13 May 2014

Boishakh 30, 1421 Rajab 13, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 43

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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15 | TARKAATA GETS CENSOR CERTIFICATE

18 | ATLETICO, BARCA SET FOR FINAL BATTLE

Chronicles of a crippled district

Jamaat’s trial to create tribunal history n Udisa Islam

Criminals literally control officials and law enforcers with money n Julfikar Ali Manik Underworld money and muscle, fights over establishing supremacy and abuse of power by political leaders have turned Narayanganj into a dysfunctional, crime and corruption-prone district.

Except for a few exceptions, corrupt government officials and law enforcers are to be equally blamed for the crum-

‘For making the city safe all we need is good intention and the will to work with honesty’ bling administration and law and order situation in the city, local residents have told this correspondent.

In Narayanganj, a busy business hub some 20km off Dhaka, has always been known as a crime-prone city. But the ragged situation came to the forefront after the recent abduction of environmentalist Rizwana Hassan’s husband and the sensational abduction and killing of seven.

In the wake of the abductions and the murders, three RAB officers lost jobs; the chiefs of Narayanganj district police

and administration were withdrawn.

The seven police stations in the district saw massive overnight reshuffles.

The name of Shamim Osman, a local ruling party lawmaker and sometimes called a “godfather,” has come up repeatedly in connection with the sensational seven murders. It is nothing new for him because every time a major crime takes place in the port city, his name would come up.

Most local residents, present and former officials of the district, who talked to this correspondent, wished not to be named out of fear of retaliation.

The Osman family, of which Shamim is a part, started flexing its political muscles in the late 1990s, when the Awami League was in power. Shamim Osman was an MP from 1996-2001. He fled Narayanganj after the BNP-Jamaatled alliance came to power in 2001.

Shamim’s brother late Nasim Osman, who was a leader of Jatiya Party, had also been elected lawmaker several times.

Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the seven-murder cases who left BNP to join Awami League in 2000, followed Shamim’s suit.

Following the 2001-2006 tenure of BNP-Jamaat and the 2007-2008 tenure  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Moslem Miah, a farmer from Pabna, came to the outdoor of the DMCH yesterday, seeking medical attention for his orthopaedic ailment.

However, he had to leave after waiting for five hours as the honorary doctors continued their strike for the second day running RAJIB DHAR

For the first time in Bangladesh history, the prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal is ready to deal with the war crimes charges levelled against the Jamaat-e-Islami for its role during the 1971 Liberation War. With this step, Bangladesh is going to reach a milestone in the war crimes trials that began in 2009.

The prosecution is now mainly concentrating on this case and the formal charges may be placed this month. The investigation officer says the journey to prepare the probe report was not so easy.

In the past, seven Nazi organisations, including the Reich Cabinet, Hitler’s paramilitary force and Gestapo, and the secret police force of the Nazis, were tried at the historic Nuremberg Tribunal in Germany for war crimes committed during World War II.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Nur fled to Kolkata, ex-RAB trio yet to be arrested Sarkar and n Kailash Mohosinul Karim

Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the Narayanganj seven murders, fled the country on May 2 and is now in West Bengal capital Kolkata, says RAB. Additional Director General (operations) of the elite force Col Ziaul Ahsan yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have specific information that Nur Hos-

sain fled the country through the Benapole border on the night of May 2. He is in Kolkata.”

To clarify he said: “My job is to remain updated on criminals’ whereabouts. It is not very tough to locate him since we have adequate modern technologies.

“The mystery over the killings after abduction can be unveiled if Nur Hossain is arrested.”

The senior RAB official also said they were verifying whether Shahidul Islam, the father-in-law of slain ward councillor Nazrul Islam, had any role in the murders.

Meanwhile, Shahidul yesterday alleged that Col Ziaul had helped Nur evade arrest and flee the country. The RAB official was also involved in the abductions and murders along with three other top officials of RAB 11 unit.

Col Ziaul rejected the allegations outright.

Shahidul told reporters that Col Ziaul had been trying to help the trio.

“Col Ziaul Ahsan told a newspaper [on Sunday] with the intention to implicate me that they were verifying whether I have any link in the killing of my son-in-law and six others. As he claims that Nur Hossain fled the country  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Narayanganj mass hearing draws flak n

Ashif Islam Shaon and Ahmed Zayeef

The opening of a two-day mass hearing, arranged by the government probe committee to investigate seven murders in Narayanganj, failed to draw attention of mass people as only six persons gave deposition before it yesterday.

Wrong selection of spot, lack of publicity, people’s apathy and to some extent, fear resulted in the poor attendance during the hearing, locals say.

The probe body formed in line with a High Court order recorded depositions from 10am to 4pm at the Narayanganj Circuit House. The second mass hearing will take place on Thursday.

Earlier, the seven-strong committee headed by Md Shahjahan Ali Mollah, additional secretary of the Public Administration Ministry, recorded statements of family members and relatives of the seven victims at the deputy commissioner’s office on Sunday.

“Normally mass hearings are conducted in places where people have access and feel free to go. The Circuit House is not such a congenial place,” said Imamul Hasan, a motor parts trader at Chashara.

He also observed that people were afraid of Nur Hossain, the prime accused, as he might return someday and take revenge against them for testifying before the probe committee. Nur and his associates are not arrested yet.

Talking to this correspondent on Narayanganj Link Road, close to the mass hearing venue, student Soumitra Shekhar said: “We all know who killed the seven people. Media reported the incident widely. I think the mass hearing committee also knows who the culprits are.

So, we do not need to go there.”

Abdus Salam, brother of ward councillor Nazrul Islam who is one of the seven victims, said: “There would be more people if the committee arranged the hearing at Shiddhirganj, from where all the victims hail from.”

He also said many people did not know about the hearing.

Nur, RAB blamed

Most of the people who testified yesterday told the committee that Shiddhirganj Awami League leader Nur Hossain had masterminded the abduction and killings in connivance with some officials of the local administration.

One of them Shahin Azad said Nur was loyal to local Awami League lawmaker Shamim Osman. “Motives behind the murders will become clear if the alleged law enforcers are interrogated,” he told the Dhaka Tribune after giving deposition.

Another witness advocate Abu Hasnat Abdullah after giving deposition told reporters that Nur had close ties with the local administration. For that, he got license of 11 firearms in exchange of money. “Nur hired RAB to kill his opponent Nazrul,” he said.

Locals – Jalal Uddin, Noor Hossain Munna, Abul Kashem and Mujibur Rahman – are the others who testified yesterday. But none of them witnessed the abduction or the killings.

Soon after the mass hearing began, Sakhawat Hossain, president of Narayanganj Ainjibi Samity, met the investigators and told them that cohorts and supporters of the alleged killers might also give deposition in the guise of common people.

‘Over 20 RAB men to be quizzed’

Along with the dismissed three RAB officials, a committee formed to arrest the people involved with the seven murder incident will quiz more than 20 members of RAB 11.

Subrata Halder, additional police superintendent of Narayanganj, yesterday said letters had already been sent to the former and incumbent RAB members.

An insider in the elite force said the police’s investigation team had collected the duty roaster of RAB of the day of abduction. Three of the 20 are drivers.

The offices of the deputy commissioner and police superintendent yesterday received copies of Sunday’s High Court order asking the government to arrest the three dismissed RAB officials in connection with the killings. l

Nur fled to Kolkata  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

and staying in Kolkata, we suspect that he helped Nur to flee the country,” he claimed.

Nazrul, lawyer Chandan Sarkar and five others were abducted on April 27 by some criminals who were allegedly assisted by three top officials of RAB 11.

Their bodies were later found in River Shitalakkhya on April 30 and May 1.

The trio were later withdrawn from RAB while their mother organisations sent them to forced retirement.

Following Sunday’s High Court order, the Home Ministry yesterday directed the police headquarters to arrest them.

The court also ordered to hand over the trio to the Detective Branch of Police.

On May 4, Shahidul and other members of Nazrul’s family first alleged that then commanding officer of RAB 11 Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mahmud, and two other officials – Maj Arif Hossain and Lt Commander SM Masud Rana – had been involved in the killings in exchange of Tk6 crore.

Hindus attacked for disagreement over Tk5 n Our Correspondent, Rangpur

The government withdrew the trio on April 28 along with the district police chief and the deputy commissioner of Narayanganj. The Army sent Tarek and the Navy sent Arif and Rana on forced retirement on April 30.

Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) Director Shahinul Islam said they did not know anything about the three as they were no longer under the Armed Forces Division.

State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday told reporters that the three RAB officials might be arrested anytime soon. “A drive to arrest the former RAB personnel will begin anytime as they are under observation.”

Sources in the Home Ministry and the police headquarters said a police team had already left Narayanganj for the capital to arrest the trio.

Khandaker Mahid Uddin, police superintend in Narayanganj, told the Dhaka Tribune last night that they were working to execute the arrest order. l

A motorcade carrying senior police officials exit the Dhaka Cantonment yesterday afternoon

Ctg Jamaat chief held, hartal tomorrow n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong The Ameer of Chittagong city unit Jamaat-e-Islami ANM Shamsul Islam, also a former lawmaker, was arrested yesterday afternoon by the police from the party’s office in the port city. The party General Secretary Nazrul Islam including 19 other leaders were also arrested in the drive.

Assistant Commissioner Shah Md Abdur Rauf of Kotwali circle said they had conducted the drive at the Jamaat party office in the city’s Dewanbazar around 4pm and arrested the 21 leaders during a secret meeting at their office.

Protesting the incident, the Chittagong district unit Jamaat-e-Islami called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in greater Chittagong tomorrow. They would also stage protest rallies in different parts of the district today.

of the army-backed caretaker government, the Awami League returned to power in 2009. Shamim and Nur, along with many other Awami League leaders, also returned to Narayanganj.

Because Shamim was not an elected public representative anymore, establishing supremacy over the area and rebuilding his 1990s empire was never easy for him. In 2011, Shamim ran for the mayor of the then newly-formed Narayanganj City Corporation, but lost to Selina Hayat Ivy, another leader affiliated with the ruling party.

Finally this year, Shamim was elected lawmaker from the Narayanganj 4 constituency in the January 5 10th parliament election.

In the meantime, Nur Hossain, once the helper of a trucker, gradually climbed up the ladder of power and politics in the port city. He came to be known as Shamim’s right hand man and is said to have emerged as the new “godfather” of Narayanganj.

Over the years, Nur has established his own empire of drug trade, illegal sand-stone business, manipulated tenders for construction business, and an extortion racket.

In the process he developed his network and influence among the city’s local administration and the law enforcement units such as police and RAB. Although he managed to “buy” a

large section of the local government officials and law enforcers, getting a comprehensive grip remained impossible for him until 2011, when SP Biswas Afzalur Rahman was the district police chief. Afzal knew that he was a criminal and Nur knew that he would never gain access to the police chief.

However, after Afzal’s transfer from the port city, Nur developed a warm relationship with the new SP Sheikh Nazmul Alam. He used to pay frequent visits to not only the office of the new local police chief but also to his residence.

“That was the beginning of Nur’s nursing by a top official of the district,” said another police official who witnesses Nur’s rise to glory from close quarters.

He also established good relations with district Deputy Commissioner (DC) Monoj Kanti Boral and some officials of RAB 11, three of whose officers are blamed for the recent seven murders.

Things got even better for Nur after he was elected a ward councillor in the 2011 city elections. When he ran for the elections, he had several cases filed against him and the then Election Commission asked local police to take actions against him. But nothing was done against him and he came out winner in the polls.

Not only was his ward councillor status but also the fact that he was known as Shamim Osman’s man, gave him every immunity he needed to carry on with his illegal businesses.

Mohammad Ishaq, ameer of the district (south) unit of the party, confirmed the declaration to the Dhaka Tribune. He saidthe hartal will be enforced in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagracchari districts.

ACP AbdurRauf said the arrestees were accused in different cases lodged with different police stations in the city and the district in connection with the political violence during the pre and post national election period.

According to police sources, the other arrestees were ADM Moniruzzaman, Rajshahi RAB 5 unit’s masjid Imamand alsoChittagong Science Laboratory High School Islamic teacher, Md Habibur Rahman, Chittagong University assistant professor, and AJM Obaidullah, teacher of International Islamic University

Jamaat’s trial to create tribunal The prosecution, however, claims that the case in Bangladesh is different from the Nuremberg Trials in some ways. After facing significant initial challenges, the prosecution thinks they have brought more order to their case. They may seek stern punishment following similar patterns in other international courts.

Jamaat is likely to face charges of committing war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, and violation of Geneva Convention 1949, and other international laws. The prosecution may seek declaring it a criminal organisation, imposing a ban on the party and its student body Islami Chhatra Shibir, realising compensation, and slapping fines.

While the activists want a quick trial, they are also concerned about a thorough and proper investigation leading to formal charges. Some legal experts argue that the International Crimes (tribunals) Act 1973 does not have any specific provision on punishment of any organisation.

Prosecutor Tureen Afroz thinks this is been solved. “Section 20 (2) of the ICT Act suggests that the judges can mete out any punishment to a person, if convicted, ranging from death penalty to ban. The definition of ‘person’ is clearly defined in our ‘General Clauses Act.’ Here the person means both natural person and legal person. So, Jamaat

can be punished under the ICT Act as a legal person,” she explained.

Investigation Officer Matiur Rahman said: “We have got adequate declassified information from home and abroad, and witnesses to prove the war crimes allegations against the party. Many of our so called pro-liberation intellectuals have refused to help us, while insiders also tried to discourage us by saying that the Act does not allow to try any party.”

The government in February last year amended a provision of the ICT Act to allow trying a group and political party. Earlier, only individuals could be brought under trial.

Jamaat was banned twice during the Pakistan regime, in 1959 and in 1964, for its communal role. It was banned again just after the independence of Bangladesh. But it was allowed to resume politics during the regime of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.

War crimes activist Shahriar Kabir said: “If the party is charged with war crimes, it would be the first such case in Bangladesh. Trial of Jamaat has been a longstanding demand of the people.”

Sculptor Ferdousi Priyabhashini, a Birangona of the war, observed that those who had acted against the nationa’s independence, and misused their position must face trial. “It will be a landmark in our history and consolation for the victims’ families.” l

Nazrul Islam, one of the seven victims of the recent sensational abduction and murder, was also a ward councillor elected in the 2011 city polls. Later he ran for panel mayor and won. Nur, however, failed to will the panel mayor election.

Nazrul was also known as Shamim’s man. But he fell from the lawmaker’s grace after he got close to Narayanganj Mayor Ivy after the elections. That inspired Nur to take on Nazrul repeatedly.

A local police official said despite having a reputation as a “criminal,” Nur managed to get a license for his firearm when Nazmul was the SP. The DC might be the license issuing authority, but the SP’s recommendation is a must

for issuing licenses.

After Nazmul, Syed Nurul Islam became the Narayanganj SP in February 2013. In no time, Nur took him in his confidence as well. Nurul was among the government officials, who were withdrawn after the seven murders.

Allegedly, Nur had not only been paying huge bribes to the government officials and law enforcers, he also regularly paid similar sums to some local and central leaders of both ruling Awami League and BNP. Police officials said Nur earned at least Tk20 lakh every day from drug trade, extortion, etc.

“In 2011, he used to come to the SP office in one car. Soon after, he started coming on luxury cars. Last year, he started roaming around in the city with a 10-car motorcade,” a police officer said.

According to police, the main source of Nur’s income was drug trade. He also made handsome amounts by illegally extracting sand from the Sitalakkhya River, taking ransom after abducting people, extortion, running prostitution in the city’s residential hotels, land grabbing, encroaching rivers, gambling, and so on.

A police official, who has extensive knowledge about the city’s crime network, said Nur had grown so powerful that even the other criminals in the city had to pay a part of their earning to him.

It is said that every vehicle crossing the Kanchpur Bridge must pay a certain

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Narayanganj: Chronicles of a crippled district  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Chittagong (IIUC). The rest were mostly party leaders, madrasa teachers, office staff and activists coming from different areas of the district, the sources added.

The ACP said two litres of petrol, 1.5kg potassium, 60 glass bottles, a laptop, a modem and Tk1 lakh 13 thousand of the party’s Baitul-mal fund.

He said the Jamaat leaders were sent to Kotwali police station, adding that they were being interrogated about their secret meeting. They have been arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act and acase is being processed in this regard.

However, the police official did not disclose anything further as it is an ongoing investigation.

They were attending a secret meeting to plan fresh agitations ahead of the verdict of Delawar Hossain Sayedee, added the ACP. l

10 people were injured when a group of over 100 people looted and set fire to houses of the Hindu community at Dhorakanda village of Baradargah union under Pirganj upazila in Rangpur yesterday morning. The violence stemmed from altercation between two people who earlier failed to strike a bargain over a Tk5 matter. One of the victims said the attackers not only set fire to houses but also looted livestock, furniture, cash and gold jewellery.

Police arrested two people in connection with the attack while five cows looted by the attackers were recovered.

Officer-in-charge of Pirganj police station Akhtaruzzaman Pradhan said on Thursday, Sohan, son of Sahajahan of Dhorakanda Dakkhinpara, got into a disagreement with Nityananda, a Hindu van driver, while bargaining for Tk5 over renting a van from him to transport rice threshing machine. This led to a quarrel between the two when Sohan went to harvest rice in his neighbour Shipon’s field yesterday morning.

At one stage, Sohan’s relative Abu Taher hit Nityananda hard, causing a fracture in his head but to divert the incident, Sohan spread the information that he was attacked by Hindu people.

Moments later, more than a hundred people led by Sohan and his father Shahajahan launched an attack on the local Hindu community, leaving 10 people injured. They were Nityananda’s father Sunil Chandra, 35, Bashana, 20, Nitai Chandra, 25, Pramath Chandra, 82, Likhu Rani, 18, Nirmani, 18, Shantana, 19, Bhorot, 20, Kumad, 75, and Aruna, 20.

Pirganj police later arrived on the scene and arrested Abul Kalam, 45, and Shah Alam, 50, in connection with the attack. They also recovered five cows.

Additional policemen were deployed in the area fearing further attack, police said. l

BMA leaders concerned over attacks on doctors n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

Doctors’ leaders yesterday claimed that providing healthcare services in the country has become a challenging task, as more and more doctors are being regularly attacked based on allegations of medical malpractice.

At a press conference in the capital, central leaders of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) expressed their concerns over the deteriorating situation of the health sector, saying different incidents of violence over the past few months had made it almost impossible for doctors to continue offering medical services.

