1 april 2014

Chaitra 18, 1420 Jamadiul Awal 30, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 3

TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com

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7 | MODI-FYING INDO-BANGLA RELATIONS

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13 | DUTCH REPEAT ENGLISH DEMOLITION

17 chairman aspirants, mostly affiliated with the BNP, boycott polls alleging rigging

Police ‘scare’ voters away at Jamaat stronghold

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

n Our Correspondent, Satkhira

The upazila parishad elections ended yesterday with the fifth phase of voting, although widespread rigging and sporadic violence once again stole the spotlight.

At least one person was killed in polls-centred violence, with clashes between Awami League and BNP activists; allegations of illegal stuffing; snatching of ballot boxes and papers; and boycotting by disgruntled candidates reported from a number of upazilas.

Police allegedly drove out a good number voters, mainly women, from a polling centre in Satkhira Sadar during yesterday’s fifth and final phase of the upazila parishad elections.

Many female voters claimed that police personnel chased them out of the polling centres after learning that they did not go to cast their votes during the January 5 national election.

“I and 200-250 other voters were waiting in line at the Agardari Aminia Kamil Madrassa polling centre in the morning. Suddenly, a group of 15-16 constables, led by the OCs of three local police stations, came to the centre on pickup vans. They came to us and inquired whether we casted vote in the January 5 election,” said Gangarani Singha from Palpara of Agardari village.

“When we replied in the negative, the constables chased us out of the centre with sticks,” she continued.

The policemen also allegedly barred the journalists and the photojournalists from collecting photo and story of the incident and the “voter-less” polling centre.

A group of female voters, who were allegedly driven out of the centre, said they had not casted votes in the national poll out of fear of retaliation by Jamaat men.

On the other hand, Enamul Haque, OC of the Satkhira Sadar police station,

FIFTH PHASE UPAZILA POLLS

Rigging, violence steal spotlight again

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MORE ON POLLS

In Rajnagar upazila of Moulvibazar, another man fell into a canal and drowned after being chased by Border Guard Bangladesh personnel, who were trying to disperse a mob from a polling centre in the upazila.

However, observers said the phase had seen less violence than the fourth phase, in which at least seven people were killed in pre- and post-election violence.

Hours before voting began, ruling Awami League’s youth front Jubo League leader Kabir Hossain from Dighinala union in Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila was shot dead by miscreants.

Iqbal Hossain, OC of Sadar police station, said Kabir was shot dead around 3:30am yesterday when he, along with some others, were sticking

Some of the faces standing in queue at a polling centre in Shahjadpur of Sirajganj during the fifth phase of the local body polls yesterday will make one wonder the minimum age of becoming a voter in Bangladesh DHAKA TRIBUNE posters of the Awami League-backed candidate AKM Salauddin Tipu. However, Tipu accused BNP men of killing Kabir while local BNP claimed the murder was a result of Awami League’s in-

tra-party feud.

Election officials suspended voting in seven polling centres in different upazilas in Barguna and Narayanganj districts in the wake of clashes, allega-

ASK: 54 killed in ‘crossfire’ in 3 months n Tribune Report At least 54 people were reportedly killed in “crossfire” by law enforcement agencies in the past three months, according to the Ain O Salish Kendro.

Among them, 21 were allegedly killed by the special branch of police and RAB, 25 by police, one jointly by police and RAB and seven by combined forces.

The quarterly report of the human rights organisation presented a statistical picture of “crossfire” killings, political conflicts, attacks on minority communities, abductions by law en-

Pakistan court indicts Musharraf for treason n AFP A Pakistani court Monday indicted former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for treason -- a milestone for civilian authority in a country long dominated by the army.

The charge carries the maximum penalty of death. But observers are uncertain whether authorities will allow the trial to be completed and risk angering the powerful military, which has ruled Pakistan for half its history.

Musharraf had missed most of the trial’s hearings due to ill-health and security threats. But he appeared fit and confident after arriving Monday in a long convoy of SUVs, with more than 2,000 security officials deployed on the route from an army-run hospital to the special court.

The ex-general, who seized power in 1999 and resigned in 2008, pleaded “not guilty” as Tahira Safdar, one of three judges hearing the case since December, read the charges relating to his 2007 imposition of emergency rule.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

forcement agencies, harassment of journalists and victims of family violence.

A press release of the organisation said the report was prepared from information collected from newspapers and its own research.

The report, citing family members, said law enforcement agencies allegedly kidnapped 39 people, 12 of whom were later found dead, while four were released.

Meanwhile, 663 houses belonging to the Hindu community were vandalised, while 192 businesses and 123 temples were attacked. At least 139 people

were injured in the incidents.

The report also said three Bangladeshis were killed by BSF, the Indian border forces, while 16 people were wounded and 36 abducted in border areas. Only four abductees were returned home after mediation with BGB, their Bangladeshi counterpart.

According to the report, 315 incidents of political violence occurred over the three-month period, leaving 4,336 people injured and 90 dead.

It also said 108 woman were raped, 13 of whom were killed after assault, while two committed suicide. l

Mere pride at stake n Reazur Rahman Rohan

Today is the last match day of the World Twenty20 Super 10s and the home team takes on Australia in a Group 2 dead rubber at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in the afternoon fixture of the day. The ride so far has been very bumpy for both the sides as they look to end the mega event with something in the bag – a win perhaps.

Bangladesh had to play the first round and they won two matches against Afghanistan and Nepal to qualify for the ongoing stage. To sum up, they have two World T20 wins at least whereas on the other hand, four-time World Cup champions Australia are yet to taste a victory in this edition of the tournament, let alone lift the trophy as this dream continues to be elusive.

The Tigers came into the World T20 on the back of serious defeats in

a full series against Sri Lanka and the Asia Cup and although they won four T20 matches on the trot including two warm-ups out of the five they played against the Associate Members, the only defeat to Hong Kong in the last first round game brought them back to square one.

The side looks exhausted and devastated on the field while the off field criticism of their performance only made the air heavy for them. The batting unit, especially the top order has failed to give the kick start throughout the Super 10 while the bowling and fielding seemed ordinary at this level, especially under familiar conditions.

One could tell from their body language that the boys are desperate for a break, which will come after today, but they should also realize it’s a world event and it is their last opportunity to leave a mark in the tournament as the host.

Anamul Haque has been the only brightest prospect in an otherwise fragile batting unit. Anamul, who stands third in the run getters list with 184 runs under his belt have managed good starts in most of the games. But somehow he has failed to register a fifty  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

INSIDE News

3 Two persons died and at least 30 people, including a policeman, were injured in separate polls-related violence during the fifth phase of the upazila elections in Laksmipur and Moulvibazar yesterday.

5 A group of local influential traders have illegally occupied a portion of the Pilkhana road and its footpaths.

4 US Ambassador Dan Mozena yesterday narrated Washington’s vision about connectivity between China and central Asia, where Bangladesh is in the middle.

6 Discontentment is brewing among sugarcane growers in the country as they are yet to get their dues after two months of selling the crops.

Nation

tions of vote rigging and ballot paper stuffing.

At least 55 candidates including 17 chairman aspirants boycotted voting in  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

claimed that the female voters started running to and fro after seeing their pickup van.

“Why on earth would police not allow them to cast their votes?” – was his rhetoric question.

A group of female voters, who were allegedly driven out of the centre, said they had not casted votes in the national poll fearing retaliation by Jamaat men Enamul told the Dhaka Tribune: “Most voters in this area support Jamaat. That was why they have raised such a baseless complaint. All they want is to tarnish police’s image.”

He also said Jamaat leaders from the Aminia Kamil Madrassah led the violence on February 28 last year after the International Crimes Tribunal pronounced death sentence against war criminal Delawar Hossain Sayedee.

Interestingly, not a single vote was casted at the Aminia madrassa polling centre in the January 5 national poll.

Like many other areas in the district, the Agaradari village is also known as a Jamaat stronghold. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Case against Khaleda on ‘first president’ claim dismissed n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Order on Bergman’s contempt April 17 n Udisa Islam The war crimes tribunal yesterday heard the explanation of UK-born Bangladeshi journalist David Bergman and set April 17 for passing order on whether to bring contempt charges against him or not.

The tribunal had asked him to explain his blog posts in person or by engaging a lawyer. The order was issued after a Supreme Court lawyer filed a petition for judicial notice mentioning that Bergman has to face contempt as he said the number of 30 lakh martyrs during the 1971 Liberation War was wrong.

A Dhaka court yesterday dismissed a case hours after it was filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for claiming that the party’s founder Ziaur Rahman was the first president of the country.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shamsul Arefin dismissed the case as there were no specific grounds for the allegation.

AB Siddique, president of Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, a pro- Awami League organisation, filed the case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka this morning.

The move comes a day after the lawmakers at the Sunday’s parliament session agreed to take actions against the BNP chief for deliberately distorting the history.

In the case statement, the plaintiff mentioned that on March 27 BNP Chief Khaleda Zia termed Ziaur Rahaman the first president of Bangladesh while speaking as the chief guest at a programme of Jatiyatabadi Muktijoddha

Dal marking the Independence Day. Such comments defamed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman worldwide, Siddique alleged.

The plaintiff also mentioned that earlier on December 29 Khaleda Zia said the name of Gopalganj district would be changed… and the district would cease to exist.

The BNP chairperson made the remarks for defaming the birthplace of the father of the nation, added the plaintiff.

He appealed to the court to issue an arrest warrant against Khaleda after taking the charges into cognisance.

Earlier On December 31, AB Siddique had filed a case against Khaleda for her remark on Gopalganj district that caused a stir.

Later, Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Asaduzzaman Nur dismissed the case, saying a magistrate court had no jurisdiction to try a person accused of violating the constitution which was brought in the case. l

AL: Neutrality of EC beyond doubt n Tribune Report

BNP alleges frenzy of vote Irregularities in anomalies in fifth round Munshiganj polls

Claiming that it was a “success” of the government to hold the upazila election in a "free, fair and neutral" manner, the ruling Awami League said the neutrality of Election Commission was beyond doubt.

Awami League Joint Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanok said acting Chief Election Commissioner Mubarok Ali’s comments about the election reflected the opinion of the people.

At a press conference at AL Chief Sheikh Hasina’s political office in Dhanmondi, Nanok said though the EC took necessary measures to contain violence during the poll some untoward incidents took place because of the BNP. “BNP wants to create anarchy through violence during election which no political party expects,” he said.

Pointing to the BNP-Jamaat alliance, the leader said a Jubo League leader of Laxmipur district had been killed and vote boxes of several places burnt during upazila election. l

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The ruling Awami League supporters, in a frenzy, forcefully took control of polling stations during the fifth round of upazila elections in 73 upazilas, the BNP has alleged.

“Awami League supporters, with the help of local administration and law enforcers, exerted their influence to forcibly take control of many polling stations and stamped ballot papers illegally even before the voting had kicked off. Occupation of polling stations began from yesterday (Sunday) night,” Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, BNP Joint Secretary General, said while addressing a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan headquarters in the capital yesterday.

“The frenzy resumed in the morning as they snatched ballot boxes, stamped those, forced out opposition agents and scared off voters,” Rizvi added.

Rizvi alleged that the polling agents of the BNP-backed candidates were not

19-party turns into 18-party alliance n Tribune Report The National Awami Party (NAP Bhasani) has cut off ties with the BNPled 19-party alliance as its leaders have failed to persuade the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami to leave some vice-chairman posts in the upazila elections.

A day before making an announcement in this regard, the party along with some other organisations on Sunday formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club protesting BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman’s claim that party founder Ziaur Rahman was the first president of the country.

However, the party claimed that they did not join the human chain programme.

When asked about the reason behind the decision taken by the NAP,

BNP assistant office secretary Abdul Latif Jony said he does not know anything about it.

Few months ago, Jatiya Party leader Kazi Zafar Ahmed joined the BNP-led 18-party combine and then it turned into a 19-party alliance.

At a press conference held at the National Press Club in the city yesterday, NAP President Sheikh Anwarul Haque said that they severed relations with the BNP-led alliance as his party was with the combine in name only.

“We are cutting off ties with the alliance to strengthen our party at grass roots level. We do not have any conflict with the BNP or any other party in the alliance,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

The party was not getting proper evaluation from the alliance, the NAP chief said at the press conference. l

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Two elderly women arrive at a polling centre in Shonargaon to cast their votes in the upazila polls yesterday

allowed to enter the polling stations.

He criticised the Election Commission for postponing polls in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila.

On Sunday, at a press briefing, the party expressed its concern over vote rigging and said the government had become desperate to win more chairman posts by resorting to electoral fraud and violence as well as creating panic in the polling stations.

Centring the fifth phase of upazila elections, one was killed and some 50 others were injured in the polling areas. Around 55 contenders, mostly BNP-backed candidates, boycotted the polls alleging vote rigging. They also alleged that the ruling party men had illegally stamped ballots.

A total of 73 upazilas, out of a total of 487, went to polls yesterday morning.

On Sunday, the BNP said it was apprehensive of “large-scale vote rigging” by the Awami League men in yesterday’s polls. l

n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj Stray incidents of violence, including repeated chase-counter chase, vandalism, clashes, boycotting, suspension of voting have marked the polls at three upazilas in Munshiganj.

At least 12 people, including police and journalists were injured, while two people were detained at the centres from Tongibari, Sirajdikhan, and Louhajong upazilas yesterday. Voting was temporarily suspended at some centres, while a BNP candidate boycotted the polls, alleging irregularities.

At Boloi Government Primary School centre in Tongibari, voting was suspended from 11am as a scuffle broke out between the candidates of the ruling Awami League and the BNP. Later, voting resumed at 1pm, but was again suspended from 1:45pm because of the clashes. Police fired 30 rounds rubber bullets to tame the situation that left five people injured.

At Panchgaon Government Primary School centre under the same upazila, ruling party activists allegedly swooped on My TV cameraman Kamal and the Munshiganj Times photojournalist Tushar and snatched away Kamal’s camera while he was taking footage from the centre. Later, police detained Yar Hossain and Sumon in this connection and recovered the camera.

Voting was suspended for two hours at Rajnagar Primary School centre at Sirajdikhan as alleged criminals vandalised a voting box at the centre. Later, army officials took control of the centre and recovered a revolver.

In Louhajong, BNP-backed candidate Shahjahan Khan boycotted the polls and submitted a written complaint, demanding re-poll, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khalekuzzaman confirmed.

Shahjahan said his agents were barred to enter at 25 polling centres out of 45, adding that irregularities were seen at other centres as well. l

Pakistan court indicts Musharraf for treason  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

“I honour this court and prosecution, I strongly believe in law and don’t have ego problems, and I have appeared in court 16 times in this year in Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” the 70-year-old said, referring to a slew of other legal troubles.

He made an emotional speech highlighting the country’s achievements under his tenure, which initially encompassed economic reforms and rapid growth, but ended in rising Islamist bloodshed and a series of confrontations with an increasingly vocal judiciary.

“I am being called a traitor, I have been chief of army staff for nine years and I have served this army for 45 years.

I have fought two wars and it is ‘treason’?

“I am not a traitor. For me traitors are those who loot public money and empty the treasury,” he added, in a veiled reference to civilian politicians long accused in Pakistan of feathering their own nests while in power.

‘Acted on advice’

Musharraf declared a state of emergency in November 2007, suspending the constitution shortly before the Supreme Court was due to rule on the legality of his re-election as president a month earlier while he was also the army chief.

He then arrested and sacked the country’s top judges, including the chief justice, who challenged his decision.

Musharraf’s defence team repeated a call for the retired general to be allowed to visit his ailing mother, who is in her 90s, in the United Arab Emirates.

“He has come voluntarily to the court and he has pleaded not guilty. He will come back voluntarily,” lawyer Farogh Naseem said.

But a court order issued after the hearing said that it was up to the government to decide on whether to lift a travel ban it had imposed on the ex-general.

The case was adjourned until April 15, with Musharraf exempted from having to appear personally until further notice.

Chief prosecutor Akram Sheikh said Musharraf’s main defence rested on the claim that he acted on the advice of thenprime minister Shaukat Aziz and the cabinet when suspending the constitution.

“He has taken the defence that he did not take these steps independently,” Sheikh said. “On this I have submitted before the court that it is now for him to prove that he did this on the advice of the prime minister and the cabinet.”

Question marks

The International Commission of Jurists hailed the indictment of such a senior military figure as “unprecedented” for Pakistan.

“This is an opportunity for Pakistan’s judiciary to demonstrate that noone is above the law and that everyone accused of an offence has the right to a trial that is, and is seen to be, impartial, independent and expeditious,” said Sam Zarifi, the group’s Asia director.

Monday’s hearing was only the sec-

Mere pride at stake

Rigging, violence steal spotlight again

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 PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

and it would be the 21-year-old’s final chance today to end the tournament on a high.

Bangladesh are known as a spin-dependent side and Mushfiqur Rahim should consider getting back to basics.

Mashrafe bin Mortaza is the most experienced bowler no doubt but his form and fitness have been in question in the past two months. He was limping in the last game on Sunday against Pakistan where he gave away 63 off his four overs and to make matters worse, he now has been ruled out of today’s match due to injury. As a result, the doors have opened for youngster Taskin Ahmed and if things go right, he will make his international debut today.

Al Amin and Ziaur Rahman together gave away 59 runs off five overs, and Mushfiq should opt for one genuine seamer along with Shakib al Hasan, Ab-

dur Razzak, Sohag Gazi and Mahmudullah on these slow and spin friendly wickets.

The Australians will be the most disappointed side after losing two close matches before being routed by India although they showed promises prior to the tournament with successful T20 series against New Zealand and South Africa.

However, George Bailey will look to sweep away the hosts with the armory at his disposal and end the tournament with at least one win.

David Warner, Aaron Finch and Shane Watson have been quiet at the top as except Glen Maxwell who has been hammering the opposition bowlers in the previous matches. If this exciting and explosive Aussie batting unit click together, it will just rub salt into the wounds of some already wounded tigers and their fans. l

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

13 upazilas including Ramganj of Lakshmipur; Sadar and Alamdanga upazilas of Chuwadanga; Kalapara of Patuakhali; Kolaroa, Debhata and Tala of Satkhira; Araihajara and Rupganj of Narayanganj; Ghatail of Tangail; Lauhajong of Munshiganj; Gafargaon of Mymensingh; Madarganj of Jamalpur; Amtoli, Patharghata and Bamna of Borguna; and Astogram of Kisherganj.

All of them – mostly affiliated with the BNP as either backed or rebel candidates – brought allegations of vote rigging against the supporters of the ruling party. Disgruntled boycotters called daylong hartal in Araihazar of Narayanganj and half-day hartals in Koshba of Brhamanbaria, Mymensingh Sadar and Alamdanga of Chuadanga for today.

Just like some of the previous phases, a number of Awami League rebel candidates have also pulled out

of the elections alleging vote rigging by the supporters of the ruling party-backed contenders in their areas.

In immediate reaction to the fifth phase of the polling, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said: “The frenzy to occupy polling centres began yesterday [Sunday] night.”

The press conference was arranged at the party’s Nayapaltan office yesterday, soon after voting began in 73 upazilas.

The ruling Awami League, on the other hand, claimed that the elections had been peaceful and hailed the Election Commission for taking all the necessary steps to avert violence.

Awami League Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak made the remark at a press conference at the party president’s Dhanmondi office in the afternoon.

However, Election Commissioner

Abdul Mobarak claimed that there had been a stark drop in violence in the fifth phase compared to the last four phases.

In Ghatail upazila of Tangail, all candidates except the one backed by the ruling party withdrew from the polls right at the beginning of voting. Supporters of the BNP-backed candidate staged a demonstration on the Dhaka-Mymenshing highway protesting alleged rigging by the supporters of the ruling party. At least five people were injured when police fired rubber bullets and charged batons to disperse the agitators, witnesses said.

In Chhagalnaiya of Feni, supporters of the Awami League-backed candidate occupied more than 30 polling centers out of 47. Ahmed Ullah, presiding officer of one of the centres, said some young men equipped with firearms stamped 600 ballot papers in the last hour of voting. They also blasted crude

MORE ICT STORIES

Bergman in his written explanation said the alleged “criticisms” were no more than an academic analysis and based on review of research studies and articles, and not expressed in sensationalist terms. He pleaded that his blog posts be considered by the tribunal to fall within the limits of “fair comment on a judgement.”

Through his lawyer, Bergman also said the subject matter of the blog article was in no way related to any substantive issue pending before the tribunal while the figure of those killed in 1971 was not a fact in issue in the trial.

Working with an English newspaper in Dhaka, Bergman said upon consideration of the facts, circumstances and submissions, the tribunal might be pleased to dispose of the matter upon an acceptance of the explanation.

During the hearing, the tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan said: “The number of 30 lakh martyrs is a historically established fact and the people of Bangladesh are emotionally involved with this.”

The number of martyrs has also been mentioned in the verdicts already pronounced. “Anyone can research on this number, but they have to be aware if any comment hampers the dignity of tribunal.”

Defence counsel Mustafizur Rahman Khan said the criticisms might hurt the sentiment but not amounted to contempt.

Mizan Sayeed, counsel for the petitioner, said this type of criticism was unfair as it was done with a bad intention.

According to the petitioner, Bergman made the comments in two blog posts uploaded on November 11, 2011 and January 28 last year following the indictment of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee and death penalty awarded to another former Jamaat leader Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar. l

ond time Musharraf had appeared in person before the court, delaying proceedings and raising speculation of a face-saving deal between civilian and military powers to take him out of the country.

Military analyst Ayesha Siddiqa said the question of how far the trial would be allowed to go ahead remained “a big question mark”.

“If the military and civilian (leaders) are not on the same page in how far you can go, you will have instability,” she said.

Musharraf came to power in a bloodless coup in 1999, deposing thenprime minister Nawaz Sharif, who won re-election in 2013 when Pakistan underwent the first civilian handover of power since its independence from Britain in 1947.

Facing impeachment following elections in 2008, Musharraf resigned as president, going into self-imposed exile in Dubai. He returned to Pakistan in March last year on an ill-fated mission to run in the general election. l

bombs before leaving the place. Ahmed also said the ballot papers would be cancelled.

In Phulchari of Gaibandha, rebel Awami League candidate GM Selim Parvez was detained on charges of influencing voters by entering the polling stations. Executive Magistrate Sajebur Rahman said Parvez violated electoral code of conduct by campaigning inside the Kanchipara AMU Academy polling centre.

In Sundarganj upazila of the same district, some 50 ballot papers were allegedly snatched from the Chandipur School and College polling stations by miscreants. Assistant Presiding Officer of the polling station Abdus Samad was withdrawn following the incident.

A total of 73 upazilas voted yesterday to elect their upazila parishad panels – comprising chairman, vice-chairman and vice-chairwoman. l

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2 die, 30 injured in poll related violence in Lakshmipur n Tribune Report

Two persons died and at least 30 people, including a policeman, were injured in separate poll-related violence during the fifth phase of the upazila elections in Laksmipur and Moulvibazar yesterday.

Locals and police said local Awami league leader Mohammad Kabir was shot dead by miscreants at Durgapur village under Digholi union at Lakshmipur Sadar upazila early morning on the polling day.

They further added that Kabir was killed when he was putting up posters for the polls near the Durgapur government primary school area.

Meanwhile, Awami League rebel candidate Mohi Uddin Bokul of the same area alleged that AL-backed candidate AKM Salah Uddin Tipu and his agents had rigged the vote and had ousted his polling agents from the centres.

Through a press briefing at his residence, Bokul boycotted the polls and demanded fresh polls in the area, adds our Lakshmipur correspondent.

Meanwhile, BNP-backed candidate at the same upazila Mahmudul Karim Dipu also demanded fresh polls through a letter to Zila Retuning Officer upon same allegations.

In Moulvibazar, one man drowned after falling into a pond when members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) chased supporters of candidates from in front a polling centre at Rajanagar upazila yesterday afternoon.

Shamim Ahmed, 50, son of one Shariful Islam, was died on spot when he fell into the pond while trying to flee the action around 3:30pm, Moulvibazar Po-

Clockwise from top left: The significant number of voters stands in queue in front of a polling centre in Brahmanbaria’s Ashuganj upazila in the morning. l Picture shows prestamped ballot papers at Shirajdikha Maddhapara Government Primary School polling centre. l A polling officer passes a lazy time as no voters turned up at his polling centre in Ramganj, however, the ballot box is seen full of ballot papers. l Supporters of two candidates clash at a centre in Muradnagar upazila, Comilla DHAKA TRIBUNE

lice Superintendent Md Ashraful Islam confirmed. His body was sent to Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital for autopsy.

At Laksmipur’s Sadar upazila, five people were injured when police fired on BNP activists when they tried to take control of the Mandari City High School polling centre.

Meanwhile, miscreants snatched away three ballot boxes from Protapganj High School polling centre, confirmed Presiding Officer Oliur Rahman.

Apart from that, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir activists allegedly attacked at four polling centres in Jhauthogi Government Primary School, Char Ababil, Taheria RM Fazil Madrassah, and at Uttar Char Lokkhi Primary School at Raypur upazila in the morning.

Later, a clash erupted when the Jamaat-Shibir activists tried to snatch ballot papers from the centres.

At least 10 people, including a policeman, were injured during the clash.. Later, the administration suspended the voting at Jhautogi centre.

Meanwhile, five people, including three journalists, were injured while BNP activists tried to snatch away the ballot papers from Nayanpur Government Primary School polling centre at Ramganj.

Alleging irregularities, BNP candidate from the area Abdur Rahman VP boycotted the poll through a press conference.

A clash and chase counter-chase also took place at Ahmadia College, Station Government Primary School, and Polonti Mongol high school polling, where at least 10 people were injured. The injured have been taken to Noakhali Hospital for treatment. l

Clashes halt polling in 5 Sonargaon centres

Brotee: EC, lawmen yield to political muscle

n Abu Bakar Siddique

n Tribune Report

Upazila elections in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj ended yesterday amid sporadic clashes between activists of the Awami League-backed chairman candidate and the AL rebel candidate centring forcible occupation of polling stations.

Polling in five centres was suspended following the clashes.

Out of a total of 108 polling stations, the Election Commission suspended polling in five centres, including Sadhipur High School, Paikpara Government Primary School, Nunertek High School, Char Vulua Government Primary School and Sammanadi Government Primary School.

“Clashes between activists of two chairman candidates forced us to cancel

polling in the five stations. Around 12,000 votes were expected in those,” said returning officer Md Mahmud Hasan.

The two sides attempted to manipulate results in favour of their respective candidates, he said.

In reply to a question, Mahmud Hasan said 12,000 votes out of a total of 262,490 would not affect the final outcomes.

The warring activists tried to influence voters in the polling centres and were resisted by assistant presiding officers.

Around 2:30pm yesterday, this correspondent found activists of both the candidates entering polling booths forcefully and stamping ballots illegally.

This correspondent also found a ballot that had been stamped twice, one for the AL-backed candidate’s “pineapple” symbol and the other for the AL rebel candi-

Rigging marks Sandwip polls n Tushar Hayat from Sandwip Voting in Sandwip upazila concluded yesterday with stamping of ballot papers reportedly by the supporters of ruling Awami League-backed candidate Mohammed Shahajahan.

While visiting Muchhapur Madhyapara Government Primary School centre at about 1:00 pm, 375 ballot papers were found stamped on pineapple, the symbol of AL-backed candidate, at five out of total nine polling booths.

The same number of ballot papers of vice-chairman and female vice- chairman posts was also found stamped during the visit.

Mohammed Anwar Hossain, presiding officer of the centre, said only 20 ballot papers were stamped, adding that they were yet to take any decision regarding the stamped ballot papers.

He also said voting was going on peacefully while 1,000 to 1,200 votes were cast before the incident.

Obaid Ali, polling agent of BNP rebel candidate Nurul Mostafa Khokon, said a group of about 300 people entered the centre and started stamping the ballots forcibly. But they failed to stuff the ballot papers into the boxes as the Rab members arrived there immediately, he added.

Iqbal Haider, presiding officer of Magdhara High School centre, said a group of people stamped 18 to 20 ballot papers on pineapple about 12:00 noon, adding that

the same number of ballot papers for the posts of vice- chairman and female vice-chairman were also stamped.

“We have cancelled the stamped ballots,” he said.

Mohammed Shaheen, polling agent of female vice-chairman candidate Dilruba Shafique, said about 100 ballot papers for each of the posts were stamped and the rest of the ballots were stuffed into the boxes before the law enforcers arrived.

While visiting different centres no agent of chairman candidates was found, except for the agent of AL-blessed candidate.

