18 april 2014 second

Boishakh 5, 1421 Jamadius Sani 17, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 19

FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

20 pages plus 32-page weekend supplement | Price: Tk10

WT | ADDA CRUCIBLE THAT FORGED HISTORY 7 | WHAT WERE UPAZILA POLLS ALL ABOUT? 14 | BALE STUNNER SEALS CUP JOY FOR REAL

B1 | BIMAN SET TO REOPEN ROUTES

Siddique released unhurt after 30 hours Abductors drop him blindfolded around midnight; Rizwana says she has been threatened twice over phone following husband’s abduction n Kailash Sarkar Kidnappers of Abu Bakar Siddique, a businessman and husband of BELA chief Syeda Rizwana Hasan, released him in the early hours of today, after more than 30 hours of his abduction from Fatulla, Narayanganj.

Siddique was released around the time when a five-member investigation committee was holding a meeting with Siddique’s wife at her Central Road residence.

The abductors released Siddique near the Mirpur Ansar Camp at Mirpur 1 around midnight with his eyes blindfolded and gave him Tk300.

“I could not see anything for some time after opening the blindfold as I had been blindfolded the entire time since the abduction,” Siddique told reporters later at the Dhanmondi police station.

Siddique said he took a rickshaw to Kazipara from where he hired a CNG autorickshaw to go to his Central Road residence. He was stopped by police at the check post near the Kalabagan playground.

When Siddique identified himself he was taken to the Dhanmondi police station. His family was informed of his being found and asked to go to the police station.

“They changed the car after abducting me and after around three or four hours I was taken to a house where I was kept on a higher floor. I slept on the

INSIDE News

3 Activities at the Bangladesh Institute of Research & Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (Birdem) returned to a normalcy yesterday as its doctors joined their workplace after ending a two-day work abstention.

5 With the peak time for diarrhoeal diseases currently ongoing, the ICDDRB has been facing difficulties to treat patients without the use of its self-produced rice and oral saline, the manufacturing of which was suspended following recent recovery of fake saline products in the capital.

Nation

6 Railway land, valued about Tk 1000 crore, has been dispossessed for 30 years in Sirajganj but no effective step has yet been taken to reclaim it.

International

9 Strong currents, rain and bad visibility hampered an increasingly anxious search yesterday for 287 passengers, many thought to be high school students, still missing more than a day after their ferry flipped onto its side and sank in cold waters off the southern coast of South Korea.

Op-Ed

11 Inflation in Bangladesh has remained at a moderate single-digit level, despite a recent rise due to a cost-push from supply disruptions and wage increases.

Entertainment

12 The three-day long Bangladesh Cartoon Fest 2014 concluded yesterday at Drik gallery in the capital with the mass visit of viewers and cartoon lovers and the participation of 40 professional and amateur cartoonists of the country.

floor in a room there,” Siddique told reporters at the police station.

There was an injury mark on Siddique’s nose caused by the blindfold.

Siddique, however, said: “The abductors did not misbehave with me except for some scuffle, from which I received some injuries. They gave me food and water. They bought me medicines when I told them that I had high blood pressure.”

Asked what they told him after kidnapping, he said they asked him who he was and what his profession was.

When asked if he thought that the abductors had kidnapped him without knowing him, he said: “Perhaps they kidnapped me without knowing me.”

He said: “They asked me why my wife was so powerful that the abduction created so much stir.”

In reply to a question, he said: “I have no idea who abducted me or why. Perhaps they did it for money. They demanded different amounts of money at different times – sometimes Tk4 lakh, sometimes Tk10 lakh, and sometimes Tk1 crore.

“It seemed to me that they were making fun of it.”

Asked how much time it had taken before he was dropped at the Ansar Camp, Siddique said it could be around an hour.

Asked if the abductors told him anything before dropping him, he said they mentioned his wife’s influence and the strong ripple his abduction had created.

Abu Bakar Siddique and his wife Rizwana Hasan talk to the media at Dhanmondi Model police station after the abductors released the businessman early today When asked if he was scared or if he was hiding anything, Siddique said he was not concealing anything.

After arriving at the police station and meeting her husband, Rizwana

Hasan talked to the meadi and expressed deep gratitude to the prime minister, the law enforcement agencies, the media and all people for being beside her during the tough time.

As news broke that Siddique was found, high officials of the police went to the Dhanmondi police station. They later talked to the media.

Additional Commissioner of Dhaka

SYED LATIF HOSSAIN

Metropolitan Police Sheikh Mohammad Maruf Hassan said even though Siddique had returned, the ongoing investigation would continue.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

India holds biggest day of voting ‘Gonojagoron Moncho now a burden on AL’

n Reuters, Bangalore India held the biggest day of its mammoth general election yesterday, with a quarter of its 815 million-strong electorate eligible to vote during a week of fresh blows for the ruling Congress party and gains for the Hindu nationalist opposition.

Narendra Modi, the prime-ministerial candidate of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been wooing voters with promises to rescue India from its slowest economic growth in a decade and create jobs for its booming young population.

In the latest large opinion poll, the BJP and its allies were forecast to win a narrow majority in the 543-seat lower house of parliament, compared to previous surveys predicting that they would fall short.

Yet a decision by the Election Commission to reprimand a senior Modi aide for making speeches deemed to stir tensions with minority Muslims underlined critics’ assertions that the party is a divisive force.

Voting took place in 120 constituencies across 12 states, from the fractious Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir - where election materials had to be airlifted to some remote polling stations - to the lush southern state of

n Emran Hossain Shaikh

Women stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station at Sirohi district in the desert Indian state of Rajasthan yesterday.

REUTERS Karnataka whose capital is the IT and outsourcing hub Bangalore.

The world’s biggest ever election is taking place in nine stages from April 7 to May 12, with results due on May 16.

“We want Modi to win this time.

That is why we are here early in the morning, doing our best for him,” said Preetham Prabhu, a 32-year-old software engineer who was the first to cast his vote in a polling station in a

residential suburb of Bangalore.

Modi’s image remains tarnished

by Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat, the western state where he is chief minister, on his watch 12 years ago. More than 1,000 people, most of them Muslims, were killed in the violence.

Modi denies accusations that he failed to stop the riots and a Supreme Court inquiry found he had no case to  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

The ruling Awami League does not want the continuation of Gonojagoron Moncho any longer as it deems that the platform is now a liability to the government.

The party bigwigs think the leaders of the Moncho are completely out of their control and this is why they want it no longer.

The opinions of several leaders of the ruling party suggest that the Awami League got a big favour from the Gonojagoron Moncho on the issue of war crimes trials but at the same time it had to pay dearly for the emergence of the Hefazat-e-Islam.

They held the Moncho “responsible” for the rise of the Hefazat as they think that “controversial” writes-up of many of the Moncho activists gave an opening to the Islamist fanatics to fish in troubled water.

Analysing those experiences the old guard of the Awami League want to wrap up the chapter of the Gonojagoron Moncho.

Moreover, if the Moncho continues its activities it will ultimately bring into the political scenario more fundamen-

Three days on, no trace of two missing students Jamil Khan and our n Mohammad correspondent in Cox’s Bazar

Three days have gone by but there have been no trace of two missing students of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) until yesterday, who, along with two others, had gone missing from Saint Martin’s Island on Monday after going swimming.

The two are Istiaq Bin Mahmud alias Uday and Sabbir Hossain Sagoto. Earlier on Wednesday, the Coast Guard recovered two bodies.

Lieutenant Quazi Harun-ur Rashid, commander of the Coast Guard’s Teknaf Station, told the Dhaka Tribune that the coast guard team, in cooperation with the local administration, was searching across the island

relentlessly for the missing students.

“Besides, we are also giving mobile number to fishermen, who go to the sea by boat, so that they can call us if they find anything. We suspect we would find their bodies floating in the sea and

Red flags in danger zones to be put up, lifeguards to be appointed we have asked the coast guard team to keep combing all the channels in the sea until the bodies are recovered,” he said.

The island beach management committee, meanwhile, held an emergency

meeting at Cox’s Bazar district administration office yesterday around 12pm.

The committee decided to appoint beach staff and lifeguards, to put up red flags in danger zones, and to distribute leaflets containing information on bathing in the beach.

Earlier on Monday, 34 students of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) of AUST went to the island on an excursion and checked into Senchur Hotel. Surge pushed ten of them far away as they went swimming. Of the ten, locals and the Coast Guard managed to rescue six while two of them – Monfezul Islam and Saddam Hossain – died later in hospital.

Soon after the incident, AUST students blamed the local authority for the death of their friends as there was

no instruction and red flag in the area where they went to take bath. They also said the rescue team had made long delay before starting operation.

A friend of Sagoto sarcastically wrote on Facebook: “A little red cloth is much precious than six innocent lives.

Our friends have lost their lives only for the mismanagement of local authority.”

Farhanul Morteza Farhan, a witness to the incident and also a survivor, told the Dhaka Tribune over phone about the mismanagement and negligence of local authority. “Moreover, the rescue team acted too late.”

Meanwhile, family members of Sagoto and Uday have been passing their days in agony since the accident happened. Uday is the son of Mahmud  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

talist Islamic forces like Hefazat-e-Islam creating political unrest that will be tough for the government to handle.

Another major concerns of the government is the leadership of the Moncho who they think came from “NGO-based leftist groups” known as representatives of the civil society.

They can spearhead anti-government campaign any time.

‘The need for Moncho has ended through the execution of Quader Molla. So I do not think the platform should continue to exist’ Talking to several leaders of the Awami league including its associated bodies it was learnt that ruling party threw its weight behind the Moncho for increasing public participation and their support for war crimes trial.

Initially the government extended all kinds of support both politically and administratively. But as the voice  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Tk10,000 crore laundered in last 10 years n Rabiul Islam An estimated figure of Tk10,000 crore was laundered by Bangladeshi human traffickers living in Middle East countries, including Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in last 10 years.

“We think that the figure would not be less than Tk10,000 crore as Bangladeshi human traffickers are confining the migrants in Mideast countries and collecting money by their local agents in Bangladesh,” Criminal Investigation Department’s Additional DIG Md Shah Alam told a press conference at the CID office in the capital yesterday.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, April 18, 2014

Power subsidy allocation surges 9% in current fiscal year

Six BASIC Bank officers dismissed

n Asif ShowkatKallol

The management of state-owned BASIC Bank yesterday dismissed six of its high officials, including a deputy managing director, on allegations of irregularities and corruption.

In an official order, the bank suspended its Deputy Managing Director A Monaiem Khan, general managers Khondokar Shamim Hasan, Joynul Abedin Chowdhury and Mohammad Ali, Deputy General Manager Shetara Ahmed and Deputy Manager Jahid Hasan.

The move, which came at a board meeting held on Tuesday, was taken after the bank found the involvement of the respective officials with the recent Tk4,500 crore loan scam.

Meanwhile, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) is currently investigating the corruption allegations against Monaiem Khan, Mohammad Ali and Jahid Hasan.

Bangladesh Bank also has kept a

The government has raised subsidy allocation for power in the revised budget for this fiscal year by Tk500 crore from Tk5,500 crore to address probable increase in power purchasefrom the costly private sector plants.

The 9% increase in subsidy for purchasing power from rental, quick rental and liquid fuel-based power projects for the rest of the fiscal year was revealed at a recent inter-ministerial meeting on how the Finance Division could subsidise the purchase of electricity from India.

The Power Development Board proposed providing subsidy to purchasing power from India just as subsidy is provided for purchase from the rental, quick rental and liquid fuel-based plants.

The Finance Division, however, de-

cided not to provide the subsidy for Indian electricity.

Meanwhile, despite the hike in power tariff by 6.96% last month, the power subsidy showed a sharp rise in March compared to that of the previous month.

The Finance Division also decided to submit a proposal to Finance Minister AMA Muhith on subsidising power purchase from India under the revenue budget, an official of the division who attended the meeting told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

At present, the government pays the subsidy amount to the PDB for purchasing electricity from the private sector under revenue budget and there is no fund allocated for subsidising electricity purchase from India in the current fiscal budget.

The Finance Division asked the PDB officials if they had followed

itssuggestionswhile signingthe Bulk Power Transmission Agreement withthe Power Grid Corporation of India.

Earlier, the PDBhad soughtTk39.74 crore from the Finance Divisionfor importing electricity from Indiaand Tk267.14 crore for paying December 2013-January 2014 billsof quick rental power.

The Finance Division decided to provide the amount sought for bill payment.

PDB data shows that Indian electricity costs it Tk6 a unit on average compared to quick rental’s nearly Tk18.

Bangladesh signed the agreement in 2010 to purchase 500MW electricity from India and it started importing power commercially in October last year. So far, the daily import has marked 440-450MW. The PDB purchases 1,405MW of

electricity from rental and quick rental power projects and 1,066MW from independent power plants.

The subsidy on power during nine months of this fiscal year stood at Tk5,146.22 crore althoughthe figure at the end of Januarythis year was Tk4380.92 crore.

Before the power tariff increased by 6.96% last month, the subsidy amounted to Tk231.21 crore in February, but it rose by Tk53.98 crore to Tk285.19 crore the next month.

Generation of costly electricity from liquid fuel-based power projects jumped to over 2100MW from March, which was nearly half in the previous month.

Finance Secretary Falze Kabir presided over the inter-ministerial meeting at the Finance Division. High officials of the Power Division and the PDB attended the meeting. l

n Tribune Report

Bangladeshi killed in ‘knockout game’ in Italy n Tribune Report A Bangladeshi national was killed in Pisa, Italy after being punched in the head while walking in the city centre in an attack characterised as the so-called “knockout game,” Italy-based English newspaper The Local reported yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Zakir Hoassini by the newspaper.

Zakir, who had been working as a waiter, died on Tuesday “after 24 hours of agony” following the unsolicited attack.

The so-called “knockout game” is a vicious street-game craze that originated in the US, whereby passers-by are punched for the fun of it.

According to the report, the “murder” has caused uproar among Pisa’s Bangladeshi community, who rallied

on the spot on Tuesday night, demanding “justice.”

An estimated 1,500 people, including the Bangladeshi ambassador, are mulling to hold another march protesting the “killing” today.

Police are said to be “close to finding the attacker,” who they believe was a young Italian man with a “hefty” physique, the news website reported.

According to the report, the attacker and his gang was caught on surveillance camera provoking Hoassini, a father of three, and then punching him.

The gang, thought to be aged between 25 and 35, later left the spot.

However, the reason behind the attack could not be known immediately.

Hoassini had been in Italy since 2009 and was a waiter in an Indian restaurant for the past two years. l

Five MPs made Privatisation Commission members n Tribune Report Five ruling party lawmakers have been appointed members of the Bangladesh Privatisation Commission.

The lawmakers are: Abu Saleh Mohammad Sayeed, Omor Faruk Chowdhury, Farhad Hossain, Md Abdur Razzak and M Abdul Latif.

FBCCI Director Kazi Shah Newaz has also been appointed a member of the commission. l

2 missing students  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

Awami League central leaders place a floral wreath on the graves of the four national leaders at Banani graveyard yesterday, marking the historic formation of the first government of Bangladesh on April 17, 1971 PID

18-party decides to wage movement against abduction, killing n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

The BNP-led 18-party alliance has decided to wage tough street movement protesting the “killing and abduction” of opposition leaders and activists and Abu Bakar Siddique, husband of environment lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

The alliance had also decided to go for issue-based programmes in the upcoming days, especially those directly related with public sufferings, said an alliance leader.

“We have decided to wage street movement demanding that the [abducted] opposition leaders and activists and Abu Bakar Siddique be traced.

Madam [Khaleda Zia] has assigned Mr Fakhrul Islam to devise the strategy of the movement on the issue,” said the leader, seeking anonymity.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia sat with the alliance leaders at a meeting at her Gulshan office last night and discussed the current political situation

watch on the bank’s activities and formed a committee to review the allegations against its Managing Director Kazi Faqurul Islam.

Of the dismissed officers, Monaiem was transferred to Rajshahi regional office last year, Joynul to Barisal office, Shamim Hasan to Rangpur office, Mohammad Ali to Sylhet office, Jahid to Chittagong branch and Shetara to the headquarters.

Earlier, a central bank probe found several irregularities in four branches of the state-owned specialised bank at its Motijheel, Shantinagar, Dilkusha and Gulshan branches, involving loans of nearly Tk4,424.93 crore disbursed between December 2009 and November 2012.

Of the amount, Tk1,594.73 crore was disbursed by the Gulshan branch where most of them were handed over without proper scrutiny.

The bank also reportedly sanctioned loans for nonexistent companies and promptly approved loans to clients instantly after they opened accounts. l

and their next course of action.

Abdul Latif Nejami, chairman of the Islami Oikyo Jote, said: “The alliance will come up with programmes on issues, including price hike of electricity, and rise of abduction and killing.”

He said although the BNP had alone decided to hold a long march towards the Teesta Barrage, the alliance had extended support to the programme.

Abdul Mobin, chairman of Bangladesh Islamic Party, said at the meeting

Khaleda had inquired about the movement strategy and the alliance leaders had expressed their opinions.

Khaleda said the issue-based programmes would continue at the moment; after reorganising the party, a movement to topple the government would be launched. “Our movement has to be successful,” Mobin quoted Khaleda as saying.

He said the meeting had discussed upazila elections and they had agreed that their decision of boycotting the

January 5 election had been right.

The alliance leaders advised Khaleda to take part in the party’s long march programme. Khaleda said: “As the announcement was made, Mirza Fakhrul will lead the long-march, and you will cooperate him to make it successful.”

In the meeting, Azharul Islam of NAP (Bhasani) said as Sheikh Anwarul Haque had announced to leave the alliance, he had expelled him and the party would stay in the alliance. l

Ullah, an official at a multinational firm, who lives in flat no 45 at 32/1 of Basabo in the capital.

“I asked Uday not to make the trip as he didn’t know how to swim. However, I had to let him go when he insisted.

Now that smiling face would never demand something from me,” Mahmud Ullah said.

Sagoto’s residence is located in the Housing Society area of Mohammadpur and his mother Selina Akter had become speechless right after the incident.

Holding a picture of Sagoto in her hands, Selina, with tears in her eyes, was wailing and saying: “Oh the Almighty, don’t let my son live only in picture. Bring him back as he has just begun his life.” l

Tk10,000 crore

Siddique released unhurt

‘Gonojagoron Moncho now a burden on AL’

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

The press conference was organised on arrival of 12 migrants who fell victim to traffickers in Iran.

Speaking on the occasion, Shah Alam said UAE-based traffickers target the established migrants there and allure them with promising lucrative jobs and high wages in the European countries, including Greece, Turkey and Italy.

Later, the traffickers take them to Iran and confine them in different houses, and force them to pay from Tk3 lakh-Tk18 lakh by the relatives of migrants in Bangladesh, according to an investigation conducted by CID. The local agents collect the money through bKash and SA Paribahan.

Traffickers in the UAE usually target those migrants who are unaware of banking channel and regularly send money home. These migrants hand over money to traffickers and their local agents pay the victims’ relatives.

Referring to a recent letter sent to the senior secretary of the Home Ministry from Bangladesh embassy in Iran, Shah Alam said a total of 2,000 victims were expatriated from Iran in last one and half years.

Each of these victims has to pay Tk300,000-Tk1,800,000. On average, a victim has to pay Tk500,000-Tk600,000.

“We have estimated an amount of Tk120 crore in a single case,” the CID official said. He added: “We have found that the traffickers have been continuing with this illegal business for about 10 years.”

“At the beginning of 2013, we start dealing with the issue seriously and now we are investigating around 30 cases. We have already identified the traffickers and arrested their local agents,” the official added.

Twelve victims returned home yesterday with the assistance of Bangladesh embassy in Iran, CID and Rights Jessore, a non-governmental organisation working for the migrants who fall victim to human trafficking. l

“It is not yet time to say who kidnapped him or why or why he has been released,” he said.

Narayanganj Superintendent of Police Syed Nurul Islam, who was with Maruf, said: “We had reached near solving the mystery behind the abduction.

Perhaps the abductors have released him because of the pressure of the investigation and the media reports.”

Earlier yesterday, Rizwana Hasan, the executive director of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), said she had been threatened twice over phone following the abduction of her husband. She made the claim while talking to reporters after visiting the office of the Detective Branch on the Minto Road in the capital yesterday afternoon.

Replying to a query, she said: “Those who have been affected financially for my pro-environmental activities may be involved in the abduction. Some housing estate business organisations are among the suspects’ list.”

On Wednesday afternoon, a gang of seven to eight armed people kidnapped Siddique from Fatulla on the capital’s outskirt on his way back to Dhaka from Narayanganj, leaving his driver Ripon Miah injured.

Rizwana filed a case with Fatulla police station, mentioning that her husband was the victim of a planned kidnapping carried out as a revenge for her activities in favour of environmental causes.

The investigation

Going through CCTV footage of the Mayor Hanif Flyover toll plaza, the police were able to verify that the abductors of Siddique had entered the capital through the flyover.

However, the number plate on the blue microbus used by the abductors turned out to be a fake one, police sources said.

“Watching the video footage captured

by CCTV cameras on the Gulistan-Jatra-

bari flyover toll plaza, we have become sure that the vehicle entered the capital through the eastern end of the flyover.

But we could not be sure whether they entered the city roads by taking left or right turns through Chankhar Pool and Bakshi Bazar, or if they sped off through the Buet campus,” said Narayanganj Additional SP Mohammad Sazzadur Rahman, who is also the chief of a 12-member committee formed to accelerate Siddique’s rescue.

Narayanganj SP Nurul Islam said they had identified the number plate of the car to be Chatta Metro 17-8327; but Md Rofiqul Islam, an assistant director of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority in Chittagong, confirmed that the number plate was fake.

Short-haired stout-bodied young kidnappers

Admitting that the police were yet to identify any abductor, Sazzadur, however, said they had gathered physical descriptions of some of the abductors.

Quoting driver Ripon and another witness identified as a local workshop employee Abul Kalam, he said: “Among the criminals, those who got down from the vehicle were aged between 28 and 35 years.”

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, both Ripon and Kalam said the criminals were stout-bodied and short-haired, and most members of the gang had been wearing T-shirts.

The Police Headquarters yesterday formed a five-member committee consisting Sheikh Mohammad Maruf Hassan, DB Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam, RAB 3 Deputy Director Major Mohammad Sadiqur Rahman, Narayanganj Additional SP Sazzadur Rahman, and Additional SP at Police Headquarters Abdul Mannan.

Sazzadur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune late last night that the committee held a meeting with Rizwana at her residence in the capital to discuss matters related to the investigation. He, however, declined to elaborate. l

of the Moncho went “against the government” the ruling party backtracked.

After the Moncho called a siege to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Home the activists belonging to the Awami League opposed it and they took an anti-Moncho stance.

Sources said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was offended when the Moncho called programmes against her government. But given the volatile political situation at that time the ruling party did not oppose them publicly.

Now with relatively relaxing political ambience after the January 5 election the Awami League has taken a move to wipe out the Moncho, said the sources.

The government party, however,

claims that they have no link to the recent split in the Gonojagoron Moncho saying that it was the outcome of the internal clash.

Nuh-Ul-Alam Lenin, presidium member of the Awami League, said the historical necessity for which the Gonojagoron Moncho came into being was over.

“The need for Monchoh as ended through the execution of Quader Molla.

So I do not think the platform should continue to exist,” Lenin said.

Lenin alleged that a small portion of the platform was being driven by vaulting ambition.

“We have nothing to say if anyone wants to do something only for their political high ambition. They consider

India holds biggest day of voting  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

answer. In an interview with ANI television news on Wednesday, Modi accused reporters of smearing him over the riots.

“People have forgotten what Modi did to people of this country. I think saving people’s lives is more important than development,” said Shafina Khan, a 21-year-old Muslim teacher in Kamshet, a village surrounded by sugarcane fields in the large western state of Maharashtra.

Khan had just cast a vote for the Nationalist Congress Party, a Congress ally, in a polling station set up in a government school.

Election authorities on Wednesday issued an order rebuking Amit Shah, who runs the BJP’s campaign in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state and a key political battleground, over his speeches.

“The Election Commission is the supreme body and I abide by its decision,” Shah said on his Twitter account after the order.

The commission last week banned

Shah from election rallies and meetings. The latest order did not mention the ban, or what new restrictions might now be sought.

Tech Billionaires and Estranged Cousins

The Congress party, led by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, is forecast to suffer its worst-ever defeat after a decade in power due to public anger over the economic slowdown, high inflation and a string of graft scandals. The party has ruled India for more than 50 of its 67 years of independence.

Congress has struggled in recent days with a former media adviser and a former coal secretary both releasing books that paint Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a well-intentioned but weak figure who answers only to party president Sonia Gandhi.

“It is only a dynasty, like previously we had kings ruling,” said PV Padmanabhan, a 79-year-old retired electricity board official who has voted in every Indian election, and was lining up to vote at the eastern Bangalore polling station.

themselves to be big leader,” said Lenin adding: “What’s their profit to stick to the Moncho leaving their study, business and job.”

The Moncho was divided due to internecine clash, he said saying that a small section of the Moncho led by Imran H Sarkar wanted to put pressure on the government.

Awami League Publicity Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud,also a lawmaker, said no one from the Awami League and its associated bodies were involved in the split of the Moncho.

“We have extended our support to the Moncho why should we crash it?”wondered former minister Hasan Mahmud saying that the division was followed by internal feud. l

“They have to give it to somebody else. (Leaders) should not only come from Nehru’s family.”

Indian elections are notoriously hard to forecast due to the country’s diverse electorate and parliamentary system in which local candidates hold great sway. Opinion polls wrongly predicted a victory for a BJP-led alliance in elections in 2004 and underestimated Congress’s winning margin in 2009.

Yesterday’s parliamentary candidates range from IT billionaire and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, running for Congress in Bangalore, to Maneka Gandhi, an estranged member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty standing for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

Voter turnout has been 68% on average in the 111 constituencies that have voted so far, according to the Election Commission, a sharp rise on 60% in the same constituencies and 58% nationally in 2009.

“It is because of the people’s unrest against the establishment. It is the anti-incumbency,” Nitin Gadkari, a BJP leader and the party’s former president, told Reuters. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Friday, April 18, 2014

Patients relieved as Birdem doctors return to work n Ashif Islam Shaon Activities at the Bangladesh Institute of Research & Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (Birdem) returned to a normalcy yesterday as its doctors joined their workplace after ending a two-day work abstention.

On Tuesday, the physicians of the hospital went for an indefinite strike protesting the attack on three of their colleagues by some people centring the death of a patient there.

“The doctors joined their work around 8am,” said Shahidul Haque Mallik, director of Birdem.

Due to the strike, hundreds of patients suffered not getting medical service in the prominent hospital.

“We came here with my ailing sister three days back and stayed at a hotel that cost us extra money,” said Abul Momen who hailed from Joypurhat. He was very happy like others to observe the latest development of the strike.

As a part of strike, some 200 doctors formed a human chain at Shahbagh intersection for an hour since 11:30am demanding security at workplace,

from where they declared to observe a one-hour work abstention from Saturday noon holding black badge and to launch a case in the incident.

The doctors yesterday decided to return their work after the withdrawal of Additional Superintendent of Police of Dhaka ABM Masud Hossain, whom they blamed for instigating the assault.

Meanwhile, the BIRDEM authorities have beefed up security to prevent untoward incident.

On the other hand, the relatives of the patient, Sirajul Islam, in a press beefing denied the allegation of any attack.

The deceased’s daughter Farhana Nasreen said: “We did not vandalise the hospital and attack the doctors, during which there were many TV channels’ cameras as well as Rab and police personnel.”

“My father was admitted on the 12th floor, but doctors claimed that we run vandalism on the 4th floor…how it could be possible,” she questioned, said adding that “We are going to file a case with Ramna police station against the responsible doctors for negligence in my father’s treatment.” l

Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Communist Party and Bangladesh Shamajtantrik Dal take out a procession demanding fair share of water at Teesta and 54 other rivers in the country from India DHAKA TRIBUNE

Verdict against Khokon Razakar any day n Udisa Islam The International Crimes Tribunal may deliver verdict in the war crimes case against absconding BNP leader Zahid Hossain alias KhokonRazakar any day.

After both prosecution and defence finished placing arguments yesterday, the first tribunal passed the order keeping the case CAV, meaning “verdict would be delivered later.”

Khokon’s counsel MdAbdusShukur – appointed by the state because he had been absconding – said his client had been a victim of mistaken identity.

He tried to place that his client and the accused were not the same person and the investigation officer had failed to finish the probe properly.

Prosecutor Mokhlesur Rahman Badal concluded his part of the arguments seeking death sentence for Khokon, claiming that all charges against the accused had been proven beyond doubt.

Badal told the tribunal that the relatives of the victims of Kokhon’s crimes had been forced to dump the bodies of their loved ones in mass graves without performing last rites, out of fear of the accused and his cohorts. Even children, women and elderly people were not spared KhokonRazakar’s brutality.

Khokonis facing 11 charges for murder, genocide, arson, rape, loot and forcing religious conversion. The first tribunal has so far pronounced verdicts against Jamaat leaders GhulamAzam and Delwar Hossain Sayeede, and BNP leader SalauddinQuader Chowdhury.

Khokon was indicted on October 9, 2013 in absentia.

The prosecution placed a total of 24 witness including the investigation officer, who told the court that the accused was a member of the Razakarforce during the first days of the Liberation War. He became the commander of RazakarBahiniin Nagarkanda of Farid-

purafter his elder brother Zafar died in a confrontation with the freedom fighters.

