04 June 2014

Joishthya 21, 1421 Shaaban 5, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 65

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

Treehouse | ALL ABOUT CHICKENS & EGGS

8 | END OF MONARCHY?

20 pages plus 8-page Treehouse children’s supplement | Price: Tk12

12 | ‘BIG SCREEN IS THE PLACE TO BE’

14 | SCOLARI TELLS BRAZIL TO SHARPEN UP

Huge stash of arms found in Habiganj A separatist group from Tripura may have hidden the ammo in the forest, sources say Islam Shaon with n Ashif Habiganj correspondent A huge cache of arms and ammunitions has been recovered from the bordering Satchhari forest of Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj yesterday.

The cash included 184 pieces of 40m rocket shells, 153 rocket launcher charges and other warheads.

RAB recovered the anti-tank ammunitions and charges from a bunker inside the remote forest in a daylong raid.

The elite crime busters have also identified six more similar bunkers in the area, said RAB media wing Director Habibur Rahman.

“The bunkers are located 10-15 feet under the Satchhari forest ground. We will continue the drive for a few more days to recover more arms and ammunitions from the forest and the adjoining areas,” the RAB official said.

A dog squad and a bomb disposal team of RAB jointly conducted the operation. The stash was left unattended inside the bunker.

The RAB official said another drive was also being conducted in different parts of the area to nab those who kept the firearms. However, they are yet to officially disclose who had left those there.

Requesting anonymity, a RAB official from the force’s headquarters told the Dhaka Tribune last night that a big part of the Satchhari forest stretched across the Bangladesh-India border  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

BGB’s rejoinder and our reply n Tribune Report On Monday June 2, the Dhaka Tribune published a photograph resourced from Banglar Chokh on the front page.

The photo was captioned: “Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh along with locals dig out mines planted by Myanmar’s Border Guard Police inside Bangladesh Territory in Nikhangchhari  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

Members of the RAB display a massive cache of arms and ammunition recovered from the forest of Satchhari National Park in Habiganj yesterday

Shamim Osman’s family was a “victim of propaganda,” said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in parliament yesterday, recalling the Osman family’s contribution to the Awami League and the country.

While taking part in the condolence reference for Nasim Osman, the late member of parliament of Jatiya Party from Narayangaj 5 constituency and elder brother of Shamim, the premier said all the governments during the Pakistan era and after the 1975 coup carried out attacks on the family.

The Awami League president said she would stand by the Osman family, if necessary.

The prime minister made the comment before the scheduled Narayanganj 5 by-poll on June 26, in which Selim Osman, brother of Nasim and Shamim, is taking part amid the anti-Osman-family mood, as suggested by media reports.

“This family has faced repeated attacks since the Liberation War. Every government that came to power after Bangabandhu’s assassination spearheaded torture and attack on this family,” Hasina told the House before adjourning in honour of Nasim Osman, who died in India on April 30.

The prime minister said the Awami League was born in the house of Osman family, adding that Shamim Osman’s father Shamsuzzoha led a life “with principle.”

DHAKA TRIBUNE

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Buet experts differ with RMG compliance groups

n Aminur Rahman Rasel

n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

The government now stands at crossroads regarding whom to award the production sharing contract of the Sunetra gas structure.

On one hand, international oil company (IOC) Chevron Bangladesh, who operates the adjacent Bibiyana Gas Field, has been showing a lot of interest about getting the Sunetra exploration and production contract, considering it a potential structure.

On the other hand, is state-owned Bapex, which, if awarded the contract, is likely to finish the exploration at one-third the cost that Chevron is presumed to quote.

Unlike the power sector, there is no policy that might allow local private companies to invest in the energy sector.

As a result, local company Summit Group, who has been waiting in the wings to play in Bangladesh’s hydrocarbon surface and pushing the govern-

As all set, the next fiscal year’s budget announcement scheduled for tomorrow is expected to include a number of incentive packages to stimulate investments.

3 | News

World Trade Organisation Director General Roberto Azevedo has urged the government to engage with all stakeholders to get duty-free and quota-free market access in the developed and developing world.

5 | News

The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) authorities suspended its special school bus service on the city’s Mirpur-Azimpur route for summer vacation in the city schools.

6 | Nation

Reza Chowdhury and n Kamran Emran Hossain Shaikh

Gas exploration: The choice is between cost and efficiency GAS RESERVE FACTS PRESENT SCENERIO

Demand Supply Deficit

Thirteen years have passed since the Baniarchar Catholic Church bomb attack claimed the lives of 10 people and injured 20 others, but the Criminal Investigation Department has yet to file a charge sheet in the case.

7 | Long Form

Three years ago Shilpi was living in Dhaka’s Mirpur Mazar. At 14, she had just given birth to a child when her husband left her. Apparently, he also stole from local thugs in the area, and they exacted their revenge on Shilpi by beating, torturing, and raping her.

9 | World

Thailand’s junta said yesterday that it was scrapping a curfew in three major beach resorts to woo back tourists in the wake of last month’s coup.

11 | Op-Ed

Situations that can be seen from all quarters suggest that we have lost our guts and morale in standing against the ills of the world. With time, we have come down to our knees. Our vitality and strength was drained by imperceptible forces.

13 | Sport

(PER DAY)

3,000mmcf 2,350mmcf 750mmcf

Till 2025 Current reserve Projected demand Projected deficit

ment for a favourable policy for many years, has not been able to contribute healthy competition in the sector.

In the middle of last year, Bapex was unsuccessful in finding any gas in an exploratory well that it had dug at a cost of Tk80 crore. It then said the well was dug in the wrong location. The money was spent from the government exchequer.

Insiders said if an IOC was given the same contract, they would have charged the government at least Tk200 crore; but at the same time, chances would have been higher that they would dig the hole in the right location.

However, in case the IOC also failed

INSIDE B1 | Business

Sheikh Hasina backs up the Osmans

FIFA oversaw the final World Cup test event at the Corinthians arena on Sunday and officials said there was ‘a week and a half of hard work’ ahead to get the stadium ready for the opening match of the tournament on June 12.

16.07tcf 22.76tcf 6.69tcf

COUNTRYWIDE GAS BLOCKS 22 Total Unexplored 16 SOURCE: PETROBANGLA

to find gas, the government would not have needed to pay a single penny to the company.

Currently, US-based Chevron is extracting around 800 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd) from Bibiyana.

It is said that the reserve in the field will run out in eight to 10 years. That is why Chevron has been trying to get the Sunetra contract in order to continue their business in Bangladesh for some more years.

Chevron held some primary discussions with the Awami League government during the end of its previous tenure.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Experts of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and compliance oversight groups, Alliance and Accord, have differed over the standards of load of the buildings housing the readymade garment factories.

A team of civil engineers from Buet inspected 200 buildings accommodating 252 factories between October 2013 and January 2014 and suggested no abandonment of the buildings while the oversight groups detected many buildings for ‘poor safety standards’.

Up to June 3, Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment closed down 15 factories housed in five buildings, its inspector general told Syed Ahmed the Dhaka Tribune.

According to the standards set by Accord, an alliance of European buyers, and Alliance, the group of North American importers, the maximum load for brick-made buildings in Bangladesh is

1,800 PSI (per square inch) and 2,100 PSI for stone stuffed buildings.

But Buet team set 2,100 PSI and 2,400 PSI for brick-made buildings and stone stuffed buildings respectively.

If the Accord-Alliance standards are implemented, the experts fear at least 30% factories of the US $30 billion industry would be shut.

Today, the Buet team members will meet the Accord-Alliance technicians to set the standards according to which they would suggest building conditions to ensure safety standards for the garment industry.

“The Buet team has huge expertise on the building patterns in Bangladesh.

They have set the standards of 2,100 PSI and 2,400 PSI for brick and stone stuffed factory buildings. Buet has not suggested any closure, recommending minor structural changes and overhaul of electrical wiring,” Syed Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Testimony against Jamaat leader Azhar ends

Three-member ICT fixed June 15 to hear the investigation officer’s testimony After his deposition, defence would not be able to establish suprem- his brother. The witness also stated n Udisa Islam that when his brother Jhoru Kha recounsel Abdus Sobhan Tarafder acy by this misdeed.

The prosecution yesterday ended the charge framing hearing against Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam on charges of crimes against humaniy during the 1971 Liberation War. The three-member ICT team led by ATM Fazle Kabir also fixed June 15 to hear the investigation officer’s testimony as the prosecution requested for some preparation time.

As the 18th prosecution witness Azab Uddin Mia testified before the court in the case filed against Azhar.

SM Idris Ali, investigation officer of the case, seized the 1971 news reports published in the Daily Sangram and the Azad from the Bangla Academy library in the presence of Azab.

questioned Azab.

Meanwhile, the tribunal accepted the prosecution’s plea as the additional document.

On September 13, 1971, the Daily Sangram published a report titled “Mejbahuddin killed by miscreants in Rangpur,” which was based on statements of the then president of Islami Chhatra Shangha’s Rangpur district unit, and Azhar Islam, president of the party’s Rangpur city unit.

The report stated that they were shocked at the death of Mejbahuddin and warned saying that the miscreants would not be able to eliminate the progress of Islami movement through killing one or two Mujaheed like Mejbahuddin. The miscreants from India

The report also stated that Mejbahuddin was primary member of Islami Chhatra Sangha who was killed by the miscreants from India.

Meanwhile, Mizanul Islam, defence counsel of Moulana Abdus Subhan, another Jamaat leader accused of war crimes, ended grilling the ninth prosecution witness and the tribunal set Thursday for further testimony.

During cross examination, the defence denied almost every claim of the witness. At one stage, he termed the witness an opportunist, who strongly denied the claim.

Riaz Uddin Mandal, 72, an Ansar member from Arunkhola in Ishwardi, Pabna, claimed that Subhan was the criminal who abducted and tortured

turned from the torture camp, he said he was brutally tortured by Subhan, Khoda Box and other razakars. Sometimes, they also charged bayonet on confined people that made them disabled for the rest of their lives.

During cross examination, when Mizanul Islam asked Riaz whether he had the freedom fighter certificate, he said he did.

Later, the defence raised a question on Riaz’s part in the Liberation War, which was dismissed by the witness as well.

On December 31 last year, the ICT 1 indicted Subhan with nine charges of crimes against humanity, but on March 27 this year the case was transferred to ICT 2. l

Remand granted against SQ Chowdhury’s manager n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday granted five days remand against Mahabubul Ahsan, manager of convicted BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, in a case filed over leakage a draft verdict of war crimes trial of the leader.

Metropolitan Magistrate Rezaul Karim passed the order after DB Inspector Shahjahan produced him before the court, seeking 10-day remand for interrogation.

Earlier on Monday, DB police arrested Ahsan acting on information from an arrested ICT tribunal staff who mentioned his name during confessional statements on October 4 last year.

In this connection on October 4, DB police arrested ICT employees Nayan Ali, Faruk Hossain and SQ Chowdhury’s counsel Barrister Fakhrul Islam for their alleged involvement in the leakage.

Later, Nayan Ali confessed that 7-8 people were involved in the leakage,

Unique way of extortion n

Kailash Sarkar

The crime busting force Rapid Action Battalion members yesterday arrested two criminals of a gang in the capital, who extort money from people in a unique style.

The detainees allegedly used to extort money from businessmen and rich people by threatening that they [gangsters] would damage their properties or set their business establishments on fire. “Nothing can resist us, even if you seek help from the law enforcers.”

The gangsters identified themselves as members of “Ex-Service Scott Command Force”. They used to send letters to their target people, asking them to pay huge amount of money.

Surprisingly, they tell their target people that they will run business and when time comes they will return the money.

The RAB 2 personnel in the early hours of Monday arrested two members of the gang after they had sent a letter to the owner of “Jounpur Furniture” located in the capital’s Taltola under Kafrul police station, asking

He said the Alliance-Accord standards were ‘not acceptable’, referring that their standards, if applied, would spell disaster for the country’s readymade garment industry.

Concerns over factory buildings constructed

The Alliance-Accord Group is obstinate on changing its stance on standards of buildings constructed before 2005, a Buet professor told the Dhaka Tribune, referring that they would accept the Buet standards for factories built after 2005.

“About 90% of the buildings housing garment factories were built before 2005; so applying their standards would spell disaster for the industry,” he said.

Syed Ahmed said: “There is a little change in the construction pattern of buildings in Bangladesh. So, the debate over standards associating the build-

ings constructed before and after 2005 is illogical.”

Buet report highlights

Out of the total 252 factories inspected, the Buet experts detected some minor structural problems in 25 factories that can be renovated within at best six weeks. The team identified some minor difficulties such as damping walls, leaking of water, constructing storehouses in 30 factories worthy of being repaired with renovation.

But almost all of the factories beset with fire and electrical safety deficits such as narrow fire door and approach road for the fire fighters, electrical load management problems, haphazard electrical wiring and flaws in the wiring joints and others, which can result in short circuit.

According to the figures of fire service and civil defence wing of the Home Ministry, over 80% of the fire incidents are caused by electrical short circuits. l

Huge ammo stash recovered  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

area. Indian state Tripura is situated on the other side.

“We suspect that the arms belong to one of the separatist groups from Tripura. They crossed the border and used the reserved forest to hide the huge ammo,” he said.

However, RAB did not inform the local police about the drive and the recovery, Amullo Kumar Chowdhury, OC of the Chunarughat police station, confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune.

Col Ziaul Ahsan, additional director general of RAB, and Habibur Rahman, director of the media wing, joined the first day’s drive yesterday.

“We think more arms and ammunitions are hidden under the bankers.

We will dig them out... We believe half of them are still to be recovered,” Col Ziaul Ahsan said.

Habibur said the hills under which the bunkers were located, were dwelled by several families. However, after going there, the RAB members found only the female members and the children.

According to our Habiganj correspondent, once upon a time the Satch-

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Identifying themselves as members of 'ExService Scott Command Force,' they say nothing can resist them, even if help is sought from the law enforcement agencies

Buet experts differ with RMG compliance groups  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

BGB’s rejoinder

Tk27 lakh.

In the letter, they threatened that they would set his business organisation to fire, if their demand was not met.

The detainees were identified as Mashiur Rahman of Muladi upazila

in Barisal and Md Sumon of Bakerganj in Barishal.

Additional Superintendent of Police Raihan Uddin Khan, also the operation officer of RAB 2, said those people also introduced themselves as the major of the army.l

hari forest was known as a den of the All Tripura Tiger Forces (ATTF). However, the rebel group does not have much activity in the area at present.

On June 27, 2003, law enforcers recovered a stash of bullets from a truck in the northern district of Bogra which was believed to be trafficked by Asish Burma, nephew of Jogesh Burman, an ex-headman of the Satchhari Tripura Palli. Asish has been absconding since then.

At that time, several Indian newspapers reported that the ATTF den was also being used by the United Liberation Front of Asam (Ulfa) for storing trafficked arms.

ATTF chief Ranjit Debbarma, who had close ties with Ulfa chief Paresh Barua, is now in Tripura jail.

Paresh was given death sentence in the Chittagong 10-trucks arms haul case and is believed to have taken refuge in China now.

Detectives believe that Ulfa and ATTF used to bring arms and ammo through Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar and hide those in their Satchhari den. l

including Fakhrul, his assistant advocate Mehedi Hasan, Faruk and SQ Chowdhury’s manager.

DB police arrested SQ Chowdhury’s counsel Fakhrul Islam on November 20 last year.

On October 2, ICT 1 awarded the BNP leader death sentence for committing crimes against humanity and genocide in Chittagong during the 1971 Liberation War. Immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict, his family members and defence lawyers told the media that the verdict had been available in a few websites before the tribunal delivered it.

They also alleged that the draft verdict had been retrieved from a computer of the Law Ministry and that it was written by the ministry itself.

Later, DB Inspector Fazlur Rahman filed a case against Nayan, Faruk, Mehedi and some unknown people with Shahbagh police station under the Information and Communication Technology Act.l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaks on the condolence motion adopted on the death of Jatiya Party lawmaker Nasim Osman yesterday in parliament BSS

Hasina says she is with the Osmans  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

“I will take care of this family, if necessary,” Hasina said before wrapping up of the discussion on Nasim Osman’s life, who fled to India leaving his newly-wed wife after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975.

Hinting at the media for their reports on the family, the Awami League chief said: “Propagandas are spread targeting some people. In some cases, a trifle matter is blown up (in media).

However, in many other cases, not a single word is written on other people committing serious offences.”

She said the members of Osman family were the few Bangladeshis who went to see Sheikh Hasina while she was in political asylum in India.

Giving an indication on the ongoing country-wide debate over the abduction and killing of seven people in Narayanganj, the premier said: “Punishment must follow if anyone commits crime. The law will take its own course, but the nation must remain

alert about the plots to destroy a family through political conspiracy.”

Claiming there were “conspiracies” against her government, the prime minister said the conspiracy that started at the time of Bangabandhu’s murder was still on.

Members of Osman family were the few Bangladeshis who went to see Sheikh Hasina while she was in political asylum in India Shamim Osman gave a long speech on his brother, his family’s contribution to the Awami League and the country, and the tortures on them during different regimes since 1975.

“My brother was a very pious man; he never missed a single prayer in a day. He prayed the entire night. Everybody hires hujurs (religious leaders) to

offer Dua Yunus, but he himself recited it,” he said, choking with emotion.

Shamim said he had often raised concerns about Sheikh Hasina ahead of the January 5 polls to Nasim Osman, who said: “Do not worry, nothing will happen to Sheikh Hasina. She has reached the level of Aulia (saint).”

He also said his family was a victim of a group with the help of a section of Awami League and said: “During the past one and a half years, we have been subjected to mental torture.”

He pointed finger at a Bangla newspaper for slandering his family and said he had no knowledge about any political development between April 29 and May 6 due to his brother’s death on April 30.

But some people implicated him and his dead brother in negative publicity. “The family members cannot tolerate this mental torture,” he said.

“I may be killed tomorrow,” Shamim said. “I have survived the bomb attack.

I do not know whether I will have a natural or unnatural death. Bullets are

upazila’s inaccessible hilly parts in Bandarban yesterday.”

The Border Guard Bangladesh headquarters sent a rejoinder yesterday that reads: “Information of the captioned picture is not true. No such operation was conducted by BGB on that day.

HQ BGB feels that publication of such news is done intentionally with a view to hamper our ongoing joint efforts of rebuilding mutual trust and understanding between two neighbouring countries. As such, Headquarters BGB strongly protests the published news.”

The Dhaka Tribune would like to assert that it practises the highest level of professionalism and sincerity in its journalistic endeavours, which in no way are meant to hurt the efforts to rebuilding mutual trust with the neighbouring countries.

The photograph was resourced from the Banglar Chokh. The agency made that photograph available on June 2, but did not mention that it was a file photo taken in the past.

However, the Banglar Chokh yesterday in a letter to the Dhaka Tribune acknowledged its mistake of not mentioning that it was a file photo and was taken a year back. The Dhaka Tribune sincerely apologises for its unintentional mistake.l

flying around, I do not know whose bullets will kill me. If I am killed, I beg pardon in advance; please forgive me.”

Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Telecom Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, State Minister for Local Government Moshiur Rahman Ranga, Jatiya Party’s ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader and Kazi Feroz Rashid also spoke about Nasim Osman’s life.

Following the parliamentary convention, the House was adjourned after the adoption of the condolence motion on Nasim Osman and other renowned citizens of the country.

Earlier, the House started its inaugural sitting with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair around 5:05pm.

At 4pm, the Business Advisory Committee had its meeting and decided to run the session until July 3.

According to the meeting, the proposed budget for the 2014-15 fiscal will be passed on July 29. The House will resume at 5pm today. l

Gas exploration: The choice is between cost and efficiency  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

However, since the beginning of this tenure, the company has been doing strong lobbying and holding regular discussions with the government, expressing its interest in getting the contract to explore onshore blocks 11 and 12 at Sunetra, sources said.

On June 4, the company is scheduled to sit in a meeting with State Minister for Energy Nasrul Hamid to discuss the same issue.

The country will need 22.76 trillion cubic feet (tcf) until 2025 while the proven and probable reserve of gas is now a little over 16tcf. That means, the deficit of gas would be 6.69tcf, given the current production, says national oil company Petrobangla.

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) is a concern of Petrobangla.

Professionals say the gas crisis will go through the roof if no new gas field is discovered, 10 years from now.

The country is now facing a shortage of 750mmcf per day, as it supplies about 2,350mmcf against an estimated demand for 3,000mmcf per day.

Buet Prof Ijaz Hossain told the Dha-

ka Tribune that the entirety of the proven and probable amount of gas might not be recovered for use.

According to Petrobangla, in the last 10 years, gas fields have been discovered in Bagrura, Sundulpur and Srikail which have a total reserve of about 600 billion cubic feet gas.

“Considering the yearly consumption of about 800bcf, the country needs 10tcf gas for the next 12 years,” Ijaj said, adding that if no new gas field is discovered during this period, “a severe problem will arise.”

“We think the government should harness private investment to find more gas, bring in technical expertise and bear some of the significant costs and risks of gas exploration,” Naser Ahmed, a director of Chevron, told the Dhaka tribune.

“Chevron would support a decision to release exploration rights to the IOCs to unlicensed acreage in additional onshore blocks, which would bring in much needed foreign investment into Bangladesh,” he said.

“Chevron does not comment on new business opportunities, as a matter of long-standing policy,” he continued.

“It will be wrong to sign onshore production sharing contracts with the international oil companies [IOCs].

We will only hire them on contractual basis. As Bapex is capable of extracting gas onshore, the IOCs should not be allowed to get PSC from there,” Petrobangla Chairman Hossain Monsur told the Dhaka Tribune.

However, former Petrobangla chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain said: “The gas we have been extracting is not enough. The present situation of the gas sector is frustrating. We need to explore gas at onshore blocks with international oil companies besides Bapex to overcome the crisis.”

He also said the country needed 1020 new gas wells explored every year.

Bapex has been exploring only twothree on an average. “If this continues we will not be able to tackle the gas crisis,” he warned.

“For exploring onshore blocks, locals firms should be encouraged to invest. Just like the power sector, strong local companies must enter the energy sector as well,” he suggested.

At present, there are 22 onshore gas blocks in the country. Out of these, 16

blocks have not yet been explored and some of these are located in the Chittagong hill tracts.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Summit Group Chairman Muhammed Aziz Khan regretted the fact that the absence of policy has not been allowing local companies to enter the sector.

“We have urged the government to enact a policy for the private sector. We have the ability to serve the country by exploring gas. We have showcased our ability in the power sector over the past 18 years,” he claimed.

State Minister for Energy Nasrul told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “We have yet to take steps regarding the proposals sent by the IOC and the local firms.

The decisions are still in the primary stage. We are thinking about that [making a policy].”

IOC Chevron is a key player in Bangladesh’s energy sector, accounting for around 50% of Bangladesh’s national gas supply.

Summit Group of Companies is one of the leading private sector conglomerates of Bangladesh. Its business ranges from power to shipping to communications. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

3

WTO DG: Try best for duty-free market access n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman World Trade Organisation Director General Roberto Azevedo has urged the government to engage with all stakeholders to get duty-free and quota-free market access in the developed and developing world.

“I would thus encourage you to reach out to all the stakeholders involved, particularly other LDCs, and continue to engage them in a pragmatic manner [to get duty-free and quota-free market access],” Azevedo said at a programme at a city hotel yesterday.

In the WTO Bali Ministerial last year, it was agreed by everybody that developed and developing world would open up their market for LDCs without any duty before the next ministerial.

Azevedo said his experience in the negotiations on this issue had shown that the implementation of duty-free access is not straightforward.

“Progress is possible, but will very much depend on the level of ambition and the balance that can be struck taking into account the sensitivities surrounding the issue,” he said.

Many developed countries including members of European Union, Australia and Canada offered duty-free market access for Bangladesh but the biggest economy and the single biggest export destination of Bangladeshi products, the USA, is yet to provide duty-free access.

About preferential rules of origin, he said the Bali decision responded to the long-standing demand from the LDCs to make the rules of origin simple

and flexible.

“The Bali decision therefore will further help members reform their individual rules of origin for LDCs,” he added.

Azevedo said another important decision taken at Bali concerns the LDC services waiver through which preferential market access is granted to LDC services and service suppliers.

“I understand that LDCs are working together to table a collective request in this regard. In my view, your aim should be high, but grounded in the fact that we are indeed dealing with new territory,” he said.

In Bali, ministers from all member countries instructed the officials of the WTO to prepare, by December, a clearly defined work programme to conclude the Doha Development Agenda.

“Negotiations on the Doha agenda have been running since 2001 – that’s far too long,” he said adding, “Now we have to go further.”

He said Bangladesh support is needed to take the position that is required to finalise Doha agenda.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said the main demand of Bangladesh is to get duty-free market access and some countries have already given the facility to it.

The minister said he would visit Washington from June 10 and meet US Trade Representative, some senators and Congressmen to negotiate the market access issue.

Bangladesh would negotiate with certain countries to have free trade agreement like Malaysia, Brazil and Chile. l

World Trade Organisation Director General Roberto Azevedo addresses a programme at the capital’s Sonargaon Hotel yesterday

Study: Better midwifery service could save millions n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

Addressing the vast shortage of midwives and midwifery services across low-and-middle-income countries could save the lives of millions of women and newborns each year, a global study has found.

The second Global Report on Midwifery was published in Czech capital Prague yesterday at the 30th Triennial Congress of the International Confederation of Midwives.

The report called for urgent invest-

ment in high-quality midwifery care to prevent about two-thirds of all maternal and newborn deaths.

The 73 countries profiled in the report, including Bangladesh, together account for 96% of all maternal deaths, 91% of all stillbirths, and 93% of all newborn deaths; but have only 42% of the world’s midwives, nurses, and doctors.

Asma Akhter, national programme officer-communication (social and media) of the UNFPA Bangladesh office, has issued a press release in this regard.

Most countries in the report have

inadequate numbers of midwives, and more than three-quarters face serious shortages that will result in unnecessary deaths of women and babies.

The report also highlighted four key factors – the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of the midwifery workforce – that countries and health systems need to address in order to provide women and newborns with the lifesaving care they need.

In 2010, in response to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s “Every Woman Every Child” initiative, Prime

n Our Correspondent, Comilla

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

The bodies of three workers who had died in a fire in Saudi Arabia arrived at the Shah Jalal Internatinal Airport yesterday.

The deceased, Nazir Hossain, 32, the son of Jamsher Ali of South Narandia village under Titas upazila in Comilla, Bahauddin, 27, the son of Hazi Md Ismail Hossain of Chander Char village under Homna upazila in Comilla, and Md Abdul Gaffar, the son of Nurul Islam, of Shib Nagar village under Meghna upazila in Comilla.

Assistant Director Mizanur Rahman of Comilla Employment and Manpower district office told the Dhaka Tribune that the bodies arrived at the Dhaka airport on a Biman Bangladesh flight around 3pm yesterday afternoon.

Sources said a total of 11 foreign workers including nine Bangladeshis were killed in a fire at the Titas Furniture in Riyadh on the night of May 12.