Mizanur Rahman, AL rebel candidate vying for chairman post, who was expelled from the party for contesting the polls, said his agents could not enter 20 centres in Bauria and municipality areas. The authorities concerned had not taken any measures in this regard, he claimed.

Belayet Hossain, BNP-backed chairman candidate, said his agents could not enter 37 centres in Bauria and municipality areas. “I have submitted a written complaint to the assistant returning officer to cancel voting at the centres,” he added.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nur-e-Khaza Alamin, also assistant returning officer, said voting was completed almost peacefully and no major untoward incidents were reported during voting hours. l

date’s “ink-pen” symbol, at Bhabanathpur Government Primary School centre.

Presiding officer Jibonanondo Das later cancelled the ballots and said he had been dealing with these unruly activists since morning.

Apart from the incidents, participation of voters was somewhat spontaneous. They were seen standing in queues outside polling stations, waiting to cast their votes.

Activists of three leading chairman aspirants, including AL-backed Moshharraf Hossain, AL rebel candidate Mahfuzur Rahman Kalam and BNPbacked Azharul Islam Mannan, were seen in each polling station.

Asked about possible winners, most of the voters said each of them was likely to claim victory. l

‘Political parties have no right to speak ill of EC’ n Mohammad Zakaria In a reply to the BNP’s recent comments that the Election Commission should apologise to the nation for failing to ensure a peaceful election, Election Commissioner Abdul Mobarak yesterday said political leaders did not have the right to make negative comments on the commissioners.

“We are the citizens of Bangladesh, so are these political leaders. They do not have the right to speak ill of the election commissioners throughout the year,” Mobarak, who is now acting as the chief election commissioner, told reporters at a press conference in the capital.

He said the incidents of violence were fewer in the fifth phase of upazila elections compared to the last four phases and the commission had not received any report of a person being killed in these incidents.

The commissioner categorically said the fifth phase upazila polls were held in a free, fair and peaceful manner.

“If there was any lacking or if anyone was deprived, the person should appeal to the election tribunal,” he said.

In the fifth phase, voting was stopped at 19 polling centres in five upazilas due to poll-related violence.

Referring to some media reports which quoted election commissioners uttering the name of Allah repeatedly, Mobarak said: “I have full faith in Allah. We will continue our prayers.

First of all, I am a Muslim, then a Bangalee, and then a freedom fighter and a non-communal person.”

Regarding the influence of major political parties in the non-partisan local body polls, he said naturally the local body election was to be held in a non-partisan way, but in reality, major parties had openly backed candidates.

Mobarak added that according to the laws, parliamentary elections were based on political parties but there were such laws in the upazila parishad elections. l

Brotee, an election observer group, has observed that the seizure of polling centres, casting of fake votes and driving out agents from the polling booths were the incidents that dominated the final phase of upazila poll yesterday.

It observed that comparing with the first, second and the third phase the ruling party activists were more desperate to cast fake votes and occupy the poll centres during the last phase of election yesterday.

A total of 71 election observers watched the polling at eight upazilas, said

a press release. Some 52% to 57% votes were cast at the poll yesterday, it said.

“In many places, polling officers and law enforcers yielded to the muscle power of the ruling party. Besides, the Election Commission could not tackle the illegal power exercise,” said the press release. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Mozena: Bangladesh to contribute trade flow through Indo-Pacific corridor n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan Mozena yesterday narrated Washington’s vision about connectivity between China and central Asia, where Bangladesh is in the middle.

“The Indo-Pacific economic corridor generates a lot of interest because President Obama and the US government believe that one of the great trade routes of the 21st century will be the Indo-Pacific economic corridor,” said the ambassador at a meet-the-press programme in the city.

“The Indo-Pacific economic corridor links central Asia, south Asia, with China, with Singapore and with the world, and in the middle of all of that is Bangladesh,” he said.

Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM) have already taken a separate initiative to boost regional connectivity to promote trade and economy in the region.

“Bangladesh in my vision would be a huge contributor to the flow of trade coursing through Indo-Pacific economic corridor. So that is an issue that looms very large,” Mozena said.

In a testimony last year, former assistant secretary of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O Blake said: “This emerging ‘Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor’ is not just a boon for the region; it also provides American businesses with substantial new markets.”

At the chiefs of mission conference in Washington this March, US ambassa-

dors around the globe discussed about the importance of trade and economic policy in pursuing foreign policy, Mozena said.

“Of course in that context me and others talked about Indo-Pacific economic corridor, which looms huge, in my eyes, in the development of Bangladesh,” the ambassador said.

About Bangladesh-US bilateral relation, Mozena said partnership dialogue, security dialogue, Ticfa and military dialogue were the four important engines of engagement.

The third security dialogue and the first Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (Ticfa) meeting will be held this month and the third partnership dialogue will be held in June. l

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

ACC to arrange public hearings against government officials n UNB The Anti-Corruption Commission has planned to hold public hearings on graft allegations at upazila level to make public servants accountable to people and thus check graft at the grassroots level.

Hospitals, police stations and land offices at upazila level in five districts would initially be brought under the programme, ACC Commissioner Dr Nasiruddin Ahmed told reporters yesterday.

Nasiruddin said if local people had any graft allegation against government officials, they would be able to raise them during the public hearing.

He said the ACC would give the accused officials a chance to defend themselves and resolve the allegations.

“If the allegations remain unresolved, the commission will recommend the authorities concerned to

take departmental action against the accused,” the commissioner said.

Nasiruddin said the ACC would serve notice to the accused government officials giving at least 15-days time, asking them to be present before the scheduled hearing, adding that the commission would hold public hearing after every four months for each department at the preliminary stage.

German International Development Agency will provide assistance to the ACC to implement the programme of public hearing.

The World Bank has already formulated a concept paper for the ACC to implement the programme.

The ACC will soon write to the cabinet, seeking permission to introduce the public hearing programme.

The programme will begin in Gopalganj, Madaripur, Mymensingh, Comilla and Rangpur initially and then elsewhere across the country. l

Bulu secures bail in eight cases n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu Three separate Dhaka courts yesterday granted bail to BNP Joint Secretary General Barkatullah Bulu in a total of eight cases filed with different police stations of the capital.

Courts of Metropolitan Magistrates Maruf Hossain, Kashob Roy Chowdhury and Muhammad Erfanullah passed the order as Bulu surrendered to the courts after ending the eightweek High Court bail in the cases.

Of those, three were filed with Ramna police station and the rest five with Shahbagh, Dakkhin Khan and Uttara East police stations.

The cases were filed on charges of murder and arson attacks on bus during the then BNP-led 18-party alliance enforced nationwide sporadic hartal and blockade programmes demanding the caretaker government system to hold general elections.

Bulu’s counsel Md Sanaullah Miah claimed: “This is the first ever in Bangladesh when a man secured bail in the most number of cases.” l

Survivor describes torture by Mir Kashem’s men at Daleem Hotel n Udisa Islam

Members of the National Garment Workers Federation form a human chain in the capital’s National Press Club yesterday, demanding compensation for the victims of the Tazreen Fashion blaze MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

12-yr-old allegedly violated, accused at large n Kailash Sarkar

with them, violated her and then fled, leaving her unconscious.

A case was filed yesterday evening against the three in this connection.

In reply to a question, the mother said they delayed filing the case, as the three had threatened them about going to the police or lawyers.

Sub-inspector Atowar Hossain Mondol of Khilgaon police station said the mother registered the case against three youths.

“Right after the incident, all three went into hiding but we are trying to nab them”, said Atowar. l

A new prosecution witness in the case against Jamaat-e-Islami Executive Council member Mir Kashem Ali yesterday described about his abduction and inhuman torture by al-Badr members led by the accused at Daleem Hotel in Chittagong during the 1971 Liberation War. Lutfar Rahman Faruk in his deposition at the International Crimes Tribunal 2 said he had been left in a dumping ground after torture at the Chittagong Circuit House where hundreds of dead bodies were dumped.

The 20th prosecution witness from Bakalia said he had been abducted along with one Siraj from Bakalia area by the al-Badr members on November 19, 1971. They were taken to Daleem Hotel and kept without food and drink for a week.

Lutfar said: “When we reached the Daleem Hotel, we saw a Maulana and

A 12-year-old girl was allegedly violated by three youths in the capital’s Sipahibagh area Sunday night.

Jewel, Akash and Shipon have been accused by the girl’s mother of perpetrating the offence. All three are aged 15-18 and live in Sipahibagh.

The girl, a third grader who lives in a slum, was admitted to the one-stop crisis centre (OCC) at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Afroza Begum, coordinator of the OCC, said the condition of the victim had improved and samples have been

PM to brief secretaries April 7 n Mohosinul Karim

Cabinet approves foundation for small, micro and cottage industries

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to brief secretaries and top bureaucrats on April 7 in the first official meeting of secretaries after the ruling government’s assumption of office.

She will be describing the government’s policies and provide top-level bureaucrats with key directives, Cabinet Secretary Md Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters following the monthly meeting of secretaries yesterday.

“The cabinet secretary usually holds the monthly meeting of secretaries.

The premier, however, holds meeting with the secretaries once a year. She generally briefs the top bureaucrats on the policies and planning of the government,” he said.

The first meeting of secretaries will be held on April 7 and it will speed up activities of the administration, Musharraf added.

Speaking of yesterday’s meeting, the cabinet secretary said 24 out of 61 secretaries attended it and took part in the discussion. They raised a number of subjects for discussion and also received instructions on several others.

The secretaries were also instructed to send important documents to the national archive and update websites of their respective ministries and divisions.

They were also asked to update the standard of the monthly and annual reports and finalise the action plans of the ministry and divisions. l

n Mohosinul Karim The cabinet yesterday approved forming a new foundation to support small, micro and cottage industries under the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (Bscic).

The go ahead for the proposed “Small, Micro and Cottage Industries Foundation” was given at a regular cabinet meeting, held at the secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain

n Udisa Islam In the trial of fugitive war crimes accused Zahid Hossain Khokon alias Khokon Razakar, Investigation Officer Satya Ranjan Roy yesterday started placing his deposition as the 24th and final prosecution witness.

Satya Ranjan, who was given the charge as investigation officer on April 15, 2012, described the process of his investigation. He visited Nagarkanda of Faridpur and Kodalia and Ishwardi between June 2012 and January last year for investigation and recording state-

The cabinet meeting, in principle, also approved the draft of the proposed Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development Act. “Although we have the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development in Comilla, there are no acts or rules for running the academy as all ordinances promulgated by military rulers have become invalid...So, the government has to enact a new law to replace [the ordinance],” the cabinet secretary said.

The cabinet sent back the proposal for further review and analysis. l

Former ministers inducted into JS bodies n Tribune Report Chief Whip ASM Feroz proposed formation of 10 parliamentary standing committees yesterday to ensure transparency and accountability of the government.

The Awami League-led parliament has so far formed 24 parliamentary bodies since February 5.

Four former ministers were elected as chairmen of the watchdogs on ministries they headed during the Awami League’s previous term.

Ramesh Chandra Sen, the former water resources minister, has been made chairman of the Parliamentary

Standing Committee on Water Resources Ministry, while Col (retd) Faruk Khan is the new chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry.

Former state minister AB Tajul Islam will head the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Liberation War Affairs Ministry.

Omar Faruk Chowdhury, the former state minister for industries, has been elected chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the same ministry.

Prof Ali Ashraf has been elected chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce Ministry

ies. The army personnel gave him electric shock that left him unconscious.

“When I got my sense back, Fateh Ali Shah, a physician of the Pakistani Army, told me that he rescued me from a dump and gave some medication that saved my life. After two days he sent me to Chittagong Jail saying that it will be better for me as I had many enemies,” Lutfar said adding that he had been sexually crippled since the torture.

After his deposition, the tribunal recorded cross-examination of Md Tajul Islam, the third prosecution witness in the case against war crimes accused Syed Mohammad Qaisar.

Tajul had been a member of notorious “Qaisar Bahini,” a local auxiliary force of the Pakistani occupation force led by the accused, from Nasirnagar of Brahmanbaria. He testified at the tribunal on Sunday when he repented for the atrocities in Habiganj and Brahmanbaria areas in 1971. l

IO testifies against fugitive Khokon

sent for testing.

The girl’s mother said Jewel, Akash and Shipon violated her daughter when she went to a nearby shop to purchase paper for her younger sister at around 11pm on Sunday.

“It was getting late and she didn’t return. So we went out looking for her and found her unconscious in an abandoned place,” said the mother, adding: “Sensing her condition, we took her to DMCH in the early hours of yesterday and doctors admitted her to the OCC.” The mother said that Jewel, Akash and Shipon forcibly took her daughter

Bhuiyan said the government had approved a proposal for forming the new foundation with Tk127 crore.

To start with, the foundation would get Tk77 crore left over from four completed Bscic projects, while the government would donate Tk50 crore.

Bhuiyan said the foundation would work to improve the livelihoods of impoverished people through small loans and microcredit activities.

The funds would be used to give loans for establishing small, micro and cottage industries or businesses.

Mir Kashem Ali. They kept many people confined at the camp, blindfolded. That night they beat me up with an electric cable that left me unconscious.’”

One evening, when he wanted to eat something, Lutfar said: “Kashem told me ‘why do you need fasting? [AlBadr members] Give him some urine to drink.’”

“From there they handed me over to the Pakistani troops as failed to glean any information about freedom fighters. The army men took me to the Circuit House,” he said.

Jamaat’s student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha (now Islami Chhatra Shibir) president Mir Kashem was the leader at Daleem Hotel, the witness said.

Junior defence counsel Abu Bakar Siddique started cross examining him and the tribunal adjourned the proceedings the questioning incomplete.

At the Circuit House, the witness said he had seen around 400-500 dead bod-

and Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun for the watchdog on Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry.

Imran Ahmed has been elected chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Post and Telecommunication Ministry while Bazlul Haque Harun will head the JS body on Religious Affairs Ministry.

AKM Rahmatullah has been reelected chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Ministry.

The chief whip has elected RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury as chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry. l

ments of witnesses.

The there-member tribunal 1 headed

by Justice M Enayetur Rahim recorded his statement. The IO was not well-prepared and took much time to place his deposition. The tribunal adjourned the proceedings around 4pm for today leaving the testimony incomplete.

The incumbent mayor of Nagarkanda municipality and a local BNP leader, Khokon was indicted on October 9 last year on 11 specific charges of crimes against humanity that include genocide, murder of Hindus and forced conversion during the 1971 Liberation War.

The IO gave his deposition from his case diary and placed the list of seized documents. He said most of the books he placed as evidence were taken from the library of the investigation agency.

Meanwhile, the same tribunal yesterday recorded the cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness in the trial of Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam.

Mokbul Hossain from Hajipara of Badarganj, Rangpur, testified on Sunday saying that the accused along with two Pakistani Army members had shot his mother dead on April 16, 1971. l

Members of Jatiya Jono Mulya Commission form a human chain in front of the National Press Club in the capital yesterday, demanding the formation of a national price commission MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

PSC recommends 41 as non-cadre officers n Mohosinul Karim The Public Service Commission yesterday recommended 41 candidates to be appointed as non-cadre class-I officer in various government offices.

Of them, 32 persons were recommended for appointing in separate offices under the Labour and Employment Ministry.

Of the 32, 25 persons were selected for appointing in the department of Inspection for Factories and Establish-

ment, six for Department of Labour and one for Labour Court and Labour Appellate Tribunal.

The recommendation will create the way to appoint 67 class-I officer for the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment as per the requirement of foreign buyers to get back GSP facilities in the USA. President Abdul Hamid on Sunday approved the amendment of recruitment rules for the department. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

held for Encroachers occupy road and walkway in Azimpur Three obstructing traffic Commuters and pedestrians face unbearable traffic congestion walkways because of these furniture n Abu Hayat Mahmud shops,” said Rahima Khatun, a A group of local influential traders have illegally occupied a portion of the Pilkhana road and its footpaths with makeshift furniture shops, causing much suffering to local residents, commuters and pedestrians in the capital’s Azimpur area.

Although the encroached areas fall under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), no permission was sought before setting up these makeshift shops on the public space.

Besides, the walkways have also become a home for several makeshift tea stalls and hawkers, causing frequent traffic congestion and forcing pedestrians to use the road for walking.

“The traders are very powerful as they are linked with different associate organisations of the ruling party,” Shiplu Khan, a resident of Natun Paltan Line in Azimpur, claimed while talking to the Dhaka Tribune.

“Thus, neither the city corporation, nor the police could take any action against them,” he added.

Due to such encroachment, local residents and students of various educational institutes in the area face difficulties in commuting through the road every day.

“I come here every day with my daughter for her school and face difficulties in moving through the

n FM Mizanur Rahaman Police arrested three from Halishahar area of Chittagong yesterday while they were shooting a drama, obstructing traffic movement on a road.

The arrested are Riasad Haque, 27, Samsul Azam, 28, and Bibi Ayesha Sumi, 23, according to Halishahar police station sources.

Police recovered a video camera and some costumes from their possession.

Shahjahan Kabir, officer-in-charge of Halishahar police station, said halting vehicular movement, the trio were shooting for some scenes of a drama on the port connecting road along the Nayabazar intersection while players of the Bangladesh cricket team were on their way to the stadium by that road around 1:30pm.

Later, the on-duty traffic sergeants detained the three.

A case had been lodged with Halishahar police station in this regard, said the OC.l

mother of a student of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College Azimpur branch.

The walkways have also become a home for several make-shift tea stalls and hawkers, causing frequent traffic congestion and forcing pedestrians to use the road for walking She also said pedestrians were now forced to walk on the road risking their lives because of these illegal shops.

“It is also causing traffic congestion in the adjoining areas,” she added.

Visiting the area, this correspondent found that the Pilkhana road and its footpaths were occupied by many hawkers and makeshift tea stalls on both sides.

When asked, a furniture shop owner, seeking anonymity, said: “We just keep our furniture products in front of our shops, it should not create problem to traffic.”

“I am doing business here for a long time and in this way, but no one ever told anything to me,” he added.

Gun-toting BCL leaders held at RU n RU Correspondent A section of traders have occupied a portion of a footpath in the city’s Azimpur area The Pilkhana road links the Azimpur main road with Lalbagh, Azimpur Graveyard, Natun Paltan Line in the area. The road is also used as a prime route to Kamrangir Char, Hazaribagh, Lalbagh, Nawabganj,

Keraniganj and Chawk Bazar.

However, the DSCC claimed that they were not aware of the illegal encroachment.

“We have not yet been informed of such encroachment,” DSCC Chief Ex-

ABU HAYAT MAHMUD

ecutive Officer Md Ansar Ali Khan told the Dhaka Tribune.

“If the road and footpath of the area are kept occupied, we will take steps to free the space from encroachers,” he added. l

Illegal chocolate factory Bangladesh, India to set up busted in capital, new jute institute owners fined n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

n Ashif Islam Shaon Rapid Action Battalion yesterday raided a chocolate and a sweet factory in the capital’s West Kamrangirchar and dumped thousands of adulterated chocolates and laddus (round-shaped, dry sweets).

Two factory owners and a staff were also fined between Tk5,000 to Tk25,000.

Mousumi Lozenge Factory was set up on the ground floor of a two-storey rental. Owners Mohammad Ali and his brother-in-law Habibur Rahman had been producing 10 different sorts of colourful chocolates in the factory.

They would use six varieties of textile dyes to make chocolates attractive to children. The products would contain no label whatsoever.

“Ali, in his childhood, had a menial job in a chocolate factory where he worked as an assistant. He later switched his profession and began working as a garment worker. He managed to save enough to buy a chocolate making machine a year back,” said HM

Anwar Pasha, Executive Magistrate of RAB who fined the owners.

“Within a year, Ali and his partner Habib made enough profits to buy five additional machines. Now they produce nearly one lakh pieces of chocolate a month,” he said.

Pasha said there are more than 100 factories around Old Dhaka where toxic and substandard chocolates are made.

A piece of chocolate is sold for Tk 0ne or two and these are usually found in roadside shops.

Low-quality liquid glucose, sugar, flavours, colour additives and wax are used to make these chocolates using manual machines.

RAB also found a sweet factory beside the chocolate factory where workers were making laddus using sweet waste. The waste was mixed with flour, saccharine and chemicals to produce the laddus.

Law enforcers could not nab the owner of the sweet factory as he had fled sensing police presence. They, however, detained a worker named Mohammad Kamrul Islam and fined him Tk5,000. l

Bangladesh and India have decided to jointly establish a new institution to deal with the production, development and marketing of jute and jute products.

“Both the governments agreed to have more cooperation in the field of jute and jute products, and we also agreed to set up a new institution jointly to promote jute and jute products,” Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune.

During his visit to India last month, the foreign secretary discussed the issue with Indian officials including their Textiles Secretary Zohra Chatterji.

The tenure of International Jute Study Group (IJSG) would conclude in April, and Bangladesh and India – the two biggest jute producers in the world – felt that an institution was needed to move forward, Shahidul said.

“In my meeting with Indian textiles secretary, we agreed that concerned officials of the two countries should soon start working on the modalities,” he said.

A high-powered Indian delegation

would visit Dhaka soon to discuss on the issue, he added.

Meanwhile, the issue was also discussed in a recent joint working group meeting between the textiles ministries of both the countries.

“Livelihood of millions of farmers is dependent on it and we felt that we need to have an intergovernmental agency for jute and jute products as we have developed jute genome mapping,” said an official of the foreign ministry.

The issue was also discussed in a recent joint working group meeting between the textiles ministries of both the countries In the post-2015 development agenda, green economy was a big issue and the demand for jute and jute products would grow in the coming days, he added.

“Sustainable production and consumption of natural fibre is a promi-

SUNNY TUESDAY, APRIL 1

Sarkar and n Kailash Mohammad Jamil Khan

DHAKA

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:50AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

38

25

Chittagong

33

24

Rajshahi

39

22

Rangpur

38

20

Khulna

39

23

Barisal

36

24

Sylhet

36

20

Cox’s Bazar

33

25

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

38.2ºC Jessore

20.2ºC Sayedpur

Source: Accuweather/UNB

Two students of Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University paint potteries as preparedness of Pahela Baishakh yesterday

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:38am 5:53am 12:03am 4:29pm 6:13pm 7:29pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

Three RU students hurt by snatchers n RU Correspondent Three Rajshahi University students were injured as unidentified miscreants swooped on them on the campus yesterday afternoon.

The victims – Ripon Ghosh, Shanta Shutradhar and Konika Goop – are third year students of Psychology Department.

Campus sources said two unknown men riding a motorcycle interrupted them at the rail crossing around 3pm.

At one stage of altercation, they beat them. Later, they left the place snatching their mobile phones and around Tk3,000. The injured were admitted to the university medical centre. l

BCL infighting leaves 15 hurt at Dhaka College, 20 arrested

WEATHER

TODAY SUN SETS 6:14PM

nent issue in the green economy debate and countries like Bangladesh can take advantage by joining hands with other like-minded countries to supply natural fibres including jute,” the foreign ministry official said.

The proposed institution may include other natural fibres in the future to broaden its membership.

“We are planning not to limit the organisation only to producing countries, but we will also invite key consumer countries like China to join the institution so that demand and supply sides can interact,” the official said.

In the joint working group meeting, both sides discussed that after the expiry of the IJSG, another intergovernmental organisation was needed for the development of jute products.

“The International Jute Study Group is going to expire in April and it is the only intergovernmental body dealing with jute and jute products,” the official said.

Dhaka and New Delhi reportedly sent a joint letter to the UNCTAD secretary general to try extending the tenure of the IJSG, as the group is operated under the guidance of UNCTAD. l

Police yesterday arrested two leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League, Rajshahi University unit, on charge of torturing two students at Bangabandhu Hall on Sunday.

The arrested were identified as BCL RU unit organising secretary Akhtarul Islam Ashif and former joint secretary Abdus Salam alias Sudipto Salam.

Salam was shown brandishing firearms at students who were demonstrating on the RU campus to protest fees hikes and evening masters’ courses on February 2.

Saidur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Rajshahi Metropolitan DB police said a team of detective branch arrested the BCL leaders at noon and sent them to jail after producing them at court. Salam was arrested with a firearm, he also said.

Following the arrest, BCL activists went on a rampage and vandalised the window panes of the proctor’s office and the public relations office at the administrative building around 12:30pm.

They also vandalised three students’ buses and made a barricade on the Rajshahi-Dhaka highway. l

RAJIB DHAR

CU staff observe work abstention n FM Mizanur Rahaman The third and fourth-grade employees of Chittagong University yesterday went on a work abstention for two hours demanding a four-point demand.

CU campus sources said “CU Employee Association” called the pro-

gramme which started from noon. The staff laid a siege to the administrative building and held a rally there, disrupting all sorts of routine works.

The demands include to give promotion to 41 drivers, to establish a canteen beside the registrar building and give voting rights to third class employees.

SM Lokman, general secretary of the association, said in spite of giving assurance one year ago, the university authorities has yet to meet their demands.

He threatened to go for tougher movement unless the demands are met. l

Infighting between two rival groups of Bangladesh Chhatra League of Dhaka College unit left at least 15 activists injured, with five of them receiving bullets.

Party activists Jasim, Rony, Chanchal, Zahid and Saiful Islam received bullets in their abdomen. The condition of Saiful, a second year student of political science, is stated to be critical.

Sources said the clash had taken place centring establishment of supremacy on the college campus.

Following the incident, police raided the college dormitories and detained some 20 youths and recovered several sharp weapons, said Iasir Arafat Khan, officer-in-charge of New Market police station.

Police said Chhatra League cadres led by Rinku and his rival Sohel were locked into a clash following information that a new committee of the college unit was in the making.

Campus sources said the fighting was a demonstration of political supremacy in South and Master’s halls in a bid to hold positions on the upcoming committee.

During the one and a half-hour-long clash some 100 cadres on both sides fought each other, exchanging gunshots, exploding bombs, pelting bricks,

plus chase and counter-chase.

The law enforcers brought the situation in the morning under control, but soon after their leaving the campus, the feuding groups resumed their fight.

Police further came in on dealing with the situation.

A large number of additional forces had been deployed to the campus and a tense situation was prevailing out there.

Maruf Hossain Sarder, deputy commissioner of police, Ramna division, told the Dhaka Tribune two groups of youth at Dhaka College were locked into a clash and chase and counter-chase took place among them.

“On information, we went to the spot and brought the situation under control,” said the DC. He added that following the clash, police detained some youth on suspicion and the detainees were taken to the detective branch of Police for interrogation.

Abu Yusuf, assistant commissioner of police at the Media Centre of DMP, said police held the youth for having no identity cards in their possession.

No case was lodged as of filing the report at 7pm yesterday.

Earlier on March 26, BCL infighting at Government Bangla College left over 20 people injured while police detained 53 youth in connection with the incident. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Sugarcane farmers yet to get dues in Natore n Tribune Report Discontentment is brewing among sugarcane growers in the country as they are yet to get their dues after two months of selling the crops.

Sugarcane grower Farid Hossain of Shingra upazila in Natore district said: “We sold seven consignments (locally called receipts) at Tk2,949 which is less than the fair price. I need money to pay workers’ wages and to repay loans.”

Likewise, many farmers had sold receipts at a lower price to the middlemen in order to manage money to reduce financial crisis, but they did not get any payments against the receipts.

“What is our profit if we fail to get our fair price after producing sugarcane, which had cost us a huge sum of money?” asked farmer Farid, adding that the authorities did not say anything about their money.

The growers who took loans and cultivated the crop on leased land did not find ways to mitigate their sufferings.

Farmer Belal Hossain said: “I am facing problems in cultivating Boro and maize crops as I did not get money after two months.”

He sold his produce to Shyampur Sugar Mill of Rangpur district.

“If the farmers ask the authorities concerned to pay the dues, they reply how they can pay it if the sugars are not sold,” Belal said.

The growers alleged that they had to face harassment and also had to pay bribes while supplying sugarcanes to the mills.

Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation sources said authorities of 15 sugar mills had failed to pay due of a total Tk185,98,21,000 to the farmers, after two months of taking the produce from them.

According to BSFIC sources, government set a target of 1,38,350 tonnes of sugarcanes against 18,60,000 tonnes in current financial year. But, 1,20,088 tonnes were produced against 17,01,427 tonnes till March 24. Threshing was completed in nine mills while threshing at another six mills will be completed next month.

Assistant Sales Manager of BSFIC Abdar Hossain said: “The problem is acute as the sugar remains unsold.”

“We are trying to pay the dues of the farmers soon,” he said. l

Members of Coast Guard seize a huge quantity of jatka, hilsa, in Chandpur yesterday

Rabbit-rearing gaining ground

Top extremist held in Meherpur n Our Correspondent, Meherpur n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh Regional commander of outlawed organisation Purbo Banglar Communist Party was held on Sunday in Meherpur.

