrar is the head of the office of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms, Bangladesh.

Types of companies

There are many types of business entities. So, before you start the process of registering your firm, you need to make sure what kind of a company you are going to open. RJSC deals with the following types of entities: l Private companies l Public companies l Foreign companies l Trade organizations l Societies, and l Partnership firms

The laws involved

RJSC accords registration and ensures lawful administration of the entities under the provisions of applicable act as under: Companies and trade organisations: Companies Act, 1994 (Amendment of Companies Act, 1913) l Societies: Societies Registration Act, 1860 l Partnership Firms: Partnership Act, 1932 l

Name Clearance

This is a pre-requisite for registration of a new company (other than Foreign Company) or a society or a trade organisation.

The search for the availability of a company name was computerised in 2003. After checking that the proposed company name is available for registration, the entrepreneur has to apply for name clearance through RJSC website.

RJSC provides name clearance for one of the proposed names upon satisfaction that it does not closely match or resembles with any of the names that have already been taken. The status of the application can be checked online and is usually accepted or rejected within one working day. If accepted, the company name is reserved for six months. A print out of the name clearance certificate must be submitted to the RJSC, along with the other required documents for incorporation.

The registration fees payable at a designated banks

Payment of stamp fees

In order to start business operations, every company must register for taxes at the appropriate taxation authority (Deputy Commission of Taxes of Company Circle, Zonal Taxation Department) under the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and obtain a tax identification number.

One has to pay adhesive stamp fees at a designated bank.

Payment can be made to the designated bank accounts of the Treasury. Previously all the fees were supposed to be deposited only in selected branches of Sonali Bank. RJSC has now allowed one of the leading private sector banks with extensive national coverage ie BRAC Bank to collect fees.

For an authorised share capital of up to Tk1,000,000, the total stamp duty fees are Tk2,500. These include Tk2,000 for affixing stamps on the Articles of Association, and Tk500 for stamps on the Memorandum of Association.

Submission of necessary documents

To register a company, the following documents must be submitted to the registrar: l Name clearance certificate l Memorandum and Articles of Association l Form I (Declaration on the registration of the company) l Form VI (Notice of the registered office) l Form IX (Consent to act as directors) l Form X (The list of persons consenting to act as directors) l Form XII (Particulars of the directors, managers, and managing agents) l Proof of payment (ie receipt from the designated bank) for Treasury Stamps

l For filing six documents (five filled in forms and the

Memorandum and Articles of Association, the fee is Tk200 per document): Tk1,200 l For an authorised share capital of up to Tk20,000, the fee is Tk360. l An additional fee of Tk180 is applicable for every Tk10,000 or part from the first Tk20,000 up until Tk50,000 l An additional fee of Tk45 is applicable for every Tk10,000 or part from the first Tk50,000 up until Tk1,000,000

Obtain a tax identification number (TIN)

Register for VAT

For VAT purposes, companies register with the Customs, Excise, and VAT Commission under the National Board of Revenue. The company’s VAT is regulated by the Customs, VAT and Excise Department of the region in which it operates.

Obtain a trade license

Companies have to obtain a trade licence from the city corporation. Recently, Dhaka City Corporation has been divided into two zones: the North Zone and the South Zone. The proposed company will have to file its application at the nearest city corporation office.

Contact RJSC offices

Now RJSC has four offices in Bangladesh. The head office is situated in Dhaka and three divisional offices are located in Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi. l The writer is a lecturer of law at Deffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

CARTOON BY RIO SHUVO

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FR Tower, 8/c Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka- 1207 Visit our website at: www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

n Mohammad Habibur Rahman

T

he right to freedom of expression upholds the rights of all to express their views and opinions freely. Undoubtedly, in the technological era freedom of expression became a basic foundation of democracy and can be considered as one of the most fundamental aspects of all kinds of freedom. However, there may be some extreme forms of expression which need to be curtailed for the protection of human rights of others. Because in the course of exercising fundamental rights one cannot infringe or abuse right of others.

Hence, our constitution guaranteed this right namely freedom of thought, conscience and of speech under article 39. However, recently government has made an amendment of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act of 2006 which may cause a big threat to the freedom of expression which is one of the fundamental rights of the citizens. The amended act authorises the police to arrest any person without warrant, and increases the punishment of convicts minimum seven years to maximum 14 years imprisonment.

Previously in the original ICT Act of 2006 the maximum punishment was 10 years and police had to seek permission

from the authorities to file a case and to arrest any person under this act. Most importantly, one of the harsh provisions of this amended act is that the crime under this act is non-bailable. With regard to the current ICT Act most of the experts argued that the government through this amendment further blackened an existing exploitative law. A constitutional expert Dr Shahdeen Malik urged the government to remove section

With regard to the current ICT Act most of the experts argued that the government through this amendment further blackened an existing exploitative law 57 of the ICT Act saying that the clause will take the country towards the medieval age (The Daily Star, September 7, 2013).

Further, the unclear wordings of section 57(1) of the act may create possibility of abuse by the distinct authorities.

For example, this section clearly failed to spell out the nature of the information which will ‘tend to deprave’ or ‘corrupt persons.’ Moreover this act does not contain any clear

provision as regards ‘publication of information’ and the ‘type of information’ that may degrade and distort others while Right to Information Act, 2009 has recognised the freedom of expression as an important fundamental right of the citizens (Preamble of RTI Act, 2009).

Thus, at the outset it can be said that section 57 of the ICT (Amendment) Act, 2013 is in conflict with the provision of article 39 of the constitution which guarantees the right of freedom of speech and expression. Secondly, we must say that the provision of the detention without any warrant is in conflict with the article 43 which guarantees the

BIGSTOCK

Rights at stake: Free speech and expression right to privacy. Therefore, as per the article 7(2) of the constitution section 57 should be declared void as article 7(2) of the constitution stipulates that, “This constitution is, as the solemn expression of the will of the people, the supreme law of the Republic, and if any other law is inconsistent with this Constitution that other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.”

To conclude, I must say that we all have to raise our voice against such provision which is totally absurd and ridiculous. Otherwise democracy cannot exist as freedom of expression lies at the heart of democracy. At any time this law may be used against us in the name of preventing cyber crimes. And we all need to remember that free speech and expression is a basic and valuable characteristic of a democratic society which can never be undermined. l The writer is a student at Department of Law, BRAC University. Email: Mhr25@student.london.ac.uk.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Syria peace conference opens with rifts over Assad Regional nations approve military force n for South Sudan Reuters, Montreux

n AFP, Nairobi East African nations have approved a 5,500-strong military force for wartorn South Sudan to end weeks of bitter fighting that has devastated the young nation, Kenya’s foreign minister said Wednesday.

Thousands have been killed and half amn civilians forced to flee the fighting between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebels allied to his sacked deputy Riek Machar.

“The Security Council within IGAD has already adopted a resolution allowing 5,500 troops into South Sudan.”

Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed told reporters, referring to the seven-member Intergovernmental Authority on Development.

IGAD is mediating deadlocked talks in Ethiopia between the warring parties, to end a conflict in which the United Nations says atrocities have been committed, including mass killings, sexual violence and widespread destruction.

Uganda, an IGAD-member, has already sent troops to South Sudan on its own and taken a key role in the fighting in support of Kiir.

Rebel chief Machar has demanded

Morsi backers call for 18 days of protests n AFP, Cairo An Islamist alliance backing deposed president Mohamed Morsi called for 18 days of protests from Friday, as Egypt on January 25 marks three years since the revolt that ousted his predecessor.

The Anti-Coup Alliance said in a statement on Wednesday that protests will last until February 11 – the day when Morsi’s predecessor, long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak, stepped down in early 2011 after an 18-day uprising against his decades-old regime.

Saturday, the third anniversary of the 2011 revolt, promises to be a tense day.

Interim interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim has also called for demonstrations on that day to counter what he said was an Islamist “plot to spark chaos,” an unusual appeal from the top police official tasked with enforcing a law that restricts protests.

Morsi supporters have staged regular protests demanding his reinstatement despite a brutal government crackdown that has left more than 1,000 people killed since his ouster in July.

The alliance said the objective of its protests was to “end the military rule which has committed most if not all the awful and shameful crimes since January 25 2011 which peaked during the military coup” that ousted Morsi.

Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, was removed by the army on July 3 after mass protests against his year-long rule.

The alliance said its protests will be “non-violent... and peaceful,” but their rallies have often turned into street clashes with Morsi opponents and security forces. l

Kampala withdraw all forces, claiming Ugandan fighter jets have tried to kill him, and has questioned the neutrality of IGAD as a mediator.

It was not clear what role an IGAD force would play – or if Ugandan troops would be part of it – but a draft cessation of hostilities deal seen by AFP proposes an IGAD-led team to monitor the proposed deal on the ground.

Mohamed said that Kenya – which deployed troops in South Sudan to help evacuate citizens trapped in the fighting – has been approached to send in troops as part of the force.

“Some countries have already agreed to send troops, others are considering,” Mohamed said, initially saying Kenya would be willing to take part, but then later saying a decision had yet to be made.

The draft IGAD ceasefire accord presented to peace delegates meeting in Addis Ababa, notes the “scale of human suffering... with great loss of human life,” since fighting broke out on December 15.

It also specifically highlights that both sides must “refrain” from attacking civilians, including summary executions, use of child soldiers as well as “rape, sexual abuse and torture.” l

Syria’s government and opposition, meeting face to face for the first time at a UN peace conference, angrily spelled out their hostility on Wednesday as world powers also restated contrasting views on the future of President Bashar al-Assad.

Opposition leader Ahmed Jarba accused Assad of war crimes that recalled Nazi Germany and demanded the Syrian government delegation at the oneday meeting in Switzerland immediately sign up to an international plan for a transition of power.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid alMoualem insisted Assad would not bow to outside demands and painted a graphic picture of “terrorist” rebel atrocities supported by Arab and Western states who back the opposition and were present in the room.

The United States and Russia, co-sponsors of the conference which UN officials hope can launch further negotiations at Geneva, also revealed their differences over Assad in speeches that began what will be a day of formal presentations.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who exchanged sharp words with Moualem when the Syrian minister spoke for more than three times the 10-minute limit Ban had set, opened proceedings at Montreux on Lake Geneva by calling for immediate access to humanitarian aid for areas under siege.

“After nearly three painful years of

Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem leads his delegation at the opening of the Geneva-2 peace conference in Montreux REUTERS conflict and suffering in Syria, today is a day of fragile but real hope,” Ban said, urging both sides to reach a comprehensive settlement based on the UN Geneva Communique, under which world powers called in 2012 for a transitional government to oversee change in Syria.

“Great challenges lie ahead but they are not insurmountable,” he added.

Western powers and Russia have sought to set aside their own sharp differences over whether Assad must be forced to make way for an interim

administration and have backed the conference as a way to stop the spread of communal and sectarian violence spreading across the region.

Moscow and Washington differ, however, over whether the 2012 accord - known as Geneva 1 - means that Assad must step down immediately. Western powers say that it does.

The new conference, known as Geneva 2, has raised no great expectations, particularly among Islamist rebels who have branded Western-backed opposition leaders as traitors for even

agreeing to be in the same room as Assad’s delegates.

Showing the opposition’s determination to see through the demands of the rebels, Jarba called for the government delegation to turn against their president before negotiations start: “We agree completely with Geneva 1,” he said.

“We want to make sure we have a partner in this room that goes from being a Bashar al-Assad delegation to a free delegation so that all executive powers are transferred from Bashar al-Assad,” he added. l

Two feared dead as police clash with Russia hacking hundreds of foreign companies protesters in Ukraine capital n Reuters, Washington

n Reuters, Kiev Two demonstrators were on Wednesday reported killed in new anti-government unrest in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, inflaming protesters who confronted police shouting “Murderers” and “Glory to Ukraine!.”

Reports spread that a man had been shot dead by a police sniper overnight and that another demonstrator had fallen to his death atop the Dynamo football stadium, scene of the clashes in central Kiev.

A Reuters cameraman was shown the body of a man identified as a protester who had gunshot wounds to the head but police denied that they had used any firearms in repelling protesters.

As snow fell, riot police staged a baton-charge to push back protesters and seized canisters of harmful chemicals which they said the demonstrators had been readying to use against them.

But after the riot police, known as Berkut, withdrew, protesters returned to the spot confronting police lines

Ukrainian opposition activists stand next to a barricade on a fire across a 40-metre ‘no-man’s land.

The latest clashes broke out when police, using teargas, tried to dismantle a protest camp but were repelled by demonstrators hurling home-made petrol bombs, witnesses said.

AFP

The demonstrators have been out in the street for several weeks, angered by President Viktor Yanukovich’s decision to shun a trade pact with the European Union and instead accept financial aid from Russia. l

Turkey debates reforms amid purges n AFP, Istanbul Turkey launched a mass new purge of the police and judiciary on Wednesday as parliament debates controversial reforms that have heightened the crisis engulfing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Around 470 police were sacked or reassigned in the capital Ankara alone, NTV television reported, in the latest fallout from a corruption scandal targeting several top politicians and business leaders including Erdogan allies.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) removed 96 judges and prosecutors from their posts.

The shakeups came as Erdogan, on a visit to Brussels to try to advance Turkey’s EU membership bid, defended government moves to tighten its control of the judiciary.

Those removed in the latest purge include five chief prosecutors and other senior figures who oversaw the trials against hundreds of top military offi-

cers convicted of plotting against the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government.

At least 2,000 police and prosecutors have been dismissed or reassigned in recent weeks in what critics have blasted as government efforts to stifle the graft probe.

Dozens of people including the sons of ministers, civil servants and business leaders, including the head of a state-owned bank, were rounded up a month ago. l

A US cyber security firm says it has gathered evidence that the Russian government spied on hundreds of American, European and Asian companies, the first time Moscow has been linked to cyber attacks for alleged economic - rather than political - gains.

According to the firm, CrowdStrike, the victims of the previously unreported cyber espionage campaign include energy and technology firms, some of which have lost valuable intellectual property.

CrowdStrike declined to go into detail about those losses or to name any victims, citing confidentiality agreements related to its investigation.

Officials with the Russian Interior Ministry could not be reached for comment early on Wednesday in Moscow.

“These attacks appear to have been motivated by the Russian government’s interest in helping its industry maintain competitiveness in key areas of national importance,” Dmitri Alperovitch, chief technology officer of CrowdStrike, told Reuters on Tuesday evening.

Cybersecurity researchers have in the past said that China’s government was behind cyber espionage campaigns against various corporations dating back as far as 2005, but China has vehemently denied those allegations. Alperovitch said this is the first time the Russian government has been linked to cyber intrusions on companies.

Governments have been using computer networks to spy on each other for more than 30 years in the type of surveillance programs conducted by virtually every nation, according to CrowdStrike. It is only in the past decade that some nations have started using cyber espionage as a platform for gaining data to help promote their

national economic interests, according to Alperovitch. CrowdStrike has been following the activities of the Russian group of hackers, which it dubbed “Energetic Bear,” for two years. The firm believes the Russian government is behind the campaign because of technical indicators, as well as analysis of the targets chosen and the data stolen, according to Alperovitch.

“We are very confident about this,” he said. Victims include European energy companies, defense contractors, technology companies and government agencies, according to the CrowdStrike report.

Manufacturing and construction firms in the United States, Europe and Middle East as well as US healthcare providers were also cited as targets in the report that was posted on the web early on Wednesday morning, here CrowdStrike described the activities of the Energetic Bear hackers in its annual cyber threat report, released on Wednesday. It also documented attacks by hacking groups in China and Iran and described the activities of the activist Syrian Electronic Army.

Alperovitch, who is of Russian ethnic origin and now lives in the Washington, D.C., area, is an expert on cyber espionage who rose to prominence while working for McAfee Inc. While there he managed a team of researchers who produced a landmark January 2010 report that described how Chinese hackers had launched an unprecedented series of attacks known as “Operation Aurora” on Google Inc and dozens of other companies.

In 2012, he co-founded CrowdStrike, which collects intelligence about the activities of hacking groups around the world and sells software to thwart such attacks. l

Frigid temperatures to persist as north-eastern US digs out from snow n Reuters

Residents of the north-eastern United States on Wednesday looked to dig themselves out from a storm that has dumped over a foot of snow in many places, snarling traffic and forcing the Philadelphia school system to shut down.

The weather system packing snow and Arctic cold forced the cancellation of over 3,000 flights.

Before the end of Tuesday, parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey had seen about 15 inches of snow, said Stephen Corfidi with the National Weather Service.

States across the northeast, including New York, declared emergencies and warned residents not to travel during the fast-moving storm.

Far less snowfall is expected for Wednesday, but flurries will touch parts of New England as the weather system moves north toward the Canadian Maritimes, Corfidi said.

“The real story is going to be a persistent period of cold in the wake of this system,” he said.

Temperatures in western Penn-

A view down 5th Avenue in the snow as New Yorkers get hit with a winter storm that could bring up to a foot of snow in the city

AFP

sylvania will dip below 0 Fahrenheit (minus 18 Celsius), and many other areas in the northeast will not see the mercury rise above 20F (minus 7C), Corfidi said.

In anticipation of the harsh weather, Philadelphia closed its schools and all city offices. In New York, school children would have to go without a snow day on Wednesday, as the public school system planned to remain in operation, according to the city’s Department of Education.

Metro-North, the suburban commuter rail service serving northern suburbs of New York City, warned on its website of possible weather-related delays on Wednesday.

Amid heavy snowfall on Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of federal workers in Washington were ordered to stay home. City schools and offices also shut down, and the White House called off its Tuesday press briefing.

But the Supreme Court remained open to hear cases, and organizers of the annual anti-abortion March for Life said Wednesday’s rally would go on regardless of weather.

The federal government was slated to be open on Wednesday, but employees have the option of taking unscheduled leave or working from home.

On Tuesday, state governments in Delaware and Maryland shut down due to the storm and Connecticut sent nonessential state workers home in the afternoon.

States across the northeast, including New York, declared emergencies and warned residents not to travel during the fast-moving storm The streets of downtown Rockville, Maryland, were mostly empty on Tuesday afternoon, except for crews removing snow.

Mike Rogers, 49, of Howard County, a contractor for Ruppert Landscaping, had been clearing the sidewalk with a snow blower since late morning. “I like the snow, personally,” he said. “I’m not working if it doesn’t snow.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

International

Kejriwal’s Delhi protest stumbles

Thai capital under emergency as pro-government leader wounded

Delhi’s chief minister faces savage press criticism and calls off protest

n AFP, New Delhi Delhi’s “anarchist” chief minister Arvind Kejriwal faced savage press criticism Wednesday after a two-day protest in the capital that could check the dizzying rise of India’s new political star.

The 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner, who took office less than a month ago amid a wave of support for his ideals, called for mass demonstrations on Monday to press for police reform.

After two days and a night sleeping rough on a pavement in the centre of the capital, he called off the agitation late Tuesday with few of his demands heeded and his credibility shaken.

“It seems Kejriwal, who branded himself an anarchist, is unable to transform himself from rabble-rouser to a responsible chief minister,” the Hindustan Times said in an editorial Wednesday.

Kejriwal formed his Aam Aadmi (common man) Party just over a year ago, and it made sensational gains in Delhi’s state election in December with its no-tolerance approach to endemic corruption.

Its core support came from the poor and the educated middle-class who saw an alternative to India’s graft-tainted Congress party, in power nationally, and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

After taking office, he won plaudits for shunning the VIP culture of Indian politics, taking the metro to his inauguration and travelling elsewhere in his trademark small blue car.

Early moves such as providing abandoned buses for the homeless to sleep in earned favourable headlines, as did pledges to provide cheap electricity and free water.

A flood of members, including entrepreneurs and a television anchor, joined AAP and the party suggested it would contest up to 400 seats in national elections due by May. But the radical tone of recent announcements from Kejriwal, who threatened to disrupt the annual Republic Day military parade on Sunday, and his decision to protest in a city he was

elected to run, were widely criticised.

The Times of India said the sit-in had been a distraction from an opportunity to improve Delhi and show good governance, adding that “the middle class is unlikely to fall for such gimmickry.”

