08 June, 2014

Joishthya 25, 1421 Shaaban 9, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 69

SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

7 | THE C IS FOR

8 | ‘NO COMPROMISE ON CRIMEA’

20 pages | Price: Tk12

11 | NO BURDEN OF EXPECTATIONS

15 | ARGENTINA ‘FAB FOUR’ TO LIGHT UP WC

Shafi’s son Anas gets rich overnight Hefazat leaders allege he is misappropriating donations meant for May 5 ‘victims’

Sushama Swaraj likely to visit Dhaka on June 26

n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong

n Tribune Report

A madrasa teacher of modest means, Anas Madani, son of Hefazat chief Shafi, has recently started the construction of at least five multi-storied buildings on a total of 20 kathas of land at different places in the upazila, according to sources.

The market price of each katha of land in the area is said to be Tk40 lakh.

Anas is a teacher at the Al Jamaitul Ahlia Darul Uloom Moinul Islam madrasa in Hathazari upazila in Chittagong and the publicity secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam, the Qawmi madrasa-based Islamist outfit that emerged strongly last year by staging several showdowns in the capital and placing a 13-point demand to the government.

Madrasa sources said Anas’s monthly salary – his only known source of income – could be Tk15,000-Tk16,000 at best.

Anas purchased the remaining 16.5 kathas of land in the name of his “friends” after May 5 last year.

The Dhaka Tribune correspondent tried to dig out information about the owners of the lands from the local land office but could not get any conclusive information.

Local residents said the different areas that the 20 kathas of land was located in, were very much inside the Hefazat’s power zone and hence knowing anything in detail about the purchase and ownership of the land was next to impossible.

This correspondent, who has recently visited the areas several times, had experienced visible threats from the followers of Anas.

“My father’s disciples from home and abroad donate huge amounts of money to him. I have been erecting two buildings in the Eidgah area and Chandraghona with that money,” Anas told the Dhaka Tribune.

Asked why he was spending Hefazat’s money, Anas said the money was actually donated by disciples to his father, not to the organisation.

However, seeking anonymity, a nayeb-e-ameer of Hefazat told the

Just after India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on his first foreign visit to Bhutan by the end of this month, Delhi will be sending out a concurrent signal to Dhaka that Bangladesh is also on top of the mind for the new administration in India.

Indian External Affairs Minister SushmaSwaraj is likely to make her first foreign visit to Bangladesh in this connection on June 26, according to a report by Kolkata Telegraph.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who sent the Speaker of the Parliament for Modi’s inaugural, had written to him suggesting that he should consider Dhaka for his first foreign trip as prime minister.

Modi, who had been refused a visa by the US as chief minister of Gujarat for issues over the 2002 riots, is now set to set foot in the US for what is likely to be one of his first visits at the beginning of his tenure as prime minister.

Modi is scheduled to be in Bhutan on June 14 and 15, the Prime Minister of Bhutan, TsheringTobgay, tweeted yesterday evening.

Tobgay, who was in Delhi for Modi’s swearing-in, said he was “honored and humbled” that NarendraModi chose Bhutan for his first foreign trip as prime minister.

“The Prime Minister’s ‘inbox’ on foreign policy is full,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said here today [yesterday]. The spokesperson could not give definite dates for each of the visits that he said were still being worked out.

Since the gathering of the SAARC leaders at his inaugural, Modi has signalled that the neighbourhood would be his priority in foreign policy issues.

The choice of Bhutan — probably India’s friendliest neighbour — was dictated largely by that logic.

“Since the results of the elections were announced there has been a lot of interest from around the globe to meet our new political leadership. The inbox on foreign policy is very crowded,” the spokesperson said.

The calendar entries on foreign visits and meetings with foreign leaders for the rest of the year start with Sunday, June 8, when the Chinese foreign minister reaches New Delhi as a special envoy of the Chinese President on a two-day visit. The Chinese foreign

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‘My father’s disciples from home and abroad donate huge amounts of money to him. I have been erecting two buildings in the Eidgah area and Chandraghona with that money’ A labourer, who works at the construction site of one of those buildings in the Eidgah area in the upazila, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Hujur [Anas] comes here regularly and inspects the construction... His friend Ahsan Ullah had been overseeing the construction work on his behalf.”

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Anas claimed that he owned only one of the buildings on a 3.5 katha land that was owned by his father Shafi.

The rest of the land and the buildings, he claimed, were owned by his friends Ahsan Ullah, Jashim Uddin, Farid and Nezam Uddin.

Local residents and Hathazari madrasa sources said Ahsan is known as a land broker in the area, the other three were his “bodyguards” and there was no chance that they could own so much of land in the area because they did not have any known source of income.

They also said other than the 3.5 kathas of land that his father owned,

Construction work of several buildings, allegedly owned by Anas Madani, is going on at Eidgah area of Hathazari upazila (top). Rangunia Health Care Hospital, which is also owned by Anas, has also added three new floors on top of its original one-storey structure over the last few months DHAKA TRIBUNE

Incentives, threats to cover up Ekram murder Jamil Khan with our n Mohammad Feni Correspondent

Top leaders of Feni Awami League and its associate bodies are allegedly trying to silence the people who are protesting the killing of the Fulgazi upazila chairman, either by tempting them with better positions within the party ranks or by intimidating them with muscle-flexing.

The leaders, many of whom are suspected to be connected with the murder of Ekramul Haque, have reportedly invested around Tk20 lakh to coax the people who were staging demonstrations demanding justice for the killing.

Golam Rabbani, joint convener of Jubo League’s Fulgazi unit and leader of Ekram Moncho – a platform demanding justice for the murder – told the Dhaka Tribune that some close associates of a top ruling party leader

of the district had offered him many incentives including property and a better position in the party to stop the ongoing demonstrations. Rabbani said those associates were now threatening to silence him after he had rejected their offers.

“We will not fear any threat or stop our ongoing protests until the killers are arrested and punished,” he added.

The slain chairman’s family sources said attempts were being made to buy their silence, adding that Ekram’s wife Tasmina Akhter was offered the candidacy in the upazila chairman post under the condition that she would keep mum about the murder. When asked about this, Tasmina told the Dhaka Tribune that she had nothing to say about the issue as the people of Feni knew well who killed Ekram.

On May 20, armed criminals shot and burnt alive the Fulgazi Chairman

on the Academy Road of Feni town in front of witnesses. The killing prompted an outcry throughout the country, while protest programmes and several rounds of hartals had been staged following the murder at Fulgazi.

Ekram’s wife Tasmina Akhter was offered the candidacy in the upazila chairman post Sources within the ruling party’s Fulgazi unit claimed that the people trying to manipulate the protesters included supporters of district Chhatra League President Jahirul Islam Jewel and district Jubo League Joint Convener Sushen Chandra Sheel, both of whom are close associates of ruling party lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari.

Without mentioning any names, Fulgazi Chhatra League Convener Ashiqur Rahman Asif told the Dhaka Tribune that they were continuously receiving threats from people who are closely related to the district committees of the Chhatra League and Jubo League.

However, when contacted, Jewel and Sushen both denied allegations about their involvement, and said the claims were nothing but baseless information by a vested quarter to foil their image.

On the other hand, a leader of district unit of Awami League, on condition of anonymity, said the latest attempts of manipulating demonstrators came after local leaders were recently reproached

by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

A few days back district Awami League President Abdur Rahman, Vice-President Khairul Bashar Tapan,  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

7 Bangladeshis released from pirates’ captivity n Tribune Report Somali pirates yesterday released seven Bangladeshi sailors, who were abducted from a Malaysian flag-carrying merchant ship on the high seas of the Indian Ocean nearly four years ago.

The released Bangladeshis were Golam Mostafa, Aminul Islam, Habibur Rahman, Zakir Hossain, Abul Quasem Sardar, Limon Sarker and Nurul Haque.

They were being flown to Kenya by a special aircraft of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Khorshed Alam, secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Maritime Affairs unit, told the Dhaka Tribune.

The UNODC authority and Bangladesh High Commission would receive

INSIDE 3 | News

B1 | Business

Mainul Islam, a university student in Dhaka, was looking to buy a television set. He lives in a house with three other fellow students.

As there is no TV set in their room, they are desperate to get one within their affordability before the FIFA World Cup begins on June 12.

8 | World

Although country’s political scenario commonly sees opposition activists being repressed and victimised by ruling party loyalists, pattern of political violence seems to be changing as most of the victims over the last few months had been activists of AL.

5 | News

Most of the foot-over-bridges in the capital have been grabbed by hawkers with their makeshift shops, creating hassle for the commuters.

More than three months after Ukraine’s president fled to Russia in the wake of months of street protests, Petro Poroshenko was sworn in yesterday as the troubled country’s new president.

6 | Nation

A number of bailey bridges across the Pirojpur-Mathbaria-Patharghata areas are in poor shape, with accidents becoming frequent in these regions.

9 | World

Thousands of people enraged by power cuts during an extreme heat wave rioted across northern India, setting electricity substations on fire and taking power company officials hostage, officials said yesterday.

14 | Sport

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari shrugged off complaints from a restless home crowd as his team wrapped up their World Cup preparations with a 1-0 win over Serbia on Friday.

the crew in Kenya’s capital Nairobi where they would undergo medical checkup at the Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi, he said.

Nurul Islam, father of one of the hostages, Aminul Islam, told the Dhaka Tribune that the Kenyan Embassy in Dhaka contacted and informed him about the release of his son.

Bangladesh High Commission in Nairobi was already instructed to prepare their travel documents, a foreign ministry press release said.

As soon as the required formalities were completed by the UNODC, the Bangladesh High Commission in Nairobi would arrange for the seven crew to return to Bangladesh.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Petrobangla: PPC to decide LNG terminal project’s fate n UNB

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina meets Maldives’ Vice-President Mohamed Jameel Ahmed at Kunming Conference Centre in China yesterday

Yunnan governor assures of promotion of trade with Bangladesh n BSS Governor of Yunnan Province of Kunming Qin Guangrong yesterday assured Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of taking initiatives by his provincial government for promotion of trade and investment with Bangladesh.