Acting on a tip off, police arrested regional commander Sabuj from a rented house situated in the Stadium Para of the town around 11:30pm, said SubInspector of Detective Branch of Meherpur police Babul Akter.

They also recovered a foreign pistol from his possession.

Sobuj is the son of Sunnat Khan of Charulia village of Damurhuda upazila under Chuadanga. His brother Ruhul is also infamous for carrying out terrorist activities in the area.

Sheikh Atiar Rahman, officer-incharge of Meherpur sadar police station, said Sobuj was an accused in a number of cases including that of murder, extortion, kidnapping, explosive and arms trading. l

A number of unemployed educated youths of Muktagacha upazila in Mymensingh are getting interested in rabbit-rearing since the business offers high profits with low start-up costs.

Sohel Babu, son of businessman Shaokat Ali of Rajahathat area, completed BA (pass) degree two years back.

After the completion of his degree, he had to remain jobless for several months.

Finding no way, he built a rabbit farm at the courtyard of his house with a minimal investment.

When he started the business, he only had two rabbits. Now he has over 100.

“Now I do not need any job as I am self-reliant,” he said with pride.

Family members are also happy after witnessing his success.

Similarly, other unemployed youths are also showing great interest and have visited Sohel to get more knowledge about the business.

Rabbit is a fast growing animal and its meat contains substantial nutrition. The amount of cholesterol is also very low Many unemployed youths had chosen the profession for its high profit, said Sohel, adding that it would be possible to spread rabbit-rearing business across the country with proper support from livestock department.

Rajib, another youth, said he had started rearing around 50 rabbits.

He expressed hope that he would be able to make good profit from it.

Badal Chandra, a local retailer, said he collected rabbits from different farms and sold them to different areas of the district.

He said, “I can run my family without any problems with the money I get from rabbit selling.”

Sharafat Zaman, district animal resources officer, said, “Rabbit is a fast growing animal and its meat contains substantial nutrition. The amount of cholesterol is also very low.”

He added, “Rabbits can play a big role in fulfilling the demand of meat of the people if people start eating its meat.

“Proper patronage of the profession can create employment for unemployed youths of the country.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

300 sued for attacking cops in Gopalganj n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj A case was filed with sadar police station on Sunday against 300 unknown people on charge of attacking police personnel.

Gopalganj sadar police station SI Monzel Ahmed filed the case which states that an incident of chase and counter chase took place between the residents of Miapara area and nearby Ghosherchar village on the day over establishing dominance, and the unruly men vandalised some shops in Chourangi area.

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

Protesting the incident, the affected businessmen called a two-day strike

and brought out procession in support of it, from which the protesters beat up the SI and vandalised his motorcycle.

Gopalganj sadar thana OC (investigation) Md Selim Reza confirmed the case, saying, “However, the matter was resolved in the conference room of the SP.” At least 15 people including four cops were injured in a clash between two groups of Miapara and Ghosher Char on Saturday over a trifling matter.

Locals said, on March 27, few residents of Ghoser Char beat Rezwan over a trifling matter, a resident of Miapara.

Later, two groups locked into clash and a group of Ghosher Char damaged a few shops in the town.

Over the issue, another group of Miapara had attacked the Ghosher Char group. l

College principal stabbed by BCL men n CU Correspondent

A college principal was stabbed by the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) during a clash that took place at Nizampur Degree College in Mirsari upazila of Chittagong yesterday morning.

At least five activists of the BCL were also injured during the factional clash.

Campus sources said two groups of BCL activists one loyal to Minister for Public Works and Housing Engineer

Mosharraf Hossain and another loyal to former upazila chairman Gias Uddin had taken position on the campus around 11:30am.

At one stage of altercation, the rival groups were locked in a clash, equipped with sharp weapons, while the degree examination was going on at the college.

On receiving information, principal of the college Rafiq Uddin rushed to the spot and tried to bring the situation under control.

Attack on minority people over land dispute n Our Correspondent, Naogaon

A human chain was formed at Tungipara upazila in Gopalganj yesterday, protesting the killing of two people

Human chain demands punishment of killers n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj Leaders of Bangladesh Mohila Parishad (BMP), Gopalganj unit, organised a human chain at Tungipara upazila, protesting the killing of a woman and a child, and demanded punishment of the killers.

The human chain was organised in front of Gopalganj Press Club around 4pm yesterday.

The leaders also submitted a memorandum to the district police super in this regard.

On Thursday night, Khadiza Aktar Kulsum, 17 and her sister-in-law Sharna Khanom, 5, were burnt to death by Kulsum’s husband Lutfur Rahman alias Mandar Mollah. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Accused flees from police custody n Our Correspondent, Madaripur An accused, who was placed on a three-day remand, has disappeared from Madaripur sadar police station on Sunday night.

Local sources said residents of Iterpul area in Madaripur town had caught three members of a motorcycle thieves’ gang while they had been trying to steal a bike in the locality on Friday night.

Later, they were handed over to police.

Following their statement, police also recovered some equipment used in bike stealing from the area.

On Sunday, police produced them before a court seeking three-day remand, but the court ordered to place only Akash Boiragi of Jolirpar village under Gopalganj on three-day remand.

As soon as the court passed the order, Akash managed to flee from police custody. It had been alleged that offic-

er-in-charge of Madaripur sadar police station had released the criminal in exchange for a big amount of money.

Assistant Sub-Inspector of the police station Kazi Newaz said, “We were on duty on Sunday night. Around 3am, we noticed that the lock up was open and the criminal had escaped. But the lock was not broken.”

OC Mofazzal Hossain said, “Akash Boiragi fled from police custody sometime at night.”

Local people said over 200 motorcycles had been stolen in the last one year in the district. But, police could not arrest anyone.

Assistant Police Super (circle) Abu Bakar Siddique said, “On information, we visited the police station along with additional police super.

“It is not clear whether anybody from the police station helped him flee.” He said they were investigating the matter. l

At least four Hindu people were injured in an attack of land grabbers while they tried to build house on their ancestral land at Shaluka village under Naogaon Sadar upazila yesterday.

The injured were identified as Shyamkunjo Shaha, 50, his son Sanjay, 19, and relatives Sujit, 18 and Sourav, 20.

Jahidul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Naogaon Sadar model police station said Shyamkunjo Shaha had tried to build a tin-shed house on eight decimals of land around 11am. Meanwhile, a local Moyezuddin Master stopped Shyamkunjo and claimed the land as his own.

At one stage, Moyezuddin’s men beat four people, leaving them injured.

The injured were admitted to Naogaon Hospital.

Shyamkunjo said Moyezuddin and his men had illegally grabbed 11 bighas of his ancestral land. The OC said they were preparing to file a case in this regard. l

Clash over dominion hurts 15 n Tribune Report Fifteen people were injured and 12 houses vandalised in a clash between two rival groups at Bhawal village in Saltha upazila on Sunday evening.

Locals said there had been a longstanding dispute between Moka Haji group and Wahab Matubbar group over establishing dominion in the area.

The clash ensued following an altercation between Majed Matubbar of Moka Haji group and Ohed Matubbar of Wahab Matubbar group at the village in the evening.

At one stage, both the groups equipped with homemade arms attacked each other, leaving 15 people from both sides injured, reports UNB. They also vandalised at least 12 houses with sticks. Later police quelled the unrest. l

Then, someone from one of the groups stabbed his arm.

Later, other teachers of the college rescued the principal from the unruly BCL men.

Imtiaj Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge of Mirsari police station, said as a sequel to previous rivalry the two groups had clashed at the college.

Additional police had been deployed on the campus to avert further clash, the OC said. No case was filed in this connection. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

7

Modi-fying Bangladesh-India relations Enam Khan and n Shahab Parvez Karim Abbasi

B

arring a miracle, the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections in India is widely expected to see the BJP led National Democratic Alliance at the centre and Narendra Modi at the helm.

The change of guard may profoundly affect India’s relations with it’s neighbours – especially Bangladesh.

The “Modi Effect” may transform and even strain the existing warm relations between the Congress led Indian government and the Awami League (AL) led Bangladesh government.

Awami League and Indian National Congress have historically shared a close rapport – dating back to Indira Gandhi’s unequivocal support to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during Bangladesh’s War of Independence.

This has resulted in “special government-to-government relations” – as witnessed by the Prime Minister’s Office consistently eclipsing the Ministry of External Affairs in determining New Delhi’s foreign policy with Bangladesh.

India has provided strong support to the Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina since 2008. It had openly expressed its desire to see secular forces in power in Bangladesh as evidenced by Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh’s visit to Dhaka in No-

nority community, namely the Hindus and Buddhists. Acts of oppression, violence and intimidation against the minority community seems to have gone up markedly – especially during the time of the abortive anti-government agitation of the opposition and the recently concluded elections.

The government, sadly, has been unable to firmly squash these attacks on the minority community. The violent attacks in Ramu and Gopalganj are a case in point. Minority leaders point out that these attacks had specific political and economic agenda and in most cases, the perpetrators of these heinous acts have not been apprehended. The minority community seems to be living under a state of siege and are nervously awaiting political developments.

Indo-Bangla relations What then, will the effect of Modi’s coming to power be on India-Bangladesh relations? Most likely, interactions between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Modi would be confined within strict stateto-state affairs and “special government-to-government relations” would be transformed to “even-handed stateto-state propinquity.”

The cooling of relations may be partially attributed to Modi’s virulent hatred for the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty

The cooling of relations may be partially attributed to Modi’s virulent hatred for the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and all that it stands for

vember 2013. The Congress’s overt and explicit regime-specific acclamation in favour of Awami League was on show during the recently concluded national elections in Bangladesh, which was boycotted by the leading opposition party – Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

This has led to the other political parties questioning Indian policymakers’ commitment to ensuring a stable multi-party democracy in the country.

India’s overt, and at times ham-fisted, meddling in Bangladeshi politics has led to and strengthened existing anti-Indian sentiment amongst the populace.

Strained ties As it is, regular shooting and killing of Bangladeshi civilians by the Border Security Force, the failure in reaching an accord on the sharing of water from the Teesta River, the failure in ratification of the long-pending land boundary agreement, hindrance in Bangladeshi companies accessing Indian markets have all contributed in eroding the considerable goodwill that India had earned amongst Bangladeshis for rendering invaluable support during the War of Liberation against Pakistan.

The Awami League government on its part has temporarily cracked down on extremists with ties to Pakistan or India’s home-grown terrorist groups.

It has also come down hard on Islamist parties or groups which are professedly anti-Indian. However, this has come at a high price.

In the interest of establishing a “secular” polity, the government has come down hard on Islamist parties (ironically, the AL government is following the footsteps of the previous BNP government which initiated counter terrorism measures against Islamic terrorist outfits like JMB and HUJI-B).

This has significantly alienated a large chunk of the population that has traditionally endorsed religious pluralism and practised Islam as a peaceful way of life. Over-reliance on the secularism card to gain Western sympathy and to secure political guarantee from the Congress has ultimately led to the emergence of a more radical segment of the society that does not believe nor care to participate in the current Westminster style democracy.

The absence of a vibrant multi party democracy has created a political vacuum. There is a real danger that religious extremists and fringe outfits may move in to fill this void – a threat to which AL, BNP and even the Congress-led UPA government seem to be blissfully unaware.

Mauled minorities The scapegoat of this fallout is the mi-

and all that it stands for – the proximity of the Mujib and Nehru Gandhi Family forged during the tumultuous days of the Liberation War may well serve to jaundice his views on the current Bangladesh government.

A potential beneficiary of this turn of events could well be BNP – the leading political opposition party. Contrary to its alleged anti-Indian stance, BNP is not averse to doing business with India. It is worthwhile to remember that opening up of the Bangladeshi economy to Indian business happened under the watch of BNP and was aggressively pursued by its Finance Minister, the late Saifur Rahman.

BNP benefited from bilateral trade and cooperation during the centre-right coalition regime led by BJP during 1998-2004. This has also contributed in BNP toning down its anti –India rhetoric in recent times. The party’s studied silence on the issue of granting transit facility to India is a case in point.

The party also belatedly understands that it cannot win support of the international community if it does not distance itself from religious extremists and assure India that it will not allow its territory to serve as a sanctuary for Indian terrorist and separatist groups like ULFA to ferment trouble in North East India.

like Assam, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram illegal migration is a key political issue – especially in Assam where governments are made and unmade on the issue of illegal settlers from Bangladesh. To make matters worse, political patronage and vote bank politics go hand in hand with the issue of illegal migrants.

Modi, in a recent electoral rally at Assam pointedly referred to this issue – he alleged that a large number of illegal migrants (read-Muslim) were being accommodated by the state government to benefit from vote bank politics. If his party came to power, he would expel these illegal settlers from India. He further stated that Hindu migrants fleeing from religious oppression in Bangladesh would be accommodated all across the country.

The Government of Bangladesh has denied India’s claims on illegal immigration. It may well point to the presence of illegal Indian migrants in Bangladesh. According to data produced by the Bangladesh Ministry of Home Affairs, as many as 500,000 Indians were staying in Bangladesh illegally in 2009.

Bangladesh ranks fifth amongst the nations sending remittances to India.

Indians sent as much as $3,716 million to India in 2013. Most of them are residing without proper visas and documentation. People who are migrating to Bangladesh illegally are from West Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura and Mizoram.

Thus, problems of illegal migration seem to be adversely affecting both the countries and is not as one dimensional as Mr Modi makes it out to be.

A long porous border, smuggling by organised gangs and the involvement of transnational terrorist organisations have all exacerbated the problem of illegal migrants.

Instead of trading blame and pointing fingers, there is a need for concerted and coordinated cooperation between the two governments which will lead to a comprehensive framework.

Religious hostility

Narendra Modi during an election rally in Gumla in India’s Jharkhand state

Another related issue that Modi may raise could be the treatment of the Hindu community in Bangladesh.

This issue itself may raise quite a few eyebrows in Bangladesh. Modi, a self confessed Hindu nationalist, is closely identified with the Godhra incident and the ensuing anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002 (under his watch).

His party, BJP, has been involved with many riots – the demolition of Babri Mosque in 1992 and the recent Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013. However, it is true that incidents of minority oppression has taken place in Bangladesh across the different political regimes (though on a far smaller scale when compared to India).

State-authorised confiscation of Hindu-owned property under the provisions of the Enemy Property Act had been rampant. It is unfortunate that no government has taken any concrete measure to remedy this deep-seated malaise.

The failure of successive governments (starting from the Mujib government in 1972) to return the premises of the most important temple in Dhaka

River seems even more remote this time around. Apart from bringing about a change of heart amongst the BJP top brass – the wily “Didi” Mamata Banerjee, who is implacably opposed to the deal – the chances are slim.

If the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance fails to secure overwhelming numbers in the next election, this may be very difficult to effect.

All this brings us to the next problem – the issue of Dhaka granting New Delhi transit facilities to North East India. In order to sweeten the deal, New Delhi has already provided a $1bn soft loan to facilitate infrastructural development. It has also offered to provide another $1bn credit to Dhaka to sweeten the deal.

The problem with the Bangladesh government is that it cannot afford to go forward on the transit issue without showing positive results on the Land Boundary Agreement and the Teesta River accord. Lack of infrastructure and non-settlement of transit fees have also held back progress on the transit related issues.

The Bangladesh government is further handicapped by the absence of consensus amongst the other political parties, namely BNP. This in turn can only be facilitated by stable multi-party participatory democracy. The Modiled government would surely raise the transit issue and would try to exert considerable pressure on Dhaka.

Bangladeshi political parties must exhibit maturity and shy away from India baiting to flame anti-Indian sentiments in the country

Illegal migrants A major issue that the Modi-led government may raise with the Bangladesh government is the contentious and tricky issue of illegal migration of Bangladeshis to India. The problem lies with the number of Bangladeshi migrants illegally residing in India. No reliable numbers on illegal immigrants are currently available.

As per 2001 India census there was 3,084,826 people in India who came from Bangladesh. However, the census does not provide the number of illegal migrants. Figures, as high as 20 million are also reported in the government and media. Some Indian academicians like Samir Guha Roy of the Indian Statistical Institute call these figures “motivatedly exaggerated” to serve narrow, sectarian, political agenda.

However, it is true that in states

- the Ramna Kali Mandir (which was destroyed by the Pakistani army) to the religious body that owned the property is a glaring act of injustice.

Research by Abul Barkat of Dhaka University indicates that one million Hindu households have lost over two million acres of land property and other resources.

Land boundary, water sharing, transit In terms of honouring the Mujib-Indira Land Boundary Agreement of 1974, India has consistently disappointed the Bangladeshis. The current Congress led UPA government could not even table this bill in the Lok Sabha in the face of vehement opposition by BJP members. It does not seem that things will change in a hurry with Modi at the helm.

The prospect of reaching an agreement on water sharing of the Teesta

Global factors In the era of globalisation and increased connectivity, the major political parties would do well to have a common vision on this critical issue (South Asian and Asian Connectivity) – the situation warrants a practical and politically feasible approach in the context of larger national, bilateral, and multilateral interests.

In terms of global politics, India’s relations with Israel will probably deepen. Israel is already one of India’s major defence partners. Though it was the Congress government that recognized Israel back in 1992, it was under the BJP-led government of Vajpayee that Indian-Israeli ties blossomed.

Modi is one of the few Indian politicians to have visited Israel, suggesting that he would potentially inaugurate a round of Indian prime ministerial visits to the Jewish state. This will significantly upset the Muslim population in the subcontinent and reverse the long standing practice of the Indian politicians, of not being seen too close to Tel Aviv (in order to placate Muslim Indian voters and oil rich states in the

Gulf).

Bangladesh has long upheld the rights of the Palestinians and the general populace will not look favourably to India’s growing public tilt towards Israel.

Undoubtedly, Modi has demonstrated his charm as a seasoned politician in wooing considerable number of Indian voters. But he has yet to demonstrate his capabilities as a statesman who will not only ensure Indian interests but also respect, recognise and realise the aspirations and wishes of

The prospect of reaching an agreement on water sharing of the Teesta River seems even more remote this time around

its neighbouring countries. This will go a long way in healing the strained relations and the lingering air of doubt and mistrust in the region.

He would not need to look further than the example set by Vajpayee as foreign minister during the reign of Janata Dal’s coalition government during the late 1970s. A meaningful, substantive multiparty democracy in Bangladesh would go a long way in reducing political uncertainty and policy continuity in Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi political parties must also exhibit maturity and shy away from India baiting to flame anti-Indian sentiments in the country. India is a big neighbour and Bangladesh must reach a mutually satisfactory accommodation with India. India too must respect and rectify long standing Bangladeshi grievances as a proof of its goodwill.

This would pave the ways for a more mature relationship between Bangladesh and India that is based on respect and accommodation for mutual priorities. Can Modi truly modify India-Bangladesh relations? Only time will tell.

Shahab Enam Khan is Associate Professor in International Relations, Jahangirnagar University. He can be reached at shahab@ juir.edu.bd.

Parvez Karim Abbasi is Senior Lecturer in Economics, East West University, Dhaka. He can be reached at parvez_abbasi@yahoo.com.

AFP

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Olmert convicted of bribery n AFP, Tel Aviv

A protester waves a Palestinian flag towards the Israeli border fence at the border between Israel and Gaza Strip

Israel offers Palestinians new talks proposal n Agencies Israel has handed the Palestinians a new proposal aimed at extending peace talks beyond an April 29 deadline in efforts to salvage negotiations, AFP reported.

According to a Palestinian official, Israel presented Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with a draft agreement on Sunday to push forward with the talks. Abbas was to examine the proposal, he said.

An Israeli official would not provide details on the proposal but said: “Now the Palestinians need to reply if they are willing to continue negotiations.”

Israel broke a commitment to free 26 Palestinian prisoners on March 29, a key plank in the original US-brokered terms to relaunch the peace process.

Israel, on Friday, informed the Palestinians it would not free the prisoners as it had previously agreed, with the US State Department confirming it was working “intensively” to resolve the dispute.

The Palestinians say they will not even consider extending the talks without the prisoners being freed, but Israel has refused to release them without a Palestinian commitment to continue the talks, prompting a fresh crisis of confidence.

“The ball is now in Israel’s court,”

Anti-Sisi hashtag goes viral n Agencies Social media users in Egypt and the Arab world responded to Al-Sisi’s presidential bid announcement with a very offensive viral hashtag that swept Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms.

Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi is Egypt’s resigned Minister of Defence, presidential hopeful, and leader of the military coup that ousted the country’s first democratically elected civilian president Mohamed Morsi.

Since the coup, the regime installed

by Al-Sisi has committed at least 36 massacres, the most bloody of which was the Rabaa massacre which led to the killing of thousands of unarmed civilians in one day.

Angry social media users in Egypt and the Arab world resorted to the hashtag to express their contempt. The hashtag in Arabic refers to a highly offensive insult meaning “the pimp; or the guardian of vice.”

English-language users also used a literal translation of the hashtag #elect_the_pimp, which has also been translated to German and French, among other languages.

In its fourth day, according to keyhole real-time tracker, the hashtag

achieved more than 105 million impressions, 21 million reach, 17,000 users, and 61,000 Tweets.

The inventors of the hashtag explained in their Facebook page that it was meant as an offense to the coup leader who oversaw the killing of thousands of civilians and unseated a democratically elected president.

Despite Al-Sisi’s numerous promises that he was not seeking power, he is now running for president. The offensive hashtag in their view denotes Al-Sisi’s betrayal of the president who appointed him and a violation of his oath of office.

The hashtag has now become a major chant in the ongoing anti-coup protests across Egypt. It has also been extended to the streets, painted on walls, banknotes and public means of transportation.

Supporters of Al-Sisi launched a counter hashtag titled “I will elect Sisi.” However, it did not achieve the same reach as the offensive hashtag.

The pro-Sisi hashtag got more than 470,000 impressions, 461,000 reach, and 82 users, and one hundred tweet, according to Keyhole tracker. A pro-Sisi presenter slammed the campaign, and said it aims at “moral assassination” of Al-Sisi before the elections. l

AFP

Issa Qaraqaa, the Palestinian prisoners’ minister, said, adding the leadership was expecting an answer from the Israeli government within 24 hours.

“We agreed to the fourth batch,” Israeli Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz told reporters on Sunday, while stressing it would not happen as long as Abbas was preparing to “blow up the negotiations” the very next day.

Previously, Israel agreed to release 104 prisoners, held since before the 1993 Oslo peace accords, in exchange for the Palestinians freezing all efforts to seek further international recognition. So far, it has freed 78 of them in three batches. l

A Tel Aviv court yesterday found former premier Ehud Olmert guilty of bribery linked to a Jerusalem property development, in one of the worst corruption scandals in Israeli history.

At a lengthy hearing in Tel Aviv District Court presided over by Judge David Rosen, Olmert was convicted on two counts of bribery, making him the first former premier to be convicted of the offence.

The trial, which included 16 defendants and took place over two years, was linked to the construction of the massive Holyland residential complex when Olmert served as the city’s mayor.

In 2010, Olmert was named the key suspect in the so-called Holyland affair on suspicion that he received hundreds of thousands of shekels for helping developers get the construction project past various legal and planning obstacles.

The towering construction project, which dominates the city’s skyline, is seen as a major blot on the landscape and widely reviled as a symbol of high-level corruption.

“We’re talking about corrupt and filthy practices,” Judge Rosen said in the 700-page verdict which branded Olmert as a liar.

Olmert reportedly sat expressionless throughout the verdict as the judge spoke at length of a “corrupt political system which has decayed over the years... and in which hundreds of thousands of shekels were transferred to elected officials.”

According to the verdict, excerpts of which were seen by AFP, Olmert personally received bribes to the tune of 560,000 shekels ($160,000/116,000 euros at the current exchange rate), most of which was given to his brother Yossi by a middleman who later turned state’s witness.

“The state’s witness bought (Olmert’s) ‘services’ at a price of 500,000

shekels which was transferred to him through his brother,” it said of the main sum, saying the transfer involved eight post-dated cheques of between 50,000 and 80,000 shekels.

Possible jail sentence

There has been no date set for the sentencing, although the court has ordered deliberations to begin on April 28 in a process which is likely to last several weeks, legal sources said.

Liat Ben Ari, one of the prosecuting lawyers, said it was “still too early” to

From Israel’s ‘best’ to first bribery convict

n AFP, Jerusalem Ehud Olmert was once described as “probably the best” politician Israel had ever produced, but a major graft scandal has tarred him as the first ex-premier convicted for bribery.

Like many of his predecessors, the 68-year-old’s reputation has been dragged through the mud by his links to a string of corruption allegations.

But yesterday, a Tel Aviv court found him guilty on two charges of bribery in one of the worst corruption scandals in Israeli history.

The trial, which included 16 defendants and ran for more than two years, was linked to the construction of Jerusalem’s massive Holyland residential complex when Olmert served as the city’s mayor and later as a cabinet minister. It was his second conviction in under two years.

In September 2012, a Jerusalem court handed Olmert a suspended sentence and a fine, two months after he was convicted of breach of trust but cleared on two, more serious charges.

It has been a humiliating fall for the debonair man who took over as premier in 2006 after his mentor and

33 Islamists jailed for 6 years over Egypt protests n AFP, Cairo

Erdogan targets enemies after poll triumph

An Egypt court yesterday sentenced 33 supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi to six-year jail terms each for committing acts of violence during an unauthorised protest, judicial sources said.

The accused, deemed by the court to be members of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, were found guilty of violent acts during clashes between Islamist demonstrators and opponents of Morsi in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria last December, the sources said.

Morsi, Egypt’s first elected and civilian president, was ousted by the army last July. His supporters steadfastly demand his reinstatement and stage regular protests, which often turn violent.

The military-installed authorities in November passed a law banning all but police-sanctioned protests.

Since then, hundreds of Islamist protesters have been jailed for breaking the law, as have several youth activists who spearheaded the 2011 uprising that toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak and who also supported Morsi’s ouster. The court also ordered the defendants to pay a fine of 50,000 Egyptian pounds (around 5,200 euros/$7,173) each, the sources said. The verdict can be appealed. l

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan looked a step closer to a presidential bid and to gaining the upper hand in a bitter power struggle yesterday, casting strong local election results as a mandate to hunt down enemies within the state “in their lair.”

His AK Party swept the electoral map in Sunday’s polls, retaining control of the two biggest cities Istanbul and Ankara and increasing its share of the national vote as his pugnacious leadership style, beloved by a loyal, conservative voter base, trumped a stream of corruption allegations and security leaks.

From a balcony at AKP headquarters at the end of a long and bitter election that became a referendum on his rule, Erdogan told thousands of cheering supporters that his enemies in politics and the state, whom he has labeled “traitors,” “terrorists” and “an alliance of evil,” would pay the price.

“We will enter their lair,” he said, before a huge firework display lit up Ankara’s midnight sky. “They will be brought to account. How can you threaten national security?”

The harsh tone of his balcony address suggested he felt he now had a

n Reuters, Ankara

mandate for strong action against his enemies. “From tomorrow, there may be some who flee,” he said.

The election campaign has been dominated by a power struggle between Erdogan and US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom he accuses of using a network of followers in the police and judiciary to fabricate graft smears in an effort to topple him.

Erdogan, who has long drawn support from the same Muslim professional class that reveres Gulen, has purged thousands of police officers and hundreds of judges and prosecutors since anti-graft raids in December targeted businessmen close to the premier as well as the sons of some government ministers.

Investors, who have been unnerved by the turbulence, took solace in the election result, seeing it as a sign of political continuity. The lira rallied to its strongest in two months and stocks hit a 3-month high.

“From a market perspective, the election result appears to be more or less what the doctor ordered: a solid win for the AKP which shores up the position of Turkey’s ruling party,” said Nicholas Spiro, head of Spiro Sovereign Strategy.

Meanwhile, opposition CHP said it would challenge the election result. l

Russia flaunts grip on Crimea with PM’s visit n Reuters, Simferopol Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev flaunted Russia’s grip on Crimea yesterday by flying to the region and announcing plans to turn it into a special economic zone, defying Western demands to hand the region back to Ukraine.

The visit, hours after Russia held talks on Ukraine with the United States, is likely to anger Kiev and the West, which accuse president Vladimir Putin of illegally seizing the Black Sea peninsula after a March 16 referendum they say was a sham.

Shortly after landing in Crimea’s main city of Simferopol with many members of his cabinet, Medvedev chaired a Russian government meeting attended by Crimean leaders and outlined moves to revive the region’s struggling economy.

