28 April, 2014

Boishakh 15, 1421 Jamadius Sani 27, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 29

MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

7 | THE CULT OF CRONYISM

9 | POLITICS IN INDIA: STILL A MAN’S GAME

20 pages | Price: Tk10

14 | RONALDO LIFTS RAMPANT REAL

B1 | FY15 ADP TO BE OF TK78,000CR

Water minister’s JS promises ignored

Monsoon likely to be dry, heat prolonged n Abu Bakar Siddqiue

Bangladesh Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed will head the home squad.

On November 25, Bangladesh signed the Trade and Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement (Ticfa) with the USA to promote bilateral trade.

Terming yesterday’s meeting successful, the Bangladesh commerce minister said: “Our demand is logical.

Meteorologists predict that monsoon this year is likely to be different and the ongoing dry weather may get extreme and prolonged as an impact of the expected upcoming El Niño.

A major heat wave is likely to sweep across Bangladesh, northern India and eastern Pakistan from next week as an area of high pressure causes plenty of sunshine and a dry northwest wind, according to a report of the AccuWeather published yesterday.

The report at accuweather.com says the persisting heat is a little early but not unheard of for this time of year.

The hottest weather in the subcontinent often occurs before the onset of frequent rains during monsoon.

“We assume that rainfall will be less in the upcoming monsoon,” Shah Alam, director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Eric Wanenchak says in the report: “If the monsoon rain is less, it would be a disaster for agriculture.”

The June-August period is usually counted as monsoon in Bangladesh and an average of 523mm, 420mm and 318mm rainfall occurs in these months.

Shah Alam said the rainy season might experience less rainfall on which farmers heavily depend for T-Aman crops.

AccuWeather’s Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls says: “The monsoon may start on time or even slightly early,

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Parliamentary body asks ministry for quick implementation of pending projects of the water resources minister’s promn Kamran Reza Chowdhury ises yesterday on the Parliament floor.

The farmers of Sunamganj and Kishoreganj, two low-lying districts that remain under water for about eight months a year, turned to the local MPs in 2009 to manage the swelling Kalni and Kushiyara rivers that very often inundate their lone Boro crops.

They believe that senior MPs Abdul Hamid, now president, and former railway minister Suranjit Sengupta, can force the government to implement a project to tame the two rivers – the main water supply for the vast haors stretching through 18 upazilas of the districts.

“For years, flash floods have often inundated our paddy fields. The government should do something for us so that our crops are not washed away due to an overflow of the two rivers,” Zillur Rahman, a small farmer in Itna of Kishoreganj, told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said Abdul Hamid and Suranjit Sengupta had raised the issue in parliament and the then water resources minister promised to assist in this regard.

“But nothing has happened,” he said.

Zillur was right as the parliamentary committee on Government Assurance reviewed the status of implementation

The working paper presented at the meeting shows that Ramesh Chandra Sen and his deputy Mahbubur Rahman made 33 commitments in parliament during 2009-2013.

Of them, only 10 assurances have been implemented while two commitments were suspended by the authorities. The rest are in progress.

On February 11, 2009 Suranjit drew the attention of Ramesh Chandra, according to whose assurance the Water Development Board adopted the Kalni-Kushiyara Management Project costing around Tk610 crore.

Until April this year, only 4.65% of the work has been completed, says the paper, a copy of which was obtained by the Dhaka Tribune. A paltry Tk25 crore has been allocated for the project.

In parliamentary practices, a minister’s commitment in legislature is rated as obligatory for the executive.

“What else can we do if a minister’s assurance in parliament remains unfulfilled for so many years?” Suranjit Sengupta told the Dhaka Tribune.

The senior Awami League leader  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Students of an NGO-run school at Roopganj in Narayanganj have their class in the shade of a tree on the bank of a pond yesterday amid sweltering heat. Their classroom does not have fans MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

FIRST TICFA MEETING

Tofail optimistic about GSP outcomes n Asif Showkat Kallol Ticfa talks should be considered successful if there are positive outcomes about GSP, said Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed on the eve of a key trade meeting with a US delegation.

After meeting a five-member USTR delegation, the minister also expressed hopes about getting duty- and quo-

AL-BNP syndicate selling railway trees n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong A syndicate of local Awami League and BNP men of Chittagong city’s Ambagan-Pahartoli area has been making a quick buck by selling age-old trees of Bangladesh Railway (BR) East Zone in connivance with railway officials for a long time.

However, the BR (East) has no appropriate data about the number of trees it has, said Divisional Engineer 2 Tarun Kanti Bala of the BR (East).

According to the BR (East) Estate Department sources, about 521.34 acres of land of the BR (East) were occupied illegally out of a total 24,401.62 acres.

Of the 7, 701 acres of land of Chittagong

division grabbers took control of 81.23 acres.

A high official of the BR (East) seeking anonymity said the grabbers could do so as the railway itself does not know how many trees it has.

The syndicate chopped down a good number of age-old trees standing in  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

INSIDE News

4 Even after withdrawing from the Padma bridge project, the World Bank intends to work in other sectors and so, its representatives are visiting the country, said Communication Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday.

Nation

6 About 25,000 people of 15 villages in Nalitabari of Sherpur have had their lives disrupted for over a week as a herd of wild elephants has been damaging their boro paddy fields.

World

8 Israeli cabinet ministers yesterday differed over the likely fallout on the battered Middle East peace process from an intra-Palestinian reconciliation agreement.

Op-Ed

11 Today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation are jointly hosting a two-day expert group meeting on Migration and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda.

About 60 countries are participating in the meeting.

ta-free access to the US market for Bangladeshi exports.

Michael J Delaney, assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, and Dan Mozena, US ambassador to Bangladesh, attended yesterday’s meeting at the Secretariat.

In the first Ticfa meeting to be held at Hotel Sonargaon in the capital today, Delaney will lead the visiting side and

2 Global meet on migration begins today

n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman A two-day international meeting of experts on migration will begin in the capital today to identify indicators for consideration in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda.

Migration could be used as an effective development tool, and Bangladesh, along with other countries, supports incorporating the issue in the post-2015 agenda, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque said yesterday.

The meeting, convened by the governments of Bangladesh and Switzerland, aims to bring migration and development at the forefront of the post-2015 agenda, Shahidul said.

“It is not a political meeting, but a group of experts will discuss and find out targets related to migration issue, and we will try to sell the outcome to political leaderships,” he said.

Around 88 participants from 58 countries in Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East, and 17 international organisations, including UN agencies, are expected to attend the meeting at a city hotel.

The meeting will adopt a declaration, which will be forwarded to the cochairs of UN working groups who will submit a report at the 69th session of the UN General Assembly in September.

The migration issue is important in the backdrop of over 230 million migrant workers globally remitting more thanUS$416 billion last year. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Bangladeshi MERS victim dies in KSA n Rabiul Islam A Bangladeshi woman died of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia yesterday.

However, her identity could not be confirmed by Bangladesh Embassy in the KSA. “We went to the hospital concerned but we were not allowed inside,” counsellor Md Mokammal Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune over phone. “We have requested the hospital authorities about the identity of the deceased.”

He said: “There is no reason to panic about MERS. We have requested our expatriates to remain cautious. We advised them to wear masks in crowded place.”

He added that they were carrying out a campaign to create awareness among the expatriates about the danger of MERS. The Arab News reported that the country on Saturday recorded seven new deaths from MERS, raising the death toll to 94.

A statement meanwhile said 24 new cases of MERS were detected. A total of 323 cases have been reported since the virus first emerged there in 2012. l

Monday, April 28, 2014

RAB detains 9 for abducting student n Kailash Sarkar Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) yesterday arrested nine youths, including a girl, in connection with the abduction of Rajeeb, a student of Milestone College in capital.

The detainees also include a cousin of the abducted student.

According to RAB officials, the abductors kidnapped Meer Redwan Ahmed Rajeeb, a Class XII student of Miliestone College, on April 8 from the Hajarat Shahjalal International Airport intersection and demanded a ransom of Tk25 lakh from the victim’s family.

The father of the victim Meer Ranju Ahmed, a garment businessman in Tongi, had paid Tk 24 lakh as ransom to the gang in a bid to save his son’s life.

Redwan’s cousin Masud Rana, who is also known as Shaon alias Fardin, and Mohammad Rajeeb alias Akash were arrested from Shrulia of Demra in the capital on April 26.

Following their confessions, other member of the kidnapping gang Meer Noman Salehin alias Tarun was arrested from Bhuwanpur in Tangail, Mofazzl Hossain alias Babu, Ershad Ali, Mohammad Razzaq, Leebu Miah, Osman Goni and Sumaiya Sarmin Monami were arrested from different spots of the district town.

During primary interrogation, the detained kidnappers admitted that

RAB members produce nine individuals, arrested in connection with the abduction of a college student, before the media at RAB headquarters yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE Redwan’s cousin Masud Rana, Akash and Babu were the masterminds behind the abduction of Redwan. As per their plot, Masud used his girlfriend Monami to lure Redwan into meeting her at the Airport intersection on April 8 afternoon.

When Redwan reached the designated venue, Masud, Babu, Ruhul and Ershad picked him up on a microbus and took him to Nolinbazar in Tangail.

Immediately after the abduction, the criminals demanded Tk 25 lakh from Redwan’s father as ransom and

Saarc countries to enhance internal cooperation Cabinet Secretaries of Saarc countries have agreed to enhance internal cooperation and to work together to reduce poverty, ensure good governance in the financial sector, and utilise information and communication technology to improve the standards of citizen services.

This was the outcome of a two-day meeting attended by the cabinet secretaries of member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The meeting, which started on April 26 and ended yesterday, was held at the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the capital.

“Attendants of the meeting identified poverty as the main obstacle to development in South Asia. The meeting agreed to take comprehensive measures to fight poverty. Cabinet Secretaries of the Saarc states assured the forum they would take measures after consulting with the respective authorities,” Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters yesterday after the meeting.

Cabinet Secretaries of Bangladesh,

India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan attended the meeting. Eight delegations out of a total of 24 were from Bangladesh.

The delegation of Maldives could not join the meeting due to the financial crisis of the country. The country had closed down its Dhaka office for the same reason.

At least, we have not sacrificed our sovereignty like other regional organisations The third meeting of the Cabinet Secretaries is expected to be held in Pakistan and the fourth will be in Nepal.

Musharraf, also the chair of the second meeting, said the attendants expressed their interest in enhancing cooperation in different sectors.

He said they talked about boosting cooperation by working under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme of the government. A number of initia-

tives will be taken under the PPP programme among the Saarc countries.

Issues like poverty elimination, reducing death rates of children and mothers, empowerment of women, achieving the millennium development goals, ensuring maximum enrolment of female students in schools were discussed in the meeting, Musharraf said.

He said they had also discussed reform of the civil service, providing a check on corruption, good governance in financial and other sectors, ways to ensure optimum utilisation of ICT and wider spread of e-governance in Saarc countries.

Commenting on the effectiveness of Saarc, its Secretary General Arzun Bahadur Thapa said: “We have not failed at all. We have worked on regional development, poverty elimination, providing a check on terrorism and the enhancement of inter-regional connectivity. Several agreements were also signed among the countries.”

“At least, we have not sacrificed our sovereignty like other regional organisations,” he added. l

on April 11, Redwan’s father paid Tk24 lakh to Masud and Babu. The criminals later set Redwan free near the capital’s Bangabandhu Bridge.

RAB officials also said they had recovered Tk7 lakh from Masud and Tk2 lakh and a motorcycle from Tarun. l

n Manik Miazee

Jatiya Party Presidium member and Leader of the Opposition Rawshan Ershad yesterday criticised party Chairman HM Ershad for taking decisions unilaterally and changing his mind frequently.

She also warned Ershad, her husband, not to misuse power as the party chief. Several Presidium members of the party and MPs of the 10th parliament joined the joint meeting held at Spectra Convention Centre in the capital.

Ershad, now a special envoy to the prime minister, also faced questions by a number of Presidium members who had withdrawn nomination papers upon his order.

Rawshan said they had taken part in the election upon the party chief’s directives.

Without mentioning names, Rawshan also came down heavily on the party chief for inducting on his own some paid employees of the party as its senior leaders. Such activities hamper the party’s image, she said.

Rawshan said: “Jatiya Party could not do well in the upazila polls com-

Water minister’s JS promises

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place recommendations based on their evaluation of Bangladesh’s implementation of the GSP Action Plan, laid out by the US government. Positive recommendations can help Bangladesh’s cause but the US Congress is the authority to decide on the issue.

The US suspended the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) facilities in June last year citing Bangladesh’s failure in cementing labour rights in the wake of the fatal back-to-back industrial disasters.

The minister also said that he had told the USTR delegation about what Bangladesh wanted to discuss in the Ticfa meeting. “They talked about the Rana Plaza disaster,” Tofail told reporters yesterday.

The legally non-binding Ticfa that emphasises on curbing protectionism, was signed after 12 years’ of negotiation.

Bangladesh exports goods worth around $5bn every year to the USA, of which 90% is readymade garments. l

said he had raised the issue as the depth of the Kalni and the Kushiyara had reduced due to the deposit of sediments from upstream. “If implemented, thousands of poor farmers will be benefit as food production in the region will rise.”

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics says over 6.7 lakh tonnes of Boro rice grow in the Kishoreganj and Sunamganj districts every year.

“If the project is not implemented, the haor people will face disaster in the future,” Rejwan Ahammad Taufiq, Abdul Hamid’s son and Kishoreganj 4 MP, said.

In response to a notice of public-importance raised by the AL MP Abdus Sattar on October 7, 2009, Ramesh Chandra assured the implementation of a project to stop erosion of the Brahmaputra river from the Shambhuganj bridge to the Latiamari Bazar in Mymensingh.

On July 24, 2011, the Water Resources Ministry suspended a project previously designed according to the assur-

AL-BNP syndicate selling railway trees  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

rows on both sides of a road on the railway land stretching from the port city’s Tigerpass Intersection to Pahartoli Police Bit area.

The members of the syndicate sold those century-old trees in between last Thursday night and Saturday afternoon.

BR (East) sources alleged that felling trees could not have been done without the knowledge of Divisional Engineer-2Tarunas the area from where trees were cut down fell under his jurisdiction.

Woodcutters said they were cutting trees on the instruction of local Awami League leader and former Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Councillor Mohammad Hossain Hiron, Juba Dal

activists Sohel, Arman and several others.

The syndicate using political clouts of both the ruling Awami League and BNP are allegedly involved in cutting trees in the name of facilitating the ongoing road expansion project of the CCC. BR (East) General Manager Mohammed Moqbul Ahmed said neither the CCC nor anybody took any permission from the railway authorities to cut down the trees.

When contacted CCC Executive Engineer Saleh Ahmad said he was unaware of the incident.

As the matter was brought to the notice the railway authorities formed a three-member committee headed by Divisional Engineer-2TarunKantiBala to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, the BR officials have recently seized a truck loaded with logs of illegally felled trees. The driver and two labourers – SunltanGazi and Sabuj – inthe evening and handed them over to Khulshi police station.

Senior Sub-Assistant Engineer Amir Hossain of the BR (East) lodged a case with Khulshi police station accusing the two arrestees and six to seven other unidentified people.

After interrogating the duo, Sub-Inspector Lokman Hossain of Khulshi police station, also the investigation officer of the case,said they initially found Shohel and Arman involved in cutting down trees.

BR (East) sources said that railway has 450 acres of land in Ambagan-Pahartoli areas where the AL-BNP syndicate grabbed some land and sell the

A local leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir was killed in a clash with police in Kamalnagar area of Satkhira district yesterday afternoon.

Officer-in-Charge of Satkhira Sadar police station Enamul Haque confirmed the death of Aminul Islam, 32, general secretary of Satkhira unit of Shibir, to the Dhaka Tribune.

Four constables of police were injured while six Shibir activists received bullet wounds during the clash.

Police recovered two pistols from the scene.

OC Enamul Haque said police had raided the house of a man named Mukul after getting information about a secret meeting for planning subversive activities.

“Sensing the presence of police, the Shibir leaders and activists exploded 20 to 22 hand grenades and started firing, forcing the law enforcers to fire back,” he said.

Several people received bullet wounds during the clash. Later, police rescued the injured and admitted them to Satkhira Sadar hospital where Aminul died under treatment.

Ershad faces wraths of Rawshan

Tofail optimistic about GSP “I raised the demand for duty and quote free access to the US market for Bangladeshi products in the first WTO ministerial meeting in Singapore [in 1996]. In the last WTO meeting held in Bali [in Indonesia in December last year], a package was announced that would ensure free access for the least developed countries. The package was to be implemented before the next WTO ministerial meeting,” Tofail told reporters.

“Without the heavy duties, Bangladeshi exports will be more competitive in the US market than those of other countries. Bangladesh’s export earnings will also rise,” he said.

Tofail Ahmed was the commerce minister when the Awami League was in power from 1996-2001.

Retaining GSP facilities for Bangladeshi exports in the US is one of the top agendas of today’s Ticfa meeting.

However, the visiting USteam can only

Shibir leader dies in clash with police n Our Correspondent, Satkhira

CABINET SECRETARIES’ 2-DAY MEET

Ex-Pakistan army official terms war crimes trial a ‘sham’ n Mohosinul Karim n Tribune Report A former Pakistan military officer has termed the ongoing war crimes trial in Bangladesh a “sham.”

The retired military officer, Col M Hanif, claims that the killings, tortures, rapes and other human rights violations that may have taken place in 1971 were mainly the results of internal conflicts among Bangalee groups.

Hanif came up with the claim in a column published in the Pakistan Observer on Saturday.

The article titled “Sham trials in Bangladesh” also questions the number of three million people having died and 200,000 women having been raped during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971. Hanif terms the numbers a propaganda by the Awami League.

Hanif claims that Bangladesh is demanding trial of the former members of the Pakistan Army on the directive of India to tarnish Pakistan’s and its army’s international image and break up Pakistan and Bangladesh’s friendly relations.

Terming Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence an “Indian engineered separatist struggle,” Hanif says India also wants tense relations between the Awami League and the BNP as Bangladesh-Pakistan relations have been good in times of BNP governments.

He praises the BNP for claiming that the war crimes accused were not given the right of a fair trial. “Khaleda Zia, BNP Chairperson, has gone so far as to publicly reject the legitimacy of tribunals,” Hamid writes in his article.

Hamid, who works for the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, also claims that a fair trial is being denied to the accused by the Awami League government by amending rules and making International Crimes Tribunal Act 1973 too biased. l

News

ance of the minister, as the local people told the WDB officials that the project was “not essential.”

On September 7, 2009, Ramesh Chandra promised the Awami League MP Kamal Ahmed Majumder that he would link Dhaka’s Kalyanpur-Ibrahimpur canal with the Turag River. The water resources minister later suspended the project saying the drainage of the canals lay with the Local Government Ministry.

Shahiduzzaman Sarker, a member of the Government Assurance Committee, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have asked the ministry to accelerate the implementation of the promised projects as soon as possible.”

The ministry officials attending yesterday’s meeting claimed the shortage of funds to be one of the major reasons for the delays. Committee members Rahmat Ali, Abdul Quddus, AKM Shahjahan Kamal, Abdul Majid Khan and Mir Mostaque Ahmed Robi attended the meeting with Kazi Keramat Ali in the chair. l

trees there to which the railway authorities are turning a blind eye.

Divisional Engineer 2 Tarun, head of the probe body, however, said local BNP men were involved inthe illegal felling of trees in the area.

“Mr Hiron is a good and honest man and public leader. He has no connection with the incident,” he said even before starting the investigation intothe matter.

When asked how he was sure about Hiron’s innocence while the tree cutting labourers mentioned Hiron’s name, the probe committee head evaded the question.

Chief Engineer AKM Mahbubul Alam of the BR (East) said the investigation was going on and everything would come to light after the investigation. l

pared to other parties only because of your mismanagement.”

She also expressed frustration as there had been no council in the party in the last 12 years, and that none of the party’s units had a full-fledged committee.

Party’s Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, and Presidium members Anisul Islam Mahmood and Mashiur Rahman Ranga and Salma Islam were present at the meeting among others.

However, Ershad’s younger brother GM Quader and former secretary general ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader did not attend the meeting.

In the face of severe criticisms, Ershad said: “Let us forget everything and work together to strengthen the party.”

Meeting sources confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune that the party decided to hold upazila, district and central councils before December this year to elect new leadership.

Before joining the meeting, Ershad told reporters that in the future the party would work with everyone’s assistance, not with a single person’s decisions. l

Monsoon likely to be dry, heat prolonged  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

but rainfall during the monsoon season may be less than normal and more sporadic, especially in the north.”

The impact of El Niño will prompt extreme and prolonged drought with thunderstorms on the area, he adds.

Bangladesh is at higher risk of droughts. Between 1949 and 1991, droughts occurred here 24 times. Very severe droughts hit the country in 1951, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1972, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984 and 1989.

Past droughts typically affected about 47% area of the country and 53% of the population, according to the Department of Disaster Management.

The average rainfall in April in Bangladesh is 130.2mm, but this year the country has experienced very little rain. The Met office says the temperature across the country is getting higher in the absence of the expected rainfall.

On April 24, Dhaka city experienced the highest temperature in 54 years as mercury reached 40.2 degrees Celsius.

The previous highest temperature in the capital was recorded 42.3 degrees on April 30, 1960, according to the Met office.

The highest temperature in the country in the past 10 years was recorded 43.2 degrees Celsius in Jessore in 2009; the highest temperature recorded in the country’s history was 45.1 degrees on May 18, 1972.

However, the rising trend of temperature was paused last Friday evening when light drizzling occurred at different parts of the country, including the capital. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Zubair killers threatening witnesses n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu The four accused Chhatra League activists in Jahangirnagar University student Zubair Ahmed murder case, who escaped from the courtroom after denied bail, are threatening the prosecution witnesses for not giving deposition against them.

Such frequent threatening by the accused forced the Speedy Trial Tribunal 4 to adjourn proceedings for the second consecutive day yesterday.

Judge ABM Nizamul Haque set May 4 for the next hearing.

The 17th witness did not appear before the tribunal on April 20 when the

recording of testimony was deferred until yesterday.

Out of the 37 prosecution witnesses, 19 have given depositions so far in the sensational case.

Court sources say if the witnesses fail to give deposition, the killers might be relieved from the charges or their punishment would be lenient.

SM Rafiqul Islam, public prosecutor of the tribunal, said: “The witnesses are not coming to give deposition as the escaped accused are now threatening the witnesses for not give deposition in the case.”

On February 23, four accused – Ashiqul, Rais, Akram and Ishtiaq Arup –

fled the courtroom in front of lawyers and the police soon after their bails had been cancelled.

Earlier, six accused including the escaped four accused, beat up JU students Razibul Islam and Nazmul Hossain near the Dhaka District Court premises after they had appeared before the court on January 19 to observe the trial.

After the assault incident, the victims filed a general diary with Kotwali police station. On January 29, Sub-Inspector Rafiqul Islam submitted an investigation report to the tribunal mentioning that the allegation of assault and threat of murder on two students

3

Monday, April 28, 2014

by six of the accused in the case was found authentic.

Former Chhatra League activist Zubair, 23, then a final year of English department, died at the United Hospital in the capital on January 9, 2012. He was tortured brutally by 40-45 Chhatra League activists of the rival group on the campus the previous day.

The university authorities filed a murder case with Ashulia police station and named 13 Chhatra League activists.

The JU Syndicate after an investigation found their direct involvement in the killing and expelled them for different terms from the campus. l

GOLD HAUL AT DHAKA AIRPORT

Biman staff on remand n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court granted a five-day remand of Md Anis Uddin Bhuiyan, an aircraft mechanical assistant with Biman Bangladesh Airlines, yesterday, in connection with Saturday’s gold haul at the Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate SM Ashiqur Rahman passed the order after the investigating officer Md Jahirul Islam, sub-inspector of the Airport police station, filed a 10-day remand plea with the court.

In the remand petition, the IO said the airport customs officials detained Anis on suspicion and, upon searching

his belongings, they found an SMS on his phone which stated the location of the gold bars in the aircraft.

That is when the customs officials handed Anis over to the Airport police station, he said. He also mentioned that it was necessary to remand the accused to find out which others were involved with the incident.

Defence Counsel AM Moniruzzaman Tarek appealed for a rejection of the remand and for the bail of the accused.

On Saturday, customs intelligence officials found 904 gold bars weighing 105kg wrapped in 14 packets in the toilet of a Biman flight from Dubai after it landed at the Dhaka airport. l

Prosecution starts argument in Mir Kashem case n Udisa Islam As a commander of notorious al-Badr in Chittagong, war crimes suspect Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Kashem Ali has to take all responsibility for atrocities and activities that took place in torture cells at the port city run by the armed militia group during the 1971 Liberation War, prosecution lawyers have said.

They made these allegations in their the closing arguments at the International Crimes Tribunal 2, while describing Mir Kashem’s role, then a top leader of Islami Chhatra Sangha – Jamaat’s student wing.

They claimed that all the charges against the “man eater of ‘71” had been proved beyond reasonable doubt through strong witnesses and evidence.

Through the depositions, the prosecution said they ascertained the places of abduction and confinement of victims, and confirmed the presence of the accused at the crime scenes.

The prosecution also claimed that the defence would not benefit from cross examining the prosecution witnesses as they had confirmed the statements.

During the morning session, prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum made an introductory statement where he described the history of the trial. Then Sultan Mahmud started made arguments on the charges and said Kashem had been directly involved in the abduction and torture of pro-liberation people at Daleem Hotel.

Yesterday the prosecution placed their arguments the whole day and finished 10 charges out of the 14 framed against the Jamaat Executive Council member.

He said they had not placed any witness against charge one and five. The prosecution said they would argue on only 12 charges against Kashem on the basis of the 24 witness depositions and evidential documents.

During the arguments the tribunal asked the prosecution whether being present at Daleem Hotel could be an offence as the accused had not tortured anyone. The prosecution replied that

the torture camp had been controlled by al-Badr men, and so as a commander of the group, Kashem is responsible for every crime that took place within them.

Kashem – Jamaat treasurer and key financier – paid a US lobbyist firm $25m to make the tribunal controversial When the tribunal asked the prosecution to clarify how the accused was responsible for the crimes, the conducting prosecutor said Kashem never tried to stop his cohorts from committing them.

After the arguments, the tribunal adjourned until today.

According to the government, Kashem – Jamaat treasurer and key financier – paid a US lobbyist firm $25m to make the tribunal controversial. The accused owns a number of businesses including Diganta Media Corporation that runs Diganta TV and the daily Naya Diganta.

Meanwhile, the prosecution yesterday failed to produce its 11th prosecution witness against war crimes accused ATM Azharul Islam because of the “ongoing heat wave” across the country.

The prosecution in a petition sought a 10-day adjournment. The tribunal then deferred the hearing until May 6.

Prosecutor Tapas Kanti Baul said they could not place witnesses as some of them had fallen sick due to the current heat wave.

After hearing the submission, the tribunal said: “The last date of hearing in this trial was on April 13. It does not look good if you seek more time after such a long break.”

Conducting prosecutor AKM Saiful Islam is out of the country while the accused was in the dock.

Senior Jamaat leader Azhar was indicted on November 12 last year on six charges of crimes against humanity committed at different places in Rangpur during 1971. l

Light vehicles and people find a shortcut to cross the Jatrabari flyover through gaps in the road divider, putting lives at risk

Mothbaria collaborator Jabbar to face trial n Udisa Islam The investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal has finalised five charges against the former Jatiya Party lawmaker Abdul Jabbar from Pirojpur for his involvement in crimes against humanity including genocide and religious conversion during the 1971 Liberation War. The agency will disclose the findings of the investigation against the 82-year-old at a press conference today.

It will also ask the prosecution to seek an arrest warrant against the war

crimes suspect. Jabbar is currently absconding.

The suspect may face trial for genocide, mass killing, murder, arson and religious conversion, said Helal Uddin, investigation officer of the case. The charges include killing of 22 Hindus in Mothbaria. The IO claimed that he had enough evidence to prove the involvement of Jabbar in these atrocious crimes.

The agency started a probe into the allegations against Jabbar – hailing from Khetachira in the Mothbaria upazila of Pirojpur – on May 19 last year.

It has prepared a 99-page report, documental evidence of more than 1,700 pages and an 89-page statement of witnesses.

Jabbar will be the second accused from the Jatiya Party after Syed Mohammad Qaisar of Habiganj.

As the chairman of the Mothbaria unit of the Peace Committee, Helal said the accused had played a key role in the formation of the razakar force.

After the formation of the collaborators’ group, the accused led the force in committing atrocities in Mothbaria.

The IO visited the area several times

EC prepares inspection manual to ensure accountability n Mohammad Zakaria

Ishrat Mahan Sigma, a fourth year student at Rajshahi University, being rushed to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital yesterday, after being stabbed in the back by Momtazul Islam Emu, a security guard at AB Bank, for refusing his marriage proposal DHAKA TRIBUNE

Gayeshwar, Aman denied bail again n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Yesterday, a Dhaka court again rejected a request for bail from the BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and the party’s Joint Secretary General Aman Ullah Aman in regards to a case filed against them for killing a Shibir man in the capital last year.