The defence on the other handsubmitted 30 names as their witnesses but could not produce any of them before the court.

In December last year, prosecution confirmed that Khokonhad been living in Sweden’s Stockholm with his Daughter ShamsunNahar Begum and Son-inLaw Mohammed Bodiuzzaman Shaikh.

Meanwhile, the same Tribunal set May 11 for beginning final arguments in the war crimes case against Mobarak Hossain, an alleged Razakar commander of Brahmanbaria during the Liberation War in 1971, by closing defence witness.

The three-member tribunal, led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, passed the order as defence failed to produce its third witness despite deferring date twice. l

War crimes suspect Hassan yet to be arrested n

Udisa Islam

Thirteen days have passed since a warrant was issued by the International Crimes Tribunal, but war crimes suspect Syed Mohammad Hachhen alias Hassan is still to be arrested.

Although prosecution said in their arrest warrant plea that Hassan had been living in Brahmanbaria, police said he was not there anymore.

On June 6 last year, the tribunal’s investigation agency began probing war crimes allegations against Hassan which he committed in Kishoreganj in 1971.

The investigators have found evidence that Hassan was a commander of the Razakar force and involved in the killing of three people in Tarail area of Kishoreganj in 1971.

According to prosecution, Hassan

now lives in the Machhihata area in Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila. Local police said they knew that the suspect was paralysed and could not move without somebody else’s help; but now they were not sure about his whereabouts.

AKM Nasiurddin Mahmud, registrar of the tribunal, told the Dhaka Tribune that the arrest warrant had been forwarded to the appropriate authorities in due time. “We will be able to tell you about further developments only after police produce him,” he said.

Brahmanbaria district police chief Md Maniruzzaman said Hassan had been under surveillance; but recently, he had not been involved with any activity. “As soon as we trace him, he will be arrested,” he said.

The tribunal has ordered prosecution to submit the probe report against Hassan by May 15. l

No gas found at new Fenchuganj well n Aminur Rahman Rasel State-run Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) has announced its decision to abandon the Development Well 5 of Fenchuganj Gas Field as no reserves were found even after an eight month long effort.

The failure was considered as a unique incident in the country’s history as the well was believed to a large reservoir of natural gas to meet the country’s growing demands in power generation and industrial usages.

“We have drilled some 3,100 metres [into the well] and the analysis of the data found showed no signs of existence of gas. Now, the field crew and experts are carrying out few tasks, in-

cluding preparing a well log report, before abandoning the site,” Bapex Managing Director MA Baki told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

“The drilling location was ‘faulty’.

The rig was stuck during drilling. There might have been a problem with the well location which resulted in a failure in the first attempt,” a Bapex official said seeking anonymity.

Bapex officials said: “Exploratory wells can fail as the success ratio for such ventures were 3:1, but it was impossible for a development well to fail. This site was supposed to supply 15 to 20 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.”

The drilling operation cost of the Well-5, situated at Bhatera in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar, stood Tk76 crore “This can happen, but the location

Destiny Group MD, chairman denied bail n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A man makes traditional sherbet for customers at a sherbet shop at the capital’s Chawkbazar area yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

A Dhaka court yesterday rejected the bail pleas for Destiny Group Managing Director Md Rafiqul Amin and its Chairman Mohammad Hossain in connection with two separate cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Defence counsel Md Badiuzzaman Topader filed the separate bail petitions, mentioning that the ACC had no jurisdiction to file the cases against the accused.

In his plea, Badiuzzaman also mentioned that according to the law, probe authorities had to submit report within 60 working days, but they failed to do that within the timeframe.

After filing the case 21 months had already elapsed, but no charge sheet had been pressed, he said, adding that the bail should, therefore, be granted.

On the other hand ACC lawyer Kabir Hossain opposed the bail plea.

After hearing both sides Metropolitan Magistrate Meher Nigar Shuchana rejected the bail petitions.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed two cases against the company officials, including its Managing Director Mohammad Rafiqul Amin and Director Lt Gen (rtd) Md Harun-or-Rashid on July 31, 2012.

On July 31, ACC Deputy Director Mozahar Ali Sarder filed a case with the capital’s Kalabagan police station against 12 Destiny Group officials for laundering about Tk2106.64 crore out of Destiny Tree Plantation Project.

On the same day, ACC Assistant Director Towfiqul Islam filed another case against 22 top officials of the company, including the 12, for laundering Tk1178.61 crore from Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd. The ACC claimed that the company laundered a total of Tk3,285 crore, cheating investors out of their fortunes. l

should have been selected more cautiously. Such precautions could have saved a lot of money,” Professor Ijaz Hossain from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The Fenchuganj gas field, located in the country’s north-eastern region, has been supplying around 38 million cubic feet of gas per day from three wells to the national grid.

The field’s recoverable gas reserve is around 381 billion cubic feet (bcf), of which 100bcf has been extracted so far.

Earlier, Bapex dug three explorations well in Comilla’s Srikail separately in 2004, Sunetra structure in Sunamganj-Netrakona in 2012, Kapasia in Gazipur in 2011 but could not find any gas reserves at the sites. l

CASES AGAINST KASHEM

Defence finishes grilling prosecution witnesses n Udisa Islam The investigation officer in the war crimes cases against Jamaat leader Mir Kashem Ali yesterday said defence side’s allegations that he failed to get any witness, was not true.

Defence attorney Mizanul Islam yesterday cross examined last prosecution witness Nurul Islam, the investigator.

In reply to the defence lawyer’s grilling about how he conducted the probe, Nurul said Parvin Chowdhury and Probir Talukder witnessed the alleged 1971 abduction of Tuntu Sen, Jasim Uddin and Ranjit Das by Kashem.

The tribunal framed a total of 14 charges against Mir Kashem Mizanul however alleged that Probir could not be a witness because he was only seven years old during the Liberation War. Nurul’s cross examination ended the grilling of all 24 prosecution witnesses. Yesterday the tribunal set April 22 for the cross examination of the defence witnesses.

Earlier, the defence side placed 22 names for testifying in favour of Kashem and the tribunal allowed them two.

Later, following prayer for six witnesses, the court allowed them one more that is, three witnesses.

The tribunal framed a total of 14 charges against Mir Kashem – two for killing and the rest for abetting and facilitating abduction, confinement and torture. l

KHALEDA’S INDICTMENT IN GRAFT CASES

HC adjourns hearing n Tribune Report The High Court yesterday adjourned hearing of pleas lodged by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for cancelling the lower court’s orders that indicted her in two corruption cases – Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust.

The bench of Justice Borhanuddin and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order. Hearing on the petitions registered under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) began on Wednesday.

Khaleda’s counsels told the bench that the CrPC was not followed while framing charges. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, however, argued that the court specifically mentioned offences the former premier was accused of.

On March 19, Judge Basudev Roy of the Dhaka Third Special Judge’s Court passed the indictment orders in two cases and also set April 21 for commencement of the trial with depositions of prosecution witnesses. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, April 18, 2014

Campaign likely before land development tax hike n Mohosinul Karim The government will launch a field-level campaign from May to whip up public opinion on its decision to hike land development taxto offset the probable negative impact on taxpayers.

The land ministry will issue a letter to the deputy commissioners requesting them to hold view-exchange meetings in their respective areas on the issue.

According to the decision, a team led by land ministry’s additional secretary of the law wing will exchange views with district level local people, stakeholders, civil society members and political leaders to create public awareness, a source in the land ministry said.

The rate and figures of land development taxes will be fixed on the basis of recommendation of view-exchange meetings, he said.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioners from across the country suggested the government reduce the ceiling of tax-free land to 10 bighas from the existing 25 bighas.

The proposal will be placed in the next deputy commissioners’ conference scheduled to be held in Dhaka on July 8-10 for discussion.

The DCs in their suggestion said the government gave tax waiver facilities in 1970s considering the financial condition of people. But the scenario has changed now and the facilities should be reduced.

When asked about the government decisionAdditional Secretary Ibrahim Hossain Khan of the ministry yesterday said: “It’s not that we have already taken the decision to hold view-exchangemeetings but we are thinking about it as it will help the government implement the decision.”

“We have asked the divisional com-

missioners to give their opinion on the issue. An inter-ministerial meeting has been called on April 20. The commissioners will give their opinion and suggestions in the meeting. Everything will be finalised after the meeting,” he added.

Earlier, the government started a move to hike land development taxes considering the increasing land price and the expenditures in the land sector.

The land ministry, to this end, has taken an initiative for a 100% to 200% hike in land tax. A draft proposal was sent to the divisional commissioners who were supposed to give their opinion by March 15 but they have not yet sent any reply.

The last increase in the land development tax came into effect in 1995.

Land Ministry’s Senior Secretary Mohammad Safiul Alam a few days back said: “The move to increase the

land tax has been taken but it will take some more time as the government is taking people’s reaction into account.”

“The step was taken last year. A sub-committee of the ministry led by Ibrahim Khan prepared a draft proposal for the tax increase,” said additional secretary Ibrahim Khan.

The ministry, however, did not finalise the draft taking into consideration the national election. After the government resumed the office, the initiative was revived. Probably the draft will be placed before the inter-ministerial meeting soon, he said.

The government exempted all owners of rural areas having land up to 25 bighas (8.33 acres) from paying land revenue by a presidential order. It was remained as it is according to the order.

The revenue from landholders having from over 25 bighas to 10 acres will be increased to TK1per decimal from TK0.50. But the owners having agricul-

ture land of above 10 acres will have to pay Tk2per decimal.

Owners of Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Narayanganj and Gazipur areas have to pay more as land development tax. In those areas owners of industrial plot have to pay Tk300 in place of the existing TK125 and TK60 in place of Tk22 for a decimal residential plot.

But in Keraniganj, Savar, Dhamrai municipalities, Rupganj Sadar under Narayanganj, Siatkunda and Rangunia under Chittagong district the new tax will be TK250 from that of Tk125 for industrial plot and TK50 from that of Tk22for residential plot per decimal.

As per the proposal, the owners of district headquarters municipality areas have to pay TK22 for industrial plot and TK7for residential plot per decimal while it is TK17 and TK6for the municipalities out of district headquarters. It is only TK15 and TK5 for the areas that are not declared as municipalities. l

Photo exhibition starts tomorrow n Tribune Report “Photo & Fun” is going to present its first ever photo exhibition titled “Freezing Moments” of its members from April 1819, 2014 at DRIK Gallery, Dhanmondi, Dhaka. Three foreigners, five non-resident Bangladeshi and 54 photographers from different parts of the country are participating in this exhibition.

Initially “Photo & Fun” was created to provide a common platform that could accommodate the amateur, yet passionate, photographers alongside the professional ones. Presently the group has member base of more than 3,750 professional and amateur photographers with a vision to transcribe their passions, feelings and all hidden creativity in a single photo canvas.

It has welcomed the presence of people from all walks of life to enjoy the exhibition, says a press release by the group. l

UN to help Bangladesh with WMD non-proliferation n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman The United Nations, for the first time, will help Bangladesh develop capacity for controlling export and managing borders to prevent weapons of mass destruction (WMD) from entering the country.

“This is the first initiative of its kind.

Three UN experts will visit Bangladesh and guide us to develop our capacity to check proliferation of WMD,” Director General Foreign Ministry Director General Saida Mona Tasneem told the Dhaka Tribune.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a resolution on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction concerning all the countries and Bangladesh has to develop its capacity to implement the resolution.

The 1540 resolution, which is the mother resolution, says all countries must control exports and borders so that WMD must not fall in the hands of terrorists. WMD consists of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Representatives from different ministries and agencies including the Home Ministry, Border Guard Bangladesh, Coast Guard, Armed Forces Division, National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Bank, Shipping Ministry, Health Ministry and Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation will take part in a two-day workshop on non-proliferation of WMD. Bangladesh needs to report back to the UNSC about the development of implementation of the adopted resolution and this programme will help the government provide a detailed report,

Artists perform at a programme to celebrate Pahela Boishakh, organised by Meena Bazar, at the capital’s Dhanmondi yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Two constables denied bail in gold embezzlement case n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court sent two police constables back to jail yesterday after rejecting his bail petition in a case filed with Rampura police station over embezzlement of smuggled 149 gold bars.

Metropolitan Magistrate Meher Nigar Suchana passed the order after hearing on a bail petition filed by police constables Wahidul Islam and Akash Chowdhury through their counsel in the case.

On April 2, a Dhaka court had sent Wahid and Akash to jail along with three other arrested in connection with misappropriation of the smuggled gold.

They are: Sub-Inspector Manzurul Islam of Rampura police station, Md Sajib Shikdar, a police informer, and Mahfuz Alam Roni, a car driver.

Detective Branch of police arrested the three policemen and their informer with 149 gold bars in their possession in separate drives in Dhaka, Naryanganj, Gazipur and Bogra on April 1.

According to the case statement, Manzurul and his patrol team confiscated 149 gold bars from a microbus at Banasree’s Balurmath area on March 13.

On April 8, DB Inspector Md Fazlul Haque filed a case against the accused in this regard with Rampura police station. l

Saida Mona Tasneem said.

The government has already formed the National Committee on Implementing UNSC Resolutions on Combating Terrorists and Financing of Terrorism which is headed by the foreign secretary.

Bangladesh must develop its legal, regulatory and administrative capacity for non-proliferation of WMD to increase international reliance on the country, said a Foreign Ministry official.

“Bangladesh follows the policy of peaceful use of nuclear energy and because of that, it must have a strong capacity so that the technology does not end up in the wrong hands,” he said.

He said Bangladesh is committed to build Rooppur Nuclear Plant and nuclear technology is used to develop high-yielding variety of rice or in medical science. l

Ellen O Tauscher, chair of Alliance for Bangladesh Workers Safety, addresses a seminar on workers’ safety at the capital’s Westin Hotel yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Hard line on illegal fishing n Mohosinul Karim

PM directs ministries to perform better

The government is taking a hard line on Myanmar citizens who fish in the waters of Bangladesh.

“We have already started confiscating their illegal trawlers from our waters. More steps will be taken against them,” Fisheries Minister Sayedul Haq told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

This step is being taken as per the prime minister’s instruction, he said, adding that many illegal Myanmar intruders are also involved in various types of unsocial activities.

“Thai citizens are also trying to illegally enter the waters of Bangladesh and fish here. For impeding that, the prime minister has also instructed,” he said.

Quoting the prime minister, he said, “Thailand has already lost their fisheries due to illegal fishing. We don’t want to lose it. So, take tougher action against it.”

A total of 199 fishing trawlers, according to the Department of Fisheries, were approved from 1973 to 2011, to fish in the deep sea, but around 40,000 fishing boats and trawlers fish in the area.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has called an inter-ministerial meeting to be held at its conference room on April 20, following the PM’s official instruction for preventing illegal entry and fishing into the waters of Bangladesh.

Naval chief, senior secretary of Home Ministry, inspector general of police, secretaries of different ministries attended the meeting. l

n Asif Shawkat Kallol Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked secretaries to take strict measures to prevent extortion, terrorist activities and violation of tender conditions using muscle men across the country.

Addressing the chief executives of different divisions and ministries in a letter, the PM has said they should be alert about possible acts of sabotage and terrorism in the country and ensure security for public life and wealth and stable environment in the industrial areas at any cost.

Officials concerned yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that the PM had mapped out a 19-point directive on implementing different government programmes and maintaining a peaceful state in the country. The points were decided in a cabinet meeting on April 7.

Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan sent the letter to all secretaries on Wednesday, stating that the premier was concerned about the ministries not performing at the required pace.

According to the letter, the prime minister observed that different ministries were making unnecessary delays in implementing government decisions.

She urged the secretaries to take personal initiatives to solve ministry problems.

As per the directive, the authorities concerned are required to conduct a feasibility study to determine if sever-

al public administration commissions could be established to accommodate additional government officials who passed Public Service Commission exam.

The secretaries should also take on development projects under the new Annual Development Programmes in line with the election manifesto, the letter said, adding that they should also ensure proper utilisation of the ADP fund.

In undertaking the development projects, the secretaries should keep the environmental issues in mind, as per the directives.

They should also support the government in court trials when necessary.

An attorney service would be set up for the government as well, the letter said.

The PM also directed the secretaries to strengthen the upazila administration for decentralisation of administrative power. She said the upazila chairpersons should have full authority to run administration and conduct projects to ensure development in infrastructure, education, health and law.

They should also be able to enhance government revenues at the upazila level, the letter said.

The secretaries should also finalise the public administrative act. The letter asked the secretaries to pay more attention to the ministries and ensure all the due taxes and utility bills were paid. l

Fingers of housewife severed in city n Mohammad Jamil Khan A group of armed assailants cut off four fingers of a housewife after entering her residence in the capital’s Jatrabari area in the early hour of yesterday.

The victim was identified as Nargis Akter, 40, wife of Mulack Chand, a resident of Modhyapara area of Kajla, the outskirt of the capital.

Nargis is now undergoing treatment at National institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation.

The miscreants also beat up Nargis’s daughter Muna Akter, 20.

Ekram Hossain, nephew of victim, told the Dhaka Tribune that some miscreants equipped with lethal weapons entered flat of victim situated on the first floor of a three-story building by breaking door.

As Nargis tried to stop them, the

miscreants attacked her with sharp weapons in which fingers of her hands were severed.

“Later, they fastened up my sister Muna and my uncle Mulack with rope, Ekram said, adding that the miscreants, however, would not able to take away much valuable from the house except ornaments which Nargis was adorning.

Contacted, Abani Shankar Kar, officer-in-charge of Jatrabari police station, said: “We are suspecting that these miscreants are no others but some local youths. Getting some clues from Nargis we have already detained four local hoodlums.

“We would take action against after receiving written complaint from victim,” he said.

No case was filed with the police station till yesterday evening. l

Recipients of the Ashutosh Chakravarti Memorial Stipend pose for a photograph on Sarail Pilot Girls’ High School premises in Brahmanbaria yesterday. This year, a total of 61 students received the stipends in the upazila DHAKA TRIBUNE

Police bar Gonojagoron programme n DU Correspondent Police yesterday barred the faction of Gonojagoron Moncho led by Kamal Pasha Chowdhury to observe scheduled programme at Shahbagh intersection arranged to mark the Mujibnagar Day. Sub-inspector of Shahbagh police station Kazi Shariful Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that they did not permit Moncho activists to observe programme with a view to avoiding crowd and traffic jam as well as any untoward situation in the area.

The activists, however, expressed dissatisfaction at the decision.

Kamal, along with the activists, arranged a press briefing and sought explanation from the government for the decision not to permit them to observe the programme.

He even threatened to declare tougher programmes and to violate restriction if law enforcers failed to come up with clarification.

“If law enforcers do not provide us with any specific and logical reason, we will impose tougher programmes in the future and will not comply with their restrictions”, Pasha said while addressing the briefing.

He also announced a demonstration for Friday at 3pm at Shahbagh intersection as law enforcers did not take any action against the attacker of Shihir, who was stabbed on Tuesday in the capital’s Bangla Motor. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Friday, April 18, 2014

ICDDR’B to seek ‘temporary’ Third slum census begins on April 25 approval for its saline n

Moniruzzaman Uzzal

With the peak time for diarrhoeal diseases currently ongoing, the ICDDRB has been facing difficulties to treat patients without the use of its self-produced rice and oral saline, the manufacturing of which was suspended following recent recovery of fake saline products in the capital.

The International Centre for Diarrhoea Disease and Research Bangladesh, which had been using rice and oral saline to treat its patients for many years, is currently using the oral (glucose) saline made by an outside source as an alternative.

The ICDDRB suspended production of both its rice and oral saline products, until it received formal registration from the country’s drug administration authority. In this regard, the ICDDRB is reportedly set to submit an application to the authority concerned, seeking temporary permission for producing rice and oral saline to be used only for their inhouse diarrhoea patients.

Dr Azharul Islam Khan, chief

physician and head of diarrheal diseases unit of the ICDDRB Hospital, told the Dhaka Tribune that they are going to apply for the interim permission only to fulfil emergency needs of in-house patients.

He added that on an average, the ICDDRB needed around 10-11 thousand litres of saline – both rice and oral – each day to treat its patients.

Although the number of patients had come down in recent days compared to the past week, it was still the peak time for diarrhoeal diseases to spread, Dr Azharul cautioned.

Dr Ayesha Khatun, chief of the health directorate’s National Crisis Management Centre, told the Dhaka Tribune that the average number of patients at ICDDRB hospital during April 9-16 was around 675, while the total number of patients so far this year stood at 40,139.

Nasmeen Ahmed, senior communications manager of the ICDDRB, recently issued a press release saying its hospitals and treatment centres had been instructed to stop using glucose and rice-based saline obtained from

the ICDDRB Employees’ Multipurpose Cooperative Society, an independent registered entity.

Selim Barami, a director of the drug administration, told the Dhaka Tribune that rice saline was a medical product, which no one could manufacture or sell without acquiring a licence.

The ICDDRB would need to follow all the rules and procedures of a commercial drug factory in order to get a manufacturing licence, Barami added.

Sources said unscrupulous traders have been producing large amounts of fake and substandard oral saline to cash in from the huge demand of the product.

During recent drives, mobile courts identified two factories in the city that were producing fake rice saline of the ICDDRB, and sentenced the factory owners and employees with different terms of imprisonment.

The Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) or oral saline was developed by the ICDDRB (formerly the Cholera Research Laboratory) in the late 1960s, and since then is estimated to have saved at least 50 million lives worldwide. l

n Tribune Report

An eight-day third slum census will begin from April 25 in all city areas across the country.

The event titled “Slum Census and Floating Population Count 2014” was launched at the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) yesterday.

The key objectives of the census are to determine the number of slums, households and population according to age and sex, socioeconomic status, demographic characteristics, basic and main causes for migration to the slums, major districts of origin and collection of statistics related to profession, education and environment of the landless slum dwellers.

The Geographic Information System Map will be used in carrying out the census in the city corporation areas across the country.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal inaugurated the event.

He said: “We need to have accurate data on slum dwellers to implement fifth five-year plan that aims to alleviate poverty, generate employment and reduce population growth rate.”

“This project will help take right decision to materialise objectives of fifth five-year plan.”

Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman said the government launched slum census as it was not possible to collect accurate statistics by population census only.

In 1997, the census found that there were 2,991 slums in four major city corporations “I believe this project will contribute significantly to the development of slum dwellers.”

The government first carried out a partial slum census in four major cities – Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi – in 1985-1986. The first full slum census was conducted across the country in 1997. A survey on food security situation of the slum dwellers was conducted in 2006.

In 1997, the census found that there were 2,991 slums in four major city corporations, where 13.9 lakh people lived and the Dhaka city had 1,000 slums. l

Coast guard seizes contrabands in Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Bangladesh Coast Guard (East Zone) yesterday morning seized 31,068 pieces of Yaba pills, an engine-run boat, 2,000 metres current net, 65 litres diesel and some instrument from Kutubdia estuary of Cox’s Bazar.

However, none was nabbed in this connection, said a press release of Bangladesh Coast Guard (East Zone).

Monwar Hossain, public relation officer (PRO) of Bangladesh Coast Guard (East Zone), said a team of coast guard conducted a drive at the estuary under Kutubdia police station around 11:30am following a tip-off and seized the illegal items. l

Worker dies falling from rooftop n CU Correspondent A construction worker was killed after falling from the rooftop of a two-storied under construction building at city’s GEC area.

The deceased was identified as Jahangir Alam,25, son of Ahad Mian, hailing from Haripur area of Brahmanbaria district, said police sources.

Ripon, a colleague of Jahangir, said the worker slipped and fell off at the second floor of the building near Sanmar Ocen City Shopping Mall around 1pm.

Later, the other workers sent him to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, where on duty doctors declared him dead, said Nayek Jahangir Alam of CMCH police outpost. l

WEATHER

SUNNY FRIDAY, APRIL 18 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:21PM SUN RISES 5:34AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

40

28

Chittagong

34

25

Rajshahi

41

24

Rangpur

40

25

Khulna

40

25

Barisal

38

26

Sylhet

38

23

Cox’s Bazar

34

24

Physicians of Birdem hospital bring out a procession in the city yesterday, demanding punishment of the people, who assaulted physicians

17 injured in BU highway clash n Our Correspondent, Barisal

At least 17 people were injured and four vehicles vandalised when clashes erupted after students of Barisal University blocked the Barisal-Patuakhali highway near the campus at Karnakathi, protesting the assault of a fellow student by a transport worker.

The injured include 14 students and one teacher of the university and two law enforcers.

According to witnesses, transport workers of a bus reportedly assaulted one Naimuddin Mitu, a BU student of law faculty, after he protested when he was denied a stoppage in front of the university’s main gate.

As the news of the assault spread on the campus, agitated students barricaded the highway, stopping traffic in at least nine routes in Barisal-Bhola-Patuakhali-Jhalakathi-Barguna districts at around 10am.

Soon, police and RAB officials intervened and tried to disperse the protesters from the highway, triggering a clash between law enforcers and university students. The agitated students also threw brickbats at the law enforcers

during the clash.

Later, law enforcers charged baton, fired 13 rounds of rubber bullets and eight tear shells to disperse the protesters and took control of the situation after two hours clash.

“We controlled the situation by charging baton and firing rubber bullets and teargas shells and resumed the traffic at 12:30pm,” said Barisal Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (North) Abu Raihan Md. Saleh.

Police constable Siddikur Rahman and RAB havildar Asadul Huq were injured during the clash.

“Some 14 BU students, namely Naimuddin Mitu, Shakhawat Hossain, Amit Hasan, Saifuddin Nasim, Leon, Abdur Razzak from the Law department, Saifuzzaman, Sabuj Russell, Shafikur Rahman, Nishat Abdullah from the political science department, Sajal from Sociology department and Tanvir, Maniruzzaman, Newaz from Soil Science department, have been admitted at the hospital,” said BU Finance Department Chairman Ibrahim Hossain Molla while visiting Barisal Sher E Bangla Medical College Hospital

“Besides, injured faculty Tanvir Qaisar, assistant professor of English department and secretary of BU Teachers’ Association, were sent home after giving treatment at the hospital,” he added On other hand, Bahauddin Golap, assistant register and president of the BU officers’ association, alleged that police barred university officials from entering and attending to the injured students SBMCH and a section officer of the university, Subrato Baroi, was also assaulted by Assistant Police Commissioner Mahmud Hossain at the hospital.

BU students alleged that transport workers not only abuse them for demanding students-concession fare, but also tease female students and frequently deny stoppages in front of the BU campus gate.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner (North) BMP claimed that the police action was done to control the situation and ease the tension and a tri-party meeting with the university, road transport owners and workers association and law enforcing agencies would be held at afternoon at the BMP office. l

Source: Accuweather/UNB

4:19am 5:36am 11:59am 4:26pm 6:21pm 7:39pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

A rickshaw-van puller was allegedly killed by his wife in Chittagong city’s CRB Jamtola shanty area early yesterday.

Police said the rickshaw-van puller Mohammad Sujon was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) by his wife Sofia Khatun and father-in-law, claiming that he had committed suicide. However, the victim’s family accused Sofia of killing Sujon.

Assistant Commissioner Shah Mohammad Abdu Rouf of Chittagong Metropolitan PoliceKotwali Circle said they had detained Sofia for interrogation after allegations against her were made

Police personnel try to calm students of Barisal University during a clash that took place near campus

DHAKA TRIBUNE

DIU students demand safer roads n Tribune Report The students and teachers of Daffodil International University yesterday organised a human chain in front of the main campus in Shukrabad area of the capital, demanding safe roads in Mirpur Road today morning at 10.00am.

Ilias Kanchon, actor and initiator of the movement Nirapad Sarak Chai, was present as the chief guest at the human chain programme.

According to a DIU press release, the human chain was formed noting the recent death of a DIU student in a road accident. Shahin Ferdous, a student of the university’s Computer Science and Engineering Department, died on April 13 in front of the university after he was hit by a vehicle.

The students and teachers demanded safer roads and immediate implementation of more speed breakers.

DIU Vice-ChancellorProf M Lutfar Rahman, Faculty of Humanities and Social ScienceDean ProfM Golam Rahman and Faculty of Business and Economics Dean Prof M Zakir Hossain were present, among others, at the human chain. l

by the victim’s family.

Quoting Sofia, the official said Sujonhad stabbed himself around 3:30am during an altercation with Sofia when she denied giving money to her addicted husband for purchasing drugs.

Later, Sujon was rushed to CMCH where the duty doctorsdeclared him dead, said Sub-Inspector Jahirul Islam, in-charge of CMCH Police Outpost.

The assistant commissioner said the victim’s family members claimed that Sujon was killed by Sofia over family dispute as she washis second wife.The first wife and children were in Chandpur, he added.

The officialsaid they were investigating into the matter and case was being prepared in this connection. l

‘BNP-Jamaat distorting country’s history’

He hinted starting movement by his party to establish rights in water of the Teesta

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Jumma Asr Magrib Esha

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Rashed Khan Menon yesterday blamed BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami for deforming the country’s history by claiming Ziaur Rahman first president of Bangladesh.

21.8ºC Srimangal

Two people were arrested early yesterday by the police from a residence inCharandwip under Boalkhali upazila of Chittagong.

The arrestees were Jashim Uddin, 42, and his wife Sufia Akhter, 32, said police sources. Two light guns and 18 rounds of bullets were also recovered from their possession.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Shamim Hossain of Potiya circle in Chittagong said they conducted a drive at Foyez Sowdagor Bari in the area around 3:15am following a tip-off they had received.An arms case was lodged with Boalkhali Police Station in this connection, he said.