“Our aim is to make the peninsula as attractive as possible to investors, so that it can generate sufficient income for its own development. There are opportunities for this - we have taken

everything into consideration,” he told the televised meeting, sitting at a large desk with Russian flags behind him.

“And so we have decided to create a special economic zone here. This will allow for the use of special tax and customs regimes in Crimea, and also minimise administrative procedures.”

In comments that made clear Russia had no plans to give back Crimea, he set out moves to increase wages for some 140,000 state workers in Crimea, boost pensions, turn the region into a tourism hub, protect energy links with the peninsula and improve its roads, railways and airports.

Russia’s swift takeover of Crimea, following the ouster of Moscow ally Viktor Yanukovich as Ukraine’s president in late February, has caused the biggest crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War. Medvedev’s visit underlined the impotence of the West and Ukraine to force Russiaout following the formal annexation of Crimea, signed by Putin, on March 21. l

say whether they would ask for the maximum sentence of seven years.

“Usually the punishment for bribery is prison. Obviously, we have to look at all the circumstances and the full verdict in order to reach a decision,” she told public radio.

Commentators said it was possible Olmert could face a jail term. “You are talking about a man who has already been convicted of corruption in a previous case at Jerusalem District Court,” said Moshe HaNegbi, legal commentator for public radio. l

predecessor Ariel Sharon lapsed into a coma from which he never recovered.

Olmert always insisted on his innocence, describing the allegations against him as “a brutal, ruthless witch-hunt.”

But Israel’s political leadership has a long history of brushes with the law. Sharon himself was enmeshed in a major corruption scandal when he collapsed.

And in 2011, disgraced former president Moshe Katsav began a seven-year jail sentence after being convicted on two counts of rape and other sexual offences. l

Liberia confirms first Ebola cases n AFP, Dakar Liberia has confirmed two cases of the deadly Ebola virus that is suspected to have killed at least 78 people in neighbouring Guinea, according to the World Health Organization.

The WHO said in a statement released on Sunday the cases were among seven samples tested from the northern Foya district, which shares a border with southern Guinea.

“Two of those samples have tested positive for the Ebola virus. There have been two deaths among the suspected cases, a 35-year-old woman who died on March 21 tested positive for Ebola virus while a male patient who died on March 27 tested negative,” it said. Ebola has killed almost 1,600 people since it was first observed in 1976 in what is now Democratic Republic of Congo but this is the first fatal outbreak in west Africa.

The tropical virus leads to haemorrhagic fever, causing muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.

Samples taken from a number of the suspect cases include 24 that tested positive for Ebola, according to the latest official figures – 11 in Conakry and the rest in the south. l

Russia ‘starts’ Ukraine border pullout n Agencies

A former pro-European Maidan self-defence activist who is now a reservist of the newly founded Ukrainian National guard, crawls during military exercises at a shooting range not far from Kiev. Ukraine yesterday reported a gradual withdrawal of Russian troops from its border that may be linked to Washington’s latest push for a diplomatic solution to the East-West standoff AFP

Ukraine’s defence ministry said it has noticed a gradual withdrawal of Russian troops from its border that may be linked to Washington’s latest push for a diplomatic solution to the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War Aljazeera reported.

Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskiy, Ukraine’s defence ministry spokesman, said yesterday that he could not confirm how many soldiers the drawdown involved or the number of troops still stationed at Russia’s border with its former Soviet satellite.

“In recent days, the Russian forces have been gradually withdrawing from the border,” Dmytrashkivskiy told the AFP news agency.

US and EU officials estimated over the weekend that Russia’s sudden military buildup along Ukraine’s eastern frontier had reached 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers.

The Ukrainian defence ministry official said Kiev had not been formally notified of the drawdown by Moscow and therefore did not know precisely why the troops were being moved. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Flight MH370: Race on to track down black boxes n Agencies Crews searching for missing Flight MH370 have around two weeks to find the aircraft’s pair of black boxes before they stop emitting locator pings, The Independent reported.

The boxes, designed to ‘ping’ for at least 30 days, contain sounds recorded in the cockpit and data on the plane’s performance and flight path that could help answer why it diverted sharply west from its overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing on 8 March.

An Australian warship, The Ocean Shield, was carrying a US device that detects “pings” from the flight recorders, and was expected to leave Perth yesterday for the search zone - a trip that will take three to four days.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is coordinating the search, said it would first conduct sea trials afternoon to test the search equipment on board.

As the deadline approaches, Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott said yesterday: “This is an extraordinarily difficult exercise. We are searching a vast area of ocean and we are working on quite limited information.”

He continued: “until we locate some actual wreckage from the aircraft and then do the regression analysis that might tell us where the aircraft went into the ocean. If this mystery is solvable, we will solve it,” he said.

“We owe it to everyone to do whatever we reasonably can and we can keep searching for quite some time to come.” he added.

Yesterday, ten planes were headed to the search area around 1,850 kilo-

meters (1,150 miles) west of Australia, where 10 ships were already scouring for wreckage.

Around 100 personnel in the air and 1,000 sailors were involved in Monday’s hunt, but their search may be hindered by low clouds and rain.

After several days of searching in the area, neither ships nor aircraft have found debris that can be linked to the flight, officials say.

Since the aircraft disappeared in early March, experts have sifted through radar and satellite data, and gradually moved the hunt from seas off of Vietnam, to areas west of Malaysia and Indonesia, and then to several areas west of Australia.

Former Australian Defense Chief Angus Houston is tasked with heading the new Joint Agency Coordination Center, and from Monday which will oversee communication with international agencies involved in the search, The Perth-based center will position Australia to shoulder more of Malaysia’s coordination responsibilities as the search continues indefinitely.

He will also play a prime coordination role when victims’ families travel to Australia in the weeks ahead.

The search area remains vast, so investigators are hoping to first find debris floating on the ocean surface that will help them calculate where the plane crashed into the water.

Meanwhile, several dozen Chinese relatives of Flight 370 passengers visited a Buddhist temple near Kuala Lumpur yesterday to pray for their loved ones, following a text sent by the Malaysian authorities to passengers’ family members on 24 March saying there was no hope that anyone survived. l

UN panel more cautious on Himalayan ice n AFP, Paris

A handout photo shows a mountaineer scaling Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the Himalayas

Calls for action as world faces grim future n AFP, Paris A stark warning by UN scientists of menacing climate change prompted demands yesterday for urgent action to curb greenhouse-gas emissions even as a global pact remained elusive.

Scientists, politicians, envoys and green groups united in calls for faster, more drastic action to avoid the worstcase scenarios of conflict, drought and massive displacement highlighted in the expert report.

“The path of tomorrow is undoubtedly determined by our choices today,” United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres said after the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of a “severe, pervasive and irreversible impact” if nothing is done.

Sonia to Modi: Not only about development n Agencies, Mewat Congress president Sonia Gandhi yesterday said India’s upcoming Lok Sabha election is not just about development, and her party is fighting for safeguarding the secular values enshrined in the Constitution.

“This election is not only about the development of country. This election is to safeguard the constitutional framework which our freedom fighters, our forefathers have bestowed on us after much struggle and sufferings. This Constitution recognizes our secular values

and teaches us how to respect them,” she said addressing a rally here, in a veiled attack on BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Gandhi went on to say that Congress will fight for a country which is not just for a few, but a country which belongs to everyone and where everyone enjoys equal rights.

“We will fight for a country where it is not important what is our religion, language, place of birth or in which caste we were born, but we will fight for a country which is secular and where it is important that we all are In-

dian,” she said.

The UPA chairperson said no other government has undertaken as much developmental activities during the last 10 years as done by the Manmohan Singh government, including in the backward region of Mewat.

“You can see the changes which have taken place here (Mewat) if you compare the development with the previous government here, be it giving backward region status, providing drinking water facilities or developing a separate cadre for teachers and doctors,” she said. l

Modi to Sonia: Don’t give lessons on patriotism n Agencies, Itanagar Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi yesterday asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi not to question people’s patriotism in Arunachal Pradesh’s Itanagar, Hindustan Times reported.

Modi was addressing his second rally in the northeastern state after his spoke in Pasighat on February 22.

“When I came here I expressed sorrow at Tania’s death. When Sonia came here yesterday did she say anything?

Does she care?” Modi asked while rais-

ing the death of Arunachal’s Nido Taniam, who was killed in New Delhi.

The Congress president was in Assam’s Lakhimpur town on Sunday to address an election rally and had attacked the BJP for talking “big” and believing in the “politics of hate.”

The Gujarat chief minister raked up the Italian marines issue and accused the Congress-led government at the Centre of letting them go scot-free.

“If SC had not pulled up the Italian embassy, they would have never returned.” Modi said.

“Madam Sonia ji, since you have

AFP

challenged our patriotism, we want to know in which jail are the two Italian marines being kept?”

“Please don’t question patriotism of people. We don’t need certificates from you,” Modi said.

He also took a dig at Arunachal Pradesh chief minister saying there is no one to save him in Delhi and hit out at “arrogant” Congress for lack of transparency and accountability.

Later, at another rally in Assam’s Biswanath Chariali Modi renewed his attacks on Congress, saying people have already decided the outcome of the polls. l

RIVAL KOREAS FACE OFF AGAIN

“This report requires and requests that everyone accelerate and scale up efforts towards a low-carbon world and manage the risks of climate change in order to spare the planet and its people,” she said. Activist groups said governments now have all the proof they need that inaction will lead to disaster, as well as the scientific basis on which to plan an appropriate response.

Many voiced hope that the dire warning would give impetus to negotiations for a new, global pact on curbing carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels.

“The gap between the science and what governments are doing remains huge,” said Sandeep Chamling Rai of green group WWF. “Now it is up to people to hold their governments to account, to get them to act purpose-

UN court rules against Japan whaling n Agencies The UN’s top court has ordered Japan to stop its annual whale hunt in the Antarctic, rejecting Tokyo’s argument that it is for scientific purposes, in an emotive case activists said was makeor-break for the giant mammal’s future, Aljazeera reported.

“Japan shall revoke any existant authorisation, permit or licence granted in relation to Jarpa II [research programme] and refrain from granting any further permits in pursuance to the programme,” the International Court of Justice’s Judge Peter Tomka said yesterday.

Australia hauled Japan to the ICJ in an attempt to torpedo whale hunting in the Southern Ocean, a practice Canberra says is a thinly-disguised commercial exploit under a cover of scientific research.

While Norway and Iceland have commercial whaling programmes in spite of a 1986 International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium, Japan insists its programme is scientific, while admitting that the resulting meat ends up on plates back home.

Tokyo is accused of exploiting a legal loophole in the 1986 ban on commercial whaling that allows the practice to collect scientific data. l

Rebel China village holds new elections under a cloud n AFP, Wukan Rain-drenched voters in a Chinese village which rebelled against Communist officials and held landmark democratic elections returned to the polls Monday in a ballot clouded by signs authorities are reasserting their power.

Wukan, in south China’s Guangdong province, grabbed headlines worldwide in 2011 when locals staged huge protests and drove out Communist Party officials they accused of illegal land grabs and the death of a detained local villager.

Protest leaders swept to power in free elections months later, and a poll to choose a new seven-member village committee was held Monday amid torrential downpours.

But fewer than 1,000 locals were seen

by AFP casting their ballots before polls closed yesterday afternoon, a marked contrast with the excited thousands who turned out for the village’s previous exercise in democracy.

Nonetheless an announcer said 8,000 ballot papers had been claimed at the polling station, out of an electorate of

Thai PM defends herself against negligence charges n AFP, Bangkok

South Korean Marine amphibious assault vehicles land on the seashore during a joint landing operation by US and South Korean Marines in Pohang, 270 kms southeast of Seoul. North and South Koreas reportedly traded hundreds of rounds of live artillery fire across their disputed maritime border yesterday AFP

fully and immediately.”

The Alliance of Small Island States said the new alert came as no surprise for nations already grappling with sea-level rise, droughts and record-breaking storms.

“We hope that it helps convince the international community, particularly those most responsible for climate change, to address the crisis with greater urgency.”

After a nearly 22-year effort under the auspices of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), negotiators are seeking to sign a new, global pact in Paris next year, to take effect in 2020. The aim is to contain warming to 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels. l

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra testified Monday in front of anti-graft officials over negligence charges that could lead to her removal from office and a ban from politics.

Yingluck arrived at the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in Bangkok yesterday but made no comment to the media as she entered the building or as she left 10 minutes later, an AFP reporter said.

She was summoned to answer charges linked to a controversial rice subsidy scheme, which paid farmers above market rates for their crops.

Observers say that after months of street protests, the kingdom’s political crisis is lurching towards a critical new phase, with the NACC appearing set to move against the embattled premier.

“The prime minister gave verbal and written testimony... she asked the NACC to question 10 more witnesses and give more time for her lawyers to submit more evidence,” commission member Prasart Pong-

The UN climate panel yesterday said Himalayan glaciers, whose meltwater is vital for hundreds of millions of people, could lose between half and twothirds of their mass by 2100.

The estimate by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) revisits a blunder in its last overview that tarnished the group’s reputation when it warned the glaciers could vanish by 2035.

In a massive Fifth Assessment Report on climate impacts released in Yokohama, Japan, the IPCC said Himalayan glaciers would shrink by 45 percent by 2100, if Earth’s average surface temperature rose by 1.8 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Under a far warmer scenario of 3.7 C (6.66 F), the reduction would be 68 percent. The benchmark year – the starting point from which these reductions are calculated – is 2006.

The two estimates derive from the average of 14 computer simulations in a scientific study published in 2013, the IPCC said. “It is virtually certain that these projections are more reliable than an earlier erroneous assessment (in 2007)... of complete disappearance by 2035,” the report said.

In 2007, the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report provided a political jolt on climate change, warning of the risk to weather systems from heat-trapping fossil-fuel emissions.

The report helped the IPCC win a coshare of the Nobel Peace Prize and gave momentum to the ultimately unsuccessful effort to forge a world climate pact in Copenhagen in 2009.

But the IPCC’s reputation was hurt when several mistakes came to light.

One was that the Himalayan glaciers could be lost by 2035 if warming continued unabated – an assessment later traced to a magazine article, and which the panel acknowledged as erroneous. l

sivapai told reporters.

“We will discuss both of these requests tomorrow... we are glad that she came, the atmosphere was good,” he added.

If indicted by the anti-graft agency, the prime minister would be immediately suspended from office pending an impeachment vote in the upper house of parliament within weeks.

But Prasart refused to be drawn on a possible timeframe for the NAAC’s response and denied accusations that the commission had sped up the process to assist the anti-government movement on Bangkok’s streets.

Critics say the rice scheme battered Thai finances and fostered massive corruption, simply to shore up the rural base of Yingluck and her brother, the divisive self-exiled billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted as premier in a 2006 coup.

The issue has become a lightning rod for Yingluck’s political opponents who have massed on Bangkok’s streets for months in a bid to topple her government. l

more than 9,000.

Staff declined to explain the apparent discrepancy.

Officials from the nearby city government packed the area around the polling station, stoking suspicions that the election was under pressure from higher-level authorities just weeks after the detention of several former protest leaders.

Many residents of Wukan, a fishing village where locals said around 430 hectares (1,060 acres) of land had been illegally seized and sold, have become disappointed with the committee leaders elected in 2012, after they failed to reverse much of the losses.

State-backed land-grabs are a key driver of unrest in rural China, fuelling the majority of the tens of thousands of protests taking place in the countryside each year, according to estimates.

Several villagers said they would not vote at all. “You can see all these people the government has sent here, they want to put pressure on us,” a middle aged man surnamed Sun said, as he sipped from a cup of green tea. l

Taliban kidnap Afghan provincial election candidate n AFP, Mazar-I-Sharif Taliban gunmen abducted a provincial election candidate in northern Afghanistan, officials said yesterday, five days ahead of national polls the Islamist militants have vowed to target.

Afghanistan will vote on Saturday to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai and to decide the make-up of 34 provincial councils in elections seen as a benchmark of progress since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001.

Abdul Jabar Haqbeen, governor of Sari Pul province, told AFP that Hussain Nazari and six supporters were kidnapped on Sunday evening.

“They were on their way from Sancharak district to the provincial capital of Sari Pul when they faced a Taliban ambush,” he said.

The group, who did not have any security protection, were returning after campaigning when they were dragged from their taxi at gunpoint.

Afghan security forces said they had launched an operation to find the group. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

Pharmaceutical exports can grow much further

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arnings from pharmaceutical exports grew by nearly a quarter to $48.18 million in the first eight months of the current fiscal year.

The success of pharmaceutical companies in the global market, should come as no surprise, as locally owned companies have long supplied the bulk of the 97% of medicines sold in the country, which are made in Bangladesh.

While national demand is expected to grow healthily to over $3bn within the next decade, exports are an increasingly important factor for the industry. This can be seen by the sector’s ability to reach beyond markets in Asia, to a position where its competitive prices and high quality are helping it to sell medicines to 79 different countries including Brazil, Kenya and the UK. A growing number of companies are backing the sector to create new jobs and generate vital foreign revenues, by investing in new plants and technology.

It is important that policymakers recognise and take action to help the industry overcome obstacles it faces as the sector clearly has potential for exports to take off much faster than at present.

The government can help by rectifying the delays which some businesses still face in getting clearances for exporting pharmaceutical products.

It should also strengthen the drug administration so that there is full and speedy access to testing laboratories to certify the products, and help increase export volumes.

The government can help export volumes by rectifying delays in getting clearances

Follow polio success by malnutrition

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s anticipated, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially declared Bangladesh to be polio free, following the required number of years with no cases.

The country’s achievement in eradicating this life-threatening disease ahead of neighbouring countries such as India and Nepal, reaffirms its steady progress in meeting Millennium Development Goals.

While this is good news for Bangladesh, we must also urgently attend to other crucial problems in order to help long-term economic development.

There is still much to be done to improve the state of our human capital and public health.

According to UNICEF, Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world. Around 41 percent of Bangladeshi children under the age of 5 suffer from stunting due to chronic malnutrition. The impact of such a large proportion of the populace being unable to achieve their full physical potential, impacts negatively on peoples’ lives in many ways, and needs to be overcome .

The main cause of malnutrition in the country this is not necessarily a lack of available nutritious food but low levels of awareness about which foods are most helpful and necessary for good nutrition.

Tackling problems such as malnutrition will not require expensive development programmes, but will require better education and planning by the government so that everyone can better utilise the resources that are already available.

Improving public health is a key building block for raising living standards and remains a key priority for the country.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

Response to an article by the Ambassador of Russia

Rana Plaza owner gets bail

Having just caught up with the uncharacteristically undiplomatic language used by the Ambassador of Russia to take issue with His Excellency, the UK High Commissioner, Robert Gibson, I am reminded of the Soviet-era description of the governance of Russia as, “the dictatorship of the proletariat.”

My own experience of our High Commissioner is of an intelligent, sophisticated and experienced diplomat who happens to share a view of human rights shared by, I suggest, most thoughtful people across the world.

Frankly, I hold no brief for the present government in London. That I feel free to say so in this letter describes one of the many differences that I, as a British citizen, enjoy, as distinct from a citizen of today’s Russia.

However, I think it appropriate to remind the many Indian politicians, and the many Bangladeshis I meet who seem to feel that, somehow, the unquestionably illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia is an overdue poke in the eye to “Western” governments, marks, not only a return to the politics of Saddam’s Iraq, but, not much further back, Hitler’s attempts to conquer Europe and the world.

Since Russia’s much vaunted overlordship of Crimea dates back only to a late 18th century conquest by the armies of Catherine the Great of Turkish lands, some of us might be tempted to foresee a parallel to Russia in Crimea, and, one suspects, other parts of Ukraine.

Tim Steel

Tragedy Teacher Yet more greatness displayed by our judiciary.

I await the reaction of garments investors and foreign stakeholders. (Before any ultranationalist springs into action, note this is not merely an issue of domestic affairs.)

March 31

Why I joined the BJP March 25

Sam It is likely that a BJP government will take a more respectable and responsible stance vis-a-vis Bangladesh’s internal politics.

WaliulHaqueKhondker What makes Mr MJ Akbar certain that there is only one person visible who can lift the Indian nation out of the septic swamp, Mr Narendra Modi, is not clear at all. Is he going by the phony development records of Gujarat during Modi’s watch?

I can’t even believe that my favourite columnist, Mr MJ Akbar wrote this piece! Whatever happened to the humour always expressed in his entertaining op-eds? Has that dried up in fear?

Have a heart, MJA, you are a hero! Please get back to the rightful place from where you can serve the noble cause of “secularism.” When a global icon like Amyarta Sen says, Modi doesn’t have secular credentials, hence he wouldn’t like to see him as the prime minister of India, trust him.

Ronnie WaliulHaqueKhondker: Oh, please! Not “secularism” again.

I can’t remember when MJ Akbar was ever a special proselytiser of secularism. He is deeply knowledgeable, open-minded, urbane etc, but I don’t think he bothered to stand out as a constant advocate of the separation of religion from politics.

It’s a lot harder still to do that in India, than it is in

Bangladesh (and look how even we couldn’t resist the temptation).

Amyarta Sen’s ruminations on economics (and politics) are highly debatable, in my book. I vigorously disagree with him on several issues. And I can assure you that a hard-nosed, very successful businessman and prime ministerial hopeful like Mr Modi scarcely cares a toss about the opinions of Mr Sen. Sam Ronnie: Mr Sen is your typical academic who is often upset that some things work in practice but they don’t in his theoretical framework. A great scholar no doubt, but with the almost pathological distrust of the market that is so common amongst that kind of utopian.

Ronnie Sam: Frankly, I have several fundamental differences of opinion with him. My visceral distaste for the statist, socialist, regulation-soaked, anti-market economic model he basically advocates means that, if I were half the intellectual, academic, and scholar that Mr Sen undoubtedly is, I’d love to robustly debate him upfront.

Srijith Balakrishnan Modi’s development plank will do good for India.

He is the only one who is capable of taking bold steps, whether it is for the economy or security.

March 24

People So, at last we know the answer of the government.

There is no value of more than 1,000 lives lost and thousands injured in the collapse. These corrupt politicians should go. People should prefer neither Sheikh Hasina nor Kaleda Zia. Vikram Khan A travesty of justice! Unforgivable!

Zia’s presidency: Khaleda’s claim differ with BNP site March 27

Well, technically speaking, Ziaur Rahman had predecessors as president of our republic. But it’s pretty clear to me exactly in what spirit Begum Zia said what she did. At any rate, President Ziaur Rahman was the best president we ever had, whether he was the first or seventh in line.

NE

A pressing time for newsmen March 24 Journalists must understand that the threat of musclemen is not a problem limited to their profession only. None in this country are immune from their threat. It is the overarching problem that pervades in all spheres of public life. nds

Be Heard

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CALVIN AND HOBBES

There is still much to be done to improve public health

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Remainder (4) 5 Tracking system (5) 9 Whole (6) 10 United (3) 11 Object of worship (4) 12 Looks after (5) 14 Within the law (5) 16 Edges (4) 19 Fastener (4) 21 Offspring (5) 24 Watchful (5) 27 Delicate bodily membrane (4) 29 Rodent (3) 30 Departs (6) 31 Gap (5) 32 Pile (4)

DOWN 1 Check (4) 2 Finish (3) 3 Taken by theft (6) 4 Roofing item (4) 5 Sells to consumer (7) 6 Spanish nobleman (3) 7 Also (3) 8 Plant secretion (5) 13 Tree (3) 15 Cartilage (7) 17 Arm covering (6) 18 Heavenly bodies (5) 20 Melody (3) 22 American state (4) 23 Coarse file (4) 25 Scoop up with tongue (3) 26 Greek letter (3) 28 Meadow (3)

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS Crossword

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

Sudoku

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

11

Better than parents n Kazi Rubaiyat Kabir

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We need more than empty promises

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People in glass houses

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n Ikhtisad Ahmed hen British Foreign Secretary William Hague responds to the situation in Crimea by saying, “The world cannot say it’s okay to violate the sovereignty of another nation in this way,” it is laughable because of his vote in favour of illegally invading Iraq and subsequent staunch defence of the attack.

His US counterpart John Kerry’s claim that “you don’t just invade another country on phoney pretexts in order to assert your interests,” similarly rings hollow. The hypocrisy is made worse by his heartfelt words about the fallen Maidan protesters because the slaughter of the Egyptian protesters by the West’s beloved General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi not only failed to illicit a humane response, but received a nod of approval.

Such statements would be laudable rather than derisory had they been preceded by repentant apologies for their past and continued mistakes. If there is an acceptance that there are certain divine rules for the preservation of a fair, just, and orderly world, it needs to be upheld with humility that these apply to everyone equally and unconditionally.

Crying wolf or crocodile tears as the occasion calls for it is straight out of the distrustful playbook of contemporary politics that citizens the world over wish to consign to the history books. Politicians agree with the people with their meaningless statements,

but fervently oppose them with their pre-meditated actions.

Bangladesh attempted to defy this established methodology when the Anti-Corruption Commission was reconstituted in early 2007. Its renewed zest and zeal, resulting in a constructive anti-corruption drive, was the chief reason behind a military regime being celebrated before the last term of this government, and vocally desired by some sections of the public before the current term.

ically motivated, which should be applauded if it is believed. The only conclusion to draw therefore, should the commission not investigate or explain the nefarious accumulation of wealth, is that the constituencies of every single one of these exemplary members of parliament grew, developed and flourished at a rate that first world countries would be envious of, thereby making the incomes of the members of parliament comparatively modest.

Crying wolf or crocodile tears as the occasion calls for it is straight out of the distrustful playbook of contemporary politics

Thus, it is refreshing to see that the commission continues to be in operation, evidenced by its commendable pursuit of Khaleda Zia and her son.

The inevitable question that arises as a result is whether it will follow this up by thoroughly investigating members of the incumbent government and opposition, particularly since it has been severally noted that, almost without exception, members of parliament saw their wealth increase exponentially and egregiously disproportionately over the last five years.

The law minister has said that the commission’s actions are not polit-

That is how it should be in countries with functioning systems of governance. Of course, if closer inspection of the state of these constituencies proves this not to be the case, then the conclusion would be somewhat less palatable.

Government officials, by definition, are employees of the people. That their incomes are owed to payments made by citizens is not in doubt.

The nature of those payments, however, determines who the boss is, regardless of who is supposed to be the employee.

Additionally, it expressly states

whether corruption exists or not.

This government, like others before it, purports to adopt a zero tolerance policy towards corruption, evidenced by its last two election manifestoes. A Bangladeshi government successfully rooting it out is the dream.

However, such an effort would have to encompass taking a similarly strong stance towards one’s own party, allies and favourites. It is easy to hound enemies and give refuge to friends – that certainly is not the mark of fighting corruption.

As long as the likes of Murad Jong serve out full terms and those who inexplicably hoard obscene amounts of wealth without due process are allowed to do so, the encouragement by omission will make it difficult to swallow the government’s good intentions. There needs to be proof positive that it is not simply more of the same for hollow words and empty promises to become believable again.

It is more likely that no party in the land has a single member who has not eagerly responded to the lure of corruption – either the blatant variety that is unlawful even in Bangladesh, or the institutional kind that has become acceptable as part of the system – than there being a single party that is comprised of only the purest estimable citizens. The government and all other parties alike will do well to assert the former than try to farcically prove the latter. l

y grandmother died last year after a prolonged bout with various health complications.

Imagine my sordid surprise when I realised I wasn’t terribly broken up about her passing away, especially when you take into account that she was the only grandparent I had ever known.

An individual who had played a rather large role in my very existence, and is expectedly the centre of many a fond memory of mine.

On February 24, writer-director and occasional actor Harold Ramis passed away. Widely known for his various degrees of involvement in works of comedic art such as Caddyshack, Animal House, and Groundhog Day, Harold Ramis was someone who I’d never met, never seen in real life or even have any reason to acknowledge the passing away of … until it finally dawned on me: The man who played Egon Spengler was gone.

A fictitious character that’s played a rather significant role in shaping my childhood through a movie (and eventually franchise) that provided potent fuel to a fantasy that still encompasses all ages throughout any generation … or at least I hope it still does.

There is no such thing as an isolated life, you see. You can be the most sheltered, agoraphobic, I’ll-eat-themoss-from-under-the-rock-I-live-before-I’m-seen-outside introvert, and that statement would still hold true for you.

In all the literature we read, movies we watch, music we listen to, or indeed any other form of artistic expression we indulge ourselves in, there’s always a part or two of the creators tucked away, parts that work quite directly towards shaping us into the people we become.