They added that five doctors were

brutally killed in the past four years, while 22 incidents of assault, arrest and different forms of harassment to doctors were reported from 2010-2014.

BMA President Dr Mahmud Hasan said it was the duty of all including the government, doctors, and journalists to find out a way to overcome the situation.

BMA General Secretary Dr M Iqbal Arslan said the BMA would stage different programmes to protest the repression of doctors in the country.

All doctors would wear black badges, form a human chain and hold an hour-long work abstention on May 14, as well as abstaining from seeing patients at their chambers on May 15 for two hours (5pm to 7pm). l

Fakhrul’s bail extended n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday extended the bail period for BNP’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and three other leaders in an arson case over killing of a police constable in the capital’s Banglamotor intersection on December 24 last year.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Anwar Sadat extended the bail until June 17 following a petition filed by the defence counsel Joynul Abedin Mesbah yesterday.

The three others are: Joint Secretary General Aman Ullah Aman, Standing Committee Member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy and party activist Sirajul Islam. l

amount to Nur’s men. Truckers, bus drivers and even the water vehicles in the Sitalakkhya River are also his prey.

Many local residents said although he worked under the wings of Shamim Osman, his ultimate goal was to become a “godfather” or a “mafia don” himself.

There is only a handful law enforcers in the city who did not give into Nur’s lures. But they were not powerful enough to move against him even if they wanted to.

Rafiur Rabbi, father of college student Tanvir Mohammad Twoki, who was abducted and killed in Naryanganj last year, said: “Political families like that of the Osmans always want police, district administration and RAB under their control.”

After police failed to unearth Twoki’s murder mystery, the case was transferred to RAB, who said after investigation that the Osman family was behind the murder.

Shortly, RAB 11’s then then chief Lt Col Jahangir was replaced with Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mohammad.

At that time, Shamim Osman tried to publicise that he orchestrated the removal of Jahangir and brought in Tarek.

Tarek is one of the army officers who were removed from service after the seven murders.

A former government official from the city said: “The culture of giving political shelter to criminals by leaders

and the practice of making the administration, police and RAB partners in crime ruined the normal functioning of the local administration.”

Another former official, who served for Naraynaganj, said: “For making the city safe for common people, neither do we need huge manpower in administration, police and RAB nor modern equipment and highly trained people.

All we need is good intention and the will to work with honesty... Unfortunately, that is what the Narayanganj administration badly lacks.”

Nur, who is the prime accused in the seven murder cases, is now a fugitive. Police said they had been looking for him.

But there are allegations that law enforcers did not move swiftly to get hold of him. Local residents said they had seen Nur roaming around in the city freely even after the abductions took place and cases were filed against him.

Months before the seven murders, the Police Service Association published a memorabilia on the occasion of the Police Week 2014. It had messages from the president, prime minister and police high officials. Withdrawn SP Nurul was the editor of that publication. Nur gave a full page advertisement, with his own photograph, in that memorabilia and wished police all the success.

When asked, SP Nurul told this correspondent that he “had no idea about Nur’s underworld and criminal activities.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

BHALUKA WOOLLEN MILLS

Cabinet committee scraps land sale order n Asif Showkat Kallol The cabinet committee on economic affairs has cancelled an order issued by the Jute and Textiles Ministry to sell 3.90 acres of land, owned by Bhaluka Woollen Mills.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the order to sell additional 3.90 acres of land of Bhaluka Woollen Mills by the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation had been cancelled.

“BTMC has no right to sell this land,” he said, adding that a case would be filed against the sale of land of Bhaluka Woollen Mills.

It is mentioned that additional land of Bhaluka Woollen Mills was sold after the Jute and Textiles Ministry asked the Privatisation Commission to include it in the list of the privatised state-owned institutions.

Meanwhile, an Indian firm has finally got the go-ahead to install 225 megawatt gas-based power plant at Sikalbaha in Chittagong. A proposal made by Power Division to select a consulting firm for donor-funded power plant project was approved at a meeting of the cabinet committee on public purchase, the finance minister told reporters yesterday.

“Per unit cost of electricity will be cheaper as it will be a gas-fired power plant,” he said.

As per the proposal, the tender evaluation committee had selected M/S Larsen and Toubro Ltd as the lowest bidder among seven companies.

Development partners for the project include Kuwait Fund, Saudi Fund, Abu Dhabi Fund and OPEC. They will provide a total of Tk1,707.74 crore.

The sponsors had already given

consent to the selected firm for the implementation of the project.

About the appointment of consultant for the VAT online World Bank project, the finance minister said because of the allegations of irregularities in appointment of consultant, the VAT automation project will be re-examined and sent to the cabinet committee on public purchase.

Local partner of German Multinational Software Corporation, SAP AG, earlier urged the government to carry out an investigation into the procurement process of software for NBR. The selection committee selected BULL SAS, France as a consultant to introduce an online system for value added tax payment from July, 2015.

NBR also took consent from the World Bank for French company. l

Intern doctors of DMCH take out a rally, protesting the recent attack on two doctors, in front of the outdoor unit of the hospital yesterday RAJIB DHAR

India to import 10Gbps bandwidth

Bangladesh, China ink 4 defence n Muhammad Zahidul Islam accords India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh yesterSheikh Shahariar Zaman n day to import 10Gbps (Gigabits per secChina will provide 100 million yuan in military assistance to Bangladesh, as well as new short range missiles and training for army personnel under four accords signed yesterday.

The instruments – two agreements and two protocols – were inked in Dhaka at a meeting with a Chinese delegation led by Gen Xu Qiliang, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission.

The Bangladesh side was led by Tarique Ahmed Siddique, the prime minister’s security adviser. The meeting was held at the Officers’ Mess inside Dhaka Cantonment.

The military grant, equivalent to Tk124.38 crore, and the FM-90 SAM (surface-to-air) air defence system would bolster defence ties between the two countries.

Bangladeshi soldiers would get training and a language lab would be set up at the Bangladesh University of Professionals in Mirpur with Chinese assistance.

From 2009 to 2013, China was the biggest supplier of weapons to Bangladesh, accounting for 82% of the total arms imported by the country during the period.

Chiefs of the three forces and other senior defence officials were present at yesterday’s meeting, while the Chinese side included an admiral, a lieutenant general and Chinese Ambassador Li Jun. l

ond) internet bandwidth for its eastern states.

The MoU was penned between stateowned Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL) and its Indian counterpart Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), following two days of talks. However, the final deal for three years would be signed after a few more days, a source from the meeting told the Dhaka Tribune.

Senior executives of the BSNL said although they have agreed on only 10Gbps bandwidth, it was likely to increase to 40Gbps or higher. The talks were however unable to fix any price for the bandwidth.

“We need to discuss the financial deal with our board and the government; so we need some time,” BSNL Chief General Manager DP Singh, who led the four-member Indian delegation, told the Dhaka Tribune after signing the MoU. Initially, India would take the 10Gbps bandwidth through Akhaura in Bangladesh to Agartala point of Assam, while they also have plans to connect with

Shillong point, sources said.

Monwar Hossain, BSCCL managing director who also signed the MoU, said: “We are expecting they [BSNL] will come back and the export of IP transit will happen within a short time.”

Currently, the BSCCL has 200Gbps (88MIU-km) bandwidth and Bangladesh can use only 32Gbps or 16% of it.

This February, the Bangladesh government decided to export the unused internet bandwidth, following a request from India in July last year seeking 40Gbps bandwidth for eight eastern Indian states.

The BSCCL had earlier projected a

monthly earning of around Tk4.83 crore ($643,000) from the export of 40Gbps bandwidth; but the MoU for only 10Gbps bandwidth brought down the estimated monthly earnings to only Tk1.20 crore ($161,000). Replying to a query, BSNL’s DP Singh said India was also open to taking connectivity through “tele-transit.”

The Indian delegation also met with Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose, officials of the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) and visited the Indian High Commission office in Dhaka to discuss the matter. l

Maya’s absence in cabinet meeting conspicuous n Mohosinul Karim

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya did not join the regular cabinet meeting at the Secretariat although he was in Dhaka yesterday.

Conspicuously, it happened days after the allegations arose about his family members being involved in the sensational abduction and murder of seven persons in Narayanganj. The minister, however, shrugged off all such allegations.

Maya did not notify the cabinet about his absence, which runs contrary to the procedure for the meeting of the cabinet.

WAR CRIMES TRIALS

Ex-JaPa MP Jabbar faces arrest warrant n Udisa Islam The International Crimes Tribunal 1 yesterday issued arrest warrant against former Jatiya Party lawmaker engineer Mohammad Abdul Jabbar for his alleged war crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War in Pirojpur.

Led by Chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim, the tribunal passed the order after accepting the five formal charges placed by the prosecution on Sunday and set June 2 for further order.

Jabbar played a key role to form razakar at Mothbaria of Pirojpur and led the collaborators’ group to commit crimes in the area, the prosecution said. He faces charges of crimes against humanity including killing, mass killing, looting and forced conversion.

According to the investigation agency, the suspect has been absconding since 2009.

Before issuing the warrant, the tribunal expressed dissatisfaction over the authorities concerned for their continuous failure in bringing the accused before justice. “We are issuing warrants, but do not see any visible development to arrest them. Even no initiative has been taken to bring the absconding accused to justice too,” it said.

Prosecutor Jahid Imam took part in the hearing and pleaded for issuing the warrant.

According to the charges, Jabbar had been involved in the killing of 36 people in Angulkata and Mothbaria, and setting fire and looting of around 560 houses. He also forcefully converted around 200 people in Phuljhuri on a day of end-May in 1971. He was elected lawmaker from Mothbaria in 1986 and 1988.

Meanwhile, the same tribunal yesterday adjourned the hearing on a contempt charge against Human Rights Watch until May 25.

The tribunal 2 has set tomorrow for cross examination of a prosecution witness in the case against war crimes accused Maulana Abdus Subhan. Last week, the prosecution placed two witnesses and the tribunal adjourned the grilling session keeping it incomplete. The defence yesterday questioned one witness.

Meanwhile, the tribunal 2 yesterday recorded testimony of the 12th prosecution witness in the case against former Jatiya Party lawmaker Syed Mohammad Qaisar who gave his deposition on Sunday. l

His absence triggered a rumour that he might have been absent from the meeting because of his ‘resignation’ from the ministerial post.

But the minister shrugged it off, telling the reporters at his ministry: “I did not attend the meeting in view of my physical condition. You can also guess that I would be here now if I had resigned from my post.”

He, however, refused to make any comment behind his alleged involvement of his family members in the sentational abduction and murder in Dhaka’s outskirts district.

Earlier, Cabinet Secretary M Mushharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune, “I have not noticed whether

he (Maya) was present at the meeting or not. We had sent our cabinet meeting folder (containing meeting details) and he had received it.”

Asked whether Maya notified the cabinet of his absence earlier, Musharraf declined to make any comment.

The ministers, who were present at yesterday’s cabinet meeting, told the Dhaka Tribune they did not see Maya at the cabinet meeting. The cabinet secretary also did not inform them of the reason behind Maya’s absence.

Nor did any cabinet member ask the cabinet secretary about it, they said.

Maya’s Assistant Personal Secretary Shahidul Islam Milon and a privileged

staff of his, however, confirmed the Dhaka Tribune about his absence from the cabinet meeting.

The minister did not join the meeting, but met with ministry officials and signed several official files at his residential office. He might, however, go to his office in the evening (yesterday), they said.

Maya, also general secretary of the Awami League’s Dhaka city unit, also met with his party leaders during the meeting without joining the cabinet meeting.

Earlier on May 5, the minister also did not join the regular cabinet meeting showing the cause of his official visit to Mexico. l

Hefazat’s Mufti Izhar indicted in anti-corruption case n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong Mufti Izharul Islam Chowdhury, nayebe-ameer of radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam, was indicted yesterday in an ACC case filed for not submitting wealth statement.

Metropolitan Sessions Judge SM Mujibur Rahman framed the charges after a hearing and set May 29 to begin the trial with deposition of prosecution witness, public prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Commission Mesbah Uddin Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune.

Izhar is also the principal of Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia Lalkhan Bazar, better known as the Lalkhan Bazar Madrasa – an alleged den of the banned Islamist outfit Huji.

The ACC submitted the charge sheet to the Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on April 21.

The case was filed with Khulshi police station on July 17 last year as the Hefazat leader had failed to respond to an ACC notice sent on July 4 seeking his wealth information.

Earlier, charges were framed against Izhar in a case filed in connection with the blast at his madrasa on October 7 last year which left three students killed. l

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Female candidates in local elections down by 50% n Tribune Report Women’s participation in the local elections has reduced by half in the past few years, according to a survey revealed at a seminar yesterday.

A total of 1,507 women contested at the upazila polls this year, which is 48% less than the number of women contestants in 2009 upazila polls – 2,900.

The rate of decrease is 50% over the period of 1997-2014. In upazila parisad elections in 1997, 1,80,000 women contested from 13,500 constituencies, while around 1,24,000 women contested in 2003, and only 90,000 in 2011.

Organised jointly by Khan Foundation, Democracy Watch, PRIP Trust and Steps Towards Development, the seminar was held at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital. The research was conducted as part of the project Aparajita

– Political Empowerment of Women.

The survey was conducted on 138 female representatives from 62 districts. Among them, 47 were elected and 91 were losing candidates.

Around 37% mentioned financial crisis as major obstacle in participating in polls Advocate Rokhsana Khondker, executive director of Khan Foundation, said: “Around half our population are not only women but also children. The overall development of a country is not possible without its women’s development.”

Ranjan Karmakar, executive director of Steps Towards Development who also presented the research paper, pointed out the decreasing trend in

Draft Bridges Authority Act 2014 cleared n Mohosinul Karim The cabinet yesterday approved the draft of Bangladesh Bridges Authority Act 2014, which was firstly enacted as the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority Act in 1985 during the time of military rule.

As per the amended law, the Bangladesh Bridges Authority (BBA) would function under the Bangladesh Bridges Authority Board, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the media after a regular meeting at the Secretariat. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting.

The communications minister would chair the board and the BBA executive director would be its chief, said Musharraf.

The act, enacted in 1985, was amended later in 1996, 1998 and 2009.

The third amendment authorised the BBA to build and repair the bridges

1,500 metres and above in length.

The cabinet also decided to form a three-member committee to resolve the confusion between Local Government Division and the Roads Division over the authority on bridges smaller than 1,500 metres.

The committee would comprise Secretary Abul Kalam Azad of the Prime Minister’s Office, Local Government Division’s Monzur Hossain and Roads Division’s MAN Siddique, said cabinet Secretary Musharraf. The committee would allocate jurisdiction on the bridges and suggest ways and means of removing any confusion regarding which department has authority on the bridges, he said.

The cabinet meeting was also notified about the meeting of the Saarc cabinet secretaries and youth and sports ministers of the OIC countries held in Jeddah from March 17 to 19. l

women’s participation in elections and urged them to come forward and overcome all obstacles.

Women representatives from different districts discussed the problems they faced before and after the elections at the seminar.

Around 37% of the respondents mentioned financial crisis as major obstacle in participating in the elections, 35% mentioned lack of political support, 14% cited threats by opponents, 8% mentioned being unable to move freely and 6% listed religious taboos as another major obstacle.

Rasheda K Chowdhury, executive director of Campaign for Popular Education, said women were victims of men’s economic and muscle power.

“Local government must work effectively for the political empowerment of women,” she said. l

A platform of domestic helps form a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday, protesting the torture of a fellow worker in Mymensingh MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Militancy financing institutes identified n Mohosinul Karim The National Committee on Militancy Prevention yesterday noted that several financial institutes of the country, including some commercial banks, have been initially identified for their involvement with militant financing.

The information was unveiled when the meeting, chaired by its chief State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan

Kamal, discussed an intelligence report in this regard.

After the meeting, Kamal told the media: “We have identified several financial institutes and banks initially.

We will discuss the issue in details in the next meeting and prepare the line of action. Actions will be taken against these financial institutes.”

When asked about probable involvement of Islami Bank Bangladesh with militant financing, the state min-

ister refused to disclose the identities of any financial institutions in this stage.

“We will talk about the issue only after being confirmed about their involvement. We are trying to collect details about them. Strict actions will be taken after that,” he added.

The high officials and representatives from several ministries, law enforcing agencies and the Islamic Foundation attended the meeting. l

India beefs up security on border n Our Correspondent, Jessore

The Indian government stepped up security along the border with Bangladesh as the last phase of LokSabha polls to 17 seats in West Bengalwasheld yesterday.

Sourcessaid the Border Security Force of India beefed up security along Petrapole, Bangaon, Banshghata, Sutia and Ramchandrapur frontiers in 24

Parganas of West Bengal. Even women members of the BSF were also deployed along the border, they added.

Lt ColMatiur Rahman, commanding officer of 26 Border Guard Battalion,said the BSF issued red alert along Bangladesh borders due to LokSabha elections in West Bengal.

Bangladeshi passport holders and goods-laden trucks were being checked

strictly at borders, he added.

Sources in India said the election commission tookmeasures to make yesterday’s election violence-free.

The lawmen started patrolling the streets from Friday as terrorists threatened voters not to go to polling stations in 24 Parganas. They wore veil to avoid harassment of police deployed by the central government. l

Trial against Mufti Jasim begins n Our Correspondent, Barguna A Barguna district court yesterday began trial against 31 operatives of Ansarullah Bangla Team in a case filed for propagating militancy.

Chief of the radical Islamist group Jasim Uddin Rahmania and two other accused were produced before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Abu Shamim Azad. The 28 other accused in the case are on bail.

On August 12 last year, the suspected militants were arrested in Barguna‘s Khejurtala. A case was filed against them the same day under section 57 of ICT Act for propagating militancy and communalism.

Prosecutor Akhtaruzzaman Bahadur told reporters that the trial proceedings began after the court had rejected bail petitions of the accused.

Ansarullah Bangla Team, a Bangladeshi follower of al-Qaeda, aims at establishing Islamic rule through armed revolution. l

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Seven held with three stolen cars n Our Correspondent, Savar A team of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested seven members of a gang and recovered three stolen private cars in the early hours of yesterday.

Police conducted drives in different areas of Dhaka, Madaripur, Faridpur districts and arrested Sajib, 21, Hasan, 22, Asad, 21, Sohrab, 25, Titu, 26, Faisal, 22, and Karimullah, 27.

Police also recovered a private car, a pick-up van, a microbus and lethal weapons from their possession.

Police said two private cars had been stolen from Maragang and Diakhali areas of Savar. Two separate cases were filed with the Ashulia police station in connection to this case.