The ASP said in initial investigation, police found that local robbers,drug peddlers and smugglers used the couple’s residence for keeping their illegal items, including arms and ammunition.

The residence was also used as a safe den for the local miscreants, he added.

“The couple used to bag money from the miscreants in return for keeping their illegal items,” added ASP Shamim. l

Mystery shrouds death of van-puller in Chittagong

n Our Correspondent, Barisal

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

39.4ºC Jessore

NASHIRUL ISLAM

Couple held with arms and ammo in Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

“BNP-Jamaat leaders are now engaged in a new conspiracy of distorting the glorious history of our independence and the liberation war. They are delivering false speeches and showing fake documents on our history to the nation,” Menon said.

The minister said Tareq Rahman was giving provocative statements against the Mujibnagar Government formed during the 1971 liberation war after failing to foil the immediate held national elections.

While inaugurating the ninth conference of Barisal unit Workers Party, Menon made the remarks as chief guest, who is also its chairman.

Menon also said the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance destroyed lives and properties to foil the January 5 polls causing cores of losses of the country although it participated in the upazila polls by realising their errors.

Regarding ongoing war crimes trial, the minister said none could prevent the trial and the incumbent government would end it at any cost.

He hinted starting movement by his party to establish rights in water of the Teesta River. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Friday, April 18, 2014

Grab picks up steam on railway land n Our Correspondent, Sirajganj Railway land, valued about Tk 1000 crore, has been dispossessed for 30 years in Sirajganj but no effective step has yet been taken to reclaim it.

Influentials have been grabbing the land from Bazar Railway Station to Raipur Railway Station, taking advantage of the railway authorities’ reluctance of it.

Earlier on June 23, Railways Minister Mujibul Haq had promised reclamation of the dispossessed railway land while flagging off Sirajganj Express, an intercity train.

But no reflection of the minister’s promise has yet to be seen.

Rather, the railway land grab has picked up steam after the train directly connecting Sirajganj and Dhaka was introduced on June 23, 2013.

Several railway officials and employees are also involved in the land grab as they have built shops encroaching on the railway land and rented them.

While visiting Bazar Railway Station, our correspondent has found one Babu erecting a tin-shed building blocking part of the entry to the general railway police station there.

News in Brief Husband kills wife A housewife was allegedly stabbed to death by her husband at Thana Para village under Sadar upazila yesterday. Witnesses said Nurun Nabi, 30, son of Nesar Uddin, a night guard for Nilphamari LGED, had killed his wife over a family feud.

Locals held the killer and handed over to police. Shahjahan Pasha, officer-in-charge of Nilphamari police station said the police had recovered the body and sent it to Nilphamari Adhunik Sadar Hospital. Our Correspondent, – Our correspondent

Lightning strike kills Krishak League leader Itna upazila unit Krishak League president in Kishoreganj district was killed when he was struck by lightning yesterday. The deceased was identified as Md Matiur Rahman, 55. Police and locals said lightning had struck Matiur while he was going to a paddy field in Dakkiner haor area to look after workers who were harvesting paddy. He died on the spot. Itna police station Officerin-Charge Abul Hashem confirmed the incident. – Our Correspondent

One Masud has been running his business there for so long, setting up a boarding house to the south of new building of the railway police station.

Both Babu and Masud have also fenced in several railway land areas.

Asked about this, they say they have enclosed the lands to prevent people from making them dirty with excretion.

Like Masud and Babu, many others have started erecting new structures for doing business, our correspondent has also found.

Asked about this, Inspector of Works Md Asaduzzaman said, “We know about the railway land grab. But what on earth can we do about this when our manpower is so short.”

The general railway police here were notified of the land grab, but they have not yet come with any response, he said.

Officer-in-Charge at Sirajganj General Railway Police station Ali Akbar said, “This is not our duty to reclaim the railway land.”

“We are only vested with the duty to ensure security of the railway and passengers from Ishwardy to Bangabandhu bridge.” l

An eatery building is being set up, blocking part of the entrance to Sirajganj General Railway police station

Overdue payments worry Magura sugarcane farmers

Bumper wheat farming in Faridpur

n Our Correspondent, Magura

n Our Correspondent, Faridpur

Sugarcane farmers in Magura district are facing a headache as the mill authorities could not clear their dues till present.

Sources said the farmers did not show interest to grow the crop as they have to incur losses every year.

According to Magura sub zone of Modhukhali Sugar Mills Ltd, last year 732 acres of land was brought under the cultivation in the district. But the amount of sugarcane cultivated land has decreased and stood at 621 acres this year.

Five years ago, the number of farmers was more than 2,000 in the district but it is below 1,000 now.

Babul Sheikh, a farmer of Shibrampur village under Sadar upazila said: “Last year I sold 10 maunds of sug-

arcane to Modhukhali Sugar Mills Ltd. But I am yet to be paid a bill of Tk40,000.”

“Due to nonpayment of bill, I could not cultivate the crop this year,” he also said.

Farmers have to suffer extremely as the sugar mill authorities do not pay the bill timely Farmer Abdur Razzak of Katakhali village said: “Last year I cultivated sugarcane on four acres of my land taking a loan on high interest from a local NGO.” “As the mill authority did not pay the bill, I could not repay my loan of Tk 50,000,” he said.

“I am worried as the interest of

A man who sustained injuries in an attack by his son on Tuesday died at a private clinic in Jessore Wednesday evening. The deceased was identified as Bisharat Ali, 52, son of late Afzal Ali of village Bedbaria under Moheshpur upazila in Jhenaidah. Moheshpur police station Officer-in-Charge M Shahjahan Ali said: “Bisharat locked in an altercation with his son Ahsanur over the payment of electricity bill.” “At a stage of the altercation, Ahsanur stabbed his father in the abdomen with a screw driver, leaving him injured,” he said. Later, Bisharat was sent to the private clinic in Jessore where he succumbed to his injuries around 7pm. The body was sent to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. The killer son managed to flee, OC said. A murder case was filed with the police station in this connection. – Our Correspondent

Members of Chuadanga 6 BGB battalion seized smuggled goods worth Tk577,730 in three separate drives on Wednesday night and yesterday morning in the bordering areas of Chuadanga district with India. The seized goods include Indian cumin, wine and polythene.

Director of Chuadanga 6 BGB Lieutenant Colonel Moniruzzaman told the Dhaka Tribune that a special team of BGB led by Habildar Saiful Islam of Uthli BOP Camp confiscated 173kg of abandoned Indian polythene worth Tk259,600 from Darshana railway station at 6am yesterday morning. Earlier, the same team seized 92 bottles of abandoned Indian wine worth of Tk138,000 on Wednesday evening from Rangiarpotamath area in the district. Another team of BGB led by Habildar Nazmul Haque of Munshipur BOP camp under Damurhuda upazila confiscated 360kg of abandoned Indian cumin worth Tk180,130 around 8pm on Wednesday from the metalled road of village Kutubpur in the district. The BGB men filed three separate cases in connection with the seizures with Damurhuda police station. – Our Correspondent

the loan is increasing day by day,” he added.

Farmer leader Oaliaur Rahman of Sadar upazila said: “Soil and weather of the area are congenial for sugarcane cultivation. By cultivating the crop on an acre of land, a farmer can earn Tk1 lakh while his production cost is Tk20,000.”

“But the reality is that farmers have to suffer extremely as the sugar mill authorities do not pay the bill timely,” he also said.

“If government takes proper policy, sugarcane cultivation can change the lot of farmers,” Oaliaur added.

When contacted, Probir Mollik, assistant manager of Modhukhali Sugar Mills Ltd admitted the matter.

He also said: “As a huge amount of sugar is going unsold, we could not pay the bill to the farmers.” l

Wheat cultivation here has recently become popular among the local farmers, encouraging them more to cultivate the crop on vast tracks of land.

Sources at department of agriculture extension (DAE) of Faridpur said congenial weather and availability of heat resistant wheat seed played a great role.

The DAE’s statistics states that wheat has been cultivated on 33,530 hectare of land, in which about 3.4 tonnes of production on each hectare is projected.

Last year, wheat cultivation occurred on 31,510 hectares of land whereas per hectare production was 3.22 tonne.

The statistics also showed that 20,310 hectares of land were used for wheat cultivation in 2006-2007 FY. On

Temple set on fire in Lalmonirhat

Son kills father

BGB seizes smuggled goods in Chuadanga

DHAKA TRIBUNE

n Our Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

Transport workers vandalise vehicles on the Dhaka-Narayanganj road yesterday, protesting plying of easybike on the road DHAKA TRIBUNE

50 hurt in Habiganj clash n Our Correspondent, Habiganj About 50 people, including an upazila chairman and police personnel, were injured in a clash between the residents of two areas in Habiganj district town yesterday over trivial matter.

Police said Masum Mia, a resident of Sayestanagar area in the district town, along with some of his accomplices had assaulted Masum, son of Shawkat Ali of village Anantapur, at one stage of altercation over trivial matter on Tuesday.

The clash erupted between the two groups yesterday when Masum along with his accomplices came to Sayestanagar area to take retaliation.

The groups used lethal weapons during the clash that lasted more than one hour. Chase and counter-chase also took place during the clash, leaving 50 people injured.

Supporters of both groups also van-

dalised a number of houses during the clash.

One receiving information, police rushed to the spot. But some of the police personnel sustained injuries when they were dispersing the clashing groups.

Later, members of the law enforcement agency managed to bring the situation under after firing 50 rounds robber bullets.

Of the injured, Afroz, 35, Sumon, 28, Askir, 25, Abida, 35, Rasel, 22, Noman, 20, Saidur, 18, Ripon, were admitted to Habiganj Sadar Hospital.

Moreover, Ahmedul Haque, chairman of sadar upazila, Mizanur Rahman, sub-inspector of Sadar police station and Sobuj Rana, constable, received first aid.

Mojammel Haque, officer-incharge of Sadar police station, said they had arrested eight people in this connection. l

Unidentified miscreants torched a temple at Volardeghee village under Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat early yesterday.

Hari Chandra Roy, president of Radha Govinda Durga Mandir (temple), said unidentified miscreants had set fire to the temple around 3am while they were asleep.

Later, fire service team from Lalmonirhat rushed on the spot and doused the blaze.

Police and local sources said fence, roof of the tin shed temple and some religious books were burned in the fire.

Hari Chandra Roy miscreants torched the temple in order to create panic among the local Hindu community of the village.

A case will be lodged in connection to the incident, he added.

Sarpukur union’s ward 5 UP member Shasi Bhusan Roy confirmed about the incident to the Dhaka Tribune.

Some unidentified miscreants had set fire to the temple around 3am while they were asleep He said: “This isthe first time that a temple was come under attack in the village after the liberation. HinduMuslim and people from other communities live in the village peacefully.”

Aditmari police station Officer-inCharge Aslam Iqbal said: “Police visited the spot immediately after the incident.”

He said police will trace the miscreants involved with the incident and give them exemplary punishment. l

the other hand, it was just 12,904 hectares in 1999-2000.

Moreover at that time production was less than 2 tonne per hectare due to not having high yielding variety of wheat seed.

Shanker Chandra Bhowmik deputy director of DAE Faridpur told the Dhaka Tribune that farmers got interested in wheat farming due to high market demand.

Recently, they have introduced new heat resistant varieties of wheat seed named Bina 25/26/27, Shawrab, Gowrob and Shatabdi that contributed to the production rate hike.

Sorwar Hossain, a farmer of Shawtikanda village in Bhanga upazila, said he increased wheat cultivation manifold last couple of years because of good production brought about by favourable climate and availability of quality seeds. l

Girl rescued, two traffickers held in Benapole n Our Correspondent, Jessore A team of Border Guard Bangladesh rescued a girl from Dhanyakhola border area in the town on Wednesday evening while she was being trafficked to India.

The BGB team also arrested two people – Masud Rana, 22, son of Abdul Hsamid, and Shawon Gazi, 25, son of Rafique Gazi of Sharsha upazila – for their alleged involvement in trafficking the girl.

Commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Matiur Rahman of BGB-26 said they had secret information that a girl was being lured into India by human traffickers with promise of lucrative job there.

A squad of BGB launched a drive in the area in the evening and rescued the girl from near the main pillar no. 25 and also arrested two human trackers-Masud and Shawon. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

7

Friday, April 18, 2013

What were the upazila elections all about?

It is likely that the local party leaders‘ interests and their accumulated pressure made the BNP join the UP elections, and not some ‘point’ to be made with the foreigners or with civil society

T

n Arild Engelsen Ruud here are two interesting questions to be posed regarding the recently held upazila elections. First, if the BNP boycotted the parliamentary elections in January because they did not trust the government to hold a fair election, then why did they take part in the much less important upazila elections?

At the upazila level, the chairman of the Upazila Parishad (UP) holds limited authority after the introduction of the new legislation in 2011, in which it was decided that the chairman is bound to take the advice (meaning directive) of the Member of Parliament for that area.

The MP for the majority of Bangladesh today belongs to the Awami League. So why, then, did the BNP bother to take part with such zeal in this seemingly insignificant election when it had already boycotted the far more important parliamentary elections a few months earlier?

Second, if the UP level is so irrelevant and all power is vested with the MP, why was it so important to the Awami League to win as many as possible? To secure as many as possible of these seemingly irrelevant posts, the ruling party made use of pressure, violence, ballot box stuffing and a host of other time honoured ways of election rigging.

The police, RAB and the administration were leaned upon not to intervene, and even the Election Commission was made to play along.

The ruling party was required to hold free and fair elections, which the BNP claimed the Awami League was incapable of doing and now a triumphant BNP can say, “We told you so!”

Consequently, the BNP scored one significant point here, and it has been suggested that this was its primary objective. But it is hard to imagine a political party engaging so wholeheartedly in an election with all its tens of thousands of activists and workers simply to prove that the election would be rigged.

At the very least, I cannot recall any major BNP leader in January saying, “We do this knowing we will lose!” when it was decided to join the upazila elections. Besides, the point will cut little ice among those that matter. The administration, the

PHOTOS: SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

army, RAB and other state institutions have been too solidly wedded to the Awami League interpretation of the January 5 election to be much upset by a little rigging in the local elections.

The rigging may raise some concern among foreigners and in certain civil society quarters, but these are largely irrelevant.

Activist motivation What the BNP did say when it decided to join the upazila elections was that it would fight any malpractice the ruling party could throw at them. The BNP claimed it would win because it has the support of the people, a people tired and upset by the ruling party’s “terror regime;” and with this support the BNP and its activists and workers would fight this “tyrannical” government.

What motivates local activists and workers is of course access to power.

But short of that, it is to be able to prove themselves, to show that they can compete, that they can mobilise, that they are clever and can exploit what opportunities arise, that perhaps they can even create opportunities.

In the process of mobilising and running an election campaign, with mikes, posters, bribes, speeches, deals and whatever else is part of local politics, the local leader proves himself as a local leader. In doing so, he carves out spheres of influence, he proves his political acumen and his potential value in the local political game.

Violence, mobilising certain voters and scaring others away, making the police look another way, or the presiding officer to go away for tea for a while, and then to stuff the ballot boxes, this all shows your local influence, your clout. It is interesting to note that the rigging in the upazila elections was not entirely restricted to the ruling party. Opposition activists tried to do the same in a few places. They were probably the more hardy activists, the

more daring ones.

This is how activists show their valour. The opposition activists engage in a straight and daring fight with the ruling party and the police, and the ruling party activists engage in a straight fight against what is probably a more popular party among the voters.

For both, the engagement will add to their individual political CVs, their list of merits. Elections are brilliant occasions for the local activist to learn the trade, to hone his skills and to establish proof of loyalty and value in the highly competitive and at times quite meritocratic system that is politics in Bangladesh.

Between elections Another important point is that the UP chairmanship and vice-chairmanships still carry weight, in spite of having to follow “the advice” of the MP. There are still papers to be signed, and without the chairman’s signature funds will not be released, or foreign funded projects that require the upazila’s involvement will go elsewhere.

Moreover, the UP chairman is often in a good position to mobilise local forces, either in favour of a project or against it. He can for instance encourage locals whose lands are affected by a new road construction to take their objections to court. Alternatively, he can discourage them from doing so.

We must keep in mind that in between elections, life goes on – projects are distributed, budgets decided upon, funds disbursed. Delays are awkward and create embarrassment, and may cause investigations and monetary problems among contractors the MP wishes to keep close.

At the very least, a completely sidelined UP chairman may be able to claim that the ruling party is engaging in malpractices, and he may provide the local media or the MP’s rivals within the ruling party with a story or two. Both the tangible and the more intangible sources of power available

even to the opposition chairman give rise to what we may call “a culture of negotiation.”

Elections may be golden opportunities to show one’s valour for the ambitious and the reckless; but for the ambitious yet relatively cautious elections will naturally be more complicated and even dangerous. In the complex game that is Bangladeshi politics, even locally, the successful one pursues several strategies at the same time. One such strategy is to tow the party line, to mobilise and hold processions and protests to the media and give fiery speeches.

Another is to make sure the situation does not spin out of control, in order to not embarrass, the likely winner and future strongman

may apply to the ruling party members’ thinking as well, even if it is in a modified way. The ruling party has power now, but power is like honey, it attracts flies. It also has a strong ideological inheritance, but many object to the party’s effort to equate this inheritance with its own partisan politics.

There will always be conflict of interest locally; there will never be enough resources to make everybody happy and there will always be individual enemies of individual leaders, personal animosities and ancient rivalries. In other words, there will always be an opposition. The only viable “home” for those opposed to the ruling party is the BNP; so, there will always be the BNP. Locally, the

Negotiations and accommodation is the virtue of the game, however acrimonious on the surface. This may apply to the ruling party members’ thinking as well

of your area. We may wish to keep in mind here that there was little or no violence at the vast majority of polling stations, although there were certainly mobilisation and protests.

Malpractices were confined to certain polling stations and certain upazilas, but for the majority of polling stations the situation was a bit more complex. They had elements of protest, mobilisation and counter-mobilisation and yet relatively peaceful polling.

It’s worth mentioning that too much unrest may suggest the local MP is not in control. Whether you are a rebel candidate from the ruling party or a candidate, rebel or otherwise, from the opposition, you may wish to remain on a relatively friendly footing with him. It would be good, if in the future you can call on him, and he can hand some government projects to your associates or whisper some words in the ears of the police when someone has asked you to intervene.

To fully comprehend the last point here, one needs to understand that likely outcomes and scenarios after the election play a large role in strategic thinking even before the election; in other words, we need to appreciate the simple point that the game always continues.

There is a new day tomorrow and we all need food on our tables and money to pay for education. To cut oneself off from the main sources of local influence in the imminent future is not a wise strategy. Those you fight are your rivals, and not necessarily the local MP. Negotiations and accommodation is the virtue of the game, however acrimonious on the surface. This

ruling party will have to accommodate its local leaders and negotiate with them.

The massive imbalance in power and positions of influence caused by the parliamentary election boycott created frustration among local party leaders. It is likely that their interests and their accumulated pressure made the BNP join the UP elections, and not some “point” to be made with the foreigners or with civil society.

In the campaign, many ambitious local leaders have made strides ahead in intraparty rivalries, while others have fallen back. This is good for the organisation and keeps it active, regardless of how law abiding it is; it can be called a meritocratic system after a fashion. With their newly acquired positions, even if there could have been many more, the local leaders in various places will be able to keep the organisation going, to keep it active, alert and prepared to rebuild or further strengthen its position.

The ruling party has witnessed this and local activists and leaders sought to prevent the opposition from gaining access to positions that on paper do not matter, but locally matter a whole lot. The culture of negotiation and accommodation makes it dangerous to dismiss positions of influence, however formally insignificant. So the heat of the UP elections were about getting into positions in order to be ready for the next few years of local accommodation. l Arild Engelsen Ruud is Professor of South Asia Studies, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental languages, University of Oslo, Norway.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Friday, April 18, 2014

Ukrainian troops deserting to join pro-Russian forces! n Agencies

A collumn of Ukrainian men sit on Armoured Personnel Carriers as they are blocked by armed pro-Russia supporters in Kramatorsk on April 16. Ukraine’s security service said on April 16 it had intercepted communications showing that Russian commanders in the separatist east had issued pro-Kremlin militants ‘shoot-to-kill’ orders after Kiev launched an operation to oust them AFP

Ukraine troops kill pro-Russia militants ahead of key talks n AFP, Geneva Ukrainian troops killed three pro-Russian militants in the country’s tense southeast early yesterday, just hours ahead of key talks in Geneva seeking to ease the escalating crisis in the former Soviet republic.

The gun battle erupted overnight when around 300 people lobbed petrol bombs and fired weapons at an interior ministry base in the port city of Mariupol, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on his Facebook page.

The violence raised the urgency of

UN: Iran cuts stock closest to nukearms grade n AP, Vienna Iran has converted most of a nuclear stockpile that it could have turned quickly into weapons-grade uranium into less volatile forms as part of a deal with six world powers, the UN atomic agency reported yesterday. The development leaves Iran with substantially less of the 20-percent enriched uranium that it would need for a nuclear warhead. Iran denies any interest in atomic arms. But it agreed to some nuclear concessions in exchange for a partial lifting of sanctions crippling its economy under the deal, which took effect in January.

Uranium at 20% is only a technical step away from weapons-grade material.

By the time the agreement was reached late last year, Iran had amassed nearly 200 kilograms (440 pounds). With further enrichment, that would have yielded almost enough weapons-grade uranium for one atomic bomb.

Under its agreement, Iran agreed to stop enriching to grades beyond 5 percent, the level most commonly used to power reactors. It also committed to neutralizing all its 20-percent stockpile — half by diluting to a grade that is less proliferation-prone and the rest by conversion to oxide used for reactor fuel In line with information given The Associated Press by diplomats earlier this week, the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed yesterday that Iran had completed the dilution process. l

the Geneva talks, which bring together the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the European Union in the hopes of starting dialogue to quell the biggest East-West crisis since the end of the Cold War. Russia, which has tens of thousands of troops stationed on its border with Ukraine, has warned Kiev not to use force against the pro-Kremlin militants who have seized buildings across the country’s tinderbox southeast and has said it reserves the right to protect Russian speakers there.

The United States warned Moscow

on Wednesday that it risked facing fresh sanctions unless it made concessions at the crunch Geneva talks.

The negotiations come a day after a military operation ordered by Kiev to oust the separatists collapsed, with militants showing no sign of budging and humiliating the government by seizing army vehicles originally dispatched to clear them out.

As tensions simmered, Nato announced that it was deploying more forces in eastern Europe, and called for Russia to stop “destabilising” Ukraine. l

Armoured personnel carriers have rolled into the eastern Ukraine city of Slavyansk. Ukraine deserters or soldiers of the Russian army? The facts of what is happening appear lost in the fog of these hostilities.

The Ukrainian interim Minister of Defence Mykhailo Koval is on his way there to try and establish the nature of events.

One soldier identified himself to a reporter as a member of Ukraine’s 25th paratroop division from Dnipropetrovsk. It is alleged they have switched allegiances. Others contend Russian special forces captured them. They have been welcomed in the city.

“I say thanks to these guys who came to protect us, nobody is afraid of them, we are more scared of people from the Pravy Sector,” said one woman who cheered the troops as they passed.

Pro-Russian militia have already seized control of the city’s government and administrative buildings. Symbolically Russian flags are everywhere.

“The Russian flag which represents all Slav nations is now flying from our vehicles. We don’t need a Ukrainian one,” said one soldier while another explained: “I am from the Donetsk region, I will not say whereabouts. The tanks are from the Soviet Union they used to belong to the Ukrainian army.”

The soldiers were clear as to where their allegiances now lay, which country they were serving. “The armoured personnel carriers are now taking the side of the people, the side of the Donetsk republic.”

Euronews correspondent Sergio Cantone in Slavyansk said: “The pro Russians are now taking up positions in the city, this time with tanks.They are waiting for the Ukrainian forces.” l

Mother spares life of son’s killer with slap

n AFP, Tehran An Iranian mother spared the life of her son’s convicted murderer with an emotional slap in the face as he awaited execution with the noose around his neck, a newspaper reported yesterday.

The dramatic climax followed a rare public campaign to save the life of Balal, who at 19 killed another young man, Abdollah Hosseinzadeh, in a street fight with a knife back in 2007.

Shargh newspaper said police officers led Balal to a public execution site in the northern city of Nowshahr as a large crowd gathering on Tuesday morning.

Samereh Alinejad, mother of the victim who lost another son in a motorbike accident four years ago, asked the crowd whether they know “how difficult it is to live in an empty house.”

Balal, black-hooded and standing on a chair before a makeshift gallows, had the noose around his neck when Alinejad approached.

She slapped him in the face and removed the rope from his neck assisted by her husband, Abdolghani Hosseinzadeh, a former professional footballer.

“I am a believer. I had a dream in which my son told me that he was at peace and in a good place... After that, all my relatives, even my mother, put pressure on me to pardon the killer,” Alinejad told Shargh.

“The murderer was crying, asking for forgiveness. I slapped him in the face. That slap helped to calm me down,” she said.

“Now that I’ve forgiven him, I feel relieved.”

Balal said the “slap was the space between revenge and forgiveness.” “I’ve asked my friends not to carry knives... I wish someone had slapped me in the face when I wanted to carry one,” Balal said in a television interview.

A high-profile campaign was launched by public figures including Adel Ferdosipour, a popular football commentator and TV show host, and former international footballer Ali Daei, appealed for the victim’s family to forgive the killer. l

Yemen’s al Qaeda vows Palestinians rally for prisoners as peace talks falter to attack America n Reuters, Dubai The leader of al Qaeda’s wing in Yemen has vowed to attack the United States, in a video apparently showing a gathering of the group celebrating a mass jailbreak of fighters. In February, attackers mounted a bomb, grenade and gun assault on the main prison in Sanaa in which 29 inmates, including 19 jailed for terrorism-related crimes, escaped.

The 15-minute video, dated March 2014 and posted on a website used by Islamists, shows masked men waving al Qaeda’s black flag and celebrating the arrival of the freed prisoners.

Its authenticity could not be independently verified.

“The Crusader enemy, dear brothers, still possesses cards which he moves around. We have to remember that we are always fighting the biggest enemy,” says a man speaking in the open in a mountainous area, whom the video identifies as its leader Nasser al-Wuhaishi.

“We have to remove the cross, (and) the bearer of the cross, America,” said Wuhaishi, who appeared with his face uncovered, wearing a T-shirt and sporting a dagger common among Yemeni men.

The video, entitled “Images from the reception of the freed prisoners from Sanaa’s central prison,” included testimony from fighters involved in the jailbreak.

“We planned that we would need 10

hand grenades,” said a man identified as Munir al-Bouni.

Another man said: “Once you got out, you turned right and the guys were waiting.”

Largest gathering in yemen

Abdulrazzaq al-Jamal, a journalist who has interviewed members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), said it was the largest known gathering of al Qaeda in Yemen.

“It included about 400 people, and these are not all the members of the group. This gathering is a confirmation that al Qaeda is gaining strength and influence,” he told Reuters.

Formed in 2009, AQAP has attacked military targets, tourists and diplomats in Yemen and taken over territory for long periods.

A US State Department spokeswoman said in response to the video that it was “in no way breaking news that AQAP is a significant threat to the United States, the people of Yemen, to other people in the region and around the world.”

Since 2009, the group had made several attempts to attack the United States and had carried out a number of attacks inside Yemen, Marie Harf told a regular briefing. “I don’t think we can make generalizations about their strength based on one video, quite frankly. We know they’ve been gaining in strength. So, I don’t think this increases our concern. l

n AFP, Ramallah Thousands of Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza rallied yesterday in solidarity with Israeli-held prisoners, as peace talks near collapse after the Jewish state refused to free long-serving inmates.

To mark Prisoners Day, Palestinians were to take to the streets in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has his headquarters, and hundreds took part in early rallies in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip late Wednesday.

In the southern West Bank city of

Hebron, some 2,000 people marched carrying photos of prisoners and waving Palestinian flags, and another 1,000 protested in the northern city of Nablus. “We support our prisoners!” read banners.

The row over prisoners caused a new deadlock in US-brokered peace talks in late March, just a month ahead of their deadline, when Israel reneged on its commitment to release a fourth and final batch of Palestinian inmates.

The Palestinians retaliated by seeking membership of several international treaties, breaking their own commitment under the talks which US

Secretary of State John Kerry launched in July.

“Prisoners Day has extra importance this year,” said the Palestinian Prisoners Club head, Abdel Al al-Anani.

“The prisoners issue has become one of global significance, since it is the reason that peace talks have almost collapsed,” he told AFP. Prisoners minister Issa Qaraqe said in an interview with Voice of Palestine Radio that the move to sign up to the international treaties, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, could pave the way to guaranteeing Palestinian prisoners’ rights. l

115 Nigeria schoolgirls still missing n AFP, Maiduguri A Nigerian school principal yesterday denied military reports that most of the girls kidnapped from her school

by Islamist gunmen were now safe, as the parents of those taken voiced anger over the conflicting claims.

The defence ministry and the government in Borno state, where the attack took place, have said that 129 girls were abducted by Boko Haram militants from a secondary school in the Chibok area late Monday.

Defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said on Wednesday that all but

eight of the girls were safe, citing the principal of the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok.