Judge Md Jahurul Haque of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka passed the order after the defendants’ counsels submitted two separate petitions against the bail rejection

order of a lower court.

On April 23, Metropolitan Magistrate Harun-or-Rashid denied bail to the leaders after a hearing on their bail petition.

Earlier on April 20, the same court rejected bail petitions of the two BNP leaders and sent them to jail, but granted bail to the BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas when the three leaders surrendered and sought bail.

The case was filed with the Rampura police station after Mansur Pradhania, 20, was killed in a clash among the police, the activists of Jamaat-e-Islami, a

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

partner of the then BNP-led alliance, and its affiliated student organisation, Islami Chhatra Shibir, at Malibagh in the capital on December 29, 2013.

In the statement, the police accused more than a dozen BNP and Jamaat leaders, including Sadeque Hossain and Mirza Abbas, for directly and indirectly instigating, plotting and financing violence.

The alliance brought out a procession in support of the BNP’s March for Democracy, which was set for that day.

On March 9, the High Court remanded the leaders on bail for six weeks. l

The Election Commission has taken initiatives to ensure dynamism, transparency and accountability in all field-level election offices across the country.

To this end, the commission has prepared a written inspection manual to bring all officials under discipline, transparency and accountability across the country.

“The new policy will be implemented if the commission approves it at today’s commission meeting,” a senior EC official yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune.

The senior official also said the commission meeting may approve voter list update in three phases starting from June 1.

EC officials said there are 588 offices of the commission including National Identity Card wing, Training Institute, 10 regional election offices and upazila offices.

If the policy is approved in the commission meeting the chiefs of wings concerned will visit the offices of EC across the country once a year, the officials said adding that the chiefs would also send a report describing overall activities in writing to the commission.

On April 8 a meeting was held aiming to formulate this policy with additional secretary of the EC in the chair.

Election Commissioner Mohammad

Abu Hafiz yesterday said the Election Commission is an important institution in the country as it organises election to keep the democratic process going.

But due to absence of any guideline the EC offices across the country did have no accountability.

Now the commission is formulating a policy to bring all offices under policy guideline, he said adding that the constitutional body would ensure transparency and accountability.

According to the draft inspection manual EC officials will visit all offices regularly to oversee the activities of the organisation.

The officials will pay visits in three categories – regular routine visit, special visit and sudden visit – to the all election offices. l

over the past year. “I got a lot of evidence against him, and if necessary, we can continue our investigation,” he said.

He thinks there is a possibility to try Jabbar in absentia as he has been absconding since 2009. Helal said the accused might be in the US, but he could not confirm this information.

Jabbar was elected as a lawmaker twice from Mothbaria – in 1986 and 1988 – with the Jatiya Party ticket. IO Helal said though the suspect had been elected as a lawmaker from the area, he became inactive later. l

HC grants bail to Sohel-Habib n Tribune Report

The High Court yesterday granted six months’ bail to Swechchhasebak Dal President Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal General Secretary Habibur Rashid Habib.

The bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed passed the order and also issued a rule as to why the leaders of BNP’s affiliated organisations should not be awarded permanent bail.

Habib, arrested on November 17 last year, was bailed in eight cases of violence which cleared the way for his release, Masud Rana, his lawyer said.

Sohel, who was in prison from April 6, was given bail in nine cases of violence.

However, Masud Rana, his lawyer could not confirm whether the Swechchhasebak Dal leader could be released immediately. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, April 28, 2014

WB plans to work in other areas in Bangladesh Govt proposes three expressway projects port city of Chittagong. The WB, hown Rabiul Islam ever, would not give any funds directly.

Even after withdrawing from the Padma bridge project, the World Bank intends to work in other sectors in Bangladesh and so, representatives of the global lender are visiting the country, said Communication Minister Obaidul Quader, yesterday.

Obaidul Quader made the claim while talking to reporters after a meeting with Keiko Honda, executive vice president of the WB’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), at the secretariat in Dhaka.

When asked if the Padma bridge project was discussed, the minister said, “We told them that the bridge is being constructed with government funds. We have no conflict with the World Bank.”

“Although the bridge is not being financed by the World Bank, many related jobs, including consultancy and river training, conducted by the global lender are being followed,” he added.

The minister said the WB would act as a guarantor if international lenders agreed to provide loans for a proposed expressway linking the capital to the

“We need to improve communication between Dhaka and Chittagong because of the port, and a mere four-lane highway will not be sufficient,” Obaidul said, adding, “So, we have proposed constructing an elevated expressway between the two cities.”

A feasibility study has already been carried out for the proposed expressway, the minister said.

Funds were also sought for constructing an elevated expressway from Singair in Manikganj to Munsiganj, he added.

“We have also proposed a project for a rapid bus transit system on the (Dhaka) airport-Sadarghat route. A feasibility study has already been completed and we requested the WB for direct funding for the project,” Obaidul said.

“They will inform us about their position after studying the project proposals,” he added.

Muhamet Bamba Fall, MIGA’s head for the Asia-Pacific region, NAM Siddiqui, secretary of the roads and highway Division, and Khandker Anwarul Islam, secretary of the bridge division, were also present at the meeting. l

Amid the ongoing unbearable heat, the early summer has brought many colourful flowers to bloom across the country. This picture was taken at the capital’s Chandrima Uddayan yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

PALLABI SIX-MURDER Training on Sustainability Reporting in Dhaka n Tribune Report The Corporate Social Responsibility Centre Bangladesh is going to introduce training on the latest version of the Global Reporting Initiative’s “Sustainability Reporting” guideline in Bangladesh, early next month in the capital.

The first of its kind, the training is going to take place at Hotel Rigs INN in the capital’s Gulshan area on May 6 and 7.

Global Reporting Initiative is a leading organisation in the field of sustainability.

It promotes sustainability reporting as crucial for all companies, financial institutions and development organisations in order to effectively and transparently contribute to environmental, economic, social and governance performances. l

Father of NU pro-VC dies n Tribune Report Group Captain (retd) Mohsin Ali, father of Professor Dr Munaj Ahmed Noor, pro vice-chancellor of National University, died at the age of 70 at Combined Military Hospital yesterday at 6:15am.

The deceased is survived by three sons and a daughter.

Professor Dr Harun-ur-Rashid, vice-chancellor of National University, expressed deep condolences for the family’s loss.

Teachers and other employees of the university also expressed their condolences.

The namaj-e-janaza of the deceased will take place tomorrow after Asr prayer, followed by his burial at Bangladesh Air Force graveyard. l

Capital punishment of three convicts upheld n Tribune Report The High Court yesterday upheld death sentences of three while acquitted another who had been given death penalty for killing six domestic help at a house in Mirpur’s Pallabi in 2006.

The bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Shahidul Karim delivered the verdict on the death references and appeals. It confirmed the sentence of Masum Matabbar, Zakir Hossain Bahar and Kamruzzaman Kamrul but acquitted Mohammad Azim of the murder charge.

On October 13, 2006, the six were slaughtered when the owner of the house and his family members were not at home. The deceased were Khad-

iza, Anna, Manir, Milon Bakshi, Rizia and her son Tofel.

The following day, Sirajul Haque, owner of the house, registered a case.

For the killings, the Speedy Trial Tribunal of Dhaka sentenced the four to death in October, 2008.

According to the case details, the convicts went to the house at Pallabi for robbery but the domestic helps recognised them. For this, the convicts killed them.

Supreme Court lawyer Shafiqul Islam contended for Azim, who was acquitted, and Shakhawat Hossain pleaded for the rest three whose death penalty was confirmed. Deputy Attorney General Farhad Ahmed and Assistant Attorney General Bashir Ahmed represented the state. l

HSC candidate shot dead ‘in police firing’ in Sirajganj n Our Correspondent, Sirajganj An HSC candidate was killed allegedly in police firing aimed to subdue a prevailing clash in Sirajganj municipality yesterday.

Locals, who were already clashing in the area, fumed further and went on a rampage, vandalising and setting fire to several establishments, including a police outpost.

Police admitted to have fired shotgun rounds but claimed those “were not supposed to be lethal.”

The deceased was identified as Al Kamal, 18, son of Majnu Sheikh from Puthibari area of the district and an HSC candidate from Islamia Government College.

Police charged batons to quell a dispute between residents of Atapara and Chandali areas yesterday evening, Sir-

pelled to fire shotgun rounds again to contain the situation.

Reinforcements from Sirajganj Sadar police station and the Detective Branch were soon dispatched for aid.

North Bengal Medical College Hospital emergency unit’s Dr Masud said injured Kamal was referred to Bogra Medical College Hospital for better treatment.

“He was brought in injured severely by splinters. However, he succumbed immediately after being taken into an ambulance,” the doctor said.

Sirajganj Superintendent of Police SM Imran Hossain said police were compelled to action to subdue “a rampage prevailing through the area. Several houses and shops were vandalised and burned.”

However, he could not tell how the teenager died. “Necessary actions will be taken after investigation,” he said.l

231 candidates eligible for Public offices ransacked in Barisal next upazila polls n Our Correspondent, Barisal

n Mohammad Zakaria The Election Commission has declared that a total of 231 candidates are eligible for contesting in the sixth phase of upazila parishad polls scheduled for May 19 in 13 upazilas.

Of this total, 89 were declared for chairman post, 89 for vice-chairman and 53 for women vice-chair after scrutinising their nomination papers.

A total of 244 candidates submitted nomination papers: 95 for the chairman post, 96 for vice-chairman and 53

for women vice-chair. According to the polls schedule, the last day for withdrawing nominations is May 3.

The by-election for the chairman post for Tarakanda of Mymensingh will be held on May 19. A total of five candidates submitted nomination papers for the post. After scrutiny, the EC declared four of them eligible.

On April 16, the EC announced the schedule of the sixth phase polls. Rangabali upazila polls were suspended due to a writ petition filed with the High Court on the delimitation complexities. l

Four public offices in the Gournadi upazila, Barisal were ransacked in the Awami League’s factional clash over the submission of a tender on Sunday afternoon.

At least 20 people were injured and 12 motorcycles were damaged in the clash. The situation calmed down when law enforcement officers broke up the fight.

According to witnesses and local sources, the clash was a result of a meeting between a group of Awami League contractors and Shah Alam

Khan and Farhad Munshi, the upazila chairperson and vice-chairperson, respectively, at their office in the upazila complex.

The meeting was about an LGED tender worth Tk60 lakh and the contractors were allegedly negotiating with the government officials to win the tender.

As a group rival to the contractors – followers of Harisur Rahman Haris, upazila Awami League secretary and municipal mayor – got wind of the meeting, they rushed to the place and engaged in an armed fight with the other group, vandalising the offices of the

chairperson, the vice-chairperson, the accountant and the LGED engineer in the process.

On receiving information, police went to the scene and put a stop to the scuffle around 2:30pm.

No case was filed, said Abul Kalam, OC of the Gournadi police station.

Masud Hasan Patowary, Gournadi upazila nirbahi officer, confirmed the incident and said police and RAB personnel had been deployed to prevent another fight.

When contacted, both Shah Alam and Haris denied being involved in the clash. l

Fakhrul cancels meeting for huge presence of activists

Health and Hope Hospital marks 10th anniversary n Tribune Report The 10th founding anniversary of the Health and Hope Hospital was observed in the city’s Panthapath on Saturday.

Professor Mahmuda Khanam inaugurated the anniversary programme by cutting a cake.

Manjurul Ahsan, Mujahedul Islam Selim, Kamal Lohani, Nuh Alam Lenin and Morshed Ali, among others, took part at the event, says a press release.

Chairmen of the hospital MH Chowdhury and Dr Kazi Rakibul Islam were present on the occasion.

The hospital has introduced service week (April 26-30) for it patients.

During the week, the hospital will offer diagnoses, free of cost. In April, the hospital will organise a volunteer blood donation programme, marking the anniversary. l

ajganj Sadar Officer-in-Charge Habibul Islam said.

“Locals, armed with sharp weapons, were clashing in the area. They vandalised and set fire to some houses in the area when police arrived and drove into action,” he added.

“Shortgun rounds were fired. These rounds are not fatal and no one should have died shot by these bullets. We are not sure who shot the boy.”

Locals said Al Kamal and another boy named Fazal, son of Abdur Rahman, were shot at the scene. Kamal died on the way to a hospital.

Angered locals later brought out a procession with the body of the boy.

They vandalised several shops and establishments in Dhanbandi, Islamia college road and Elliot bridge areas.

A police outpost was also vandalised during this time. Police were com-

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s planned meeting with leaders of its affiliated organisations ended in a mess yesterday as scores of activists showed up at the venue.

Ignoring a directive to delegate only one or two representatives, hundreds of leaders and members of pro-BNP organisations, many of which exist in

name only, gathered in front of the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.

When Mirza Fakhrul reached the party office and saw the huge crowd, he was taken by surprise and left the area without holding the meeting which was scheduled for 10am.

“It was to be an indoor meeting. I saw a huge number of people there – I do not know who they are – and I did not hold the meeting,” Fakhrul said. l

Ward councillor ‘abducted’ n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj

A heavy container carrier turtles on the side of the Dhaka-Chittagong road yesterday when it tried to take a turn and lost balance MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Councillor of ward 2 of Narayanganj City Corporation, Jahirul Islam was allegedly abducted in broad daylight along with four other people from Narayanganj District Court premises yesterday afternoon.

Shahidul Islam, additional superintendent of police in Narayanganj, said they had received a verbal complaint from Jahirul’s wife Selina Hossain ac-

cusing ward 4 Councillor Nur Hossain.

Jahirul attended a hearing at the court early in the morning. His chauffeur and three of his supporters rode on his car at the court premises at about 2pm. Some miscreants took them away at gunpoint, Selina claimed.

Selina said Nur Hossain had tried to assassinate her husband several times and they had some disputes over political issues. Both Jahirul and Nur Hossain are leaders of the ruling Awami League.l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, April 28, 2014

RMG sector saw highest deaths last year n Tazlina Zamila Khan At least 1,912 workers were killed and another 5,738 were injured in workplace accidents and violence last year.

Of the total number of deaths, around 70% (1,194) met accidental deaths in the readymade garment (RMG) sector which is the highest, a report reveals.

The survey styled “Occupational Accident, Violence (January-December) 2013” was conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) on the occasion of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work which will be observed today. The report, prepared using data from 20 newspapers, was exclusively given to the Dhaka Tri-

bune yesterday.

The second highest number of deaths (186) was recorded in the transport sector, with the construction sector ranking third which saw deaths of 95 workers.

In addition, 54 expatriate workers, 35 quarry workers, 27 service workers, 21 day labourers and 63 workers in other sectors lost their lives at their workplaces in a variety of accidents.

Alongside the dead and the injured, 21 workers were victims of mental or physical torture, 25 female workers were raped, 490 were kidnapped and seven committed suicide, according to the report.

The report showed that around 206

workers were victims of workplace violence that eventually resulted in death. The transport sector witnessed the highest number of deaths stemming from workplace violence, which is almost 80% (54), while 29 fishermen died for the same reason.

Sultan Ahmed, assistant executive director of BILS, told the Dhaka Tribune the RMG sector is more vulnerable in comparison with others as it is highly unplanned.

He said because of the large number of RMG workers usually working in the same building, casualties rise higher than in other sectors whenever there is an accident.

“In terms of vulnerability, construc-

tion workers come second. Most of the apparel factories are housed in shared buildings. Moreover, the owners do not obey any laws because that is their habit,” Sultan added.

In the report, the accidents were divided into three categories – road accidents, violence and others. 206 workers (168 male, 38 female) died and 913 (826 male, 87 female) were injured in workplace violence, said the report.

Sultan said: “A coordinated initiative involving all the stakeholders is a must in order to ensure the safety of workers and to reduce casualty rates.”

“None of the workers who were killed or injured received any compensation from international brands and

factory owners, though it is their right to do so. Only Primark compensated the Rana Plaza collapse victims,” he added.

Speaking about the Accord, Sultan suggested the inspection be done by the government. He said: “Accord could give us technical support for the inspection. Besides, following factory closures, workers are losing jobs and this is sad. The Accord should ensure both employment and safety of the workers and this should be the slogan.”

“If trade unions are formed in factories, the rates of violence and deaths will go down,” Roy Ramesh Chandra, secretary general of IndustriAll Bangladesh, said. l

5 Sand trader shot dead in Savar n Our Correspondent, Savar A sand trader was shot dead by some unidentified miscreants in Kunda area of Savar yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Anayetullah, 38, son of Helal Uddin, a resident of Bongoan area.

Local people said a gang of miscreants came to the spot in a motorcycle and shot at Anayet while he was having tea at a tea stall. The miscreants left the spot soon after firing him.

Locals rescued him in a critical state and took him to Anam Medical College and Hospital where on-duty doctors pronounce him dead.

Police said they had visited the spot.

A case was filed in this connection. l

JU BCL leader suspended on extortion charges n JU Correspondent A leader of the Jahangirnagar University unit of the Bangladesh Chhatra League has been suspended from the committee on extortion charges.

The leader, KM Fazle Rabbi Shawon, was the president of the Shaheed Rafiq-Jabbar Hall unit of the Chhatra League.

The suspension order came on Saturday night; a decision made by the Chhatra League central committee which stated that Shawon’s misdeeds were in violation of the party discipline.

In line with the order, a three-day show cause notice was also served to Shawon, asking him why he should not be expelled from the organisation.

Sources at the university said Shawon, along with some other Chhatra League men, beat up the labourers of the under construction Rabindranath Tagore Hall after demanding money from them on Wednesday, and halted their work.

When the matter came to light, two senior leaders of the Chhatra League’s central committee sat with the lead-

Strike continues at SUST n

Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Students staged a continuous 48 hour strike at the Shahjalal Science and Technology University in Sylhet to press home their demand of the permanent expulsion of a faculty member, yesterday. All the classes and exams of all the departments were suspended.

Sources said the students gathered at the university circle at 7am in the morning and then held a protest rally and staged a sit-in at the main entrance of the institution.

According to sources, Nasir Uddin, an assistant professor with the Public Administration Department allegedly filmed a group of female students who were bathing in a pond after they had gone on a department outing. Nasir was suspended from all academic activities for a year on last Wednesday.l

WEATHER MOSTLY SUNNY

MONDAY, APRIL 28 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:26PM SUN RISES 5:26AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

37

27

Chittagong

34

26

Rajshahi

42

27

Rangpur

39

25

Khulna

40

26

Barisal

38

27

Sylhet

37

22

Cox’s Bazar

34

27

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

40.8ºC Rajshahi

22.2ºC Srimangal

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:07am 5:26am 11:56am 4:23pm 6:26pm 7:46pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

ers of the university on Saturday night and passed the order along with the notice.

The General Secretary of the JU unit of the Chhatra League Rajib Ahmed Rasel told the Dhaka Tribune: “The Chhatra League shows zero tolerance toward extortion and it will take tough action on anybody who does so.”

Meanwhile, the Food-Shop Owners’ Association on the university premises verbally complained to the authorities concerned that some leaders of the unit have not been paying their bills after having meals from different shops for a very long time.

Joynal Abedin, president of the association, said they were going to complain formally to the university authorities in this regard.

The president alleged that earlier some Chhatra League leaders had assaulted some university shop owners when they denied supplying them with free meals.

When contacted, the JU Proctor Tapan Kumar Saha said: “We have yet to receive such complaints. We will take action if anybody is found guilty.” l

Several horse carts take out a rally campaigning for this year’s census on slum and floating population in the capital yesterday

Housewife burnt to death, youth killed in Feni n Our Correspondent, Feni A housewife was burned alive and a young man was beaten to death by inlasw because of family disputes in separate incidents in Feni. The bodies were brought to the morgue of Feni Sadar Hospital at noon yesterday for autopsy.

The victim was identified as Asma Akhtar, 24, daughter of Sirajul Haque of village Charlaksmiganj under Sonagazi upazila.

The father of the deceased housewife alleged that her daughter was burnt to death after torture by her inlaws for failure to pay dowry.

Saiful Islam, Feni police super told the Dhaka Tribune that burnt body of the victim was recovered from the inlaw’s house. She was burnt on Saturday night and died while she was being taken for treatment on the way to Dhaka.

Jasim Uddin, the husband of the housewife, is an expatriate and the police was investigating whether it was a murder or suicide, He added.

Meanwhile, Dr Ashim Kumar Das, resident medical officer of Feni Sadar Hospital informed that Belal Hossain, 30, son of Bashir Ahmed of village Laksmipur under Sadar upazila, was admitted at the hospital on Saturday night.

He died around 10:30am in the morning yesterday while he was being treated.

Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Feni Model police station, said Bashir Ahmed alleged to them that his son was beaten to death at the Hafizia area in Feni district by his in-law.

Police was investigating the matter and would take necessary action if the plaintiff filed a written complaint, the OC added. l

INDEFINITE TRANSPORT STRIKE

Aspirant teacher locks principal’s room n Probir Kumar Sarker

n Our Correspondent, Sirajganj

Followers of a local Awami League leader in Bhola’s Char Fashion locked the room of a college principal yesterday, after forcibly being denied a teacher’s position at the institution.

The principal, AKM Shahe Alam of Dularhat Model Degree College, filed a general diary with the Char Fashion police in the evening.

Police and witnesses said some eight youths, instigated by the accused Mostafa Kamal, had stormed the college around 11:30am and locked the principal’s room.

The principal was not present in his room during the incident.

“Mostafa Kamal has been trying to become a teacher with the college’s English Department,” OC Abul Bashar of the Char Fashion police station told the Dhaka Tribune over the phone.

The OC said they would visit the college this morning. Currently, there is no vacancy at the college’s English Department. According to sources in the principal’s family, Kamal is affiliated with the ruling party’s student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League. Kamal is working as a teacher at another college, but he wants to get appointed at the college which is near his village home.

UNO Md Rezaul Karim said he did not know the accused, Kamal. “When the principal came to me in the afternoon, I advised him to take legal action against the persons responsible for the incident,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. l

20 workers injured in clash with police in Sirajganj Transport workers went on an indefinite strike in Sirajganj yesterday, when at least 20 people, including seven policemen, were injured in the police-transport workers clash.

Five of the injured workers were admitted to Sirajganj General Hospital, they say.

The clash ensued as the bus workers attacked the police deployed in front of the town bus terminal around 10am, said Superintendent of Police SM Emran Hossain.

At least seven policemen were then injured. Besides this, a police man was knifed by the bus workers while he was returning home, he said, adding that despite the strike public transport ser-

vice was normal in the north.

Earlier on Saturday night, bus and truck owners and workers called the strike following an unprovocative attack on the workers who were putting up a barricade on the road in front of the bus terminal after clashing with CNG-run auto rickshaw workers.

Meanwhile yesterday noon, local administration, police sat in a meeting with transport workers and owners to resolve the issue. But no solution came out.

Deputy Commissioner Billal Hossain said, “We are trying to resolve it as soon as it is possible. We will again sit in a meeting with transport sector leaders. In need, we will also talk with Sramik Federation leaders to end the public sufferings.” l

Annual microbiology conference held at Dhaka University

Yaba trader among two killed in shootout

n DU Correspondent

Two people including yaba trader Jahed Hossain Jaku, who was on the list of the Home Ministry, were killed in a gunfight against the BGB and RAB personnel in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, in the early hours of yesterday.

The other was Faridul Alam, 35, son of Shamsul Alam from Naittyangpara.

He was known as an accomplice to the 40-year-old Jaku.

The gunfight took place in the Nature Park area in Damdamia, Teknaf, around 04:30am. Three guns, 10 rounds of cartridges and nine packets of yaba pills were recovered from the spot.

“After being informed about the rampant yaba trade, RAB and BGB officials began patrolling the Nature Park area at 04:30am. We signaled the driver of a microbus that was driving by to stop, but he did not pull over. We chased them and the passengers fired at us, leaving a BGB official, Mujib, injured.

We responded by firing back and at one point noticed two bodies lying on the ground. Jaku was the son of late Abedin Sawdagar from Kekepara in the Teknaf municipality,” said Teknaf

A day-long annual conference titled “Microbes and Industrial Development: Bangladesh Perspectives” jointly organised by the Bangladesh Society of Microbiologists (BSM) and the Department of Microbiology of Dhaka University (DU) was held yesterday at the Microbiology Department of the university.

Siddique urged microbiologists to conduct continuous research for ensuring food security of the country State Minister for Ministry of Science and Technology Architect Yeafesh Osman inaugurated the conference as the chief guest. President of BSM Professor Dr Md Nural Anwar presided over the function while DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique addressed as special guest and Dean of the Faculty of Biological Sciences Professor Dr Md Imdadul Haque ad-

dressed as guest of honour. Profesor Dr Mahmuda Yasmin, chairperson of the Department of Microbiology, delivered the welcome speech while General Secretary of BSM Professor Dr M A Malek accorded the vote of thanks.

Yeafesh Osman urged the young generation to concentrate on subjects of science & technology to face the 21st century’s global competition. He said socio-economic development of a country largely depends upon scientific and technological advancement.

He also emphasised on the efforts to make the science education attractive before the general mass and hoped the language of science should reach the common people effectively.

Arefin Siddique in his speech urged the microbiologists to conduct continuous research for ensuring food security of the country as well as of the world. He also said the knowledge of microbiology should be utilized properly to improve agricultural system in the country.

The VC expressed his hope that microbiologists would play a vital role to the overall development of Bangladesh. l

SYED LATIF HOSSAIN

n Our Correspondent, Cox’s Bazar

42 BGB Commander Lt Col Abujar Al Jahid.

Jaku was a notorious in the area as a yaba trader. He has also been described as a key cohort of Abdur Rahman Bodi, the lawmaker from Ukhiya-Teknaf.

Over the past one month, five yaba traders were killed and another seven were injured in gunfights with the law enforcers during their special anti-yaba drives Officer-in-Charge of Teknaf police station Ranjit Kumar Barua said the bodies were sent the Teknaf Health Complex.

Over the past one month, five yaba traders were killed and another seven were injured in gunfights with the law enforcers during their special anti-yaba drives. The gunfights also left police, BGB and RAB officials injured.

Almost three lakh pieces of yaba pills have been recovered this month. l

8 get life for killing Comilla UP member n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong A Chittagong court yesterday sentenced eight people to life imprisonment for killing a local BNP leader over a land dispute in Comilla two years ago.

Reza Tareque Ahmed,judge of the Chittagong Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal, pronounced the verdict in presence of the accused, court sources said.

The convict were Swapan Khan, Mohammad Yunus, Hasan Ali, Md Almas, Md Taijuddin, Md Alam, Md Pathik and Md Golam Mostafa.

The case statement said the convicts had attacked and seriously injured Munsi Abdul Matin, a pro-BNP UP member of Mathbanga in Comilla, on March 21, 2012, while he was returning home from a village bazar. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Monday, April 28, 2014

Wild elephants a nightmare for Sherpur villagers n Our Correspondent, Sherpur About 25,000 people of 15 villages in Nalitabari upazila of the district have had their lives disrupted for over a week as a herd of wild elephants has been damaging their boro paddy fields at nights on a regular basis.

Local people said the herd roams around the villages in search of food every year and descends the plain land at nights from the deep forest of the Garo hills during the harvesting season of boro to eat paddy. During these times, the elephants damage huge quantities of paddy on vast tracks of land.

Meanwhile, the herd has destroyed paddy on about 50-60 acres in Puragaon, Noiyabil and Ramchandrakura unions last one week.

Consequently, the farmers incur a

10 shanties destroyed in Ashulia n Our Correspondent, Savar At least 10 shanties in a workers’ colony at Ashulia in Savar were gutted yesterday.

Sources said the fire took place at the house of Belal Hossain, a resident of the Tenguria area under the Jirani union of Savar, from electric short circuit.

He said the fire quickly spread through the adjacent dwellings in the colony. Locals rushed to the spot immediately and tried to control the fire by collecting water from different sources.

The loss caused by the fire is estimated at Tk10 lakh, he added.

Two units doused the fire after 40 minutes of frantic effort, but around 10 shanties were burnt to ashes in the meantime.

Abdul Hamid, senior station officer of the DEPZ Fire Service and Civil Defence said the fire was caused by an electric short circuit and the cost of the damage would be around several lakhs. l

huge amount of losses at the moment of harvesting the paddy.

Nirangan Robi Das, one of the affected farmers of Nakugaon village, said the herd ate and damaged paddy on about 20 acres of the village.

As a result, the local farmers were guarding their farmlands at nights by lighting torches. On the other hand, huge quantity of diesel is needed to light up these torches, the cost of which to bear is almost impossible by the impoverished farmers.

A Nakugaon residence named Rustam Ali said the ambushes could have been prevented if light could be produced by generator.

Sources at the upazila said a herd of 20-25 wild elephants took position in the Garo pahar about 15 years ago, being detached from a big herd in the Peack pahar of India. Meanwhile, the

number of those reached at about 60.

Later, the herd could not return back due to the wire fence erected by the BSF, Indian border security force.