He also put emphasis on enhancing people-to-people contact, saying his provincial government would give importance to promote tourism between the two countries and create opportunities for Bangladeshi students for study in Kunming.

The governor said this at a meeting with Sheikh Hasina at her hotel suite in

the evening.

PM’s Press Secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhury briefed reporters after the meeting. Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haq was present.

The Prime Minister requested the Yunnan governor for quick execution of the project for construction of road from Kunming to Chittagong via Myanmar.

“Connectivity is the only way for boosting ties,” she said, adding that Bangladesh gives importance to connectivity with Kunming, as it is the gateway to South and Southeast Asia and the closest as neighbour.

The governor said Bangladeshi goods have a big market in Kunming.

“The provincial government would take measures for easy marketing of the Bangladeshi goods in Yunnan to reduce trade gap between the two countries,” he said.

Later, the Prime Minister joined a banquet hosted in her honour by the Yunnan governor.

Meanwhile, a Bangladesh business delegation based in Beijing and Hong Kong and a team of Bangladeshi students pursuing higher education in different institutions in Kunming also called on the Prime Minister at her hotel here this evening.

In the meetings, Sheikh Hasina urged members of the business delega-

BSS

tion to explore Chinese investment for jute and leather sectors in Bangladesh.

She said the government would extend all possible support to foreign investors in the jute sector.

The Prime Minister inquired about the wellbeing of the students. “The students have many things to learn from China,” she said, urging them to take opportunity during their stay in Kunming.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, PM’s Advisor HT Imam, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, and PM’s Media Advisor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, among others, were present. l

The fate of the longstanding LNG terminal project is likely to be decided at a meeting of the Project Processing Committee (PPC) tomorrow, said Petrobangla chairman Dr Hussain Monsur.

The Petrobangla chairman said that they received a term-sheet of US-based consortium of Astra Oil and Excelerate Energy last month about the project.

After the scrutiny, he said, it was put forward to the Energy Ministry to place it at the PPC meeting.

The PPC is an inter-ministerial body formed comprising representatives from different ministries, including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Law and also the Bangladesh Bank.

Once the US firm’s proposal is cleared by the PPC, Petrobangla will move ahead with the project.

The Energy Ministry already proposed holding a PPC meeting, but Finance Ministry officials expressed their inability to be present at the meeting for their busy schedules with budget preparation. “Finally, the PPC meeting was rescheduled for June 9,” Dr Hussain Monsur told UNB. The government undertook the move first in 2009 to set up an LNG terminal at Moheshkhali Island in the Bay of Bengal as part of a plan to import liquefied natural gas from the Gulf state of Qatar to resolve the country’s nagging gas crisis.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with the Gulf nation to import 5 million tonnes of LNG per year. The government then invited an international tender to set up the floating LNG terminal at the Moheshkhali Island.

As per the government plan, the LNG terminal must have a re-gasification capacity of at least 500,000 Mcf (1,000 cubic feet) per day to supply it to the national gas network.

The project also should have berthing and mooring facilities for LNG vessels with a capacity of 138,000260,000 cubic meters. The Petrobangla invited bids from international forms for the project to implement it on build-own-operate-transfer basis for 15 years.

After a long exercise of tender process, the US-based consortium of Astra Oil and Excelerate Energy was selected for the project. But some of the terms and conditions of the US firm were found to be unclear for which the Petrobangla sought a clarification.

Meanwhile, Petrobangla has softened some of the tender conditions like slashing down the performance guarantee (PG) amount to US$ 11 million from $20 million through negotiations with the US firm.

Official sources said the US consortium quoted US$0.39 per Mcf (1,000 cubic feet) as a processing fee to cover the installation cost of the LNG terminal.

It also sought Petrobangla’s efforts for mobilising credit support for engaging an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

The Petrobangla chairman said the US firm has proposed setting up the LNG terminal with its own funding.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank commercial lending wing, expressed its willingness to provide the required fund for the project. l

JCD LEADER TAUHID KILLING

Osmani Medical expels 10 BCL men n Tribune Report Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College authority has expelled 10 activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League in connection with the murder of medical student and also JCD leader Tauhid.

The expelled BCL men are -- Soumen Day, BCL president of OMCH unit, Saiful Hye, general secretary, Mushfiquzzaman Akand, organising secretary, BCL activists Rafi, Hafiz, Pathan,

Abu Shahin Fahim, Shariful, Jubayer Ibne Khaled and Ripon.

The expulsion order, signed by the principal of the college Dr Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury, was issued on Saturday afternoon.

According to the expulsion order, the medical authority expelled the BCL activists as they are the accused in Touhid murder case.

Following the expulsion order, the city BNP of Sylhet withdrew their half-

day hartal that was scheduled to be observed on Sunday.

City BNP president in a press conference announced the withdrawal of the programme that they declared in protest of the killing.

Tauhidul Islam, a fourth year student of MBBS 49th batch and also a JDC leader, was beaten to death by unidentified miscreants on Wednesday (June 4). Later, Tauhidul succumbed to his injuries on Thursday. l

'Budget criticism does not suit BNP' n Imran Hossain Sheikh Criticism over the budget for FY 201415 does not suit BNP, Awami League General Secretary and also LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam has said.

The minister has made the statement while talking to the journalists after paying homage to the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

on the occasion of the historic six-point day at capital’s Dhanmondi on Saturday morning.

Syed Ashraf said: “Criticism does not suit with them, who placed budget wearing uniform. They have no right to criticise.”

Asked about economists’ criticism over the budget, the AL general secretary said: “No other economist except De-

bapriya Bhattacharia criticised over the budget implementation. So, there is no meaning of replying to his comments.”

Syed Ashraf has termed the budget as ‘people- oriented.’

Awami League presidium members Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Shahara Khatun and AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif were present, among others. l

Janaza of eminent journalist Mahbubul Alam was held in front of National Press Club yesterday

7 Bangladeshis released from pirates’ captivity

Incentives, threats cover up

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A gang of Somali pirates hijacked the Malaysian-flagged container ship, MV Albedo, from the Indian Ocean on November 26, 2010.

In a report, Britain’s The Telegraph newspaper however said six Bangladeshis, three Sri Lankans and an Iranian and an Indian were among the 11 crewmen released yesterday.

Terming this hostage one of the longest-running Somali piracy cases, it also said the crewmen were facing their first hours of freedom after three years and seven months as hostages, during which their pirate captors often used torture.

The men escaped with the help of some of their pirate captors in the early hours of Friday morning and fled to a nearby village where they were taken in by government-affiliated milita, the newspaper quoted a senior Somali anti-piracy official as saying.

“Few of them had shoes, some had only their underclothes, but they managed to escape through a window and reach a place of safety,” said Omar Sheikh Ali Osoble, counter-piracy focal point for the Galmudug regional administration.

“We collected them and put them in a nice hotel last night. They had air-conditioning and hot water, and all of them were so happy this morning.

They were not in a bad condition, but they told us stories of their experiences which were terrible.

“Some of them were beaten very badly. Sometimes they were forced to call their people at home to say they

needed money to be released, and they were close to dying, and they were beaten while they were on the telephone.

All of them are so happy to be free.”

Early on in the hijacking, one crewman was shot dead by the pirates in an apparent fit of anger after negotiations with the ship’s owners broke down.

Then last summer, the vessel sank in a storm, resulting in five of the crew drowning along with five of the pirates as they abandoned ship.

Due to lack of usual maintenance, MV Albedo sank on July 7 in 2013 and the abducted crew were shifted by the pirates to another hijacked fishing vessel.

The Telegraph also reports, the 11 seamen released were then transferred to a ramshackle house near the Somali port of Hobyo, a notorious pirate haven, where they have been held ever since. They were expected to be flown to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

“They have lost a lot of weight, but otherwise seem in reasonable health and in good spirits, which is remarkable considering what they been through,” said one source.

The Albedo, a Malaysian-flagged container ship, was originally captured in November 2010 with a crew of 23 from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Iran and Pakistan.

Rather than pay the $8 million ransom demanded by the pirates, the ship’s Iranian owners, who are thought to have been uninsured, simply went to ground, officials involved in the case told The Telegraph last year.

The Pakistani crew members were

freed after a Pakistani businessman raised a $1.2 million ransom payment.

But no similar funds were forthcoming for their fellow crew members, despite terrifying accounts emerging of the men’s mistreatment by their captors as they tried to raise the pressure.

Some of the seamen were beaten with gun butts, locked in containers, and had the skin of their palms torn with pliers. At one point, the entire crew were packed into an empty swimming pool without food or water for three days. The ship’s captain, Jawad Khan, bore the brunt of the hijackers’ anger as he tried to keep them calm.

On one occasion, he was tied up and lowered into the sea as pirates sprayed bullets around him.

The international anti-piracy force that patrols the Indian Ocean was unable to attempt a rescue because it feared the hostages would almost certainly be killed if they attempted to do so.

The exact circumstances of the release of the final Albedo crewmen is unclear. However, it is thought that the pirates may have been persuaded to accept a much lower ransom than originally expected.

The ship was among the cases receiving assistance from Colonel John Steed, a former British military attache to Kenya and United Nation’s counter-piracy expert, who now runs the Secretariat for Regional Maritime Security, an organisation which specialises in dealing with Somalia’s “forgotten” piracy cases. l

General Secretary and MP of Feni 2 Nizam Uddin Hazari and district Mohila Awami League President Jahanara Begum went to the Ganabahaban to meet the premier.

Sources said, during the meeting with Hasina, Nizam and Tapan claimed that BNP-Jamaat activists were involved with the murder; but in response the prime minister asked them why Awami League activists were being arrested.