Others supported his cause and saw courage in his actions, meaning the episode might have lost him fewer voters than editorial writers in the English-speaking media have assumed.

“Who is he fighting for? Us!” said Vishesh Sharma, who sells snacks on a street in central Delhi. “What he did was right. These cops are corrupt and extort bribes from poor people like us.”

Samir Ahmad, who works in a parking lot in the same area, said Kejriwal’s target was “a very good cause.”

“Take our case, whenever there is any controversy or conflict in the parking lot and we call the cops, first they come late and then they try and extract money from us,” he said.

Kejriwal launched his protest on Monday to demand that five policemen whom he accused of misconduct be suspended and the city’s police force be put under his control, instead of the central government.

Some of the police he targeted were involved in a late-night incident last week when Delhi’s state law minister, AAP member Somnath Bharti, identified a house suspected of being used for prostitution and drug-dealing.

In front of the media, Bharti became angry when police refused to raid the property in the absence of a warrant.

Bharti and his supporters were then accused of detaining four African women, trapping them in a car and forcing one of them to urinate on the street, according to their lawyer and a police complaint.

The Hindu said in its Wednesday editorial it was “strange” that Kejriwal “should be defending vigilantism by his ministers.”

“Forgotten here is that Indian law does not permit arbitrary search and seizure, especially involving women in the dead of the night,” it added. l

Japanese fishermen were out at sea attempting to trap more dolphins on Wednesday, campaigners said, after the bloody slaughter of dozens of the animals the previous day was hidden from view behind screens. Clouds of blood drifted through the waters of the cove in Taiji on Tuesday as metal spikes were driven into the spinal columns of bottlenose dolphins that had been trapped for several days, environmentalists said.

Activists from the militant Sea Shepherd group, who are keeping vigil at the site in western Japan, said several dozen animals were killed behind specially-erected tarpaulin sheets. Video footage from the group showed fishermen in wetsuits grappling with the dolphins as they herded them into the screened-off area to be butchered.

On Wednesday the hunters’ boats

were out on the ocean looking for more pods, the group said on its Twitter feed, but added that the pod they had initially been chasing had got away.

The group said on its Facebook page that 41 dolphins had been killed so far, and 52 had been removed from the cove. It says the fishermen sell the captive creatures to aquariums and dolphinariums, sometimes for six-figure dollar sums.

A further 130-140 had been driven back out to sea, the group said, adding that it believed many of them would die over the coming days from injuries sustained during captivity or from hunger.

The mass slaughter of the animals came to worldwide attention with the Oscar-winning 2009 film The Cove, which graphically showed the cull in the bay at Taiji.

Local officials say the hunt is an economic necessity for an area that has little else in the way of industry, and accuse campaigners of cultural insensitivity. l

Sri Lanka arrests politician over killing n AFP, Colombo Sri Lankan investigators arrested a ruling party politician who failed to turn up to his trial for the Christmas Day killing of a British tourist two years ago, police said Wednesday.

Sampath Vidanapathirana, a councillor in the southern region of Tangalle, was tracked down and arrested in the capital Colombo on Tuesday night after he failed to answer a court summons nearly two weeks ago.

“He was arrested by the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) in a house at Kotte,” police spokesman Ajith Rohana said, referring to a suburb in the capital.

Vidanapathirana from the ruling People’s Alliance is the main suspect in the killing of British tourist Khuram Sheikh who was shot dead on December 25, 2011, at a hotel in Tangalle. l

US fleet chief says N Korea is top security concern n AFP, Singapore A Thai policeman stands next to a window with bullet holes at the house of Kwanchai Praipana, a pro-government ‘red shirt’ leader, shot and wounded in a drive-by shooting outside his house in Udon Thani REUTERS

n Reuters, Udon Thani A leading pro-government activist was shot and wounded on Wednesday in Thailand’s northeast, a stronghold of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, as a state of emergency began in the capital where protesters are trying to force her from power.

The government issued the 60-day emergency decree late on Tuesday, handing security agencies wide powers to detain suspects, impose a curfew and limit gatherings in and around Bangkok.

Officials said it was aimed at preventing an escalation of the protests that have gripped the capital for more than two months and brought parts of the centre to a halt.

Bangkok appeared normal and people went about their business as usual.

Police did not try to break up the protests, including one outside a complex

where Yingluck was working.

But highlighting the risk of the political deadlock turning violent, “red shirt” leader Kwanchai Praipana, who had warned of a nationwide “fight” if the military launched a coup, was wounded in the arm and leg in a driveby shooting at his home in the northeastern town of Udon Thani.

Police said they believed it was politically motivated.

“From the way the assailants fired, they obviously didn’t want him to live,” his wife, Arporn Sarakham, told Reuters. Police said they had found 39 bullet cases at the house.

Kwanchai Praipana leads thousands of pro-government supporters in Udon Thani province.

On Tuesday, he told Reuters that if the military attempted a coup: “I can assure you, on behalf of the 20 provinces in the northeast, that we will fight.

The country will be set alight if the sol-

Controversial Japan dolphin hunt continues n AFP, Tokyo

9

Thursday, January 23, 2014

diers come out.”

So far the military, which has been involved in 18 actual or attempted coups in the past 81 years, has kept out of the fray. The police are charged with imposing the state of emergency, under orders from Yingluck to treat protesters against her government with patience.

Paul Chambers, director of research at the Institute of South East Asian Affairs in Chiang Mai, said the emergency decree was designed largely to give Yingluck legal protection if there is violence and the police step in.

Nine people have died and dozens have been wounded in violence, including two grenade attacks in the capital over the weekend, since protesters took to the streets in November to demand Yingluck step down and a “people’s council” be set up to bring sweeping reforms to Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy. l

Protests threat mars Nepal parliament debut n AFP, Kathmandu

Bottlenose dolphins trapped in the cove during the selection process by fishermen

North Korea remains Washington’s “number one security concern” in Asia, the US Pacific Fleet commander said Wednesday, despite simmering territorial disputes elsewhere in the region.

Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr also expressed concern over “coercion” by China in its maritime disputes with neighbours.

He said an increased deployment of US military assets in the region as part of an Asian rebalance announced in 2012 would ensure that “we are where it matters and when it matters.”

“Our number one security concern is North Korea,” Harris told reporters in Singapore on board the destroyer USS Spruance.

“I am concerned as a commander for the provocations that come from North Korea. I don’t understand them, I don’t understand their leadership and I don’t understand their intent,” he said.

Pyongyang last week warned of “calamities and disasters” if the United States and South Korea push ahead with a series of annual joint military drills from next month. l

AFP

Nepal’s former ruling Maoists threatened to embark on a wave of street protests Wednesday as the newly-elected parliament convened for the first time to begin work on drawing up a postwar constitution. Party leaders have set themselves a 12-month deadline to reach a consensus on a draft constitution, promising to overcome their outstanding differences eight years after the end of a decade-long civil war.

But a senior member of the Maoists, which suffered a humiliating defeat in a November 19 general election, warned his party’s resolve should not be underestimated despite its reduced presence in the constituent assembly, which doubles up as a parliament.

“We will have to be vigilant and may

resort to street protests to ensure that our agendas are addressed by the constituent assembly,” Ganesh Man Pun told AFP on Wednesday ahead of the formal opening ceremony. The Maoists only reluctantly agreed to take part in the assembly after initially threatening to boycott it over accusations of electoral fraud.

They were soundly beaten by both the first-placed Nepali Congress and the Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) parties who are still locked in negotiations about forming a new coalition government. The Maoists won the last elections in 2008 by a landslide, only two years after signing a peace agreement to end their 10-year uprising against the monarchy. As part of the deal, King Gyanendra agreed to stand down. l

Chinese activist refuses Gloria Steinem: Indian battle against sexual violence gathers steam to defend himself n Reuters, Beijing Prominent Chinese rights advocate Xu Zhiyong went on trial on Wednesday in the country’s most high-profile dissident case in years, but his lawyer said he refused to offer any defence and called the court unjust.

Outside the courtroom, Xu’s supporters chanted slogans and raised banners in his support. Police pushed away the crowd and at least three protesters were taken away to a police van.

The government has waged a 10-month drive against Xu’s “New Citizens’ Movement,” which advocates working within the system to press for change, including urging officials to disclose their assets. The campaign against the movement exposes the ambivalence in Beijing’s bid to root out corruption, even as the authorities claim greater transparency.

Xu, 40, is charged with “gathering a crowd to disturb public order,” punishable by up to five years in prison.

His prosecution will almost certainly spark fresh criticism from Western governments over Beijing’s crackdown on dissent. Xu’s lawyer, Zhang Qingfang, told Reuters by telephone that Xu told the judge: “This court is not just so I will maintain my silence.”

The judge tried to persuade Xu and Xu’s lawyers to speak but to no avail, so the judge called for a recess.

Zhang had earlier said both he and Xu will maintain silence during the closeddoor proceedings because they do not believe the court will grant a fair trial.

After proceedings are concluded, Xu will “express his viewpoints about the trial and all that has happened to him over the past 10 years,” Zhang said, adding that he was frustrated that the court only allowed him to produce two witnesses.

Five witnesses that he had requested testify in court have been put under police guard and been prevented from moving around freely. One of them, he said, has been taken to a motel. l

n AFP, New Delhi

India has a new intolerance to violence against women sparked by the fatal gangrape of a student in Delhi but the deeply patriarchal nation still has a long way to go to overcome injustice, says veteran US feminist Gloria Steinem.

The brutal attack in December 2012, which touched a raw nerve in the country and sparked mass public protests, “lit a match to the movement opposing violence against women,” Steinem told AFP. “People found their voice,” she says, referring to the seething public anger over the death of the 23-year-old, which prompted parliament to toughen laws against rapists and other offenders.

“It’s heartening, but there’s a long way to go,” Steinem cautions, referring to the battle to overcome sexual injustice entrenched through India’s ancient caste system, religious beliefs and ideas of female “honour.”

Stark evidence of the problems India faces was provided last week with the gang-rape of a 51-year-old Danish woman in the capital –

the latest incident to shine a spotlight on the country’s record of sexual violence.

Steinem, co-founder of Ms magazine in 1972, which became a powerful voice for the women’s movement in the West, is in India to headline Asia’s biggest literary festival, which began on Friday in the city of Jaipur.

The American, who is nearly 80 and has spent a lifetime fighting gender injustice, first came to India on a fellowship in the 1950s.

Her Indian experience – studying land reform – taught her “there’s no grass without roots” and that “change is wrought by people on the ground.”

Crucial to change, she says, “is developing a consciousness and getting a critical mass to believe in it. That’s what I think is happening here.”

Steinem, who hit fame in 1963 when she wrote an expose on life as a Playboy Bunny, is attending the Jaipur festival to talk about her new essay anthology bearing the tongue-in-cheek title “As If Women Matter.”

She insists during the interview in New Delhi that younger women are “more feminist” than her generation and have better

“bullshit detectors” in spotting injustice.

After years of writing about and railing against inequality, what angers her most is when people say the world has entered “a post-feminist era.”

“I say: ‘Are you blind? Can’t you see we still don’t have equal pay for equal work?’”

“When you look in the power closets (corporate offices) the occupants are mainly men,” she adds.

And she rejects the notion that women can have it all – marriage, career and children.

“No way,” says Steinem. “That means we women do it all. We can’t be superwomen.

We’ve got to come up with better family-friendly work situations.”

“Of course, we’ve made a lot of progress,” she adds, saying she believes former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has a fair shot at becoming the first female president in US history if she runs.

“People saw her every day as Secretary of State, they got used to her in a position of power. Making her president would not be such a big jump in their minds.”

Steinem had a tough childhood – her mother suffered from depression, which meant she became her carer at 10 after her parents split. But later she won entrance to the prestigious Smith College in New England.

Reflecting on her early years as a feminist, she confessed she was “naive.”

“I thought injustices against women are just so great – if we just explain them to people, they’ll get rid of them. I was wrong. It’s been much slower progress,” she said.

Regularly lampooned as a “feminazi” by conservative US talkshow host Rush Limbaugh, Steinem says she understands why some women shy away from describing themselves as “feminists” because it’s a word “mocked by men.”

Steinem, who turns 80 in March – “I feel like a Russian doll with my 20-year-old self inside” – remains feisty and funny and remarkably youthful, which she attributes to yoga and keeping perpetually busy.

How does she plan to celebrate her 80th birthday? “I’m going to ride elephants in Botswana!” she says gleefully. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

AL should not backtrack on next polls

C

ommerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has told reporters that he expects the government to complete a full five year term. His remarks echo the statement by Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Tuesday that he thinks “there is no chance of holding an early election’’ as the government is now busy implementing its election pledges.

This represents a reversal of indications given before the January 5 election for the 10th parliament, that the government would hold dialogue with the BNP to quickly bring about inclusive 11th parliamentary elections.

We have previously made clear our view that in the absence of the main opposition party, the January 5 election could only be justified on the basis of constitutional necessity, and that its results should not be viewed as a mandate to rule for a full term.

The ruling party must keep to its word before the election, that it will take all steps necessary to reach a mutually acceptable compromise with the BNP to allow fully participatory elections to be held as soon as practicable.

For compromise to be achieved, the BNP must also co-operate in good faith. Its actions before January 5 only brought about unconscionable violence and deadlock. The BNP needs to follow up on the positive moves it has been taking this month to suspend blockades and issue statements against violence.

Without peaceful fully contested elections, political crises may endure. The government owes a responsibility to the people to fulfill its promise to the country that it will bring this about through early dialogue.

The BNP needs to follow up on the positive moves it has taken this month to suspend blockades and issue statements against violence

Increasing income tax relief January 22 This is in connection with a letter on the subject published on January 21. I fully agree with the writer, that the minimum taxable income should be raised. In my opinion, it should be over at least Tk240,000 per year, given that the prices of all daily necessities, like electricity, fuel, and services, as well as the cost of local travel and transport, water, gas, food, and other daily necessities have shot up by a minimum of 50%-75%!

I would further propose that for men and women over 70 years old, additional earned income relief be allowed of at least Tk60,000 X 2 = Tk1,20,000 (for husband and wife) or half, if only one. The elderly must also pay for medical attention and medicines, and for caregiver services, as they are incapable of doing common household tasks. For them, therefore, the minimum tax free income should be Tk240,000 + Tk120,000 = Tk360,000 per year.

For a widow or widower, this would be Tk300,000 per year. This is a reasonable and justified extra annual expense that is normally needed for the elderly.

Elderly Taxpayer

Some are more equal January 15

nds The author has excellently portrayed the mental and psychological picture of our society which admits of no contradiction. The problem is, though, at an intellectual level, many of us believe it to be not fair and desirable, and speak for the reformation of our mental and cultural attitude to have a far more egalitarian society, but somewhere in our inner self we like to surrender ourselves to the irresistible temptation of elitism. Is it not very common that most of us feel proud and comfortable to speak of our rich and influential acquaintances while scrupulously avoiding identifying ourselves with our kith and kin of poorer and modest means?

Ali One of the few left worth reading when it comes to matters of Bangladesh. No agenda. Fresh, articulate and intelligent.

Marina People needed to have read Orwell in a Bangladeshi context to be more aware. Glad to see at least

Kamal for curbing crime January 14

Save the Buriganga

B

angladesh is a country of rivers. In order to take care of our environment, then, it is crucial that we take care of the state of our rivers and water bodies.

A recent survey conducted by the Poribesh Bachao Andolon showed that the level of water collected from different parts of the Buriganga river were too contaminated to support life. It was revealed that the level of dissolved oxygen present in the water was too low to support fish or other aquatic life forms.

Irresponsible human activity is solely the cause of the polluting of the Buriganga, since rampant waste dumping into the river is what made the waters of our major water body so toxic.

Water treatment plants have failed to purify the water, and the river has tragically lost just about all life. The Buriganga is now effectively a “dead” water body.

The pollution in the river is a direct culprit for a variety of diseases, from skin disease, to respiratory problems, to diarrhea.

It is of paramount importance that we stop dumping pollution into the Buriganga and take seriously the project of cleaning it up. Despite allocated funds and constant newspaper reporting on the matter, our once-great natural asset suffers from appalling neglect. Monies allocated to sewage works and cleaning water must be properly spent.

The Buriganga is on the verge of extinction. It is high time we moved forward to save it, because its survival is tied with our own.

Very impressed with the state minister’s statement. His body language and appearance is very impressive and firm. Best of luck and my prayers for him so he can run the ministry well. faizul

someone has. The dystopian picture is grim. The writer does a stellar job painting it. It is high time we accept some harsh realities about our country. Then we can move forward towards a bright future. If we fail to acknowledge the sorry state we are in then the end will be the same as the current “Orwellian nightmare.” Thank you Dhaka Tribune for giving us such an exceptional op-ed.

Ashik I have heard too many people spout Orwell or refer to his books without really understanding what they are. Most don’t even bother reading them; they just think it makes them look intelligent to talk about him. This writer is unique in understanding Orwell better than I have seen him understood.

He also shows extensive knowledge of politics and he’s not scared to say things that need to be said.

Nobody important is thinking or talking along these lines. If more were then we would actually be able to move Bangladesh in the right direction. I hope people are inspired by this man’s knowledge and bravery.

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

Ruling party men grab another school land January 15

Petros Mendes I wonder how many schools will lose their land in the next five years.

Zia Ahsan So, business as usual, eh!?

Inquilab: We are sorry January 18

How many times have they stated this message in their lifetime? I have been seeing it since I was a child. They should offer some evidence.

If it’s true, we eagerly await the news. If false, as Inquilab has past records, it should be punished.

Nazmul Khair

‘Nation expected Khaleda’s apology’ January 16

Hasina owes us a bigger apology.

Parveen Ahmed

Good news for the Artcell fans January 16

Welcome back Artcell!

Sheikh Jinat Mahmid

Dialogue if BNP leaves Jamaat, says minister January 16

BNP will leave Jamaat ... and Jamaat will leave democracy.

Muhaiminul Islam Jaan

New ministers attend office

January 14 Congratulations and happy new year.

Mahmubur Rahman Khan

CALVIN AND HOBBES

The pollution in the river is a direct culprit for a variety of diseases, from skin disease, to respiratory problems, to diarrhea

CROSSWORD

PEANUTS

CODE-CRACKER ACROSS 1 Outer covering (4) 4 Dash (4) 8 Female deer (3) 9 Edible rootstock (4) 10 Minute particle (4) 11 Skip like a goat (5) 12 Tibetan priest (4) 14 Lair (3) 15 Ship’s record (3) 17 Tree (3) 19 Uncooked (3) 21 Pleased (4) 23 Unaccompanied (5) 26 Replete (4) 27 Tolerable (4) 28 Female swan (3) 29 Meat dish (4) 30 Harvest (4)

DOWN 1 Mode of standing (6) 2 Worshipped image (4) 3 Wanderer (5) 4 Greek letter (3) 5 Part of a coat (5) 6 Land measure (3) 7 And not (3) 11 Waterway (5) 13 Combine (5) 16 Fast pace (6) 18 American elk (5) 20 Thin biscuit (5) 22 Low sand hill (4) 23 Donkey (3) 24 Fate (3) 25 Present (3)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

Sudoku

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Halting the fall n M Abdul Latif Mondal

R

T

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n Mamun Rashid he question came from a bank executive friend of mine. The gentleman studied at Dhaka University, worked at home and abroad at a few banks, and is now managing a large branch of a local commercial bank. He thought, if Mahathir Mohammad in Malaysia, or Hun Sen in Cambodia could rule for more than 20 years, why couldn’t Sheikh Hasina rule Bangladesh till 2021 and ensure its entry into the league of middle income countries and lead us towards a more prosperous and economically advanced Bangladesh?

He thought, as long as the economy was progressing, and people had more money to spend, they wouldn’t raise their voices. Besides, he thought, people should not forget that the Awami League’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib was the real force behind the creation of Bangladesh, hence only the AL should enjoy the rights to rule this country.

