07 May, 2014

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Boishakh 24, 1421 Rajab 7, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 37

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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9 | THAI COURT TO RULE ON PM DISMISSAL

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Witness: RAB kept eye on Nazrul at court

Formal charge against Jamaat likely this month n Udisa Islam

lam and lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarker, another name has popped up in the political scenario in the city.

His name has taken the centre stage for his alleged involvement in the abduction and murder of those seven people and wielding immense political and muscle power but has so far remained untouched.

The man is none other than Nur Hossain, 50, whose rags-to-riches story is now being widely discussed in Narayanganj. Locals say hardly any major crime could be committed in which Nur Hossain had no hand.

Even some police officials acknowledged the fact of his infamy. Nazrul

Formal charges against Jamaat-e-Islami for committing war crimes as a political party are likely to be submitted to the International Crimes Tribunal at the end of this month, a move that will fulfil the long-cherished desire of the country’s pro-liberation people.

A seven-member prosecution team has almost finalised the formal charges with at least five charges to be filed against the party that had opposed the 1971 Liberation War and had been involved in committing crimes against humanity in collaboration with the Pakistani occupation forces.

The possible charges are committing war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, violation of Geneva Convention 1949 and other international laws.

The prosecution may seek five types of punishment against the party including declaring it a criminal organisation, imposing a ban on the party and its student body Islami Chhatra Shibir, realising compensation, and slapping fines.

On March 25, Investigation Officer Md Matiur Rahman handed over a 373page probe report to the prosecution team. Chief Prosecutor of the tribunal Md Golam Arif Tipoo formed a committee led by prosecutor Tureen Afroz.

Asked why they had taken almost two months to prepare the charges, Tureen said they had to solve some issues first.

“We are dealing with this type of

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 PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Tarek Sayeed and two other army officers sent to forced retirement Islam Shaon, Ahmed Zayeef n Ashif and Emran Hossain Sheikh A few aides of slain Narayanganj ward councillor Nazrul Islam have claimed that a person had shown unusual curiosity about Nazrul and kept him under watch in the courtroom on the day he was abducted.

A detective police yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that these aides had accompanied Nazrul in the courtroom on the day of the abduction and that they had given deposition along with Nazrul’s wife Selina Islam, his brother Abdus Salam and father-in-law Shahidul Islam to the Narayanganj superintendent of police at his office yesterday.

The detective could name four of the aides – Abdul Baten, Jalal, Idris Ali and Arif. He said Nazrul’s associates claimed to have charged that person in the courtroom, who had beard and was wearing a punjabi and a turban. Frisking him they felt a firearm on him.

Nazrul’s men handed him over to the court police, to whom the man whispered something and the police

released him, the four aides of Nazrul told the investigators yesterday.

When they demanded why the person had been released, the court police told them that he was a RAB personnel.

Nazrul’s men verified this with the other RAB members present on the court premises.

In a late night development, the former Commanding Officer of RAB 11 Lt Col Tarek Sayeed and two other officers – a Major and a Lieutenant - have been sent to forced retirement (pre-matured retirement), sources said.

The decision was made following a meeting when the Army Chief Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan met with the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban, sources confirmed the Dhaka Tribune.

Allegations were raised against these army officers for their involvement in the abduction and murders of seven in Narayanganj.

Tarek Sayeed is the son-in-law of Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

BIWTA uses excavators to dig through land encroached by Nur Hossain, the chief accused in the murder of seven people in Narayanganj, in an attempt to reclaim the area. The picture was taken from under the Kanchpur Bridge yesterday RAJIB DHAR

Finally, Nur Hossain under spotlight kar Ali Manik, Ashif Islam n Julfi Shaon and Ahmed Zayeef, back from Narayanganj About 20 kilometres from the capital the port city of Narayanganj, a major industrial and commercial hub near Dhaka, often grabs the spotlight because of the recurrence of abductions and murders to establish political supremacy.

In most cases, horrendous murders are committed as a result of fight between families having longstanding involvement in politics.

The local administration very often feels like being hostage to the political clouts of those leaders and their local thugs.

Nur Hossain, 50, whose rags-toriches story is now being widely discussed in Narayanganj No families other than Shamim Osman’s and Ivy’s with their longstanding political background with the Awami League have ruled the roost in Narayanganj generation after generation.

But in very recent times, especially after the chilling abduction and murder of seven people, including Narayanganj City Corporation Councillor Nazrul Is-

2 Anti-Kidnapping Squad arrests 7 arms dealers n Mohammad Jamil Khan The Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Detective Branch of police arrested seven suspected arms dealers, including a woman, from the capital’s Jatrabari and Farmgate area in the early hours of Monday.

Based on information, the special squad carried out their first raid around 1.45am in Tejgaon area of Farmgate and arrested Mohammad Kabil, 22, Jinnur Rahman alias Jillur, 23, and Rakibul Hassan alias Rocky, 24.

The squad recovered three foreign pistols and 15 rounds of bullets from their possession, said Krishna Podo Ray, deputy commissioner (South) of the DB. In another raid at Jatrabari, the squad arrested Nizam Uddin, 50, Saddam Hossain, 24, Shariful Islam alias Ashraful Islam, 26, and their accomplice Khaleda Begum alias Shima, 20.

From there the law enforcers recovered two foreign pistols, 13 rounds of bullets and 6.2 Kg explosive from their possession.

DC Krishna said the special squad arrested the arms dealers on the information gleaned from the arrested fake DB police and abductors.

Masudur Rahman, DC of the DMP, Sanowar Hossain, additional DC of the DB and chief of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, and Sayedur Rahman, ADC of the DB, were present at the briefing.

Krishna said the arrested criminals primarily confessed to have collected the arms and explosive from border areas. They said they had rent out those arms and explosives to the fake DB police gang. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

JS body warns RAB, police ‘Highest political authority serious about Narayanganj murders’ n Kamran Reza Chowdhury Lawmakers at a parliamentary body meeting said if involvement of officers of the RAB in the abduction and murder of seven people in Narayanganj is proved they would be given exemplary punishment as the “highest political leadership took it very seriously”.

The 10-member parliamentary standing committee on the home ministry yesterday expressed “serious concern” over frequent incidents of disappearances and abductions and said such “ominous” incidents had put the government in embarrassment.

State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan assured the watchdog that his ministry would not spare anyone no matter how powerful they are.

Lawmaker Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood

Swapon from Joypurhat first raised the recent killings in Narayanganj.

Mozammel Hossain, Shamsul Hoque Tuku, Faridul Haque Khan, Abul Kalam Azad and Kamrun Nahar Chowdhury spoke and expressed their concerns over abductions.

“We have made it clear that the killings in Narayanganj and the alleged involvement of the RAB members are a matter of serious concern for the government. It has put both government and the MPs in embarrassment,” said Tipu Munshi, the standing committee chairman.

Munshi said he met prime minister on Monday and sought her guidelines.

“The highest political office had taken the issue very seriously. So those involved in the murders in Narayanganj must be given exemplary punishment,” said Tipu.

“The punishment should not be the same as with the case of an ordinary citizen because members of law enforcement agencies were tasked with protecting people, not doing any harm to them,” he said.

The Director General of the RAB Mokhlesur Rahman told the meeting that they would take actions against the members of the elite force, if found guilty.

He referred to the officers who was suspended for his involvement in a robbery in a shrine in Chittagong.

Replying to a question of journalists about the involvement of the son-in-law of a Chandpur lawmaker in the Narayanganj murders the chairman said “the offenders can in no way be spared, no matter how powerful they are”.

Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya’s son-

Power Division forms ‘coal club’ n Aminur Rahman Rasel Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources formed a “coal club” yesterday.

The aim of the club is to share knowledge and experience between public and private sector operators of coal-based power plants, as well to promote the principles of coal experts and use of coal for power generation, according to Power Division officials.

Mohammad Hossain, director general of Power Cell, under Power Division, said the coal club would be independent of any political, ideological or religious interests.

“Eligible members for the club are important public and private entrepreneurs, persons involved with coal-related business, and coal experts or professionals at home and abroad. Any other category of membership may be determined by the ministry from time to time,” he said.

An ad hoc committee was formed with Md Abduhu Ruhullah, chairperson of Bangladesh Power Development Board, as convener and the DG of Power Cell as member secretary.

However, an executive committee consisting of 19 members will be formed for the club. l

in-law Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Muhammad was the commanding officer of the Narayanganj RAB. Shahidul Islam, the father-in-law of slain councillor Nazrul Islam, told a press conference that RAB members abducted and killed the seven persons in exchange for Tk6 crore.

Shahidul said another Councillor Nur Hossain gave the money to the RAB to kill those seven. Nur Hossain is now absconding.

The government has already withdrawn all top officers of the law enforcement agencies including Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Muhammad.

“Allegations (against an MP’s son-inlaw) can easily be raised. We are investigating the incident. The offenders must face punishment,” Asaduzzaman Khan reiterated his vow. l

The Election Commission (EC) has postponed the election of the Bandar upazila in Narayanganj for three months due to a complexity over boundary demarcation.

The commission took the decision as per the High Court’s directive and, through a letter, asked the officials concerned to postpone all activities of this upazila’s polls, an EC official said yesterday.

On April 23, the commission postponed elections of the Rangabali upazila in Patuakhali for similar reasons. Earlier, on April 16, the commission announced it would hold elections in 14 upazilas, including Bandar and Rangabali, on May 19.

However, elections of the remaining 12 upazilas will still be held on that day.

Out of 487, elections of 459 upazilas were held from February 19 to March 31 in five phases across the country. l

HC issues contempt rules against DSCC, BTCL officials n Nazmus Sakib

DPE employee arrested with question paper n Mushfique Wadud An employee of the Directorate of Primary Education was arrested yesterday from a government printing press in the capital while he was trying to pocket a question paper of an official test scheduled for Friday.

The employee, Tanvir Ahmed, allegedly took the question paper for a classIV employee recruitment test from the BG Press at Tejgaon and was attempting to leave the premises with it.

However, workers at the high-security press challenged him on suspicion and found the paper on him.

Tanvir was later handed over to Tejgaon industrial police.

When contacted, Shyamal Kanti Ghosh, director general of the Directorate of Primary Education, said he had directed the police to proceed according to law.

When asked whether the written test will be postponed,the DG said that a decision would be taken today.

The DPE employee was arrested at a time when several investigations are going on into the leakage of question papers of public and recruitment examinations.

Question papers of teacher recruitment tests andother public examshave been leaked recently.

The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education had to postpone the English Second Paper exam last month following allegations of question paper leakage. l

EC postpones Narayanganj Bandar upazila polls n Tribune Report

EU Ambassador William Hanna speaks at the second annual conference of the SHARE Education Programme in the capital yesterday.

Story on Page 5 MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

The High Court yesterday issued contempt rules against high officials of the Dhaka South City Corporation and the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd for allegedly flouting its previous orders.

The bench of Justice Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Ashraful Kamal passed the orders in the two separate cases.

The HC asked the city corporation’s administrator, chief executive officer and secretary to explain within two weeks why they should not be punished for contempt of court for disobeying a directive to regularise the jobs of 88 staff members in its revenue sector.

The court also sought explanations from three BTCL officials as to why they ignored an order to not cut off the phone lines of Jamir Telecom, whose managing director is Noufel Jamir, a son of former speaker and BNP leader Jamir Uddin Sircar.

The state-owned telephone compa-

ny’s managing director Mahfuj Uddin Ahmad, general manager AA Mohammad Moasir and director (overseas) Ziadul Anam were given one week to respond to the court.

In a petition earlier, Noufel claimed that the BTCL cut his company’s link on March 20, despite a 2012 HC ruling directing BTCL to refrain from cutting the link until the disposal of a compensation matter. The petitioner mentioned that the compensation issue was pending in an arbitration tribunal, comprising of three former chief justices.

Meanwhile, another High Court bench on Monday summoned the officer in charge of Ullapara police station in Sirajganj, as well as the investigating officer concerned, over the incident of removing the kidneys of a child that led to his death.

Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo ordered the two police officers to appear before the court on May 18 with an updated report on the murder case. l

Finally, Nur Hossain under spotlight Witness: RAB kept eye on Nazrul at court  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

brutally killed after the abduction on April 27 had a longstanding political and business rivalry with Nur Hossain.

Nazrul’s wife Selina Islam and his father-in-law Shahidul Islam pointed fingers at Nur Hossain. Nur is the prime accused in the cases filed by them against six persons on April 28 in connection with the seven murders.

Nur Hossain is absconding now, but he managed to stay in Narayanganj as usual till April 29, the day the seven bodies were recovered from the Shitalakkhya River.

“Probably he thought he would be safe as it is an open secret that he has people at the higher level of the state let alone Narayanganj,” said a person who is actively involved in the Awami League politics.

Preferring anonymity, he said, “Nur Hossain has his own men in the local administration who definitely advised him to leave Narayanganj as this time it might not be possible for him to remain untouched.”

Soon after he fled Narayanganj, the local authorities started moving, saying how powerful man he was and how he ran his illegal business, extort money and so on.

Nur Hossain, became a millionaire, was once helper of goods-carrying truck, said many of the locals and politicians of Narayanganj.

Once he was involved in the politics of the Jatiya Party before he became loyal to the ideology of the BNP. After that he joined the Awami League in 2000.

He is now the senior vice-president of Siddhirganj Thana Awami League.

He built an organised crime world in Siddhirganj area where no one dared to say anything, this is the perception of most of the residents in Narayanganj who the Dhaka Tribune talked to.

For the last many years Nur has controlled the trade of sand and stone chips along the bank of the Shitalakkhya River. Locals call it in Bangla “Balu Mahal” (open air sand depot).

Such sand depots are a source of earning of millions of taka per month.

In the name of sand and stone chips trade near the riverbank, Nur has gradually encroached upon the Shitalakkhya River, say locals.

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority launched an eviction drive in the area of ‘Balu Mahal’ in Sid-

dhirganj from May 2 which will conclude today.

Md Zahirul Islam, assistant coordination officer of the BIWTA, yesterday afternoon was overseeing the eviction drive.

When a Dhaka Tribune correspondent approached, he said in Siddhirganj area they had found 40 to 45 small illegal shacks on about 2-kilometre long Balu Mahal of Nur Hossain and their men demolished those weak structures.

BIWTA official Zahirul claimed that the eviction drive didn’t have any link with the seven murders and the alleged involvement of Nur Hossain with it, rather it was planned before the April 27 abduction incident.

He said: “As he had longstanding influence over here, we had to face obstruction from him when we tried to demolish his structures.”

“So, we had to negotiate with him before we came here to carry out any eviction drive, but now we can do it without any obstruction as he went into hiding,” he said.

Many locals said Nur had been gradually grabbing the Shitalakkhya River over the last five to seven years. Now they believe that if Nur Hossain did not come back, the river could be saved.

Nur has set up a 4800 square feet jatra pandel (jatra is a traditional local form of drama) one and a half years back at the truck stand of Shimrail in Siddhirganj. He earned notoriety by setting up the jatra pandel that eventually became a place for unsocial activities, but no one ever dared to protest it. He earned millions of taka every day from the pandel, said a local wishing not to be named as he feared reprisal from the men of Nur. Yesterday the pandel was removed.

Ejajul Hossain Rudro, owner of the decorating company that set up the pandel said he used to get Tk10,000 per day from the organisers but over the last six months this amount came down to Tk3,000.

Locals also talked about Nur’s involvement in the drug dealing in the area.

Though many people are now raising their voice against the criminal activities of Nur, they still fear backlash after his return. A government officer in Narayanganj who has been assigned to look into the illegal business and his criminal activities told these correspondents: “Pray for me lest I should be abducted and murdered.” l

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

Earlier Tareq was removed from RAB 11 on April 29.

Narayanganj panel mayor and ward councillor Nazrul Islam, his four aides, senior lawyer Chandan Sarker and his driver were abducted on April 27. Six bodies, including that of Nazrul and Chandan, were found floating in the Shitalakhya River three days later; another body was found the following day.

Investigators have made little progress in six days since the recovery of the bodies of the abducted ward councillor and his aides and a lawyer and his driver from the Shitalakhya.

“We have not progressed enough. It will take time to reach the destination on the basis of what we have achieved so far,” Narayanganj Superintendent of PoliceKhandakerMohid Uddin told reporters yesterday.

He also said it was not their duty to investigate allegations against RAB and no higher authority had instructed them in this regard either. “Our duty is to investigate the case.”

The police chief said: “We are sure the killers are in the country. We have alerted the border force and the intelligence.”

The High Court on Monday ordered

the government to keep the Rapid Action Battalion from probing the Narayanganj abductions and killings and asked the government to form a seven-member committee headed by an additional secretary of the Public Administration Ministryforthe investigation.

In hisdeposition, Nazrul’s fatherin-law ShahidulIslam alleged that an influential contractor of Narayanganj City Corporation named Abu Sufianhad been involved in the murders.

In support of his previous claim that some RAB men had abducted and murdered his son-in-law in exchange for Tk6 crore, Shahidul said the money had been transacted through private banks.

He said they had submitted their allegations in writing to the SP but declined to disclose the details of the allegations.

Selina told reporters: “We are sure that without the help of the law enforcers and the administration, no one can stage such a big incident. We want the police to find the whole thing.”

She said two days after the abduction of her husband, anonymous callershad started threatening them but that had stopped now. Selina urged all to stop making the abductions and murdersan issue for politics.

Nur aides’ firearms seized

Police yesterday seized two shotguns and several bullets, raiding the houses of two associates of fugitive Nur Hossain. Jamal and Nur Uddin, the aides to Nur Hossain, had licencesfor the guns, Abdul Matin, officer-in-charge of Siddhirganjpolice station, said.

The district administration yesterday cancelled the licences of 11 firearms, including the two owned by Nur Hossain and his aides, the OC added.

Police raided their house at Batenpara and found the arms.

Meanwhile, district lawyers yesterday threatened to lay siege to the RAB11 office on May 11 if the killers were not held.

President of Narayanganj Bar Association advocate Sakhawat Hossain Khan came up with the threat at a rally held in front of the District Bar Bhaban. The lawyers also observed a one-hour work abstention protesting the incident.

Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Anisur Rahman went to Nazrul’s house around 7pm yesterday. He told Selina that the prime minister had asked them to visit her and give assurancethat the killers would be arrested and justice would be ensured. l

Formal charge against Jamaat likely this month  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

case for the first time. We have limited source to get guidance about its jurisprudence. Secondly, it was a lengthy process to collect documentary evidence from Jamaat’s publication.

“Finally, though we have example of the Nuremberg Trial, we needed to specify all the new examples until this year. It is also time consuming,” she explained.

The probe report also includes 9,557-page evidential documents and 70 statements of witnesses including historians, prominent researchers and victims.

About the challenges the prosecution team had faced to draw conclusion of the charges, an insider said: “When we approached some intellectuals to give statement against Jamaat, many of them did not respond. However, we can collect many statements from the intellectuals.

“It was beyond our imagination when some noted persons known to be pro-liberation denied giving any statement.”

The source said the prosecution

CHARGES

PUNISHMENT

TYPE OF WITNESS

War crimes

Declaration as criminal organisation

Local witnesses who observed role of Jamaat in 1971

Genocide

Banning the organisation

Regional witnesses who observed locally the role of Jamaat

Crimes against humanity

Compensation

Expert witnesses

Violation of Geneva Convention 1949

Trust creation

Policy witnesses

Violation of other international laws

Fines

Documentary evidence

team had been taking notes on when and how the eminent persons were contacted so that they would not refuse later and claim that they were not informed.

The prosecution says they may seek punishment following the pattern at international courts. They are trying to explore something beyond the socalled punishment.

In their formal charge, the prosecution is likely to include the issues of torture on women, the use of children in conflicts, and the killing of noted intellectuals.

To prove the charges, they would take support of newspapers published in 1971, memorials of leaders of Jamaat and policy statements of the party that are related to its philosophy during the Liberation War. After getting the probe report, the prosecution team visited many places all over the country to reach the witnesses who had observed the role of Jamaat in 1971.

The government in February last year amended the ICT Act and included a provision to try a group or party for committing crimes against humanity. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Russian envoy: BNP to honour deals on Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Russian Ambassador in Dhaka Alexander Nikolaev yesterday said the BNP had assured him that the party would respect all the agreements related to Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

“Few weeks after the general elections in Bangladesh on January 5, it was conveyed to me by a quite prominent member of the standing committee of the party that the leadership of the party will fulfil all the obligations and agreements which were concluded between the two countries in recent years,” he said.

In reply to a query about discussion on the issue with the BNP, the Russian ambassador made the disclosure at a ‘Dcab Talks’ in the city.

Dhaka had signed a contract to build 1,000mw nuclear power plant at Rooppur in Pabna with the assistance from Moscow which had drawn attention inside and outside Bangladesh.

When asked about the recent comment of German Ambassador Albreicht Conze about not having nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, he said: “I must admit I was not happy to read the report on such statement by one of my colleagues.”

He said it was his guess that due to ‘commercial jealousy’, the German ambassador made the comment.

Nikolaev said 20 years back, German company Siemens entered into a contract with Iran to build a nuclear power plant, but it gave up the project which had been implemented by a Russian company later.

He also criticised the German ambassador, saying that they should talk with France which produces nuclear power and export it to Germany.

About the recent statement by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to have another nuclear power plant, he said it was the best answer to opinion of his German colleague.

Nikolaev said the German ambassador at a private meeting asked him what was the sense of constructing a single nuclear power plant in Bangladesh as “it cannot resolve all the energy problems in the country”.

In reply, he said: “I answered him who told you that it would be the single one.”

In the political front, he said Moscow, New Delhi and Beijing had congratulated the government after the January 5 election as unlike other Western countries, they have enough political wisdom not to impose their decisions on any country.

“Beijing, New Delhi and Moscow have enough political wise not to impose on anybody in the world and e.g.

South Asia and Bangladesh in particular,” the Russian ambassador said.

“This is why the three countries congratulated the prime minister of Bangladesh with the results of election and certain western colleagues did not,” he said.

However, Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh visited Bangladesh just before the election and discussed polls issue with the political leadership in the country and had a half-an-hour one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

When asked about the Russian view on the January 5 election, the ambassador said: “I got sick of the question. It is absolutely out of my concern what the Bangladeshi people and main political stakeholders will decide to hold new election in five days, five weeks or five years.”

He said Russia recognised the results of the recent elections. “Of course we admit the election process could be improved, no doubt about it. But do you want to say that in Russian Federation itself, or in the United States, the election process could not be improved.”

He added: “The process in the States, in my point of view is just ridiculous.. But I don’t intend to impose my views what must be the election process in the United States.”

About defence purchase, he said Bangladesh is going to procure 16 Yak 130 training fighters with $1 billion loan from Russia.

He, however, declined to divulge any further information on its price and asked the journalists to contact with the Bangladesh Air Force to get more information. l

The decomposed body of an unidentified person was found under the Kanchpur Bridge in Narayanganj yesterday. Local workers said the body had been lying under the bridge for the past two days, before authorities concerned finally recovered it RAJIB DHAR

PADMA BRIDGE SCAM

ACC finds evidences to file charges in 2 months n Tribune Report The Anti-Corruption Commission has received sufficient documents from Canada to complete its investigation into the Padma Bridge conspiracy case.

The information and evidence, received from the Canadian authorities, is sufficient enough to move faster in completing the probe, ACC Commissioner M Shahabuddin told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He also said the commission’s investigation team would place the formal charges before the court within the next two months.

ACC sources said the commission had received documents from Canada in phases and those would be submitted before the court for consideration as “evidence of irregularities” in the appointment of supervisor for the bridge’s construction.

The ACC reportedly completed the Bangladesh part of the investigation several months ago and was waiting

for the Canadian documents to wind up the enquiry.

Hearing in the case filed with the Canadian court regarding the Padma Bridge scam is underway. The ACC earlier sent its representatives twice to Canada to observe the pretrial and collect documents related to the case.

However, the representatives failed to collect a copy of a diary which allegedly contained the code names used by SNC-Lavalin to describe the hidden costs to get the contract.

The bridge’s work stalled in late 2011 after its lead financier World Bank had suspended the funds raising corruption allegations. The Canadian police started investigation into the allegation on a request from the WB. On December 17, 2012, the ACC filed the case of “conspiracy for corruption in the Padma Bridge project” against seven people including former bridges division secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.

Charges framed against Oishee

Youth gets life term for abducting n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu college girl A Dhaka court yesterday framed against Oishee Rahman and n Our Correspondent, Chittagong charges two others in the case filed in connecA Chittagong court yesterday sentenced a youth to life term and fined him Tk50,000 on charges of abducting a female college student at the port city in 2012.

Judge of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal 2 Md Zakir Hossain passed the verdict at the presence of the convict Md Milton Hawladar, 26.

Milton abducted the girl on August 28, 2012 and a case was filed on that very same day. Later, police caught Milton and submitted a charge sheet on September 30, 2012. The tribunal accepted the charge sheet into cognizance on May 16, 2013.

Charges were proved against Milton on July 8, 2013 and the verdict was passed after seven witnesses had testified. l

Rana’s associate remanded in murder case n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday placed Abu Bakkar Siddique, a key associate of Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana, on a two-day remand in a murder case filed in connection with the collapse of the faulty building in Savar on April 24 last year.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Sheuly Akhter passed the order after the investigation officer of the case, CID’s Assistant Superintendent Bijoy Krishna Khar, produced the accused before the court and sought five-day remand. Police arrested the accused from Savar Bazar area on secret information on Monday.

In the remand prayer, the IO said Siddique had been present at the Rana Plaza and forced the garment workers to work. The murder case was filed on April 25 last year, a day after the building had collapsed, with the Savar police station. At least 1,136 people mostly female workers died and over 2,500 others injured in the incident. l

tion with the murder of her parents, police inspector Mahfuzur Rahman and his wife Shapna Rahman.

The other two accused are Oishee’s friends Rony, 25, and Jony, 27.

Yesterday, defence counsel Prokash Ranjan Biswas sought bail for Oishee but Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Jahurul Haque rejected the plea and set June 5 for prosecution witnesses to testify. This is the fifth time Oishee has been denied bail.

A total of 57 people have been mentioned as witnesses in the charge sheet.

The court did not frame charges against another accused Khadiza Khatun Sumi, 15, Oishee’s housemaid.

Instead, Sumi’s documents were transferred to the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Jakia Parveen’s court. It would serve as a ju-

venile court and frame charges against her on May 20.

All the four accused were present before the court yesterday. On August 24, Oishee and Sumi gave confessional statements.

Oishee’s counsel alleged that the investigation officer had placed the charge sheet without proper investigation and that the court had not allowed hearing on discharge petition.

Additional public prosecutor Shah Alam Talukder sought time but the court framed charge against the accused.

On March 9, investigation officer Abu Al Khair Matubbar submitted two charge sheets in the case to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.

According to the charge sheets, Oishee is the lone accused for killing her parents, while Jony and Rony were charged for instigating and giving her shelter.

Sumi was accused because she assisted Oishee in hiding the dead bodies.

The charge sheets also said before killing the couple on the night of Au-

gust 14, 2013, Oishee fed her parents sedative tablets with coffee. One of the charge sheets said: “Two months before the murder, Oishee wanted to go to Dubai with her boyfriend Jony. She also demanded Tk30,000 from her father. But her father Mahfuzur did not let her go.

“About a month before the killings, Oishee lived with her boyfriend Jony in a rented house at Rampura for 15 days.

That was when she planned to kill her parents.” After she came back to her Chamelibagh residence 15 days before the murder, her parents grounded her, restricted her movement and seized her cell phone, the charge sheet said.

On August 16, 2013, the bodies of the couple were recovered from their Chamelibagh residence. Twenty-two hours later, Oishee turned up at the Paltan police station. Later, detectives arrested Rony, his brother Jony and Sumi.

The case was filed by Mahfuz’s brother Moshiur Rahman with Paltan police station against some unnamed people. l

Siblings give deposition against Azhar n Udisa Islam Two brothers testified at the war crimes tribunal yesterday in the case against Rangpur district al-Badr commander ATM Azhar and accused him of torture during the 1971 Liberation War. Rafiqul Hasan Nannu, the 12th prosecution witness, said because of the torture by Azhar, he had become handicapped. He said: “I was tortured only because of my involvement with the politics of Bangladesh Chhatra League at that time.”

Azhar, the incumbent assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, faces six charges of crimes against humanity.

He was indicted on November 12.

“On December 1, 1971, I went to Betpotti area in Rangpur town from where Azhar took me to their Central Road camp. There Azhar and his cohorts whipped me with electric wire for at least three hours making me uncon-

scious,” Nannu told the International Crimes Tribunal 1.

“As they thought me dead, they left my body at a corner of a room. My elder brother Sazzad Zahir rescued me from the camp with the help of one Nasim Osman, a non-Bangalee who was also a leader of Pakistan People’s Party. But before that, when my brother came for my rescue, Azhar denied to free me,” he added.