Another source within the party’s Feni district unit claimed that Ekram’s wife and sons – who were scheduled

to accompany the local leaders to Ganabhaban – were not taken to the meeting as they might have commented to the prime minister regarding the mastermind of the killing.

When asked about the meeting at Ganabhaban, Nizam Uddin Hazari, said the leaders had gone to meet the premier to seek advice on the problem that was created through Ekram’s death.

However, he claimed to have no hand in attempting to manipulate the protesters, adding that he would take action if anyone provided proof of such threats. l

Shafi’s son Anas gets rich overnight  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

Dhaka Tribune that Anas had been misappropriating the donations that the followers of the organisation donated for helping the “victims” of Shapla Chattar.

Some of the top leaders of the Islamist outfit told the Dhaka Tribune that Anas had recently drawn very close to his father Shah Ahmed Shafi, chief of Hefazat.

After the skirmishes between Hefazat men and law enforcers at the Shapla Chattar in Motijheel in the capital on May 5 last year, Shafi, in his 80s, had reportedly gone through a trauma and had since been depending heavily on his son for the outfit’s operational matters.

Hefazat leaders said Aanas had taken advantage of the favour from his father and had become more influential than the other top leaders of the Isla-

mist outfit.

They had been unhappy with the way Anas had been managing the organisation’s funds but had not dared say anything because of his influences over their supreme leader.

The Islamist outfit has been claiming since the May 5 incident that hundreds were killed in a clash with police but had never managed to come up with credible proof.

“None of the leaders of the organisation knows what has happened to the money collected from the supporters and well-wishers,” said a joint secretary of the outfit.

He alleged that most the money had gone to Anas, who had been using it for getting wealthier.

The joint secretary also alleged that Anas had been taking huge sums of money from both the ruling Awami League and the BNP.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sushama Swaraj likely to visit Dhaka on June 26  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

minister’s visit will be followed by the visit of the French foreign minister on Monday.

Speaking on Modi’s much-anticipated visit to the US in September, the spokesperson said: “Amongst the earliest to contact the then PM-designate was US President Barack Obama who invited him to visit at an early date”. l

He said Hefazat was supposed to join the BNP’s “March for Democracy” on December 29 last year; but Anas, after having accepted money from the ruling party, managed his father Shafi to refrain from joining the programme.

There are also allegations that Anas has taken money from the BNP to mobilise his people for the march programme.

Azizul Hoque Islamabadi, organising secretary of Hefazat, said: “Constructing buildings with the money that hujur [Shafi] gets from his disciples is a not a big thing. His followers visit him every Thursday and Friday and give him money.”

He also said: “Look at some of the ‘pirs’ around the country and how much wealth they own... If he wanted to spend all the donation for his own, he could have put up a building every month.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Deaths of AL activists bucking the trend Ruling party men increasingly becoming victims of attacks, party feuds

n Emran Hossain Shaikh Although the country’s political scenario commonly sees opposition activists being repressed and victimised by ruling party supporters, the pattern of political violence seems to be changing as most of the victims over the last few months had been activists of Awami League.

According to media reports from the last two months, at least 39 political killings took place in the country.

Among the deceased, 24 people belonged to the Awami League or its associate bodies, while only seven victims belonged to the BNP or the Jamaat. The rest of the victims belonged to different political parties including the JSD, the CPB, and the UPDF. Ruling party leaders have said such incidents were “unexpected,” but claimed that some “intruders” who have infiltrated the Awami League were carrying out the killings to spoil the party’s image.

There are allegations that most of the political killings including the muchtalked-about murders of Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam and Feni’s Fulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haque were results of internal clashes of the party. Sources within the Awami League also said most of the attacks took place to establish dominance.

On the other hand, records between January and March suggest that BNP-Jamaat activists were more frequently attacked than ruling party leaders at the start of this year compared to now.

According to rights body Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), majority of the victims of political killing during the first three months of the year belonged to opposition parties. Among the 60 political

activists who were killed in separate incidents between January and March, including in alleged “gunfights” with law enforcers, 38 people were BNP-Jamaat activists, while 21 belonged to the Awami League.

Political violence also claimed the lives of 27 civilians and three law enforcers during the time, according to the ASK. Asked about the issue, Awami League Presidium Member Nuh-Ul Alam Lenin admitted that many of the victims belonged to their party, adding: “We are embarrassed for the unexpected incidents.”

He added that some ruling party activists might be involved with such violence because of personal vendetta.

Expressing the party’s stance against the culprits, the leader said: “The prime minister has a strong stance against the recent killings that are spoiling our image. She will take necessary action, irrespective of whether the culprits are party men or not.”

On the other hand, party Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif claimed: “After the January 5 poll, frustrated BNP-Jamaat activists had joined our party through different channels and these intruders have been carrying out such violence.”

He, however, admitted that some incidents have been the result of the party’s internal clash.

Hanif said they were identifying the “intruders” who were damaging the party’s reputation and that “they [intruders] will face legal actions even if they are influential.”

Earlier, in a joint meeting of the party on June 2, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said the situation would be brought under control after the budget session. l

Hawkers in the capital’s Gulistan remain busy selling jerseys of different football-playing nations, as hundreds of people go there to buy jerseys of their favourite teams ahead of the World Cup 2014. The photo was taken yesterday RAJIB DHAR

Ershad: Budget utopian, target unattainable n Manik Miazee

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad has termed the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2014-15 utopian.

He said the budget implementation would not be possible as no rule of law and democracy prevail in the country.

The politician, however, suggested the budget be revised.

“The budget is not ambitious but unrealistic. The government needs political stability for the successful imple-

mentation of the budget and put an end to extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance and all other crimes like that.”

The JaPa chairman made the remarks in his official reaction at a post budget press briefing at the capital’s Banani yesterday.

The JaPa chief in his speech also expressed his confusions over the implementation of the proposed budget and said the Jatiya Party would place its opinions on it in parliament.

The former military dictator criti-

cised the government for poor allocations in almost all the sectors. He, however, expressed his satisfaction over the defence allocation.

He particularly expressed his dissatisfaction over the allocations in education, agriculture and health sectors saying they did not receive adequate allocations.

Ershad also said the proposed budget did not specifically say anything about employment generation, readymade garments sector and its workers.

He demanded a rise in tax free income ceiling to Tk3 lakh from the existing Tk2.20 lakh which the finance minister has proposed to remain unchanged.

Replying to a query, the JaPa chief said he had placed the budget reaction in the presence of the opposition leaders of the parliament.

Jatiya Party General Secretary Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, presidium members SM Foysal Chisti and Abdur Sobur Asud were present, among others, at the press briefing. l

Ashraf: Conspiracy on to unseat Hasina from power Jabed: Govt considering n Dhaka-Ctg expressway Emran Hossain Shaikh

The ruling Awami League yesterday claimed that a vested quarter had been conspiring to unseat Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power.

“There is no chance to remove Sheikh Hasina from power through elections. The vested quarter has been making attempt to unseat her from power in an illegal way,” AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said while addressing a programme at Engineers Institution in the capital.

The ruling party organised the programme to mark the historic Six-point Day. It observed the day through daylong programmes, including placing wreath to the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Syed Ashraf, also the LGRD minister,

urged the party men to get united saying that if they unite, no one would be able to make their blueprint successful.

“If we remain alert, incidents like August 15 will not recur,” he said.

‘Many people have set up organisations with foreign donations and they work in their favour. The so-called patriotic individuals are misleading the people’ About the proposed budget, the AL spokesperson said the budget was an economic view of the government.

“People who don’t believe in the ideol-

ogies of the government, they will not support it. The government does not see any problem with such opposition.”

Pointing finger at critics, the minister said, “If you don’t accept the proposed budget, you can place proposals to the finance minister for its changes.”

Regarding the issue of black money whitening in the budget, he said there was much ado about nothing.

“The country’s economy has not been destroyed, although there has been a provision of whitening black money over the last 30 years,” he said.

Hinting at Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow of the CPD, the LGRD minister raised question over the activities of some non-governmental organisations.

“Many people have set up organisations with foreign donations and they work in their favour. The so-called

patriotic individuals are misleading the people,” he said, adding that they neither know about the history nor the law, neither economics nor politics.

Issuing a note of warning against the BNP for terming the incumbent government illegal, AL Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif advised them not to invite danger.

“You are talking about movement.

Carry on with your movement and let us see it. You are in daydream that foreign friends would help you take office,” he said.

AL leaders Sahara Khatun, Ahmad Hossain, Habibur Rahman Siraj, Badiuzzaman Bhuiyan Dablu, MA Aziz and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, among others, addressed the programme with Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury in the chair. l

4 held in Jagannath Hall raid n DU Correspondent

Bangladesh Student Council form a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday, demanding a stop to leakage of different public exam question papers SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Police detained four outsiders in a raid at the Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University early yesterday at the behest of the DU authority to evict outsiders and recover illegal arms.

During the raid in the two buildings of the hall, the law enforcers could not recover any arms, as the information of the raid was leaked, witnesses said.

DU acting proctor Professor Amzad Ali confirmed the news of the raid. l

Two Juba League leaders run over by bus n Tribune Online Report Two leaders of Juba League, youth affiliate of ruling Awami League, have been killed as a bus rammed into a motorcycle in Joka area on Dhaka-Aricha highway in Manikganj on Saturday morning.

The deceased were identified as Sobjel Ali, 26, organising sec-

retary of Baniajury Union Juba League, and Rubel Hossain, 25, publicity secretary of the unit.

Ghior police station Officer-in-Charge (investigation) Nazmul Nishat told the Dhaka Tribune that the bodies were sent to Manikganj Sadar hospital morgue.

Police held the bus driver after the accident, said the OC. l

n BSS State Minister for Land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Jabed yesterday said that the government was mulling over introducing Dhaka-Chittagong expressway in addition to the four-lane highway.

“I have already ventilated the plan to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who is utmost sincere about the development of Chittagong like Dhaka,” he added.