This sounded very interesting to me. As long as the country was moving forward, more people could get jobs abroad and send money home, farmers could get their inputs and the right prices for their produce, entrepreneurs could get more electricity, gas, financial support and incentives to build up and run enterprises, women would be given their due share, more government officials would get senior positions, people in the rural areas would sleep well.

Economic growth during the recent past AL regime was quite good. Power generation, inward remittance, foreign

exchange reserves, exports, social safety net for the marginalised people, distribution of books to students, timely supply of agriculture inputs, modernisation of armed forces, elevation of civil bureaucrats, licenses for new banks and insurance companies, approvals for private universities, hospitals, fishing trawlers, and airlines, due honour for freedom fighters, all happened during this time.

corruption, small and large. At the same time, we have a very vocal and independent media. They can highlight these, and the government would be forced to take action.

There are so many television, radio, and newspapers. They could do a great job against minority repression and violence against women, and for ensuring civic rights. Elections mean violence, arson, illegal money going

We settle for less governance and more corruption to grab a bigger piece of the pie

We could see more women in decision-making roles, and the government taking a few noteworthy steps for children. My friend was right: “Why spend almost the equivalent of $100m for an unnecessary election?”

Like many, he said we should spend this money for building up more rural education and health infrastructure.

I was almost scratching my head.

Yes, there are issues with corruption, governance, a failing judiciary, and political killings, but my young friend argued that these were regular scenes in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Brazil, and Mexico, but nobody bothered. In countries like Sri Lanka and Cambodia, they almost don’t have any opposition, he added.

Yes, government and leaders in the ruling party are seen involved in

around, and killings. We should therefore avoid elections as far as possible.

We can’t allow the losers of 1971 to rule this independent country. The same goes for their friends. The opposition has not been able to come up with an acceptable formula to topple the government through peaceful movement.

Moreover, with corrupt politicians, large beneficiaries of misrule, and partisan law enforcing agencies, a government can never be ousted through peaceful movement. You can make the movement violent, but you will lose your international and local civil society friends.

Ruling party politicians smile, my friends shift their loyalty once again to the ruling party, and civil society members decide to give breathing

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space to the new government, barring all controversies about the election process.

We curb our expectations. The seniors in the opposition camp take a step back to reconcile with a hard reality – while they are fighting the AL, they are in fact fighting with an emerging global power, India, and its articulate media.

So, what do we do? We settle for less governance and more corruption to grab a bigger piece of the pie, and we apple-polish the politically appointed regulators to get our jobs done. We settle in order to make more money to send our children abroad, or to buy a new flat or get a government plot. We know for sure that if we have more money in our hands, we can even buy justice.

There are a few people talking about democracy, or peaceful democratic transitions, like Rehman Sobhan or Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. To hell with them. They will soon be made to accept reality, and the latest version of democracy.

Otherwise, they will become known as “nabya razakars” by ruling party loyalists and their journalist friends.

It does not matter whether one is the author of the two nation theory, or the creator of the world’s largest non-government solution provider for the marginalised.

My friend turned out to be so logical. He is happy with a government staying in power for 15-20 years, as long as they deliver. So are many of my friends. l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

ecords suggest that manpower export from Bangladesh began in 1976. In the first year, only 6,008 people left the country to find jobs abroad. Seven Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait were their main destinations.

The number of expatriate workers did not reach 300,000 in any year prior to 2006. In that year, a total of 381,516 Bangladeshi workers went abroad for jobs. 2007 saw a big jump. In that year, 832,609 Bangladeshi workers went abroad for employment.

In 2008, a total of 875,055 Bangladeshi workers were sent abroad.

This remains the highest figure so far.

In 2009, there was a sharp fall in the number of expatriate workers. A total of 475,278 workers went abroad for employment that year.

In 2010, 2011, and 2012, the total number of Bangladeshi workers sent abroad stood at 390,702, 568,062 and 607,798 respectively. 2013 again saw a sharp fall in our manpower export.

Quoting the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), a report in Dhaka Tribune said a total of 389,229 people had migrated to different countries for jobs till December 12, 2013. Compare that to the 607,000 workers who migrated to different countries for jobs in 2012.

A recent report of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment shows that migrant workers’ remittance in the first year (1976) of manpower export business amounted to only $23 million. It increased to $3.56 billion in 2004, which stood at $12.17 billion and $14.16 billion in 2010 and 2012 respectively.

An UNCTAD report titled “Report on the Least Developed Countries 2012” said Bangladesh had emerged as a top remittance recipient among 48 LDCs, as it alone received around 44% of the $27bn received by LDCs as remittance in 2011.

The Bangladesh Bank data released recently shows that remittance inflow decreased by 2.39% in 2013, compared to a rise of 16.49% in 2012. It stood at $13.83bn last year, against $14.16bn in 2012.

The views expressed by the government and the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) regarding the sharp fall in the export of manpower in 2013 are somewhat contradictory. At a press conference on December 17, the day before the International Migration Day, Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said that the manpower export had fallen because of global recession.

The minister also claimed that the manpower sector was not affected by hartals and blockades, although other sectors were badly affected by these strikes. According to BMET officials, the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers to Kuwait and the UAE virtually stopped, while it substantially reduced for Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia over the years. Moreover, Bangladeshi workers were earning low wages abroad due to global economic recession, hence sending less remittance to the country.

Manpower exporters are blaming the government’s policies for the sharp decline in overseas employment. According to BAIRA, the main platform of private recruiting agencies, manpower exports fell drastically because of the wrong policy pursued by the government. It claims the government wants to export manpower through the government to government (G-to-G) system, which is not feasible. Such a system does not work anywhere in the world. It stresses on the need for joint initiatives of the government and private recruitment agencies to improve the situation.

The manpower sector is not affected by this political unrest

On the other hand, the minister blames the illegal practices and visa businesses of private recruiting agencies for damaging the overseas employment market for Bangladeshi workers. He claims thousands of Bangladeshis are staying illegally in a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, as they were sent by private recruiting agencies through unofficial channels.

While there may be truth to both sides, the need of the hour is to take corrective steps by both the government and the private recruiting agencies, so that Bangladesh can regain its lost market and the number of Bangladeshi workers abroad reaches the 2008 level, if not more.

The question may arise: Why is it necessary to arrest the fall in manpower export? Expatriate workers’ remittances play an important role in our socioeconomic life. It can be broadly explained in two ways. At the macro-level, remittance helps Bangladesh make investments for industrial development and modernise its industries. This helps us increase our export of manufactured goods, which ultimately helps in making the balance of payments favourable.

Furthermore, remittance in Bangladesh arises as a poverty alleviation policy tool. Available sources suggest that in 2011, remittance was almost double the value of FDI in Bangladesh.

Micro-level benefits encompass both the community and family. At the community level, it generates multiplier effects in the local economy, creating jobs and spurring new services.

The year-long political unrest has adversely impacted the country’s economy, but the manpower sector is not affected by this unrest. Nobody knows how long the unrest will continue. In such circumstances, it is the expatriate workers’ remittances that can help Bangladesh maintain a reasonable growth rate. This stresses the need for arresting the fall in manpower export. l M Abdul Latif Mondal is a former government secretary.

The need for safety nets n Shazia Omar and Saidur Rahman

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ocial protection is now recognised as the single fastest way to fight poverty. Developed nations around the world invest heavily in social protection and welfare to prevent the recurrence of severe poverty in their societies. It is this investment that keeps them in the “developed countries” status, and prevents the decay of their human capital.

Bangladesh is globally recognised for taking a proactive stance with social protection. Our government this year allocated 2.13% of the GDP to social protection, which amounts to approximately $3bn. This is a significant amount. Furthermore, the government has over 90 safety net programs, underscoring its commitment to social protection.

However, if we want to become a pro-poor middle income country by 2021, we need to speed up our efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and streamline our social protection system and budget so that it tackles poverty in the most effective way possible.

Safety nets in Bangladesh have historically focused on food rations and disaster relief. This has gradually widened to include life cycle needs. The safety net budget is approximately 50% for food and disaster relief, with the rest going to work for cash, human development stipends, and old age allowance.

While most of these social transfers are not enough to support a person’s livelihood, they do provide a regular cash flow and some alleviation of deprivation, enabling poor recipients to survive. This protective state function is necessary for people excluded from the market economy.

Alongside this, the country needs wide-scale transformative programs which enable able-bodied recipients to engage with the market and climb out of extreme poverty. Together, this twopronged approach can lead to rapid eradication of extreme poverty, if done right. To ensure optimal efficiency, there are some gaps that need to be addressed.

Insufficient coverage

Though the budget allocation to safety nets is significant, it is not enough to mitigate the suffering of the 25 million people who are extremely poor. A large portion of the budget goes to funding social pension rather than the needs of the poorest. Furthermore, each stipend or transfer, at an average of Tk300 per person per month, is insufficient to enable the recipient to meet basic consumption needs (far from save anything for rainy days) and is often referred to as “tokenism.” Both the total coverage and the amount per transfer need to be increased.

Need for coordination

No single ministry takes ownership of the disbursement of safety nets.

This creates cumbersome bottlenecks.

While numerous ministries may contribute to the budget, it is helpful if there is a single organising agency that manages the process of disseminating funds to the poorest. The social welfare ministry might play this coordinating role while a private sector company might be well positioned to take responsibility for fund distribution.

Targeting

As there is not enough money to go around, the selection of the neediest becomes a murky issue. Safety nets are often used for purposes of patronage and UP chairmen decide somewhat unfairly who is eligible and then distribute funds accordingly. Eligibility does not lead to access. While some might argue that a universal social protection package might overcome this problem, in reality, some amount of targeting is necessary to ensure that the poorest of the poor receive the safety nets because the most marginalised members of society tend to be “invisible,” living in the most remote regions of the country.

Payment mechanisms

Most social transfers are disbursed by government banks. Vulnerable people often have to line up in long queues

outside banks that are far from their homes. With Bangladesh’s dense mobile coverage and rapidly expanding mobile transfer programs, perhaps it is time to explore more digitally savvy payment mechanisms.

Grassroots reality

Shiree is a government of Bangladesh and UK partnership livelihoods program that provides transformative asset transfers and skills training to 250,000 extreme poor households across Bangladesh. On average, households receive about Tk15,000 worth of assets at one go, along with a holistic range of services.

This large outreach gives Shiree an opportunity to monitor households and helps generate a better understanding of the dynamics of extreme poverty and the effectiveness of interventions intended to address extreme poverty in Bangladesh. From Shiree data, we find, 91% of extremely poor beneficiaries (before joining the Shiree program) had not received any safety net support from the government, though they all fell within the bottom 5% of the population, and were in desperate need of support.

The figures have improved over the years, as efforts to make the poorest more visible at the union level, have helped them gain access to the safety nets that they are entitled to. NGOs have helped in this process by setting

up support group networks and arranging workshops where government officials, UP chairmen, health clinic workers can meet beneficiaries.

This sort of GO-NGO partnership has been successful in various parts of the country. One success, for example, was in the Pabna region, where an NGO was able to help 400 extremely poor adivasi beneficiaries access safety net allowances.

Developed nations around the world invest heavily in social protection and welfare

As we move towards a reformed social protection agenda, we hope to see the policymakers embrace some of the best practices of other nations to improve the transparency of safety net disbursement, efficiency of safety net targeting, and the enhancement of safety net budgeting to meet the growing needs of the poorest, most disenfranchised citizens of our nation. l Shazia Omar is Head of Advocacy at Shiree.

Saidur Rahman is Program Manager at Shiree.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Thursday, January 23, 2014

dance show today It’s difficult to resist coming back to Gaudiya n limelight: Raima on Suchitra Sen Afrose Jahan Chaity

n Entertainment Desk Raima Sen, actor and granddaughter of late legendary actor Suchitra Sen, says that her granny wanted her to get married.

“I should have spent more time with my grandmother? I guess the time you get with those you love is never enough. Thank god I wasn’t somewhere else when she went,” said Raima in an interview with IBN Live yesterday.

“Her last wish was to see me get married. I want her wish for me to come true,” she added.

Suchitra, the reclusive Bengali screen goddess, died on January 17 at the age of 82.

“My mother (Moon Moon Sen), my sister (Riya) and I are the only family she had, the only people she wanted to connect with. We felt responsible towards her. It’s a terrible loss,” said the actress credited with some timeless films like Chokher Bali and Anuranan.

Recalling Suchitra’s last days, Raima said: “She was conscious of her condition in hospital. But none of us thought she would go away.

Her health didn’t seem so bad. She was chatting asking about how her home was doing in her absence.”

According to her, Moon Moon has become shattered after Suchitra’s death. “I really don’t know what my mother will do without my grandmother now. They were one another’s universe. To my mother, her mother mattered the most. My mom’s bonding with my grandmother can’t be compared with what my sister and I shared with our grandmother. Riya and I have our lives. But for our mom, her mother was her universe,” said Raima.

Raima, who has been in Kolkata for more than a month, says right now there is an incessant flow of guests in the house.

However, as a child Raima knew nothing about the legendary aura

surrounding her grandmother.

“When my sister Riya and I were kids, grandma had already given up films and public life. So, we only knew her as our grandmother and not as this iconic star until the time we became actresses ourselves.

It was only then that we realised what a huge reputation our grandmother had.”

Raima praised her grandmother’s determination.

“She took a decision to stay out of public view and she stuck to it. It’s easy to withdraw from the limelight, but difficult to resist coming back to it. Once she made up her mind, she stayed away. She left everything and everyone behind. My mom, sister and I were all she had.”

Both Moon Moon Sen and Raima will be playing themselves in an upcoming film titled Sadarghat which pays tribute to Suchitra Sen. Though the film revolves around her, she’ll not be seen in person anywhere in the film. l

Frank Göhre narrates a tragic tale of migrants in his film n Probir K Sarker Screened at the Dhaka International Film Festival 2014, Si-o-se Pol (33-acre bridge in English) is a “haunting portrait of an immigrant” commented Frank Göhre, winner of German Script Award.

The film tagline is the Last days of Parvis Karimpour. But he continues with life with the hope of finding his daughter in Madrid – one of the largest migrant’s cities in Europe.

In an interview with the Dhaka Tribune, director Henrik Peschel talks about the film: “Parvis travels to Europe illegally. He has no passport.

Today many people go to Madrid from Asia and Africa for work, for its geographical location and to get a better life. For example, now, many Syrians are trying to get into Europe, fleeing their wartorn country.”

This is a global problem as well as Europe’s, says Peschel.

“So, we want to spread the film across countries. I’m happy to be able to screen it in Bangladesh. I want to go to every country. We’ve been in many festivals. The Dhaka International Film Festival is also known in Germany for its good films.

Not too many people know about Bangladesh.

n Entertainment Desk Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who ended his 25-year marriage to Maria Shriver two years back, seems to have found love again with physical therapist Heather Milligan. The two were recently spotted driving away together in a silver Mercedes convertible, from a private residence in Brentwood, California. The couple appeared cool and relaxed as they left the premises, reports a website.

They were once spotted together earlier in 2013. Back then, it had dispelled all rumours of the actor getting back with his ex-wife.

The 66-year-old has four children, Katherine, 23, Christina, 22, Patrick, 20, and Christopher, 16, with Milligan. l

Film

Shimana Periyee Directed by Alamgir Kabir Time: 6pm Bangladesh Film Institute Auditorium 160, Lake Circus (4th Floor), Kolabagan Chawa Pawa Time: 6:00pm – 8:30pm

6:50pmZee Studio Notting Hill

7:00pmFox Movies Premium Red Dawn

COMEDY 12:30pm Z Cafe

Prem O Shomoyer Golpo, a tale of a love triangle, will be aired today at 7.50pm on Maasranga TV. The telefilm, written and directed by R A Rahul, features Kushum Shikder, Kalyan, Bakar Bakul and others.

The story of Prem O Shomoyer Golpo revolves around a university student portrayed by Kushum Shikder, who falls in love with a student leader named Sohan. Meanwhile, Kushum’s friend Anik

was in love with her for a long time, but could not face up to confessing his feelings. Sohan on the other hand values his political career more than his personal life and despite his commitment to Kushum, he marries the daughter of a powerful political leader. Heartbroken, Kushum marries an expatriate chosen by her parents and goes abroad with her husband. She faces dire circumstances and returns home. l

Being Erica

8:30pm Star World Suburgatory

DRAMA 10:00pm Colors Rangrasiya

11:00pm Star Plus Veera

DRAMA 11:30am Fox Ttraveller Jamie At Home

10:00pm Channel V

Angasadhana and Nrittanga. I will also perform solo numbers: Alapchari which is a rhythm based dance: Kalinamabali, which is about the different names of the deity Kali and her image: Ardhanariswar and another Lilakirtana. Students will perform on two Bangla songs which is choreographed with Gaudiya steps – Lassya and Tandav.

As the dance form is new here, what kind of feedback did you receive from the workshop?

Response and feedback from the students are positive. They are very interested in Gaudiya Nritya. As I am finding them really involved to learn, I think we should take more steps to promote classical dance here. We have to practice and devote ourselves to it. Because, I find that dance is a form of worship for me. l

Jonakir Alo wins Audience Choice Award in Mumbai

V Superstar Preview

Director-artist Khalid Mahmud Mithu’s latest film Jonakir Alo won the Audience Choice Award at the 12th Asian Film Festival held in Mumbai recently.

“The honour boosted the enthusiasm of the cast and crew of the movie,” shares Mithu, who previously gained much acclaim with his debut feature film Gohine Shabdo.

The film is also participating in four international film festivals: Tribeca Film Festival, Florida Film Festival, Melbourne Internatinal Film Festival and Jaipur Film Festival.

The National Film Award-winning director is going to portray his criticism on social obstinacy through the eyes of an urban woman.

The film revolves around Kabita, who dreams of working for children’s welfare, and is torn between adopting a child and her responsibility as a daughter-in-law of a conservative family. Most interestingly, the protagonist meets the legendary artist SM Sultan and becomes inspired his philosophy.

The story develops with a love triangle.

Gazi Rakayet enacted the role of SM Sultan and Bidya Sinha Saha Mim is the lead actress of the movie. Imon and Kalyan play the two lovers of the heroine. l

TODAY IN DHAKA

MOVIE

Prem O Shomoyer Golpo airs today

I will perform Ganeshvandana, which expresses respect towards God, with the students who participated in the workshop. Then, the students will perform the basics of Gaudiya Nritya named

Gaudiya dancer Rachel Priyanka Perris

n Entertainment Desk

ON TV

A scene from Prem O Shomoyer Golpo

What you are going to perform in today’s programme?

Schwarzenegger dating physical therapist

“I will be going to the Berlin Film Festival, to be held in February and will tell people about the Dhaka International Film Festival and Bangladesh.”

He also served as a jury at the Dhaka festival.

“It’s been good for me as I could watch many quality films from different countries.”

Winner of Montblanc Script Award 2010 at Filmfest Hamburg, Peschel last year shot the film about a Persian fugitive in the old town of Madrid, where he had conducted research on the migrants beforehand. The seven languages spoken in Si-ose Pol, shows the real diversity of immigration in Europe in 2012. Peschel cast the main roles with successful German cinema actors Ramin Yazdani (Iron Sky) and Pheline Roggan (Soul Kitchen).

“We’re a multicultural team: I’m a German director and writer, main actor is a Persian man, we’ve Italian and Arabic and have used seven languages, which is unusual for German films.”

Peschel says: “People in Bangladesh understand this film because many people go abroad.

It’s a common problem here. Audiences in Dhaka, after the screening, told me that they totally understand what the film is about, and they liked it.

I was happy to see the reactions here. It was very interesting how they react in Germany too.”

Facing death, terminally ill Parvis Karimpour (Ramin Yazdani) wants to reconcile with his daughter Nasrin. He and his fellow African travellers are dumped from a boat near the Spanish coast at dawn. He makes his way to Madrid where he believes his only child, who fled from Iran years ago, may now live.