And it’s amazing how, under the right circumstances, those seedlings of various ideologies, from beings either unknown or fictitious, can be so much more influential over our lives than any form of actual human interaction.

It’s a scary thought for sure, just as much as it is beautiful, and most definitely begets further questions into “the artist’s responsibility” for an individual of a higher mental capacity to ruminate over it, but you don’t really need to have an analytical mind to appreciate just how art affects you as an individual.

As a kid, watching Dr Spengler take charge and march on down that narrow library aisle, on the trail of

Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer. He can be contacted on Twitter via @ Ikhtisad.

the ghost librarian, with Dr Venkman and Dr Stantz behind him (for once, refreshingly!), taught me how even the quietest, mousiest, most savvy individual can be, for want of a better term, badass; or how watching a young Eddie Vedder thrash around on a stool and scrawl “PRO-CHOICE” on his arm with a felt pen opened entirely new avenues of thinking to me as an impressionable adolescent.

These are lessons that I doubt even my own parents could’ve parlayed to me as effectively

These are lessons that I doubt even the most comprehensive anecdote or lecture from my own parents could’ve parlayed to me as effectively.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that we often take for granted the fact that the people whose artistry we enjoy are human beings themselves, and as such are set to expire at any given moment; and I’ll be honest, Ramis’s death was the one I’d least expected to make me realise that, but then again there’s a certain level of poignancy to that, I suppose.

I wish there was a more concrete or poignant note I could end my thoughts on, but it’s obvious I hadn’t thought this through. So, in lieu of the traditional moral handout I’m going to conclude by thanking a handful of the folks who have had a tremendous impact on my life thus far (yes, it’s going to be quite navel gazing): Thank you members of Pearl Jam for the greatest one-sided conversation I’ve had in the form of No Code; thank you Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the incredible understanding of what it is like to be a kid in a grown up’s world; thank you Ken Levine for BioShock and making me realise that video games can be just as good as any other medium in delivering powerful messages; thank you Amy Hennig, thank you Gabe Newell, and thank you Joshua Homme for just being so darn cool!

For all those mentioned above, I pray gunga galunga ... gunga, gunga-lagunga. l Kazi Rubaiyat Kabir works at the Dhaka Tribune.

BIGSTOCK

A yearning for earning n Mushfique Wadud

A

s I go to the office every day, I see some of my childhood friends gossiping at a nearby tea-stall while most people are busy at work. It seems that this is the most important task in their everyday lives.

At first, I was unhappy to leave the “adda,” but as time went by, I understood that this is not the life one fancies.

Most of them are university graduates and are unemployed. In the past, I thought my friends are responsible for their unemployment, but after analysing this a little, I came to the conclusion that it is the education system that should be blamed.

It may be true that in Bangladesh, people are unemployed by choice.

They may have plenty of opportunities but are waiting for the right job.

I know some people who rejected many offers claiming “the job was not suitable for Master’s degree holders.”

It is as though one can no longer do all sorts of jobs after achieving a master’s degree. They think it is better to be unemployed than be engaged in an “ignoble” job.

I often say that the more graduates we have, the more unemployment there will be. It may sound strange, but it is true. Let me explain why.

I have made a personal survey on the income of people in different sectors. The findings are quite amazing.

A “badam–wala” or “jhalmuri–wala” in Dhaka earns no less than Tk15,000 a month. This is the average income of most hawkers in Dhaka. Even someone who measures people’s weights on the streets earns no less than Tk10,000 a month.

Interestingly, after completing a Master’s program, one gets only Tk15,000 to Tk20,000 as a monthly salary teaching kindergarten. On average, most fresh graduates earn less than Tk10,000 a month.

Despite low incomes, graduates prefer traditional jobs rather than other employment sources.

What I want to say is that there are lots of opportunities other than the traditional job, but the education system prepares the graduates in a way that other employment sources do not seem honourable to them.

They prefer to be unemployed,

though they can earn a living by doing other things like opening a shop. But they cannot do so because they are graduates.

The education system is responsible for creating unemployment for a number of reasons. Undergraduate students have plenty of idle time as classes are sometimes not regular.

Most of them spend this idle time gossiping or doing unnecessary things.

As they have been habituated to a lazy lifestyle for five to seven years, they cannot regain the energy needed for hard work.

A bus conductor of the number 36 bus that runs from Mirpur to Azimpur once told me something interesting.

He said that he was fed up with students as they bargained a lot about the bus fare and sometimes would not pay a reasonable price. “I have to manage the expenses of a large family, but these students who are of my age do nothing,” he told me. “But people ignore my profession and I have a low social status,” he said. He proposed that students should be employed in part-time jobs while studying.

I was amazed with his proposal. If students were employed in something since their student lives, they would

gain skills that would help them to get jobs in future. I used to teach at coaching centres and contribute to Bengali dailies when I was a student. The experience helped me to secure a job.

Parents might think that this will hamper their children’s studies, but it will not. Rather, this will help to improve students’ skills.

One other cause for unemployment is our mentality. We think that everyone has to have a job. In any social gathering, people will ask you where you work. If your answer is that you are in a multinational company or some other large organisation, they will praise you. But if you say that you sell “badam,” they will judge you and start to avoid you.

Even unemployment is preferable to “ignoble” work.

I was a freelance worker for three months before joining my current workplace. During that time, I earned more than in my regular job. But I was tired of answering questions like: Where do you work? Why did you quit a good job? What will you do in the future? And the list goes on. I wonder why people are so curious about others’ lives.

Let me finish by sharing a dream.

When I am in conversation with citizens of donor countries, I often say: “You will see that one day we will not need your money for poverty reduction. We will do it on our own.

Bangladesh will be a model county in the world.”

The more graduates we have, the more unemployment there will be. It may sound strange, but it is true

I have been very optimistic about my dream coming true. But recently, hopelessness has captured me. Last night, I discovered a truth – if we cannot change our education system, we cannot change the country. Will our policy-makers do something to reform our education system? l Mushfique Wadud is an education reporter at the Dhaka Tribune.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Riaz returns to small screen n Milan Afridi Riaz won the hearts of the audience of Bangladesh with his sincere delivery of roles and realistic acting. He coveted the title of a prominent actor and made his Dhallywood debut in 1995 with the film Banglar Nayok. Working in Dhallywood kept him well occupied and the handsome actor was infrequent in the small-screen and therefore, he decided to be close with his fans by getting back to his old ways and work in small-screen once again. In an interview Riaz talked about his new ventures:

What is the reason behind your return to the small-screen?

It is a fact that I took a break from Dhallywood. I wasn’t regular on TV either. Recently, director Mohon has offered me two scripts to act on. I liked the script and now I am ready to work for it. I have finished shooting for telefilms and a drama in Cox’s Bazaar.

How do you feel about working on both drama and telefilm?

I can state with confidence that the audience will love my work. I worked on two telefilms and one drama. The telefilms include Bhalobasha Ek Phota Jol and Gangchiler Thikaana where I am pairing up with Rumana. Mohon is very easy to work with and he gives his best while working. As far I recall, my first act on a TV drama was with Mohon in Daruchini Dwiper Golpo.

Tell us about your work in TV dramas.

I remember one of my more significant acting in a docudrama based on the biography of Freedom

fighter Matiur Rahman. Since I was with the air force, the drama was close to my heart. It was made over a decade ago and I received positive response from the audience.

What are the disadvantages in today’s Dhallywood?

Well, there are no significant issues in Dhallywood.

When we were working we had hindrance, but we were able to present some good films to our audiences. Although there were no multiplex cinema halls, but still the audience loved to watch movies on the big screens. My point is that, the increasing number of theatre hall is only confined within the capital and that should not be the case. Expansion of movie theatres will draw more audience in. Besides, there should be variation in terms of filmmaking.

What is your opinion on current films?

There is a lack of technological development in our productions. Dhallywood cannot depend only three movies a year. For example, we cannot cherish the entire year with the success of Agnee. Dhallywood should produce more good stories. Picking up the pace with the advancement of technology should be the way to go.

In general it is said that Bangladeshis become fans of foreign channels, what is you take on the issue?

In this globalisation era, we are all here to develop ourselves. Hollywood does not produce good movies all the time, but there is an attempt which is noticeable. Our film industry should also make attempts to produce good movies and this generation should give us a hand on the development of Dhallywood. l

Bangladeshi expatriates to celebrate Independence Day

Exhibition

Water | Ink | Paper- sketches of Japan 1996

By Salauddin Ahmed Time: 3pm – 8pm, Dhaka Art Center Neel Megher Kabbo

By Mahbubul Haque

n Entertainment Desk A colourful program was held at Russian Center of Science & Culture in Dhaka on Friday, 28 March to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Russian Center of Science & Culture in Dhaka. The program was attended by members of Bangladesh-Russia Friendship Society, Soviet/Russian Alumni association, University professor and cultural activists, Russian language students, Russian compatriots in Dhaka, Russian Embassy diplomats, media personalities as well as representatives from RCSC affiliated partner clubs & organisations.

A colourful cultural programme was held in the last part of the programme.

Graduates from Soviet /Russian University Gazi Mizan, Syeda Shamsun Naher Jolly and Tanvir Ahmed Bhuiya Jewel sang Russian and Bangla songs.

Quazi Adelina Billur and Quazi Adre-

ana Billur performed famous Russian dance Kalinka while aspiring students of the dance department of Bangladesh academy of fine arts performed one Russian and three different Bangladeshi dance numbers under the guidance of Natalia Demina and BAFA teacher Farhana Chowdhury Baby.

Alexander G Chesnokov, deputy head of its head office in Moscow “ROSSOTRUDNICHESTVO” – (Federal agency for affairs with Commonwealth of Independent states Compatriots Residing abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation) was present as chief guest while Architect Yeafesh Osman, state minister for science and technology, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and Alexander A Nikolayev, ambassador of Russian Federation to Bangladesh were present as special guests on this occasion. l

I want to concentrate on small screen: Nipun n Entertainment Desk

n Entertainment Desk Bangladesh Theatre Houston (BTH) is going to organise Drama and Cultural Festival-2014 celebrating the Independence Day of Bangladesh at the Sur Auditorium, Durgabari, Texas on April 5, 2014.

The festival will include staging dramas Payer Awaj Pawa Jai of prominent Bengali playwright Syed Shamsul Huq and Sajaler Ma of Momtazuiddin Ahmed. The performers are probashi(expatriate) Bangalee in USA. BTH was established in March 2013. The group is a comprehensive non-profit professional membership organisation. It serves as an intellectual and artistic center for producing new knowledge about theater and performance-related disciplines, linking with professional and community-based theaters, and promoting Bangladeshi culture through group theater productions. l

RCSC celebrates its 40th foundation anniversary

Ekti Phuler Golpo airs tomorrow n Entertainment Desk To mark “World Autism Awareness Day,” a drama Ekti Phuler Golpo written by Swapna Reza and directed by Toukir Ahmed will be aired at 7:50pm tomorrow on Channel i. The drama features the popular and talented Bipasha Hayat and Azizul Hakim.

The story is based on a disabled girl where Bipasha and Azizul Hakim play the roles of the girl’s parents. The play is aimed at creating social

awareness about autism and how to deal with it.

About the drama, the director said: “Besides pointing out the problems of a disability, the drama emphasises to support these physically disabled people.”

“I have been working with the people involved in this drama in numerous social causes. I believe that I have a floor to create social awareness through this drama. It is presented to the audience in a storytelling manner,” said Bipasha. l

After finishing shooting for four films, National Film Award winner actor Nipun has already received appreciation from the viewers as a model in TVC. Recently, the model-actor worked in a TVC of a cosmetic product, directed by Noim Imtiaz Neyamul. In the TVC, Nipun will appear with a new look. About the TVC Nipun said: “I always try to work in good TVCs of reputed companies and good products. If I like the concept of the TVC, I decide to work on it.” Apart from the TVC, Nipun will go to Qatar for the shooting of a twenty-six episode drama on April 10. After that, she will be working for Eid dramas. Nipun said: “ I want to concentrate on small screen, since I am offered to work for TVCs, drama serials, and telefilms. Around five dramas of mine will be aired as Eid specials.” Nipun has completed shooting of the movie 71-er Maa Jononi and Maya Nogor. l

Magic of Harry Potter to continue in trilogy spin-off

TODAY IN DHAKA Time: 8:00am – 11:59pm Bronia Cafe & Gallery Gulshan Ave

Festival

Documentary Festival Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Main Auditorum, National Museum

Music

Sangeet Utshab Time: 4pm – 6pm Shilpakala Academy Premises Shegun Bagicha

n Entertainment Desk

Aamir, Sonakshi, Ajay announced worst actors

JK Rowling’s Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is to be made into a film trilogy.

The book, published in 2001, was

days.

Rowling herself told the newspaper that it was Tsujihara - who took over the role of CEO at Warner Bros last year - who persuaded her to adapt the book.

originally billed as one of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts textbooks.

Warner Bros chief Kevin Tsujihara persuaded author Rowling to adapt the book for the big screen.

Last week, he told the New York Times there would be a trilogy of films based on the book, which follows a “magizoologist” named Newt Scamander.

Scamander is the author of a guide to magical creatures. Set in New York, the book is neither a sequel nor a prequel, but an “extension” of Harry Potter’s “wizarding world,” Rowling said.

Last month, Rowling told actress Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, that she completed the draft script in 12

“We had one dinner, a follow-up telephone call, and then I got out the rough draft that I’d thought was going to be an interesting bit of memorabilia for my kids and started rewriting,” she told the New York Times.

The project, which was first announced in September 2013, will be produced by Harry Potter regular David Heyman, whose recent successes include Gravity.

The book was written by Rowling between the publication of the fourth and the fifth books in the Harry Potter series. It is set 70 years before we first meet Harry.

More than 450 million copies of Rowling’s seven Potter books have been sold worldwide. l

Rest in peace Kate O’Mara n Entertainment Desk

n Entertainment Desk Actors Ajay Devgn and Sonakshi Sinha were announced the worst actors of 2013 at the Golden Kela Awards held here Saturday. Even Aamir Khan won an award for his performance in Dhoom:3.

Now in its sixth year, the Golden Kela Awards honoured the worst in Bollywood at an event held at the India Habitat Centre here. Ajay won the worst actor award for Himmatwala, which was also named the worst film and Sonakshi was cited for R...Rajkumar.

“In Bollywood today, the box office figures have no correlation to the quali-

ty of the film. Our sincerest hope is that 10 years down the line, the figures will be forgotten, while the ‘Kelas’ they got are remembered,” Anant Singh, creative head, Golden Kela Awards, said in a statement.

The honour for the worst actor in supporting role went to Aditya Roy Kapoor for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Deepika Padukone, Jacqueline Fernandes and Amisha Patel jointly won the worst supporting actor (female) for Race 2. As part of the special awards, Deepika also won Dara Singh award for the worst accent for Chennai Express.

The Kela for the worst director went

to Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Goliyon Ki Raas Leela...Ram Leela.

The Baawra Ho Gaya Hai Ke award went to Aamir for Dhoom:3. “Aamir Khan once said that he loves the Kela Awards, because all other awards are rigged. Wonder what he has to say about us now,” quipped Singh.

Voters chose Party all night from Boss as most irritating song.

There were Anti-Kela awards too, honouring some of Bollywood’s good efforts. They were given to four outstanding films - Saheb Biwi aur Gangster Returns, Go Goa Gone, The Lunchbox and Shahid. l

Actress Kate O’Mara, 74, best known for her role in the 1980s soap opera Dynasty, died Sunday in a nursing home in southern England after a short illness, said her agent, Phil Belfield.

The actress, who began her television career in the 1960s, became a household name for playing Alexis Colby’s scheming sister Cassandra “Caress” Morrell in Dynasty. She also appeared in the original run of the British series Doctor Who and the BBC drama Howards’ Way. In the 1990s, she starred in the comedy show Absolutely Fabulous with Joanna Lumley. l

Did you know?

Netherlands’ 45-run win against England is the largest run-margin Associate T20I win v Full member, beating Scotland’s v Bangladesh

Sport

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

14 United face

mighty Bayern in CL quarters

15 River beat Boca

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Herath spins

first time away in 10 years

Sri Lanka to World T20 semis

Dutch repeat English demolition n Netherlands scripted another rich history of thrilling upsets defeating England by 47 runs in their final Group 1 game at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday. This was the second time the sides met in the format, the first been in World Twenty20 2009 in England, and in both occasions the spirited Dutchmen outplayed the English side.

With Netherlands winning the game, Chittagong witnessed the second upset in the tournament, the first – Bangladesh losing to Hong Kong in the first round.

The win once again showed the capacity of the Twenty20 format to produce the most incredible upsets. This victory was all about the superior skill level of the Oranjes. The intent with which they

SCORECARD The Netherlands M. Swart c Parry b Broad 13 S. Myburgh c Hales b Bopara 39 W. Barresi b Jordan 48 T. Cooper c Jordan b Broad 8 P. Borren c Parry b Broad 7 Mudassar Bukhari not out 1 B. Cooper not out 0 Extras: (b4, lb7, w6) 17 Total: (five wickets; 20 overs) 133 FoW: 1-34, 2-84, 3-110, 4-131, 5-131 Bowling: Ali 1-0-13-0, Bresnan 2-0-11-0 (1w), Jordan 3-0-13-1 (1w), Broad 4-0-24-3 (2w), Tredwell 4-0-23-0 (1w), Parry 2-023-0, Bopara 4-0-15-1 England A. Hales b Bukhari 12 M. Lumb c T. Cooper b Bukhari 6 Moeen Ali c T. Cooper b Borren 3 E. Morgan c Borren b van der Gugten 6 J. Buttler c Seelaar b van Beek 6 R. Bopara c Seelaar b van Beek 18 T. Bresnan run out 5 C. Jordan c Swart b van Beek 14 S. Broad c Barresi b Bukhari 4 J. Tredwell run out 8 S. Parry not out 1 Extras: (lb2, w3) 5 Total: (all out; 17.4 overs) 88 FoW: 1-18, 2-19, 3-26, 4-32, 5-42, 6-52, 7-74, 8-76, 9-86.

Bowling: Swart 1-0-8-0, Gugten 3-0-11-1, Bukhari 3.4-0-12-3, Malik 3-0-14-0, Borren 3-0-18-1, Beek 2-0-9-3, Seelaar 2-0-14-0 The Netherlands won by 45 runs

went about to defend a decent 133 after they were put to bat first was thrilling in its freedom and confidence.

The game was a dead rubber as a win in the game to both England and Holland hardly mattered to their existence in the tournament. But there was a compelling reason not to ignore the contest as England looked forward to a consolation win before they headed home and to more importance, ignoring of what had happened in Lord’s 2009.

But a fine effort in all departments by the Dutch aided them to accomplish their aim – a win against a Test nation and find a reason to head home proud also having a record chase against Ireland in the basket. The 133 runs on the scorecard never looked enough for the Dutch to defend, but the side bounced back with the ball to bundle England for only 88 runs with two overs to spare.

Pacer Mudassar Bukhari gave the Dutch a flying start removing opener Michael Lumb in the last ball of his first over. The right-arm bowler struck again in the first ball of his second over to dismiss the other English opener, Alex Hales on 12, to leave England reeling on 19 for 2 in the fifth over. He took his third wicket in the game of English skipper Stuart Board in the 18th over.

Another Dutch pacer, Logan van Beek also bagged three wickets in two overs by simply maintaining a decent line and length to take advantage of the panicked England batters.

The ball was not coming on to the bat as England might have liked which made their batsmen go for big hits and as a result gave succession of chances to Netherlands fielders who grabbed them with authority. Only three English batters reached the double-figures and 18 was the highest by Ravi Bopara. Earlier in the day, Holland batsmen Stephan Myburgh and Wesley Barresi added 50 runs for the second wicket in 43 balls to aid their side to 133 losing five wickets.

Fielding effort was once again the low point in England’s point of view as Lumb failed to cling on to a pull by Barresi on 8 off Parry’s first delivery.

Lumb hopped at deep midwicket but only managed to tip the ball for six before Tom Cooper, on 4, was shoddily dropped by Hales. Peter Borren should have been run out had Buttler not dislodged the bails with his elbow before collecting the ball. l

Netherlands bowler Mudassar Bukhari (R) celebrates the wicket of England batsman Michael Lumb (L) during their ICC World Twenty20 Group 1 match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong yesterday AFP

Mashrafe out, Taskin set for debut Ganguly n Bangladesh pacer Mashrafe bin Mortaza has yet again fallen prey to injury and has been ruled out of their last World Twenty20 match against Australia today. He picked up a knee injury against Pakistan on Sunday.

Mashrafe had been struggling again with injuries for the past two months but yet played five of Bangladesh’s six matches so far though he struggled for form. He picked up a side strain during their Asia Cup game against India and was ruled out for the rest of the tournament. He then suffered a rib injury in the opening match of the World T20 first against Afghanistan.

The bowler has managed just three wickets in the tournament at an average of 47.33 while generously conceding 142 runs. Against Pakistan on Sunday, his wayward bowling saw him give away 63

runs in four overs without a wicket, his worst bowling performance in T20 internationals. Perhaps time has come for us to accept the harsh reality that the once tearaway fast bowler now struggles to be at his best and injuries have not helped his cause either unfortunately.

Mashrafe’s injury has opened the doors for 18-year-old fast bowler Taskin Ahmed who is highly likely to make his debut today against Australia. Taskin, who will turn 19 in two days, made his mark in the Bangladesh Premier League T20 in 2012 where he played for Chittagong Kings.

However, Taskin too suffered from knee injury and has been under rehabilitation for 11 months. He got fit prior to the World T20 and was in the probable list of players considered for the national team but couldn’t make it due to the presence of the senior seamers.

“It’s a dream for every cricketer to represent the national team. I feel extremely good. I couldn’t believe it when I first heard the news,” said Taskin yesterday.

Tigers would hope that the inclusion of Taskin brings some good luck for the team. l

Women eye batting improvement n

Saqlain factor spices up Windies-Pakistan decider

Bangladesh women will try to avoid the wooden spoon in the ICC Women’s World T20 when they lock horn with Sri Lanka in their last Group B match at the Sylhet International Stadium today.

Playing in an ICC global event for the first time in history, Bangladesh failed to win any of their three matches so far while Sri Lanka managed to earn a victory over India. Bangladesh must win against Sri Lanka with a better run rate to keep their hopes alive to qualify for the next World T20 and if they lose, they will fight for the 9th place with Ireland in the play-off in April.

If the home side manages to win and finishes fourth in Group B, they will play with the third-placed team from Group A for the 7th place decider on April 2.

All the equations suggest Bangladesh have to put up an extraordinary display to get the ticket for next World T20 scheduled to be held in India in 2016. But they need their out-of-form batsmen to shine on the occasion.

Bangladesh skipper Salma Khatun expects her batting unit to click in the do or die match and said, “Our batting has not been satisfactory in the tournament so far and we are working hard to improve the batting,” she said.

Meanwhile, Shashikala Siriwardene, the Sri Lanka captain said, “We have already defeated India and if we can beat them (Bangladesh), it would be a memorable journey for us in the World T20 although it would not be easy considering the support of home crowd they will get during the game.” l

n

West Indies captain Darren Sammy juggles cricket balls during a training session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday AFP

The West Indies have an ace up their sleeve in Saqlain Mushtaq as the defending champions take on Pakistan in a make-orbreak World Twenty20 encounter today.

The winner of the night clash at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium will join India in the semi-finals from Group 2 of the Super 10s, condemning the loser to an early flight home.

Saqlain, the former Pakistan off-spinner, is a key member on the West Indies bench as their spin bowling consultant for the tournament, and his advice has benefited the team immensely.

The West Indies, better known for its battery of fast bowlers, now boast of two of the finest spinners in T20 cricket in Samuel Badree, who opens with the new ball, and Sunil Narine.

Saqlain, the original master of the “doosra” - the off-spinner’s version of the googly - has also proved a calming influence on the usually cavalier Windies batsmen, giving them tips on how to play the turning ball.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy said Saqlain’s serene presence and knowledge had proved a huge boost for his team, which will face a fourpronged Pakistan spin attack led by the prolific Saeed Ajmal.

“Saqlain has a lot of experience on the slow wickets that one gets in Bangladesh,” he said. “He’s very calm guy who knows a lot about the game. He has been a good addition to our coaching staff.”

Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez

said Saqlain was entitled to work with other teams, just like compatriot Mushtaq Ahmed was doing with England, but that did not worry his team.

“He was a world-class spinner,” Hafeez said of Saqlain, who retired 10 years ago with 208 Test and 288 one-day wickets. “But he does not have a magic formula, nor can he come and bowl himself. “We believe in ourselves and I think our players are good enough to win the match,” Hafeez told AFP. The 37-yearold Saqlain said he was delighted to work with the West Indies, but declined to predict the winner of Tuesday’s match.

“It’s a great opportunity and honour to be associated with such a great team like the West Indies,” Saqlain told reporters yesterday.

“I don’t want to pick a winner, but the team which has better self-belief will win. My wishes are obviously with my team, which is the West Indies at the moment.” Saqlain said it was a matter of pride that spinners were performing so well in T20 cricket.

“In Badree and Narine, the West Indies have two very good spinners. Every team has a good spinner now. I really feel happy for them.”

Both Pakistan and the West Indies blossomed late in the tournament after losing their opening games to India.

Pakistan, the 2009 champions who made the semi-finals in all four previous editions, revived their fortunes with a 16run win over Australia before thumping hosts Bangladesh by 50 runs. West Indies thrashed Bangladesh by 73 runs before a spectacular late assault by Sammy handed them a last-over win over Australia. l

reflects Tigers performance n

Former Indian captain and batting legend Sourav Ganguly thinks Bangladesh team has not been able to deliver according to their potential in the World Twenty20 because to win a match everyone needs to perform, which is not happening for the home side.

The 41-year-old, who averaged over 40 in both Test and ODIs, has seen the growth of the Bangladesh side very closely over the last few years and said the best players did not perform.

“Of course Bangladesh did not play to their potentials at least they have been improving in the short format of the game in the last two years but their recent performance is surely disappointing where their best players are not able to perform,” said Ganguly who has 11000+ runs in ODIs with 22 centuries.

Ganguly was the captain of the Indian side which Bangladesh played in their inaugural Test match in November, 2000.

The left-handed Ganguly also expressed his disappointment over opening batsman Tamim Iqbal and said, “I have seen Tamim smashing two consecutive centuries against England also he played some very good knocks against India is no way near to his ability at the moment and same goes to the other Bangladeshi cricketers,” before adding that Mushfiq is a good performer, but he can’t win matches for Bangladesh by only leading the side well as long the players are not performing.

Famously known all over as the Prince of Kolkata, Ganguly believed it would be ideal for Bangladesh to have a coach from within the subcontinent who can work with both spin and batting. However, the legend did not answer when he was asked if he is interested to take up the job.

“Let me get the offer first (smiles),” he said. “It’s too early to say anything at the moment but yes I think Bangladesh should have a coach from the subcontinent who can work with the spin bowling and the approach of batting against the spinners. Bangladesh’s main strength is their young and experience spinners and it’s important to utilize them,” he added.

Ganguly is currently commentating in the World Twenty20 and he did not forget to praise Bangladesh for the great hospitality. He also said Bangladesh has been always a great host and gained a lot of experience of hosting such big events. l

14

Sport

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Valdes out for seven months Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes will miss the next seven months after undergoing surgery to repair the torn cruciate anterior ligament in his right knee in Germany on Monday, the club have confirmed. “Victor Valdes underwent surgery on his torn anterior cruciate ligament on Monday morning with doctors Ulrich Boenish and Ricard Pruna in Augsburg, Germany,” the club said in a statement. “They made an incision in the internal meniscus of the right knee and the surgery was completed in a satisfactory manner.

–AFP

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Injured Gasquet to miss Davis Cup tie

Player saves opponent’s life in Ukraine

Richard Gasquet has withdrawn from the French Davis Cup team to take on Germany in a quarter-final tie in Nancy this weekend due to a painful back, the French Tennis Federation announced on Monday. Ranked 11th in the world, Gasquet has been suffering from sciatic nerve pain and needs to rest for at least eight days, the federation said in a press release. Team captain Arnaud Clement has called up two players to replace him - Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Michael Llodra.

They will join up with Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Gaël Monfils, and Julien Benneteau. –AFP

Dnipropetrovsk’s Georgian midfielder Jaba Kankava possibly saved Dynamo Kiev midfielder Oleh Husev’s life with his fast reactions after a potentially deadly incident during a Ukrainian top flight match at the weekend. In the 22nd minute of Sunday’s tie in Dnipropetrovsk, Husev was knocked down unconscious after a clash with the hosts’ goalkeeper Denis Boiko. Kankava, standing nearest, rendered assistance to Husev by without hesitation removing Gusev’s tongue from blocking his airwaves.