Nannu corroborated the deposition of his younger brother Sakhawat Hossain Ranga, who testified as the 11th prosecution witness in the morning session.

Ranga described the reason of his brother’s abduction, confinement and torture.

On a day of mid-November in 1971, when Nannu had been playing with his friend in front of their house, accused Azhar was passing by. The accused slapped him for chanting “Joy Bangla”

slogan. “Our family was afraid since then as Nannu was involved with the Awami League,” Ranga said.

After their depositions, defence counsel Abdus Subhan Tarafder asked them one question each and the tribunal adjourned the hearing until today to cross examine the brothers.

In the beginning of yesterday’s session, the prosecution submitted an application pleading for making a minor correction in the sixth and final charge against the accused saying that input of a date had been missing when the tribunal framed the charges.

In his submission, prosecutor Zeadal-Malum said the tribunal could easily make the correction by its inherent power. On the other hand, defence counsels deferred with the prosecution and pleaded for reviewing the indictment order. Without accepting or rejecting the plea, the tribunal kept the matter in record. l

The ACC kept the names of former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and former state minister Abul Hasan Chowdhury as suspects.

It said the duo would be kept under observation.

On September 18, Royal Canadian Mounted Police charged five people in connection with the scam. They are the former state minister Abul Hasan, SNC-Lavalin’s former director Mohammad Ismail, former vice-presidents Kevin Wallace and Ramesh Shah, and Zulfiquar, a Canadian citizen who has business ties in Bangladesh.

Shahabuddin earlier told the media that they had kept Abul Hasan under close watch. “Abul Hasan could be charged too if the allegation is proved against him in the Canadian court.”

Mohammed Ismail, a key accused in the case, on May 15 last year told the CBC News that they had interchangeably used the word, PCC. “Sometimes it was ‘project consultancy cost,’ sometimes ‘project

commercial cost,’ but the real fact is the intention was bribe.”

It was learned that the diary of Ramesh Shah contains a list of those who received 10-12% commissions for the project, and the information was very precise. It said: “Padma PCC, 4% Min, 2% Kaiser, 2% Nixon, 1% Secretary and 1% Moshi Rahman.”

According to the diary, “Min” refers to the former communications minister, “Kaiser” refers to Abul Hasan and “Nixon” to the prime minister’s nephew Mujibur Rahman. “Secretary” is Mosharraf while “Moshi Rahman” is the Prime Minister’s Economic Affairs Adviser Mashiur Rahman. A 2% commission was set aside for someone whose name was not mentioned.

Abul Hossain did not get nomination in the January 5 general election while Mosharraf, who is now on bail, was made a member of the Privatisation Commission in mid-January. Nixon has become a lawmaker from Faridpur in January 5 poll. l

Mujaheed Bahini member testifies in Subhan case n Udisa Islam The prosecution’s third witness in the case against Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-eAmeer Maulana Abdus Subhan claimed, yesterday, that he had joined Mujaheed Bahini, a group of collaborators, because he was forced by the accused and the Pakistani occupation forces.

Md Abu Asad, 62, said, at the International Crimes Tribunal 2, Subhan had kidnapped him and four others from the Joynagar village on April 15 of 1971 in order to use them as guards in the Pakistani Army camps and torture cells.

“The accused took us to the army camp near the Hardinge Bridge in Ishwardi and said ‘I am Subhan from Pabna. As a Muslim, like me, you have to protect East Pakistan from today. If anyone tries to ignore this directive, he will be shot dead,’” he quoted.

The witness said he had witnessed many rapes, stating, “I saw how the collaborators violated a woman in front of her husband and shot her dead. We used to encircle the villages at the time of atrocities so that none of the villagers could escape the place.”

The accused was acting ameer of the Pabna unit of Jamaat and chairman of the Peace Committee. He also allegedly led the “Mujaheed Bahini” in the district. On December 31 last year, tribunal 1 indicted Subhan on nine charges. The case was later transferred to tribunal 2 on March 27.

Asad told the tribunal that they had

been trained from the very beginning with the Mujaheed Bahini, stating, “We were on duty at Hardinge Bridge where the collaborators killed confined pro-liberation people.” He claimed that Subhan had sometimes shot people himself, with his pistol, for Maj Jaitun of the Pakistani Army.

The witness said on May 2, Subhan, along with the Pakistani troops, had gone to Shahpur village and killed at least 2025 unarmed villagers including Chand Ali, Rajab Ali and Shamsul. He was only 20 feet away from where the shooting took place. When they returned, the army officials were in cheerful mood and speaking about how they violated women at the village, the witness said.

Asad said he had also been tortured

by Subhan for helping two fellow members to flee. Subhan forced him to accept that he had helped those persons but the witness had denied the accusations.

The witness said he had fled the torture camp from near a culvert of the Hardinge Bridge at the end of November. He then met Khairuzzaman Babu, commander of the Khadimpara freedom fighters’ camp and left with them for the Jalangi camp to take training. After the liberation, he returned to an independent Bangladesh and took a job as a railway security guard.

After his deposition, defence counsels began cross examining him. However, the tribunal adjourned the proceedings until next Monday keeping the trial incomplete as the defence asked for more time. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

New curriculum prepared for dental students Four-year-long BDS course to be extended to five years According to the health directorate, n Moniruzzaman Uzzal the country currently has one dental The Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) is set to update the curriculum for the dental students in a bid to introduce time-befitting changes as well as extending the course duration to five years.

A team of medical education specialists prepared the new curriculum for the BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgeon) course after scrutinising the existing one that was formulated in 2007. Dental students enrolling in the upcoming 2014-15 academic year will study under the new curriculum.

Confirming the news, Dr Jahedul Haque Basunia, registrar of the BMDC, told the Dhaka Tribune that the updated curriculum has already been finalised and will be presented at a general meeting of the BMDC on May 10 for approval.

The updated curriculum will reportedly introduce changes in some basic rules, including extending the course duration to five years from the existing four-year syllabus and reshaping the annual examination timeline to give students more time to cover course contents.

If the new curriculum is approved, the students will get one and a half years to study for their first and also their final exams, while getting one year each for their second and third professional exams over a span of five years.

college and eight dental units at public medical colleges, along with 22 other private dental colleges. The number of seats at public dental education facilities is 532 and 1,255 at private dental colleges.

Professor Dr Ali Asgar Moral, president of Bangladesh Dental Society and also the dean of the dental faculty of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, said Bangladesh has thus far offered only four-year BDS courses, while other countries offer five to seven years of courses. As MBBS degree students study for five years to get their degrees, they often undermine dentists for having studied for a shorter time span, he added.

“In order to create more opportunities to learn dentistry in a better way, it has been proposed that the duration of the new course be five years. It will also help in getting the BDS certificate recognised in the international market,” Moral said.

Dr Basunia of the BMDC said a new and time-befitting curriculum has also been introduced since last year for the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. In order to ease the pressure on students, the size of the new curriculum has been reduced and more emphasis has been placed on practical education rather than on textbook materials, he said. l

Armed with sticks, activists of a faction of Jubo League demonstrate on a street near Khulna’s Zero Point during a clash with another faction yesterday

ACC approves 10 chargesheets against 21, including 11 Sonali Bank officials n Tribune Report The Anti-Corruption Commission has given the go ahead for the submission of charge sheets against 21 people, including 11 officials of the Sonali Bank Ltd, for embezzling Tk18.68 crore from the state-owned bank.

At a meeting yesterday, the commission approved the filing of charge sheets in 10 cases – out of 27 – in connection with the misappropriation of loan money from the bank by five companies, which included the Hallmark Group, ACC officials said.

Out of the 10 charge sheets, six will be filed against Paragon Knit Composite Ltd, three against DN Sports Ltd and one against Khanjahan Ali Sweaters

Ltd, they said.

The ACC officials also said the commission has already received investigation reports on the remaining 17 cases and they are waiting for approval.

In January 2013, the commission lodged 10 cases with the Ramna police against the companies for embezzling about Tk19.73 crore from the bank’s branch at the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel. An investigation later found that the amount involved was actually Tk18.68 crore.

Company executives who face charges are Paragon’s Managing Director (MD) Saiful Islam Raza, Directors Abdullah Al Mamun and Mokul Hossain; DN Sports’ Chairman Motaharuddin Chowdhury, MD Shafiqur Rahman John and Director Fahmida Akhter

Sikha; and Khanjahan Sweaters’ Chairman Tazul Islam Molla, MD Abdul Jalil Sheikh and Directors Mir Mohammad Shawkat Ali and Rafiqul Islam.

The accused Sonali Bank officials include former deputy general manager (GM) of the Ruposhi Bangla branch AKM Azizur Rahman, suspended Assistant GM Saiful Hasan and suspended Executive Officer Abdul Matin.

Also accused were several officials with the bank’s head office, including former MD and chief executive officer Humayun Kabir, former deputy MD Mainul Haque, former deputy GMs Shaikh Altaf Hussain and Safizuddin Ahmed, suspended Assistant GM Kamrul Hossain Khan and suspended Executive Officer Ajaz Ahmed.

Two former officials from the bank’s general manager’s office, Mir Mohidur Rahman and Noni Gopal Nath were also implicated.

On September 16, 2013, the commission approved charge sheets in 11 separate cases against 25 people for the embezzlement of Tk1,568.39 crore from the bank by the Hallmark Group.

The commission approved charges against 12 Hallmark executives and their associates, including MD Tanvir Mahmud, Chairman Jesmin Islam and GM Tushar Ahmed. Former Sonali Bank MD Humayun Kabir and 12 other bank officials were also charged.

Tanvir, Tushar and Humayun are now in jail awaiting trial, while Jesmin has been freed on bail. l

FOCUS BANGLA

Three JU unit BCL men expelled n JU Correspondent

Bangladesh Chhatra League expelled three of its Jahangirnagar University unit activists from the organisation, and another was warned for violating the code of the organisation.

A press release, signed by the central unit Chhatra League Office Secretary Sheikh Russel, said the expelled students are Arifuzzaman Arif, Md Rokonuzzaman Rokon and Selim Al Mamun. The university’s Moulana Bhashani Hall unit Chhatra League General Secretary Anindo Baroi was warned, it added, and asked the university authorities and law enforcers to take necessary actions against them.

Meanwhile, the central Chhatra League also asked the JU unit leaders to submit full-fledged hall committees for the university within five days, the press release added.

JU unit Chhatra League President Mahmudur Rahman Jony said the expulsion order and warning came following an unexpected incident on April 30 at the Moulana Bhashani Hall.

Sources said followers of the Moulana Bhashani Hall Chhatra League President Shakil Ahmed and General Secretary Anindo Baroi engaged in a brawl on April 30. Centring the incident, students loyal to Shakil beat up JU unit Chhatra League Organising Secretary KM Nur Nabi and activist Saddam Hossain, who are loyal to Anindo. l

Minister orders transfer of four BRTA Noor opposes all Indian channels n officials, three brokers held Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

n Mohosinul Karim Communication Minister Obaidul Quader asked the chairman of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority yesterday to transfer four officials of its Mirpur office immediately.

The order came after the minister paid a surprise visit to the regional

office along with a mobile court.

The officials are office assistants Laiju Begum and Ashikur Rahman who were ordered to be transferred because of their involvement with irregularities, said the ministry’s Public Relation Officer Sheikh Walid Bin Fayez.

Meanwhile, the mobile court sen-

tenced three illegal brokers, Monju, Imran and Jalal, with three-month imprisonment for conducting illegal activities at the office.

Assistant Director Masud Alam and Inspector Abu Nayeem were also transferred since they had been working in the same office for above three years, he added. l

Raising a question on the necessity of Indian television channels Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor yesterday opposed the broadcast of all Indian channels.

The minister and one of the country’s popular cultural personalities said this answering the queries of journalists at a press conference at Chittagong Circuit House around 1:30pm.

The minister said the Indian government is not a hindrance to Bangladeshi TV channels in India but it is India’s cable operators that demand high rate for the broadcast of Bangladeshi channels.

Bangladesh is trying to reduce the rate by holding dialogue with Indian cable operators, he said.

The minister also said cultural activities should be increased to fight against the evil political forces.

Tinted glass must be removed from vehicles

by May 10 n Mohosinul Karim The home ministry has ordered the removal of tinted and translucent glassesfrom cars and microbuses after purchase,as criminals are believed to be using such vehicles to commit crimes.

The orderwas issued yesterday where the ministry said in a directive on April 30 that to better check for crimes they had ban the use of tinted glass that affect visibility.

“The ban was imposed as criminals are using the cover of obscuring visibility and committing crimes using these vehicles. The law enforcementagencies have been facinga lot of trouble followingthe movement of criminalsbecause they use tinted ortranslucent glass on their vehicles such as cars and microbuses. They cannot identify people and elements inside these vehicles,” said the order, signed by deputy secretary

(political wing) Kamrul Hasan Raz. The home ministry order also saidthe government had taken a decision to remove all coloured, mercury or silver-coated and translucent or semi-transparentglassthatwere installed after the vehicles were bought.

“Such glass must be removed from the vehicles by May 10. The law enforcement will take legal action against those who violate the government decision,” it said.

However, the order would not apply for authorised vehicles that were purchased with tinted or translucent glasses “builtin” during manufacturing. Import of such vehicles, usually used by VIPs, require permission from the authorities.

An order of the commerce ministry in 2006 had already restricted the import of vehicles with tinted and translucent glass. l

“Our government is working in this area.”

Everyone should come forward to contribute to the sector to build a violence-free society, he further said.

Earlier, the cultural minister visited the DC Hill, Shilpakala Academy, Muslim Institute and other cultural venues of the port city. The minister said he would propose the government for a fund in the next national budget to give a facelift to the port city’s cultural venues. l

Red alert on Chuadanga border n Our Correspondent, Chuadanga Border Guard Bangladesh have imposed a “red alert” at three different points along the Chuadanga border to prevent any criminal, involved in the recent abduction and killings in Narayanganj, from escaping into India.

Lt Col SM Moniruzzaman, director of the Chuadanga 6 BGB battalion, said there are a total of 24 BGB camps along the border in the district. Among them, red alert was imposed at the Munshipur, Baghadanga and Darshana points, he added. l

Death anniversary

Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander A Nikolaev addresses a programme organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh at the capital’s National Press Club, yesterday. Story on page 3 SADIA MARIUM

Today is the fourth death anniversary of the late Director of the Phoenix Insurance Company Limited, Fahad Bin Mannan.

He was the only child of the company’s founding chairman and former minister, the late Abdul Mannan Siddique. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Dhaka city corporations unclear on jurisdiction The two authorities leave many areas unattended because of disagreement on borders

n Abu Hayat Mahmud

Later, city corporation authorities filled up these holes with sand and leveled the road, instead of clearing the sewerage line, they added.

Admitting to the poor condition of the roads and drains of these areas, Chief DSCC Zahangir Alam told the Dhaka Tribune: “Shukrabad, Indira road and Rajabazar does not fall under our jurisdiction. So, we have nothing to do here.”

However, maps of the jurisdictions of DSCC and DNCC, show on their website that Shukrabad, Tallabgh, Sobhanbagh Govt Staff Colony fall under DSCC. Moreover, the DSCC mosquito control field staffs and waste cleaners do continue to work in these areas.

When asked, DSCC Chief Engineer Jahangir Alam reiterated his previous statement and said: “I already told you, these areas do not fall under our areas.

If you believe what the field staffs say, then go and ask them to solve these problems. Do not disturb me any more.”

Meanwhile, DSCC Chief Executive Officer Ansar Ali Khan said: “I suppose that only Shukrabad is under DSCC are, not Indira road and the adjoining areas.”

He also said he would collect information regarding this issue and discuss them with concerned officials.

“If the roads and drainage system in Shukrabad needed maintainance, we would have taken appropriate steps in this regard,” he said.

Residents of the capital are yet to reap benefits from dividing Dhaka City Corporation into two, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). There appears to be a lack of coordination and confusion over who has jurisdiction in certain border lying areas. This division into two new city corporations has hampered many of its peripheral services.

In many places, drainage and street maintenance has not been done properly as authorities of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) are yet to chalk out a clear borderline separating the two jurisdictions.

Dwellers of the capital’s Shukrabad, Farmgate, Indira road, and Rajabazar area have alleged that there is rampant negligence and lack of maintenance from the city corporations who they claim have turned a blind eye to various long-stand issues, such as potholes and lack of proper drainage, in the area.

They also said conditions worsen during the monsoon season when the entire area goes under knee-deep water as a result of the poorly maintained drainage systems.

“The depleted conditions of the streets inside residential areas make it difficult for us to drive through and most vehicles use the main road,

stretching from Panthopath signal to Russel Square, resulting in unbearable traffic jam at the intersection,” Shamim Ahmed, a resident of Shukrabad.

“The conditions of most streets inside the area remain quite unsuable all the year round,” he added.

Shamim also blamed the city corporations for the sorry state of the streets, which were last repaired some five years ago.

Ashraf Ali, resident of Indira road, said: “The city corporation only repaired the street leading to the residence of former Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed in the area. The rest of the streets remain unattended.”

During a recent visit, this correspondent found that streets in Shukrabad, West Rajabazar, East Rajabazar, Indira Road, Ambagan, Tallabagh and adjoining area of Sobhanbagh Govt Staff Colony were in dilapidated state.

Most streets in the vicinity were worn out and narrow while concrete slabs were being used to cover up manholes, making it dangerous for both residents and commuters. Judging by their condition, re-carpeting, re-construction repairs of these roads seem long overdue.

Besides, the locals also claimed that over a month ago, several potholes on different streets near Shukrabad Kitchen Market and Shukrabad Central Mosque had caved in and exposing sewerage lines from beneath the road.

6 held with timbre worth Tk6.8mn n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Angry USTC students ‘Education for hardest-to-reach block road in Chittagong children a priority’

Bangladesh Coast Guards have apprehended six smugglers in possession of a boat loaded with 759 cubic feet of wood worth around Tk6.8 million in the Karnaphuli river near Chittagong Port.

A team of Coast Guards conducted a raid and made the arrests and seized the smuggled wood around 11:30pm on Monday, said a press release yesterday.

The arrestees and the boat were handed over to Karnaphuli police station and the wood from the trees, locally known as Gorjon, Gamari and Shal Koroi to the Forest Department of Chittagong (north), according to the press release.

A case has been filed. l

Myanmar national held with gold bars n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Police arrested a Myanmar citizen in possession of six gold bars worth around Tk30 lakh at Chittagong city’s Shah Amanat Bridge area on Monday .

Mohammad Salam, 40, from Mongdu, Myanmar, was arrested at a checkpoint around 3:30am, according to Shah Mohammad Abdur Rouf, assistant commissioner of Kotwali Circle of Chittagong Metropolitan Police. l

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER OR RAIN

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:30 PM SUN RISES 5:20AM FORECAST FOR TODAY 35

Dhaka

26

Chittagong

33

27

Rajshahi

38

27

Rangpur

33

23

Khulna

37

27

Barisal

35

27

Sylhet

33

22

Cox’s Bazar

33

27

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

37.1ºC Rangamati

22.0ºC Syedpur

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:00am 5:21am 11:56am 3:20pm 6:29pm 7:51pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

n CU Correspondent Students of University of Science and Technology Chittagong (USTC) barricaded Jakir Hossain Road in the Foy’s Lake area in Chittagong yesterday following an accident that injured one of their teachers.

According to police and university sources, the victim is Arman Ullah, assistant professor at the university’s Electrical and Electronics Department.

Arman was severely injured when a mini bus ran him down in front of Bangladesh Television, Chittagong centre in Foy’s Lake area on Monday.

He was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, but later was moved to a Dhaka hospital for better treatment, according to police.

The accident sparked an uproar among the USTC students, who took to

the streets around 1:30pm and staged a demonstration to press home their three-point demand, with immediate arrest of the bus driver.

Vehicular movement on the street was suspended for an hour as hundreds of students set up a barricade, said Sub-Inspector Md Jahid Hossain of Khulshi police station.

On information, police and the USTC authority rushed to the spot and was able to calm the situation down.

Upon receiving assurance from the authorities that necessary measures would be taken regarding the accident, the students lifted the barricade around 2:30pm, the sub-inspector said.

The other two points of the threepoint demand are: a foot over-bridge in the area, and all medical expenses of Arman to be paid by the USTC authorities. l

A road in Sukrabad area lies in dilapidated condition as there is no coordination among the two city corporations DNCC Chief Engineer Brig Gen Md Abul Khair told the Dhaka Tribune: “Most areas under Shukrabad area do fall under the DSCC and a small portion is under the DNCC.”

n Mushfique Wadud Bangladesh has progressed in the education sector over the years, and yet a large number of children are still out of schools, said education experts at a conference in the capital’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, yesterday.

Speaking at the second annual conference of the SHARE Education Programme, the experts stressed on bringing hardest-to-reach children to schools.

They agreed that effective implementation of second-chance education could help bring hardest-to-reach children to schools.

Fazle Rabbani, education adviser of DFID, said non-formal education should be a priority in order to bring education to these children. He also

He also assured that he would investigate the problems and take necessary measures to put an end to them.

On November 29, 2011, the government divided the then Dhaka City Cor-

put emphasis on ensuring quality in non-formal education.

Sharing his experience in Bangladesh, James Jennings, regional education adviser of AusAID, said there had been much progress in the education sector since he came to Bangladesh 40 years ago.

There should be efforts from every section until all children are attending school, he said.

EU Ambassador to Bangladesh William Hanna said the European Union has been supporting the education sector in Bangladesh for over two decades.

“Education is one of our priority areas and we will continue supporting Bangladesh’s education sector,” he said.

Manzoor Ahmed, senior adviser of the Institute of Education Development at Brac University, also stressed on the importance of overall non-for-

50 closed circuit cameras to be set up in Chittagong city to combat crimes n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong The Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) is going to set up 50 Closed Circuit Cameras (CCTV cameras) at the important points of the port city to evade any kind of criminal activities, particularly abduction which increased alarmingly across the country in the recent period CMP sources, however, said initially the cameras would be set up at seven entry and exit points of the port city to monitor movements of every vehicle to combat crimes.

During a meeting over the issue yesterday, the CMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam decided to keep strict

watch for evading any kind of criminal activities and political violence, said Babul Akhter, additional deputy commissioner of Detective Branch of CMP. The seven entry-exit points, where the CC cameras will be set up initially, are Toll Road, City Gate, Shah Amanat Bridge, Kalurghat, Kaptai Rastar Matha, Patenga Beri Badh (embankment) and Oxygen areas, he said.

“The control room of the cameras will be set up in DB office at CMP Headquarters from where three teams will work for monitoring round the clock,” he said.

A unitary network will work for the initial set up while the CMP will convey

to private donators for full implementation of the setting up the cameras in the city, he also said.

He said, “The CMP is taking this measure to root out crimes from the important cities which plays important role in the country’s business, commerce, tourism, export, import and other sectors.

Besides, the law enforcers will also get support from the cameras to monitor over any accident, political programme and people’s movement, added the DB personnel.

“As only the decision of setting up cameras in the city only came out yesterday, now we are working for bud-

geting for the project and other related works, said Banaz Kumar Majumder, additional commissioner (crime and operation).

He said, “The defame of the port city as “smuggling transit” would be removed after setting up the cameras as we can be able to monitor whole the city and take preparation to face any untoward situation within a short time,” he added.

CMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that the port city would be the second city where police have close vigilance over the whole city by the implementing the project, after the capital. l

Van driver killed in road mishap in Chittagong n CU Correspondent A van driver was killed as his vehicle overturned on the road in Natun Bridge area in the port cityyesterday afternoon.

The deceased was identified as Md Saiful, 18, son of Md Abdur Rahman of Charlakkha under Karnaphuli police station, said police sources.

Nayek Abdul Basar of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) police outpost said the wood laden van had turned turtle on the road after losing its control while he was driving it on slope of road around 5:20pm, leaving him critically injured.

He was rushed to the CMCH where the on duty doctors declared him dead, said Nayek Bashar. l

Students of Hujrapara Government Primary School have not been attending their classes for the last six days as the school has been damaged by nor’wester on Thursday DHAKA TRIBUNE

ABU HAYAT MAHMUD

poration into the two parts, namely DNCC and DSCC. This move was, however, objected by city planners saying that the split would generate newer complications. l

mal education, adding that adult literacy should be a priority as well.

He said local government bodies should be involved in extending non-formal education to the greater population.

Rasheda K Choudhury, executive director of the Campaign for Popular Education, said special programmes are needed to bring hardest-to-reach children to schools.

Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman said the ministry is working to bring hardest-to-reach children to schools, taking up some programmes, and will continue to do it.

SHARE is a primary education programme funded by the Eurpoean Union, providing basic education opportunities to hardest-to-reach children and their parents and guardians in 219 upazilas and thanas under 47 districts in the country. l

HSC examinee abducted, rescued n Tribune Desk Police rescued an HSC girl examinee within an hour of her abduction at Cox’s Bazar’s Chakaria upazila yesterday morning.

They also arrested four persons involved in the abduction and a car they had used in the crime, said Prabash Chandra Dhor, OC at Chakaria police station of Cox’s Bazar.

The arrestees are Aman Ullah, 30, of Ilishia village, Nasir Uddin, 33, Salah Uddin, 28 and Garib Ullah of Konakhali village, he said.

The four picked up Rumana Ishak Nuri, daughter of Mashuk Ahmed of Laikkharchar village and took her away in the car around 10am, minutes before her exams began, he said.

Instantly, police were notified and check posts were set up on Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar Highway and regional roads, said Prabash.

Sensing police presence, the abductors tried to flee along with the girl in the car at the upazila’s Boroitoli but the police were able to shortly arrest the abductors and rescue the girl, the police officer said.

Earlier on Monday, police rescued a mason whose abduction was allegedly staged in Naogaon.

Mazedur Rahman, 30, son of Meher Ali of Nagaon Sadar upazila’s Punoil Sonarparha village had staged his own abduction since April 30, said police and his relatives.

He just tried to have his debt repaid by his family, making them pay the ransom for his ‘freedom’, he said, adding that they rescued him watching television at a house at Rajshahi’s Mohonpur upazila around 10pm.

Legal steps would be taken against Mazedur for staging the abduction, said Zakirul Islam, OC at Naogaon Sadar Model police station. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Developments just on paper, not in reality UP chairman of Ramgarh ‘misappropriates’ food grains by submitting false projects Correspondent, n Our Khagrachhari It has been almost two years since a union parishad chairman misappropriated food grains allocated for different government projects, but not a single step has been taken against him.

Local sources said Chairman of Ramgarh Union Parishad Mohammad Shah Alam had allegedly misappropriated 122 tonnes of food grains in the name of 37 development projects which he ultimately did not complete.

Organising Secretary of Ramgarh Union Jubo League Abdur Rahim alleged that UP Chairman Mohammad Shah Alam had obtained some 122 tonnes of food grains under the projects Kajer Binimoye Khadyo (Kabikha), Kajer Binimoye Taka (Kabita) and Test Relief (TR) and the special allocation from the local Member of Parliament (MP) in the fiscal year 2012-2013.

The government allocated 36 tonnes of food grains under the Kabikha project for the road development projects stretching from Siru Tilla to Rafiq’s

shop, from Dhaka colony to Chun Beparypara, from Tholipara to Nabangapara and from Haza Boidda Para to Tokatang Hori Mondir, but the chairman did not repair any of the roads but rather, he embezzled the money.

The chairman also misappropriated 86 tonnes more of food grains allocated to 33 more development projects under a different scheme, locals said.

“We have submitted applications against the UP chairman to different officials, including the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Rangamati coordinated office seeking investigation against embezzlement, but nobody took action against him,” said Abul Hashem, a resident of the Ramgarh union parishad.

Another resident of the union parishad Ruhul Amin said, “Nobdy in the union parishad witnessed any kind of development work, so where did the allocated food grains go.”

Jabbar Hossain, another local, said, “If the chairman embezzled government allocations, he should be punished.”

When contacted, Deputy Director of Local Government and Additional Dep-

uty Commissioner (revenue) of Khagrachhari Kazi Mohammad Mozammel Hoque confirmed that Chairman Shah Alam was allocated that quantity of food grains.

He said he had asked the Ramgorh Upazila Nirbahi Officer to investigate the misappropriation allegation and report to him with findings as soon as possible.

Ramgorh Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Aminul Islam admitted getting the order from the deputy director.

Upazila Social Welfare Officer will investigate the matter, he added.

When contacted, the Ramgarh Upazila Social Welfare Officer Abdul Jalil Khan said he had not started the investigation work yet as he was busy with his official work.

When contacted, Chairman Mohammad Shah Alam denied the allegation.

He said he was the victim of him rivals’ dirty politics, and nothing else.