Finding shelter in a city which is battered by the economic crisis, Parvis meets two other struggling migrants. The Italian Fabrizio (Christian Concilio), a failed piano player, survives on odd cleaning jobs and a spoilt young German, Almut (Pheline Roggan), who followed her boyfriend to Madrid. Looking for a direction in life, she dreams of opening a jewellery shop. The search for Nasrin becomes their common quest. Parvis regains hope, while his newfound optimism snaps Fabrizio and Almut out of their lethargy. Following a new clue, the unlikely threesome set off northwards in Almut’s car. l

A Gaudiya dance evening will be held today at 6:30pm at the Studio Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. A dance artist of Nrityanchal, Rachel Priyanka Perris is performing a solo Gaudiya dance, under the direction of dance guru of Kolkata Dr Mahua Mukharjee.

Besides this performance, Rachel also conducted a seven-day-long Gaudiya dance workshop from January 17-23, where 80 students of Nrityanchal School participated.

Rachel Priyanka Perris completed her graduation and post graduation from Rabindra Bharti University. She received advance training in Gaudiya dance from exponent guru Dr Mahua Mukharjee, who is a researcher and teacher at Rabindra Bharati University and dean of the faculty of fine arts. Now, Rachel is doing her MPhil in Gaudiya, which has been recently introduced to the dance arena of Bangladesh.

About the genre, Rachel said: “Gaudiya Nritya originated from Gauda, also known as Gaur, in Bengal. The dance form was lost over the centuries.

It has been reconstructed by Mahua Mukherjee.”

Gaudiya Nritya originated in the western Indian state of Bengal. The word “Gaudiya” itself means “old Bengal”. The dance form can trace its roots back to the Natya Shatra.

National Music and Dance Centre, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Shegun Bagicha The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Thor: The Dark World Pacific Rim in 3D Time: 10am – 10pm Star Cineplex, Level 8, Bashundhara City 13/3 Ka, Panthopath

Theatre

Gondar

By Prachyanat, Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm National Theatre, Shilpakala Academy, Shegun Bagicha Panchanari Akhyan

By Dhaka Theatre, Time: 7pm – 9pm Experimental Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

Angelina Jolie shows off her evil powers n Entertainment Desk Angelina Jolie comes out of the shadows in a TV spot for the upcoming Disney film Maleficent. Jolie, with her razor-sharp cheekbones and purring English accent, is the unforgettable and stylish Disney baddie.

The new trailer for Disney’s Maleficent opens with footage from the Disney film that inspired it: 1959’s animated classic Sleeping Beauty. “Behind the kiss, behind the magic, behind the legend of Sleeping Beauty,” promises the trailer for this year’s Maleficent, which cuts between the two films in an effort to draw a direct connection between them.

The key difference in Maleficent is a matter of perspective. The live-action film aims to do for the titular Sleeping Beauty baddie what Wicked did for The Wizard of Oz by retelling a familiar story from the perspective of the ostensible villain. Angelina Jolie plays Maleficent, in her first starring role since 2010’s The Tourist On paper, Maleficent sounds like a can’tmiss proposition for Disney, but the film’s success isn’t exactly assured. In recent months, Disney has earned major kudos for Frozen, which upended many of the genre conventions that Disney itself helped to popularise.

Maleficent comes out May 30, the same weekend as Seth MacFarlane’s comedy A Million Ways to Die in the West. They’ll both be competing against X-Men: Days of Future Past, which opens the week before. l

Did you know?

Poland’s Radwanska has won for the first time against Belarus’s Azarenka. She lost all seven previous meetings against the Belarusian

Sport

Thursday, January 23, 2014

0 5 2

14 Gervinho sees

DAYS TO GO

Roma past Juve in Cup quarters

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Loss to NZ

robs India of top ODI ranking

Toklis rescues Jamal against 9-man MSC n Shishir Hoque

Sheikh Jamal’s Haitian forward Sony Norde goes airborne after a rough tackle by Cameroonian defender Bayebeck, (L) consequentially sent off during their Bangladesh Premier League match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MUMIT M

Afusi content with draw

National Cricket League ready to go n Minhaz Uddin Khan n Raihan Mahmood The National Cricket League is set to start from January 30. Though the first-class cricket tournament, which features eight teams, was scheduled to start on December 20, the pre-election political turmoil pushed back the schedule.

“The divisional sports associations requested 2-3 days to conform their respective 15-men squads. There will not be any hike in the match fees. A side will be able to register five foreigners but make only one play. We have already handed over Taka five lakhs to every team for their initial expenditures,” Ziaur Rahman Topu, member of the BCB tournament committee, told the media.

Most of the sides will start practicing from today and the first round matches of the league will be played at Rajshahi, Khulna, Bogra and Fatullah.l

The thrilling draw between Sheikh Jamal DC and Mohammedan was followed by an exciting post match conference as the two coaches - Josef Afusi and his Portuguese counterpart Rui Jose Capela Batista - expressed contrasting emotions over the 1-1 result yesterday.

Both parties had different displeasure with Afusi focusing on the missed chances while Batista cursed the refereeing along with the seven minutes stoppage time. “I inserted an all attacking eleven ahead of our Indian tour and I was hapless to see my forwards miss the scoring chances,” said Afusi. “The match should have been closed in the first 20 minutes if we had not squandered the opportunities. We have to work on what was wrong.”

The Nigerian also defended the lengthy stoppage time and said it was

BCB to discuss Big 3 proposals n Mazhar Uddin The ICC is considering a comprehensive structural overhaul of world cricket administration that will effectively cede most executive decision-making to the Big 3 - India, Australia and England– and the matter will be on top of the agenda as the directors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) meet at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium today.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan will discuss the proposal with his colleagues and may provide Bangladesh’s stance on the issue before the ICC Executive Board gathers for its quarterly meeting in Dubai on January 28 and 29.

According to the proposed draft which has been reported widely in the world media in the last couple of days, new executive committee (ExCo) will be set up permanent memberships for BCCI, CA, and ECB – who will also have the power to override all other committees. Promotion and relegation in Test cricket will be determined, with the exceptions made in the cases of BCCI, CA, ECB. ICC will not have the power to have FTP arrangements, with bilateral agreements only taking over. A new finance model of ICC revenue distribution is also on the cards.

There is also a suggested two-tier Test cricket system in which England, Australia and India are guaranteed to avoid relegation from the top tier because of their commercial value.

Some of the Test playing countries have already raised their voice in dissent against the proposed draft and even South Africa, the top placed Test

team,also coming up with a strong statement. South Africa directly stated that the proposals were unconstitutional and that they should not be discussed at the next ICC board meeting, but their stance has been rejected by the ICC. Sri Lankan Sports Minister opposed the changes as well and scheduled a meeting this week to provide an official stance on it.The proposals need seven votes from the ICC’s 10 leading nations to pass. Therefore in the wake of situation, Bangladesh needs to make an official decision on it.

The directors will discuss the matter at the meeting and then we’ll provide our stance on it “Everything has its positive and negative impact, so we’ve to read it carefully. The directors will discuss the matter at the meeting and then we’ll provide our stance on it,” said BCB acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury.

Bangladesh’s chance to play Test cricket will effectively diminish despite if the proposals are put into effect.Nizamuddin however, was cautious in commenting on this aspect of the matter.

“The proposals are still being reviewed. Before our meeting is takes place, we can’t say anything about these implications,” he said.

Other topics that will be discussed at the meeting are the financial aspects of the board and process of formal approval from the board for announcing a squad before an international series. l

justified. “All the negative elements were there, they were taking too much time for throw-ins and the goal kicks and there were two red card incidents too. The DVD of the match should be reviewed and I think it would be justified,” he said.

However, the Jamal coach was happy with the character his players showed against the “negative” approaches and said, “It’s all about teamwork. It’s not Sony or Mamun alone, Toklis came off the bench and scored the equalizer. We remain top of the table though we lost two points, it’s also important in a 27 match league.”

National forward Toklis Ahmed, who played his first match in four months after he injured himself on Under-19 national duty in Kuwait said, “I was looking forward to help my team and the strike definitely will boost my confidence.”

Meanwhile, Batista was frustrated

over the way the referee conducted the match and labeled him as the third team in the match. “I had a good strategy to implement and we took the field to win, but due to a bad third team we did not win. Seven minutes (stoppage time) was too much and you also have to consider that we were playing two big matches within four days,” said the Mohammedan coach.

Mohammedan manager Amirul Islam Babu, also an executive committee member of BFF, echoed his coach’s sentiments. “Baybeck’s red card was justified, but Zahid’s one was not. The referee should have warned him. I also want to say that the seven minutes stoppage time finished before the throw-in that resulted in the equaliser.

“Now we will miss two key players in a crucial tie against Sheikh Russell.

We have been wronged in many ways,” said Babu. l

Nine-man Mohammedan side put an end to Sheikh Jamal’s 10-match winning streak, in all professional competitions, as they held the table toppers to a 1-1 draw in an exhilarating Bangladesh Premier League encounter at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

A 96th minute majestic header by substitute forward Toklis Ahmed rescued Sheikh Jamal from conceding their first defeat in the season after Mezbabul Hoq Manik’s screamer put the traditional Black and Whites ahead at the hour mark.

The game had literally all the elements possible - suspense, two red cards and an injury time equaliser followed by the post-match clash between the referee and the players while the spectators also broke into the field to punt on the referee.

After thoroughly dominated by the opponents in the opening half, Mohammedan managed to take the lead and tried to do everything to hold onto it, but two send offs in space of 10 minutes made the job difficult for the Motijheel outfits. And when the clock ticked closer to the end of the seven-minute added time, left back Rayhan took a flawless free-kick from left as Toklis Ahmed beat all his obstacles to head home past Mohammedan keeper Titumir Titu to steal a point for his side.

On a brighter note, it was arguably one of the best matches so far this season where for the first time in the league, Mohammedan managed to salvage at least a point against the new powerhouse of Dhaka. Despite the draw, Sheikh Jamal stood comfortably at the top of the chart with three points clear of Abahani, though the Sky Blues played one game less. Mohammedan moved to sixth spot with six points from five matches.

Tamim urges saving Test cricket n Minhaz Uddin Khan The amendments in the ICC (International Cricket Council) constitution planned by the Big Three – BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), ECB (England Cricket Board) and CA (Cricket Australia) - will see the ninth and tenth ranked Test teams sidelined from the long format of the game. The proposed draft, which seeks to give greater control of the global game to India, Australia and England and vehemently shake up the game’s governance, has become a major talking point in cricketing fraternities around the world.

Bangladesh national opening batsman Tamim Iqbal also showed concern on the issue and said that the plan, if implemented, will hamper the promotion of the game.

“I have played Test cricket in quite a few countries and I don’t think any other country is as cricket-crazy as Bangladesh, whether it’s India, Pakistan or whichever (nation). ICC wants to promote cricket. If this (Test cricket) goes away from here, how will that work?” Tamim said to the media following his training session yesterday.

The left-hand batsman hoped that the Bangladesh Cricket Board will take the necessary steps to stop the damage.

“I want to request that this thing does not happen. I don’t know much about the details of the draft, so I cannot comment much on it. However, I am sure that the BCB will take the right steps in this regard,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh are about to start a home series against Sri Lanka from January 27, with the first Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. Tamim thought the national players had benefited by playing in the Bangladesh

Tamim in jovial mood after speaking to the press at SBNS yesterday Cricket League for the challenge ahead.

“We played two four day games – everyone is in touch and the preparation has been better than before. We have to take the confidence form the two matches that our cricket board arranged for us in the BCL, and bring it into the Test series.

“They (Sri Lanka) also played a good Test series (against Pakistan) and we are aware that they are a quality side.

This time we are facing them on our own ground which will be an added advantage but we still need to play well. If we do play well, then I am sure that we will be able to cause a surprise,” said Tamim.

The wickets in the BCL games, which were held at BKSP,have been

DHAKA TRIBUNE

criticized for not being fair.

The opening round of the first-class tournament produced 8 fifties, 5 hundreds and a double hundred, while the bowlers leaked 2,201 runs and picked up just 45 wickets.

“It is true that the wickets were bad for the bowlers because they were too flat but as a batter, I feel it was a decent track to bat on. I was very confident.

When there are big performances ahead of a Test match, like (Imrul) Kayes and Shamsur (Rahman), it is a plus point, since they will be confident.

We play cricket after long gaps, but this time I would like to thank the cricket board for arranging the BCL games. We are better prepared than last time,” said Tamim. l

Haitian international striker Sony Norde returned from the injury he sustained during the Federation Cup and made his premier league debut for Jamal while skipper Mamunul Islam also returned to the squad.

Mohammedan coach Batista made three changes to the squad bringing in goalkeeper Titu, midfielders Sabuz and Manik.

Jamal dominated the first 45 minutes and could have easily secured the game inside the first 25 minutes.

In the 32nd minute, Jahid Hossain tried his luck with a looping shot from 30 yards that almost beat Jamal keeper Ziaur Rahman, who was a yard away from the six yard box, but eventually he fisted it away for a corner.

Mohammedan staged a come-back after the breather and to everyone’s surprise Mezbabul Hoq Manik’s powerful strike from 20 yards put Mohammedan ahead. Jahid Hossain’s corner deflected off a defender and fell to Manik who fired the ball past Zia. Manik’s delight however was short lived as he had to leave the pitch injured two minutes later.

Jamal unleashed all their weapons for the equaliser and put more pressure on their opponents. Mohammedan’s Cameroonian defender Bayebeck was sent off in the 71st minute after receiving his second booking for a poor foul on Sony just outside the box. Mohammedan strengthened their defence line replacing Emily with Tapu Barman, but they were further reduced to 9-man 10 minutes later after Jahid Hossain was shown a straight red after he fouled Sohel Rana off the ball.

The decision made the Mohammedan supporters go wild while the players crowded the referee and got involved in a war of words.

The Black and Whites inched closer to the win as they held on to their lead until the 96th minute before Toklis, who replaced Linkon, snatched the point right under their nose. l

BHF distributes high class hockey sticks Dhaka schools n Raihan Mahmood Mizanur Rahman, a class eight student of Barnamala Adarsha High School in Dania, Dhaka, was excited to hold the composite hockey stick for the first time at the kits distribution programme of the Bangladesh Hockey Federation yesterday.

Ahead of the First Security Islami Bank National School Hockey, scheduled to start from February 1, the hockey federation distributed 16 latest composite sticks and nine balls to each of the 21 participating school of the Dhaka district. A total of 102 schools from all over the country will be participating in the tournament in spread over ten venues.

Meanwhile the sponsors declared that they will step up with their monetary scholarships for higher education of selected players who will undergo long term training. Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, the chairman of the organising committee, also declared a monetary award of Tk100000, 50000 and 25000 for the top three goal scorers in the competition.

The participating schools are - Narayanganj High School, Joy Gobinda High School, Fatullah Pilot High School, Police Line High School and Hariharpara High School (Narayanganj), Satirapra KK Institution, Narsingdi, Poisha High School, Munshiganj, Motijheel Government High School, BAF Shahin High School, Barnamala Adarsha High School, Dania, Armanitola High School, Ahmed Bawani Academy, PM Pilot High School Zinjira, Shahid Nabi High School, West End High School, Nawab Habibullah School, Rayerbazar High School and Barnamala Pathshala. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Gervinho sees Roma past Juve n AFP, Milan A late goal from Ivorian striker Gervinho helped Serie A title challengers Roma book their ticket for the Italian Cup semi-finals with a deserved 1-0 win over Serie A leaders Juventus on Tuesday.

Roma, defeated in last year’s final by city rivals Lazio, will find out their last four rivals following the quarter-final tie between Napoli and Lazio on January 29.

Roma had suffered a 3-0 league defeat to Juventus a fortnight ago and with the hosts losing last season’s final to Lazio, coach Rudi Garcia fielded a full-strength side at a packed Olympic Stadium.

Juve counterpart Antonio Conte, meanwhile, took the opposite approach. He rested ‘keeper Gianluigi Buffon, a number of midfield stars including Paul Pogba, Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichsteiner and strikers Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente.

In the end, Conte’s strategy backfired as Roma’s far more enterprising approach paid dividends.

Captain Francesco Totti told Rai Sport: “We wanted this win at all costs, tonight we matched a great Juve side.”

Asked who Roma would prefer to

meet in the final four, Totti added: “That’s their problem, not ours.”

Roma dominated the early exchanges but it took until late in the half for them to threaten the Juventus goal.

Vasilis Torosidis whipped in a superb curling ball at the far post with which Kevin Strootman, at full stretch, narrowly failed to make contact.

Totti then saw his volleyed snapshot go wide, while Alessandro Florenzi failed to reach Gervinho’s ball when it was fired across the box. As the game stalled, Garcia replaced Florenzi with Miralem Pjanic while Conte attempted to waken his team from their relative slumber by replacing striker Sebastian Giovinco with Llorente on 77 minutes.

Garcia’s switch was to pay dividends, Pjanic reaching the ball, before Andrea Barzagli, to stride forward and feed Strootman deep on the left.

The Dutchman’s cross arrived in the box and Gervinho did well to tap the ball home with the side of his right boot in the 79th minute.

Roma were fired up and Totti delivered the ball for Gervinho which the striker missed, and minutes later the Ivorian sent a low, weak shot into the arms of Storari after late substitute Adem Ljajic had carried the ball from midfield. l

AS Roma's forward Gervinho (L) celebrates after scoring against Juventus during their Coppa Italia match at Rome's Olympic stadium on Tuesday

Benzema edges Real Madrid towards Cup semis n

AFP, Madrid

Real Madrid took a huge step towards the Copa del Rey semifinals with a 1-0 win away to Espanyol in the first-leg of their quarter-final tie on Tuesday.

Karim Benzema got the only goal of the game as he headed home Alvaro Arbeloa’s cross on 25 minutes.

Espanyol were indebted to goalkeeper Kiko Casilla for not having an even greater deficit to overcome next Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabeu as he made a string of fine saves to keep

his side in the tie.

However, they should have snatched a draw on the night as Colombian striker Jhon Cordoba fired straight at Iker Casillas when played through on goal eight minutes from time.

Real boss Ancelotti named a strong side with Xabi Alonso the only first team regular to drop onto the bench.

And the Italian was rewarded with a commanding display from his side as they extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 18 games.

Cristiano Ronaldo fired an early effort across goal before Espanyol passed up a huge chance to take the lead when Pizzi blasted over Sergio Garcia’s neat

cut-back from inside the area.

Thereafter it was one way traffic before the break as Casilla turned another low effort from Ronaldo onto the inside of the post. Madrid did take the lead midway through the half as Gareth Bale flicked on Arbeloa’s cross and Benzema powered home a header for his 14th goal of the season.

Casilla then saved from Benzema and a Bale free-kick, whilst Angel di Maria ballooned another clear opening well over the bar.

Espanyol posed more of a threat at the beginning of the second period as Garcia curled an effort inches wide of Casillas’ right-hand post. l

Spanish judge hears case over Neymar deal

AFP

India plans anti-graft unit after match-fix bid

n AFP, Madrid

n AFP, New Delhi

A Spanish judge yesterday agreed to hear a case lodged against Barcelona president Sandro Rosell over the signing of Brazilian striker Neymar.

Judge Pablo Ruz of the National Court in Madrid issued a ruling accepting the case but adding that there was no “urgency or necessity” to hear Rosell’s testimony at this stage. A member of the fan-owned club, lodged a complaint last month against Rosell alleging misappropriation because members do not know the “real destination” of 40 million euros supposedly paid to Neymar family business N&N. l

India’s football chiefs will set up an anti-corruption unit after reports emerged that an I-League club may have been targeted by illegal betting syndicates, a top league official said yesterday.

Mumbai FC club official Atul Bagdamia told a joint workshop organised

by FIFA and Interpol in New Delhi last week that he had been approached by a businessman last year who offered to sponsor a visit by his team to Malaysia to play a series of friendlies.

When subsequent calls indicated that the mystery Malaysian wanted to fix

matches, the club broke off contact but did not report the matter to the All India Football Federation. The Indian Express newspaper quoted Bagdamia as saying: “When they mentioned match-fixing, I immediately broke contact with them.”

I-League chief executive Sunando Dhar said that although no damage was done, clubs had been told to report all such approaches in future even as the setting up of an anti-corruption unit was being planned.