The investigation officer of the case arrested Sajid by acting off a tip.

According to the confessional statement of Sajib, a team of police led by Azharul, in-charge of Ashulia police station, raided different parts of the country and arrested six other members of the gang.

When contacted, Senior Police Super Rasel Sheikh confirmed the matter.

He said the racket had been involved in selling of stolen cars for a long .

He goes on to say the gang used the cars to transport illegal goods, including contraband items.

They are also accused in several other cases, including extortion and forgery, with different police station across the county, he added.

WEATHER LIGHT RAIN

TUESDAY, MAY 13 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:33PM SUN RISES 5:17AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

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Chittagong

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Rajshahi

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Rangpur

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Khulna

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Barisal

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Sylhet

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Cox’s Bazar

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YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

42.2ºC Chuadanga

22.0ºC Tangail

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

3:56am 5:18am 11:55am 3:19pm 6:32pm 7:55pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Illegal structures remain along Kallyanpur canal Dhaka Wasa yet to take step even after shipping minister’s directive n Abu Hayat Mahmud Illegal structures continue to remain along one of the city’s prime drainage routes, the Kallyanpur canal and its branches, as the authorities concerned reportedly remained soft on land grabbers and failed to excavate, demarcate and monitor the situation of the canals.

Although on April 26, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan directed the authorities to launch a drive to remove all illegal structures built encroaching upon the Kallyanpur canal and its branches within a week, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) is yet to take any action in this regard.

At a time when the Dhaka Wasa claimed that a small portion of the canal was being encroached by land grabbers, residents of Kallyanpur, Shyamoli and Agargaon have alleged that the authority’s negligence had allowed the grabbers to occupy parts of the main canal and its six branches.

“A group of bamboo sellers had long occupied portions on both sides of the main canal from the east sluice gate.

Another portion of the canal adjoining the western part of the sluice gate had been occupied by a filling station, which had taken the space from the Roads and Highways Department,” Saiful Islam, a resident of North Shyamoli, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Locals and traders also dump wastes on the embankment of the main canal, he claimed. “Wasa officials visited the canal and took steps only to clean the garbage, not to excavate the lost space of the water body.”

Another resident said: “The canal’s width has reduced because of the encroachment. In the rainy season, it becomes almost impossible to live in the area because of stagnant rainwater and the floating garbage.”

According to Dhaka Wasa, the capital once had 65 canals but the number has come down to 43 over the years.

“Of the canals still alive, around 20 are now in a depleted state due to rampant

A police constable died and his two colleagues were critically injured after they were crushed by falling under the wheels of a truck in Gazipur’s Joydebpur upazila in the early hours, yesterday.

The deceased was Ismail Hossain, 20, son of Dil Mohammad of Anantamusa village at Narayanganj’s Sonargaon upazila, said Sub-Inspector Ekramul Haq, who is in charge of Bhogra police outpost.

Two speeding trucks collided head on at Bhogra Bypass Crossing on Dha-

CU under BCL siege for 6 days n CU Correspondent Academic activities at Chittagong University remained suspended as a faction of Bangladesh Chhatra League continued their siege of the university for the sixth consecutive day yesterday.

The group of activists from Awami League’s student wing besieged CU in protest of an attack on Awami League leader Nasir Haider Babul on the campus on April 5.

The shuttle train and bus services to the university were halted, while no classes and only a few exams could take place, according to campus sources.

University authorities have yet to take any steps to resolve the situation, but a meeting was held between the VC, Anwarul Azim Arif, and other university officials at the his office.

University authorities have yet to take any steps to resolve the situation

Illegal structures are seen built over a branch of the Kallayanpur canal using bamboo. The photo was taken yesterday ABU HAYAT MAHMUD encroachment,” a Wasa official said.

Earlier in September 2008, the government approved the Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation Project in association with the World Bank to ensure a sustainable solution to storm water drainage and wastewater management for the capital.

As part of the project, Dhaka Wasa took steps to reclaim 26 canals from illegal occupation by building walkways, channels, lining and planting trees along the embankments.

The Kallyanpur main canal and its six branches spread across Agargaon, Kallyanpur and Shyamoli to the Dhaka

Constable killed, 2 others injured in road accident n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

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ka-Mymensing highway around 2am, when one truck veered into the central reservation and hit the constables standing there, he said.

They were admitted to Gazipur General Hospital; but their conditions began to deteriorate rather than improve, said Ekramul.

The trio was then shifted to the Combined Military Hospital, where Ismail was declared dead soon afterwards, he said, adding that they had seized both the trucks and detaining one of its helpers.

A case has been filed. l

Demonstration over unpaid wages n Our Correspondent, Savar Workers at a garment factory held a protest rally and formed a human chain in Savar Bazar Bus Stop area on Dhaka-Aricha highway yesterday to bring attention to their demand for reopening the factory where they work and having their outstanding wages paid.

The authorities had been saying they would pay our two month worth of unpaid wages but have yet to keep their word, said workers of Fair Knitting Limited located in Arapara of Savar municipality.

They were vacillating to pay us our salaries and at one stage closed the factory for an indefinite period of time without clearing the amounts owed, they added.

Yesterday’s protest erupted at noon as workers marched on both sides of Dhaka-Aricha highway before dispersing at the site of the collapsed Rana Plaza.

Admitting that the workers are yet to be paid, Fair Knitting Limited Managing Director Rajab Ali Hashmi said the factory had to be shut down as we were unable to pay the workers their salaries as a result of fewer orders.

We will soon reopen the factory and will pay the overdue wages, he added. l

city protection embankment.

According to a 2007 Wasa survey, the 2.25km-long main canal was 18 to 36 metre wide.

However, during visit to the area yesterday, this correspondent found that different establishments have been built near the banks of the canals adjoining Hazi Market at North Shyamoli and also both side of the Kallyanpur sluice gate.

The encroachment by land grabbers had narrowed the width of the main canal down to around 10 to 12 metres at different points. Several illegal bamboo structures were seen on the canal.

Rampant dumping of non-degradable wastes, such as polythene bags, has also decreased the depth of the water body to 7 to 8 metres.

Dhaka Wasa Deputy Managing Director (Operation and Maintenance) DM Kamrul Alam Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are aware that a few illegal occupants had encroached the Kallyanpur main canal and its branches. We will immediately conduct drives against the grabbers.”

The first drive would free the canal’s “Cha” branch in Agargaon area, he said, adding that the second drive would free the main canal from illegal occupants. l

The VC, who returned from abroad on Sunday, also sat down with the agitated Chhatra League activists at his residence, without achieving much through the conversation.

Sources at CU claimed that the protesting activists, who were loyal to ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, president of Awami League’s Chittagong office, were imposing the blockade to gain favour in the upcoming selection of Chhatra League’s new committee.

Students and teachers alike vented their anger at the stagnant situation of the university.

Professor Dr Mustafizur Rahman Siddique, general sectary of CU Teachers Association, told Dhaka Tribune that if the authority had taken necessary steps earlier, the situation might not have escalated, hoping it would be resolved soon.

Tania Nasrin, third-year student of communication and journalism, said: “These activists have taken siege of the university for their own purposes.” She said the students wanted immediate solution to bring back normalcy at the campus. l

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AL leader swindles locals out of RHD land n Our Correspondent, Magura A local Awami League (AL) leader in collaboration with some local influential has pocketed a huge amount of money in the name of allocating plots from Roads and Highway (RHD) Department’s land in Seemakhali area of Magura.

Local sources said Joydeb Chatterjee, president of ward 4 unit of Awami League, had been doing the illegal plot business using an acre of land of Roads and Highways Department.

In January this year, a man along with Joydeb came to the land located beside Magura-Jessore Highway in Seemakhali area and measured it introducing himself as a “surveyor” at the office of Deputy Commissioner (DC) in Magura, said Saiful Islam, a resident of the area.

Subsequently, he informed the local people that the DC was the owner of the land and the land would be allotted to local people splitting it into 95 plots.

Joydeb later began taking Tk one lakh for per plot from local people promising them to allot plots as early as possible.

The wrongdoers also promised people that they would be provided with relevant papers within possible short-

est time after deposition of the amount to the DC office.

During a recent visit to the area, this correspondent talked to a good number of businessmen of Seemakhali Bazar.

The businessmen told the Dhaka Tribune that each of them had already given Tk one lakh to Joydeb and two of his aides for plots.

At least 100 people of the kitchen market and adjoining villages gave a total of Tk one crore to Joydeb and his associates for allotment of the plots, they said.

Expressing frustrations, the small traders said although they had given money to get allotment, Joydeb was yet to give them any legal documents from the DC office in favour of their plots.

“I have been running after Joydeb for the documents in favour of my ‘allotted’ plot, but to no effect even after three months”, said Syed Ali, a resident of Chhoygharia village under Satokhali union.

Sitting beside Syed, Abul Joarder of the same village echoed the same sentiment.

But Manjur Ahmed, another trader of the kitchen market, seems to be lucky as, he had taken back his Tk one lakh after holding several arbitrations in presence of local distinguished persons.

Four murders in districts n Tribune Report

Motaleb Biswas, general secretary of Seemakhali Bzaar Committee, said, “From my childhood I know that the land is under the RHD jurisdiction, but it is a matter of great regret that they swallowed lakhs of taka from innocent people capitalising the government land.”

“Stern action should be taken against the culprits, who are involved in swindling the money,” he added.

When contacted, Joydeb Chatterjee, however, claimed that he did nothing “illegal” as he deposited all the money taken from the plot-seekers to the office of the DC. “All the people who deposited money will be given plots”, he claimed.

When contacted over cell phone, the DC in Magura Masud Ahmed refuting the claim of Joydeb said he was not aware of any monetary deal regarding the allotment of plots in Seemakhali Bazar area.

When contacted, Executive Engineer of Roads and Highways Department Subrata Kumar Datta said, “The DC office has no right to acquire the land which is under the jurisdiction of Roads and Highway.”

“Within possible shortest time, I will submit written complaints in connection with the wrongdoing to the higher authority”, he added. l

At least four people were killed in the Pabna, Gazipur,Tangail and Dhaka districts, yesterday.

In Pabna, a man was killed and two others were injured when criminals attacked them in the Kushiara village of Bera upazila. The deceased was Anisur Rahman, 38, the son of Bahadur Pramanik of the village.

Police and locals said Anisur, his father and his younger brother were going to the house of the chairman of the Chakla union to complain against his rivals.

When they reached the Bagdan Ghoshpara Bridge, criminals attacked them.

The criminals hacked at Anis mercilessly while his father, Bahadur Pramanik, and younger brother, Arif, were injured in the attack.

Anis was taken to the Bera Upazila Health Complex where the doctors declared him dead.

SI Subroto Kumar said Anis had a long standing feud with Nuruzzaman Miah of the village over the establishment of supremacy in the area.

Due to this past enmity, Nuruzzaman and his men attacked them, the SI said.

The victim’s father Bahadur Pramanik filed a case against three persons including Nuruzzaman. The criminals went into hiding after the incident.

In Gazipur, a woman, Bhagomati Pal, was killed in an alleged attack by her son at Bhringaraj in the Kaliakoir upazila.

Police and locals said Bhagomati or-

Experts: Stop smoking in public places n Our Correspondent, Khagrachhari Experts urge smokers to stop smoking in public places in order to keep people, especially the children, away from the dangers associated with tobacco consumption.

The entreaty was made at a workshop organised by the Khagrachari Health Education office with the help of an NGO, Patuakhali Development Organisation.

The workshop was held at the conference hall of the Civil Surgeon office in the district town, yesterday.

They said as smoking injurious to health, the government should apply the existing laws to stop use of all kinds of tobacco to save millions of lives.

They mentioned that tobacco use and smoking causes mouth, lung and throat cancer as well as many other fatal diseases.

They appealed to some 40-religious leaders, school teachers and village leaders, who took part in the workshop to create awareness in this regard among the people to discourage them about smoking.

Khagrachari Civil Surgeon Dr Narayon Chandra Dash and Health Education Officer Mamong Marma conducted the workshop. l

A procession was brought out in Jamalpur district town yesterday, marking the International Nurses Day

Jubo League upazila Vice-President, Bashir Ahmed Manik, 30, was injured when some unidentified miscreants opened fire on him in the Pacha Market area of the Darbesh-

Lightning kills six n Tribune Report

Six people were killed in lightning strikes in Sunamganj and Chapainawabganj districts on Sunday and Monday.

In Sunamganj, three people were killed as lightning struck them in Bishombhorpur and Dowarabazar upazilas.

The deceased were identified as Parvin Akhter, 30, her son Amran, 2, of Amgora village under Bishombhorpur upazila and Nazma Begum, 30, wife of Lakshmipur village under Dowarabazar upazila.

Bishombhorpur police station Officer-in-Charge Nurul Afsar said: “Lightening struck Parvin and her son Amran when they were at their courtyard, killing them on the spot.”

Dowarabazar police station Officer-in-Charge Md Shahnawaz said: “Nazma died when lightning struck her

while she was working in the courtyard in the morning.”

In Chapainawabganj, three people, including a girl, were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike during a nor’wester that lashed different areas of Shibganj and Nachole upazilas Sunday night.

The deceased were identified as Razia Sultana, 10, daughter of Rozbul Haque of Barikbazar village, Babu, 16, son of Azizul Haque of Dhorbona village in Shibganj upazila, and Fatema Begum, 55, wife of Jhoru Mia of Khalshi village in Nachole upazila.

A thunderbolt hit Razia around 08:30pm while she was collecting mangoes during the nor’wester, which lashed the upazilas, leaving her dead on the spot.

Babu died on the spot when a thunderbolt hit him.

Fatema was struck by lightning during the storm. She also died on the spot. l

Youth dies in septic tank Correspondent, n Our Kishoreganj A youth, Abul Hashem, 35, the son of Abdur Rahman of the Hosendi village, died inside a septic tank in the Pakundia upazila of the district, yesterday.

Police said some villagers informed them that two labourers had become ill

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Jubo League leader sustains bullet injury Correspondent, n Our Lakshmipur

while cleaning a septic tank owned by Mati Master.

On receiving this information, the police went to the spot and found Hashem dead and another unconscious.

Zakir Hossain, officerin-charge of the Pakundia police station said the body was sent to the Kishoreganj Adhunik Sadar Hospital morgue for an autopsy. l

pur union under the Ramganj upazila in the district on Sunday night.

Ramganj police station Officerin-Charge Lokman Hossain confirmed the incident.

He said the incident took place when Bashir was returning home from the upazila chairman’s house

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

in the area at around 10pm.

Locals rescued him and rushed him to the Ramganj Upazila Health Complex.

He was later shifted to Dhaka when his condition deteriorated.

A youth was arrested in this regard. l

dered her son Uttam Pal to go to work in the morning. She also said she would stop his meals if he did not go to work.

Getting agitated, Uttam hit her with a spice grinding stone, leaving her dead on the spot.

Later, local people caught Uttam and informed police who then arrested him.

In Dhaka, a deed writer, Azad Rashid, 55, the son of Abdur Rashid of the SubRegistry Office area of the municipality, was shot dead by miscreants at Ghospara in the Savar municipality area.

Witnesses said Azad was attacked by a group of miscreants when he was returning home from Ghospara at about 8:30am.

Miscreants fired two bullets at Azad, leaving him critically injured.

Azad was taken to the Enam Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, police visited the spot and arrested the victim’s maternal uncle, Abul Hossain, suspecting his involvement in the killing as there had been a longstanding dispute between Azad and him over the ownership of a piece of land.

In Tangail, a man was murdered in the Sakhipur upazila. Saiful Islam Khan,45, the deceased, was the manager of the Progressive life Insurance Company, Sakhipur branch.

Mokhlesur Rahman, officer-incharge of the Sakhipur police station, said: “Saiful Islam went missing on December 11.”

An abduction case had been filed. l

Minor girl killed after rape in Savar n Our Correspondent, Savar A six-year-old girl was allegedly violated and murdered by a young man in Akran area of Savar on Sunday night.

The alleged killer, identified as Selim, 26, son of Kabir Uddin, a resident of Pirojpur sadar upazila town, used to live in a rented house in the area.

The girl’s father and police said Selim had called the girl into his room in the name of playing doll with her before sunset and violated her.

Later, he strangled her and dumped the body in a nearby corn field adjacent to his residence.

Afterwards, locals spotted her body there in the night, and after a chase caught Selim on suspicion of seeing blood spot on his shirt.

They gave him a good beating before handing him over to the police.

Officer-in-charge of Savar model police station Mostafa Kamal said Selim during preliminary interrogation confessed of his involvement in the rape and murder.

The body was recovered and sent to the morgue of Dhaka Medical College Hospital for autopsy, the OC continued.

Father of the victim demanded exemplary punishment of Selim.

A case was filed in this connection. l

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Nigeria’s Boko Haram offers to swap kidnapped girls for prisoners

Assad omnipresent in Damascus ahead of vote

n Reuters, Abuja

Syria’s presidential election campaign, launched at the weekend, has transformed the streets of Damascus into a glorification of incumbent Bashar al-Assad, who is expected to easily win the June 3 vote.

On the streets, parks and buildings of the city, barely a wall can be seen without a picture of the president, who is running for a third seven-year term as his troops battle rebels trying to oust him.

For the first time, Assad faces an election rather than a referendum for the post, but with the two other candidates virtually unknown, the competition appears more like a one-horse race.

In the Syrian capital, residents profess ignorance when asked about his rivals, Maher al-Hajjar and Hassan al-Nuri.

“Nuri, who’s this one?” asked a student near the University of Damascus in the city’s Baramkeh neighbourhood, pointing at a small sign on which the businessman calls for a “free economy.”

In a country where the cult of personality surrounding Bashar and his father and predecessor Hafez has been built up for nearly 50 years, Syrians are used to towering posters of the Assads.

Their portraits have long appeared on billboards, in shop windows and stuck to electricity poles. Busts of the father and son even watch over the entrances to public parks.

And although the election will be the country’s first multi-candidate presidential vote in 50 years, and a term seen on many of the posters is “mubayaa” – a word meaning to chose a leader by pledging allegiance.

Syria’s opposition and western countries have lambasted the election as a “farce.”

But the government sees the vote, coupled with recent successes on the battlefield, as an opportunity to portray itself as the “victor” in the country’s devastating three-year war.

Alongside the slogan “Assad’s Syria,” other posters in the city announce that the president is “the only choice” for the ballot, which will only take place in areas controlled by government troops.

The leader of the Nigerian Islamist rebel group Boko Haram has said he will release more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by his fighters last month in exchange for prisoners, according to a video seen by Agence France-Presse yesterday.