The bodies of six workers arrived at the capital on Friday. l

The BNP yesterday asked whether there was any link between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s homecoming on May 17, 1981 and Ziaur Rahman’s murder 13 days later – a day after Hasina said Zia would have been tried for Bangabandhu’s murder if he was alive.

In reply to a query from a journalist, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said: “People have questions in their minds as to whether there is any connection [between the homecoming and the murder].”

When Fakhrul said they would probe into the matter if they come to power again, journalists asked why they had not done so during their previous two tenures.

In reply Fakhrul claimed that there were some investigations but this time, that is if they come to power again, “there would be a detailed probe.”

Zia’s widow and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has accused former military ruler and Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad for her husband’s murder in the past. Ershad came to power through a military coup after Zia was killed.

In 1975, Zia took over state power through a similar military coup after the murder of the then prime minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to become the first military autocrat of the country. A few years later, Zia formed the BNP and became the president of the country.

The Bangabandhu murder case was settled in 2009 after Awami League came to power. Five of the accused were executed. Zia’s name did not feature in the list of the accused.

Mirza Fakhrul said he was not surprised that the prime minister tried to implicate Ziaur Rahman with Bangabandhu’s murder. “We were not surprised at such an irresponsible comment from the Awami League

Family members of an expatriate who died in a fire in Saudi Arabia break into tears in front of the coffin carrying their loved one. The bodies of three victims out of nine arrived at Dhaka airport yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

CONTEMPT OF COURT ALLEGATION

Ex-CEC cleared, Daily Star seeks unconditional apology The High Court cleared ATM Shamsul Huda of contempt of court for allegedly criticising the judiciary yesterday as The Daily Star sought the unconditional apology of the court for misquoting the former chief election commissioner in a news report last month.

In an affidavit submitted to the bench yesterday, the newspaper said: “Due to an error and inadvertent mistake in reproducing the statements of ATM Shamsul Huda, The Daily Star prays for an unconditional apology before the High Court.”

However, the paper’s lawyer, Tanjib-ul Alam, claimed that the Star did not apologise, but informed the court that the paper had already apologised publicly for the error on May 29.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Tanjib said: “The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain ordered the paper to authenticate the news published on May 18.

After examining the item, the paper found that it had committed an error, and for that, it apologised publicly, in writing, in the paper. I informed the court about it. As the court did not issue a contempt rule against the paper,

Minister Sheikh Hasina committed to train 3,000 midwives. So far, over 1,100 nurse-midwives have been trained to become certified midwives and currently there are more than 1,200 students enrolled in a newly developed Diploma in Midwifery programme.

The UNFPA and WHO jointly supported the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to collect the data from Bangladesh for the global report. The midwifery report, focusing on the findings from Bangladesh, will be published in August. l

Now BNP asks if Hasina was involved with Zia’s murder

Workers’ bodies arrived from Saudi Arabia

n Nazmus Sakib

NASHIRUL ISLAM

it did not apologise.”

In response to the Star’s affidavit, Justice Altaf Hossain said the report had created a bad impression about the former CEC and his image had suffered because of it.

The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain ordered the daily to authenticate the news In the report published on May 18, the paper quoted Huda as saying, “All constitutional bodies, including the Election Commission and the Public Service Commission, as well as the judiciary have been politicised, and incompetent people are getting important posts there...the constitutional bodies have to be freed from politicisation. Otherwise, the country will go backwards.”

The High Court on May 19 issued a rule seeking an explanation from Huda as to why he should not be charged with contempt of court for maligning the dignity of the judiciary. It gave

Huda two weeks to reply.

In an item published last Thursday under the heading, “We apologise,” the Star said: “We sincerely regret this error and apologise for any damage caused to the image of the judiciary.”

The paper said due to an error in reporting Huda’s statement, which was made in Bangla, the impression was conveyed that incompetent people were being appointed to the judiciary, which is not what the ex-CEC had meant to say.

When the former CEC appeared in court yesterday, Justice Reza asked the lawyers to make room for him to sit.

Dr Kamal Hossain, Huda’s lawyer, told the Dhaka Tribune that the ex-CEC did not seek an apology, but the Star apologised as it had committed an error.

“I submitted an affidavit, a (audio) recording and transcription of the statement made by Huda,” Dr Kamal said.

The affidavit submitted on Huda’s behalf said: “He never remotely had the intention to derogate the respect and confidence that is accorded to the higher judiciary. We can express sincere sorrow that an expression may have been conveyed from his alleged reported statement.” l

GOLD CRESTS SCAM

Chairman: ACC will try to find if ex-state minister involved n Tribune Report The Anti-Corruption Commission will try to find out if former State Minister for Liberation War Affairs AB Tajul Islam along with other accused was involved in the scandal over gold crests presented to foreign friends for their contributions to the 1971 liberation war.

“We will try to find out whether the former state minister was involved in financial irregularities,” ACC Chairman M Bodiuzzaman told reporters at its Segunbagicha headquarters.

“We are waiting for the probe report on gold crest scam prepared by the inquiry committee formed by the ministry concerned. As the committee has already found links of some people with the scam, we have decided to investigate financial irregularities.”

He said a two-member committee was formed to investigate the matter. The ACC on Monday decided to investigate the scam involving civil servants and public representatives who had allegedly misappropriated government funds by making the crests with less gold. A probe report found that 13 senior bureaucrats, including AB Tajul Islam, had links with irregularities in providing less gold and silver with the crests, causing the government a Tk7.04 crore loss. l

president. She always talks like this.

The nation is familiar with her false comments,” he said.

Fakhrul quoted the PM as saying that Khandker Mustaque Ahmad – the interim president who filled in for Bangabandhu – made Zia the chief of army stuff after the murder.

“It is historically true that Awami League men were involved with the killing of Mujib. Mustaque was his [Bangabandhu’s] favourite person...

The members of Mujib’s cabinet joined Mostak’s. The then army chief KM Shafiullah and air force chief AK Khandakar showed loyalty to the new government,” Fakhrul said.

“AK Khandakar was the chief of the air force when Sheikh Mujib was killed.

Sheikh Hasina made him minister.

Then should we say that Sheikh Hasina too was involved with the killing of Mujib? That would not be logical,” Fakhrul answered.

Regarding Ershad, Fakhrul said: “The man, who benefitted the most from Zia’s murder, is now a special envoy to the prime minister.”

When asked what the party’s thoughts were on the budget, he said: “This government does not have any right to place a budget in parliament.

That is why we have been consciously avoiding saying anything about the budget.”

Fakhrul alleged that everything was part of a propaganda that was being conceived in a planned way to destroy the Zia family and the BNP. He said the prime minister tried to give rise to a new debate by bringing up Zia’s name with Bangabandhu’s murder only to divert people’s attention from the rampant killings, abductions and forced disappearances.

Urging the prime minister to take back her comment, Fakhrul said: “We do not believe in political vengeance.

We believe that our main target is to take the country forward. So for this, issues should be resolved through talks.” l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Students suffer as BRTC bus service suspended n Abu Hayat Mahmud The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) authorities suspended its special school bus service on the city’s Mirpur-Azimpur route for summer vacation in the city schools.

The state-run agency suspended the service last month when the vacation started in the public schools in the capital on May 13.

However, the English medium schools, mostly in the Dhanmondi area, will be open at the time, but the BRTC still discontinued the bus service.

Many of the schools on vacation have resumed classes this week, but the BRTC has not resumed the bus service yet, forcing the school-goers and their guardians to travel on other modes of transport.

Although BRTC introduced the special school bus service in January 2011 with 14 buses, only four or five of those buses remain in service.

Despite directives from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Communications Minister Obaidul Quader to increase the number of buses under the service, the BRTC reduced the number without any specific reasons.

Shamima Akter, guardian of a student at the Azimpur branch of Viquarunnisa Noon School and a Mirpur resident, said: “I waited for the bus at Mirpur 12, but it did not come.

I do not see any of those buses on the street either.

“Earlier, we saw only a limited number of these buses on the streets since the service started in 2011. We urged the authorities concerned to increase the number of school buses, but it is now trying to stop the service altogeth-

er,” she said.

Seeking anonymity, a BRTC official said the number of buses in the special school service were reduced because the authorities tried to cover the shortage of staff buses for public service employees as well as its own.

Md Rafiqul Islam Talukder, general manager (operation) at the BRTC, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have not stopped the school bus service permanently. It is temporarily suspended due to the ongoing summer vacation in the schools.

“We will resume the service when the schools resume classes,” he added.

Earlier, Nikhil Ranjan Roy, director (admin and operation) at the BRTC, said: “The number of buses has been reduced in the service because of a lack of sufficient passengers due to the traffic congestion on the route. However, the service is still available.”

When the service was launched in 2011, the BRTC high officials said passenger sheds would be built with the help of Dhaka City Corporation at 33 stoppages on the route, and female guides would be trained to pick up and drop off the students.

Traffic police were also ordered to give priority to the buses to ensure that the students would reach their destination in time, while GPS technology was installed in each of the buses to help the guardians track their charges through text messages.

BRTC officials said the government had initially planned to introduce more BRTC school buses on other routes of the city, after evaluating the success of the service on the Mirpur-Azimpur route. l

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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Journalist Benzir passes away n UNB Former editor of vernacular Daily Bhorer Kagoj and veteran journalist Benzir Ahmed passed away at the age of 68 early yesterday while undergoing treatment at a city hospital.

A confirmed bachelor, Benzir had been suffering from various diseases, including heart ailment, said his brother-in-law Sayed Uddin Mahmud.

Benzir’s body has been kept at Birdem Hospital Mortuary.

His first Namaz-e-Janaza will be held on Bhorer Kagoj premises at 10am today.

His second janaza will be held at Jatiya Press Club. Later, he will be buried at Banani graveyard after the Zohr prayer.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock at the death of Benzir Ahmed. l

Road crash kills 7 n Our Correspondent, Jessore

Members of Dhaka Metropolitan Police destroy a huge amount of litchis as the fruits were adulterated with formalin in a drive yesterday at the Hatirpool bazar in the capital MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Seven passengers of a motorised three-wheeler vehicle were killed and two others wounded as truck carrying goods ran over the vehicle at Abhaynagar upazila in Jessore, police said.

The tragic accident took place at Nawapara Industrial Town on Jessore- Khulna Highway sometime between 7:30am and 7:45am, said Mollah Khabir Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) at Abhaynagar police station.

He said seven people died on the spot while two others were injured.

Of the deceased, five were from Khulna’s Phultala upazila, two from Jessore’s Abhaynagar.

The five from Khulna are Faruk Hossain, 40, Mantu Karmaker, 40, Gopal Bala, 60, Paritosh Kumar Saha, 55 and Sagir Hossain, 30. The two from Jessore were Tutul Mallik, 35, and Iqbal Mollah, 40.

Of the wounded, Forkan Ali, 35, is from Phultala upazila and Monirul Islam, 40, from Abhaynagar upazila. They were admitted to Abhaynagar Upazila Health Complex. OC Khabir said they had handed over the bodies to their kin. l

Prosecution pleas for further investigation

Mystery shrouds death of schoolgirl in Chittagong

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

BAHADDARHAT FLYOVER COLLAPSE

The prosecution of Bahaddarhat flyover collapse case pleaded before a Chittagong court for further investigation yesterday, expressing discontent over the charge sheet.

Public Prosecutor Md Fakhruddin Chowdhury submitted his discontent plea before the court of Metropolitan Session Judge, SM Mojibur Rahman, claiming that an influential accused had been dropped from the charge sheet, said court sources.

The court set June 18 for the hearing of the petition, said the prosecutor.

The collapse happened on the night of November 24, 2012, killing 12 peo-

ple and injuring 13 others. Three girder spans 12 and 13 of the under-construction flyover collapsed, due to substandard construction and lack of security measures.

Sub-Inspector Abul Kalam Azad of Chandgaon police station filed a case on November 26 in this regard, against three officials of Chittagong Development Authority, 10 officials of construction companies Mir Akhter and Parisha Trade Systems, and 12 officials of private consultants SRM Associates and DPM Consultants Ltd. Inspector Rezaul Karim of Chandgaon police station, the investigating officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet on October 24, 2013 before the

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

THUNDERSHOWER OR RAIN

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:43PM SUN RISES 5:11AM 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

32

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YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

24.4ºC Faridpur

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

Mystery shrouds the death of a minor girl, who was found dead at her residence in a shanty of Jangle Salimpur area under Sitakunda upazila in Chittagong yesterday afternoon.

But police could not determine how she was shot or who had shot her.

Deceased Nahima was the daughter of Ayub Ali, of Rosanggiri in Fatikchhari upazila of Chittagong, and was a resident of Jangle Salimpur area, said police.

Iftekhar Hasan, officer-in-charge of Sitakunda police station, said the residents of the shanty heard the sound of firing in the victim’s residence at 12 noon and rushed to the house and

found the girl with a bullet injury on her back.

Later, Nahima was rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where the on-duty doctor pronounced her dead, said Iftekhar, adding that the body was sent to the CMCH morgue for an autopsy.

Quoting locals, the OC said Nahima’s elder brother, Piyaru, was involved with criminal activities and the ill-fated girl might have been shot while he was handling his firearm.

Police, however, did not find any firearm in the house but they found the victim’s blood there, he said, adding that, Piyaru and his mother have been on the run since the incident.

Digital World kicks off today

WEATHER

36.7ºC Rajshahi

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, implicating only eight people, including the seven accused in the First Information Report.

On March 9, 2014, the court sent the case to the Metropolitan Session Judge Court.

The prosecutor said 18 influential names, including three CDA officials, had been dropped from the charge sheet as the investigation officer did not find any evidence against them during investigation.

It is to be noted that the Bangladesh Army completed the construction work of the flyover after the collapse and it was opened for public on December 31 last year. l

3:44am 5:10am 11:57am 3:16pm 6:43pm 8:10pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

Dr Fahima Aziz

Women Leadership Summit on June 7 n Tribune Report Women Leadership Summit 2014 will be held by Bangladesh Brand Forum at The Westin Dhaka hotel in the capital on June 7, says a press release.

At the event, Dr Fahima Aziz will present the keynote speech on “High Participation and Low Representation of Women” while Forbes India Editor Nazneen Karmali, BELA Chief Executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Asian University of Women Vice Chancellor Dr Fahima Aziz, and The Learning Company, New Zealand Founder MD Kathy Tracy will address the summit.

There will be a three-panel discussion on the process to support female leadership.

Prior to coming to Asian University for Women, Dr Aziz served as the endowed the Chair at Hamline University in St Paul, Minnesota, and was the chairperson of the Department of Management and Economics for ten years. l

Digital World 2014, a four-day exposition on information technology arranged by the Information Communication division and Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), will begin in the capital today.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the event at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre while Abdul Latif Siddique, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, and State Minister of the same ministry Zunaid Ahmed Palak will be present at the ceremony.

BASIS invited Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web (WWW),

to the event but he refused to come.

Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy will not be present either.

Thirty-two IT specialists and investors from more than 15 countries are participating in the event with the aim to enhance foreign investment and to give the visitors a glimpse into the technological improvement they have made.

Renowned technology figures, including Peter Vogaler, Martin Leive, Dr Pollob Saha, Ashok Kumar and Dr Henrik Hanson, will address the event.

Russell T Ahmed, BASIS secretary general and chief project officer of the Digital World, told the Dhaka Tribune the programme has been arranged at a

cost of at least Tk8.50 crore but BASIS received Tk7.22 crore from the ICT Division.

Following the inauguration ceremony, the exposition, which will end on June 7, will open to visitors at 2pm.

Seminars and workshops will be held throughout the four-day event. Visitors will be able to enjoy free unlimited Internet access for the four days.

Russell T Ahmed said it would be a milestone for the country’s technology sector.

“I hope it will be a world-class programme,” he said.

In the past, Digital World was arranged in 2011 and 2012, but not in 2013 because of political turmoil. l

Government-NGO partnership stressed for skilled manpower n Tribune report The government and non-government organisations must team up to develop skilled manpower in the country, said Chief Executive Officer of National Skills Development Council (NSDC) Jiban Kumar Chowdhury yesterday.

Apart from that, the country needs proper training for both trainers and trainees, and support from stakeholders, he said while addressing a roundtable discussion titled “Skills training in Bangladesh: effective planning for present and future” at the Brac Centre

Inn in the capital. Speakers at the discussion emphasised on skill development following a two-way approach.

The first is by combining foundational skills that come from high-quality schooling with relevant vocational and technical skills, which are necessary to capitalise on the demographic dividend.

The other requirement is scaling up skills development trainings by four to eight times the current annual training capacity to increase labour force productivity in order to contribute to higher average household income and promote economic diversification including trade

facilitation and industrialisation.

Pointing out reasons behind the poor performance of apprentices in the country, workplace learning and productivity consultant of International Labour Organisation Francis D V De Silva said non-cooperation and non-compliance of industries in recruiting apprentices, poor capacity of the regulatory authority to monitor the compliance and enforce the law, poor incentives given to apprentices, and low level of awareness among youth of apprenticeship programmes are the key factors. l

“We are looking into the matter and a case was lodged with Sitakunda police station in this regard,” added the OC. Meanwhile, Pahartoli police recovered a beheaded body of a 30-year-old unidentified man from the sea shore at Dakkhin Kattoli in the port city at around 12:30pm, said OC Azizur Rahman of Pahartoli Police Station.

The five foot and three inches tall person was found unclothed and police assume that he was killed on the previous night, he said.

The dead body was sent to the CMCH morgue for autopsy and a case was lodged with Pahartoli Police Station in this regard, added the OC. l

Reception for missionary SSC students n Tribune Report Students who passed the Secondary School Certificate 2014 under the missionary schools run by Chittagong Diocese were honoured with a reception at city’s Saint Placid High School in Chittagong on Monday afternoon.

Chittagong Diocese Education Commission organised the reception programme with the assistance of Formation of Youth and Teachers Programme of CARITUS. Professor Harisangkar Jaladas, principal of Chittagong Government College, was the chief guest, while Mahbubur Rahman, secretary of Chittagong Hill Track Land Dispute Arbitration Commission of Khagrachhari, was the special guest.

Bishop Moses Costa of Chittagong Catholic Diocese presided over the programme, while the teachers and head-teachers of the missionary schools were present among others at the programme.

A total of 500 students from Patharghata Saint Placid High School, Saint Scholastica High School, Mariam Ashram High School, Brother Andre High School in Noakhali, and Don Bosco High School in Bandarban were accorded at the reception programme.

A total number of 1,253 students had appeared the SSC examination from nine schools under the Chittagong Diocese, while 405 of them achieved GPA 5. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

BANIARCHAR CHURCH ATTACK

EKRAM MURDER

Teachers, employees form human chain

No charge sheet in 13 years n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj Thirteen years have passed since the Baniarchar Catholic Church bomb attack claimed the lives of 10 people and injured 20 others, but the Criminal Investigation Department has yet to file a charge sheet in the case.

The family members of the victims of the bomb attack – which took place in the church at Muksudpur upazila in Gopalganj on June 3, 2001 – have expressed their frustration and uncertainty about the fate of the case.

The two people suspected to have carried the bomb – Muktakin and Mursalin – are reportedly behind bars in Delhi Jail, with a year left to serve for possessing marijuana. Investigation officers said the charge sheet of the case will be filed with the court after the two men are brought back to the country and if their involvement is proved.

Earlier, Harkatul Jihad chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and other arrested extremists were placed under remand in the case, but the CID was unable to solve the case.

So far, 14 investigation officers have been put in charge of the case since the church’s priest Father Mimmo Pietanzo filed two cases in this regard.

Anna Haldar, mother of bomb victim Sumon Haldar, said they were uncertain whether justice would ever be served, as it has been 13 years and the trial for the attack has yet to begin. She also urged authorities concerned to repatriate the two suspects from India with the help of Interpol.

Akhtaruzzaman, the officer-in-charge of Gopalganj CID and also the investigation officer, said Mufti Hannan and other arrested have not confessed during their remand. Muktakin and Mursalin still have one year left in their ten year jail sentences in India, Akhtar said, adding that filing the charge sheet will be possible if the two men confess to the crime after being brought back to the country.

Meanwhile, Baniarchar residents observed the 13th anniversary of the attack yesterday by holding memorial programmes, placing wreaths at the victims’ graves and distributing food among the poor. l

n Our Correspondent, Feni

Teachers and employees of 41 educational institutions in Fulgazi and Pshuram upazilas in Feni formed a human chain yesterday, protesting the murder of slain Fulgazi upazila parishad chairman Ekramul Haque.

The human chain was formed under the banner “Upazila Shikkhok Kormochari Kolyan Samiti” in Fulgazi bazar.

All 41 of the institutions remained closed for the programme.

Speakers at the programme, presided over by the Samiti’s President Rafikul Bari, demanded the arrest of the killers and masterminds behind the killing immediately.

They also demanded that Feni Police Super Poritosh Ghosh and Officerin-Charge of Feni model police station Mahbub Morshed be withdrawn from their posts. l

The photo taken yesterday shows 10 cemeteries of those who was killed in a bomb attack at Baniachar in Gopalganj. The photo was taken on Monday Focus Bangla

Guimara’s elevation to upazila celebrated Correspondent, n Our Khagrachhari People from all walks of life in Guimara of Khagrachhari cheered the cabinet’s decision to promote Guimara’s status from thana to upazila yesterday.

Jubilant people distributed sweetmeats amongst each other and held a rally in celebration.

The decision was given approval in principle at the 109th meeting of the National Implementation Committee for Administrative Reorganisation (NICAR) held at the Secretariat on Monday.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Additional Secretary of the cabinet NM Ziaul Alam said there would be three unions under the upazila with an area of 115 square kilometres and a

population of 44,202.

Residents and politicians, including Khagrachhari district Awami League president Kujendra Lal Tripura and Vice-President Kangjari Chowdhury, welcomed the decision.

Kangjari said promoting Guimara thana to upazila was a key demand of its residents and the decision was part of the government’s development plan.

“The decision was taken in the interests of the general people,” he said.

Guimara thana Awami League President Jahangir Alam said everyone was happy as the demand of the local people had been met. He thanked the government for the decision and said the ruling party would continue standing by the people in the future.

After the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, an influential

Awami Minister, while on a visit to Guimara, announced that Guimara union would first be made a thana before becoming an upazila.

On November 11 last year, thousands of local people gathered at Khagrachhari Stadium in anticipation of hearing the long-desired announcement from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who paid a visit there. They, however, returned home in frustration and were discontented as the announcement was not made.

Monday’s decision brought them much delight.

In 2010, then Khagrachhari Deputy Commissioner and incumbent Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Md Abdullah tabled a proposal to elevate Guimara thana to upazila but the process had been nipped in the bud when NICAR had turned down the proposal. l

THAKURGAON DIABETIC HOSPITAL

Patients deprived of healthcare as staff are on strike n Our Correspondent, Thakurgoan

Thousands of diabetics who live in Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts have been suffering a lot since the employees of Thakurgaon Swasthoseba Hospital have decided to continue their agitation programmes because their demands have yet to be met.

Hospital sources said being unable to make the hospital authority pay up their arrears, the doctors, nurses and other employees of the hospital have observed three days of work abstention from Saturday to Monday.

Later, on Monday, the workers declared that they would go on strike for an indefinite period as their demands still had not been met.

Yesterday, the workers brought out a procession in the district and marched toward the office of the deputy commissioner. They then observed a sit-in in front of the DC office and chanted slogans of their demands.

The agitating workers also met with the deputy commissioner to resolve the crisis. But the meeting ended without any solution.

“As the district administration did not pay heed to our demands, we will continue our movement,” said Dr Nur Alam on behalf of the protesting workers.

Hospital sources said there is a total of 126 staff members at the hospital, and they have been unpaid for last nine months.

When contacted, the agitating staff blamed the authorities concerned for the deadlock, saying they were forced to call the strike as the situation had finally become unbearable.

Ekramul Hoque Swapan, executive director of the hospital, said he was trying his best to solve the crisis by contacting the higher authorities.

Mukes Biswas, Thakurgaon Deputy Commissioner, said the ongoing impasse was an internal hospital matter that the authorities would solve. l

Mayor’s wife and one other killed in road crash n Our Correspondent, Sirajganj Two people, including the wife of Akkelpur municipality mayor, were killed and three others were injured when a truck hit a bus on the Dhaka-Sirajganj Highway in Raiganj upazila yesterday.

The deceased were Samina Chowdhury Ripa, 39, the wife of the municipality mayor Alamgir Chowdhury Badsha and their domestic help Rajani Begum, 12.

Police said while Badsha and his family members were heading to the capital, a speeding truck hit the Dhakabound Hanif Paribahan bus from behind at Sholashahar in the upazila around 3am, leaving Ripa and Rajani dead on the spot and three others injured.

The police recovered the bodies and handed them over to the family members after a postmortem. l

Outlaw member hacked to death

n Our Correspondent, Chuadanga A member of an outlaw party was hacked to death by miscreants in Kaliabakri village of Damurhuda on Monday night.

The deceased Mukul, 32, was the one of the accused out of four in a murder case including a BGB member, and was the son of Nurul Islam of the village. l

Dawn-to-dusk blockade in Khagrachhari n Our Correspondent, Khagrachhari

Farmers plant paddy saplings at a field at Barindra area in Rajshahi yesterday

Four get life term in murder case n Our Correspondent, Netrakona A court here sentenced four people to life term imprisonment on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in a murder case.

The convicts are Babul, 30, the son of late Sayed Ali of Churulia village in Kolmakanda upazila, Shafiqul, 26, Abdul Malek, 52, the son of Nabi Hossain and Chanfar Ali, 45.

Additional Sessions Judge’s court Judge Abdul Hamid passed the order. The court also fined them Tk50,000 each, default of which

would gain them five more years in jail.

Court sources said on May 13, 2001, the convicts had chopped at Abdur Rashid with a sharp weapon in Churulia village because of a previous enmity, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to Kolmakanda Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead. Kamrunnahar, Abdur Rashid’s wife, filed a murder case with Kolmakanda police station in November 2001.

After an investigation, police submitted a charge sheet before the court on April 7, 2002. l

3 ‘drug peddlers’ arrested in Savar n Our Correspondent, Savar Law enforcers arrested three alleged drugs peddlers, including two women, in separate drives, along with 170 pieces of the contraband Yaba pill from Barodeshi area in Aminbazar of Savar yesterday.

The arrested are Anwara Begum, 45, the wife of Ismail Hossain, Liton, 36, the son

of Alal Hossain, and Parbati, 45, the wife of Elias Sarker. All of them are residents of the area.

Savar police station OC Mostafa Kamal said, on a tip-off, a team of police conducted a drive in the area before dawn and arrested Anwara and Liton red handed with 120 pieces of Yaba. At the same time, members of RAB 4 arrested Parbati along with 50 pieces of Yaba. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

A dawn-to-dusk blockade was staged by the Khagrachhari unit of BNP yesterday in protest of the “falsified” cases filed against 25 activists of the party, including former member of the parliament and District BNP President Wadud Bhuiyan.

Md Faruk Ahmed and Md Nurul Islam, Awami League activists in Ramgarh upazila, filed two cases on May 16 against the BNP activists, also including Ramgarh Upazila Chairman Shahidul Islam Farhad, accusing them of the burglary and abduction that took place in October 2001.