Last month five players and three team officials from a Malaysian club were handed life bans and fined 20,000 ringgit ($6,000) each after being found guilty of match-fixing. l

Negredo sends City to Wembley in style n AFP, London

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema (C) is challenged by Espanyol's Joan Capdevila (L) and Sidnei Rechel (R) during the King's Cup match at Cornella El Prat stadium, in Barcelona on Tuesday REUTERS

Fenerbahce boss defiant over jail term on return n AFP, Istanbul

Nice condemn Marseille to barren season in Cup thriller

The head of Turkish football giant Fenerbahce returned home in defiant mood just days after a court ruling upheld a jail term against him for match-fixing.

About 5,000 supporters, wearing the blue and yellow Fenerbahce colours, massed alongside several club players outside an Istanbul airport to greeted Aziz Yildirim as he arrived back in Turkey late Tuesday.

“Fenerbahce is a stronghold and we will not surrender,” the 61-yearold Yildirim declared to the cheers of the crowd.

Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals on Friday confirmed a prison term of six years and three months against Yildirim as well as sentences against several other Fenerbahce officials.

The ruling also bars Yildirim and all others convicted in the case that rocked the country’s domestic football league from serving as club officials. l

Struggling French giants Marseille face a trophyless season after they were knocked out of the French Cup in a nine goal thriller on Tuesday, going down 5-4 at home to fellow Ligue 1 side Nice.

Marseille, lacking the financial clout to compete with well funded bitter rivals Paris Saint-Germain and also Monaco, showed some spirit in the second-half with Andre-Pierre Gignac bringing them back to 4-3 with a wonderful overhead kick, his second goal of the game.

However, former Marseille player Fabrice Abriel restored the two goal advantage and although veteran Souleymane Diawara -- who had scored an own goal in the first-half -- made it 5-4 the fans had run out of hope and already headed for the exits.

Earlier, three Ligue 1 clubs had been eliminated by sides from lower divisions including Corsican duo

n AFP, Paris

Ajaccio and Bastia.

Ajaccio, bottom of Ligue 1, went down 2-1 at home to Ligue 2 side Caen while Bastia also lost 2-1 away at another second tier team, former French champions Lens – Bastia’s city rivals Ligue 2 CA Bastia saved Corsican honour by defeating Niort 5-4 on penalties after the all second tier clash ended 2-2 after extra-time. l

RESULTS AC Ajaccio Angers Boulogne

0-2 1-0 0-2 2-2

Caen

2-3 0-3 2-1 4-5 2-0

Gunigamp

Sochaux Rennes

CA Bastia Niort Bastia win 5-4 on penalties Concarneau Croix Lens Marseille Sete

Lille Bastia Nice Jura Sud

Manchester City swept into the League Cup final with a ruthless 3-0 win at West Ham on Tuesday which completed a 9-0 aggregate victory in a brutally one-sided semi-final.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side had already effectively booked their place at Wembley after winning the first leg 6-0 at Eastlands, but they didn’t take it easy in the return at Upton Park.

Alvaro Negredo and Sergio Aguero put City two goals up before half-time in east London and Negredo struck again after the break to cap another clinical display from one of the most potent strike-forces in Europe.

City will face arch rivals Manchester United in the final on March 2 if David Moyes’ side can overturn a 2-1 deficit in the second leg of their semi-final against Sunderland at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce hand-

ed Andy Carroll his first start since the final game of last season after the England striker’s long struggle with a foot injury.

City’s teenage Portuguese winger Marcos Lopes had time and space to float a cross into the six-yard box, where Spanish striker Negredo rose completely unmarked to power a header past Jussi Jaaskelainen from close-range.

The muted City celebrations suggested even they were slightly embarrassed at the ease of both the goal and their path to Wembley.

West Ham’s Kevin Nolan had the ball in the net moments later but his strike was ruled out for offside and City were quickly back on the attack as Aguero fired into the side-netting.

Aguero, making his first start since December after a calf injury, threatened again with a surging run and shot which Jaaskelainen pushed away for a corner.

But Aguero wasn’t to be denied for long as the Argentine forward punished more woeful West Ham defending to increase City’s lead in the 24th minute.

West Ham centre-backs Roger

Johnson and James Tomkins stood statuesque as the impressive Lopes advanced into the penalty area, where the ball ran for Aguero to calmly sweep a low shot past Jaaskelainen for his 22nd goal of the campaign.

Aguero’s class is undeniable but he showed the ugly side of his game soon after when he was fortunate to escape with a yellow card for a stamp on Tomkins.

West Ham held the record for the most goals scored in a League Cup semifinal, when Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore and company racked up a 10-3 aggregate win over Cardiff in 1966.

And City had that achievement in their sights when Negredo barged his way through the Hammers defence once again before stretching to clip his shot over Jaaskelainen in the 59th minute for his 23rd goal of the season.

In the end, City settled for just three goals and their thoughts had already turned to Wembley long before the final whistle put West Ham out of their misery. l

City building on my foundations, says ex-boss Mancini n Reuters Galatasaray manager Roberto Mancini says he has no bitterness towards his former club Manchester City and believes their success this season is partly due to the foundations he laid during his three-year tenure at the club.

In an interview with the BBC’s World Service, the Italian, who made way for Manuel Pellegriuni and moved to Galatasaray after leaving City last year, said: “Chelsea changed and bought some new players, City bought four or five new players.

And Mancini said that City’s current situation is partly down to the players he signed for the club.

“The players scoring the goals are players that I bought - Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Yaya Toure and David Silva,” he added.

“I think Pellegrini is doing a good job but what is happening now at Manchester City, we did three years ago.” l

Manchester City's Alvaro Negredo (C) celebrates scoring against West Ham United with teammates Sergio Aguero (L) and Dedryck Boyata (R) during their English League Cup semifinal second leg match at Boleyn Ground on Tuesday REUTERS

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

15

Thursday, January 23, 2014

QUICK BYTES

SCORECARD

Pascal departs without playing any match

New Zealand M. Guptill c Shami b Raina J. Ryder C Dhoni b Shami K. Williamson st Dhoni b Jadeja R. Taylor c Dhoni b Shami C. Anderson c Dhawan b Sharma B. McCullum c & b Shami L. Ronchi not out N. McCullum b Kumar K. Mills not out Extras: (lb1, w7) Total: (seven wickets; 42 overs)

Pascal Millien, the Haitian international and former Tampa Bay and Sligo Rovers midfielder who arrived in Dhaka on January 16 to play for Sheikh Russell, left the country yesterday. It was learnt that the Irish First Division outfit Sligo Rovers player was not satisfied with the money he was offered by the club and decided not to play in Dhaka.

After arriving in Dhaka, the Haitian was enthusiastic about taking the field as soon as possible. Sheikh Russell president Nurul Alam Chowdhury said the player was not satisfied with the overall infrastructure of Dhaka football and he thought that it would not be helpful for him and decided to leave.

–RM

Bowling Kumar 7-1-43-1, Shami 7-0-55-3 (2w), Sharma 6-0-46-1 (4w), Jadeja 8-0-46-1, Kohli 2-0-12-0, Ashwin 8-0-50-0 (1w), Raina 4-0-18-1 India S. Dhawan b Southee 12 R. Sharma c Ronchi b Southee 20 V. Kohli c sub b Southee 78 A. Rahane c Ronchi b McClenaghan 36 M. Dhoni c Williamson b Anderson 56 S. Raina c Southee b Mills 35 R. Jadeja b Anderson 12 R. Ashwin c Guptill b Southee 5 B. Kumar c N. McCullum b Anderson 11 M. Shami not out 1 I. Sharma not out 1 Extras: (lb3, w7) 10 Total: (nine wickets, 41.3 overs) Q277

Usha come from behind to beat Azax Usha Krira Chakra came from behind to earn a 3-2 victory over Azax Sporting Club and continue their winning streak in the Green Delta Insurance Premier Division Hockey League at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday. Krishna Kumar took the lead for Usha just two minutes into the game before Md Rahat Sarowar and Ibrar Ahmed Babor scored two goals in the 10th and 23rd minute to put Azax in the lead. Moinul Islam Koushik restored the parity in the 37th minute and Rimon Kumar Ghosh sealed the victory two minutes later. Abahani Limited will face Sadharon Bima in today’s game at the same venue.

–SH

Tribunal seeks to muzzle media Mr. Jonathan Taylor on behalf of the prosecution placed a news report published in Daily Independent yesterday and claimed that it amounts to the intimidation of witnesses whose testimony the tribunal is going to hear and asked for an appropriate order from the Tribunal. A press release from the BCB yesterday stated, “The publication of day to day proceeding in the newspaper violates the confidentiality of Tribunal proceedings in public. All concerned and all media persons are requested to maintain confidentiality of the proceeding of the Tribunal not disseminating any confidential matter in public.” Opening arguments on behalf of the prosecution continued yesterday and the tribunal has fixed today, 23rd January for the examination of witnesses.

–MU

James’ Heat defeat struggling Celtics LeBron James scored 11 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter as the Miami Heat held on for a 93-86 win over the struggling Boston Celtics on Tuesday. The Heat led by as many as 18 in the opening half, but fell behind by two in the fourth before James collected seven of the game’s last nine points. James also had eight boards and added four assists for Miami, which was coming off a 2-4 road trip. Kris Humphries had 14 points and 13 rebounds for Boston, who have lost 12 of their last 13 games. James went seven-of-eight from the foul line as the Heat scored the last nine points of the game.

–AFP

Mitchell McClenaghan (2L) from New Zealand celebrates the wicket of India batsman Ajinkya Rahane during their second ODI at Seddon Park in Hamilton yesterday

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 1 2:40PM Big Bash T20 Hobart Hurricanes vs. Brisbane Heat Star Sports 4 2:00PM Australian Open 2014 Semi Final: Men’s Singles Ten Golf 4:00PM European Tour 2014 Qatar Masters, Day 2

AFP

Bowling Mills 9-1-50-1, McClenaghan 8-1-45-1 (1w), Southee 9-0-72-4 (1w), N. McCullum 8-0-40-0 (3w), Anderson 7.3-067-3 (2w) Result New Zealand won by 15 runs (D/L method)

Loss to New Zealand robs Federer subdues Murray to set up Nadal classic India of top ODI ranking n AFP, Melbourne

n AFP, Hamilton India surrendered their world number one ODI ranking Wednesday when they suffered a second successive defeat to New Zealand in a rain-abbreviated game in Hamilton.

India were 20 runs short of their Duckworth-Lewis adjusted target of 297 when further rain ended the game with three balls remaining.

India’s second loss to the eighth ranked New Zealand saw them slip behind Australia on the world rankings.

A two-hour rain break during the New Zealand innings and big hitting by all-rounder Corey Anderson conspired to give India a daunting target which they threatened to reach until the loss of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

When the skipper went for 56 in the 40th over India were 257-6 and their tailend batsmen were unable to maintain the required run rate.

New Zealand, sent into bat first, made 271-7 after rain reduced their innings to 42 overs.

Anderson was the central figure

in a 101-run slog in the 8.4 overs after the rain break which, under the Duckworth-Lewis system, saw India’s target scaled upwards to 297.

They made a rocky start to their reply when Tim Southee removed Shikhar Dhawan (12) and followed with the dismissal of Rohit Sharma (20) to claim his 100th ODI wicket.

When Mitch McClenagham removed Ajinkya Rahane for 36 to have India 127-3 they needed a further 170 off 18.2 overs. With Virat Kohli and Dhoni at the crease it remained possible until Southee came back for his second spell and captured the prized wicket of Kohli for 78.

Suresh Raina plundered a run a ball until he went for 35 and then New Zealand claimed the break they needed when Anderson removed Dhoni.

It started a collapse that saw four wickets fall for 18 runs as India’s run chase crumbled.

The New Zealand innings followed a similar pattern to their performance when they won the first ODI in Napier on Sunday by 24 runs.

Opener Jesse Ryder hit a few quick boundaries before being dismissed while Martin Guptill was more cautious, reaching 44 before he was removed, leaving Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor to build the innings.

They took New Zealand to 170 for two when the rain came, and after the resumption Williamson was quickly removed opening the way for Anderson’s charge.

Three weeks after he smashed the fastest ODI century in 36 balls, Anderson had the fastest 50 in his sights when he was dismissed.

He belted 44 off 16 deliveries and needed a six off the 17th ball to tie the record set by Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya in 1996, but was caught by Shikhar Dhawan on the boundary at long on off Ishant Sharma.

Mohammed Shami then removed Ross Taylor (57) and Brendon McCullum (duck) to put the brakes on the New Zealand charge.

Shami finished with the figures of three for 55, while bowling for New Zealand Southee took four for 72. l

Roger Federer fought back from a midmatch stumble against Andy Murray Wednesday to set up a classic Australian Open semi-final with Rafael Nadal.

After Nadal battled through an unexpectedly tough quarter-final with

Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, Federer showed both his vintage best and his fallibility in beating Murray 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3.

The Swiss great was electric in the first two sets but he tightened as he neared the finishing line, and was broken when serving for the win before passing up two match points in the third-set tiebreaker.

However, he extended Murray in a 19-minute hold at the start of the fourth set, then got the crucial break for 5-3 and, after setting up a third match point, he grabbed the opportunity with an ace.

“I thought Andy did well, he kept the ball in play and put the pressure on me and unfortunately I couldn’t get it done in the third set, with either the serve or the forehand missing. So I am happy to get the win in four,” Federer said.

Nadal also flirted with disaster before getting out of jail against rising Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

The 13-time Grand Slam champion, troubled by a huge blister on his racquet hand, went a set down against the exciting young prospect and, facing set points in the third, he was tottering. l

Radwanska shatters Azarenka jinx n AFP, Melbourne

Double points a ‘fake fix’ for Fernandes Awarding double points for the final Formula One race of the season is a ‘fake fix’ for pressing problems the sport must address, according to Caterham team owner Tony Fernandes. The Malaysian, who also owns English second tier soccer club Queens Park Rangers, said Formula One needed to act so the performance gap between teams could be reduced and all could have a chance. Caterham finished last overall in 2013 and have yet to score a point in four seasons that have seen Red Bull and Germany’s Sebastian Vettel rack up four successive championships.

–Reuters

44 20 77 57 44 0 18 1 2 8 271

Players of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh celebrate after winning against State University of Bangladesh (SUB) during their 7th ULAB Fair Play Cup Inter Private University Cricket Tournament match at the ULAB ground at Ramchandrapur yesterday MUMIT M

ULAB start with a win n Reazur Rahman Rohan

Hosts University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh had a flying start in the 7th ULAB Fair Play Cup Inter Private University Cricket Tournament as they comprehensively beat State University of Bangladesh (SUB) by eight wickets at the ULAB ground at Ramchandrapur, Mohammadpur, yesterday.

Asked to bat first, SUB posted a modest 125/8 in their allotted 20 overs, despite a half century from skipper Palash Ahmed, who made 50 from 54 balls. Meanwhile, Tanvir Ahmed grabbed three wickets for ULAB. However, the small target was made easier for ULAB as SUB’s poor fielding efforts cost them heavily. Three catches went down during the powerplay

as the eventual winners comfortably edged closer to the win. An unbeaten 45-ball 54 from Ijal Ahmed, who was later adjudged man of the match, took ULAB to 129 for two with an over and half to spare.

Earlier, chairman of Game Development, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), and former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud inaugurated the tournament while ULAB Board of trustee’s member and BCB director, Kazi Inam Ahmed and ULAB vice chancellor Prof Imran Rahman were also present.

Two matches are scheduled today - defending champions North South University will take the field against Northern University Bangladesh and Eastern University will face Independent University Bangladesh. l

Agnieszka Radwansa played the role of underdog to perfection as she finally broke her jinx against two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka and knocked her out of the Australian Open Wednesday.

The determined Pole battled to a 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 win to send the Belarusian packing with the top three seeds now out of the Grand Slam following the defeats of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.

It was a major scalp for Radwanska, who had lost all seven previous meetings with the Belarusian, and now goes into a semi-final with Slovak 20th seed Dominika Cibulkova.

The win also ensures the tournament will have a new champion with none of the semi-finalists – Radwanska, Cibulkova, Li Na and Eugenie Bouchard – having won before.

One of Radwanska’s challenges was to block out Azarenka’s grunting, which she complained about at the 2012 Australian Open.

Fairfax Media said it had recorded a 90 decibel grunt in Azarenka’s firstround match – louder even than renowned shrieker Sharapova.

Whatever the reason, Radwanska has always struggled against her. The pair, both 24, had met 15 times before with the Belarusian leading 12-3.

But the dam broke as Radwanska battled into her first semi-final in Melbourne, having made the quarters four

times before without going further.

Azarenka had not dropped a set all tournament, but 47 unforced errors cost her dearly to end her 18-match win streak at Melbourne Park.

She was disappointed to be going home early and blowing the chance to win her third Australian Open in a row, a feat not achieved since Martina Hingis between 1997-99. Azarenka was struggling and she needed to repel four break points in a 10-minute first game of the second set to hold.

Radwanska showed grit to bounce back and come through a tense 11-minute game to get the break and a 1-0 lead in the third. She held serve, then broke again for 3-0 with a frustrated Azarenka having no answers to the Pole’s allcourt game. l

Wawrinka ready to step out of Federer’s shadow n Reuters, Melbourne Stanislas Wawrinka has the opportunity to truly step out of Roger Federer’s immense shadow if he can only overcome a stubborn Tomas Berdych in their Australian Open semi-final on Thursday.

Wawrinka’s match against the Czech is the highlight of three semi-finals at Melbourne Park on Thursday with women’s title favourite Li Na facing exciting teenage prospect Eugenie Boucahrd in one of the women’s last four clashes.

Diminutive Slovak Dominika Cibulkova, who knocked out 2008 champion Maria Sharapova and destroyed 11th seed Simona Halep in the quarter-finals. l

Victoria Azarenka gestures during her women's singles match against Agnieszka Radwanska on day ten of the 2014 Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday AFP

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

SIX MONTHS OF FY2014

Five ADP power projects show little progress n Aminur Rahman Rasel The planned addition of 930MW to the national grid will be delayed as there has been no progress in the implementation of five ADP power projects in the first six months of the current fiscal year.

This will eventually hamper power saving as well as service to consumers, says an official report.

The projects are: the construction of Sylhet 150MW combined cycle power plant and transmission system; prepaid metering for Chittagong south zone; the construction of Shahjibazar 330MW plant; efficient lighting initiative for Bangladesh (parts 1 and 2); and Ashuganj 450MW combined cycle plant (north).

The report of the Power Division shows that out of 56 projects eight have made only 1-5% progress, nine 6-25%, and the rest completed 25-88% of the implementation work during the period.

The Power Division also missed its ADP target set for the July-December period, according to the report released at a recent meeting.

The agencies responsible for completing the projects implemented 23.92% of the ADP allocations during the period against a target of 32.93%.

The progress rate, however, dropped 3.2% from one year ago – the implementation was 27.12% in the first half of the last fiscal year.

According to the report, the Power Division spent Tk2,094.76 crore for these ADP projects. Of the amount, the government contributed Tk1,543.96 crore (29.55%) and foreign loans and aids were Tk550.80 crore (15.6%).

Against a target of 45.21% physical implementation these projects have completed 42.48% – a 3.17% increase from the period of the last fiscal year.

The FY2013-14 budget earmarked Tk65,872 crore for total ADP, and of the amount, Tk8,756.14 crore was allocated for the Power Division.

Of the total ADP projects, the Power Development Board is implementing 22, the Rural Electrification Board 11, the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh 10, the Dhaka Power Distribution Company three, the North West Zone Power Distribution Company five, the Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh two, and the Power Cell, West Zone Power Distribution Company and Ashuganj Power Station Company are implementing one each.

“We have been able to increase the pace of physical implementation compared to last year. But we still lack speed in the progress of financial implementation,” said Power Secretary Monwar Islam.