“The allegation is politically motivated, a designed propaganda aiming to tarnish my image, status and honour,” he said, adding that he would face the allegation legally. l

Non-MPO teachers form a human chain in Magura town, demanding their enlistment in the MPO (Monthly Pay Order)

Non-MPO teachers stage demo n Tribune Report

Different non-MPO teachers’ organisations yesterday staged demo in Magura and Mymensingh, demanding their enlistment in the MPO (Monthly Pay Order).

Non-MPO Shikshak Karmachary Oikko Jote, Magura unit, formed a human chain in front of the Chourangi Square of the town, followed by a discussion on the topic.

Eight killed in a day across the country n Tribune Desk It seems that law and order situation of the country has drastically deteriorated as eight people were murdered in several incidents in Chuadanga, Chapainawabganj, Cox’s Bazar, Sathkhira, Jamalpur and Moulvibazar districts yesterday.

In Chuadanga, two people were murdered in Alamdanga and Damurhuda upazilas.

Sources said a farmer had been beaten to death allegedly by his nephews over a land dispute at Hardi village in Alamdanga upazila in the morning.

The deceased was identified as Shafi Uddin,38, son of Harez Uddin.

Police and locals said the incident had taken place as some nephews of Shafi Uddin went to his house at about 9:30pm to take inherited land into their possession.

At one stage, some of nephews of Shafi beat him indiscriminately, leaving him injured.

Shafi died on the way to hospital.

In Damurhuda, police recovered the body of a lathe operator in Gobindahuda village of the upazila in the morning.

The deceased was identified as Abdus Samad, 35, a resident of Dur-

gapur village in the upazila.

Police said local people found the body of Samad behind an Eidgah of Gobindahuda village around 9:00am and informed the police.

Later, law enforces recovered the body that bore several marks of stab injuries and sent it to hospital morgue for autopsy.

Police suspected that miscreants killed the man over previous enmity and dumped the body there.

In Chapainawabganj, the body of a woman was found in Gomastapur.

The deceased was identified as Lalmon.

Family sources said she was mentally disabled and killed herself hanging from ceiling with rope in the evening. None was detained in this connection.

In Jhenaidah, a farmer in bordering Moheshpur upazila under the district was hacked to death by unknown miscreants.

The deceased was identified as Amir Haque, 45, son of Tazim Uddin f Uzzalpur village.

Mheshpur police station Officerin-Charge M Shahjahan Ali said Amir had left his house in the morning and did not return home.

Later, the villagers found the body lying near a pond in the area.

On information, police recovered the body.

The police suspected that previous enmity might have led to the murder.

A case was filed with Moheshpur police station in this connection.

The body was sent to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital morgue.

In Moulvibazar, a young girl was found dead in Sreemangal upazila.

The deceased was identified as Seema Akhter Mukta, 22, daughter of Mosharaf Hussain of Sindurkhan area of the upazila.

According to police and local sources, Seema went to her bed in the afternoon closing the door. Later the family members found her body hanging from the ceiling fan.

On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Moulvibazar 250-bed Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Md Abdul Jalil, Officer-in-Charge of Sreemangal police station confirmed the incident.

In Cox’s Bazar, a man was murdered in Lalpara area in the district over land dispute.

The deceased was identified as Sayed Karim, son of Karim Munshi in the area.

According to sources, there had

been a long standing conflict between Karim and his neighbour Ahsun Ullah over land dispute.

On the day, Ahsun Ullah beat up Karim, leaving him dead on the spot.

In Satkhira, a woman and her daughter were found dead at Uttar Eksora village in Ashashuni upazila.

The deceased were identified as Parveen Akhter,24, wife of Belal Gazi of the village, and their daughter Rupa Khatun,4.

Locals said Belal Gazi, son of Deen Ali of Uttar Eksora village, married Parveen Akhter of Nalian village in Dakope upazila of Khulna district four years back hiding the matter of his first marriage.

Belal along with his first wife Johirunnesa began to live at a rented house in Satkhira district town deserting Parveen after one year of the second marriage.

When Parveen went to his husband Belal for money to buy food for her child on Monday, Belal beat her up.

Later, they were found her dead in their room.

Officer-in-Charge of Ashashuni police station Ahsan Habib confirming the incident said the woman might have committed suicide along with her child as they were suffering from chronic hunger. l

BCL activist severely injured n Our Correspondent, Jhenaidah A Bangladesh Chhatra League activist was severely injured in an attack in Solemanpur village under the Kotchandpur upazila, Jhenaidah at 12:15am, yesterday.

The victim, Sohel, 23, was attacked at 12:15am after an altercation, and the attackers severed one of his hands from the wrist and almost severed one of his legs, said Fazlur Rahman, OC of the Kotchandpur police station.

He was initially taken to Jessore General Hospital, but was moved to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in a critical condition, the OC said. Sohel, who came from Solemanpur village, was involved in the local drug business and was attacked due to a business-related feud, Fazlur told the Dhaka Tribune.

Police arrested four people, Kali alias Marzina, Alam, Kamal Pasha and Rabiul Islam Pintu, in connection with the attack and sent them to jail.

A case was filed with the Kotchandpur police station. l

Two minors hurt in bomb blast n Tribune Desk Two minor boys were seriously injured as a crude bomb blasted at Algi village in Dhonia union of Sadar upazila of Bhola on Monday.

The injured were identified as Hasnaine,7, son of Ismail, and Naim, 5, son of Alauddin. l

Lawyers form a human chain in Dinajpur, protesting recent killings and abductions across the country

DHAKA TRIBUNE

5 killed in road accidents in 3 districts n Tribune Desk At least five people were killed in several road accidents in Patuakhali, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts yesterday.

In Patuakhali, two people were killed in a collision between a motorcycle and a three-wheeler on the Baufal-Boga road under Baufal upazila.

The deceased were identified as Nayeem, 14, son of Nur Alam Molla and Pavel, 17, son of Abdul Mannan Mia of Rajnagor area and a class X students of Boga High School.

Baufal police station Officer-in-

Charge Naresh Chandra Karmakar said: “The incident took place when they were going to attend a marriage ceremony.”

“Rubel lost his control over the motorcycle and collided with the three wheeler killing Nayeem on the spot.”

Locals rushed Pavel and Rubel to Baufal Upazila Health Complex in a critical condition.

Later, Pavel died on the way to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital around 12:15am.

The OC said the bodies had been sent to the hospital morgue.

In Chapainawabganj, a child was

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killed in road accident in Gomastapur upazila of the district. The deceased was identified as Hasan, son of Azam of Naderabad village.

Local and police sources said a shallow pump-run power tiller ran over the boy on Rahanpur-Alinagar Grameen road in Naderabad area on the evening, killing him on the spot.

In Naogaon, two people including a child were killed in a road accident in the district.

The deceased were identified as Sannas Roy, 65, and Mahima, 2, of Raninagar upazila. l

Speakers at the programme said a total of 5,733 educational institutions in the country were yet to be enlisted in the MPO, while around 40,000 teachers of these institutions were passing their days in severe hardship.

The gathering, led by organisation’s President Abdur Rahim and General Secretary Nazrul Alam, later submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner of Magura.

On the other hand, the organisa-

tion’s Mymensingh unit also formed a human chain and submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner in this regard.

The human chain demanded that all recognised educational institutions be included in the MPO. The programme was addressed, among others, byorganisation’s President Mohammad Suruzzaman and General Secretary Delwar Hossain Shibli. l

Housewife commits suicide after trying to kill daughter n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj A housewife committed suicide after poisoning her daughter at Basuria village under Tungipara upazila in Gopalganj yesterday.

Local people said Beauty Begum had taken poison after trying to kill her daughter.

Sensing her critical condition local, neighbours took her to Gopalganj Sadar Hospital where she died while her daughter Ranu is undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Mojlen Haque, father of Beauty, said his daughter had been compelled to commit suicide as she could not tolerate torture of his husband.

Lichhu Sheikh had been torturing Beauty over dowry since the start of their conjugal life three years back, he said, adding that he had also provided Lichhu Tk1.5 lakh for going to abroad.

But he came back after two months in January this year, since then he has been demanding more money and torturing Beauty over the issue. Mojlen Haque demanded exemplary punishment to Lichhu without any delay.

Muniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Gopalganj sadar police station, said a case had been filed in this regard. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

7

Narayanganj: Lifting the veil of ignorance

RAJIB DHAR

T

n Mohammad Zaman homas Hobbes (1851–1679) was not a misanthrope, but he harboured a deep cynicism as to the construct of human nature; and posited that, man, if left in the “state of nature” (ie, prior to the formation of law abiding society), “the life of man [would be], solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

A cacophony of bad news emanating from Bangladesh points towards a societal entropy where the rich and the powerful are increasingly confident of their standing, without the fear that there may be a day of reckoning

So, he constructed his Leviathan, arguing that in order for society to be successful and cohesive, there must be a social contract, where an all-powerful but just ruler and/or government will establish a commonwealth to protect the populace from each other, by enforcing laws of the land.

Hobbes imagined the commonwealth as a giant human body (named Leviathan after the name of a Biblical

sea monster) made out of its citizens, and the head being the omnipotent sovereign; the absence of which shall culminate into anarchy – a war of every man against every other man.

John Locke (1932-1704), in addition to being a giant of empiricist philosophy, who famously considered the human mind a tabula rasa, was also an extremely influential political philosopher. Unlike Hobbes, Locke had faith in the innate goodness and rationality of human nature that, however, shows a selfish tendency, especially in the matters of wealth and property.

He also argued for the same call for a social contract, where the government shall uphold the law, protect citizens, and in return civil obedience shall supervene. Unlike Hobbes, Locke felt that religion does not cause strife; it is the intolerance that is the root cause of social unrest.

Locke sanctified three natural rights: firstly, right to life; secondly, right to liberty or freedom of action (so long as it does not imperil any one’s right to life); and thirdly, right to property (so long as it does not infringe on anyone’s life or liberty).

Locke’s improved version of social contract inspired the French Revolution and the US constitution, and as of now, forms the basis of democracy all over the world – ours included! And this brings forth the most important facet of this social contract; and that is execution of law by the government – justice.

Family members of abducted Narayanganj City Corporation Councillor Nazrul Islam join the protest at Signboard area, after he went missing on April 30, 2014 MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

In his seminal work on politics and philosophy “Theory of Justice,” John Rawls (1921-2002) looked at the social contract from a different tangent. He argued that principles of justice are those principles that any fair-minded, logical person will agree upon when viewed from an impartial perspective.

“Principles of justice are chosen behind a veil of ignorance,” Rawls argued; and this he termed the original position. Gareth Southwell explains the position as following: “The only way to ensure the fairness of the social contract would be, if it is formulated behind a veil of ignorance. In other words, principles of justice and fairness should be arrived at in complete ignorance of the type of individuals they might apply to.

For instance, if I am the strongest or smartest, or possess certain advantages in terms of property or wealth, then (assuming I am a selfish person as assumed by Locke) I would want those principles to benefit me. However, from behind a “veil of ignorance,” I do not know I am the strongest or smartest, so to protect myself – since I do not know what advantages others possess – I would favour principles which fostered equality.

Furthermore, since there is every chance in this unseen society that I may suffer at the hands of fate, then I would also want to safeguard poverty or similar disadvantage.” This is very much like maximin strategy that plays out in game theory, whereby one chooses a principle that “maximise the minimum;” for example, when a freak of nature happens, one will be afforded with the best possible alternative.

Rawls’ Theory of Justice decouples morality from justice, critiques can rightly argue; however, it has become central to the modern notion of justice and equality. And as long as the “veil of ignorance” is intact, it provides enforceable principles that can keep the society wholesome and happy.

“Government is best which governs not all’’ – yes, Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a consummate individualist to the point of being an anarchist. MK Gandhi and Martin Luther King, both were proponents of civil disobedience, however, their method involved non-violence and absolute pacifism; its root goes back millennia, as underlined Plato’s assertion that it’s better to suffer wrong than to do wrong, for the wrongdoers are both ignorant and sick.

John Rawls was in agreement with Thoreau, Gandhi and King that civil disobedience is acceptable when the head of Hobbes’ Leviathan deviates from its obligations of social contract, and unveils the “veil of ignorance,” thus setting forth events leading to its own dissolution. He however, proposed that civil disobedience, to be acceptable must meet certain criteria.

Firstly, the act of disobedience must be public; the purpose of the act is to highlight the injustice. There is no scope of secret act or sabotage. Laws must be respected, and imprisonment, if comes, should be accepted.

Secondly, disobedience has to be conscientious with a political aim and seek remedy for the injustice; thus ruling out the possibility of using the tool for enhancing personal gain.

Thirdly, it must be non-violent that distinguishes civil disobedience from criminality. Protesting the Rowlatt Act of 1919, Gandhi called for a nationwide hartal, but when the protest gave rise to sporadic violence in Punjab, he immediately suspended the hartal, for violence has no place in civil disobedience! And fourthly, it must appeal to the social sense of justice.

In essence, civil disobedience is the last resort of defying legal authority of the sovereign, when all legal avenues are exhausted and the Leviathan’s head is out of sync with its original obligation.

(if the newsfeed is correct), politically allied with the ruling party, the process of justice conspicuously stymied with no clear reason whatsoever.

A publicly understood rough element was selected to be the powerful MP, despite miserable performance in the mayoral election of Narayanganj just a year ago. Then came the abduction of AB Siddique, an incident that was about to unleash a tsunami of civil unrest. AB Siddique’s initial description of the abductors as a group of stout men with short hair is curious! Even more curious is his release after the appeal from the high seat.

On the hilt of that, came the sad abduction of seven people in broad daylight; their eventual murder and recovery of their mutilated bodies.

The junior home minister was privy to such possibility. The family filed a complaint mentioning a suspect. And yet, the police took six days to search the house of the suspect.

Civil disobedience is acceptable when the head of Hobbes’ Leviathan deviates from its obligations of social contract, and unveils the ‘veil of ignorance, thus setting forth events leading to its own dissolution For many years, Bangladesh is relentlessly tiptoeing towards an unfortunate undoing of the rule of law. There existed both the unelected and elected type of despots. The current regime of Sheikh Hasina continues to hold on to power, following a sham election, thus undermining its moral legitimacy.

The recent stint of governmental abuse of power during the upazila elections and government’s unwillingness to hold election in the capital city, where oversight of the process could be rigorous, are signs of a morally bankrupt regime. Its inability and/or unwillingness to reign on the rogue elements, including law enforcement outfits and its own rancorous affiliates, just add to its difficult moral standing.

A cacophony of bad news emanating from Bangladesh points towards a societal entropy where the rich and the powerful are increasingly confident of their standing, without the fear that there may be a day of reckoning! This is especially true in the port city of Narayanganj.

Although the mystery of the Twaki murder is no mystery in the people’s minds, the government continues to dither. Even after unearthing significant evidence implicating a certain family

Narayanganj, hence, seems to be slithering to the hole, where the government is unwilling to abide by its end of social contract by letting some of its allied people defy the rule of law.

These people, by virtue of their wealth and connection, have broken through the “veil of ignorance!”

On Saturday May 3, an eminent jurist Shahdeen Malik and a group of civil society members were not allowed to demonstrate peacefully in front of Sangshad Bhaban – the supposed sanctuary for law and order and for people’s power. This is a telltale sign that the nation demands a Gandhi or a Martin Luther! l Mohammad Zaman is an allergist/ immunologist and writes from Potsdam, New York.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Both sides bury dead as Ukraine slides towards war Russia to reinforce Crimea fleet, minister says

Relatives attend the funeral ceremony for a pro-Russian activist killed during combat with Ukrainian troops in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine. The death toll from a military offensive in a flashpoint town in east Ukraine rose to at least 34, officials said AFP

n Reuters Both sides have been burying their dead as Ukraine slided further towards war, with supporters of Russia and of a united Ukraine each accusing the other side of tearing the country apart.

Meanwhile, Russia plans to reinforce its Black Sea Fleet based in Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine in March, the country’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said yesterday.

Tuesday morning was quiet in eastern and southern Ukraine, but the

deadliest few days since the separatist uprising began have transformed the conflict, hardening positions and leaving little room for peaceful resolution.

In Kramatorsk, a separatist-held town in the east that saw an advance

by Ukrainian troops at the weekend, the coffin of 21-year-old nurse Yulia Izotova was carried through streets stilled by barricades of tyres and tree trunks. Scattered red carnations traced the route.

At the Holy Trinity Church, seven priests led mourners in prayer for a

woman killed by large calibre bullets, which the townsfolk believe were fired

by Ukrainian troops.

“They shoot at us. Why? Because we don’t want to live with fascists?” asked 58-year-old passport photographer Sergei Fominsky, standing with his wife among the mourners. “We’re not slaves. We kneel to no one.”

In Odessa, a previously peaceful, multi-ethnic Black Sea port where more than 40 people were killed on Friday in the worst day of violence since a February revolt toppled Ukraine’s

Syria rebels kidnap Egypt bans Mubarak-era leaders ex-presidential from running in elections hopeful In his ruling against Mubarak-era n Reuters, Egypt officials, Judge Karim Hazem did not n AFP, Beirut An Egyptian court yesterday banned spell out the number, names or titles of Syrian rebels from the southern province of Daraa have kidnapped a presidential hopeful whose bid was turned down by the constitutional court, according to an online video distributed yesterday.

The video shows three armed, bearded rebels wearing fatigues in a room with Mohammad Kanaan, a military officer who had registered to run in June 3 elections that are widely expected to return President Bashar al-Assad to power.

In a video filmed by the rebel brigade and distributed online by opposition media activists, he is shown wearing a suit, seated on an armchair.

“The Tabarak al-Rahman Brigade has arrested one of the presidential candidates,” said an unnamed rebel seated next to Kanaan.

Prompted to speak, Kanaan says he is a colonel in the army’s First Division tank battalion, and that he was stopped by a rebel Free Syrian Army patrol while travelling from Damascus to Daraa.

Asked why he registered for an election that the opposition has mocked as a “farce,” Kanaan, who appeared tense and was flanked by gunmen, said the regime coerced him into running. l

the leaders of autocratic ex-president Hosni Mubarak’s party from running in any coming elections but did not list any names, drawing complaints about a lack of clarity that could blunt the move’s impact.

Mubarak’s National Democratic Party won all elections during his 30-year rule, mostly by rigging outcomes, marginalizing any credible challengers and suppressing dissidents, but was dissolved in 2011 after the popular uprising that toppled him. But Egypt’s democratic transition since has run aground, critics say, by the banning of the Muslim Brotherhood after the army’s ouster of freely elected Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in 2013 and broad crackdown on Islamist and liberal opposition.

A presidential election to be held his month is widely expected to be won by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, from the same military establishment which has dominated Egyptian politics for six decades. Sisi said in his first televised interview on Monday that the Muslim Brotherhood, which won all five elections since Mubarak’s ouster, was “finished” and would cease to exist if he becomes president.

those affected, prompting opposition accusations of ambiguity that could end up allowing some candidacies from the old regime.

“The ruling was not clear and did not respond to our demand. We want the judiciary to punish those who committed crimes, both political and criminal ones, and not all and everyone,” prominent Egyptian activist and lawyer Gamal Eid said.

Tuesday’s case was brought to court a few months ago by a liberal lawyer.

Judicial sources said the judge was unable to name the officials that the ruling would be applied to and left that task to the elections committee.

After the vote for president there is to be a parliamentary election but liberal politicians this could bring back many Mubarak-era politicians due to the weakness of current political parties, most of which were formed after Mubarak’s fall.

Since Mursi’s ouster following mass unrest against the Brotherhood leader’s rule, the army-backed government has sought to crush the veteran Islamist movement in operations that have left hundreds dead and put thousands in jail. l

EU poll: 18 days to go n AFP, Brussels Brothels, bikinis and an archetypal EU blunder over a “single” traffic fine: with 18 days to go before European Parliament elections this month, here are snippets from the daily campaign trail.

pro-Russian president, pall-bearers carried the open casket of Andrey Biryukov from a van to the street corner where he was shot.

A pro-Ukrainian activist, Biryukov, 35, was killed during a day that began with hundreds of pro-Russian sympathisers armed with axes, chains and guns attacking a Ukrainian march, and ended later that night with the pro-Russians barricaded inside a building that was set on fire, killing dozens.

A small crowd of about 50 stood around the body, covering it with carnations and roses. A Ukrainian flag fluttered in the wind, and a patriotic song about dead heroes was played from a sound system.

Red light for eu ‘single’ traffic fine?

Government offensive

As the campaign heats up for the May 22 to 25 vote, Poland’s diehard anti-Europe leader Janusz Korwin-Mikke is making no bones about his programme.

“We will sell the site of the European Parliament and turn it into a brothel,” he told the Do Rzeczy weekly. “The creators of this pink decay should be tarred, feathered and hurtled through the streets of Brussels.”

Korwin-Mikke, leader of Poland’s answer to the US Tea Party movement, is popular with young voters and polls give him four-six percent of the vote, meaning the party could pick up three seats in the parliament.

The past few days have seen government forces press on with an offensive in the east, where separatist rebels have so far held firm at their main outpost in the town of Slaviansk and shot down three Ukrainian military helicopters.

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on Tuesday more than 30 separatists had been killed in fighting around Slaviansk, but there was no confirmation of such a figure. The rebels, who triggered fighting in the area on Monday by ambushing government troops, said four of their number had been killed.

The Ukraine crisis has led to a confrontation between Moscow and the West unseen since the darkest days of the Cold War. Since a pro-European government took power after the uprising that toppled pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovich in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin overturned decades of diplomacy by declaring Moscow’s right to intervene. l

Europe’s highest court of justice yesterday waved a red flag at a 2011 EU law effectively creating a “single” traffic fine by enabling police to share information across borders on driving offenders.

The law adopted by the European Parliament means for instance that a German caught speeding in Belgium will be sent notice by the Belgian police to pay up a fine at his home address in Germany.

But the European Court of Justice says the legislation needs to be re-written because it was incorrectly headlined. Pending a new version, it remains in effect for another year, however.

Sell the parliament, says polish new right

When a bikini could come in handy for the far-left A bikini shot of Paola Bacchiddu, a spokeswoman in Italy for far-left candidate Alexis Tsipras, drew equal amounts of praise and criticism on her Facebook page on Sunday.

“Ciao. The election campaign has begun and I will use any means possible”, read the

world’s happiest nation n Agencies Australia has been revealed as the world’s happiest industrialised nation, taking the title for the fourth year running, CNN reported. The so-called “lucky country” beat Norway and Sweden to take the top spot in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Better Life Index.

The OECD, an international organisation uniting high-income developed countries, ranks its members according to 11 different criteria, which it views as essential to a happy life.

Its happiness index -- one of many such indexes published each year -- is the product of ten years’ research, Romina Boarini, head of OECD’s monitoring well-being and progress unit, said. It differs from other indexes due to its high quality of data and interactivity with users, she added.

The OECD began investigating contributors to happiness and well-being in the early 2000s, looking at straight-for-

ward indicators such income and wealth alongside others which are more difficult to quantify, such as civic engagement.

Other indicators used are health and education, the quality of local environment, personal security and overall satisfaction with life. The data is then analyzed to ensure it can translate across the OECD countries.

Australians enjoy above average quality of life in nearly all of them, according to the report published on Monday.

The country “down under” ranks at the top in civic engagement, which looks at voters’ participation, among other criteria. It also comes out above average, in the list of 36 countries, in environmental quality, health status, housing, personal security, jobs and earnings, education and skills, subjective well-being, social connections, and income and wealth.

According to the 60,000 people who have shared their views so far, the most important factor for being happy is life satisfaction, with health and education close behind. l

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fought back yesterday against increasingly scathing criticism from hardliners, saying his pragmatic approach to diplomacy had stolen Israel’s thunder.

After years of bellicose rhetoric from ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Zarif said the new government had managed to put an end to Israel’s portrayal of Iran as “a danger” over its nuclear ambitions.

Ultra-conservatives have upped the ante in recent weeks by chastising an interim nuclear deal Iran struck with world powers in November, under Zarif’s brief as the top negotiator.

Comprised of religious figures, former lawmakers and officials as well as some current MPs, the critics are also unhappy about Zarif’s more moderate foreign policy, including what they call his “reactionary stance towards the bastard (Israeli) Zionist regime and the Holocaust.”

The incumbent lawmakers -- particularly those in Iran’s national security and foreign policy commission -- are pressuring Zarif, taking him to the par-

Italy’s candidates asked to back ‘coming out’ Italian gay campaigners this week asked candidates to sign up to a 10-point programme for rights entitled “Coming Out” on the website cominciatu.eu which is also monitoring public statements by politicians on homosexuality.

A total of 82 Italian candidates have signed up, just weeks after an Italian court recognised the right of a gay couple married abroad to have their union registered in Italy. Italy is one of the very few countries left in the European Union that offers no form of legal recognition of a same-sex union.

“The recognition of rights should be Europe’s real single currency,” said Flavio Romani, head of one gay rights association Arcigay.

Number-crunching for the twitterati In election campaigns, it’s all about numbers. But how much credibility can a strong Twitter following give party leaders as they slug it out in the public eye? EU policy broadcaster viEUws tallied up the number of followers of the top candidates and found Socialist leader Martin Schulz outshone his opponents, with over 104,000 users of the social media signed up to get his insights.

Conservative leader Jean-Claude Juncker came in a distant second, with over 34,000 followers of his @JunkerEU account, followed by Greens candidate Jose Bove, with 29,000 followers -- indeed, his @josebove outshines that of Greens co-leader Ska Keller, with @SkaKeller attracting a mere 9,000 followers.

Liberal leader Guy Verhofstadt (@ GuyVerhofstadt) ranks third, with 22,000 followers, while Swedish Pirate Party MEP Amelia Andersdotter (@teirdes) close to 9,000 followers. l

Europe draws up tougher black box rules after MH370 mystery n Reuters, Paris European safety officials yesterday proposed tougher rules for ‘black box’ flight recorders in the strongest regulatory reaction yet to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it would propose increasing the recording time on cockpit voice recorders to 20 hours from two to make it easier to understand plane accidents and prevent vital evidence being overwritten.

Newly published proposals would also bring into force recommendations made by French crash investigators after the loss of an Air France jet in the Atlantic in 2009, but which remain bogged down in talks among regulators.

These include the addition of a new pinger frequency making it easier to locate the recording devices under water, where lower frequencies travel further.

The proposals appeared in an opinion published by EASA on Tuesday and confirmed details reported by Reuters.

They have been submitted to the European Union’s executive Commission which will use them as the basis for a change in law.

No trace of flight MH370 has been found since it vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, despite the most intensive search in commercial aviation history.

Experts have narrowed the area where the plane is presumed to have crashed to a large arc of the Indian Ocean about 1,600 km (1,000 miles) northwest of the city of Perth in western Australia.

New diplomacy isolated Israel Australia retains title of Iran: n AFP, Tehran

caption on a picture of Bacchiddu posing with her shapely backside turned to the camera. The PR woman is hoping for more than just a few raised eyebrows – the Tsipras List is currently trailing at just 3.3 percent in Italy, according to one recent opinion poll.

liament floor and questioning him.

At such a session Tuesday, Zarif spoke about Israel, whose existence Tehran does not recognise, Iranian media reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu shamelessly makes a scene saying Iran denies the Holocaust, Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb to carry out another Holocaust,” Zarif said.

“But my colleagues and I are telling the world Iran is opposed to anti-Semiticism and genocide,” he said.

The remarks contrast with Ahmadinejad’s tirades, whose repeated denial of the Holocaust and expressions of hope for the destruction of Israel pushed the two foes ever further apart.

It also resulted in global condemnation of Tehran and paved the way for sanctions over Iran’s nuclear drive.

Shadow of the Holocaust

Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani have sought to soften that anti-Israeli image, despite supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei repeatedly casting doubts over the existence and scale of the Holocaust.

The Holocaust remains a polarising

issue in Iran, but the leadership appears to be united in seeking to reduce tensions with the world.

Khamenei, who has the final say on key state affairs including nuclear policy, has lent qualified support to Rouhani to push for a permanent deal that would ultimately lift sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its atomic drive.

“We shall not allow the Zionist regime -- who is illegally in possession of chemical and nuclear weapons and is the biggest violator of non-proliferation laws -- to portray Iran as a danger,” Zarif said.

“Our foreign policy has taken away Israel’s peace of mind and comfort, pushing it into a reactionary stance and international isolation,” he added.

Western powers suspect Iran’s atomic drive masks military objectives despite Tehran’s insistence that it only seeks peaceful applications of the technology to produce electricity and medical isotopes and conduct research.