Aminul Islam, an official of Madhutila forest range, said such type of elephant attacks occur every year and they try to ward off the herd with the help of locals by lighting torches and creating huge sound with loudspeakers.

He continued:“They have not appealed to the higher authorities concerned for a permanent solution in this regard.”

Nalitabari upazila chairman AKM Mukhlesur Rahman Ripon said the hilly people were suffering the most from these attacks. ”Even I myself with village people chased away the herd on Friday night.” l

Transport workers block Kasiadanga intersection in Rajshahi city yesterday, demanding ban on plying of human hauliers on highways DHAKA TRIBUNE

Diarrhoea unit of Gopalganj Sadar Hospital remains neglected

Lawyers stage demo against judge in Sherpur

n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

n Our Correspondent, Sherpur

The diarrhoea unit of the 250-bed general hospital in the district is in deplorable condition, with patients specially children facing unbearable sufferings these days.

The scorching heat, plus lack of accommodation and rolling fans add to the sufferings of diarrhoea patients.

Sources said the number of patients admitting to the hospital was much more that the infirmary could actually accommodate.

The incoming patients were forced to be squeezed in the only four-bed diarrhoea unit which had eight beds earlier before half of the derelict ward was declared abandoned.

To meet the pressure, the hospital authorities have set up some new beds in the veranda, besides allowing 2-3 child diarrhoea patients in one bed.

The stink from toilets permeates the diarrhoea ward, thus affecting patients and their attendants.

The imam of Gopalganj Ansar Battalion Mosque, Abu Zafar, and the mother of a child patient, Mim, from

The scorching heat, plus lack of accommodation and rolling fans add to the sufferings of diarrhoea patients Chandra Digholia Village under Sadar upazila of the district, said the diarrhoea unit always felt as hot as fire.

An absence of electric fans and proper accommodation rubbed salt to

Heat wave persists in southern region Free saline, drinking water to be provided at 37-39 degrees Celsius and no rain, continn Our Correspondent, Barisal ued to make life intolerable in the city over Barisal district administration have opened an oral saline and safe water distribution camp to provide day labourers, affected by heat wave, with free saline and safe drinking water.

Deputy Commissioner Shohidul Alam opened the camp on the Ashwini Kumar Hall premises in the city centre, yesterday.

The camp aims to serve at least 1,000 day labourers, including rickshaw pullers, hawkers, pedestrians, and other working people affected by the heat wave with free oral saline and safe drinking water every day.

The initiative was taken as the heat wave,

the past two weeks, Shohidul said.

The camp will remain operational till April 30 and beyond that, if the sizzling temperatures do not drop soon, he added.

He also asked that affluent people take whatever humanitarian initiatives that can ease the suffering of the people with menial jobs.

Momin Mia, a rickshaw puller, thanked the administration for setting up the camp.

Nazrul Biswas, Barisal Reporters Unity president, requested the administration to open such camps in other parts of the city. l

Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Office of the Executive Engineer Local Government Engineering Department District: Bhola

Memo: LGED/XEN/Bhola/2014/1031

Date: 24-04-2014

e-Tender Notice-10/2013-14 e-Tender is invited in the national e-GP System Portal (http://www. eprocure.gov.bd) for the procurement of: Rehabilitation of road from RHD Junction (Chader Matha)-Wapda Closer bazar road Ch: 00-3000m (ID No. 509182008), Package No: BDRIDP/Bho/SDR/UZ-Rd(R)/01 under Bhola-S Upazila, District: Bhola.

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their wounds, they said, adding that they always felt restless inside the ward.

Doctor Amrita Lal Biswas said the number of diarrhoea patients was on the rise due to high temperature and water problem in this season.

The physicians and the nurses were seemingly fainting while attending to the patients, he said.

Amrita claimed that they were all prompt to provide the patients with treatment.

The district Civil Surgeon, Dr Sirajul Islam, admitted the sorry state of diarrhoea ward.

He said: “We have already taken measures to face patients because diarrhoea breaks out in this season.”

Measures would be taken in no time to address the problems surrounding the diarrhoea unit, added the civil surgeon. l

A group of lawyers staged a demonstration with black flags on the Sherpur court premises over the farewell of a judge of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, yesterday.

Following the demonstration, the District Bar Association postponed the farewell programme in a bid to avoid any untoward incidents.

Court sources said a group of lawyers have been demanding the cancellation of the farewell programme for the last couple of days, alleging that the judge for whom the programme was set, was corrupt. The lawyers have been claiming that the judge should not be bid farewell as he was involved in corrupt activities. But the District Bar Association did not cancel the programme.

An uneasy situation was created on the court premises yesterday afternoon when a lawyer pasted posters on

the wall containing abusive language against the judge.

On receiving this information, police went to the spot and arrested the lawyer, Md Kamrul Hasan, following an order from Judge Md Selim Mia. As soon as the news of his arrest spread, a number of lawyers took to the streets and staged a demonstration, chanting slogans against the judge and the District Bar Association.

During the demonstration, the agitators demanded the unconditional release of the arrested lawyer without delay.

A good number of police had been deployed to the court premises to avoid any unpleasant incidents.

Mokodess Ferdousi, president of the District Bar Association, said a section of lawyers loyal to the BNP and the Jamaat had been trying to create anarchy in the court compound over the last few days. l

Two stabbed to death over land dispute in Narsingdi n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi Two people were killed in an attack by their rivals over a land dispute at Morjan village in Raipura upazila in Narsingdi on Friday. The deceased died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Saturday night. They were Abdul Halim, 38 and Juj Miah. Both of the deceased were residents of the village.

Mahmudul Islam, officer-in-charge of Raipura police station, said there had been a long-lasting dispute between Suruj Mia and Shahid Mia over the ownership of a piece of land.

During an arbitration over the dispute on Friday morning, Suruj Ali, his five sons and some other people attacked Halim and Juj Miah, supports of Shahid Mia, with sharp weapons, leaving them critically injured.

They were taken to Raipura Upazila Health Complex.

Later, they were shifted to the DMCH as their conditions deteriorated. Both of them died at the hospital on Saturday night. As soon as the news of their death spread, their supporters were locked in clash yesterday.

The rivals also vandalised a kindergarten school and a house during the clash. On receiving information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. A case was filed in this connection. Police have arrested eight people. l

Robbery in Kurigram, Tk10 lakh looted n Our Correspondent, Kurigram A gang of robbers mugged valuables, including cash, from a boat in the Brahmaputra River near the Rajibpur upazila in Kurigram, yesterday morning.

Local sources said the boat was going towards Chilmari from Charnewajighat to refuel.

When the boat reached the Naoshala area, a gang of armed robbers, on an engine-run boat, incepted it and at one stage they got onboard and had the crew at gun point.

Soon after getting onboard, the robbers tied up all the passengers and the crew and stole valuables, including mobile phone sets and Tk10 lakh, in cash, from them.

The robbers assaulted some of the passengers and crew members as they tried to resist.

Victims alleged that although the Dhusmara police outpost was only a few metres from the spot, no one came to help them, even on hearing their cries and screams. l

Office of the Executive Engineer Rajshahi O&M Division BWDB, Rajshahi

Invitation for e-Tender Invitation Reference No.

T-6/1343 dt. 24-04-2014

Tender ID (from e-GP portal)

7990

Name of the Work

Closing approach road (DC Banglo, Circuit House & Nobagonga) by RCC Pillar across the flood protection embankment in c/w Rajshahi Town Protection Project under Rajshahi O&M Division, BWDB, Rajshahi during the FY 2013-14, Package No: EGPRAJ-RTP-03

2 killed by lightning strikes n Our Correspondent, Gazipur Two people were killed in separate incidents of lightning strikes in Kapasia upazila of Gazipur on Saturday night.

The deceased were identified as Hiron Miah, 25, son of late Alim Uddin, a resident of Charnilaxmi village and Shahnaj Akhtar, 25, wife of Kajal Miah, a resident of Lohadi village of the upazila.

Ahsan Ullah, officer-in-charge of Kapasia police station, said a thunderbolt hit Hiron at about 8pm while he was returning to his home, leaving him dead on the spot.

Meanwhile, a lightning strike hit Shahnaj when she was sitting at the courtyard of her house at night, leaving her dead on the spot. l

This is an online tender where only e-tenders will be accepted in e-GP portal and no offline and hard copy will be accepted. To submit e-tender please register on e-GP system (http://www.eprocure.bd/). For more details please contract Support Desk contract number (01762625528-31).

Pani-699/13-14 DG-81/14 (5 X 3)

(Md. Harun-Ar-Rashid) Executive Engineer Rajshahi O&M Division BWDB, Rajshahi

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

7

Monday, April 28, 2014

The cult of cronyism Who does Narendra Modi represent and what does his rise in Indian politics signify?

AFP

G

n Siddharth Varadarajan iven the burden he carries of the 2002 anti-Muslim massacres, it is tempting to see the Gujarat chief minister’s arrival on the national stage as a watershed moment in the escalation of communal politics.

Certainly the cult-like following he has amongst the sangh parivar faithful and a wider section of the Hindu middle class is due to the image he has of a leader who knows how to “show Muslims their place.” For these supporters, his refusal to do something so simple – and tokenistic – as express regret for the killings that happened under his watch is seen not as a handicap but as further proof of his strength.

Modi is where he is today not because the country is becoming more communal but because the Indian corporate sector is becoming more impatient And yet, Modi’s rise has less to do with his Hindutva credentials and appeal than his secular critics would like to believe. Modi is where he is today – on the cusp of power – not because the country is becoming more communal but because the Indian corporate sector is becoming more impatient. Every opinion poll that shows him inching towards power sets off a bull run on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

In a recent dispatch for the Financial Times, James Crabtree noted the exceptional gains notched up by Adani Enterprises – the company’s share price has shot up by more than 45% over the past month compared to the 7% rise registered by the Sensex.

One reason, an equities analyst told the FT, is that investors expect a government headed by Modi to allow Adani to expand his crucial Mundra port despite the environmental complications involved. “So the market is saying that, beyond the simple proximity of Mr Adani and Mr Modi, these clearances may no longer be so hard to get under a BJP regime,” the analyst is quoted as saying.

The word “clearances” sounds benign but what it really signifies is Modi’s willingness to accommodate the desire of capital to expand in any way it wants – horizontally, across land and field, vertically, above and below the earth, and laterally, in terms of accommodating the demands of foreign investors, including for the opening up of the insurance and retail sectors.

And if environmental rules, livelihoods, farmsteads or community in-

terests intervene, they must perforce make way with the vigorous backing and assistance of the government. It is this promise of “decisiveness” that has made Modi such an attractive proposition for Indian – and global – big business today.

How and why the country’s top businessmen switched allegiance from the “indecisive” Congress to Narendra Modi is a story that reflects the inner rhythms of life at the base of Indian politics. But it is also a cautionary tale about the deep crisis that rent-seeking and cronyism have engendered in the Indian economy now that the immediate gains made possible from liberalisation have reached their natural limit.

For all the changes that neo-liberal policies and the end of the “license-permit raj” were meant to usher in, the level of rent that can be earned by companies that are close to the government has reached astronomical levels. As NS Siddharthan of the Madras School of Economics argues: “Under the existing business environment, the path to amass wealth is not through manufacturing but through exploitation of resources under government ownership.”

Even if some of the estimates generated by the comptroller and auditor general in his reports on the 2G spectrum and coal scans appear to be on the high side, it is evident that the preferential allotment of resources has become a huge source of profit for companies that might otherwise earn only a “normal” rate of return through their brick-and-mortar ventures.

These resources include not just coal or spectrum or iron ore but, most crucially, land and water too. And here, the poster boy for the brave new world that Modi represents is Gautam Adani, whose emergence as a major businessman closely mirrors the rise of the Gujarat chief minister himself.

At the January 2009 “Vibrant Gujarat” summit, two of India’s biggest industrialists, Anil Ambani, who was locked in battle with Mukesh Ambani over the issue of gas pricing, and Sunil Mittal, chose openly to bat for Modi as prime minister.

“Narendra Bhai has done good for Gujarat and [imagine] what will happen if he leads the nation,” Anil Ambani was quoted as saying. “Gujarat has seen progress in all the fields under his leadership. Now, imagine what will happen to the country if he gets the opportunity to lead it … Person like him should be the next leader of the country.”

Mittal, head of the Bharti Group with major interests in telecoms, had this to say: “Chief Minister Modi is known as a CEO, but he is actually not a CEO, because he is not running a company or a sector. He is running a state and can also run the nation.”

Tata, who was present at the event,

also sang Modi’s praises. “I have to say that today there is no state like Gujarat. Under Mr Modi’s leadership, Gujarat is head and shoulders above any state.”

Again, the question of “clearances” took pride of place. The Economic Times reported: “A state, Mr Tata gushed, would normally take 90 to 180 days to clear a new plant but ‘in the Nano case, we had our land and approval in just two days.’”

Two years later, at the 2011 Vibrant Gujarat meet, the prize for florid rhetoric went to Mukesh Ambani: “Gujarat is shining like a lamp of gold and the credit goes to the visionary, effective and passionate leadership provided

by Narendra Modi. We have a leader here with vision and determination to translate this vision into reality.”

In 2013, it was again the turn of his estranged brother. “Anil Ambani hailed chief minister Narendra Modi as the King among Kings,” the Economic Times reported, and requested the audience to give the CM a standing ovation. “The audience readily relented.”

Others who spoke included a who’s who of top industrialists. If there was no repeat of the “Modi for PM” chant this time around, it was only because India Inc had already made its choice clear.

Looking back, a major turning point in this evolving matrix of business and political interests was surely the Niira Radia tapes drama of 2010.

Coming close on the heels of the CAG’s dramatic exposé of the 2G scam, the Radia tapes brought out into the open the inner connections between big business, politicians, policymaking and even the media.

With the Supreme Court now joining the CAG in seeking to stop the loot of public resources, it became clear that the era of easy “clearances” was now coming to an end. It was around this time that corporate India started accusing the Congress-led Manmohan Singh government – which they had strongly backed, and profited from, until then – of “policy paralysis,” “drift” and “indecisiveness.”

Since his name had figured in the Radia tapes, it was only natural that Ratan Tata should lead the charge.

Warning that India was in danger of becoming a “banana republic,” the head of one of the country’s largest conglomerates hit out at the government for failing to maintain a conducive climate for industry.

He was soon joined by Deepak Parekh, the influential head of HDFC bank, who raised the spectre of capital flight since land acquisition and mining leases were becoming more difficult. “Talk to businessman after businessman,” the Times of India reported, “and one of the first things he’ll tell you, off the record, is, ‘The government’s come to a halt. Bureau-

crats, bankers, everybody’s scared to take decisions.’ The next thing he’ll tell you: ‘We are now looking at investing abroad rather than in India.’”

Sharad Pawar, the business-friendly Union agriculture minister, also lent his voice to this chorus of protest.

It is a fact that outward investment from India has been growing steadily, except for a fall in the slump year of 2009-10. Companies invest abroad for a wide variety of reasons. Some look for resources like coal or oil to feed their industries at home, others for technology or a means of more easily accessing protected markets. Domestic constraints on profitability can also be a factor.

As Harun R Khan, deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India has noted: “There exists a school of thought which apprehends that overseas investment by Indian corporates is at the cost of on-shore investment. One of the discernible reasons acting as an obstacle for companies to undertake on-shore investment could be the policy and procedural constraints.”

But domestic investment is also constrained by supply bottlenecks, especially in infrastructure, and domestic demand, which, in turn, are functions of public investment and

Finance Minister P Chidambaram were aware of the brewing disquiet in the corporate sector and tried to tackle the problem at the easier end by creating the Cabinet Committee on Investment and making rent-friendly changes in key ministries like Petroleum and Natural Gas and Environment and Forests. But this has not been enough to restore the confidence of India Inc in the Congress party’s ability to restore the status quo ante.

It is hardly surprising that this is the time the name of Narendra Modi as a potential prime minister of India enters public discourse in a determined fashion. Egged on by corporate sponsors as well as by the personal preferences of their proprietors, big media swung into action to take the process of “normalising” Modi to its logical conclusion.

Barely nine years earlier, the Gujarat chief minister and the massacres he failed to prevent were universally acknowledged by the media as having played a key role in the defeat of the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre in 2004. The problem was how to convince the same urban middle class India, which is repelled by the spectre of communal violence, that the solution to India’s problems lies in Modi’s leadership.

This is how the myth of the “Gujarat model of development” came in handy. “Today people are talking about the China model of development in Gujarat,” Anand Mahindra of Mahindra and Mahindra told the 2013 Vibrant Gujarat summit. “But the day is not far when people will talk about Gujarat model of growth in China.”

Enough has been said and written about the statistical legerdemain that underlies Modi’s fanciful claims as an administrator who has transformed Gujarat. But in praising their Leader in this way, Corporate India is making an inadvertent admission: that what they admire the most about Modi is his love for the “Chinese model.”

What is this model? It is one in which “clearances” for land, mines and the environment don’t matter. It is one in which awkward questions about gas pricing are never asked, let alone answered. Unlike the growing public support for strong institutional action against corruption that lies at the root of the visible disenchantment with the Congress, Corporate India is not interested in an end to “corruption” as such.

Cronyism and rent-seeking have become an integral part of the way the biggest companies do business – a sort of “capitalism with Indian characteristics” – and they are looking to Modi to run this system in a decisive, stable and predictable manner. What they want is a Leader who will manage contradictions and institutional obstacles as and when they emerge.

The communalism of the hordes

Unlike the growing public support for strong institutional action against corruption that lies at the root of the visible disenchantment with the Congress, Corporate India is not interested in an end to ‘corruption’ as such expenditure, investor confidence, and the poor dispersion of income, which affects the spending power of the population.

As long as the Indian economy was maintaining a high rate of growth during the first term of the Manmohan Singh government, the biggest Indian companies were able to enjoy both “normal” profitability and a “crony premium.” But the joint effect of the 2008 global slowdown on inflation, and interest rates, and the blow that Radiagate, the CAG, public opinion, and a more vigilant judiciary have delivered from 2009 onwards has fatally compromised this cosy revenue model.

The arraignment of the Sahara group by the Securities and Exchange Board of India and the jailing of its boss, Subrata Roy, by the Supreme Court on contempt charges, is perhaps the most dramatic example of how the terrain for big business is changing.

To be sure, Manmohan Singh and

who follow the Modi cult is an added attraction for his corporate backers, provided the Leader is able to keep his flock in check. This is something Atal Bihari Vajpayee and even LK Advani were not always capable of doing.

Narendra Modi is a more decisive and strong-willed man. He can be counted upon to keenly calibrate their deployment whenever a crisis requires a diversion. l Postscript: As this issue was going to press came news that NK Singh, the bureaucrat-turned-politician, who is heard on the Radia tapes trying to influence the course of a parliamentary debate on a matter concerning Reliance, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Siddharth Varadarajan, formerly Editor of The Hindu, is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Public Affairs and Critical Theory, New Delhi.

This article was first published in the April 2014 issue of the Seminar magazine in India.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

EU parliament flexes muscles despite sceptics’ rise n Reuters, Paris At each election since Europe’s unique experiment in cross-border democracy began in 1979, the percentage of voters casting ballots for the directly elected European Parliament has fallen. Yet with each new treaty, the assembly has gathered more powers.

When citizens in the 28 European Union countries vote on May 22-25 for 751 members of the bloc’s legislature, opinion polls suggest they will for the first time elect a sizeable phalanx of politicians bent on reversing 60 years of European integration.

Whether the influx of perhaps 150 to 200 Eurosceptics of the hard left and far right will halt the march of the continent’s little known and often unloved assembly is far from certain.

While many agree the EU suffers from a “democratic deficit,” there is no consensus on whether the solution is to strengthen the parliament or give national legislatures more control.

Incoming EU lawmakers are set to embark from Day One on a new power struggle with the Union’s governments.

The first test is selecting the president of the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, who will for the first time be chosen under the provisions of the 2009 Lisbon Treaty.

The treaty says the European Council of EU leaders nominate the candidate “taking account of the elections of the European Parliament and after having held the appropriate consultations.”

Parliament’s main groups think that means national leaders should nominate the leading candidate of the group that wins the most seats - Jean-Claude Juncker if the center-right is ahead or Martin Schulz if the Socialists are in front.

It is not clear whether the leaders will interpret the treaty in the same way and go along with parliament’s

wishes or pick their own preferred candidate.

That could prefigure a wider tugof-war between the EU assembly and national governments and parliaments over the direction of Europe.

“The parliament is the driving force of European integration,” says Catherine Trautmann, a Socialist MEP and former mayor of Strasbourg.

“The Commission has everything to gain from drawing its democratic legitimacy from the parliament,” she said.

Beyond the struggle over the Commission president, Trautmann expects more battles in the next five years as parliament demands a bigger common EU budget and a say in the euro zone’s supervision of national budgets and its bailout fund, created on a strictly intergovernmental basis.

No european sovereign

On paper, the parliament is an equal co-legislator with the council of EU ministers on a growing array of policy areas including business and financial services, the environment, health and safety, transport and energy.

It has played a major role in shaping a wave of financial regulation and a European banking union that followed the financial crisis.

Yet it is not quite a real parliament in the eyes of many of its own members or of the EU’s main member states.

The fact that voter turnout has dwindled from 62 percent in 1979 to just 43 percent in 2009 is one reason, but not the main one. After all, participation has fallen in national elections, too, and low turnout in local polls does not lead voters to question the legitimacy of their mayors or city councilors.

The enduring challenge to its legitimacy has more to do with history and the tenacious survival of European nation states. l

Last letter from Titanic sells for $200,000 n AFP, London The last letter known to have been written on board the Titanic sold at auction in Britain for £119,000 ($200,000, 145,000 euros). The letter was written by second class passenger Esther Hart just hours before the doomed ocean liner sank.

The price tag paid by an unknown bidder breaks the previous record for a Titanic-related letter, which had stood at £94,000, according to the auctioneers.

Titanic sank on its maiden voyage with the loss of more than 1,500 lives. It struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic while crossing from Southampton to New York, sinking below the waves in the early hours of Monday, April 15, 1912. Emigrating to Canada, Hart and her daughter Eva made it into the Titanic lifeboats and were rescued

by HMS Carpathia, but her husband Benjamin was among the dead.

The letter, written on Titanic stationery and dated the Sunday afternoon before the sinking, was due to be delivered to Hart’s mother back in Britain, upon the

ship’s return to Southampton. Hart later found it in a pocket of her husband’s coat, which she had with her.

The letter, headed “On board R. M. S. ‘Titanic’,” comes complete with an envelope embossed with the White Star Line flag.

“My Dear ones all,” Hart wrote. “As you see it is Sunday afternoon and we are resting in the library after luncheon. I was very bad all day yesterday could not eat or drink and sick all the while, but today I have got over it.” She described going to a church service with her daughter and the voyage so far.

The letter is apparently the only known surviving example of its type to have been written on that fateful day, surviving the sinking. l

World

Monday, April 28, 2014

Report: Attacks on Jews down, antiSemitism up n AP, Tel Aviv, Israel Violent attacks against Jews worldwide dropped in 2013, but anti-Semitism is becoming more widespread in Europe amid a rise in popularity of extremist parties, according to a report released yesterday.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University recorded 554 violent anti-Semitic acts in 2013, including attacks on people and vandalism against synagogues, cemeteries and other Jewish institutions.

The figures showed a 19 percent drop compared to 2012, when a deadly shooting at a Jewish school in Toulouse, France, sparked a series of copycat attacks. Despite the decline, the number of attacks was similar to that recorded in 2011 and over the last 10 years — a much higher average than the 150-200 cases that occurred between 1994 and 2004.

Like last year, France had the highest number of incidents, 116. More than one third of attacks globally were directed at people.

The report is released yearly ahead of Israel’s Holocaust memorial day, which begins Sunday evening. The report warns that racist and anti-Semitic attitudes are becoming more acceptable, particularly among European youths.

One example the report raised is the quenelle, an inverted Nazi salute popularized by a controversial French comedian. It has been made in front of sensitive sites, such as Anne Frank’s home or Nazi concentration camps.

“This infection of public anti-Semitism is going on and spreading all over,” said Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, an umbrella group representing Jewish communities across the continent. “Ten years ago, who would have imagined someone doing the quenelle in front of the gates of Auschwitz?”

Kantor also expressed concern over the increasing popularity of far-right parties, especially in France, Hungary and Greece, where they are expected to make big gains in European Parliament elections next month. l

A red rose lays between the ‘Shoes statue of a memorial place of the Holocaust victims’ on the bank of the Danube River in downtown of Budapest during the Holocaust memorial day AFP

Israel cabinet divided over Palestinian unity deal

Abbas: Holocaust ‘most heinous crime’

n AFP, Jerusalem

The mass killing of Jews in the Holocaust was “the most heinous crime” against humanity in the modern era, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said yesterday in his strongest remarks yet on the Nazi genocide.

In a statement in English and Arabic released just hours before Israel began marking Holocaust remembrance day, the Palestinian leader expressed sympathy with families of the six million Jews who were killed by the Nazi regime.

“What happened to the Jews in the Holocaust is the most heinous crime to have occurred against humanity in the modern era,” Abbas said.

His remarks came as Israel and the Palestinians traded blame over the collapse of the peace talks. l

Israeli cabinet ministers yesterday differed over the likely fallout on the battered Middle East peace process from an intra-Palestinian reconciliation agreement.

Wednesday’s surprise deal, which saw Palestinian leaders from the West Bank and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip agree to work together after years of bitter rivalry, was denounced the next day by the Israeli security cabinet.

That cabinet said it would “not negotiate” with any Palestinian government backed by the Islamist movement. At Sunday’s weekly meeting of Israel’s full cabinet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again slammed the rapprochement between the Pales-

tine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Hamas, whose charter calls for the destruction of Israel.

“Hamas denies the Holocaust while attempting to carry out a second Holocaust by destroying the state of Israel,” he said.

“It is with this Hamas that Abu Mazen (Abbas) chose to make an alliance. Abu Mazen must decide between an alliance with Hamas and real peace with Israel.”

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Israel’s chief negotiator with the Palestinians, said however that it was crucial to wait and see what sort of government emerged. “The reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, was quite a disappointment... but we decided to wait and see what happens on the Palestinian side when a new government is created,” she told reporters. l

Four new Syrians join presidential race n AFP, Damascus Syria’s parliament yesterday said four more candidates, including one woman, have announced their candidacy in the June 3 presidential election widely expected to be won by President Bashar al-Assad. The new hopefuls bring the total number of candidates to six, though Assad has not yet announced his candidacy.

The opposition in exile and the West have said the election will be a “paro-

dy” of democracy, but the Syrian government says it aims to hold a “free and transparent” vote.

Assad, whose family has controlled the country for four decades, is expected to stand, despite more than three years of war that have claimed an estimated 150,000 lives. The conflict has forced more than nine million people to flee their homes, and it remains unclear how the government will organise a vote in the middle of the war.

Parliament speaker Mohammad

al-Lahham said during a live broadcast that Sawsan Haddad, Samir Maala, Mohammed Firas Rajjuh and Abdel-Salam Salameh have now put their names forward to contest the post.

They join a businessman, Hassan Abdullah al-Nuri, who studied in the United States, and independent MP and former communist Maher al-Hajjar as candidates. The candidates are all largely unknown, with few details immediately available about their backgrounds or political leanings. l

Syria has 8% of chemical material left n AFP, Damascus Syria still holds around eight percent of its chemical weapons material, missing a deadline to remove or destroy it all, the mission overseeing the destruction of its arsenal said yesterday.

Despite the slip, the head of the mission, Sigrid Kaag, said she was still hopeful a June 30 deadline for the complete destruction of Syria’s chemical arms would be met.

Syria’s parliament meanwhile announced four new candidates have submitted applications to run in presidential elections scheduled for June 3. And Iraq’s interior ministry said Iraqi army helicopters attacked a jihadist convoy in eastern Syria as it tried to approach the border, killing at least eight people.

Speaking in Damascus, Kaag said 7.5-8.0 percent of Syria’s declared chemical weapons material remained in-country, at “one particular site.”

Peope stand on the bridge in front of the Castel Sant’ Angelo during the canonisation mass of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II near the Vatican. Catholics from around the world gathered in Rome yesterday for a mass presided

by Pope Francis to confer the sainthood on two of the most influential popes in modern-day history

“However, 92.5 percent of chemical weapons material removed or destroyed is signficant progress,” she said. “We also however need to... ensure the remaining 7.5-8.0 percent of the chemical weapons material is also removed and destroyed.”

Of that amount, 6.5 percent would be removed from Syria, she said. “A small percentage is to be destroyed, regardless, in-country. That can be done.

It’s a matter of accessing the site.” l

n AFP, Ramallah

Egypt court jails 42 Morsi backers for up to 15 years n AFP, Cairo An Egyptian court sentenced 42 supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi yesterday to prison terms ranging from three to 15 years on violence-related charges, a judicial source said.

The verdict was delivered by Said Youssef Sabry, the same judge in the southern city of Minya who last month sentenced to death 529 alleged Islamists in a verdict that triggered international outrage.