The protesting BNP followers also staged an hour-long human chain at Khagrachhari Press Club at 11am yesterday. The demonstration was peaceful and there was no report of violence in the district.

Prabin Chandra Chakma, senior vice-president of Khagrachhari BNP, along with General Secretary Abu Yusuf Chowdhury and Organising Secretary Mostafizur Rahman, addressed the demonstrating activists at the human chain event, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the cases.

The speakers claimed that the Awami League government filed a number of false cases against the BNP activists in the district after being sworn in to power in 2009.

Moreover, they killed 10 BNP leaders and followers, injured hundreds of them, and also vandalised businesses owned by them, the speakers added.

They claimed these cases were the result of Awami League’s political vengeance.

Claiming that the ruling party was conspiring against BNP, Wadud Bhuiyan said: “The Awami League leaders

and activists have been torturing me and my party members for years. They have been filing false cases against us, and they are not letting me enter my constituency.”

He threatened to launch a tough movement if the ruling party did not stop conspiring against the BNP. Police Super of Khagrachhari Mizanur Rahman said police had requested the protesters to withdraw the blockade programme, and additional police members had been deployed in the district’s sensitive areas to prevent violent activities.

Kujendra Lal Tripura MP, president of Awami League’s Khagrachhari unit, said staging blockades and causing the suffering of common people has become BNP’s habit.

“No one is above the law, and those who commit crimes will be punished,” he said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

7

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

One stitch at a time

The story of CUP and Basha bringing dignity, joy, and hope to discarded lives

The work Basha and CUP are doing, is epitomised by how people in Basha create jewellery from raw pellets

T

n Farzana Nawaz hree years ago Shilpi was living in Dhaka’s Mirpur Mazar. At 14, she had just given birth to a child when her husband left her.

Apparently, he also stole from local thugs in the area, and they exacted their revenge on Shilpi by beating, torturing, and raping her. After that horrific episode was over, Shilpi had to feed herself and her child by begging and prostitution in the area.

The story of Shilpi’s misery however starts much earlier than that. At the age of eight she ran away from home to escape the severe beatings of her stepfather who didn’t want the burden of an extra mouth to feed. She was lured to Dhaka by a neighbour with the promise of regular meals. But, like thousands of rootless children in the capital, she ended up at the Mirpur Mazar, one of the biggest hubs of trafficking and prostitution in the country.

Forced into prostitution as a child, Shilpi fell in with a gang of other child prostitutes who took drugs to help them cope. A few years later, she caught the eye of a young man who wanted to marry her, and promised her a new life, away from the streets.

The usual response from authorities towards vulnerable women and children, is to treat them like criminals and lock them up in jail, vagrant homes or correction centres

However, those promises soon turned out to be heartbreakingly empty. A few months after leaving her to fend for herself and their newborn child, he came back. He swore that he had changed, and they tried for a fresh start as a family by renting a room in a slum. But her husband disappeared again a few months later with all her savings, and left her in debt to their slum landlord.

After that Shilpi had little option but to go back to a life of prostitution.

A little while later, Shilpi caught a break when she met a young woman at the slum who told her about a local NGO called CUP (Children’s Uplift Programme), which helps women like Shilpi get off the streets and earn a better livelihood. Now at the age of 20, Shilpi earns close to Tk7,000 per month sewing kanthas (quilts) at Basha, a social business affiliated with CUP. Her toddler plays nearby with a group of similarly aged children in a

clean, brightly lit room filled with the noise of children’s laughter and the bustle of women cutting, sewing, and transforming old saris into exquisite quilts and bedspreads sold at international markets.

Shilpi is one of the lucky ones.

The gaping holes in the social safety net for vulnerable women Estimates of the number of women engaged in sex work in Bangladesh range between 100,000–400,000 (the latter estimate is produced by the NGO, Sex Worker’s Network of Bangladesh). Around 10,000-30,000 children are forced into the trade every year. Countless more women and children, who are not primarily engaged in sex trade, live on the streets and make a living through begging.

There is little available to help protect them from exploitation by pimps and criminal gangs, or to enable them to find a way off the streets.

The usual response from authorities towards vulnerable women and children, is to treat them like criminals and lock them up in jail, vagrant homes or correction centres. Research shows that the fate of many of these women and children under government run facilities are just as bad if not worse, as when they were on the streets. For example, the police are accused of physically assaulting and sexually abusing sex workers since they regard them as desecrated women who are always sexually available.

Research by human rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch has found that things are no better in vagrant homes. There is evidence of male officials in state run vagrant homes sexually abusing the women in their care, and former sex workers are particularly vulnerable because of their perceived “fallen” nature.

Moreover, there are also reports of physical and sexual abuse of inmates by other inmates.

The story of Mayna, another employee of Basha, who got separated from her parents when three years old and grew up in several of these vagrant homes, corroborates the research findings. She was routinely picked on and verbally and physically abused by older inmates at the homes and correction centres.

By the time she was a teenager and allowed to leave, she had no tangible skills that would allow her to make a decent living in the city.

In this context, the work of organisations like CUP is especially impressive.

The herculean task of getting women off the streets Located right next door to the trafficking hub, Mirpur Mazar, the CUP office is housed in a simple, unassuming

red brick building. Director Hosneara Khatun, a mild-mannered, lovely woman, who has a long background in social work, showed me around the modest premises that is currently running the rehabilitation programme for around 33 women.

CUP’s rehabilitation programme is targeted towards victims of sex trafficking, sex workers, and other street women such as beggars. The programme is comprehensive and it includes psychological counseling, morality training, physical exercise, a nine month long adult literacy programme, and vocational training, such as tailoring, handicrafts, sewing, etc.

Women are allowed to stay in the rehabilitation programme for up to two years, although a third year can be added for those who really need it.

During their training period, the women receive a stipend, which allows them to leave the streets and rent a home. CUP also provides support for the children of these women through daycare facilities, school preparation classes for children under five and support for older children to enroll in local schools.

There is also support available for women who are not enrolled in CUP’s programme through a drop-in centre.

Pregnant homeless mothers and children can receive preliminary medical care and free meals. CUP also runs an emergency night shelter for women in crisis and sponsors residential homes outside of Dhaka for at-risk young girls.

However, facilities alone are not enough to get women off the streets.

Ms Khatun points to emotional trauma as one of the biggest challenges to CUP’s work. Like Shilpi, many of these women have lived on the streets for years, sometimes from a very young age, and it’s difficult to break old habits or to instill trust that a new way of life is possible.

To enable the transition, CUP requires the women to make a clean break with their former lives. In addition to providing food and the stipend, CUP also monitors the women closely until it is certain that they have successfully moved on to a new livelihood.

Employment is the key to making rehabilitation stick Finding a new source of income is a crucial component for the success of the rehabilitation programme.

Because of the social stigma attached to sex work, there are hardly any employment options available to these women which would allow them to enter a “normal” life. This is where Basha, a partner of CUP comes in.

Basha Enterprises is a social business that opened its doors in May 2011 with 14 graduates from CUP. Located in the same building just upstairs from CUP, Basha produces traditional kan-

COURTESY

thas or quilts from recycled saris and jewellery that is sold in international markets. All the raw materials are sourced locally, and the production and marketing process is environmentally friendly and run according to fair trade principles.

Robin Seyfert, the founder and managing director of Basha, stresses the business principle that the products should be competitive in international markets based on their quality alone. The fact that Basha also has enormous social benefits is an added bonus for customers.

processes so that they can feel more ownership of the business.

Transforming the narrative of battered women The women I spoke to at Basha were proud of their work and the fact that the kanthas they sew and the jewellery they make are sold around the world. Most of these women are mothers, and they dream that their daughters and sons will grow up to get a good education. Some of the women even expressed the wish that their

In addition to providing food and the stipend, CUP also monitors the women closely until it is certain that they have successfully moved on to a new livelihood

Building a business that provides international quality products while employing women who are still struggling with past trauma and the transition to a normal life, can certainly be a challenge. Basha has succeeded in doing this by building an environment of trust, and by providing ongoing counseling support, training and child-care services for the women.

The women earn a good salary, which is a powerful incentive for them to stay off the streets. The workers are paid a base daily rate, and then they earn per piece they produce. For many of these women this translates to a better-paid job with far more benefits than working in the garment sector. They also have the flexibility to take work home after business hours. When the company makes a profit it is distributed back to the production staff.

Most importantly, at Basha the women are treated with sensitivity.

There is acknowledgement that even after transition to working life some of these women might continue to struggle with past trauma, and they are treated with due care and consideration. This has been a key component to the sustainability of Basha and the business has grown to employ more than triple the original number of women at three production centres in Bangladesh.

Basha is committed to further growth so that more employment opportunities can be created for vulnerable women. Ms Seyfert also expressed the desire to include the women more and more in the decision-making

daughters would dedicate their lives to public service and help organisations such as CUP and Basha.

The struggle however is not over for all of them. Some of the women’s home lives are still plagued by cruelty from husbands who continue to physically and emotionally abuse them. The fact that they feel unable to leave their abusive partners even after turning their lives around, shows how entrenched misogyny is in our society that puts women in such a vulnerable position in the first place.

However, CUP and Basha are built and run by extraordinary women who keep challenging the status quo and they are providing refuge and support to the courageous women who are slowly but surely making their way to a respectable, productive life.

Bilkis, a woman who has been with Basha for two years, and is now serving as a mentor to the other women at the Dhaka production centre, is reluctant to talk about her past. For her, the only part of her story that matters is that CUP and Basha have allowed her to make a fresh start towards a better life with dignity.

One can only hope that similar opportunities to start over will someday be available for the thousands of women and children who are still living and working on the streets of Bangladesh. l Farzana Nawaz is governance expert currently working in media. You can write to her at farzana.nawaz@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @farzana_n

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

END OF MONARCHY?

World

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

King’s abdication sparks anti-royalist fervour in Spain n AFP, Madrid Spanish King Juan Carlos’ abdication revived anti-royalist fervour in the young democracy, sending thousands into the streets clamouring for a referendum on the monarchy itself.

Rather than hand over the 76-yearold monarch’s throne to his more popular son, the future King Felipe VI, leftist political parties and anti-monarchist protesters demanded a vote on the survival of the institution.

Republican sentiment remains widespread in Spain, which only restored the monarchy in 1975 after the death of General Francisco Franco, who had ruled for four decades.

“I think the monarchy has the support of the great majority in Spain,” Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said when asked about calls for a referendum on the future of the monarchy.

Spain’s 1978 constitution, which established a parliamentary democracy with the king as a mostly ceremonial head of state, was supported by a great majority in a referendum at the time, the prime minister said.

‘A bit archaic’

Yet late into the night after the king’s abdication announcement Monday, thousands of people filled Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square as rallies were called in major cities around the country. Protesters filled the square and police closed access to the royal palace just a short walk away from the demonstration.

“Tomorrow, Spain will be a republic!,” chanted crowds of demonstrators brandishing placards reading: “No more kings, a referendum”; “A royal transition... without a king”; and “Bourbons up for election.”

Spain: Monarchy vote flouts constitution n AFP, Madrid

A man waves a republican flag during a demonstration against the Spanish monarchy and in favour of a republic, following the abdication of Spanish king AFP

Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy warned yesterday that a referendum on the future of the monarchy, demanded by anti-royalists after King Juan Carlos announced his abdication, would require a change to the constitution.

Hours after 76-year-old Juan Carlos said Monday he was handing over the crown to his more popular son Crown Prince Felipe, thousands of protesters filled Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square calling for a vote on the monarchy itself.

Republican sentiment remains widespread in Spain, which only restored the monarchy in 1975 after the death of General Francisco Franco, who had ruled for four decades.

“I think the monarchy has the support of the great majority in Spain,” Rajoy said when asked about calls for a referendum on the monarchy during a conference in Madrid.

“Propose a constitutional reform if you don’t like this constitution. You have the perfect right to do so. But what you cannot do in a democracy is bypass the law,” Rajoy said.

Spain’s 1978 constitution which established the monarchy was supported by a great majority of Spaniards in a referendum at the time, the PM said.

Juan Carlos was widely respected for smoothing Spain’s transition to democracy after the death of General Francisco Franco in 1975, most famously facing down an attempted military coup in February 1981. l

“I think now would be a good time to proclaim a republic,” said Paola Torija, a 24-year-old therapist for the disabled.

“He had his moment of glory but today it is a bit archaic, a bit useless, an extra cost especially in the crisis we are living in,” she said.

Juan Carlos won wide respect for smoothing Spain’s transition to democracy after the death of Franco, most famously appearing on national television to defuse an attempted military coup in February 1981.

But he lost support in the twilight of his reign.

Many Spaniards were outraged when they discovered the king took a luxury elephant-hunting trip to Botswana in 2012 as they struggled to find jobs in a recession.

Resentment over the monarchy grew when the king’s younger daughter

Washington’s support for a new Palestinian government backed by Israel’s Islamist foe Hamas, has left the Jewish state feeling betrayed, triggering a new crisis with its closest ally.

Several Israeli ministers expressed public anger yesterday after the US State Department said it was willing to work with the new Palestinian unity government put together by the West Bank leadership and Gaza’s Hamas rulers.

Technocratic in nature, the new government was sworn in on Monday in front of president Mahmud Abbas, with Washington offering its backing several hours later.

Israel admitted it was “deeply disappointed.” “I have to say I do not understand this American announcement,” said Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz, accusing Washington of saying one thing behind closed doors and another in public.

“You cannot present it as a Hamas government internally, then present it publically as a government of technocrats,” he told army radio.

“If these (ministers) are people who identify with Hamas, Hamas identifies with them and appointed them, then they are representatives of Hamas. This is a Hamas government, and Hamas is a terror organisation,” he said.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the new cabinet would be judged “by its actions.”

“At this point, it appears that president Abbas has formed an interim technocratic government that does not include ministers affiliated with Hamas,” she said.

The US endorsement was viewed as a major blow for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had on Sunday urged the international community not to rush into recognising the new government, which he said would only “strengthen terror.”

“Unfortunately, American naivety has broken all records,” said Communications Minister Gilad Erdan, a cabinet hardliner who is close to Netanyahu.

“Collaborating with Hamas, which is defined as a terror organisation in the United States, is simply unthinkable.” l

n AP, Damascus Waving photos of their leader and dancing with flags, tens of thousands of Syrians pledged renewed allegiance to President Bashar Assad as they voted yesterday across government-controlled parts of the country in a presidential election decried by the opposition as a charade.

Some stamped their ballots with blood after pricking their fingers with pins supplied by the government in a symbolic act of allegiance and patriotism. Others chose to vote in full sight of other voters and television cameras — rather than go behind a partition curtain for privacy.

Men and women wore lapel pins with Assad’s picture and said re-electing him would give the Syrian leader more legitimacy to find a solution to the devastating three-year conflict that activists say has killed more than 160,000 people, about a third of whom were civilians.

Even as crowds of Assad’s supporters flocked to the polls in Damascus, the sounds of war were inescapable.

The dull sounds of explosions reverberated in the distance as pro-government forces and rebels battled in nearby rural towns and ashy plumes of grey smoke marked the skyline. Several mortar hits were reported in the capital, though the voting was largely peaceful.

The balloting took place only in governmentcontrolled areas and Assad’s win — all but a foregone conclusion — would give him a third term in office The balloting only took place in government-controlled areas and Assad’s win — all but a foregone conclusion — would give him a third seven-year term in office, tighten his hold on power and likely further strengthen his determination to

Turkey’s embattled prime minister lashed out at international media yesterday, accusing news outlets of stirring unrest during the one-year anniversary of mass anti-government protests.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan singled out CNN International, whose reporter was arrested live on air last Saturday while covering street clashes, accusing the network of spying.

“International media organisations who came to Istanbul for provocative and exaggerated broadcasts were left empty-handed,” Erdogan told members of his ruling AKP party in an apparent reference to the incident.

On Saturday, police violently dispersed demonstrators in Istanbul and Ankara as they marked a year since the start of nationwide protests denouncing Erdogan’s authoritarian rule.

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters on Istanbul’s side streets to prevent them reaching the

city’s iconic Taksim Square, the epicentre of last year’s uprising.

News outlets were also targeted, with Turkish police briefly detaining a CNN team in the middle of a live broadcast from the square.

“Turkish police released CNN team after half an hour. Officer apologised for another officer who kneed me while I was being detained,” CNN’s Ivan Watson said on Twitter.

On Tuesday, Erdogan called Watson a “lackey” who had been “caught red-handed” trying to bring chaos to Turkey. “[CNN] doesn’t care about a free, impartial and independent press. They are assigned to work like spies,” Erdogan said.

Last year’s wave of protests was sparked by government plans to uproot trees at Istanbul’s central Gezi Park and erect a shopping mall on the site.

At least eight people were killed and thousands were left injured during three weeks of unrest that followed. l

In a study by pollster Sigma Dos published in January 2014, support for the king fell to 41% while those wanting him to abdicate in favour of Felipe surged to 62%.

Most worryingly for royalists, the same survey found only 49% approved of the monarchy itself.

Three small leftist parties – Podemos, United Left and the Equo green party which together won 20% of the vote in May 25 elections for seats in the European Parliament – called for a referendum on the monarchy.

The 46-year-old future King Felipe VI is likely to face public disquiet over the state of the economy and the royal family’s scandals. l

May 14

Studies law, international politics and economics Receives a formal education in each branch of the Spanish armed forces

November 22 Proclaimed king of Spain following the death of General Francisco Franco Marries Princess Sofia of Greece in Athens.

Three children: Princess Elena (1963) Princess Cristina (1965) and Prince Felipe (1968)

December 28 Oversees the creation of a new system of parliamentary monarchy in Spain with a new constitution February 23 Credited with helping to foil an attempted coup by soldiers who stormed the Spanish parliament, opening fire

January 5 Born Rome, Italy

From

Nine separate operations for various ailments

Juan Carlos will hand over to his son Felipe

Source: Casa Real

crush the insurgency against his rule.

The opposition’s Western and regional allies, including the US, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, have called the vote a sham. The so-called internal Syrian opposition groups seen as more lenient are also boycotting the vote, while many activists around the country are referring to it as “blood elections.”

The vote is also Syria’s first multi-candidate presidential election in more than 40 years and is being touted by the government as a referendum measuring Syrians’ support for Assad.

He faced two government-approved challengers in the race, Maher Hajjar and Hassan al-Nouri, both of whom were little known in Syria before declaring their candidacy for the country’s top post in April.

There was no balloting in much of northern and eastern Syria, where swaths of territory are in rebel hands.

Tens of thousands of Syrians abroad voted last week, although many of the more than 2.7 million Syrian refugees across the region either abstained or were excluded by voting laws. l

Turkey PM accuses global media of spying n AFP, Ankara

Support slips

King Juan Carlos: 39 years on the throne

Israel decries US ‘knife in Amid war and shelling, Syrians back’ over Palestinian govt vote for president n AFP, Jerusalem

Cristina was named a suspect in relation to her husband Inaki Urdangarin’s allegedly corrupt business practices.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (C) and his wife Asma al-Assad (R) cast their votes at a polling station, in the country’s presidential elections on June 3, which are expected to give Assad a sweeping win over two little-known challengers AFP

April 14 Draws nationwide criticism for going on a luxury safari to hunt elephants in Africa while his country grappled with a severe recession June 2 Abdicates, so that the monarchy can be “renewed”

Syrian vote: What changes will it bring? n Agencies Tuesday’s election was intended to give a fresh boost of legitimacy to President Bashar al-Assad. It signals to Syrians and the rest of the world that he is not a dictator fighting for his life and that of his regime against a popular opposition, but the elected leader of a country battling foreign-backed “terrorists.”

The vote is another nail in the coffin of a negotiated end to Syria’s civil war. Two rounds of talks earlier this year completely failed. Lakhdar Brahimi, the former United Nations envoy for Syria, resigned in exasperation last month, and there is no serious effort to revive negotiations at this stage. Assad feels he is winning the war against the armed opposition.

Bolstered by another seven-year term, he will see no need to engage in talks with the opposition.

What does this mean going forward?

It means that the conflict is likely to endure for many more years. Assad will feel vindicated by his reelection and will likely reject any proposed meaningful negotiations with the opposition.

On the battlefield, Assad’s forces will continue to systematically seize territory from the fragmented, poorly equipped armed opposition. The regime has regained control over the critical corridor linking Damascus to the Mediterranean coast via Homs and has either pushed rebel forces away from the suburbs of Damascus or surrounded and bombed them in a brutal but effective strategy of “surrender or starve.”

The military is attempting to reverse recent rebel gains in the Golan Heights and Deraa province in the south and continues to chip away at rebel quarters of Aleppo.

Nevertheless, Assad’s military forces – the army, Hezbollah fighters, Iraqi Shiite paramilitaries and the National Defense Force militia – are badly overextended. When they concentrate their forces on a specific target, such as the recent offensive in the Qalamoun region north of Damascus, they can usually triumph, but it is by no means certain that the regime can hold the ground after it redeploys to a new objective.

As for regaining the country as a whole, that is not a realistic scenario for now. Neither side is strong enough to decisively defeat the other. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Hunger Games salute: Symbol of Thai resistance n AFP, Bangkok Opponents of Thailand’s military coup are risking arrest by flashing the three-finger salute from the “Hunger Games” movies to defy a junta that has banned all public protests.

“Showing three fingers has become a symbol to call for basic political rights in a country ruled by one person as if with the most sovereign power, who is General Prayut Chan-O-Cha,” Sombat Boonngamanong, a prominent activist wanted by the junta, wrote on Facebook.

Critics of the May 22 coup, including the youngest daughter of ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, have posted photographs of themselves flashing three fingers on Facebook and other social media sites.

“Dear #HungerGames. We’ve taken your sign as our own. Our struggle is non-fiction,” wrote one Twitter user.

In the “Hunger Games” movies, the residents of a dystopian future North America – who are forced to compete in a televised death match – initially use the gesture to mean thanks, admiration and good-bye to someone they love.

View galleryAn anti-coup demonstrator flashes a "freedom sign" … An anti-coup demonstrator flashes a “freedom sign” next to a line of policemen as a protes …

It later becomes a more general symbol of their uprising against a wealthy, totalitarian regime.

In Thailand some protesters say the salute is also a nod to the French revolutionary motto “liberty, equality and fraternity.”

The military – which has imposed martial law, controls on the media and a night-time curfew – has warned that people flashing three fingers could face arrest under its ban on public protests.

“If they gather as more than five people and show the symbol of three fingers then it’s against the law,” army spokesman Winthai Suvaree told reporters.

But he suggested that people posting

photos on the Internet were unlikely to be detained, saying coup makers were “not paying any attention” to the three-finger salute by Thaksin’s daughter.

Protest crackdown

The junta mounted a show of military strength over the weekend to deter small but defiant anti-coup flashmob rallies that popped up outside shopping malls and near train stations in the capital Bangkok.

Some people have taken to the streets reading George Orwell’s dystopian novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four.”

Six people were arrested, included a woman shoved into a taxi by undercover police apparently disguised as journalists.

Security forces, many carrying riot shields, were deployed, backed briefly by an armoured humvee with a soldier manning a mounted machine gun.

The army has warned protesters that they – and even their families – face punishment under strict martial law, which has imposed sweeping curbs on freedoms.

The harsh response “reveals a totalitarian mindset that discounts respect for human rights as a hindrance to exercise of power,” said Brad Adams, Asia director of New York-based Human Rights Watch.

“The Bangkok street protesters’ three-fingered Hunger Games salute is a symbolic act of peaceful defiance by those who recognise – like those in the rebellious districts in the movie – that they face overwhelming odds but decide to bravely raise their voices nonetheless.”

The coup makers said they were forced to seize power after nearly seven months of anti-government protests which saw 28 people killed and hundreds of others wounded.

Prayut, the army chief, has said elections are not expected to be held for at least a year to allow a new constitution to be drawn up in an effort to end a political crisis stretching back almost a decade. l

A protester flashes three fingers, representing liberty, brotherhood and equality, during an anti-coup demonstration at a shopping mall in Bangkok AP

Thai curfew lifted in three tourist hotspots n AFP, Bangkok

Thailand’s junta said yesterday that it was scrapping a curfew in three major beach resorts to woo back tourists in the wake of last month’s military coup.

The measure will be lifted for Pattaya, Koh Samui and Phuket “to create a favourable climate for tourism,” the military said in a televised announcement.

“The rest of the country remains under curfew,” it added.

The measure was initially introduced after the May 22 coup for the whole country for 10:00 pm until 5:00 am, to the dismay of the owners of bars and other late-night businesses.

The junta shortened it to midnight until 4:00 am late last month.

Months of bloody political unrest

have dealt a heavy blow to the key tourism industry in the “Land of Smiles,” which welcomed a record 26.5 million foreign visitors in 2013.

The army takeover has prompted a flurry of warnings from foreign governments about travelling to the Southeast Asian holiday hotspot.

But for many life in the kingdom goes on almost as normal and international flights are still in operation, with those travelling to and from airports among the few exempt from the night curfew.

On the day after the coup airlines saw 5,000 cancellations, compared with roughly 28,000 inbound bookings on May 19, according to Paul Pruangkarn, a spokesperson for the Pacific Asia Travel Association.

The Thai navy chief now in charge of tourism said last week that foreign visitor arrivals fell about 20% after the military seized power, but predicted they would soon return.

Hotels and airlines also say they do not expect a lasting impact, noting that it is now the low season anyway.

“After the curfew relaxation the confidence has come back so we have no worries,” said Deepak Ohri, chief executive of Lebua Hotels & Resorts.

He said his company suffered hundreds of cancellations in the immediate aftermath of the coup because of the curfew, but bookings have since begun to recover.

Airlines also say demand for flights to Thailand has been relatively resilient.

Emirates said its passenger loads were “healthy” and that it recently introduced a sixth daily flight to Bangkok.

British Airways said its flyer numbers to the Thai capital were normal for the time of year.

Thailand’s economy shrank 0.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2014 due to falling consumer confidence and a slump in tourism.

The fear is it will contract again in the second quarter, tipping the kingdom into recession.

Tourist arrivals in the first four months of 2014 were already down nearly five percent on a year earlier at 8.6 million, with visitor numbers from other Asian countries particularly affected, according to official figures. l

Questions loom over US-Taliban prisoner swap n AP, Washington

Jani and Bob Bergdahl speak to the media during a news conference at Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho, regarding their son

AP

Pentagon concluded in 2010 that Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl walked away from his unit, and after an initial flurry of searching the military curbed any highrisk rescue plans. But the US kept pursuing avenues to negotiate his release, recently seeking to fracture the Taliban network by making its leaders fear a faster deal with underlings could prevent the freedom they sought for five of their top officials, American officials told The Associated Press.

The US government kept tabs on Bergdahl’s whereabouts with spies, drones and satellites, even as it pursued off-and-on negotiations to get him back over the five years of captivity that ended on Saturday.

Bergdahl was in stable condition Monday at a US military hospital in Germany, but questions mounted at home over the way his freedom was secured: Five high-level members of the

India gang rape: An insight

Indian minister killed in road collision, n AP, Lucknow blow for Modi

n Reuters, New Delhi India’s minister for rural development died yesterday after a road collision in New Delhi, depriving Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a key ally eight days after coming to office with a mandate to revitalise a stalled economy.