Israel, the sole if undeclared nuclear-armed power in the Middle East, has been lashing out over the negotiations between Tehran and the P5 + 1 (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany). l

The aircraft could have flown for up to seven hours after it went missing, meaning that even if the cockpit recorder is found, its standard two-hour recording loop would not cover conversations during the crucial early stages of the flight. “The proposed changes are expected to increase safety by facilitating the recovery of information by safety investigation authorities,” EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said. l

Obama’s aunt buried in Kenya n AFP, Nairobi

President Barack Obama’s aunt was buried yesterday in her birth nation of Kenya, family members said, after her death last month in the United States.

Zeituni Onyango, half-sister of Obama’s father, died aged 61 from cancer and respiratory problems, according to her family.

Obama called Onyango “Auntie Zeituni” in his memoir, “Dreams from My Father”, where he wrote about having met her in Kenya in 1988. She was granted asylum in the United States in 2010 after years fighting legal battles against deportation back to Kenya.

She was laid to rest in a Muslim cemetery in Kenya’s western city of Kisumu, on the shores of Lake Victoria.

Her mother, Obama’s step-grandmother Sarah Obama -- known as “Mama Sarah” -- paid her last respects, but did not accompany the body to the graveside.

At the funeral, Saidi Obama, a brother of the late Zeituni, dismissed reports of arguments within the wider family. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Thai court set to rule Uphill task for Congress in penultimate Yingluck round of Indian general elections on PMShinawatra dismissal Thailand’s embattled premier

Leader of Puea Thai Party, which won 263 seats out of 500 in the parliamentary vote of July 2011 Sister of the fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 and lives in self-exile Has faced six months of protests against her government Faces allegations of abuse of power that could see her sacked from office Photo: Christophe Archambault An AFP factfi le on Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra

n AFP, Bangkok Thailand’s Constitutional Court said it will rule today whether to remove Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from office on abuse of power charges, a verdict that could plunge the country deeper into crisis.

The premier appeared at the court yesterday to deny the allegation, filed by a group of senators who said that then-national security chief Thawil Pliensri was replaced after her 2011 election for the benefit of her party.

But the court’s president Charoon Intachan said the nine-member bench had heard enough evidence and was ready to rule. “The hearing is over... the court has decided to rule on May 7 at noon.”

The case, one of two potential knockout legal moves against her premiership, comes as Thailand’s political crisis reaches a critical juncture.

Anti-government protesters are still massed on Bangkok’s streets -- although in diminished numbers -- and Yingluck’s supporters are also threatening to rally to defend her. “I didn’t violate any laws, I didn’t receive any benefit from the appointment,” a composed Yingluck told the court.

Under the constitution -- forged after a 2006 coup that ousted Yingluck’s billionaire brother Thaksin Shinawatra as premier -- such an offence could lead to her removal.

The court could also extend its verdict to cabinet members who endorsed the decision to remove Thawil, potentially dislodging a layer of ruling party decision-makers with ties to Thaksin, who lives overseas to avoid jail for corruption convictions.

Pro-government “Red Shirts” have vowed to defend Yingluck from being toppled and any decision to remove the premier will kindle fears of deadly

clashes between rival political sides.

At least 25 people have died and hundreds more have been wounded in political violence linked to the sixmonth protests.

End game near?

If Yingluck alone is dismissed then a deputy prime minister can replace her until a new government is formed through elections.

But observers say a ruling to sack Yingluck and her cabinet could send the kingdom into uncharted territory.

“Thailand will enter a legal limbo,” according to Paul Chambers, director of research at the Institute of South East Asian Affairs at Chiang Mai University. There will be no cabinet, prime minister and no lower house. Only the Senate.”

The Thai Senate is part appointed, part elected and it is unclear which side of the political divide holds sway over the chamber -- which could be given a role in appointing a new premier.

The Constitutional Court, which oversees cases of violations of Thailand’s charter rewritten in the wake of Thaksin’s removal, has played a key role in recent chapters of Thai politics.

Critics accuse it of rushing through Yingluck’s case and allege previous rulings show that it is politically biased against the Shinawatras.

In 2008, the court forced two Thaksin-linked prime ministers from office.

It also annulled a February election called by Yingluck to shore-up her flagging administration, citing widespread disruption by opposition protesters.

The chairman of the pro-government “Red Shirts” accused the court of being bent on “overthrowing democracy”.

“We Red Shirts will not allow any undemocratic change,” Jatuporn Prompan added, confirming a mass rally in the Bangkok suburbs on Saturday. l

n Agencies With nearly half of the 64 seats going to polls in the penultimate round of Lok Sabha elections, Congress appears to have an uphill task to perform when the whole of Seemandhra and parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal cast their vote today.

Conversely, its main rival BJP, which currently has only five seats in today’s round, may have everything to gain if it improves its performance in heartland UP and Bihar and Uttarakhand.

The fate of 1,737 candidates, including Rahul Gandhi (Amethi), his cousin Varun (Sultanpur), Union minister Beni Prasad Verma (Gonda), cricketer-turned-politician Md Kaif (Phulpur-all in UP), Ram Vilas Paswan (Hajipur), Rabri Devi and Rajiv Pratap Rudy (Saran-all in Bihar) is in the hands of 18.47 crore voters eligible to cast their franchise.

Mamata eyes minorities with anti-Modi pitch

Besides Andhra Pradesh, elections will be held in seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, 15 in UP, six in West Bengal, five in Uttarakhand, four in Himachal Pradesh and two in Jammu and Kashmir Elections will also be held in Mandi of Himachal Pradesh where Pratibha, wife of chief minister Virbhadra Singh, is contesting while Anurag Thakur, sitting MP and son of former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal, is the candidate in Hamirpur.

Seemandhra, comprising the areas of Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra ac-

n Agencies

If Narenda Modi is playing the Hindu card, his rivals - including Mamata Banerjee - are eyeing the minority vote bank by demanding his arrest, The Times of India reported.

“He should be tied up and taken to jail,” Mamata said. Trinamool Congress has complained to Election Commission against Modi, saying he spoke in the backdrop of a Hindu deity at a Faizabad rally. BJP countered by filing a complaint against Mamata’s “indecent” barb at Modi.

The BJP threat has brought CPM, Congress and Trinamool on the same page.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose on Monday asked if Modi was “trying to create riots in Bengal by his comments?” He had earlier accused the BJP PM candidate if trying to “create a division in Bengal”.

State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury also lent his voice to the charge, saying: “Modi is raising a storm about evicting all those who’ve come to India after 1971. If so, L K Advani should be the first to be evicted. Can he do that? With all this big talk about evicting Muslims and Bangladeshis, they should remember that I too am from Bangladesh and I will also have to be evicted.

If Modi has the guts, let him try it.”

Mamata attacked Modi at three rallies in Habra, Bongaon and Deganga.

“People of Bengal are being dubbed as refugees and shamed. Some people are being called infiltrators,” she said. l

The three American social media giants, Facebook, Twitter and Google, have emerged as major players in the ongoing general elections in India, with political parties and candidates competing with each other in breaking the news, spreading their message through these outlets in addition to those via the traditional media.

While the impact of these social media on the elections could be known only after May 16 when the results are declared or could be a matter of another academic research, all the three major players have seen substantial increase in their India traffic and usage. For instance, Facebook has now 100 million users in India, its largest outside the US, while that of Twitter has more than doubled since January this year.

After the 7th round of polling, there were 49 million Indian elections-related conversations on Twitter, more than double the 20 million Indian elections-related conversations on Twitter for all of 2013.

In 2009, Shashi Tharoor was the only Indian politician to have a Twitter account and had 6,000 followers. Five years later, there is hardly any major political leader who does not have an account on Twitter.

Tharoor is now the second most popular politician on Twitter with 2.16 million followers, after Narendra Modi, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate with 3.89 million followers. Modi now also has nearly 14 million fans of Facebook. Barack Obama is the only other politician to have more Facebook fans.

Pakistan votes to lift ban on YouTube n AFP, Islamabad

AFP

Afghan police shoot into the air as landslide aid truck attacked n Reuters, Aab bareek Afghan police fired gunshots into the air yesterday to disperse villagers who fought police and aid workers distributing emergency supplies near the remote site of a deadly landslide, witnesses said.

Aid agencies have rushed tonnes of supplies to more than 4,000 displaced by the landslide in Aab Bareek, a village in the Argo district of Badakhshan in the northeast of the country, that was partially destroyed when the side of mountain collapsed on Friday.

Tensions have been running high

in the area, as victims say emergency supplies are not arriving fast enough.

Compounding the difficulties, residents of neighbouring poor villages have walked to the refugee centre in a bid to get food and other rations.

The Geneva-based International Organization for Migration said distribution of aid had been halted due to the shooting and insecurity.

About 100 Afghan soldiers aboard a convoy of vehicles were seen headed for the district on Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday’s violence started when dozens of people tried to board an aid truck, and then attacked two police officers

counting for 25 seats, will vote for both Lok Sabha and assembly. In the last two parliamentary elections of India, Congress had done exceedingly well and had contributed overwhelmingly to the making of the UPA government at the Centre.

In 2009, the Congress had won 19 of the 25 seats in the region. It had also formed the government in Andhra Pradesh on both the occasions.

The demise of strongman Y S Rajashekhar Reddy shortly after the 2009 polls and the split in the party effected by his son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, coupled with politics over division of the state, have combined to pose big hurdles for the party in the current elections.

Besides Andhra Pradesh, elections will be held in seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, 15 in UP, six in West Bengal, five in Uttarakhand, four in Himachal Pradesh and two in Jammu and Kashmir. l

Social media changing face of Indian elections

n Agencies

Afghan members of civil society organizations attend a memorial service for the victims of the landslide at Aab Bareek village

who attempted to restore calm, a Reuters witness said. A further eight police joined their colleagues, beating the villagers back with the butts of their rifles.

“Up to 80 people on a nearby hill pelted the police with stones and the police fired into the air for about a minute,” the witness said.

In a tense standoff, a man armed with a pistol approached the aid truck.

“Four police were pointing their AK47s at him, and one rushed at him and twisted his arm and grabbed his gun,” the witness said.

After decades of conflict, guns are commonplace in Afghanistan. l

9

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Pakistan’s parliament yesterday voted unanimously to lift a ban on YouTube, in a non-binding resolution that was nonetheless welcomed by free speech campaigners as an important symbolic move.

The video-sharing website has been blocked in Pakistan since September 2012 over its hosting of the “Innocence of Muslims” movie that sparked furious protests around the world.

A US appeals court in February ordered Google, which owns YouTube, to remove the film after a lawsuit brought by an actress who says she was tricked into appearing in it, but the Pakistani ban remains in place.

Shazia Marri, a lawmaker from the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party who put forward the resolution, said students and researchers were suffering as a result of the blackout.

“We have been disconnected from the world by the ban on YouTube,” she said. The deputy speaker of the house Murtaza Javed Abbasi later read out the resolution and all the lawmakers voted in its favour. “The house resolves that government may take immediate steps for opening of YouTube.”

Responding to the resolution, state health minister Saira Afzal Tarar said the government was in favour of lifting the ban but it remained “sub judice”.

“YouTube has been banned on the orders of Supreme Court and there is another case regarding the ban in Lahore High Court and the matter is sub judice. However the house can suggest names to form a committee to work on the issue,” she said.

Though the resolution is not legally binding, it was seen as a positive step by anti-censorship campaigners.

Shahzad Ahmed, director of a group called Bytes for All that campaigns against Internet censorship and has asked a court to overturn the ban, said it was a “very welcome” move. l

With political parties, leaders and candidates putting their advertisement on social media to reach out to their voters, all the three major players are reported to have made substantial addition to their revenue.

Though none of the companies are willing to discuss the advertisement revenue this election cycle, all of them have put in several months of tireless efforts and diverted substantial amount of their resources in the elections, many of them working thousands of miles away from India.

Facebook started working on the Indian elections towards the end of last year, says Katie Harbath, manager for policy at Facebook, adding that the company started doing a series of things beginning March this year when the elections were announced.

This includes launch of election tracker so that people can see in real time. Candidates are now using Facebook and Twitter for breaking news.

“We are really seeing the entire country discuss the issues (related to elections), Harbarth said in a recent interview. Facebook is really the key place of the conversation that is happening,” she said.

Adam Sharp, Head of Government and Nonprofits at Twitter, who has been involved in participating in elections in various countries of the world, conceded that elections have helped Twitter expand in India.

While the majority of the users of social media are concentrated in urban areas, the elections have also helped them expand their reach to the rural areas too. l

Did big donors pick BJP over Congress? n Agencies The BJP’s coffers had started swelling much before support for its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi turned into a wave. The saffron party collected a record Rs 82.82 crore from declared donors in 2012-13, leaving the ruling Congress trailing in its wake with just Rs 11.42 crore in the same period.

This was revealed in the latest contribution reports submitted by parties to the Election Commission (EC) where they have to declare donations in excess of Rs 20,000. While the BJP’s contribution report runs into 188 pages, and was among the last few to be filed with the EC on March 26, the Congress report ended at 49 pages.

These contributions, however, are just a fraction of what the parties actually receive. Up to 90% of the funds of these parties come through sale of coupons and other sources where the donors’ names are not disclosed before any authority. In some cases like the BSP, the party has claimed year after year that all its donations are less than Rs 20,000 each.

All major parties continue to source their funds from unidentified donors.

For instance, the BJP’s total income in 2010-11 and 2011-12 was Rs 168 crore and Rs 309 crore respectively, according to its income tax returns analyzed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The total income of Congress in these two years was Rs 307 crore and Rs 356 crore respectively.

(See tables on declared donations and total income of parties).

The NCP and the CPM are among those yet to submit their contribution reports, sources said. Like the BSP, other parties such as Trinamool Congress and AIADMK have said they did not receive any contribution above Rs 20,000.

CPI declared Rs 37 lakh in contributions and named its donors. It is mandatory for parties to submit their donors’ list for any contribution above Rs 20,000. The total income of parties for 2012-13 will be known only after a year when they file I-T returns. As of now, the 2012-13 contribution reports are the latest available data on parties’ income.

A request is pending with the Central Board of Direct Taxes to investigate the accounts of all major parties which have together earned more than Rs 4,900 crore between 2004-05 and 2011-12. ADR, which analyzed parties’ income through their I-T returns, has petitioned CBDT, which is under the finance ministry, to probe these anonymous donors.

The biggest beneficiary in the eight years has been the Congress, having collected more than Rs 2,300 crore, followed by BJP with a total income of Rs 1,300 crore. l

‘Spinmaster Modi deliberately misinterpreting facts’ n Agencies Narendra Modi was given the sobriquet of ‘spinmaster’ by Congress which accused the BJP’s PM candidate of deliberately misinterpreting facts after he lashed out at Priyanka Gandhi for “insulting” him with the “neech rajniti” remark as he belonged to a backward caste.

“He knows that he is misinterpreting. He does it purposefully. That is Narendra Modi. He will give it a spin that has nothing to do with fact,” party spokesman and union minister Kapil Sibal told reporters in New Delhi.

Asserting that Gandhi never made any such insinuation, Sibal said that Priyanka was only referring to BJP resorting to “low-level” politics.

Former Punjab chief minister and

senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh attacked BJP leader Arun Jaitley for accusing Priyanka Gandhi of being arrogant.

“Jaitley should better introspect about his own attitude that smacks of high headedness and sheer arrogance than passing judgement on others,” he said.

Singh said he had known both Rahul and Priyanka since their childhood and both of them are known for their “friendliness and highly affable manners.”

“He (Jaitley) will lose from Amritsar because of his arrogance and egoistic attitude as he is yet to learn to treat party colleagues as equals and not as subordinates,” said Singh, who has been locked in a bitter tussle with the BJP leader for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat. l

Salman Rushdie: Modi-run govt will be a ‘bullying’ one n Agencies India-born author Salman Rushdie has expressed concern that under Narendra Modi, India will have “a fairly bullying government” and attacks on the freedom of expression could worsen if the BJP comes to power.

“I am pretty concerned about a Modi-run government. The indications that it would be a fairly bullying government are already there. We have already seen journalists and writers being bullied and (the BJP) has not taken power yet,” Rushdie told PTI during a session on the importance of freedom of expression at the 10th annual PEN World Voices Festival in New York.

“You already see even more worryingly a kind of self-censorship

setting in. People worry that they are going to be bullied and therefore try not to do anything that will attract the wrath of the ‘Modistas’,” he said voicing his thoughts on an India with Modi as its leader.

Rushdie said there has never been a politician “quite like Narendra Modi” in India and given the high likelihood of the BJP winning the national elections and Modi becoming India’s next prime minister, “we have to see whether the experience of office serves to moderate him”.

During his address at the literary festival’s opening, Rushdie described Modi as a “highly divisive figure” and a “hardliner’s hardliner” and voiced concern that the attacks on freedom of expression and literary works could worsen in an India run by BJP. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Worker confidence a cause for RMG optimism

A

n independent survey by Democracy International reports that 86% of garment factory workers are happy with their workplace safety and two thirds consider they have fair working hours.

This survey provides a rare in-depth picture of the perceptions of ordinary workers in this key industry.

Although the study notes a number of known problem areas, it also shows a lot of worker faith in the industry. Two-thirds of the 1,500 workers surveyed in Dhaka and Chittagong expressed satisfaction with recent wage increases.

Concerns expressed were deepest in relation to lack of affordable housing (48%), vacation leave (46%), and job insecurity and paid sick leave (both 37%).

Other problem areas, such as workplace harassment, lack of maternity leave, and low wages were reported by significant, but smaller proportions of workers.

About two-thirds supported the principle that labour unions may help improve wages and conditions. However, the vast majority, nearly nine in ten, were not themselves members of unions and expressed lack of confidence in the way existing unions are organised, with many saying they are unrepresentative and 92% saying they should not be affiliated to political parties.

This suggests a lot of realism and pragmatism on the part of the workforce, which ought to be recognised more by factory owners and buyers. The degree of confidence expressed in the survey bodes well for initiatives seeking to raise standards, as it suggests a reliable and co-operative workforce with great potential to improve productivity and profits.

The degree of confidence expressed bodes well for initiatives seeking to raise standards and improve productivity

BIWTA’s duty to enforce safety rules

A

t least 14 people died, with a dozen remaining missing, following the capsize of the Patuakhali-bound MV Shathil 1 in the river Kalagachhiya on Sunday.

It is highly concerning that the vessel involved also very recently capsized on January 27. The fact that it can be in operation so soon afterwards highlights the weak enforcement of safety rules for riverboat operations.

In the last 38 years, over 4,420 people, with many more injured, have died in 550 passenger launch accidents. Although 2013 saw only a relatively low number of seven accidents with 22 deaths reported, Sunday’s fatal accident is a sobering reminder of the need to implement effective safety regulations.

Despite numerous probe committees being formed over the years, there has been virtually zero accountability for negligence and abuses of rules underlying these types of accident.

Avoidance and gross infringement of safety measures remain common, with numerous vessels that are outdated or have structural flaws continuing to operate with impunity.

Passenger and weight limits are routinely breached and vessel operators often lack appropriate experience and training in basic rules of river traffic and safety.

It is disgraceful that the Department of Shipping, which regulates waterways transport, still lacks the manpower to adequately check and monitor unfit and overloaded vessels.

More surveyors must be appointed urgently so that authorities can begin to properly implement regulations. Boat operators must also take collective action to root out practices which risk public safety.

There is no room for compromise in ensuring safety on the nation’s waterways.

No room for compromise in ensuring safe waterways

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

PM blames BNP for abductions, killings

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 10 represents A so fill in A every time the figure 10 appears.

You them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

As you get the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid, and the control grid. Check off the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them.

May 2

chunnu Is Khaleda the home minister now? Did she win the elections without a single vote and form the government? Let’s say she is remotely responsible; then why is she not being caught and charged?

When will the lies end?? Does the PM think we are that gullible and foolish?

Concerned citizen So why be in power if you can’t do anything to stop these abductions?

One Concerned citizen: This is such a fundamental and crucial point. Apart from all the other things we may justly excoriate this government for, I’d argue the current regime’s scandalous failure in ensuring the security of this country’s citizens (and punishing the perpetrators of the recent abductions, disappearances, killings, etc) makes the position of the incumbent PM and cohorts singularly untenable.

Mr Modi What example is she setting for the next generation of politicians?

Aksha Dear madam, these are cold-blooded murders you are talking about. Does your public announcement not amount to interfering with the murder investigation and probably hindering collection of

Businessman abducted in Narayanganj May 2

Romzanul Islam What is wrong with this country!?

Rayee Khan Why is everyone being abducted??

Forhad Bappy Narayanganj has become the home of abduction. :-/

No tinted glass on microbuses from May 10 May 1

Raju Norul “No black glass on microbuses.”

I want to see how “well” this law gets executed.

Police-DU students clash injures 5 May 2

akash Where has the tolerance and self-restraint gone these days? On a long holiday? Or emigrated?

It seems every group is boiling with anger and is always right!

CALVIN AND HOBBES

evidence?

All of the law enforcement agencies at your disposal could have collected all the murder evidence quickly and the culprits punished promptly. By making it all public, crucial evidence and witnesses are going to go underground to hide.

Please get them caught and punished, whoever they are. Finger-pointing is very tempting, but delivers a wrong message. It delivers a sign of either attempting to shift blame or covering up for inefficient law enforcement, or both.

One This is vintage Sheikh Hasina at her irresponsible, insufferable worst. It will be tedious to counter every point in the PM’s bombastic speech I see in this report. But, for now, it’s fair to lambast the PM’s lame old canard of Bangladesh being perceived as a “terrorist state” under the previous BNP government. If anything, Sheikh Hasina and her party are the ones who, from 2001 to this very day, have been relentlessly misrepresenting Bangladesh as being in the clutches of extremism and terrorism.

Anonymous Nothing more than two irresponsible politicians blaming each other!

Romzanul Islam The accursed blame game! For how long will this continue?

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Periods of time (4) 5 Tibetan priest (4) 10 Sly (4) 11 Present (3) 12 Vestment (5) 13 Metal-bearing rock (3) 14 Colouring agent (5) 16 Representatives (6) 18 Enigma (6) 21 Foreign (5) 23 First woman (3) 24 Country (5) 26 Perfect score (3) 27 Hidden obstacle (4) 28 Singer (4) 29 Fencing weapon (4)

DOWN 2 Elevate (5) 3 Curve (3) 4 Regal emblem (7) 6 Soon (4) 7 Human (6) 8 Respectful fear (3) 9 Facts given (4) 15 Like an ass (7) 17 Small stones (6) 19 Evade (5) 20 Dash (4) 22 Fasting period (4) 23 Greek letter (3) 25 40 winks (3)

Unanswered questions May 1

nds “In our country, poor labourers are always neglected.”

I would like to know where in the world they are taken care of with the dignity of human beings!

Khaleda issues ‘red alert’ May 2

Ronnie It’s always heartening to hear the BNP chairperson speak with her customary conviction on any given issue. Today the country is in dreadful disarray. Begum Zia’s public appeal to party activists to brace themselves for a renewed movement against the current autocracy and pervasive lawlessness must be taken seriously. I imagine they ought to be sufficiently motivated by the chairperson’s call for resolute resistance to the scandalous status quo.

Narayanganj gets new SP May 2

Akhtar Shah The transfer “magic wand” is now going to cure all ills. If all else fails, move some officials. It’s infantile!

SUDOKU How to solve: 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.

Khaleda: Bangladesh now a death valley May 4

Breadbitten I agree. It’s so damned hot out here these days.

Dr Kamal for citizens’ committees in every upazila May 3

Nawshad Khan We must destroy the sick politics and corruption that has infested our country. Dr Kamal is right in making this suggestion.

11 Muslims shot dead in India’s Assam

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

May 2

PEANUTS

shishirchandra “Police say they suspected the militants behind the overnight killings were members of the Bodo tribe.”

Bangladeshi settlers are the main cause of the violence in the Bodo areas of Assam.

Understanding Rooppur better May 3

Glowindarkov I cannot understand the logic of building a nuclear power plant in a high population density country prone to earthquakes. The PM will do better to focus on domestic coal.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Hurting in cyberspace n MAB Siddique

E

One in a long line of killings

RAJIB DHAR

Seven murders and the worst fear

T

n Mohammad Ali Sattar he killing and abduction spree set off by a quarter of the dark world has captured the nation in a mesmerising scenario. There are no pristine words or phrases to describe this ongoing horrific orgy of bloodletting.

Murders and killings were always there from the very beginning of human history, but with each day it takes a new monstrous shape. It’s as if only taking a life is not enough, now it has to look as horrendous and terrifying as possible.

Over time, we have been gifted with famous horror stories and movies, which we have been watching with great appreciation for the big stars and their artistry of making “real life” horrors.

“Dracula” is a name which we have known since our childhood. We have witnessed with awe how the sharp and long toothed human-looking creatures called “vampires” thrived on human blood. How do we erase the memories of hair-raising scenes of a human prey caught and having the red fluid drained out?

Perverted acts of these mentally-deranged slaughterers always gave us shivers.

Killing with sharp or blunt weapons, smashing heads into smithereens, or chopping the body into pieces … these were the common proceedings of horror movies. Once upon a time these were impossible obsessions in real life, doable only in the movies created by the storyteller, portrayed by actors playing certain characters, and

supported by appropriate sound and lighting effects.

Only God can tell how those characters made their way into our real lives.

While we have enjoyed watching them for ages, these imaginative creatures have stealthily settled in our midst.

They tip-toed into our veins to take over and do away with the peace and love in our lives. They turned love into hatred. They replaced water with blood to quench our thirst.

And then the enduring tragedy begins for the families, their pleading and begging for the safe return of their lost loved ones goes on unabated. We discover our dear ones twisted and buried in the odorous waters of the Sitalakhya or Buriganga, or cast off in a ravine inside a guinea bag.

Hatred, greed, and perversion have taken over our souls. This is no politics, no social contest for fame – this is simply the unleashing of a gory haraki-

Even if only a fraction of this suspicion is correct, our worst fear will have come true. We are not safe anymore

In no time, we abandoned the civilised road which we were all on to reach the finest goals of life, with a touch of divinity in our feelings. We have started traversing backwards, ending up in the most chaotic disorders of life. We failed to behold the fearful face of the satanic sects or feel the gradual plunge into the dungeons of decomposed darkness.

And now here we are, devoid of any sensation and filled with deadness. We watch our mothers and sisters brutally treated by the modern-day lunatics, the violation of underaged girls, the defacing of beautiful faces, we witness our brothers and fathers vanishing into darkness or even in broad daylight.

ri of unwell minds. This is a display of the distorted minds that have lost the God-gifted boons, passing their days cursed and rotting every day, vitiating the atmosphere.

What is wrong with Narayanganj and its leader? Its inhabitants have suddenly been exposed to a most perilous life. The ruling party leaders are deeply engaged in internecine squabbles, the situation has reached the depths of despair. The rivalry has been brewing for some time now. In the last mayoral polls, that saw Ivy win the contest, could be considered a turning point (for the worse) for the people of Narayanganj.

Ever since then, things have been

turning bad every day. Young Tawki was found dead, and immediately after Osman’s family was accused in the complicity.

Gradually the dreadful atmosphere started getting thicker. The rise of backyard parasites to power added further tragedy to the politics. Nur Hossain’s ascend has been right under the muzzle of the ones at power and the law enforcers – but no one thought of stepping in to cut his wings. We have many such Nur Hossains in Narayanganj and other parts of the country. We can only hear about them after some horrific tragedy has been perpetrated by these grisly souls.

More disturbing is the news that the victim’s families are accusing RAB of being involved in the murder of these people. They allege that a whopping Tk6 crore deal was struck to eliminate these people. Scores of evidence are being now examined. The government smelled a rat in all this and have removed a number of law enforcers from the town. It only strengthens the suspicion over the involvement of these law enforcers.

Meanwhile the High Court has ordered the CID to investigate the alleged involvement of the RAB men in the killings. The worst fear is not of the politicians or their hired money-licking goons, because we are used to their offensive acts. The worst fear is the alleged connection of law enforcers in the killing.

Even if only a fraction of this suspicion is correct, our worst fear will have come true. We are not safe anymore. l Mohammad Ali Sattar is a journalist and DT columnist.

arlier this year, a protest was held at Dhaka University by a group of female students wearing black ribbons and holding candles, against a recent trend of posting derogatory comments towards women online. This draws our attention to the fact that sexism offends not only in the real one, but in the virtual world as well. The overall condition of women in Bangladesh beggars description, particularly in terms of the rights they deserve, despite the few measures taken by the government.

A vast portion of the world’s population lives in two worlds, one is the real world, where we meet and converse with each other physically, while the other is a virtual world made possible through the wonders of communication technology. It is a growing concern that people are doing things in this virtual world that they would have to think twice before doing in the real world, cashing in on the anonymity that the internet endows us with.