Around 100 girls wearing full veils and praying are shown in an undisclosed location in the 17-minute video in which Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau speaks, according to the French news agency.

Militants fighting for an Islamist state stormed a secondary school in the northeastern village of Chibok on April 14 and seized 276 girls who were taking exams. Some managed to escape but around 200 remain missing.

The group has killed thousands since 2009 and destabilized parts of northeast Nigeria, the country with Africa’s largest population

Russia ‘respects but doesn’t recognise’ vote n AFP, Brussels The head of the influential East-West OSCE security organisation yesterday stressed that Russia had expressed “respect but not recognition” of the separatist vote in eastern Ukraine this weekend. “Russia sees a need to take into account the different voices in eastern Ukraine,” said Swiss President and acting OSCE chief Didier Burkhalter.

“You have seen Russia’s response, that there is respect but not recognition to the referendum. There is no recognition of these results,” he told journalists.

He spoke after talks with European Union foreign ministers in which Burkhalter outlined a roadmap for peace for Ukraine beginning with a national dialogue moderated by the OSCE and an independent Ukrainian figure. l

and biggest economy.

The attack has provoked global expressions of outrage, and concern about the fate of the girls deepened when Shekau threatened in a video released earlier this month to sell the girls “in the market.”

Nigeria said on Saturday it had deployed two army divisions to the hunt for the girls while several nations including the United States, Britain, Israel and France have offered assistance or sent experts.

The Nigerian government has been sharply criticized for its response to the abductions but President Goodluck Jonathan said on Sunday that international military and intelligence assistance made him optimistic about finding the girls.

The mass abduction of schoolgirls has touched a chord around the world, and triggered a support campaign using the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. l

A screengrab taken on May 12 from a video of Boko Haram shows girls, wearing the fulllength hijab and praying in an undisclosed rural location. Boko Haram released the video on claiming to show the missing Nigerian schoolgirls, alleging they had converted to Islam and would not be released until all militant prisoners were freed AFP

Rebels declare victory in east Ukraine self-rule vote n Reuters, Donetsk/Slaviansk Ukrainian leader Oleksander Turchinov accused Russia of working to overthrow legitimate state power in Ukraine yesterday after pro-Russian rebels declared a resounding victory in a rebel referendum on self-rule in eastern regions.

Russia said it respected the outcome of the referendum, in which separatists in the industrial Donetsk region claimed 90 percent support, and that the results should be implemented peacefully. It did not say what further action it might take.

Hours after the vote, dismissed by Kiev and Western governments as illegal, rebel leaders’ plans remained unclear. Some have publicly support-

ed pressing for annexation by Russia, which absorbed Crimea after a similar vote in March.

“This land was never Ukraine ... we speak Russian,” said Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, rebel mayor of the separatist stronghold of Slaviansk, threatening to kick out the Ukrainian army.

Asked about the possibility of holding a second referendum, on union with Russia, he said: “There has been no decision, but this referendum showed we are prepared ... we can put on an election or referendum at short notice at barely any cost.”

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said rebel forces had made a new attempt overnight to seize a television tower on the edge of Slaviansk, heartland of a rebellion that has widened the worst

standoff between Russia and the West worst since the Cold War. “The information war that they are waging against us in the Donbass (east) is more dangerous than a bullet. We must answer back ... the enemy fears this more than special forces,” he wrote on Facebook.

But there was some hint of compromise in the port city of Mariupol, scene of fierce fighting between Ukrainian forces and rebels over the last week.

Turchinov said local police had begun patrols with a volunteer militia set up by a company, Metinvest, mostly owned by Ukraine’s wealthiest businessman, Rinat Akhmetov. Akhmetov had offered to provide the militia as part of an arrangement with loyalist police to restore order in the city. l

n AFP, Damascus

The president appears in some of the posters smiling, and in others he wears a pair of sunglasses as he throws a salute.

“Our Bashar, we do not accept any other president than you,” some of the posters read. Others proclaim simply: “We love you.”

One sign near Damascus’s opera house announces that Assad has become not only “the choice of journalists and intellectuals,” but also for “investors and entrepreneurs.”

“Syria will remain the den of lions,” another poster adds, in a play on the name Assad, which means lion in Arabic.

Assad is campaigning under the slogan ‘Together,’ and has launched an online presence, with a Facebook page having over 109,000 likes as of yesterday morning “Yes to the one who preserved Syria’s pride,” is emblazoned on banners that hang across busy roads.

‘We want him to stay’

Interviewed in public, few Syrians express plans to vote for anyone but Assad.

“For us, it’s not even an election, it’s a referendum, we want him to stay,” said Maher, in his clothing shop in the Salhiyeh commercial district.

Mayada, a 55-year-old housewife out in the Baramkeh neighbourhood, is equally adamant.

“Those outside must understand that... we don’t want anyone but him,” she told AFP. “It’s those abroad who are the cause of our problems.”

Assad is campaigning under the slogan “Together,” and has launched an online presence, with a Facebook page that had over 109,000 likes by Monday morning, and a Twitter account with 1,200 followers. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Taliban ‘spring offensive’ opens with bloody Afghan attacks n AFP, Jalalabad The Taliban began their annual “spring offensive” yesterday with attacks across Afghanistan, including a suicide assault on government offices that killed seven people plus the attackers and rocket strikes on two airports.

At least 10 people in total were killed in a series of attacks after Taliban leaders vowed last week that the offensive would target US-led foreign forces and Afghan government facilities.

Three suicide bombers entered the provincial justice department in the eastern city of Jalalabad, officials said, triggering a firefight with security forces that lasted several hours.

“All of the attackers were killed and their bodies displayed at the building,” Abdul Rauf Uruzgani, chief police investigator, told a press conference in the city.

“The dead were three justice department employees, two policemen, a 15-year-old boy who was caught up in fighting and another visitor.”

Two rockets exploded near Kabul airport at 5:00 am (0030 GMT), the

exact time that the insurgents had pledged to start a new nationwide operation to cleanse “the filth of the infidels” from the country.

Four rockets were also fired at Bagram airport, the biggest Nato military base in Afghanistan, which lies north of Kabul.

There were no confirmed casualties in either airport attack. But two women and a policeman died in Ghazni province southwest of Kabul, when Taliban insurgents targeted several police checkpoints.

Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, Ghazni’s deputy governor who gave the casualty figure, told AFP two police officers and six civilians were wounded.

Taliban claim multiple attacks

The Taliban’s “Khaibar” offensive, named after an ancient battle between Muslims and Jews, began in the runup to a second round of elections next month to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, who has ruled since the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001.

Nato’s International Security Assis-

India election closes after last phase n AFP, Varanasi Polls closed yesterday after the final phase of voting in India’s marathon general election which is expected to bring Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist opposition Bharatiya Janata Party to power.

Voting took place in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal on the last day of the world’s biggest election which began five weeks ago on April 7.

Modi, a charismatic but divisive hardliner, was hoping to win the seat of Varanasi in one of the last contests of the election, the results of which are due to be announced on Friday.

His right-wing BJP is widely expected to win the most seats and end the centre-left Congress party’s 10 years in power, although it is unlikely to secure an outright majority in the 543-seat parliament.

Meanwhile, a record 551 million voters cast their ballots in the election which saw a turnout of 66.38 percent, organisers of the contest said.

The figure shattered the previous record of 417 million for any general election set in India five years ago, election commission director general Akshay Rout told reporters.

Around 814 million people had been eligible to vote in the five-week parliamentary election. l

tance Force confirmed it was investigating the airport attacks. “A vacant building and some equipment were damaged at Bagram,” a spokesman said. “There were no casualties.”

Sediq Sediqqi, the interior ministry spokesman, confirmed that two rockets fell outside Kabul airport but caused no casualties.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the spate of attacks via a recognised Twitter account.

The group said ambushes, bombings and firefights in provinces including Nimroz, Kapisa, Zabul, Patika and Paktika had killed US soldiers and Afghan police and soldiers during the day. The Taliban often exaggerate attacks and death tolls.

About 51,000 US-led Nato troops still deployed in Afghanistan are set to withdraw by December, ending a long and costly battle to defeat the Islamists, who launched a fierce insurgency after being ousted from power.

A small number of US troops may stay on from next year on a training and counter-terrorism mission. l

AAP does a flipflop on support to Third Front n Agencies Hours after his party colleague reportedly said that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not rule out supporting the Third Front, its leader Arvind Kejriwal categorically denied any such alliance. In a tweet, Kejriwal said, “There is absolutely no question of supporting a third front.”

Earlier, agency reports had quoted AAP leader Gopal Rai as saying it may offer issue based support to a non-Congress “secular” dispensation. Kejriwal later issued a formal clarification, saying, “There is no question of the AAP extending support to any front after the declaration of the Lok Sabha election results and the party strongly refutes news reports attributed to it in this regard.” l

11

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

COMMEMORATING THE BIRTH AND PASSING AWAY OF BUDDHA

A Sri Lankan artisan works on Buddhist statues in Dompe, on the outskirts of Colombo. Sri Lankan Buddhists are preparing to celebrate Vesak, which commemorates the birth of Buddha, his attaining enlightenment and his passing away, on May 14 AFP

Thai PM open to talks with protesters n AFP, Bangkok Thailand’s new prime minister yesterday offered talks with protesters trying to topple the government, as his political rivals pushed for the appointment of an unelected leader to take power.

“We are open for dialogue,” said Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, who took the helm last week after a controversial court ruling removed Yingluck Shinawatra and nine of her ministers from office.

“Let’s talk. But let’s talk realistically,” he told foreign reporters, playing down fears that the country is teetering on the brink. “I don’t think there will be a civil war. It has been six months and we manage to run the country quite well,” Niwattumrong said.

Opposition demonstrators are threatening to step up their six-month

campaign to overthrow the government. But the government’s supporters, known as the “Red Shirts’, say they will not tolerate any move to hand power to an unelected regime, warning it could lead to civil war.

The opposition protesters want the Senate (upper house of parliament) – almost half of whose members are unelected – to remove the weakened cabinet, but it is unclear whether such a move is possible under the constitution.

The country has not had a functioning lower house since Yingluck dissolved parliament in December for elections that were later voided because of disruption by protesters.

Some members of the Senate held a meeting on Monday to seek a solution to the crisis. Paiboon Nittitawan, an appointed senator and prominent gov-

ernment critic, urged the upper house to choose a new prime minister “immediately, for the sake of security and the economy.”

“We cannot allow the crisis to drag on,” he said.

Senate speaker-elect Surachai Liangboonlertchai told reporters before the talks that he would draft a “roadmap” out of the crisis as soon as possible but did not reveal his plan.

Fewer than 90 senators, out of a total of 150, attended the meeting amid questions about whether the upper house is entitled to hold a debate on the crisis in the present circumstances.

Thailand has been shaken by periodic bouts of political protests and street violence since Yingluck’s elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra was deposed as premier by royalist generals in 2006. l

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

What purpose does this strike serve?

H

undreds of patients were left without treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital when more than 1,000 doctors stopped work to protest the violent attack on honorary physician Mominul Islam, on Saturday night.

There is no justification for a strike which hurts innocent patients, who have no connection to, or influence over the attackers.

Striking accomplishes nothing to help law enforcement authorities catch the people responsible.

No useful purpose is served by making patients suffer.

It is one thing to hold a demonstration in support of the victim of a heinous attack and to demand the arrest of perpetrators. For honorary doctors to show solidarity with colleagues is a natural reaction.

However, it is unacceptable for doctors to disrupt vital healthcare services and leave patients unattended. It not only does nothing to help the victim of the attack, but actively harms patients.

Abandoning patients is a breach of basic medical ethics and wholly counter-productive as it brings the medical profession, on which everyone relies, into disrepute.

While we do not agree with the Bangladesh Medical Association’s associated call for symbolic hour long strikes, at least that move shows a bit more concern for the rights of the public and the responsibilities of doctors.

Regrettably, the ill considered strike action at DCMH diverts attention away genuine issues of concern. Public hospitals do need to become far better managed and doctors rights to good working conditions deserve to be respected. However, any strike, let alone one about a crime which took place outside a hospital, risks public sympathy and is unjustified.

Abandoning patients is a breach of medical ethics and counterproductive

Currency rules need reform, not tinkering

T

he real estate organisation REHAB has criticised the government’s proposed U-turn on rules that allow undisclosed money to be legalised through investment in the real estate sector and payment of a 10% penalty tax.

It is worth noting that the chair of the National Board of Revenue has stated that such initiatives which allow so-called black money to be ‘whitened, ’ should be expanded to other sectors to bring economic benefits.

According to the Global Financial Integrity Report 2013, from 2009-2013, more than Tk2,098 crore was whitened in Bangladesh, against which the NBR received Tk279.29 crore in taxes These amounts are small compared to the report’s annual estimate of $1.6bn in illicit financial flows from Bangladesh.

It is apparent that though there is a fair case for continuing and expanding such initiatives, they probably do little to alleviate the overall loss of capital.

The best way to end the problems caused by the large amount of undisclosed money in the economy, is to simplify taxation and currency exchange rules, so there is no incentive to hide capital and income.

To operate efficiently, a modern economy requires people to be able to spend their own legally earned money as they see fit best, without being constricted by onerous conditions.

Outdated restrictive rules only worsen the problems of corruption and money laundering while holding back investment in the economy.

We should move towards deregulating currency controls completely as a means to ending perverse incentives and attracting more capital for investment.

Simplify rules so there is no incentive to hide capital and income

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

Islamists and Bangladesh May 8 nds and revelation; and if need be, revelation is to be In reading the first few paragraphs of article I really interpreted in light of reason instead of submitting got impressed with the author’s very enlightened reason to revelation. According to the Stanford ideas about Islam but I got a severe jolt when the Encyclopedia of Philosophy, al-Ghazali called for the cause for the growth of madrasas disseminating rejection of only those ideas that contradict the funeducation and training on obscure beliefs of Islam damental beliefs of Islam consisting of monotheism, is ascribed to the movement of Gonojagoron the authenticity of Muhammad’s (SM) prophecy Mancha and chauvinism of high caste Hindus. I am and the concept of life after death. All other taken aback with such a foolish diagnosis of the teachings, even if erroneous, should be tolerated. disease. Growth of Qawmi madrasa education in This description is a far cry from the Mr Zia’s rabid, this country is not a very recent phenomenon. it anti-intellectual Mullah. So what is responsible for got its momentum much before the appearance the decline of science in the Muslim world? of the Gonojagoron movement and high caste Here is a short analysis by Professor Asad Q. Hindu chauvinism lost all its capacity to dominate Ahmed (Berkeley): “Before an Islamic revolution or influence our society with the birth of Pakistan is even plausible in Bangladesh, Islam has to be including what is now Bangladesh. This sort of actually practiced alongside science and techfoolish or nonsensical diagnosis will hardly solve the nology. The vast majority of us practice neither. problem. Rather, it will help getting it compounded Those who practice both, however, don’t represent further. the Samarkent traditionalists, who are the actual Islamists.”

I agree. It is clear that your knowledge of Islamic KMAK history is minimal and, extrapolating, so is your The author of this article sounds as ignorant as the Islamists he decries. According to Mr Zia, the decline commitment to the faith. of science in Islam is because of al-Ghazali whom he describes as a virulent opponent of science and phiOsmania losophy. Nothing could be further from the truth, Islamist politics has nothing to do with whether however. Imam Ghazali was only against metaphyspeople go to Fajr or Friday prayers. I’m sure there ics, not philosophy as a whole. In fact, he argued are people who try or do the latter while never that there can be no contradiction between reason voting for religious parties or policies of any stripe.

50 closed circuit cameras to be set up in Chittagong city to combat crimes May 7

Zaidul Islam Good decision Saimon Sarwar And what cams would be watching these cameras?

Massive reshuffle in N’ganj police May 9

Akhtar Shah Shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted !

1) Question arises in ones mind that , how many more cities/ towns are there where the law enforcement officers require urgent transfer. It’s a well known and established fact that, length of service in one place for ALL government officials may create unhealthily relationships that compromise their judgements.

2) Without carrying out some sort of internal enquiry about these transferees , how does the department know that some of them are not guilty of cosying up to the criminal elements and (having gotten away with it) are not going to repeat their illegal activities (well versed in) in the new postings?

This mass scale transfer seem like a knee jerk action by the bosses.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Reputation (4) 5 Correct (5) 9 Planet (6) 10 Fish eggs (3) 11 Transmit (4) 12 Concretion of nacre (5) 14 Advantage (5) 16 Study hard (4) 19 Facial features (4) 21 Lays bare (5) 24 Concerning (5) 27 Drug-yielding plant (4) 29 Was ahead (3) 30 Venerate (6) 31 Shelf (5) 32 Paradise (4)

Contempt versus freedom of expression

DOWN 1 Commotion (4) 2 Land measure (3) 3 Handle (6) 4 Extremities (4) 5 Slander (7) 6 Period of time (3) 7 And not (3) 8 Make deep research (5) 13 Greek letter (3) 15 Emblem of regal power (7) 17 Drawn into error (6) 18 Play for time (5) 20 Pronoun (3) 22 Part of a church (4) 23 Sharp-edged (4) 25 Insect (3) 26 Strange (3) 28 Metal-bearing rock (3)

May 8

Sam Given the fact that only one verdict is ‘acceptable’ to the rulers and its Shahbagh mob, how exactly is it not victor’s justice? Put it another way, do you author foresee anybody who is charged being found ‘not guilty’ in today’s toxic environment? Please, let’s at least be honest in our righteousness.

PB Lame excuses to defend Bergman.

‘Decision on unfreezing Khaleda’s account soon’ May 7

Ronnie I’d imagine that there can be scant justification for the continued freezing of Begum Zia’s bank accounts. It’s only another tactic aimed at harassing and persecuting the BNP chairperson. It’s an abhorrent anomaly that the current PM has had her own accounts duly freed years ago, but Khaleda Zia continues to appeal, in vain, for her accounts to be activated again. I hope Mr Azam Khan has advanced a robust case on the chairperson’s behalf. It shouldn’t be made to appear that the eventual unfreezing of her accounts is some act of charity by the NBR or the incumbent government.

I expect the chairperson can prevail solely on the legal merits of her case – not on the graces or goodwill of any other party or authority.

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.

Taxing facts May 8

Lalon Shah Bangladeshi policy makers have an uncanny proclivity to shoot themselves in the foot. Any sectors you look at the same old inertia, apathy, rot, and policy myopia. Even blind Freddy can see that lowering corporate tax will at worst be revenue neutral for the government, but certainly will spur more investments and increase tax revenue down the track.