“The report from the military is not true,” principal Asabe Kwambura told AFP in Lagos.

She said the information provided by Borno’s governor Kashim Shettima on Wednesday that only 14 girls had escaped their captors was “correct.”

The mass kidnap – which has sparked global outrage – came just hours after the deadliest attack ever in the capital Abuja, where a bomb blast also blamed on Boko Haram killed at

least 75 people.

“For the military (which) is supposed to find and rescue our children to be spreading such lies shows that they have no intention of rescuing our girls,” said Lawan Zanna, a Chibok resident whose daughter was among those taken.

“It is the highest form of insult,” he added. “They said our girls have been freed... Bring them to us because they are yet to be reunited with us.”

Boko Haram has repeatedly attacked schools and universities during an extremist uprising that has killed thousands of people since 2009. l

Cut off from the world, Gazans consumed by poverty n Reuters, Gaza Life has never seemed so grim for the Mustafas, a family of seven cramped into a shabby two-room hovel in Gaza’s Jabalya refugee camp. Seven years into an Israeli blockade and ten months into a crippling Egyptian one, Gaza’s economic growth has evaporated and unemployment soared to almost 40% by the end of 2013.

Opposition to the Hamas militant group which runs the Gaza Strip has led its neighbors to quarantine the enclave, shutting residents out of the struggling Mideast peace process and leaving them with plenty of parties to blame.

Living on UN handouts of rice, flour, canned meat and sunflower oil, with limited access to proper health care or clean water, families like the Mustafas - seemingly permanent refugees from ancestral lands now part of Israel - have

no money, no jobs and no hope.

“We’re drowning... We feel like the whole world is on top of us. I turn on the television and I see the lifestyles on there, and I think, God help me leave this place,” said Tareq, 22.

The Mustafas often must pick up and move when rain floods their low-lying home - even on a sunny day, it’s lined with slick, smelly mildew. They stand in the dark, as 12-hour power cuts are now the norm throughout Gaza due to scant fuel. “There’s no money for university or to get married. What kind of life is this?” Tareq asks.

Well over half of Gaza residents receive food from the United Nations, and the number is on the rise.

UNRWA, the UN Refugee Works Agency devoted to feeding and housing the refugees, told Reuters it was now feeding some 820,000, up by 40,000 in the last year. The UN’s World

Food Program (WFP) gives food aid to some 180,000 other residents. More than 1.2 million of 1.8 million Gazans are refugees or their descendants who fled or were driven from land that became part of Israel in the war of its foundation in 1948.

As decades passed, the hand of occupation variously clenched or relaxed through wars and uprisings. “Gaza just seems to keep descending further into poverty and de-development of the economy,” said Scott Anderson, deputy director of operations at UNRWA, noting that the level of aid dependency faced

by Gaza has few parallels in the world.

The crisis is pulling down the Strip’s most vulnerable, not just among its poor but also its sick. While basic health and economic indicators outstrip much of Africa, the rising level of aid dependency and sense of confinement takes a constant toll. l

Palestinian workers build a cafe on the beach in Gaza City on April 14. Seven years into an Israeli blockade and nine months into a crippling Egyptian one, Gaza’s economic growth has evaporated and unemployment soared to almost 40% by the end of 2013 AFP

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Friday, April 18, 2014

Divers struggle in search for Korean ferry survivors n AP, Mokpo, S Korea Strong currents, rain and bad visibility hampered an increasingly anxious search yesterday for 287 passengers, many thought to be high school students, still missing more than a day after their ferry flipped onto its side and sank in cold waters off the southern coast of South Korea.

Nine people, including five students and two teachers, were confirmed dead, but many expect a sharp jump in that number because of the long period of time the missing have now spent either trapped in the ferry or in the cold seawater.

There were 475 people aboard, including 325 students on a school trip to a tourist island, and some of the frantic, angry parents gathered at Danwon High School in Ansan, which is near Seoul. Other relatives assembled on Jindo, an island near where the ferry slipped beneath the surface until only the blue-tipped, forward edge of the keel was visible.

Relatives of the dead students wailed and sobbed as ambulances at a hospital in Mokpo, a city close to the accident site, took the bodies to Ansan.

The family of one of the dead, 24-yearold teacher Choi Hye-jung, spoke about a young woman who loved to boast of how her students would come to her office and give her hugs. “She was very active and wanted to be a good leader,” her father, Choi Jae-kyu, 53, said at Mokpo Jung-Ang Hospital while waiting for the arrival of his daughter’s body.

Meanwhile, more than 400 rescuers searched nearby waters. Coast guard spokesman Kim Jae-in said that in the next two days, three vessels with cranes

S Korea president shouted down by distraught parents n AFP, Jindo South Korean President Park Geun-Hye faced yesterday the angry parents of hundreds of children missing in a ferry disaster, holding an impromptu and at times very tense meeting in an island gymnasium.

“What are you doing when people are dying! Time is running out!” one woman shouted as Park tried to speak.

Clearly moved by the despair of the relatives, Park found herself in an unusually vulnerable position for any head of state, engaging in a lengthy question and answer session with a volatile crowd. Much of the anger was focused on the head of the South Korean coastguard, Kim Suk-Kyoon, with relatives insisting not enough was being done to find survivors more than 30 hours after the ferry sank on Wednesday morning.

When Kim countered that there were 550 divers involved in the search effort, he was immediately drowned out by jeering and booing, with one furious parent shouting: “But none of them are actually in the water!” l

onboard would arrive to help with the rescue and salvage the ship. Divers worked round the clock in shifts in an attempt to get inside the vessel, he said. But the current wouldn’t allow them to enter.

Kim said that divers planned to pump oxygen into the ship to help any survivors, but first they had to get inside the ferry.

The water temperature in the area was about 12 degrees Celsius (54 Fahrenheit), cold enough to cause signs of hypothermia after about 90 minutes of exposure, according to an emergency official who spoke on condition of anonymity because department rules did not allow talking to the media. Officials said the ocean was 37 meters (121 feet) deep in the area.

Kim denied earlier reports by Yonhap news agency that the ferry had turned too swiftly when it was supposed to make a slow turn. He also declined to say whether the ferry had wandered from its usual route.

The Sewol, a 146-meter (480-foot) vessel that can reportedly hold more than 900 people, set sail Tuesday from Incheon, in northwestern South Korea, on an overnight, 14-hour journey to the tourist island of Jeju.

The ferry was three hours from its destination when it sent a distress call after it began listing to one side. Many people were trapped inside by windows that were too hard to break.

The Sewol’s wreckage is in waters a little north of Byeongpung Island, which is not far from the mainland and about 470 kilometers (290 miles) from Seoul. The survivors — wet, stunned and many without shoes — were brought to Jindo. l

Top) Coast guard members search for passengers near the South Korean ferry (C) that capsized in Jindo on Wednesday. Left below) People gather at Danwon High School to mourn and pray with candles for students of the school who are among the missing passengers of the capsized ferry. Right below) Relatives of passengers on board the capsized ferry cry as they wait for news about their loved ones, at a gym in Jindo AFP

Heartbreaking texts from students on sinking S Korea ferry n

AFP, Seoul

Heart-wrenching messages of fear, love and despair, sent by high school students from a sinking South Korean ferry, added extra emotional weight yesterday to a tragedy that has stunned the nation. Nearly 300 people – most of them students on a high school trip to a holiday island – are still missing after the ferry capsized and sank on Wednesday morning.

“Sending this in case I may not be able to say this again. Mom, I love you,” student Shin Young-Jin said in a text to his mother that was widely circulated in the South Korean media.

“Oh, I love you too son,” texted back his mother – unaware at the time that her boy was caught in a life and death struggle to escape the rapidly sinking vessel.

Unlike many others, the exchange had a happy ending as Shin was one of only 179 survivors rescued before the ferry capsized and went under the water.

Others were not so fortunate.

Another student, 16-year-old Kim Woong-Ki, sent a desperate text for help to his elder brother as the ship listed violently over to one side.

“My room is tilting about 45 degrees. My mobile is not working very well,” Kim messaged. Seeking to reassure him, his brother said he was sure help was on the way.

‘Sending this in case I may not be able to say this again. Mom, I love you’ “So don’t panic and just do whatever you’re told to do. Then you’ll be fine,” he messaged back.

There was no further communication and Kim was listed among the 287 people on board still unaccounted for.

Sadly his brother’s advice was similar to that of the crew, who controversially ordered passengers to stay put when the ship first foundered.

Angry relatives said this resulted in the passengers getting trapped when the ferry keeled over, cutting off routes of escape. That grim scenario was encapsulated in the texts of an 18-yearold student, identified in the local media by her surname Shin.

“Dad, don’t worry. I’m wearing a life vest and am with other girls. We’re inside the ship, still in the hallway,” the girl messaged to her father.

Her distraught father wrote back urging her to try and get out, but it was already too late. “Dad, I can’t. The ship is too tilted. The hallway is crowded with so many people,” she responded in a final message.

Some parents managed a last, traumatic phone call with their children as they tried to escape.

“He told me the ship was tilted over and he couldn’t see anything,” one mother recalled of a panicked conversation with her student son. “He said ‘I haven’t put on the life jacket yet’, and then the phone went dead,” the mother told the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper. l

Crews to test submersible’s limits to find MH370 n AFP, Perth A US Navy submersible will be taken past its recommended depth limit in hopes of locating missing flight MH370, Australian authorities said yesterday, after Prime Minister Tony Abbott set a one-week deadline to spot wreckage.

Australian organisers of the MH370 search said the device, which aborted its first dive earlier this week after hitting a pre-programmed maximum depth of 4.5 kilometres (2.8 miles), would be taken lower after its manufacturer advised there was an “acceptable” risk.

“This expansion of the operating parameters allows the Bluefin-21 to search the sea floor within the predicted limits of the current search area,” the Perth-based Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said in a statement.

It gave no details on how deep the advance sonar device would be sent.

The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 is believed to have crashed in the remote Indian Ocean after mysteriously vanishing March 8 with 239

people aboard.

Hopes for finding the plane have come to rest upon the Bluefin-21 after signals believed to be emanating from the plane’s flight data recorders on the seabed fell silent in recent days before their source could be pinpointed.

The submersible is being deployed from an Australian naval vessel for the difficult task of scanning an uncharted seafloor at extreme depths in hopes of spotting wreckage from the plane.

But the effort launched on Monday has started slowly – it only completed a full mission Thursday morning – and Abbott said the Bluefin-21 would be given about one week.

“We believe that search will be completed within a week or so,” Abbott was quoted telling the Wall Street Journal in an interview.

“If we don’t find wreckage, we stop, we regroup, we reconsider.”

Both Abbott and Malaysia’s Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein vowed Thursday not to give up looking for the plane. l

India struggles with poll-time rebel threats

25 years, no Muslim MPs from Gujarat

n AP, Rajnandgaon

n Agencies, Ahmedabad

Indians cast ballots yesterday on the biggest day of voting in the country’s weeks-long general election, streaming into polling stations even in areas where leftist rebels threatened violence over the plight of India’s marginalized and poor.

Nationwide voting began April 7 and runs through May 12, with results for the 543-seat lower house of Parliament to be announced four days later.

Among the 13 key states voting Thursday was Chhattisgarh, now the center of a four-decade Maoist insurgency that has affected more than a dozen of India’s 28 states.

With roadside bombings, jungle ambushes and hit-and-run raids, the rebels aim for nothing short of sparking a full-blown peasant revolt as they accuse the government and corporations of plundering resources and stomping on the rights of the poor.

But authorities say that, amid the bloodshed, there are signs that the rebels have waning support — including lines of voters shuffling into polling booths in rebel strongholds.

“I want a good life for my baby, security and peace,” said Neha Ransure, a 25-year-old woman who was voting in

the Chhattisgarh town of Rajnandgaon. “The rebels are bad. They kill our soldiers. I don’t go outside of town. It is too dangerous.”

Rebels always threaten to disrupt Indian elections, and this year is no different.

The most recent attacks came Saturday, when two rebel bomb attacks killed 14 people — five paramilitary soldiers, two bus drivers, two civilians and five teachers who were working as election officials. The insurgents apologized for the civilian deaths and reiterated a promise, often broken, to target only politicians and uniformed law enforcement officers.

More than 4,800 people, including about 2,850 civilians, have been killed nationwide since 2008 in what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called India’s biggest internal security threat.

Despite the rebel calls for an election boycott, voter turnout was 59% last week in the rebel’s unruly heartland of Bastar. “People are even boycotting the boycott,” said the state’s chief electoral officer, Sunil Kumar Kujur.

Authorities are trying new tactics such as staging polls simultaneously in rebel strongholds nationwide so insurgents cannot target voting on different days. l

An elderly Indian woman leaves with the help of relatives, after casting her vote at a polling station at Jehanbad in Bihar on April 17 AFP

The last time a Muslim candidate entered the Lok Sabha from Gujarat was in 1984. That candidate, the Congress’s Ahmed Patel, lost from his bastion Bharuch in 1989 — the year when the BJP became a dominant force in the state, Times of India reported.

Since then, no Muslim has ever made it to the Lok Sabha from Gujarat.

In 1962, only two Muslim candidates were in the fray from Gujarat in the country’s third Lok Sabha elections. In the 1967 polls, there were none. More than 40 years after Gujarat first took part in a general election as a separate state, nothing seems to have changed for Muslims here insofar as their representation in Parliament is concerned.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, of the total 334 candidates in the fray in Gujarat, 67 (or 19.76%) are from the minority community. This figure, however, does not give the correct picture of Muslim representation.

Most Muslim candidates this year are independents or have been fielded by parties like the Samajwadi Party (SP) that does not count for much in Gujarat politics. Muslims comprise just 9.5% of Gujarat’s population.

However, no party has fielded Mus-

lim candidates in proportion to their population right from the 1962 general election. In fact, no Muslim MP has been elected from Gujarat after 1989, that is, for the last 25 years!

When it comes to giving tickets to Muslim candidates, both the BJP and the Congress have proved tightfisted.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has, till date, not fielded a single candidate from the minority community in parliamentary polls from Gujarat.

Asifa Khan, national executive member of BJP Minority Morcha, said that getting tickets for the Lok Sabha polls has never been a priority for the Muslim community. “BJP too doesn’t believe in giving ‘token tickets’ to Muslims. There are bigger issues that need to be addressed. Adequate representation in tickets will follow on its own.”

In Gujarat, most Muslim candidates contesting as independents are propped up by mainstream political parties — particularly the BJP — to cut into the votes of rivals.

The Congress candidate from Navsari, Maksud Mirza, is the only Muslim to be fielded by the party. The BJP has again not fielded a single Muslim candidate. Mulayam Singh Yadav’s SP has fielded seven Muslims, the highest by any one party. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

End mob culture

Violent responses only endanger the lives of innocents and add to the cost of life and property

Tobacco companies must not abuse public trust

A

round 57,000 people die annually from tobacco-related diseases in Bangladesh.

It is in the public interest to discourage addiction to this deadly but legal product.

Large tobacco companies themselves accept the argument that they should be responsible citizens and pay appropriate taxes, and most make great play in CSR statements of their efforts to work with public health efforts and to source and sell tobacco responsibly.

It is discouraging therefore to note a growing number of instances in which tobacco supply chains are not being managed responsibly within the country.

For instance, there are reports of tobacco companies funding the setting up of tobacco processing facilities without due regard to health hazards. Farmers across the country have been encouraged to install processing facilities without proper training on environmental and safety precautions.

There are also reports of children being given part time jobs in potentially hazardous conditions and of companies funding the distribution of pesticides , without adequate follow up over their safe application.

The funding by tobacco company representatives of processing units alongside or within homesteads is of particular concern as such installations would not be built without their incentives.

While we do not expect tobacco companies to stop trying to sell their products, they must do more to ensure that the production and supply of tobacco is carried out responsibily with no negative environmental or social impacts.

The government should also do more to discourage tobacco use by raising taxes and outlawing marketing efforts which are directed at recruiting new, young users.

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

Ticket to ride

S

treet violence and mob protests should have no place in our society.

Unfortunately they are not only regular occurrences, but frequently involve students and political parties who should know better.

We condemn in the strongest terms the violent protests and vandalism that hundreds of students reportedly engaged in on Sunday. After a young man lost his life, being run over by a speeding microbus, there was an understandable amount of anger by his fellow students.

However, to protest his death by engaging in street violence, vandalising vehicles, and terrifying the public is outrageous behaviour.

Such violent responses are inexcusable as they only endanger the lives of innocents and add to the cost of life and property.

We have an unfortunate habit of engaging in mob violence, rather than seeking more peaceful means to end disputes. A week ago, due to a disagreement between DU students and Nilkhet book traders, several students set alight a number of book stalls.

Last February, BUET students took to the streets in protest when a classmate was run over by a bus. And in November last year, Rajshahi University students vandalised vehicles when an auto-rickshaw ran over a fellow classmate.

Street violence causes nothing but harm. A mob mentality and ensuing mob action only perpetuates the culture of violence and puts innocents at risk.

Friday, April 18, 2014

April 9

Excellent initiative. Hopefully the cyclist movement would catch on and we’ll have less traffic in Dhaka.

TJ

Reinventing history: To what ends?

April 9

Sam This is a very astute article which triggers important introspection for many people, not the least the partisans of the BNP. I am pleasantly surprised to see it coming from this author whose forte, generally, has been that of a typical party-line apologist for the ruling regime’s actions.

Ronnie The author is entitled to his mock shock at the recent statements by Khaleda Zia, and her son, Tarique.

It’s pure bombast, though, to dismiss their claims as somehow “reinventing history.” It’s a comforting soundbite. Not an incontestable truth.

He’s wrong, too, to declare that the claims about Ziaur Rahman’s presidency have been “demolished.”

Wishful thinking, because they have not. If anything, the instant panic, indignation, confused, petulant rebuttals, the predictably vitriolic abuse of the Zia family from sundry quarters in Dhaka reveal just how contentious the issue still remains. All it took is for the Zias to inconveniently rekindle it. It sure struck plenty of raw nerves and bruised many egos; maybe even the author’s, as well.

I’m a little bemused at the author’s bevy of semi-plausible hypotheses seeking to rationalise Begum Zia’s timing and motives for making these claims. This is self-indulgent political posturing, at the expense of Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman.

There’s no denying that BNP is currently embattled and frustrated, owing to myriad causes, obviously not all of them self-inflicted. I’m sceptical, though, of the author’s suggestion that BNP is invoking Ziaur Rahman, the slain war hero, and a distinguished president, mostly out of dread and desperation at their dwindling influence in Bangladesh. This grossly oversimplifies and misrepresents matters. BNP is clearly down, yet very far from being counted out.

President Ziaur Rahman’s place in Bangladesh’s history has already been assured a long time ago – despite the recurrent and continuing despicable abuse and slander of the man.

I can only mostly agree with some of the other points Mr Shoesmith makes regarding the prevailing moods and appetites of the general public; the fading prospects of an authentic national election anytime

soon; BNP’s failure to purposefully mobilise and launch a decidedly political assault on the ruling AL’s litany of failures and vulnerabilities etc. But the author’s repeated insinuations that these claims about Zia’s presidency are “foolish” and an attempt to “rewrite history” are misguided and overblown. The claims are, arguably, regressive and unproductive, but they are not an outright fabrication. Not by a long shot.

Mr Shoesmith’s parting shot lies askew. It’s awfully premature to conclude that BNP lacks the ability and will to “change.” This year will testify to that. nds The majority people of this country have accepted the claim of Zia’s being the first declarer of Bangladesh’s independence. And it is a fact that he made a declaration to that effect, whether on his own behalf or on behalf of Mujib, that is a different, or might be a debatable, issue. But BNP has undeniably been successful in establishing this claim to a great extent. This fact might have induced Khaleda to make her recent claim of Zia’s being first president of this country. Because it is a fact that in his first announcement over Kalur Ghat radio, Zia also declared himself as the president of Bangladesh, be it deliberately or by mistake which he got corrected under pressure or realising his mistake in his second announcement. So in a sense, Khaleda is factually correct in her recent claim of her husband as the first president of Bangladesh; however disputable and debatable or unacceptable it might be.

I think she deliberately made the claim to incite debate on the issue knowing well that this claim might in future if not right now get accepted by the followers of her party. Be the claim historically or legally valid or not, it is a fact that some people would love to believe it, and as the people’s leader she would prefer to serve the purpose of fulfilling the wishes of the people. And for a belief or faith to get established at least for a considerable time, if not for all time, it is not absolutely necessary to back it with documentary or legal evidence. It can’t be denied that her recent claim have immediately incited much discussion and debate in both print and electronic media. In other words the claim has not been ignored outright as nonsense. This is what Khaleda wanted and she has been very successful.

BNP: Unfreeze Khaleda’s bank accounts April 10

deep purple blue I am sure the government will release information about Khaleda’s bank accounts soon in an effort to ridicule her further.

123 deep purple blue: What’s wrong with exposing the truth of any alleged money laundering? deep purple blue 123: Well, I did not say there was anything wrong in revealing information about Khaleda’s bank accounts, particularly if she is indeed involved in money laundering. Having said that, every citizen has the right to personal privacy, which must be respected by those in power.

Cracks appear in state-run beach motel

April 10 The complete place is falling apart, believe me, I go to Saibal regularly to have a perfect cup of tea. Too many managers and no funds or interest to upgrade the place. It’s a shame because Shaibal is an attractive place to spend time.

Vikram Khan

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

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Companies must ensure no negative environmental or social impacts

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Equipment (4) 5 Protuberances (5) 8 Turn (6) 9 Soon (4) 10 Mineral spring (3) 12 Make known (6) 13 Like better (6) 15 Superficial show (6) 18 Goal (6) 20 Flightless bird (3) 21 Bands’ engagements (4) 23 Sculptured likeness (6) 24 Supple (5) 25 Writing instruments (4)

DOWN 1 Hold firmly (5) 2 Vast age (3) 3 Make up for (5) 4 Moved quickly (3) 5 Young hare (7) 6 Meditate (4) 7 Close up (4) 11 Wan (4) 12 Contrary in position (7) 14 Wander (4) 16 Select group (5) 17 Flowers (5) 18 Narrate (4) 19 Corrosion (4) 21 Opening (3) 22 Weapon (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

11

Friday, April 18, 2014

A breed apart n FS Aijazuddin

D

BIGSTOCK

Inflation moderation Hussain and n Zahid Johannes Zutt

I

nflation in Bangladesh has remained at a moderate single-digit level, despite a recent rise due to a cost-push from supply disruptions and wage increases.

The political disturbances obstructed food distribution channels, resulting in constrained supplies and higher food prices. Stability in international commodity prices, weak domestic demand, and some appreciation of the nominal exchange rate combined with a restrained monetary policy, moderate the rise in inflation.

Declining inflation interrupted by cost-push

Cost-push-led inflation has resurged.

Following some deceleration in the first four months, inflation has been moving in a relatively narrow range of 7-7.5% in recent months, higher than the 6-6.5% target (using the 2005/06 base). Inflation has increased since November, with large wage increases expected across all sectors of the economy and supply disruptions caused by political agitation and violence. Food inflation (y-o-y) has risen from 8.1% in July 2013 to 8.8% in February 2014 (see graph). Higher distribution costs due to the frequent nationwide strikes and the rise in food prices in India (which is correlated with Bangladesh food prices) contributed to this increase.

Non-food inflation declined in the first four months to 5% and then rose back, reaching 5.4% in February 2014.

Cost-push from supply disruptions and demand-pull from expected wage increases are likely to have driven up non-food prices. These temporarily overpowered the impact of the decline in international commodity prices and the appreciation of the real exchange rate.

Inflation risk mitigated by restrained monetary stance The stance of monetary policy and continued exchange rate stability

should help contain non-food inflation as the impact of cost-push dissipates.

Monetary policy pursued a restrained path, achieving broadly the targets for the first seven months of FY14. A slowdown in private credit growth contributed to an increase in excess liquidity, despite stepped-up sterilisation operations by Bangladesh Bank (BB) in response to overshooting of the target for the growth of net foreign assets.

Private sector domestic credit growth declined to 11.1% in January.

Public sector borrowing grew by 11.5% through January 2014. Consequently, domestic credit growth slowed to 11.2%. All major monetary aggregates have remained within the targets established under the Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) in FY14.

Monetary management was challenged by a rapid buildup of foreign exchange reserves (NFA) in the banking system, due to a large surplus in the overall balance of payments.

Compared with the program target of a 19.3% increase by end-December 2013, the actual expansion in the NFA through end-December was 35.2%. Yet BB managed to contain reserve money growth below target. Consequently, broad money expansion has remained below the target at 16.2%. BB undertook sizable sterilisation operations to mop-up the excess liquidity injected into the economy by issuing 30-day BB bills.

The MPS for the last half of FY14 rightly continues the policy stance maintained in the first half. The program framework limits reserve money growth to 16.2% and broad money growth to 17% by June 2014.

BB will have a ceiling on net domestic assets as a key operating target. The ceiling for private sector credit growth of 16.5% has been kept in line with economic growth targets.

This is sufficient to accommodate any substantial rise in investment and trade-finance over the next three months. There is enough liquidity in the money market to support a pickup in the post-election economic rebound

in demand for credit in the private sector. The MPS has correctly maintained government borrowing from the banking system within the original FY14 budget target. Thus, the envisaged stance does not accommodate potential inflationary pressures.

Inflation outlook is stable with some upside risks

Prudent macro policies will remain critical for restraining inflation. External, internal, and macro policy factors generally underpin inflation in Bangladesh.

External factors include world food and energy prices. A rise in world food prices is translated directly to an increase in domestic food prices. With food accounting for a large proportion of the basket of an average household, an increase in domestic food prices leads in turn to a general increase in prices.

Similarly, a world energy price shock, such as an oil price shock, would affect domestic prices almost instantaneously. Internal factors include supply-side constraints, represented by weather or political shocks.

Finally, accommodative policies, especially those involving a large injection

of money into the economy, generally put upward pressure on prices through an impact on aggregate demand and the exchange rate.

Pressures on world commodity prices are anticipated to weaken in the short term because of well-supplied markets and strong global cereal stocks. In addition, decreasing fertiliser prices, unforeseen increases in the production of biofuels, and the continuation of sensible trade policies all point to a favourable outlook.

Nonetheless, higher oil prices, as well as deteriorating weather concerns among major producers and exporters (especially those in Argentina, Australia, and parts of China), constitute risks in the short term. Non-food inflation can be expected to be restrained by prudent macro policies despite higher wages and the rebound in domestic activity.

The biggest risk on this front is further cost-push due to a return of political instability. l Zahid Hussain is Lead Economist, the World Bank. Johannes Zutt is Country Director (Bangladesh and Nepal), the World Bank.

r Akbar Ahmed is the West’s handiest portal to Islam. He is an educated Muslim, an anthropologist by profession. He is a broad-spectrum intellectual, equally at home with dispossessed tribals from Waziristan and with academics at candle-lit dinners at Cambridge. He is an inexhaustible speaker. There is probably no university worth its name in the western hemisphere where he has not delivered lectures in his oneman crusade to induce non-Muslim audiences to take a more accommodating view of Islam.

He was even the first Muslim to speak at the Jewish US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC. And he is a prolific writer. The Thistle and the Drone is the latest of twenty or so publications by him, written over the past forty years. His credentials are formidable – too formidable for him not to be heard or read by anyone who seeks seriously to understand why modern Muslim societies remain stubbornly mired in tradition, rooted on the periphery of progress.

Being an anthropologist, Akbar Ahmed uses four tribal societies – the Pukhtun, Yemenis, Somalis, and Kurds – to make his case. The commonality he seeks to establish between these vulnerable minorities is their adherence to “an ancient code of honour embodied in the behaviour of their elders and, over the centuries, transmitted from generation to generation.”

All four fit the description of the Scottish thistle—prickly, tenacious, defiant (hence the book’s intriguing title). He chose them in particular because all four have been victims of attacks by unmanned drones — three

by US forces and the fourth on Iraqi Kurds by their own countrymen. It is an unusual angle of approach, as innovative perhaps as any similar anthropological study would be of the impact of equally silent German V-1 flying bombs on London’s East Enders during the Second World War. In Dr Ahmed’s opinion, the “overwhelming dilemma for the modern states … is how to successfully balance the writ of the centre with the needs of its periphery [minority groups].”

He condemns central governments for having “all too frequently resorted to brutal and unnecessary military action,” aided and abetted post-9/11 by the US. The empirical evidence Dr Ahmed and his team of researchers offer is of forty country case studies “of peripheral societies and their relationship to the central state.” He presents his arguments skilfully, but he cannot disguise where his sympathies lie when it comes to deciding whether a Muslim should be viewed as a religionist or as a terrorist, or whether a tribalist is a traitor or a peripheral nationalist fighting for the freedom to survive.

Is war the final solution? Dr Ahmed, relying upon his experience as an administrator in Waziristan over forty years ago, offers his own Waziristan model, by which he believes local sources of authority could function productively when interacting with each other. It may work at a local level; to the US, though, Waziristan is and will always be just another foreign

name, like “Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bananistan…”

On another, more frightening plane, western “instant experts” have suggested solutions that border on the bizarre. US Admiral Eric Olson, who gained fame when his SEALs unit captured and killed Osama bin Laden at Abbottabad in 2011, recommended that the US release into the Arab states cultural hybrids cloned from TE Lawrence.

Thistles can never shield themselves from drones. Tradition can never compete with technology

Lord Gilbert, a British former Labour defence minister, advocated the use of a neutron bomb whose lethal fallout would create an impassable border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, thus ending “terrorism in the region.”