India’s roads are among the most dangerous in the world, and the capital, New Delhi, ranks near the top of cities that account for the most fatalities.

Gopinath Munde, 64, was on his way to the airport for a victory rally in his home state of Maharashtra, when his sedan was hit by a car.

Modi had entrusted to Munde the crucial task of spearheading a battle on poverty in the countryside, home to more than half of India’s population of 1.2bn, but which contributes just 14% of gross domestic product in Asia’s third-largest economy.

The minister was sitting in the back of his Maruti SX4 sedan when it was hit on the side by a Tata Indica saloon. l

The two teenage girls had walked out together at night, as they did every night, into the wild bamboo fields 10 or 15 minutes from their mud-andstraw huts to relieve themselves. Like millions of families across India, they had no toilet at home. In the dark, they were attacked, gang-raped and killed.

Beyond highlighting the rampant sexual violence in India, last week’s horrific crime is drawing attention to a glaring problem across the country that threatens women’s safety: the lack of toilets.

UN figures show of India’s 1.2bn people, 665 million of them — mostly those in the countryside — don’t have access to a private toilet or latrine. Some villages have public bathrooms, but many women avoid using them because they are usually in a state of disrepair and because men often hang around and harass the women.

“Around 65% of the rural population in India defecates in the open and women and girls are expected to go out at night. This does not only threaten

their dignity, but their safety as well,” Louis-Georges Arsenault, UNICEF’s Representative to India said in a statement.

‘More than 60% of the rapes in the state occur when the victims step out to relieve themselves’ Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the Sulabh Sanitation and Social Reform Movement — a group that helps build low-cost toilets across India — estimates the country needs about 120 million more latrines. Since the attack, his group has decided to construct toilets in 108 houses in the girls’ village of Katra Sadatganj in the northern, densely populated state of Uttar Pradesh.

The 14- and 15-year-old cousins were Dalits, at the bottom of Hinduism’s caste hierarchy — making them even more vulnerable to attacks from

men, particularly of higher castes.

They did not go out alone, but there were just two of them. Women generally gather in groups to go to the fields to relieve themselves. To avoid embarrassment they usually go at dawn and late at night. Male family members usually don’t go with the women since modesty is a major consideration.

After the girls had left, an uncle went out to make sure the cows hadn’t trampled his patch of mint, The Indian Express newspaper reported. He heard some screams and shone his flashlight toward four men dragging the girls away across the fields.

The state’s top police official made a clear link between rape and the lack of toilets. “More than 60% of the rapes in the state occur when the victims step out to relieve themselves because they do not have toilets at their homes,” Ashish Gupta told reporters in state capital Lucknow.

India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party promised “toilets before temples” in their election manifesto. l

Taliban were released from the US prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and sent to Qatar. The five, who will have to stay in Qatar for a year before going back to Afghanistan, include former ministers in the Taliban government, commanders and one man who had direct ties to the late al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.

A US defense official familiar with efforts to free Bergdahl said the US government had been working in recent months to split the Taliban network.

Different US agencies had floated several offers to the militants, and the Taliban leadership feared that underlings might cut a quick deal while they were working to free the five detainees at Guantanamo, said the official and a congressional aide, both of whom spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about efforts to release Bergdahl.

There was plenty of criticism about how the deal came about.

“Knowing that various lines of effort were presented and still under consideration, none of which involved a disproportionate prisoner exchange, I am concerned by the sudden urgency behind the prisoner swap, given other lines of effort,” said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., who has criticized the government effort to seek Bergdahl’s release as disorganized.

Bergdahl’s handoff to US special forces in eastern Afghanistan was never going to lead to an uncomplicated yellow-ribbon celebration. The exchange stirred debate over a possibly heightened risk other Americans being snatched as bargaining chips and whether the released detainees would find their way back to the battlefield.

Republicans in Congress criticized the agreement and complained about not having been consulted, citing a law that requires Congress to be given 30 days notice before a prisoner is released from Guantanamo. l

Freed Afghan Taliban want to work for peace n AFP, Kandahar One of the five senior Taliban figures released from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for a US soldier wants to rejoin the Afghan militant group but to work for peace, his relative told AFP yesterday.

Norullah Noori is accused of taking part in the 1998 massacre of thousands of Shiites when he was governor of the northern province of Balkh.

He and the four others were released on Saturday and flown to the Gulf state of Qatar in exchange for US Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.

“After he was released we talked to him and he is very willing to return to Afghanistan,” Noori’s cousin Abdullah told AFP in a telephone interview.

“He says he wants to join the Taliban again and bring changes to Taliban. He says Afghanistan needs peace now and he will work for peace with the Taliban,” Abdullah said, denying Noori’s

involvement in the 1998 massacre.

Khairullah Khairkhwa, also freed Saturday, has expressed a similar desire to push for talks to end Afghanistan’s long conflict “but not under the (government’s) so-called peace council programmes,” a close relative said.

The Taliban have publicly refused to talk peace with the Afghan government, accusing President Hamid Karzai of being an American puppet. But some moderate elements are believed to have broken ranks and engaged in dialogue, raising hopes for peace as Washington prepares to pull out the bulk of its troops from the country by the end of the year.

The allegations around Noori centre on an August 1998 massacre of up to 8,000 Shiites at the hands of the Taliban, who were avenging the killing of 2,000 of their own men the year before.

Noori’s Guantanamo Bay detention file notes he is “wanted by the United Nations for possible war crimes.” l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Make Bangladesh a safe investment destination

N

o one should be surprised that a lot of capital has left Bangladesh over the past year.

Analysis of trade data by the Centre for Policy Dialogue points to an abnormal jump in the value of imports for certain terms. The inference drawn by CPD is that dramatic increases may be explained by irregular invoicing used to get around exchange controls.

Whatever the method, there is no doubt about the underlying reasons for capital flight in the last year.

In the months leading up to the January 5 election, the economy was throttled by blockades and hartals.

We cannot afford any repeat of those circumstances. The BNP should realise that the pre-election violence made them less popular than they otherwise might have been.

Both major parties need to learn to confine themselves to non-violent protests when they are in opposition. The politics of oborodh and hartal must end.

Another factor causing capital flight has been uncertainty about the future of the RMG sector, where historically most investment has been concentrated.

With the World Cup providing a boost to garment sales and the work of stakeholder safety initiatives, there are grounds for optimism that confidence can return.

The government should take more action to support the development of safe factory buildings in new EPZs, to which factories now housed in unsafe buildings can relocate.

Safer politics and safer factories are key ways to make Bangladesh an attractive destination for investment and are the most effective way to reverse capital flight.

Safer politics and factories are the most effective way to reverse capital flight

City corporations must be held accountable

T

he citizens of Dhaka are painfully aware of the dysfunctional way in which the city is managed.

Poor management of improvement works means that residents are now having to endure flooded streets as roads are being dug up during rainy weather.

It does not help matters that the two city corporations (DSCC and DNCC) have delayed previously announced repair projects, including some left over from the T20 World cup. The DSCC and DNCC’s dispute over boundaries around Farmgate and Indira Road has only added to an already unacceptable state of affairs .

Residents face severe nuisance and health risks as the poorlymanaged corporations allow even the most basic tasks of city management such as waste collection to go neglected.

The disgraceful conditions of city roads can be witnessed in areas like Uttara, where potholes fill up with water from even the smallest amounts of rain. A large proportion of funds spent on road maintenance has been allowed to be wasted or go astray.

The city’s administrative units have cited many excuses such as lack of funding for the general state of disarray. There is no excuse for local government not to be more accountable to citizens in ensuring the quality and delivery of local services.

Having made much play of the value of splitting Dhaka City Corporation into two parts, the government must step in to reverse the deterioration in the city’s management.

It should schedule mayoral elections so that citizens are in a better position to hold the corporations to account.

Reverse deterioration in the city’s management

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

Khaleda: AL is not a secular party May 29

Osmania Kettle pot conversation. Both AL and BNP have allied with Jamaat. And both will hide behind fears of violent fundamentalists to resist or defame any genuine liberal, democratic views. Until one of you is prepared to decriminalise sex, drugs, and rock and roll, I won’t believe either of you is secular. So there.

Ronnie Osmania: LOL!!

I was starting to post a pretty serious, pointed reply here (mostly seconding Begum Zia’s contention and busting AL’s charade), but you threw me off with that – truth be told – funny, yet pretty true statement.

Osmania Ronnie: Thank you. I like your comments too.

On a serious note, I genuinely believe it would help Bangladesh get out of the South Asian straitjacket and gain a genuine hope of emulating Western economic benefits, if we emulated so-called “Western” freedoms.

Nobody is forced to indulge in anything they object to – as many genuinely religious people living in, say, London, prove. The secular vs religious debate is a red herring. Liberty helps everyone.

We should move on from Sheikh Mujib’s vision of a Switzerland of Asia to a Netherlands.

(Don’t believe the cannabis tourist stereotype – in my experience, Dutch people are far more hard-working, sober, and level-headed than their European counterparts.)

Ronnie Osmania: Oh, you can say that again, mate! :)

I have never doubted that true “liberty” is incontestably indispensable for individual and collective happiness. But the “Western economic benefits” that you refer to as a worthy goal for ourselves require, first, a genuine commitment to individual liberty, personal initiative, the complete guarantee of political and property rights, an unflinching allegiance to reason, justice, and the rule of law. Economic benefits flow from the existence of those preconditions in any given society. You’re right; there’s no question that when true liberty prevails, it’s a clear win-win for both secularists and the religion-first crowds. When they are always at each other’s throats, though, the undeserving beneficiary is a hypocritical government double-dealing with both camps.

I’m bemused by how too many people in South Asia always appear to strangely either equate “secularism” with merely the benign treatment of religious minorities, or think it means the outright quashing of religion in society. In reality, it is neither of them. Secularism strictly means the separation of the affairs of the state from religion. It certainly does not (or should not) mean cynically pandering to religious minorities, nor ostracising and marginalising the religiously observant, and depriving them of their freedoms of expression. In any event, neither AL nor BNP is a secular party, because a) they continue to cavort with Islamist parties, thereby infusing Bangladeshi politics with religion, and b) they also constantly invoke and use religious minorities for political gamesmanship. The crucial difference, though, is that BNP has never resorted to hypocrisy on this issue, whereas the AL has forever peddled this ludicrous fantasy of their secularist credentials.

And oh, in Europe, I reckon I like the Germans best, (ie relatively speaking). :)

May 28

$140 billion lost in sports betting May 26

Garrott Robinson There is nothing bad in sports betting per se, as long as it is done properly with the support of professional sports-keepers. But people misuse sports betting by doing it illegally and making money out of it.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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.

CROSSWORD

Facing up to Modi Mohammad The writer is partially right. It is assumed that a single election or leader can change the whole ethos of a nation. Narendra Modi may be appropriately seen as the CEO of India Inc. A company which, from its inception, has believed in aggressively seeking a monopoly on every asset and trade route in the South Asian region. It doesn’t believe in negotiating deals but in hostile takeovers using every illicit method in the book, from insider trading, intimidation, sabotage, and assassination, to achieve its objectives.

Would it be possible to change the outlook of such a company when the other shareholders (bureaucrats, military, intelligence, Hindu religious and business elites) want to stay the course and increase their profits to the cost of the environment and the well-being of other companies and investors?

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 7 represents R so fill R every time the figure 7 appears.

You have two letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in 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 the 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.

BHL in Dhaka

May 28 Osmania How very French. In a good way.

BNP: Khaleda can hold rally anytime, anywhere she wishes

ACROSS 1 Halt (4) 3 Fortune-telling card (5) 8 Sport (4) 9 Thailand’s former name (4) 11 Loses colour (5) 12 Fondness (4) 14 Insect (3) 15 Frighten from (5) 18 Replenish (5) 19 Friend (Fr) (3) 21 Consumer (4) 24 Facial features (5) 26 Prevalent (4) 27 Small secluded valley (4) 28 Transmits (5) 29 Avoid (4)

DOWN 1 Waistband (4) 2 Spoken (4) 4 Turkish commander (3) 5 Tracking system (5) 6 Augury (4) 7 Irritable (5) 10 Fashion (4) 11 Festive occasions (5) 13 Planet (5) 16 Water pitcher (4) 17 Explosions (5) 18 Got up (5) 20 Burrowing animal (4) 22 Wealthy (4) 23 Decorative plant (4) 25 Conclude (3)

May 28

Ronnie I believe Begum Zia must hold a strong and convincing rally in Dhaka as soon as she feels she’s ready. And I hope it will be the soonest possible.

The chairperson’s countless supporters in Dhaka deserve to see and hear her in the flesh again. Besides, she has plenty to say to them, and to many others who must hear and heed her message.

We rot along with our politics

CALVIN AND HOBBES

May 28

SD Exactly. We now want to put Khaleda in power, replacing Hasina, put Fakhrul in place of Ashraf, Mahfuzzallah in place of Iqbal, Kohinoor Mia in place of the present PC etc. Just imagine a fair and inclusive election held under a neutral CTG. The above changes are certain to come. Then what will happen? Just keep imagining until your imagination catches fire.

Azhar mahmood The poignant tone of the article says it all. Maybe the truth is there, but the higher truth is we are not in the path of rectification! Are we? The writer says: Where is the saviour? A very pertinent question.

PEANUTS

Mari Gomes Azhar mahmood: When we are tired of reading Modi and Hasina-related articles, the above write-up appears to be a little different from others. At least the gentleman tries to raise awareness among the readers who may be interested to rise up and do something about the rot! Good luck, and a good article!

There has to be an end to this sorry state of affairs. It has to end! By what means, only Allah knows! But it will change. Either there will be new leadership or there will be a huge natural calamity to wipe out the sinners. In all ages, there has been destruction of civilisations and sins; so will be ours! Do you see the way we have been rotting? The author is quite right. How can we survive for long? How can we lead a good life? So there is a need for change.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

11

Leading the fight against poverty n Shazia Omar

L

ast week, I met our Minister of Planning Mustafa Kamal to discuss the rapid eradication of extreme poverty from Bangladesh.

I was happy to find him knowledgeable about the challenges facing the poorest and to be supportive of a pro-poor, inclusive growth model which will provide the extreme poor with education and opportunities to help them stand on their own feet. I shared with the minister the Manifesto for the Extreme Poor and asked him a few questions. His responses were as follows:

I work with Shiree, a livelihoods project that works with 1 million extremely poor people.

The killing needs to stop

BANGLAR CHOKH

Bad news at the border

S

n Mohammad Ali Sattar

ituations that can be seen from all quarters suggest that we have lost our guts and morale in standing against the ills of the world.

With time, we have come down to our knees. Our vitality and strength to fight was drained by imperceptible forces. We stand as a weak nation by all counts.

Our politics and social fabric are in tatters. Instead of fighting the scourge, we continue slinging mud at each other in the same way we did some 40 years ago. We don’t feel a pinch of shame.

As a weak and jumbled nation, our neighbours take advantage of us, doing whatever they like. It is only natural. All these years it was India’s border guarding force BSF taking the lives of our people, and now we have the BGP from Myanmar trying to repeat the acts. We now have two fronts to tackle.

Tales of abductions and killings by the BSF was nothing new. Rather, it has become a regular feature in our bilateral exchanges. Our border forces (BGB) and the government have tacitly accepted the beating and humiliation.

For years, BSF has been killing our people in the name of self-defense, “encounters,” and so on. In the end, those killed were hapless cattle-traders or small cross-border vendors. We did not forget the bullet-ridden Felani hanging against the barbed wire along our border with India.

Along with BSF, we now have the BGP that started the wanton killing

mission against our frontier guards.

Bangladesh shouldn’t be bullied around like this. The disconcerted situation created at the borders by separatists or insurgents of various shades from other sides should not be allowed to disturb our peace.

We are at a loss to think through as to why, in the first place, the BGP men (formerly Nasaka) would open fire and kill our man, when there were no reports of provocation or threat from our side?

Our BGB member was on duty and understandably in uniform. He was killed by BGP firing without any provocation. This has been admitted by the Myanmar authorities.

py adventure?

Let’s peep into the state of things inside Myanmar. The state has a long and tedious history of big-headed military generals. The wind of democracy did not blow across the country for years. People have been groomed under such conditions that defy all logic and definition.

There has been no economic development. The touch of modernity is still a far cry. The archetypal community system has been nurtured only to keep things under cover. It’s still a blocked society. The entire state apparatus has been brought under such steam-roller rule that it doesn’t fall under any bracket of characterisation.

Turning to our borders with Myanmar, we observe a hostile and offensive stance taken by Yangon

The subsequent statement by Myanmar is funny at best. They twisted the previous account and declared that BGP members mistook the BGB man to be a member of the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO). They also added that the BGB member was not wearing the proper BGB badge.

The obnoxiousness did not stop there. BGP forces again opened fire when the BGB men approached the border to collect the body of their colleague. Not a single shot was fired from our end. So why this trigger-hap-

We were surprised when Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, supposedly the champion of peace, did not have anything to say on the persecution of Muslims in that country. She turned away by commenting: “I cannot favour any particular group.”

Nothing much is expected from today’s leadership. This was explicitly said to me when I met a few Burmese nationals recently. Policies of atrocity and repression by the Myanmar authorities gave birth to rebellion. Bangladesh has nothing to do with this. The

Rohingyas have genuine reasons to be frustrated. If minority persecution does not stop, the Myanmar authorities cannot expect the insurgency to go away.

So the long and rusted mindset will have to be revolutionised. Turning to our borders with Myanmar, we observe a hostile and offensive stance taken by Yangon. Myanmar authorities have fenced off almost the entire stretch of the land boundary on their side.

A more mindless act has been the planting of land mines along the border. This easily flouts the normal boundary agreement and doesn’t conform to international laws. Now the pertinent question is: How could our border guards enter Myanmar braving the mines and wires?

Myanmar authorities will have no answers for this.

The maritime boundary cases have been resolved through international hearing. The Rohingya issue needs to be settled though mutual understanding, and now the border crisis has to be handled with due importance. Fencing and mining issues need to be taken up

by Bangladesh with utmost urgency, including the killing of our countryman.

Meetings at all levels should be convened. Our foreign ministry ought to rise. We must show the world, especially the Myanmar government, that we are not a weak nation and that our border guards are able to protect us effectively. l

I salute people working for NGOs and development agencies. You are good people. What you are trying to do is very noble. You are trying to reach out to people who are poor, hungry, and vulnerable. You want to do something for them. You are trying to bring changes to extremely poor people’s lives through education, motivation and skills.

What do you know of the challenges faced by the extreme poor?

To be born poor is no crime. I was once a poor man. When I was a student, at least on three occasions my name was struck from the registrar because I could not pay my tuition fees. At that time, some of my community people, noble people, helped out and paid my fees. I know how grave it is to be poor.

I know the gravity of extreme poverty.

Everybody, all of us, should try our best so we can get rid of this particular territory (extreme poverty).

What will you do in your current capacity to help the extreme poor?

I am working now as the planning minister of Bangladesh. My plan is, I want to see this country out of extreme poverty as fast as possible. Otherwise, any development becomes ineffectual.

If we are rich and side by side there are poor people, then we need to concentrate on the poor. In order to enjoy the benefits of growth, the last five years we have had over 6% growth, but to make this growth healthy and

sustainable we have to reduce our poverty level and ensure that there are no people left who are hungry and extremely poor. But growth has to be for everybody or it is meaningless.

We want inclusive growth. Sustained, inclusive growth.

To be born poor is no crime - Mustafa Kamal

What is the planning ministry going to do?

From our ministry, we want to promote projects which promote sustained, inclusive growth. We would like to support projects that target the poor regions and customise solutions as such. We will integrate with those project, for example, by providing education, helping them mitigate their sufferings. Education can help them stand on their own feet. Through education, they will obtain opportunities. That is the way we must help the extreme poor. Only reducing poverty with handouts of foodstuff is meaningless. There has to be a comprehensive delivery of services.

Can you talk a bit about the seventh five-year plan?

The Manifesto for the Extreme Poor has a set goal: To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. This is also the goal of our honorable prime minister. It will be one of the main agendas in the seventh five-year plan. We will implement and exercise in such a way so as to fulfill our objectives. To achieve our vision, to make it a reality, we shall try to be compliant, taking help from our development partners, external agencies, NGOs, and support from the private sector, and of course government support, certainly we will make this a success. It will be our target to become the first country in the sub-continent to eradicate extreme poverty. l Shazia Omar is Head of Advocacy at Shiree.

Mohammad Ali Sattar is a journalist and a DT columnist.

It’s only rock and roll n Mubashar Hasan

E

ven though Bangladesh is the world’s fourth largest Muslim majority country, its society has been largely liberal for Bangladeshi standards. However, in recent years, the pattern of Bangladeshi society has been changing rapidly. It is becoming illiberal day by day, a worrisome trend of the radicalisation of Bangladesh was recorded by Gallup and the Washington-based Pew Research from a series of research studies conducted between 2006-2013. These research organisations found that the influence of hardcore Wahabi and Salafi culture radicalised a large section of Bangladeshi youths through diverse mediums of globalisation.

So-called secularists, by contrast, lost the plot for their vision of a secular Bangladesh a long time ago due to their closed-up and peculiar intellectual activism that does not appeal to most cosmopolitan Bangladeshi youths. Tagore fundamentalists, on the other hand, instead of promoting the free spirit of Tagore, constructed a puritan saint image of Tagore, which in reality alienated many youths from exploring his humanist philosophy.

Against this backdrop, rock and roll in Bangladesh has been able to sustain its appeal to millions of youths. Since

the 80s, various rock bands were followed by millions of young listeners.

Hundreds of powerful political songs were produced featuring the corruption of the society, religious militancy, the pseudo nature of our democracy.

Some songs rejoiced in the greatness of our national heroes whereas some very popular songs openly talked about various aspects of the relationships between men and women. In short, they promoted openness and liberalism, in Bangladeshi style.

Rock and roll changed America in the 60s.

It sure could change Bangladesh

Most importantly, some of the big bands were able to shape the lifestyles of their followers. Lifestyle or the way of living is a manifestation of a society’s worldview. Most avid rock and roll followers are liberal in the sense that they do not accept fanaticism of any kind. This is the most important point

that Bangladeshi policymakers, academicians, and politicians seem to miss.

My study of the philosophy of the socio-cultural development of the Bangladesh government reveals that the state has ignored sponsoring the growth of this genre of music. All governments, irrespective of AL or BNP, perhaps rightfully prioritised investing in promotion of both religious and Bengali culture. This pattern of investment only confirms that the state of Bangladesh wants to define a moderate society celebrating both religious and ethnic culture of Bengalis. The discursive cultural penetrations from the Middle East and India, through agencies of globalisation, however, have unsettled this moderate societal nature.

Liberal Bangladesh’s only hope now is the rock and roll that still connects with millions. Regrettably though, due to the lack of support in relation to the protection of intellectual rights of the artists, foul play by some music producing companies who sell mp3s in the black market, and the state’s total disregard to the promise of this genre of music are slowly pushing this musical terrain into a corner.

Lack of creativity within the Bangladeshi research community too is a reason to blame for the lack of understanding of the promise of rock

and roll in shaping Bangladesh’s liberal identity. In relation to the latter, a noteworthy anecdotal example is that when I was an undergrad student at the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism in Dhaka University, our teachers, who rightfully encouraged us to listen to Tagore songs and who taught us American pop culture, never encouraged us to explore Bangladeshi pop culture as a research terrain. One of those respected teachers recently said to me that they don’t understand Bangladeshi rock and roll even though they have seen the euphoric passion among youths.

This problem of not understanding Bangladeshi rock and roll is not only endemic among our intellectuals but also persists among our cultural policymakers, some of whom even play the role of cultural policemen. Their most hypocritical approach to this music is that they are not ready to legitimise rock and roll as part of Bengali culture even though Melai Jai Re, the iconic song to mark the first day of the Bengali new year, became the brand of Bengali new year celebrations among people.

As a whole, after 42 years of independence, rock and roll does not exist in our country in the sense that there is no mention about it in school textbooks (ironically one of the former vo-

cals of the band Black is the son-in-law of the education minister). There is no recognition about it through Bangla academy research, music departments of state universities do not teach rock and roll, rock musicians were not seen to play in any major state event even though the former president of India, Pranab Mukharjee, invited LRB to play at the president’s house.

The power of this culture is enormous because it is supported by youths who presently constitute over 60% of Bangladesh’s total population.

It is the youth that change the social landscape. Rock and roll changed America in the 60s. It sure could change Bangladesh, but to make it happen the state should embark in formulating a creative cultural policy

Liberal Bangladesh’s only hope now is the rock and roll that still connects with millions

A generational conflict is a core reason behind such an outrageous approach of ignoring this powerful and popular culture of Bangladesh. The state, the civil society, and our unimaginative research community collectively made rock and roll a bastard child of Bengali culture. Rock and roll exists in reality but does not exist in record. The ultimate loss however is for Bangladesh and to those traditional cultural policemen who are slowly losing ground to a radical Bangladesh.

in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the Planning Commission, and the Ministry of Education.

Bangladesh’s new generation of young bureaucrats may play a constructive role in this regard. l Mubashar Hasan is the Founder and CEO of alochonaa.com, a non-religious, nonpartisan online platform to foster dialogue among civilisations. He is a PhD candidate at the School of Government and IR, Griffith University, Australia.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

‘Big screen is the place to be’ n Afrose Jahan Chaity

Justin Bieber’s apology n

Entertainment Desk

Justin Bieber has apologised for a racist joke that was revealed in a recently posted online video.

The Sun on Sunday published the clip which was recorded five years ago, showing a young Beebs telling a joke that uses the “N-word.”

Justin took to Twitter to apologise saying: “As a kid, I didn’t understand the power of certain words and how they can hurt. I thought it was ok to repeat hurtful words and jokes, but didn’t realise at the time that it wasn’t funny and that in fact my actions were continuing the ignorance. Thanks to friends and family I learned from my mistakes and grew up and apologised for those wrongs. Now that these mistakes from the past have become public I need to apologise again to all those I have offended. I’m very sorry. I take my friendships with people of all cultures very seriously and I apologise for offending or hurting anyone with my childish and inexcusable mistake.”

The Sun on Sunday claims representatives of Bieber have attempted to keep the video hidden for a “huge” sum of money and have known about it for some time.

This is yet another incident to add to JB’s bumpy year so far - in February, he was charged with assaulting a limousine driver in Toronto and was accused of attempted robbery last month.

The Canadian singer is also due to stand trial in Miami on charges of driving under the influence, resisting arrest and using an expired license. l

SADIA MARIUM

Nusrat Faria is living the dream. Dhaka Tribune caught up with the actor to learn about the “perfect life” as she has claimed on various occasions about how everything is falling into place in her meticulous life.

A promising star, Faria stepped into the media industry as an anchor. According to Faria, she has found the perfect balancing act for all her duties.

The actor who will debut on the silver screen soon is juggling work, studies and family with equal enthusiasm.

From her childhood, she was always progressive and was involved in various extracurricular activities in the cultural arena. She used to dream of becoming a star one day and after coming home from school, the actor would pose in front of the mirror and think of herself as a star. Once, she had dreamed of becoming an army officer but dropped the notion when she discovered her passion for the glamorous media industry.