Ditto for the double taxation of dividend that the author mentions. The business community must keep up the pressure to get an investment-friendly tax regime. We can’t be held hostage to those imbeciles in corridors of power.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

FBCCI for launching special economic zones, 0.3% source tax May 9

apartment suppliers It’s very common for multi-residential and multi-tenant commercial properties to be “master-metered.” Master-metered properties receive a single utility bill that includes utility consumption for several tenants. The problem with master-metered properties is that there’s no way to bill residents for their actual, individual usage.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

13

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Let’s mend our bond n Raihan Hadi

O

Double standards or a fight for equality?

REUTERS

Lawrence of Brunei

H

n Ikhtisad Ahmed ollywood is shocked and appalled. It refuses to be passive bystanders while inhumane laws are passed. Celebrities are taking a stand against morally reprehensible monarchies. In a world where the battle of wits is between the followers of Cardassian and Kardashian cults, each action of a celebrity has more weight than hundreds of words of the intelligentsia and thousands of the common man. Having one of these exalted beings overcome torpor to show an interest in socio-political issues is a godsend. Hordes of them swarming to react to a single matter is magnificent.

Brunei, one of the smallest countries in Asia and the 81st in the world to make homosexuality illegal, has achieved that by enacting a new criminal code. Cruelty of penalties and the unusual harshness for “value-based” crimes have been the subjects of the ire.

A sovereign nation only since 1984, its laws were largely based on British law.

Family matters for the Muslim part of the population deferred to Sharia.

This is the basis for the new code, confirmed on April 30 and applicable to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It is to be implemented in three broad phases over the next three years. The last of these phases is the one that penalises adultery and homosexuality, the one that has seen Hollywood Hippocrates and hypocrites rally behind their latest cause.

It would have been possible for the celebrities to be more forceful had they condemned the UAE over the years instead of basking in, and contributing to, the new face of Dubai, Abu Dhabi et al. Homosexuality, Hollywood’s cause celebre, has long been illegal there.

A chief difference between the two shows Brunei in a favourable light. It has codified what Saudi Arabia has not.

The latter’s latest display of legal bravado largely went unnoticed. Interior Ministry regulations, reinforced

by Royal Decree 44, redefined the

If Saudi Arabia and the UAE are tolerated, then faulting Brunei is little more than an overblown publicity stunt that ridicules real suffering

To say that the UAE’s human rights record is questionable is to turn a blind eye to it as the celebrities have done.

Brunei’s move towards the Muslim world’s rendition of the Christian moral right that elected Ronald Reagan to the White House and dictates contemporary Republican politics is hardly uncommon.

For one thing, it coincides with stricter enforcement of Islamic laws in the region. For another, it comes out of the predominant Saudi Arabian school of thought, the steadfast ally of the United States, where these celebrities are boycotting businesses owned by the Sultan and Nation of Brunei, such as the Dorchester Collection that includes the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel.

legality of terrorism in Saudi Arabia to include atheists, dissenters against the monarchy, and anyone with links to countries or groups hostile to the state. Promulgated by the authorities on January 31, the laws were firmly introduced in early April. Surprisingly, none of the chest-thumping celebrity warriors currently busy taking Brunei to task were anywhere to be seen. Questions relating to the further decline of human rights as a result of these new laws in Saudi Arabia were brushed under the same bulging carpet that the USA brings out from the storage facility of its blind-spot when required.

There is no place for morals in the pragmatic world of crude oil and natu-

ral gas. Luckily for Brunei, its wealthy economy is almost entirely supported by exports of both. It is the third largest producer of oil in Southeast Asia, and the fourth largest producer of liquefied natural gas in the world.

That is a billion-dollar petroleum industry worth of justification for a country that has a right to control its own internal matters as it sees fit.

Furthermore, like Saudi Arabia, it should be applauded for not dressing a monarchy up as a democracy. The US and the rest of the world are indiscriminately accepting of autocratic regimes in either guise, so long as they serve their purpose.

None of this is to say that Brunei’s newfound bloodlust should be condoned, much less commended.

However, if Saudi Arabia and the UAE are tolerated, celebrated, and allowed to be a part of the normal world, then faulting Brunei is little more than an overblown publicity stunt that ridicules real suffering.

Jay Leno, the face of the Dorchester Collection boycott and renowned automobile enthusiast, should also purchase ethically-sourced fuel for his innumerable vehicles if he gives up his Dorchester vice to lend meaning to this gesture. Otherwise, he and his fellow celebrities should be prepared to have their legitimate concerns dismissed by a hailstorm of abuse about their shameless double standards. l Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer. He can be contacted on Twitter via @Ikhtisad.

h dear India, our closest neighbour, I am a layman, and I am here today to ask you to understand a few things regarding friendship, because I believe my golden state has been a friend of yours since its birth. While your people kill countless numbers of my folks at your borders, we let you enjoy transits at low (invisible) rates, while channels of your media swarm televisions at each and every home of our country, you never watch a single show of ours, and I could simply nag on with hundreds of similar criticisms but I know it will be in vain, because dear India, I believe you have hated us longer than necessary, and I believe it is enough now.

Your dedicated (!) son Narendra Modi is about to become the head of your sacred homeland, and his first agenda seems to be to drive Bangladeshis, well, mostly Muslims, away from your land, then possibly take away some of our land, and then probably even brand us as the indigenous population of India sometime soon.

If this is what reality looks like today, should I dare say, dear India?

Should I really dare myself and say that all those years ago, during 1971, your sons came over to join us in our liberation war only to realise that they would take over us after all these years? Why does a country as large and successful as yours have the sudden hellish urge of consuming ours, I wonder?

A few days ago, I got yet another upsetting news about Bangla-speaking Muslims being driven away and running away to save themselves from being attacked by (as police authorities say) the NDFB. At that time, the death toll was already 32, and over 5,000 had escaped. On the other hand, on the same day, India had been permitted by Bangladesh (without any knowledge to the relevant ministry) to transport food items from Kolkata to Tripura using our Ashuganj port as a transit.

Would you like me to go on?

We are part of an alliance with potentials greater than the interests of the likes of Narendra Modi

Mr Modi must be really happy with both I suppose. Given his Islamophobic nature and history of violence against Muslims, what do you think, my dear friend, will happen to the Muslims of your homeland once he gets to power? I remember blabbering to someone just days ago about how Muslims from India are always better than many others, regardless of how they are portrayed in films.

And that’s not even the main question here. The main question here is, my dear friend, what will happen to the friendship we have? The way this evil power is rising up to the occasion and threatening us with all his might, how can we keep the friendship alive?

Why are we in agony and having to think of India as an imminent threat to our future?

Dear India, you must remember that the last time another country tried taking over us, things did not end very well for them. Years have gone by since we have been independent, and now we have grown and are still growing. The face of the world has changed and the word “peace” stands tall everywhere. Why must we, for just a power hungry and corrupted group of crazy men, be sufferers in the long run?

I seriously don’t understand this, and I will always struggle to do so.

India has been and will always be our closest neighbour, that neighbour to whom we have always provided the most important facilities in terms of business and diplomacy. We, as children, have grown up listening to Hindi songs, and our mothers and sisters can’t spend a day without watching those Hindi serials that will never make sense. Many of us even go to Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, etc for our Eid shopping. We never even ask why you guys don’t do the same because we just love the peace that has been there despite our differences. I even remember praising India in one of my previous articles for their patriotism.

Why are we in agony and having to think of India as an imminent threat to our future? I cannot reach any conclusion yet, because it is simply that hard for me to imagine why, dear India, you would hate us so much.

I believe bigger world authorities should be involved in this as soon as possible. Given the radical nature of the circumstances, some kind of treaty must be made between us in order to retain the friendship we have because the world is not ending tomorrow, unless God has different plans, and neither of us can just courier our country to the North Pole and let it be. We are part of an alliance with potentials greater than the interests of the likes of Narendra Modi, and I am pretty sure we deserve a better shot at working together than just falling apart. l Raihan Hadi is Founder, Ideas: For Bangladesh, and Senior Executive, KoreaBangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KBCCI).

Seven murders and many questions n Syed Ishtiaque Reza

N

ow things are gradually getting clear. The Narayaganj murders were not simply a case of abduction and killing for ransom. It was an act of enforced disappearance and killing. The family members categorically said that some of the members of the elite force RAB were involved in the whole process.

Amidst criticism of the elite force, three RAB officials have been dismissed from their services for their alleged involvement in the abduction and killing of seven people, including Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam. The dismissal has proved that something is seriously wrong with this force.

RAB high command, the home ministry, and other high-ups in the government have to make it clear whether any “kill and dump” policy exists in the country. The situation is so grave that only administrative assurances or measures are not enough to bring back the sense of security among people.

The state must come out with proper legislation to contain the trend of enforced disappearances and killings.

Such disappearances and killings have always been considered a serious crime the world over. The state minister for home, other ministers, and even the prime minister assured

that the killers will be given exemplary punishment. But so far, they did not fully assure us that no enforced disappearances will take place in future.

The seven murders in Narayanganj threw all the law enforcing agencies into a credibility crisis

The present trend of abduction or enforced disappearance is the result of unabated extra-judicial killings by the law enforcers. Human rights bodies have been calling for an end to the extra-judicial killings. Rights activists believe that as the law enforcers are made trigger-happy, they are now resorting to abductions allegedly in exchange for money.

The parliament took several positive initiatives in 2009 to enact laws that promote and protect human rights, including the National Human Rights Commission Act 2009 and the Code of Criminal Procedure Act 2009.

But in the same year, it also passed the Anti-Terrorism Law in its first session ignoring the objections from the rights organisations. Dr Mizanur Rahman, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, said last week that the commission would go to court seeking an end to the plainclothes raids and operations by the law enforcers.

This is a good move, but the commission needs to do some other basic work. Dr Rahman can constitute a special investigative body (like a task force) to investigate these crimes and prepare policy recommendations for the government. It will be up to the government whether to accept and implement the recommendations, but the commission can at least make the government accountable.

In most cases so far, the abductors have remained out of trace. The much talked about AB Siddique (husband of environment activist Syeda Rizwana Hasan) abduction case is yet to be solved. He was released by the abductors, not recovered by the law enforcers, and so far, police and RAB could not get a single clue in this case. It seemed that the abductors are mocking the law enforcers in most of the cases. When this is the situation, the state minister for home, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, is still continu-

ously saying that there is no reason to panic over the current law and order situation. Some of the top-notch police officers are giving figures and statistics saying that the number of abductions now is not as high as in the past. Will statistics remove the sense of insecurity in the public mind?

The seven murders in Narayanganj and the alleged involvement of the country’s elite force threw all the law enforcing agencies into a credibility crisis. However there are opinions that when the government itself does not care for credibility, do the law enforcers need to care about it? From that point of view, nabbing the killers, giving them due punishment, and bringing back the sense of security among people are urgently needed to restore the credibility of the government. The state cannot fail to meet the most basic of public needs.

The images of the gruesome murders left people perturbed. Narayanganj itself is now a name synonymous with abductions and killings. And the problem turned serious in this port city when young Twoki was murdered two years ago. His killers are allegedly roaming free. Local lawmaker Shamim Osman frequently appears on the television screen to defend himself.

He can present a thousand points in his defense, but can he change public

perception about him?

Enforced disappearances, abductions, and extra-judicial killings are unacceptable, and the performance of the law enforcing agencies has been extremely substandard in dealing with the cases. The ministers as well as the law enforcers cannot raise the already low public morale with statistics of other countries. The government cannot allow such a situation to continue.

People are not willing to put up with the blame game anymore.

ated against them, they managed to evade prosecution by various means.

So far, no specific measures have been taken to address the issue of reparation of victims of the Narayanganj murders and other cases of enforced disappearances. The issue cannot be dealt with by classic court proceedings or official assurances. If needed, there can be a move to enact a law that will specifically address the matter of enforced disappearances. The government can immediately think of

There can be a move to enact a law that will specifically address the matter of enforced disappearances

The government cannot shrug its responsibility. It needs to find a way to tackle the situation as a “general sense of impunity” exists among the members of the police and RAB. Not only the members of the force, even some of the noted thugs of the ruling party have enjoyed great impunity because even when investigations were initi-

establishing an independent oversight and accountability mechanism with authority and resources to conduct regular, unrestricted, and unannounced preventative inspections at all places of detention. l Syed Ishtiaque Reza is Director of News, Ekattor Television.

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Maa features leading singers n Entertainment Desk

Tarkaata gets uncut censor certificate n Entertainment Desk M M Kamal Raj’s upcoming film “Tarkaata” gets uncut certificate from the censor board on Sunday. The film features three leading stars of Dhallywood: Moushumi, Arefin Shuvo and Bidya Sinha Mim. This is the first time the three megastars will share screen space together.

The director said: “The members of the censor board appreciated the work.

Now we are planning to release ‘Tarkaata’ during Eid.” Here, Moushumi will be seen as Shuvo’s sister and Mim as his girlfriend.

“Tarkaata” is a movie which will feature humour, action, romance and drama and is bound to hold the interest of the audience with its striking star-cast and unique script, claims the director who wrote the story.

“My film ‘Tarkaata’ is all about portraying pain and various other emotions. But, the twist is that, I will depict that pain in a humourous manner, and by no means it that an easy task. It will be a full package of entertainment for our audience,” added the director. l

Neighbors topples Amazing Spider-Man 2

Grand finale of Channel i Shera Nachiye airs tonight n Entertainment Desk The grand finale of the reality TV show “Channel i Shera Nachiye - Season 2” will air tonight at 7:50pm on Channel i. After facing rounds of dance challenges, the finalists include Mimu, Ivana, Tondra, Ivan, Naim, Pritom, Progya, Ethina, Priyanka, Shahed, Mitil, Roza and Shiza.

In the finale, the participants will perform to the choreography of Ty Alexander Cheng who is a renowned dance choreographer

Ferdous in 20-20 Colors

Mahesh Bhatt turns actor for Siddhartha n Entertainment Desk

Superhero Spider-Man’s reign at the top of the box office came to an end this weekend, as the Zac Efron and Seth Rogen comedy “Neighbors” kicked “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” from the number one slot at the Box Office.

“Neighbors/Bad Neighbours” in the UK, entered the box office this week and pulled in a respectable $51m , pushing “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” down to second position with the web spinner only managing to garner another $37.2m, reports Cinema Blend.

Spider-Man’s drop forced “The Other Woman” down a place to third as the movie pulled in $9.2m, whilst “Heaven is for Real” also fell one place to fourth with $7m.

Likewise, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” was also shunted down one place to fifth after pulling in another $5.6m, and “Rio 2” dropped a place down to sixth with $5.1m.

Entering the box office charts at number seven is “Moms’ Night Out” that managed to garner $4.2m, and also entering the box office charts to sit in eighth place is “Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return,” which managed to pull in $3.7m.

Falling down two places to hit ninth position is “Divergent” after pulling in another $1.7m, and bringing up the rear, down four places to sit at tenth is “Brick Mansions” after managing to drag in another $1.4m. l

One’s never too old to make an acting debut. Mahesh Bhatt is making his at 64 in a movie titled “Siddhartha,” which tells the story of a man’s disillusionment with the world and his search for inner peace.

The movie has actor Shivam Bhargav playing the titular role. His ladylove is played by Shazahn Padamsee. Shivam plays a character that leads a life of indulgence and debauchery before renouncing it to look for salvation in the hills of Manali. That’s where he meets the Buddhist Lama, played by Mahesh Bhatt. The Lama helps Shivam connect with his inner Buddha.

“Siddhartha” is not a rip-off of Nobel winning author Hermann Hesse’s sublime book by the same name.

Mahesh Bhatt shared the photos of his monk look on Twitter and wrote: “Stepping into the frame of silence. Mukul Misra’s ‘Siddhartha.’”

Reality shows are a big hit among the present day audience, specially the ones that are aimed towards identifying talents such as singing, dancing, acting and modelling among the people of the country. “20-20 Colors” is a model-hunt show which will air on RTV tonight at 7:30pm. In this episode, actor -model Ferdous will be the special guest. His career and rise to star-

Celebrated duo of the small screen, Sajal and Shokh have been paired up again in Anonyo Emon’s upcoming TV play ‘Zero Hour.’

Here, the actors play the roles of two university friends and later become lovers. The boy wants to marry the girl while she wants to continue the relationship without any legal contract.

Her reluctance to commit becomes clear much later

dom will be discussed in details.

The contestants of the programme will perform with some popular songs from Ferdous' movies. They will be adding their own dimensions in the performances.Popular model, dancer and actor Bijori Barkatullah, celebrity designer Biplob Saha and choreographer Quamrul Islam are the permanent members of the judging panel.

The programme is anchored by Imtu and produced by Shahriar Islam. l

Marking the ocassion of Mother’s Day, leading singers of the country including Kanokchanpa, Milon Mahmood, Ruksana Mumtaz, Rajib, Chompa Bonik, Tanvir Shahin, Sajed Fatemi, Belal Khan, Linkon and Shaila Rahman lent their voice for an album named “Maa.” All the songs narrate the blessed relationship between a mother and her child.

The lyrics are written by Gazi Mazharul Anowar, Susmita Biswas, Bishwarup Ghosh Dastidar, Shahiduzzaman Shapan, Dr Shahed, Shahabudddin Majumder and others.

Alauddin Ali, Mushfiq Litu, Boni Ahmed, Khayem Ahmed, Nirjhor Chowdhury and Milon Mahmood composed the songs.

The album has been released under the banner of Laser Vision. l

from USA. The jury members of the programme Munmun Ahmed, Ferdous and Meher Afroz Shaon will perform at the show. Sadia Islam Mou and Riaz will be presenting a dance number together.

The top ten dancers from the previous season of “Shera Nachiye” will also perform at the show, while celebrated dancers of the country will showcase a group dance recitation. Popular band Chirkutt will also be present at the event. l

n Entertainment Desk

n Entertainment Desk

15

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The writer-filmmaker says he decided to play the role of Lama because he could relate to the character.

On a philosophical note, he added: “Life is pain! Do not ask why it is so?

It is so!” l

TODAY IN DHAKA Film

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (3D & 2D) I, Frankenstein Divergent Time: 10am – 10pm Star Cineplex Bashundhara City

Exhibition

Photography Exhibition

Innate Identities Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, Road No 16 (Old 27), Dhanmondi

Music

Ei Jyotsna’y Ekaki Dariye

By Kazi M. Atif Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm Music and Dance Theatre Shilpakala Academy, Shegun Bagicha

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Did you know?