No wonder, under such leadership, American soldiers were committing suicide “at an unprecedented rate, nearly one a day by 2012.” Ironically, Dr Ahmed points out, “more American soldiers killed themselves in despair than had been killed in combat in Afghanistan.”

Dr Akbar Ahmed devotes a chapter each to Osama bin Laden’s Dilemma and to General Pervez Musharraf’s Dilemma. Death resolved one; political disgrace resolved the second. Whatever may have been the similarities in the predicaments they faced, Musharraf was not the poet Osama bin Laden has been revealed to be. Dr Ahmed quotes lines composed by bin Laden: “They are a breed apart who sell their souls to God, who smile at death, while the frowning sword stares at them, who bare their chests without asking for shields.”

Thistles can never shield themselves from drones. Tradition can never compete with technology.

Waziristan leader General Alam Jan Mahsud told Dr Ahmed, with twinedged prescience: “Pakhtunwali, the mashar, the jirga, and the Political Agent must return in order for the situation [in Waziristan] to normalize. Yet he also recognised that these institutions are ‘finished’.”

His panacea, fermented in a US university laboratory, is for peripheral societies like the one in his Waziristan model to seek “wise and authentic tribal leadership, genuinely educated and scholarly religious leaders, and efficient and honest political officers.”

That is a tall order. Meanwhile, while innocents there wait for a warning they will never hear, President Barack Obama continues to order drone attacks and to bask in the non-lethal radiation emanating in the White House from his unearned Nobel Peace Prize. l

FS Aijazuddin lives in Lahore and is a columnist for Dawn, Pakistan’s main Englishlanguage newspaper. This article was first pubished in Dawn.

Hole in the heart of Africa n Ban Ki-moon

T

he Security Council has approved my proposal to deploy a United Nations peacekeeping mission to the Central African Republic – opening the way for 10,000 troops and almost 2,000 police to bring a semblance of order to a nation in ruins.

I have just returned from a visit to the country to see the situation first-hand. Desperate is an understatement.

More than half the population of the Texas-sized country need life-saving assistance. One out of four Central Africans has been uprooted from their homes. At makeshift camps I visited at the airport outside the capital city of Bangui, as many as 500 people share one toilet. Conditions will only get worse with the onset of the rainy season.

“Who would accept to live here?” one woman cried out to me. “But we are risking our lives to live where we lived.”

The majority of the country’s Muslim community has fled the country, escaping a brutal wave of sectarian strife that has claimed innocents on

all sides. Atrocity crimes continue.

The justice system has crumbled.

Ethno-religious cleansing is a reality. Whole communities have been dismantled.

Despite the many deprivations, the commodity that the Central African Republic lacks most is time. The peacekeeping mission will take at least six months to get up and running.

Meanwhile the country’s people are caught in a daily struggle for survival.

More than half the population of the Texas-sized country need life-saving assistance I travelled to the CAR on my way to mark the 20th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide. In Rwanda, I expressed my profound sadness for the international community’s inaction during that country’s hour of need.

But what of crises on our watch?

Will the international community act now instead of apologising in 20 years for not doing what was needed when we had the chance? Will national leaders heed the lessons of the past and prevent another Rwanda in our time?

In the centre of one of Bangui’s hardest-hit neighbourhoods, we drove past block after block of the concrete carcasses of shops and homes. We passed a sea of trucks filled far beyond capacity with pots, pans, water jugs, the last possessions of a population on the run.

Women and men shared harrowing tales of sexual violence, kidnapping, and constant threats on their lives.

Now they are virtual prisoners desperate only for escape. They told me how schools, hospitals, even cemeteries, are off-limits. As one person lamented: “We can’t even help our dead.”

Now is the time to help the living.

That requires fast-track action on three fronts.

First, security. African Union and French forces are working hard to restore peace and security. The European Union force that began hitting

the ground this week is a welcome addition. But they need reinforcements to contain the violence and protect civilians. I have called for the immediate deployment of 3,000 more troops and police who would lay the groundwork for the future United Nations peacekeeping mission.

Second, the government needs help with the very basics – including getting police, judges, and prison guards back on the job. The Head of State of the Transition Catherine Samba-Panza is committed to restoring state authority. But with no budget, her abilities are sharply constrained. Funding for humanitarian aid is also falling short with only 20% of pledges received.

Third, since the new peacekeeping operation can be only part of the solution, establishing an inclusive political process is crucial.

Community and religious leaders are fundamental to promoting tolerance, non-violence, and dialogue.

Accountability for horrendous crimes is central to peace. The people of the CAR must see that the rule of law matters no matter who they are or what they believe, from leaders to individual combatants.

These are essential building blocks for reconciliation and ensuring that refugees and the internally displaced can return to their homes and communities. The alternative is a de facto partition that would lay the seeds of conflict and instability in the fragile heart of Africa for years, perhaps generations.

we need action to earn it.

The CAR is blessed with abundant resources and fertile land. For generations, it has been a crossroads of cultures where different communities have lived peacefully.

It is up to the international community to prove through deeds that the people of the Central African

Women and men shared harrowing tales of sexual violence, kidnapping, and constant threats on their lives

During my visit, a leader of a women’s peace group said: “Our social fabric is in shreds. The bonds of our communities have broken.

There is nothing to connect us. But you represent the world and you are here. Now we know we are a part of the world.”

I appreciated her trust but I know

Republic are indeed part of our common humanity and shared future.

A little help will go a long way. We have a collective responsibility to act now instead of expressing regrets 20 years later. l Ban Ki-moon is Secretary-General of the United Nations.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Bangladesh Cartoon Fest 2014 ends with promises

Indian Bangla film wins big at 61st National Film Awards n Entertainment Desk The Bangla film industry won big at the 61st National Film Awards, announced on April 16.

With Jaatishwar winning four awards and three other Bangla films winning one award each, this definitely proved to be a big day for the film buffs of West Bengal.

Veteran singer and composer Kabir Suman, also very popular among the Bangladeshis, bagged the award for Best Music Direction for Jaatishwar.

The film, directed by Srijit Mukherjee, aslo won the awards for Best Playback Singer Male (Rupankar), Best Costume (Sabarni Das) and Best Makeup (Vikram Gaikwad). Pradipta Bhattacharyya’s Bakita Byaktigoto won the Best Bangla Film award.

Heyro Party, an animation short film by Deepak Gawade won the award for best film on family values while At the Cross Roads: Nondon Bagchi Life and Living by Rajdeep Paul and Sarmistha Maiti

n Entertainment Desk The three-day long Bangladesh Cartoon Fest 2014 concluded on Thursday, April 17, 2014 at Drik gallery in the capital with the mass visit of viewers and cartoon lovers and the participation of 40 professional and amateur cartoonists of the country.

The fest was organised by Bangladesh Cartoonist Association and sponsored by the youth magazine Symposium, a monthly publication of The Bangladesh Today.

93 cartoons and illustrations, done by professional and amateur 40 cartoonists were exhibited at the event. The artworks were categorised under two themes: “internet and social networking” and “open theme.”

The artists used water colour, oil colour, acrylic and digital media to create the exhibited artworks. The whole exhibition was categorised under two sections – cartoon, and caricature.

To make the festival unique and interactive, a live caricature session by the cartoonists were also held.

At least 500 free caricatures were made by the talented cartoonists for the general people.

“The caricature session was awesome,” Rima Islam of BUET praised.

Besides, the show was visited by a number of visitors everyday. Farhan Sami of Bangladesh University of Professionals said: “I am so happy to visit such event and hope the event will continue for many years.”

Sriti Rahman of Dhaka University said,

Friday, April 18, 2014

‘Through the exhibition, we came to know how brilliant our cartoonists are.”

Veteran cartoonist Ahsan Habib said: “It’s a long awaited event for the young cartoonists in the country. Viewers enjoyed the cartoonists’ thoughts and humorous activities here in the exhibition.”

Speaking at the programme, BANCARAS president Sadat Uddin Ahmed said: “Cartoon has established itself as a popular art form and Bangladesh Cartoon Fest 2014 is one such platform where young, amateur and professional cartoonists can develop them-

Lopa Hossain resumes her musical journey

selves through meeting together and sharing views and knowledge.

A t the inaugural ceremony on April 15, 2014, the Symposium editor Syeda Iffat Hossain and Ahsan Habib, also advisor of BANCARAS, jointly handed over Cartoonist Shanto Award to young cartoonist Faridur Rahman Razib.

Cartoonist Shanto Podok is a joint initiative of BANCARAS and Symposium honoring late cartoonist Tariqul Islam Shanto, one of the most influential and versatile cartoonists of his time who passed away on February, 2013. l

Jaatishwar won four awards

My life is fulfilled now: Mahfuz

TODAY IN DHAKA Exhibition Exile in Calcutta

by Thomas Meyer Time: 3pm – 8pm Drik Gallery, House 58, Road 15/A (New) Dhanmondi

n Entertainment Desk Celebrated actor and director Mahfuz Ahmed became father of a baby boy on April 16. The newborn is named Marvin Ahmed. When the baby was born, Mahfuz Ahmed was in Singapore. After getting the good news, the overwhelmed second-time father expressed his excitement over mobile phone to a source: “I am happy to be blessed with a son. I also have a daughter and to me, my life now seems fulfilled. I am very glad and thankful to almighty Allah for the pleasure of becoming a father to both a girl and a boy. Pray for that my newborn baby will have a healthy and prosperous life.”

Right now, the actor is busy with the shooting of Animesh Aich’s upcoming film Zero Degree. To complete the last segment of the shooting, he is now in Singapore. l

Water Colour Exhibition

By Mintu Dey Time: 3pm – 8pm Dhaka Art Center (DAC) House-60 Road-7A Dhanmondi Death Trap Time: 3pm – 9pm Alliance Française de Dhaka,

n Hasan Mansoor Chatak Popular singer and former Close Up 1 star Lopa Hossain, after a six year hiatus, has recently made her return in the music scene. She grabbed the limelight with her second solo album Ashar Bhela. Lopa’s debut solo album, Aari, released in 2007. Dhaka Tribune caught up with the singer about her musical career and many more.

Tell us about your orientation in music From early childhood, I started learning classical music with my brother. In 2005 Close Up 1 gave me a platform for entering the mainstream music. After the program, I started my solo music career.

Recently, your second solo album Ashar Bhela has been released. Tell us about it.

The album is brought to the audience by Laser Vision. A total of nine tracks including two different versions of the same song make up the album. O Aamr Desher Mati, a patriotic song, is composed by renowned composer Bappa Majumder and I

rendered the song with Mahmuduzzaman Babu. I have written and composed all but three songs in the album. All of my songs portray my very personal feelings and moods.

You came back to the music scene after a long time. What was your push-back?

Actually, flourish of response from my listeners prompted me to rethink about my musical career, it was my biggest incentive to resume work as a singer.

You are famed as a news presenter as well as a singer among the fans.

How do you mange this?

My work-place gives me huge support for my music inclination.

Music to me is like a prayer and that is why I have always managed some time for my music rehearsal and recording.

After Close Up 1, describe your struggle in the music scene.

Close Up 1 really structured my platform. Then, I started with my own talent and industriousness. I want to go forward with my talent with help from other singers, composer and lyricist. l

Serenading Suchitra Time: 12pm – 8pm Shilpangan Gallery House-7, Road-13 Dhanmondi Last Summer

by Iffat Ara Dewan Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Art Lounge Gulshan Avenue Freezing Moments Time: 3pm to 8pm Drik Gallery House 58, Road 15/A (New) Dhanmondi

Film Captain America: The Winter Soldier (3D & 2D) Jonakir Alo Boishommo The Legend of Hercules 3D Avatar in 3D Frozen in 3D Ender’s Game Time: 10am – 10pm Star Cineplex, Level 8 Bashundhara City 13/3 Ka, Panthopath

Arshad Adnan to produce 12 dramas n

Entertainment desk

Actor and producer Arshad Adnan is producing twelve TV plays at a go. This is his second big initiative after last February's buzz of producing six dramas at the same time, all of which were shot in Cox's Bazaar.

The directors of the twelve dramas include some of the prominent names in the television industry, Rahmatullah Tuhin, Sokal Ahmed, Mizanur Rahman Labu, Masud Mohiuddin, B U Shuvo, Saif Chandan, Jubaer Ibn Bakar, Sakhawat Hossain Manik, Sazzad Sumon, Setu Arif, Ononya Emon and Ashikur Rahman.

The actors of the dramas will be finalised soon.

About the initiative, Arshad said: “A good number of TV plays will be released from Versatile Media during Eid. In June, I will start working on my first cinema and is looking forward to shooting with a big unit.”

His last acting job was in a television drama titled Premer Pandulipi directed by Mehedi Hasan Sumon.

Rumana was his co-star in the drama.

Before his journey in the media industry, he worked in a private bank as Assistant Vice President. l

won a special mention award.

Jaatishwar stars Prosenjit Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta, Swastika Mukherjee, Rahul, Riya Sen, Mamata Shankar and many others.

Bollywood films like Ship of Theseus, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Shahid have been honoured for their contribution to Indian cinema.

While Ship of Theseus has been named the Best Feature Film, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has won on the popularity meter. Another film, Shahid, has won double trophies for best direction as well as best acting. Congratulations poured in as soon as Shahid actor Rajkummar Rao has been announced the best actor.

Marathi films and actors have once again left a mark at the 61st National Film Awards, bagging as many as nine awards. The categories include best debut for a director, best film on social issues, best supporting actress, best female playback singer, best dialogues and special jury award among others. l

Alia-Arjun’s 2 States gets thumbs up from critics n

Entertainment Desk

Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor’s cross cultural love story 2 States will release all over the India today, and the critics have already expressed their satisfaction.

2 States is a happy film (with measured anguish).

Krish Malhotra (Arjun) and Ananya Swaminathan(Alia) meet on the IIM Ahmedabad campus. Sparks fly between economic coaching and food poaching. Their tender love, compulsive copulation and kissing chemistry make this couple reason that they could spend a lifetime together. But in India, where tradition and parents are nurtured, couples have to literally marry each other’s families.

Incidentally, for those in an inter-caste marriage,

this movie could resonate like your own tale. The playful digs at each other’s cultures, the self-deprecating remarks about one’s family and community are all laugh-out-loud moments. Amrita-Ronit, Revathi-Shiv Subramaniam infuse life into their roles of the Punjabi and Tamil parents.

Critic Chetan Bhagat tweeted: “Saw 2 States. 2 overwhelmed. Fantastic. Charms you, makes you smile, touches u deep.”

Taran Adarsh tweeted: “#2States movie review: One of the finest movies to come out of the Hindi film industry of late!”

Times of India wrote: “Romance in cross-cultural or even cross-border situations isn’t new to Bollywood. What makes 2 States work is the simple narrative told humorously.” l

Did you know?

Liverpool have scored 2+ goals in their last 10 PL games. Only two sides (Man City & Spurs) have gone on longer runs in EPL history

Sport

Friday, April 18, 2014

14 Bale stunner

seals Cup joy for Real

14 City run aground,

Palace rock Everton

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Nadal earns

300th clay win, Federer strolls

BPL in BCB’s mind n Mazhar Uddin Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is planning to stage the much controversial twenty over tournament Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) before the 2015 fifty over World Cup. The board is looking to arrange the tournament between November to January, informed Ismail Haider Mollik, the BCB director and the member secretary of BPL. “BCB is willing to stage the BPL and we have selected an approximate date to hold the tournament. We are looking to arrange the tournament betweenNovember to January. However, we,of course,have to see the international and local cricket’s schedule first,” said Mollik.

With the fifty over World Cup starting from early 2015 in Australia and New Zealand, the BCB is planning to send the Tigers down under a month before the mega event and plans to arrange some practice matches prior the main event. However, the schedule of the traditional fifty over tournament - Dhaka premier League, is yet to be fixed by the board and this sudden plan of staging a twenty over tournament like BPL is something unusual from the board.

“Definitely there will be premier league. What’s the benefit of the clubs

EWU clinch indoor uni title n Tribune Desk

East West University emerged as the champions of the second Clemon Indoor University cricket tournament defeating Jahangirnagar University by five wickets at the Shahid Sohrawardi Indoor Stadium yesterday.

JU opted to bat first and rode on Rabiuzzaman Rasel’s 15-ball 30 to post a challenging 110 before getting bowled out in 7.3 overs. Sazbir Hossain, Sajidur Rahman and Asif Hasan bagged two wickets each for East West.

East West chased the target down with eight balls to spare in the innings after the top order got the side to a strong start. Asif smashed three fours and four sixes to make 39 off 14 balls while Naimul Haque and Shahriar Dipto scored 29 and 22 runs respectively.

Asif of East West University was named Player of the Final for his all-round heroics. l

if there is no premier league? And how can they survive? I am sure there will be premier league,” he said.

However, the influential member of the board did not mention the exact date of the Dhaka League. Meanwhile, Game On, the event management company is looking to settle things with BCB as the company has some issues regarding the payments of the TV rights.

Game On owes Tk. 19croreto BCB and BCB hasheld many discussions with the event management company earlier. But the issue is yet to be resolvedasGame On has some complaints, one of those being the ban of the Pakistani cricketers in the tournament.

However, Game On has accepted the conditions of the board and has already given a cheque of Tk ten crore.

“Game On has given a cheque of Tk. ten crore and we have already received tk. 2.5 crore and we will get another 2.5 crore by April 20 while we will receive the remaining five crore very soon,” said Mollik.

The second edition of the BPL saw match fixing allegations against Mohammad Ashraful and ten others. The youngest centurion in Test history, Ashraful, admitted his involvement in match fixing and a tribunal was formed after that. l

Real Madrid’s Welsh forward Gareth Bale celebrates after scoring during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) final ‘Clasico’ football match FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid CF at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia on Wednesday AFP

New hope for Bangladesh football Feni requires most revamps n Raihan Mahmood

Kazi Salahuddin, the president of Bangladesh Football Federation has urged the government and all the other concerned sectors to step ahead in patronize football in order to achieve a new height by utilizing the new opportunity offered by Asian Football Confederation.

The president, speaking over phone from Malaysia thinks Bangladesh have to start working to avail the opportunity and work hard to play in the Asian Cup 2019. “With the teams extended to 24 for the Asian Cup 2019, I think we have to chalk out a master plan and start working to implement it. It’s a great opportunity for a country like Bangladesh and a great way to raise the standards,” said Salahuddin.

The BFF president wanted fullfledged support from all the quarters.

“We are working hard but it would not

be possible without the proper support of the government and the other concerned sectors. I firmly believe that Bangladesh can play in the Asian Cup in 2019 with a proper plan,” said Salahuddin.

Saiful Bari Titu, the assistant national coach, also felt a new door has been opened. “Now it will be a target based work plan. Bangladesh have the aspiration to go ahead and AFC has opened the door. We must design a comprehensive plan for the optimum benefit,” said Titu.

In order to give opportunity to more Member Associations to be part of Asia’s flagship competition, the AFC Executive Committee on Wednesday decided to approve a proposal to increase the number of teams in the AFC Asian Cup from 16 to 24 from the 2019 edition. There will be no more edition of The AFC Challenge Cup after the next edition in Maldives. AFC also de-

cided to merge the preliminary qualification rounds for FIFA World Cup qualifiers and AFC Asian Cup. The teams will be divided into eight groups in the preliminary stage. The eight group winners and four second best teams from all the eight groups will qualify for the FIFA World Cup final round of qualifiers as well as the AFC Asian Cup finals. Presently, only ten teams battle it out in the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The next best 24 teams from the preliminary qualification round (24 teams) will compete for the remaining slots in the AFC Asian Cup finals in six groups of four teams each.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s AFC ranking have also been thrown into a new challenge as Thirty percent of points will be allocated for national teams’ performances while seventy percent for the clubs’ showings in different AFC tournaments. l

n Raihan Mahmood

Home ground to Soccer Club, Feni, Bhasha Shahid Salam Stadium appeared as the most problematic among the three venues outside the capital in the Bangladesh Premier League, it was revealed by the Inspection Committee at a press conference at the BFF House yesterday.

The senior vice president of BFF and a member of the Inspection Committee Abdus Salam Murshedy said Gopalganj and Chittagong have to go through minor modifications while the venue in Feni requires the most makeover.

“Our points of observations were is the ground playable and the level of facilities. Gopalganj and Chittagong have some minor problems, the pitch of the Feni venue is undergoing renovations and the dressing room is also not up to the mark. However I want to say all these problems can be fixed and we will provide deadline to the venues for upgrad-

ing,” said Salam.

“I don’t see any reason to rule Feni out of the list. We will also assist the renovation process if they ask, we have seen passion for football in Feni and the people want BPL matches there,” he added.

It was learnt the pitch at Feni stadium is not straight, but angular while the gap between the stands and the dressing room is very little, consequentially leaving the visiting team players insecure.

Badal Roy, the vice president of BFF and a member of the committee, said they will send the list of required renovations needed as well as the deadline soon.

Sheikh Md Maruf Hasan, the DIG of Police and the ex-co member of BFF, said security depends upon the facilities and the level of security also improves with the competent infrastructure.

Meanwhile, BFF is yet to decide whether the matches of the BPL second phase will be held outside Dhaka. The decision will be taken next week. l

NCL contracts to be renewed soon n Minhaz Uddin Khan

East West University, champions in Clemon Indoor Uni Cricket, players and students pose with the trophy at Shahid Sohrawardi Indoor Stadium yesterday COURTESY

The contracts of the 105 first-class cricketers with the Bangladesh Cricket Board expired in December 2013 and the BCB tournament committee, in last four months, showed no intent in renewing the contracts which gave birth to curiosity among the cricketers.

However, upon query the BCB tournament committee assistant manager Ariful Islam informed Dhaka Tribune that the contracts will be renewed once the ongoing season of the National Cricket League (NCL) and the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) ends.

“The contract was till December last year,” said Ariful. “We couldn’t renew the contracts right away as the board was bust with back to back international events like the Asia Cup and the ICC World Twenty20 and as few of the games from both NCL and BCL were

pending,” he informed.

In 2012, under the presidency of AHM Mostafa Kamal, the BCB offered central contracts to 105 players from outside the national team for the first time. This was a major step towards decentralisation of cricket in Bangladesh from its Dhaka-centric structure.

We couldn’t renew the contracts right away as the board was bust with back to back international events The initiative was taken aiming to create more competition among the players in the NCL, long called a “picnic tournament.”

The renewed contracts this time will see new names according to Ariful. “The

names are confirmed taking the recent performance into account. So it is usual to have the change. A month’s salary is pending from the prior contract which will be taken care of soon,” said Ariful.

Cricketers from each of the eight designated regions of the country - Barisal, Khulna, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rangpur, Dhaka and Dhaka Metropolis that take part in the NCL are offered the BCB contract.

It was learnt that there is a very good chance of hike in the salaries. According to the previous contract, a cricketer with 11 years of first-class experience was paid Tk25,000 per month under Category A. Players with 6-10 years of experience received Tk20,000 per month in Category B and Tk15,000 per month in Category C for players who have played for 1-5 years. These salaries are in addition to the match fees that the players continue to receive. l

BCB must act more off the field, says Mashud Premier kabaddi starts today n Minhaz Uddin Khan Former Bangladesh national skipper and one of the directors of 3Crics – the organiser of the Clemon Indoor University Cricket – Khaled Mashud Pilot stated that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) also needs to improve its performance in order to increase international games for Bangladesh in a calendar year.

The former wicketkeeper-batsman believes hike in international games will have positive effect on the national team’s performance.

“We are more successful in hosting events than dealing with the on table issues. We hosted Asia Cup, ICC World Twenty20 and Mini World Cup prior to these. But it won’t be right to overlook the other issues because we were successful in hosting these events,” said Mashud to the media during the closing ceremony of the Indoor University Cricket held at Mirpur Sohrawardi Indoor Stadium yesterday.

“We will have to show performance off the field as organisers. I believe China will also become a successful host if they are asked to host a World Cup by

the ICC,” he added.

Mashud stated that the board should emphasise in the root level and the chief work should be producing talents from the level. He also added, “I think those who are in charge of the responsible posts should have long term plans and involve those to work in these projects who understands cricket.

“India has readied 56 venues just so that they can run IPL (India Premier League) smoothly. This has enriched their infrastructure. Whereas what we have done in last 14 years is spent millions in renovating SBNS (Sher-e-

Bangla National Stadium), ZACS (Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium) and Fatullah (Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium),” said Mashud.

Pilot also opined that cricket is not decentralised in our country which is working as a barrier in growing cricketers for the pipeline.

“There is literally no progress in root level cricket. Our cricket has become Dhaka centric. People from Dhaka have to go to different places across the country to run organise cricket.

BCB should step up in developing regional cricket,” he said. l

n Raihan Mahmood

The Walton Smartphone 14th Premier Division Kabaddi League with the participation of 13 teams starts at the Kabaddi stadium today.

Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation (BKF) laid a new format in order to select players for the Asian Games training camp.

Splitting the teams into four groups, the federation opted for a Super 4 phase with four group winners. The change in format will also see the league completed in just six days compared to the 20 days needed if played over a single league.

The participating teams are defend-

ing champions Bangladesh Army, runners-up BGB, Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force, Bangladesh Jails, Fire Service, Azad Sporting, Dhaka Wanderers, Jurain Janata, Maniknagar Kabaddi Club, Shahid Mozaffar Smriti Sangsad and Sonali Babnk Recreation Club.

In a press conference held at the BNS yesterday Nazrul Islam, the general secretary of BKF presented the tournament details. BKF vice president Munir Hossain, Walton additional director AFM Iqbal bin Anwar, federation officials Nizamudin Chowdhury and Golam Faruk were also present on the occasion. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Kroos keeps quiet about Bayern future Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos kept quiet about his future at the treble winners on Wednesday with speculation about a transfer to Manchester United rife. Kroos has not yet accepted a contract extension offer from Bayern for beyond 2015 with reports linking him to an imminent move to the English club. “Do not worry, you will all be informed on time,” he told reporters when asked about the widespread speculation regarding a move to Manchester following Bayern’s 5-1 German Cup semi-final victory over Kaiserslautern.

–Reuters

Sport

Friday, April 18, 2014

Thunder clinch West’s second seed Kevin Durant’s dunk with 16.5 seconds to play lifted Oklahoma City to a 112-111 victory over Detroit on Wednesday on the final night of the NBA regular season. With the victory, the Thunder secured the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Durant drove past Kyle Singler on the left side for the twohanded slam -- giving the Thunder their first lead since early in the third quarter.

Detroit’s Brandon Jennings couldn’t get an off-balance three-point attempt to fall in at the buzzer.

– AFP

Cibulkova home and dry in Malaysia Top seed Dominika Cibulkova finally got on court Wednesday and registered a crushing 6-1, 6-3 win over Turkey’s Pemra Özgen in another rain-interrupted day at the BMW Malaysian Open. The Slovakian world number 10’s game was delayed due to a late afternoon downpour but she sped through her match in 60 minutes to set up a second-round clash against Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei. “Quite happy with my game, I didn’t let her play at all in the first set and was feeling quite good. I was really aggressive and didn’t give her any chance to play,” said the 25-year-old .

– AFP

Bale stunner seals Cup joy for Real n Gareth Bale scored a stunning individual goal five minutes from time to win the Copa del Rey for Real Madrid as they overcame Barcelona 2-1 at the Mestalla in Valencia on Wednesday.

The Welshman had previously been wayward with a series of efforts on goal, but he finally made his mark as he galloped through on goal from inside his own half before prodding the ball past Jose Manuel Pinto.

Madrid had gone in front after just 10 minutes as Angel di Maria raced onto Karim Benzema’s through ball and fired low into the corner.

Marc Bartra levelled for Barca 22 minutes from time when he headed home Xavi’s corner, but it was the young defender who was left in Bale’s wake as he sealed his first trophy as a Madrid player.

Bale’s teammate Xabi Alonso was even more effusive in his praise for the goal which handed Madrid the trophy for the 19th time.

“It was incredible, I have never seen anything like it.

“It look like the ball was going out, but he kept pushing and ran off the field to get it. It was amazing.”

Without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo much was expected of Bale to fill the World Player of the Year’s shoes and he had the first two chances of the game as he dragged a shot across goal before Javier Mascherano deflected his next effort just wide.

Madrid were soon in front though as a flowing counter-attack involving Isco, Bale, Benzema and finally Di Maria set the Argentine free and his low shot just squeezed under Pinto’s outstretched hand.

RESULT

Real Madrid

Di Maria 10, Bale 85

2 1

ROLL OF HONOURS 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004

Barcelona Bartra 68

Barca pressed for an equaliser for the rest of the half as Cesc Fabregas’ low cross was just too strong for Neymar to connect at the back post, whilst Jordi Alba saw a header comfortably saved

by Iker Casillas. l

Real Madrid football squad's bus parades at Plaza Cibeles in Madrid as they celebrate their victory over Barcelona in the Spanish Copa del Rey final match on Wednesday

Plenty of life still in Barca: Martino n

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino maintained his side can still return to their former glories after they were beaten 2-1 by a Gareth Bale inspired Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday.

The Welshman ran half the length of the field to score the winner five minutes from time and subject Barca a third consecutive defeat in all competitions which leaves them on the verge of failing to win a major trophy for the first time in six years.

“When you look at the age of the players in this team it is evident that Barcelona has a long road still to run and with a lot better results than this year,” said Martino.