According to Faria, she was approached several times with the offer of working on the small screen, but she always held back as she wanted to work on the silver screen. Faria said: “I have always dreamed of becoming a film actor. The ‘big screen’ is the place to be if you want to make a lasting impression in the media. I have been approached time and again by renowned directors of the small screen to star in TV plays and telefilms, but I always turned them down. I am sure about what I want from life and I have learned to say no to things that will deter me from reaching

my goals.”

Faria will debut on the silver screen in Redoan Rony’s “Morichika,” in the role of a photographer and Tahsan will be seen as her counterpart in the film.

Talking about her grooming for the silver screen, she said: “I am working on my role. I am trying my level best to be myself as the director expects me to be natural. At the same time, I am studying the characteristics of the role and how it should appear in real-life.

“This film will also decide whether I will continue to work on the big screen or not.

Other than this, you will see me as an anchor for sure,” added Faria.

Faria has mapped out her priorities and education is number one in her list. She said: “I cannot miss my classes because of shooting.” Apart from excelling in her studies, she was a debater in her school days. Faria wants to go abroad for her higher studies and aims to be a successful corporate worker. She enjoys talking non-stop, exploring new things in life and travelling. A shopaholic, her go to place is Kolkata because the city offers her the opportunity to shop non-stop. Faria loves to spend her leisure with her family and wants to get married as early as possible. Ten years down the line, she wants to see herself happily married with kids and working in a high powered corporate job.

Recently, Faria became the brand ambassador of Banglalink. l

Ananta and Barsha cheer FIFA World Cup n Entertainment Desk Much-talked about celebrity couple Ananta Jalil and Barsha will appear in “Nitol Tata Ultimate World Cup” at 8:30pm today on Channel 24. The talk-show features celebrities who are enthusiastic about football and in this episode, fans of Ananta and Barsha will see the couple cheering for the phenomenally popular sport.

A buzz of excitement is in the air as the 2014 FIFA World Cup draws near and like any other football fan, Ananta has braced himself to support the game. With many tags in his career, the actor, director, producer and business tycoon is producing World Cup jerseys for the FIFA fans. The AJI Group is making jerseys of seven countries which will be available for the spectators of the World Cup in both home and abroad. l

Contemporary urban art n Hasan Mansoor Chatak Urban culture and aesthetics are evolving rapidly in this age of globalisation and to walk us through the changing stages of Dhaka, Studio 48, an art collective consisting mostly of young artists arranged a group exhibition titled “Lost in The Urban World” at the Dhaka Art Center, Dhanmondi from May 31.

Fahmida Enam Kakoli, Monjur Rashed, S M Ehsan, Kuntal Barai, Jahid Hasan and S M Muzahid Monir take the spectators on an insightful journey about the arts and culture of the booming city and its historical predecessors.

The evolution of the city is portrayed through varying colours, bold strokes, texts and installations. The artists demonstrated their niche using photo realistic art in a post-modern form. According to the them, the concrete urban world is developed by destroying the beauty and artistry of nature and has replaced the purity of authentic art with mock art and culture.

Jiah Khan’s memorial service in London

TODAY IN DHAKA Theatre

Bhelki

By Nabanat Time: 7pm – 9pm National Theatre Hall Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Shegun Bagicha

Exhibition

Of Man and Earth II Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Art Lounge, Gulshan Avenue, Rd-131, Circle -1, Lost in the Urban World Group art exhibition Dhaka Art Center, Dhanmondi 7/A Searching Myself by Monjur Rashid The rapidly spreading consumerist society and urbanisation is removing people from their roots and the installations in the exhibition are reminiscence of the missing roots.

Fahmida Enam Kakoli’s piece titled “Selfie,” is a critique of the inherent narcissism of contemporary society.

A wooden piece shaped in the form of a rickshaw hood with a collage of various

Lifestyle 3 by Kuntal Barai objects and illustrations is titled “Lifestyle,” the artwork has many elements that will definitely hold the attention of the spectators. Artist Rafiqun Nabi, Abul Barq Alvi, dean of the Fine Arts Institute of the University of Dhaka and Mustafa Zaman, art critique and editor of Depart magazine were present at the inauguration ceremony. The exhibition will continue until June 5. l

Maleficent reigns with $70m opening

Can You Handle the Truth?

Time: 9:30am – 8:00pm EMK Center, Road-16, Dhanmondi

Film

300 Rise of an Empire The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Children of War Pompeii (3D) The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (3D) Level 8, Bashundhara City 13/3 Ka, Panthapath

Ranbir and Katrina to tie the knot?

n Entertainment Desk

n Entertainment Desk A year after Bollywood actor Jiah Khan was found dead and hanging at her Mumbai residence, a memorial service was held yesterday, with her mother, family and friends in attendance.

The New York-born Jiah - who acted in the blockbuster “Ghajini” - was 25 when she was found hanging in her Juhu flat on June 3, 2013. Her sudden death continues to remain a mystery, and her mother has vowed to keep the “battle going on”.

“I shall keep the battle going all the way until I get to the root of the truth. Although it’s been a year, to me, it seems like yesterday,” said Rabiya.

Jiah’s alleged suicide was initially attributed to a lack of assignments, but it was alleged that she was going through a troubled phase in her relationship with actor Aditya Pancholi’s son Suraj.

Her mother accused Suraj of abetting Jiah’s supposed suicide after the family recovered a letter written by the “Nishabd” actor.

Suraj was also taken into custody, and was interrogated in the case, but was eventually released on bail.

But Rabiya has still not given up hope of

getting justice for her daughter.

“They are delaying to sabotage and compromise the crucial evidence. Jiah’s mother’s long fight for justice will not stop until truth is revealed,” Rabiya said.

In her latest attempt, she has sought the help of the British police to investigate her daughter’s death. She has written to Foreign Secretary William Hague to help bring about justice for her daughter, reports dailymail. co.uk.

She has urged British police to launch a probe into the case, which is currently at the centre of a Bombay High Court hearing.

Rabiya had earlier also approached US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell to ask for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s assistance in the investigation.

Jiah was born Nafisa Rizvi Khan in New York and moved with her mother to London when she was two-years-old.

When she was 17, she was offered a place in a drama course at the Lee Strasberg Film Institute in New York.

While on holiday as an 18-year-old, she was approached by Indian filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who cast her as a teenager in love with her best friend’s father in his 2007 film “Nishabd.” l

Disney’s gothic fantasy, a PG-rated re-imagining of the classic “Sleeping Beauty” villain starring Angelina Jolie in the titular role, netted an estimated $70m from 3,948 locations — $6.7m of which was from the 347 IMAX screens. The $180m flick also brought in $100.6m internationally from 47 territories (40 percent ahead of “Oz: The Great and Powerful”), bringing its global cume to a mighty $170.6m.

“We’re feeling great,” Dave Hollis, Disney’s distribution head told EW. “We came into the weekend thinking that we were going to do somewhere around $60m and to end up with $70m is a really encouraging start.” l

n Entertainment Desk Everything is moving slowly under the carpet but there has been a buzz in the industry that Bollywood’s most adorable couple, Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif might get hitched soon. The duo is busy with their work but it is rumoured that their respective families are chalking out wedding dates. It is believed that Ranbir and Katrina might get married this year end and before that, there will be a formal engagement.

Ranbir Kapoor’s new pad is the initiation of the process. Ranbir has purchased a new residence at Bandra and his ladylove is busy decorating their new love nest. It is heard that the diva will be moving in with Ranbir after the engagement. The couple will also throw a housewarming party and this will be a formal announcement of their togetherness.

It is heard that Neetu who is very fond of Katrina are discussing their marriage with Kat’s mom. Recently, Ranbir and Katrina were spotted moving around the streets of Cape Town hand in hand. The duo will be next seen together in Anurag Basu’s “Jagga Jasoos” and Katrina will be seen opposite Hrithik Roshan in Siddharth Malhotra’s “Bang Bang.”

That Kat would be “Kapoor Khandaan’s” future bahu was hinted

by Kareena Kapoor in Karan Johar’s chat show, “Koffee With Karan” and it confirmed the report that Katrina, Ranbir are couple. l

Did you know?

Geoff Hurst and Gerd Muller are the only players to score perfect hat-tricks in a World Cup match

Sport

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

8

DAYS TO GO

14 Falcao ruled out from World Cup

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Lampard to leave Chelsea

Koster hopeful over solution

Ambassadors and counsels of different foreign embassies in Bangladesh share a light moment during the 10-day countdown kickoff of the Fifa World Cup 2014 at the residence of the Brazil ambassador in Dhaka yesterday MUMIT M

Ambassadors revel in World Cup joy Flags of Brazil, Spain and the Netherlands being flown atop the roof of countless houses in Bangladesh elated the respective ambassadors of the country and they duly appreciated the passion towards the beautiful game that exists in the football-mad country.

Wanja Campos da Nobrega, the Brazilian ambassador, Gerben de Jong, the Netherlands ambassador and Luis Tejada, the Spanish ambassador in Bangladesh jointly inaugurated the 10-day countdown of the Fifa World Cup 2014 Brazil at the residence of the Brazilian ambassador yesterday.

The house was illuminated with green and yellow lights resembling the flag of Brazil and a festive mood prevailed at the residence as US ambassador Dan Mozena, deputy high

commissioner of the British High Commission Nick Low and other diplomats also enjoyed the countdown celebration with the greatest show on earth scheduled to kick-off on June 12 in Sao Paulo. Deputy minister of the youth and sports ministry Arif Khan Joy, Bangladesh Football Federation senior vice president Abdus Salam Murshedy, vice president Tabith Awal and general secretary Abu Naeem Shohag were also present on the occasion.

Wanja Campos upheld the Brazilian spirit of the World Cup. “Brazil is a beautiful country and the World Cup will be more beautiful as it is hosted

by Brazil. Brazil will demonstrate its rich culture, passion towards football and the rich history to the world with the World Cup. Bangladesh has a great support for the Brazilian team and I feel excited with it,” said Wanja Campos.

Luis Tejada, the Spanish ambassador said he feels happy to see the Spanish flags in the capital. “I love the passion. Spain is far away from Bangladesh but football has created a fantastic connection between the two countries.

It is the global appeal of football and Bangladesh is not out of it. Bangladesh loves football,” said Tejada.

Gerben de Jong also echoed the same theme. “Football unites all. The World Cup will connect the world in one rhythm and that is why we are here. The Netherlands also has a good support base in Bangladesh and the two national coaches are from the Netherlands. I hope Bangladesh continues to develop the game and reach the top level,” said de Jong.

The hosts will take on Croatia in the World Cup opener on June 12 in Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil. l

Rio is not London, mayor says Tourists who come to Rio de Janeiro thinking it is like London will be in for a surprise, the mayor of the World Cup venue and 2016 Olympics host

said Monday.

“People who arrive in Brazil imagining they’re in England or who arrive in Rio imagining they’re in London will have a frustrating experience in terms of development,” Mayor Eduardo Paes said at the launch of the TV broadcast center for the World Cup, which opens in 10 days.

“I don’t doubt Brazil is better than England and Rio de Janeiro better than London,” he quickly added.

Some of Rio’s less flattering traits greet visitors soon after arrival, including highly visible shantytowns, long traffic jams and patchy mobile communications. Like the other 11 World Cup host cities, it has struggled to finish the infrastructure promised for the tournament, and many projects have been shelved. l

National football team’s assistant coach Rene Koster expressed his hope that the Bangladesh Football Federation will settle the unresolved issues surrounding his and head coach Lodewijk de Kruif’s position and bury all confusions regarding their jobs in the meeting scheduled to be held on Friday.

The Dutchman arrived in Dhaka yesterday evening and headed straight to the residence of the Brazilian ambassador where the 10-day countdown of the Fifa World Cup 2014 Brazil commenced. De Kruif is still in the Netherlands and his return date is yet to be finalised.

The Dutch coaches’ one-year contracts with football’s governing body is due to expire on June 30 this year but there is an option of extending the length of the contract by another year. The BFF is expecting to enforce it as soon as the coaches arrive in Dhaka and keep them at the helm till the South Asian Football Federation Championship in 2015. However, the BFF has failed to provide the salaries of the Dutch coaches for the last four months.

“The limit of tolerance has been reached. I have families and I am not doing a charity job here. I need the money to meet both ends meet. I hope the BFF will understand the reality and will provide us a respectable offer so that we can agree to renew the contract,” said Koster.l

Protesters inflate giant footballs in Brasilia Activists angry over Brazil’s spending on the World Cup inflated 12 giant footballs in front of Congress Tuesday, the latest protest in the build-up to the June 12 kick-off match.

The balls, one for each of the 12 cities hosting the tournament, measured two meters (six feet six inches) in diameter.

One, painted with the Brazilian flag, was slowly deflating -- a symbol of the deflating performance of Brazil’s government, said protest organizer Antonio Carlos Costa.

“We want the Brazilian government to ask the nation’s forgiveness because it promised something it never delivered. It invested a fortune of public money in things that weren’t necessary,” Costa, founder of activist group Rio de Paz (River of Peace), told AFP. Brazil has been hit by a wave of protests and strikes ahead of the World Cup and a presidential election in

October.

President Dilma Rousseff, who is seeking reelection, has faced criticism over the more than $11 billion spent on the tournament in a country with urgent needs in education, health care and transport. l

Heath Streak clear about his mission and priorities Bangladesh cricket team has always been dependent on spinners. However, Heath Streak, the new fast bowling coach for the Tigers thinks one of his missions in his new role as the Tigers’ bowling coach will be to find a bunch of young fast bowlers who can become the mainstay of Tigers’ bowling attack alongside spinners. In his first official press conference as the Tigers’ bowling coach at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday, Streak also revealed that his efforts would not only be restricted to finding fast bowlers. He rather thinks his efforts should ensure those very fast bowlers culminate in reducing the Tigers’ reliance on spinners for a sustained period of time.

“I think it is dangerous to set specific targets as you might get it done quickly and become happy. I would like to identify a group of eight or ten quick bowlers. We know spin bowling has been strong for Bangladesh. We can’t relax and expect for that to continue,” said Streak.

The 40-year-old also added that he had analysed few fast bowlers of Bangladesh and will try to work on the mental aspect of the cricketers. “I have to learn a lot about the bowlers and I have analysed these players as an opponent both as a player and a coach.

But now I have to understand them as individuals and personalities. The mental side of the things is what I want to work on with the guys,” he said.

The former captain of Zimbabwe knows the level of expectations from him and asked for patience at least till the 2015 World Cup to notice improvements in the current crop of fast bowlers. “I know there are huge expectations. The India series is coming up soon but it doesn’t matter who you are, these things take time. Experience doesn’t happen overnight. You cannot go to a shopping mall and buy experience. We will see some consistency among the bowlers hopefully by the World Cup,” he added.

Bangladesh’s fast bowling attack has long been spearheaded by Mashrafe bin Mortaza who has suffered multiple knee injuries throughout his career while new young pacers including Taskin Ahmed, who recovered from an injury and made his debut in the World T20, Al Amin and Robiul Islam have shown promises to succeed at the highest level.

Although Bangladesh has Rubel Hossain who can bowl fast and boasts off an impressive record in the ODIs, a huge lack of skill and expertise prevails prominently in our fast bowlers’ arsenal when it comes to doing well in Test matches, a format where the tigers

have failed miserably to shine.

Streak, who is very familiar with the Bangladeshi culture and food habits, was looking forward to introduce professionalism among the cricketers by

knowing their lifestyles. He also spoke of looking for more young talents in the pipeline to give them more exposures.

“Firstly, I believe there are a couple of young guys coming through. So I am

really keen to look at them. Obviously getting them to become professionals, how they eat, train is a long term thing. So we need to start now to develop these guys and see whether

Bangladesh national cricket selectors Faruk Ahmed (L) and Habibul Bashar (C) greet the new Tigers bowling coach, former Zimbabwe captain and fast bowler, Heath Streak at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday COURTESY

they are physically good enough to cope with the international level. You see many youngsters whose bodies are not strong enough to cope with the international schedule. So that’s a key thing that we are going to work with,” said Streak.

The new fast bowling guru for the Tigers will be paired with new coach Chandika Hathurusingha and Streak believes it’s important to work together as they both have the same aim, which is to improve the quality of Bangladesh cricket.

“I have to make it work. I am under him. I have got to make sure my coaching philosophies and his (Hathurusingha) are going to merge together. It is to our benefits at the end of the day.

If teams don’t perform, it’s us coaches who get judged.”

“When he reaches here in a few days time, I will certainly be spending time with him. Hopefully he and I will have a good understanding. It’s not just the players that need to be a good team.

The coaching staffs need to be unified.

We have to give the same message to the players. It’s important for them to get one consistent message,” he said.

The cricket crazy fans of the Tigers would dearly hope the Hathurusingha-Streak coaching combination will synchronize to bring glory to Bangladesh cricket. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Japan beat Costa Rica in warm-up Manchester United striker Shinji Kagawa scored the go-ahead goal in the 80th minute Monday as Japan defeated Costa Rica 3-1 in a World Cup warm-up friendly for both teams. Kagawa stumbled as the ball came to him in the heart of the penalty area but kept his balance and swept a right-footed shot past Costa Rica goalkeeper Keilor Navas to give Japan a 2-1 edge.

Yoichiro Kakitani, who came off the bench in the 76th minute, added an insurance goal in stoppage time for the Blue Samurai.

–AFP

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Nigeria’s Mba misses World Cup cut

Suarez resumes WC preparations Luis Suarez rejoined Uruguay’s World Cup preparations on Monday, 11 days after knee cartilage surgery threatened to dash the striker’s hopes of playing at the Brazil finals. Suarez, injured in Liverpool’s last match of his and their brilliant season in the Premier League, had keyhole surgery on damage to the outer meniscus in his left knee but was included in Uruguay’s tournament squad at the weekend. “He’s doing muscle work and treadmill, he’s walking without pain,” team doctor.

–Reuters

Nigeria have left out Sunday Mba who won the country a third Africa Cup of Nations last year from their final squad for the World Cup. Mba was late in joining the Super Eagles’ training squad in London last week because of a visa hitch. But Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi said the midfielder has since not shown enough desire to be part of the 23-man squad going to Brazil. “His lateness to camp contributed (to his missing out) but outside that he did not show the hunger, the fight, we expected for him,” explained Keshi.

–AFP

Scolari tells Brazil to sharpen up Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari on Monday urged his troops to sharpen up a day before their World Cup warm-up with Panama.

Scolari blasted his side after a Sunday training session which he said he “didn’t like at all” owing to poor marking and perceived sloppiness.

And with only ten days to go to their opening World Cup match against Croatia in Sao Paulo, the man who led the Selecao to glory in 2002 insisted it was time to crack the whip Sunday, “the marking was sloppy, we left spaces in the middle of the park and took up questionable positions,” Scolari observed.

“We cannot let our attitude slip a week before the Cup. We cannot lose the identity which we forged at the Confederations Cup,” the dress rehearsal his side won almost 12 months ago.

Tuesday’s test at the Serra Dourada stadium in Goiania, some 200 km (130 mi) from the capital Brasilia, is the penultimate chance for Scolari to look at

Ribery included in France squad Franck Ribery, fighting to shrug off a back injury, on Monday figured in coach Didier Deschamps’ 23-player World Cup squad. Also included in the final Brazil-bound list submitted to FIFA was Stephane Ruffier, who stepped in last month for injured goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.

FRANCE SQUAD Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham/ ENG), Stephane Ruffier (Saint-Etienne) Mickael Landreau (Bastia) Defenders: Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle United/ENG), Lucas Digne (PSG), Patrice Evra (Manchester United/ENG), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal/ENG), Eliaquim Mangala (FC Porto/POR), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal/ENG), Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool/ENG), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid/ESP) Midfielders: Yohan Cabaye (PSG), Clement Grenier (Lyon), Blaise Matuidi (PSG), Rio Mavuba (Lille), Paul Pogba (Juventus/ITA), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle/ ENG), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille) Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/ESP), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal/ ENG), Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad/ESP), Loic Remy (Newcastle/ENG), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich/GER) l

options in reserve.

Friday against Serbia in Sao Paulo is his side’s final friendly outing before the real thing starts with the Croatians in a Group A also comprising Mexico and Cameroon.

Scolari, calling for more inventive subtlety and tactical nous from his charges, said the players know full well what he demands and expects.

“I urged them what I always do -- to be serious and play each match as if it were the last.”

Scolari can make up to six substitutions in the game against the Panamanians and said he would use the chance to run the rule over the options at his disposal.

Even so, against Croatia he will essentally keep faith with the players who saw off Spain in the Confederations final.

Scolari, who said he would have liked a few more days to prepare for the June 12 opener at Sao Paulo’s Corinthians Arena, said Panama were not to be underestimated.

“They are a good side - we have been following their work. We have to take the game seriously and see how we are coming along.” l

Banega, Sosa left out from Argentina squad Argentina’s 23-player World Cup squad announced by coach Alejandro Sabella with the list headed by Barcelona’s Lionel Messi but missing midfielder Ever Banega, Nicolás Otamendi and Jose Sosa.

Banega was left out after Sabella elected to side with Celta Vigo’s Augusto Fernandez, who has recovered from injury.

ARGENTINA SQUAD

Brazilian forward Neymar (L) takes the ball observed by defenders Marcelo (C) and David Luiz during a national team training session in Serra Dourada Stadium in Goiania, Goias, on Monday AFP

Van Gaal happy with Holland as Spain loom Louis van Gaal insists his Holland side’s preparations for their opening World Cup clash with Spain are firmly on course.

The Dutch boss, who will become the new Manchester United boss following the finals in Brazil, saw his men beat Ghana 1-0 in their latest warm-up game last weekend.

And van Gaal expressed his satisfaction that Holland were one of the few European countries who claimed a victory in the latest round of friendly fixtures as they face their last pre-finals showdown against Wales in Amsterdam on Wednesday night.

Van Gaal said: “We were one of the few World Cup participants who won this weekend.

“Germany is playing 2-2 against Cameroon and Italy also plays with 2-2 against Denmark. Spain wins 2-0 to Bolivia. They get a penalty and make time just before the second goal. Well, great to hear from Spain.”

The final comment was tongue-incheek at the Netherlands’ first game

against the Spanish in Salvador on June 13. Van Gaal changed his formation in the win over Ghana to 5-3-2, but the 62-year-old claims that is a definite indicator over how he will line up when Group B kicks off with a re-match of the 2010 final.

He added: “I’m practising for the first match against Spain. I always look at the opponent we currently take. But we have to make it difficult for Spain.

That’s what I saw and is why I think we need to play like that.

“Despite the fact the media have written about this system, the public is still coming to the stadium unsure.

“When the opponent is playing with two strikers, I will usually play in that system (5-3-2 ). When they retire, it may be that I’m going to play 4-4-2.”

Van Gaal, who would not comment on his new job with United next season, will give midfielder Jonathan de Guzman every chance to prove his fitness for the World Cup. The on-loan Swansea player will miss the friendly against Chris Coleman’s side after he pulled up at the end of the Netherlands’ training session in Alkmaar on Monday with a hamstring injury. l

GREAT WORLD CUP SHOCKS

South Korea players celebrate their victory after the quarterfinals against Spain in Gwangju, South Korea on June 22, 2002

Injured Falcao ruled out from WC SQUAD Colombia striker Radamel Falcao has failed to recover from knee surgery and was left out of their World Cup squad on Monday, coach Jose Pekerman announced.

The 28-year-old ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Monaco in a French Cup match in January.

Falcao, nicknamed Tiger, was a key element of the Colombia squad that finished second to Argentina in the South American qualifying group, scoring nine goals in 13 matches.

Experienced defender Luis Amaranto Perea, who has been recovering from injury, and forward Luis Muriel also missed the cut from Pekerman’s provisional squad.

“I had lots of hopes but, well, we’ve got to press on and support the team from the outside and wish all my team mates the best for a good World Cup,” Falcao, sitting next to Pekerman at Colombia’s training base outside Buenos Aires, said at a media conference.

“Today, I’m in very good shape but conscious that I still need a bit (more time) to play again and I didn’t want to deny a place to a team mate who was 100 percent fit, nor do something imprudent to damage my health.” l

Episode

8

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas watches the winning penalty go past him

South Korea 0 Spain 0 (2002) South Korea won 5-3 on penalties South Korea, who co-hosted the finals with Japan, had already beaten Italy in the Last 16, in controversial fashion, and faced a Spanish side packed with talent, but who had needed penalties to beat Irish Republic to reach the last eight.

This too went to penalties as the Koreans followed Dutch coach Guus Hiddink’s instructions to the letter, harrying the skilful Spaniards all over the pitch. The European side’s tempers frayed as two seemingly good goals were ruled out by the Egyptian referee. The Koreans kept their nerve in the penalty shootout and prevailed 5-3 to become the first Asian side to reach the semi-finals. Their current coach Hong Myung-Bo scored the winner. South Korea lost to Germany in the semi-final.

–AFP

Goalkeepers: Mariano Andújar (Catania/ITA), Agustín Orión (Boca), Sergio Romero (Monaco/FRA) Defenders: José Basanta (Monterrey/ MEX), Martin Demichelis (Man City/ ENG), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica/POR), Marcos Rojo (Lisbon/POR), Pablo Zabaleta (Man City/ENG), Lisandro Lopez (Getafe/ESP), Hugo Campagnaro (Inter/ITA) Midfielders: Ricardo Alvarez (Inter/ITA), Lucas Biglia (Lazio/ITA), Angel Di Maria (Real/ESP), Augusto Fernández (Celta Vigo/ESP), Fernando Gago (Boca), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona/ESP), Enzo Pérez (Benfica/POR), Maximiliano Rodríguez (Newll’s Old Boys) Forwards: Sergio Agüero (Man City/ ENG), Gonzalo Higuaín (Napoli/ITA), Ezequiel Lavezzi (PSG/FRA), Lionel Messi (Barcelona/ESP), Rodrigo Palacio (Inter/ITA) l

Spain coach Jose Antonio Camacho restrains his players from arguing with referee Gamal Ghandour after the match against South Korea

Goalkeepers David Ospina (Nice), Faryd Mondragon (Deportivo Cali), Camilo Vargas (Independiente Santa Fe) Defenders Mario Yepes (Atalanta), Cristian Zapata (AC Milan), Pablo Armero (West Ham United), Camilo Zuniga (Napoli), Santiago Arias (PSV Eindhoven), Eder Alvarez Balanta (River Plate), Carlos Valdes (San Lorenzo)

Midfielders Fredy Guarin (Inter Milan), Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina), Victor Ibarbo (Cagliari), James Rodriguez (Monaco), Abel Aguilar (Toulouse), Juan Quintero (Porto), Carlos Sanchez (Elche), Aldo Leao Ramirez (Morelia), Alexander Mejia (Atletico Nacional) Forwards Jackson Martinez (Porto), Carlos Bacca (Sevilla), Teofilo Gutierrez (River Plate), Adrian Ramos (Hertha Berlin)

Colombia’s coach Jose Pekerman, next to player Radamel Falcao (R), announces the 23-man squad for the World Cup finals, in Buenos Aires on Monday REUTERS

Ten days before World Cup, a rush to finish stadiums With 10 days until the World Cup begins, Brazil was rushing Monday to finish installing seats in stadiums and to deal with threats ranging from violent protests to dengue fever.