He expressed hope that the financial implementation would also get momentum in the next fiscal year. l

Back Page CAUGHT IN A MAZE

A numbers of cars stuck in traffic in the capital’s Hatirjheel yesterday afternoon. Though built as a bypass road, it is still not enough to accommodate the capital’s ever increasing number of vehicles BANGLAR CHOKH

One held over police barrack murder n Kailash Sarkar Extramarital affair allegedly led to the brutal murder of a man in the traffic police barrack early Tuesday, said sources in police.

A police constable Shawkat Hossain was arrested yesterday for the killing of 42-year-old Nannu Munsi of Jessore.

Meanwhile, the severed head of the body was found in a pond of Rajarbagh Police Lines late afternoon yesterday, said Md Ashrafuzzaman, Deputy Commissioner (DC) at Motijheel Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Police recovered the beheaded body of the unidentified man from the rooftop of traffic police barrack on Tuesday and a white coloured shirt from a drain near the police barrack with Tk935 in its pocket.

Family members of the victim yesterday morning identified the body at the morgue of Dhaka Medical College.

Following their information police arrested constable Shawkat who confessed his involvement in the murder of Nannu in association with two others for his extramarital affair with his wife.

Shawkat said after the murder he dumped the severed head into the

pond at Rajarbagh Police Lines.

Hailing from Jhenaidah district constable Shawkat was a driver at the Public Order Management unit. But he was suspended several months ago after following an allegation of his wife to the higher authorities of the police, said Masudur Rahman, the DC at the DMP Media Centre.

According to sources, Nannu of Potkhali village under Jhikargachha upazila in Jessore was a quack by profession.

He developed a relation with constable Shawkat and his wife through his professional activities.

Nannu had a 20-year-old daughter named Tumpa and two sons – Rabbi, 18, and Raj, 6.

Shawkat had some physical complexities and Nannu came to the police barrack to meet Shawkat for his treatment.

Nannu used to meet wife of Shawkat at his village home in Jhenidah in absence of Shawkat while he was away in the police barrack. Shawkat and his wife had not been on good terms because of extramarital relation between his wife and Nannu.

Constable Shawkat brutally killed Nannu in a planned way. He invited Nannu to the police barrack on January

Thursday, January 23, 2014

19 and killed him early in the morning on January 20.

“Following information from the family members of deceased Nannu we arrested Shawkat and he confessed to the murder,” said DC Ashrafuzzaman.

On information extracted from Shwakat the head was recovered from the pond at Rajarbagh Police Lines, he added.

Asked, the DC of Motijheel said during primary interrogation Shawkat said he alone had killed Nannu. “But investigating is on to find out whether other people were involved.”

But Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam of the Detective Branch said two others assisted the constable in the murder of Nannu.

The joint commissioner said a three-member committee led by Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Meer Rezaul Islam had been formed to investigate the matter.

The mystery surrounding the death was unravelled when Nannu’s brother-in-law Joynal Abedin identified the beheaded body.

When Joynal informed police that Nannu had come to Dhaka to meet constable Shawkat law enforcers detained the constable. l

Rs1 crore seized n Kailash Sarkar

Around Indian Rs1 crore was seized from a Bangladeshi man immediately after his arrival at the Hajarat Shahjalal International Airport from Dubai yesterday.

Personnel from the Customs Department and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) made the seizure, but they claimed the man identified as Nannu Sarder, 35, ran away leaving his luggage and passport dodging the customs and CIID officials.

CIID Assistant Director Ayesha Akhter claimed, “Although we seized the currencies from Nannu’s luggage, but he ran away during the scanning, leaving his luggage and passport.”

A source at the airport, however, claimed the concerned officials had let the smuggler go in exchange of bribe.

Akhter said Nannu’s passport showed that he had visited Dhaka, Pakistan and Dubai at least eight times in the last three months.

“We suspect Nannu was a member of a gang involved in the smuggling of currencies,” said the CIID official.

According to the airport sources, Nannu Sarder, who hails from Nariya upazila in Shariyatpur, arrived in Dhaka from Dubai by a flight of Emirates Airlines around 11am.l

Tourists flock back to sea and sand n Our Correspondent, Cox’s Bazar

As the country’s political climate has become stable, tourists are flocking back to the beaches and hotel resorts of Cox’s Bazaar. Businessmen hope to profit again following more than two months of political insecurity which had de-

railed the country’s tourist industry.

Abul Kashem Shikder, general secretary of Cox’s Bazar Hotel-Motel and Guesthouse Owners Committee said: “Tourists have been booking hotel rooms. With their return, we hope to see some profits after a two-month lull due to political instability.

Nurul Absar, general secretary of Cox’s Bazar Sea-Beach Hotel-Motel Owners Committee, said: “We had sustained heavy losses in the last two months, and I am pessimistic whether we can recoup that this season. Nevertheless, with political stability returning, anything is possible.

With the political situation in the country stabilising, tourists are seen returning to Cox’s Bazaar in droves, raising the spirits of local hotel owners and businessmen DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sources said December and January were the peak season for tourists and resort owners. It’s during this time that tourist come to relax with their families, and end the year in comfort and through relaxing. But the hotel occupancy rate was almost zero during the peak season this time around.

Owners of around 50 hotels and motels were busy decorating rooms for tourists.

Probal Dip, St. Martin, Teknaf, Inani, Himchari, Dariyanagar, Dulahajara Bangabandhu Safari Park, Ramu’s Buddhist Temple, Adinath Temple of Moheshkhali and other tourist spots have been redecorated.

Ataus Samad Titu, general secretary of the Cox’s Bazar District Restaurant Owners Committee said, “We opened our restaurants for tourist amid risk, but I don’t know what will happen next.”

SM Kibria, president of the Cox’s Bazar Tour Operator Association, said: “All ships on the Teknaf-St. Martin route were cancelled due to lack of tourists, but now we have been offering different packages for tourists. I hope the tourism industry will bounce back again.”

Local businessman related to the industry said the peak season from November to February had passed off without any tourists. Besides, holidays like Eid, Puja, Christmas, Victory Day and New Years Eve also passed off without making any difference. l

Over 5 crore children to get vaccines against measles-rubella One of the largest ever vaccination campaigns to start from Jan 25

n Moniruzzaman Uzzal One of the largest ever vaccination campaign is set to take place across the country between January 25 and February 13, with the government planning to administer measles-rubella (MR) vaccines to around 5 crore 20 lakh children between the age of nine months and 15 years.

The health ministry has also set a target of providing oral polio vaccines to over two crore children under the age of five during the three-week long national campaign.

Dr Abu Zafor Md Musa, director of primary health care at Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), told the Dhaka Tribune that as far as he knew, it would be one of the largest vaccination campaigns of the world, with one-third of the total Bangladeshi population being brought under the vaccination coverage.

Saying Bangladesh had remained polio-free since 2006 and was set to be certified for the achievement in March, Musa added that the aim of the nationwide campaign was to sustain the polio-free status, and eliminate measles and rubella diseases.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman, programme manager of Expanded Immunization Programme, said children were the usual victims of measles and rubella – both of which are communicable diseases.

Measles causes pneumonia, diarrhea, malnutrition, encephalitis, blindness and deafness; while, rubella infection of the pregnant mother within three months of pregnancy could result in miscarriage, or the child could be born with Congenital Rubella Syn-

drome.

Senior officials at the health ministry said 211 measles and 2,911 rubella patients were found in the country in 2013. They also expressed hopes that the countrywide vaccination programme would save thousands of children and pregnant mothers from being effected with measles or rubella.

The Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunization (GAVI) has reportedly provided over $33.5m to conduct the nationwide MR vaccination campaign, while Unicef has bought Tk287 crore worth of vaccine with the budget.

The target of this programme was to increase the MR vaccine coverage up to 95% within 2016 and reduce the rate of the infected by 90% compared to figures from 2010.

In the first week, MR vaccines would be given to around 3 crore 35 lakh students of 171,000 schools, while during the second and third weeks (February 1 to February 13) MR vaccines would be given at 120,000 fixed sites of Expanded Immunization Programme across the country. A total of 66,993 skilled vaccinators and 241,000 trained volunteers would work to make the campaign a success.

Speaking at a press brief ahead of the programme, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim yesterday urged citizens to get vaccines from their nearest centres. He also sought help from the media for creating mass awareness amongst the general people throughout the country.

Nasim also blamed some unscrupulous people of spreading rumours to tarnish the ministry’s image, and called on citizens to keep their eyes open to avoid the rumours. l

Diplomacy for hilsa! n Tribune Report

Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran has requested Bangladesh government to withdraw its restriction on hilsa export.

The envoy said hilsa fish was very popular in India and made the request when he met with Fisheries and Livestock Minister Muhammed Sayedul Hoque at the Secretariat yesterday.

Sayedul told Saran that hilsa ex-

port had been suspended to increase local supply and that a decision made in consultation with the commerce ministry and government high-ups would be conveyed to the Indian authorities.

The minister said Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka could be economically benefitted by conducting research on the Bay of Bengal. He emphasised the need for cooperation in joint research in this regard. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Banks’ pay scale EU to provide trade support beyond GSP n awaits ‘adequate’ legal advice Tribune Report

Government wants to know how to amend the relevant law to introduce a separate salary structure for BB and four state banks

n Asif Showkat Kallol The government has sought a detailed legal suggestion from law ministry on a separate pay scale for Bangladesh Bank and four state-owned commercial banks.

Earlier, the ministry gave an opinion which, according to the officials, was not complete as it only suggested amendment of the relevant law but didn’t say how to amend it.

'The previous legal advice from the law ministry was not enough and lacked adequate instructions on amendment of the law'

Now the finance ministry wants suggestions on how to amend the Services (Reorganisation and Conditions) Act, 1975 to implement a separate pay scale for the banks.

Bangladesh Bank’s pay scale is out of the purview of the act.

To bring the staff of the central bank under a separate pay scale with the state-owned four commercial banks, the law will have to be amended.

“The previous legal advice from the law ministry was not enough

and lacked adequate instructions on amendment of the law,” said a finance ministry official.

“Due to pressure from Bangladesh Bank, the law ministry might have done it hurriedly.”

Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Tuesday reiterated that the government would soon implement a separate pay scale for Bangladesh Bank and four state-owned commercial banks.

He said: “The process of implementation would start from where it got stuck.”

According to the official sources, the implementation division of the finance ministry sought suggestion again from the law ministry on a separate pay scale before January 5 election.

Implementation of separate pay scale for the employees of Bangladesh Bank and four state banks has been stuck due to legal complexities.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed the recommendations of the secretaries’ committee on separate pay scale on November 12 last year.

Under the new 11-grade pay scale which will replace the existing 20-grade pay structure, the basic salary for those in the lowest grade will be Tk6,000 and for the highest grade will be Tk55,000.

Currently, the four banks have around 90,000 employees while the central bank has nearly 6,000. l

The European Union renewed its commitment to work on boosting trade with Bangladesh through diversification of business.

“The EU will continue GSP facilities for Bangladesh and they would provide even more to improve trade between the two countries,” Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told a press briefing at the commerce ministry in Dhaka yesterday.

He expressed the hope after a meeting with EU Ambassador to Bangladesh William Hanna as they discussed on how to boost bilateral trade and commerce.

“We had talks on how to improve trade with the EU and the ambassador assured us that they will continue GSP facilities for Bangladesh and they would provide even more to boost trade.”

Tofail said his ministry’s main aim is to promote the country’s trade and commerce as he assured to work hard in improving the trade.

In first half of the current fiscal year, Bangladesh exported products worth US$7.91bn to EU countries, while the country’s RMG export rose to over $7bn, which is 21% higher compared to the same period of previous fiscal year.

EU Ambassador Hanna reiterated the EU’s commitment not to review the GSP facilities, but stressed on implementation of the factory safety and inspection issues.

“We’ve discussed commitment in the area of factory safety and inspection … I think there is a good progress in safety, which should continue and Keep watching them closely,” Hanna said, talking about safety and sustainable compact that has been declared in last year in Geneva after the Rana plaza factory disaster.

“I hope there would be favorable and peaceful environment for trade and commerce and continuation of dialogue for trade and commerce until the country takes forward.”

BTRC fixes new QoS for telecom operators n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulator Commission (BTRC) has introduced a new benchmark with some key performance indicators to assess mobile phone operators’ service quality and to protect the customers from below-standard services.

The telecom watchdog also fixed two types of benchmarks-first one is shortterm, which is for less than two years period, while the second one is long-term, which is for more than two years period.

The service providers should maintain the benchmarks while the regulator will audit it time to time, according to BTRC fixed bench mark.

“The regulator will also make public all the reports and they will prepare a rating with the operators’ service quality, said the directives.

Meanwhile, mobile phone operators have welcomed the newly introduced directives of BTRC with some reservations as they believe that there should be proper consultations between the operators and the regulator.

Regarding the newly introduced bench mark, Association of Mobile Telecom Operators (AMTOB) on 8 January sent a letter to BTRC, which was signed by its secretary general TIM Nurul Kabir.

“Under the new directives, the telecom regulator has fixed some parameters, which does not reflect any local context, said AMTOB in its letter.

In reply BTRC said, “It is being observed that all the operators, excepting few, are not paying any attention to the quality of their respective services. As a

result, the overall quality of the network has followed deteriorating trends, instead of further improvement.’’

It also said, though the subscriber base has been increased but the customers’ complains have also been increased simultaneously.

“Frequent call drop, poor network coverage and unsatisfactory customer care support are the common issues being faced by the subscribers. As a result, customer’s dissatisfaction is increasing and complains against the network are also increasing day by day,” reads the BTRC directive.

According to the directives of BTRC, operator’s call set-up success rate must be at least 95% while it must be increased further by 95% within the next two years.

The directives fixed the call setup time 8 seconds for now, which should come down to 7 seconds within next two years. However, AMTOB demanded this call set up time 9 seconds and 8 seconds respectively.

The telecom regulator also claimed that operators are now implementing new features in their networks without performing proper pre-trial, which is also a reason for poor quality of services.

According to the directives, complaints per 100 customers should be reduced fewer than 2.5% within two years and it must come down to less than 1%.

Regulator also fixed the time duration for subscribers assistance in customer care.

If subscribers filed any complain electronically customer care should response 100% within 20

seconds while voice to voice complain service should be addressed within 30 seconds, according to the directive.

But, AMTOB demanded 60 seconds and 120 seconds for those responses.

BTRC has fixed the standard call drop rate, which is less than 3% for short terms and 2% for long terms.

The performance of service providers against the quality of service benchmarks is to be reported to BTRC through a monthly monitoring report in the first week of every month, according to the directives.

BTRC has introduced five categories of performance benchmarks rating one for excellent, two for good, three for fair, four for poor and five for bad. And to obtain fair performance at least 90% rating point needed.

Regulator made it mandatory for the operator to keep the records service quality performance at least for three years.

“We always welcome the quality of service guideline but it needs proper consultation before formally introducing the benchmarks,” Mahmud Hossain, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Grameenphone (GP), told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said parameters should be fixed in line with international standers as well as local context.

A high official of BTRC said, “It is a temporary directives and we need to formulate a complete guideline regarding the service standard.”

Earlier, BTRC had approved the quality of service guideline in a commission meeting on 2 January. l

Region-wise export during July-December 2013 Others 1%

SAARC 1%

African Region 1%

Middle East Ocenia Region 2% 2% OIC Countries LDC 5% 0%

American Region 21%

ASEAN Countries 1%

Asian Region 10%

EU Countries 48%

D 8 Countries BIMSTEC 1% 4%

East and Other European Region 3%

About the further cooperation in improving further the cooperation, he said: “We have projects for further diversification of trade and automation of GSP.” He said trade is one of the most important issues of cooperation between EU and Bangladesh while export growth of Bangladesh to EU marked remarkably last year.

EPZs see above 26% investment growth

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi The country’s eight Export Processing Zones (EPZs) have experienced a 26.50% investment growth to over US $190m in the first half of the current fiscal year, braving all the adversities.

In July-December, 2012, the total investment in the eight EPZs had stood at $150m. Meanwhile, during JulyDecember 2013-14 Bangladesh’s export earnings from the EPZs rose to $2.6bn, which is 16% higher compared to the same period of 2012.

In the first six months of the current fiscal year, the Chittagong EPZ has witnessed investment of around $45m followed by, Dhaka EPZ of $64m, Karnaphuli EPZ of $19m, Adamjee EPZ of $41m Commila EPZ of $6.59m, Uttara EPZ of $8.68m, Ishwardi EPZ of $2m and Mongla EPZ of $4.17m.

The cumulative investment stands at $2975.71 million up to December 2013.

The cumulative investment stands at $2975.71 million up to December 2013.

According to BEPZA data, export earnings from EPZs rose by 16% by the enterprises of Eight Export Processing Zones under BEPZA in the first six months of the fiscal year 2013-2014.

The enterprises of EPZs had exported goods worth $2.6bn during JulyDecember, 2013 of the current fiscal year. It was $2.24bn during the same period of 2012.

Currently, a total of 425 industrial units are operating while 136 other are still at different implementation stages in 8 EPZs under BEPZA. l

British High Commissioner

Earlier at a separate meeting, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Gibson expressed the willingness to improve bilateral trade between the two countries.

He apprised the Bangladesh minister of 66 UK companies having around £2bn investment in Bangladesh and expressed the willingness to increase

the investment.

Gibson also pointed out some problems that create noise in doing business as the minister assured him of removing the obstacles to facilitate them doing business here peacefully.

Bangladesh fetched US$1.37bn from UK by exporting different products during the July-December period of current fiscal year. l

Stocks post sharp rise n Tribune Report

Stocks posted sharp rise yesterday with turnover crossing Tk800 crore-mark after two months.

The market opened on upbeat mood and the momentum continued till close of the trade.

The benchmark DSEX index surged almost 56 points or 1.4% to end at 4,640, extending the gaining streak for the second consecutive session.

Textile made a strong rebound, gaining 3.3% following previous downbeat sessions Shariah-based DSES index edged 13 points or 1.5% higher to 961.

The blue-chip comprising DS30 index rose 25 points or 1.6% to 1,640.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, rallied 118 points to close at 9,115.

High turnover was one of the main highlights of the day.

The total turnover at DSE stood at Tk803 crore, which was the highest since November 21 last year and 7.4% higher over the previous session.

The strength of the rally was partly due to outstripping performance of some sectors as they saw cyclical rally, said Lanka Bangla Securities in its market analysis.

Among the major sectors, fuel & power sector generated buying interest with market capitalisation up by 1.5%, while cement and engineering sector kept moving northward in continuation of previous trading session with 0.5% and 1.4% increase in market capitalisation respectively.

Such upward movement in the indices has mainly resulted from the gains by some large cap sectors, including pharmaceuticals, banks and power, according to IDLC Investment.

Textile made a strong rebound, gaining 3.3% following previous downbeat sessions.

Power sector posted the highest liquidity among all sectors and contributed 14.2% to the total market turnover.

Padma Oil was the most traded stocks with shares worth almost Tk29 crore, followed by Meghan Petroleum, Active Fine Chemical, Square Pharmaceuticals, Lanka Bangla Finance, Olympic Industries and Summit Purbanchal Power Company. l

STOCKS DSEX

4640.56

1.22%

▲

DS30

1640.07

1.57%

▲

CSEX

9116.4

1.48%

▲

MCCI urges parties to keep business out of politics n Tribune Report Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has urged the political parties to come out of the culture of suicidal politics and leave business out of politics.

They made the appeal during a meeting with Finance Minister AMA Muhith at the finance ministry in Dhaka yesterday, putting forward nine-point recommendations for economic growth.

MCCI suggested issues included reducing political unrest, ensuring security of businessmen as well as trade and business, strengthening the macroeconomic situation, improvement of investment situation, allowing businessmen to invest in foreign countries, improve the country’s image abroad, and ensuring political programmes on the holidays.

They also urged the finance minister to ensure a balanced monetary policy, reduce

the public borrowing from the banking system and establish the good governance in the capital market and banking sector.

“These are good suggestions and would be better for all,” Muhith said in response to the suggestion by the MCCI delegation, led by its president Rokia Afzal Rahman.