Barca were dumped out of the Champions League before the semifinal stage for the first time in seven years last week by Atletico Madrid and also lie in third-place, four points adrift of Atletico, with just five games remaining in La Liga.

“Obviously it is not a happy moment,” Martino admitted.

“It has been a very hard week for

us, but there is nothing else we can do but look ahead to what remains in the league.

“It is a very hard blow to take because the expectations for today were huge and it is a final so everyone was desperate to win.

Barcelona coach Tata Martino and player Neymar react after losing their Copa del Rey final match in Valencia on Wednesday REUTERS

Real Madrid Atlético Madrid FC Barcelona Real Madrid Sevilla FC FC Barcelona Valencia CF Sevilla FC RCD Espanyol Real Betis Real Zaragoza

“I am hurting due to the defeat and for the people that came here with great expectations to support us, but Barca still has a lot left to give.

“There is no perfect recipe to recover. The league doesn’t have a favourable look for us at the moment, but we have the obligation to fight until the last day.”

Defeat is also certain to heighten speculation that Martino will be replaced at the end of the campaign after just one season in charge of the Catalan giants.

However, the Argentine claimed the past week did not change his plans for the future.

“I don’t feel like my future changes because of what we have lost, nor would it have changed if we had won everything.”

Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti backed his opposite number on the Barca bench, citing personal experience that they remain one of the best sides in the world having lost both league meetings against Martino’s men this season.

“We can say from experience this season that playing against Barcelona is very, very difficult. l

Real fans jam streets n

Thousands of cheering Real Madrid fans welcomed their team back to the Spanish capital early Thursday after winning the Copa del Rey with a 2-1 victory over arch rivals Barcelona.

Supporters, many wrapped in the club’s flag, cheered as the squad arrived at Madrid’s central Cibeles Square, the traditional home for raucous Real Madrid victory celebrations, in a white open-topped bus with the word “champions” written in black letters on its sides.

Fans applauded Real goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas as, following tradition, he leant over the side of the bus and wrapped a Madrid insignia and club scarf around the statue of the Roman goddess that adorns a fountain in the square.

The victory bus drove three times around the fountain as fans twirled Real scarves in the air and took photos of the players.

“Winning the cup is fantastic, winning against Barcelona is even better,” said Ezequiel Munoz, a 20-year-old student who came to the square with a group of friends after the match.

“We are going to celebrate all night long,” added Munoz, who wore a black and white Real jersey with the name of the club’s defender Sergio Ramos on its back. Gareth Bale scored a stunning individual goal five minutes from time to secure Real Madrid’s 19th Copa del Rey at the Mestalla in Valencia on Wednesday.

The jubilant crowd had started gathering around the stage set up by the fountain in the middle of the square as soon as the final whistle blew on Real Madrid’s win.

The celebrating fans included large groups of teenagers, fathers with their young sons, elderly couples and a few people with dogs wearing Real scarves around their necks.

Fans chanted, set off firecrackers and danced in the streets while they waited for the players to arrive, as images of a football and a trophy along with the word “champions” were beamed onto the walls of city hall.

“I am very happy. I had no doubts that they were going to win because I saw that Madrid’s defence was very tight and the counter attack was very well studied,” said Juan Moreno, another Real fan. l

AFP

Ronaldo recovering well, still unsure on Bayern game n Real Madrid’s top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo is recovering well from knee and thigh injuries but is still not sure whether he will be fit for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final, first leg at home to Bayern Munich.

The Portugal captain and Ballon d’Or winner has missed Real’s last four matches, including Wednesday’s King’s Cup final victory over Barcelona, since limping off during the Champions League quarter-final, first leg against Borussia Dortmund on April 2.

“Better, much better,” Ronaldo told Spanish television broadcaster TVE after Wednesday’s Cup final.

“I don’t feel any more pain,” added the 29-year-old.

“Let’s see if Wednesday I am fine or for the second leg. Little by little I am getting better and what I want most is to return as soon as possible to help the team.”

The return leg is in Munich on April 29 and the winners will play Atletico Madrid or Chelsea in the final in Lisbon on May 24. l

City run aground, Palace rock Everton

Stagehand of God? Bayern set up Dortmund date Maradona wonder record seven games to spare, will face n n Dortmund, who shocked Bayern 3-0 goal inspires play in Munich in the league last Saturday, Holders Bayern Munich will face Borussia Dortmund in next month’s in a repeat of last season’s Champions n German Cup final after cruising to a 5-1 League final.

Diego Maradona’s iconic wonder-goal against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup has inspired a new Buenos Aires play.

The play -- “Cosmic Kite, Match of the Century” - takes its name from the Argentine radio commentary which accompanied the goal by broadcaster Victor Hugo Morales.

Maradona’s famous solo effort, which saw him weave past six English defenders in a mesmerizing dribble from the halfway line before scoring, is often ranked as the greatest World Cup goal of all time.

The goal ultimately secured a 2-1 victory for Argentina in a match also made famous for Maradona’s opening “Hand of God” goal.

The emotionally charged win came four years after Britain’s 1982 war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas.

The new play is a comedy which takes place in a Buenos Aires apartment as three fans gather to watch the game -- only for the wife of one of the fans to confess to having an affair with the two other supporters.

“The dictatorship was over, it was the start of democracy in Argentina,” actor Jorge Vigetti told AFP. “After losing the war of the Malvinas, the England game was seen as a rematch.”

After beating the English, Argentina went on to lift the World Cup for the second time. l

win over second-division Kaiserslautern in Wednesday’s semi-final.

Bayern reached their third consecutive domestic cup final by bouncing back from back-to-back Bundesliga defeats to see off Kaiserslautern, who had knocked out top-tier sides Bayer Leverkusen and Hertha Berlin en route to the semis.

Goals by Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, Thomas Mueller, Mario Mandzukic and Mario Goetze saw Bayern go through to the May 17 final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.

The Bavarian giants, who wrapped up this season’s Bundesliga title with a

Pep Guardiola’s Bayern had few problems against the ‘Red Devils’ of Kaiserslautern as Germany midfielder Schweinsteiger hit the crossbar and then headed home an Arjen Robben corner with 24 minutes gone.

Kroos doubled the hosts’ lead at the Allianz Arena on 32 minutes to make it 2-0 at the break. Robben then won a penalty five minutes into the second half when he was fouled by Kaiserslautern defender Chris Loewe and Mueller fired home the spot-kick.

Kaiserslautern striker Simon Zoller headed home a consolation goal on the hour mark. l

Former Portuguese footballer Vitor Baia poses with the Champions League trophy upon arriving at the City Hall in Lisbon yesterday. Lisbon will stage the Champions League final at Benfica's Luz stadium on May 24, 2014 REUTERS

Liverpool’s position atop the Premier League table was strengthened on Wednesday when title rivals Manchester City were held to a 2-2 draw at home to bottom club Sunderland.

Beaten 3-2 at Liverpool on Sunday, City were bidding to close to within four points of Brendan Rodgers’s side in the first of their two games in hand.

Fernandinho’s 2nd-minute goal at the Etihad Stadium put City on track.

But after Connor Wickham scored twice in the last 17 minutes, the hosts needed a fortuitous 88th-minute equaliser from Samir Nasri just to rescue a point. The result left City six points below Liverpool in third place and although Manuel Pellegrini’s side still have a game in hand, the title is inching ever closer to Anfield.

“It is not enough, because we have Liverpool and Chelsea on top of the table and we needed to add three points,” said City coach Pellegrini.

“We will see in the future what will happen, but our chances are less.

“When it no longer depends on what you can do it is very frustrating, but we must finish the season the way we have done practically the whole season.”

City were without injured midfielders Yaya Toure and David Silva, but top scorer Sergio Aguero returned to their starting line-up alongside Alvaro Negredo as Pellegrini made five changes to the team that lost at Liverpool.

The hosts made an ideal start, with Negredo winning the ball back and

Manchester City's Samir Nasri reacts after missing a chance at goal against Sunderland at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday AFP finding Aguero, whose pass enabled Fernandinho to open the scoring from eight yards.

Fernandinho should have made it 2-0 when he blazed over from a Pablo Zabaleta knock-down after Vito Mannone had saved from Aguero, but Sunderland then created several chances to equalise. John O’Shea twice headed off-target from set-pieces, while Fabio Borini and Adam Johnson each fired efforts narrowly wide before half-time.

POINTS TABLE Team 1 Liverpool

GP 34

W 24

D 5

L 5

GD PTS 51 77

2 Chelsea 3 Man City

34 33

23 22

6 5

5 6

42 54

75 71

4 Arsenal 5 Everton

34 34

20 19

7 9

7 6

18 21

67 66

A deflected Aguero effort that Mannone saved comfortably was the best that City could muster in the early stages of the second period and in the 73rd minute they were punished.

Emanuele Giaccherini sent a cross into the City box from the left and Wickham steered a volley past Joe Hart to register his first league goal since 2011.

Ten minutes later Wickham struck again, beating Hart at his near post after a Sunderland counter-attack and leaving Gus Poyet’s men on the verge of avenging their loss to City in the League Cup final.

It was not to be, as Nasri’s long-ranger somehow squirmed past Mannone and over the line, but the Frenchman’s failure to convert a gilt-edged opportunity moments later meant that it was still a costly night for City.

“We conceded a goal after two minutes at Manchester City and every single person in the world expected us to lose from there,” said Sunderland manager Poyet.

“But we passed the ball and created chances. We kept believing.”

While Liverpool’s fans exulted in City’s misfortune, it was a different story in the other half of the city, as Everton fell to a 3-2 loss at home to Crystal Palace that prevented them from reclaiming fourth place from Arsenal. l

RESULTS

Everton

2 3

Crystal Palace

Naismith 61, Mirallas 86 Puncheon 23, Dann 49, Jerome 73

Manchester City

2 2

Fernandinho 2, Nasri 88

Sunderland Wickham 73, 83

DHAKA TRIBUNE

QUICK BYTES

Siddikur to complete first round today Bangladesh golfing ace Siddikur Rahman was placed 40th in the rainaffected first round in the Maybank Malaysian Open yesterday. As a result of the delay Siddikur was not able to complete his round and will resume today morning to club his last hole.

Siddikur stroked 67 shots at par of the 17th hole. Meanwhile, Lee Westwood and Nicolas Colsaerts rediscovered top form to set the pace in the first round.

Both the golfers made light of the long journey from the United States to Kuala Lumpur - Westwood taking the clubhouse lead with a seven-under-par 65 and Colsaerts just a shot behind.

–Tribune Desk

Jail term confirmed for match-fixing Fenerbahce boss The boss of Turkish football giant Fenerbahce faced a jail term over match-fixing on Thursday after a top court rejected his appeal, local media reported. Aziz Yildirim, 61, was first sentenced to jail and fined 1.3 million lira ($580,000) in 2012 for match fixing during the 2010-2011 season.

In all, 93 people were originally convicted in the case and European football’s governing body UEFA barred Fenerbahce from the Champions’ League for two seasons as a result.

Yildirim served about a year of his original sentence before being freed pending an appeal against what he said was a “political” ruling. On Thursday, the chief prosecutor’s office within the Supreme Court of Appeals rejected his arguments and upheld his jail term of six years and three months, the private CNN-Turk television reported.

–AFP

Sport

Pakistan name new coaches in search of lost glory Pakistan named new coaches for their senior and junior hockey teams Wednesday as they try to drag themselves out of a slump and revive past glories. Pakistan failed to qualify for the World Cup to be held in the Netherlands in June -- the first time they have ever missed the tournament, which they have won four times.

Pakistan have also won three Olympic gold medals but slumped to seventh position in the 2012 London Olympics.

They were 12th and last in the 2010 World Cup in India. Crumbling finances forced the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to pull out of international events this year. Hockey struggles to compete with cricket for popularity and funding, but the PHF is hoping a 100 million rupee ($1 million) grant promised by Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif will give the sport the boost it needs.

–AFP

n World number one Rafael Nadal finished with an ace on match point to seal his 300th career victory on clay and advance into the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Thursday.

He was joined in the last-eight by defending champion Novak Djokovic who eased past Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 6-0, 6-1 and seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer who spent just 57 minutes in going past Czech Lukas Rosol 6-4, 6-1 to next line up against ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Nadal, the eight-time winner in Monte Carlo, became just the 11th man to crack 300 wins on clay -- the last to do so was Spaniard Carlos Moya, who ended his career in 2007 with 337 victories.

The Spaniard said he felt an improvement in his play in his 6-1, 6-3 win over Italy’s Andreas Seppi, with the victory taking him into another meeting with compatriot David Ferrer.

Spanish sixth seed Ferrer booked his place by beating Bulgarian number 12 Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-2.

Nadal still has ground to cover on clay before approaching the all-time top winner on the surface -- Argentine Guillermo Vilas compiled a record of 644-183 on the surface three decades ago.

“I did what I had to in order to get where I am,” the top seed said of his third-round win.

“But playing David (Ferrer) is never easy. If you are not at the top of your game you will lose. I’m just glad to be in a quarter-final.”

Nadal had a few spots of bother against Seppi, with the world number one forced to save five break points in the sixth game of the opening set for a 5-1 lead.

“At 4-1 I just stopped moving my legs, it was mental, not physical,” he explained.

In the second set, Nadal dropped serve to love while leading 4-2. But he got it straight back for 5-3 and finished off the victory in 93 minutes.

Swiss fourth seed Federer, the record 17-time Grand Slam winner, came back from a break down in the first set before crushing his opponent to win an

ATP-leading 26th match this season.

Frenchman Tsonga celebrated his 29th birthday with a win in controversial circumstances over flamboyant Italian Fabio Fognini, who went into meltdown in a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 defeat.

The 10th seed won just four points in the final set, where he was jeered by fans.

“Today I felt a lot better than the first day, where my legs felt very heavy,” said Tsonga. “I knew I could stay on the court for a long time.

“In the beginning he was better than I was physically, but I made him play each point and I didn’t make any unforced errors.”

Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka earned a free trip into the last eight when Spain’s Nicolas Almagro retired before their third-round match with a foot injury.

Australian Open winner Wawrinka, seeded third, will Friday face off against Canadian eighth seed Milos Raonic, who beat 11th-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-4, 6-3.

Wawrinka has beaten Raonic in both of their previous meetings, in 2012 and 2013 on hardcourt. l

Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts during the Monte-Carlo ATP Masters Series Tournament match against Italy's Andreas Seppi in Monaco yesterday AFP

I haven’t met the new boss: Alonso n

Scuderia Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso of Spain (C) signs autographs for fans before the upcoming Formula One Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai yesterday AFP

Fernando Alonso paid tribute Thursday to former Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali, who sensationally quit this week, and admitted that he had not even spoken to the new man at the helm.

Domenicali stepped down on Monday, after a torrid start to the season, culminating most recently in the team’s drivers trailing in ninth and 10th in Bahrain two weeks ago.

“Stefano is a great man, first of all, and I am a close friend of his -- that is no secret,” said Alonso in a press conference ahead of Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix.

“We still have a close relationship, we have been talking throughout the week, and that will continue because we have known each other for many years,” added the two-time world champion.

He was replaced by Marco Mattiac-

ci, former president and CEO of Ferrari North America, and Alonso confessed he knew little about his new boss, who was absent from the circuit on Thursday.

Alonso added that he did not even know if Mattiacci would turn up in Shanghai for the weekend.

However, team sources indicated to AFP that Mattiacci was flying in on Thursday night and is due to meet his team for the first time on Friday.

Nevertheless Alonso stressed that it was paramount to support the new boss and move forward. “We need to give him time and get the team behind him,” he said.

“We are really hoping that he will be successful and everyone is looking forward.”

As for the reasons for Domenicali’s sudden departure, his close friend Alonso – who goes skiing with him on January 1 every year – was more effusive.

“We need to accept what Stefano decided,” he said. “He wasn’t in the mood to continue with the feeling of having everything on his shoulders.

We need to respect his decision.”

Domenicali was able to win only one constructors’ championship during his six years in charge but Alonso said that with a little more luck he could have had a hat-trick of drivers’ titles.

“As a team principal he made good choices and did good things,” said the Spaniard.

“We had missed opportunities in 2012 and 2010, and they missed an opportunity with Felipe (Massa) in 2008.

If not, he would have three championships in the pocket.

“He brought Kimi (Raikkonen) in.

He did the right things.”

Alonso also sought to downplay his fist-pumping “victory salute” after finishing a distant ninth behind winner Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes in Bahrain. l

Spain hails Bale’s ‘Bolt’ goal Prosecution pillories Pistorius expert n

Spain on Thursday hailed Gareth Bale’s wonder goal that downed arch rivals Barcelona to win the Copa del Rey final.

Spanish newspapers paid homage to Bale’s strength and power while the Welsh winger himself declared that winning the cup was “a dream come true”.

Madrid daily Marca recreated his 58 metre run at an average speed of 27 kilometres an hour on its front page.

Inside he was christened “Gareth Bolt” thanks to a burst of pace reminiscent of Jamaica’s six-time Olympic sprint gold medallist Usain Bolt.

The As daily led with “Bale brings the bullet”, whilst he was also roundly believed to have won his personal head-to-head with Barca’s Brazilian star Neymar in the battle of last year’s big money buys.

The goal proved to be the perfect riposte for a player who had received plenty of criticism for going missing in previous big games this season.

Bale more than filled the shoes of World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo. He was involved in Angel di Maria’s opener for Madrid before winning the game six minutes from time with his stunning strike.

A beaming Bale appeared before the world’s media happy to admit that winning his first trophy as a Madrid player had been the highlight of his career to date.

“It is a dream come true,” he said.

“It feels amazing. It is my first trophy and hopefully the first of many.”

However, the 24-year-old was not as amazed as most about the run and finish that tilted the game in Madrid’s favour, having scored in similar fashion for Wales against Iceland back in March.

Bale set off down the left wing and despite Marc Bartra pushing him well off the side of the pitch, he galloped through on goal to slot low past Jose Manuel Pinto. l

DAY’S WATCH Sony Six Pepsi IPL 2014 4:30PM Chennai v Punjab 8:30PM Hyderabad v Rajasthan Ten Golf 12:00PM Malaysian open Day 2 Star Sports 4 8:00AM & 12:00PM UBS Chinese Grand Prix Practice Session 1 & 2 12:30AM La Liga Atletico Madrid v Elche

15

Nadal earns 300th clay win, Federer strolls

‘Clear-the-air’ talks for Rosberg, Hamilton World championship leader Nico Rosberg said that his Mercedes team would sit down on Thursday night and clear the air between him and Lewis Hamilton after their battle in Bahrain. Hamilton held off his clearly quicker team-mate over the final few laps to win his second race in a row after a ding-dong duel, during which Rosberg complained over the radio, “That’s not on”. Rosberg admitted to reporters on Thursday that it had “taken a while” to get over coming second to Hamilton but added he was fully focused on Shanghai this weekend “because I know I can win here”. “It was an enjoyable fight, during the race anyway,” added Rosberg, who scored his maiden victory in China two years ago. Rosberg’s outburst came after the pair came “so close I couldn’t have got my hand between the two wheels,” he claimed on Thursday.

–AFP

Friday, April 18, 2014

Nazrul Islam, the general secretary of Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation speaks at the press conference of Walton Premier Kabaddi at the BNS yesterday COURTESY

n

The prosecution on Wednesday derided a forensic expert hired by Oscar Pistorius, accusing him of being unqualified to testify and rubbishing his account of the circumstances of Reeva Steenkamp’s death.

State prosecutor Gerrie Nel sought to prove that forensic geologist Roger Dixon was out of his depth when he was testifying about bruises on Steenkamp’s body and other key elements of the crime scene.

Dixon, a university professor, told the court about the sound made by Pistorius’s cricket bat hitting his toilet

door, visibility in the star sprinter’s bedroom and blood splatter.

Under intense pressure from Nel, Dixon described himself as a “layman,” a phrase the prosecutor seized on.

“You see Mr Dixon how irresponsible it is to try and be an expert on an area that you’re not,” said Nel. Pistorius’s defence team has tried to prove that neighbours who testified to hearing “bloodcurdling screams” followed by gunshots were mistaken.

If proven correct, the neighbours’ account could punch a hole in Pistorius’s claim he did not know Steenkamp was in the toilet.

The defence team -- with the help of

Dixon -- has tried to show that the noises were in fact Pistorius bashing a cricket bat against his toilet door after realising he mistakenly killed the model.

“Are you a sound expert, sir?” asked Nel. “Have you received training in decibels and sound?” Not specifically, said Dixon.

He also testified that Pistorius’s bedroom was so dark the athlete could not have seen whether Steenkamp was in bed.

When Nel asked the geologist about how he analysed the visibility in Pistorius’s bedroom room at night, Dixon said: “My lady, the instruments I used there were my eyes.” l

Row over plan to merge Asia’s top posts n

Prince Ali bin Al Hussein has savaged plans to hand his current role as FIFA vice-president to Asia’s football boss in a row which threatens to plunge regional soccer into a fresh round of infighting.

In an open letter, the Jordanian royal “strongly opposed” the proposal backed by Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, which will be put to the vote in June.

“I stand firm by my conviction that all sport... should be free from politics and completely devoid of politicos and self-interest individuals and groups that exploit the sport and all its stakeholders for their own personal gains,” Prince Ali wrote.

Four of football’s six global confederations combine the role of regional president and FIFA vice-president, with the AFC and South America’s CONMEBOL the two exceptions. Bahrain’s Shaikh Salman was elected as permanent replacement for the scandal-tainted Mohamed bin Hammam last year in a move warmly welcomed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

Shaikh Salman will now seek a change in AFC statutes to merge the Asian presidency with the FIFA vice presidency. He is expected to seek reelection as AFC boss next year. l

Tiger Cement and Rahmatganj MFS officials display their new team jerseys at the BFF House yesterday COURTESY

Tiger cement boost for Rahmatganj n Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society, the renowned old Dhaka football club received the Tiger cement boost in their endeavor of returning to the top flight league of the country yesterday.

Rahmatganj who was relegated to the Bangladesh Championship League last season welcomed Tiger cement as their sponsors in a deal signing ceremony held at the BFF House yesterday.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed but Abdul Kaiyum Chwodhury

the senior executive director of Tiger cement said they are with Rahmatganj and the amount will be a notable one with elevation of the team. Imtiaz Hamid Sabuj, the member secretary of the club signed the deal on behalf of the club.

Coach Kamal Babu said currently the club is on the top of the table with six wins and one draws and is firmly focused to earn the promotion in the Bangladesh Premier League. As per the deal the sponsors will provide various logistic supports to the football team. l

16

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Friday, April 18, 2014

12 human trafficking victims return home from Iran n Rabiul Islam Twelve Bangladeshi migrants, who were abducted by a gang of human traffickers in Iran, returned home yesterday.

A scheduled flight of Fly Dubai carrying the migrant workers arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 10:30 am, officials concerned said.

On their arrival, the 12 victims were taken to the CID office where a press conference was arranged They were brought back home with the assistance of Bangladesh embassy in Iran, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Rights Jessore, a non-governmental organisation working for the victims of human trafficking.

The victims are Shafiul Alam of Khulna, Md Shafiqul Islam of Brahmanbaria, Montaj Miah of Noakhali, Sajib Chandra Nath of Feni, Firoj Miah of Habiganj, Aminul Haque of Nilphamari, Jewel Miah of Faridpur, Mohsin Mia of Muradnagar and Zakir Hossain of Laksam in Comilla and Farhad Hossain of Nawabganj, Mahfuzur Rahman of Keraniganj and Mehedi Hasan of Dohar in Dhaka.

“I never thought that my son could return home,” said Aleya Begum, mother of Shafiul Alam, at the CID office.

Her son was working in the UAE and

earning Tk50,000 a month, she said.

“One day my son phoned me from Iran, saying that he would not be sent to Greece if he did not pay Tk650,000.”

She added: “I took Tk100,000 from my son-in-law and sent it to my son through bKash.”

They also filed a case in this regard, she said, adding that Iranian police later rescued her son.

“I was kept confined underground and tortured for three months,” said Shafiul Alam who was working as an assistant camp boss.

On March 26, Iranian police rescued him, he added.

Another victim Shafiqul Islam said, “I went to Dubai in 2011 and was working at a catering company with a monthly wage of Tk30,000.”

“A middleman named Hanif promised me to give jobs in a market. I paid Tk 150,000 and later I was taken to Port Abbas in Iran. I along with few others was confined in a house near a jungle.”

He added: “They threatened to sell my kidney if I failed to pay Tk800,000 within two days. As I failed, I was tortured for about one month,” Shafiqul continued.

“On April 2, we clashed with a gang of five middlemen and managed to flee the spot,” he said.

On their arrival, the 12 victims were taken to the CID office where a press conference was arranged.

At the press conference, CID Additional DIG Md Shah Alam said the migrants were abducted by the traffickers in Iran. “We have identified the traffickers and their local agents and arrested many of them.” l

Missing DU student found unconscious at Panthapath n DU Correspondent

Rescued aspiring migrant workers sit during a press conference at CID headquarters in the capital yesterday. The workers were being deceived by a fraudulent criminal gang MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

EIGHT BCL MEN KILLING

Four murder convicts acquitted n Tribune Report The High Court yesterday acquitted four convicts who had been handed down death penalty for killing eight Bangladesh Chhatra League activists in Bahaddarhat of Chittagong in 2000.

The four are Sajjad Hossain Khan, Alamgir Kabir, Azam and Md Solaiman.

The bench of Justice Abdul Hye and Justice Krishna Debnath pronounced the verdict against appeals filed by the convicts and also death reference.

According to the case statement, centring establishment of dominion at

the Government Commercial Institute of Chittagong, Chhatra Shibir activists opened fire on BCL leaders, who were in a microbus, on July 12, 2000.

The shooting killed vice-president of the institute Hasibur Rahman Helal, Rafiqul Islam Shohag, Jahangir Hossain, Azizul Islam Babu and Manu on the spot while Abul Kashem, Jahangir Alam and Zahid Hossain died after being taken to hospital.

On March 27, 2008, the four were sentenced to death by the lower court while another three – Enamul Haque, Abdul Quayum Chowdhury and Habib

Khan – were given life imprisonment.

The three are now on the run.

The High Court did not say anything about the three who were given life sentence which is why their punishment remained the same, said Deputy Attorney General Moniruzzaman Rubel.

He also said the state would appeal against the High Court verdict that acquitted the four of their conviction.

Following the shooting, Shibir activist Sajjad, also one of the four, reportedly fled to India in 2004 but was nabbed in 2012. Procedures are now on to bring him back. l

A Dhaka University student who went missing from Fuller Road on Tuesday evening was found in the capital’s Panthapath area yesterday morning.

Azizul Haq Khan Kanak, also an activist of Gonojagoron Moncho, was found lying on a bench of a tea stall in the area around 10:45 am.

Sub-Inspector of Shahbagh police station Kazi Shariful Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that they along with victim’s brother-in-law Sohel Parvez went to Panthapath area following a phone call made by a tea stall owner and found him unconscious on the bench of the tea stall.

Later, Kanak was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for treatment, the SI added.

Sohel Parvez said, “A tea vendor phoned me around 10:30am and asked me whether I was Kanak’s brother. Later, they told me that Kanak was found there unconscious.”

Sohel along with police went to the spot and found Kanak lying on the bench. There were injury marks in his head and bloodstains on his dress.

‘Computed Tomography (CT) scan has been done, but he had not major injuries,’ the on-duty doctor said.

Kanak said he was going to his sister’s house at Lalbagh after teaching his student. A gang standing near a shop passed comments, calling him an atheist while he was passing through Fuller Road. At a stage, they picked him up in a car, blindfolded and tortured him.

They left him on the spot on Wednesday night.

Kanak, also an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, said the gang members tried to make fun with him and tortured him until they set him free. But he could not recognise any of them. l

Study: 49% wives victims of domestic violence n Tazlina Zamila Khan

Around half of all married women in the country are victims of domestic violence, reveals a survey conducted by Manusher Jonno Foudation (MJF).

Findings of the survey titled “Baseline survey findings on selected villages for VAW (violence against women) free initiatives” were revealed yesterday at a discussion organised by MJF in the capital’s Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue.

The report says nearly 37% of women experienced physical violence and 15.7% were victimized in regard to dowry.

Around 32.7% of women said violence was inflicted upon them as they did not abide by directions of husbands.

Other reasons for domestic violence were mentioned as getting into altercation (23.5%), making delays in doing activities (26%) and going outside (10.8%).

The survey was conducted in 20 dis-

tricts and 91 villages.

According to the report, almost 37.2% of women suffered physical torture, 32.1% victims of psychological violence, 2.8% victims of financial violence and 1.2% encountered sexual violence.

Speaking at the meeting, MJF Executive Director Shaheen Anam said: “The perception of women in the society hasn’t changed yet. Women are not respected in the families and the society.

Learning how to respect women could bring down the rate of violence against them.”

MJF programme coordinator Banasree Mitra Neogi said: “Some superstitions have been obstructing women from attaining their goals. The aim of this survey is to establish women’s rights. We are also aiming 100% eradication of child marriage as soon as possible.”

In terms of making decisions, women

are less empowered compared to men, said Muhammad Shahadat Hossain Siddique, Associate Professor of Economics at Dhaka University. He said the survey report highlights that women are not aware of their rights at all.

“Around 70.7% of women seek help from family members for resolving domestic violence. Moreover, 7.9% sought intervention of union Parishad officials, 4.6 percent% approached local police and 2.7% tried community counseling.