The count-down to kick off has been marred by protests -- from striking drivers who abandoned their buses mid-route to indigenous leaders in bright-feathered headdresses shooting arrows at police.

Anger over the more than $11 billion being spent on the event has raised fears of a return to the violence seen last year during the Confederations Cup, a World Cup dress rehearsal.

Then, clashes erupted as one million people flooded the streets calling for more money for social programs and less for stadiums.

But recent protests have been smaller, with journalists and street vendors sometimes outnumbering the crowds of anti-government demonstrators chanting: “There won’t be a World Cup!” An Ibope Inteligencia opinion poll published Monday showed public support for the event had slid from

58 percent in February to 51 percent in May, with 42 percent saying they oppose the Cup. But 71 percent hoped the competition would be a success compared with 11 percent who prefer to see it fail.

In a country that takes pride in its five World Cup titles, the tournament is starting to unleash growing excitement, with media providing exhaustive coverage of the Brazilian team’s training camp.

President Dilma Rousseff joined FIFA president Sepp Blatter Monday for a ceremony to present the World Cup trophy.

But it was overshadowed by new allegations that FIFA officials took bribes to name Qatar the 2022 World Cup hosts.

Blatter and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke both dodged questions on the controversy.

Asked if he was in favor of holding a new bidding process for 2022, Blatter said: “I am speaking about the World Cup in Brazil and it will be a wonderful Cup in Brazil. Let’s live up the emotions.”

Rousseff for her part vowed Brazil had all the necessary infrastructure and security in place. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Amla new South African Test captain

QUICK BYTES

Amigos through to UCL semis The fourth edition of the Underground Champions League (UCL) five-a-side futsal tournament rolled into the quarterfinals at the Abahani outer basketball court yesterday. In the double legged quarters, Deadly Alliance drew goalless against FCP All Star in both their encounters before the latter team moved to the semis winning the penalty shootout. Meanwhile Amigos outplayed Little Friends 3-0 in their first leg before securing their last four spot with a 1-0 win in the return leg. Club 11 Classic will face off with Club 11 Super in their quarterfinal today before Veterans take on Impulse FC to complete the round.

–Tribune Desk

Sachin savours Lara partnership in Lord’s Retired Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar said Tuesday he is savouring the opportunity to pair up with West Indies great Brian Lara at Lord’s for an exhibition match marking its 200th anniversary. Tendulkar said he and Lara played together in 1994 in Toronto in the Sky Dome. “We played for the same team and we had a wonderful partnership. So I’m hoping for another one this time,” he told reporters at the Singapore Cricket Club. “It’s always been a joy to play against him. I loved watching Brian scoring runs against other nations, not India,” Tendulkar said. “I don’t see any reason why not... whenever we played here in Singapore, the response was really good,” said Tendulkar, –AFP

Beckham hints at retirement U-turn

Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo waves on arrival at the airport in Lisbon on Monday prior to the departure of the Portugal national team to the US in preparation for the Brazil World Cup 2014 AFP

Fifa probe into Qatar 2022 to report within weeks committee for world soccer’s governing body FIFA, was in the Middle East, where he was expected to meet Qatar soccer officials as part of the probe.

Speaking to Reuters in Muscat, capital of nearby Oman, he declined further comment on the inquiry, noting that he was “restrained by ethics”.

Qatar has strongly denied reports in Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper that bribes were paid to officials to bring the sporting world’s biggest global event to the tiny Gulf emirate, where temperatures during the summer when the tournament is played can soar above 50 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit).

The allegations of corruption at the heart of soccer’s governing body threaten to overshadow the run-up to the four-yearly World Cup, which begins in 10 days in Brazil.

Former England captain David Beckham has hinted that he could come out of retirement and resume his football career. “Now I go to watch a basketball game and, when you are watching athletes play at the top of their game, for me it gives me that itch again,” he said in a documentary to be broadcast by the BBC on Monday. “I want to be back in the game then and I start thinking to myself, ‘Could I play again? Could I go back? Could I come out of retirement and start playing again?’” Beckham, 39, called time on his playing career last year after a brief spell with French giants Paris Saint-Germain. The former midfielder is currently working to launch a Major League Soccer team in Miami and he suggested that he might consider turning out for the team.

–AFP

The fate of the 2022 soccer World Cup could be decided within weeks after the man leading the internal investigation into how Qatar won the right to host it announced on Monday he would complete his probe next week and report back in July.

Former U.S. prosecutor Michael Garcia appears to hold the future of Qatar’s multi-billion dollar World Cup bid in his hands after new allegations of bribery brought loud calls for the tournament to be moved if corruption is proved.

In a statement, he set out a timetable that would see him file a report just after this year’s World Cup ends in Brazil.

Garcia, who heads an investigative

Dortmund sign Italy WC striker Immobile

Residential Model, Lalbag, Ideal and BN College progress

Italy striker Ciro Immobile, top scorer in Serie A this season, signed a five-year contract with Borussia Dortmund on Monday as the Bundesliga runners-up stepped up their bid to replace Robert Lewandowski. Immobile, who has been included in his country’s squad for the World Cup in Brazil this month, joined Juventus in 2009 before being loaned out to several clubs. He scored 22 goals in 33 league games for Torino this term under a co-ownership deal with Juve.

“In Ciro Immobile we have a flexible and dynamic forward who has been impressive in one of Europe’s top leagues,” Dortmund sports director Michael Zorc said in a statement.

–Reuters

Rosell suspected in Neymar case A Spanish judge on Tuesday cited exBarcelona president Sandro Rosell as a tax crime suspect over the 86-millioneuro ($117 million) signing of Brazilian international forward Neymar. The Madrid investigating judge, Pablo Ruz, issued a written summons for Rosell and the football club, through its legal representatives, to appear in his court as suspects on June 13. The Spanish taxman lost out on up to 11.8 million euros in total, the summons showed. A tax office report cited by the judge listed lost revenues of 2.4 million euros in 2011, 6.8 million euros in 2013 and as much as 2.6 million euros in 2014. The judge summoned Barcelona’s auditors, Deloitte, to testify as a witness on the same day. Rosell resigned from Barcelona in January as he faced legal action accusing him of misappropriation of funds for not disclosing the destination of all the money spent on bringing Neymar to the club last summer.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH Neo Sports 6:00PM French Open: Quarter Final Women’s & Men’s Singles

15

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

ISPI INTER SCHOOL FOOTBALL

ISPI Soft Drinks Powder Inter School Football featuring juvenile footballers of 16 renowned schools got underway at the handball stadium yesterday.

12 matches of the first two groups were held on the opening day via the six-a-side format as Residential School and College and Lalbag School and College went through to the second round as champions while Ideal School and College and BN College progressed as the runners-up sides from Group A and B respectively.

In Group A, Residential Model School and College won all of their three games against Dhanmondi Govt.

Boys (1-0), Ideal School and College (1-0) and Rahmatullah Model High School (5-1) while Ideal School and College defeated Rahmatullah Model High School (3-1) and Dhanmondi Govt School (2-1).

In Group B, Lalbag Model School and College beat Mohd. Boys High School (3-1) and Bir Sreshtha Nur Mohammad School and College (2-0) but lost to BN College in a tiebreaker after a goalless draw while BN College fell to a 2-1 defeat against Bir Sreshtha Nur Mohammad School and College before winning 4-0 against Mohd. Boys High School in the last match of the day.

The four-day tournament will conclude on June 6. l

“After months of interviewing witnesses and gathering materials, we intend to complete that phase of our investigation by June 9, 2014, and to submit a report to the Adjudicatory Chamber approximately six weeks thereafter,” Garcia said in a statement released by FIFA and referring to a FIFA panel.

“The report will consider all evidence potentially related to the bidding process, including evidence collected from prior investigations.”

Six weeks from June 9 is July 21, a week after this year’s tournament ends with a final in Rio de Janeiro.

As a former U.S. attorney, Garcia tried some of the highest profile anti-terrorism cases in the United States.

He also investigated the prostitution case that brought down a governor of New York. l

FACT BOX Comes through the youth ranks at West Ham United and after a loan spell at Swansea City, establishes himself as a mainstay of the Hammers’ midfield from 1996 to 2001 under his uncle and manager Harry Redknapp. His father Frank Senior is Redknapp’s assistant.

Makes his England debut on Oct 10, 1999 and goes on to make 103 appearances, featuring in two World Cups, Euro 2004 and being selected a vice captain for the 2014 World Cup. Leaves West Ham acrimoniously for Chelsea in an 11 million pound ($18.4 million) move in 2001 and after a slow first two seasons, he becomes one of the best goalscoring midfielders in the world.

Wins the 2005 and 2006 Premier League titles with Chelsea under Jose Mourinho and the 2010 trophy under Carlo Ancelotti. Also helps the Blues lift the 2012 Champions League and 2013 Europa League as well as four FA Cups and two League Cups.

Becomes Chelsea’s all-time leading goalscorer and goes on to net 211 goals in all competitions for the club.

South African star batsman Hashim Amla was named the country’s Test cricket captain on Tuesday, replacing retiring Graeme Smith who led the side for a decade.

A “glad and humbled” Amla said he would give all his heart to the role, as the Proteas try to rebuild after the departure of opener Smith and legendary all-rounder Jacques Kallis.

“Throughout the years I have concentrated mainly on my batting, trying to become the best batsman possible and hopefully I can still get there,” Amla said.

“But now I do feel it is time to act, to contribute in a team environment.”

Amla, 31, who made his test debut against India in Kolkata 10 years ago, praised the work done by his predecessor, whose legacy looms large.

“I have to pay tribute to Graeme and his leadership over the 10 years that I have been involved, there was certainly a lot of value that he added.”

Smith had captained South Africa in a world-record 109 Tests before announcing his retirement during the third and final Test against Australia last March. l

Sharapova grinds into last four in Paris Maria Sharapova again showed her resilience when she recovered from a poor start to down upand-coming Spaniard Garbine Muguruza 1-6 7-5 6-1 on Tuesday and reach the French Open semi-finals.

The 2012 champion and last year’s runner-up, who will meet Eugenie Bouchard of Canada in the last four, lost the first four games as she conceded the first set before regaining her composure against a player who knocked holder Serena Williams out in the second round.

An early break in the second set was all the seventh-seeded Russian needed to gain momentum. The match turned Sharapova’s way when she held for 3-1 in

the third set after saving five break points in a game that lasted over 10 minutes.

“That was one of the most important games in the third set after that game I gained more confidence. That was the turning point,” she told reporters.

Once a self-proclaimed ‘cow on ice’ on clay, Sharapova will be playing her fourth consecutive Roland Garros semi-final, a feat she also achieved at the Australian Open from 2005-08.

“When you’re being a bit more aggressive on the second serves, taking a bit more chances, all of a sudden, she’s not hitting so freely. I think that changes a little bit. But it’s a combination of the way you feel and also that little pressure that she begins to feel,” Sharapova said.

A double fault allowed the Venezuela-born Muguruza to break back for 3-3, but in the 11th game the world number 35 sent a backhand wide which gave Sharapova a decisive break. l

Lampard cuts Chelsea ties Chelsea legend Frank Lampard on Monday brought down the curtain on his glittering career at Stamford Bridge as he announced he will leave the west London club when his contract expires at the end of June.

Lampard had reportedly been offered a new deal on reduced terms by Chelsea, but he has opted to bring an end to his 13-year spell with the Premier League team.

Several reports earlier on Monday claimed Lampard’s representative has held talks with New York City over a prospective move to Major League Soccer’s new franchise next March.

At least 10 other clubs, including newly-promoted QPR, are believed to have registered their interest in signing the star.

Lampard scored 211 goals in 649 appearances for the Blues, making him

the club’s all-time record goal-scorer.

He admitted it was a wrench to leave Chelsea after so many happy memories and he paid tribute to former chairman Ken Bates, who was in charge when he was signed from West Ham in 2001, and current owner Roman Abramovich, whose huge cash injection transformed the team into a European superpower. l

WOMEN’S CRICKET LEAGUE

MSC, Abahani post wins

Walton additional director FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn speaks in a presser during the unveiling of the 1st Division Handball League at the BNS conference room yesterday

Walton V’ball starts tomorrow The Walton Air Conditioner 1st Division Volleyball League comprising seven teams begins at the volleyball stadium tomorrow.

The teams taking part are Bangladesh Jail, Uttara Sporting Club, Bhai Bhai Sangha, Nabo Jagoroni Sangha, Swabalambi Society, Madartek Mitali Sangha and East End Boys. The champions will be promoted to the senior division. The league will conclude on June 14.

Jahid Ahsan Russell, the chairman of

the parliamentary standing committee for the youth and sports ministry, will inaugurate the meet as the chief guest.

In a presser held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium conference room yesterday, Advocate Fazle Rabbi Babul, the acting general secretary of the Bangladesh Volleyball Federation, presented the meet to the press. SM Zahid Hasan, the executive director of Walton, FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, the additional director and other officials were also present on the occasion. l

Mohammedan Sporting Club and Abahani Limited registered comfortable victories over Khelaghar Samaj Kalyan Samity and Dipali Jubo Sangha respectively at BKSP yesterday.

Mohammedan defeated Khelaghar by 77 runs while Abahani coasted to a convincing 10-wicket victory.

At BKSP 2, Dipali JS were dismissed for a paltry 23 in 24.2 overs as none of

the batters were able to reach double figures. Lata Mondol led the Sky Blues bowling attack by claiming four wickets for just five runs while Jahanara Alam bagged three wickets conceding just six runs as Dipali’s run rate never crossed the one-run-per-over mark.

In pursuit of Khelaghar’s miserly total, Abahani gathered 24 runs in just 6.2 overs without losing any wicket.

Meanwhile in the other game at BKSP-4, Mohammedan batted first and

put up 181 runs on the scorecard before getting all out in 39 overs. Tazia Akther top scored for the Black andWhites with 38. Ritu Moni and Shohaly Akther caused most of the damage with the ball by claiming three wickets each for Khelaghar.

In reply, Khelaghar could only manage 104 for the loss of nine wickets in 40 overs. Tahin Tahera scalped three wickets conceding just 10 runs in six overs. l

Sagicor off to a good start Sagicor High Performance Centre made a commanding start to their second and final four-day match against Bangladesh A in Barbados on Monday.

On the opening day the hosts, opting to bat first, posted a challenging 354 runs before getting bowled out in their first innings .

Leon Johnson was the highest scorer for his side with 74 runs and his 117-ball knock featured half a dozen boundaries along with a six. He was ably supported by Jonathan Carter (54), Jermaine Blackwood (45), Carlos Brathwaite (42) and Sheldon Cottrell (42).

All the Bangladesh A bowlers picked up two wickets each with the

exception of skipper Nasir Hossain.

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam though maintained the best economy rate conceding 95 runs in 29 overs and scalping two wickets in the process.

A few days ago Sagicor recorded a crushing 351-run win over the second-string Bangladesh side in their first four-dayer in Barbados. l

16

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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Study: One-fifth Bangladeshis overweight n Moniruzzaman Uzzal Almost one-fifth of the Bangladeshi adult population is overweight, with an increase of 10 percentage point in the number of overweight or obese people over the past three decades, according to a global study.

Although only 7% Bangladeshis were overweight or obese in 1980, the rate climbed to 17% in 2013; however, the rising trend was comparatively lower among children as there was now 4.5% overweight children compared to 3% in 1980.

The figures were found by a first-ofits-kind analysis of trend data from 188 countries.

The study, titled “Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013,” was conducted by an international consortium of researchers led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, and published in leading medical journal The Lancet on May 29.

OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY RATE In Bangladesh 1980 2013 Overweight adults Obese adults Overweight children Obese children

5% 13% 2% 4% 1.5% 3% 1.5% 1.5%

In South Asia

1980 2013

Overweight/obese adults Highest adult obesity rate Highest child obesity rate

16% 21%

Country 2013 Pakistan

21%

Bhutan

6%

SOURCE: THE LANCET

“For overweight and obesity to be rising to the point where nearly one in five adults is too heavy, we must look for ways to change behaviour and change policy,” said Dr Aliya Naheed, associate scientist at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research

in Bangladesh (ICDDRB) and one of the paper’s co-authors.

However, of the 17% of overweight adults in Bangladesh, just 4% were obese, while obesity rates in children and adolescents remain at about 1.5%.

Being overweight is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) or weight-to-height ratio between 25 and 30, while obesity is defined as having a BMI equal to or greater than 30.

Health risks such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and chronic kidney disease increase when a person’s BMI exceeds 23.

In 2010, obesity and overweight were estimated to have caused 3.4 million deaths globally, most of which were from cardiovascular causes. Research indicates that if left unchecked, the rise in obesity could lead to future declines in life expectancy.

“Being overweight caries significant health risks, and those risks are greatly increased for obese individuals,” said Alan Lopez, laureate professor at the University of Melbourne and a co-founder of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study.

“Unlike tobacco control, there is very little evidence that public heath campaigns or industry regulatory mechanisms are yet having an impact.

Health authorities across Asia need to take the population health consequences of weight gain much more seriously,” he added.

South Asia has seen a steady increase in overweight and obesity since 1980, with the rate of overweight or obese adults rising from 16% to 21% in 2013; but the region also has the lowest child overweight/obesity prevalence of 6% and the lowest child obesity prevalence of 3%.

Within the region, Pakistan has the highest obesity rate of 14% for adults, and Bhutan has the highest obesity rate of 6% for children. South Asia also has the smallest gender gap in adult obesity among all regions: 4.8% for male and 5.2% for female.

“In the last three decades, not one country has achieved success in reducing obesity rates, and we expect obesity to rise steadily as incomes rise in low- and middle-income countries in particular, unless urgent steps are tak-

en to address this public health crisis,” said Dr Christopher Murray, director of the IHME and a co-founder of the GBD study.

In developed countries, increases in obesity that began in the 1980s and accelerated from 1992 to 2002 have slowed since 2006. Conversely, in developing countries increases are likely to continue.

The global study found that among children and adolescents, obesity has increased substantially worldwide.

Between 1980 and 2013, the prevalence of overweight/obese children and adolescents increased by nearly 50%.

In 2013, more than 22% of girls and nearly 24% of boys living in developed countries were found to be overweight or obese.

Rates are also on the rise among children and adolescents in the developing world, where nearly 13% of boys and more than 13% of girls are overweight or obese.

The findings were disclosed in a press release signed by Shahreen Haq, media manager (communications and development) of the ICDDRB. l

FY15 budget to stand at Tk2,50,506 crore n Asif Showkat Kallol

The budget size for the next fiscal year is expected to be Tk2,50,506 crore, which is scheduled to be placed in the parliament tomorrow.

The allocation has been increased by a little eventually on consideration that the investment needs to be raised to boost the economic growth, officials concerned said yesterday.

The budget for 2014-15 expects a GDP growth of 7.3%, which is higher than the revised estimate of 6.5% for the outgoing fiscal year.

Total budget deficit would be of Tk65,635 crore or 4.9% of the GDP estimated to be of Tk13,39,500 crore in the next fiscal. The deficit will be financed by banks borrowing of Tk31,509 crore and foreign loans of Tk34,130 crore.

To finance the spending, the budget estimates NBR and non-NBR revenue of Tk183,535 crore. Non-development expenditure is expected to be Tk169,987 crore and development expenditure be Tk80,310 crore. l

Criminal shot dead in Laxmipur Jamil Khan with Our n Mohammad Correspondent in Laxmipur An alleged leader of a local criminal gang, known as “Didar Bahini”, died of gunshot wounds early yesterday at a hospital in Lakshmipur district. His family, however, claimed that the top criminal was killed after being detained by police.

The deceased, Ismail Hossain Khokon, 38, of Titarkandi village, reportedly took charge of the gang after its leader, Didar, was killed in a gunfight in January with the Rapid Action Battalion.

Sub-inspector Md Zillur Rahman of Laxmipur Sadar police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that he was patrolling the district’s Kathalia area with a team on Monday night when they heard gunshots. They searched the area and found Ismail with bullet wounds in his legs.

“We immediately admitted him to Laximpur Sadar Hospital, where Khokon succumbed to his injuries at 1:15am,” Zillur said. But the police officer could not say who had shot the alleged gang leader.

Ismail’s family members and neighbours, however, claimed that Ismail, along with an acquaintance, were picked up by police earlier on Monday.

Faruk Hossain, a local resident, told our Laxmipur correspondent that Sub-Inspector (SI) Kamal and Assistant Sub-Inspector Sarwar of Daserhut police station detained Ismail and Sabuj Hossain, 18, while they were chatting with some friends at Buiyahut Bazar around 8pm on Monday.

“Khokon could not be found after that,” Faruk said.

Two people including Chhatra Union leader go missing

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

A former leader of Bangladesh Chhatra Union and one of his friends has been missing in Chittagong city since Sunday.

The victims are Ismail Azad Shakil, 28, former general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra Union of Chittagong unit, and his friend Linkon Majumder, 28, member of Biborton Pathchakra, an organisation that works for street children, police said.

Shakil is a resident of the port city’s Ghatfarhadbeg area, while Linkon lives in Chandgaon area in the city, police added.

Shakil’s father Rafiqul Azad and Linkon’s father Shibu Majumder filed two separate general dairies with Kotwali police station in this regard on Monday night, said AKM Mohiuddin, officer-in-charge of the station.

Quoting the victims’ family members, the OC told the Dhaka Tribune that the victims went out from their respective residences on Sunday afternoon to meet Sudipta, one of their friends, and the trio met at Probortok intersection.

Later, Sudipta went back to his residence after having spent some time with them, leaving the duo in front of Afmi Plaza, said the OC. Later, Sudipta found their mobile phones switched off since Sunday evening, the police official added.

Ismail’s brother, Abul Kashem, said police told them that they were arresting Ismail as a suspect in a murder case.

“Later, we heard that he died while undergoing treatment at the hospital,” said Kashem, who is vice president of ruling Awami League’s Laxmipur unit.

Kashem also claimed that his brother, who was also a Jubo League leader in Charshahi, was killed over political rivalry.

“It is nothing but a political rivalry.

With his removal, many people would get the chance to take control on the area,” Kashem claimed.

Meanwhile, Sabuj Hossain was found in custody at Daserhut police station on Tuesday.

SI Kamal said Sabuj was arrested as he was a suspect in a robbery case. He also claimed that he did not to know anything about Ismail.

In the presence of police, Sabuj told our correspondent: “We were detained together. Police took Khokon away in a microbus, and they brought me to the police station. I do not know where they took Khokon.”

Shah Mizan Shafiur Rahman, superintendent of police, denied any involvement of the police in Ismail’s killing. He said a police patrol found him injured and took him to the hospital, where he died later.

Sources in Laxmipur police claimed that after arresting Ismail, police took him to the Laxmipur DB office. During interrogation, Sub-Inspector Bashar of the Detective Branch allegedly took him outside and shot him.

However, SI Bashar refuted the allegations, saying he was not aware about Ismail’s killing. l

Two handcuffed teen-aged boys detained for alleged thievery were being transferred from the Dhaka Central Jail yesterday. Police, however, did not reply to a query where they were being taken. Child psychologists and parenting experts oppose such punishment to teenagers instead of putting them in juvenile correction centre. The photo was taken at Nazimuddin road RAJIB DHAR

Top criminal Faridya held in Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Detective Branch (DB) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) arrested a wanted criminal from the city’s Chawkbazar area on Monday night for allegedly deceiving people by identifying himself as DB personnel.

The arrested, Md Faridul Islam alias Faridya, 40, is the son of Nurul Islam, of the city’s Bakalia, and is accused in 17 cases including charges of murder,

arms, drug, robbery, mugging and extortion that were lodged with different police stations in Chittagong from 1996 to 2014, said DB sources.

Babul Akhter, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of DB in CMP, said on a tip-off they had detained the top terrorist from the area on Monday at 10pm.

Faridul has been leading a 16-member gang including top listed miscreants Faisal, Kalu, Badshah and Jane

70 gold bars, currencies worth Tk35 lakh recovered, 10 held n Kailash Sarkar

Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested 10 people on charge of smuggling gold at the Hajarat Shahjalal International Airport and Paltan in the capital on early Tuesday.

DB police recovered 70 gold bars weighing 8 kilograms and currencies of different countries equivalent to Tk35 lakh from their possessions.

The officials claimed that those 10 detainees were also involved in the smuggling of 904 pieces of gold bars weighing 106 kg which were seized at the Dhaka airport on April 27.

The detained persons were identified as Nazrul Islam Liton, 46, Ikramul Huq Parvej, 51, Mizanur Rahman Ripon, 32, Abul Hossain Sumon, 33, Asim Kumer Singha, 37, Abdul Kader, 33, Anisur Rahman, Babul Poddar, 54, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, 41, and Zahidur Rahman, 35.

According to the DB officials Nazrul Islam Liton was the leader of the smuggling ring and the nine others were of his accomplices.

“Of them, Liton was arrested from his Purana Paltan house following the arrest of his nine aides at the Boarding Bridge-2 of the Immigration of the airport area,” said Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the DMP, while ad-

dressing a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Minto Road.

Those nine persons were arrested with nine passports, 12 mobile phones and currencies of different countries, including Saudi Riyals, Malaysian Ringgit, Singapore Dollars and Bangladeshi taka equivalent to Tk35 lakh.

Officials claimed that those 10 detainees were also involved in the smuggling of 904 pieces of gold bars weighing 106 kg which were seized at the Dhaka airport on April 27 The DB official also claimed that following the information extracted from those of his nine associates, the detectives arrested Liton from his Purana Paltan residence and by searching his house, 70 pieces of gold bars, Tk3,00,000 in cash and 5000 Saudi Arabian Riyals were recovered.”

The officials of the DB also claimed that they arrested those 10 persons following information extracted from one Anis Uddin Bhuiyan, who was arrested

on April 27 with 106kg gold at Dhaka airport immediately after the gold haul had been smuggled into Bangladesh on a flight of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

Detained Anisur Rahman Bhuiyan also disclosed that those 10 persons had link to the smuggling of the 106 kg gold, the second largest haul of smuggled gold seized in Bangladesh after the 126 kg gold seized earlier in June last year.

Smuggling of gold has turned rampant and the airports in Bangladesh have become one of the main routes of gold smuggling since the Indian government imposed some barriers on the import of gold there.

Besides, around 60 rings are said to be involved in the smuggling of gold and various precious metals and stones while a section of officials and employees working at the airports have been found to be linked to the smuggling processes.

Moinul Khan, Director General of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) earlier told the Dhaka Tribune that they had identified 18 officials of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines and the Civil Aviation Authorities of Bangladesh (CAAB) as the suspects for their links to the smuggling of the 124 kg of gold. l

Alam and police had been attempting to arrest them and the other members of the ring, he said.

The arrested had started his criminal activities under the protection of different political parties since 1996.

Later, he had left the country when CMP declared him one of the most wanted criminals.

Six years after his departure, he came back to Chittagong and started faking his identity with a forged nation-

al identity card. However, police had detected his original identity and had arrested him, the arrested informed the interrogation team.

Faridul, was let out of jail on bail by the court, and started deceiving common people by identifying himself as DB personnel, the arrested said.