He, however, said more time would be required to execute the recommendations while holding the political programmes on the weekly holidays would not be possible

due to religious sentiment.

The minister also expressed dissatisfaction over delays in setting up of LPG terminal due to the complexity of tender process and appointing contractors.

He suggested the business community to run vigorous campaign for holding the political programs at the weekend.

To maintain public order and security of citizens and businesses, the chamber proposed that the political programmes, which

call for large gathering, be held only during the weekends as in neighbouring city of Kolkata.

About the proposal to revise the workweek from existing Sunday-Thursday to Monday-Friday to keep pace with the international practice of working days, Muhith said the government has considered the issue several times, but it is still sticking to the existing holiday schedule.

Advocating widening of the tax net to

improve revenue collection, MCCI stressed on further simplifying the tax forms, making the VAT scheme more business-friendly and bring it under single VAT registration system with allowable flexibility for SMEs. Speaking at the meeting, MCCI president Rokia Afzal Rahman said that the business suffered severely in the last few months due to political instability and turmoil, and all are trying to gear up their activities in the coming days. l

Turnover (Million Taka)

8,348.87

Turnover (Volume)

177,874,456

No. of Contract 170,405

300

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis) Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

WED

(+) 1.34%

CSE - 30 Index :

11949.5142 9116.3992

CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSERS

Mozaffar H.Spinning-N Shampur Sugar -Z Zeal Bangla Sugar -Z Progressive Life-A Apex Tannery -A Alltex Industries -Z PragatiLife Insu. -A Dulamia CottonZ Peoples Insur -A

-7.28 -6.25 -6.12 -5.07 -4.74 -4.35 -4.33 -4.21 -4.21

Average (% change) -7.44 -5.25 -7.24 -3.43 -0.08 -2.38 -1.00 -3.77 0.11

Republic Insu.-A

-3.89

-0.85

Company

Closing (% change)

CSE LOSERS

Mozaffar H.Spinning-N Imam Button -Z PragatiLife Insu. -A Alltex Industries -Z Quasem Drycells -A BSC-A MeghnaCement -A Bangas -A Phoenix Insur -A

-7.27 -5.05 -4.40 -4.26 -3.62 -3.36 -2.41 -2.39 -2.30

Average (% change) -7.82 -4.34 -2.57 -2.38 -2.63 -2.11 -1.71 -1.65 -1.09

BDCOM Online-A

-2.01

-1.28

Company

Closing (% change)

ANALYST

Closing average

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume)

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 662.19 677.16 284.45 1142.94 240.88 1177.20 2.04 970.86 918.16 1.61 35.46 205.12 56.73 463.29 91.90 336.79 556.71 205.78 160.17 158.58 0.86

18,793,552

Number of Contract

26,643

Traded Issues

232

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

184

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

45 2

▲

(+) 1.55%

▲

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,131.06

(+) 1.33%

▲

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

25.83

Daily high

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

Latest PE

42.67 9.02 9.09 151.04 177.93 9.02 236.92 9.20 35.16

42.00 9.00 9.20 149.90 174.90 8.80 230.00 9.10 34.10

45.30 9.20 9.50 160.60 183.60 9.40 245.90 9.20 35.80

41.50 8.90 9.10 142.50 173.50 8.80 225.00 9.10 33.50

124.721 0.046 0.030 4.772 40.194 2.053 48.980 0.069 5.883

1.56 -45.28 -5.64 2.30 6.28 -1.56 2.38 -1.90 2.20

27.4 -ve -ve 65.7 28.3 -ve 99.5 -ve 16.0

47.77

47.00

49.60

45.00

10.541

3.03

15.8

Closing average

Closing

Daily high

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

Latest PE

42.67 9.47 234.56 9.02 43.26 479.84 161.91 576.19 47.28

42.10 9.40 232.50 9.00 42.60 474.50 162.00 572.80 46.70

45.40 9.90 240.00 9.30 45.00 499.00 163.50 590.00 47.70

41.60 9.40 232.50 8.80 42.00 472.30 160.00 570.00 46.20

32.919 0.090 1.759 0.221 1.592 17.027 1.020 1.469 0.246

1.56 -2.20 2.38 -1.56 2.04 5.16 6.29 4.24 3.81

27.4 -ve 98.6 -ve 21.2 93.0 25.7 135.9 12.4

29.33

29.20

30.60

29.00

0.692

1.70

17.3

Such upward movement in the indices has mainly resulted from the gains by some large cap sectors, including pharmaceuticals, banks and power

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

722.27

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

Closing

% change 7.93 8.11 3.41 13.69 2.89 14.10 0.02 11.63 11.00 0.02 0.42 2.46 0.68 5.55 1.10 4.03 6.67 2.46 1.92 1.90 0.01

Million Taka 55.99 68.22 20.77 114.39 29.17 69.81 109.96 70.55 0.38 6.17 5.76 9.80 24.30 17.78 12.53 25.07 17.48 30.83 34.11 0.04

CSE

% change 7.74 9.43 2.87 15.82 4.03 9.65 0.00 15.21 9.76 0.05 0.85 0.80 1.36 3.36 2.46 1.73 3.47 2.42 4.26 4.72 0.01

Million Taka 718.18 745.38 305.22 1257.33 270.06 1247.01 2.04 1080.81 988.71 1.98 41.63 210.88 66.54 487.59 109.68 349.32 581.78 223.25 191.00 192.68 0.90

4.16 5.08 4.95 1.17 9.21 -0.89 2.24 0.88 46.53 2.48

4.6 42.4 26.5 22.9 12.7 -ve 29.6 6.8 18.1 12.2

22-Jan

WED

Total

% change 7.92 8.22 3.36 13.86 2.98 13.75 0.02 11.91 10.90 0.02 0.46 2.32 0.73 5.37 1.21 3.85 6.41 2.46 2.11 2.12 0.01

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

ZAHINTEX: 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 January 21, 2014.

FUWANGCER: 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 January 21, 2014.

DACCADYE: 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 January 21, 2014.

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. BRACBANK: Subscription 20.04.2014 to 15.05.2014.

Record date for entitlement of rights share: 10.02.2014.

MARICO: (Q3): As per quarterly accounts for the 3rd quarter ended on 31st December 2013 (Oct'13 to Dec'13), the Company has reported profit after tax of Tk. 346.76 million with EPS of Tk. 11.01 as against Tk. 283.90 million and Tk. 9.01 respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas profit after tax was Tk. 1,099.25 million with EPS of Tk. 34.90 for the period of nine months (Apr'13 to Dec'13) ended on 31.12.2013 as against Tk. 657.79 million and Tk. 20.88 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

ECABLES: (H/Y): As per un-audited half yearly accounts as on 31.12.2013 (July'13 to Dec'13), the Company has reported net profit after tax of Tk. 16.71 million with EPS of Tk. 0.70 as against Tk. 15.89 million and Tk. 0.66 respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas net profit after tax was Tk. 12.58 million with EPS of Tk. 0.52 for the period of 3 months (Oct'13 to Dec'13) ended on 31.12.2013 as against Tk. 8.83 million and Tk. 0.37 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

IPO Subscription: 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. Hwa Well Textiles (BD) Limited subscription date 17-23 February 2014, NRB upto 04 March 2014. At per, face value taka 10 and market lot 500.

Dividend/AGM ECABLES: 10% cash, AGM: 01.03.2014, RD: 29.12.2013.

USMANIAGL: 11% Cash & 10% Stock, AGM: postponed, RD: 07.11.2013.

POWERGRID: 15% Cash, AGM: 25.01.2014, Time: 10:00 AM. RD: 01.12.2013.

EASTRNLUB: 30% Cash, AGM: 25.01.2014, RD: 04.12.2013.

JAMUNAOIL: 90% Cash & 10% Stock, AGM: 25.01.2014, RD: 04.12.2013.

SAVAREFR: No dividend, AGM: 30.01.2014, RD: 19.12.2013.

PADMAOIL: 90% Cash, 10% Stock, AGM: 15.02.2014, RD: 23.12.2013.

SAMORITA: 30% Stock, AGM: 11.01.2014, RD: 25.11.2013.

Change of DSE Broad Index vs Sectoral Index 5%

Textile_Index

DSE BroadIndex

4% 3% 2% 1% 0% - 1%

22

14384.1235

Latest PE

20

CSE All Share Index:

0.010 8.053 0.584 22.491 1.878 0.055 1.387 0.051 0.252 3.751

21-Jan

12.6 42.0 55.3 23.0 29.6 61.5 12.2 9.9 5.1

Latest EPS

18

▲

9.21 5.08 0.64 1.17 2.24 1.84 2.48 0.64 4.16

16

(+) 1.41%

TUE

19.20 203.90 121.00 25.60 116.00 21.90 64.90 5.90 825.00 29.40

14

961.07627

19.20 216.80 133.00 27.80 118.30 22.00 68.00 6.10 843.90 31.40

Turnover in million

12

DSE SHARIAH Index :

19.20 216.80 131.10 27.50 116.20 22.00 68.00 6.10 840.10 30.80

Daily low

42.653 37.084 7.350 139.174 34.966 36.493 63.971 2.688 7.100

Latest PE

News from trade server

CSE key features January 22, 2014

21

▲

19.20 215.32 131.10 26.74 117.40 21.98 66.25 5.98 840.10 30.32

Daily high

Latest EPS

15-Jan

19

(+) 1.57%

Closing

Turnover in million

19-Jan

17

1640.06507

SUN

15

DSE - 30 Index :

Closing average

MON 20-Jan

13

▲

27.03

11

(+) 1.22%

Market Cap. Equity (Billion US$)

09

4640.55812

2,229.75

9.71 8.78 8.35 8.27 7.99 7.84 7.77 7.02 7.01 6.94

THU 16-Jan

Daily capital market highlights DSE Broad Index :

Market Cap. Equity (Billion. Tk.)

ICB AMCL IslamicMF-A AMCL (Pran) -A Prime Islami Life -A People`s Leasing-A Dutch Ban. Bnk- A Kay & Que (BD) -Z National Polymer -A Phoenix Fin. 1st MF-A Marico BD Ltd-A Saiham Tex.A

Average (% change) 9.71 8.95 13.66 5.69 10.96 7.75 5.51 5.28 5.58 4.88

Capital Market Highlights

of the dividends was on December 23 last year.

The management further informed in November about its annual general meeting to be held at Guptakhal in Chittagong on February 15 this year.

The unaudited quarterly report (ended on September 2013) shows the company’s profit is Tk67 crore after tax, which is higher than the profit of Tk43.2 crore during the same period in 2012.

The oil company’s June-ending annual earnings stood at Tk206 crore in 2013, which is higher than Tk146 crore in 2012.

The increased profitability is due to higher non-operating income of Tk239 crore in 2013 from Tk154 crore in 2012. l

The shares of Padma Oil Company Limited, a subsidiary of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, continued to rally for 7th consecutive sessions at Dhaka Stock Exchange by registering a gain of 4.5% yesterday.

The most traded stock of the day closed at Tk346.6 each with a trade value of Tk28.6 crore or 3.5% of the total trade value at the bourses.

The company did not disclose any price sensitive information recently.

The board of directors recommended cash dividend of 90% on face value of Tk10 along with a stock dividend of 10% for the year ended on June 30, 2013.

The record date for entitlement

2

Closing (% change)

Company

105.00 196.50 34.00 23.50 59.00 96.00 29.00 6.10 20.20

10

Padma Oil most traded stock n Tribune Business Desk

61

CSE GAINERS

07

21-01-14

22-01-14

19-01-14

20-01-14

15-01-14

16-01-14

12-01-14

13-01-14

09-01-14

07-01-14

08-01-14

06-01-14

01-01-14

02-01-14

29-12-13

30-12-13

24-12-13

26-12-13

22-12-13

23-12-13

250

Date

232

118.10 216.90 36.40 27.90 68.80 115.70 31.20 6.60 21.80

08

260

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

Daily low

06

270

295

118.00 216.90 36.10 27.60 67.70 113.30 30.80 6.40 21.20

04

280

Traded Issues

Daily high

02

290

116.44 213.45 35.36 26.91 66.37 113.11 30.17 6.32 21.35

31

310

Closing

29

320

9.87 8.78 8.41 7.81 7.80 7.39 6.94 6.67 6.53

Closing average

27

330

Dutch Ban. Bnk- A AMCL (Pran) -A Monno Ceramic -B People`s Leasing-A National Polymer -A National Tubes -A Saiham Tex.A ICB Emp. PMF-A ICB AMCL IslamicMF-A

Average (% change) 9.36 7.76 5.74 5.82 5.68 6.40 4.43 5.16 7.02

25

340

Closing (% change)

Company

23

350

Thursday, January 23, 2014

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features January 22, 2014

Rcent stock price movement of Padma Oil at DSE (in Taka)

Closing Price

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

03 05

B2

- 2% - 3% - 4%

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Padma Oil Co. -A Meghna Petroleum -A Active Fine Chem.-A Square Pharma -A LankaBangla Fin. -A Olympic Ind. -A Summit Purbanchol Power-N

ConfidenceCement A Grameenphone-A Delta Life Insu. -A

ApexAdelchi Ftr -A Appollo Ispat CL -N People`s Leasing-A Orion Pharma-N Golden Son -A UCBL - A LafargeS Cement-Z Mozaffar H.Spinning-N BSRM Steels-A

Generation Next Fashions-A

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Appollo Ispat CL -N Mozaffar H.Spinning-N People`s Leasing-A UNITED AIR-A BSRM Steels-A Orion Pharma-N BSC-A Active Fine Chem.-A Generation Next Fashions-A

UCBL - A

Meghna Petroleum -A Grameenphone-A Padma Oil Co. -A Square Pharma -A aamra technologies-A LankaBangla Fin. -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A National Bank - B Aftab Auto.-A Unique Hotel RL - N

Volume shares 830,575 969,695 2,478,243 796,237 2,197,175 959,279 2,169,020 1,112,829 731,284 554,800

262,000 3,983,600 5,172,784 2,080,480 2,147,748 4,506,051 3,145,500 2,923,000 1,468,644 3,191,060

Volume shares 940,800 771,500 841,009 1,155,133 237,695 272,140 35,485 156,713 424,600 450,222

48,285 59,200 35,299 53,066 307,775 142,019 304,819 825,379 116,629 120,390

Value in million 286.52 252.46 249.54 180.96 170.19 167.23 162.43 159.81 153.55 151.35

149.38 147.16 139.17 136.73 135.63 130.58 126.19 124.72 119.87 113.00

Value in million 34.94 32.92 22.49 20.43 19.46 17.89 17.03 15.76 15.14 13.06

12.59 12.46 12.18 12.04 11.41 11.03 10.95 10.78 10.76 10.40

% of total turnover 3.43 3.02 2.99 2.17 2.04 2.00 1.95 1.91 1.84 1.81

1.79 1.76 1.67 1.64 1.62 1.56 1.51 1.49 1.44 1.35

% of total turnover 4.84 4.56 3.11 2.83 2.69 2.48 2.36 2.18 2.10 1.81

1.74 1.73 1.69 1.67 1.58 1.53 1.52 1.49 1.49 1.44

Daily closing 346.60 260.00 102.50 229.30 77.40 172.60 74.10 141.40 208.70 272.00

563.30 37.00 27.60 65.40 63.00 29.00 40.30 42.00 83.10 36.10

Daily closing 37.10 42.10 27.50 17.60 82.90 65.70 474.50 102.60 36.40 29.10

260.50 209.20 346.20 229.70 36.90 77.80 35.70 12.90 91.90 87.00

Price change 4.46 2.77 5.34 3.76 1.44 0.17 0.68 -2.55 0.58 1.19

Daily opening 331.80 253.00 97.30 221.00 76.30 172.30 73.60 145.10 207.50 268.80

560.10 36.90 25.60 64.00 63.00 28.70 39.10 45.30 79.60 34.70

Price change 0.27 -7.27 8.27 -1.12 4.80 2.66 -3.36 5.66 4.30 1.04

Daily opening 37.00 45.40 25.40 17.80 79.10 64.00 491.00 97.10 34.90 28.80

0.57 0.27 7.81 2.19 0.00 1.05 3.07 -7.28 4.40 4.03

2.72 1.01 3.93 4.22 1.37 1.83 0.85 1.57 2.00 3.33

253.60 207.10 333.10 220.40 36.40 76.40 35.40 12.70 90.10 84.20

Daily high 349.50 263.60 103.00 230.00 80.00 176.20 76.40 149.00 212.80 275.00

580.00 37.50 27.90 66.90 64.00 30.00 40.50 45.30 83.50 36.30

Daily low 310.00 245.00 90.00 210.00 69.00 163.00 68.00 139.80 206.00 270.20

560.00 36.60 23.50 57.90 58.00 26.00 39.70 41.50 75.00 31.50

Daily average 344.97 260.35 100.69 227.27 77.46 174.33 74.89 143.60 209.97 272.80

Daily high 37.70 45.40 27.80 17.90 83.30 66.50 499.00 99.90 36.50 29.30

Daily low 36.70 41.60 25.60 17.60 79.80 58.00 472.30 100.00 34.70 28.70

Daily average 37.14 42.67 26.74 17.69 81.87 65.72 479.84 100.54 35.66 29.01

263.80 212.80 351.20 230.00 37.50 78.30 36.30 13.90 93.60 87.50

257.80 208.80 337.00 223.90 36.80 76.70 35.50 11.50 91.00 84.20

570.16 36.94 26.91 65.72 63.15 28.98 40.12 42.67 81.62 35.41

260.69 210.45 345.09 226.88 37.06 77.68 35.92 13.06 92.25 86.38

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Eight files nomination papers for DSE election n Tribune Report Eight stakeholders yesterday submitted nomination papers to contest for four posts of director of the demutualised Dhaka Stock Exchange.

The election is scheduled for February 12 to form its first board after demutualisation two month back.

The candidates are Shakil Rizvi of Shakil Rizvi Stock, Ghulam Rasul of Khwaja Equity Services, Mohammad Shahjahan of Jahan Securities, Sharif Anowar Hossain of Sahidullah Securities, Kazi Firoz Rashid of Kazi Firoz Rashid Securities, Ahmad Rashid of Rashid Investment Services, Mohammad Shamim Afzal of Desa Securities and Lailun Nahar Ekram of AENZ Securities.

The date of nomination withdrawal is January 30, when the final list of eligible candidates to be published.

The election is being held under the regulation of DSE shareholder director election regulation - 2014. Chairman of the DSE will be elected at the annual general meeting (AGM) scheduled for February 13. The 250 members of the DSE turned into shareholders after the demutualisation.

The new board will be comprised of 13 members, four from its existing shareholders, seven independent candidates, DSE chief executive officer and one from strategic investor, according to the Demutualisation Act 2013. Prior to holding the AGM, the DSE would have to send a list of independent directors to the BSEC for regulatory approval. l

Iraq oil exports dip in 2013: official data n AFP, Baghdad Iraq’s oil exports in 2013 declined compared with the previous year, new figures showed yesterday, despite the country’s efforts to dramatically ramp up crude sales to fund much-needed reconstruction.

Exports in December recovered from multi-month lows earlier in the year, but were still below their peak, with overall exports and revenues for the year lower than similar figures for 2012, according to oil ministry data compiled by AFP. Overall, Iraq exported 72.6 million barrels of oil in December, an average of 2.34 million barrels per day (bpd), bringing in revenues of $7.47bn (5.5bn euros).

Those figures were higher than in November, and also represented marked increases on September, when Iraq managed to export just 2.07 million bpd.

“The exports and income in December was an increase... even though there was bad weather and technical repairs in the southern ports,” oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said in a statement.

Jihad also said efforts to remove remnants of decades of war from the Shatt al-Arab waterway in south Iraq, through which the country ships the lion’s share of its exports, had held back overall sales. l

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam The telecom regulator has filed certificate case against the IGW operator Vision Tel Ltd to recover outstanding Tk181.5 crore.

The suit has been filed on Thursday last with a Dhaka court for the dues arisen from revenue sharing and annual licence fees of IGW operator, said a high official of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) yesterday.