–AFP

Martino, Simeone renew old rivalry n

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino and his Atletico Madrid counterpart Diego Simeone clashed as rival players in their native Argentina and there will be no quarter given when they meet in the last eight of the Champions League on Tuesday.

A callow Simeone was not yet 18 when he faced Martino, nearly 10 years his senior, in a league match between Velez Sarsfield and Newell’s Old Boys in January 1988, when Martino was sent off for a challenge on fellow midfielder Simeone, who was himself dismissed 10 minutes later.

No stranger to controversy during his playing career -- Simeone was involved in the sending off of England midfielder David Beckham at the 1998 World Cup -- he admitted last year he had indulged in a spot of play-acting to try to provoke a red card for Martino.

Almost three decades later and the older and wiser Martino and Simeone are in charge of two Spanish teams with a genuine chance of achieving a rare double of Champions League and La Liga titles.

Barca warmed up for Tuesday’s last eight, first leg with a laboured 1-0 win at city rivals Espanyol on Saturday thanks to a Lionel Messi penalty, while Diego Costa and Koke scored for Atletico in a 2-1 comeback win at Athletic Bilbao.

FIXTURES Barcelona v Atletico Madrid Man United v Bayern Munich Simeone’s men will need to demonstrate the same intensity they showed at the San Mames if they are to get the better of a Barca side buoyed by this month’s 4-3 win at Real Madrid in the La Liga ‘Clasico’.

The goals of Atletico’s Brazil-born forward Costa have underpinned the team’s success this season and he notched his 25th of the La Liga campaign at Bilbao, three behind top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and two ahead of Messi.

Costa will be up against a host of new team mates from his adopted country Spain on Tuesday, including defenders Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba and midfielders Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Iniesta. l

(Left) Bayern Munich's striker Emil Hojbjerg and midfielder Franck Ribery warm up during the training session in Munich yesterday. (Right) Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (C) attends with team mates a training session at the club's Carrington training complex in Manchester yesterday AFP/ REUTERS

United face mighty Bayern

River beat Boca first time away in 10 years n n River Plate ended a 10-year wait for an away victory over Boca Juniors in the Argentine “superclasico” with a 2-1 win at La Bombonera on Sunday.

Left back Ramiro Funes Mori headed the winner five minutes from time from playmakr Manuel Lanzini’s corner. Lanzini had put River ahead 13 minutes into the second half before Juan Roman Riquelme scored a brilliant equaliser with a trademark free kick 10 minutes later. River, winning away for the first time since September, climbed to within one point of leaders Colon, who were pegged back in a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal. l

Manchester United manager David Moyes says that his side must exploit the smallest weaknesses in Bayern Munich’s game if they are to eliminate the Champions League holders in the quarter-finals.

United appeared in three of the four finals between 2008 and 2011, triumphing in the first year, but their fall from grace under Moyes means that they approach Tuesday’s first leg at Old Trafford as underdogs.

While Bayern have grown even stronger under their new coach, Pep Guardiola, sweeping to a successful Bundesliga

title defence in record time, United have endured a torrid campaign. Seventeen points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and 10 points below the top four, their season now hinges entirely on their last-eight encounter with the all-conquering Bavarians.

Moyes’s maiden campaign at United has been a succession of false dawns and crashing lows, and their recent form provides few assurances.

Although they came back from two goals down to beat Olympiakos 3-0 in the last 16, this month has also seen the English champions humbled 3-0 at home by both Liverpool and Manchester City.

Last season’s top scorer Robin van Persie is currently sidelined after sprain-

ing his knee against Olympiakos, but the form of Wayne Rooney, at least, gives United reason for optimism.

Rooney’s brace in Saturday’s 4-1 defeat of Aston Villa took his tally to four goals in three games, and his creativity will be especially important in the absence of the cup-tied Juan Mata.

A group of United fans chartered a plane to fly over Old Trafford towing a ‘MOYES OUT’ banner during the Villa game, and although the Scot received a warm reception inside the ground, his position will again come under scrutiny if his side are embarrassed by Bayern.

It will not be lost on United’s fans that Guardiola was once seen as an ideal successor to their former manager Alex Fer-

guson, whose retirement last year paved the way for Moyes’s appointment.

However, Guardiola was critical of his players after they threw away a 3-1 lead in a 3-3 draw at home to Hoffenheim on Saturday, which was the first time they had dropped points in the league since October 5.

“We need to analyse what happened,” he said. “If we play like we did today in the second half, we are not the favourites on Tuesday against Manchester.”

The draw came at the additional cost of a knee ligament injury to midfielder Thiago Alcantara that could keep him out for eight weeks, while centre-back Dante will also miss the game at Old Trafford through suspension. l

Hamburg braced for historic drop n

Hamburg have just six games left to avoid a historic first relegation from the Bundesliga as they dropped to second from bottom after Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

As the only Bundesliga side to have never been relegated, Hamburg took a step closer to the second division at Gladbach after losing ten of their last 15 league matches. l

RESULTS

M'gladbach

3 1

Hamburg

Daems 37-pen, Raffael 75, Dominguez 78

Hanover 96 Huszti 43

Zoua 28

1 2

Werder Bremen

di Santo 57, Proedl 90

Clinical Liverpool thrash Spurs n

Boca Juniors' midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme shoots to score against River Plate during their Argentine First Division match, at "La Bombonera" stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Sunday AFP

Lille edge Guingamp n Ivory Coast international Salomon Kalou grabbed an injury time winner for Lille in Ligue 1 action on Sunday while his compatriot Max Gradel was the hero in Saint-Etienne’s 2-1 derby win at arch rivals Lyon.

Lille had earlier tightened their grip on third place with a dramatic 1-0 over Guingamp when Kalou came off the bench to prod the ball home in the 92nd minute to snatch three desperately needed points for Rene Girard’s side. l

RESULTS

Rennes

3 0

Bastia

Alessandrini 14, Toivonen 28, Makoun 59

Lille Kalou 92

Lyon Lacazette 39

1 0 1 2

Guingamp Saint-Etienne Erding 28, Gradel 74

Liverpool overwhelmed Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 at a fervent Anfield on Sunday to take over at the top of the Premier League table with six games of the season remaining.

Spurs never recovered from an early Younes Kaboul own goal, with further strikes from Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson securing an eighth successive victory for Brendan Rodgers’s in-form side.

The win took Liverpool two points above previous leaders Chelsea, beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace on Saturday, and left the 18-time champions on course for a first English league title since 1990.

Third-place Manchester City, four points below Liverpool, have two games in hand, but both they and Chelsea must visit Anfield before the

Napoli stun leaders Juventus n

Goals by Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens handed Napoli a stunning 2-0 win over champions Juventus and sparked some life into the Serie A title race on Sunday.

Juventus had seen their 14-point lead cut back earlier in the day when Roma, in second with a game in hand, prevailed 2-0 at struggling Sassuolo.

Napoli came flying out the blocks and at the tail end of a dominant first half Callejon broke the deadlock in the 37th minute. Juve now lead Roma by 11 points with Napoli, who have been chasing the second automatic Champions League qualifying spot, still third but six points behind Roma and 12 ahead of Fiorentina.

Napoli coach Rafael Benitez told

Sky Sport Italia: “There’s always little things we can improve on but on the whole we played really well, although I’d like to see this kind of concentration against the smaller teams as well.

RESULTS Sassuolo

0 2

Roma

3 0

Genoa

Destro 16, Bastos 90+6

Verona Donadel 35, Toni 88, 90+4

Lazio Lulic 15, Klose 67, Candreva 90+3

3 2

Parma

Biabiany 26, Ciani 81-og

Sampdoria

0 0

Fiorentina

Torino

2 1

Cagliari

2 0

Juventus

El Kaddouri 45+1, Cerci 71

Napoli

Callejon 37, Mertens 81

Nene 77

Striker Gonzalo Higuain returned to the Napoli line-up after being rested for the 4-2 win at Catania in midweek, while Pablo Daniel Osvaldo replaced the suspended Carlos Tevez to partner Fernando Llorente in Juve’s attack.

Juventus, who were unbeaten in their last six encounters with Napoli and had restricted the hosts to only one goal in their last four games.

Napoli enjoyed the early pressure with Buffon pulling off a great reflex save in the seventh minute to stop Callejon from close range and the Spaniard tested the ‘keeper again on the half hour when he picked up Lorenzo Insigne’s cutback after it missed Higuain.

Hamsik made way for Mertens in the 78th minute and moments later the Belgian made no mistake when Pandev picked him out with a smart pass to beat Buffon with a crisp angled strike. l

season’s end.

Tottenham had been thrashed 5-0

by Liverpool in December’s reverse fixture, precipitating the departure of coach Andre Villas-Boas, and Sunday’s defeat left Tim Sherwood’s side eight points below the top four in sixth place.

RESULTS

Fulham

Dejagah 71

Liverpool

1 3

Everton

4 0

Tottenham

Stockdale 50-og, Mirallas 79, Naismith 87

Kaboul 2-og, Suarez 25, Coutinho 55, Henderson 75

Liverpool have made a habit of scoring early in recent weeks and it took them under two minutes to take the lead against Spurs, with Kaboul inadvertently knocking Glen Johnson’s low cross into his own net.

Spurs’ cause was not helped by an

injury to centre-back Jan Vertonghen and his replacement, Michael Dawson, was to play an unfortunate role in Liverpool’s second goal in the 25th minute.

His volleyed pass towards Kaboul allowed Suarez to pounce and the Uruguayan ran away from the Spurs centre-backs before driving a left-foot shot across visiting goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

The goal was Suarez’s 29th in the league this season, eclipsing the Premier League club record of 28 set by Robbie Fowler in 1996.

Earlier, substitutes Kevin Mirallas and Steven Naismith scored as Everton won 3-1 at bottom club Fulham to close to within four points of the Champions League places. within touching distance of fourthplace Arsenal, on whom they have a game in hand, ahead of next weekend’s meeting between the sides at Goodison Park. l

Sociedad, Villarreal falter in Europe qualification bids n

Real Sociedad and Villarreal failed to capitalise on defeats for European qualification rivals Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla when they were held to 1-1 draws by Osasuna and Elche respectively in La Liga on Sunday.

Sixth-placed Sociedad took the lead in the eighth minute at Osasuna through Gonzalo Castro before Oriol Riera levelled for the home side just before the hour.

Villarreal, who are seventh, had to come from a goal down to rescue a point at home to regional rivals Elche at the Madrigal.

Fourth-placed Bilbao lost 2-1 to lead-

ers Atletico Madrid at their San Mames stadium on Saturday after Sevilla, in fifth, had their six-match winning streak snapped in a 1-0 reverse at Celta Vigo. With seven matches left, Bilbao are on course for a place in Champions League qualifying on 56 points, six ahead of Sevilla and Sociedad. l

RESULTS

Valladolid Manucho 5

Osasuna Riera 59

Villarreal Pereira 43

Valencia Vargas 7

1 0

Almeria

1 1

Real Sociedad

1 1 1 3

Castro 7

Elche Suarez 31-pen

Getafe Lafita 24, Marica 27, Pedro Leon 88

DHAKA TRIBUNE

SCORECARD Sri Lanka K Perera c Ronchi b Boult 16 T Dillshan c Ronchi b Boult 8 M Jayawardene b N. McCullum 25 K Sangakkara c Anderson b Boult 4 L Thirimanne c Guptill b Neesham 20 A Mathews c Ronchi b McClenaghan 6 T Perera c Williamson b Mills 16 N Kulasekara c N McCullum b McClenaghan 0 S Senanayake c Williamson b Neesham 17 R Herath not out 1 L Malinga b Neesham 0 Extras: (lb2, nb1, w3) 6

Total: (all out; 19.2 overs)

119

FoW: 1-20, 2-29, 3-35, 4-65, 5-81, 6-85, 7-92, 8-116, 9-119 Bowling: Mills 4-0-30-1, Boult 4-0-20-3, Anderson 3-0-13-0, McClenaghan 4-024-2, Neesham 2.2-0-22-3, N. McCullum 2-0-8-1 New Zealand M Guptill run out 5 K Williamson run out 42 B McCullum st Sangakkara b Herath 0 R Taylor lbw b Herath 0 J Neesham b Herath 0 L Ronchi lbw b Herath 2 N McCullum c Mathews b Senanayake 2 K Mills lbw b Senanayake 4 T Boult c Jayawardene b Herath 3 M McClenaghan not out 0 Extras: (w2) 2

Total: (all out; 15.3 overs)

60

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-18, 3-23, 4-23, 5-29, 6-33, 7-51, 8-60, 9-60 Bowling: Kulasekara 3-0-15-0, Mathews 4-0-26-0, Herath 3.3-2-3-5, Malinga 2-013-0, Senanayake 3-0-3-2 Result: Sri Lanka won by 59 runs

Pakistan Women down Ireland n Ireland women’s finished their ICC World Twenty20 campaign at the bottom of Group A without a single victory as they were handed a 14-run defeat against Pakistan at the Sylhet International Stadium yesterday.

It was Pakistan women’s first victory in their last group match that kept their hopes alive to play in the next edition of World Twenty20, while Ireland has no chance to make it to the next edition in India in 2016.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan rode on player of the match Bismah Maroof’s unbeaten 45-ball 48 to post a decent 119 for 6. Qanita Jalil and captain Sana Mir also added 16 runs each. Isobel Joyce and Louise McCarthy took two wickets each for the Irish.

In reply, Ireland lost Mary Waldron in the very first over before veteran opener Clare Shillington and captain Isobel Joyce took control of the situation with a 44-run partnership.

However, following the dismissal of the duo the Irish side lost wickets in regular basis before they were eventually bowled out for 105 with three balls to spare.

Joyce scored 9-ball 32 while Clare added 19. Asmavia Iqbal picked up three wickets for 18 runs for Pakistan. l

Condolence MA Wadud, former senior statistics officer of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, passed away on Sunday afternoon. He was 70. He was the fatherin-law of ESPN-Cricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent Mohammad Isam.

His namaj-e-janaza was held after Asr prayers on Monday at the Haq Garden Mosque in Shyamoli after which he was buried at Mohammadpur graveyard.

He was born in Bagerhat on November 2, 1943. He was survived by his wife and two daughters. l

DAY’S WATCH Sony Six 7:00AM NBA 2013-14 Denver v Memphis BTV, Gazi TV, Maasranga TV Star Sports 1, HD 1 ICC World T20 2014 3:30PM Bangladesh v Australia 7:30PM Pakistan v West Indies Star Sports 4 AFC Champions League 2:30PM CC Mariners v Beijing Guoan 4:30PM FC Seoul v Sanfrecce Hiroshima Ten Sports 12:45AM UEFA Champions League, QF Leg 1 Barcelona v Atletico Madrid Ten Action 12:45AM UEFA Champions League, QF Leg 1 Man United v Bayern Munich

Sport

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

15

Herath spins SL to semis n

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath recorded astonishing figures of 3-5 to help Sri Lanka demolish New Zealand by 59 runs Monday in the race for the World Twenty20 semi-finals.

The spinner rocked New Zealand, chasing a modest 120-run total, in his 3.3 destructive overs to bowl them for 60 in 15.3 overs in Chittagong -- the Black Caps’ lowest total in T20s.

The victory gave the 2012 runners-up their fourth successive semi-final place.

They play the winners of Tuesday’s game in group two between defending champions the West Indies and Pakistan.

The first semi-final will be in Dhaka on Thursday.

The 2007 champions India take on South Africa in the second semi on Friday. The final will be played in Dhaka on Sunday.

It was fourth time unlucky for New Zealand who played the semi-final only in the inaugural edition of the World Twenty20 in 2007.

Needing some sensible batting to overhaul a paltry total New Zealand batted in a dismal manner with opener Kane Williamson the only man to reach double figures with 42.

He was the eighth man out and with

Corey Anderson unable to bat due to a finger injury sustained while fielding, Herath wrapped up the match with Trent Boult’s wicket.

New Zealand lost opener Martin Guptill (five) in the fourth over, run out in Herath’s first over.

After playing four dot balls, New Zealand’s most dangerous batsman Brendon McCullum jumped out off Herath and was stumped.

Herath then trapped Ross Taylor (nought) leg before and bowled Jimmy Neesham off successive deliveries to push New Zealand on the back foot.

It became 5-29 in Herath’s third over when he had Luke Ronchi (two) leg before wicket to improve on his previous

BEST T20I BOWLING Player O M R Herath (SL) 3.3 2 U Gul (Pak) 3.0 0 U Gul (Pak) 2.2 0 N Kulasekara (SL)3.0 1 A Mendis (SL) 4.0 2

R 3 6 6 4 8

W 5 5 5 3 6

Opp NZ NZ SA NZ Zim

L 1 1 2 3 3

Pts RR 6 +2.233 6 +0.075 4 -0.678 2 -0.776 2 -0.866

GROUP 1 Team Sri Lanka (Q) South Africa (Q) New Zealand England Netherlands

P 4 4 4 4 4

W 3 3 2 1 1

Borren proud, Giles embarrassed n

England coach Ashley Giles termed the 45 runs defeat to Netherlands ‘embarrassing’ and informed that it has also made the side angry for people have travelled to Bangladesh to watch them. He also credited Netherlands for the good work.

The statement from the 41-year-old came in right a day after he had reiterated desire for the England job after World T20 exit. Giles stated of ‘complacency’ to be one of the reason behind the humiliating defeat.

“It was embarrassing with all due respect to the Dutch (Netherlands), where they come from and what they had to do, they played with passion and pride, we did that in the last three games, but it was poor today (yesterday),” said the former England player.

“We had to concentrate to get the job done. I thought we started the game poorly, we were tentative, 47 for 1 after six overs, you can’t choose when to turn it off and turn it on. 130 we should still get. But every ball counts and they played brilliantly,” he said.

Giles didn’t want to discuss of what he will say to the team in their next meeting but, “We will have a chat before we depart [for England].

I hope they will know that that’s not acceptable, I am sure they will a little reminder will help. We are all playing

Preez carries SA home n

Captain Mignon du Preez led her side from the front to secure a semifinal spot as her half-century helped South Africa defeat New Zealand by five wickets in the last match of Group A in ICC Women’s World Twenty20 yesterday.

It was a do or die match for both teams as equations said the winners will go through. Preez scored the match winning 47-ball 51 as the Proteas strolled to victory with four balls and five wickets to spare.

Opting to bat first, New Zealand struggled to put up 114 for eight despite a 41-run opening partnership between Suzie Bates (40) and Sophie Devine (16). The middle-order was unable to carry the thrust as Marizanne Kapp struck thrice to destroy the momentum while she was ably supported by Dane van Neikerk who took two wickets.

After losing Lizelle Lee and Trisha Chetty with only 16 runs on the scorecard, skipper Preez rescued her side with a 32-run partnership with Niekerk (23) before constructing a match winning 52-run stand with Kapp for the fourth wicket. Preez and Kapp were dismissed in the 19th over, but that didn’t ruin South Africa’s party as Shandre Fritz sealed the victory with a boundary.l

for our country. Again I repeat myself, every time you run a ball, bat a ball, field a ball you got to have everything in and we weren’t today (yesterday).”

While for the Netherlands skipper Peter Borren the moment after the win was of ‘proud’. This was the second time that the Dutch had faced England in the format and on both occasions they were victorious. When quarried for the difference of the two wins, Borren said, “It is completely different, although this one in a way is more satisfying because there’s a lot more build up and a lot more work. Back in 2009 they didn’t know what to expect we just sort of came into the radar.

“We just ambushed them in 2009, today (yesterday) we won by 45-runs or something, it is not the same as jubilation, it is Chittagong not Lords. This one is more satisfying.”

Being the only ICC Associate Member side in the Super 10s, Borren thought he and his side were representatives of the Associate Member teams.

But he is also unhappy that he and his men have practically nothing to do in near future after reaching home in spite of such heroic performances.

“Probably no one else has got another job, we have had a hectic schedule last three years, it is not quite full time remuneration but associate cricket has been playing a lot of cricket, where as in 2009 a few other guys were working, now it s pretty tough to sort of to combine work and cricket. Although it might change now, we might not have much cricket in the near future,” informed Borren. l

best figures of 3-25 in the 2012 semi-final against Pakistan in Colombo.

Fellow spinner Sachitra Senanayake took 2-3 in his three overs.

New Zealand’s previous lowest Twenty20 total of 80 came against Pakistan at Auckland two years ago. It also becomes the third lowest total ever in all T20s, behind the Netherland’s 39, also against Sri Lanka here last Monday and 56 by Kenya against Afghanistan at Sharjah last year.

Earlier left-arm paceman Boult and Neesham took three wickets apiece to wreck Sri Lanka for a paltry 119 in 19.2 overs after they were sent into bat.

Left-armer Mitchell McClenaghan took 2-24.

Boult had opener Kusal Perera (16) in his first over and then dismissed Tillakaratne Dilshan (eight) and Kumar Sangakkara (four) to give New Zealand a headstart to the match.

Mahela Jayawardene, who topscored with a 32-ball 25, added 30 for the fourth wicket with Lahiru Thirimanne (20) before the former captain was bowled round his legs in the 15th over.

Thisara Perera hit three boundaries in his 13-ball 16 before Neesham took three wickets in 14 balls to rout the pre-tournament favourites.

Sri Lanka were without their regular T20 captain Dinesh Chandimal, suspended for a slow over-rate. Lasith Malinga stepped in as skipper. l

Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath, (L) celebrates with his teammates the wicket of New Zealand's Brendon McCullum during their World Twenty20 match at ZACS yesterday AP

Twin wins for Walton Cricketers

BJMC face Brothers in first quarterfinal today

n

Walton Cricketers beat Devine Felons of Australia by 20 runs on their way of registering the second consecutive victory in the Chiang Mai Six-a-Side International Cricket at Thailand yesterday.

Winning the toss Walton Cricketers chose to bat first and put a big total of 83 runs without losing any wicket.Elias Sunny smashed 35 runs while Meherab Hossain Josse scored 31 runs. Devine Felons managed to score 63 runs for one wicket in their stipulated five overs.

Walton Cricketers, who represent defending champions Bangladesh, thrashed Ireland by 45 runs in the tournament opener on Sunday. l

Al Hikmah School, Rajshahi thrashed Mymensingh District School by 9-0 goals in the final round of the First Security Islami Bank National School Hockey at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium yesterday. Ahsan Habib Ridoy scored four goals, Abu Saeed netted two, while Joy, Ismail and Rabbi Hossain scored one each.

In the first match of the day Dharail High School, Natore beat The Aided High School, Sylhet by 4-1 goals. Aided High School took the lead though Shajib

Team BJMC and Brothers Union will face each other in the first quarterfinal of the Modhumoti Bank Independence Cup Football at 5:00pm at the Bangabandhu National Stadium today.

It will be the second face-off between the two teams in the season.

Earlier they met in the Bangladesh Premier League which ended in a goal less draw.

However, in a knockout match this time, both the teams will try their level best to settle the fate of the encounter

in the stipulated time.

The hot and humid condition prevailing in the capital will also be a big factor which will be very testing the players’ fitness limits.

BJMC will rely on their Guinean marksman Ismael Bangoura and the mercurial left footed midfielder Abdullah Parvez.

The duo of Bangoura and Parvez is lethal and is poised to pose all the troubles to Brothers defence.

On the other hand, Brothers Union coached by Indian legend Syed Naeemuddin plays an all out team game with youngster Rubel Mia and new Nigerian forward Chimezi Mike taking up the lead role. l

Army clinch karate title n

Bangladesh Army emerged as the Independence Day Karate champions at the National Sports Council Gymnasium yesterday.

The Army karatekas won 11 gold medals followed by three silver and two bronze. Sotokan Karate do Ariyana Academy finished runners-up with eight gold medals, four silver and four bronze. Naryanganj District Sports Association finished third with seven gold, six silver and three bronze. Karate Federation vice president Saiful Islam distributed the prizes as the chief guest. l

Al Hikmah School thrash Mymensingh District School n

n

Mia but Dharail High School scored four goals in the second-half with Antor Hossain scoring twice and Mehedi Hasan and Arif Hossain netting the other two.

In the third match Ahmed Bawani Academy outplayed Chittagong University School and College by 6-0 goals. Sabbir Ahmed was the leading scorer for the winners with three goals, Saddam Hossain scored two while the other goal was scored by Robin Ahmed.

The last match of the day saw Keramatia High School, Rangpur beat Shahin School, Jessore by 4-0 goals. Hasan Ali, Doulot Khan, Mirza Ahmed and Monowarul Islam scored one goal each for the winners. l

BFF and SAFF president Kazi Md Salahuddin shared his thoughts and experience with the Robi officials at the cellular operators “Speakers Series” programme yesterday.

Talat Kamal, the vice president, communications and Public relations of Robi and others officials greet Salahuddin on the occasion COURTESY

Bangladesh Army karate team poses for photograph after winning the title of Independence Day Karate at the NSC gymnasium yesterday COURTESY

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Padma Bridge gets ADB technical assistance offer n Tribune Report Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said the Asian Development Bank (ADB) would give technical assistance for the construction of Padma Bridge, if the government sought it.

The minister made the comment to reporters yesterday following a meeting with ADB Director General (South Asia Department) Juan Miranda at his secretariat office.

Muhith also said the final tranches of $130m, under the capital market strengthening project, would be given in due time.

Regarding an ADB condition for enacting the financial reporting act within two months, the minister said: “We have completed the proposed financial reporting act. However, this will not be placed in this parliament session, but the next one.”

Japan to provide $23m grant for improving airport security n UNB Japan yesterday signed a deal with Bangladesh to provide grant aid up to 2,402 million Yen (approximately $23.5 million) for the improvement of Airport Safety and Security Systems.

Economic Relations Division Secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin and Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Shiro Sadoshima signed an exchange of note to this effect on behalf of their governments.

Chief Representative of Jica Bangladesh Office Mikio Hataeda also signed the grant agreement.

About the project, Jica said as more than 100,000 aircraft fly in Bangladesh every year reflecting the rapid increase of passengers with 8.4% growth in Dhaka International Airport, the demand for safe and reliable civil aviation has also increased. l

Earlier, Muhith had said the government dropped the option of taking technical assistance from the ADB after deciding to construct the Padma Bridge with its own funds.

Speaking about yesterday’s meeting, ADB Director General Juan Miranda said: “We have discussed about development of infrastructure, Padma Bridge, capital market strengthening project, economic corridor, deep-sea port and port.”

Praising the economic achievements of Bangladesh, the ADB DG said the government should emphasise on developing its infrastructure to improve economic growth, adding that the construction of Padma Bridge was essential for the growth of Bangladesh.

Saying the Padma Bridge would be constructed in time, he added that it was irrelevant who would finance the project. l

Rajshahi University unit Chhatra League blockade Dhaka-Rajshahi highway ysterday protesting the arrest of two of their leaders. Story on page 5

US irked by Bangladesh’s Tension grows between Muhith and stance on Crimea Kamal over revised ADP n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

The United States has regretted that Bangladesh has not supported Ukraine on Crimea issue.

“It is clear that the international community does not accept the occupation or the annexation, I should say

by Russia of Crimea and I regret that Bangladesh was not able to join the majority on that important issue,” US ambassador in Dhaka Dan Mozena said at a meet the press programme in the city yesterday.

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution on Crimea where Bangladesh abstained from voting without explaining the reason.

According to UN website, by a record vote of 100 in favour and 11 against with 58 abstentions, including Bangladesh, the UNGA adopted the resolution titled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”.

Russian ambassador in Dhaka Alexander Nicholaev at a programme on Sunday expressed his satisfaction that Bangladesh abstained from voting when the resolution was adopted.

He also thanked China and India for their support to Russia and claimed that joining of Crimea with Russia is not an ‘annexed’ issue rather a reunification issue.

The citizens of Crimea chose to be a part of Russia and the West is playing a double standard in this regard, the Russian ambassador said.

The non-binding text said a part of Ukraine had been forcibly annexed by a state and urged other states, international organisations and specialised agencies not to recognise any change in the status of Crimea or the Black Sea port city of Sevastopol and to refrain from actions or dealings that might be interpreted as such. l

n Tribune report Tension surrounding the outlay of the revised annual development programme (RADP) continues to rise between Finance Minister AMA Muhith and Planning Minister AHM Mostafa Kamal, as Kamal criticised the finance minister yesterday in an apparent retaliation to Muhith’s opposition to the planning minister’s intension of increasing the size of the RADP. The planning minister challenged Muhith’s ability as a finance minister, saying Muhith presented budgets hundreds of pages long and he nearly went to sleep while presenting it.