However, around 8.2% remained silent and did not protest against violence,” he added.

Former secretary of Statistics division Riti Ibrahim said children do not learn to respect their mothers when they see their fathers are not doing that.

“Children have to learn to respect their mothers.”

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad President Ayesha Khanam stressed the need

for a concrete programme to resist violence against women. She suggested including a chapter on this in the school curriculum.

“We have to fight against patriarchal culture. In this case, education can contribute a lot,” she observed.

The study revealed in 17.6% of cases, violence hampered education of the children. It said 10.99% of women made land purchase decision and 13.5% household utensils purchase decision.

One of the positive outcomes of the survey was greater participation of women (19.5%) in making decisions on their children’s education compared to males (17.8%).

Secretary of the Women and Children Affairs Ministry Tariqul Islam said: “The percentage of violence against women is devastating. In this regard, NGOs and the government have to work together.” l

Home Economics College under mealybug attack

David Bergman to face contempt charges

College of Home Economics in Dhaka came under attack of a foreign bug, causing panic among the students and teachers in the college. The bug has already spread all over the college campus, infesting the trees, corridors, classrooms, labs and residential halls.

A few teachers and students have already developed skin infection from coming in contact with the bug.

Experts at the Department of Zoology in Dhaka University said the harmful bug was Giant Mealybug (Homoptera drosicha), a pest that lives on plant juices and sometimes kills the host plant.

It can also cause severe skin infection when it comes in contact with humans. The bug was first seen on trees in Hazi Mohsin Naval Base compound last year.

It could easily spread across the country and prove to be fatal for both crops and humans, said the zoologists.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid visited the campus yesterday and gave instructions to control the infestation.

Professor Iffat Ara Nargis, principal of the college, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We went to the Department of Zoology to examine the insect the day before yesterday. The education minister asked four entomologist from Bangladesh Agricultural University and three from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University to do research on the insect yesterday.”

The bug was first seen on a rain tree in front of a lab in the Clothing and Textile Department. Then it quickly spread across the campus. Bugs were even

n Udisa Islam

n Ahmed Zayeef

Mealybugs, an unarmoured scaled insect of Pseudococcidae family, infest a stem of a jackfruit tree at the College of Home Economics in the capital’s Azimpur. The pests have spread across many places in the campus MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU seen walking in the corridors.

Sanjida Haque, assistant professor of Clothing and Textile Department who was infected by the bug, said: “The insect has been in the campus since last year. They were too small then, they have grown big since summer arrived this year.

“The bugs started crawling up our bodies and clothes. Some of us even unknowingly carried this bugs home.

When it comes in contact with skin, the skin turns reddish and starts itching.”

Masuda Akter, a final-year student of Home Management Department, said: “My friends and I were preparing for our final exam in one of the corridors a month ago. One of us suddenly noticed a reddish patch on her hand. A few minutes later, it started to itch. A few days later, she had an infection.”

The college is closed for summer vacation and is due to open on Sunday.

However, if the bug infestation is not controlled by then, a huge number of students could be affected.

Nargis said: “In that case, we will think about prolonging the vacation.”

Abul Bashar, professor at the Department of Zoology, told the Dhaka Tribune: “It is a foreign mealybug. It may have come in the country recently.

Its attack has reduced since the advent of rainy season. Usually, the bug is at large during summer.

“There is no recognised pesticide in Bangladesh to destroy the giant mealybug. It can spread within a very short time. We are working on it,” he added. l

The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday decided to hear contempt charges against British journalist David Bergman for contesting the number of people who died during the Liberation War. In his blog, Bergman posted that there was almost no evidence that supported the official number, 3 million, of Liberation War martyrs.

On February 19, Supreme Court lawyer Abul Kalam Azad filed a petition, saying the journalist had made “derogatory” remarks about the tribunal following the indictments of death row war criminals Delawar Hossain Sayedee and Abul Kalam Azad.

On March 31, the tribunal heard Bergman’s explanation and set yesterday for passing order on whether to bring contempt charges against him.

Bergman said what he had said about the number of martyrs was “no more than an academic analysis expressed in restrained and sober language and based on review of research studies and articles.”

He said as he had not used any “sensationalist terms,” the court should consider that the “criti-

cisms...fall within the limits of fair comment on a judgment.”

He claimed that his blog comments had been made “before any trial had commenced” and so “was not in relation to any sub-judice matter.”

In a packed courtroom yesterday, the tribunal said the fact that 3 million people were killed in the war was historically established and the people of Bangladesh were emotionally attached to it.

The tribunal also referred to its previous judgements where it mentioned the number. “Anyone can do research on this but they have to be aware about not making any comment that may hurt the tribunal’s dignity.”

In February 2012, after hearing contempt charges the tribunal warned Bergman against repeating such offences. The warning followed an op-ed that Bergman had published in a Bangladeshi English daily. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

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B3 Higuchi new ADB

country director for Bangladesh

B4 Sukuk: The fastest

growing Islamic investment instrument

FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Biman set to reopen suspended routes Exports rise but growth rate slows down

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to reintroduce some of its suspended international and domestic routes soon, thanks to the newly added Boeing aircrafts in the flag carrier’s fleet as well as fresh efforts in leasing 70-seater propeller aircrafts for local routes, sources inside the airlines said.

The flag carrier is going to reintroduce flight services to destinations like Hong Kong and Delhi from May 30, while preparations are also on to reopen services on the Dhaka-New York and the Dhaka-Hong Kong-Los Angeles routes.

Biman, which currently offers no domestic flight, is also going to start two daily flights on the Dhaka-Chittagong and the Dhaka-Sylhet routes and one daily flight on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route.

Biman sources also said the carrier would also reopen services to Jessore and Syedpur, soon after launching flights on the other domestic routes that are currently dominated by four local operators.

Biman was also set to introduce flights to new destinations in the Chinese cities of Kunming and Guangzhou, senior Biman officials said.

“Last couple of years, we had no local flight because of aircraft shortage; but this time, we are leasing a propeller aircraft and also planning for different international routes with our own crafts,” Biman’s outgoing Managing Director Kevin Steele told the Dhaka Tribune recently.

Currently, Biman has eight aircrafts – each with of over 162-seat capacities, with four planes having seating ar-

n Tribune Report

Export earnings grew by 12.88% to US$22.24bn in the third quarter of the current financial year, despite the negative growth trend continued for the fourth consecutive month.

The total earnings were also 0.80% higher than the strategic target of $22.06bn, according to the latest data of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) released yesterday.

Meanwhile, in March exports earnings witnesses 4.79% rise to $2.41bn, mainly backed by apparel products.

The figure was more than 9% lower than the target of $2.66bn.

In July-March, Bangladesh exported knitwear and woven products of $8.83bn and $9.22bn respectively, registering growth of 16.40% and 14% respectively from the same period last year.

Leather and leather products maintained their uptrend and earned $381.13m and $170m registering 40% and 62.84% growth respectively. rangements for 419 people each.

“For domestic flights, we need small aircrafts that contain around a hundred seats. And we have invited a tender for a propeller aircraft which has around 70 seats,” Steele added.

Biman had already reopened flights on the Dhaka-Yangon and Dhaka-Rome-Frankfurt routes recently, the Biman chief said.

“We have plans to go for the Dhaka-New York flight, but we found some problems and mismanagements over the issue; so we need to rewrite the

plan and it may shift to mid-August,” said outgoing Biman CEO and MD Steele, who is leaving Bangladesh tomorrow.

On the two potential Chinese destinations of Kunming and Guangzhou, Steele said Biman would start offering services to China after getting permission from the Chinese government, which was likely to be granted soon.

Biman currently maintains flights to 19 international destinations including Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur, Kolk-

ata, London, Rome and Singapore.

The national flag carrier previously offered flights to cities including Karachi, Mumbai, Amsterdam, Athens, Muscat, Tripoli, Tokyo, Dhahran, Jakarta, Paris, Brussels, Bahrain, Manchester and Nagoya. Sources also said Biman had plans to reopen some of these suspended routes.

Kevin expressed hopes that his successor would continue the process of rejuvenating Biman by offering new services and domestic and international routes. l

Alliance to pay half of wages for 8 weeks n Tribune Report The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety will pay 50% wages to workers for two months if productions are suspended due to remediation works.

“As it’s a shared responsibility, 50% wage will be paid by owners and 50%

State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan has blamed the lower-tier of bureaucracy for hindering implementation of the development budget as well as reaching the vulnerable char and haor areas across the country.

“This has been a disease in the lower-tier bureaucracy … they hardly release the fund unless there’s a persuasion by those who need it,” he told a seminar yesterday.

A number of NGOs, including Concern Worldwide and Irish Aid, organised the seminar at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) on the necessity of specific fund allocation in the national budget for the people living in the country’s char areas.

Chaired by Khandoker Ibrahim Khaled, the seminar was also addressed, among others, by AzizulHaqueArzu, MP, and AKM Musa of Concern Bangladesh.

“Though allocated funds of the national budgetare timely released for development projects by the Ministry ofFinance, those hardly reach the targeted points because of barrierscreated by the lower-tier bureaucracy,” said MA Mannan.

The State Minister said the government is pledged-bound for the development of char (shoal) and haor (water bodies). That’s why a development plan was approved by the government in this regard.

He pointed out that there are some other problems in char areas like non-availability of soil for different development projects as nobody wants to sell soil.

Mannan also admitted that sometimes top-level government officials are found less attentive to development of the char and haor areas.

He, however, assured the organisers of conveying their demands to the government policymaking level and urged all to

resist the opposition’s subversive activities.

The seminar was told that about 5-6m people are living in charand haor areas across the country facing various risks.

Of them, 65% do not have adequate access to food and proper nutrition,while 70% have no land of their own and 85% pregnantwomen are fully deprived of healthcare services.

KhandakerAzizulHaqueArzu, MP said the government has to executecoordinated development programmes in the char areas through anequitable distribution of wealth. This has to be reflected on thenational budget.

Khondkar Ibrahim said the development fund should be provided to thelocal-level administration for proper implementation of project.“There should be an exclusive trust or development body for char andhaor areas,” he suggested. l

RMG makers want duty-free import of fire safety equipment, building materials n Tribune Report The country’s apparel makers and exporters have urged the government to allow duty-free import of fire safety equipment and pre-fabricated building materials for relocating their factories and maintaining fire safety standard.

They have also requested the government not to impose any further tax at source on cash incentives, rather to lower the tax at source to give a relief to this sector, which had incurred a huge loss due to political unrest in the last quarter of 2013.

Several organisations including BGMEA, BKMEA, BTMA, Bangladesh Garment Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BEGAPMEA), Knitting Owner Association and Bangladesh Jute Goods Association and other apparel related sectors placed those demands before a pre-budget meeting with National Board of Revenue (NBR) held yesterday at NBR headquarters in the capital.

NBR member (custom) Forid Uddin, who presided over the meeting, however, assured the leaders of various organisations of considering their demands before preparing the budget for the next fiscal.

Attending the meeting, BGMEA pres-

ident Atiqul Islam urged the government to allow duty-free imports of LED bulb, pre-fabricated building materials and fire equipment to make the RMG sector safe, secured, risk-free and environment-friendly.

A good number of factories need to be relocated as the Accord and Alliance found those faulty. Besides, there are still more factories, doing business in shared buildings also have to relocated within a stipulated time frame, said Atiqul.

BGMEA data shows that around 40% factories are housed in shared buildings, where 1.5m workers are employed.

BGMEA president claimed that the buyers pulled out orders worth US$110m from 37 factories, which was identified through a survey conducted over 419 factories across the country.

Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) first vice president Mohammad Hatem urged the government to withdraw VAT on gas, electricity and water.

He also requested the government to extend the deadline to six months from existing three months for submitting the audit documents by the export oriented factory owners.

“It would not be possible for the factory

owners to make the sector sustainable, if the government does not allow duty-free import of the safety equipments,” said Hatem.

According to an estimate of BGMEA, around 1,200 RMG factories need to install sprinklers, while 3,000 other factories have to install fire doors as per the requirement of the Accord and Alliance, which would cost over Tk2,500 crore.

Bangladesh Textiles Mills Association (BTMA) President Jahangir Alamin urged the government for keeping the existing 15% income tax on profits and cutting the tax at source in case of trading cottons through local letter of credits (LCs).

He also demanded the government for allowing duty-free import of flux, filaments and pet chips as its basic raw materials, which adds value and would contribute to the nation and help to establish new factories.

BEGAPMEA president Rafez Alam Chowdhry urged the government to allow them to issue Utilisation Permission (UP) as it would help them to reduce their production cost and harassment as well. He also said the organisation has already installed software and developed infrastructural system. l

by Alliance. Wages will be paid for eight weeks,” said M Rabin, executive director of Alliance (Bangladesh operation) at a press conference in Dhaka yesterday.

The Alliance, an initiative of North American retailers, has so far completed  PAGE B 3 COLUMN 4

Thousands of containers stuck at Chittagong Port for years n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong

Lower-tier bureaucracy slated for poor ADP implementation n Tribune Report

Footwear, ceramic products, furniture, leather and leather goods, vegetables, light-engineering products and frozen foods performed well, according to EPB data.

But the export of other products like fruits, petroleum, frozen fish, cotton and cotton products, jute and jute goods and engineering products fell.

“Export growth showed slow trend as the production of RMG sector has seen a decline due to shortage of orders and factory closure by the Accord and Alliance on safety ground,” said Abdus Salam Murshedy, president of Bangladesh Exporters Association (EAB).

He also said the growth rate may see further decline in the upcoming months as more factories are feared to be closed in the coming days.

To get rid of this situation, the government needs to come forward with policy supports as well financial supports for the relocation of factories, otherwise the sector is set to face a huge job cut, said Salam. l

desh had gone up from 10.5 % in 2009 to 13.5% in 2014.

Earlier on Tuesday, he held a bilateral meeting with the UNDP Administrator Helen Clark where they discussed a Bangladesh plan to establish an “International Institute on Southern Innovation” in Dhaka.

They also discussed the economic growth prospects of Bangladesh while also exchanging views on the government’s plan to develop a road map for increasing administrative devolution in the country.

The two-day meeting was formally inaugurated on April 15 through a formal opening ceremony which was attended among others by Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Angel Gurría and President of Mexico Peña Nieto.

The meeting included five plenary sessions and 28 focus sessions on a range of critical themes for development.

More than 2,800 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers have remained stranded at Chittagong Port for years with 15,875 tonne of goods.

False declaration, duty complexities and unauthorised import of goods led to stacking up of the unreleased containers in the port over the years.

There are even some containers that have remained lying with goods for last 20 years.

Chittagong Customs House sources said the goods will be sold in auction while the perished goods will be destroyed to clear the containers soon.

The situation is hampering smooth handling of cargo in Chittagong port.

Shipping agencies also continue to face trouble as they were not getting back containers taken on rent.

Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) sources said they sent letters to the National Board of Revenue six times in last two years to take steps in releasing the containers from port.

CPA also requested the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to auction the cargo and destroy the perished goods in containers.

NBR has taken no step yet in this regard.

“We have failed to get 58 of containers released in past one and a half decades. Several attempts have been made, but no result,” Shapan Ghosh, executive director of QC Shipping Limited.

“We sent letters and even went physically to different offices concerned repeatedly. We are to get any response,” Shapan added.

He said the main line operators (MLOs) were becoming suspicious about the role of shipping agents as containers remain stuck for years.

“Many of them have even visited Bangladesh several times to see what happened. It’s very embarrassing for us.”

 PAGE B 3 COLUMN 4

 PAGE B 3 COLUMN 1

Finance Minister AMA Muhith in Mexico meeting

ERD

Bangladesh calls for aid transparency n Tribune Report Bangladesh has made a call for better sharing of ideas and information on development successes among the Southern nations at the first high-level meeting of the global partnership that ended in Mexico on Wednesday.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, who led the Bangladesh delegation at the global congregation on development cooperation, highlighted the benefits of South-South Cooperation in the field of trade, investment, labour migration and knowledge sharing.

Over 1,500 participants from over 130 countries came together at the twoday Summit on April 15 and April 16 to discuss the progress made so far in development cooperation and to anchor the global partnership in a post-2015 development framework, according to a press release issued in Dhaka yesterday.

The Bangladesh delegation also included Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, ERD Secretary M Mejbahuddin and Member of Parliament Kazi Nabil Ahmed.

Governments, businesses, private foundations and civil societies came up with a joint communiqué and 28 new initiatives during the meeting to push forward effective development cooperation worldwide.

The finance minister made a case for domestic resource mobilisation for development during the meeting. Giving example of Bangladesh, he said the tax and GDP ratio of Bangla-

B2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

side as investors were looking at corporate earnings and economic indicators to resolve itself for further rally in index,” said Lanka Bangla Securities in its market analysis.

It said Bangladesh Bank reports that consumer financing is piling up as credit demand in the industrial sector has slowed in recent times.

In the third quarter of 2013, it has increased by 18% to Tk33,140 crore compared to 1.76% growth in the same period of previous year.

“This would speed up the demand for consumer products. Investors are overall bullish about Q1 2014 corporate profitability,” it said.

“Moreover, investors are expecting treasury rates to fall further as there is ample liquidity in the banking system.”

Zenith Investments said market clearly marks the positive expectation of the investors, although the total turnover narrowed from last trading day, yet the index was strong enough to stay firm with its positive trend.

Index regained its dried up strength at the start of the noon after the occurrence of some sector wise swings, it said.

Lafarge Surma Cement topped the turnovers chart with Tk50 crore, followed by Meghna Petroleum, Olympic Industries, Padma Oil, Grameenphone and Bangladesh Shipping Corporation. l

Stocks edged higher amid high volatility yesterday as investors switched off one stock to another booking profits on some heavyweights.

The benchmark index DSEX gained marginally 9 points or 0.2% to close at 4,598, hitting highest 4,620 in the morning and lowest 4,590 in mid-session.

Shariah Index DSES closed 2 points or 0.2% higher to 1,035.The blue-chip comprising DS30 rose 10 points or 0.7% to end at 1,703.

Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, closed at 8,868 with a gain of 35 points.

Trading activities declined with DSE turnover standing at Tk440 crore, down 16% from the previous session.

Out of 285 issues traded, 161 advanced, 90 declined and 34 remained unchanged. Among the major sectors, engineering and textile sectors gave 1.3% and 1.5% return respectively.

All other major sectors ended lower with telecommunications and pharmaceuticals edged down by 0.45% and 0.35% respectively on profit booking. On the other hand, the financial sectors – banks and non-banking financial institutions – also ended in red.

“Market was moving side-by-

Company

Turnover (Million Taka)

4,440.87

Turnover (Volume)

77,238,899

Number of Contract

89,205

Traded Issues

285

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

124

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

154

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

7

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,341.01

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.38

Turnover (Million Taka)

346.10

Turnover (Volume)

7,304,804

Number of Contract

12,439

DSE Broad Index :

4598.91986

(+) 0.19%

▼

Traded Issues

213

DSE Shariah Index :

1034.93237

(+) 0.19%

▲

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

98

DSE - 30 Index :

1703.15934

(+) 0.61%

▲

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

106

CSE All Share Index:

14196.9141

(+) 0.31%

▼

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

8 2,247.15 27.24

CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSERS

12053.5750

(+) 0.58%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

8868.7176

(+) 0.40%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

Jamuna Bank -A Rupali Life Insur.-A Continental Insur. -A PragatiLife Insu. -A Northern G Insur-A Progressive Life-A 7th ICB M F-A Apex SpinningA

-13.73 -7.59 -6.91 -6.61 -6.48 -6.11 -4.95 -4.71

Average (% change) -13.65 -2.96 -6.26 -2.38 -4.50 -4.83 -4.28 -4.57

Usmania Glass -A Marico BD Ltd-A

-4.69 -4.58

-0.44 -3.94

Company

Closing (% change)

CSE LOSERS

Jamuna Bank -A Asia Pasific Insu. -A Midas Financing-Z AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Prime Insur -A Rupali Bank - A Argon Denims Limited-A National Housing Fin.-B

-16.13 -9.89 -9.72 -8.86 -8.54 -7.74 -7.40 -7.24

Average (% change) -14.92 -9.89 -9.72 -8.48 -8.74 -7.74 -8.95 -8.39

Reckitt Benckiser -A Dutch Ban. Bnk- A

-6.22 -5.53

-5.66 -4.69

Company

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

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

Latest PE

13.29 104.84 23.07 204.38 36.09 134.00 92.85 81.98

13.20 102.20 22.90 200.50 36.10 133.80 92.20 80.90

13.70 115.00 24.00 211.30 37.00 135.00 94.00 85.90

12.00 101.30 22.90 198.40 34.40 133.60 92.20 80.50

2.558 11.165 2.976 6.540 1.469 0.469 0.072 1.820

2.22 5.33 1.55 2.38 1.82 2.30 13.84 1.85

6.0 19.7 14.9 85.9 19.8 58.3 6.7 44.3

196.22 1250.07

190.90 1219.30

206.00 1279.00

185.00 1206.20

22.190 8.813

5.10 46.53

38.5 26.9

Closing average

Closing

Daily high

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

13.00 23.70 22.30 7.20 22.50 69.10 51.30 26.90

13.20 23.70 22.30 7.30 22.60 69.10 51.50 27.00

12.70 23.70 22.30 7.20 22.30 69.10 51.00 26.60

0.618 0.012 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.007 0.107 0.040

2.22 2.67 -5.96 1.24 2.23 5.89 2.74 1.39

5.9 8.9 -ve 5.8 10.1 11.7 18.7 19.3

1,228.33 93.05

1,221.00 92.20

1,232.00 93.50

1,221.00 91.30

0.184 0.279

41.12 10.00

29.9 9.3

Market was moving side-by-side as investors were looking at corporate earnings and economic indicators to resolve itself for further rally in index

DSE Million Taka 338.82 233.64 65.60 235.72 600.21 748.83 2.64 291.74 363.02 1.49 30.80 73.60 15.46 597.56 32.98 47.78 198.13 268.54 70.82 223.02 0.49

CSE GAINERS Company AFC AgroBiotech-N Rahima Food -Z ISN Ltd. -A Central Pharm-A Bengal Windsor-A Premier Cement-A GreenDeltaInsu -A Delta Life Insu. -A Bay Leasing.-A Miracle Industries -B

% change 7.63 5.26 1.48 5.31 13.52 16.86 0.06 6.57 8.17 0.03 0.69 1.66 0.35 13.46 0.74 1.08 4.46 6.05 1.59 5.02 0.01

Million Taka 36.69 10.74 2.83 15.78 22.76 50.79 43.85 25.72 15.25 0.92 18.80 1.48 48.93 3.90 4.30 13.57 26.96 10.75 37.58 0.01

% change 9.37 2.74 0.72 4.03 5.81 12.97 0.00 11.20 6.57 3.89 0.23 4.80 0.38 12.49 1.00 1.10 3.46 6.89 2.74 9.60 0.00

Million Taka 375.50 244.38 68.43 251.50 622.97 799.62 2.64 335.59 388.74 16.74 31.72 92.39 16.94 646.49 36.88 52.08 211.70 295.50 81.57 260.60 0.51

Total

Closing (% change) 9.96 8.97 8.67 8.29 8.07 6.64 6.38 6.37 6.29 6.08

From trade servers:

Average (% change) 5.49 15.05 6.40 4.42 2.81 6.00 6.12 11.80 4.08 5.84

ILFSL: The Board of Directors has recommended 5% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013. Date of AGM: 29.05.2014, Time: 10:30 AM, Venue: Spectra Convention Centre Ltd., House # 19, Road # 7, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212. Record Date: 30.04.2014.The Company has also reported consolidated net profit of Tk. 116.75 million, consolidated EPS of Tk. 0.68, consolidated NAV per share of Tk. 12.37 and consolidated NOCFPS of Tk. (0.97) for the year ended on December 31, 2013 as against Tk. 59.28 million, Tk. 0.35, Tk. 12.19 and Tk. 2.24 respectively for the year ended on December 31, 2012.

BSC: The Board of Directors has recommended 10% cash dividend (i.e. Tk. 10.00 per share of Tk. 100.00 each) for the year ended on June 30, 2013. Date of AGM: 21.06.2014, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: "Shaheed Mohammad Fazlur Rahman Munshi Auditorium", Chittagong Port Area, Chittagong. Record date: 28.04.2014.

The Company has also reported net profit of Tk. 16.30 million, Basic EPS of Tk. 1.97, Diluted EPS of Tk. 1.21, NAV per share of Tk. 1,045.00 and NOCFPS of Tk. (14.39) for the

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company LafargeS Cement-Z Olympic Ind. -A Meghna Petroleum -A Padma Oil Co. -A Grameenphone-A BSC-A Delta Life Insu. -A

CSE

9.87 8.92 8.26 7.80 7.42 7.24 6.74 6.57 6.28 6.25

Average (% change) 6.22 5.62 8.26 3.84 6.40 7.01 4.02 14.03 6.25 3.26

Closing average 50.70 39.06 228.00 47.07 92.91 16.18 81.99 41.69 488.75 19.94

Closing average 50.51 42.35 15.96 39.00 46.77 92.29 84.41 239.29 30.08 19.22

Closing 52.30 40.30 228.00 48.40 94.10 16.30 83.90 42.20 488.80 20.40

Closing 51.90 42.50 16.30 40.50 48.20 93.10 85.10 238.70 30.40 19.20

Daily high 52.30 40.70 228.00 49.00 95.90 16.70 84.90 43.20 496.00 21.00

Daily high 51.90 42.90 16.50 40.80 48.80 94.00 86.00 244.00 30.40 19.50

Daily low 47.00 36.00 228.00 40.50 89.90 15.50 76.70 40.40 484.90 17.30

Daily low 48.00 40.10 15.50 36.40 45.10 90.00 82.50 227.50 28.50 18.70

Turnover in million 16.985 16.025 0.011 21.106 10.833 0.914 52.846 1.855 0.782 4.252

Turnover in million 2.500 0.233 0.176 1.424 1.646 0.406 0.327 12.886 0.018 0.231

Latest EPS 1.53 1.74 23.74 2.50 3.46 -0.36 5.25 -1.00 3.04 0.93

Latest EPS 1.53 -1.00 -0.36 1.74 2.50 3.46 3.21 2.92 1.56 0.22

Latest PE 33.1 22.4 9.6 18.8 26.9 -ve 15.6 -ve 160.8 21.4

Latest PE 33.0 -ve -ve 22.4 18.7 26.7 26.3 81.9 19.3 87.4

year ended on June 30, 2013.

ISLAMICFIN: The Board of Directors has recommended 6% cash dividend and 4% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013. Date of AGM: 28.05.2014, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, Kakrail, Dhaka.

Record Date: 28.04.2014. The Company has also reported net profit of Tk. 86.03 million, EPS of Tk. 0.77, NAV per share of Tk. 12.38 and NOCFPS of Tk. 0.99 for the year ended on December 31, 2013 as against Tk. 86.07 million, Tk. 0.77 (restated), Tk. 11.61 (restated) and Tk. (2.86) (restated) respectively for the year ended on December 31, 2012.

DAFODILCOM: National Credit Ratings Limited (NCR) has announced the surveillance rating of the Company as "A" in the long term and "ST-3" in the short term based on audited financial statements of the Company of June 30, 2013.

LANKABAFIN: The Company has informed that it has credited the bonus shares for the year ended on December 31, 2013 to the respective shareholders' BO Accounts.

ACTIVEFINE: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of

Directors will be held on April 19, 2014 at 11:00 AM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

MJLBD: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on April 20, 2014 at 7:00 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

From BIASL Desk:

Impact after declaration: ILFSL price up 1.56%, close at taka 13.0 with PE 19.12. BSC price up 3.61%, close at taka 631.50 with PE 521.90. ISLAMICFIN price dropped by 3.47%, close at taka 13.90 with PE 18.05.

Price Correction after Record Day: NORTHRNINS price correction was 6.48% (taka 2.50) against 10% stock Dividend (taka 3.86 per share approx.). After record day restated EPS is taka 1.82 and NAV per share is taka 11.95. JAMUNABANK price correction was 13.73% (taka 2.10) against 15% stock dividend (taka 2.30per share approx.). After record day restated EPS is taka 2.22 and NAV per share is taka 17.23.