Sunday’s sentencing of 42 Morsi supporters come a day before Sabry is expected to issue a verdict on another batch of nearly 700 alleged Islamist defendants for the murder and attempted murder of several policemen last August.

Since the army ousted Morsi last July, a government crackdown has killed more than 1,400 people, mostly supporters of the deposed president, and jailed about 15,000.

At least 1,000 people have been sentenced since December, all in groups of 10 or more and in often speedy trials. l

Ukraine rebels present captured observers to media AFP

n AFP, Slavyansk Pro-Russian Ukrainian rebels holding captive an international team of military observers from the OSCE said yesterday they are “prisoners of war” and brought them before the media in a news conference.

The group of eight men, all Europeans, were part of a 12-member OSCE military verification team deployed in east Ukraine. The other four members are Ukrainian military officers who were not brought before the press.

Speaking through one of their number, a German officer, the Europeans asserted their diplomatic status to the scores of local and foreign journalists assembled in the town of Slavyansk.

With armed rebels watching over them as they spoke, the group said they were in good health.

They said they had been “captured” by the insurgents on Friday, around four kilometres (two miles) outside Slavyansk as they had been about to re-

turn to the regional hub city of Donetsk.

“We are OSCE officers with diplomatic status,” their German spokesman said. “I cannot go home of my free will.”

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe said it had sent a negotiating team to Slavyansk to try to arrange the entire team’s release.

Earlier, the local rebel leader in the town, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, told AFP and a small group of other reporters the OSCE observers were considered “prisoners of war.”

“In our town, where a war situation is going on, any military personnel who don’t have our permission are considered prisoners of war.”

He repeated in the interview that the men would only be freed in exchange for Kiev’s authorities releasing arrested pro-Moscow militants.

And he stressed that the rebels did not consider the detained men part of the main OSCE monitoring mission deployed in Ukraine. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

S Korean PM resigns over ferry disaster

Politics in India: Still a man’s game n AFP, New Delhi

Confirmed death toll from the tragedy now stands at 188, barely changed in two days The role of prime minister is largely n AFP, Seoul ceremonial in South Korea, with the liSouth Korea’s prime minister resigned yesterday, blaming corruption and “deep-rooted evil” for the sinking of a passenger ferry that left 300 people dead or missing, as anger grows over the bungled response to the tragedy.

Chung Hong-Won admitted he had not been up to the task of overseeing rescue operations after the Sewol capsized with 476 people – many of them schoolchildren – on board.

“I offer my apology for having been unable to prevent this accident from happening and unable to properly respond to it afterwards,” he said. “I believed I, as the prime minister, certainly had to take responsibility and resign.”

Parents and relatives of the missing and the dead have blasted the response to the sinking, saying delays in launching the rescue had cost lives.

There has also been rage over perceived corruption and lax safety standards that may have led to the disaster, with claims that the ferry was overloaded and that the passenger list was inaccurate and incomplete.

“Looking at the latest accident I came to a painful realisation that there is too much deep-rooted evil and corruption in our society,” Chung said.

on’s share of executive power vested in the presidency of Park Geun-Hye. Park has decided to accept Chung’s resignation but only after the government finishes the entire rescue and salvage operation, her spokesman said.

In Jindo, the nearest island to the wreck, relatives of the dead and missing were unimpressed by Chung’s move. “So what?” snapped Ji HyungSoo. “My son is there in the sea. His resignation will never ease my bitterness and sadness.

“Anybody responsible for this disaster must be punished severely, but the most urgent thing to do now is to recover the bodies as soon as possible.”

Prosecutors looking to mete out the justice sought by relatives such as Ji on Sunday raided the offices of state sea traffic controllers in Jeju island, the ferry’s intended destination, and in Jindo.

They seized records of radio communication with the Sewol and surveillance video footage, Yonhap news agency said. The confirmed death toll from the tragedy stood yesterday at 188, barely changed in two days. A total of 114 people were still unaccounted for, with many bodies believed trapped in the sunken vessel. l

A Kashmiri muslim woman looks out of her window as Indian paramilitary soldiers stand guard near the site of an explosion near the venue of an election campaign rally addressed

by Indian federal minister Farooq Abdullah in downtown Srinagar. Militants have killed two local officials and another man in Indian-administered Kashmir in attacks aimed at intimidating Kashmiris planning to vote in the country’s election, police said AFP

Women’s issues may be high on the agenda for political parties vying for votes in India’s mammoth general election, but few female lawmakers will get an opportunity to implement the policies being proposed.

Less than a fifth of the candidates standing for the front-running main opposition group, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), or the ruling Congress, are women, according to an analysis by AFP. In the current parliament, women hold only 11 percent of seats in both houses, less than Pakistan at 21 percent and Afghanistan at 28 percent, research by the Inter-Parliamentary Union group shows.

“Suddenly it’s women this and women that... but it all fades after elections,” said Rachita Shah, a 28-year-old graphic web designer. “It’s nice to hear, but it would be better if we could actually see these ‘measures for women’s empowerment’,” she said, mockingly using air quotes while shopping at a busy Delhi flea market.

Politicians are going all out to win over women – earlier seen as wallflowers – with “empowerment,” a recurrent theme 16 months after the fatal gang rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi rocked the nation.

That case, which led to protests in the capital, sparked intense media scrutiny of the widespread abuse of women, forcing efforts to sensitise

Desperate Rohingya children flee by boat

BJP releases video targeting Vadra as Priyanka mocks Modi

n AP, Sittwe, Myanmar

n Agencies

The two children stood on the beach, at the end of the only world they knew, torn between land and sea.

They couldn’t go back to their tiny Muslim village in Myanmar’s northwest Rakhine because it had been devoured in a fire set by an angry Buddhist mob.

In the smoke and chaos, the siblings became separated from their family. And after seven months of searching, they had lost hope of finding anyone alive.

The only way was forward.

Hungry and scared, they eyed a rickety wooden fishing boat in the darkness. Mohamad Husein, just 15, dug into his pocket and pulled out a little wad of money for the captain. He and his 9-year-old sister, Senwara Begum, climbed on board, cramming themselves tightly between the other ethnic Rohingya in the small hull.

As the ship pushed off, they didn’t realize they were among hundreds, if not thousands of children joining one of the world’s biggest boat exoduses since the Vietnam War. They only understood it wasn’t safe to stay in a country that didn’t want them.

Mohamad had no idea where they were headed. And as Senwara looked back in tears, she wondered if she would ever see her parents again. Neither could imagine the horrors that lay ahead.

‘Park a prostitute being pimped by Obama’ n AFP, Seoul North Korea launched a vicious personal attack on South Korean President Park Geun-Hye yesterday, calling her a “prostitute” in thrall to her “pimp” Barack Obama, as it said it was ready for “full-scale nuclear war.”

In a diatribe that was strongly worded even by the standards of its normally florid prose, the North lashed out at the relationship between a “master and its puppet” and threatened Park would pay a “dear price.”

“Park Geun-Hye’s recent behaviour with Obama was like a mean, immature girl begging gangsters to beat up someone she does not like,” said the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK).

“Or a crafty prostitute eagerly trying to frame someone by giving her body to a powerful pimp,” it added, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

KCNA’s official English translation of the Korean-language dispatch offered “capricious whore” as its description of Park.

The vitriol came the day after US President Obama wrapped up a twoday visit to the South, during which he called the North a “pariah state” whose isolation would deepen further if it pushed ahead with a feared fourth nuclear test. l

From Malaysia to Australia, countries easily reachable by boat have been implementing policies and practices to ensure that Rohingya Muslims don’t wash up on their shores — from shoving them back to sea, where they risk being sold as slaves, to flat out barring the refugees from stepping onto their soil.

Despite pleas from the United Nations, which considers the Rohingya to be among the most persecuted groups on earth, many governments in the region have refused to sign refugee conventions and protocols, meaning they are not obligated to help. The countries said they fear adopting the international agreements could attract a flood of immigrants they cannot support.

However, rights groups said they are failing members of the religious minority at their most vulnerable hour, even as more women and children join the increasing mass departure.

About 1.3 million Rohingya live in the predominantly Buddhist country of 60 million, almost all of them in Rakhine state. Women and children made up 5 per cent to 15 per cent of the estimated 75,000 passengers who have left since the riots began in mid-June 2012, said Chris Lewa of the nonprofit Arakan Project, a group that has tracked the boat journeys for a decade. The year before, around 9,000 people fled, most of them men. l

The war of words between Congress and BJP has escalated with Priyanka Gandhi mocking Modi over his 56-inch chest remark and the BJP releasing a video targeting her husband Robert Vadra.

The BJP yesterday released a video targeting Robert Vadra for his land deals in Haryana and Rajasthan under the Congress-ruled governments.

The video accused the Haryana and Rajasthan governments of colluding

with Robert Vadra to help him acquire lands fraudulently. It also accused Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi of facilitating illegal land deals for Vadra.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad detailed the charges against Vadra and said Sonia and Rahul should answer the questions raised by the party.

BJP’s attack came hours after Priyanka Gandhi, addressing a meeting in Rae Bareli, took a jibe at Narendra Modi for his 56-inch chest remark.

Taking a dig at Modi, Priyanka Gand-

hi said a 56-inch chest is not needed to run the country but a “big heart” and “moral strength.”

“A 56-inch chest is not needed to run this country, a big heart is needed to run it. To run this country cruel force of power is not needed, but moral strength is needed. It needs an internal strength,” Priyanka said while addressing a meeting here.

Modi had said during the Gorakhpur rally that it would take a “56-inch chest” to convert UP into Gujarat. l

Congress sub-manifestos part of Rahul Gandhi’s action plan n Agencies Indian Congress’ sub-manifestos that support issues ranging from a 4.5% quota for backward Muslims to allotting “government open land” to weaker sections are derived from an “open manifesto” process initiated by Rahul Gandhi, Times of India reported.

Titled “suggested policies for consideration of Congress government (201419),” the documents state that the proposals and issues are part of a “detailed

plan of action” drawn up in response to popular aspirations. Beyond the detailed action plans, the sub-manifestos state: “We recognize there are some more expectations expressed by these groups, which will continue to guide the Indian National Congress’ efforts towards their development.”

The text makes it evident that rather than being mere declarations of intent, as some Congress spokespersons have attempted to claim, there is a commitment to meeting expectations of

various groups.

The documents are not an afterthought, but form a link in the manifesto process that saw the Congress vice president meet diverse groups such as porters at a Delhi railway station and salt pan workers in Gujarat.

The language of the documents leaves little doubt that the proposals are in the nature of a policy commitment, an indication of what Congress will strive to do if it returns to office after the Lok Sabha polls. l

In Asia, Obama carefully calibrates China message n AP, Kuala Lumpur President Barack Obama is hopscotching through China’s neighborhood with a carefully calibrated message for Beijing, trying both to counter and court.

During visits to US allies, Obama has signaled that American military power can blunt Chinese aggression in the Asia-Pacific region, even as he urges Beijing to use its growing clout to help resolve international disputes with Russia and North Korea.

The dual tracks underscore Beijing’s outsized importance to Obama’s four-country swing through Asia, even though China is absent from his itinerary.

The president opened a long-awaited visit to Malaysia on Saturday, following stops in Japan and South Korea, and ahead of a visit to the Philippines. On a hot and muggy Sunday morning, the president padded through the National Mosque of Malaysia in black socks, removing his shoes in keeping with protocol, and stopped for a few moments to bow his head in the mausoleum, where two former prime ministers and two former deputies are buried.

He later met privately with current Prime Minister Najib Razak at his residence.

Obama’s trip comes at a tense time for the region, where China’s aggressive stance in territorial disputes has its smaller neighbors on edge. There also are continued questions about the White House’s commitment to a greater US focus on Asia.

In an affirmation, Obama is expected to sign a security agreement with the Philippines

9

Monday, April 28, 2014

clearing the way for an increased American troop presence there.

In Tokyo, Obama asserted that a treaty obligating the US to defend Japan would apply if Beijing makes a move on a string of islands in the East China Sea that Japan administers but China also claims.

Yet at times, the president has tempered his tough talk in an attempt to avoid antagonizing Beijing. To the chagrin of the Japanese, Obama said the US would not pick sides in the sovereignty claims at the heart of the region’s territorial disputes.

He repeatedly declared that the US is not asking Asian allies to choose between a relationship with Washington and Beijing.

“I think there’s enormous opportunities for trade, development, working on common issues like climate change with China,” Obama said during a news conference in Tokyo. “But what we’ve also emphasized — and I will continue to emphasize throughout this trip — is that all of us have responsibilities to help maintain basic rules of the road and an international order.”

US officials see Russia’s provocations in Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear threats as tests of China’s willingness to take on more responsibility in enforcing global norms.

Cut off from most of the world economy, North Korea is deeply dependent on Chinese trade and assistance, giving Beijing enormous leverage. The US and its allies, including South Korea, have pressed China to wield that influence more aggressively with the North, which is threatening to launch a fourth nuclear test.

With a Malaysian flag behind him, President Barack Obama speaks during a town hall meeting at Malaya University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia AP Beijing has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and has supported some efforts to penalize North Korea, but has not taken sweeping unilateral actions to choke off the North’s economy. As with North Korea, the crisis in Ukraine has again put Obama in the position of asking China to prioritize international order over its own close relationship with Moscow.

China and Russia frequently join forces as a counterweight to the West. But in the face of Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, the Obama administration has sought to temper Beijing’s support for Putin by appealing to China’s traditional aversion

to foreign meddling in domestic affairs.

Analysts say China will factor into Obama’s meetings in Southeast Asia, given that Beijing has territorial disputes with both Malaysia and the Philippines.

Obama had planned to visit both countries in October, but canceled the trip due to a government shutdown in Washington.

Obama’s visit to Malaysia is the first by an American president since Lyndon B. Johnson traveled here more than four decades ago. Obama was feted by Malaysia’s royal family at a state dinner Saturday night and had planned to meet later Sunday with young Southeast Asian leaders. l

men and counter discrimination.

Many women voters, who form 49 percent of the 814 million electorate, say they are pleased to see the BJP splashing billboards, newspapers, radio and TV slots with vows for women’s safety.

Nine in ten Indians see rape as a “very big problem,” while eight in ten believe the problem is growing, a study published last week by the US-based Pew Research Center said.

“It feels good that the focus is on us, finally,” said shopkeeper Gauri Joshi, 35, in suburban Delhi.

Empty promises?

But others are unconvinced by the attention, accusing parties of cynically tapping into the national anger over the Delhi rape case and others which have reversed years of complacency about growing sexual violence.

“How can we expect change when a lot of these politicians hate women and think rape is normal?” said Shagun Behl, a 26-year-old dance teacher. She was referring to Mulayam Singh Yadav, leader of the regional Samajwadi Party, who triggered outrage on April 11 when he described a group of convicted rapists as “boys” who had made “mistakes.”

While the Congress party says it will provide free sanitary napkins and set up crisis centres for women, the BJP vows to introduce self-defence classes in school and to earmark extra spending on women. l

India test-fires anti-ballistic missile

n Reuters, Bhubaneswar India successfully test-fired an anti-ballistic missile yesterday capable of intercepting targets outside the earth’s atmosphere, a major step in development of a missile defense system that is available to only a handful of nations.

Sharing borders with nuclear armed China and Pakistan, India is developing a two-tier missile defense system that aims to provide a multi-layered shield against ballistic missile attack.

“This (test) is part of the ballistic missile defense system which we are developing...,” said Ravi Kumar Gupta, spokesman for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

“The mission has been completed and the interception parameter has been achieved.”

The system is intended to destroy an incoming missile at a higher altitude in the exo-atmosphere, and if that fails in the endo-atmospheric within the earth’s atmosphere.

Currently, only a small club of nations including the United States, Russia and Israel possess an anti-ballistic missile system.

India, China and Pakistan are all nuclear powers.

India has fought three wars with Pakistan and came close to a fourth one in 2001. It lost a brief Himalayan border war with its larger neighbor China in 1962 and has ever since strived to improve its defenses. l

Afghan election front-runners trade fraud allegations n AFP, Kabul The two leading candidates in Afghanistan’s presidential election raised allegations of ballot fraud yesterday, setting the stage for a difficult second-round vote likely to be targeted by Taliban attacks.

Former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah and ex-World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani will compete in a head-to-head vote after results from the April 5 election showed neither gained the 50 percent needed for firstround victory.

The eventual winner will lead Afghanistan into a new era as US-led NATO combat troops end their 13-year war against the Islamist insurgency that erupted after President Hamid Karzai took power in 2001.

“We said from the beginning that fraud is our only rival, and we still hope that the complaints we have delivered will be addressed in a transparent way,” Abdullah said, adding that he would have won the first round decisively if the election had been clean.

Preliminary results released on Saturday showed Abdullah secured 44.9 percent of the first-round vote, with Ghani on 31.5 percent. The final result is set to be announced on May 14 after a period for adjudication of hundreds of fraud complaints – followed by a runoff tentatively scheduled for June 7. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Letters to

www.dhakatribune.com

Teesta progress urgently needed

T

he recent lack of rain is exacerbating the harm caused by rivers drying up due to downstream water flows being shared unequally by India.

Some 16 rivers have nearly dried out into streams during the current heat wave, while others have dried up entirely so that people now cross them on foot.

It is vital for talks between Bangladesh and India to pick up and for a solution to the water-sharing problem to be reached.

Our nation is not receiving its proper share of water from the Indian portions of the rivers. Northern parts of Bangladesh are facing a severe water crisis that is causing extensive hardship for farmers and affecting millions.

The average water flow of the Teesta in April, previously at around 8,000 cusecs of water, has dropped to a staggering 550 cusecs of water.

The Brahmaputra and Dudhkumor rivers are running dry, and the Nilkumar riverbed has turned into cropland. This is an unprecedented level of damage.

Different political parties and movements have recently held demonstrations to highlight the problem of water scarcity.

It is incumbent on the governments of Bangladesh and India, which have 54 rivers in common, to urgently review and resolve water-sharing issues. Diplomatic talks are an urgent priority in order to ensure that India complies with its obligations and written commitments to fairly share water.

This crisis needs to be resolved fairly and quickly. The lives and livelihoods of millions are at stake.

The livelihoods of millions are at stake

E

stablishment of more special economic zones (SEZs) and updating our trade policy to make it more export-friendly are crucial to the economic development of the country.

Lack of private investment and a very narrow export basket were identified as two crucial factors that are limiting economic growth at a recent meeting of prominent economists. Establishment of SEZs can play a large role in attracting investment, especially from foreign sources such as Japan, China and Korea.

This is essential as lack of infrastructure is currently a major barrier to increasing exports from non-RMG sectors. To succeed, investment in infrastructure needs to be combined with reform of economic and trade policy.

Experts point out that intermediate goods, as opposed to end consumer products such as RMG, are a huge source of export growth in many developing countries.

However, our economic policy, for example with regards to tax incentives, is currently biased towards the RMG sector while there is little to no initiative to encourage production of intermediate goods.

Bangladesh is currently in a critical stage of economic development and it is essential that the GDP growth rate is able to cross 7% in order to achieve middle-income status. In order to do that we need to be able to replicate the success of the RMG sector in other industrial sectors as well.

Strategic investment in SEZs and reforming economic and trade policy to diversify our export basket is imperative to achieving this goal.

the Editor

LETTER OF THE DAY

NID database might soon be open to all

April 22 Instead of opening up the database to the public, proper NID cards with stringent security features should be issued. The current laminated cards are a joke. bdguy82

Biman: Up in the air April 21

Dhanmondi playground only for elite!

April 20

The Basher I have a few questions that need to be asked: First, are we in the era of pakistani rule?

Second, aren’t the street children Bangladeshi nationals?

And third, who are these elites? Why will they get more benefits from government-owned property and social service? Is this governmentt working for a certain group of people only?

Adnan The crime committed by the Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club president is that he “verbalised” one of our innumerable elite privileges. Speaking so explicitly put the cost of such privileges on our middle-class consciences. Just a week ago, Facebook was abuzz with complaints about the tacky and cringe-worthy people who had thronged the Boishakhi Mela at Niketan Park. And then there was the woman who raised hell because her chauffeur too had entered Almas to quickly buy something for himself. How dare he?

Truth is, we love the “Walls of Exclusivity” that keep the poor away. We just don’t want to speak/hear of them.

DispassionateObserver Successive governments spoiled the entire gamut of ailing state-owned enterprises. Biman is no exception and can only be saved by shutting it down. With its books in tatters, there would be no buyers, unfortunately. Thanks to those at the helm, Bangladesh’s persistent poverty is much to its own doing.

If it were not for our ingenious entrepreneurs, our toiling labourers in the factory floors, our farmers in the fields, and the remittance from our folks doing dirty and dangerous work in foreign shores, the country would still have been a basketcase. Ours is a textbook example of how poor governance robs a country of its tremendous potential and keeps it at mere subsistence level. In the mean time, like millions of my countrymen and women, I hold my rage and repose my hope instead to a dawn of golden age which this country so richly deserves.

Sam Look, let us be blunt and honest: The core of the problem is that governments do a horrible job running business and vice versa. Biman has only one salvation and that is immediate, complete, and total privatisation. Until that is done, it will continue to be run on cronyism, faltering appeals to patriotism, and a decidedly nepotistic mentality.

The final embrace

April 24 May Allah reunite them in the afterlife.

Jafar Ahmad

Large number of SIM cards recovered from water body

April 22 The nation in which such “miraculous” incidents occur is Bangladesh. We found gold in airports, and now SIM cards have been recovered from a pond! I can’t wait to hear what new and unexpected thing will be next!

Shada kalo

Arati, a Rana Plaza survivor, wears a silver anklet on her prosthetic leg April 23 May Allah bless them.

Pen Muni Adnan: Amen!

Special economic zones key to growing exports

Monday, April 28, 2014

Adnan Just to clarify, I wasn’t “defending” the guy who went to Almas; rather, saying that we too are complicit in such exclusivism.

I have lived in Dhanmondi for 25 years and, as a child, played with all kinds of children. It is infinitely saddening to see fields being sealed off like this.

Lalon Shah Bangladesh is a free country. This country is for all of its people. A playground is for anyone to play in. Exclusivism has no place in our country.

Zebrul Hossain

Death of a writer

April 21 In both real and magical settings, Marquez captured the pain and happiness of our common humanity.

He belonged to all of us. He will be greatly missed.

Jill

‘No water no relations’ April 23 Yes! Finally some spine showed by Bangladesh.

Ahnaf Saber

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

Lack of infrastructure is a major barrier which needs to be overcome

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ACROSS 1 Conduct oneself (6) 6 Central (3) 9 Vestment (5) 10 Large volume (4) 11 Sovereign (5) 12 Copy (3) 13 Acrimonious (6) 15 Direction (4) 18 Insects (4) 21 Allotment of funds (6) 24 Beverage (3) 25 Get up (5) 28 Look after (4) 29 Punctuation mark (5) 30 Eyelid affliction (3) 31 Bear witness to (6) DOWN

1 Freight boat (5) 2 Australian bird (3) 3 High land masses (5) 4 Top card (3) 5 Part of speech (4) 6 Water-filled trench around castle (4) 7 Obstruct (6) 8 Horned ruminant (4) 14 Bath (3) 16 Talisman (6) 17 Pull forcibly (3) 19 Banishment (5) 20 Perfume (5) 21 Sporting items (4) 22 Assert the negative (4) 23 Diplomacy (4) 26 Decay (3) 27 Call for aid (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

Monday, April 28, 2014

A misplaced trust? n MH Bari

P

A necessary tradition for securing our future

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Migrating towards prosperity

T

n Tasneem Siddiqui oday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the government of Bangladesh and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) are jointly hosting a two-day expert group meeting on Migration and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda. About 60 countries are participating in this meeting in Dhaka.

This is an extremely important global event for those who would like to see migration as a tool for sustainable development. Over the last fifteen years, the global development community, under the auspices of the United Nations, concentrated on reducing poverty through pursuing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Some of the goals have been achieved and others have not. Nonetheless, migration played an important role in achieving those goals.

The Rio+20 Conference proposed a number of sustainable development goals in a document titled “The Future We Want.” The document committed to systematically consider population trends including migration. This year, in the 68th session of the UN Assembly, the global development agenda will be finalised under the broad heading of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Inclusive intergovernmental processes and open-ended working groups have been working since February 2013 to recommend the goals. The expert group meeting that is taking place in Dhaka aims to propose inclusion of migration in the post 2015 sustainable development agenda.

Various civil society organisations in Bangladesh and their international partners that work on migration support this proposal. Following are some of the evidence that demonstrate that inclusion of migration into the post2015 Agenda will help attain SDGs.

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Across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, research is showing the development outcome of migration in origin and destination countries. This essay highlights the contribution of migration in countries of origin. Gainful employment and higher incomes are some of the benefits that individuals derive out of migration. Compared to non-migrant households, the size of the family income of migrant households are much larger. In South Africa, remittances constitute a significant one-third of total family income of rural households. In Mali, savings from remittances work as insurance during unexpected climatic events.

During periods of drought, families in Ethiopia can avoid selling livestock and other assets by using their cash reserve from remittances.

Voluntary migration is an important element to be integrated into the new development discourse

Of course, remittances have differential benefits to different household members depending on their relationship with the household decision makers. It is mostly the male adults who have more leverage over the use of remittances. Nonetheless, migration of male members resulted in the economic and social empowerment of many left-behind wives. A cross-continental study of the World Bank (2010) found that left-behind families of migrants can ensure better quality education for their children compared

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to their non-migrant families. These families spend a high proportion of their monthly expenditure on education and health. In the long run, it contributed to human capital formation.

The Living Standard Survey (2001) of Vietnam found that remittances are disproportionately directed towards those who are more than fifty years of age. Therefore it acts as social security of elderly members of the family.

Enough evidence has been gathered now to argue that remittances contribute to agricultural development.

Remittances of the Filipino domestic workers acted as capital flow stimulating commercial agriculture. Agricultural growth of Kerala has been solely attributed to investment of short term contract migrant families. Migrant families contribute to the modernisation of agriculture by using water pump irrigation, seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, irrigation pumps, mechanised power tiller, tractor, etc.

The UNDP (2009) study of 71 developing countries found that a 10% increase in per capita official remittance would lead to a 3.5% decline in the number of people living in poverty.

Remittances account for one-third to one-half of the overall reduction of the poverty rate in Nepal. In case of Bangladesh, the RMMRU-RPC (Research Programme Consortium) study (2014) of poverty headcount (calculated on the basis of $1.25 as the poverty line) found that 68% of the people belonging to non-migrant households lived below the poverty line whereas only 20% of international migrants and 39% of internal migrants belonged to that category.

Migrants’ food consumption pattern and investment in homestead and infrastructure creates multiplier effects on the local marketplace. Local markets respond to demands created by migrants and their families. This results in the introduction of new products, opening of more stores, and creation

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of employment. RMMRU-SDC study (2014) on the impact of migration on poverty and development shows that international migration facilitates seasonal internal migration, and spreads the benefit of migration to non-international migration-producing villages.

More importantly, it results in stabilising unnecessary wage fluctuation in international migrant-producing areas.

The main emphasis of Rio+20 was that development should be environmentally sustainable. The RMMRU-SCMR (Sussex Centre for Migration Research) 2014 study based on 1500 migrant and non-migrant households found that on average, each family had to move 2.61 times due to different environmental stresses. 75% of all households, both migrant and non-migrant, experienced different types of climatic stresses. Nonetheless, those families who combined local level adaptation practices with livelihood migration of a few members of the household coped better with climatic stresses.

Moreover, local level adaptation programs sometimes put much stress on local resources, and in some situation trap climate change-affected people into situations of chronic and occasional poverty. In promoting climate-friendly development under SDG, voluntary migration is an important element to be integrated into the new development discourse.

On the basis of the above evidence, we strongly argue for incorporating migration into the SDG agenda. In several of the focus areas of the emerging SDG agenda such as eradication of poverty, health and population, education, employment and decent work for all, and promotion of equality, migration can be successfully integrated. l Dr Tasneem Siddiqui is Professor of Political Science and Founding Chair of the Refugee and Migrating Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), University of Dhaka.

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oliticians or political parties in civilised parts of the world get the better of their opponents excelling in political wisdom by professing what one would do for the welfare of the people and the nation if voted to power. But the situation/political culture in Bangladesh is totally different. Politics here has come to a pass where it has boiled down to vendetta, which in turn has given rise to gun culture, nearly engulfing our society in mayhem.

Record shows that out of a total of 98 people suffering from burn injuries, 18 had died and 80 were severely injured. Some 433 people were killed in political violence, while 21,024 people were injured in a total of 754 incidents.

176 people were allegedly killed by police, BGB, and RAB, 109 were shot dead, and 22 people died from physical torture in police custody. Some 31 people were convicted, 26 detained, and 57 died in custody in 2013.

There are neither students nor politics in the “student politics” of Bangladesh. The real students have been gradually driven away from the political activities of the campus. As a result, non-students and miscreants are taking over, being utilised by political parties as their student wing.

Non-student cadres are now the mainstream of student politics.