The minister was addressing the website inaugural ceremony of Amra Chatgabashi (www.chatgabashi.org) at Chittagong Press Club.

Terming Chittagong, a 2200-year old city, the minister said Chittagong has its own culture, history and tradition

that should be preserved for the sake of national interest.

Referring to a criticism by a certain quarter about a newly introduced flyover in the port city, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said the responsible persons should pass judgment in responsible way.

“This quarter is, in a planned way, affecting the development process of the city”, he said adding that they should come forward to help the development process shunning the path of negative criticism.

Inaugurating the website, Chittagong Mayor M Manjur Alam Manju said an integrated approach is vital for overall development of the city. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, June 8, 2014

New apartments to be constructed for ministers n Mohosinul Karim Around 20 new apartments will be constructed on the Minto Road and Hare Road for the ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers to resolve the policy makers’ housing crisis in the country.

The Ministry of Housing and Public Works will implement the project, said officials at the ministry yesterday, adding that the building code will be fully followed in the project in order to keep intact the legacy of the area.

Earlier, the ministry had constructed 20 more apartments in the same area for the ministers during ruling Awami League’s 1996-2001 government.

Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune last week: “We are planning to build the new apartments in the posh area considering the scarcity of standard accommodation for the policymakers.”

He said most of the existing buildings of the areas had become unlivable.

Moreover, now it had become tough to maintain them properly.

But the government would not like to destroy the old buildings, keeping in mind their heritage value. Instead, new apartments would be built at the abandoned vacant spaces on the Minto Road and Hare Road area, he added.

When asked about the number of unusable buildings in the area, the minister said, “We are yet to assess the number concretely. But, it will be done shortly to build the necessary number of apartments.”

“We will construct 20 new apartments for the minister’s use initially.

The construction will be started soon as per legal procedures,” said Mosharraf.

He continued, “After completion of the construction of new apartments, the ministers residing in the risky or below-standard houses will be shifted to those apartments. The risky or bellow standard houses will be renovated then.”

The buildings would be constructed with the money from the annual development budget of the ministry. Around four or five high-rises might be constructed in this regard, he informed.

There are around 70 houses and apartments on the Minto Road, Hare Road and Bailey Road area, known as ministers’ residential area in the city.

Apart from ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers, advisors to the prime minister and opposition leader, top bureaucrats and police personnel also live in the area.

The area also houses Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters and office of the Detective Branch of the police and several state guest houses. l

Peter D Pogose, a member of the Pogose family, addresses a reunion programme of Pogose School in Dhaka on Friday

Worker dies falling from rooftop in Chittagong n CU Correspondent

Govt urged to ratify UN Watercourses Convention

A construction worker was killed yesterday after falling from an under construction building in Jamal Khan area under Chittagong city.

The deceased, Azizur Rahman, 28, son of Goltaj Rahman, hails from Sadar upazila of Chapainawabganj district, said police sources.

Nayek Jahangir Alam of Chittagong Medical College Hospital police outpost said the construction worker accidentally fell down from the 12th floor of the under construction building at Sirirgora of Jamal Khan under Kotwali police station around 9am when he was working on the rooftop.

Later, the injured was taken to the CMCH in a critical condition where the on-duty doctor pronounced him dead, added Nayek Jahangir. l

n

Abu Hayat Mahmud

The government should ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses 1997, said environmentalists, academics and rights activists.

They said if Bangladesh had ratified the convention, it would have been binding for India to refrain from diverting water of international rivers unilaterally.

The concerned citizens made the demand at a discussion organised by 12 environmental organisations at the National Press Club yesterday.

They advocated for Bangladesh’s ratification of the convention on the law of the non-navigational uses of in-

ternational watercourses for securing the rightful share of all the international rivers’ water.

The 1997 convention is the only international treaty on the uses and conservation of all waters that cross international boundaries.

According to the convention, the countries signing the treaty will not be able to take any harmful step for their member countries.

To turn the convention into a law, it needs to be ratified by its 35 member countries.

The speakers at the discussion blamed the Bangladesh government for negligence in signing the convention.

Bangladesh voted in favour of the convention while it came into being in 1997.

Vietnam signed the convention last month as the 35th signatory and the convention would be turned into a law in August.

Prof Nazrul Islam, an urban planner, urged the government to sign the convention immediately.

Prof Anu Muhammad of Jahangirnagar University criticised the government for the delay in signing the treaty.

“Our government thinks that the Indian government is a powerful one, and because of its submissive foreign policy, the government delays signing the convention,” he said.

Chaired by M Inamul Haque, the programme was addressed, among others, by Prof Asif Nazrul and keynote speaker Hasnat Kaium. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

ARTICLE 19 project to protect women journos n Tribune Report The Bangladesh chapter of ARTICLE 19, with the support of Free Press Unlimited, has launched a new project to protect women journalists in the country.

The project, called “Righting Wrongs Against Women Journalists”, was inaugurated at a function at the YWCA auditorium in the capital yesterday.

A two-day workshop on protecting women journalists began after the function, said a press release.

“We have been working with women journalists to ensure that their safety and security are protected….So, we are delighted to undertake this new programme, which will support many more women journalists to enable them to speak without fear and work in an enabling environment,” said Tahmi-

na Rahman, director of ARTICLE 19 for Bangladesh and South Asia.

The function was attended by over 60 women journalists, online activists and community radio initiators.

Shah Alamgir, director general of the Press Institute of Bangladesh, Tasmima Hossain, acting editor of fortnightly “Anannya” and Nasimun Ara Haque Minu, president of Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Kendro (centre for women journalists) were also present.

ARTICLE 19 Bangladesh has been campaigning to end gender-based discrimination in the media and censorship against women journalists.

Women journalists in Bangladesh face many challenges, including low pay, and lack protection from threats, harassment and fraudulent litigation, according to the organisation’s website. l

80 RMG workers hospitalised taking water at CEPZ n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong At least 80 workers of a ready-made garment factory situated at Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) became sick yesterday after drinking allegedly contaminated water at their workplace.

A large number of workers, mostly women, of Peninsula Garment Ltd owned by Major (retd) MA Mannan started vomit food with headache and stomach ache in the morning after having water supplied by the factory, said

A woman speaks at the Women’s Leadership Summit 2014 organised by Bangladesh Brand Forum at the Westin hotel in the capital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Leadership summit: Bangladesh still needs to address women’s rights n Syeda Samira Sadeque Despite the government and the opposition being led by women, Bangladesh still needs to address women’s rights and their access to the corporate world, participants said at the Women’s Leadership Summit 2014 yesterday.

The role of women in the workplace and how it is underrated in Bangladesh, as well as globally, was the theme of the daylong summit, hosted by Bangladesh Brand Forum (BBF).

“If we cannot use the potential and possibilities of women and turn them into a source of power for society, then we are actually losing manpower.

So, with this concept, we thought of having this event,” Nazia Andaleeb Preema, advisor of BBF, told the Dhaka Tribune.

With the aim of changing

society’s mindset on women’s roles, especially in the corporate sector, discussions at the event focussed on topics ranging from women’s health, discrimination and the “glass ceiling” at work place.

Referring to the gendered upbringing of children in our society as a “vicious cycle”, Mehtab Khanam, a professor of psychology, said: “The whole society is responsible for teaching males and females.”

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, a lawyer and executive director of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, linked issues of women and the environment in context of Bangladesh, such as the river being the access to water, and the mother of the family being the facilitator of that access.

Saida Muna Tasneem, director general (UN & human rights) at the foreign

ministry, pointed out how women were often assigned ministries dealing with “softer” issues like education and children, which turns into a psychological barrier that must be addressed.

Other topics discussed included workplace harassment and global drop-out rate of women in careers.

“Women’s careers are full of potholes,” said Naazneen Karmali, editor of Forbes India. “In addition to balancing work and family, we also have to balance our split-personalities, qualities that were appreciated at work, such as decisiveness or aggression, are the ones we would have to leave at work when we returned home to our family.”

However, referring to her own career as a business journalist and that of other role models, Karmali said those factors, too, could be overcome. l

police sources.

Of them, one was whisked off to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, 20 others were to Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA) Hospital while the rest workers received first aid.

Quoting on-duty doctors of the hospital, Arifur Rahman Arif, Inspector (intelligence) of Industrial Police in Chittagong, said the apparel workers imbibed the factory-supplied water and got sick around 8:30am.

MPs get special allocation for test relief n Mohosinul Karim Members of Parliament have been given special allocation for test relief under the rural infrastructure maintenance programme taken by the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry.

Each of 300 MPs will get 140 metric tonnes of wheat while 50 women MPs for reserved seats will get 50 metric tonnes of wheat each.

The ministry has issued an order asking the department of disaster management to allocate food grains to the lawmakers.

The department of disaster management also issued an order which was sent to deputy commissioners last week for releasing the allotment of food grains for the projects to be submitted by the MPs within June 10.

According to the ministry’s order, food grains allocated for the programme will be used for maintenance of rural infrastructures such roads, grounds of educational institutions, places of worship and rickety bridges or culverts.

The officials concerned said physical work of small projects would be completed and food grains must be distributed among the beneficiaries by June 30, the last day of the current fiscal year.

Each of 300 MPs will get 140 metric tonnes of wheat while 50 women MPs for reserved seats will get 50 metric tonnes of wheat each Earlier, the ministry also allocated 300 metric tonnes of rice to each of the MPs of general seats while women MPs for reserved seats got 100 metric tonnes of rice each under Food for Work programme.

Physical work of the projects still goes on against the allocations given in last April. l

Meanwhile, the CEPZ authorities declared a holiday for the factory following the incident, the inspector continued.

Md Ahsan Kabir, General Manager of CEPZ, said: “The workers initially blamed the water supplied by the factory for their sickness. We have already collected the water sample for testing.”