The arrested was handed over to Chawkbazar police station, the official added. l

Elephant action plan on the cards n Abu Bakar Siddique

The government is formulating an Elephant Action Plan to conserve the giant herbivore and put a check on the elephant-human conflict in the country.

The Forest Department said they are working on it. The plan may be finalised by December this year and brought into force by January next year.

“The government is preparing the policy with an aim to conserve the Asian elephants. It will be the guideline for elephant conservation,” said Tapan Kumar Dey, conservator of Forest (Wildlife) of the Forest Department.

Being a flagship or umbrella species, elephants are considered a symbol of a healthy ecosystem, but they are critically endangered in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh now accounts for around 200 wild elephants, though in the mid-twentieth century, it had above 500.

The number of wild elephants has decreased in Asia in the last two centuries because of fragmentation and destructionof their habitat, caused by expansion of agriculture and human settlement.

Wildlife expert Dr Reza Khan, who is now working as Dubai Zoo curator, says elephants are straying into human habitats and damaging crops due to a growing pressure on their habitats, re-

sulting in human-elephant conflict.

According to Forest Department statistics, at least 93 people were killed in elephant attacks across the country in the last 13 years. Of them, 50 were killed in Chittagong’s southern part Patiya, Khurushia and Banshkhali.

Bangladesh now accounts for around 200 wild elephants, though in the midtwentieth century, it had above 500 Apart from human beings, at least seven elephants were killed by elephants. Of them, four died in Sherpur, two in Rangamati and the remainder in Netrokona.

Moreover, at least 823 homes were destroyed by elephants in Rangtia range and 19 homes in Balijuri range in Sherpur in the last one decade.

On top of formulating the elephant action plan, the Forest Department is conducting the wild elephant census and the report is likely to be published next June.

Earlier, the government formulated an action plan to save the country’s tiger population in 2008, and the current tiger conservation programme is running based on that. l

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B3 Cellbazaar formally turns to Ekhanei

B4 Marketing to Muslims WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Budget may feature investment stimulus n Tribune Report As all set, the next fiscal year’s budget announcement scheduled for tomorrow is expected to include a number of incentive packages to stimulate investments.

With many challenges ahead, Finance Minister AMA Muhith will place the proposed budget for FY2014-15 in the parliament.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) has set an ambitious target of collecting Tk1,49,720 crore revenue in the next financial year beginning from July.

Extension of legalising black money facility, enlargement of tax-free income slabs, continuation of tax holiday offers, tax incentives for factory relocation outside the capital and lowering of turnover tax rate are likely to be some of the features of the upcoming budget, official sources said.

Incentives for factory relocation out of Dhaka

The government is expected to provide tax rebates for the industries to be shifted from the capital. The new industries, which are not eligible for tax holiday, would be given 20% tax rebate for setting up the plants outside Dhaka while the industries, already established in Dhaka, would enjoy 10% tax rebate for relocation.

The government is taking the move as the capital Dhaka and the adjoining areas have become almost unlivable due to the factories established in the areas without any proper plan.

“The factories need to be relocated to ensure a proper working atmosphere as it has been a core concern for the foreign buyers and brands after the

Tax-free limit of stock dividends likely to be raised n Tribune Report The government is expected to offer tax incentives to the small stock market investors as it has finalised an increase in the tax exemption limit on dividend income from the existing Tk10,000 to Tk15,000.

The offer is intended to encourage small investors to invest more in the country’s capital market which is yet to bounce back after the 2010 debacle.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith will announce the proposed budget for the next financial year in the parliament tomorrow, which is expected to include the incentives for retail stock investors.

The budget may also provide Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) – the two bourses of the country - with tax holiday facility for next five years.

The facility is expected to be featured in the upcoming budget as the two stock markets have earlier requested for it, according to the official sources concerned.

“The government will offer five years tax holiday for both the demutualised entities to entertain their requests,” said an official involved with the budget process.

DSE and CSE were demutualised on November 21, 2013. l

Rana Plaza and Tazreen Tragedy,” said Exporters Association of Bangladesh President Abdus Salam Murshedy.

He suggested setting up factories in the rural areas. “But it depends on three factors. If the government can give tax holiday benefits, ensure utility services and refinance small entrepreneurs providing soft loans with small interests, the owners will surely be relocated.”

According to the Income Tax Ordinance 1984, there are 17 sectors each in industrial undertakings and physical infrastructures that are eligible for getting tax holiday facility.

Tax holiday to be continued till 2019

To encourage and support new entrepreneurs, tax holiday scheme, which was scheduled to end at June 2015, is expected to be extended to June 2019 as an incentive package to improve revenue collection.

As the NBR finds the limited extension of tax holiday does not attract businesses, the government might extend the time-frame for supporting businesses for a couple of years to ensure an effective investment atmosphere.

Ceiling for CSR spending to witness a rise

Corporate tax cut only for non-listed companies

The rate of corporate income tax would only be reduced for the non-listed companies, and the rest would remain unchanged in the upcoming fiscal year.

The finance minister is expected to propose reduction of tax rate for the non-listed companies from the existing 37.5% to 35% and keep the rates for other companies unchanged.

Former FBCCI President Mir Nasir Hossain said the gap between the tax rate for listed and non-listed companies should be minimised.

“Cost of doing business is very high in Bangladesh. For the high corporate tax rate, the local businesses are facing uneven competition in the international market. The tax gap between the two, which is now 10%, should be reduced at least to 5%,” he added.

Green tax may be imposed for curbing environment pollution

The government is likely to impose green tax at 1%, as surcharge, on prices of products produced by compa-

nies who mostly pollute environment in different ways while the environment-friendly industries are likely to receive incentive packages.

EAB President Murshedy said preventing industries from polluting environment cannot be made with imposing penalty, rather it needs encouragements such as incentive packages.

“Factories have concentrated to certain places, which should be changed.

Factories have to be established in an environment-friendly manner,” he said.

“Not penalty, motivation is needed, which might include providing soft loans with 5% interest rate for setting up effluent treatment plants at the factories,” said Murshedy.

Proposed income slabs*

On first Tk2.2 lakh of taxable income

On first Tk2.2 lakh of taxable income

Nil

On first Tk3 lakh of taxable income

On next Tk5 lakh of taxable income

10%

On first Tk4 lakh of taxable income

On next Tk7 lakh of taxable income

20%

On first Tk3 lakh of taxable income

On next Tk25 lakh of taxable income

25%

On the balance of taxable income

On balance over Tk44.2 lakh of taxable income

30%

TAX-FREE INCOME THRESHOLD FOR INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYERS Threshold of taxable income Existing

Proposed*

Tax exempted income threshold

Tk2.2 lakh

Tk2.2 lakh

Women and aged taxpayers (65 years or above)

Tk2.5 lakh

Tk2.75 lakh

Tk3 lakh

Tk3.5 lakh

Physically challenged Freedom fighters

Tk4 lakh *Likely to be proposed

Restructuring income tax slabs n Tribune Business Desk The tax-free income ceiling for individual taxpayers is likely to remain unchanged at Tk2.20 lakh in the next fiscal year as Finance Minister AMA Muhith is set to place the budget proposal tomorrow.

But the ceiling for other categories like women, elderly of more than 65 years of age, disabled and freedom fighters would be increased, officials said.

A new slab would also be intro-

duced with highest 30% tax for income over Tk44.20 lakh.

The limit for female and senior citizens would be raised from Tk2.50 lakh to Tk2.75 lakh and for physically challenged from Tk3 lakh to Tk3.50 lakh.

For freedom fighters it would be set at Tk4 lakh.

Other than the tax-free income threshold, the income tax slabs would be like 10% tax on Tk5 lakh income, 15% for next Tk7 lakh, 20% for next Tk5 lakh, 25% for next Tk25 lakh and 30% for over Tk44.20 lakh. l

Venture capital norms on cards n Kayes Sohel

Securities regulator has taken a move to frame norms on venture capital to bring firms under discipline.

Presently, there are no rules and regulations for handling such types of risky and sensitive investment.

Over the past several years, venture capital companies that are relatively new in the country have been operating their businesses over the past few years without any rules.

This has mainly prompted the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) to frame rules, said an official.

Venture capital companies usually provide fund at the early stages to private companies with high potential.

“The commission has formed a three-member committee to formulate rules on venture capital and private equity,” said BSEC in a statement yesterday. The committee was asked to

submit report within a month to the commission, it said.

Currently, Bangladesh has very few such firms, including Brummer and Partners Asset Management (Bangladesh), NDB Capital, BD Ventures and VIPB Asset Management Company.

Industry people welcomed the regulator move saying it will help grow the industry and attract foreign investment.

They were of the view is that it was hardly possible to settle any dispute in the new business due to lack of rules.

Mohammad Al Maruf Khan, vice chairman of NDB Capital, said it is really tough to operate business in the unregulated market, as there is a chance of unethical activities.

“The move will help develop the sector as foreign investment was attracted in the disciplined market,” he said. “The move should be taken earlier. However it is better late than never.”

He said the regulation should fol-

The government is expected to reduce the minimum tax on any company’s gross receipts from existing 0.50% to 0.25%. Currently, any company having gross receipts of more than Tk50 lakh, irrespective of its profits or loss, has to pay minimum tax at the rate of 0.50%.

Former FBCCI President Mir Nasir Hossain said the tax needs withdrawal as it goes against the basic principle of income tax and creates double taxation.

“We are paying taxes twice on our incomes whereas the income should be implied only to the income once.

Though it should be withdrawn, however, a reduction on the rate can also support the businesses,” he said.

Tax rebate on individual investment to be reduced

The government is likely to propose reducing tax rebate on investment in some specific sectors by individuals to 10% from 15%, apparently to enhance revenue income.

At present, the rebate is entitled to an amount of Tk1.5 crore or 30% of an individual’s income – whichever is lower.

The government had raised the rebate to 15% in the last budget while raising the allowable limit from Tk1 crore to boost investment and economic growth.l

FY15 budget may propose paying it through banks n Asif Showkat Kallol and Syed Samiul Basher Anik

The government would propose in the budget for next fiscal year introducing payment of house rent though banking channel to prevent tax evasion.

The budget for 2014-15 would have provisions for tenants to pay their house rents through cheques if it exceeds Tk25,000 per month, officials said.

With the new system, the banks would be asked to deduct tax at source on income from house rent before making payment to house owners.

Both the house owners and tenants will be brought under the tax net as the payments will be made through banking channels and the NBR would be able to collect from the banks the relevant information about income.

A large number of house owners evades taxes as they do not give formal money receipts to the tenants while collecting rents, through which, they manage to conceal the actual amounts they collected and thus evade tax.

According to National Board of Revenue, a total of 1.62 lakh tax evading house owners were indentified through a survey in some selected areas. They concealed income from house rents while submitting income tax returns.

The board has brought less than half of them under tax net by opening their income tax files and collecting the taxes from them.

NBR officials said house owners do not declare even half of their income from property rent in income tax returns. l

Ecnec okays Tk82cr SEZ project

INDIVIDUAL TAX RATES AND INCOME SLABS Existing income slabs

Turnover tax

The government is going to propose raising the tax rebate from 10% to 20% for encouraging corporate companies to make investments in natural disaster funds, and to organisations related with health and education sectors.

The tax ceiling for CSR expenditure would also be raised from Tk8 crore to Tk12 crore annually.

The areas under CSR spending are natural disaster victims, old homes, schools for floating children, residence of slum dwellers, specialised hospitals for free treatment of poor etc.

HOUSE RENT

low the desirability in the perspective of Bangladesh market and avoid copy other countries.

An official of BD Ventures said rules will help build trust in the capital venture companies. “In absence of venture-capital fund rules, it is not possible to raise funds to finance new and innovative ventures.”

India has more than 200 such types of companies after promulgation of rules and regulations in 1996.

A large number of venture capital companies have been formed in Pakistan after proclaiming rules in 2001.

In India, venture capital financing started in 1988 with the formation of Technology Development and Information Company of India Ltd. Grameen Fund is the pioneer of venture capital in the country.

It launched its operation in mid1990s although the organisation is no more funding the private companies as venture capital. l

n Tribune Report

The government has allocated Tk81.95 crore for setting up four special economic zones (SEZs) in the country – a move that the private sector has long been crying for.

Under the project titled Bangladesh Economic Zones Development Project (Phase-1), four SEZs would be set up in Sherpur of Maulvibazar, Mirershorai and Anwara of Chittagong and another in Sirajganj.

Of the total outlay, Tk2.25 crore will come from the state coffer while the remaining of Tk79.70 crore as project assistance.

Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) will implement the first phase of the project by June 2016.

With this project, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved four development projects involving Tk3,394.40 crore.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting at the NEC conference room in Dhaka.

After the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mostafa Kamal told reporters that of the total project cost, Tk222.63 crore will come from the national exchequer and Tk3,171.77 crore from project assistance.

He said the government would provide land, gas lines, power to the SEZs while the investing companies would develop infrastructure on their own.

The project will focus on expansion

of “multi-product” industries in different zones, construction and development of necessary physical infrastructures for establishing economic zones in a bid to ensure a balanced development of the country.

Kamal said the government has already decided to allocate one of the SEZs to Japan.

The country needs the economic zones for attracting both foreign and local investments Earleir, BEZA carried out a study and identified that Sherpur, Mirershorai and Anwara as potential locations for economic zones to be built at an estimated cost of $1.17bn by investors.

The Sherpur economic zone, which is proposed to be set up on 353 acres of land, will be 55 kilometres from MAG Osmani International Airport, 435km from the Chittagong port and 208km from Dhaka, according to the study.

The economic zone will accommodate industrial units for textile, ceramic, pharmaceutical, paint and food processing, and create jobs for 40,706 workers. The price of land will be $50 per square metre.

The government plans to start the construction of the Sherpur EZ in 2015 and complete the work by 2018. It will cost $90m, with only five households

to be relocated to accommodate the economic zone.

The Mirershorai economic zone will be set up on 6,615.12 acres of land at a cost of $847m. It, however, does not have the water supply network at present.

The proposed zone will be 182km from Dhaka, 66km from Chittagong, 79km from the airport and 67 from the sea port.

It will house industries from sectors such as garment, garment accessories, textiles, machinery parts, bike and automobile assembling.

The Anwara project will be located on 1,389 acres of land and will be 45km from Chittagong port, 28km from the port city and 46km from the airport. It will cost $239mn.

The zone will have direct sea access, enabling it to attract waterfront industries such as shipbuilding, shipbuilding components, steel, automobile parts, leather goods and pharmaceuticals.

The price of land is estimated at $60$70 per square metre, with construction due to start in 2017. It is expected to create jobs for 53,420 workers, while 980 households will have to be relocated.

The government approved the Economic Zones Act in 2010 to attract both foreign and domestic investors to create 10 million jobs by 2030 and spur economic development.

The country needs the economic zones for attracting both foreign and local investments, and for creating employment generation, business people earlier said. l

AGENT BANKING

One urban outlet against two rural ones n Tribune Report A bank must have at least two rural agent banking outlet if it wants to open one urban agent banking outlet, according to a guidance note Bangladesh Bank issued yesterday.

The move comes a day after allowing agent banking activities in the rural areas, including municipalities.

Earlier, on March 24 this year, Bangladesh Bank imposed restriction on agent banking in rural areas, which is still applicable in metropolitan or city corporations.

According to the guidance note, target groups those really need to be served with financial services under agent banking are the non-privi-

leged and underserved locations.

Banks will give much emphasis on the rural areas to cover lion share of the target group, but at the same time, will not ignore the rest of the target group

by concentrating on the urban area in a limited scope.

Bank will provide priority to rural areas for their operation of agent banking, said the note. l

B2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stock

Stocks fall on profit booking

DSE key features June 3, 2014

n Tribune Report

Number of Contract

It said the Motijheel street turned a bit volatile partly due to growing worry over government’s strong position on bringing back the banks' stock market exposure down to the permissible limit in keeping with the pledges made to the International Monetary Fund.

Participation was concentrated mainly in engineering, textile and cement sectors, making up almost 37% of the total turnover.

Among the major sectors, telecommunication performed well with gaining more than 3%. It was followed by the textile companies that rallied over 2% with seven of them featuring in the top ten gainers’ list.

Other sectors, including pharmaceuticals, power, food, bank and non-banking financial institutions closed red on profit booking.

Out of 294 issues traded, 150 declined, 110 advanced and 34 closed unchanged.

Grameenphone was the most traded stocks over last several sessions with shares worth Tk41 crore changing hands followed by Lafarge Surma Cement, Heidelberg Cement, BSRM Steel, Meghna Petroleum and Square Pharmaceuticals, DSE is scheduled to meet with the regulator today to discuss the present market scenario. l

Stocks ended lower yesterday, as investors have booked quick profits on financial, energy and pharmaceutical issues.

After moving up sharply in early trading, the market has lost its ground amid weak market breadth.

After rising more than 20 points, the benchmark index DSEX settled the session at 4,419, shedding 28 points or 0.7%. It finished flat in the previous session.

DSE is scheduled to meet with the regulator today to discuss the present market scenario The comprising blue chips DS30 was down 13 points or 0.8% to 1,625.

The Shariah index DSES was slightly down 3 points or 0.4% to 1,003.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, was up 51 points to 8,435.

Participation in trading decreased after three-session rising as the total turnover at DSE was Tk392 crore, down more than 9% over the previous session.

Lanka Bangla Securities said profit taking on financial, fuel and power, and pharma stocks snapped the winning streaks of the previous session.

DSE GAINERS Company

Turnover (Million Taka)

4,324.98

Turnover (Volume)

79,867,885 86,498

Traded Issues

294

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

101

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

188

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

5

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,298.06

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

27.86

CSE key features June 3, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

252.85

Turnover (Volume)

Daily capital market highlights

6,635,826

Number of Contract

9,367

DSE Broad Index :

4418.79221

(-) 0.64%

▼

Traded Issues

219

DSE Shariah Index :

1003.32309

(-) 0.37%

▼

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

68

DSE - 30 Index :

1625.32216

(-) 0.80%

▼

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

148

CSE All Share Index:

13649.39970

(-) 0.42%

▼

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

2

CSE - 30 Index :

11105.38410

(-) 1.35%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,202.68

8435.91790

(-) 0.60%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

26.70

CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSERS Company

Closing (% change)

AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Wata Chemicals -A Delta Life Insu. -A 2nd ICB M F -A Union Capital -A ICB Islamic Bank-Z MBL 1st M. F.-A Karnaphuli Insur -A

-9.72 -7.70 -5.89 -5.86 -5.83 -5.45 -5.26 -4.24

Average (% change) -10.47 24.17 -4.93 -5.64 -6.61 6.39 -5.99 -3.48

Beacon Pharma Ltd.-Z LankaBangla Fin. -A

-4.20 -3.95

-2.41 -3.34

CSE LOSERS

Janata Insur -A EXIM Bank 1 MF-A ICB AMCL IslamicMF-A Republic Insu.-A Delta Life Insu. -A AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Rangpur Foundry -A SonarBangla Insu. -A

-9.79 -9.33 -8.59 -7.74 -5.98 -5.63 -5.28 -5.26

Average (% change) -9.54 -7.23 -8.59 -0.94 -5.24 -2.39 -5.29 -5.26

MBL 1st M. F.-A Padma Islami Life*-N

-5.17 -5.08

-6.63 -3.99

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 413.08 103.77 60.31 508.07 181.95 406.91 4.88 490.45 459.10 0.23 45.40 49.65 9.49 472.70 17.55 49.27 105.89 461.16 27.31 55.21 0.42

Daily low

Latest EPS

Latest PE

6.50 488.91 198.50 270.00 21.21 5.83 5.49 22.73

6.50 449.60 193.50 270.00 21.00 5.20 5.40 22.60

6.70 524.60 204.80 270.10 22.30 6.00 5.60 23.60

6.50 449.60 190.00 270.00 20.10 5.20 5.40 22.00

2.930 25.516 70.548 0.054 1.819 3.840 6.669 1.226

1.49 9.80 2.92 33.24 2.08 -1.12 1.44 1.40

4.4 49.9 68.0 8.1 10.2 -ve 3.8 16.2

11.73 41.93

11.40 41.30

12.10 45.00

11.20 39.00

4.083 28.581

0.04 1.24

293.3 33.8

Closing average

Closing

Daily high

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

Al-Haj Textile -A Stylecraft -A CMC Kamal Tex. -A Eastern Cables-A BSRM Steels-A Maksons Spinning-A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A Generation Next-A Apex SpinningA Matin Spinning-N

17.50 6.80 18.10 31.00 193.50 6.70 100.50 18.00

18.80 6.80 18.10 32.40 204.00 7.30 101.00 18.00

17.50 6.80 18.10 31.00 191.50 6.60 100.00 18.00

0.109 0.003 0.018 0.032 6.635 2.244 0.101 0.018

1.40 0.71 2.33 2.45 2.92 1.49 3.08 1.52

12.5 9.6 7.8 12.9 67.6 4.7 32.6 11.8

5.49 63.50

5.50 63.50

5.50 63.50

5.40 63.50

0.382 0.032

1.44 1.10

3.8 57.7

Profit taking on financial, fuel and power, and pharma stocks snapped the winning streaks of the previous session

% change 10.53 2.65 1.54 12.95 4.64 10.37 0.12 12.50 11.70 0.01 1.16 1.27 0.24 12.05 0.45 1.26 2.70 11.76 0.70 1.41 0.01

Million Taka 23.84 6.08 4.60 42.79 10.38 25.46 42.38 22.04 9.58 1.38 11.30 0.64 31.36 1.07 1.19 7.56 28.21 4.29 7.28 0.02

% change 8.47 2.16 1.63 15.20 3.69 9.05 0.00 15.06 7.83 3.40 0.49 4.02 0.23 11.14 0.38 0.42 2.68 10.02 1.52 2.59 0.01

Million Taka 436.92 109.85 64.91 550.87 192.33 432.37 4.88 532.84 481.14 9.81 46.78 60.95 10.13 504.06 18.62 50.46 113.44 489.37 31.59 62.49 0.44

Total

9.98 6.05 5.94 5.49 5.24 4.20 4.18 4.17 4.10 4.08

CSE GAINERS Company Sonargaon Tex -Z Imam Button -Z Eastern Cables-A BSRM Steels-A Pragati Gen. I -A Paramount Insur-A S. Alam CR Steel -A Generation Next-A Matin Spinning-N Apex Tannery -A

Closing (% change) 9.88 8.75 8.02 5.76 5.38 4.23 4.19 4.14 4.09 3.78

Average (% change) 10.36 6.19 2.59 2.20 5.33 3.03 (0.45) 1.30 1.31 3.93 Average (% change) 9.88 8.75 5.13 5.06 5.92 4.23 3.12 2.12 3.76 4.23

Closing average 148.56 1,200.00 20.96 135.35 81.06 14.94 24.26 14.80 83.40 43.13

Closing average 8.90 8.70 138.79 81.12 43.10 19.70 35.00 14.90 43.09 154.46

Closing 152.10 1,200.10 21.40 136.50 80.30 14.90 24.90 15.00 83.80 43.40

Closing 8.90 8.70 140.10 80.80 43.10 19.70 34.80 15.10 43.30 153.80

Daily high 152.10 1,202.00 22.20 139.00 83.90 15.50 25.70 15.50 85.50 44.30

Daily high 8.90 8.70 142.60 83.50 43.10 19.70 36.00 15.50 44.00 157.20

Daily low 135.00 1,190.00 18.20 129.50 74.80 12.90 23.10 13.00 79.90 41.40

Daily low 8.90 8.70 133.90 77.70 43.10 19.70 34.00 14.10 41.20 150.60

Turnover in million 59.707 1.560 15.756 18.936 177.600 20.004 66.998 31.935 2.652 48.955

Turnover in million 0.009 0.004 1.735 17.200 0.004 0.049 1.094 4.861 3.318 2.301

Latest EPS

Latest PE

2.00 47.83 1.32 2.03 4.72 1.02 4.64 2.28 1.85 2.99

Latest EPS

74.3 25.1 15.9 66.7 17.2 14.6 5.2 6.5 45.1 14.4

Latest PE

-0.92 -1.85 2.03 4.72 2.52 1.64 1.90 2.28 2.99 4.35

-ve -ve 68.4 17.2 17.1 12.0 18.4 6.5 14.4 35.5

News, analysis and recent disclosers AL-HAJTEX: With reference to their earlier price sensitive news which was disseminated in DSE website on 30.01.2014, the company has further informed that, as per item number 1 of the said news, a writ petition (no. 5129) was conducted in the year 2009 where a verdict was made on 20.01.2014. According to that verdict, Agrani Bank limited has deposited Tk. 8,11,25,002 (including both principal and interest) in the current account of the company of Ishwardi Branch out of the company's total claim of Tk. 52,56,09,375.

EXIMBANK: The Company has further informed that due to unavoidable circumstances the AGM of the Company will now be held on June 17, 2014 at 11:00 AM at 'RAOWA Convention Hall', Level-2, VIP Road, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1206 instead of June 26, 2014.

JANATAINS: The Company has further informed that the 28th AGM of the Company will be held on June 22, 2014 at 12:00 Noon at Ball Room of Chittagong Boat Club, Ghat No. 11, East Patenga, Chittagong. Other information of the AGM will remain unchanged.

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Grameenphone-A LafargeS Cement-Z HeidelbergCement -A BSRM Steels-A Meghna Petroleum -A Mercantile Bank -A Square Pharma -A

CSE

Closing (% change)

PRIMEBANK: The Company has informed that Mr. Azam J Chowdhury has been elected as Chairman of the Company for a period of 1st June 2014 to 31st May 2016.

IPO Subscription: Far East Knitting & Dyeing Industries Limited subscription date 15-19 June 2014, NRB upto 28 June 2014. @ taka 27, face value taka 10 and market lot 200. Shurwid Industries Limited subscription date 08-12 June 2014, NRB upto 21 June 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. Saif Powertec Limited subscription date 06-10 July 2014, NRB upto 19 July 2014. @ taka 30, face value taka 10 and market lot 200. Ratanpur Steel Re-Rolling Mills Limited subscription date 13-17 July 2014, NRB upto 26 July 2014. @ taka 40, face value taka 10 and market lot 200.

Dividend/AGM

WATACHEM: 30% stock, AGM: 27.06.2014, Record Date: 11.06.2014.

AMBEEPHA: 15% cash and 20% stock, AGM: 16.06.2014, Record Date: 28.05.2014.

MBL1STMF: 3% cash, Record date: 02.06.2014.

AIBL1STIMF: 5.5% cash, Record date: 02.06.2014.

ORIONPHARM: 15% cash, AGM: 22.06.2014, Record Date: 21.05.2014.

PURABIGEN: 15% stock, AGM: 29.06.2014, Record date: 21.05.2014.

SALVOCHEM: 10% stock, AGM: 27.08.2014, Record date: 25.06.2014.

ISNLTD: No dividend, AGM: 17.06.2014, RD May 20, 2014.

GOLDENSON: 25% stock, EGM and AGM: 21.06.2014, Record Date: 15.05.2014.

MERCINS: 10% cash, dividend for the Public Shareholders (B-Group) only, AGM: 16.06.2014, Record Date: 15.05.2014.