The crudest form of hate that we see, at least in Bangladesh, is the reaction against any social development and liberation values pertaining to women. When someone writes something derogatory about women, he basically makes a farce of his own existence, going against the idea of unity in human society. He goes against humanity, against love; he disgraces himself by indulging in activities that undermine the very concept of equality.

In the real world, the socioeconomic and historic context of the discrimination against women has an elaborate meaning, the hate or derogatory campaigns in Facebook, or any other social media, can be explained within such perspectives. These contexts reduced women into subaltern beings, trapping them within certain power relations.

Historic contexts aside, even our existing values can sometimes be a part of the hate against women, since not everyone can consciously distinguish between ideals that are derogatory, which can hurt women.

The more a society lets sexism go unabated, the more terrorism and crime gets encouraged

Just like in the real world, derogatory remarks made in the virtual one go unpunished most of the time. Our resistance and legal safety are too weak to tackle the derogatory remarks against women in social media, let alone address the blatant violence that they face.

To combat the derogatory remarks that the patriarchal machine keeps churning out, the country would do well to take a look at alleviating

poverty, making education more widespread, ensuring access to justice, generating employment, eradicating backward beliefs, and enabling women to function as an individuals in society through various programs or what have you, but what is more important is that, in every single front, we need to stand and fight back sexism with all the strength we possess. The protest that the Dhaka University students brought out is something we can consider as something very inspiring to that end.

Derogatory remarks made in the virtual world go unpunished most of the time

In the real world, attacks and violence against women are hardly documented, but derogatory remarks made against women in various blogs or social media can be a good indicator of the extent of violence women have to put up with.

In many ways, a society of equality is far from something we can have overnight. In Bangladesh, and many other parts of the world, we believe we can also design a world of beautiful bonds, a world of of no hate, discrimination, or exploitation.

We can’t take this practice of making derogatory remarks as normal as we are the one proud nation of which women have undertaken and shouldered a greater role to emancipate us from a history of longstanding confinement. We have seen how many pages in Facebook there are dedicated to propagating against our bloodstained liberation war and its values, many of those same pages also seem to campaign against women’s freedom and rights.

The more a society lets sexism go unabated, the more terrorism and crime gets encouraged. In many ways, the sexist remarks and the derogatory and humiliating comments that we often encounter in social media are the outcome of the various obsessions that grew from within our society, stemming from a lack of education, prevalence of medieval ideas, and so on.

We have to ruminate over whether the setting we have built over the years is compatible for women in ensuring them the rights an individual is endowed with. If not, then we have to bring sweeping changes, from the education system to everything – the entire process of socialisation, and of course, our belief system. If any sort of humiliation, harassment, or abuse can’t be resisted, the goal of us evolving towards a more civilised and equal society will continue to remain out of reach. l MAB Siddique is a Staff Writer at the Dhaka Tribune.

Born into poverty n Oli Md Abdullah Chowdhury

N

asrin is from the tiny village of Rampal, Bagerhat and she got married during her early adolescent days. When she became pregnant, her husband sent her to her father’s house. In the beginning of her pregnancy, her husband paid visit on several occasions but after a few months, he reduced the frequency of visits. Finally, he stopped all communication with his wife.

guardians lack awareness on the legal age limit of marriage.

The baby, Abdullah, was born on January 26, 2014. He was very weak and struggled to survive. He had pneumonia and started suffering from breathing problems. However, his mother was helpless and his grandparents didn’t care much about his survival. Nasrin’s parents were more anxious about the future of their daughter and considered the child as a burden.

Birth of a child is hardly celebrated in

Findings of a national survey show that 64% of women between the age of 20 to 24 in Bangladesh were victims of child marriage

She was hardly 13 when she got married.

A recent survey conducted by ICDDR,B reveals a correlation between location (urban/rural) and awareness of legal age limits of marriage: 55% of interrogated women in urban areas were aware of the legal age of marriage against 45% in rural areas. Nasrin happens to be an easy victim of child marriage as she and her

an extremely poor household, and in this context, Abdullah was born in a time when his father put an end to any contact with his mother.

Abdullah soon caught a cold, and the situation worsened quickly as he had tremendous difficulty in breathing. However, her father struggled to manage essential costs, and to arrange

food for all family members. Therefore, Nasrin managed to get some basic medicine from a local pharmacist. But, the medicine didn’t improve Abdullah’s condition that much.

Abdullah’s story and his condition caught the attention of a visitor from the Shiree (Stimulating Household Improvements Resulting in Economic Empowerment) programme; they had come to validate extreme poor households in Rampal under the district of Bagerhat. The Economic Empowerment of the Poorest (EEP) project of Shiree aims to support the government of Bangladesh in achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1, which is seeks to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.

Save the Children, through its partner organisation CODEC, has been implementing Shiree in Bagerhat. Observing the deteriorating condition of Abdullah, the visiting team suggested immediate hospitalisation that had been done accordingly by the project local team.

Abdullah was admitted in Khulna Shishu Hospital on March 12 to get treatment for pneumonia. As he was unable to take food and medication orally, he required special supports in the hospital. Slowly, he got better and the doctor finally gave the nod for him to take food and medication orally.

Children are the most vulnerable However, doctors decided to keep him under intensive care for a few weeks. As his condition improved, he was finally released from the hospital on March 30.

Abdullah’s condition is stable now.

However, his mother is worried about his future as his father is unlikely to cooperate with her in raising their child. Nasrin herself only completed her primary education. She has neither been able to continue her education nor develop any expertise due to the early marriage. Therefore, she is

BIGSTOCK

dependent on her father who drives a van and whose income declines during the lean periods of the year.

Child marriage is taking its toll on many adolescent girls like Nasrin in Bangladesh. Findings of a national survey conducted by ICDDR,B show that an overwhelming 64% of women between the age of 20 to 24 in Bangladesh were victims of child marriage.

When a girl gets married early, she is unlikely to continue her education even though each additional year of

schooling beyond primary level offers greater payoffs for improved opportunities, options, and outcomes for the girls and women.

Increased efforts to prevent early marriage to help many adolescent girls like Nasrin are essential. l Oli Md Abdullah Chowdhury is working in Khulna for Save the Children as Communication and Documentation Officer in Shiree programme supported by UKaid/ DFID.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

I am not interested to work in an art-film: Shakib Khan

Jaya and Mahfuz in a Tagore special

n Afrose Jahan Chaity

On the 153rd birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, a special single episode drama Bibha will be aired tomorrow on NTV at 12:20pm. Directed

by Sumon Anowar, the drama is an adaptation of Tagore’s Robibar.

The romantic drama features popular soap actors, Jaya Ahsan and Mahfuz Ahmed in lead roles.

Plot of the drama revolves around a female character named Bibha whose parents passed away in her childhood. She takes care of her family property. A financially solvent Bibha falls in love with Abhik, who is a painter. Abhik is a carefree man who loves to explore his life with

On May 10, celebrated actor Shakib Khan will receive the “National Film Award” for his outstanding performance in the movie Khodar Pore Maa. A while ago, he was also bestowed with the “Meril Prothom Alo Award” for his role in Purno Doirgho Prem Kahini. At present, Shakib is busy with his film Hero: The Superstar, he is not only acting in the film but this is his first project as a producer. According to Shakib, he has used every modern technologies available in-order to present the audience with something new. He also holds the title of the “highest paid actor” of the Bangladesh film industry. Dhaka tribune caught up with the superstar and talked about his personal and professional life: You are ruling the industry for many years.

Did you enjoy the so called ‘competition less’ stardom?

No one ever gets an open filed. When I started as an actor, I also had to face competition from popular actors of that time. I had to prove myself and win the audience appreciation through my dedication and hard work.

Reaching stardom was an uphill climb and I am thankful to the almighty for my success.

In-order to maintain my popularity, I have to work at it on a continuous basis. I am my worst critic and still now, I am learning new things, the process of acquiring knowledge is never-ending.

Are you satisfied with the roles and films being offered?

No, I am not satisfied. An actor is always famished for diversities in roles. Exploring one-

TODAY IN DHAKA Exhibition

Germany – A Sporting Nation Time: 11am – 6pm Goethe Institut Bangladesh Road 9(new) House 10 Dhanmondi The Art of Governance Time: 3pm – 8pm National Art Gallery, Shilpakala Academy, Shegun Bagicha Water Rhymes-2 Time: 11am – 8pm Galleri Kaya House 20 Road 16 Sector 04 Uttara

Film

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (3D & 2D) The Legend of Hercules 3D Frozen in 3D Ender’s Game Time: 10am – 10pm Star Cineplex Bashundhara City

Cultural Programme

Dibey Ar Nibey Milabey Milibey Jabey Na Phirey

By Rabindrasangeet Shilpi Sangstha Time: 6pm – 9pm Shawkat Osman Auditorium Public Library Shahbag

n Entertainment Desk

full freedom and does not believe in boundaries.

He cares for Bibha but also enjoys spending time with other women. Sometimes, he also takes financial support from Bibha.

However, Bibha does not not bother much about his freindship with other women since she is confident about the strength of her love. At one point, her teacher asks her for a big amount of money for an emergency and a helpful Bhibha sells her jeweleries to extend a helping hand.

Abhik refuses to accept her decision and that creates problem for them.

He decides to leave her forever and heads to London to explore his life and his artistic career.

On the other hand, a loyal Bibha keeps on waiting for him. l

SADIA MARIUM self in different roles are always enjoyable, you can live many lives by playing a variety of roles on-screen.

Have you ever been approached by an artfilm maker?

Yes, but I am not interested to work in an artfilm. Art films are good for getting awards. If I can get awards by working in commercial films, why should I go for art-films where there is less audience interested in the genre?

I like films with commercial appeal.

What changes are necessary in the industry to compete in the international market?

We have good cinematographers, directors and editors, but we need to improve our post-production phase to survive the competition.

The industry is becoming degitalised. How do you feel about it?

Well, currently the industry is in a transitional phase and we are open to exploring the new technologies available.

Everyday we are coming across something new for the audience to enjoy and we are eager to embrace these innovations. We need to adapt quickly to stay in line with the international standard.

What do you look for in a life partner?

I want to get married to a homely girl who will look after my family and take control in the home front.

Favourite co-actors?

Cannot point out anyone specific. I maintain a fair relationship with all my co-actors. l

Chhayanaut to observe Tagore’s 153rd birthday Celebrating the 153rd birth anniversary of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Chhayanaut is organising a two-day festival from tomorrow in its auditorium at 6:30pm. The event titled Rabindra Utsob 1421 is a tribute to the literary titan of the sub-continent and will be celebrated through colourful performances and musical presentations.

The opening dance performance will be directed

by Belayet Hossain and a total of 60 artistes will take part in the festival. An array of inspirational, devotional and love songs of Tagore will be presented at the programme.

Eminent Rabindra Sangeet artistes Mita Haque, Iffat Ara Dewan, Sajed Akber, Salma Akber, Papiya Sarwar and many others will sing at the event. Teachers and students of Chhayanaut will also perform at the programme including Azizur Rahman, ATM Jahangir and Tanzina Parveen Toma. Other artistes from the various divisions of the country will also be present at the event.

Poetry recitations of Tagore's popular poems will be presented by Syed Hasan Imam, Taposh Mazumder, Ferdous Ara Khanam and Mahmuda Akter.

The celebration is open for all. l

‘Women are under pressure to look perfect’ n Entertainment Desk Beyonce brought the issue into the public eye once again in a “behind-the-scenes” of her new video Pretty Hurts, which reveals the extreme lengths people go to in order to fit in, reported Daily Mirror.

Songstress Beyonce insists it is heartbreaking to see ladies having too much pressure from society to look perfect. “I am pretending to get a face-lift and botox.

It represents all the things that women go through to keep up with the pressure that society puts on us.

Some of the things that young women go through are really heartbreaking for me,” she said.

The video was directed by Melina Matsoukas, who added that society’s version of beauty does not make people happy in themselves.

“The concept of the video is really a behind the scenes look into society’s take on beauty and how it doesn’t bring you happiness and it doesn’t move you forward in life. It’s really finding yourself that brings you happiness,” Matsoukas said. l

Tokkonath airs tonight

Channel i celebrates Rabindra Joyonti

n Entertainment Desk

Channel i is gearing up to hold its 9th Rabindra Mela on May 8 marking the 153th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore on their premises in Tejgaon. This year, the organisers conferred lifetime achievement award upon noted Rabindra researcher, essayist and poet Ahmad Rafiq.

A press conference was held yesterday in this regard at the Channel i office where noted Tagore singer Rezwana Chowdhury Bonnya with Director General of Bangala Academy Shamsuzzaman Khan and head of news of the Channel i Shykh Seraj handed over a cheque worth TK 100,000, a crest and an uttaria to Ahmad Rafiq. Cultural activist and filmmaker Nasir Uddin Yousuff Bacchu, Managing Director of Channel i, Faridur Reza Sagar, Deputy Managing Director of AB Bank Limited Sazzad Hussain and media personality Ali Imam were present at the programme.

Ahamd Rafiq expressed his gratitude to Channal i and said: “I am proud to receive the award.” Talking about the beauty and strength of Tagore’s literature, he said: “We generally know Tagore through his poems and songs. But to consume his entire philosophy, one have to go through his prudent essays which can direct us to the process of building a progressive nation.”

Noted artists, littérateurs, Tagore enthusiasts, cultural and media personalities with the Channel i family will inaugurate the day-long Rabindra Mela at 11:05am.

Rezwana Chowdhury Bonnya’s solo album titled Kon Gagoner Tara will be launched at the event.

The fair will have 20 stalls featuring products of the cottage and handicraft industries, pansupari (betel nut and betel leaf) and traditional food. Besides, live performances of music and dance will be presented at the event. Channel i will telecast the ocassion live. l

Charlize Theron to make Brain on Fire into a film!

Rajinikanth attracts 150,000 Twitter followers on Day 1

n Entertainment Desk Superstar Rajinikanth joined Twitter on Monday, May 5. Right on the first day of joining the social media platform, the Indian actor attracted over 150,000 followers.

Within minutes of joining the site, the 63-year-old had already over 8,000 followers. The actor’s official handle is “@SuperStarRajini.”

The actor posted his first tweet last afternoon, May 5.

Tokkonath will air on NTV tonight at 9:45pm.

Written and directed by Wahid Anam, the story revolves around two brothers named Chamaru and Kamaru who are involved in thievery, fraud and various crimes. The law enforcement of the community becomes outraged at their audacity when they steal from the home of an influential political leader.

When avoiding the police becomes impossible, they move to a new suburban area and decides to start earning in an honest way. Later, they realise how hard it is to earn a living through ordinary work and decides to steal something for the last time before they become decent individuals.

ATM Shamsuzzaman, Hasan Masud, Mousumi Hamid, Siddique, Arfan, MM Morshed, Shabnom Parvin, Shamima Najnin, Khan M Yousuf and others form the cast of the serial.

Tokkonath airs Wednesdays and Thursdays every week. l

n Entertainment Desk

Rajinikanth will soon be seen in his daughter Soundarya R Ashwin’s directorial venture, Kochadaiiyaan which releases this Friday. Hence, he probably decided to make his Twitter debut to engage fans before the film’s release.

Rajinikanth’s profile picture is one of himself, while his background features a collage of his various cinema and realtime stills.

Rajinikanth’s current number of followers on Twitter has now gone up to 211k. l

Charlize Theron’s production company has optioned rights to the best-selling memoir of Susannah Cahalan's Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. The film will see Twilight actress Dakota Fanning in a leading role.

The “Simon and Schuster” book is currently number five on the New York Times' paperback nonfiction list after first being published in 2012, reported the New York Post.

The memoir follows the author's true story of waking up in a hospital with no memory of the events of the previous month, and piecing together the medic al mystery that landed her there. l

Did you know?

So far this season Manchester City have spent just 10 days on top of the Premier League table

Sport

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

14 Liverpool’s title

challenge founders in defence

15 Sri Lanka

thrash Ireland in first ODI

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Waqar Younis

back as Pakistan coach

Now it’s Corey Richards who resigns Bangladesh fielding coach Corey Richards resigned from his post yesterday and became the third member from the national cricket team support staff to tender his resignation in the space of the last 11 days.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) cricket operations committee chairman Akram Khan confirmed that he had received a resignation letter from Richards yesterday.

“I have handed over my resignation to Akram [Khan] and the required people,” said Richards to the media yesterday.

“It has been accepted immediately and I will be leaving in a few weeks.

The fact is that the BCB and I are going in different directions so I feel it was time to part ways,” he added.

Richards informed that there were a few reasons behind his resignation and went on to say that he came to this decision over the past few months.

“The final thing for me was when Shane [Jurgensen] resigned. But I have really enjoyed working with the players, Shane Jurgensen and the

coaching staff, and the two programmes - batting and fielding departments,” he said.

The BCB appointed Richards in February 2013 on a two-year contract which was set to conclude after the ICC 2015 World Cup. But over the past few weeks, the BCB had been seeking specialist coaches in all three departments, leaving Richards, who was also the team’s batting coach, in an untenable position.

Richards notified that he was hunting for a bigger role in coaching.

“I am seeking more head-coaching roles and the opportunity for that in Bangladesh doesn’t appear available in the immediate future. With the experience and success that I have had in my head-coach career to date, I am looking at potential opportunities to continue my development and career,” said the 38-year old.

Richards’ resignation came in after head coach Shane Jurgensen and trainer David Dwyer, who both resigned late last month. This left physio Vibhav Singh and computer analyst Nasir Ahmed in the support staff of the national team. l

HATTRICK SCUDETTO

Juventus’ coach Antonio Conte (3R) celebrates with his players after winning the Serie A championship at the end of their match against Atalanta at the Juventus stadium in Turin on Monday. Story on page 14 REUTERS

BCB unanimous for top coach The five-member ‘coach search’ committee formed by Bangladesh Cricket Board looks to reqruit a top coach for the Bangladesh national cricket team.

BCB’s acceptance of outging coach Shane Jurgensen’s resignation on Monday meant the board would have around two months to fill the vacant position before the home ODI series against India begins.

This gave birth to speculation whether BCB will be able to land a high-profile coach within the short time. However, BCB’s chief of cricket operations and a member of the coach search committee,Akram Khan, is hopeful of finding the successor to Jurgensen.

“We are trying to get a new coach before the India series,” said Akram to

the media yesterday. “I don’t want to mention any name at the moment as all the options which we are looking at are engaged,” he added. But the former national skipper didn’t rule out the chances of bringing in a local coach for the team if they fail to find a top coach within the time left before the series against India.

Besides looking for a head coach, the BCB will also look for a specialized batting, a bowling and a fielding coach, informed Akram. It was learnt that BCB is interested in former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly as the batting coach or consultant while former Australian spinner Shane Warne is being contacted by the BCB for the position of the spin consultant.

“We are five members in the team.

We will do whatever is best for the team. We are looking for both bowl-

ing and batting coach. Actually we are looking for a complete package. We will inform the media when we confirm a coach,” said Akram.

Another member of the committee and also the chief of BCB’s game development, Khaled Mahmud Sujon also echoed the same sentiment as Akram.

“Our aim is to find a top level coach for the team but we (committee) are yet to hold a meeting. We will soon hold a meeting, shortlist the names and try to sign a coach who meets our criteria,” informed Sujon.

Talking about the criteria, Sujon informed that the board would be looking for a coach who would give enough time to cricket on the field and can get along with the players really quick. Mahbub Anam, Jalal Younus and Naimur Rahman are the other three members of the coach search committee. l

Shamsur, Nasir likely to be named in ‘A’ team Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is likely to announce the Bangladesh ‘A’ team tomorrow which is scheduled to leave the country on May 22 for a month long tour to West Indies. The tour will consist two three-day, three one-day and two T20 matches.

It was learnt that most of the current national team players along with few performers from the domestic cricket league and under-19 side will be named in the ‘A’ team.

With the existing national team scenario it does not need to mention that the tour to West Indies will be the top priority for the touring players as it will be a great opportunity for them to make a statement to the national team selection committee since Bangladesh will

be visiting the same country in August.

Eyes will be on Shamsur Rahman and Nasir Hossain who failed to perform for the Tigers in recent times and their performance here will be instrumental.

Fast bowler Mohammad Sharif, who last played for the national side in a Test match against Sri Lanka in 2007, performed heavily in the recently concluded National Cricket League. The 30-year-old is likely to be rewarded with a place in the ‘A’ team along with young left-arm spinner Taijul Islam.

Meanwhile a string of resignations from the foreign coaches in the last 11 days - Shane Jurgensen, Richard McInnes and Corey Richards – might see the BCB opt for former national cricketer and under-19 coach Mizanur Rahman Babul to guide the second string national side to West Indies. l

Khulna, Rangpur move into zonal semis Khulna moved into the zonal final of the KFC National Women’s Football Championship beating Jhenaidah by 5-0 at the Kushtia stadium

yesterday.

Purnima notched a brace while Mukta, Josna and Oshima scored one apiece.

In the other match of the day at Dinajpur stadium, Rangpur thrashed Thakurgaon by 6-0 and sealed a zonal final slot. Swapna and Limu grabbed two goals each while the other two goals were netted by Rokshana and Ratna respectively. l

12 share lead in Azimuddin Bhuiyan Chess

Taijul guides North Russel kick off campaign today Zone to BCL final

12 players were sharing the lead with a maximum 2 points at the end of the 2nd round in the Azimuddin Bhuiyan 33rd National Sub-Junior (Under-16) Chess Championship held yesterday.

The players are: FM Md. Fahad Rahman, Akib Jawad, Oyon Nur Newaz, Abdullah Al Sharhan Saikat, Azmain Inqiad Adeeb, Rabbi Mridha, Md. Raphael Kabir, Md. Surat Alam, Nova Tasha, Swarnavo Choudhury, Tahsin Mahmud and Fardina Hossain. In the 2nd round, Fahad beat Mahmud, Akib beat Sawri, Oyon beat Rumaisa, Saikat beat Shajed, Tasha beat Ahnaf, Swarnavo beat Asif, Adeeb beat Tahsin Anjum, Fardina beat Nushrat, Rabbi beat Kanchan, Tahsin Mahmud beat Arnab and Raphael beat Sraboni. l

Sheikh Russell KC are confident of putting in a good performance in the AFC President’s Cup as the Bangladesh Premier League champions kick off their campaign against Pakistani giants KRL FC in group A at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo at 6.30pm today.

Sheikh Russel’s domestic performance this season has been a sharp contrast to their historic treble winning campaign last season as they now sit sixth in the Bangladesh Premier League points table and failed to qualify for the semifinal of any of the professional tournaments - Federation Cup and Independence Cup. Such shambolic display sent such a strong shock wave that the club sacked their last year’s successful coach Maruful Haque and appointed Montenegrin coach Dragan Dukanovic who could manage Sheikh Russell in only two games in the league before leaving for Sri Lanka.

Although Djukanovic has so far failed to produce a victory, the Montenegrin is still full of confidence before today’s match against KRL to turn things around in the President’s Cup. Djukanovic, however, admitted that it would be a tough job for any coach to develop a winning mentality in such a short time.

“Although our main target is to qualify for the next round but we are concentrating on our first group match

PDB, BGB win in premier volleyball Title contenders Power Development Board and BGB registered facile victories in the National Bank Ltd. Premier Volleyball at the volleyball stadium yesterday.

PDB beat Azad Sporting 25-14, 25-10 and 25-13 while BGB also overpowered East End 25-11, 25-09 and 25-11. In the other match of the day, Wari Club outplayed Fire Service with the identical scoreline of 25-16, 25-16 and 25-16. l

AFC PRESIDENT’S CUP

Sheikh Russel coach Dragan Dukanovic speaks at the press conference at Colombo yesterday COURTESY against Pakistan side KRL for now. If we can win this game, it will almost confirm our place in the next round.

So it is be a very important game for us,” said the newly appointed coach.

He also admitted that the job would be tough as KRL are always a strong opponent. On top of that, they are the runner-up of the last edition of AFC President’s Cup. Team manager Sheikh Jahidur Rahman Milon said that they were focusing on giving their best on the pitch rather than thinking about the opponents.

Russel’s only injury concern is national forward Mithun Chowdhury who is still nursing an ankle injury.

Djukanovic said that they would wait for Mithun till the last moment.

Meanwhile, KRL coach Tariq Lufti expressed his concern over losing two regular midfielders of the club who had left for Palestine with the Pakistan national team. The Rawalpindi outfits have two injured players also who have not traveled to Colombo for the tournament, informed Lutfi.

However, Lutfi said that his team was motivated to meet the challenges here and would play competitively.

“They are always tough to play and we have to give our hundred percent to beat them (Sheikh Russell),” said the KRL coach.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s side Sri Lanka Air Force will lock horns with Bhutan’s Ugyen Academy from group A in the day’s first match at the same venue. l

BCB North Zone left-arm spinner Taijul Islam’s 11-wicket haul led his side to a 51-run win over Walton Central Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) at the BKSP – 3 ground yesterday and subsequently helped to seal a final date with Prime Bank South Zone.

Chasing 266 runs for victory, Walton Central Zone resumed the fourth and final day’s play with nine wickets intact but Taijul ensured that BCB North Zone would eventually have the final laugh with Walton Central Zone skipper Mahmudullah’s double act – century and hat-trick - going in vain.

Taijul scalped six wickets in the first innings and repeated his heroics in the second innings by picking up five wickets to take BCB North Zone to the final of the first-class franchise-based competition, slated for May 9 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. The final will be a five-day affair.

Overnight batsmen Rony Talukder and Elias Sunny started off proceedings for Walton Central Zone in the fourth day. After Rony was dismissed by Taijul, Sunny and Shamsur Rahman resurrected the chase adding 93 runs for the third wicket.

However, Shamsur (36) was soon removed by Taijul while Sunny departed after scoring the highest, 60. Following Shamsur and Sunny’s

BRIEF SCORE Walton Central v BCB North North 457 & 87 Central 278 & 215 (Elias Sunny 60, Taijul Islam 5/89, Subashish Roy 3/25, Sanjamul Islam 2/43) North Zone won by 51 runs dismissals, Walton Central Zone never appeared comfortable and the fall of wickets at regular intervals saw them bundled out for 215 in 54 overs.

Taijul finished with second innings figures of five wickets conceding 89 runs while Subashish Roy provided valuable support by taking three wickets.

BCB North Zone earlier posted 457 in their first innings with Forhad Hossain smashing 109 runs. However, a poor effort in the second innings, where BCB North Zone were skittled out for just 87, brought Walton Central Zone back into the game. Walton Central Zone scored 278 in their first innings, led by a century by Mahmudullah. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Mourinho in search of ‘killer’ striker Jose Mourinho hopes to sign a “killer” forward in a bid to bolster Chelsea’s trophy hopes next season. Chelsea manager Mourinho has repeatedly lamented the absence of a prolific front man this season and is understood to want to bring Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa to Stamford Bridge. Last weekend’s 0-0 draw at home to relegation candidates Norwich highlighted Chelsea’s problems in front of goal and Mourinho told Chelsea TV on Monday “We have good players, but we don’t have the kind of striker able to, in a short space, to make an action, to score a goal, to open the gate.

–AFP

Sport

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Clippers steamroll Thunder in opener

Conte sparks doubts on Juve future

Chris Paul scored 17 of his 32 points in the first quarter on Monday as the Los Angeles Clippers routed Oklahoma City 122-105 in their NBA playoff series opener.

The Clippers seized control early and never let up, leading by as many as 29 points en route to the triumph that gave them a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference second-round series. Paul shook off a right hamstring injury and sprained left thumb, connecting on his first eight three-point attempts and missing only two of his 14 shots from the field overall. The Clippers shot a sizzling 54.9 percent from the field and connected on 15 of 29 from three-point range.

–AFP

Juventus manager Antonio Conte declined to commit his future to the newly-crowned Serie A champions after their ceremonial 1-0 win over Atalanta on Monday, sparking fears he might leave the club he has led to three straight titles. Juve had already secured the championship thanks to Roma’s spectacular 4-1 collapse at Catania on Sunday but, as his players celebrated on the pitch in front of the fans, Conte remained cagey about what next season holds. “It’s been an extremely tiring season. I doubt Juventus could’ve done any more than this over the past three years,” Conte told Sky Italia.

–Reuters

Liverpool’s title challenge founders in defence Liverpool’s quest for a first English league title since 1990 has foundered on naive football in two matches where a less gung-ho approach might have produced four points instead of one.

The dramatic collapse from a 3-0 lead with 11 minutes remaining to draw 3-3 at Crystal Palace on Monday came eight days after Liverpool had dominated possession against Chelsea at Anfield only to run out 2-0 losers.

The squandering of those precious points means they top the Premier League table with 81 and one match to play, one ahead of Manchester City who have two games remaining.

Manager Brendan Rodgers was

forced to concede the title race was effectively over and, in his view, City would now be crowned champions for the second time in three seasons.