Talking to reporters following a meeting with visiting Malaysian Home Minister Ahmed Zahid Hamidi, Kamal added that the finance minister could hardly execute the budget, which the

planning ministry could have done successfully if they got the chance.

Kamal added that the pages of the budget copy would have been reduced drastically if he were the finance minister.

Earlier on May 28, 2013, the National Economic Council had approved Tk65,870 crore for the ADP for FY2013-14, while the finance ministry later proposed that the RADP should be fixed at Tk54,000 crore because of funds constraints.

However, the planning ministry proposed to fix the RADP at Tk60,582 crore, arguing that any further cut in the amount would be detrimental to the country’s development activities.

When Muhith refused to budge, the planning minister drew the attention of the prime minister to the issue. The finance minister also wrote a letter to the planning minister, asking him to “understand the reality of the economy.”

Muhith said the ministry had raised the RADP from its previous estimate, by Tk1,000 crore, to Tk 55,000 crore, and advised the planning minister not to oppose the finance ministry’s estimate.

However, in comments to reporters yesterday, the planning minister claimed that Muhith received a pension from the World Bank, adding that there has been no legal action against the global lender despite Muhith’s recent threats of taking the bank to court.

Regarding the Public-Private Partnership model, Kamal said: “the finance minister has developed the PPP but I do not know if it is cow or a goat? I hope the people know what it is!”

The planning minister added: “The finance minister gave one good piece of news that expatriates will be able to vote. However, have you seen any expatriate being registered as voters?” l

Domestic help found dead at CID inspector’s house

EVEREST SUMMIT CONTROVERSY

Musa to present evidence soon

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

n Tribune Report Bangladeshi climber Musa Ibrahim will speak in public soon on the ongoing controversy over his conquering the Mount Everest as the first Bangladeshi.

“I will present the evidence to the nation to prove the authenticity of my climbing the Everest summit,” he said in a post on his Facebook wall yesterday.

Musa also urged all to refrain from maligning his character and integrity by questioning his conquering the highest peak.

“I have noticed that a few persons are propagating against me in 2/3 media outlets in Bangladesh, that I did not conquer the summit of the Mount Everest in 2010,” reads Musa’s the Facebook post.

A debate is going on in the country that Musa did not conquer the Mt Everest as the official website of the Nepal government does not mention his name in the list of mountaineers who climbed the peak.

In the post, Musa stated that he reached the Everest summit through the North Route in Tibet, China on May 23, 2010.

“I am out of country now on a family visit. As soon as I am back home, I will present all the evidences one more time to the nation and the media to prove the authenticity of the summit,” he writes.

So far five Bangladeshis have scaled the highest peak on the Earth.

MA Mohit climbed the Mt Everest twice – May 21, 2011 and May 20, 2012; Nishat Majumder, first Bangladeshi woman to conquer the Everest, scaled the mountain in 2012; Wasfia Nazreen was the second Bangladeshi woman to climb the Mount Everest on May 26, 2012.

In 2013, Bangladeshi climber Sajal Khaled scaled the Mount Everest. He died during the descent. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Police recovered the body of a 16-yearold domestic help, who allegedly committed suicide, from the house of a CID inspector in the capital’s Banasree area early yesterday.

Ambia Khatun, from Bankhola area of Sujanagar of Pabna, had been working as a domestic help for nine years at the house of the official, Jahangir Alam.

Mozammel Haque, SI of Rampura police station, in the inquest report mentioned that they had found the body on the floor. They saw blood on her nose and mouth. A black spot was also found on her neck.

The body was sent to the Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsy.

Mozammel suspected that the incident was a suicide.

CID Inspector Jahangir said he

had recently been transferred to Bogra. Almost all the belongings were shifted there too. They were staying in Dhaka for his daughter’s examinations.

He said Ambia on Sunday went outside around 4pm without informing them and came back after half an hour.

“I told her not to leave the house without permission which upset. Later she hanged herself from the shower with her scarf.”

He alleged that Ambia did not wanted to leave with them because she had got involved in a love affair.

However, Ambia’s uncle Hazrat Ali said police officials had prepared a general diary before he reached the police station and asked him to sign it.

SI Mozammel, also investigation officer of the case, refuting the allegation said they had registered the matter in front of Hazrat Ali. l

IPCC report overwhelming evidence Malaysia to legalise 2.67 lakh Bangladeshi workers of climate change n

BBC

The impacts of global warming are likely to be “severe, pervasive and irreversible,” a major report by the UN has warned.

Scientists and officials meeting in Japan say the document is the most comprehensive assessment to date of the impacts of climate change on the world. Some impacts include a higher risk of flooding and changes to crop yields and water availability. Humans may be able to adapt to some of these changes, but only within limits.

An example of an adaptation strategy would be the construction of sea walls and levees to protect against flooding. Another might be introducing more efficient irrigation for farmers in areas where water is scarce.

The report was agreed after almost a week of intense discussions in Yokohama. This is the second of a series from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) due out this year.

It outlines the causes, effects and solutions to global warming.

The report’s chair, Dr Chris Field, is worried that an apocalyptic tone will frighten politicians so much that they will abandon the Earth to its fate. There is nothing inevitable about the worst impacts on people and nature, Dr Field says.

Cutting local air pollution from, say coal, can also reduce carbon emissions that cause warming; creating decent homes for poor people in countries like Bangladesh can improve lives whilst removing them from the path of flood surges. The latest document highlights the fact that the amount of scientific

evidence on the impacts of warming has almost doubled since the last report in 2007.

IPCC Chairman Dr Rajendra Pachauri said the findings in the report were “profound. Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change,” he told journalists at a news conference in Yokohama.

Dr Saleemul Huq, a convening lead author on one of the chapters, said: “Before this we thought we knew this was happening, but now we have overwhelming evidence that it is happening and it is real.”

He said: “The rich are going to have to think about climate change.

We’re seeing that in the UK, with the floods we had a few months ago, and the storms we had in the US and the drought in California.” l

n Rabiul Islam

Kuala Lumpur has assured Dhaka that it would soon start the process of legalising some 267,000 Bangladeshi workers, who had completed their registration earlier under the amnesty declared by the government of Malaysia.

The assurance came during a meeting between Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain and Malaysian Home Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at Probashi Kallayan Bhaban in the capital yesterday.

“Malaysia would soon start the legalising process for the Bangladeshi workers and recruitment under the government-to-government system would rise further,” Expatriates Ministry Secretary Khondaker Showkat Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune.

After the meeting, Hamidi told reporters that his country was eager to work with Bangladesh to resolve the manpower problems in Malaysia.

Hamidi, who led a 12-member delegation to the meeting, said his country would issue identification cards for genuine workers in Malaysia ensuring the welfare of the Bangladeshi workers.

Earlier, Malaysia initiated a move to legalise foreign workers under amnesty declared by the government. Later, some 267,000 Bangladeshi workers, whose documents had expired, legalised themselves under the amnesty.

Some 5 lakh Bangladeshis are now working in Malaysia.

Under government-to-government scheme, around 3,000 workers have been sent to Malaysia since November 26, 2012. l

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B3 Japan factory output

fall underscores uneven recovery

B4 Euro zone inflation drops to lowest since 2009

TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Import less costly than rental power

Banks to start complying Basel-III n Asif Showkat Kallol from July Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) will have to pay Tk39.74 crore n Tribune Report for imported Indian electricity while Bangladesh Bank has announced action plan on implementation of Basel-III following the recommendation of the Basel Committee.

The action plan will be implemented during a period between July 2014 and January 2019, said a circular Bangladesh Bank issued yesterday.

The banks have been asked to prepare the final guideline within June this year to implement the action plan.

The Basel-3 is a new global regulatory standard on banks’ capital adequacy and liquidity agreed upon by the members of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.

The Basel-III strengthens bank capital requirements and introduces new regulatory requirements on bank liquidity and bank leverage.

Bangladesh is now implementing the Basel-2 accord to consolidate capital base of the banks in line with the international standard.

It has been prepared on the basis of three pillars: minimum capital requirement, supervisory review process and market discipline.

Three types of risks – credit risk, market risk and operational risk – have to be considered under the minimum capital requirement.

Tk267.14 crore for quick rental power as last December-January bills.

It shows that the Indian electricity costs PDB an average of Tk6 a unit compared to quick rental’s nearly Tk18.

PDB has sought a total of Tk306.88 crore from finance ministry to pay the import and quick rental bills for the months.

Under a 500MW deal signed between the two countries in 2010, Bangladesh started importing electricity commercially in October last year from its neighbour. So far, the daily import has marked from 440-450MW. PDB purchases 1,405MW of electricity from rental and quick rental power projects and 1,066MW from Independent Power Plants.

As the imported electricity is much cheaper than the local quick rentals, the PDB officials said the government should prefer importing to buying from quick rental plants.

“More import than buying from local quick rental plants will ease burden on the budget,” said a senior finance division official.

Bangladesh is buying electricity from the Indian public sector at Tk5.45 per unit and the private sector at Tk6.43.

India’s state-owned NTPC and a private sector company supply electricity to Bangladesh under the deal signed when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited India in 2010 during her previous term.

India said it was “ready to supply another 500MW to Bangladesh.”

More import than buying from local quick rental plants will ease burden on the budget

The interest was expressed at a recent joint secretary level meeting in Dhaka.

In the meeting, Arvind Mehta, Joint Secretary for Foreign Trade (South Asia) of India’s commerce department, said his country “is ready to export another 500MW of electricity to Bangladesh.”

He said: “Bangladesh is already receiving a supply of 500MW from India under a previous commitment.”.

But there would need building of infrastructure for that import, Arvind Mehta added.

For the present import, a 100-km

double-circuit 400-kV transmission line was installed from Baharampur in India to Bheramara in Bangladesh, of which 73.5 km falls on Indian part and 27.36 km in Bangladesh.

The line was set up at a cost of $196.8m (equivalent to Tk1,600 crore).

“The government’s fund will definitely be saved if it imports more electricity from India,” said Nasrul Hamid, State Minister for Power and Energy.

“But another high-level decision may be required to open this avenue.”

He said the country would be self-reliant when the works of base load power plants were completed. “Then we will not need to import and can have local power at a reasonable rate.”

Bangladesh signed a power-purchase agreement in February 2012 with India wherein an indicative tariff was fixed at about Rs3 or Tk5.5 per unit.

Meanwhile, official data showed power subsidy totalled Tk2834.26 crore in July-January period of the current fiscal.

PDB Secretary Md Jahurul Huq requested finance division through power division not to consider the subsidy as a loan as per the directive of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC).

He said the PDB would pay petroleum fuel bills in advance to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) after getting subsidy. l .

Bankers' scale goes to pay commission for opinion n Asif Showkat Kallol Finance division will soon seek opinion from the newly formed pay and service commission to execute the process for the implementation of the new pay scales for the employees of Bangladesh Bank and four other stateowned commercial banks.

We will sit with the chairman of the pay and service commission Mohammad Farashuddin to avoid the legal complexity and any sort of clash between the state bank pay-scale and other announced pay scales, finance secretary Fazle Kabir told Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He also said after receiving opinion from the commission the finance division would soon hand over the matter to the authority concern for further steps.

BB and state banks pay-scale have already secured the clearance from the law and parliamentary affair ministry in the first week of March.

The separate pay scale for BB employees could be implemented under the existing legal framework and no amendment of law would be required, said the sources in the finance division.

On 24 November, the government constituted the eighth pay and service commission to formulate a new pay structure for public servants.

Mohammad Farashuddin, former Bangladesh Bank governor, led the 17-member commission. The committee comprised of three full-time members, 12 part-timers and a member secretary.

Finance minister AMA Muhith last week directed the Bank and Finance Institutions Division (BFID) to speed up execution process of new scales of BB and state banks.

During last month, the law ministry had informed the implementation department of finance division that the separate pay-scale for Bangladesh Bank employees could be executed under the existing legal framework and amendment would not be required.

Bangladesh Bank and the four stateowned banks have a total of 61,000 staffs. Bangladesh Bank has 4,958 staffs while Sonali Bank 23,363, Janata Bank 15,146, Agrani Bank 13,558 and Rupali Bank 4,293. The separate pay scales for the banks got stuck due to legal complexities.

The pay scale for any government office is implemented under the Services (Reorganisation and Conditions) Act, 1975.

The four state-owned banks can introduce separate pay structures through their board approvals as they have been corporatised.

But Bangladesh Bank cannot do that, and there was possibility to amend the law to introduce separate pay structure for its staff.

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. l

eTIN deadline extended till June 30

Existing TIN holders may face penalty if fail to re-register by the deadline

Plastic goods makers want zero duty on capital machinery import n Kayes Sohel Plastic goods makers have sought zero duty on import of capital machineries, reduced duty on imported raw materials and higher duty on imported plastic items to help flourish the sector and make goods competitive in the global market.

“Plastic industry is growing fast as its export growth averaged at 20% yearon-year. It earns about Tk3,000 crore in foreign exchanges annually to contribute to the economy,” said Md Jashim Uddin, president of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA).

The plastic sector has around 5,000 manufacturing units, employing more than 20 lakh people directly and indirectly.

But the industry is passing hard time due to suspension of the GSP facility in the US market and faced financial losses of around Tk4,000 crore due to the shutdowns and blockades across the country ahead of the national election held on January 5, he said.

To overcome the situation, he said, the government should withdraw import duties on all capital machineries to make the sector competitive in the global market as the existing 2% import duty has pushed it to tough competition because of rising prices of products, according to the BPGMEA. He also sought some incentives, including LC opening at zero margin for two years, reducing interest rate on bank loans, 20% cash incentive and reducing tax at source to 0.3% from 0.8%.

Plastic goods makers proposed to impose duty on mould in line with the invoice value or declaration value instead of fixed pricing system because of diverse quality of mould.

“It is necessary to lift tax and VAT on gas generator and its parts because frequent load shedding disrupts production,” said BPGMEA president. At the current budget, plastic goods producers have to pay 2% duty on generator import.

Cutting import duty on urea resins, a raw material, to 10% from existing 25% is necessary as only two or one local urea resin producing industry fail to meet local demand, said Jashim Uddin.

To encourage the local industry, BPGMEA proposed to increase import duty on imported plastic products like boxes, cases, bags, trays for transportation and

n Syed Samiul Basher Anik The deadline for eTIN registration has been extended by three months to June 30 as the previous deadline expired yesterday.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) made the official announcement yesterday.

Officials said they have been compelled to extend the deadline by another spell for registering taxpayers with electronic Taxpayers Identification Number (eTIN) due to loopholes in the Income Tax Ordinance 1984.

The law lacks a provision to penalise taxpayers if they do not register with the eTIN, prompting NBR to extend the deadline, they said.

NBR pointed out the absence of the penalty clause while working on it as the deadline was approaching to its expiry, said an official.

While introducing the eTIN in July last year, NBR did not consider including a provision in the income tax ordinance about the punishment.

“Due to the reason, we are facing difficulties to decide on how to penal-

ise or take action against the errant taxpayers who will be failed to re-register themselves with eTIN,” said a senior official, explaining the reason behind the extension.

If the NBR did not extend the deadline, it would not be possible to penalise people for not re-registering with eTIN. “Now, NBR is planning to amend its income tax ordinance where it would add a provision on how to take actions against taxpayers, including options for penalty if they do not re-registrar with eTIN or do not take eTIN having taxable incomes,” said the official. The NBR would propose the provision in the upcoming budget 2014-15.

Earlier, the NBR has extended the deadline from December 31, 2013 to March 31, 2014 as desired number of taxpayers did not turn up to be netted under the eTIN. However, NBR senior information officer Syed A Momen said: “Following requests from the professionals and business associations, and considering the overall scenario, the NBR has extended the deadline till June 30, 2014.”

He said if taxpayers fail to re-regis-

trar themselves with the eTIN within the new deadline, the NBR will impose penalty and take actions on them following the Income Tax Ordinance 1984.

According to NBR, There are 17.52 lakh valid individual TIN holders and 50,000 companies in the country. Of them, over 11 lakh could be brought

'NBR pointed out the absence of the penalty clause while working on it as the deadline was approaching to its expiry' under the eTIN so far, according to NBR data compiled last week.

From the registered taxpayers, only 8.79 lakh individual taxpayers and 20,000 companies registered under the eTIN and some 2.50 lakh individuals and 5,000 companies received eTIN certificates for the first time, the data reads. l

FBCCI urges China to allow duty-free access n Tribune Report Women seen at a plastic product-selling shop in the DITF 2014 keeping of chicks and eggs, nursery trays for seedlings, tableware, kitchen ware and so on, as these items from India and China flood the domestic market.

It proposed to cut import duty on all basic raw materials, including pigment, polypropylene, high impact polystyrene, granular form, melamine and others.

To consider in the upcoming budget for 2014-15, the BPGMEA made a number of proposals, including bringing plastic industry under tax holiday for 10 years to help double the production and generate employment as well, reducing corporate tax for expediting local and foreign direct investment, lifting VAT on locally made toys.

Local products burdened with higher tariff failed to sustain due to imported products entering into the country through anti-dumping, it said. Inter bond-transfer facilities and setting up of a planned plastic industrial estate is important to increase export.

At present, the country is producing plastic goods worth Tk18,000 crore

DHAKA TRIBUNE

annually and earns almost Tk2,000 crore as revenue from this industry, according to the BPGMEA. During 2012-13 fiscal year, the country exported plastic goods worth $84.51 million, up from $68.76 million a year ago.

The country mainly exported plastic goods to the US market and around 80% of Bangladesh’s total plastic goods export goes to the EU market.

Bangladesh can become a global player in plastic industry by raising its turnover to $2 billion by 2015 and $4 billion by 2020, said a UN report published earlier.

But for that, the country has to address three issues immediately, according to a case study of Bangladesh’s plastic sector conducted by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) of the United Nations.

The issues are infrastructural support; waste management and recycling facility; and skills development. Plastic-based products currently represent a sizeable sub-sector in the chemical industry of Bangladesh. l

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has urged China to allow duty free access of Bangladeshi products to its markets.

FBCCI president Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed yesterday made the plea while addressing a seminar at a city holet yesteray on the upcoming 2nd China-South Asia Exposition and 22nd China Kunming Import and Export Fair to be held in June 2014.

Akram requested the Chinese investors to set up a Chinese Export Processing Zone like Korean Export Processing Zone in Bangladesh.

Addressing the seminar, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jun informed that China is considering to provide duty free access of 17 Bangladeshi products.

Export Promotion Bureau’s (EPB) vice-chairman Shubhashish Bose requested visiting chinesse team to invest in Bangladesh specially in infrastructure development, apparel sector, leather industry and

light engineering sectors.

He also urged to consider Bangladeshi proposal for providing duty free access of 17 products to the Chinesse market.

Terming the Exposition and the Fair as an effective platform for economic, social and cultural integration, visiting Governor of Yunnan Province Li Jiheng requested the Bangladeshi businessmen to participate in the exposition.

China would continue its full cooperation and friendship for the greater bilateral development, he added.

FBCCI President requested to work together so that Bangladesh, India Myanmar and China (BCIM) Business

Council can be an effective platform for regional development.

Akram also requested the delegation to join the BCIM Business Council meeting to be held in June 2014 in Dhaka, where Bangladesh will take over the charge of next Chair Country of BCIM Business Council.

Responding to the request of participation in the fair, he said the FBCCI would extend its full cooperation and support in ensuring larger participation from Bangladesh as it will create a huge opportunity to boost trade, investment and economic cooperation with China and within South Asia. l

B2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stocks edge higher with volatility n Tribune Report

2,872.61 59,067,096

Number of Contract

71,278

Traded Issues

291

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

120

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

163

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

8

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,240.36

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

27.16

CSE key features March 31, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

258.57

Turnover (Volume)

Daily capital market highlights DSE Broad Index :

Company

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume)

6,175,094

Number of Contract

9,549

4491.98393

(+) 0.30%

▲

Traded Issues

213

975.96038

(+) 0.25%

▲

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

91

DSE - 30 Index :

1603.53057

(+) 0.63%

▲

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

115

CSE All Share Index:

13846.1291

(+) 0.22%

▲

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

CSE - 30 Index :

11661.9947

(+) 0.22%

▲

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,136.12

8704.1383

(+) 0.17%

▲

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

25.89

DSE Shariah Index :

CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSERS

Renwick Jajneswar-A National Tubes -A Atlas BD-A Anwar Galvanizing-B Meghna Con. Milk -B Al-Haj Textile -A Monno Ceramic -B Zeal Bangla Sugar -Z

-8.62 -8.58 -8.00 -7.61 -7.27 -7.22 -7.13 -7.02

Average (% change) -6.80 -3.46 -6.25 -1.70 4.15 -4.90 -5.47 -6.14

Desh Garments -B Beach Hatchery -A

-6.62 -6.44

-6.67 1.39

Company

Closing (% change)

CSE LOSERS Company Central Insur -A Northern G Insur-A Monno Ceramic -B Apex Footwear-A Anwar Galvanizing-B MeghnaCement -A Usmania Glass -Z Eastern Cables-Z

ISN Ltd. -A GQ Ball PenA

-10.00 -9.72 -8.54 -7.48 -7.30 -6.25 -5.35 -5.26

Average (% change) -10.00 -9.72 -4.01 -3.09 -2.04 -6.16 -2.86 -6.33

-5.18 -5.11

-3.28 -5.19

Closing (% change)

ANALYST

Closing average

Closing

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 307.54 91.10 40.33 333.10 232.74 331.20 12.87 339.03 266.67 5.90 65.57 61.18 14.99 324.20 18.35 44.20 75.35 124.04 32.08 150.50 1.66

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

Latest PE

402.11 180.28 208.66 34.13 11.29 129.31 38.70 10.70

396.40 172.60 201.20 32.80 10.20 126.00 37.80 10.60

421.00 193.50 217.90 36.40 12.10 136.00 40.70 11.10

396.40 171.30 199.60 32.50 9.90 123.50 37.00 10.30

8.022 99.571 58.816 10.973 0.474 35.082 6.929 0.076

5.32 2.26 3.72 0.02 -4.58 2.06 0.38 -25.08

75.6 79.8 56.1 1706.5 -ve 62.8 101.8 -ve

121.56 32.16

118.40 30.50

128.60 34.60

116.60 30.00

9.409 42.346

1.18 1.14

103.0 28.2

Closing average

Closing

Daily high

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

Northern Jute -Z Eastern Lubricants -A Marico BD Ltd-A Northern G Insur-A 1st ICB M F -A Linde (BD) Ltd. -A Prime Textile -A Shampur Sugar -Z Jute SpinnersA LafargeS Cement-Z

27.00 39.00 37.50 437.60 33.00 136.40 191.20 158.50

27.00 39.00 42.40 495.00 36.00 137.00 197.50 158.50

27.00 39.00 37.00 437.10 33.00 135.10 190.00 158.50

0.027 0.020 0.485 0.550 0.425 0.396 0.627 0.016

2.49 3.04 0.38 23.61 0.02 6.29 5.10 1.40

10.8 12.8 102.1 19.4 1701.0 21.7 38.1 113.2

18.58 158.49

18.30 157.90

18.80 163.00

18.30 157.40

0.139 0.626

-0.36 4.01

-ve 39.5

Since confidence did not solidify enough to offer perfect confirmation of upbeat reversal, investors’ intention stayed largely unchanged

% change 10.71 3.17 1.40 11.60 8.10 11.53 0.45 11.80 9.28 0.21 2.28 2.13 0.52 11.29 0.64 1.54 2.62 4.32 1.12 5.24 0.06

Million Taka 33.94 5.80 2.43 15.59 31.87 46.18 41.18 19.17 38.65 7.86 41.10 1.60 30.03 3.56 2.37 3.88 19.22 5.25 23.37 0.01

% change 9.10 1.55 0.65 4.18 8.54 12.38 0.00 11.04 5.14 10.36 2.11 11.02 0.43 8.05 0.95 0.64 1.04 5.15 1.41 6.27 0.00

Million Taka 341.48 96.90 42.75 348.69 264.61 377.38 12.87 380.21 285.84 44.55 73.44 102.28 16.59 354.23 21.91 46.57 79.23 143.26 37.33 173.87 1.66

Total

9.94 6.70 6.20 4.84 4.81 4.51 4.26 4.21 3.50 3.33

CSE GAINERS Company NCCBL Mutual Fund-1-A Prime Textile -A Marico BD Ltd-A Safko Spinning-A ACI Formulations-A BATBCL -A ACI Limited- A Continental Insur. -A Ambee Pharma -A Imam Button -Z

Closing (% change) 9.21 6.49 6.22 5.67 4.55 3.98 3.96 3.85 3.68 3.53

Average (% change) 9.94 6.86 5.03 0.38 4.86 1.91 4.62 4.42 2.46 3.59 Average (% change) 9.21 6.23 6.22 5.30 3.93 3.98 4.19 3.73 5.57 3.76

Closing average 109.50 562.87 1,120.00 41.91 885.00 874.02 24.48 9.92 76.12 49.30

Closing average 8.30 24.54 1110.00 26.05 85.11 2256.43 186.60 26.97 330.75 8.82

Closing 109.50 562.20 1,127.30 43.30 885.00 896.10 24.50 9.90 76.80 49.70

Closing 8.30 24.60 1110.00 26.10 85.10 2256.40 186.20 27.00 327.00 8.80

Daily high 109.50 566.40 1,127.80 43.90 885.00 898.00 24.90 10.40 78.70 50.00

Daily high 8.30 25.00 1110.00 26.20 85.40 2275.00 193.90 27.00 339.00 8.90

Daily low 109.50 541.00 1,070.10 40.30 885.00 855.10 23.70 8.70 75.00 48.40

Daily low 8.30 24.00 1110.00 25.80 84.00 2230.00 185.00 26.00 320.00 8.50

Turnover in million 0.241 24.879 6.160 1.362 0.044 9.352 15.716 0.117 0.784 283.324

Turnover in million 0.008 1.730 0.111 0.156 0.085 0.790 0.189 0.042 1.551 0.024

Latest EPS -10.24 6.02 46.53 3.04 30.36 48.55 1.12 -50.84 -43.98 2.19

Latest EPS 1.03 1.12 46.53 1.04 2.13 81.14 1.57 1.55 5.01 -2.58

Latest PE -ve 93.5 24.1 13.8 29.2 18.0 21.9 -ve -ve 22.5

Latest PE 8.1 21.9 23.9 25.0 40.0 27.8 118.9 17.4 66.0 -ve

News from trade server BEACHHATCH: The Board of Directors has recommended 15% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

The Board has also recommended the following subject to approval of shareholders in the EGM & Regulatory authorities: (1) to increase the Authorized Capital of the Company from Tk. 100.00 crore to Tk. 200.00 crore. (2) to raise paid up capital by issuing rights shares @ 2R:1 (2 rights shares for every 1 one share) at Tk. 10.00 each for acquisition of 2 deep Sea going steel bodied Trawlers with modern equipment and facilities for optimization of fish catching and also to be involved in exporting of shrimps and fish. Date of EGM and AGM: 14.05.2014, Time of EGM and AGM: 11:00 AM and 12:00 noon respectively, Venue: Project Premises at Moheshkhalipara, Teknaf, Cox's Bazar.

Record Date for EGM and AGM: 17.04.2014.

The Company has also reported net profit after tax of Tk. 39.01 million, EPS of Tk. 1.14, NAV per share of Tk. 13.62 and NOCFPS of Tk. 0.43 for the year ended on December 31, 2013. Another record date for entitlement of the proposed rights shares to be notified later after obtaining approval from BSEC.

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company LafargeS Cement-Z Padma Oil Co. -A Square Pharma -A National Tubes -A BSC-A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N BD Submarine Cable-A

CSE

Closing (% change)

MERCANBANK: The Board of Directors has recommended 8% cash dividend and 12% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013. Date of AGM: 12.06.2014, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: to be notified later on. Record date: 09.04.2014. The Company has also reported consolidated EPS of Tk. 3.00, consolidated NAV per share of Tk. 19.14 and consolidated NOCFPS of Tk. (0.58) for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

DELTASPINN: WASO Credit Rating Company (BD) Ltd. (WCRCL) has announced the surveillance rating of the Company as "BBB1" for long term and "P3" for short term based on latest audited financial statements of the Company for the year 2012-2013 and other relevant quantitative and qualitative information of the Company.

From BIASL Desk: Impact after declaration: BEACHHATCH price dropped by 6.44%, close at taka 30.50 with PE 26.75. MERCANBANK price up by 0.58%, close at taka 17.30 with PE 5.77.