CMCKAMAL: 12.50% stock, AGM: 30.06.2014. Record Date: 29.05.2014.

RUPALIBANK: 15% stock, AGM: 31.05.2014, Record date: 14.05.2014.

LEGACYFOOT: 5% stock, AGM: 21.06.2014, Record Date: 12.05.2014.

BDTHAI: 5% stock, AGM: 21.06.2014, Record Date: 25.05.2014.

MEGHNACEM: 15% cash, AGM: 29.05.2014, Record Date: 14.05.2014.

MONNOSTAF: 10% cash, AGM: 26.06.2014, Record Date: 19.05.2014.

Latest PE

17.55 6.80 18.10 31.70 197.46 6.93 100.50 18.00

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Daily high

Turnover in million

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

% change 10.39 2.61 1.54 13.10 4.57 10.28 0.12 12.67 11.44 0.23 1.11 1.45 0.24 11.99 0.44 1.20 2.70 11.64 0.75 1.49 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

Delta Life Insu. -A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A Olympic Ind. -A

Al-Haj Textile -A National Tubes -A UCBL - A ACI Limited- A Pharma Aids A

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Grameenphone-A

LafargeS Cement-Z BSRM Steels-A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A Meghna Petroleum -A Square Pharma -A Appollo Ispat CL -N BD Submarine Cable-A HeidelbergCement -A Delta Life Insu. -A Hwa Well Textiles-N Generation Next-A Aftab Auto.-A UCBL - A Padma Oil Co. -A

Volume shares 1,451,192 2,494,000 387,070 2,191,013 598,003 6,051,675 339,541 355,400 2,761,500 281,548

401,901 354,068 2,155,513 212,067 240,500

Volume shares

72,800 221,000 212,040 391,500 32,800 33,254 291,000 40,152 13,550 33,600 144,000 326,166 59,138 176,407 13,390

Value in million 414.90 206.18 203.75 177.60 168.58 113.83 93.61 70.55 67.00 64.81

59.71 58.52 56.41 54.44 52.55

Value in million

20.80 18.34 17.20 9.54 9.27 9.17 7.92 7.42 7.15 6.63 6.03 4.86 4.78 4.60 4.43

% of total turnover 10.58 5.26 5.19 4.53 4.30 2.90 2.39 1.80 1.71 1.65

1.52 1.49 1.44 1.39 1.34

% of total turnover

8.38 7.39 6.93 3.85 3.74 3.70 3.19 2.99 2.88 2.67 2.43 1.96 1.93 1.85 1.79

Daily closing 290.70 83.10 528.60 80.30 278.50 18.70 274.50 193.50 24.90 228.40

152.10 163.80 26.10 251.60 216.00

Daily closing

290.00 83.20 80.80 25.00 278.10 274.80 27.00 183.60 526.50 193.50 42.00 15.10 80.00 26.00 328.40

Price change 3.19 3.49 0.06 5.24 -1.56 -0.53 -1.01 -5.89 4.18 -2.64

Daily opening 281.70 80.30 528.30 76.30 282.90 18.80 277.30 205.60 23.90 234.60

Price change

Daily opening

9.98 0.68 -0.38 -1.18 3.75

3.06 3.48 5.76 3.73 -2.15 -1.33 0.75 -1.34 -0.11 -5.98 3.19 4.14 -1.60 -0.38 -1.35

138.30 162.70 26.20 254.60 208.20

281.40 80.40 76.40 24.10 284.20 278.50 26.80 186.10 527.10 205.80 40.70 14.50 81.30 26.10 332.90

Daily high 293.70 83.70 537.50 83.90 287.30 19.10 280.00 204.80 25.70 235.50

152.10 168.40 27.00 262.80 226.00

Daily low 275.00 80.10 519.60 74.80 260.00 17.50 254.00 190.00 23.10 222.00

135.00 150.00 23.60 232.40 208.30

Daily average 285.91 82.67 526.39 81.06 281.90 18.81 275.70 198.50 24.26 230.18

Daily high

Daily low

Daily average

293.00 83.90 83.50 25.60 287.00 278.70 27.90 187.40 539.00 204.00 43.00 15.50 82.60 26.20 337.40

281.00 80.60 77.70 23.20 276.10 273.60 26.90 183.30 520.00 191.50 40.20 14.10 79.70 23.50 326.20

148.56 165.28 26.17 256.71 218.52

285.70 82.97 81.12 24.38 282.51 275.88 27.23 184.69 527.39 197.46 41.87 14.90 80.84 26.06 331.17

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Cellbazaar formally turns to Ekhanei n Tahmidur Rahman The country’s first online free classified ads website Cellbazaar.com has been officially retitled as Ekhanei.com yesterday.

The rebranding took place after the recent takeover of the company by new stakeholders and joining of Schibsted to the management along with Telenor Group.

Formal announcement was made at a function at a city hotel one week after the new site went into online.

Schibsted is a Norwegian media group while Telenor is a telecom company also based in Norway.

“We figured out that sales of advertised products depend on the location of its buyers and sellers, and therefore we have introduced a new website template to categorise products based on locations,” said the company’s CEO Arild Klokkerhaug.

“Though Cellbazaar was a very wellknown to the customers, we wanted to adopt a Bangla name, that’s why we hace changed it to Ekhanei. Logo has also been changed.”

Cellbazaar was initially introduced as a value added service of Grameenphone, the country’s leading mobile phone operator, to enable its users sell or buy products through Internet.

In the recent years the service was turned into a separate entity and its assets in turn was given to SnT Classifieds on agreement, according to a press release of Telenor on September 30 last year.

Oil prices rise on strong US, China manufacturing data n AFP, Singapore Oil prices rose in Asian trade yesterday on strong manufacturing data from top global energy guzzlers the United States and China, analysts said.

US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in July gained 15 cents to $102.62 a barrel while Brent North Sea crude for July was up 11 cents to $108.94 in afternoon trading.

Analysts said oil prices were tracking gains on Wall Street Monday after the Institute of Supply Management said its purchasing managers index of US manufacturing activity rose in May to 55.4 from 54.9 in April.

China's official purchasing managers index (PMI) of manufacturing activity reached 50.8 in May, the government said Sunday, a five-month high, up from 50.4 in March.

PMI data is a closely watched indicator of the health of a country's economy, and a reading above 50 indicates growth.

"The oil market at the moment is focused on the manufacturing data out of the US and China," Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney, told AFP. "But we are seeing some of the risk premium associated with Ukraine coming off as the crisis continues to drag on with new developments having little impact," McCarthy said. "That is dampening any upside factor on oil." l

Ekhanei.com CEO Arild Klokkerhaug speaks at the formal launching of the company in Dhaka yesterday The company SnT C, a new joint venture established by Telenor and Schibsted, currently owns Ekhanei in which Telenor and Schibsted will own 50% each.

However, Grameenphone’s financial statements of 2013 do not have

any information on this regard while financial reports of 2012 shows external liabilities to Telenor Start II AS for Cellbazaar operations.

The item mentioned as “other external liabilities” amounted to a consolidated figure of Tk4.7 crore in 2012,

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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

which was not mentioned in the annual reports of 2013.

Analyst who covers Grameenphone stock analysis at a leading equity research firm could not explain the figures, as it is insignificant to the size of the business.

Value of Cellbazaar ownership during the time of being sold, remains in the dark as the CEO of Ekhanei.com could not shed light on this topic.

Telenor has bought 33.3% shares of the online marketplace company, 701 Search Pte and 50% stake of SnT Classifieds by paying 145m euro along with contributing its Bangladeshi asset Cellbazaar.

While Schibsted contributed its South American assets, Bomnegocio. com (Brazil) and Yapo.cl (Chile) into the joint venture.

The transactions imply an enterprise value of the company, 701 Search Pte of 180m euro, reports Reuters.

One-third of the enterprise value is 60m euro, for which Telenor Group has paid a sum of 145m euro, resulting in a profit of 16.66% of enterprise value or 30m euro for Schibsted, added the report.

701 Search Pteis a media company that specialises in search services via online and mobile platforms for the Asia Pacific region.

The company owned equally by Telenor, Schibsted and Singapore Press Holdings operates Mudah.my (Malaysia), Berniaga.com (Indonesia), Ayosdito.ph (The Philippines) and Chotot. vn (Vietnam).

Ranking of the previous site, Cellbazaar.com was ranked among the countries 40th most visited site by Alexa site rating company, while the newly launched domain of ekhanei.com currently stands 219th on the list. l

Wata comes under regulator’s lens n Tribune Report Wata Chemicals has come under the lens of the securities regulator for its unusual share price hike.

“The commission has formed a twomember panel to probe into the abnormal price movement on Monday,” Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission said in a statement yesterday.

The panel was asked to submit the investigation report by 10 days to the commission, it said. On Monday, stock prices of Wata Chemicals jumped more than 700% following its corporate declaration.

It recommended 30% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013. The company reported a net profit after tax of Tk3 crore during 2013 and made Tk2 crore in 2012, according to its financial statements.

On the news of probe body formation, its stock price tumbled 7.7% to close at over Tk449 a share, making it the second worst performer on the day, as the company failed to attract any buyer.

Since its transfer to the main market from the OTC market in mid last month, the stock witnessed no sellers. Many investors alleged that somebody has tried to fish in the troubled water by manipulating share prices of the stock.

They also expressed dissatisfaction for not getting the company’s financial condition both on DSE server and the company website, which was found not functioning. The net asset value per share of the company is equal to Tk119.82 as of last year, which has been questioned by several analysts. l

China PMIs fuel hope economy Dollar steady in Asia after upbeat US is stabilizing n Reuters, Beijing China's factory and services sectors had their best showings in months in May as demand rebounded, surveys showed, fuelling optimism that its economy may be steadying after a weak start to the year.

"Exports are picking up and the impact of the 'mini stimulus' is gradually being felt," said Tao Wang, an economist at UBS, referring to recent government measures to revive growth.

"We expect this to last in the second and third quarters."

The final HSBC/Markit purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 49.4 in May, a four-month high and compared to April's 48.1.

Though the final reading was still under the 50-point level that separates growth in activity from contraction, the improvement nonetheless stirred hopes that the economy is working its way through its prolonged soft patch.

The buoyancy was mirrored by a similar acceleration in growth in the services sector, where a governmentreleased PMI climbed to a six-month high of 55.5, from April's 54.8.

The survey results augur well for China's monthly economic data that will be released from June 8, and gave a fillip to Asian stock markets.

China's economy has had a bumpy ride this year as an under whelming run of data showed an extensive cooldown

in investment, retail sales and factory output, feeding concerns that growth could fall further from an 18-month low seen between January and March.

Worried that a broadening downturn would cause unemployment to spike and threaten China's social stability, the government is trying to bolster growth by pump-priming the economy.

'The economy is stabilizing, but it is too early to say that it has bottomed out, particularly in light of a weaker property sector' Authorities have hastened infrastructure investment, accelerated state spending, and twice lowered the reserve requirements for some banks - with its most recent reduction made on Friday.

The measures appear to be working.

"Improving conditions in developed markets and further targeted loosening measures announced last week should continue to support the manufacturing sector," said Julian Evans Pritchard from Capital Economics.

"This should give policymakers more leeway to allow a greater cooling of the property sector."

A breakdown of Tuesday's PMIs showed domestic and foreign demand is looking up for China.

The services PMI, a barometer for the health of the economy, showed new orders jumped to an eightmonth high of 52.7 in May, compared to April's 50.8.

Companies also retained their confidence, with business expectations holding ground at a solid 60.7, compared to April's 61.5.

In the HSBC PMI poll, a turnaround in an export indicator was even more dramatic. The new export orders subindex leapt to a four-year high of 53.2 in May from April's 48.9 "The economy is stabilizing, but it is too early to say that it has bottomed out, particularly in light of a weaker property sector," said Qu Hongbin, chief economist for China at HSBC. Up against slowing sales and less generous funding for property developers, China's real estate market has softened this year after last year's stellar performance, causing price growth to drop an 11-month low in April.

As the sector accounts for over 15% of China's annual economic output and affects production in over 40 industries, many analysts view the property downturn as one of the biggest risks to the Chinese growth engine this year. l

manufacturing data n AFP, Tokyo The dollar held steady in Asia yesterday after getting a lift from positive US and Chinese manufacturing data, while speculation about further easing measures by the European Central Bank (ECB) held back the euro.

In Tokyo afternoon trading, the greenback fetched 102.37 yen, little changed from 102.36 yen in New York Monday afternoon, having made up ground from its 102.02 yen level in Tokyo earlier in the day.

The euro ticked up slightly to $1.3602 and 139.26 yen on Tuesday against $1.3595 and 139.19 yen in US trade. The European single currency has faced selling pressure lately due to expectations of an interest rate cut by the European Central Bank.

On Monday, the dollar rose as the Institute of Supply Management said its purchasing managers index of US manufacturing activity rose in May to 55.4 from 54.9 in April. A reading above 50 indicates growth.

Upbeat Chinese manufacturing data released over the weekend have also boosted investors' appetite for risk, spurring more dollar-buying.

Eurozone inflation concerns were also in focus as consumer prices in Germany, Europe's biggest economy,

slowed to their lowest rate in four years in May, at 0.9%, compared with 1.3% in April.

The sharp fall added to pressure on the ECB, which holds a monetary policy meeting Thursday, to act to keep the 18-nation bloc from falling into deflation.

ECB watchers predicted a cut in the central bank's key interest rates and possibly new measures to pump liquidity into the banking system.

The "ECB remains the central focus of this week as Germany 'flash' inflation came in much lower than expected yesterday," Credit Agricole said, adding that "if anything, (it) reinforces the view that the central bank cannot afford to remain on the side line".

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda repeated his view Tuesday that the BoJ would not hesitate to pull the trigger on more easing if necessary to boost the economy and achieve a target of stable 2% inflation by next year.

"I don't think the measures are limited," he told parliament.

Investors are also looking ahead to eurozone unemployment and US factory orders later in the day, as well as US non-farm payroll figures at the end of the week.

The dollar was mixed against other Asia-Pacific currencies. l

Rupali Bank Limited has recently declared 15% stock dividend to shareholders for the year at the bank’s 28th annual general meeting. The bank’s chair Dr Ahmad al- Kabir made the declaration at the meeting

National Credit and Commerce Bank Ltd recently got approval of 6% cash and 5% stock dividends for the year 2013 from its shareholders at the bank’s 29th annual general meeting that was presided over by the bank’s chair Md Nurun Newaz Salim

Bank Asia has recently participated in Bangladesh Bank’s initiative of opening bank account for street children and working children in order to create social and an economic safety-net. Dr Atiur Rahman, governor of Bangladesh Bank, and Aminul Islam, MD (current charge) of Bank Asia are seen in the photo

Abu Sadek Md Sohel, MD and CEO of BCBL and Firoz Patel, CEO of Crescent Payments Private Ltd in India are seen exchanging document after signing a MoU on availing E-commerce payment gateway service from the company Payza, recently in Dhaka

Sheltech Engineering Ltd. (an associates company of Sheltech Group) Chairman Engr.

Kutubuddin Ahmed, Vice-chairman & CEO Engr. Choudhury Jamal Ashraf and Director Mr. Tanvir Ahmed cutting a cake to mark the company’s anniversary program in Dhaka 02 June 2014. Chief Executive Officer(s) of Envoy Textiles Ltd., Platinum Chain of Boutique Hotels, Green Textile Ltd., Aero Speed Intl’ Ltd., Sheltech Protection Services Ltd., Together Communications, Sheltech Brokerage Ltd., and Bengal Meat Processing Industries Ltd. and huge numbers of Sheltech Engineering Ltd. officials, employees and renowned socialites, journalists were present on the auspicious occasion

GIZ yesterday inaugurated a three-day workshop to probe export markets with ITC from the World Trade Organisation in Dhaka. The chief guest William Hannah, European Union’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, launched the workshop

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Marketing to Muslims n Saifur Rahman Modern Muslim consumers are considered by many to being the single biggest market in the world that has been overlooked by many brands in the past. The population currently stands at 1.8 billion and by 2050 the Muslim population is expected to grow to 2.6 billion, representing nearly 30% of the global projected population.

Most marketers have missed the mark so far by addressing only the emotional drivers in order to build brand personality and image for the global consumers. As for Muslim consumers, the story is a bit different. One just cannot play around with the emotional drivers only, understanding the core value system on which those emotional drivers are based on is also equally important in order to create a ripple through the minds of Muslim consumers. If a company understands that an Islamic brand is primarily based on the ethics and values of Islam, they will have won half the battle.

The purchasing power of this group is immense; growing at a rate of almost US$ 1.4bn daily (US$ 500 billion annually) which is why most of the global brands are fighting over letting this genie out from the bottle and unfold the treasure that was hidden all this while. There are 780 million Muslims under the age of 25, which is 43% of the total Muslim population and 11% of the entire global population. They are young, confident, and proud of their identity with freedom and the ability to purchase whatever they desire.

Fortune 500 companies such as Unilever, Nestle, Citi NA, McDonalds, Tesco, and

Apple allows 'approved' virtual currencies in Apps n Reuters Apple Inc will let software developers include virtual-currency transactions in their applications, paving the way for new forms of money to appear on iPhones and iPads.

"Apps may facilitate transmission of approved virtual currencies provided that they do so in compliance with all state and federal laws for the territories in which the app functions," Apple said in an update to its App Store review guidelines.

Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet did not immediately respond to an email seeking more information.

Virtual currencies are not backed by any government or central bank and are bought and sold on a peer-to-peer network independent of central control.

Several US state regulators are looking to toughen rules on the use of the controversial cryptocurrency and have over the last few months warned investors to consider the risks associated with virtual currencies before trading in them. l

Coke are all taking this market seriously and have made significant investment in order to provide Halal (acceptable to Muslims, in accordance with good practice) products in specific Muslim countries. The world’s leading advertising firm Ogilvy and Mather has understood the potential of this market and has opened their Islamic branding wing

Islamic values can champion the cause of corporate social responsibility in both the Muslim and Western worlds. Values such as transparency, discipline, humility, and purity are universal in their appeal Ogilvy Noor, which publishes the Noor Global Brand Index, to identify and rank Muslim-friendly brands. They also publish “Brand, Islam and the New Muslim Consumer” reports annually to understand the specific needs of this segment.

On the flipside, there is also a huge risk of brands isolating Muslim consumers. One can explain this with an excerpt from Apple’s poster “You can quote them, disagree with them…But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.” In 1998, Nike had to recall 38,000 pairs of Nike Air shoes when the logo was declared by the Council of

American Islamic Relations to be offensive to Muslims as it resembled the word “Allah” in Arabic. After Denmark published the distorted photo of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), their annual export volume of US$2.6bn to Muslim countries literally disappeared. Even global tech giant Google was given a run for their money when their online video portal YouTube was banned in many Muslim countries for hosting the controversial video “Fitna” which disgraced Islam and the Prophet.

To avoid such instances, brand owners can develop a strong brand based on the ethics and values important to the Muslim consumer group. The Ogilvy Noor report reveals how a successful Islamic brand can be created by circling around the Muslim consumers and complying with the Islamic values by focusing on the following eight factors: 1 A brand’s role in the community: Including all aspects of a company’s corporate citizenship 2 Product: Including both the range of offering, ingredients, and manufacturing process 3 The brand story and its PR strategy: Focusing on the tactics brands can employ when talking about themselves, to better appeal to the new Muslim consumers 4 Corporate business practice: Every aspect of how the business is run internally 5 Visual identity: The specific needs of the Muslim consumer when it comes to visual information and appeal 6 Brand communication: How and what

a brand is communicating to its audience External endorsement: Who to partner with and who to avoid 8 Customer service and delivery: Why getting this is so important and how to do so Muslim consumers must be targeted through a core product brand that stands up across a variety of markets. For this, it is important to develop a comprehensive range of products that are universally accepted by all Muslims. Moreover, the Halal market is not confined to Muslims only. It has also attracted non-Muslim consumers due to its perceived quality and health benefits.

Non-Muslims are also inclining towards the Islamic financial system because of its core values – equitable sharing of risk, and discouragement of excess leverage.

In conclusion, Islamic values can champion the cause of corporate social responsibility in both the Muslim and Western worlds. Values such as transparency, discipline, humility, and purity are universal in their appeal. Islamic branded products offer a better future for all, as they are based on the values of goodness and justice.

Value propositions should be designed in a way that will appeal to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike to move the addressable market from 1.8 billion Muslims to the full global population of 7 billion. l 7

Saifur Rahman is the Co-Founder and Director at LightCastle Partners Ltd. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) issued by Project Management Institute (PMI), USA.

UN labour body denounces global austerity measures n AFP, Geneva The United Nation's labour agency yesterday denounced "premature" austerity measures brought in by governments around the world during the financial crisis, saying they have hurt the world's most vulnerable people.

Isabel Ortiz, director of social welfare of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), said that in 2014 alone at least 122 governments have cut public spending, including in 82 developing countries.

In the European Union, where many states brought in swingeing budget cuts in response to the debt crisis, she estimated that as many as 123 million people - or a quarter of the bloc's population - were now classified as poor because of cuts in social protection.

Now, more than 70% of the world's population is not adequately covered by social protection, the ILO said.

But China, the world's second-largest economy, has almost succeeded in

rolling out universal pension coverage and has increased the wages of its lowest-paid workers.

Cuts to "pensions, the health system and social security ... the removal of subsidies, downsizing among social workers and health personnel" hit poor people at a time when they were most in need of support, she said.

People had to pay the cost "at a time when jobs are scarce and support is more necessary than ever," she added.

Between 2008 and 2009, at least 48 developed countries implemented stimulus packages worth $2.4bn, of which about one quarter was spent on measures for social protection.

These "acted as an automatic stabiliser that helped economies to regain their balance and protect the unemployed and the most vulnerable from economic disaster," the ILO said.

But from 2010, many governments changed tack and took what the ILO said were "premature fiscal consolidation measures" despite the need to stabilise

consumption and support the poor.

"Most people do not have adequate social protection when it is most needed," said deputy director general Sandra Polaski. Almost four out of 10 people worldwide don't have access to a healthcare system, while in poor countries that rises to nine out of 10.

Globally, only 12% of the unemployed receive benefits, ranging from almost two-thirds in Western Europe to less than three percent in the Middle East and Africa.

Meanwhile, the ageing population in developed countries mean many retirees live below the poverty line. In at least 14 European countries, pensions for future retirees are expected to fall.

Faced with this situation, the ILO called for social spending to be "high on the development post-2015 agenda".

"The rationale for social protection is even more undeniable in this period of economic uncertainty, low growth and growing inequality," concluded Polaski. l

Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi speaks during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference at the Moscone West center on June 2, 2014 in San Francisco, California.

Tim Cook kicked off the annual WWDC which is typically a showcase for upcoming updates to Apple hardware and software. The conference runs through June AFP

Modi faces battle with states to IEA: $48tn needed by 2035 to fix power crisis meet global energy needs n Reuters, New Delhi

Swathes of India's most populous state plunged into darkness for 12 hours a day last week as temperatures in Delhi hit their highest in 16 years, with the disruptions underlining the tough challenge a new government faces in keeping the lights on.

Two years after one of the world's biggest blackouts deprived at least 300 million people of power, India still suffers from frequent cuts that undermine efforts to revive the third-largest economy in Asia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)stormed to office last month on promises to boost the economy and improve basic services for the millions of Indians who still lack running water and electricity.

One of his first steps in tackling the energy crunch has been to unite the portfolios of power, coal and renewable energy under a single minister, Piyush Goyal.

But the power sector also shows the limits to what the central government can do, with key decisions devolved to the country's 29 states.

While Modi is expected to fast-track new projects to boost output and press states to stop politicians from giving away electricity to voters, the task of translating extra capacity into reliable supply falls on state governments.

"We have a situation where there is enough idle power generation capacity in the country but states are witnessing power cuts," said Umesh Agrawal, a power expert at PwC. "The problem today is not a lack of supply but lack of willingness from state utilities to procure power."

The BJP has blamed last week's out-

n AFP, London

Men walk past electric pylons in Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat ages in Uttar Pradesh on the party that rules the state, saying it is punishing constituents who voted for other parties in the general election. The local government rejects the charge and says it is not getting enough power from the centre to meet demand.

Temperatures in north India have surged past 40 degrees Celsius, while a dust storm in the capital damaged power lines last Friday, further straining energy infrastructure.

India's power generation has grown - the peak deficit is down to 5.4% from 16.6% in 2008, government data shows - but getting the supply to end consumers is far trickier.

Regional politicians tell distributors to prioritise supply to favoured constituents, while popular pressure for cheap or free power has kept theft

REUTERS

high and prices artificially low, straining utilities' finances and curbing new investment.

Those factors will hamper any reform push by Modi, who campaigned on his record as chief minister of Gujarat, which enjoys a surplus of power.

Reforms in Gujarat a decade ago cut theft, restructured distributors and split tariffs between different users.

Goyal has vowed to tour the state to learn about its reforms. But the power to make decisions about tariffs, subsidies and collection rests with states, limiting New Delhi's influence.

Modi must also tackle shortages of coal and gas that have left new plants operating below capacity - India's second-largest gas-powered plant, Bawana, is producing a fifth of its capacity, because it cannot get hold of gas. l

More than $48tn must be invested by 2035 to meet global energy needs as current technologies go offline and demand rises in emerging nations, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report launched in London yesterday.

The special report warns that the expansion of the global gas market, thanks largely to the improvements in unconventional extraction methods, will not reduce prices significantly due to high transportation and infrastructure costs.

The Paris-based body predicted that $2tn per year will need to be invested by 2035, a rise of $400bn from 2013, while annual spending on energy efficiency will have to increase to $550bn.

"This amounts to a cumulative global investment bill of more than $48 trillion, consisting of around $40tn in energy supply," it explained.

Most of the $40tn is needed to offset declining production from existing oil and gas fields and to replace power

DILBERT

plants and other assets that will reach the end of their productive life.

The main components of energy supply investment would be $23tn in fossil fuel extraction, transport and oil refining; almost $10tn in power generation, of which low-carbon technologies account for almost three-quarters, and a further $7tn in transmission and distribution, it added.

The autonomous agency, responsible for promoting energy security, warned policymakers that they faced conflicting needs.

Demands for stronger action on climate change could cause a backlash against the cost of subsidies to renewables and calls for lower energy prices could come up against public opposition to cheaper extraction techniques such as fracking.

"Against this backdrop, there is a risk that policymakers fail to provide clear and consistent signals to investors, with particular impacts on lowcarbon technologies that depend, for

the moment, on policy support," said the report.

The IEA urged for new forms of investment to be exploited, and suggested that institutional investors, such as pension funds and insurers, could be vital as a source of long-term funds.

It also predicted that oil investment would shift towards the Middle East as non-OPEC supplies run out, and that gas prices around the world should converge given the boom in investment.

"Investment in liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities creates new links between markets and improves the security of gas supply," it explained.

But "high costs of gas transportation may dampen the hopes of LNG buyers in Europe and Asia for much cheaper gas supplies."

Europe was singled out as a particular concern, requiring $2tn in power sector investment by 2035, while India will need $1.5tn in power sector investment over the same period to support its growing economy. l