In both games, Liverpool’s chase for goals, allied to poor defending across the back, cost them dearly. They were not isolated tactical lapses.

The stats speak for themselves. Liverpool have scored 99 goals this season but conceded 49. Teams that concede that frequently do not win titles.

Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher said Rodgers should have shored up his sometimes fragile central defensive partnership once the lead was established.

Rodgers might indeed have brought on a defender instead of replacing

THE CONTENDERS

1

LIVERPOOL

2

MAN CITY

PLAYED 37 WON 25 DRAWN 6

PLAYED

LOST

LOST

6

SCORED

POINTS 81

99

DIFFERENCE

CONCEDED

50

49

6

SCORED

36

WON 25 DRAWN 5

POINTS

96

DIFFERENCE

FINAL GAME Newcastle United (H)

80

CONCEDED

59

3

37 WON 24 DRAWN 7 79 SCORED 69 CONCEDED 26 DIFFERENCE 43 PLAYED

LOST

37

MID-WEEK Aston Villa (H) on Wednesday

CHELSEA 6

POINTS

FINAL GAME Cardiff City (A)

FINAL GAME West Ham United (H)

AS IT HAPPENED 79 mins GOAL: Damien Delaney Crystal Palace Liverpool 1-3 GOAL!!! Palace pull one back! The centre-back finds himself in an usual position; right outside Liverpool’s area. The defender receives a pass from Jedinak and then sees his long-range effort deflected into the top corner off Johnson.

81 mins GOAL: Dwight Gayle Crystal Palace Liverpool 2-3 Palace get another!! The Congolese winger Bolasie eventually gets all the way into the visitors box and cuts a pass back to Gayle, who guides a lovely finish into the bottom-right corner. Game on!

88 mins GOAL: Dwight Gayle Crystal Palace Liverpool 3-3 PALACE DRAW LEVEL!! What a second-half performance from Palace! Murray produces an exquisite pass into the area for Gayle following a lofted pass from the back and the former Arsenal trainee pokes past Mignolet. He has been simply sensational since coming on.

striker Daniel Sturridge with another attacking player in Victor Moses when Liverpool had been pegged back to 3-2.

Steve Claridge, another former Premier League player now a media pundit, could not hide his astonishment at the turn of events: “I am lost for words, how do you sum that up?

Liverpool, as they have been all season, were impressive going forward as they built what should have been an impregnable lead that would keep their title dream very much alive.

A header from Joe Allen put them 1-0 up in the 18th minute before two goals early in the second half from Sturridge and newly-crowned Footballer of the Year Luis Suarez, their 21st and 31st goals of the campaign respectively.

But they collapsed like a house of cards as Palace hit back with three goals in just over nine minutes, one from Damien Delaney and two from Dwight Gayle, who hit the killer equaliser in the 88th minute.

That collapse and the defeat to Chelsea came after an 11-match winning streak that propelled Liverpool to the top of the table just over a month ago.

But while the goals flowed at one end, their porous defence had never stopped conceding. They let in three goals at relegated Cardiff City in a 6-3 win, and also conceded three to Swansea City in a 4-3 win. They conceded two to both Norwich City and Fulham although they won both games 3-2.

Rodgers was asked at Selhurst Park on Monday why his team defended so poorly as the end of the match approached. l

Crystal Palace Delaney 79, Gayle 81, 88

3 3

Liverpool Suarez 55 Allen 18, Sturridge 53

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard (R) shepherds Luis Suarez (L) from the field as he reacts at the end of the English Premier League football match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Monday AFP

Rodgers proud despite Failure at Valladolid would end Liverpool collapse Real’s title hopes: Ancelotti Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said his side would reflect on their season with pride despite seeing their title bid seriously compromised in a remarkable 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace.

Liverpool led 3-0 with 11 minutes remaining in Monday’s Premier League game at Selhurst Park, only for Palace to score three times in the closing stages to leave the visitors’ title hope on the rocks.

Rodgers said that his side’s defending had been “criminal” and described the game’s final moments as “crazy”.

But while he admitted that the disappointment of letting victory slip in such calamitous fashion was difficult to stomach, he said that Liverpool should not lose sight of the progress that they have made.

Asked if he was proud of his team, who had finished a distant seventh last season, Rodgers said: “Incredibly.

“It’s 99 goals we’re on, this season.

The season before I came in (in June 2012), the team had finished on 47. For us to keep improving like we have been gives me immense pride.

“When we’ve got time to reflect on this

David and Victoria Beckham arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala Benefit celebrating the opening of “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” in Upper Manhattan, New York on Monday REUTERS

at the end of the season, we will see it has been an outstanding season for Liverpool.

“It does not take away the pain of now, but we will look where we need to improve and continue to get better.

“We have made great strides, but I am certainly here to fight and win titles and I will be relentless in that. We are trying to build something sustainable.

This season has shown we will be capable of doing that.”

Rodgers voiced tentative optimism that Aston Villa might do his side a favour when they visit City on Wednesday, but he admitted that Liverpool’s defensive lapses were likely to have cost them dear.

“Under those little moments of pressure, we have to be better. You never know. Aston Villa are an outstanding counter-attacking team. Paul Lambert will get them organised and I’m sure it’ll be difficult for them (City) to get the win.

But I see Man City as the clear favourites.”

Palace’s extraordinary fightback allowed them to bow out in front of their home supporters in memorable fashion after avoiding relegation from the top flight for the first time in the Premier League era. l

Real Madrid must win Wednesday’s La Liga game at relegation-battling Real Valladolid or their hope of snatching the title from Atletico Madrid or Barcelona will be over, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday.

Real missed a chance to wrest the initiative from leaders Atletico and second-placed Barca when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Valencia on Sunday and Ancelotti warned there was no more room for mistakes.

Atletico are top on 88 points after Sunday’s shock 2-0 reverse at Levante with two games left. Barca, who host Atletico on the final day of the season and were held to a 2-2 stalemate at home to Getafe on Saturday, are on 85.

Real are two points behind Barca in third before their game in hand at second-from-bottom Valladolid.

“We have to win our three remaining games in La Liga,” Ancelotti, whose side are through to face Atletico in this month’s Champions League final, told a news conference.

PSG, Man City face squad caps, fines over FFP

Juventus celebrate title with Atalanta win

Paris St Germain and Manchester City face fines of 60 million euros ($83.3 million) and limits on their Champions League squads for next season for breaching UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, a source close to the process told Reuters on Tuesday.

UEFA said last week that nine unnamed clubs faced punishment under new rules designed to force teams to limit their financial losses and make soccer more economically stable. Confirmation of the sanctions could come by the end of this week.

French sports daily L’Equipe reported on Tuesday that Qatari-owned PSG would be fined and have their Champions League squad capped at 21 players instead of 25 next season under a proposed settlement. The club’s wage bill would also be capped and the fine spread over three years. l

A 72nd minute strike by Simone Padoin allowed Juventus to celebrate their third consecutive Serie A title with a 1-0 win over Atalanta in front of a packed Juventus Stadium on Monday.

Antonio Conte’s side were handed the title without even lacing up their boots on Sunday when closest challengers Roma crashed 4-1 at relegation-haunted Catania.

Conte consequently gave his squad the day off, but any ill effects of their celebrations were well hidden as the Bianconeri dominated throughout to remain unbeaten against the Bergamo-based side since a February 2001 reverse.

It gave Juve a Serie A record 31st win of the season, and means they have won all 18 home games so far this season.

“The Valladolid game is like a final for us because not winning it would mean losing the league,” added the Italian, in his first season in charge at the Bernabeu.

“We are very focused and tomorrow we will give everything to win. It is a crucial match for both teams. They are fighting for survival and it won’t be easy.”

This season’s La Liga title race is one of the closest in years with Atletico emerging as a third force to rival Real and Barca, the world’s richest clubs by income.

Since the introduction of three points for a victory in the 1995-96 season, in only two campaigns have three teams retained a chance of winning going into the final match.

Deportivo La Coruna came out on top in 2000 against Barcelona and Zaragoza, while in 2007 Real Madrid beat Barcelona and Sevilla to the title.

There is a genuine chance that if they beat Atletico on the final day Barca would hand to title to their bitter rivals Real, while Atletico can seal it with a win against Malaga this weekend and a draw at the Nou Camp. Should Barcelona beat Atletico and both finish on the same points they would finish above them on head-to-head - but that could open the door for Real.

Ancelotti said Real’s Wales winger Gareth Bale would miss Wednesday’s game along with fullback Dani Carvajal. l

LA LIGA: THE TITLE RACE

1

ATLETICO PLAYED: 36 WON: 28

2

BARCELONA

3

REAL MADRID

PLAYED: 36 WON: 27

PLAYED: 35 WON: 26

CONCEDED: 32

SCORED: 100 CONCEDED: 34

DRAWN: 4 LOST: 4 SCORED: 75

DRAWN: 4 LOST: 5 SCORED: 99

DIFFERENCE: 51 POINTS: 88

DIFFERENCE: 67 POINTS: 85

May 11: Málaga (H)

May 11: Elche (A)

May 8: Valladolid (A)

May 18: Barcelona (A)

May 18: Atletico Madrid (H)

May 11: Celta Vigo (A)

CONCEDED: 24

DRAWN: 5 LOST: 4

DIFFERENCE: 66 POINTS: 83

May 18: Espanyol (H)

With two games remaining -- Juve travel to Roma next Sunday and then host Cagliari on the final day of the season -- the Turin giants have amassed 96 points and remain on course to become the first Serie A side with a tally of at least 100.

“To be honest, we always believed we could win the title,” striker Sebastian Giovinco told Sky Sport.

“It was difficult to think otherwise, even though Roma have us a good run during the championship.

“We were really unstoppable and this title is fully deserved.”

Juve coach Antonio Conte added: “It’s a historic title. It wasn’t easy to win a third in succession after two successive seventh places finishes.”

Carlos Tevez, who sits two goals behind Serie A goals leader Ciro Immobile (21), started on the bench for the hosts with Sebastian Giovinco partnering Pablo Daniel Osvaldo up front. l

Uefa blasts banana, monkey abuse in Spain European football’s governing body UEFA Monday blasted racist attacks in Spain and called for action after fans subjected foreign players to monkey taunts and banana-throwing.

Spain’s Football League followed suit and warned of sanctions for racist behaviour, while announcing compulsory training for all its member clubs to avoid a repeat of the same behaviour.

“UEFA and its president Michel Platini strongly condemn all forms of discrimination including recent racist behaviour of fans in Spain,” Platini’s spokesman Pedro Pinto said in a message on Twitter.

“UEFA has tough rules and sanctions against all forms of discrimination for all of its competitions,” he added.

“Where instances occur outside of our jurisdiction, we support appropriate action being taken by the relevant authorities.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

15

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Ex-IPL boss Modi elected state chief

QUICK BYTES

Former world number one Safina to retire Former world number one and Olympic silver medallist Dinara Safina announced on Tuesday that she is to retire, Russia’s tennis federation press service reported. The report said that the 12 WTA titles winner Safina will participate in the award ceremony of the WTA Madrid Open tournament, where she has won one of her titles in 2009. Safina’s farewell ceremony will also take place in Madrid. “Of course I decided to quit much earlier,” the press service quoted Safina as saying.

“I decided to withdraw from any official announcements until now as I was still hoping to overcome my back injury. But this moment has finally come. “I played the last professional tournament of my career here in Madrid and that’s why I think it’s the best place for me to quit the game.”

–AFP

Hamilton ‘close to perfection’: Mansell Former British world champion driver Nigel Mansell believes Lewis Hamilton’s impressive start to the Formula One season has been “close to perfection”.

Hamilton will head to Barcelona for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix on the back of three successive race wins, with the only blot on his 2014 record a mechanical problem in the opening race in Australia which forced the Mercedes driver into a retirement.

Since then he has been relentless in his quest for a second world title, although he still trails Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg by four points in the drivers’ championship standings. And 1992 world champion Mansell told the BBC on Tuesday: “No driver ever wins a world title in a bad team, but what you can do is demonstrate how brilliantly you can win. Lewis has done that this season.”

–AFP

Lillee quits coaching post over money Fast bowling mentor Dennis Lillee has parted ways with Cricket Australia after being refused a pay rise, officials said Tuesday. The former great was drafted in to provide guidance and coaching advice to the national side on a part-time basis last year and was instrumental in rejuvenating the career of Mitchell Johnson. He was credited with fixing the quick’s technical problems and boosting the confidence of a player who spearheaded Australia’s 5-0 Ashes Test whitewash of England and then the 2-1 victory over South Africa. Lillee also worked with Pat Cummins and all-rounder James Faulkner.

–AFP

Tiger uncertain when he will return World number one Tiger Woods said Monday he is making very slow progress recovering from surgery for a pinched nerve and unsure when he will make his return to golf. Woods updated his status in a blog posting on his website, saying he remains sore after the operation and regrets not being able to defend his title this week at the US PGA Players Championship. “It’s tough to miss any tournament, but especially one that’s so important to the players and where I’m defending,” Woods said.

Woods has been unable to resume his workout regimen because of the March 31 operation, which kept him from playing in last month’s Masters, the first major championship of the year.

–AFP

Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Kulasekara prepares to play a shot as Ireland’s Gary Wilson looks on during their first ODI at Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin, Ireland yesterday

Sri Lanka thrash Ireland in first ODI Sri Lanka beat Ireland by 79 runs to win the first one-day international at the Clontarf ground in Dublin on Tuesday.

After losing the toss, Sri Lanka made 219 for eight in their full 50 overs before dismissing Ireland for just 140 in reply with more than 10 overs to spare.

The two-match series concludes at Clontarf on Thursday.

Sri Lanka scored 39 runs from the last three overs to leave Ireland a victory target of 220 in the first one-day international at Clontarf, Dublin on Tuesday.

Nuwan Kulasekara top scored, from No 8, with an undefeated 42 from 34

balls, including three fours and the only two sixes of the innings.

He received good support from Ashan Priyanjana who made 31 and Ajantha Mendis who cracked three boundaries in his 18 not out from just nine balls.

With Kulasekara, he put on 43 in the last 22 balls to help Sri Lanka to a total of 219 for eight from their full 50 overs.

And for much of the innings Ireland’s bowlers capitalised on the absence of star batsmen such as Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, the latter currently playing for English county side Durham.

Midlesex paceman Tim Murtagh was the pick of the seven Ireland bowl-

ers with two wickets for just 21 runs from his full 10 overs.

Murtagh took a wicket with the fourth ball, having Kusal Perera brilliantly caught low at second slip by Kevin O’Brien and Ireland maintained the early pressure when Lahiru Thiri-

BRIEF SCORE Sri Lanka 219-8, 50 overs ( Kulasekara 42, Chandimal 39; Murtagh 2-21) Ireland 140, 39.5 overs (Porterfield 37, O’Brien 33; S Lakmal 3-29) Sri Lanka won by 79 runs

manne was caught behind in the ninth over with the total on 25.

Dinesh Chandimal joined Upal Tharanga and he dominated the next two partnerships to get the visitors up to 90 for four in the 26th over, O’Brien ending Chandimal’s free-scoring knock of 39 with his second ball.

Vithanage followed almost immediately, caught at slip in Paul Stirling’s first over and at 97 for five in the 30th, there was no doubting which side was on top.

But Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews led the fightback and the tail impressively completed what could be a decisive turnaround on a slow pitch which promises to favour the tourists’ spinners. l

Federer withdraws, Sharapova, Waqar Younis back as Pakistan coach Li advance in Madrid Roger Federer became the second of the world’s top four to pull out of the Madrid Masters on Tuesday as he has decided to stay at home with his wife Mirka as they await the birth of their third child.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion’s withdrawal comes just two days after world number two Novak Djokovic also decided not to compete in the Spanish capital due to a wrist injury.

“I’ve decided to withdraw from Madrid to be with my wife Mirka during these next few exciting weeks for our family,” he said on his official Facebook page.

“I apologise to my fans and hope to be back in Madrid next year. I’ll be training near my home, and am excited to rejoin the Tour soon!”

Federer’s withdrawal could benefit Wimbledon champion Andy Murray

as the Scot is now the highest seeded player left in the second quarter of the draw.

There is still plenty of star power on show in the women’s Madrid Open as Li Na and Maria Sharapova moved into round three with wins on Tuesday.

Sharapova won her first tournament of the season on her return to clay in Stuttgart two weeks ago and looked in fine form as she raced through the first set 6-1.

However, McHale went onto take the second 6-4 and led 4-1 in the decider.

Sharapova responded well under pressure to reel off five straight games to set up a meeting with Spain’s Garbine Muguruza or 2011 US Open champion Sam Stosur in the last 16.

The Russian, though, was still far from happy with her overall performance.

“After a really good start I didn’t keep that level. I didn’t keep doing what I was doing. I think I had a bit of a letdown,” she said.

“I didn’t create any chances for myself on her serves. I don’t think I had a break point at all in that second set and I didn’t have a breakpoint until I converted one in the third set.

“I don’t feel like I was doing much off of my return and putting any pressure on her and letting her dictate from the first point. That was really getting me in trouble.”

Earlier, Australian Open champion Li had a more simple task as she swept aside fellow Chinese Zheng Jie 6-2, 6-3.

Zheng led the head-to-head record between the two 4-3 before the match, but Li has now won the last four meetings between the pair in straight sets and will face 16th seed Sloane Stephens in the next round. l

Pakistan cricket chiefs on Tuesday appointed fast bowling legend Waqar Younis for a second spell as national head coach.

The 42-year-old had been tipped as favourite to take over the role vacated

by Australian coach Dav Whatmore, whose contract expired in March.

Former wicketkeeper Moin Khan, who filled in as interim coach, guided Pakistan to the Asia Cup final but a poor performance in the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh meant his contract was not extended.

Waqar, currently in India, said: “I am extremely pleased to have been selected as the head coach.

“My immediate aim would be to prepare the team for the upcoming busy cricket season including the next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.”

Waqar returns to the job he held from February 2010 to September 2011,

London court upholds Kaneria life ban

DAY’S WATCH Sony Six Indian Premier League 4:30PM Delhi v Kolkata 8:30PM Punjab v Chennai Nba Play Off 2013-14: Conf Sf 5:00AM Brooklyn v Miami 7:30AM Portland v San Antonio Star Sports 2 4:00PM AFC Champion League Kawasaki Frontale v FC Seoul Star Sports 4 12:45AM English Premier League Man City v Aston Villa Star Sports 1 1:00AM La Liga Real Valladolid v Real Madrid Star Sports 2 12:45AM English Premier League Sunderland v West Brom

AFP

Lalit Modi, the disgraced founder of the Indian Premier League, was Tuesday declared the winner of elections to head a state cricket association in the first step of an unlikely comeback bid.

Modi, who is exiled in London after his passport was revoked by the Indian government over corruption allegations, was finally named as president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association following elections last December after the Supreme Court allowed the results to be announced.

But his former colleagues at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which had been trying to block the announcement, refused to recognise the results and suspended the Rajasthan association until further notice.

“The Supreme Court had directed that if it is found by BCCI that any person has acted against its rules, regulations or law, it would be open to it to take action against such a person,” board secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.

“In pursuance of the order, Shivlal Yadav, interim President, BCCI, has suspended the Rajasthan Cricket Association from the membership of the BCCI, pending disciplinary proceedings against it on charges of misconduct.”

The release added that an ad-hoc committee would be formed to run cricket in Rajasthan “in order to safeguard the best interests and welfare of the cricketers playing the game and their future”.

The BCCI last September imposed a life ban on Modi holding any cricket post after finding him guilty of “serious” acts of indiscipline and misconduct over allegations that he had siphoned off funds.

The life ban came a little over three years after Modi was removed as Indian Premier League chairman and BCCI vice-president following the end in 2010 of the third edition of the popular Twenty20 league.

The 50-year-old scion of a business family, who is also being investigated by the government on corruption and money-laundering charges, has in the past denied all allegations against him. l

Tommy Haas reacts during his men’s singles second round match against Igor Sijsling at the Madrid Masters yesterday. Sijsling won 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 AFP

Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria lost his legal challenge to a life ban imposed by English cricket chiefs at London’s High Court on Tuesday.

Kaneria was barred by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), in a ban subsequently applied globally by the International Cricket Council, for encouraging a team-mate to bowl badly on purpose as part of a spot-fixing scam.

The ECB had charged Kaneria, then playing for Essex, with inducing teammate Mervyn Westfield to “deliberately concede” runs in an English county limited overs match against Durham in 2010.

An ECB disciplinary panel found the charges had been proved after a hearing in 2012 and the decision to impose a life ban was upheld by a disciplinary panel set up under board regulations in 2013.

Kaneria took legal action, claiming the panel had been wrong both to uphold the life ban and to order him to pay

ECB legal costs of £200,000 ($339,000).

But Judge Nicholas Hamblen said Tuesday the appeal panel had not exceeded its powers and that there were no grounds for suggesting an error of law had been made.

ECB chief executive David Collier welcomed the court ruling and urged Kaneria to co-operate with cricket authorities in their bid to root out corruption from the sport.

“This case has now been considered by two different independent panels and an experienced High Court judge,” Collier said in an ECB statement.

“Once again, in the light of Justice Hamblen’s ruling today (Tuesday) and the overwhelming weight of evidence laid against him, we would urge Mr Kaneria to publicly admit his guilt in this matter, apologise for betraying the trust of his former team-mates at Essex and ask him to co-operate with both ECB and ICC in their ongoing efforts to root out corrupt activities within cricket.”

Kaneria was not present at Tuesday’s hearing, with a lawyer telling the court he was in Pakistan. l

during which time he led Pakistan to the 2011 World Cup semi-final.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said a three-member committee including Khan had “unanimously recommended” Waqar for the job, a decision endorsed by the board chairman Najam Sethi.

The PCB has also advertised for fielding and batting coaches and a spin bowling consultant as they seek to build towards the World Cup. l

Broad out of SL ODI series Stuart Broad said Tuesday he’d miss England’s forthcoming one-day international series with a knee problem but that he hoped to return in time for the subsequent Test campaign.

A niggling knee injury has delayed the seam-bowling all-rounder’s start to the season, although Broad is eyeing a return to first-class cricket with Nottinghamshire in their four-day County Championship match with Durham starting on May 25.

He then hopes to come through a fixture with Sussex before, if selected, being fit in time for the first of a twoTest series against Sri Lanka, which gets underway at Lord’s on June 12.

“I’m running this week and I’m bowling next week,” said Broad, speaking at the launch of Royal London insurance’s one-day cricket sponsorship at London’s Royal Opera House.

“It’s important you don’t want to just bowl this week and play next week,” added the 27-year-old son of former England opener turned match referee Chris Broad. l

16

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Wednesday, May 7, 2014

DMCH interns beat DU students, assault journos Jamil Khan with DU n Mohammad and DMCH correspondents Interns at Dhaka Medical College Hospital were locked in a clash with the students of Dhaka University yesterday over a trifling matter, halting healthcare service at emergency ward for more than three hours.

Witnesses said the clash erupted around 1:30pm following an altercation between the interns and the university students over the use of a hospital elevator.

Immediately after the eruption of the clash, the interns locked the hospital gate and kept it locked till 4:30pm, causing immense sufferings to emergency patients.

A good number of emergency patients, including those of heart and injury, went back home as the doctors did not unlock the gate even after repeated requests made by the relatives of victims, according to eyewitness report.

Ratna Begum, 40, a patient who came to DMCH from Savar following cardiac arrest, told the Dhaka Tribune that the doctors and on-duty Ansar members did not allow her to enter the hospital. Later, she was rushed to Mitford Hospital.

Another patient Chandan Ali Zamaddar came to DMCH from Chandpur with leg injury, but he was also taken to other hospital as the emergency gate at DMCH was closed.

As Hanufa Begum, 50, a class IV employee working at DMCH, came to the hospital around 3:45 pm after she suffered heart attack, her sons Pappu and Apu opened the gate breaking the lock with stone. But the interns and Ansar members beat them up for opening the gate. Later, Hanufa was taken to Mitford Hospital for treatment.

It is learnt that the mother of Khandokar Shahiduzzaman Miraz, secretary of DU Sahidullah Hall unit Chhatra League, was undergoing treatment at new building of DMCH. At yesterday noon, his two friends Ashiq and Jasim went to visit his mother. After the visit, they took doctors’ elevator to go down due to rush on passengers’ lift, but some interns stopped them on the seventh floor.

Faruk, a resident of the capital’s Siddiqbazar, screams in agony as he is forced to wait outside the emergency department of the DMCH yesterday. Many other patients had to face sufferings like Faruk, after the interns of the hospital locked the gate of the department following clashes with Dhaka University students RAJIB DHAR At one stage, the interns forcefully took the two students to the office of Assistant Registrar Kamruddin Sohel and beat them up mercilessly.

On information, the hospital authority rescued the students. Hearing the news, DU BCL secretary Omar Faruk went to the spot around 12:30 pm and met the hospital director for mutual understanding, but the interns forced him to leave the hospital.

Later, some 50 students with sticks went to DMCH emergency unit and vandalised its doors and windows. The

BJP backs up Modi’s stance on infiltration n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Bharatiya Janata Party has endorsed prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s stance against alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators as justified and legitimate.

An article, written by Indian leader of the opposition Arun Jaitley and posted on the BJP website, said: “It is not only the BJP’s stand that infiltration must be stopped and the infiltrators must be sent back. The Supreme Court described it as a silent invasion of India.”

BJP from the beginning of the election campaign is playing “infiltration card” to lure voters in their favour. Modi in his election campaign several times said he would get rid of alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators if he comes to power.

The article read that the BJP blamed

that a section of the Congress leadership in Assam had consciously followed the policy of encouraging infiltration since they wanted to offset the domination of the ethnic Assamese in Assam.

“Mass infiltration of Bangladeshis has changed the demographic character of Assam, West Bengal and some districts of Bihar,” Arun Jaitley wrote.

“The fact that every district in Assam adjacent to the chicken’s neck has witnessed a significant demographic change on account of the infiltration causing serious security concern,” he said.

The root cause of social tension in several parts of north-eastern states is infiltration, the BJP leader alleged.

“Some political parties in Assam and West Bengal have regrettably made infiltration into a secular cause because infiltrators are their vote bank,” Jaitley said. l

interns along with Ansar chased the students and locked the emergency gate.

In the meantime, the interns also assaulted ATN News reporter Imran Hossain Sumon and its cameraman Ataur Rahman Himel. They also smashed the camera of the private TV channel while they were entering the hospital to cover the news.

DU proctor Dr Amzad Ali held a meeting with hospital director Brig Gen Dr Mostafizur Rahman and BMA secretary general Dr Iqbal Arsenal to bring the situation under control.

Many former prisoners are often denied opportunities to rebuild their lives and it falls to society to help them rehabilitate, said Mustaq Ahmed, senior secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, at a workshop in a city hotel, yesterday.

Even their families suffer since society stigmatises them, and the isolation and disrespect push them toward the world of crimes again, said the senior secretary at the workshop titled “We Have Not Forgotten You – Pathways for Rehabilitation of Prisoners,” jointly organised by the Bangladesh government and German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ).

The multi-stakeholder workshop was a part of a 10-year project titled “Improvement of the Real Situation of Overcrowding in Prisons in Bangladesh (IRSOP).”

Alokananda Roy, dance therapist for rehabilitation of prisoners in India, said: “Everyone has a rhythm in their life, but when one gets involved in crime, that rhythm is lost. Through singing-dancing, prisoners can make their inner talents evolve. It will also boost their self-esteem. The society needs to know that they (prisoners) can do better things.”

She has done many public shows with reformed former prisoners in India to help them ease back into normal life.

Richar Miles, principal adviser at GIZ, said: “Only bad people should be in prison, not innocent people. That is wrong. The work of the Ministry of Home Affairs is to rectify. If we can keep young people away from re-offending, it will reduce overcrowding.”

He added: “We have to respect the human rights of the prisoners. However, it is tough to balance human rights and security. Bangladesh is a law-abiding nation, which is good news.

“The rate of TB (tuberculosis) inside the jail is 11 times higher than outside.

That is crazy. Proper medication is needed.”

Overcrowded cells

A paper read at the workshop revealed that many prisoners in Bangladesh spend months awaiting trial. Sometimes the length of a pre-trial detention exceeds the eventual sentence. On March 31, 2014, the prison population was 65,662 (63,451 male, 2,211 female) against the capacity of only 34,167 (32,366 male, 1,801 female). Ten years ago, it was 44,000. Around 69% of the total population is “under-trial.”

soon after the investigation, he added.

Omar Faruk, secretary of DU BCL unit, told the Dhaka Tribune that they went to DMCH to find a solution, but the interns forced them to leave the hospital. It could be settled through talks, he added.