Civil society members’ repeated appeals for the de-linking of the student front from political parties seem to have gone in vain. Political parties are using their student wings for their own petty interests. The unscrupulous politicians may now boast that at least they have succeeded in crushing the inherent power of students.

Today, banks are being plundered at the behest of the government. Economists and financial experts are calling for salvaging financial institutions from the clutches of politicians. Our loan default culture is crippling our banking sector. It will be disastrous to our economy if this goes unchecked.

The increase in imaginary and fraudulent loans in particular proves difficult to our banking sector.

In a recent move, our state-owned banks have waived nearly Tk87bn interest against loans in the past 10 years. This is equivalent to taking money out of depositors’ pockets.

These are all done under political influence.

The Sonali Bank and share-market scandal, Padma Bridge bribery, the Railway “black-cat” episode, Hallmark, the Destiny fiasco, and many other corruption cases keep on hounding us. Corruption has spread its tentacles in every direction, even in cases of government appointments, postings and transfers, and for obtaining any government-financed work.

The Jatiya Sangshad is the symbol of our national pride and dignity. It is a matter of regret that the citadel of our democracy and freedom is seemingly abdicating its sacred responsibility to the hubris of a handful of lawmakers who have taken the Jatiya Sangshad as hostage by their sweet whims.

The people often find that leadership of parties and members of the

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parliament, and other elected bodies, sometime forget their pledges to the common mass. Members in the cabinet, or in the shadow-cabinet of the opposition party, are found indulging in mudslinging against their opponents, even when they were found participating in debates in parliament.

Our politicians have failed miserably in looking after the people’s interests

The ruling party is showing a flippant attitude towards the rule of law.

Parochialism and nepotism are awarding promotions, and business is becoming the order of the day. The judiciary is being subordinated to the executive.

We have to bear in mind that a democratic government cannot function properly unless it is supported by an efficient, non-partisan, effective, and strong bureaucracy. Politicisation of the administration has to stop, and bold civil service reforms have to be initiated if we are really serious about good governance.

The oppression of the opposition leaders exceeds all limits. All the senior leaders are now facing various political cases. 98/99 cases filed are against a student leader. How funny is that? Some 19 cases were filed against the biggest opposition party secretary general on various allegations during the Awami League-led government’s previous tenure. One of the ex-education ministers is facing close to 44 cases, including a mugging case.

Despite rhetorical commitment and prolonged struggles to establish democracy, the political parties have failed to establish a consensus over the ground rules for democratic competition and dissent. Political competition between the AL and BNP has degenerated into a deadly confrontation.

The ruling party-men took things in their own hands to produce a near-clean sweep in the final round of the upazila polls, which put the total electoral system in mayhem. Rigging was almost without resistance in the elections, marred by the capturing of polling centres and ballot-box stuffing.

People entrusted the politicians with the grave responsibility of representing the people, protecting and promoting their interests. But our politicians have failed miserably in looking after their interests. The nation is suffering from political pollution. But how long will this situation prevail?

We hope political parties will perform their political responsibilities, and stop criminalising politics and politicising crimes for the greater interest of the people and the country. l MH Bari works in the global marketing of seafood from Bangladesh.

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Dreams, dust, and a demeaning existence n Towheed Feroze

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he plight of Bangladeshi workers in foreign lands does not shock us anymore; we are somewhat inured to events of our countrymen facing abject living and working conditions abroad. Every now and then, news of utter horror is splashed before us.

In a common reaction, we all sigh for a few moments, lambast the lack of proper foreign labour monitoring system, try to understand the trauma of the people caught in helpless situations, and by the end of the day, forget it.

Life goes on, more people fly abroad with dreams and many more unfortunate ones become victims of intolerable situations. The suffering of workers has become part of a vicious cycle. And no, unless one sees the torment first hand, it’s difficult to gauge its enormity.

A few years ago, in London, I came face to face with a few Bangladeshi students who had gone to the UK, taking advantage of the relaxed rules of the time. Naturally, with the mandatory IELTS exam removed, hundreds joined the queue.

Study was the ostensible reason, though, at the back of the mind, there was always the lure of the pound ster-

ling. While the British dream seemed so near, no one ever told these young men that the UK was deep in recession with jobs becoming rare.

Sweet hopes turned sour fast with countless youngsters ending up literally on the roads. A Bangladeshi working in the Victoria Station outlet of Burger King, who had come much earlier, was livid. How can these people be allowed to come harbouring a false dream? His outrage was palpable.

At that time, many had come with a few thousand pounds, hoping to pay part of the initial tuition fees and then, work to fund the rest of the education.

Working and studying may sound liberating, though the reality is far from alluring. Many, failing to find work, were seen begging in front of the Brick Lane mosque on Eid day.

Exploiting the surfeit of eager young people, mercenary restaurant owners offered accommodation and food in return for service. Mind you, no daily wages were part of the deal.

The UK is currently just outside the recession line with the economy showing torpid signs of improving, but the ugly picture of five years ago still haunts.

The recent news of 93 Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia living without regular food, drink, and wages in

extreme heat once again brings to the forefront the inexplicable conditions many expatriate workers have to face.

Reportedly, these workers were getting paid regularly, but after the death of the company’s owner, an ownership rift has triggered the current state of hopeless stalemate.

In matters of property ownership, there will always be contention; however, suffering of workers is something we cannot accept.

Granted, handing of wages may be linked to the friction. But in such cases workers need to be apprised, and unless the issue is resolved, food, drink, and proper housing need to be provided. At least, that is what basic human morality states.

Even now, almost all of Europe is either in recession, or trying to portray a fragile picture of hope, stating paltry growth. Needless to say, the sluggish economic run of the past few years has comedown heavily on thousands of Bangladeshi workers abroad.

About a year ago, Bangladeshi workers in Greece were fired upon by the owner – an incident which underlines the sheer helplessness of many of our overseas labourers.

The most tragic aspect of the migrant worker equation is often the unrecorded suffering of female workers, who are

mostly employed at homes as housemaids. The title of a maid or a governess sounds respect inducing, but in reality it means working without a break for almost seven days a week from dawn till late at night, often in the face of humiliating behaviour plus physical torture.

nothing serious – a slap or two,” Hasina says in a matter-of-fact way, accepting that such behaviour is not abnormal.

Obviously, when a certain level of physical punishment is digested, the path is cleared for more torment.

Just recently, an employer in Hong

We need to change our docile, subservient approach. Either take workers and give them the right privileges, or don’t take them at all

In recent times, the episodes of physical abuse by employers have come out in the open, though this has been the case since the early days of overseas labour.

I talked to a woman called Hasina who is now a retired housemaid, and worked in the Middle East in the mid 80s. While she stayed there for more than five years, Hasina, at regular intervals, had to endure slaps accompanied by rude behaviour.

“Sometimes, they (her employers) used to raise their hand but it was

Kong has been detained by the police for inflicting grievous bodily harm on an Indonesian maid. This means, when someone from a country with a relatively lower economic potency comes to work, he or she becomes a target of abuse.

Of course Bangladeshis will go abroad to work because countries that take our workers are importing labour for their need and, definitely not to do us a favour. This is a two way arrangement – we have people, you have the vacancies and work that your people

are unwilling to do.

A lot of the time, when we ask developed countries to take workers from us, we make it sound like begging. Since achieving middle-income status is our national objective, we need to change our docile, subservient approach. Either take workers and give them the right privileges, or don’t take them at all. In Bangladesh, no one dies of hunger anymore and nor do we have recurrent food shortages.

As for those whose bee in the bonnet is to sell everything to go to a different country, a little background study about current economic trends of developed nations is essential. No point in becoming besotted with the “foreign dream” when visible signs are all depressing.

Just because a nation is known for wealth does not mean it will provide us with all the pleasure and comfort.

Perhaps, once it was a good idea to go and make some money, but times do change. Sometimes, happiness and affluence can be achieved right here, just using a little acumen and foresight.

At least, when someone tries to be violent unjustly, we don’t have to digest it with the rationale: “I am from a poor country, it’s better to keep quiet!” l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Arefin Shuvo and Momo pair up for Chhuye Dile Mon n

Monday, April 28, 2014

Joyeeta’s 100th episode airs today

Afrose Jahan Chaity

SADIA MARIUM

Dhallywood heartthrob Arefin Shuvo and Lux Channel i Superstar Zakia Bari Momo will be seen together on the silver screen in a film titled Chhuye Dile Mon. It is the directorial debut of Shihab Shaheen in the film industry. The film also features Iresh Zaker and Ali Raj in leading roles. Habib Wahid and Sajid Sarkar are to produce music and the shoot begins on May 3.

After a lengthy hiatus from the film industry, Momo will grace her fans once again with this romantic flick. Her last movie was Daruchini Dwip in 2006 which bagged her a National Award. About her lengthy absence, Momo said: “The film industry back then was a bit different. To my understanding, this is the perfect time to return. Due to the availability of good theatres in the country at present, the audience are once again going to the cinemas. I am inspired by their interest, therefore for their benefit and my own, I want to shine like a diamond on the silver screen.”

Popular actor Arefin Shuvo said: “The script was very appealing and I was really drawn towards the story. I will also get to see several locations of my beautiful country as the shooting will take place in multiple localities. I will try to do justice to my role as well.”

Director of the film Shihab Shaheen said: “I have worked in the media for a long time, both TV and theatre, and have learned a lot from our films. I had a dream of making a full length film and now I am really close to making it happen. I am hopeful that the audience will appreciate the story which offers something new.”

Dhoni Chitra and Monforing are going to co-produce Chhuye Dile Mon as their first project. This announcement was made by notable cultural personality Mamunur Rashid at an event held at the Jahir Raihan Color Lab at the Film Development Corporation yesterday at 5:30pm.

Managing director of Ddoni Chitra/producer Sara Zaker, cultural activist Mamunur Rashid, Shihab Shaheen along with the cast and crew of the film were present among other guests at the occasion. l

n Entertainment Desk Daily soap Joyeeta’s 100th episode will be aired today on Boishakhi Television at 9:15pm. Written by Tuku Mojniul and directed by Lutfun Nahar Moushumi, the drama series features popular soap actors Rawnak Hasan, Sayed Babu, Shahidul Alam Sachchu, Saika Ahmed, Selim, Shirin Bakul, Munmun Ahmed, Ahona, Shoma and many others.

The plot of the drama series revolves around a college girl named Joyeeta. Julfiker who is a local thug targets Joyeeta and she becomes the victim of his teasing. To save hir daughter, her father decides to marry her off. But, before the

Bhoomi’s frontman Surojit’s solo album out in the market

Water Rhymes 2 is on display at Gallery Kaya

Artwork by Jamal Ahmed

n Shadma Malik A group exhibition titled Water Rhymes 2 is being held at Gallery Kaya and will remain on display until May 7.

The first series of Water Rhymes was held in 2012 with 16 artists at the same venue. The exhibition Water Rhymes 2 is displaying 65 artworks of 10 veteran and young artists including sculptor Hamiduzzaman Khan, Alokesh Ghosh, Jamal Ahmed, Kazi Rakib, Ranjit Das, Shishir Bhattachajee, Goutam Chakraborty, Kamaluddin, Shohag Parvez and Md Shahanoor Mahmud. The range of paintings on display will surely capture the interest

of onlookers.

The watercolour medium is very popular among Bangladeshi artists and has been further popularised by famous artists including Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, Patua Quamrul Hassan and Aminul Islam who have significant works done in watercolour.

About his works displayed in the exhibition, Hamiduzzaman Khan said: “My painting has a reflection of water, which is transparent. An innovative composition, I portrayed a bright side of a river to a more darker side.

The imaginary painting has depth.” A celebrated sculptor of Bangladesh, Hamiduzzaman Khan’s mastery in the field is not limited to sculpture only. His brilliant watercolour pieces enhances him as a versatile artist.

Miniature specialist Goutam Chakraborty displayed Charlie Chaplin on the wall. “I have been portraying Chaplin for over a decade. I prefer to choose a character which is relevant in today’s time. Chaplin’s movie The Great Dictator and Modern Times and many others are applicable in this contemporary time.

“Mother Teressa’s contribution in the society is immense. Her submission and dedication towards the society will always be an icon for us. The painting on Mother Teressa is a homage to her selfless caring for people,” he adds.

Jamal Ahmed’s landscape portraying a woman in a red sari with wet hair is about the sensual and serene beauty of rural Bangla.

With a simple expression and using watercolour, Ranjit Das has painted Angor Wat, the world’s largest temple complex, a dreamland that Das has recently visited.

Promising artist Md Shahanoor Mahmud’s City Rain is on display. “ The medium watercolour has an intense relationship with rain. The mixture of water and colour creates a magical element for painting. Watercolour and rain are both aesthetic and intimate in nature.”

The works by the ten artists can also be viewed online on www.artitude.com.bd. Samarjit Roy Choudhury graced the inaugural ceremony on April 26. l

Farhan and Deepika wins at IIFA

wedding could take place, Julfiker kills her father and kidnaps her. Police rescues Joyeeta and she starts living with her maternal uncle. She meets Shommo there and falls in love for the first time in her life. They decide to get married but Joyeeta wanted to share her past with Shommo. On hearing her tragic story, he sets her conscience free by informing her that he is not bothered about her past. In the meantime, without informing Shommo, his mother arranges for him to tie the knot with another girl. He refuses to marry the girl his mother picks for him and the agitated Roshni plans on murdering him for the offense. Julfiker is released from jail after his sentence and starts looking for Joyeeta. l

n Entertainment Desk

Super model Naila Nayem will debut on the silver screen through an item song. The controversial star is gearing up for Tonmoy Tansen’s Run Out which is expected to release this year. Shooting of this film is almost done and it is in the post-production phase. The film features popular small screen actors Shojol and Moushumi Nag

Kolkata based popular band Bhoomi’s prominent member Surojit Chatarjee’s solo album Surojit-er Gaan is out in the music scene of Bangladesh. The album was released on the occasion of Pohela Biashakh under the banner of Eagle Music.

A total of 16 tracks including two instrumentals comprise the track list.

With musical hits like Barandaye Roddur, Orom Takio Na, Phagunero Mohonaye and Chol Palaye Jai, Surojit rediscovered his musical talents with the lyrics and music of the album. Though modernism is highlighted in the music composition, the use of various instruments like Setar, Dhol, Sarengi, Behal and others give it an Eastern flavour. His wife Komolini Chatarjee wrote a few songs in the album. The singer, lyricist, composer and instrumentalist uses a wide variety of instruments paired with his singing and composing job in the album. l

Kim and Kanye to have three wedding ceremonies

n Entertainment Desk

n Entertainment Desk Deepika Padukone is one of the top leading ladies of the Bollywood film industry and the diva has once again proved that she has what it takes to dominate the industry by bagging the Best Performance in a Leading Role (female) for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani as well as taking home the Best Entertainer of the Year award. Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male) went to Farhan Akhtar for his ingenious portrayal of the legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag walked away with nine trophies at the IIFA Magic of the Movies and Technical Awards. Milkha Singh was in attendance at the ceremony with director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Farhan, who was seen hugging the sportsman after performing on his hit songs like Zinda from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Senorita from Zindagi Naa Milegi Dobara and Dil Chahta Hai. The film also won the Best Cinematography (Binod Pradhan), Best Screenplay (Prasoon Joshi), Best Dialogue (Prasoon Joshi), Best Editing (PS Bharti), Best Sound Design (Nakul Kamte), Best Sound Mixing (Pranav Shukla), Best Background Score (ShankarEhsaan- Loy), Best Costume Designing

(Dolly Ahluwalia), and Best Make-Up (Vikram Gaikwad).

Hrithik Roshan’s superhero film Krrish 3 won Best Action (Sham Kaushal and Tony Ching Siu Tung) and Best Special Effects Visuals (Keitan Yadav and Haresh Hingorani - Red Chillies VFX), awards. "It feels great to be here and get the IIFA award for Krrish 3," Hrithik said. Hrithik grooved on stage with singer Mika Singh on Shahid Kapoor's hit song Agal Bagal from Phata Poster Nikla Hero. Mika was a hit with the crowd as he sang Subah Hone De and other hit songs. Sonakshi Sinha gave an enthralling performance on her hit masala songs while Bipasha Basu performed on Kamli and Baby Doll. Director Rohit Shetty's blockbuster hit Chennai Express won Best Song Recording (Vinod Verma for Lungi Dance) and Best Sound Mixing (Anup Dev) along with Bhaag Milkha Bhaag at the ceremony hosted

by Saif Ali Khan and Vir Das. Bollywood actors like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Hrithik Roshan, Anupam Kher, Parineeti Chopra, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Ramesh Sippy, Vaani Kapoor, Siddharth Malhotra, Arshad Warsi, Vive Oberoi and others attended the award ceremony. l

The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star is set to tie the knot with her rapper fiance Kanye West once in Southern California and twice in France. The couple's lawyers have advised them to have their civil ceremony in the United States, since they're both American citizens, prior to their French nuptials on May 24 to avoid any unnecessary paperwork.

A source told RadarOnline.com: “Typically, the US recognises citizens getting married in France, but dealing with a foreign government and paperwork could be a nightmare. So just to make sure it's legal, Kim and Kanye will first be having a civil ceremony in Southern California.”

Kim and Kanye - who have a nine-monthold daughter North together - will have to have a religious ceremony after the civil wedding because of French custom.

The French Embassy in Washington DC said: “A religious ceremony has to be performed after a civil ceremony, never before. The minister, priest or rabbi will require a certificate of civil marriage before any religious ceremony takes place.”

The couple is planning a lavish ceremony and Kim will have three dresses for the French event.

A source added: “Kim will have at least three dress changes on the big ceremony day in France.

It will be over the top. The duo want it to be the wedding of the century.” l

On April 26 Bengal Art Lounge organised a musical soirée in parallel to the solo painting exhibition titled Last Summer by the prominent Rabindra Sangeet Singer Iffat Ara Dewan at the Bengal Art Lounge at 6pm

TODAY IN DHAKA Film

Exhibition

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

Germany – A Sporting Nation Time: 11am – 6pm Goethe Institut Bangladesh, Road 9(new), House 10 Dhanmondi The Search for Purity Time: 3pm – 8pm Dhaka Art Center (DAC) House-60 Road-7A Dhanmondi

Bonded Stitches & Struggle Time:3pm – 8pm Drik Gallery, House 58, Road 15A (New), Dhanmondi

Theatre Rarang

By Aranyak Time:7pm – 9pm Experimental Theatre Hall Shilpakala, Shegun Bagicha

Did you know?

Chelsea claimed 16 points from their six games vs the top four this season. Man City have the next highest total (7)

Sport

Monday, April 28, 2014

14 Superb Ronaldo

lifts rampant Real

15 Chelsea blow title

race open

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Moyes statue

unveiled at Anfield

BCB lifts ban on Rubel, Mahbubul The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) lifted the ban imposed on cricketers Mosharraf Rubel and Mahbubul Alam from playing in the domestic circuit yesterday. The BCB made the decision after examining the legal aspects.

Both Rubel and Mahbubul were charged of their involvement in match-fixing in the second edition of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (Acsu). The BCB later formed a tribunal to conduct hearing of the nine individuals accused by the Acsu from BPL 2. The tribunal after conducting the hearings acquitted six, which included Mahbubul and Rubel, from all charges in the short judgment.

But the BCB was dilly-dallying with the clearance off the duo to take part into the domestic cricket despite them submitting an application to board with attached copy of the short verdict from the tribunal.

The BCB in their explanation said they were waiting for the full verdict of the tribunal and scrutinised the ins and outs of lifting their ban for the time being.

“Rubel and Mahbubul can participate in all tournaments from now on for the time being,” BCB’s acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said to the media yesterday.

However, the BCB high-up didn’t explain what he meant by saying, “for the time being”.

It was learnt from a BCB source, the ban is likely to be imposed on the cricketers again if the ICC and BCB appeals on the tribunal’s judgment. “We were waiting for the legal opinions of ICC which also opined in favour of them to be involved in all cricket,” he added.

“We expected that the final verdict will be given in short period but from what we’ve felt that the full verdict may be delayed. So we’ve scrutinized the ins and outs of the legal aspects and took advice from the ICC legal experts, so we decided to lift their suspension for the time being,” explained the BCB acting CEO.

Both Mahbubul and Rubel were denied from earnings from cricket after they were accused by the ICC. This includes the remuneration from the BPL 2 and also the 2012-13 season of the Dhaka Premier League which the BCB is supposed to pay. Nizamuddin could not clear when their payment issue would be solved.

“Our first priority was to lift their ban which we did. Hopefully the rest of the matter will be solved gradually,” said Nizamuddin.

The withdrawal of the suspension meant Rubel and Mahbubul now has no restriction from playing in the last phase of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) scheduled to start on May 4.

“It’s a matter of joy to be proved not guilty. I did not make any offence so I was confident that I will be proved innocent. At the same time, I was also hopeful that the BCB will permit me to play and therefore I continued gym, running and practice so that I can keep myself fit,” said Rubel.

Mahbubul informed that he learnt of the lift of ban after the BCB acting CEO called him over phone. However, he informed of not playing the BCL matches as there is no spot for a pacer in the team this season.

“I have lost a year. Now I’ve to start fresh and I am confident. My experience was also enhanced after facing such sort of nightmare,” said Mahbubul.

Along with Rubel and Mahbubul, former national cricket Mohammad Rafique was also cleared of all corruption charges.

Dhaka Gladiators co-owner, Shihab Chowdhury was found guilty “for being a party to an effort to fix the Chittagong match (February 2)”.

Also cleared of the charges were English cricketer Darren Stevens, Gladiators owner Salim Chowdhury, CEO Gaurav Rawat.

The fate of the other individuals who have admitted of their involvement – Mohammad Ashraful and Kaushal Lokuarachchi – is expected to be known after the Tribunal gives its full verdict. l

Feni Soccer Club players celebrate their Gambian forward Kabba Jobe’s (c) strike against Sheikh Jamal at the BNS yesterday

Leaders Jamal held by plucky Feni Table toppers Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club dropped points for the first time in the second phase of the Nitol Tata Bangladesh Premier League when they were held to a 2-2 draw against Feni Soccer Club at the Bangabondhu National Stadium yesterday.

Haitian forward Wedson Anselme scored a brace to give Sheikh Jamal a comfortable 2-0 lead at the half-hour mark but their delight didn’t last long as Nigerian striker Chuka Charles and Gambian forward Kabba Jobe netted one apiece within five minutes for Feni Soccer which created balance in the scoreline.

It was Sheikh Jamal’s first draw in last two months in the league after

winning the last four league matches.

The result, however, couldn’t cause any damage to Jamal’s current position at the top of the points table as they still remain six points clear of second-placed Abahani Limited with 28 points from 12 matches. Feni Soccer Club languishes in the eighth position with only 8 points although yesterday’s performance was way better than that in the first phase when they were outplayed 4-2 by the same opponent.

With just four minutes into the match, Sohel Rana dodged past two defenders after receiving a cutback from Wedson Anselme and curled in a shot from 20 yards which hit the woodwork. Then In the 12th minute, following a short pass from Darling Darboe, Mathew Mendy’s shot from the middle of the box was blocked by a defender.

But two minutes later, Wedson An-

selme put Sheikh Jamal ahead with a powerful strike from 20 yards out after his compatriot Sony Norde provided the assist with a lovely through pass.

Sheikh Jamal doubled their lead in the 30th minute with Wedson again getting his name on the score-sheet. Shahedul Alam fed a through pass for Wedson who drifted into the penalty area and sent the ball into the net with a crisp side volley.

Feni pulled one back two minutes later, thanks to a mistake by Didarul Hoque. The Jamal defender failed to clear a ball properly and Chuka Charles took a shot on the clearance that rolled into the net. Kabba Jobe then scored the equalizer three minutes later to compound Jamal’s misery as Ramjan Ali Mollah’s free-kick from the right side found the unmarked Gambian forward inside the box who headed past

TV rights on BCB’s agenda The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hasan will sit for an emergency meeting today before he flies to Singapore for treatment. The main agenda of the meeting would be the worldwide media rights issue while there will be some other agendas like appointing the new support staffs for the Tigers.

One of the most important issues for the richest sports body of the country has been to settle the long term TV rights deal.

“The main agenda of the meeting will be about the TV rights tomorrow (today) and to remain transparent we are calling for an international tender where anyone can participate but there must be some conditions,” said Mollick, one of the BCB director.

BCB is looking to sell the TV rights from June 2014 to 2020 June. However, BCB is yet to select the floor price of the tender which will be decided today, informed the board director.

Earlier in 2006, BCB sold the TV rights for five years to a Singapore based Indian company called Nimbus which

Earlier in 2006, BCB sold the TV rights for five years to a Singapore based Indian company called Nimbus did not honor the contract worth $56m as Nimbus owed Tk100 crore to BCB when the contract expired in April 2012.

Since then the board has been looking for a long term TV rights deal which they are yet to receive and has been selling the TV rights series by series

through an ad-hoc committee. However, BCB was very close to a four year deal worth $6 million dollars with Virgo Media Limited before forming the ad-hoc committee. But the deal didn’t eventually materialize for BCB and it was learned that BCB would retain the guarantee money clause as before.

Meanwhile, the other agendas of the emergency meeting will include the future of Shane Jurgensen as the head coach of Bangladesh team. The Australian at first worked as a bowling coach for the Tigers before he was handed the full time job as head coach till the 2015 World Cup. National team trainer David Dwyer and Richard McInnes, the head of National Cricket Academy, earlier informed about cutting their tenure and the BCB will also discuss about their possible replacements. l

Marcel women’s kabaddi starts

A Dhaka raider invades the Narail zone in the national women’s kabaddi at the kabaddi stadium yesterday MUMIT M

The Marcel Inter-Divisional Women’s Kabaddi comprising 10 teams across the country started at the Kabbadi Stadium yesterday.

In the opening day procedure, Dhaka beat Faridpur 25-19, Narail outplayed Jhenaidah 35-10, Jamalpur overpowered Panchagar 38-18, Comilla trounced Barisal 25-24 and Dhaka routed Narail 31-15.

Hasan Mahmud Khandoker, the Inspector General of Police and the president of Kabaddi Federation inaugurated the tournament as the chief guest.

AFM Iqbal bin Anwar, the additional director of Walton, federation general secretary Nazrul Islam and brand ambassador of Marcel film star Amin Khan were also present on the occasion. l

MUMIT M

Jamal keeper Ziaur Rahman.

Wedson almost scored his hat trick in the 54th minute when the Haitian’s thumping strike was saved brilliantly

by Feni keeper Nehal. Emeka Darlington also came close to scoring when his close-range header flew inches over the bar following a cross of Sony Norde in the 77th minute.

For Feni, It was an exhibition of wasting opportunities as Landing squandered an opportunity to seal the victory just a minute before the stipulated time when the Gambian midfielder headed just wide from a Chuka Charles cross. Feni missed another chance in the extra time. Receiving a long ball, Chuka Charles ran free towards goal and had only goalkeeper Zia to beat in a one-on-one situation. But he lost control of the ball at the key moment while attempting the shot. l

MSC international school chess begins tomorrow

MSCL director Sarwar Hossain speaks at the press conference of the Mohammedan International School Chess at the club premises yesterday COURTESY

Sisse ecstatic with draw Sheikh Jamal coach Josef Afusi slammed his defenders for their 2-2 draw against Feni Soccer Club in the Nitol-Tata Bangladesh Premier League yesterday.

Meanwhile the result at the Bangabandhu National Stadium made Feni coach Omar K Sisse leave the field with utmost satisfaction.

Nigerian Afusi was very displeased with the performance from his players especially because they were leading by two goals before what he called “a gift from his defenders.”

“We went up 2-0 and I think it’s enough to win a match if properly defended. My defenders let us down, however at the same time I also have to say that my forwards also missed a couple of chances, I am going through a hard time,” said Afusi.

“Sheikh Jamal did not play to their level, the players were a little bit down and that accost us two points,” he added.

However, he did not forget to praise the brave effort from the Feni side and said, “They have changed a lot and arrived tougher than our anticipation.”

To go on from here and become the

league champions, Afusi said they need to “Go down to the basics and work hard to set the tune. We have to be efficient tactically to achieve our goal.” Meanwhile the draw was equal to a win for Feni’s Gambian coach Sisse. “Against a strong team like Jamal we are a small one but we restricted them and earned a valuable point,” he said. “We are very happy with our performance, drawing 2-2 after trailing 2-0 against a team of caliber like Jamal will definitely inspire us for better performances in the future.”

The Gambian thought cramping the Jamal trio - Haitians Sony Norde and Wedson and Emeka – for space was the key behind the success. “In the later part of the game we closely marked them (Norde, Wedson, Emeka) and defended well. I can also say that Chuka Charles was supposed to score the winner in the one-on-one situation, he would have controlled the ball or hold it but he did nothing,” said Omar.

Kabba Jobe, who equalised for Feni, revealed that he asked his fellow players to calm down when they were trailing and it worked wonders. “I just asked them to relax and wait for the opportunities. It came and we drew the match, missing chances is a part of the game and I don’t blame anyone,” said the Gambian. l

Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club, in its unique effort to popularise chess among the school students, will hold its first international chess tournament at the club premises from tomorrow.