RIGHT SHARE: ARAMITCEM: Subscription 23.03.2014 to 17.04.2014. RD for entitlement of rights share: 09.01.2014.

RUPALILIFE: Subscription 06.04.2014 to

05.05.2014. RD for entitlement of rights share: 16.01.2014. BRACBANK: Subscription 20.04.2014 to 15.05.2014. RD for entitlement of rights share: 10.02.2014.

GENNEXT: Subscription 18.03.2014 to 09.04.2014, RD: 25.02.2014.

IPO Subscription: The Peninsula Chittagong Limited subscription date 30 March-03 April 2014, NRB upto 12 April 2014. @ taka 30, face value taka 10 and market lot 200. Shahjibazar Power Co. Limited subscription date 06-04 April 2014, NRB upto 19 April 2014. @ taka 25, face value taka 10 and market lot 200.

Dividend/AGM APEXFOOT: 55% cash, AGM: 14.05.2014, Record date: 16.04.2014.

JAMUNABANK: 15% stock, AGM: 08.05.2014, Record date: 16.04.2014.

ONEBANKLTD: 9% cash & 10% stock, AGM: 15.05.2014, Record Date: 07.04.2014.

CITYBANK: 20% stock AGM: 29.05.2014, Record Date: 13.04.2014.

EASTLAND: 15% cash & 10% stock, AGM: 25.05.2014, Record Date: 07.04.2014.

CONTININS: 10% cash , AGM: 20.05.2014, Record Date: 16.04.2014.

Latest PE

27.00 39.00 38.80 458.37 34.02 136.54 194.06 158.50

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Daily high

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features March 31, 2014

Securities in its market analysis.

Among the losing sectors, engineering and textile went down by 0.5% and 0.2% respectively.

IDLC Investments said spikes at scrips level continued prevailing and prolonging further. “Since confidence did not solidify enough to offer perfect confirmation of upbeat reversal, investors’ intention stayed largely unchanged.”

Sequentially, activity was sluggish, keeping turnover below Tk300 crore for the last three consecutive sessions, it said.

Zenith Investments said large cap scrips showed some notable movements, for which the market got pulled up from its gloomy position. “Although the turnover volume was narrow, but if the market keeps showing worthy performance, the turnover volume is likely to follow the index.”

Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd was the most traded stocks with a turnover of Tk28 crore.

It was followed by Padma Oil, Square Pharmaceuticals, National Tubes, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, Familytex, Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company, Emerald Oil Industries and Atlas Bangladesh. l

Stocks edged higher in volatile trade yesterday with continued low turnover.

The market opened in red in the morning but modest buying on large cap companies has helped close marginally higher.

The benchmark DSEX index rose 13 points or 0.3% to end at 4,491, after losing the ground in the previous session. The Shariah DSES index was marginally up 2 points or 0.3% to 976. The blue-chip comprising DS30 index ended at 1,603 with a rise of 10 points or 0.7%.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, rose 15 points to close at 8,704.

The total turnover at DSE stood at Tk287 crore, which was 3.4% higher compared to the previous session’s turnover.

Among the big sectors bank, fuel and power, and pharmaceuticals advanced the market capitalisation by 0.2%, 0.8% and 1.1% respectively, contributing to keep index afloat.

As financial, energy and manufacturing stocks got corrected heavily in last few trading sessions, large cap stocks gained momentum, according to the Lanka Bangla

Stock

% change 10.52 2.99 1.32 10.74 8.15 11.63 0.40 11.71 8.81 1.37 2.26 3.15 0.51 10.91 0.68 1.43 2.44 4.41 1.15 5.36 0.05

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

Emerald Oil Ind. -N Atlas BD-A Brac Bank -A

Grameenphone-A Meghna Petroleum -A Eastern Housing -A Apex Footwear-A Beach Hatchery -A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company LafargeS Cement-Z

Padma Oil Co. -A BSC-A BD Submarine Cable-A Square Pharma -A Eastern Housing -A Beach Hatchery -A UCBL - A Grameenphone-A UNITED AIR-A Appollo Ispat CL -N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Paramount Textile Ltd.-A Mercantile Bank -A Delta Life Insu. -A

Volume shares 5,747,500 450,635 416,185 552,324 148,605 1,274,500 333,748 1,218,000 281,878 2,316,500

261,300 199,232 970,758 104,600 1,316,660

Volume shares

531,000 48,797 24,300 71,400 27,582 130,600 189,595 257,867 21,600 324,358 139,600 121,155 71,290 179,788 13,300

Value in million 283.32 154.08 110.97 99.57 96.82 76.77 68.25 60.66 58.82 55.85

55.80 55.09 53.45 46.50 42.35

Value in million

26.28 16.71 15.80 14.61 7.36 7.26 6.07 5.89 4.61 4.54 3.71 3.64 3.13 3.13 3.11

% of total turnover 9.86 5.36 3.86 3.47 3.37 2.67 2.38 2.11 2.05 1.94

1.94 1.92 1.86 1.62 1.47

% of total turnover

10.97 6.98 6.60 6.10 3.07 3.03 2.53 2.46 1.92 1.90 1.55 1.52 1.31 1.31 1.30

Daily closing 49.70 342.70 267.00 172.60 646.50 59.80 203.20 48.60 201.20 24.30

213.80 276.40 53.80 439.50 30.50

Daily closing

49.90 343.10 647.00 203.20 266.80 54.00 30.40 23.00 213.20 14.00 26.50 30.00 44.00 17.30 233.50

Price change 3.33 1.42 0.30 -8.58 -1.49 -0.50 -1.65 -4.33 -8.00 0.83

Daily opening 48.10 337.90 266.20 188.80 656.25 60.10 206.60 50.80 218.70 24.10

Price change

Daily opening

0.94 0.99 -3.76 -3.41 -6.44

3.31 1.66 -1.45 -2.03 0.11 -3.23 -6.46 1.77 0.76 -0.71 -0.38 -0.66 2.09 0.00 0.91

211.80 273.70 55.90 455.00 32.60

48.30 337.50 656.50 207.40 266.50 55.80 32.50 22.60 211.60 14.10 26.60 30.20 43.10 17.30 231.40

Daily high 50.00 345.50 270.00 193.50 662.75 62.40 208.00 51.40 217.90 24.40

214.60 278.80 60.00 465.00 34.60

Daily low 48.40 309.00 245.00 171.30 644.00 59.00 188.80 48.50 199.60 21.70

205.00 258.00 51.50 433.00 30.00

Daily average 49.30 341.93 266.64 180.28 651.55 60.24 204.49 49.80 208.66 24.11

Daily high

Daily low

Daily average

50.20 345.20 662.80 207.40 270.00 56.90 33.50 23.50 214.40 14.20 27.00 30.30 44.80 17.70 237.20

48.50 338.00 645.00 202.70 264.00 53.50 30.10 22.60 211.00 12.90 26.40 29.90 42.50 17.30 229.20

213.54 276.52 55.06 444.55 32.16

49.49 342.38 650.31 204.61 266.80 55.62 31.99 22.84 213.32 14.00 26.58 30.05 43.96 17.40 234.16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

resumes Dhaka-Frankfurt 25 factory inspectors appointed Biman flights after decade break n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

The government has appointed 25 factory inspectors for the garment sector as part of fulfilling of US conditions for GSP facility.

“In the first phase, 25 inspectors have been recruited today (Monday) through Public Service Commission (PSC),” said Mikail Shipar, Labour and Employment Secretary.

The government will appoint a total 289 officials for factory inspections to fulfill a condition set by the US authorities for reinstatement of generalised system of preferences (GSP).

The recruited 25 inspectors will be first-class officials and more 42 inspectors of same status will be appointed at a later time.

A number of 222 inspectors to be recruited will be of second-class status.

“The next appointment will be made

within a week,” the secretary said, adding that they were trying to amend relevant laws to facilitate the recruitment process.

Inspectors are being recruited from the BSC candidates who have been kept waiting for non-cadre jobs.

“Those second-class officials to be

in the Bangladesh Action Plan by the United States for GSP reinstatement.

The government says 13 conditions have already been met. Of the three conditions yet to be fulfilled include appointment of factory inspectors and allowing of trade unionism at the export processing zones (EPZs).

Those second-class officials to be appointed will get promotion to first-class after a time in service.

Hope, the waiting candidates will be interested appointed will get promotion to firstclass after a time in service. Hope, the waiting candidates will be interested,” said Mikail Shipar.

Appointment of factory inspectors was one of 16 conditions outlined

On June 27, 2013, the US government suspended Bangladesh’s trade benefits under the GSP in view of insufficient progress by the government in affording internationally recognised worker rights and workplace safety. l

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam After 10 years of break, Biman Bangladesh Airlines started flight operation between Dhaka and Frankfurt, a route which was incurring losses for the national flag carrier.

A brand new Boeing 777-300 aircraft left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday for Frankfurt of Germany.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines will initially operate two flights a week on Monday and Friday in the route with a brief stop at Rome-Fumicino.

“Boeing 777-300 flight left Hazrat Shahjalal with a good number of passengers on board,” said Motahar Hossein, General Manager (central control) of Biman.

The aircraft has 384 economy and 35 business class seats. Of them, 248 economy class seats and 34 business

class were purchased for Rome and Frankfurt. Biman first brought the Dhaka-Frankfurt route within its network in 1986 and then went to suspension as it was incurring losses.

According to the sources concerned, the flights could draw very poor numbers of passengers, which forced the authorities to stop the operation in the route.

Although it was a loss-making route, the authorities didn’t conduct any market survey before going into resumption, they said.

“No prior survey was initiated, but they reopened it. We don’t know if it would make profit or incur loss again,” an official told the Dhaka Tribune.

But Biman, in a press release, claimed that the flight operation was suspended due to shortage of aircrafts.

The flag carrier operates flights in more 18 destinations overseas. l

GP to recover its outstanding bills worth Tk100cr such agents to realise their due bills.

Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Chief Financial Officer of Robi has, however, denied to appoint any third-party for his company to collect the dues from its clients as saying, “As we don’t have huge amount outstanding bills like Grameenphone, we do not need to appoint any third party to collect negligible dues.”

“From 1997 till date Grameenphone has debt amount of Tk100 crore (approx) from about 575,000 debt accounts,” according to the application of Grameenphone, which had earlier sent to the BTRC for getting the permission.

“Grameenphone currently recovers post-paid bad debt using its internal resources. However, with the given resources the total customer-base could not be reached and thus a significant number of the customers remain untouched for collecting such debt while the numbers are piling up,” reads the application.

Meanwhile, GP has uploaded a Request for Proposal (RFP) for appointing the third party.

One the other hand, lots of subscribers have deposited thousands of taka as security money against their numbers although their connections have been remained suspended.

BTRC has already reportedly questioned Grameenphone to inform it about the whereabouts of such huge amount of money, which has long been remained with the operator as security money.

BTRC is soon going to issue a letter to all the operators asking them to inform it about the figure of the deposited security money and also to take necessary steps to refund the money back to the respective subscribers. l

City Bank has received the Achievement Award from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) as a recognition of the bank’s outstanding contribution to the development of the accountancy and finance profession. Faruq Moinuddin, the bank’s additional managing director received the award from Alexandra Chin, vice president of ACCA in a ceremony held in Dhaka

NRB Global Bank Limited formally opened its Ulokhola branch at Gazipur on Sunday.

Nizam Chowdhury, the bank’s chairperson has inaugurated the branch as chief guest

n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank has directed the financial institutions to ensure deduction of 15% value added tax (VAT) from the honorarium of the directors, which they receive for attending the board meetings.

The FIs have also been advised to follow the guidelines and be compliant with the rules of National Board of Revenue (NBR) in this regard, said a circular of the central bank issued yesterday.

At present, the directors of the commercial banks and FIs receive up to Tk5,000 as honorarium for attending a board meeting.

Earlier in January 2010, the central bank raised the honorarium for the directors to attend a board meeting from Tk4,000 to Tk5,000. l

CEO of VimpelCom arrives in Dhaka on two-day visit n Tribune Report

BTRC approves appointing third-party to collect dues Besides Grameenphone, some other n Muhammad Zahidul Islam operators like Robi has also appointed Grameenphone is now set to launch a massive drive for recovering its outstanding bills worth around Tk100 crore from its 575,000 post-paid defaulted subscribers since its inception in 1997 through appointing an aggressive third-party.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulator Commission (BTRC) has recently given the permission to appoint a firm for collecting the longstanding dues in response to an application sent

by Grameenphone authorities.

The country’s leading mobile phone operator, which is now having 4.82 crore active customers across the country.

Now, GP will share information about the defaulted post-paid subscribers, who have already switched off their mobiles, with its appointed agent to trace out the defaulted subscribers.

The third-party will also be allowed to visit the customers physically, follow-up by phones, SMS and letter through E-mail.

If the agent either failed to collect any information of the subscribers’ details or detect them, it will try to find out the subscribers using information from the related FnF numbers and later on it will try to contact directly with the original subscribers, according to Grameenphone’s plan.

Meanwhile, BTRC has asked Grammenphone to ink a non-discloser agreement with the outsourcing company that it will not disclose any information of those defaulted subscribers.

“As the regulator has finally accepted our application, we will go for the next step shortly,” Mahmud Hossain, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer (CCAO) of Grameenphone told the Dhaka Tribune.

FIs asked to cut 15% vat from directors’ honorarium

A man walks inside a factory at Keihin industrial zone in Kawasaki, south of Tokyo

REUTERS

Japan factory output fall underscores uneven recovery n AFP, Tokyo Japanese factory output contracted in February, data showed yesterday, a surprise decline that highlighted the uneven economic recovery in the world’s number three economy as consumers brace for a sales tax hike.

The 2.3% fall in output from January - the first decline in three months - is likely to aggravate concerns about the potential impact of the increased levy, which takes effect on Tuesday.

There are fears that the tax rise to 8% from 5% - seen as crucial to paying down Japan’s huge national debt - will weigh on consumer spending and derail a budding recovery.

The last time Japan brought in a higher levy in 1997, it was followed by years of deflation and tepid economic growth.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces a tricky balancing act as he tries to nudge the economy out of a cycle of falling prices and lacklustre growth with a

growth blitz dubbed Abenomics.

Falling production of large passenger cars and auto parts led the decline in February’s factory output, underscoring how exports and domestic spending remain wobbly.

A producers’ survey released with the government data show manufacturers expect a rise in March industrial production followed by a decline in April as the effects of the tax hike become clearer.

“Industrial production continues to show an upward movement,” said the economy, trade and industry ministry.

However, the weaker-than-expected data will mean a renewed focus on the Bank of Japan’s widely watched Tankan quarterly business confidence survey, set to be released today.

Tax rise worries Adding to concerns over the economy, the Markit/JMMA purchasing managers index, published Monday, fell in March from a month earlier, to 53.9 from 55.5. A reading of 50 or above

indicates growth.

“Output continued to expand (in March), which companies attributed to a hike in demand before the increase in the sales tax,” Markit said.

“However, the expansion in output was slower than February and the weakest seen in six months. Panellists partly blamed the weakening of the expansion of output on factories being damaged by heavy snow.”

Poor winter weather hammered parts of Japan, as a deep freeze in North America was also blamed for weaker activity in the United States.

Last week, more upbeat figures showed Tokyo’s bid to stoke lasting inflation in a country plagued by years of falling prices was gathering steam, while unemployment fell to a more than six-year low.

But the stronger inflation reading was largely driven by rising post-Fukushima energy import costs, rather than prices going up on the back of strong, across-the-board consumer demand. l

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of VimpelCom Jo Lunder arrived in Dhaka yesterday morning on a two-day visit to Bangladesh.

VimpelCom Ltd, a Netherlands based venture, is the parent company of the mobile operator Banglalink. It also owns some stakes of Telenor, parent company of the leading operator in the country Grameenphone.

During his visit, he is scheduled to meet finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, post, telecommunication and ICT minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui and the chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Sunil Kanti Bose.

This is the second visit of Lunder to Dhaka since November 2012.

Telenor owned 43% of Vimpelcom’s voting rights and 33% of its economic rights, according to its share holder’s structures. l

BATB wins AREA n Tribune Report British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) has won Asia’s top rank business award Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Award (AREA)-2014 on Green Leadership.

The award was handed over to BATB in a grand program in New Delhi, India recently, says a press release.

KH Masud Siddiqui, Secretary, Ministry of Liberation War Affairs and Independent Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of BATB received the honor on behalf of the organisation.

Enterprise Asia’s Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards (AREA) programme recognises and honors Asian businesses for championing sustainable and responsible entrepreneurship in the categories, including green leadership, investment in people, health promotion and social empowerment.

The Awards are held in four sub-regions of Asia, namely, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Middle East. l

A round table discussion on independence, economic emancipation and rule of law was organised in Dhaka by organized by Center for Non Resident of Bangladeshi. Ishtiaque Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director and CEO of Trust Bank Limited attended the discussion held on Saturday

Jamuna Bank Training Academy recently organised a workshop on performance development at Olymic Bhaban in Dhaka. Al-Haj Nur Mohammed, the chairperson of Jamuna Bank Foundation inaugurated the workshop as chief guest

Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited held its 18th annual general meeting (AGM) on March 30 at Officers Club in Baily Road, Dhaka. The meeting was chaired by Abedur Rashid Khan, the bank’s chairperson. The bank declared a cash dividend of 40% on its Tk10 face value per share outstanding for the year 2013

South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank Limited recently held its first annual general meeting at its head office. SM Amzad Hossain the company’s chairperson was present at the meeting as chief guest

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

IMF still sees advantage for ‘too important to fail’ banks n Reuters, Washington Top banks in the euro zone benefited from an implicit taxpayer subsidy of $90bn to $300bn last year due to ongoing state support which makes them “too important to fail,” the International Monetary Fund said in a report on Monday.

Subsidies in the United Kingdom and Japan may have been as high as $110bn in 2013, while they ranged from $20bn to $70bn in the United States, the IMF said in a chapter of its twiceyearly “Global Financial Stability Report.”

The IMF, a Washington-based global financial institution, analyzes the economic and financial policies of its 188 member countries and warns about potential problems. Its report could influence regulators in the United States and Europe that are implementing tough new rules for the financial industry to minimize the likelihood and cost of bailing out big banks.

'Bank levies can allow governments to recoup part of it' Bank assets have grown dramatically in many countries since 2000, while the number of banks has fallen. In most countries, the assets of the three largest banks make up at least 40% of total banking assets, while in Canada, France and Spain that figure is at least 60%, the IMF said.

That means problems or failure in one of a country’s top banks could throw its entire financial system into chaos.

This problem only got worse in the wake of the global financial crisis in 2007-08, when many governments intervened in the banking sector or encouraged mergers to prevent banks from collapsing, according to the report.

“Countries emerged from the financial crisis with an even bigger problem:

many banks were even larger than before and so were the implicit government guarantees,” the IMF said.

The Fund said that funding advantage has gone down somewhat since 2009, especially in the United States, due to tighter regulations and effective supervision.

But the subsidies may be even higher for banks in the euro zone. And ‘systemically important banks’ still enjoy implicit subsidies of around 60 basis points on average compared to their less weighty peers.

The IMF used three different methods for calculating the funding advantage of top banks: comparing their bond yields to those of other banks; comparing actual credit default swaps for bank bonds to what they would be using just equity price information; and using credit rating agencies’ estimates of government support.

While the three estimates diverged somewhat, they still showed that these top banks benefited from investors’ belief that governments would rescue them in a panic situation.

The IMF said it may not be possible to remove ‘too important to fail’ subsidies completely, since governments cannot predict everything, and sometimes bailing out a bank may be better for the economy than letting it collapse.

Shrinking banks or revamping their structure also may not be a good solution, as there is some evidence that large banks enjoy economies of scale and scope that keep costs low for consumers and promote market liquidity.

Restricting what banks do could also lead to riskier activities migrating into less regulated parts of the financial industry.

The IMF said regulators should instead focus on ensuring banks are less likely to fail, such as boosting the quality and size of capital buffers. It also recommended having banks pay a levy based on the size of their liabilities.

“Given the difficulty of completely ruling out bailouts in practice, some level of government protection, and thus some positive subsidy, may be unavoidable,” according to the report.

“Bank levies can allow governments to recoup part of it.”

The IMF also called on countries to do a better job of coordinating bank resolution frameworks, especially for cross-border banks, or risk creating further problems. For example, poor coordination on resolving multinational failed banks fed into greater financial fragmentation in Europe.

“Local initiatives may well end up being mutually destructive,” the IMF said. l

Journalists look at Japanese electric vehicle venture SIM-Drive's new "SIM-HAL" at the University of Tokyo. SIM-HAL has newly developed highly efficient in-wheel motors for all wheels and enables a drive of 400km with a charge.

AFP

Euro zone inflation drops to lowest since 2009 n Reuters Euro zone inflation hit its lowest level since November 2009 in March, a shock drop that raises expectations the European Central Bank will take radical action to stop the threat of deflation in the currency bloc.

Annual consumer inflation in the 18 countries sharing the euro was 0.5% in March, with the pace of price rises cooling from February’s 0.7% reading, the EU’s statistics office Eurostat said on Monday. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted a 0.6% reading - itself worrying for an economy that is barely pulling out of a record-long recession after a crisis that nearly broke up the currency area.

The euro zone is far from the deflation that Japan suffered from the early 1990s, when falling prices weakened demand, leading to wage cuts and even lower prices, but the bloc’s low inflation rate is a clear sign of economic fragility.

Inflation has now been in the ECB’s “danger zone” of below 1% for six consecutive months, and the flash reading increases the chances the ECB will cut interest rates when its Governing Council meets on Thursday. Speculation has also grown that it may employ other easing measures such as a negative deposit rate or even US-style bond-buying.

But this year’s late Easter, which has delayed the impact of rising travel and

hotel prices at a time when many people go away in Europe, could encourage the euro zone’s central bank to wait until its June meeting to act.

“This will keep the possibility of further monetary policy easing very much alive,” said Nick Kounis, head of economic research at ABN AMRO in Amsterdam. “Nevertheless, the central bank has shown quite some tolerance for low inflation recently.”

The ECB, which targets inflation of just below 2%, left borrowing costs unchanged at 0.25% in March and has argued that deflation risks in the bloc are limited.

‘Low-flation’

Some euro zone members, like Ireland, Cyprus and Greece have experienced falling prices in recent months. For the bloc as a whole, price rises for industrial goods outside the energy sector were very modest in March, a sign demand remains weak.

Yesterday, the International Monetary Fund’s top European official said the ECB had more room to cut interest rates to counter risks from low inflation, although he said the Fund did not see deflation setting in.

“We are not so much worried about deflation by itself, but we are very wor-

ried about what we call ‘low-flation’,” said Reza Moghadam, Director of the IMF’s European Department. “There is more room for further (ECB) easing, not least because inflation is under control.”

ECB President Mario Draghi suggested after the ECB’s March meeting that the bank will either do nothing or take bold action should the outlook deteriorate. He has also said the bank has been preparing additional policy steps to guard against possible deflation, and that the longer inflation remained low, the higher was the probability of deflationary risks emerging.

The relentless weakening trend may focus minds, especially after the head of Germany’s powerful central bank came out to discuss some of the bolder options in more detail, for example pumping more money into the economy via a bond-buying programme.

“There’s still a case for easing, but we don’t think there’s going to be enough agreement within the Governing Council members to ease on Thursday,” said Guillaume Menuet, an economist at Citigroup in London.

One factor that may temper the ECB’s response is a sense among economists that inflation has hit bottom and will rise in the coming months. Commerzbank’s Christoph Weil said he expected consumer prices to be back at 0.9% in April, noting the late Easter and also stabilizing food and energy prices. l

China’s Xi seeks ‘win-win’ in ground-breaking EU visit Oil prices fall after n AFP, Brussels

China’s Xi Jinping made a groundbreaking first visit by a Chinese president to European Union headquarters Monday, saying closer ties between the two partners - which represent a quarter of the world’s people - were “a win-win”.

After a red-carpet day with Belgium’s royals and a visit to a zoo hosting a pair of pandas on loan from Beijing, Xi got down to serious business in talks that touched on the crisis in Ukraine, human rights and quarrels over trade.

“Rocks cannot interrupt the course of a river in its tumultuous voyage to the ocean, I am convinced that no problem or difference can snarl the march of Sino-European friendship and cooperation,” Xi wrote in Belgium’s daily Le Soir.

In the commentary, Xi voiced hopes his visit would benefit both the EU and China on several fronts, bringing together partners that together account for a third of the world’s economy and play a major role in global humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts.

“Xi’s trip shows that China’s foreign policy remains mindful of Europe and interested in pursuing greater integration with the Europeans,” said Patrick Nijs, former Belgian ambassador to China.

The Chinese leader, on the last leg of his first official tour of Europe, met with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Parliament chief Martin Schulz.

The EU rolled out its red carpet for

China’s Xi Jinping Xi as the Chinese leader stepped into EU offices amid little security fuss and a few flag-wavers - a sharp contrast to the traffic turmoil caused by US President Barack Obama last week.

With no press conference scheduled, after Xi turned down a request by his hosts to hold one, few details are expected to emerge.

An EU diplomat told AFP that with the European bloc as China’s biggest trading partner - two-way trade is at more than a billion euros a day - economic issues were dominant in the talks, along with human rights and foreign policy, including Ukraine.

EU raises rights

China’s rights record, a constant concern in the 28-nation bloc, was raised as

REUTERS

scores of protesters assembled outside the EU institutions to demand freedom for jailed activists and more rights for Tibetans and other minorities.

“The EU needs to unite not just on pan-European trade deals but also on a principled and publicly articulated human rights message,” said Lotte Leicht, EU director at Human Rights Watch.

“The EU’s senior officials keep ducking this obligation with China.”

Pro-China activists meanwhile hid posters advertising huge concerts this week organised by the Buddhist Falungong group, opponents of Beijing.

Xi will hold bilateral talks with Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and parliament leaders later yesterday. Later he visits the largest Chinese-owned company in Belgium, carmaker Volvo,

in Ghent, bought by the Hangzhoubased Geely from Ford in 2010.

Belgium will be hoping for new investments, though nothing on the scale of the mega deals signed with Germany and France earlier on Xi’s tour.

While Belgium has sought to sell itself as “a gateway to Europe”, there has been little interest from Beijing until now.

Tiny Belgium laid on a royal welcome for Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan despite China’s “panda diplomacy” causing a row in the country.

Dozens of royal horsemen escorted the Chinese power couple as they rolled up to the Brussels palace Sunday to meet King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, who will host them for a state dinner later on yesterday.

But the furry pandas, national treasures in China, have unwittingly opened a new rift in the longtime turmoil dividing Belgium’s rival Dutchand French-speaking communities.

The problem is that the rare bears, a reliable draw for visitors, are in a zoo in French-speaking southern Wallonia, about 60 kilometres from Brussels and not far from the city of Mons, where Di Rupo is a former mayor.

The Pairi Daiza zoo has since seen its ticket sales boom and share price soar, angering Belgium’s oldest and best-known zoo, located in the heart of the port city of Antwerp in northern Flanders.

Playing up the language row triggered by the bears, Flanders’ most popular politician, separatist Bart De Wever, made a buzz a few weeks back by appearing on a prime-time TV show disguised as a panda. l

strong gains n AFP, London Oil prices fell yesterday as dealers booked profits after strong gains last week fuelled by positive US economic data and the tensions in Ukraine.

New York’s West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in May fell 43 cents to $101.24 a barrel.

Brent North Sea crude for May dipped 28 cents to stand at $107.79 a barrel in London afternoon deals. “We are seeing some easing because of some profit taking,” Tan Chee Tat, an investment analyst at Phillip Futures, told AFP: WTI prices got a boost last week from data showing robust US consumer spending.

Orders for US durable goods -- a key indicator of the economy - rose 2.2% in February from the prior month, beating expectations for a 1% decline.

Investors are also tracking events in Europe as the top diplomats from the US and Russia held talks to find a solution to the crisis in Ukraine.

Russian troops are massed on the borders of eastern Ukraine, sparking

DILBERT

fears about Moscow’s plans after it took control of the Crimean peninsula this month.

While the two failed Sunday to reach a breakthrough deal in Paris they did agree to keep talking after what were described as “frank” and “constructive” negotiations.

Traders fear that an escalation of the crisis would disrupt those supplies The latest bid to resolve the worst EastWest standoff in the post-Cold War era came after Russian leader Vladimir Putin unexpectedly called US President Barack Obama on Friday.

Russia provides about a quarter of Europe’s natural gas supplies, with about half of those exports travelling through pipelines in Ukraine, analysts say.

Traders fear that an escalation of the crisis would disrupt those supplies. l