Shibli Noman, assistant commissioner of police of Ramna zone, said on information, they rushed to the spot and took the situation under control. Additional law enforcers were deployed to avoid untoward incidents, he added. l

BNP leader and driver missing in Sylhet n Our Correspondent, Sylhet UK chapter BNP adviser and Sunamganj district BNP convening committee member Mujibur Rahman and his private car driver Md Rezaul Karim Sohelis missing for three days, presumed to have been abducted.

They went missing on their way back to Sylhet after taking part in a mass hunger strike, which was a part of the party’s central programme in Sunamganj on Sunday, said local BNP leaders along with his relatives yesterday.

The incident took place at a time when people are particularly frightened by the recent upsurge in abductions and killings in the country, including the recent one inNarayanganjwhere seven people were kidnapped and murdered last week.

“We have tried to find outabout their whereabouts in Sunamganj, Sylhet and in London by contacting places where

‘You are not forgotten’ n Tazlina Zamila Khan

After the meeting, Dr Iqbal Arsenal told reporters that no doctors had rights to stage any protests or demonstrations, keeping the emergency gate locked.

“The DU authority has assured us of taking action against those responsible for the incident. We will investigate the incident,” he added.

The DU proctor told the Dhaka Tribune that a four-member committee had been formed with assistant proctor Prof Aftab ALi Sheikh as its convener to investigate the incident. Action would be taken against those responsible

Besides, drug-addicted prisoners often lack information regarding treatment facility and counselling. Inside the prison, they are forced to stop taking drugs without any medication. As a result, they may lose the physical craving, but the psychological dependency remains. This makes them more vulnerable to getting addicted again after prison.

Brig Gen Syed Iftekhar Uddin, inspector general of prisons, said proper rehabilitation and treatment are necessary for drug abusing prisoners.

“A training has been organised for officers in the Dhaka Central Jail and the Kashimpur prison on ‘Assessment and Care for Drug Dependent Prisoners,’” he said.

Asaduzzaman Khan, state minister for home affairs, said prisons should work as correctional centres where prisoners will enrol into various programmes such as skill training, drug rehabilitation, counselling and education courses while serving their sentence, with a goal to bringing positive changes in their lives.

“Ideally, helping former prisoners to integrate into the society again is a process that should start from the beginning of imprisonment, not toward the end of it or after the prisoner is released,” he said. l

they might be, but to no avail,” Mujibur’s niece’s husband Rabiul Islam, principal of DakkhinSunamganj Abdul Majid College, told the Dhaka Tribune.

“Having had his dinner at his Haziparha house in the district town, he (Mujibur) started for Sylhet at 3:45pm on Sunday. When he was contacted via telephone later at 8:30pm, he could not be reached. His driver’s phone was later found, switched off,” he said.

“Mujibur, who hails from Sultanpur village at DakkhinSultanpur, returned home six months ago. There is no dispute between him and his relatives,” said Rabiul, referring to any family fueds the BNP leader and his car driver going missing.

“My brother-in-law has to go to Sunamganj very often to look after the construction of a market,” said Barrister Anwar Hossain, brother of Mujibur’s wife.

The BNP’s district unit has urged the

government to rescue the BNP leader and his private car driver within 48 hours. They will form a human chain at 11am in the district today demanding their rescue immediately.

“We have already called a press conference, notifying the media about them going missing (yesterday),” said Sunamganj district BNP President Nasir Uddin.

Mujibur is the founding president of the UK Juba Dal chapter and the international affairs secretary of its central committee, he added.

Additional Superintendent of Police Hemayetul Islam said, “We have received a general diary about them going missing. As such, we will take the necessary next steps. Mujibur has more than one house in Sylhet and Sumanganj.”

“We are searching all of them,” said Harunur Rashid, Sumanganj Superintendent of Police. l

Dhaka worried over Modi remarks Shahariar Zaman and n Sheikh Emran Hossain Sheikh Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has warned that playing the “infiltration card” in the Indian election campaign will have a negative impact in the Dhaka-New Delhi relationship.

“Any hasty steps made by the new government [in India] will hit bilateral ties,” the minister told the Dhaka Tribune over the phone.

His comment came in response to a query about the Indian prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s recent statement that all illegal “Bangladeshi migrants” in India should pack and leave India on May 16, the day when the Indian poll results will be declared.

Tofail also told the Dhaka Tribune that there is “no illegal immigrant from Bangladesh in India.”

In a separate interview with the Indian TV channel Times Now, Tofail said: “I do not believe that in the name of illegal immigrants, the settlers living in India will be pushed back or sent back... If it [any such step] is taken, the relationship between the two countries will be jeopardised.”

Indian media reported yesterday that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed concerns over the remarks made

by Modi during his election campaign.

Indian daily The Economic Times published a report saying a “person familiar with the matter” from Dhaka informed the newspaper that in a private meeting on Monday morning, Hasina told her close aides that Modi’s comments are “unnecessary and unwarranted.”

The prime minister told her aides that such statements can spoil relations between the future Indian government and Bangladeshi citizens, the newspaper reported.

When contacted, Hasina’s Press Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said as a person representing the state, the premier does not comment on internal affairs of any country or its leaders. l

EC provides unnecessary trainings to bag funds n Mohammad Zakaria A section of Election Commission officials are allegedly earning a huge sum of money by organising different kinds of training programmes in the name of EC projects with the same trainers and same participants.

The EC officials allegedly earned around Tk200 crore by offering the same training to the same field-level officials twice during the 10th parliamentary polls and five phases upazila parishads polls.

Field levels officials include presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers, a source in the EC said.

The officials who are capable of imparting training were mostly dropped from the team of trainers.

A section of officials of the Election Training Institute (ETI) and EC have already become millionaires by organising such unnecessary trainings in the name of different projects, he said.

A number of EC officials in return for anonymity said the corrupt officials had formed a syndicate and the members of that syndicate only get the opportunity to provide trainings.

The field-level officials who received training for the last project on voter list updating are also being given training this time and it started yesterday.

The commission put aside Tk2 crore for the training on the upcoming voter list updating programme which is scheduled to kick off on May 15. A senior assistant secretary of the EC said there was no need to provide training this time.

Director General of the ETI Khandaker Mizanur Rahman said the commission is giving different kinds of trainings to the EC officials as is required.

Explaining the reasons behind frequent training programmes he said the EC cannot hold upazila polls with the training imparted for the parliamentary polls as the procedures are different.

On the training of EC officials on voter list updating he said the ETI organises the training programme as per the decision of the commission. “The election management wing of the EC selects the trainers of the training programme.” l

Bangladesh climbs 6 spots on list of best place for mothers n Moniruzzaman Uzzal Bangladesh has secured 130th position, higher than India and Pakistan, in a list ranking the countries that are the best places for a mother and her children to be living in.

The ranking, prepared by the children’s rights organisation Save the Children, also identified Finland as the best and Somalia as the worst place to be a mother.

According to the State of the Worlds Mother’s Index report-2014, published yesterday, Bangladesh climbed six spots higher than its previous ranking and was placed at 130th out 178 countries; securing better positions than India (137th) and Pakistan (147th).

However, Bangladesh still falls behind other Saarc members including Sri Lanka (89th), Maldives (90th), Nepal (116th), and Bhutan (128th).

“Bangladesh has been consistently rising on the State of the World’s Mothers index, with dramatic cuts in maternal and child mortality. This is a result of strong political will and willingness to invest in healthcare for children,” said Michael Foley, director of health and nutrition for Save the Children in Bangladesh.

“However, at 130th position, Bangladesh still has a long way to go in ending preventable child and maternal deaths.

One out of every 24 children dies before their fifth birthday, 60% of those within the first 28 days of life, many from conditions which would have been easily treatable if they had access to a skilled health worker. Another concern is that percentage of government funding for healthcare from the total budget has been decreasing over time, instead of increasing,” he added. l

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BSCCL to cut wholesale bandwidth price Tofail backs low-rate Company’s stakeholders reacted harshly on the recently disclosed poor quarterly profits tional Private Lease Circuit), the core n Muhammad Zahidul Islam and business of the company, said the disTahmidur Rahman

Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL) is going to cut the wholesale price of internet bandwidth by up to 30% thanks to a competition the importers waged, forcing the state monopoly to go for the price cut.

It should benefit the end users eventually, industry insiders said.

The price cut would be effective from June 1 subject to approval of the BSCCL board-adopted proposal by Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), officials said yesterday.

“We have sent the proposal to the regulator for their approval,” BSCCL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Md Monwar Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune.

BSCCL board has taken the decision to secure their business as imported bandwidth already ate up 28% of the market share in only a period of six months, officials said.

At present, importers are selling the internet service at half the price that BSCCL offers, pushing down the demand for BSCCL’s bandwidth to 32GB at present from 42GB just six months ago, industry sources said. The usage is falling every month.

If BTRC approves the proposal, the

price of 10 GB bandwidth would come down to Tk900 per month from the present rate of Tk1,300.

The publicly listed company started feeling the pinch since the private companies commenced with the imported bandwidth, though often blamed for their poor quality, industry insiders said.

From April 1, the price stood at Tk2,800 megabits per second (Mbps) from existing Tk4,800.

Why the price cut?

The submarine cable company on April 29 reported the first quarterly business performance for the current year that showed substantial fall of 58% in rev-

enue from its core business product, IPLC renting.

BSCCL saw a sharp fall in profits during the first quarter of this year, which is of Tk7.95 crore while it was Tk21.9 crore in the same period last year, according to an announcement last week.

Increased operation and maintenance costs contributed in erosion of profits by two-thirds in addition to loss of the company’s customers.

The company’s profit stood at Tk24.6 crore after tax in 2013 (July to December) while it was Tk49.2 crore in the same period of 2012, according to the unaudited report.

The drop in revenue is due to sharp fall in rent revenue of IPLC (Interna-

Light engineering entrepreneurs demanded exemption of import duty on basic raw materials in the coming fiscal year to help grow their industry further and accelerate industrialisation in the country.

Reducing the import duty on non-alloy steel flat bar is vital to save the industry from closing down as duty disparity between the imported flat bar and finished leaf spring and other dishonest practices put the industry in unhealthy competition, they said in their budget proposal.

“Nine units have already been closed and present condition of six more is very bad because of this unhealthy competition,” said President

Abdur Razzak.

“So it is necessary to reduce duty to zero from non-alloy steel flat bar, a raw material of leaf spring, existing 5%,” he said.

If the demand is met, the engineering units can also use its full production capacity, thus to generate employment generation and increase revenue earnings of the government, he added.

The association also sought zero duty on imported equipments of building lift for creating opportunity for the local industry to produce lift locally.

“This will save huge foreign exchange,” said Razzak.

It also proposed to fix minimum import duty on filter paper, a basic

A worker operating machine at a factory of spare parts at Dholaikhal in Old Dhaka

n Jebun Nesa Alo

raw material of engine filter from present 10% and increase duty on imported finished filter to make the industry competitive in the domestic market.

Demands included VAT free ceiling on business turnover from existing Tk60 lakh, reduction of VAT to 3% on light engineering sector from the existing 15%, exemption of VAT on import of raw materials for light engineering sector.

The BEIOA also proposed tax benefit on investment of plants, machinery and equipments of cottage industries to flourish the sector.

Around 4,000 SME members of the association are engaged in the production and marketing of light engineering products. l

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Maintaining non-performing loans (NPLs) of the country’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) at lower level is being considered as a major administrative threat for the banks as they are facing difficulties to recover the loans from the field levels.

SME banking sector requires a separate recovery cell to look after the risk of SME banking, said the bankers while addressing a seminar styled “Sustainable Business Model for SME Banking” held yesterday at the auditorium of Bangladesh Bank Training Academy (BBTA) in the capital.

Bangladesh Bank and BBTA jointly organised the seminar with SME Foundation Managing Director Dr Syed Ihsanul Karim in the chair.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman attended the seminar as chief guest while deputy governor Abul Quasem and former deputy governor Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled as special guests. Expressing concern over the challenges on SME banking sector, the country’s leading bankers stressed the need for setting up a separate recovery cell with necessary manpower, so they can launch massive drives for the recovery of the non-performing loans.

Eastern Bank Managing Director Ali Reza Iftekhar came up with a presentation on “Sustainable Business Model for SME Banking” from the banking perspective while IDLC Finance Managing Director Selim R.F. Hussain from the non-banking financial institution perspective.

During his presentation, Ali Reza Iftekahr noted that SME banking was a young and dynamic industry in Bangladesh as 25% people of its overall workforce are involved in SME sector, which has 25% contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“But the commercial banks are reluctant to move towards the SME banking due to the difficulties in loan recovering. Most of the small enterprises don’t maintain proper accounting system, which also discourage the banks to lend them money,’’ he said.

Moreover, people still feel shy to grow business in this sector although there is a huge opportunity for the banks to mobilise their deposits at lowcost from SME sector, he added.

EPZ enterprises get external term loan procedure n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank has issued a procedure of medium and long term external borrowing by industrial enterprises located in the Export Processing Zones (EPZS) of Bangladesh.

The approvals would be accorded by the Board of Investment (BOI) based on decisions of its Scrutiny Committee, chaired by Bangladesh

Bank Governor, said a circular the central bank issued yesterday with immediate effect. Earlier, there was no certain procedure for the medium and long term external borrowing, said a senior central bank executive.

According to the procedure, the EPZs units should submit borrowing application and related documents through their nominated authorised dealer banks for onward referral via

BEPZA to Bangladesh Bank head office.

Approval application must also be supported by analyses and papers in regard to commercial viability of the project, the project’s capacity to service the proposed debt from its earnings, cost competitiveness of the project’s outputs in domestic and external markets, existing domestic output capacity in the sector to which the borrowing proposal relates, and

n Asif Showkat Kallol The commerce ministry has requested the finance division to include the tea growers into the category of providing low-interest credit facilities, which is now being offered by the central bank to the spice producing farmers who enjoys loans at only 2% interest.

The country’s tea import marked a sharp rise in 2013 despite a record domestic production of the popular beverage “We will place the commerce ministry’s proposal to the finance minister to incorporate the tea growers along with spice producing farmers, so they can also avail the loan at only 2% interest rate,” a senior official of the finance division told the Dhaka Tribune.

The official also said the government wanted to raise local tea production as the imported tea engulfed the local market, which might be reflected in the budget for the next fiscal year.

Bankers fear NPL as major risk for SME banking

BEIOA demands duty cut on import of materials n Tribune Report

closure.

“With the recently observed rate of losing its market share, BSCCL has no option but to join the price war and try to recapture the market,” said an analyst.

However, lowering prices will lower revenue unless its clients increase, he added.

During the last week, the company’s stock price experienced a fall of 12%, which the brokers think was due to the recently made corporate profitability disclosure.

The management has showed confidence of turning round the game of competition in the long run by facilitating its plan to earn at least Tk4.83 crore per month through exporting Internet bandwidth to northeastern states of India.

“The incremental export revenue along with providing the existing high quality service that we will be providing the local customers with at a 30% discount will certainly help us maintain our strong influence in the industry,” the BSCCL CEO told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Earlier in April, another stateowned company Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Limited (BTCL) had reduced the bandwidth price for end users by 41.67% to spread the Internet services to the grassroots. l

credit for tea growers

the potential domestic and external demand given the estimated output cost structure, existing indebtedness structure of the project sponsors, duly supported by reports of their bankers and of the CIB at Bangladesh Bank.

The banks will forward the applications to BEPZA, after satisfying themselves about completeness of the applications and accompanying documents. l

Ali Reza Iftekahr proposed the commercial banks to set their own parameters for SME lending and establish separate recovery cell to overcome the risks.

Although the NPL rate is growing up in this sector but it is still under control comparing to the other business sectors.

NPL rate is very low in the private banks than the state-owned banks, he added.

“The total NPL rate was 7.90% in the SME sector of which 17.20% in state owned banks, 5.35% in private banks and 11.79% in NBFIs.” The contribution of the private banks in the SME sector is higher than the national commercial banks though they have the highest number of branches across the country.

The SME loan growth of the private banks was 73.65% in December 2013 while the growth of the national commercial banks was only 13.32% and the foreign banks 7.99%, he said.

In his presentation Selim RF Hussain noted that the financiers faced major challenges in financing SMEs due to the nature of the operations and lack of infrastructures in SME business.

Lack of information, high interest rates and stringent guarantees are the major barriers SMEs face while trying to access finance, he pointed out.

“The SME sector is very lucrative business for NBFIs as NPL of this sector is still lower than any other business.

However, we need infrastructural improvement to encourage more SME clients and SME growth,” RF Hussain.

Speaking as chief guest BB governor Atiur Rahman said: We have to reach the customers for real economic growth. Western countries faced a financial crisis as they could not touch the real customers. As we are trying to be closer to our customers by financial inclusion, we are doing good business amid the global financial crisis.

“Banks have to move quickly towards the risk-base supervision to grow business further in the SME sector. We are not worried about the big defaulters, but about the small defaulters as they are our real customers,” he said.

Urging the foreign banks to move in the SME banking sector, the governor mentioned that the SME loan growth remained higher in last year amid overall sluggish investment. l

Bangladesh Bank gives credit to spice producing farmers, who produce lentil, oil seed, and other spice crops, with only 2% interest rate from the commercial banks.

Md Atiqur Rahman, a joint secretary of the commerce ministry, sent a letter to the finance secretary Fazle Kabir with a request to include the tea growers into the low-interest credit rate, which is given to the spice crop producers.

The country’s tea import marked a sharp rise in 2013 despite a record domestic production of the popular beverage. Its import rose by 4.4m kg in only one year’s time. A record 63.5m kg of teas was produced in 2013, up by 1.0m kg from 2012.

It showed a 1.16% growth in 2013 compared to that previous year and tea production showed a robust 5.6% per cent growth in 2012 compared to that of 2011 when 59.15m kg was produced from the country’s 160 tea estates.

Besides, Bangladesh earned just Tk19 crore in 2013, which was Tk500 crore ten years back, according the Export Promotion Bureau data.

In July-March period of the current financial year, Bangladesh exported tea worth US$2.53m, which is 47% higher compared to $1.72m of the last fiscal year. In FY 2012-13, export earnings from tea sector was $2.44m. l

BTCL exempted from VAT on revenue sharing n Tribune Report The National Board of Revenue has exempted Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) from paying 15% value added tax (VAT) on the portion of its revenue sharing with foreign companies, NBR officials said.

They said the state-run company was paying 15% VAT on its total service fees collected from the local clients as well as on the revenue share that has led to a double taxation scenario.

The NBR issued a Statutory Regulatory Order that said as the banks deduct 15% VAT on the amount of revenue sharing following the provisions of Value Added Tax Act 1991 To avoid the double taxation, the NBR on Sunday exempted BTCL from paying 15% VAT on the amount of the revenue share for outgoing international calls, internet bandwidth service, satellite channel service and Inmarsat services companies, officials added.

The NBR issued the order following a request from BTCL to exempt them (BTCL) from deducting tax at source on payment to foreign countries as it was creating revenue losses for the country.

According to a letter, BTCL said it is entitled to share one of its revenue portion collected from the clients for outgoing international calls with the destination countries that led to double taxation which needs to be exempted.

The NBR issued a Statutory Regulatory Order that said as the banks deduct 15% VAT on the amount of revenue sharing following the provisions of Value Added Tax Act 1991, which results in double taxation, NBR is exempting BTCL from paying 15% Vat on revenue sharing to avoid double taxation. l

B2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stock

Stocks rebound strongly

DSE key features May 6, 2014

n Tribune Report

Number of Contract

nearly 1% and remained the most traded stock for the second consecutive session, contributing 11% of the total market turnover.

The telecom company disclosed its first quarter results that increased slightly from a year earlier.

Lanka Bangla Securities, in its daily market analysis, said market continued positive momentum for yet another session with mixed economic news and strong inflow of foreign fund.

It said market participants might be eyeing the pre-budget meeting; if it is conducive to market expectation then growth will be back on agenda and will have consistency on policy front.

IDLC Investments said index made strong turnaround, after reaching psychological support level of 4,500 points.

Zenith Investments said Dhaka bourse ended the day on a firm note, bucking the downtrend of last week with upbeat sentiment of investors. “Overall, investors were in a jolly mood, and went on full buying spree.”

Grameenphone continued to top turnover leader with shares worth Tk49 crore changing hands, followed by Heidelberg Cement, Meghna Petroleum, Olympic Industries, Emerald Oil Industries, United Commercial Bank and Matin Spinning. l

Stocks rebounded strongly yesterday after ending flat in the previous session, supported by mainly rally in small cap scrips.

After a tepid opening, the market picked up pace as trading progressed and the momentum continued at close. The benchmark index DSEX surged more than 56 points or 1% to close at 4,562, recovering from its one-month low.

Shariah Index DSES was slightly up almost 8 points or 0.8% to 1,010.

The blue-chip comprising DS30 gained 21 points or 1% to 1,669. Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, closed at 8,781 with a rise of over 108 points.

Trading activities increased with DSE turnover hitting Tk448 crore, which is 21.7% higher from the previous session.

All the major sectors ended in green zone with non-life and life insurance leading the gaining ladder by 3.6% and 3% respectively.

Food and allied followed next with almost 2% rise, driven by BATBC that rallied 2% following its first quarter earning declaration.

Non-banking financial institutions, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, banks and power edged higher.

Grameenphone, the country’s top mobile phone operator, rose

DSE GAINERS Company

Turnover (Million Taka)

4,479.55

Turnover (Volume)

92,094,676 101,325

Traded Issues

292

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

224

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

65

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,335.77

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.31

CSE key features May 6, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

317.38

Turnover (Volume)

Daily capital market highlights

8,953,972

Number of Contract

13,584

DSE Broad Index :

4562.96946

(+) 1.25%

▼

Traded Issues

221

DSE Shariah Index :

1010.59173

(+) 0.77%

▼

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

170

DSE - 30 Index :

1668.98456

(+) 1.30%

▼

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

46

CSE All Share Index:

14057.0254

(+) 1.22%

▼

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

CSE - 30 Index :

11590.5793

(+) 0.38%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,237.88

8781.0914

(+) 1.25%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

27.13

CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSERS

GeminiSeaFood-Z Eastern Lubricants -A Singer BD -A Renwick Jajneswar-A Dutch Ban. Bnk- A Monno Stafllers -A Rahim Textile -A EBL NRB M.F.-A

-5.50 -5.11 -4.35 -3.66 -3.43 -2.89 -2.89 -2.70

Average (% change) -5.10 -4.92 -4.27 -4.15 -3.75 -1.57 -1.71 -2.70

Imam Button -Z EXIM Bank 1 MF-A

-2.60 -2.60

-1.43 -1.69

Company

Closing (% change)

CSE LOSERS Company

Closing (% change)

Pragati Gen. I -A Prime Insur -A Bata Shoe Ltd. -A Midas Financing-Z Singer BD -A PragatiLife Insu. -A IFIC 1st MF-A Samata LeatheR -Z

-7.76 -6.64 -5.61 -4.98 -4.73 -4.41 -4.41 -4.38

Average (% change) -7.07 -7.54 -2.89 -4.98 -4.29 -4.42 -4.25 -4.38

Asia Pasific Insu. -A ISN Ltd. -Z

-3.60 -2.97

-3.60 -3.83

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 479.15 146.00 66.73 398.86 494.41 408.84 1.02 441.19 736.35 0.27 69.92 50.88 16.97 290.60 28.92 59.35 102.27 539.88 42.00 105.13 0.82

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

Latest PE

132.86 514.72 182.70 312.49 87.19 313.33 315.37 7.20

132.30 510.20 180.40 310.20 87.40 309.20 312.80 7.20

137.50 539.80 190.00 329.00 90.00 320.70 325.00 7.20

130.60 505.00 175.00 306.80 85.20 309.10 310.00 7.20

0.093 3.217 36.335 5.953 5.406 1.222 1.908 0.072

-11.90 6.95 2.96 3.92 6.72 4.15 11.16 0.47

-ve 74.1 61.7 79.7 13.0 75.5 28.3 15.3

7.60 7.57

7.50 7.50

7.70 7.60

7.50 7.50

0.057 0.053

-1.85 0.71

-ve 10.7

Closing average

Closing

Daily high

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

MeghnaCement -A Global Heavy Chemicals-N Beach Hatchery -A Salvo Chemicals-B Continental Insur. -A National Housing Fin.-B Midas Financing-Z City G Insu.-A Golden Harvest Agro-N Padma Islami Life*-N

44.00 23.90 1,027.00 21.00 181.30 180.00 6.50 30.60

44.00 23.90 1,070.00 21.00 187.90 180.00 6.60 31.00

44.00 23.50 1,027.00 21.00 180.60 180.00 6.50 30.00

0.004 0.036 0.955 0.032 3.441 0.090 0.030 0.077

2.62 2.23 48.12 -6.91 2.96 2.38 0.49 0.09

16.8 10.6 22.0 -ve 62.0 75.6 13.3 340.0

24.10 9.80

24.10 9.80

24.10 9.80

24.10 9.80

0.024 0.005

1.55 -1.03

15.5 -ve

Overall, investors were in a jolly mood, and went on full buying spree

Company 4th ICB M F-A Beach Hatchery -A MeghnaCement -A Salvo Chemicals-B Republic Insu.-A Asia Insur. Ltd.-A Global Heavy Chemicals-N Padma Islami Life*-N Safko Spinning-A Argon Denims Limited-A

% change 10.70 3.26 1.49 8.90 11.04 9.13 0.02 9.85 16.44 0.01 1.56 1.14 0.38 6.49 0.65 1.32 2.28 12.05 0.94 2.35 0.02

Million Taka 33.23 11.08 2.77 37.65 27.43 35.98 64.49 46.08 25.35 3.32 28.40 2.52 13.55 3.03 1.41 4.84 26.25 11.68 13.98 0.10

% change 8.45 2.82 0.70 9.58 6.98 9.15 0.00 16.40 11.72 6.45 0.84 7.22 0.64 3.45 0.77 0.36 1.23 6.68 2.97 3.56 0.03

Million Taka 512.38 157.08 69.49 436.51 521.85 444.82 1.02 505.68 782.44 25.62 73.24 79.28 19.49 304.15 31.95 60.76 107.11 566.13 53.69 119.11 0.92

Closing (% change) 12.04 10.00 9.98 9.84 9.63 9.48 9.23 9.08 8.26 8.26

Average (% change) 7.53 8.97 8.60 11.17 8.09 8.75 8.75 7.95 9.32 6.35 Average (% change) 12.02 8.77 8.28 11.67 7.05 8.91 9.25 15.00 14.13 8.40

Closing average 120.93 42.76 27.28 20.80 23.78 29.21 21.75 21.59 33.56 68.00

Closing average 202.00 27.16 121.97 20.96 32.95 22.98 42.65 69.00 23.02 59.65

Closing 122.20 43.20 27.80 21.20 24.00 29.70 21.90 21.70 34.00 69.20

Closing 202.00 27.50 123.40 21.20 33.00 23.10 42.60 69.70 23.60 60.30

Daily high 122.20 43.20 27.80 21.20 24.00 29.80 22.00 21.80 34.20 69.90

Daily high 202.00 27.50 123.40 21.20 33.00 23.20 42.90 69.80 23.90 60.60

Daily low 108.00 39.10 25.30 17.50 20.00 26.00 18.00 18.00 28.30 65.00

Daily low 202.00 26.00 120.00 19.70 32.90 22.60 41.50 68.00 22.00 59.00

Turnover in million 12.678 6.425 79.763 22.715 2.398 3.209 0.072 4.319 10.964 5.236

Turnover in million 0.020 7.563 0.159 2.421 0.033 0.147 0.586 0.279 0.322 0.294

Latest EPS

Latest PE

7.00 1.94 2.04 0.93 3.00 1.57 -6.91 1.73 1.55 1.10

17.3 22.0 13.4 22.4 7.9 18.6 -ve 12.5 21.7 61.8

Latest EPS

Latest PE

23.11 2.04 7.00 0.93 2.45 1.56 1.94 1.10 1.04 2.74

8.7 13.3 17.4 22.5 13.4 14.7 22.0 62.7 22.1 21.8

News, analysis and recent disclosers MEGHNACEM: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 39.39 million with EPS of Tk. 1.75 as against Tk. 26.76 million and Tk. 1.19 respectively.

UCBL: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. 962.43 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 1.15 as against Tk. (999.84) million and Tk. (1.20) respectively.

FIRSTSBANK: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 96.14 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 0.23 as against Tk. 70.65 million and Tk. 0.17 respectively.

UTTARAFIN: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 251.49 million with EPS of Tk. 2.21 as against Tk. 215.20 million and Tk. 1.89 respectively.

DUTCHBANGL: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. 336.78 million with EPS of Tk. 1.68 as against Tk. 300.29 million and Tk. 1.50 respectively.