Apart from Bangladesh budding chess players from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka will be participating in the five-day event.

The participants will be split into six categories – boy’s and girl’s from nursery to class two, three groups for boy’s only from class 3-4, class 7-5 and class 8-10 while girl’s from class 3-5 and class 6-10 will feature in the rest categories.

In a press conference held at the club premises yesterday Sarwar Hossain, one of the directors of the club presented the event to the media.

“The registration is still open and we hope the number will be reaching 150 before it closes. Apart from the local players four from India, three from Nepal and one from Sri Lanka will be playing in the tournament,” said Sarwar.

The organisers said they have opted to award the winners with laptops, desktops, netbooks, digital and chess clocks and crests instead of handing over cash money.

“This is a good effort and we have stepped up to provide all the technical assistance to the tournament and we hope it will add pace in the chess arena,” said Kazi Saiful Tareque, the general secretary of Bangladesh Chess Federation who was also present on the occasion.

The final round and the prize distribution ceremony will be held on May 3. l

14

Sport

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Berdych makes Portugal return

Monday, April 28, 2014

Carter lifts Mavs over Spurs

Tomas Berdych returns to the Portugal Open for the first time since 2005, taking over as men’s top seed at the ATP-WTA claycourt event from holder Stanislas Wawrinka as the tournament gets underway on Monday. Wawrinka, who added the Monte Carlo Masters title last week to his Australian Open trophy, withdrew and is next due to play in Madrid in a week. Wawrinka cited fatigue for his pullout. Berdych, who will play as a wild card entry, tweeted his pleasure at making a return to the event where he played his one and only main draw match nine years ago.

–AFP

Nannes joins Somerset for T20

Vince Carter drained a three-pointer to lift the Dallas Mavericks to a 109-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs Saturday in game three of their opening round NBA playoff series. The 37-year-old Carter caught an inbounds pass from Jose Calderon in the left side corner and faked Manu Ginobili of the Spurs. His off-balance shot at the buzzer sailed cleanly through the rim. Moments earlier, Ginobili had given the Spurs a two-point lead with a running bank shot with 1.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. “Sometimes you need something like that,” said Calderon.

–AFP

Australia seamer Dirk Nannes has joined Somerset for English county cricket’s domestic Twenty20 competition. The 37-year-old left-arm paceman, a former Dutch international, is now a Twenty20 ‘gun for hire’ and will bring plenty of experience in cricket’s shortest format to Somerset having played in both the Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash tournaments. “As an outsider, I’ve always been envious of the long and continued success that Somerset as a club seem to achieve,” Nannes said. “It will be good to have the shoe on the other foot, and I will hopefully be able to contribute to a nice winning streak.

–AFP

Superb Ronaldo lifts rampant Real Real Madrid’s rampant Cristiano Ronaldo looked to be back at his best as he scored at the start of each half to set up a 4-0 victory over lowly Osasuna and put the pressure back on La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

Sergio Ramos and Daniel Carvajal also netted for Real who are second on 82 points, three behind Atletico before their trip to Valencia on Sunday with both teams having played 34 games.

Barcelona, mourning the death of former coach Tito Vilanova on Friday, are now in third place with 81 points from 34 matches and travel to Villarreal on Sunday.

Real did not risk Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema against Osasuna ahead of their Champions league semi-final second leg at Bayern Munich on Tuesday in which they hold a 1-0 advantage.

But there was no holding Ronaldo, who only returned from injury in Wednesday’s first leg against Bayern at the Bernabeu having been out since early April, as he cut in from the left wing and fired into the corner of the net after six minutes.

The prolific Portuguese forward then cracked home a fine long-range drive after 52 minutes before being substituted leaving Ramos and Carva-

Giggs fights shy of full-time boss talk

jal to wrap up the win with headers.

“Cristiano is fine and he played with more assuredness and confidence than on Wednesday. It all went well for him and us,” Real coach Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference.

“We were able to rest some players and it was a good game even though there was no great intensity.”

The Italian added that Bale and Benzema will be fine to face Bayern, saying: “Benzema is improving and won’t have any problems for Tuesday. He will train normally tomorrow.

RESULTS Granada

Getafe Colunga 7

Real Madrid

0 3

Rayo Vallecano Saul 54, Larrivey 59, Fernandez 86

1 0

Malaga

4 0

Osasuna

0 1

Real Sociedad

Ronaldo 6, 51, Ramos 59, Carvajal 83

Real Betis

Vela 48-P

Earlier, Adrian Colunga struck for Getafe who beat Malaga 1-0 to boost their survival hopes and condemn Real Betis to relegation. The Andalusian side went on to lose 1-0 at home to Real Sociedad with Carlos Vela scoring the only goal from the penalty spot at the start of the second half. l

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring against Osasuna during their Spanish First Division match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on Saturday REUTERS

Napoli miss chance in draw with Inter Guardiola ‘sad forever’ RESULTS over Vilanova death Napoli missed a chance to secure Champions League football next season when they shared a goalless draw at Inter Milan in an entertaining encounter on Saturday.

Rafael Benitez’s third-placed Napoli have 69 points and extended their lead over Fiorentina, in fourth, to eight points with three games to play.

Benitez’s men created plenty of chances but failed to capitalise on their superiority, particularly in the second half.

Vincenzo Montella’s Fiorentina, who take on Napoli in next Saturday’s Italian Cup final, crushed relega-

tion-threatened Bologna 3-0 thanks to a double from Juan Cuadrado and a deflected strike from Josip Ilicic.

Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain may miss the final after leaving the field on a stretcher four minutes before the end following a thumping challenge from Marco Andreolli on the edge of the box just as the Argentine striker was set to shoot.

“He has bruising to the ankle and we’ll have to keep an eye on his condition over the next few days,” said Benitez. “We need to wait and see, we still don’t know anything.”

Inter are fifth on 57 points. They are four points behind Fiorentina and six ahead of AC Milan, who lost 2-0 at AS Roma on Friday, and Parma who travel to Cagliari on Sunday. l

Verona

4 0

Catania

1 0

Parma

0 2

Lazio

Toni 6, Frison 28-og, Marquinho 45, Gomez 74

Cagliari Pinilla 35-P

Livorno

Amauri 15, Candreva 51-P

Sampdoria

2 1

Eder 81, Soriano 90+3

Torino

Chievo Thereau 66-P

2 0

Udinese

0 3

Fiorentina

0 0

Napoli

El Kaddouri 15, Immobile 56 Saturday

Bologna

Cuadrado 23, 87, Ilicic 34

Inter

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola on Saturday expressed his grief over the death of Tito Vilanova, his former assistant at Barcelona, saying his sadness will remain for the rest of his life.

“We were friends. My heart is with his parents, his wife and his children.

The sadness will stay with me forever,” said Guardiola after Vilanova died on Friday following a long battle with cancer aged 45.

Vilanova was Guardiola’s right-hand man in one of the most successful periods in Barcelona’s history when the

Ryan Giggs is adamant he has given no further thought to the position of fulltime Manchester United manager despite starting his caretaker reign with an emphatic 4-0 win over Norwich City.

At an emotional Old Trafford, Wayne Rooney and substitute Juan Mata scored two goals each on Saturday as Giggs inspired United to their largest home league victory of a disastrous Premier League title defence.

Rooney instantly declared in postmatch interviews he would welcome team-mate Giggs’s appointment to the post on a permanent basis.

However, Dutch national team boss Louis van Gaal remains a strong favourite to be named as the long-term successor to the sacked David Moyes.

Giggs though refused to be drawn on revealing whether he would like to be considered for the post full-time by the club’s American owners, the Glazer family.

“Honestly, I’m just looking forward to Sunderland now,” said Giggs ahead of United’s match at home to the relegation-threatened side on Saturday, May 3.

“That’s it. That’s where my focus and concentration is on. I’m not looking any further ahead than that,” added the 40-year-old Giggs, English football’s most decorated player and United’s record appearance-maker.

“The reception was great,” said Giggs, who reportedly received backing to take on the manager’s post full-time from legendary boss Alex Ferguson earlier this week. l

Rooney backs Giggs for United job

Catalans won 14 trophies in four years under their former captain, including two Champions Leagues, between 2008 and 2012.

When Guardiola stepped down at the end of the 2011/12 season to take a year’s sabbatical in New York before joining Bayern Munich, Vilanova was promoted to replace him.

But his only season in charge was disrupted by health problems as he had to spend two months in New York receiving chemotherapy treatment.

Vilanova’s funeral will then take place on Monday evening in Barcelona cathedral at 8:00pm local time. l

Wayne Rooney backed Ryan Giggs as the right man to be installed as Manchester United’s manager on a permanent basis after firing the team to a 4-0 win over Norwich on Saturday.

“Giggsy has come in. It was strange but we know he’s a really experienced player and he’s built to be a manager,” Rooney told Sky Sports.

“We can see that as players, we can see how he’s handled himself since he took over. Giggsy has got all the credentials to be the next boss but that decision is down to the board.”

United legend Giggs was given a warm welcome to the dug-out by fans.l

Champions League in Arsenal’s sights against Newcastle

Policemen stand guard under heavy rain in front of PAOK Salonika fans before their Greek Cup final against Panathinaikos at the Olympic stadium in Athens on Saturday REUTERS

Arsenal can take a significant step towards qualifying for next season’s Champions League by beating Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium on Monday.

Gunners fans have taken participation in Europe’s premier competition as a given in recent years but the challenge of Everton has put a top-four finish in jeopardy this term.

However, Everton’s 2-0 loss at Southampton on Saturday was a big

boost for Arsene Wenger and his players, and victory over Newcastle would give them a four-point advantage over the Merseysiders with just six points available to either side.

Wenger, the Premier League’s longest-serving manager, has also indicated he intends to sign a new contract at the end of the season, although until that actually happens speculation remains inevitable with the 64-year-old Frenchman’s current deal expiring at the end of the current campaign.

Wenger will be sure to keep an eye

Panathinaikos win PSG still waiting for Ligue 1 title violence-marred Cup final Swedish striker Marcus Berg scored a hat trick and Nikos Karelis added another goal to lead Panathinaikos to a 4-1 violence-hit Greek Cup final victory over PAOK Saturday.

PAOK’s lone goal was scored in the second half by Serbian midfielder Zvonimir Vukic via the penalty spot in a game that was briefly halted when a firecracker was thrown onto the pitch.

Before the match Panathinaikos supporters threw broken plastic seats at riot police on the pitch and flares, firecrackers and other objects were thrown between supporters.

Police used tear gas to bring order and the presidents of both clubs, Gi-

annis Alafouzos of Panathinaikos and Ivan Savvidis of PAOK, pleaded to fans from the stadium’s loudspeakers for calm.

Outside the stadium a police car was destroyed by a firebomb thrown by a motorbike rider.

One coach carrying PAOK supporters was attacked with rocks by Panathinaikos fans causing minor damage to the vehicle.

A large section of Athens Olympic Stadium was left empty to separate the two groups of supporters while a police helicopter kept a watch from above.

Police announced that 34 people were arrested throughout Athens on Saturday, most for possession of fireworks, sticks or narcotics. l

Paris St Germain fell short of securing the Ligue 1 title on Sunday as Thiago Silva’s own goal handed Sochaux a second-half equaliser and a 1-1 draw.

Edinson Cavani had scored in the 24th minute to raise hopes that Laurent Blanc’s side could clinch their second successive Ligue 1 title on their visit to third-from bottom Sochaux.

Sochaux’s own hopes for staying up next season were boosted by the result.

Monaco won 4-1 away to relegated Ajaccio in Ligue 1 on Saturday to keep Paris Saint-Germain waiting a little longer in their bid to secure a second consecutive league title.

All the goals came in the second half at the Stade Francois-Coty as Dimitar Berbatov continued his impressive recent form by scoring twice for the visitors before Gadji Tallo got one back.

Berbatov then set up another goal for Geoffrey Kondogbia, while Lucas Ocampos added the fourth late on as Monaco made it four successive league wins to all but guarantee second spot and automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League group stage.

Elsewhere, fourth-placed Saint-Etienne kept alive their outside chances of Champions League qualification by winning 2-1 away to Evian, but Valenciennes are all but condemned to relegation following a 1-0 loss away at French Cup finalists Guingamp.

Montpellier and Nice appeared to secure their top-flight survival by beat-

ing Toulouse 2-1 and Reims 1-0 respectively, while Rennes and Lorient drew 1-1 in a Brittany derby. l

RESULTS Sochaux Silva 56-og

AC Ajaccio Tallo 75

Evian Wass 54

Guingamp Beauvue 62

Montpellier

1 1 1 4

Eysseric 51

Rennes Ntep 73

Monaco

Berbatov 52, 74, Kondogbia 88, Ocampos 90+2

1 2

Saint-Etienne Corgnet 7, Perrin 15

1 0

Valenciennes

2 1

Toulouse

1 0

Reims

Ait Fana 79, Cabella 83-P

Nice

PSG Cavani 24

1 1

Trejo 5

Lorient Traore 17

on Newcastle striker Loic Remy, who is on loan for the season from Queens Park Rangers.

Mid-table Newcastle welcome back the influential French trio of Remy, Mathieu Debuchy and Moussa Sissoko from injury in a boost to their hopes of avoiding a sixth straight league defeat - a run that would match an unwanted 27-year-old top flight club record.

All three Frenchmen have been accused by supporters of delaying their return to save themselves for this June’s World Cup finals in Brazil, but Alan Pardew thinks that’s unfair. l

Ince pair may be Olympiakos-bound Former England captain Paul Ince is in Athens this weekend and met with Olympiakos officials for a possible transfer to the Greek champions of his son Tom this summer, the Athens daily sports newspaper Gavros reported Sunday.

The newspaper wrote that Olympiakos advisor, former France and Olympiakos player Christian Karembeu, gave a tour of the team’s facilities to the former Blackpool manager.

Olympiakos has shown a keen interest in the 22-year-old player who is also being sought by Premier League teams, notably Everton. The England under-21 international was given the green light to leave Blackpool in January. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

QUICK BYTES

Corporate cricket tournament held in Ctg The interdepartmental cricket tournament of the Peninsula Chittagong Limited, a business hotel in the city, was held at police lines field in the city’s Dampara area yesterday afternoon. Marking the institution’s 9th year anniversary, the tournament titled “Peninsula Premier League (PPL)” was organized by the hotel authority where eight departments of the hotel took part. Mesbah Uddin, deputy commissioner (DC) of Chittagong gave a speech in the programme. Mostafa Tahsin Asharaf, the director of Peninsula and Mahbubur Rahman, the executive director, were also present on the occasion. The DC of Chittagong handed over the champion trophy to the winning team after the tournament ended.

–CU Correspondent

English club side all out for three England’s cricketers may have suffered the embarrassment of a World Twenty20 defeat by the Netherlands and a 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia but even they were never bowled out for three as happened to one club side on Saturday. Wirral, from north-west England, were dismissed for just three away to Haslington in a Cheshire League Third Division match – with extras the top-scorer courtesy of two leg-byes. There were 10 ducks in the Wirral innings, with No 11 Connor Hodson, supposedly their worst batsman, the only member of the visitors’ side to score a run off the bat. That Wirral managed three was something of an achievement after they were reduced to none for eight. Ben Istead took six wickets for one run and Tom Gledhill four for none in an innings that lasted fewer than 10 overs. Haslington won the match by 105 runs after making only 108 themselves before, as the Stoke Sentinel newspaper reported, “the real drama unfolded after the tea interval”.

–AFP

Giraldo, Nishikori in Barcelona final Colombian Santiago Giraldo beat Rafael Nadal’s conqueror Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 6-3 at the Barcelona Open on Saturday to reach just his second ever ATP final.

Almagro had described his win over Nadal, an eight-time champion in Barcelona, on Friday as possibly a turning point in his career. However, the Spaniard was unable to find the same form against the world number 65 as one break in the 11th game was enough to give Giraldo the first set. The second set was a tale of missed opportunities for Almagro as he could only convert one of five break points and was broken twice himself as Giraldo sealed victory in an hour and 26 minutes. Japan’s Kei Nishikori will be Giraldo’s opponent in the final as he continued his fine form this season with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Latvian Ernests Gulbis.

–AFP

Ajax clinch fourth successive Dutch title Ajax Amsterdam captured their fourth successive Dutch League title, and 33rd overall, with a 1-1 draw at Heracles Almelo on Sunday. Lasse Schone’s early goal set up Ajax for an afternoon of celebration but Simon Cziommer’s equaliser in the 22nd minute ensured a nervy finish as Ajax opened up an unassailable lead at the top of the table to seal the title with one match remaining.

The draw moved Ajax to 70 points, out of the reach of the chasing pack, and helped them put last week’s shock 5-1 loss to PEC Zwolle in the Dutch Cup final behind them. Schone struck home a free kick via the underside of the crossbar from some 30 metres out to put Ajax into a 12th minute lead. But Cziommer equalised in similar circumstances and Heracles might have spoilt the party had it not been for a key save from Ajax goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen 10 minutes into the second half.

–Reuters

DAY’S WATCH

Sport

Chelsea blow title race open An untimely slip by Steven Gerrard inadvertently helped Chelsea claim a 2-0 win over Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday that reignited their title ambitions.

The Liverpool captain lost his footing in first-half injury time, enabling Demba Ba to run through and score, with Willian adding a late second as Jose Mourinho’s side moved to within two points of the summit.

The result brought Liverpool’s 11game winning streak to an end and although it resurrected Chelsea’s title chances, the chief beneficiaries by the end of the day were Manchester City.

City defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 and are three points behind Liverpool with a game in hand. Manuel Pellegrini’s City also have a superior goal difference – +58 to Liverpool’s +50. City play their game in hand, at home to Aston Villa, in the week before the final weekend of the season.

City and Chelsea both play before Liverpool next weekend, with the former visiting Everton and the latter hosting

Norwich City before Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool travel to Palace on the Monday.

Mourinho, who travelled separately from his squad because he is ill, will now turn his attention to Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, with the tie in the balance at 0-0.

RESULTS Crystal Palace Liverpool Sunderland

0 2 0 2 4 0

Man City Dzeko 4, Toure 43

Chelsea Ba 45, Willian 90

Cardiff

Wickham 26, 86, Borini 45-P, Giaccherini 76

Anfield was already simmering when Luis Garcia, scorer of the decisive goal when these sides met in the 2005 Champions League semi-finals, was paraded to fans before kick-off, raising the noise levels even further.

Mourinho had made seven changes to his starting XI, awarding a full debut to 20-year-old Czech centre-back Tamas Kalas, and the visitors set out to spoil the game right from kick-off. l

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez (C) reacts after Chelsea midfielder Willian (not pictured) scored his team’s second goal during the English Premier League match at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, northwest England yesterday AFP

Moyes statue unveiled outside Anfield Sharapova sets Ivanovic date in Stuttgart final Axed Manchester United boss David Moyes will make a shock appearance at Anfield on Sunday, but not in the way you might expect.

Paddy Power have unveiled a statue of the Scot, for ‘his services to Liverpool Football Club’.

The publicity stunt comes a week after a man dressed as the Grim Reaper sat behind Moyes at Goodison Park in his last game as manager.

Visiting his former side Everton on Sunday, the fancy dress was apt seeing as he was sacked just two days later. This week’s 11 foot bronze statue won’t be seen around Old Trafford any time soon, but Liverpool fans are sure to appreciate the humour.

They revealed a ‘Moyes is a football genius’ banner when beating United earlier this season, as they march towards the title while their rivals languish in seventh place.

Brendan Rodgers’ side can pick up huge momentum in their search for

their first Premier League crown by beating Chelsea on Sunday.

It could be a nervy afternoon for Ste-

ven Gerrard and Co, but this statue may allow the supporters to forget about the stress momentarily. l

A statue of former Manchester United manager David Moyes was placed outside Anfield Stadium in a publicity stunt by a betting company, ahead of the EPL match between Liverpool and Chelsea yesterday AFP

Defending champion Maria Sharapova moved to within one victory of her third straight Stuttgart title after a 6-1, 6-2 win over Italy’s Sara Errani in Saturday’s semi-final.

Sharapova, who won the title in 2012 and 2013, needed just under an hour to see off clay-court specialist Errani in what was a repeat of the 2012 French Open final which the Russian also won.

“The further you go in the tournament, the harder it gets, and I really wanted to step up and produce a good performance,” Sharapova said, who claimed her 12th straight win in Stuttgart.

“The first tournament on clay is always tough -- it’s important to improve with each match and I think I’ve done that this week.

“I know how good Sara is on the surface and I was extra ready to perform against her.

1:00AM English Premier League Arsenal v Newcastle Star Sports HD1 12:45AM Italian Serie A Sassuolo v Juventus Star Sports 2 2:00AM La Liga Celta Vigo v Real Valladolid

“She has a lot of experience and really knows how to play, so I had to take care of things on my side of the net.”

Sharapova, 27, raced into a 3-0 lead winning eight of the first 10 points and took the first set in just 27 minutes with some powerful ground strokes.

The Russian picked up where she left off in Friday’s 6-4, 6-3 quarter-final win over world-number three Agnieszka Radwanska and converted six of her eight break points against Errani.

The 26-year-old Italian was never allowed to find her rhythm as Sharapova dominated the second set.

The Russian, who has never won a tournament three times running, will face former number one Ana Ivanovic in Sunday’s final after her 6-3, 7-5 victory over Jelena Jankovic in an all-Serbian semi-final.

Sharapova leads the series 7-2, with Ivanovic, ranked 12th in the world, having lost twice last year. l

Phelps brings big splash Mumbai’s miserable run continues back to the pool Michael Phelps isn’t aiming to recreate the past, but his low-key return to competitive swimming offered a tantalizing glimpse of how the Olympic legend could continue shaping the sport’s future.

“I was just kind of literally getting my feet wet again,” Phelps said of his return to racing after a 20-month retirement.

But he electrified the modest Mesa Grand Prix with a runner-up finish to Ryan Lochte in the 100m butterfly, and USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch is among the many who believe a fifth Olympics at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 is well within Phelps’s scope.

“I have absolutely no doubts whatsoever,” Busch said. “He comes back after almost two years and is barely out-touched, swims the fourth-fastest time in the world (this year) – how freaky is that?”

While Phelps and coach Bob Bowman won’t officially confirm that Rio is on the

radar, it’s clear that a fifth Olympic bid would not mirror the multiple medal campaigns of Athens, Beijing and London that yielded a record 22 medals -- an astonishing 18 of them gold.

“His training is much different. It’s actually half and in some cases a third of what he used to do,” Bowman said.

“He’ll never go back.

“What we’re doing wouldn’t work for 17 swims in eight days but it might work for six or seven swims in shorter races.”

Phelps says this sequel to a storied career is about regaining his joy in a sport which by London had become an obligation.

“I think it’s no secret that our last several years together it really wasn’t much fun for anybody,” Bowman said of the tense build-up to the 2012 Games.

Phelps walked away from London without a backward glance, but after putting on 30 pounds (14 kg) and hitting, in his estimation, tens of thousands of golf balls, he found the water was where he wanted to be. l

Defending champions Mumbai Indians slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat as Delhi Daredevils dished out a clinical all-round display to record an easy six-wicket win in the Indian Premier League match on Sunday.

Delhi chased down a modest target of 126 with seven balls to spare with opener Murali Vijay top-scoring with a 34-ball 40 and captain Kevin Pietersen striking form after an injury lay-off with an unbeaten 26 to notch up their second win of the tournament.

The Pietersen-led side, playing their last match this season at the UAE, wobbled towards the end with J P Duminy (19) and Dinesh Karthik (2) falling in the 16th over at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Chasing a small target, Delhi made a decent start with the opening stand between Vijay and Quinton de Kock (16) yielding 34 runs. The partnership ended with Michael Hussey pouncing a brilliant catch at point by diving full length and low to his left to remove de Kock off

the bowling of Corey Anderson.

Vijay then stitched a 45-run stand for the second wicket with Duminy before he was out in the 13th over. Vijay was bowled as he went for an awful slog. He hit four boundaries and a six in his 34-ball knock.

Pietersen, who looked tentative and rusty during his knock of 16 in his first

BRIEF SCORE

Mumbai Indians 125 for 6 (Pollard 33*, Gautam 22; Unadkat 2-29) Delhi Daredevils 126 for 4 (Vijay 40, Pietersen 26; Malinga 2-17) Delhi Daredevils won by six wickets match two days back, steadied Delhi after the quick fall of Duminy and Karthik before steering his side home.

Pietersen hit two fours and a six in his 18-ball unbeaten knock. Kedar Jadhav (14 not out) hit the winning runs — a four — to take Delhi to 126 for four and hand Mumbai their fourth defeat on the trot.

PDB upset Army to reach national V’ball final Bangladesh Power Development Board upset 13 times champion Bangladesh Army in the semifinal of the Walton National Volleyball at the volleyball stadium yesterday.

The spikers of PDB won by 25-20, 1525, 25-23 and 17-15 points. They will now meet the winner of the second semifinal scheduled to be played today between Bangladesh Air Force and Titas Club.

Meanwhile, Ansar and VDP beat Pabna by 3-0 games in the first semifinal of the women’s section and BJMC ousted Narail by the same margin in the second semifinal yesterday. Final of both men’s and women’s section will take place today. l

Delhi will now head home to play their next match at Ferozeshah Kotla on May 3.

For Mumbai, who are yet to open account, Lasith Malinga took two wickets for 17 runs while Anderson and Rohit Sharma got a wicket each.

Earlier, Delhi bowlers produced a clinical display to restrict Mumbai Indians to a modest 125 for six.

Pacers Jaydev Unadkat (2/29) and Wayne Parnell (1/17) and spinner Shahbaz Nadeem (1/19) shared four wickets to strangle the Mumbai batting unit in their stipulated 20 overs after skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bat. Skipper Pietersen employed a spin-pace attack early on with Nadeem and Mohammad Shami starting the proceedings for Delhi, followed by J P Duminy and Wayne Parnell.

Mumbai Skipper Rohit Sharma (4) was the first to walk back to the pavilion when his attempt to steal a quick single ended up with a runout orchestrated by pacer Shami in the second over.

In the fourth over, Parnell dismissed Aditya Tare (8) when he had him caught at deep midwicket by Quinton de Kock, l

BJMC win Cycling title

Sony Six 8:30PM Indian Premier League Bangalore v Punjab Star Sports 4

15

Monday, April 28, 2014

An action from the match between Bangladesh Power Development Board and Bangladesh Army during their Walton National Volleyball semifinal at the volleyball stadium yesterday MUMIT M

Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) clinched the title of the Independence Day Cycling tournament, held after a month and day of the Independence Day, with three gold out of the available seven gold at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

BJMC won gold in 4000m Crush Race, 1000m Women’s Time Trial, 1000m Men’s Time Trial and silver medal in 800m Crush Race (men) while Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) became runners-up with six medals including two gold in 4000m and 8000m Crush Race men’s events. Bangladesh Ansar and VDP and Mirpur Cycling Club won gold in 1500m Men’s Crush Race and 2000m Women’s Crush Race respectively. l

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Monday, April 28, 2014

Erratic weather confusing Rangpur residents Abrupt temperature changes affecting agriculture, livelihoods n Our Correspondent, Rangpur With sizzling summer temperatures prevailing across the country, weather in Rangpur is showing an erratic trend.

It gets very cold at night and just the opposite in daytime. People in the area say such fluctuation is unprecedented and is affecting their lives, agriculture and environment. Dewfall has also been noticed.

“I collect water for Boro irrigation at night. It becomes quite impossible to work if I do not wear muffler and thick clothes to protect myself from the cold weather,” says farmer Zafar Mia of Lalmonirhat.

Teesta flows near his house and the sand in the almost dried up river becomes very hot during the day. Because of this, Zafar says, rice grains are not growing while jute plantations are worst affected.

“I have never seen such weather conditions,” adds the farmer.

Ceiling fans need to be slowed down at 11:30pm and must be turned off at 02:30am because there is a palpable large drop in temperature, says Umme Habiba, headmaster of Ulipur Model Government Primary School in Kurigram.

Because of this abrupt change in temperature, students in my school are presumably catching fever, cold, measles and chickenpox, she says.

Children are falling victim to this unpredictability of the weather and are catching different diseases like diarrhoea, sinus pain and pneumonia, says Manika Mazumder, a child specialist at Rangpur Medical College Hospital and also registrar of the children’s ward in the hospital. Every day, she is treating children for complications developing due to the unusual change in weather.

Dew-capped leaves is not an unusual scene in winter but in the morning of a sweltering summer day no one ever imagines such a sight. People of Rangpur are now experiencing extreme hot during daytime and bone-chilling cold with the dark approaching due to erratic weather conditions DHAKA TRIBUNE Weather has become unpredictable because there has been a change in the wind speed because of rise in temperature across the world, observes environmentalist and Vice-chancellor of Brac University Dr Ainun Nishat, adding that this is a completely fresh experience for people living in the northern region.