Frank Lampard has hit more shots (39) at World Cups without ever scoring than any other player (19662010)

Sport

Interim local coach for Tigers n Minhaz Uddin Khan An “interim local coach’ will take charge of the Bangladesh national cricket team for the three-match ODI series at home against India next month. Jalal Younus, chairman of the media and communication of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and also a member of the five-man ‘coach search’ committee, informed so to the media yesterday.

Jalal, while in conversation with the media also informed that a new fulltime head coach is likely to join the national team on July 1 of this year.

Bangladesh were left without a head coach after the resignation of Shane Jurgensen on April 28. After much speculation, BCB accepted Jurgensen’s resignation around a week later and formed a committee to recruit a new head coach for the team.

Many names from around the globe have surfaced in the last few days but according to Jalal, the search committee is yet to reach a concrete decision.

“75 percent of the work is done in finding a coach. We are now waiting for the final call. We have talked to three coaches and it can be said that we are on the edge of our talk with all of them.

We will eventually choose one from those three,” Jalal disclosed.

A new coach taking over in July means the national will be without a foreign mentor for the home series against India.

“It is very unlikely to find a full-time coach before the India series and we

BFF mulls women’s team in Asian Games n Raihan Mahmood Bangladesh Football Federation has urged the Bangladesh Olympic Association to ensure the participation of the national women’s team in the upcoming Asian Games scheduled to be held at Incheon, Korea in September.

Bangladesh national women’s team has played in a number of AFC and Saff affiliated tournaments, but never appeared in a big event like Asian Games. “The women’s national team has recently been improving and they don’t get enough opportunities in big scale tournaments. If the women’s team get the opportunity of playing in the Asian Games, the team will earn a lot of experience and it will be benefecial for them,” said BFF general secretary Abu Naeem Shohag.

The urge from the football body was responded on a positive note by the BOA as Syed Shahed Reza, the secretary general of BOA, said, “The time of registration has not expired yet and we are considering the subject seriously. We will take a final decision shortly.” l

will have to make it up with an interim local coach in that case,” informed Jalal. However, Jalal refrained from disclosing the name of the ‘local coach’ immediately. When queried about the chances of former local coach of national team Sarwar Imran being given the charge, the best he could reply was, “likely.”

He further informed of BCB’s intention of assigning three coaches - a head coach along with two assistants - a bowling coach and a conditioning coach. However, the board won’t entertain recommendations from the head coach for the assistant coaches this time. BCB’s experience in this regard is not a sweet one after appointing a fielding coach under the recommendation of former national coach Stuart Law turned out to be unsatisfactory.

“Discussion with the bowling and the conditioning coach has also been fruitful. Their names will be announced along with the head coach,” said Jalal.

It was learned from the sources that former Sri Lanka pacer Chaminda Vaas is likely to get the nod as the bowling coach. BCB held discussions with Vaas during the Asia Cup in March this year.

BCB is interested more in local names as far as the fielding coach is concerned. Jalal informed that the board would discuss with the players before making a final decision on appointing a local fielding coach. However, appointing a part-time foreign fielding coach is also a possibility. l

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

18 Atletico, Barca

set for final day battle

Nitol-Tata Bangladesh Premier League Football leaders Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club hammered Team BJMC 6-2 in their second phase match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

The former champions stamped their authority and took the game away inside the half hour as their three pronged attack, consisting Haitian duo of Sony Norde and Wedson Anselme and Nigerian Emeka Darlington, netted one goal

The Walton 31st National Senior Men’s and 5th National Senior Women’s Wrestling will start at the kabaddi stadium tomorrow. The two-day event will host wrestling in eight weight categories in the men’s section as well as the women’s section.

Wrestlers from Bangladesh Army, BGB, Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Ansar, Dhaka, Madaripur, Gazipur,

18 Bradman’s first

Test bat up for auction

BCL all set for grand finish As both Prime Bank South Zone and BCB North Zone were bundled out in their first innings in the first two days of the Bangladesh Cricket League final, it was hardly anticipated that the fifth day will be required but ten wickets in the following two days has ensured the possibility of a grand finish.

North Zone are chasing a mammoth 573 for the title against South Zone and ended the fourth and penultimate day’s play on 254/3 with two overnight batsmen Forhad Hossain (85 not out) and skipper Nasir Hossain (67 not out) looking compact and heading towards respective centuries at the Sher-e-Bangla National stadium yesterday.

North Zone need 319 runs from the fifth and final day with seven wickets in hand as South Zone were earlier dismissed for 536 in their second innings, thanks to a maiden first-class double hundred for Imrul Kayes and a century from Mithun Ali.

BRIEF SCORE Prime Bank South Zone 271 and 536 Imrul Kayes 204, Mithun Ali 126 Shuvashis Roy 3/128 BCB North Zone 235 and 254/3 Forhad Hossain 85*, Nasir Hossain 67*

BCB North Zone skipper Nasir Hossain (L) and Forhad Hossain finished unbeaten with a 128-run partnership, raising hopes of achieving the massive target set by South Zone, to end day four in the Bangladesh Cricket League final at the SBNS yesterday MUMIT M

Sheikh Jamal bulldoze BJMC n Raihan Mahmood

17

n Mazhar Uddin

apiece. Wedson showed his strength by shrugging off two defenders before a neat angular right footed finish from the striker took the Dhanmondi based outfit, who now has 37 points from 15 games, ahead in the 9th minute.

Linkon picked Wedson with a through ball inside the box and the Haitian showed great awareness in spotting an unmarked Emeka who just guided the ball inside the goal to add the second just five minutes later.

Wedson was instrumental behind the third goal in the 28th minute too.

He took off from the half line mark and

skipped past the BJMC defenders with sheer pace before his cut back pass to an unmarked Sony saw his compatriot finish with a soft touch.

Emeka netted his second after capitalising on a defensive blunder by Md Tara and Redwan Rakib in the 40th minute before Nigerian midfielder Ali Abdullahi made a mockery of the score line by adding the fifth from the penalty spot, result of Saiful’s foul on Norde, in the last minute of the first half.

BJMC’s nightmare only lessened after Jamal coach Josef Afusi withdrew Wedson after the breather, allowing

BJMC attackers invade their territory. BJMC pulled one back in the 59th minute with Nigerian midfielder Uche Felix’s glancing header on curled free kick from Ali Akbar Kanon from the right flank.

Substitute midfielder Sohel Rana, however, restored the margin for Jamal in the 87th minute with a cracking left footed finish on Sony’s square pass.

Nigerian Samson Iliyasu’s long range shot in the last minute of the game only reduced the goal difference as BJMC, who has 15 points from as many matches, scored their second. l

Resuming the fourth day’s play on 410/3, South Zone could only manage 126 runs for the loss of their last seven wickets with paceman Shuvashis Roy bagging three wickets for North Zone. Taijul Islam, who had recorded career-best bowling figures of 8/86 in the first innings, added two more in the second innings to finish with a 10-wicket haul.

In their first innings, South Zone had posted 271 all out before North Zone were all out for 235 presenting the former with a 36-run first innings lead.

Chasing 573 for victory, North Zone were in a spot of bother after losing their first three wickets for 126 runs and the target appeared to be an improbable one until Forhad, alongside in-form skipper Nasir, resurrected their fortunes registering half-centuries and playing sensibly.

Forhad smashed nine boundaries and faced 154 balls for his 85 while Nasir’s 67 featured seven fours and a six. South Zone skipper Abdur Razzak removed both the openers - Junaid Siddique (51) and Myshukur Rahman (32) – while Naeem Islam was clean bowled for 16 by Shuvagata Hom. l

Cole quits England after World Cup axe Barkley and Sterling called up for a four-day training camp next week, n AFP, Luton before returning to face Peru at Wemb-

Sheikh Jamal’s Nigerian midfielder Ali Abdullahi (C) celebrates scoring their fifth goal with teammates during their Bangladesh Premier League match against Team BJMC at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MUMIT M

Walton nat’l wrestling begins tomorrow n Raihan Mahmood

Mushtaq as spin coach

BIG TASK AHEAD

DAY’S WATCH Sony Six Indian Premier League 4:30PM Chennai v Kolkata 8:30PM Bangalore v Delhi 9:00AM NBA PLAY OFF 2013-14, CONF SF San Antonio v Portland

18 Pakistan appoint

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Manikganj, Munshiganj, Kishoreganj, Comilla, Rajshahi, Chapai Nawabganj, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Khulna, Jessore, Narail, Rangpur, Kurigram, Kushtia and Gaibandha will participate in the competition.

BOA secretary general Syed Shahed Reza will inaugurate the tournament while Shajahan Khan, the honorable minister of shipping, will be present as the chief guest in the concluding ceremony.

In a press conference held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday, Tabiur Rahman Pahlawan, the general secretary of Bangladesh Wrestling Federation, revealed the details of the event to the media. Additional director of Walton AFM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, Walton brand ambassador Zobera Rahman Linu and other federation officials were also present among others on the occasion. l

Bolt confirmed for Zurich meet n AFP, Paris Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt will compete at the season’s penultimate Diamond League meet in Zurich on August 28, organisers announced on Monday.

The 27-year-old Jamaican, the world record holder over 100m and 200m, has not yet decided which distance he will run at the Swiss venue. l

Everton breakthrough star Ross Barkley, 20, was named in a youthful England World Cup squad on Monday, but Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick only made the standby list.

Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole announced his international retirement on Sunday after being informed by England manager Roy Hodgson that he would not be selected and 18-year-old Southampton defender Luke Shaw took his place.

Liverpool’s 19-year-old winger Raheem Sterling was the second teenager in a squad that featured only six players with previous World Cup experience.

Cole’s Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard was also selected, despite doubts about the 35-year-old’s inclusion, but Tottenham Hotspur rightback Kyle Walker missed out due to a pelvic injury.

Phil Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere all overcame injury scares while Southampton striker Rickie Lambert was preferred to West Ham United rival Andy Carroll.

Carroll was also named on the standby list, alongside Carrick, Norwich City goalkeeper John Ruddy, Liverpool fullback Jon Flanagan, Everton centre-back John Stones, Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley and Jermain Defoe, now of Canadian side Toronto FC. England have been drawn in Group D at the World Cup in Brazil alongside Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica.

The squad are due to fly to Portugal

ley on May 30 in their final pre-World Cup game on home soil.

They will then travel to Miami, where they play Ecuador and Honduras on June 4 and 7, before flying to Rio de Janeiro. l

ENGLAND SQUAD Goalkeepers Joe Hart (Man City), Ben Foster (West Brom), Fraser Forster (Celtic).

Defenders Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Man Utd), Phil Jones (Man Utd), Leighton Baines (Everton), Luke Shaw (Southampton).

Midfielders Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Milner (Man City), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Ross Barkley (Everton), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal).

Forwards Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Man Utd), Rickie Lambert (Southampton).

Stand-bys John Ruddy (Norwich), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), John Stones (Everton), Michael Carrick (Man Utd), Tom Cleverley (Man Utd), Andy Carroll (West Ham), Jermain Defoe (Toronto).

18

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Mel’s brief Baggies encounter ends

Sport

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Cardiff to stage 2015 Ashes opener

Pepe Mel has left West Browmich Albion by mutual consent after just four months in charge of the English Premier League club, the Midlands side announced Monday. The Spanish manager only arrived at the Hawthorns in January after being chosen as the full-time successor to Steve Clarke. “Both Pepe and the club set out with the best intentions of making the appointment work,” said West Brom sporting and technical director Richard Garlick in a club statement. “However, having reflected on events both on and off the field during our talks, it became apparent that it was in the best interests of both parties for there to be an amicable parting.” –AFP

Boudebouz back in initial Algerian squad

England will be hoping history repeats itself when their bid to regain the Ashes next year starts in Cardiff. Monday saw the England and Wales Cricket Board announce the international schedule for its 2015 home season. And it was the choice of the Welsh capital ground to stage the first Test against Australia, starting on July 8, that was arguably the most eye-catching decision. England were whitewashed 5-0 by their oldest foes in Australia during the 2013/14 Ashes, a reverse which led Andy Flower to stand down as team coach and be replaced

by Peter Moores.

–AFP

Bastia midfielder Ryad Boudebouz, who has not featured for Algeria since the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, was Monday named in coach Vahid Halilhodzic’s 30-strong provisional squad for the World Cup. Leicester frontman Ryad Mahrez is called up for the first time, but Livorno striker Ishak Belfodil failed to make the cut, although he remains on stand-by should Porto’s Nabil Ghilas not shake off injury. Just five of the squad, which will be trimmed to 23 on June 1 - a day after a warm-up match against Armenia in the Swiss city of Sion - are based in Algeria.

–AFP

Atletico, Barca set for final day battle n AFP, Madrid Atletico Madrid will travel to face Barcelona next weekend with La Liga title on the line after both sides were held to draws on Sunday.

Barcelona could only draw 0-0 at Elche but Atletico were held 1-1 at home by Malaga, and so Barca still trail Diego Simeone’s side by three points with a game to go.

The Catalans will be champions with a win next Sunday thanks to a better head-to-head record.

Real Madrid’s challenge is over, though, as they were beaten 2-0 away to Celta Vigo.

Atletico wasted the chance to seal their first title in 18 years at home as a win allied with Barca dropping points would have handed them the championship.

Atletico fell behind 25 minutes from time as Samuel headed into an empty net after lobbing Thibaut Courtois, but Toby Alderweireld’s header nine minutes later did at least salvage their unbeaten home record in the league this season.

POINTS TABLE Team 1 Atlético Madrid 2 Barcelona 3 Real Madrid 4 Athletic 5 Sevilla

GP W D 37 28 5 37 27 5 37 26 6 37 20 9 37 17 9

L GD PTS 4 51 89 5 67 86 5 64 84 8 27 69 11 15 60

Without the injured Diego Costa up front, Simeone paired Raul Garcia and David Villa in the Atletico attack and the two nearly combined for the opener on 12 minutes when Villa raced onto Garcia’s flick-on but saw his side-foot-

ed effort clip the crossbar on its way over.

Malaga’s had to wait until the hour mark for their first clear chance when Roque Santa Cruz latched onto Samuel’s pass but Courtois raced off his line to make a vital save low to his left.

The visitors did go in front five minutes later as this time Courtois was lobbed by Samuel as he left his area and the midfielder headed into an empty net.

Malaga could even have been further in front when Ignacio Camacho headed over from point-blank range and that miss was to prove crucial as Atletico rallied in the final quarter.

Willy Caballero made a fine one hand save to deny Villa once more, but from the resulting corner Alderweireld headed into the far corner. l

Simmons, Rayudu shine for MI

Pakistan appoint Mushtaq

n Tribune Desk

n AFP, Karachi

Mumbai Indians convincingly beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in their IPL match at Hyderabad yesterday night. The target of 158 looked tricky in a slow and sluggish pitch, but Lendl Simmons and Ambati Rayudu smashed identical 68s to ensure the comfortable win. Earlier, a late surge from Aaron Finch and David warner guided the home side to the fighting total. l

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday appointed Mushtaq Ahmed as its new spin bowling coach after the World Cup winner lost the role for England.

The 43-year-old former leg-spinner signed a two-year contract with immediate effect, according to a statement by the board. He had coached England for six years until a reshuffle by new head coach Peter Moores saw him replaced

by Peter Such.

Speaking to the media after the appointment, Ahmed said: “I will do my best to serve Pakistani spinners and will also help the batsmen learn how to counter rival spinners.

BRIEF SCORE

Hyderabad 157-3 in 20 ov A Finch 68, D Warner 55*, L Malinga 2-35 Mumbai 160-3 in 18.4 ov L Simmons 68, A Rayudu 68, B Kumar 2-21

“It’s a big big honour for me and I will do my best.”

Ahmed claimed 185 wickets in Test matches and 161 in one-day internationals. He was a mainstay of Pakistan’s formidable bowling line-up in the 1990s that included pace legends Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who was last week appointed head coach.

The diminutive spinner also played a key role in Pakistan’s World Cup victory in 1992 in tandem with Akram. Cast out from the national team later on in his career, he turned his attention to English county cricket where he took more than 100 wickets for Sussex for five successive seasons and helped them win the championship in 2003, 2006 and 2007. l

RESULTS Athletic Bilbao Muniain 49

Granada

Real Betis (Rodriguez 6, Jorge Molina 55, Ruben Castro 76, Juanfran 90

Espanyol Colotto 22

Celta Vigo Charles 43, 63

Atletico Madrid Alderweireld 74

Elche Getafe Escudero 70

1 1 0 2 4 3

Real Sociedad Agirretxe 75

Almeria Verza 19-pen, Vidal 83-pen

Valladolid Javi Guerra 1 59-pen Pena 50

1 1

Osasuna

2 0

Real Madrid

1 1 0 0 1 0

Acuna 44

Malaga Samuel 65

Barcelona Sevilla

Bradman’s first Test bat up for auction

n AFP, Sydney The cricket bat used by Australian sporting legend Don Bradman to launch his Test career has been put up for auction and is expected to fetch up to Aus$145,000.

Bradman, who retired with a yetto-be-topped Test batting average of 99.94, used the bat to open his Test career in the 1928 series against England.

It was donated by him to the Sydney Sun newspaper in 1930 as a competition prize to raise money for a children’s hospital and was held by the boy who won until 2008 when he sold it for Aus$145,000 ($136,000). l

Rafael Nadal (R) and Spain’s Queen Sofia look at the trophy after the men’s singles final of the Madrid Masters at the Magic Box sports complex in Madrid on Sunday. Nadal won his fourth title 2-6, 6-4, 3-0 when Kei Nishikori retired with a lower back injury AFP

Pavlyuchenko, Tarasov out of Russia’s World Cup squad n AFP, Moscow Lokomotiv Moscow stars Roman Pavlyuchenko and Dmitry Tarasov are the surprise omissions from Russia’s provisional 30-man World Cup squad, announced by coach Fabio Capello on Monday.

Equally surprisingly, Capello has called up veteran forward Pavel Pogrebnyak, 30, who is currently playing in the second tier of English football, the Championship, with Reading.

Capello’s decision to leave out midfielder Tarasov was dictated by the fact

he was sidelined earlier this year with a cruciate ligament injury and is unlikely to be fully fit in time for the start of the World Cup in June.

The majority of the squad are based at home, including former Sevilla forward Alexander Kerzhakov, the only Russian player to have appeared at the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, and former Chelsea winger Yury Zhirkov.