BATBC: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 1,241.82 million with EPS of Tk. 20.70 as against Tk. 1,217.68 million and Tk. 20.29 respectively.

BEACHHATCH: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 20.15 million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.59 (restated 0.51) as against Tk. 6.60 million and Tk. 0.19 (0.17) respectively.

CONTININS: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 23.48 million with EPS of Tk. 0.75 as against Tk. 21.63 million and Tk. 0.69 respectively.

GP: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. 5,160.07 million with

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Grameenphone-A HeidelbergCement -A Meghna Petroleum -A Olympic Ind. -A Emerald Oil Ind. -N UCBL - A

Total

9.99 9.92 9.88 9.84 9.59 9.59 9.50 9.05 8.63 8.29

CSE GAINERS

Matin Spinning-N

CSE

Closing (% change)

EPS of Tk. 3.82 as against consolidated profit after tax (excluding non-controlling interest) of Tk. 4,539.58 million and consolidated EPS of Tk. 3.36 for the same period of the previous year.

BoardMeeting: ORIONPHARM on May 10, 2014 at 5:00 PM. SALVOCHEM: on May 07, 2014 at 3:30 PM. BEACHHATCH: The Company has further informed that due to unavoidable circumstances the EGM and 19th AGM of the Company will now be held on June 25, 2014 instead of May 14, 2014. Other information of the EGM and AGM will remain unchanged.

RAKCERAMIC: The Company has informed that it has credited the bonus shares for the year 2013 to the respective shareholders' BO Accounts on April 08, 2014. The Company has also informed that the cash dividend for the year 2013 has been transferred to the respective shareholders' bank accounts through Bangladesh Electronic Fund Transfer Network (BEFTN) system. The dividend warrants 2013 for NRB shareholders is being distributed from April 29, 2014 from Share section of the Head office of the Company.

ACI: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to invest Tk. 78.00 million through exercising the Right Issue of 78,000 shares of Tk. 1,000.00 each offered by ACI Salt Limited, a subsidiary of Advanced Chemical Industries Limited.

RIGHT SHARE: DELTASPINN: Subscription 05.08.2014 to 31.08.2014. RD for entitlement of rights share: 28.04.2014.

RUPALILIFE- Subscription 06.04.2014 to 05.05.2014. RD for entitlement of rights share: 16.01.2014. BRACBANK: Subscription 20.04.2014 to 15.05.2014. RD for entitlement of rights share: 10.02.2014.

IPO Subscription: Khulna Printing & Packaging Limited subscription date 04 – 08 May 2014, NRB upto 17 April 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. Tung Hai Knitting & Dyeing Limited subscription date 12-22 May 2014, NRB upto 31 May 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. Far East Knitting & Dyeing Industries Limited subscription date 15-19 June 2014, NRB upto 28 June 2014. @ taka 22, face value taka 10 and market lot 200.

Latest PE

44.00 23.67 1,056.37 21.00 183.53 180.00 6.53 30.60

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Daily high

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

% change 10.52 3.22 1.43 8.96 10.71 9.13 0.02 10.38 16.06 0.53 1.50 1.63 0.40 6.24 0.66 1.25 2.20 11.62 1.10 2.44 0.02

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

Square Pharma -A ACI Limited- A Central Pharm-A

BATBCL -A Padma Oil Co. -A LafargeS Cement-Z Beach Hatchery -A Golden Son -A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Matin Spinning-N

Grameenphone-A UNITED AIR-A Appollo Ispat CL -N Square Pharma -A LafargeS Cement-Z UCBL - A Golden Son -A Meghna Petroleum -A Beach Hatchery -A BD Submarine Cable-A Maksons Spinning-A BSC-A Orion Pharma-N Central Pharm-A

Volume shares 1,818,041 253,180 466,003 549,440 2,608,000 4,793,985 2,802,400 427,189 477,461 2,619,675

41,550 289,043 1,415,500 2,923,390 1,397,471

Volume shares

545,000 69,800 877,958 362,800 33,799 133,500 308,079 147,141 26,300 278,450 42,070 411,143 11,600 106,660 133,500

Value in million 491.39 140.36 136.98 134.35 131.07 130.09 128.72 119.90 118.48 112.09

103.27 99.13 94.21 79.76 79.10

Value in million

25.00 18.86 10.77 9.86 9.49 8.90 8.39 8.36 7.73 7.56 7.39 6.63 6.62 6.09 5.72

% of total turnover 10.97 3.13 3.06 3.00 2.93 2.90 2.87 2.68 2.65 2.50

2.31 2.21 2.10 1.78 1.77

% of total turnover

8.20 6.19 3.53 3.23 3.12 2.92 2.75 2.74 2.54 2.48 2.43 2.17 2.17 2.00 1.88

Daily closing 270.30 547.90 292.30 244.00 50.80 27.60 46.30 280.20 254.20 43.70

2439.40 341.40 66.90 27.80 57.20

Daily closing

46.10 269.50 12.50 27.30 280.20 67.10 27.60 57.80 293.10 27.50 175.10 16.30 566.30 57.60 43.60

Price change 0.90 -2.04 -0.98 0.74 5.18 4.55 1.76 -0.28 6.72 8.17

Daily opening 267.90 559.30 295.20 242.20 48.30 26.40 45.50 281.00 238.20 40.40

Price change

Daily opening

1.99 -0.81 -0.15 9.88 3.62

2.22 0.75 5.93 2.63 -0.32 -0.15 4.15 5.09 -1.01 10.00 -1.02 4.49 -1.60 4.54 7.39

2391.90 344.20 67.00 25.30 55.20

45.10 267.50 11.80 26.60 281.10 67.20 26.50 55.00 296.10 25.00 176.90 15.60 575.50 55.10 40.60

Daily high 273.60 569.00 297.70 246.50 51.50 28.50 47.20 295.00 256.00 44.10

2505.00 350.00 67.40 27.80 57.50

Daily low 252.00 544.00 275.00 227.00 48.60 23.90 44.60 261.00 232.00 40.40

2326.30 320.00 65.80 25.30 51.00

Daily average 270.29 554.37 293.95 244.51 50.26 27.14 45.93 280.68 248.15 42.79

Daily high

Daily low

Daily average

47.10 273.00 12.60 27.50 282.00 67.30 28.50 58.00 297.00 27.50 178.70 16.40 577.00 58.40 44.10

44.60 267.00 11.60 26.70 278.90 65.50 26.70 55.90 292.00 26.00 174.00 14.20 565.00 55.90 41.00

2485.37 342.94 66.55 27.28 56.60

45.87 270.13 12.27 27.17 280.89 66.70 27.25 56.84 294.08 27.16 175.69 16.12 570.61 57.12 42.88

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Grameenphone’s profit rises n 13.67% in Q1

Business

IMF: Dubai needs tough measures to avert property bubble

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Mobile phone operator Grameenphone has posted 13.67% growth in profit after paying tax in the first quarter ended on March 31.

The operator earned a Tk516.01 crore profit compared to Tk453.96 crore in the same period last year, according to an un-audited quarterly figures.

The market leader disclosed the first quarter profit while presenting a financial statement at a press conference in Dhaka yesterday.

At the end of the January to March period, Grameenphone’s earnings per share (EPS) stands at Tk3.82 against consolidated profit after paying tax (excluding non-controlling interest).

It’s consolidated EPS was Tk3.36 for the same period in the previous year.

“We have managed to bounce back after the depressed October-December period of political turmoil,” said Vivek Sood, Chief Executive Officer of Grameenphone.

“We expect to maintain this growth

trend and expand our business further,” he said.

The operator said its revenue per user (RPU) increased Tk5 from Tk161 in the previous quarter.

Grameenphone reported revenue of Tk2,490 crore in the first quarter with 6.1% increase from the same period last year.

The operator said the growth was mainly driven by the increased voice outgoing from acquisition, boost in data revenue after 3G, SMS and campaign content services.

Growth in both local and international interconnection minutes and wholesale and financial services also made contribution to the growth.

Grameenphone was able to attract 15 lakh new active subscribers in the first three months of 2014, taking the total number to 4.86 crore.

“Our focus was to ensure quality, not the increase of the number. That’s why the number has not risen like it was in the previous months,” Vivek Sood said.

Grameenphone earned Tk1,472 crore net profit in 2013 and distributed 140% dividend for that year. l

AFP, Dubai

The International Monetary Fund called yesterday on Dubai to take "stronger measures" to avert another property bubble, after prices rocketed at a rate reminiscent of the 2009 crisis.

Authorities in the Gulf emirate have already doubled sales duties to four percent, and the central bank of the United Arab Emirates has tightened lending facilities.

"These measures are good," said IMF regional director Masood Ahmed, adding however that there was a need for even tougher steps.

"It is time to consider stronger mea-

sures particularly in ways to discourage a quick turnaround," Ahmed told a forum in Dubai, warning of renewed market activity aimed at fast profits.

He suggested increasing sales duties substantially to prevent such activity, citing Singapore's 30% tax on sales made within a year of purchase as an example.

"I think it is time to consider some stronger measures to try dampen what could possibly be speculative transactions in real estate," he said.

The market remains "mostly a cash market" for the moment, he said, warning that if lending to the sector sees a big increase, tightening measures would be needed.

Dubai's property sector expanded at breakneck-speed for years, driven by foreign investments, before the global financial crisis pushed it into free fall, shedding half of its 2008 records.

But the market has recently made a strong comeback as investors flocked back into the emirate that is seen as a safe haven at a time of regional turmoil.

Contrary to most Gulf monarchies, the sheikhdom has sizable property zones that have been opened to foreign buyers.

The real estate sector has been recovering as Dubai's trade, tourism and transport have continued to grow, banking on large investments in the past few years. l

Oil prices fall further in Asia n AFP, Singapore

Oil prices extended their losses in Asian trade Tuesday following weak manufacturing figures from China, but they received some support from concerns about the crisis in Ukraine.

The US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate for June delivery, eased seven cents to $99.41 a barrel in afternoon trade while Brent North Sea crude for June dipped seven cents to $107.65.

Trading volumes were thin as mar-

kets in Japan and Hong Kong were closed for public holidays.

Singapore's United Overseas Bank (UOB) said prices fell after a closely watched survey showed China's manufacturing sector contracted for a fourth consecutive month in April and at a faster pace than initially thought.

British banking giant HSBC said on Monday its purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China last month came in at 48.1, a tad up from the 48.0 in March but weaker than the 48.3 reported in its

preliminary report on April 23.

A figure below 50 indicates contraction, while anything above points to growth.

"Oil was pressured by the Chinese PMI report, adding to worries that the Chinese economy is still losing momentum," UOB said in a market commentary.

However, losses were tempered by the escalating violence in Ukraine, where the government is battling proRussian separatists. l

Iran tests foreign interest with oil fair Dollar holds steady n amid Ukraine tensions AFP, Tehran

Iran’s annual oil and gas fair opened in Tehran yesterday, with 600 foreign companies seeking to position themselves for a return to large-scale operations if international sanctions are lifted.

With some of the world’s biggest oil and gas reserves, the industry is the cornerstone of Iran’s economy, but it was heavily hit by an American and European embargo on the energy and banking sectors in 2012.

Major energy firms have since left or been stifled from doing business because of economic sanctions imposed as punishment for the country’s disputed nuclear programme.

“We are focused on expanding the domestic capacity” in developing the oil and gas sector but “we are also open to cooperation with foreigners,” Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said at the opening ceremony of the fair.

Asian oil giants have sought to fill the void in recent years but Iran said last week it is moving to cancel a contract with China National Petroleum Corporation, citing the latter’s failure to fulfil output requirements.

Since an interim agreement with the P5+1 group of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany came into effect in January, Iran has been allowed to maintain its oil exports at around 1.2 million barrels per day.

Despite such numbers being higher than in recent years, Iran’s oil exports are a fraction of what they were before sanctions -- the country was shipping 2.5

million bpd of crude abroad in late 2011.

Zanganeh said yesterday that his approach towards developing the oil and gas sector was based on the assumption sanctions would not be lifted.

“If they are removed however, our job will be even easier,” he said.

President Hassan Rouhani and the minister have said in recent months Iran would benefit from the investment and technology transfer that international oil companies can deliver.

President Hassan Rouhani Regional representatives from France’s Total and the German conglomerate Siemens are among 600 foreign companies registered for the International Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Refining Exhibition, according to government officials.

The number is three times higher than in 2013, Akbar Nematollahi, a spokesman for Iran’s oil ministry, told AFP, noting that 1,200 Iranian firms will attend, up 50 percent.

“Total and Siemens will be repre-

Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd recently opened its 112th branch at Shamsul Ulum Biponi Bitan in Niltuli, Faridpur. The bank’s managing director, Md Habibur Rahman inaugurated the branch as chief guest

Md Nojibur Rahman, secretary of Statistics and Informatics Division recently spoke as chief guest at a meeting on census of slum areas and floating population and MSVSB project

sented by their regional officials and Chinese companies are present this year,” Nematollahi said.

Iran and world powers are preparing for a fifth round of talks in Vienna next week aimed at a long-term deal on curbing Iran’s nuclear activities.

Nearly one year after the election of Rouhani, a self-declared moderate, “the good participation” from foreign companies allows “renewal of relations and the presentation of projects,” Nematollahi said.

An Iran-based Western businessman involved in petrochemical engineering told AFP there were high hopes of a return to large-scale operations.

“I hope that Western officials will be more accommodating because of the general political climate in Iran,” he said, noting his company had maintained a local presence to be ready to react if sanctions are lifted.

Hatef Haeri, an energy expert with the ICG consultancy group, said this year’s stronger foreign presence at the fair indicated better conditions for deals.

“The energy market in Iran is huge,” he said. “With a five-year plan for $150bn of investment, some of this must come from abroad.”

Iran has the world’s fourth highest oil reserves and the second highest gas deposits, behind Russia.

However, a second economic expert based in Tehran who will attend the fair, was more cautious, stating the world’s biggest oil companies would not send global representatives. l

B3

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

n AFP, Singapore The US dollar was mixed in quiet Asian trade yesterday, holding on to advances against the yen enjoyed in New York, but investors are tracking events in Ukraine as diplomats try to avert a civil war in the country.

The dollar fetched 102.02 yen in Singapore afternoon trade compared with 102.14 yen in New York late Monday. The euro bought $1.3880 against $1.3874.

Analysts said trading was subdued with financial markets in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong closed for public holidays.

The greenback edged up in US trade, helped by data showing activity in the US services sector, which accounts for the bulk of economic activity, rose more than expected in April.

And Max Ho, new business consultant at CMC Markets in Singapore, said the unit was retaining support due to its safe-haven status in the face of “the looming threat of full-scale intervention in Ukraine by Russia”.

Ukraine’s military suffered heavy casualties in a stepped up offensive against pro-Russian rebels Monday, as Europe and the head of the United Nations made a last-ditch diplomatic effort to reel the country back from disaster.

Speaking exclusively to AFP in Abu Dhabi, UN chief Ban Ki-moon offered

“to provide my own role if necessary” before the crisis “spins out of control and creates huge consequences beyond anybody’s control”.

European leaders, fearing all-out civil war on their eastern flank, have also launched a new peace bid, urging Ukraine and Russia to find a negotiated solution.

Singapore’s United Overseas Bank said investors will monitor the publication of US March trade data later Tuesday, “in light of last week’s very soft advance gross domestic product reading” for the first quarter of the year.

The greenback was mixed against other Asia-Pacific currencies.

The US dollar eased to Sg$1.2507 from Sg$1.2508 in Singapore on Monday, to 1,025.50 South Korean won from 1,028.23 won, to 11,522 Indonesian rupiah from 11,535 rupiah and to 44.37 Philippine pesos from 44.40 pesos.

The dollar rose to 32.37 Thai baht from 32.34 baht and was flat at Tw$30.13.

The Australian dollar rose to 93.12 US cents from 92.82 cents after the country’s central bank on Tuesday kept interest rates at a record low 2.5 percent, citing only tentative improvement in non-mining sectors of the economy.

The Chinese yuan bought 16.37 Japanese yen, compared with 16.34 yen on Monday. l

RSRM gets IPO nod n Tribune Report Ratanpur Steel Re-Rolling Mills (RSRM) Ltd has got green signal from the securities regulator to raise fund from the stock market.

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) approved an initial public offering (IPO) of RSRM to raise Tk100 crore from the market to strengthen its capital base, loan repayment and meeting the expenses of IPO process, said a statement yesterday.

It will issue 2.5 crore ordinary shares with offer value of Tk40 a share, including premium of Tk30.

The company’s earnings per share is Tk4.58 and net asset value Tk53.69, according to its financial statement ended on June 30, 2013.

IPO quota

The commission also decided to write to the finance ministry to extend the deadline for special 20% quota in all initial public offerings (IPOs) for the affected small investors by one year till June 2015.

Presently, the small investors affected in share debacle in late 2010 enjoy 20% quota in all IPOs to be issued till July1, 2014.

City Bank bond

BSEC has also given consent to the City Bank to issue bond worth Tk300 crore to meet BASEL II requirement in line with the regulatory order.

The non-convertible coupon bearing subordinated bond will be matured after six years from the date of issuance.

Its each unit price is Tk10 lakh and interest rate will be 2.5% on private commercial bank’s six month average deposit rate, whichever is higher. l

Coke to remove controversial chemical from Fanta, other drinks n Reuters, New York The Coca-Cola Company said on Monday it will remove a controversial flavouring stabilizer from some of its drinks, following rival PepsiCo Inc’s announcement earlier this year that it would drop the same ingredient from its drinks.

The ingredient, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), is a chemical containing bromine, which is found in fire retardants. Small quantities of BVO are used legally in some citrus-flavoured drinks in the United States to keep the flavour evenly distributed.

Coca-Cola said the ingredient was dropped from two flavours of its Powerade drink - fruit punch and strawberry lemonade - earlier this year. The company expects to remove it from its Fanta and Fresca sods, and as well as citrus-flavoured fountain drinks, by year’s end for US consumers.

The company said it will also remove the ingredient in its products sold globally but did not provide a timeline.

Coke, which has said its use of BVO was safe for consumers, will use as a replacement sucrose acetate isobutyrate, which it has used for over a decade in some drinks, or glycerol ester of rosin, a ingredient commonly found in chewing gums and drinks, the company said. l

Modhumoti Bank recently launched a campaign named “Go-ATM” for popularising ATM debit cards among customers. The bank’s managing director and CEO Md Mizanur Rahman inaugurated the programme

Rupali Bank Limited recently won South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) Best Presented Annual Report Awards 2012, for good governance in South Asian region at a local hotel of Islamabad in Pakistan. The bank’s chair Dr Ahmed Al-Kabir received the prize on behalf of the bank

Pubali Bank Ltd and Bangladesh Bank Training Academy jointly organised a month long training course on audit and inspection for its officials recently. The bank’s managing director and CEO, Helal Ahmed Chowdhury was present as chief guest at the course’s closing ceremony

Uttara Bank Limited has recently opened its new premises of Brahmanbaria branch. The bank’s managing director and CEO, Shaikh Abdul Aziz inaugurated the new premises

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Wednesday, May 7, 2014

How technology reshaping the accounting discipline n Tasnova Moktadir Almost every article or report we read today talks about the advantages of technology on the accounting profession. Sometimes they contain the necessity of business owners to incorporate technology into every aspect of their scope of work. We already know how the influence of technology has enriched the ability of an accountant to analyse statistical data and the capacity to deal with complex accounting procedures, right? Sadly, nothing in this world can be called perfect. There are adverse repercussions to everything, along with their good sides, even in the case of advancement of technology.

A very recent cyber threat has left everyone shaken with fear. An encryption flaw called the “Heartbleed” is already being called one of the biggest security threats the internet has ever seen. The bug has affected many popular websites and services — ones you might use every day, like Gmail and Facebook — and could have quietly exposed your sensitive account information (such as passwords and credit card numbers) over the past two years. Warnings came from companies like Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet, Red Hat, and Watchguard Technologies, who are saying that some of their internet products may have been compromised and now place the spotlight on the corporate sector.

In September 2013, Lloyds Banking Group websites, including the new standalone TSB site, have been hit by problems on TSB launch day. The banking group experienced intermittent website problems across almost all of its brands. The problems coincide with the transfer of five million

Rising bad loans threaten India's gradual economic recovery n Reuters, New Delhi India's economy will likely make a gradual recovery this year, helped by a rebound in capital investments as well as a pick-up in private consumption, but rising bad loans at its banks threaten to choke the recovery, the OECD said yesterday.

In its latest economic outlook, the Paris-based think tank said growth in Asia's third-largest economy was expected to edge up to 4.9% in calendar year 2014 from 4.5% a year earlier and accelerate further to 5.9% in 2015.

The estimates are predicated on hopes of an upturn in capital investments after an ongoing national election and a boost in consumption driven by slowing inflation.

India is facing the worst economic slowdown since the 1980s as investment growth has hit an 11-year low.

Capital investment contributes nearly 35% to India's economy, but it probably barely grew in the fiscal year that ended in March.

To break the investment logjam, a prime minister-headed panel, known as the Cabinet Committee on Investment, has cleared projects worth about 6% of gross domestic product. l

customer accounts from Lloyds to TSB, despite promises by Lloyds chief executive of a “seamless” transition. They could not recover it instantaneously leading to a great loss! This is what happens when you blindly rely on something.

As we deal with the growing cloud and web-based technologies, network security becomes an issue too. An obvious question is: How do we trust our public cloud service providers? A great example is the investment banking industry, where giants such

as Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase are trying to build their own private cloud platforms to deal with their own trade data.

We’ve heard great stories where even Harvard University website got hacked by the “Serian Electronic Army”. Surely, as more we deal with data, data security need to be addressed, and as such, accounting firms should make sure their client data is secured even when using public cloud services.

With the growing technological ad-

vancement in the world, Bangladesh is not lagging behind. Even a small trader now has a computer in his office to maintain his records. We are witnessing more and more companies in Bangladesh trying to make the most use of data. Even though we do not see a private cloud in any enterprise in Bangladesh, but small and big enterprises are increasingly becoming dependent on public cloud service providers. With applications of software on the cloud, this also means that accountants can have a real time

overview of the current financial position of the company.

The most used accounting software in Bangladesh is Tally. There are other accounting software such as eKam, SCM, etc. While auditing Concern Worldwide Bangladesh, I came across Microsoft dynamics GP (Great Plains) software, and it was amazing how accounting and finance, project accounting and budgeting, all these complex mechanisms were so easily managed and performed systematically.

Not only can embracing technology have positive results for the accounting profession, it can positively impact existing clients and simplify the process of attracting new customers. Whether it’s developing networks with supplemental providers and understanding technology to assist clients, harnessing the power of mobile technology, or using a company intranet to deliver solutions, technology is the future of accounting. These tools will only grow over time, and it’s in an accountant’s best interest to adapt to the changing business world.

The companies in Bangladesh should adapt to the concept of cloud computing and big data and should make the most out of any kind of data available to make predictions that would help make accurate financial decisions. Algorithmic or electronic trading will very soon arrive in Bangladesh, enabling us to make the most use out of trade data. Today, organisations are becoming more aware of their database security issues in combating cyber threats. Now they need to wrap the robust database security strategies into their overall security and compliance strategies. This will help organisations protect their critical data and meet regulatory requirements better as well.

There is still a lot to discover in the huge pool of advancement, it’s just the beginning of a new era. Like the poet EE Cummings once put it, “there’s a hell of a good universe next door; let’s go and find out…!” l Tasnova Moktadir currently works at ACNABIN Chartered Accountants firm. The article was originally published in the LCP Blog (lightcastlebd.com/blog)

Japan PM praises French efforts for economic 'rebirth' n AFP, Paris Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday praised Francois Hollande's efforts to kickstart the eurozone's second economy, after holding trade and security talks with the French leader.

"It can truly be said that President Hollande has fired the shot for the rebirth and dynamisation of the French economy," Abe told reporters at a joint press conference.

The thumbs-up came at a crucial time with Hollande's popularity sinking to a new low on the eve of his second anniversary in power and a fresh dispute between France and the European Union on whether Paris will be able to cut its budget deficit as promised by next year.

The Japanese premier is pursuing a growth policy blitz back home to cement a turnaround in the world's number three economy.

It is a mix of big government spending and central bank monetary easing, dubbed "Abenomics", and is designed to drag the economy out of years of deflation and laggard growth.

Abe, who is visiting France as part of a six-nation European tour, also said the two countries will promote cooperation in research and development for

fast reactors, a next-generation nuclear technology.

The two countries are among the world's top producers of nuclear energy.

Hollande said burgeoning bilateral trade, which hit 15bn euros ($20bn) last year, would further expand once Japan struck a free trade deal with Brussels.

'It can truly be said that President Hollande has fired the shot for the rebirth and dynamisation of the French economy' "France will give all the backing it can" so that the deal is agreed, Hollande said.

The deal with the EU has hit snags on the thorny issue of tariffs and trade barriers.

The EU wants progress on non-tariff barriers in certain Japanese markets, while for Tokyo a key issue is that Brussels dismantle customs duties on Japanese automobiles – a sensitive topic for big car producer and exporter Germany.

Another issue that figured in the talks

was heightened tensions between Tokyo and Beijing in a tense territorial dispute over islands in the East China Sea. Relations between the two countries have fallen to their lowest point in years and Japan on Sunday sent a team of senior lawmakers to China on a fence-mending visit.

Chinese vessels and aircraft regularly approach disputed East China Sea islands after Japan nationalised some of them in September 2012, inflaming the long-running territorial dispute.

In a joint statement, Abe was quoted as saying that Japan wants to be a "proactive contributor to peace" in the region.

Hollande and Abe also discussed the crisis in Ukraine and the violence in parts of the south and the east that has fuelled fears of an all-out civil war.

"The presidential election of May 25 must be held and nothing must hinder it," Hollande said, adding that the aim was to "convince the Russian authorities and especially President (Vladimir) Putin that the only path possible is dialogue and therefore a de-escalation."

Abe said Moscow "continues to fan tensions" and underscored the need for a successful election in Ukraine.

"The door remains open for any diplomatic solution," he added. l

Activists stage a protest dressed as Robin Hood (left) and wearing masks depicting German Chancellor Angela Merkel (centre) and French President Francois Hollande outside a meeting of European finance ministers in Brussels May REUTERS

France, Germany push for 'Robin Hood' tax, seen falling short of early goal n Reuters, Brussels France and Germany led a group of countries yesterday in pushing for a tax on financial trading although the levy is set to fall far short of what was pledged at the height of the financial crisis and may be pared back further.

Promised in 2011 by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the then French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, as a means of getting banks to pay for a financial crisis that had then bankrupted Greece and Ireland, the tax was contested from the outset.

Finance ministers from a group of 11 euro zone countries that back the tax made a further pledge on Tuesday to introduce it by January 2016 at the latest. Crucial questions such as how high the tax should be and how it will be charged remain open.

"I believe we will reach a political agreement on a financial transactions tax, all ministers are ready," Luis de Guindos, Spain's economy minister, told reporters ahead of a gathering of EU ministers. "I hope we will reach agreement on the assets to be included, mainly shares and some derivatives," he said, sharing a view supported in particular by Italy.

"We want the rules agreement this year so it can come into force next year," he said. "We still need to decide the level of the tax and how it will be levied."

Resurrecting an idea first conceived

by US economist James Tobin more than 40 years ago is symbolically important in showing that politicians,

DILBERT

A Nissan's employee works at the Japanese automaker plant in Barcelona on May 5. Japanese automaker Nissan's presented today a new e-NV200 model, which will become Nissan's second all-electric vehicle (EV) and will be produced exclusively at the Barcelona plant AFP

many of whom have been accused of fumbled their way through the crisis, were tackling the banks blamed for causing it.

As ministers met in Brussels, activists in favour of a 'Robin Hood tax' - after the British "outlaw" who was said to rob the rich to give to the poor - acted out a boxing match to symbolize the fight over the levy.

In one corner, an activist dressed in green and wearing a quiver of arrows pretended to knock out his opponent who was dressed as a banker in a suit.

"This is a fight between bankers and Robin Hood," said Natalia Alonso, a campaigner at Oxfam. "We are saying that the money raised with this tax should go to fighting poverty."

Reaffirming a commitment to the tax is also important ahead of European elections that are expected to see a rise in support for populist euroskeptic parties. Many experts, however, expect the scheme to be quietly shelved afterwards because it is difficult to implement.

Ignoring warnings from the European Central Bank that the levy would backfire, Merkel and Sarkozy had initially sought to win support across the European Union before scaling back plans, in the face of stiff opposition, to just the euro zone.

Ultimately they had to make do with an shaky alliance of 11 countries, some of whom diplomats said reluctantly signed up to keep Germany happy. Divisions remain within the group over how the tax should work, including between Paris and Berlin. l