“The desertification process has begun as water table has gone deeper, big

trees have died and there is prolonged drought because of low rainfall. The whole northern part has been affected because of the worldwide change in climate,” Dr Masum A Patoary, head of the Geography and Environmental Science Department at Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, says.

Stating that the inconsistent weather has had an effect on agriculture,

Deputy Director of Rangpur Agricultural Extension Department Firoz Ahmed says Boro fields now demand more irrigation and growth of jute has just stopped.

Station In-charge at Rangpur Met office and meteorologist Atikur Rahman admits he has no lucid explanation for this.

I just can say that the difference between the highest and lowest tempera-

Even ICT Ministry does not use e-filing n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

In an ideal situation, deciding to turn an office into a paperless should be relatively painless. But of course not everything is ever simple with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry.

On March 11, the ICT Division of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and ICT formally launched the “e-filing” initiative, with an aim to increase efficiency and transparency of the public office and eventually become a paperless office.

On that day, in the presence of Sajeeb Wazed Joy, prime minister’s son and also her ICT advisor, and many journalists, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak announced the

launching of the service.

He said: “Almost 90% of the official work can be done through this [e-filing] to create a paperless office. Even those working from outside their office or work station or the country can release files through the network.”

However, the Dhaka Tribune has learnt that even after seven weeks, only a single unit of the ICT Division has managed to start practicing e-filing.

Nazrul Islam Khan, secretary of the ICT Division, recently disbursed a letter to all the officials of his division asking them to use the National E-Service System (NESS) and shelve at least one document everyday through the e-filing system.

Slamming the officials for not using the NESS despite being ordered before,

the letter issued special directives for the division’s additional secretary, the four joint secretaries and all the deputy secretaries to pioneer the use of the modern internet-based filing service.

Sources said the e-filing system was first initiated three years ago but had never been implemented until recently.

Kamaluddin Ahmed, additional secretary of the ICT Division, told the Dhaka Tribune that: “If we want, we [ICT ministry] can launch the service any day. But the problem is that the other ministries are not connected with the e-filing initiative as yet. So, we still need to rely on hard copies for official correspondence.”

He also said: “So far, we have introduced the practice on a limited scale

within the ministry. For getting the best out of the service, all the offices of the government and administration must work in this system.”

At that programme on March 11, junior ICT minister Palak said: “It [e-filing] is a modern service and most of our officers are not accustomed with using digital services. So we are facing some problems.”

He also said the ministry had plans to arrange training sessions for the officials of all the ministries for making the service popular.

The NESS is a central platform for converting existing citizen services to e-services including online or mobile-based applications that are provided by various departments and government offices. l

Scientists build Fake Rs6 crore seized at Dhaka airport ‘off switch’ for n the brain Kailash Sarkar

n Agencies

Scientists have developed an “offswitch” for the brain to effectively shut down neural activity using light pulses, the Independent reported.

In 2005, Stanford scientist Karl Deisseroth discovered how to switch individual brain cells on and off by using light in a technique he dubbed “optogenetics.”

Research teams around the world have since used this technique to study brain cells, heart cells, stem cells and others regulated by electrical signals.

However, light-sensitive proteins were efficient at switching cells on but proved less effective at turning them off.

Now, after almost a decade of research, scientists have been able to shut down the neurons as well as activate them.

Deisseroth’s team has now re-engineered its light-sensitive proteins to switch cells much more adequately than before. His findings are presented in the journal Science.

Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, which funded the study, said this improved “off ” switch will help researchers to better understand the brain circuits involved in behaviour, thinking and emotion.

“We’re excited about this increased light sensitivity of inhibition in part because we think it will greatly enhance work in large-brained organisms like rats and primates,” Deisseroth, a senior author of the paper and professor of bioengineering and of psychiatry and behavioural sciences said.

The new techniques rely on changing 10 of the amino acids in the optogenetic protein. l

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) personnel seized Indian Rs6 crore (equivalent to Tk7.5 crore) of counterfeit currency and contraband medicine worth Tk1 crore from the Shahjalal International Airport, yesterday.

The fake notes and medicine were smuggled into Bangladesh from Pakistan via Qatar Airways in a consignment booked under the name of Kamal Ahmed of South Keraniganj, said CIID Assistant Director Ayesha Akhter.

The currency was brought into Dhaka in five cartons of medicine,” the CIID

official said, “and the medicines were seized as they were not approved by the drugs administration for import.”

She said the CIID acted on a tip-off and recovered the smuggled goods from the airport’s cargo complex at around 9:30am.

Earlier on April 20, police seized fake notes worth Indian Rs80 lakh from a passenger named Alauddin in Uttara. On April 19, another youth coming from Pakistan was arrested with Rs50 lakh worth of fake currency at the airport, and on April 5 a Pakistani national was arrested with Rs88 lakh worth of fake notes.

According to the customs officials, around 95% of the Indian currencies

seized at the airport were found to be fake.

Sources in police and intelligence said different militant groups based in Pakistan and active in Bangladesh had been used to circulate the counterfeit currency.

Over the past few years, police, RAB and customs officials have seized counterfeit Indian currency worth more than Tk100 crore in the country and detained as many as 60 Pakistani and 150 Bangladeshi nationals in this regard, including leaders and activists from militant organisations like Jama’atul Mujahedeen Bangladesh, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. l

tures has gone up, he concludes.

Meanwhile, Director of the Met office in Dhaka Md Shah Alam has blamed the change in climate in Rangpur for the unusual trend of weather in the area.

“As the region is close to the Himalayas, cold wind starts blowing at midnight which becomes cooler in the early hours of the day. This is why it feels so cold at night,” he explains. l

Young girl gang raped in Mohammadpur n Kailash Sarkar Police yesterday arrested two of a gang that allegedly raped a garments worker at the capital’s Mohammadpur on Saturday evening.

The alleged rapists were identified as Sagar, 22, a human haulier driver, and Monir, 23, a sales agent of a private company.

According to police and the family members of the victim, the 17-year-old worker of Azim Garments Factory in Mohammadpur, was raped by Sagar, Monir and one Babu when she was returning home at Rajdhani Housing area at around 7:30pm Saturday.

The victim’s elder sister said Sagar, Monir and Babu, who were identified miscreants in the locality, pounced on her sister as there was no electricity in the area during that time.

Later, the criminals fled the scene leaving the victim in a critical state.

Locals then rushed her to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital at around 2:30am.

The victim’s family members also said the alleged rapists, who also reside in the same area, had also been stalking the victim for the past several months.

Mohammadpur police station Officer-In-Charge Inspector Azizul Huq said a case was filed against the criminals and they already arrested two among the criminals.

Meanwhile at the Media Centre of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Abu Yusuf said among the criminals, Sagar was arrested at around 8:00am from Mohammadpur Dam area while Monir was picked up at around 1:00pm from Basundhara Shopping Mall area.

He said the detainees were being interrogation and police were now trying to arrest Babu. l

New policy for naming city infrastructure n Abu Hayat Mahmud The government has formulated a new policy to regulate the naming and identification of city corporation roads across the country, including the two city corporations of the capital.

The policy, titled “Policy for Naming of City Corporation Roads, Buildings and Structures 2014,” will implement the use of new names (mostly after noted individuals) that were given to the different city corporation roads to help situate the exact locations of different organisations and holdings inside the urban areas, said sources in the Local Government Department (LGD).

As per the new policy, no one will be allowed to name any road, building and structure inside the city corporation area without prior approval from the corporation. If anyone wishes to change the name of any structure, approval has to be sought from the respective city corporation. The city corporation will then ask the LGD for approval. If approved, the person or organisation will be allowed to rename the structure.

Moreover, before renaming any road, building or structure, authorities concerned or the owners should consider adding the original name with the new name.

Apart from imposing strict rules and regulations over naming and renaming city streets, the policy will also ask city corporations to take steps to identify and remove illegal and unapproved nameplates.

At the same time, if a city corporation road ends at a Municipality or Union Parishad area, the city corporation should discuss with the authorities of the Municipality or Union Parishad before naming the roads.

According to LGD, the policy will become active from the day of its approval and all previous policies in this regard will be considered invalid.

This policy will also be effective for

city corporations that fell under the 2009 policy for naming establishments.

When contacted, LGD Senior Assistant Secretary Sharaj Kumar Nath told the Dhaka Tribune: “The policy has already been activated and will continue until further decisions are taken by the LGD under the ministry of LGRD and Cooperative.”

Moreover, a subcommittee will be formed at each city corporation to verify naming proposals for roads, buildings and structures.

The committee will be formed by LGD officials and respective city corporation, divisional and deputy commissioners’ offices, among others. If needed, the subcommittee will also include prominent local citizens, historians and researchers.

The government had previously formulated similar policies in the past, but residents of different city corporations and in many cases, the city corporations themselves, failed to implement such regulations.

Although several streets in the capital were renamed decades ago, the new names were hardly used by the city dwellers. In 2004, the government renamed 85 roads and 12 establishments.

According to locals, it becomes difficult to find the exact location as many organisations, shops owners and holding owners use both new and old names and numbers.

DSCC sources said the new name of Elephant Road is Dr Kudrat-e Khuda but city dwellers do not know it.

The new name for Gulshan-1 road is AK Khandokar road, Gulshan-2 road is Bir Uttam Mir Shawkat Ali road, New Airport road is Shahid Ziaur Rahaman road, Green road is Shahid Minir Chowdhury road, among others.

When contacted, DSCC Chief Urban Planner Mohammad Sirajul Islam, who also served in the same post at DNCC, told the Dhaka Tribune that he was not the right person to talk to about this matter. l

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Customs officials recover fake Indian currencies from the cargo complex of Shahjalal International Airport yesterday

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B3 Deflation, emerging

market fears set scene for tough EU bank tests

B4 Malaysia cites ‘sensitivi-

ties’ as Obama struggles to push trade pact

MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

FY15 ADP to be of Tk78,000cr

French firm to get job of VAT automation

Finance minister expresses frustration over lack of proper money laundering Asif Showkat Kallol and Syed n Samiul Basher Anik information as he invites solution from all n

Tribune Report

Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday expressed frustration over the lack of an appropriate mechanism to identify how the money is being siphoned off of the country as he invited possible solutions from the parliamentary standing committee members.

His helplessness arise out of the absence of proper information about the money laundering despite the country having two or three intelligence agencies working with the issue.

“It is quite tough to identify the persons who are involved in money laundering,” he told a pre-budget meeting with the parliamentary watchdog bodies at NEC conference room in Dhaka.

The lawmakers raised concern about money laundering and requested the finance minister to take measure for curbing the illegal flight of money abroad.

“It’s a serious criminal offence,” the minister told the meeting, urging all to help government with possible solution.

He apprised the meeting of the next budget estimate that would be around Tk250,000 crore and said the figure would actually be higher or lower. The ADP size would be Tk78,000 crore and the revenue budget would witness a substantial rise.

He pointed out that the public expenditure of Bangladesh is the lowest in the region, even lower than Nepal.

The target for raising the public expenditure ratio to GDP in the next five year is 20-25% from the present 17-18%.

Muhith said human resource development would enjoy the highest emphasis in the new budget, which the power and energy sector used to enjoy as this sector is not now in a critical situation, he said.

He said the power generation will reach to 19,000 MW by 2017 to 2018 as

MIGA keen to enhance investment n Tribune Report Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) Executive Vice President Keiko Honda yesterday offered Bangladesh of providing guarantee as a safeguard measure against risks associated with private investment in energy and power sector.

MIGA could also help bring private investors under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative if the government lacks adequate money to invest in the sector, she said, expressing the interest during a meeting with Planning Minister AHM Mostafa Kamal at his office in Dhaka.

“The MIGA can play a role of guarantor so the private investment does not face risk,” Honda was quoted in a statement by the ministry.

She inquired about the priority  B 3 COLUMN 5

Finance Minister AMA Muhith seen speaking at a pre-budget meeting with the parliamentary watchdog bodies at NEC conference room in Dhaka FOCUS BANGLA they have placed orders for power plants.

Responding to the lawmakers’ suggestions to limit the countrywide possession of lands by the private sector and corporate houses, the minister said there could be steps to enforce it rationally.

Teachers’ MPO to see changes in FY16 budget

The finance minister said the government is working to bring changes in monthly pay order (MPO) system that has destroyed the standard of education system.

The government will set new criteria, including teachers’ qualifications, num-

ber of students and availability for the areas concerned in the fiscal year 2016 for giving allocation to the schools, he said, referring to a school that has only 10 students and five teachers.

“I’m personally very unhappy with the MPO system,” he said, adding that the country has 28,000 schools under MPO but most of them are fraud.

The MPO system was introduced in 1989 and its outcome was good earlier.

He requested the parliamentary standing committees to put forward their recommendations to this end to the education ministry.

He said allocation in the education sector will never fall, rather increase.

NBR: No duty excuse for hazardous items n Tribune Report

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Ghulam Hussain yesterday disclosed that the supplementary and regulatory duty would be imposed only on those imported products, which are hazards for health and environment, under the newly amended value added tax (VAT) law and supplementary duty act scheduled to be enforced from July 1, 2015.

Ghulam Hussain yesterday came up with the disclosure while representatives from the Ceramic Manufacturers Association of Bangladesh (CMAB) attended a pre-budget meeting with the NBR held at its headquarters in the capital.

The representatives of the (CMAB) proposed the NBR officials to impose more duties in the import of finished ceramic products.

In response NBR chief said: There

will be neither regulatory duty (RD) nor supplementary duty (SD) on any other products, excepting some harmful items from the list of 147 under the existing Harmonised System of Code (HS code).

“If you do not prepare yourselves from now on, what would you do when both the RD and SD would be withdrawn from the list of the HS code from July, 2015,” NBR chairman questioned the CMAB leaders.

Some of the products, which will be put under RD and SD, are soft drinks, non-alcoholic beers, beer made from malt, wine of fresh grapes, un-manufactured tobacco, cigars, cheroots, cigarettes and cigarillos containing tobacco, bidi or others made by hand or non-mechanically, marble and travertine, granite, portland cement, gas oil, fuel oil, natural gas, perfume and natural waters, ceramic building bricks,  B 3 COLUMN 5

BJMA urges to cut tax at source as global jute price falls n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) urged the government to reduce tax at source and increase cash incentive for the jute sector as jute price fell on global market.

The association proposed cutting tax at source from 0.80% to 0.25% and raising cash incentive to 15% from 10%.

BJMA leaders placed a set of proposals to the National Board of Revenue last week for consideration in the next fiscal year’s budget.

“Price of jute on the global market declined due to political unrest in the Middle East and Thailand, and

international sanctions on Iran,” said BJMA Secretary Abdul Barik Khan.

He said appreciation of dollars in Turkey and India and slow recovery of recession in the US and Europe were another reasons behind price fall.

High bank interest rate also pushed up production cost, according to Abdul Barik.

“We urged the government to consider the current situation and provide necessary policy support for the survival of the sector,” he said.

The government’s paying of 10% cash incentive is encouraging for the businessmen but 5% tax on source is discouraging.

The tax on source should be re-

moved, said BJMA in a statement.

The jute millers’ platform also demanded transferring drawback to banks to simplify the system.

Besides, BJMA sought a budgetary allocation for training workforce.

According to Export Promotion Bureau data, Bangladesh’s export earnings from jute and jute goods dropped by 20% to $612m in July-March period of the current financial year from the same period last year.

The data showed the exports of raw jute declined by 47% and jute bags and sacks by 53%.

However, jute yarns and twine registered 7% growth during the period. l

There are 28,000 non-government secondary schools, madrasas and colleges under MPO-list and the government spends around Tk5,000 crore annually. Around 98% educational institutions of Bangladesh are non-government.

Chairmen of parliamentary standing committees on Law and Parliamentary Affairs Suranjit Sengupta, Water Resources Ministry Ramesh Chandra Sen, Primary and Mass Education Afsarul Ameen, Labour and Employment Affairs Ministry Monnujan Sufian and Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman took part in the discussion, among others. l

National Board of Revenue (NBR) is going to appoint BULL SAS, France as consultant to introduce online system for value added tax payment from July, 2015.

A proposal in this regard has been sent to the cabinet division for approval, said NBR sources.

This is to bring an Integrated VAT Administration System (IVAS) in the country under the VAT and Supplementary Duty Act 2012 which will take into effect from July next year.

The system will be introduced under the VAT and Supplementary Duty project worth Tk551.59 crore.

World Bank will finance Tk449.78 crore and the remaining cost will be collected from local sources.

The BULL SAS will introduce the VAT automation at Tk12.47 crore.

According to the NBR proposal, an eight-member tender evaluation committee has selected the French firm as it scored high in technical and financial offers. The World Bank has also given its consent on selection of BULL SAS, France which will buy, among others, a software named Commercial-Off-TheShelf (COTS).

NBR Chairman Md Ghulam Hussain yesterday said the supplementary and regulatory duty on all but harmful products will become zero from July 1, 2015.

The Act will be effective from the month, replacing the existing VAT Act 1991.

NBR chief said different wings of NBR are working towards implement the law. NBR sources said the French company scored 88.37 marks in the technical offer and 0 .92 marks in financial offer.

JV CRC Sogema and Sogema, Technologies, a joint venture Canadian firm, was among other bidders.

The VAT and Supplementary Duty Automation project was approved on October 8 last year.

NBR formulated the new VAT and Supplementary Duty law on the basis of recommendations by the International Monetary Fund.

The IMF tagged the conditions of implementing new VAT law with the disbursement of a fund under the IMF’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF).

A NBR high official said the new VAT law, once implemented, will bring several new sectors within the VAT net. He said the sectors will lease, grants, licences, permits and different services.

The official said the turnover tax will also be increased.

“Presently, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have to pay 3% tax on annual turnover if it exceeds Tk80lakh. With the new law coming into effect, 3% tax will need to be paid for turnovers of Tk24lakh to Tk80lakh.

If turnover is over Tk80 lakh, tax rate will be higher,” he explained. l

Gonoshasthaya exempted from VAT on cancer drug donations n Tribune Report Gonoshasthaya Pharmaceuticals Ltd, a concern of GK Trust, will not have to pay Value Added Tax on three of its medicines donated to different hospitals for cancer patients.

National Board of Revenue made the decision last week to exempt

G-Ajathriopin tablet, G Lumastin capsule and G Temoxifan tablet from VAT. These three cancer medicines were distributed free of cost among a good number of hospitals and clinics including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and National Cancer Institute Hospital.  B 3 COLUMN 5

USTR official: Reputational risk may drive away buyers from Bangladesh n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman The greatest challenge Bangladesh’s garment industry faces is reputational risk and it might drive away buyers from the country, said a visiting USTR official.

“These tragedies [Rana Plaza and Tazreen Fashions] and a pattern of poor labour rights will drive buyers and investors from Bangladesh to other countries,” Assistant USTR Michael Delaney told a lunch meeting at the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) in Dhaka yesterday.

The international community is concerned over the reports of harassment and violence that newly formed unions are facing, he raised the concern a day before Bangladesh and US are holding their first meeting of the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (Ticfa) in Dhaka today.

“The industry and the country cannot afford to let this happen. It is critical to the future success of the industry that these problems be addressed directly and that effective mechanisms for labor-management relations be developed,” he added.

The private sector – both Bangladeshi and international – and other stakeholders have a crucial role to play, but ultimately it will be up to the government to coordinate all of these efforts and solve these challenges, he pointed out.

Delaney, however, said all stakeholders in readymade garment sector in Bangladesh are working hard for a sustainable solution of the problems of the sector.

“There has, without question, been a tremendous effort among all the stakeholders to develop concrete and sustainable solutions to the worker rights and safety challenges Bangladesh faces,” he said.

“So far we have seen a great willingness on the part of some elements of the private sector to roll up their sleeves and help address the labor challenges that the industry faces.”

The USTR official said Wash-

Assistant USTR Michael Delaney for South and Central Asia seen delivering his speech at a lunch meeting at the DCCI in Dhaka yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE ington is committed to working with Dhaka as it endeavors to undertake the worker rights and safety reforms set out in the GSP Action Plan and to working with all stakeholders to help ensure that the benefits of trade and development are widely shared in Bangladesh.

Delaney came to Dhaka to attend the first Ticfa meeting to be held today.

He said a full range of trade and investment issues would be discussed at the inaugural meeting.

“We look forward to establishing a Ticfa Labor Affairs Committee and a Ticfa Committee on Women’s Economic Empowerment where we can jointly work on these important issues with an interagency and inter-ministerial team of experts,” he said.

However, trade experts suggested

that Bangladesh should not agree to form such committees on bilateral nature as Dhaka has made much progress on the issues under the aegis of multilateral umbrella.

President of American Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bangladesh Aftab ul Islam urged for enhancing bilateral trade between the two countries.

President of BGMEA Atiqul Islam said they were showing zero tolerance in terms of abiding by the building code. He demanded duty-and-quotafree access of Bangladesh products to the US market.

In 2013, bilateral trade between the two countries exceeded $6bn, including over $5 billion worth of exports from Bangladesh. l

B2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stocks fall on profit booking n Tribune Report

Market shed some profit on the first day of the week as investors were lured to bag some profit on MNCs and financial stocks The benchmark index DSEX was down 36 points or 0.8% to 4,666.

The comprising blue chips DS30 fell 14 points or 0.9% to 1,705. The Shariah index DSES shed 5 points or 0.6% to close at 1,034.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, dropped 87 points to 8,997.

Total turnover at DSE took a hit summing up to Tk433 crore and going down by 35.6% than that of the previous session.

Lanka Bangla Securities said market shed some profit on the first

Company

Turnover (Million Taka)

4,338.45

Turnover (Volume)

100,262,176

Number of Contract

87,412

Traded Issues

295

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

87

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

205

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,378.43

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.83

CSE key features April 27, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

302.21

Turnover (Volume)

Daily capital market highlights

8,682,949

Number of Contract

11,280

DSE Broad Index :

4666.41002

(-) 0.77%

▼

Traded Issues

217

DSE Shariah Index :

1034.47795

(-) 0.55%

▼

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

62 150

DSE - 30 Index :

1705.23867

(-) 0.87%

▼

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

CSE All Share Index:

14408.7035

(-) 0.67%

▼

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4 2,279.12 27.63

CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSERS

11979.4304

(-) 0.96%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

8997.1258

(-) 0.96%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

Social Islami. B-A IFIC Bank - A Aramit -A Dulamia CottonZ Global Heavy Chemicals-N Bay Leasing.-A Pragati Gen. I -A Kohinoor Chem -A

-9.86 -9.00 -8.98 -7.79 -6.64 -6.23 -6.13 -6.10

Average (% change) -8.74 -8.46 -9.05 -7.51 -4.84 -4.05 -6.06 -6.13

GeminiSeaFood-Z R. N. Spinning-Z

-5.97 -5.74

-3.04 -3.82

Company

Closing (% change)

CSE LOSERS Company Reliance Insur -A Social Islami. B-A IFIC Bank - A Pragati Gen. I -A Prime Islami Life -A Eastland Insur -A Padma Islami Life*-N Apex Footwear-A

Familytex (BD) Ltd.-N AramitCementA

-10.00 -9.86 -8.97 -8.27 -7.69 -6.90 -5.83 -5.57

Average (% change) -10.00 -8.76 -7.70 -8.94 -8.28 -6.90 -5.87 -9.35

-5.41 -5.28

-5.74 -5.70

Closing (% change)

ANALYST

Closing average

Closing

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 909.63 141.53 111.01 312.90 274.64 617.02 2.23 353.92 470.70 0.92 25.74 93.47 15.56 414.57 33.67 42.12 90.50 303.62 29.73 94.63 0.36

Daily low

Latest EPS

Latest PE

12.95 28.35 308.01 7.27 43.82 32.68 47.93 324.80

12.80 28.30 302.90 7.10 43.60 31.60 47.50 324.90

14.20 29.00 332.00 7.70 45.00 34.00 49.60 347.00

12.80 25.00 300.00 7.00 42.50 31.30 44.00 319.40

27.556 36.997 5.190 0.016 11.744 1.705 1.021 0.812

1.78 3.13 12.56 -4.02 1.94 1.56 2.62 7.88

7.3 9.1 24.5 -ve 22.6 20.9 18.3 41.2

155.14 28.47

152.70 27.90

160.00 29.80

146.20 27.50

0.287 7.876

-11.90 6.11

-ve 4.7

Closing average

Closing

Daily high

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

Northern Jute -Z LafargeS Cement-Z Eastern InsurA Beach Hatchery -A Bengal Windsor-A Libra Infusions-A Federal Insu.-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Central Pharm-A EXIM Bank 1 MF-A

64.80 12.80 28.40 47.70 96.00 39.10 66.20 432.00

64.80 15.60 29.00 47.70 96.00 39.10 66.20 432.00

64.80 12.80 28.00 47.00 94.00 39.10 66.20 432.00

0.065 1.614 1.735 0.009 0.014 0.008 0.033 0.086

4.63 1.78 3.13 2.62 4.95 3.71 1.10 23.61

14.0 7.3 9.1 18.1 19.3 10.5 60.2 18.3

28.22 51.81

28.00 52.00

29.40 52.00

27.80 51.50

2.131 0.725

3.63 0.68

7.8 76.2

Relying on the marginal assessment, some investors realised short-term profit amid the day-long cyclical adjustments

% change 20.97 3.26 2.56 7.21 6.33 14.22 0.05 8.16 10.85 0.02 0.59 2.15 0.36 9.56 0.78 0.97 2.09 7.00 0.69 2.18 0.01

Million Taka 66.35 10.99 5.72 33.82 18.23 35.53 33.12 21.02 11.38 2.61 14.90 2.69 27.93 3.43 2.73 6.76 18.06 5.62 14.57 0.01

% change 19.78 3.28 1.71 10.08 5.44 10.59 0.00 9.87 6.27 3.39 0.78 4.44 0.80 8.32 1.02 0.81 2.01 5.38 1.67 4.34 0.00

Million Taka 975.98 152.52 116.73 346.72 292.87 652.55 2.23 387.04 491.72 12.31 28.35 108.37 18.25 442.50 37.10 44.85 97.26 321.68 35.34 109.20 0.37

Total

9.98 9.06 8.53 8.26 7.34 6.50 6.08 6.08 5.91 5.48

CSE GAINERS Company Central Insur -A LafargeS Cement-Z Beach Hatchery -A Northern G Insur-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Bengal Windsor-A Central Pharm-A PrimeFin. 1st MF-A AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Khulna Power-A

Closing (% change) 9.50 9.24 7.83 6.97 6.94 6.88 5.61 4.19 3.85 3.72

Average (% change) 10.12 5.49 2.11 5.02 5.67 6.38 3.64 3.90 7.22 5.48 Average (% change) 9.47 4.79 4.73 5.77 3.42 5.34 7.49 2.00 4.23 3.42

Closing average 134.50 66.52 40.71 24.49 50.53 500.00 27.60 83.13 40.84 7.70

Closing average 26.48 66.31 24.36 42.55 82.23 50.73 41.06 19.40 8.13 55.62

Closing 134.50 68.60 40.70 24.90 51.20 500.00 27.90 83.70 41.20 7.70

Closing 26.50 68.60 24.80 43.00 83.20 51.30 41.40 19.90 8.10 55.80

Daily high 134.50 69.10 41.20 25.00 52.00 504.00 28.10 84.30 41.50 7.70

Daily high 26.50 69.00 25.00 43.00 83.50 52.00 42.00 20.00 8.20 56.20

Daily low 134.50 62.80 37.40 22.00 45.00 488.00 23.70 72.00 37.50 7.70

Daily low 26.40 63.00 23.40 38.10 80.00 49.00 39.90 18.80 8.10 54.40

Turnover in million 0.027 185.482 0.513 12.737 56.831 0.800 7.081 98.720 54.144 0.054

Turnover in million 0.064 17.074 1.462 0.234 7.926 3.602 4.352 0.446 0.012 1.983

Latest EPS -10.24 2.19 2.60 0.99 2.60 3.04 1.79 4.72 1.74 0.70

Latest EPS 1.98 2.19 0.99 1.82 4.72 2.60 1.74 1.00 1.24 5.89

Latest PE -ve 30.4 15.7 24.7 19.4 164.5 15.4 17.6 23.5 11.0

Latest PE 13.4 30.3 24.6 23.4 17.4 19.5 23.6 19.4 6.6 9.4

News from trade server BATASHOE: The Board of Directors has recommended 105% final cash dividend in addition to the 195% interim cash dividend declared and paid in December 2013; thus making a total 300% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

Date of AGM: 19.06.2014, Time: 10:30 AM, Venue: Dhamrai Factory, Dhaka. Record Date: 08.05.2014. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 59.44, NAV per share of Tk. 164.96 and NOCFPS of Tk. 41.19 for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

ASIAPACINS: The Board of Directors has recommended 12% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013. Date of AGM: 14.08.2014, Time: 4:00 PM, Venue: Multipurpose Hall, IDEB Bhaban, 160/A, Kakrail, Dhaka-1000. Record Date: 08.05.2014. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 1.55, NAV per share of Tk. 16.50 and NOCFPS of Tk. 2.67 for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

GHCL: The Board of Directors has recommended 10% cash dividend for the shareholders except Directors (directors holding

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Grameenphone-A Prime Bank-A Meghna Petroleum -A LafargeS Cement-Z Olympic Ind. -A Southeast Bank-A HeidelbergCement -A

CSE

Closing (% change)

4,90,65,000 shares which is 68.15% of total shares) for the year ended on December 31, 2013. Date of AGM: 09.07.2014, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB), 160/A, Kakrail, Dhaka. Record Date: 15.05.2014.