He said the case has been filed under the Public Demands Recovery Act (PDRA).

Vision Tel Ltd is owned by the three non-residential Bangladeshis (NRB) and all of them currently is out of the country, which has made it difficult to collect

the money, said the BTRC sources.

Of the owners, Shariful Islam owned 80,000 shares of Vision Tel Ltd, Rashel Mirza 70,000 shares and Ziaur Rahman 50,000 shares.

“We never found this three people.

As they live in abroad, the recovery of the dues will be tough,” said a BTRC officer handling the issue.

The international gateway (IGW) operator provided a bank cheque to pay a part of the dues, but the cheque was dishonoured by the bank.

Under the Negotiable Instruments Act, BTRC will file another legal suit for giving bank cheque dishonoured by bank.

The official said the telecom regulator will also file criminal case under the telecom law against the use of equip-

ment illegally by the operator.

The telecom watchdog filed their first certificate case against IGW operator Telex Ltd to recover Tk92.5 crore dues as revenue sharing.

According to the guideline, the IGWs can earn 3 US cents per minute incoming international call. The operators are required to share 51.75% of revenue to the telecom regulator.

Earlier, BTRC had sent a recommendation to the government to cancel the licence of Telex Ltd, along with Ratul Telecom Ltd, which owes Tk96.5 crore to BTRC. Same recommendation was made in the case of Vision Tel Ltd as it owes Tk181.5 crore.

Although Telex Ltd and Vision Tel Ltd face legal suits, another defaulting operator Ratul Telecom Ltd still remains

immune from such action.

Ratul Telecom Ltd is owned by former state minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak’s daughter Syeda Amrin Rakhi and his wife Syeda Arzuman Banu, holding a total of 70% shares.

BTRC sources said on the government’s instruction the regulator has taken legal steps against the two operators while another operator Ratul Telecom was given time to pay the outstanding revenue.

Ex-Telecom Minister Advocate Shahara Khatun allowed Ratul to pay the dues in instalments though the ministry had no such authority.

But the operator has already missed two deadlines of instalments have already expired. The third deadline is January 31. l

Current Boro season unlikely to face urea deficit n Tribune Business Desk

The current Boro season is unlikely to face supply shortage of urea fertiliser due to its enough stock to meet the demand.

The stock would be 777,777 tonnes at present after supplying 1,436,831 tonnes till January 20 of the current fiscal year. At the same period last year, the supply of urea was 1,243,831 tonnes.

Senior officials of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) apprised of the supply-stock position of the essential agriculture input at a meeting with Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu at the ministry in Dhaka yesterday, said a press release.

The minister assured BCIC of ensuring uninterrupted supply of gas to the fertiliser factories on a priority basis as it is related to national food security.

He, however, asked the officials to

take strict administrative measure to prevent misuses and irregularities at the factories under the corporation.

The ministry would provide them all out cooperation in this regard.

AMU stressed the need for taking realistic and innovative initiatives to reopen the closed factories of BCIC. He also emphasised on taking effective steps to reopen potential factories, including Dhaka Leather Company Limited.

The minister assured positive decision from his ministry even in case of any proposal like joint-venture with the private sector.

The meeting was told that BCIC would reopen Chittagong Chemical Complex (CCC) at a cost of Tk114 crore in December next. Besides, a feasibility study is being conducted on setting up an energy-efficient fertiliser factory at Ghorashal. l

A farmer casts urea fertilizer in a rice plantation

Banks asked to cooperate individuals in BGTBS investment n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank (BB) has asked all the scheduled banks and the financial institutions to cooperate the individual investors in issuing Bangladesh Government Treasury Bonds (BGTBS) to meet the growing demand for such bonds at individual level, says a BB circular.

The central bank yesterday issued such a circular in the wake of banks’ overall failure in providing necessary information as well as supports to the individuals, who are now keen to invest on the BGTBS. According to the circular, Individuals and Institutions resident in Bangladesh such as banks, non-bank financial institutions, insurance companies,

occasion at Prime Minister’s Office, these blankets were handed over to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by BBL chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu. l

Shah Cement-AKS hold golf tournament Shah Cement-AKS Cup Golf Tournament was held at Bogra Golf Club at Bogra cantonment recently. Lieutenant Colonel Tariqul came out as the titled winner amongst 100 golfers at the tournament.

B3

Thursday, January 23, 2014

BTRC sues IGW operator Vision Tel for Tk181.5cr dues

Basic Bank donates blankets BASIC Bank Limited (BBL) donated 30,000 pieces of blankets to the Prime Minister’s relief fund for distributing cold stricken poor people of the country recently. At an

Business

Senior vice president of Bogra Golf Club and general officer commanding Major General Abdullahil Baquee presided as chief guests of the closing ceremony at the tournament sponsored

by Abul Khair Group. l

bodies corporate, authorities responsible for the management of provident funds, pension funds etc shall be eligible to purchase the BGTBS as per the related instruction.

Banks or financial institutions having MI Module account can collect and stored such Treasury Bills/Bonds for the clients in primary auction by opening an account named Business Partner ID The circular reads-individuals and institutions not resident in Bangladesh shall also be eligible to purchase the

BGTBs, with coupon payments and resale/redemption proceeds transferable abroad in foreign exchange, provided that the purchase is made with funds from a non resident foreign currency account with a bank in Bangladesh in the name of purchaser and the BGTB purchased by a non resident may freely be resold to a resident in Bangladesh or to another non-resident.

Banks or financial institutions having MI Module account can collect and stored such Treasury Bills/Bonds for the clients in primary auction by opening an account named Business Partner ID (BP ID). And such bonds can be sold or bought in the secondary market through OTC (over the counter), said the circular. l

Trust Bank receives fund for power project Trust Bank received a fund of $6.79m from IPFF project cell of Bangladesh Bank for its 50 MW power project, Baraka Patenga Power Limited at Potenga, Chittagong.

Managing director and CEO of Trust Bank Limited Ishtiaque Ahmed Chowdhury recently received a cheque from the Governor of Bangladesh Bank. l

REUTERS

Emerald Oil IPO gets 39 times subscription n Tribune Report The initial public offering (IPO) of rice bran edible oil producer Emerald Oil has been oversubscribed by more than 39 times, indicating strong investor interest in the company.

Investors ordered shares worth over Tk784 crore against the offer of Tk20 crore, according to the Chittagong Stock Exchange.

The company would issue 20 crore ordinary shares of Tk10 each under the fixed price method.

Of the total IPO, 10% kept for non-resident Bangladeshis, 10% for mutual funds, 20% for the investors affected by the late 2010 market crash and 60% for resident Bangladeshis The company has been producing rice bran edible oil since 2011.

Rice bran oil is the oil that is extracted from the inner husk of rice plants.

The IPO proceeds will be used for repayment of term loan, IPO expenses and strengthening the capital base.

The company’s earnings per share was Tk2.85 and net asset value Tk14.06, according to its financial statement as of June 30, 2013.

Of the total IPO, 10% kept for nonresident Bangladeshis, 10% for mutual funds, 20% for the investors affected by the late 2010 market crash and 60% for resident Bangladeshis.

The subscription started from January 6, and ended on January 12 for general investors and January 21 for non-resident Bangladeshis.

On November 19, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission approved the IPO. l

Sri Lanka to sack officer over ‘false’ GDP data row n AFP, Colombo Sri Lanka’s main statistics office Wednesday said a senior official who denounced alleged government pressure to inflate economic growth data would be sacked after he was found guilty of leaking confidential information.

Accounts Director HS Wanasinghe faced two separate disciplinary hearings after he complained to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and an opposition lawmaker that the government was manipulating data.

“We have recommended to the PSC (Public Service Commission) to sack him and it will be done soon,” Census and Statistics chief DCA Gunawardena told reporters in Colombo.

Wanasinghe alleged that he was or-

dered to increase GDP growth rate for the first quarter of 2013 to 6% when his calculation showed it was only 5.4%.

Sri Lanka’s main opposition last month read out a statement by Wanasinghe narrating how he was under instructions to change national accounts to suit the government, an allegation which the authorities deny. The anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) said the senior officer should be treated as a “whistle-blower” and be protected instead of being sacked.

“What we see is a systematic approach of a cover up rather than an investigation into what he has revealed,” TI Sri Lanka chairman JC Weliamuna told AFP. “Sacking a senior officer for raising this issue is completely unacceptable.” l

Rotary Governor distributed blankets to cold affected people Rotary Governor SAM Sawkat Hossain distributed blankets to cold affected people of Dhaka and Tongi recently. Rotary Leader Rubayet

Hossain, Khairul Alam, A K Chowdhury, Shohid Iqbal, Kamruzzaman Tipu, Saber Hossain were also present. l

Toshiba releases 5 new laptop models Smart Technologies (BD) Limited unveiled five new models of Toshiba laptop at a press conference recently.

Rezaul Karim Tuhin, product manager Toshiba was the keynote speaker of the program. In his speech he presented the new arrivals of the notebooks to the audience, said a press

release. Mohammad Mazharul Islam, chairman of Smart Technologies (BD) Ltd was present at the press conference as chief guest while Zafor Ahmed, general manager and Muzahid Al Beruni Suzon, assistant general manager of Smart Technologies were also present in the programme. l

City Bank donates blankets City Bank donated blankets to Bangladesh Bank recently for distribution amongst the cold-affected poor people across the country. Faruq Moinuddin,

additional managing director of City Bank handed the blankets over to A F M Asaduzzaman, general manager, Governor Secretariat of Bangladesh Bank. l

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Thursday, January 23, 2014

CEOs confidence in economy rising n Reuters

presented the findings on the eve of the January 22 to January 25 World Economic Forum.

“Even though there is a higher degree of optimism about the global economy, there are still some pretty big challenges elsewhere to do with the volatility of certain economies, concerns around regulation and shifts in technology,” he said.

In fact, concerns about overregulation have moved to the top of the agenda in the past year as new rules many of which have been debated since 2008 - are now being implemented, raising the cost of compliance and taking up management time.

Business leaders gathering for their annual high-profile networking forum in Davos are feeling a bit better about their companies’ prospects and a lot more so about the broader economic outlook.

But they still have a long list of worries.

Half a decade on from a financial crisis that brought the world economy to the brink, the immediate threats to corporate profits are receding and chief executives are encouraged by a brightening outlook in both the United States and Europe.

Emerging problems

Even though there is a higher degree of optimism about the global economy, there are still some pretty big challenges elsewhere to do with the volatility of certain economies, concerns around regulation and shifts in technology Yet they do not have to look far for future threats - from a worrisome slowdown in emerging markets to uncertainty over the tapering of Federal Reserve stimulus and concerns over increased regulation.

The annual PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) survey of more than 1,300 CEOs found that 39% were “very confident” their company’s revenues would grow in 2014, up from 36% a

Bharti Airtel to sell Bangladesh tower assets? n Tribune Report Bharti Airtel has put the company’s Bangladesh tower assets on its divestiture list as it seeks to raise more than $2bn from selling its infra networks.

The world’s fourth largest mobile telephony firm is planning the move to bolster its cash reserves, said people directly aware of the matter.

According to them, the firm has already received offers from potential acquirers to sell its tower networks in Africa and Bangladesh in separate deals, reports Times of India.

According to the company policy, we do not comment on any speculation related with market

However, a spokesperson of Airtel Bangladesh Ltd here in Dhaka declined to make any comment on the matter.

When contacted yesterday, he said: “According to the company policy, we do not comment on any speculation related with market.”

The mobile operator expects at least $200m from divesting its towers in Airtel Bangladesh, said sources who did not wish to be named since talks are private.

Bharti Airtel took full control of its mobile service operations in Bangladesh last year, buying out a 30% stake held by Warid Telecom, a whollyowned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Group.

The Delhi-headquartered telco has about 6.7m subscribers in Bangladesh.

Sources said the US and Middle Eastern tower management companies — in some cases backed by financial investors — have bid for both the Bangladesh and African assets.

Bharti is possibly bolstering its war chest for the impending spectrum auction and may be looking at inorganic growth on its home turf as a new-look telecom M&A regime kicks in, the report said.

The latest fundraising move coincides with India’s upcoming spectrum auction, where Airtel will be pitched against the cash-rich Vodafone and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio to renew its airwaves in the 900MHz band.

Sectoral analysts said the sale of tower assets could be an independent move, and possibly aimed at securing the company’s balance sheet carrying a $9.3-billion debt, mainly emanating from the acquisition of Kuwaiti telecom giant Zain’s African unit four years ago. l

A Swiss special policeman patrols on a roof before the start of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2014 in Davos REUTERS

year ago.

While the trend is encouraging, the reading is still down on the 50%plus levels seen in 2007 and 2008, highlighting how the return to growth remains fragile and uncertain.

Significantly, CEOs were more upbeat in assessing the macroeconomic outlook than that of their own companies, with 44% now believing the global economy will improve in the next 12 months against

just 18% a year ago.

The difference reflects the fact that economic issues are not the only ones weighing on executives’ minds, according to Dennis Nally, the chairman of PwC International, who

The weakness in some emerging markets and uncertainties about where this leaves corporate strategies is a big talking-point for many multinational companies, since it coincides with recovery in the West and signs of progress in Japan’s efforts to counter years of economic stagnation.

In response, a number of CEOs are turning back to advanced economies for growth, with the United States, Germany and Britain now seen as more promising than previous high-flyers such as India and Brazil.

Nally said the trend was a key “headline” for Davos 2014 - a view shared by other pundits converging on the Swiss ski resort for four days of high-level discussions and networking.

Economies considered “dull and old” like the United States, Britain, Germany and Japan will actually turn out to be the new

Corporate cash may not all flow back with recovery n

Reuters

When the corporate cash dam bursts, everything will be ok, right? Well, maybe.

Investors betting that the past year of more than 20 percent gains in western stock markets can be echoed, or at least sustained, through 2014 have long assumed that a corporate spending revival will nurture a building economic recovery.

The argument is simple. Years of banking crises, credit droughts and economic uncertainty have prevented businesses investing for the future. Instead, they have clipped costs, wages and jobs and built up huge stockpiles of cash rather than investing in new plants, staff, updated technology, equipment or acquisitions.

As the economic fog lifts, this idle, near zero-yielding cash will surely be put back to work eventually, they argue, creating a potentially virtuous circle of greater demand, higher growth, earnings and employment all round.

The problem, however, is that assumes cash stockpiling has all been due simply to a hiatus in the economic cycle. Many argue the hoarding is instead driven by more durable demographic trends and political reforms

that are stirring corporate anxiety about exposure to soaring pension and healthcare costs as workforces age and government coffers shrink.

If that's true, then this brewing economic recovery may not release pentup business cash on any scale close to that suggested by the eye-popping cashpiles.

According to Thomson Reuters data, companies around the world held almost $7tn of cash and equivalents on their balance sheets at the end of 2013 - more than twice the level of 10 years ago. Capital expenditure relative to sales is at a 22-year low and some strategists reckon the typical age of fixed assets and equipment has been stretched to as much as 14 years from pre-crisis norms of about 9 years.

To be sure, some of this money has been eked back to shareholders via buybacks and dividends over the past year or so and there was also a small flurry of mergers and acquisitions late last year. But M&A as a share of market capitalization remains lower than it was in 2002, JPMorgan data shows, and share buybacks are also below historical averages.

The extremity of the cash bias remains.

According to this week's monthly fund manager survey by Bank of

America Merrill Lynch, a record number of investors think companies are under-investing and some 58 of respondents want firms to deploy their cash on capital expenditure.

Standard Life Investments chief executive Keith Skeoch said this week that the extent to which firms put cash balances to work was key to the pace of recovery this year. "Without this, fears of the secular slowdown will persist."

"Whether corporate cash is put to work or not, however, is not just a question of economics. Politics remains just as important," Skeoch added. "We are still a long way from a strong socio-political consensus that might see animal spirits driving a world-wide investment boom."

Unhealthy balances

Political reforms can take on many shapes and sizes, of course - those affecting systemic stability or short-term taxation. But changes to companies' long-term financial exposure to the claims of their own employees are pretty fundamental.

The annual 'Global Risks 2014' report prepared for the World Economic Forum by consultant Oliver Wyman - a report based on 700 industry leaders - cited corporate exposure to "skyrocketing" healthcare costs and "buckling"

domestic healthcare systems as a key threat over the years ahead.

And the theme of corporate uncertainty about future liabilities and growing insensitivity to the economic cycle is spotlighted in a recent US Federal Reserve Board working paper by staff economists Steve Sharpe and Gustavo Suarez.

Examining quarterly Duke University survey responses from some 550 chief financial officers over the past two years, the paper said companies are far less sensitive to interest rate changes than investment theory suggests and CFOs cite ample cash and historically low rates among the reasons for that.

Less than a third of firms said moves of up to 200 basis points in key borrowing rates up or down would affect their investment plans at all.

So what would get companies to hoard or invest these days? The two most commonly chosen drivers in the survey cited in the paper were "ability to maintain margins" and the "cost of health care."

There's little doubt a sustained recovery and greater earnings visibility could encourage some investment of the cashpiles. But it's clearly not all about the cycle and temporary corporate caution. l

locomotives of growth in 2014, according to Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS. The emerging economies, by contrast, are losing steam as a commodities “super-cycle” - which has buoyed the likes of Brazil and Russia wanes and political uncertainties grow ahead of 2014 elections in Turkey, South Africa, India, Indonesia and Brazil.

“Business leaders are generally feeling better about the developed markets and the prospects for the next couple of years but are worried about certain emerging markets, perhaps even to the point of curtailing some investment,” said Barry Salzberg, global CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

Other issues keeping top managers awake at night include concerns about fiscal deficits, increasing tax burdens, the availability of talent to fill key jobs, exchange rate volatility and unstable capital markets, the PwC survey found.

The prevailing business mood paints a improving picture for job prospects, with half of CEOs interviewed worldwide expecting to add to staff in 2014, versus 45% a year ago.

But that modest pick-up in hiring plans may not do much to dent chronic unemployment levels in many countries.

Worldwide unemployment hit nearly 202 million in 2013, an increase of some 5 million compared with a year earlier, according to a report from the International Labour Organization on Tuesday. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Indian coal imports up 21% in 2013 - research firm India’s coal imports rose 21% to 152 million tonnes last year as power producers bought more due to low prices and a domestic shortage, research firm OreTeam said, adding that shipments could rise to 170 million tonnes this year.

–Reuters

IBM misses revenue targets again after stumbling in China IBM Corp missed revenue expectations for the fourth consecutive quarter as the world’s biggest technology services’ company grappled with weakening demand for its servers and storage equipment, particularly in growth markets like China.

–Reuters

Boeing 787 transponder failure causes Air India return to London A Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India Ltd this week returned to London due to a communications problem, but has since been operational, the Indian state-run carrier said yesterday.

The aircraft’s transponder failed during the flight on Sunday from London to New Delhi, Air India spokesman G P Rao said, adding there was no immediate safety concern.

–Reuters

Gold futures fall in line with overseas markets Indian gold futures fell for a second straight day yesterday in line with overseas markets, and on a firmer rupee.

–Reuters

BOC to lease Airbus jets to new Tata-SIA airline: sources Singapore-based BOC Aviation looks poised to supply aircraft to India’s latest airline as new players jostle to capture growth in Asia’s third-biggest economy, two industry sources said.

–Reuters

BSE Sensex hits record closing high as drug makers rally The BSE Sensex closed at a record high yesterday as drug makers rallied on optimism about their quarterly earnings, although analysts still remain cautious about how far broader gains can sustain.

–Reuters

Japan’s Nikkei edges higher, Tokyo Steel jumps The Nikkei stock average eked out modest gains yesterday, with Tokyo Steel Manufacturing Co Ltd jumping after a robust earnings report.

The Nikkei ended 0.2% higher at 15,820.96 after trading as low as 15,631.41 following a BOJ decision to keep monetary policy steady. A trader said some investors had been hoping that the BOJ might further ease this time.

–Reuters US one-hundred dollar bills are seen in this photo illustration at a bank in Seoul

REUTERS