The GM, however, claimed psychological breakdown caused the mass-sickness that panicked the workers more than reality. l

Quader promises for effective steps to prevent road accidents n UNB Communications Minister Obaidul Quader said yesterday coordinated steps would be taken to prevent road accidents.

“Road accidents have become a national problem. It will be prevented through coordinated steps,” he said.

Quader was speaking at the launching of a campaign to build awareness about road safety organised by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) at Mohakhali.

He called for involving civil society members, renowned figures and media workers in the campaign.

Quader said his ministry will be transparent in spending the money that will be available during the 201415 fiscal year starting July 1.

He said his ministry needs more funds for building district-level roads than what has been proposed in the budget. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Hawkers continue grabbing footover-bridges n Tazlina Zamila Khan Most of the foot-over-bridges in the capital have been grabbed by hawkers with their makeshift shops, creating hassle for the commuters.

Farmgate foot-over-bridge, one of the busiest over bridges in the capital, was seen full of makeshift shops and beggars, impeding the free movement of the pedestrians. This over-bridge is used by a large numbers of people as there is no other way to cross the road on foot.

The temporary shops installed by the hawkers are seen at most of the foot-over-bridges in the capital causing huge discomfort to the commuters.

The same scenario was observed in other foot-over-bridges in Gulistan, Gabtoli, Housebuilding, Abdullahpur and Motijheel areas.

Sources said there were around 34 foot over bridges under the Dhaka North City Corporation and over 30 bridges under the Dhaka South City Corporation.

A pedestrian, Abdul Kuddus, who had been passing the Farmgate footover-bridge with her 12-year-old daughter, said: “Hawkers have grabbed most of the areas of the bridge. The makeshift shops have been creating hassles in our movement.”

Another pedestrian, Abdur Rashid, 65, said: “Hawkers even sit on the stairs blocking the way for people. It seems that the bridges have been built for hawkers and we cannot use them.”

Although government has taken moves in the past to evict hawkers, all of the steps have been in vain, he added.

Earlier on November 1, 2010, the

government decided to evict all the hawkers from the foot-over-bridges, but the move was suspended as per the request from The Hawkers’ Association.

The association had requested the government for proper rehabilitation, so that they could run their business without any disruption.

Meanwhile, it is the responsibility of Dhaka Metropolitan Police and both city corporations to free the bridges from hawkers.

Mir Rezaul Alam, joint commissioner (traffic) of the DMP told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are continuously evicting hawkers from footpaths, roads and foot-over-bridges. But, after eviction, they again grab the areas.”

Earlier, the DNCC had taken plans to free the footpaths and foot overpasses, which were never implemented.

Brig Gen Md Abul Khair, DNCC chief engineer, claimed that he was aware of the illegal grabbing of footpaths and foot overpasses by vendors.

Khair said: “We have taken a plan to evict hawkers from footpaths, and foot overpasses and clear them. Their presence is halting the movement of pedestrians, and we will evict them soon.”

When asked, a hawker, Monu Mia, said: “I run my family by earning money through vending. I don’t have money to hire a shop inside a big market.

So, I am sitting over bridges to sell my goods.”

Another vendor Azgar Ali said: “Eviction of vendors is not a solution. We are selling goods for the sake of our family.

If government gives us employment and rehabilitation then we will not sell goods at the foot-over-bridges.” l

Eminent cultural personality Kamal Lohani and educationist Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui visit a drawing competition for children ‘Boishakhe Chhobi Ako, Joishthe Prodorshoni’ at the Joynul Gallery of the department of fine arts, Dhaka University yesterday RAJIB DHAR

BCL men beat up two students n CU Correspondent Some activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League Chittagong University unit yesterday beat up two students of CU’s communication and journalism department inside their classroom over political rivalry.

The victims are Rafiq Haider and Monirul Islam Sohan, third year students of the department, said the de-

partmental sources.

Witnesses said around 10-12 Chhatra League men, led by Rahsedul Islam, fourth year student of sociology department and loyal to city Awami League President ABM Mohiuddin group, entered into the victims’ classroom and started a fight.

At one stage, the Chhatra League men started beating the duo with iron rods and sticks, alleging the students to

Workers block street for dues

CNG station owners postpone strike n Aminur Rahman Rasel n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Owners of CNG refuelling stations postponed their strike, which was supposed to start today, until August 24 as the government assured them of considering their demands.

President of Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association, Zakir Hossain Noyon, announced the postponement of their strike scheduled to begin at 6am today.

The decision came after State Minister for Energy Nasrul Hamid had assured the owners to fulfil their demands by August 14, Zakir said.

The owners had met the state minister at his Baridhara residence.

CNG refuelling station owners had called the strike to press home a seven-point demand, including a rise in CNG prices and installation of Electronic Volume Correction (EVC) meters at refuelling stations to replace the existing ordinary meters. l

Several hundred workers of two readymade garment (RMG) factories yesterday blocked a street of Chittagong city demanding their outstanding salaries and protesting the sack of workers from the factories.

Around 600 workers of Tekno Dress and Wakia Fashions, owned by one Mohammad Faisal, took to the streets on Dewanhat Intersection at 9am demanding their dues since April, said Matiul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Double Mooring police station.

The workers also alleged that the factories’ authorities have adopted policy of retrenchment by firing the workers without showing any logical cause for minimising their costs, he said.

Due to the blockade on the Sheikh Mujib Road in the port city’s Dewanhat area from 9am to 11am, the commuters experienced huge tailback on the road under excessive summer heat, said police and locals.

Inspector (intelligence) Arifur Rahman Arif of Industrial police in Chittagong said the workers started their demonstration inside the

factories around 8:30am and later they came out of their factories and blocked the road to press home their demands.

Additional police force from Double Mooring police station and industrial police rushed to the spot being informed and tried to calm down the agitated RMG workers, he also said.

The protesting workers, however, withdrew their blockade from the busy road after two hours when they got assurance from the owners’ side that their demands would be met soon, added OC Matiul. l

THUNDERSHOWER OR RAIN

SUNDAY, JUNE 8 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:45PM SUN RISES 5:10AM FORECAST FOR TODAY 37

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Chittagong

33

27

Rajshahi

39

29

Rangpur

32

26

Khulna

37

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Barisal

36

28

Sylhet

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25

Cox’s Bazar

33

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YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

36.4ºC Srimangal

25.2ºC Dinajpur

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

3:43am 5:09am 11:58am 4:38pm 6:45pm 8:12pm Source: IslamicFinder.org

A large number of people visit the Digital World 2014 at the Bangbandhu International Conference Centre on the last day yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Curtain falls on Digital World 2014 n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

The four-day Digital World 2014 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital ended yesterday amid a heavy presence of visitors and students.

The country’s biggest Information and Communication Technology exposition was an event to attract local and foreign investments, to showcase Bangladesh’s achievements in the sector, and to spread positive messages about the sector both at home and abroad.

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith was present as the chief gust at the concluding ceremony. Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Abdul Latif Siddique and State Minister of ICT Zunaid

Ahmed Palak were present along with the president and general secretary of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).

Earlier on June 4, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the event.

The conference centre buzzed with visitors for the last four days.

The event was arranged for the third time, with the other two in 2011 and 2012.

During an interview session of the candidates, who dropped CVs since the exposition opened, yesterday, nine well-known IT firms, including Brain Solution Ltd, Twister Media, Pixel Net Technology, Metaphor International and Ezora Solutions, interviewed more than 150 candidates.

“Although the event was arranged in

proctor had assured that punitive measures would be taken against the attackers.

CU Proctor Professor Siraj Ud Dowla said stern measures were being taken against the involved individuals.

Confessing the incident, Rashedul Islam, the Chhatra League man, said Rafiq was an activist of Shibir, adding that the incident inside the classroom was “unexpected.” l

BARISAL UNIVERSITY VIOLENCE

WEATHER

Dhaka

be “Shibir men.”

The daily Inqilab’s CU Correspondent Sakirul Haque Toru was also physically harassed by the attackers as he protested the incident.

On information, the teachers of journalism department rushed to the spot and rescued the students.

Acting chairman of the department Atikur Rahman said the proctor was already informed. The

Dhaka, it also generated hype outside the capital because it was streamed live. We hope we will soon be able to turn IT into our main source of earnings,” Palak said.

Earlier in the day, organisers arranged a special session for school students named “Children’s Digital World”. Notable author and teacher Professor Dr Md Zafar Iqbal, Nishat Majumder, the first Bangladeshi woman to climb the Everest, and several other renowned personalities participated in the session.

Morten Lund, who founded or co-invested in more than 100 high-tech start-ups including Skype, was present and said he was amazed to see such a large number of IT enthusiasts in the country. l

Case lodged against 50 students n Our Correspondent, Barisal Barisal University authorities lodged a case yesterday with Barisal’s Kotwali police station against 50 of its students for vandalising the registrar’s office and injuring four people on Thursday.

Kotwali police station Officer-in-Charge Shakhawat Hossain said BU Estate Officer Saiduzzaman lodged the case quoting names of four students – Aqib Javed Khan, Reza Sharif, Enamul Moni, and Al-Mamun – along with 45-50 other unnamed students as accused.

The complainant in the case alleged that the accused students on Thursday vandalised the equipment and furniture at the BU registrar’s office and injured four officials and staffs.

Among the injured, Assistant Registrar Bahauddin Golap was admitted at Barisal’s Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, while the other three - Saiful Islam, Nusrat Jahan, and Sanjia Sultana Tamanna – were treated at local health facilities.

Sub-Inspector Kabir Hossain has been appointed as investigation officer of the case, OC Shakhawat said, adding that the police have started drives to arrest the accused and were trying to collect photos and video clips printed and broadcasted in media.

BU Vice-Chancellor Prof Harunor Rashid Khan said the case was lodged after a seven-member probe committee, led by BU syndicate member Prof Md Hanif, submitted its report on Friday. Stern disciplinary action would be taken against the attackers based on the findings of the probe committee, the BU VC added.