Latest PE

13.00 23.70 22.30 7.23 22.45 69.10 51.20 26.87

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Daily high

AFC AgroBiotech-N Central Pharm-A 3rd ICB M F-A Bengal Windsor-A Premier Cement-A ISN Ltd. -A Active Fine Chem.-A Rahima Food -Z Libra Infusions-A Salvo Chemicals-B

Closing (% change)

News, analysis and recent disclosers

CSE key features April 18, 2014

Daily capital market highlights

Friday, April 18, 2014

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features April 17, 2014

Stocks edge higher amid high volatility n Tribune Report

Stock

% change 7.77 5.06 1.42 5.20 12.89 16.55 0.05 6.94 8.04 0.35 0.66 1.91 0.35 13.38 0.76 1.08 4.38 6.11 1.69 5.39 0.01

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

Square Pharma -A LankaBangla Fin. -A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N

Jamuna Oil -A Southeast Bank-A Titas Gas TDCLA ConfidenceCement A BD Submarine Cable-A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company LafargeS Cement-Z

BSC-A Meghna Petroleum -A BD Submarine Cable-A Delta Life Insu. -A Grameenphone-A Square Pharma -A Emerald Oil Ind. -N Matin Spinning-N Padma Oil Co. -A UCBL - A UNITED AIR-A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N LankaBangla Fin. -A Southeast Bank-A

Volume shares 6,968,000 1,853,488 912,077 571,791 792,291 266,065 577,500 467,589 1,732,882 1,635,000

339,913 3,922,328 816,712 462,079 312,861

Volume shares

598,000 50,980 57,487 68,400 53,850 49,200 41,551 45,000 263,800 27,453 368,206 630,022 153,500 99,750 266,879

Value in million 499.16 444.28 282.18 205.15 203.17 167.12 137.63 132.49 95.89 83.15

80.70 74.18 69.80 68.02 65.36

Value in million

43.35 31.92 17.75 14.33 12.89 12.63 11.77 10.76 10.05 9.84 8.92 8.24 7.81 5.52 5.06

% of total turnover 11.24 10.00 6.35 4.62 4.58 3.76 3.10 2.98 2.16 1.87

1.82 1.67 1.57 1.53 1.47

% of total turnover

12.81 9.43 5.24 4.23 3.81 3.73 3.48 3.18 2.97 2.91 2.64 2.43 2.31 1.63 1.50

Daily closing 68.30 242.50 310.80 356.80 254.60 631.50 236.80 283.70 55.50 51.00

238.40 19.10 85.20 147.70 208.20

Daily closing

69.00 630.50 310.90 209.30 238.70 254.30 283.50 46.10 38.90 356.80 24.20 13.10 51.00 55.70 19.20

Price change -1.44 3.54 2.34 0.25 -0.47 3.61 5.01 0.39 -1.60 0.59

Daily opening 69.30 234.20 303.70 355.90 255.80 609.50 225.50 282.60 56.40 50.70

Daily high 74.90 243.50 315.00 375.00 261.00 648.00 245.00 286.00 60.00 52.00

Daily low 66.70 227.00 280.00 325.00 252.50 590.00 229.10 260.00 50.80 49.60

Daily average 71.64 239.70 309.38 358.78 256.44 628.13 238.32 283.35 55.33 50.85

Price change

Daily opening

Daily high

Daily low

Daily average

1.23 2.14 -0.81 1.79 -0.19

-1.00 3.19 2.54 0.14 6.37 -0.55 0.35 -80.26 3.73 0.25 -0.82 0.00 -0.20 -1.59 3.23

235.50 18.70 85.90 145.10 208.60

69.70 611.00 303.20 209.00 224.40 255.70 282.50 233.50 37.50 355.90 24.40 13.10 51.10 56.60 18.60

239.90 19.50 86.20 148.60 212.00

76.10 645.00 314.50 211.20 244.00 262.00 285.00 47.40 39.30 365.00 24.60 13.30 52.00 56.90 19.50

215.00 16.90 77.40 143.00 190.50

67.10 600.00 301.70 206.50 227.50 251.50 282.10 44.10 37.10 355.00 24.00 13.00 49.60 54.00 18.40

237.40 18.91 85.46 147.21 208.92

72.50 626.10 308.76 209.50 239.29 256.80 283.23 239.07 38.09 358.48 24.24 13.08 50.90 55.35 18.97

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Appollo Ispat added to DSEX n Tribune Report Appollo Ispat Complex Ltd has been added to Dhaka Stock Exchange Broad Index (DSEX) with effect from April 20.

As part of its quarterly rebalancing IPO addition for DSEX, the DSE Index Committee selected the company for inclusion in the index. Inclusion of the company raised the number of companies under DSEX to 267.

The company has qualified as eligible constituent for inclusion in DSEX in accordance with the DSE Bangladesh Index Methodology, says a DSE press release yesterday.

Under the methodology, DSEX eligible stocks must have a floatadjusted market capitalisation of above Tk10 crore. Additionally, if a current index constituent falls below Tk10 crore threshold, but is no less than Tk7 crore, the stock remains in the index provided it also meets other inclusion criteria.

Stocks must have a minimum sixmonth average daily value traded of Tk10 lakh as of the rebalancing reference date.

At each annual rebalancing, if a current index constituent falls below Tk10 lakh, but is no less than Tk7 lakh, the stock remains in the index provided it also meets the other eligibility criteria.

In addition, all eligible stocks for the DSE indices are required to trade at least half of normal trading days each month for the three months prior to the rebalancing reference date. l

Business

World economy on steady course Higuchi new ADB country for Bangladesh at best, China a worry, polls show director n n Reuters

The world economy can expect steady growth at best over the coming year, but any rapid slowdown in China as it tries to rebalance its economy could upset the still-unsteady progress, Reuters polls showed.

Growth in the United States, the world’s largest economy, looks set to outpace its peers, with Japan and the euro zone still lagging and emerging markets - particularly Latin America in for a challenging year.

The poll results suggest that exuberance in financial markets, especially stock markets, may have been overdone in the past few years on expectations for a robust pick-up in global growth.

With a few notable exceptions like Britain, developed economies are also showing scant evidence of an imminent and significant improvement in hiring, particularly so in the euro zone and the United States.

“It is important to stress that the pace of expansion in the advanced world will remain modest, keeping inflation low and disinflationary risks high in countries with considerable economic slack,” Craig Alexander, chief economist at TD Securities, wrote in a note to investors.

Overall, the world economy is expected to grow 3.4% this year, just a tad below the 3.6% projected by the IMF and the January Reuters poll. That is still bet-

ter than the 2.9% clocked last year.

With so many economies at best humming along at a modest rate of expansion, much will depend on China, the world’s second-largest economy, which for many years was the driver of global growth.

First-quarter growth there weakened to its slowest pace in 18 months, reflecting signs of waning momentum, although the slowdown has been widely expected.

What remains more of an unknown is how China will manage to ease itself off a credit-fuelled investment binge since the financial crisis hit and how well it will deal with the overhang and subsequent pressure on asset prices.

Indeed, a significant slowdown in China is the biggest risk to the global outlook, according to a majority of economists and strategists who answered an extra question.

“China growth risks look more serious now than last year,” Johanna Chua, an analyst at Citi, told investors in a note.

Perhaps more critically, a sharp slowdown in China would likely push down commodity prices, which in turn might pressure stubbornly low inflation rates in the euro zone, the world’s biggest trading bloc, the United States, and the rest of the world.

The euro zone, which is already battling low inflation and outright falls in prices in countries like Greece and Spain, appears most at risk.

Although the poll suggested deflation itself looks unlikely, low inflation will remain widespread and persist for several years, made worse by a strong euro.

The story is similar for the southern euro zone stragglers, where jobless rates are expected to remain high. Europe’s heavyweight economies, Britain and Germany are set on course to lead the way in terms of economic growth.

Growth prospects for emerging markets have dimmed in the latest polls, defying recent market optimism.

After clocking growth of 8.5% in 2011, faster than anywhere in Europe at the time, Turkey’s economy will grow just over 2% this year, well below growth in the United States.

In Latin America, forecasts were downgraded across the board. Argentina and Venezuela are expected to be in recession, and Brazil was forecast to grow by less than 2 percent - its fourth straight year of weakness.

The region is mainly being held back by local problems, economists noted: dimming confidence in Brazil, rampant inflation in Argentina and Venezuela, and slowing investment growth in Chile and Peru.

“Unfortunately, lower growth for the region does not seem to be a temporary event,” said Andre Loes, chief economist for Latin America with HSBC. The latest outlook for China and the rest of Asia will be published next week. l

Tribune Report

Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Kazuhiko Higuchi as the new country director for its Bangladesh resident mission.

Higuchi succeeds M Teresa Kho, who moved to become the country director for ADB’s resident mission in New Delhi, India in February this year, says a press release yesterday.

Higuchi is expected to assume his new position on April 22, 2014.

“I am looking forward to working for Bangladesh, and the people of Bangladesh,” said Kazuhiko Higuchi.

“Bangladesh is progressing fast and ADB will continue to make every effort to support Bangladesh’s endeavor toward further reaping the potential of the country,” he said.

Higuchi, a Japanese national, joined ADB in 1988, and has since worked on transport, water supply, and urban development projects, as well as on portfolio management, procurement, and

The troubles at BlackBerry Ltd, which fired more than half its staff and lost more than 90% of its market value as consumers shunned its smart phones, might have spelled disaster for the company’s hometown of Waterloo, Ontario. Instead, there are hot sports cars in the streets and new companies filling the refurbished office buildings.

More than 450 start-ups opened for business in the twin cities of Waterloo and Kitchener last year, more than four times the number begun in 2009, according to Communitech, a local company that advises them. Often, the new companies are being founded by former BlackBerry employees chasing their entrepreneurial ambitions in a community that’s Canada’s answer to technology hubs in California and elsewhere.

“For those who are trying to get a new tech business off the ground, get it funded, and not get lost in the shadow of Silicon Valley, Waterloo can be the best place to get your company on the map,” said Sean McCabe, vice-president of engineering at drone manufac-

turer Aeryon Labs Inc in Waterloo.

Take Adam Belsher, 39, who left BlackBerry in 2011 after 13 years at the company because he wanted to run his own business and felt the impact he was having at BlackBerry, which was formerly known as Research in Motion (RIM), was eroding as the company got bigger.

Today, Belsher is chief executive of Waterloo-based Magnet Forensics, a company that makes software used by police to recover deleted information from computers such as e-mails, financial records and photographs.

“I saw RIM go through so many stages of growth and I take lessons from every one of those experiences,” said Belsher, who managed BlackBerry’s business with the biggest US wireless carrier, Verizon. “There are very few companies that disrupt a mature market like wireless and create an entirely new multi-billion dollar category, so I believe I have more than a few good nuggets that I can apply to Magnet.”

Belsher is one of many former BlackBerry employees who chose to stay in Kitchener-Waterloo, rather than move to the Canadian financial hub of

Toronto, or to California’s Silicon Valley.

BlackBerry became Canada’s most valuable company in 2007, just before Apple Inc released the first version of its iPhone. At its peak in 2008, the company was valued at more than $80bn, compared with about $4bn now.

“BlackBerry actually made many, many millionaires who still live locally, who started investing in tech companies,” said Michael Litt, CEO of video analytics start-up Vidyard, based in Kitchener.

This, in turn, has attracted venture capitalists.

“I have seen ... investors in town, private jets landing at Waterloo regional airport straight from Menlo Park and Silicon Valley,” said Litt, whose company has said it could float its shares within two years. “It has changed so fast.”

The region’s turnaround story is similar to that of Oulu in Finland, where Nokia Oyj more than halved its workforce of 5,000. The city is slowly finding its feet again.

Oulu is now a leading candidate to host a data center for Microsoft, which is taking over Nokia’s phone business.

Former employees have also become entrepreneurs, doing especially well in the mobile gaming market.

In the year ended April 30, 2013, more than C$214m ($235m) was invested in start-ups in the KitchenerWaterloo area. Three years earlier, the figure was just $500,000, according to Communitech.

These investments include an $80m infusion into Desire2Learn, which is developing online learning systems, and $14.5m for Thalmic Labs, the maker of the Myo arm band that allows people to control electronic devices through arm motions and gestures.

“When BlackBerry was letting off thousands of people, there was a big concern in Waterloo that it would create an exodus of people,” said John Ruffolo, chief executive of OMERS Ventures. l OMERS Ventures, the venture capital arm of Canadian pension fund Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, along with US venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates, made the $80m investment in Desire2Learn in 2012.

OMERS Ventures has also invested

office management.

Prior to this assignment, he was in Uzbekistan as ADB country director, a post he had held since 2009.

From 2005 to 2009, he was director of the transport and communications division of the South Asia Department of ADB, managing ADB’s operations in the transport and communications sectors in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

From 2002 to 2005, he was posted in Kazakhstan as ADB country director. l

Dollar lower in Asia n AFP, Tokyo The dollar drifted lower in Asia yesterday as upbeat US data and dovish comments from Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen suggested the central bank would hold steady on the pace of its

BlackBerry’s meltdown sparks start-up boom in Canada’s Silicon Valley n Reuters

B3

Friday, April 18, 2014

in other businesses including HootSuite, Shopify, Visioncritical and BuildDirect, all of which are targets for IPOS in the next two years, Ruffolo said.

It became more confident about investing in Desire2Learn after the startup hired Dennis Kavelman, a former chief operating officer of RIM, Ruffolo added. “Many great talented people left to join a variety of other start ups and brought a nice stimulus of experience to some of these fledgling startups that has caused them to mature at a much faster rate,” he said.

Spark Capital, an early investor in Twitter Inc, and Bridgescale Partners, which invested in Shutterfly Inc, are also putting money into the region.

Spark Capital bought into Thalmic Labs and mobile messaging company KIK, while Bridgescale has invested in Rypple, a company later acquired by Salesforce.com that makes software to allow workers and managers to register feedback about each other’s performances.

The Canadian government has also backed a C$200m ($183m)-plus fund to indirectly invest in and support early and mid-stage start-ups. l

stimulus tapering.

In Tokyo afternoon trade, the greenback slipped to 102.02 yen from 102.25 yen in New York on Wednesday.

The euro rose to $1.3837 from $1.3815, while it weakened to 141.17 yen from 141.28 yen. l

Thousands of container stuck  PAGE B1 COLUMN 6

Shahed Sarwar, custom affairs representative of the Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association, said they had repeatedly been requesting the authorities to clear the containers, but saw no tangible initiative so far.

“Situation has become too grave that many of the MLOs are threatening the shipping agencies concerned to close deals,” he said.

A local agent of the Singapore-based Sea Star Shipping said 10 of their containers laden with liquid glycerine remained lying in the port in past five years.

He said the customs authority could not even tell them when they would be able to remove the containers.

Chittagong Customs House has completed an inventory of goods in the unreleased containers, said Azizur Rahman, additional commissioner of the Customs.

“The stuck containers would be released soon.

The perished goods will be destroyed and the remaining goods will be auctioned,” he added. l

Bangladesh calls for aid

Xpress Money and Agrani Bank launch Boisakhi Utshob n Tribune Report

 PAGE B1 COLUMN 5

This is the first high level meeting organised by the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation or GPEDC. Launched in Busan, South Korea in December 2011, GPEDC helps nations, businesses and organisations work better together to end poverty.

Bangladesh also made strong interventions regarding the aid transparency issues in the Mexico meet, urging donors to be transparent on the aid they invest in developing countries.

Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan who was a panelist of the focus session on “Managing Di-

Xpress Money in association with Agrani Bank is offering its customers a chance to win prizes through its “Boisakhi Utshob” promotion on the occasion of the Bangla New Year. It was launched on April 15 and will last till May 20.

The promotion will be valid across 900 nationwide branches of the bank for Xpress Money customers remitting money to the country. l

versity for Effective Development Cooperation,” said despite some progress in this regard, development aid in Bangladesh is still significantly fragmented in terms of sectors and the number of donors involved.

He said, in response to this aid fragmentation, Bangladesh has developed Local Consultative Group Mechanism, Joint Cooperation Strategy and a Development Result Framework which allow greater collaboration and ensures alignment with government priorities.

ERD Secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin who was closely involved in the preparation of the “Mexico Communi-

qué,” emphasised the needs of tackling both structural and funding constraints in Least Development Countries in line with the commitments of “Istanbul Programme of Action”.

Kazi Nabil Ahmed MP, who took part in a meeting of parliamentarians from participating countries, discussed the oversight role of parliament in effective development cooperation.

Overall, the international community represented the meeting reiterated its commitment to the Busan principles reached in 2011 and identified practical ways to translate these principles into reality. l

Alliance to pay half of wages for 8 weeks  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Symphony yesterday opened its 40th Symphony Smile outlet at level 5 of Bashundahra City Complex in the capital. The outlet was inaugurated by Edison Group’s chair, Md Aminur Rashid and its MD Jakaria Shahid

Rehab gets new president n Tribune Report Mukarram Hussain Khan has been elected as the president of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (Rehab).

The executive committee of the association in its 27th meeting unanimously elected Khan, after the position was left vacant due to resignation of Nasrul Hamid Bipu, said a statement yesterday.

On April 11, Bipu resigned from his post after becoming state minister for power, energy and mineral resources. l

Prime Bank Limited’s managing director and CEO, Md Ehsan Khasru is seen cutting a cake as to celebrate the bank’s 19th anniversary at its head office yesterday

inspections to over 50% of 700 factories used by them in Bangladesh.

“As we reflect back on the terrible tragedy that occurred at Rana Plaza last year, we are reminded of what is at stake and steadfast in our promise to bring change to the women and men whose livelihood depends on the safety of these factories,” said Ellen Tauscher, Independent Chair of Alliance and a former congresswoman.

Tauscher said she had visited factories and talked to workers who told her that they felt safe now because of the initiative.

“The signatory brands could leave Bangladesh considering sector’s scenario but they did not do this and contributing to the development of fire and building safety, which is a big investment,” said Ellen replying to a question on price hike of the RMG products by the brand.

She said the Alliance was trying to manage low-cost loans for remediation works and had already talked to the In-

ternational Finance Corporation (IFC).

On the sidelines of the press conference, M Rabin told the Dhaka Tribune that the Alliance inspected over 400 factories and found flaws in only three of them.

'The Alliance was trying to manage low-cost loans for remediation works' “We recommended the review panel to take necessary actions about the flawed units as per the government direction.”

Alliance said they have trained more than 4 lakh factory managers and workers and target to train over 10 lakh factory staff by July 2014.

To promote empowering workers, Alliance will introduce a workers helpline in 50 factories by April and plans to introduce the system in a total of 150 factories by the end of 2014.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Atiqul Islam urged the Accord to take similar steps in contribution to workers’ wage during interim periods and also in arranging staff training.

The issue of fire and building safety came under the spotlight last year, following the catastrophic incident at the Rana Plaza building collapse that killed over 1,100 workers.

Following the factory disaster, the retailers’ platform made a commitment to provide financial and technical support to improve fire and building safety standards of RMG factories, from which they source products.

Rumee Ali, director of Alliance, Sirajul Islam Rony, president of Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League, Sukkur Mahmud, president of Executive Committee of Jatiya Smramik League and Wajedul Islam Khan, general secretary of Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra, were also present at the press conference. l

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Friday, April 18, 2014

Sukuk: The fastest growing Islamic investment instrument n Mohammad Nazmus Sakib

While Y2K was historic for the beginning of a new millennium, it was a landmark year for global Islamic finance too. In 2000, Malaysia issued the first ever sukuk, a sharia compliant investment instrument. And, by the time sukuk reached its teenage, it became the fastest growing Islamic finance product covering more than 50% of total Islamic finance asset volume of about $1.3tn.

POINT OF DIFFERENCES

Sukuk (singular is Sakk) represents undivided shares in the ownership of tangible assets relating to particular investment activity.

A sukuk investor carries right to profit, responsibility of loss and ownership of the underlying asset proportionate to the investment made. Sukuk was invented to develop a sharia compliant alternative to conventional bond. So, it is equally important to know what sukuk is not.

CONVENTIONAL BONDS

SUKUK

Asset ownership

Bonds don’t give the investor a share of ownership in the asset, project, Sukuk give the investor parbusiness, or joint venture they sup- tial ownership in the asset on port. They’re a debt obligation from which the sukuk are based. the issuer to the bond holder.

Investment criteria

Generally, bonds can be used to fiThe asset on which sukuk are nance any asset, project, business, based must be sharia-complior joint venture that complies with ant. local legislation.

Issue unit

Each bond represents a share of Each sukuk represents a share debt. of the underlying asset.

Issue price

The face value of a bond price is The face value of sukuk is based on the issuer’s credit worthi- based on the market value of the underlying asset. ness (including its rating).

Investment rewards and risks

Bond holders receive regularly scheduled (and often fixed rate) interest payments for the life of the bond, and their principal is guaranteed to be returned at the bond’s maturity date.

Sukuk holders receive a share of profits from the underlying asset (and accept a share of any loss incurred).

Effects of costs

Bond holders generally aren’t affected by costs related to the asset, project, business, or joint venture they support. The performance of the underlying asset doesn’t affect investor rewards.

Sukuk holders are affected by costs related to the underlying asset. Higher costs may translate to lower investor profits and vice versa.

An obvious question of curious mind would be, where is the “wow” factor of sukuk over bond? Well, it is in some of the salient features of sukuk.

Since sukuk represents partial ownership, not debt, it stands on the basic islamic principle of risk sharing with the obligor instead of risk shifting. The risk of loss encourages careful evaluation of projects and underlying assets by the sukuk-holders unlike bondholders.

This largely helps ruling out the ill projects. Sukuk has created scope for financing giant projects and infrastructural developments involving large investor base in sharia compliant manner.

Apart from sharia compliance, while risk sharing feature is encouraging issuers to go for issuing sukuk, ownership right and profitability potentials are attracting investors in such instrument.

The outcome of tremendous popularity of sukuk is today’s large sukuk base in global finance. While Gulf Coordination Council (GCC) countries have been frequently issuing sukuk for project financing, Malaysia issued their largest sukuk of $1.2bn in 2013 and is issuing its first BASEL III compliant sukuk of $903m in 2014. Considering rapid growth of Sukuk, Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has already plans to expand its main London-listed sukuk program to $10bn from the current $6.5bn. Britain also announced plans to become the first country outside the Muslim world to issue sukuk of $320m within 2014.

Coming back to textbook discussion, sukuk can be of five major types: Mudaraba sukuk, Musharaka sukuk, Ijara sukuk, Salam sukuk and Istisn’a sukuk. However, Ijara sukuk and

Musharaka sukuk are most popular ones. Depending on the demand and financing pattern, hybrid sukuks are also becoming evident nowadays.

Without going into detail, a drawline of basic sukuk structure may help understand the mechanism at baseline.

In spite of being one of the top five Muslim majority countries in the world, Bangladesh is yet to issue any sukuk. It is globally acclaimed that out country has got immense potential for expansion of Islamic finance. In February 2013, an international conference was held in Dhaka regarding potential of sukuk as an alternative funding source for Padma Bridge.

Not only government, large businesses can also consider sukuk as an effective source of financing. There

are numerous success stories of sukuk especially in infrastructure and long term financing which we can also replicate in our country.

It can not only mobilise domestic fund to main stream investments, but also can attract investment from outside countries enriching foreign direct investment (FDI).

However, newly introduced sharia index at Dhaka Stock Exchange has lit the light of possibility of issuing sukuk in our country too. The earlier we realise the benefits of this fast growing Islamic instrument, the better it is for our economy. l Mohammad Nazmus Sakib is Islamic Finance-qualified from the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, UK

Euro strength here to stay, unless ECB steps in n Reuters, London Many of the factors driving the euro exchange rate to levels that have set off alarm bells at the European Central Bank are unlikely to go away on their own, part of the reason the bank has been threatening action.

The euro is still off the peaks of 2011, but because inflation is now heading close to zero, the ECB is sensitive to its current rate because anything that makes it stronger pushes deflation nearer.

Mario Draghi, the ECB president, said at the weekend a strengthening exchange rate would trigger more policy action. That could be some form of quantitative easing, or asset buying, to get more money into the system and hence make the euro cheaper.

Indeed, one reason for the euro’s relative strength is that central banks in the United States and Japan have been printing dollars and yen for such bondbuying programs, while the ECB’s euro balance sheet has been shrinking.

“If the ECB really wants to get the euro down, then it can take a lesson from the Bank of Japan,” said Nick Kounis, head of economic research at ABN AMRO. “Large scale monetary easing or quantitative easing tends to be bad news for your currency and tends to pull it down significantly.”

The euro has gained 2.3% against the dollar and nearly 6% against the yen in the past six months. On a trade-weighted basis - against a basket of currencies - it stands just below recent 2-1/2 year highs, having risen 5% in 2013.

It is trading at around $1.38, slightly above the $1.36 rate on which ECB staff based their inflation forecasts through to 2016. The next staff forecasts are on June 5 and a downward adjustment could add ammunition for policy action. l

US calls for more investment friendly Indian government n Reuters, Washington The United States on Wednesday urged the Indian government that emerges from ongoing elections to follow economic policies that encourage investment, saying Washington would like to see bilateral trade grow to $500bn a year.

Nisha Biswal, US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, said future economic growth in South Asia hinged on India as the region’s growth engine.

However, Biswal said that while Indian leaders had targeted $1tn in infrastructure investment over five

“Those are the questions that India’s voters are asking as they cast their ballots and those are the questions that we want to see answered,” she said.

Growth in Asia’s third-largest economy, has almost halved to below 5% in the past two years on weak investment and consumer demand, the worst slowdown since the 1980s.

Polls show the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party, is on course to win most seats in the election that began on April 7.

In its election manifesto, the BJP said it would welcome foreign direct investment in all sectors that create

A visitor walks next to a sand sculpture on elections made by Indian sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik at a beach at Puri in Odisha REUTERS years to close gaps preventing growth in manufacturing, policies still inhibited foreign investment. She said India ranked a poor 134 out of 189 countries as a place to invest and start a business.

“India, the world’s largest democracy, must decide its own path to the future,” Biswal said in a speech at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

“Will it make the reforms necessary to attract investment? Will it capitalize on the opportunities that lie in front of it?

DILBERT

local jobs, - except for supermarkets, a setback to global chains such as WalMart Stores Inc and Carrefour. It remains unclear though whether the BJP will follow through on the supermarket ban or whether its announcement was just pre-election rhetoric.

BJP policy caution

BJP insiders remain cautious about laying out specific plans because the party may need to adjust its policies after the election to win over allies and form a co-

alition government if it falls short of the parliamentary majority required to rule.

Biswal said India had the potential to exceed all expectations economically, but needed to adopt investment and tax policies designed to lure, not deter, capital flows and a system of timely regulatory approvals and contract enforcement. It also needed to protect intellectual property rights, she said.

“The more integrated India is into global markets and into the economic architecture of Asia, the more India’s economy will grow and benefit the entire global economic system,” she said.

Biswal said the United States wanted to see bilateral trade grow to $500 billion a year. It is about $100bn currently.

Arun Jaitley, the senior BJP leader tipped to be finance minister in the new government, said in an interview this weekend that the party should give direction in five broad areas: infrastructure, building suburban and new urban townships, massive skill development programmes, tourism, and lowering costs for business.

Capital investment contributes nearly 35% to India’s $1.8tn economy, but it barely grew in the fiscal year that ended in March as delays in clearances from various ministries and funding issues grounded many major projects.

In its manifesto, the BJP said it would seek friendly relations with neighbours, but in an apparent reference to the historical troubles India has experienced with its rival Pakistan, vowed to “deal with cross-border terrorism with a firm hand” and take a “strong stand and steps” when required.

Biswal said an improved climate between Indian and Pakistan could “pay enormous economic dividends.”

“India-Pakistan trade in 2013 was still a paltry $2.5bn,” she said. “There’s no reason that number can’t quadruple in a few years’ time to $10bn.”

“We have heard some positive murmurings in Islamabad and Delhi that both governments are moving in this direction and we are hopeful that they will make progress after the Indian election.” l

This picture taken on April 16 shows Japanese toy maker Takara Tomy Arts' stick-on fingernails with LEDand tiny antenna 'Lumi Deco Nail' at the company's photo exhibition in Tokyo. The Lumi Deco Nail's LED can flash light when the Near Field Connection (NFC) signal is nearby. The NFC devices are used in Android smartphone, mobile wallet, smart card reader, videogame controler and such NFC enabled devices AFP

China says its economy stronger than data suggests n Reuters, Beijing China’s economy is doing better than official data suggests, the Commerce Ministry said a day after figures showed growth at an 18-month low, adding that targets for exports and imports this year should be met despite some caution over the trade outlook.

Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said a rise in export deliveries, a customs department poll of exporters and growth in trade in individual provinces all showed that the economy was in good shape.

“I agree with the opinion that the economy and trade were faring better than the released data showed,” Shen told reporters at a briefing yesterday.

Data on Wednesday showed the economy grew an annual 7.4% in the first quarter, its slowest pace in 18 months but just ahead of forecasts for 7.3% growth.

March trade figures earlier this month showed exports unexpectedly fell for a second successive month and imports dropped sharply.

Shen said trade numbers in 2013 had been artificially inflated by the reporting of fake deals, used to avoid capital controls, before a crackdown. That was one of the reasons for the sharp drop in trade figures in the first quarter, he added.

“Stripping off the abnormally high comparison base of last year, China’s exports and imports in the first quarter actually grew 4.6% and 9.6% respectively,” he said.

The government has repeatedly said it would accept slower growth to push forward its restructuring of the economy away from a reliance on investment and credit for growth.

Investment flows

Commerce Ministry data yesterday showed foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows of $12.2bn in March, down 1.5% from a year earlier. However, total firstquarter FDI grew by an annual 5.5% to $31.5bn, and Shen said the trend of steady growth was intact.

The government wants to attract FDI to services, high-end manufacturing, and environmental industries in-

stead of into low-value factories, and wants local firms to increase offshore investment.

FDI in the service sector rose by 20.6% in the first quarter from a year earlier. Services attracted 55% of foreign direct investment, and manufacturing took 37%.

Outbound investment by non-financial Chinese firms was $19.9 billion in the first quarter, down 16.5% from a year ago.

It had fallen an annual 37.2% in the first two months of 2014, and the commerce ministry had previously said a $15bn acquisition by oil and gas producer CNOOC in early 2013 was the reason for the sharp drop.

The data showed outbound investment to Hong Kong fell 47% in the first quarter from last year. Investment in ASEAN countries and the European Union also fell.

Last week, the economic planning commission said it would ease restrictions on overseas investments by allowing firms to make deals of less than $1bn without approval. l