The Company has also reported EPS from normal operation of Tk. 1.94, EPS including non operating income of Tk. 1.94, NAV per share of Tk. 50.39 and NOCFPS of Tk. 3.82 for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

ARAMIT: The Board of Directors has recommended 50% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013. Date of AGM: 26.06.2014, Time: 12:00 Noon, Venue: "Hotel Saint Martin Limited, 25 Sheikh Mujib Road, Chittagong. Record Date: 07.05.2014. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 11.68, NAV per share of Tk. 106.60 and NOCFPS of Tk. 2.64 for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

NTC: The Board of Directors has recommended 30% cash dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013. Date of AGM: 21.06.2014, Time: 3:30 PM, Venue: "Hotel

Purbani" 1, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000.

Record Date: 15.05.2014. The Company has also reported net profit after tax of Tk. 161.42 million, EPS of Tk. 24.46, NAV per share of Tk. 125.50 and NOCFPS of Tk. 17.06 for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

GQBALLPEN: The Board of Directors has recommended 15% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013. Date of AGM: 25.05.2014, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: GQ Building, 331/2, Tajuddin Ahmed Swaroni, Bara Maghbazar, Dhaka-1217.

Record Date: 08.05.2014. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 3.23, NAV per share of Tk. 253.68 and NOCFPS of Tk. 10.23 for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

GLAXOSMITH: (Q1): As per un-audited quarterly accounts for the 1st quarter ended on 31st March 2014 (Jan'14 to March'14), the Company has reported profit after tax of Tk. 229.52 million with EPS of Tk. 19.05 as against Tk. 196.53 million and Tk. 16.31 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

Latest PE

64.80 12.91 28.42 47.35 95.39 39.10 66.20 432.00

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Daily high

Turnover in million

Monday, April 28, 2014

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features April 27, 2014

day of the week as investors were lured to bag some profit on MNCs and financial stocks.

Banks were the worst hit sector during the session as its market capitalisation fell by 1.5% at the end of the trading session.

IDLC Investments said straight decline over profit booking turned the session red. “Relying on the marginal assessment, some investors realised short-term profit amid the day-long cyclical adjustments.”

However, it said, stock specific vibration related to quarterly earnings announcement and expectation was prevalent. In the meantime, some investors pursued cautious stance and remained watchful throughout the session, it said.

Among the major sectors, cement and non-banking financial institutions performed well, while pharmaceuticals and textile declined the most. Telecommunication, food and allied and power lost the least.

Grameenphone continued to become the most traded stocks for the third consecutive session with shares worth more than Tk24 crore changing hands, followed by Meghna petroleum, Lafarge Surma Cement, Olympic Industries, Southeast Bank, Heidelberg Cement and Padma Oil. l

Stocks fell on profit booking mainly on multinational companies and financial stocks yesterday, snapping two-day gaining streak of the benchmark index.

Market opened with an uptrend but lost momentum after the first 30 minutes.

Stock

% change 20.88 3.26 2.50 7.42 6.27 13.96 0.05 8.28 10.52 0.26 0.61 2.32 0.39 9.47 0.79 0.96 2.08 6.88 0.76 2.34 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

Padma Oil Co. -A Square Pharma -A MJL BD Ltd.-A

UCBL - A Renata Ltd. -A Jamuna Oil -A MutualTrust Bank-A Bata Shoe Ltd. -A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company MutualTrust Bank-A

LafargeS Cement-Z Golden Son -A Grameenphone-A BD Submarine Cable-A Emerald Oil Ind. -N MJL BD Ltd.-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A UCBL - A Southeast Bank-A Matin Spinning-N Appollo Ispat CL -N National Bank - B Delta Life Insu. -A Padma Oil Co. -A

Volume shares 931,400 9,030,531 620,539 2,788,500 712,900 6,321,366 221,100 380,676 429,710 1,187,520

2,510,868 58,565 294,146 3,792,292 60,652

Volume shares

1,296,100 257,500 218,828 36,600 40,900 34,067 96,390 276,146 264,763 317,386 170,000 241,000 481,613 25,900 17,387

Value in million 246.92 216.29 190.15 185.48 172.57 139.57 133.54 129.31 119.07 98.72

69.19 67.51 66.56 64.51 64.21

Value in million

22.03 17.07 12.14 9.70 8.36 8.21 7.93 7.86 7.30 6.98 6.95 6.42 6.31 5.98 5.91

% of total turnover 5.69 4.99 4.38 4.28 3.98 3.22 3.08 2.98 2.74 2.28

1.59 1.56 1.53 1.49 1.48

% of total turnover

7.43 5.76 4.09 3.27 2.82 2.77 2.67 2.65 2.46 2.35 2.34 2.16 2.13 2.01 1.99

Daily closing 265.80 23.90 305.00 68.60 241.50 22.20 595.70 337.90 275.90 83.70

27.40 1131.00 225.00 17.10 1035.30

Daily closing

17.00 68.60 53.00 265.80 204.10 47.90 83.20 28.80 27.50 22.20 40.50 26.30 13.00 228.60 338.00

Price change -1.66 -0.42 -1.13 9.06 -1.31 0.45 -2.77 -2.03 -1.00 6.08

Daily opening 270.30 24.00 308.50 62.90 244.70 22.10 612.70 344.90 278.70 78.90

Price change

Daily opening

-2.84 -3.79 -1.27 -1.72 -5.64

3.03 9.24 -2.21 -1.52 1.80 1.27 6.94 2.13 -1.79 0.91 -3.57 -1.50 -4.41 0.66 -1.97

28.20 1175.60 227.90 17.40 1097.20

16.50 62.80 54.20 269.90 200.50 47.30 77.80 28.20 28.00 22.00 42.00 26.70 13.60 227.10 344.80

Daily high 269.90 24.60 311.00 69.10 247.00 22.50 619.50 347.00 280.50 84.30

28.50 1192.00 228.10 17.40 1095.00

Daily low 262.00 22.00 282.00 62.80 224.00 19.90 590.00 315.10 255.00 72.00

25.80 1119.50 208.00 15.70 1005.00

Daily average 265.10 23.95 306.42 66.52 242.06 22.08 603.99 339.68 277.09 83.13

Daily high

Daily low

Daily average

17.00 69.00 56.20 267.00 207.00 49.50 83.50 29.00 28.10 22.30 42.10 27.20 13.50 233.80 346.00

16.40 63.00 52.10 262.20 201.70 47.50 80.00 28.00 27.30 21.60 40.10 26.20 12.30 228.00 315.00

27.55 1152.70 226.29 17.01 1058.63

17.00 66.31 55.49 265.04 204.49 241.08 82.23 28.46 27.57 22.01 40.89 26.62 13.10 230.79 339.80

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Indian firm to get 225MW Sikalbaha power plant job n Asif Showkat Kallol The government has selected an Indian consultant firm to construct the donor-funded 225megawatt Sikalbaha gas-based power plant, which earlier missed several deadlines in completing tender process, official sources said.

The tender evaluation committee has selected Indian M/S Larsen and Toubro Ltd which was the lowest bidder among seven in the tender call.

Power Division sources said the plant is expected to help improve access to electricity, reliability and ensure quality supply to the consumers in the greater Chittagong area.

The other six international firms were JVCA of Shandong Runh Power and Hebei Electric, Consortium of Hyundai Engineering and Daewoo International, China Chengda Engineering Company Ltd, Shanghai Electric Group Company

Ltd, JVCA of CNTIC and GTA and JVCA of CCC, and Sino Hydro & Harbin.

The development partners in the project include Kuwait Fund, Saudi Fund, Abu-Dhabi Fund and OPEC. They will provide a total of Tk1,707.74 crore. The sponsors have already given consent to the selected firm for implementation, according to the Power Division.

The power division proposal will be placed in next meeting of cabinet committee on public purchase for approval.

Power Secretary Monowar Islam sent the proposal to the cabinet division this week, said officials.

In the duel-fuel plant, the electricity price has been set at $202.20 per megawatt. The price is however higher than that of Ashuganj 225MW combined cycle plant’s $200.70 and less than that of Khulna 225MW combine cycle plant, Power Division said. l

Business

New sanctions to target Russians in energy, banking n AFP The next round of sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis could target senior officials in the energy and banking industries starting early next week, a senior White House official said Saturday.

US Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Malaysia with President Barack Obama, said sanctions could target “individuals with influence on the Russian economy, such as energy and banking.”

“When you start to get at the cronies, the individuals who frankly control large parts of the Russia economy, and some of the entities under their control, you are imposing a significant economic impact beyond strictly sanctioning an individual,” he said.

He did not give a date when the sanctions would be imposed, but said it would not happen over the weekend.

“I would expect ... targeted sanctions would be imposed with urgency” and could come “early next week.”

Earlier a US official told AFP that the new round of US sanctions could come as early as today.

Rhodes spoke after the Group of Seven rich countries - Canada, France,

A general view of central Moscow in Russia Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States - agreed Saturday to impose new sanctions on Russia over the crisis in Ukraine.

The G7 nations, in a joint statement, gave no date but said they would “move swiftly to impose additional sanctions on Russia.”

A senior US administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that each of the G7 countries “will determine which targeted sanctions

Deflation, emerging market fears set scene for tough EU bank tests n Reuters, London Fears of euro zone deflation, emerging markets turmoil and a determination not to repeat past mistakes mean European regulators are likely to come up with the toughest set of tests for the region’s banks that they have ever faced.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) will on Tuesday reveal the crisis scenarios that banks will have to prove they can withstand without resorting to the kind of taxpayer bailouts that all but bankrupted some countries in the 2008-2012 crisis.

Banks that fall short of capital under the imagined scenarios will have to produce a plan to boost their reserves by raising fresh funds from investors, selling assets or hanging on to profits instead of paying dividends.

Banks have already raised billions in capital and made other reforms ahead of the tests, which regulators hope will finally banish any investor doubts about the industry and allow it to refocus on lending to boost growth.

The European economy has rallied since the last round of bank stress tests three years ago and sharply lower borrowing rates for countries such as Greece - which can now borrow five year money at an interest rate below 5 percent against the 20 percent it was paying when the 2011 tests were done - support the idea that the worst of the euro zone crisis has passed.

But with widespread criticism

heaped on 2010 and 2011 stress tests for being too soft, and new risks on the horizon, regulators are likely to set tougher conditions all the same.

“The key is that the scenario is at least as deep and dark as the great recession, the financial crisis of 2008/2009,” said Mark Zandi, Philadelphia-based chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.

“You can easily conceive a scenario as severe as what we went through.”

Jamuna Bank gets new chair

AFP

they will impose.

“These sanctions will be coordinated and complementary, but not necessarily identical. US sanctions could come as early as Monday,” the official said.

On Air Force One, Rhodes spoke of “a spectrum of sanctions” that “allows us to escalate further” if the situation in the ex-Soviet republic deteriorates further.

Obama on Friday said that new sanctions against Russia were “ready to go”

NBR: No duty excuse for hazardous items  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

flooring blocks, support or filler tiles, air conditioning machines comprising a motor-driven fan and elements for changing the temperature and humidity, refrigerators, freezers and other similar articles, heat pumps, refrigerat-

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

“Since cancer is a fatal disease and the cost of continuing medication is very high, the amount of related VAT is not of that much. We, therefore, have decided to exempt the donations from tax,” said a high official of the revenue board.

With the decision, Gonoshasthaya has been exempted from a to-

European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi pauses during the monthly ECB news conference in Frankfurt REUTERS “A way of fudging it is to be too generous with growth forecasts for the periphery,” said Colin McLean, chief executive at Edinburgh-based SVM Asset Management. “(The market will accept it) as long as the overall GDP assumption is more stringent than the last time and looks like it’s in line with the U.S.” The last version of the US stress tests set the adverse scenario for domestic GDP at as much as 4.7 percentage points worse than the expected scenar-

io for one quarter, though the average gap was closer to 2 percentage points.

The EU tests have a gap of between 1.5 percentage points and 2.2 percentage points between the base and the adverse cases.

Analysts view economic growth as the most significant factor in the stress tests, with KPMG’s Smith noting that losses on banks’ mortgages and business loans would be primarily driven

by GDP projections, as well as assumptions around unemployment. l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

sectors Bangladesh identified for investment and development like LNG terminal, power generation, railway infrastructure, water management and river dredging.

She informed that MIGA is considering a US$250 million investment with private sector in Bangladesh’s power sector. This is in addition to their already invested $330 million in different power plants.

MIGA Asia-Pacific Regional Head

tal of Tk1.32lakh VAT. Of the amount, Tk47,848 VAT has been exempted for distribution of 2,599 packets of GAjathriopin tablet, Tk45738 VAT for 284 packets of G Lumastin capsule and Tk9,700 for 253 packets of G Temoxifan tablet.

A Statutory Regulatory Order has already been issued in this regard. l

Muhamet Banba Fall and the World Bank’s Bangladesh Country Director Johannes Zutt were present at the meeting.

The planning minister expected that the World Bank would continue their support to the development of Bangladesh, keeping confidence on the people of the country.

“Our economy is now on a sound footing. The World Bank should cooperate with us through investing in our priority sectors,” he said. l

‘Going forward Indian economy can only become stronger’

India's Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram speaks during a news conference in New Delhi

SM Knitwears Limited, a 100% export oriented company has recently signed an agreement with IDLC Investments Limited and Royal Green Capital Market Limited to raise capital through initial public offering. Syed A K Anwaruzzaman, managing director of SM Knitwears, Md Moniruzzaman, managing director of IDLC Investments and Md Shah Alam, managing director of Royal Green Capital Market Limited have signed the contract on this regard

ing furniture, motorised three-wheelers and auto-rickshaws, motorcycles in CBU or CKD condition with four-stroke engine etc.

Services subjected to the imposition of SD or RD includes hotel and restaurant and SIM card suppliers. l

MIGA keen to enhance investment

The directors of Jamuna Bank Limited has unanimously elected Shaheen Mahmud as its board’s chair in its 241st board meeting held yesterday.

Being the chairperson of Cotton Group, Shaheen has set up a number of RMG, telecom and real estate businesses including backward linkages under the umbrella of the group. l

edotco Bangladesh has signed a ten-year agreement with Radio Foorti 88.0 FM at the company’s corporate office. Faruk Ahmed, director of finance at edotco and Muhammed Rezaul Huq director and COO of Radio Foorti signed the agreement

but signalled they would not target key areas of the Russian economy such as mining, energy and the financial sectors.

US officials have said those measures would only be considered if Russia sent its regular forces across the border into eastern Ukraine.

“We understand there is unease about the economic consequences of sanctions on a large economy like Russia ... There is a degree of unease in the private sector,” Rhodes said. l

Gonoshasthaya exempted from VAT on cancer drug donations

As tough as the us

Figures leaked ahead of Tuesday’s announcement show regulators are taking a tougher line on economic growth than in 2011, when 18 of the EU’s 27 countries at that time posted weaker growth than the “adverse” case they were tested against for 2012.

The most dramatic miss was Greece, where an adverse scenario of a 1.2% contraction in real gross domestic product (GDP) proved far more optimistic than the 7% contraction that actually occurred.

“One of the key areas is the nature of the GDP stress, and how that is dispersed between jurisdictions,” said Stephen Smith, head of KPMG’s taskforce on the review of European banks.

One source with knowledge of the scenarios said there was a case for applying tougher scenarios for countries that had not yet had major crises, since those nations had further to fall - an idea that would be contested by countries such as Germany.

B3

Monday, April 28, 2014

n BSS Asserting that the economy is going to become stronger due to efforts of the present UPA government, Finance Minister P Chidambaram yesterday said the CAD has been brought down significantly to $32bn and fiscal deficit contained within the target in 2013-14.

Chidambaram, however, said there has been shortfall in overall tax collection in the last fiscal.

“We are completely satisfied that we will achieve the fiscal deficit target as projected in the interim budget (4.6% of GDP during 2013-14).

“The news on Current Account Deficit (CAD) is of course extremely good.

The CAD for the year that ended will be only $32bn as against the previous

year’s $88bn,” he said in a media briefing at Congress party office here.

The CAD has not only been fully and safely financed but $28.5bn has also been added to the reserves, he said.

The CAD in 2012-13 was at 4.7% of GDP and in 2013-14 it will only 1.7%, the Finance Minister said.

“So these are good signs...The economy going forward can only become stronger,” the Finance Minister said.

To a query on recent rise in stock market and Modi factor, Chidambaram said: “If you attribute every rise to quote unquote to borrow your language ‘Mr Modi is coming’ then every dip must also be attributed to Mr Modi is coming. Please don’t make that fatal mistake. What has this got to do with who is going to be elected on May 16 (the vote counting day)?”

REUTERS

He said what is happening in the capital market is a reflection that investors are becoming more confident about the stability and strength of India’s economy. Talking about tax collections, Chidambaram said the revenues are “more or less as expected”.

In the direct taxes segment, government has collected about Rs5,500 crore more than the revised estimate (Rs6,41,835 crore) during 2013-14.

On indirect taxes, government has achieved the target for Customs, but in the Central Excise and Service Tax segments there has been a shortfall “resulting in a net shortfall of indirect tax of about Rs17,000 crore”, he said.

Chidambaram further said the slowdown in the economy was caused by high government expenditure, fiscal deficit and CAD, and consequent inflation.

“So in the last 20 months my job has been to attack the problem. We have attacked the problem of fiscal deficit.

We have attacked the problem of CAD. Both have been contained.

Once these two problems are contained, going forward you will find that investment would pick up, both domestic and foreign investment will pick up,” the Finance Minister added.

He also said the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has speeded up implementation of large infrastructure projects.

The CCI and project monitoring group (PMG) has been an outstanding success, he said.

“I am very happy that the idea of CCI has now been vindicated.

The greater vindication is coming from the fact that 15 states have come to the Cabinet Secretariat seeking advice and guidance on how to set up similar PMGs in respective states.

I sincerely hope that every state will set up a cabinet committee and a PMG for projects that are being implemented in their states, he added.

Out of these 169 projects taken up by the CCI, in 108 projects “we have almost completely resolved the outstanding issues ... (and) as a result ... these projects are moving forward”, he said.

Fresh loans to the extent of Rs102,292 crore have been released to the project promoters. Of all the 169 projects, the total project cost is Rs837,632 crore and the loan sanctioned by banks to these projects is Rs292,658 crore.

The outstanding loan as of Feb 28, 2014, was 2,28,288 crore, which means roughly 70% of the sanctioned loan has been disbursed, Chidambaram added. l

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Monday, April 28, 2014

Deal fever hits global pharma sector n AFP, New York Global pharmaceutical companies facing major patent expirations have announced billions of dollars of transactions in a wave of deal-making that could ultimately include mega-mergers and hostile takeovers.

On Tuesday, Switzerland’s Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline of Britain and US group Eli Lilly announced nearly $25bn worth of deals to shift key assets in oncology, vaccines and animal health among the three giants.

The same day, Canadian company Valeant, working with activist investor Bill Ackman, unveiled a bid to acquire Botox-maker Allergan for $45.6bn.

The proposal suggested Valeant would launch a hostile campaign if management does not accede to “productive discussions.”

Both deals were shadowed by the possibility of an even more dramatic outcome: the purchase by US giant Pfizer of Britain’s AstraZeneca for more than $100bn. Pfizer reportedly approached AstraZeneca about such a deal, although talks are not active.

The stream of activity comes as pharmaceutical giants seek to make up for lost sales as patents expire and as medium-sized firms and generics specialists

take steps to grow by acquisition.

“We expect the next few years to be particularly active from a mergers and acquisitions perspective and hence pivotal in the reshaping of the industry,” said Barclays analyst Shubhomoy Mukherjee.

If this week’s transactions are completed, including Valeant-Allergan, that would lift the total on healthcare deals in 2014 to $162.1bn, making it the second biggest sector in terms of deals after telecommunications, according to Dealogic.

Driving the realignment is pressure on pharma giants to build up specialty businesses and exit lower-priority investments that in some cases have suffered from their second-fiddle status within their companies.

Pharma companies typically enjoy huge profit margins on blockbuster drugs, but the expiration of patents leaves them vulnerable to steep declines in sales.

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said the bulk of the British giant’s research investment focused on three core areas - oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, and respiratory, inflammation and autoimmune problems.

The company, aiming to spend less outside these fields, is exploring “part-

nering options” for its remaining research in infectious diseases and other areas, Soriot said.

“We’re looking at a variety of options that we hope to conclude very quickly,” he said.

Soriot would not be drawn into a discussion of a Pfizer deal, but the Astra chief argued the company can make it on its own.

“Of course we are always considering options that accelerate shareholder value where it makes sense,” he said.

“But at this point in time we are very convinced that our strategy is working.

“We are creating value through progressing our pipeline. And we’ll continue doing this on an independent basis.”

The Novartis-Glaxo-Lilly transactions further Novartis’ efforts to boost its specialties in oncology, Glaxo’s efforts to build vaccines and Lilly’s efforts to become a bigger player in animal health.

Novartis and Glaxo also announced plans to create “a world-leading consumer healthcare business” focused on wellness, oral health, nutrition and skin health. The venture would sell popular remedies to quit smoking and address back pain, and is geared at growing market share in developed and emerging markets. l

Photo shows a visitor taking a picture of an exhibition made with Buick car parts on display during the "Auto China 2014" Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in Beijing. Air that's cleaner inside your car than on the outside - in smog-weary China it's an attractive sales pitch, and the world's biggest automakers are racing to cash in AFP

Malaysia cites ‘sensitivities’ as Obama struggles to push trade pact n Reuters, Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said yesterday that he and US President Barack Obama had agreed to upgrade bilateral relations but suggested that his country remains far from ready to sign a US-led trade pact due to domestic “sensitivities.”

Obama’s visit to Malaysia follows his swing through Japan, where he failed to clinch a trade deal key to the U.S. “rebalancing” back to Asia. Such a deal would have injected momentum into the delayed 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact.

Najib’s ambition to bring Malaysia into Obama’s flagship trade plan has been undercut by the resurgent influence of traditionalists within his own ruling party following a weak election showing last year.

Early this month, a Malaysian cabinet minister was reported as saying the country was a long way from being able to sign a TPP deal and that the priority should be on economic integration within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc.

Najib said Malaysia was committed to free trade and denied that Washington was “bullying” the Southeast Asian nation into joining the controversial pact.

“We are working around the sensitivities and challenges which I alluded to in my discussions with President Obama,” Najib told a joint news conference with the US leader in the administrative capital of Putrajaya.

“He fully understands our domestic sensitivities and we will sit down and try to iron this out with the intention of trying to work out a deal in the near future.”

Obama said that domestic opposition to trade deals wasn’t surprising and that the United States was willing to be flexible on particularly sensitive areas, such as prices of life-saving medicines that critics say will jump in countries like Malaysia under the TPP. “There’s never been a trade deal in which somebody’s not going to at some point object because they’re fearful of the future or they’re invested in the status quo,” Obama said.

Protesters briefly disrupted Obama’s talk later in the day at a town hall-style meeting with young Malaysians at a university, holding up anti-TPP signs before being ushered away by security.

'Peaceful rise' for china

The challenge for Obama during his week-long, four-nation regional tour is to convince Asian partners that Washington is serious about its promised stra-

tegic “pivot” to increase US influence in Asia, without harming US ties with China, the world’s second-biggest economy and a growing maritime power.

In his town hall speech, the Hawaiian-born president who lived in Indonesia as a boy told his audience that the United States has long had connections across the Pacific as well as the Atlantic.

He told students he plans to meet every year with the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and would work through the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) to build trade ties.

“We want to work with old allies and worthy partners and with China,” he said. “We want to see a peaceful rise to China.”

Najib announced that he had agreed with Obama to upgrade the two countries’ ties to a “comprehensive partnership,” mirroring a step that Malaysia took with China last year when President Xi Jinping made a state visit.

“This marks a new phase in our relationship, with greater collaboration in economy, security, education, science, technology and more,” Najib said.

Human rights groups and members of Malaysia’s opposition alliance have urged Obama to speak out on what

they say has been a sharp deterioration in religious and political freedoms since the ruling coalition suffered its election setback last May. Since then, the government has reinstated detention without trial as part of a package of tougher crime laws and renewed what critics call a campaign of judicial persecution against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

In March, a court convicted Anwar on a charge of sodomy and sentenced him to five years in prison. The verdict came days before he was to stand in an election seen as paving the way for him to take charge of Malaysia’s richest state.

Asked why he would not be meeting Anwar on his three-day visit to Malaysia, Obama said it was “not indicative of a lack of concern” and that Malaysia had “work to do” on allowing more freedoms. Obama was due to meet civil society leaders later on Sunday.

Najib said he was committed to the rule of law and civil liberties, but that he had to take account complex racial sensitivities in the multi-ethnic nation of 29 million people, where majority ethnic Malays enjoy special rights.

“We have to manage that and that’s exactly what Malaysia has done and because of that we are a relatively peaceful, harmonious nation,” Najib said. l

DoCoMo heads for India exit as competition, regulation take toll n Reuters, Tokyo Japanese telecoms giant NTT DoCoMo Inc is seeking to sell its stake in a lossmaking Indian joint venture with conglomerate Tata Group, likely at a deep discount, bowing out of the world’s second-biggest mobile phone market.

DoCoMo’s exit from India after just five years highlights the difficulties both foreign and local telecom companies face in a fiercely competitive market, where carriers rely on cut-throat pricing to attract subscribers.

DoCoMo paid 266.7bn yen ($2.61bn) for a 26.5% stake in Tata Teleservices in 2009. Under the joint venture agreement with Tata, DoCoMo could sell its stake for about half of what it originally paid for the stake or at a “fair market price”, whichever was higher.

“We invested in India because at the time we saw excellent growth prospects in emerging countries and we wanted to be involved there,” DoCoMo Chief Executive Kaoru Kato told reporters on Friday after the company posted its earnings for the financial year ended March 31.

“We came to this decision (to sell) because the growth we’ve seen in five years is not what we expected,” he said.

Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, confirmed DoCoMo’s plans to sell its stake in Tata Teleservices.

“As also stated by NTT DoCoMo, it is not possible to predict how events will unfold; however, Tata Sons is cognizant of its responsibilities, and will act keeping in mind the interests of all stakeholders and in accordance with law,” it said in a statement.

DoCoMo’s Kato blamed the joint venture’s poor performance on a delay in introducing 3G mobile networks that can carry high-margin data services, as well as an alleged corruption scandal that saw several companies, including Tata Teleservices, losing some or all of their zonal operating permits.

DoCoMo is one of several Japanese companies struggling with their investments in India, a rapidly growing market these firms had hoped would offset the effects of an ageing, and shrinking, population at home.

Pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo Co agreed this month to sell its stake in drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd to India’s Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd after quality glitches led to its drugs being barred from the Unit-

DILBERT

US President Barack Obama and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak both smile as they participate in a joint news conference at the Perdana Putra Building in Putrajaya, Malaysia yesterday REUTERS

ed States, halving the value of its initial investment.

Japanese carmakers including Toyota Motor Corp and Suzuki Motor Corp’s unit Maruti Suzuki India have also experienced labour unrest at their factories in India, leading to production losses.

Lagging targets

DoCoMo, Japan’s biggest telecom network by subscribers, said it would exercise the option to sell its stake by June if Tata Teleservices’ financial results for the fiscal year that ended March 31 failed to meet targets specified under an initial shareholder agreement.

DoCoMo did not specify the targets, and unlisted Tata Teleservices is not obliged to publicly disclose its results.

A DoCoMo executive who declined to be named told Reuters Tata Teleservices was not expected to meet the targets, but also declined to specify what they were.

Tata is due to reveal its finalised results to DoCoMo within weeks, the executive added, declining to be named because of the confidentiality of the matter.

New Indian rules do not allow a telecoms carrier with operations in India to buy a stake in a rival carrier, although two carriers can merge their operations.

Some Indian media reports have said Vodafone is a likely suitor for Tata Teleservices. Any deal, however, would require Tata Teleservices to be merged with Vodafone’s Indian unit, with Tata Group either fully exiting the business or taking a minority stake in the merged entity.

“TTSL (Tata Teleservices Ltd) continues to be an integral part of the Tata group,” the Tata Sons statement said on Friday.

Singapore state investor Temasek and Indian businessman C Sivasankaran also own small stakes in Tata Teleservices.

Tata Teleservices expanded into lucrative GSM-based mobile phone services after the deal with DoCoMo and amassed subscribers by offering a cheaper per-second billing plan, but it subsequently failed to build on its initial success and has lost market share in the past two years.

It currently ranks seventh in terms of subscriber numbers among the 12 firms that operate in India. l