Capello has lined up warm-up friendlies against Slovakia on May 26, Norway on May 31 and Morocco on June 6 in a bid to expose his team to contrasting playing styles ahead of Brazil. l

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Strike cripples DMCH services n Moniruzzaman Uzzal On a usual day, the Dhaka Medical College Hospital would see thousands of patients and their relatives crowd the busy hallways of one of the biggest public hospitals of the country. However, a 48-hour strike by honorary doctors of DMCH have brought activities at the hospital to a near standstill over the last two days.

With most of the regular health services running only on a limited basis, several hospital officials told the Dhaka Tribune that it seemed to them like an unannounced holiday had been taking place.

However, as this report was being filed, the doctors announced that they would be calling off the strike and returning to work from 9pm yesterday.

The strike, which was called by honorary doctors on Sunday protesting an assault on one of their fellows, hampered services at the hospital’s outdoor, emergency and indoor facilities.

Although the DMCH authority tried to

reopen the outdoor service, the doctors on strike forcefully locked the ticket booth for patients.

During the hours between 8am and 11am yesterday, only a handful of patients were reportedly able to consult doctors at the outdoor section, although around 300 tickets were sold to patients.

Around 100 patients, almost half the usual number, were admitted in the emergency section yesterday. A total of 387 tickets were sold there, compared to over a thousand on a regular day.

The strike also caused many of the scheduled operations to be postponed.

Only six emergency operations had been carried out on the fourth floor of the operation theatre (OT) complex until 4pm yesterday, compared to an average of around 90 operations a day in different OTs of the hospital, an OT staff said on condition of anonymity.

The neurosurgery department, one of the busiest departments of the DMCH, did not see a single operation during the doctors’ strike, said the de-

partment’s head Professor Dr Ehsan Mahmud.

Terming the DMCH honorary doctors’ strike unethical, Health Secretary MM Niazuddin yesterday said action would be taken against those involved with the strike.

The situation could not be tackled properly reportedly because Health Minister Mohammed Nasim was currently out of the country, while State Minister for Health Zahed Malek did not visit the hospital after the strike was announced. Although health directorate DG Dr Din Md. Nurul Hoque and its Director (hospital) Abdul Hannan visited the DMCH, they were unable to resolve the issue.

The Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) has also failed to address the issue, reportedly because of its internal politics.

On Saturday, an honorary physician, Mominul Islam, was admitted to the DMCH in a critical condition, after being beaten up in the capital’s Chankharpul area. l

India election ends, exit polls favour Modi n AFP, New Delhi Indians cast final ballots yesterday in a record election that saw 551 million people vote over five weeks, with exit polls predicting a new right-wing government under hardliner Narendra Modi.

The final phase of voting in 41 constituencies ended at 6pm (1230 GMT), with the first exit polls released soon afterwards pointing to a huge swing towards Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The survey results backed forecasts before voting started on April 7 that the BJP and its allies should be able to reach a majority in parliament after trouncing the ruling Congress party.

The first full survey from CVoter showed the BJP and its allies reaching a majority, while others released by the CNN-IBN and Headlines Today channels showed a rout for Congress in many states.

Shortly after polls closed for the last

time, the Election Commission gave final figures for the world’s biggest election, saying 551 million had voted – 130 million more than in 2009 – with turnout also at a record high of 66.38%.

“These numbers may still go up marginally because of postal ballots and other factors,” director general of the Election Commission, Akshay Rout, told reporters.

Official results are due on Friday.

Attention earlier in the day had focused on the sacred city of Varanasi where 63-year-old Modi was standing as a candidate and hoping for a crowning victory on the final day of voting.

In a video message, he paid tribute to the hundreds of thousands who “stood out in the scorching sun for hours to give strength to our democracy” over the last five weeks.

The four-times chief minister of the western state of Gujarat has campaigned on a pledge of clean govern-

ment and development to revive the flagging economy after 10 years of left-leaning rule by the Congress party.

But he remains a deeply polarising figure over allegations that he failed swiftly to curb deadly 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat which left at least 1,000 people dead shortly after he came to power there.

Backlash against Congress

Opinion polls show voters have turned against Congress over massive graft scandals, spiralling inflation and a sharp economic slowdown in the last two years.

Rahul Gandhi, who is leading his first national campaign for Congress, has denied that the party is staring at almost certain defeat.

Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed stressed that opinion polls had failed to predict a victory for his party and its allies in 2004, when they ousted a BJP-led coalition, and in 2009. l

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B2 Stocks end flat with

B4 Parrot launching smart-

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phone controlled drones

TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

FDR offers more return than equity If banks’ equity investors kept money as fixed deposit, they would earn more n

Tahmidur Rahman

Most of the banks have failed to yield satisfactory return on equity for their investors during recent years, according to the analysts.

They said the investors therefore recorded profits at a rate lower than fixed deposit (FDR) rate, which means that if the investors had made FDR instead of investment on banks’ assets, they would have received more return.

Besides, the real picture of banks’ profit earning is even worse than they

'But the real picture is even worse, given the rescheduling of bad loans. It will cast impact in future as recovery of those loans still remain uncertain'

are presenting for the year 2013, the analysts observed.

They said as the loans have been rescheduled in large scale due to poor recovery under political unrest, the uncertainty over the future of those loans has not ended yet, dragging the real impact to the upcoming years.

Analysts suggested taking a holistic approach rather than comparing with only preceding year while assessing the banks’ profitability.

“Maybe, most banks’ boards do not focus on the return on held asset. But this must be changed and they should compare profits on asset and deposit,” said a former banker asking not to be named.

“However, primary dealer banks may show a little different pattern,” he added. Fourteen of the DSE listed 30 banks have a return on assets below 11% during the year 2013.

“But the real picture is even worse, given the rescheduling of bad loans. It will cast impact in future as recovery of those loans still remain uncertain,”said Shahidul Islam, CEO of VIPB Asset Management Co Ltd. A bank’s core task is to collect money in form of deposits and lend it out to make a profit out of the difference.

If the banks fail to recover credit, their profitability is affected badly.

“The profitability must be higher than the fixed deposit rate of the banks or else there will be no justification of buying a bank stock as a long term investment instead of keeping it in the banks,” said a broker.

Considering the existing market dynamics, investors who want to minimise their downside risk and have a longer-term perspective might prefer bank stocks, given the problems in the sector will be addressed in near future, said Khairul Bashar, a banking sector analyst at Asian Tiger Capital Partners.

MD Minhaz Zia, an investment professional and a partner at AT Capital, shed some lights on the consequences of the high banking rates, which will eventually come down to match with economic reality but it is likely to take some time.

“FDR rate is already seen falling. It should continue until near to equilibri-

PERFROMANCE OF THE BANKS Return on equity in 2012 -12% 10% 3% 4% 9% 12% 13% 7% 6% 13% 8% 7% 14% 6% 14% 14% 18% 13% 13% 9% 14% 13% 14% 6% 9% 15% 8% 13% 21% 8%

ICB Islamic Bank Limited Rupali Bank Trust Bank Limited City Bank AB Bank Limited NCCBL Prime Bank NBL Bank Asia Ltd. Export Import Bank The Premier Bank Ltd. Mutual Trust Bank Ltd Standard Bank Limited BRAC Bank Ltd. Social Islami Bank Limited Islami Bank Shahjalal Islami Bank Ltd. First Security Islami Bank Ltd Uttara Bank Pubali Bank Al-Arafah Islami Bank Jamuna Bank Ltd. Eastern Bank IFIC Bank United Commercial Bank Ltd One Bank Limited Southeast Bank Mercantile Bank Ltd Dutch-Bangla Bank Dhaka Bank

Return on equity in 2013 -7% 4% 4% 5% 6% 9% 9% 9% 9% 9% 10% 11% 11% 11% 11% 12% 12% 12% 12% 12% 13% 13% 14% 15% 15% 15% 15% 16% 16% 16%

Calculations have been made from the yearly earnings per share and year-end net asset values of the banks

um level is achieved,” he added.

Zia said in no economy FDR rate can be higher than equity return in the long run and the adjustment is inevitable.

“Effective tax rate exceeds 42.5% in most of the cases as provision expense is not tax deductible. Therefore the banks cannot reduce the interest spread,” said Asif Khan, Deputy Head of Research at BRAC EPL Brokerage Limited.

At a pre-budget meeting last month,bankers have urged the government to cut corporate tax to increase

the profitability of the banking sectors along with cutting down its lending rate for supporting the country’s entrepreneurs and making the banking sector itself more vibrant.

Banks’ current tax rate of 42.5% needs to be lowered for the sake of the bank’s stakeholders, said AK Azad, chair of Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited.

Entrepreneurs consider the regulatory limit of 5% spread in the banking sector is irrational and higher than it should be. l

Mismanagement in emergency fund use n Asif Showkat Kallol The government has spent almost half the allocation of the budget’s emergency expenditure fund for the purposes not allowed by the law.

The fund has been used to purchase vehicles, pay allowances, in nuclear power plant and pay salaries and allowances to police and Ansar-VDP members.

But according to the Public Money and Budget Management Act 2009, the funds cannot be diverted to sectors which are not specified during the allocation.

Besides, the total allocation of Tk1,299 crore has been completely consumed in less than five months of the current fiscal year, prompting the government make a new block allocation of Tk110 crore in the revised budget, said official sources.

The sources said during political unrest the government had to meet additional expenditure on policing and used a chunk of the emergency fund.

The law states that the fund can only be used to meet emergency expenditures like during natural disasters, providing agricultural subsidy and policy change by the government.

Due to the use of the fund in the non-specified sectors, the money ran out so rapidly that finance minister even failed to get money to lease Mongla port land for establishing a special economic zone.

However, the emergency fund was not also intended to be used for such leasing of land. All the fund has been almost used and there was no enough money to give for land leasing, said Finance Secretary Fazle Kabir, in a reply to Finance Minister AMA Muhith’s letter directing to provide money.

Of the money disbursed, an amount of Tk246 crore was spent in the firstphase works of Rooppur nuclear power plant and Tk240 crore for giving government allowances, said official sources.

Besides, Tk680 crore was used to provide agricultural subsidy and Tk10 lakh was given to Dhaka School of Economics.

Besides, the government disbursed Tk50 crore for construction of Sylhet International Cricket Stadium from the emergency management fund, Tk25 lakh to observe National Mourning Day on 15 August and Tk10 lakh given to Bangabandhu Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development Academy.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, however, defended the fund use and said the money was used to meet necessary expenditures.

“The block allocation is for necessary use and we have used the fund for that kind of purpose,” finance minister told the Dhaka Tribune when asked why the fund was used in the non-specified sectors.

A small amount has been allocated in the revised budget for the purpose, he said referring to new allocation, adding that the block allocation in the budget is less than one per cent of the Gross Domestic Product.

Shamsul Alam, member of the General Economics Division of the Planning Ministry, played a similar music and the money was used for public good.

“This will be good for Bangladesh economy,” he believed.

But Dr AB Mirza Azizul Islam, former finance adviser to last caretaker government, slammed the practice of using emergency fund on non-specified sectors terming it as “mismanagement and abnormality.” l

QUARTERLY REPORT

ADB makes no major change in forecast n Tribune Report

Corporate tax cut may not help boost investment, say economists n Syed Samiul Basher Anik A reduction in corporate income tax is unlikely to help attract private investment aimed at boosting the economy, economists said.

It would have a positive impact only when a proper atmosphere would be created to increase the tax net, they told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The government has dropped a broader hint that it would reduce the rate to stimulate investment in the country as a strategy to boost economy.

The indication emerged after the businessmen proposing for the exemption to recover from the setback they suffered due to political turmoil before the January 5 national election.

The economists considered the tax cut would surely affect the revenue collection for the coming fiscal year.

The rate in Bangladesh is now ranges from 27.5% to 45%. The finance minister and the chairman of the National Board of Revenue have already indicated the rate would be lowered in the budget for fiscal 201415, following the practice of other countries.

With the reduction of the tax rate, corporate business would pay more taxes and it will work towards reducing the tax evasion, the NBR chairman earlier claimed explaining the benefits of tax cut.

Former finance adviser to the care-

taker government Dr Mirza Azizul Islam, however, said the corporate tax rate in the country is not that much higher as compared to other countries.

What the business community claimed was just a justification to demand lowering the rate, said the eminent economist. “If lowering of the rate does not help grow investments, it will only benefit the business, not the country.”

He said: “The business has been claiming that investment will be increased through lowering the tax rate, but the reality is the investment will not be increased until the basic pre-conditions for investment including connections of gas and electricity, sufficient land for industries and good communication systems are met.”

According to a KPMG conducted “Corporate and Indirect Tax Rate Survey 2014,” the corporate tax rate in some South Asian countries are 33.99% in India, 20% in Afghanistan, 34% in Pakistan, and 28% in Sri Lanka.

Different chambers and associations have long been urging the government to reduce the corporate tax rate for both the publicly listed and non-listed companies.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) demanded reducing the corporate tax to 40% from existing 42.5%, for publicly traded companies to 35% from 37.5%, for non-publicly

traded companies (manufacturing) 32.5% and for non-manufacturing and trading companies to 35%.

For the publicly traded mobile companies, they demanded it should be 40% and 42.5% for listed and non-listed companies respectively.

Centre for Policy Dialogue Executive Director Prof Mustafizur Rahman emphasised on bringing the non-listed companies under the listed company’s list first, rather than lowering the tax rate to support increasing the revenue collection.

“There is a huge possibility that lowering the corporate tax rate will have negative impact on the revenue collection as the revenue target set for the FY14-15 is already challenging to achieve,” he pointed out.

Former NBR Chairman Muhammad Abdul Mazid said theoretically the lower tax rate helps increase the number of taxpayers, but the question is whether the theory is applicable for Bangladesh or not.

“Before the tax cut, the government should find out alternative measures to make up the losses by ensuring an atmosphere where transparency and increase of tax net will be ensured,” he said.

He also noted that before lowering the tax rate, NBR has to ensure that the revenue losses to be incurred has to be compensated through taking effective measures like plugging of loopholes in the tax system, and expansion of the income tax base. l

Muhith: Policy on cards to make PPP successful n Tribune Report Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the government will formulate a policy framework to make PPP (public private partnership) initiatives successful.

“As PPP initiatives became unsuccessful over the years, a technical committee will be formed to speed up the initiatives,” he told reporters after a pre-budget meeting with secretaries of different ministries at the NEC building in Dhaka.

He said around 10% of the tenders of all ministries will be brought under e-tendering system.

About mega projects, he said such

Wata shares to back on DSE main market tomorrow n Tribune Report Share trading of Wata Chemicals, which was in the OTC market for last four years, will begin at the DSE main market from tomorrow.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange board last week approved reenlistment of the company, paving the way to transfer it to the main board from the over the counter (OTC) market, a separate trading floor for junk shares.

DSE in a statement yesterday

said trading of the shares of the company has been transferred from the OTC market to the main market of DSE with effect from May 14.

Its trading code is “WATACHEM”, face value Tk10 each, market lot 200 shares and opening adjusted price will be Tk49.5 (last close price at OTC market), it said.

The circuit breaker and circuit filter (price limit) shall remain operative from the first trading day at DSE as shares of the company have already been traded and market

price is available in the OTC market, according to the statement.

In 2009, the DSE and Chittagong Stock Exchange had delisted Wata Chemicals for non-compliance with the regulations, including non-issuance of dividends for shareholders of the company since 2003.

“As the company complied with all the regulations required for beginning trade in the main board, the bourse allows it to begin trading in the main market,” said

another official.

Earlier, the company appealed for re-enlistment after it became regularised in holding annual general meetings and paying dividends to its shareholders.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission on August 9 last year, issued no objection letter to the company for re-enlistment with the stock exchanges and asked to consider Wata’s application as per the listing regulations. l

projects will be kept beyond budgetary framework for faster and smooth implementation.

The minister said different ministries proposed to make sitting arrangement of government officials near to each other to make official works faster, he said. “This proposal is very good.

I will consider it.”

He asked secretaries of different ministries to undertake projects under their respective ministries to ensure their timely implementation.

“Sometimes a huge number of projects are taken, but those are mostly impractical to implement,” he said, adding that new process will be ironed out for efficient implementation. l

Bangladesh’s gross domestic product is expected to slow down to 5.6% in the current fiscal year, said a report published yesterday by Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The quarterly economic update mainly blamed the declining remittances and tapering export growth during the remainder of the year.

This has in turn affected the private credit growth declining imports of consumer goods and capital machinery.

The report said macroeconomic policies are generally sound, with inflation showing a rising trend in recent months, the latest monetary policy statement of Bangladesh Bank, issued in January 2014, adopted a more cautious policy stance to keep inflationary pressures under control. ADB has, however, predicted higher growth in agriculture sector.

The growths in industrial and service sectors will slow to 8% and 5.4% respectively due to sluggish private sector investment and weak business environment, said the Asian lender. It has also made suggestions to the government for financing public investment in infrastructure and skill deployment.

ADB also suggested strengthening banking governance, undertaking trade reforms and implementing public-private partnership projects.

The report also said unlike the increasing trend during the 1990s, income inequality did not worsen during the FY2005-FY2010.

In addition, ADB has acknowledged steady progress made in poverty reduction, stating out that extreme poverty fell by approximately 22.6% during the two decades since FY1990. l

B2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stock DSE GAINERS

Stocks end flat with choppy trading

DSE key features May 12, 2014

Traded Issues

286

n Tribune Report

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

140

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

142

3,941.39 96,879,171

Number of Contract

allied, ceramic, engineering and pharma sectors were reeling under selling pressure.

The market breadth remained positive as out of 286 issues traded, 159 advanced, 96 declined and 31 remained unchanged.

Lanka Bangla Securities said after rising above 4,500-mark, market acted volatile amid a very low level of turnover.

It said bank gained 0.2%, cement 0.4% and textile sector 0.6%, while ceramic, engineering and pharma fell by 1.4%, 0.7% and 1.7% respectively.

Zenith Investments said market has formed a seesaw pattern after continuously drifting between gains and losses, but there was a pickup in buying during the final hour.

It said textile sector acted as a magnet for the market during the early hours of trade and later other sectors like cement, banks, pharmaceuticals and chemicals also joined in.

Grameenphone was the most traded stocks with shares worth Tk17 crore changing hands, followed by Matin Spinning, Lanka Bangla Finance, MBL First Mutual Fund, Square Pharmaceuticals and Meghna Petroleum. l

Stocks closed flat amid choppy trading yesterday, with limited participation in trading.

The market swung between red and green throughout the entire session, as investors were cautious over the future course of the market plagued with short-term profit booking in recent days.