Meanwhile, Barisal Bishwabidyaloy Karmakarta Karmachari Oikya Parishad, a platform of the university’s officials, continued its protest programmes yesterday by holding a rally on the university campus.

They announced continuing their ongoing work abstention, demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits, and assurances of safety of the university officials.

Manirul Islam, BU acting registrar and convener of the parishad, presided over the rally.

On the other hand, seeking anonymity, several students claimed that the VC did not lodge any case against road transport owners and workers when students were being repeatedly attacked, but ordered to file a case against students as soon as Assistant Registrar Bahauddin Golap, who students claimed was an agent of the VC and road transport owners, was assaulted.

Agitating students also declared Golap as a persona-non-grata in the campus for his role against the interests of the students and threatened to boycott class and exams if Golap was not removed from his post and cases against students were not withdrawn.

Preferring to stay unnamed, a lecturer of the university who is also a leader of a BU teachers association, blamed the VC for creating instability on the campus by politicising the situation, as well as accusing him of maintaining an autocratic rule by holding 23 posts alone, and carrying out nepotism, corruption and irregularities. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Eight murdered across districts n Tribune Report At least eight people were killed in Naogaon, Satkhira, Habiganj, Dhaka, Feni and Jessore districts yesterday.

Our Naogaon correspondent said three people were killed as two groups of villagers clashed over a land-related dispute at Mithapur village in Badalgachhi upazila.

The deceased were identified as Shahidul Islam, Abdul Wadul and Amjad Hossain, residents of the village.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Mahfuz Afzal said there had been a longstanding dispute between Shahidul Islam and Hasan Ali over the ownership of a piece a land.

At night, the supporters of Hasan attacked Shahidul and his associates while they were at a meeting over the issue.

At one stage, they stabbed Shahidul, Wadul and Amjad indiscriminately, leaving them seriously injured.

Shahidul died while he along with the other two was being rushed to Naogaon Sadar Hospital.

Wadul and Amjad were later taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital following deterioration of their condition.

They, however, died at the hospital.

Azizul Haque, officer-in-charge of Badalgachhi police station, confirmed

the incident. Later, agitated local people vandalised houses of Hasan Ali and Saiful Islam.

On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Since the incident, a tense situation was prevailing in the area.

To avert further trouble, additional police personnel have been deployed in the area.

Satkhira correspondent said a young housewife was beaten to death allegedly by her husband and mother-in-law over a dowry-related conflict at Rasulpur village in the district town.

The victim was identified as Rabeya Khatun,17, wife of Rabiul Islam, a resident of the village.

Local sources said since after their marriage, Rabiul had often tortured Rabeya for dowry.

At night, Rabiul and his mother Rokeya Khatun beat Rabeya mercilessly over the issue, leaving her seriously injured.

Hearing Rabeya’s screams, local people rescued Rabeya and took her to Satkhira Sadar Hospital where on-duty doctors declared her dead.

On information, police recovered the body and sent it to the hospital morgue for an autopsy.

Police also arrested Rabiul and his mother.

Enamul Haque, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, confirmed the incident.

Habiganj corresponded reported a teenage boy was murdered at Shahpur village in Madhabpur upazila.

The deceased was identified as Shamim Mian ,14, son of Ayub Ali of the village.

Police said Shamim went missing since Friday and later locals found the body lying in the area.

On information, the police went to the spot and recovered the body.

The body was sent to Habiganj Sadar Hospital morgue.

Abdul Basit, officer-in-charge of Madhabpur police station said: “ The police are trying to nab the criminals.”

Savar Correspondent said a disabled woman was killed by her sister-in-law at Jadurchar Mahalla in Hemaetpur under Savar of Dhaka district.

The deceased was identified as Shilpi Akter, 25, daughter of Babul Mian.

Sources said Shila Akter, sister of Shilpi, had been married off with Sharif Mian in the area.

After the marriage , Sharif and Shila used to quarrel over family feud and Sharif tortured her.

On the day, Sharif tortured Shila leaving her critically injured. He attacked Shilpi leaving her to die while she tried tried to save her sister.

On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

Dipak Kumer Saha, officer-in-charge of Savar model police police station, said Shilpi had been killed over family feud.

Sharif went into hiding after the incident, said police.

Feni correspondent said a postmaster was shot dead at Daulotpur village in Sadar upazila.

The deceased was identified as Mahbubul Haque, 55, postmaster of Mmatazmiar post office.

Locals said miscreants shot him while he was sleeping at night.

Later, he was sent to Chittagong Medical and Hospital where he died.

Jasimuddin, local UP chairman, confirmed the incident.

Jessore correspondent said a youth was stabbed to death at Dumdia village in sadar upazila here following a money-related dispute.

The deceased was identified as Alamgir Hossain, 30, son of Abul Kalam of Kamarpara at Dumdia village under Kotwali police station area.

Locals said Alamgir borrowed some money from Shahabuddin of the village and they were locked in an altercation.

At one stage, Shahbuddin and his associates stabbed Alamgir with sharp weapons around 11pm, leaving him dead on the spot. l

PDB ‘middlemen’ having a field day n Our Correspondent, Sirajganj In clear violation of the power policy, the Power Development Board (PDB) has continued supplying illegal dual connections in eight villages of Bahuli and Kalia Haripur unions of Sirajganj Sadar upazila that are actually under Palli Biduyt Samity (PBS).

In the last month, nearly 50 poles were installed in Dhitapur-Alal, Dhitapur-Kanu, Mansumi, Char-Kalyani, Bara-Chakuli, Kashiahata, Baoitara and Kadai villages.

To provide illegal dual connections and to increase load, PDB has already installed two transformers in Kashiahata and Baoitara, while Dhitapur is awaiting installation of another. The villages got more than 200 new connections in the last one month while another 500 new connections are in the offing.

Nearly 75,000 applications for new connections from PBS clients, living in remote areas in nine upazilas of the district, have piled up at Sirajganj PBS headquarters and other offices. There are allegations that the applications have not been attended as PBS officials and clients failed to reach a consensus over bribes.

As no PBS connection is currently being provided, clients are trying to contact PDB brokers and middlemen.

Because of alleged agreement between PBS officials and PDB brokers, PBS connections are not being provided deliberately, allowing PDB brokers easy access to supply dual connections in PBS areas.

The brokers are raking in a large sum.

Both PDB and PBS officials are keeping mum on PDB men installing poles and transformers at night in PBS villages. PDB’s illegal dual connections in PBS areas are depriving the state coffer of valuable funds, but officials of both bodies are only sending letters to the administrative office, blaming each other.

In the wake of reports of supplying illegal dual connections in PBS areas, former executive engineer of Sirajganj PDB Krishna Kanti Roy and caretaker engineer of Pabna region Moazzem Hossain were recently transferred as part of the punitive measures taken against them, but the wrongdoing still goes unabated. The brokers have become active again soon after Abu Hena Mostafa joined as PDB’s new resident and executive engineer in Sirajganj.

“After carrying out a probe, we have informed the office of the PBS senior general manager of PDB supplying illegal connections in PBS areas, but no action has yet been taken,” said Sirajganj PBS Deputy General Manager Nasimul Haque. l

Bailey bridges across Pirojpur in bad shape n Our correspondent, Pirojpur A number of bailey bridges across the Pirojpur-Mathbaria-Patharghata areas are in poor shape, with accidents becoming frequent in these regions.

Sources said the bridges were continued being used, despite being rundown.

Established first during the Ershad regime, the bridges were carpeted only once, in 1998, when the Awami League government was in power.

A visit to the areas revealed that the bailey bridges in Mathbaria upazila were in worst condition, with their fishplates remaining patched up somehow, and nuts and bolts falling apart from the bridges.

On May 7, the Lalpool Bailey Bridge in Mirukhali union under Mathbaria collapsed with a goods-laden truck, injuring one Madrassa student, Mahbub.

On September 9, another truck got stuck as the fishplate supporting the bridge broke down.

The commuters in the area said they have to risk their lives while crossing the bridge.

According to a Pirojpur fish trader Babul Khan, the truckers charge them more for carrying goods across the bridges.

Mathbaria Municipality Mayor Rafiuddin Ahmed called upon the authorities concerned to renovate the bridges immediately.

Engineer Fakhrul Islam of Pirojpur Roads and Highways Department said of the 24 bailey bridges covering 37 kilometres across Pirojpur-Mathbaria-Patharghata, 10 were in a very bad shape.

Contacted, Executive Engineer Abu Hena Mohammad Mostofa Kamal attributed the run-down conditions of the bridges to scarcity of funds.

He said they had put forward a proposal to higher authorities for the construction of new bridges.

“We will start work soon after we get the nod of the high-ups and allocation.” l

A three-wheeler laden with goods gets stuck in-between fishplates supporting the bailey bridge in Pirojpur-Mathbaria area. The picture was taken recently

Adequate tree plantations needed for fighting climate change

Businessman’s death from RAB torture protested in B’baria

n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Correspondent, n Our Brahmanbaria

Massive tree plantations can help reduce carbon emission at a substantial level, making it a key factor in facing the adverse impact of climate change in the vast Barind tract.

The observation was made by green activists during a campaign of planting trees at Rajshahi University and Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, marking the World Environment Day. Volunteers for Bangladesh, an associate organisation of Jaago Foundation, planted over hundred trees at the

university campuses over the course of two days, yesterday and on Friday.

The campaign organisers said optimum forestation could help stop degradation of environment and biodiversity making the country a safe habitat for everyone. Expanding the country’s forest area by up to 25% of the total landscape will protect Bangladesh from the possible and alarming consequences of the ongoing climate changes.

The organisers also stated that there was no alternative to creating more forest areas for which adequate financial support from both national and inter-

national donor agencies was required.

Stressing the need for formulating time-befitting policies, they also pointed out that the present impacts of climate change have adversely affected the region’s agriculture, irrigation, navigation, ecology, bio-diversity, weather, environment and underground water levels.