After sharp fall in the previous two sessions, the benchmark DSEX lost 1 point to close at 4,497, hitting highest 4,510 in the mid-session and lowest 4,490 in the final session.

The comprising blue chips index DS30 was down 7 points or 0.5% to 1,637. The Shariah index DSES closed at 1,004 with a fractional gain of 0.7 points.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange’s Selective Category Index, CSCX, dropped 19 points to 8,650.

Strong buying and selling has increased the trading activities as turnover in value at DSE was Tk394 crore, slightly up 4% over the previous session.

Most of the sectors performed mixed. Bank, cement, fuel and power and textile sectors were in flat green zone, while non-banking financial institutions and food and

Company

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume)

83,134

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,311.17

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.01

CSE key features May 12, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

297.65

Turnover (Volume)

Daily capital market highlights

8,613,615

Number of Contract

11,208

DSE Broad Index :

4497.12267

(-) 0.03%

▼

Traded Issues

218

DSE Shariah Index :

1004.74733

(+) 0.06%

▲

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

86

DSE - 30 Index :

1637.88036

(-) 0.43%

▼

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

127

CSE All Share Index:

13879.2612

(-) 0.24%

▼

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

CSE - 30 Index :

11425.7917

(-) 0.26%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,213.51

CSE Selected Index :

8650.12840

(-) 0.23%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

26.83

DSE LOSERS

SonarBangla Insu. -A Samata LeatheR -Z Progressive Life-A Phoenix Insur -A Premier Bank -A Paramount Insur-A Shahjalal Islami -A Eastern Cables-A

-11.02 -6.96 -6.62 -6.35 -5.50 -5.07 -4.84 -4.53

Average (% change) -10.81 -6.97 -6.58 -7.32 -6.66 -5.84 -5.06 -4.31

LankaBangla Fin. -A 5th ICB M F-A

-4.51 -4.46

-4.65 -4.10

Company

Closing (% change)

CSE LOSERS

Rupali Life Insur.-A Aramit -A SonarBangla Insu. -A Premier Bank -A Eastern Cables-A EXIM Bank-A Shahjalal Islami -A LankaBangla Fin. -A

-8.73 -8.31 -6.42 -6.36 -5.93 -5.31 -4.80 -4.50

Average (% change) -6.96 -8.30 -6.61 -6.65 -4.73 -4.67 -5.18 -4.64

Daffodil Computers -Z MeghnaCement -A

-4.00 -3.90

-3.92 -3.90

Company

Closing (% change)

ANALYST

Closing average

Closing

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 381.01 259.05 171.71 330.59 396.53 361.28 1.63 536.23 412.16 0.17 74.54 41.87 16.70 199.29 22.27 70.57 66.10 513.32 22.43 63.58 0.37

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

Latest PE

20.87 29.50 121.45 36.44 10.23 20.46 11.82 130.17

21.00 29.40 121.40 36.90 10.30 20.60 11.80 128.50

21.50 30.00 122.00 37.70 10.50 20.90 12.20 135.00

19.60 28.90 121.00 35.50 9.00 19.00 11.20 127.60

1.346 0.236 1.336 6.002 28.311 1.708 12.502 6.886

1.52 0.09 2.30 3.04 1.48 1.32 -0.88 2.03

13.7 327.8 52.8 12.0 6.9 15.5 -ve 64.1

48.01 195.00

48.70 194.90

50.00 195.10

45.90 194.00

140.409 0.195

1.24 18.67

38.7 10.4

Closing average

Closing

Daily high

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

National Housing Fin.-B Central Insur -A Delta SpinnersA Kohinoor Chem -A ISN Ltd. -Z CVO PetroChem RL-Z Rahima Food -Z Salvo Chemicals-B JMI Syringes MDL-A Meghna PET Ind. -Z

92.00 287.00 20.40 10.30 127.00 10.70 11.90 48.80

92.10 287.10 20.60 9.90 132.00 11.30 13.00 50.00

92.00 287.00 20.10 10.00 126.10 10.60 11.80 47.10

0.230 0.057 0.102 6.985 0.258 3.612 2.529 9.331

5.33 12.56 1.52 1.48 2.03 -2.56 -0.88 1.24

17.3 22.9 13.4 6.9 63.6 -ve -ve 38.9

12.00 113.40

12.00 113.40

12.00 115.00

12.00 110.20

0.060 0.034

0.68 7.00

17.6 16.2

After rising above 4,500-mark, market acted volatile amid a very low level of turnover

% change 9.67 6.57 4.36 8.39 10.06 9.17 0.04 13.61 10.46 0.00 1.89 1.06 0.42 5.06 0.56 1.79 1.68 13.02 0.57 1.61 0.01

Million Taka 40.24 16.59 7.04 31.90 38.71 49.84 78.21 23.76 66.03 1.80 66.49 2.37 26.16 2.16 2.20 5.97 21.44 3.93 10.39 0.03

% change 8.13 3.35 1.42 6.44 7.82 10.06 0.00 15.79 4.80 13.33 0.36 13.43 0.48 5.28 0.44 0.44 1.21 4.33 0.79 2.10 0.01

Million Taka 421.25 275.63 178.75 362.50 435.24 411.12 1.63 614.44 435.93 66.20 76.34 108.36 19.07 225.44 24.43 72.77 72.07 534.76 26.35 73.97 0.39

Total

9.66 9.35 8.25 8.09 7.00 6.90 6.76 5.38 5.30 5.17

CSE GAINERS Company GreenDeltaInsu -A National Housing Fin.-B Delta SpinnersA Rahima Food -Z Nitol Insurance -A Salvo Chemicals-B Marico BD Ltd-A Asia Pasific Insu. -A ISN Ltd. -Z JMI Syringes MDL-A

Closing (% change) 9.57 8.33 7.69 7.64 6.64 6.25 6.18 6.12 6.06 5.45

Average (% change) 10.15 7.82 8.73 7.79 6.85 8.38 5.87 2.77 3.51 1.67 Average (% change) 9.62 8.91 7.14 7.91 6.72 4.02 4.51 6.12 4.65 4.50

Closing average 31.90 26.48 20.93 361.11 10.77 885.63 47.25 23.03 159.79 6.10

Closing average 95.00 32.65 20.85 46.94 32.10 23.29 1165.40 26.00 10.36 161.19

Closing 31.80 26.90 21.00 362.10 10.70 884.90 47.40 23.50 162.90 6.10

Closing 95.00 32.50 21.00 47.90 32.10 23.80 1184.00 26.00 10.50 162.40

Daily high 31.90 27.00 21.30 364.30 11.00 889.80 48.00 23.90 164.80 6.10

Daily high 95.00 33.00 21.30 48.40 32.10 24.00 1184.00 26.00 10.80 167.80

Daily low 29.00 24.50 19.50 335.00 9.00 820.00 44.70 20.10 154.60 6.10

Daily low 95.00 29.00 19.80 45.00 32.10 22.20 1130.00 26.00 10.00 156.00

Turnover in million 19.545 4.994 67.840 0.754 0.811 91.399 4.607 35.544 16.698 0.006

Turnover in million 0.038 0.833 6.181 0.376 0.048 6.295 0.291 0.429 0.083 2.176

Latest EPS 2.32 3.64 0.55 9.37 0.20 -3.16 -1.01 1.09 2.08 -1.33

Latest EPS 3.00 2.32 0.55 -1.01 3.24 1.09 43.99 1.55 0.20 2.08

Latest PE 13.8 7.3 38.1 38.5 53.9 -ve -ve 21.1 76.8 -ve

Latest PE 31.7 14.1 37.9 -ve 9.9 21.4 26.5 16.8 51.8 77.5

News from trade server ISLAMIBANK: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 384.05 million with consolidated basic EPS of Tk. 0.26 (restated 0.24) as against Tk. 278.22 million and Tk. 0.19 (0.17) respectively.

NBL: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 356.60 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 0.25 (restated 0.23) as against Tk. (142.90) million and Tk. -0.10 (-0.09) respectively.

PREMIERBAN: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 206.51 million with consolidated basic EPS of Tk. 0.40 (restated 0.37) as against Tk. 16.40 million and Tk. 0.03 (0.03) respectively.

SHAHJABANK: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. -159.85 million with consolidated basic EPS of Tk. -0.24 ( restated –0.22) as against Tk. 98.46 million and Tk. 0.15 (0.13) respectively.

EXIMBANK: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. -827.26 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. -0.72 (restated –0.64) as against Tk. -740.34 million and Tk. -0.64 (-0.58) respectively.

LANKABAFIN: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. 67.72 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 0.31 as against Tk. 74.71 million and Tk. 0.34 respectively.

RANFOUNDRY: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 7.67 million with EPS of Tk. 0.77 as against Tk. 7.52 million and Tk. 0.75 respectively.

RENATA: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. 403.30 million

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Grameenphone-A Olympic Ind. -A Matin Spinning-N LankaBangla Fin. -A MBL 1st M. F.-A Square Pharma -A Meghna Petroleum -A

CSE

Closing (% change)

with consolidated basic EPS of Tk. 11.42 (restated 9.14) as against Tk. 355.86 million and Tk. 10.08 (8.06) respectively.

ISNLTD: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 0.53 million with EPS of Tk. 0.05 as against Tk. (0.26) million and Tk. (0.02) respectively. Accumulated profit/(loss) of the Company was Tk. (1.19) million as on 31.03.2014.

NHFIL: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 61.68 million with EPS of Tk. 0.58 as against Tk. 0.54 million and Tk. 0.01 respectively.

NITOLINS: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 19.53 million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.90 (restated 0.81) as against Tk. 13.13 million and Tk. 0.61 (0.54) respectively.

RUPALIINS: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. 34.50 million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.66 (restated 0.60) as against Tk. 27.71 million and Tk. 0.53 (0.48) respectively.

PHENIXINS: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 30.64 million with EPS of Tk. 0.76 as against Tk. 29.51 million and Tk. 0.73 respectively.

CENTRALINS: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 37.85 million with EPS of Tk. 0.91 as against Tk. 29.51 million and Tk. 0.71 (restated) respectively.

AFTABAUTO: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has

announced the entity rating (surveillance) of the Company as "AA3" based on audited financial statements of the Company up to 31 August 2013; bank liability position as on 31 March 2014 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

Wata Chemicals Ltd.: As per decision of the Board of Directors of DSE, trading of the shares of Wata Chemicals Ltd. has been transferred from the OTC Market to the Main Market of DSE with effect from May 14, 2014 under "A" category in accordance with Regulation 2(1)(a) of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (Settlement of Transactions) Regulations, 2013. DSE Trading Code for Wata Chemicals Ltd. is "WATACHEM", DSE Company Code # 18467, Face Value Tk. 10.00 each, Market Lot 200 shares and Open Adjusted Price is Tk. 49.50 (last close price at DSE OTC Market). The circuit breaker and circuit filter (price limit) shall remain operative from the first trading day (i.e. May 14, 2014) at DSE as shares of the Company have already been traded and market price is available in the DSE OTC Market.

Latest PE

92.02 287.03 20.36 10.24 129.09 10.83 11.90 48.29

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Daily high

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

% change 9.49 6.21 4.03 8.17 9.81 9.27 0.04 13.85 9.83 1.49 1.72 2.44 0.43 5.08 0.55 1.64 1.62 12.05 0.59 1.67 0.01

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

CVO PetroChem RL-Z LafargeS Cement-Z BD Submarine Cable-A

Emerald Oil Ind. -N Padma Oil Co. -A Appollo Ispat CL -N Eastern Housing -A Delta SpinnersA

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company HeidelbergCement -A

Matin Spinning-N Appollo Ispat CL -N BD Submarine Cable-A Grameenphone-A LankaBangla Fin. -A Premier Bank -A Meghna Petroleum -A Salvo Chemicals-B Delta SpinnersA LafargeS Cement-Z Mozaffar H.Spinning-N UCBL - A Paramount Textile Ltd.-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A

Volume shares 1,612,731 690,136 2,928,200 2,924,358 11,569,500 353,221 324,376 103,202 1,257,500 397,960

1,469,500 216,292 2,427,400 1,106,433 3,241,900

Volume shares

29,200 286,200 427,200 56,000 38,600 193,230 681,921 22,563 270,239 296,400 90,000 188,500 221,931 128,280 172,563

Value in million 434.78 165.74 143.98 140.41 99.06 97.67 92.85 91.40 85.96 78.54

76.55 72.21 70.11 69.92 67.84

Value in million

15.36 14.03 12.33 11.05 10.39 9.33 6.99 6.45 6.30 6.18 6.13 6.00 5.80 5.24 4.61

% of total turnover 11.03 4.21 3.65 3.56 2.51 2.48 2.36 2.32 2.18 1.99

1.94 1.83 1.78 1.77 1.72

% of total turnover

5.80 5.30 4.66 4.17 3.92 3.53 2.64 2.44 2.38 2.34 2.32 2.27 2.19 1.98 1.74

Daily closing 270.50 238.10 48.10 48.70 8.70 276.80 285.20 884.90 68.50 194.40

51.20 332.40 28.40 62.50 21.00

Daily closing

531.30 47.90 28.40 194.00 270.90 48.80 10.30 285.10 23.80 21.00 68.10 31.00 26.30 39.80 26.70

Price change 0.37 -0.17 -3.02 -4.51 4.82 0.04 -1.52 6.90 0.15 -1.62

Daily opening 269.50 238.50 49.60 51.00 8.30 276.70 289.60 827.80 68.40 197.60

Daily high 271.60 242.00 50.40 50.00 8.80 279.00 289.80 889.80 68.80 203.00

Price change

Daily opening

Daily high

-2.29 -1.13 -0.35 -2.80 8.25

1.74 -3.04 -0.70 -1.67 0.67 -4.50 -6.36 -1.59 6.25 7.69 -0.58 -1.59 0.38 -2.45 0.00

52.40 336.20 28.50 64.30 19.40

522.20 49.40 28.60 197.30 269.10 51.10 11.00 289.70 22.40 19.50 68.50 31.50 26.20 40.80 26.70

53.30 337.80 29.30 65.00 21.30

545.00 50.50 29.30 202.00 271.50 50.00 9.90 294.00 24.00 21.30 68.90 32.70 26.50 41.90 27.00

Daily low 265.00 225.00 47.80 45.90 8.30 270.00 275.00 820.00 67.80 185.00

Daily average 269.59 240.15 49.17 48.01 8.56 276.51 286.25 885.63 68.35 197.36

Daily low

Daily average

51.00 320.00 28.10 58.00 19.50

520.00 47.00 28.30 193.00 266.10 47.10 10.00 284.60 22.20 19.80 67.90 30.80 25.80 39.30 26.60

52.09 333.84 28.88 63.19 20.93

525.97 49.04 28.87 197.34 269.11 48.29 10.24 285.90 23.29 20.85 68.13 31.82 26.13 40.86 26.74

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Parrot launching smartphone controlled drones n AFP, San Francisco Wireless products maker Parrot unveiled a drone Sunday aimed squarely at smartphone or tablet owners keen on getting bird’s eye views of the world.

Parrot billed its Bebop Drone as a flying high-quality camera that will land in the market in the final three months this year.

The Paris-based maker of wireless accessories for automobiles and handheld mobile devices did not disclose how much it plans to charge for the drones.

“The experience is like being a bird, an insect,” Parrot founder and chief Henri Seydoux said while providing an early look at Bebop drones in San Francisco.

“You fly through the device and see the same thing as if you were a bird.”

A Bebop drone can be controlled using smartphones or tablet computers powered by Apple or Android software, displaying on screens what is captured by its high-definition camera with a 180-degree “fish-eye” view.

The drones can also synch to Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets, letting wearers essentially look around by moving their heads as though they are actually flying.

Consumer targets for the drones, which are essentially motion-stabilized

cameras, include people who want to capture aerial shots for movies made using smartphones or tablets.

Bebop drones link to mobile devices using standard Wi-Fi connections and have ranges of about 980 feet (300 meters).

Parrot said it will sell separately a Skycontroller accessory dock for mobile devices to boost flying distances to about 1.2 miles (two kilometers).

A homing feature lets people controlling Bebop drones order them to return automatically to where they tookoff using GPS capabilities, according to Seydoux.

A 2.2-pound (one-kilogram) Bebop drone, whose camera is taken aloft by four propellers, buzzed like a swarm of bees as it swooped, circled and hovered in an inner courtyard at a historic former US mint building in downtown San Francisco.

The drones are designed to fly indoors or outdoors.

Imagery captured by drones is stored and can be digitally downloaded after Bebops return from flights, according to Parrot product manager Francois Callou.

Bebop drones will debut as communities and regulators grapple with privacy concerns, aviation risks and other issues raised by personal or business use of such devices in the skies. l

Parrot product manager Francois Callou remotely controls a Bebop Drone as it peers at a swarm of reporters and shows what it sees on a screen at the historic Old Mint in San Francisco.

The Bebop Drone can be remotely controlled using smartphones or tablets AFP

IEA says extra $44tn needed for clean energy future n AFP, Seoul

The global cost of securing a clean energy future is rising by the year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned yesterday, estimating that an additional $44tn of investment was needed to meet 2050 carbon reduction targets.

Releasing its biennial “Energy Technology Perspectives” report in Seoul,

the agency said electricity would increasingly power the world’s economies in the decades to come, rivalling oil as the dominant energy carrier.

Surging electricity demand posed serious challenges, said IEA executive director Maria van der Hoeven.

“We must get it right, but we’re on the wrong path at the moment,” Van der Hoeven told reporters in the South

Korean capital.

“Growing use of coal globally is overshadowing progress in renewable energy deployment, and the emissions intensity of the electricity system has not changed in 20 years despite some progress in some regions.

“A radical change of course at the global level is long overdue,” she said.

Such a change would, however, be

expensive, and the IEA stressed the importance of governments minimising investment risks in the energy sector so as to encourage institutional funding.

The agency said an additional $44tn in investment was needed to secure a “clean-energy future” by 2050, compared to the $36tn it had estimated in its 2012 report.

“The increase partly shows some-

thing the IEA has said for some time: the longer we wait, the more expensive it becomes to transform our energy system,” Van der Hoeven said.

While the deployment of clean energy technology in emerging economies has rallied over the past year - making up for declines in the industrialised world - the overall picture remains bleak, according to the report’s lead au-

thor David Elzinga.

“We are not making the technical progress needed to bring down the cost yet,” Elzinga said.

Attracting capital investment will be crucial to financing the transition to a clean energy system, the report said, but high capital costs meant investors would need support “to alleviate their exposure to a shift in risk profiles”. l