As part of the campaign, a bicycle rally was also brought out yesterday by some 50 volunteers of Volunteers for Bangladesh from the Rajshahi Railgate area in the morning. The rally, after travelling to major points of the city, ended at C and B crossing. l

Local people yesterday protested against the death of businessman Shahnur Alam from RAB’s torture in Brahmanbaria’s Nabinagar upazila.

They also demanded registration of a case against Rab-14 Captain Major Sakib Siddique and 10 others, who had allegedly been involved in picking up and torturing Shahnur.

Earlier, on April 29, they allegedly picked up Shahnur, son of Union Parishad member Rois Uddin of Nabinagar upazila’s Bogorhor village, from his home and inhumanly tortured him in their custody. He died of injuries on May 6.

Ever since, the family had been to the police station time and again for filing a murder case, but they could not make them register a case against the elite force in this connection.

As a last resort, they went to the court to have the police receive a case on the murder. On Wednesday, Senior Judicial Magistrate Nazmun Nahar ordered Nabinagar police to register a case on the murder, but just a day after, he was taken off duty until further notice.

Her withdrawal from duty for an indefinite time frustrated the victim’s family and local people, prompting them to take to the streets for justice in Juba League activist Shahnur ‘murder’.

The locals yesterday took out a procession at Nabinagar Purbo Union Parishad premises and ended in front of the National Press Club and held a rally there.

Nabinagar Upazila Awami League leaders Nasir Uddin, Mahbubur Rahman, Krishak League leader, Abdus Salam and BNP leader Helal Uddin, victim’s brother and plaintiff Mehedi Hasan also spoke at the rally.

They said the government had

DHAKA TRIBUNE

formed the Rab for catching terrorists and muggers, but they were picking up people and extorting them and were killing them in case they were not given any extortion money.

They demanded that the guilty be arrested and put on trial immediately and said tougher programmes would otherwise follow.

According to the charge filed by Mehedi before the court, Shahnur was tortured to death by RAB men, who were used by a manpower merchant named Nazrul who owes to them Tk7,20,000.

After the RAB picked him up in April, they had said in a press release that they captured him because he had been accused of various criminal activities, including arsons and extortions.

Earlier on Thursday, Nabinagar Officer-in-Charge Rupok Kumar Saha said they had no case filed against Shahnur over any criminal incident. l

NEWS IN BRIEF

Volunteers for Bangladesh, a nation-wide association of Volunteer Action Groups, plants sapling as part of its tree plantation campaign on Friday and Saturday on the campus of Rajshahi University and Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology DHAKA TRIBUNE

3 killed in road accident

10 injured in clash

At least three people were killed and 35 others injured as a bus plunged into a roadside ditch on Dhaka-Khulna highway at Pona area under Kashiani upazila in the district yesterday. The deceased were identified as Fouzdar Shikder, 60, son of Lal Mia Shikder of Keshabpur in Netrakona district, Khokon Mallik, 28,son of Shomer Mallik of Nandia in Narail district, and Odud Mridha, 70, son of Ashik Mridha of Bashgram village in Narail district. Kashiani police station Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam said: “A Narail-bound bus of ‘Diganta Paribahan’ plunged into a roadside ditch on Dhaka-Khulna highway in Pona area around 4am, leaving three people dead on the spot and 35 others injured.” The injured were taken to Kashiani Upazila.

– Our Correspondent, Gopalganj

At least 10 persons including two women were injured in a clash between two rival groups at Koneshwar village at under upazila of the district yesterday. Witnesses said, in the evening, some miscreants led

by Abdur Rahman Madber attacked their neigbhours Ilias Gazi and his brother Abdul Motin Gazi with lethal weapons over a minor incident, leaving at least 10 persons.

On information, local people rushed to the spot and stopped the clash. Of the injured, Ilias Gazi, Abdul Motin Gazi and Saon were admitted to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital and others were admitted to Damuddya Upazila Health Complex. Ashraful Amin, officer-in-charge of Damuddya police station, said the clash took place between the supporters of Abdur Rahman Madber and family members of Mojibur Rahman Gazi in

the village over a piece of disputed land. – Our Correspondent, Shariatpur

12 rescued, 3 traffickers held Border Guard Bangladesh rescued 12 trafficking victims including a child at Raghunathpur frontier along Benapole land port in Jessore Friday night. Lt Col Matiur Rahman, director, 26 BGB, reported the incident to the Dhaka Tribune. The BGB men raided the area at around midnight and rescued 12 victims just before the trafficking attempt. Of them, 11 are men and one is a child. During the drive, they arrested three human traffickers, said the BGB director. A case was lodged with Benapole port police station in this regard, he added.

– Our Correspondent, Jessore

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Career

7

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Multiple Intelligence Test

(Based on Gardner's model and adapted from businessballs.com) Score the following statements in the white box next to each statement: 1 = Mostly Disagree, 2 = Slightly Disagree, 3 = Slightly Agree, 4 = Mostly Agree Score the statements in the white-out boxes only

The C is for n Ahsan Sajid No one wants to read six sentences when two will suffice. To make sure you’re being concise, check to see if you are using a lot of filler words such as 'for instance,' 'basically,' 'I mean' etc

We spend a big part of an average workday communicating with others. We do it when we are in a meeting, debating with colleagues, participating in conference calls, replying to emails, pitching a new idea – it goes on. We often have workdays when we spend the whole day doing nothing but communicating.

If we were to dot certain i's and cross certain t's of communication, we could give our work that much needed productivity boost.

Clear

When communicating with a colleague, be clear and to the point. Ask yourself what your purpose in communicating with this person is.

If you can’t answer it, then they won't know what you’re talking about either.

To be clear, do not communicate too many ideas in one sentence. Make sure the person you are communicating with knows what you mean without having to infer or make assumptions on their own.

Concise

Brevity is the soul of wit, but whether witty or not, being concise is one of your biggest assets at work. Being concise means sticking to the point and keeping it brief.

No one wants to read six sentences when two will suffice. To make sure you’re being concise, check to see if you are using a lot of filler words such as “for instance,” “basically,” “I mean” etc.

Check if you have any unnecessary sentences and whether if you have reiterated any point several times in different ways.

Concrete

Making a message concrete gives the audience a clear picture of what you're telling them. Without straying from the focus of the communication, provide details (but not too many) and vivid facts and your message will be solid.

Correct

Being correct in communications doesn’t only refer to proper spelling and grammar but whether or not it fits your audience, whether the technical terms used are not above their level of education, whether you’re spelling or

pronouncing their names correctly etc.

Coherent

Coherent communication is logical communication. All points are related and relevant to the main topic of discussion and the tone and flow of the text is consistent.

Complete

A complete message is one where the audience is well aware of the point in discussion, has everything they need to be informed about and take action.

Make sure your message includes a “call to action” so they know what you want them to do, and all other relevant information such as contact names, dates, times etc.

Courteous

Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. A courteously communicated message should not have any hidden insults, backhand compliments, or passive-aggressive tones that may be considered workplace harassment.

Even when you disagree with someone, keep their viewpoint in mind, and be empathetic to their needs. l

Recognising individual intelligence profiles n Career Desk IQ tests are not an acceptable reflection of a person. These tests work better for some people than for others simply because some people are better with words and logic, not because they are more intelligent. There are many such individuals at any workplace who are

net developed a test designed to identify children with special educational needs. His approach of measuring intelligence was rapidly adapted across the world and schools began testing children and designing their curriculum around the children’s IQ. Almost a century later in the 1970s, a Harvard professor of education, How-

– neurophysiological research, studies with autistic people, geniuses and protégés.

In 1983, Howard Gardner published Frames of Mind, which suggested seven different types of intelligence – linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial-visual, interpersonal and intrapersonal. His multiple intelligences theory is a well-established model for understanding the many ways in which human intelligence works.

The multiple intelligences

According to Gardner, his theory “challenge[s] an educational system that assumes that everyone can learn the same materials in the same way and that a uniform, universal measure suffices to test student learning. Indeed, as currently constituted, our educational system is heavily biased toward linguistic modes of instruction and assessment and, to a somewhat lesser degree, toward logical-quantitative modes as well.”

He further argues that “[a] contrasting set of assumptions is more likely to be educationally effective. Students learn in ways that are identifiably distinctive. The broad spectrum of students - and perhaps the society as a whole - would be better served if disciplines could be presented in a numbers of ways and learning could be assessed through a variety of means.”

Take the multiple intelligences test on the right to find your intelligence type and career prospects.

The seven learning styles originally presented by him are: extremely good at what they do, but their IQ is possibly quite low because words and logic are not their strong suit.

History of the IQ test

Intelligence testing started in the late 19th century in Paris where Alfred Bi-

ard Gardner questioned the traditional definition of intelligence on which the IQ test was based. He proposed that people had many other gifts and talents that weren’t reflected in the traditional ideals of intelligence. He created a model based on a variety of sources

Linguistic: These learners are good at using words effectively. They have highly developed auditory skills and often think in words. They like reading, playing word games, making up poetry or stories. They can be taught by encouraging them to say and see words, read books together.

Logical–Mathematical: They are particularly proficient at reasoning and calculating; these learners think conceptually, abstractly and are able to see and explore patterns and relationships.

They like to experiment, solve puzzles and ask questions. They feel a need to learn and form concepts before they can deal with details.

Musical: These learners show sensitivity to rhythm and sound. They love music and are also sensitive to sounds in their environments. They may study better with music in the background.

Bodily–kinesthetic: They use the body effectively, like a dancer or a surgeon.

These learners have a keen sense of body awareness. They like movement, making things by hand, touching etc.

They communicate well through body language and can be taught through physical activity, hands-on learning, acting out, role playing etc.

Spatial-visual: These learners think in terms of physical space, as do architects and sailors. They are very aware of their environments and like to draw, do jigsaw puzzles, read maps etc. They can be taught through drawings, verbal and physical imagery.

Interpersonal: These learners are great at understanding and interacting with others. These students learn through interaction.

They have many friends, empathy for others and street smarts. They can be taught through group activities, seminars, dialogues etc.

Intrapersonal: These learners have a keen understanding their own interests and goals. They tend to shy away from others and are in tune with their inner feelings; they have wisdom, intuition and motivation, as well as a strong will, confidence and opinions. l

Score

I like to learn more about myself I can play a musical instrument I find it easiest to solve problems when I am doing something physical I often have a song or piece of music in my head I find budgeting and managing my money easy I find it easy to make up stories I have always been physically well co-ordinated When talking to someone, I tend to listen to the words they use not just what they mean I enjoy crosswords, word searches or other word puzzles I don’t like ambiguity, I like things to be clear I enjoy logic puzzles such as 'sudoku' I like to meditate Music is very important to me I am a convincing liar I play a sport or dance I am very interested in psychometrics (personality testing) and IQ tests People behaving irrationally annoy me I find that the music that appeals to me is often based on how I feel emotionally I am a very social person and like being with other people I like to be systematic and thorough I find graphs and charts easy to understand I can throw things well - darts, skimming pebbles, frisbees, etc I find it easy to remember quotes or phrases I can always recognise places that I have been before, even when I was very young I enjoy a wide variety of musical styles When I am concentrating I tend to doodle I could manipulate people if I choose to I can predict my feelings and behaviours in certain situations fairly accurately I find mental arithmetic easy I can identify most sounds without seeing what causes them At school one of my favourite subjects is / was English I like to think through a problem carefully, considering all the consequences I enjoy debates and discussions I love adrenaline sports and scary rides I enjoy individual sports best I care about how those around me feel My house is full of pictures and photographs I enjoy and am good at making things - I'm good with my hands I like having music on in the background I find it easy to remember telephone numbers I set myself goals and plans for the future I am a very tactile person I can tell easily whether someone likes me or dislikes me I can easily imagine how an object would look from another perspective I never use instructions for flat-pack furniture I find it easy to talk to new people To learn something new, I need to just get on and try it I often see clear images when I close my eyes I don’t use my fingers when I count I often talk to myself – out loud or in my head At school I loved / love music lessons When I am abroad, I find it easy to pick up the basics of another language I find ball games easy and enjoyable My favourite subject at school is / was maths I always know how I am feeling I am realistic about my strengths and weaknesses I keep a diary I am very aware of other people’s body language My favourite subject at school was / is art I find pleasure in reading I can read a map easily It upsets me to see someone cry and not be able to help I am good at solving disputes between others I have always dreamed of being a musician or singer I prefer team sports Singing makes me feel happy I never get lost when I am on my own in a new place If I am learning how to do something, I like to see drawings and diagrams of how it works I am happy spending time alone My friends always come to me for emotional support and advice n Add the scores in each column and write the total for each column in the corresponding boxes below. n Your highest scores indicate your natural strengths and potential - your natural intelligences. n There are no right or wrong answers. n We are most successful when we learn, develop and work in ways that make the best use of our natural intelligences. Focus on learning and work will be most rewarding for you.

Intelligence type Linguistic Logical-Mathematical Musical Bodily-Kinesthetic Spatial-Visual Interpersonal Intrapersonal Intelligence type Linguistic Logical Mathematical Musical

Bodily-Kinesthetic Spatial-Visual

Interpersonal

Intrapersonal

Career possibilities Writer, lawyer, journalist, trainer, English teacher, poet, linguist, translator, PR/media consultant, TV/radio presenter Scientist, engineer, accountant, statistician, researcher, analyst, banker, insurance broker, deal-maker, trouble-shooter, director Musician, composer, DJ, music producer, piano tuner, acoustic engineer, environment and noise advisor, voice coach Dancer, actor, athlete, soldier, fire-fighter, performance artiste, fisherman, driver, gardener, chef, acupuncturist, healer, adventurer Artist, designer, cartoonist, story-boarder, architect, photographer, sculptor, town-planner, visionary, inventor, engineer, cosmetics and beauty consultant Therapist, HR professional, mediator, leader, counselor, politician, educator, clergy, psychologist, teacher, doctor, healer, organiser, carer, advertising professional, coach, mentor Arguably anyone who is self-aware and involved in the process of changing personal thoughts, beliefs and behaviour in relation to their situation, other people, their purpose and aims

Your totals

Preferred learning style Words and language Numbers and logic

Music, sounds and rhythm Physical experience and movement, touch and feel Pictures, shapes, images

Human contact, communications, teamwork Self-reflection, self-discovery

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Sunday, June 8, 2014

‘No compromise on Crimea’ n Reuters, Kiev Ukraine’s new president Petro Poroshenko said his country would never give up Crimea and would not compromise on its course towards closer ties with Europe, spelling out a combative and defiant message to Russia in his inaugural speech on Saturday.

The 48-year-old billionaire yesterday took the oath of office before parliament, buoyed by Western support but facing an immediate crisis in relations with Russia as a separatist uprising seethes in the east of his country.

Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in March, weeks after street protests ousted Poroshenko’s pro-Moscow predecessor, Viktor Yanukovich, in a move that has provoked the deepest crisis in relations with the West since the Cold War. “Citizens of Ukraine will never enjoy the beauty of peace unless we settle our relations with Russia. Russia occupied Crimea, which was, is, and will be Ukrainian soil,” Poroshenko said in a speech that drew a standing ovation.

He had told this to Russia’s Vladimir Putin when the two met on Friday at a World War Two anniversary ceremony in France, he said.

Poroshenko, who earned his fortune as a confectionery entrepreneur and is known locally as the “Chocolate King,” said he intended very soon to sign the economic part of an association agreement with the European Union, as a first step towards full membership.

This idea is anathema to Moscow, which wants to keep Ukraine in its own post-Soviet sphere of influence.

His voice swelling with emotion, Poroshenko stressed the need for a united Ukraine and the importance of ending

Ukraine’s new president – who is he? n AP, Kiev More than three months after Ukraine’s president fled to Russia in the wake of months of street protests, Petro Poroshenko was sworn in yesterday as the troubled country’s new president. The billionaire, widely called “the Chocolate King” because his fortune is rooted in the candy business, faces huge challenges posed by the violent insurgency in Ukraine’s east and the country’s stumbling, corruption-plagued economy. A look at Poroshenko and what’s ahead for him:

Who is the chocolate king?

Ukrainian soldiers of the guard of honour march during Ukraine’s new President Petro Poroshenko inauguration ceremony in Kiev AFP the conflict that threatens to further split the country of 45 million people. He said it would not become a looser federalized state, as advocated by Russia.

“There can be no trade-off about Crimea and about the European choice and about the governmental system.

All other things can be negotiated and discussed at the negotiation table. Any attempts at internal or external enslavement of Ukraine will meet with resolute resistance,” Poroshenko said.

Poroshenko, Ukraine’s fifth president since independence, won a landslide election on May 25 after promising to bridge the east-west divide that has split the country and thrust it into a battle for its survival.

Ukrainians hope the election of Poros-

henko, who is married with four children, will bring an end to the most tumultuous period in their post-Soviet history.

The forceful speech by Poroshenko, who served as foreign minister and minister for economic development in previous administrations, drew an ovation from guests and VIPs who included Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, US Vice-President Joe Biden and senior EU officials.

Cheering crowds later greeted him on a walk in blazing sunshine on the square in front of Kiev’s St Sophia’s Cathedral, which was decked out with the blue and yellow national flags.

Eastern war zone

Since Poroshenko’s election, govern-

ment forces have stepped up their operations against the separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine who want to split with Kiev and become part of Russia.

The rebels have fought back, turning parts of the Russian-speaking east into a war zone. On Friday they shot down a Ukrainian army plane and killed a member of the interior ministry’s special forces in the separatist stronghold of Slaviansk.

Poroshenko vowed to have no truck with “bandits” but urged pro-Moscow separatists to lay down their arms, offering a guarantee to provide a safe corridor for Russian fighters to go home.

“Please, lay down the guns and I guarantee immunity to all those who don’t have bloodshed on their hands.” l

The 48-year-old, who is estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $1.6 billion, started his rise by importing cocoa beans into the Soviet Union in 1991. The project ballooned into the immensely popular candy manufacturer Roshen, the foundation of a business empire that now includes ship-building and one of the country’s most influential TV stations.

Unlike many other Ukrainian billionaires, Poroshenko did not make his money in murky post-Soviet privatizations, boosting his reputation as a “good tycoon.”

What are his politics?

What will he do next?

Poroshenko began his political career in 1998 as a lawmaker in a Russia-friendly party and went on in 2001 to help found Party of Regions, the political engine behind ousted president Viktor Yanukovych. But in 2004 he threw his weight behind the Orange Revolution protests that arose after fraud-plagued presidential elections.

He served as head of national security for a few months, but stepped down after months of feuding with the prime minister and allegations of improperly trying to help one of Ukraine’s major tycoons. He

Poroshenko faces a growing pro-Russian uprising in the east of the country, where officials say more than 200 people have been killed in clashes between insurgents and Ukrainian forces. Moments after being sworn in, Poroshenko called on armed groups to lay down their weapons and offered amnesty to “those who do not have blood on their hands. “ He also promised dialogue with citizens in the east, but not with the insurgents who have declared two regions to be independent “peoples’ republics.” l

Jihadists take hostages on Iraq campus, 59 killed in north n AFP, Ramadi Jihadists took students and staff hostage at Anbar University in the Iraqi city of Ramadi yesterday, while fighting between security forces and militants in a northern city killed 59 people.

Iraq is suffering its worst violence in years, and militants have launched major operations in three provinces in recent days that have killed well over 100 people and highlighted their long reach.

In Ramadi, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant gunmen infiltrated the university from the nearby Al-Tasha area, killed its guards and then blew up a bridge leading to its main gate, police said.

An AFP journalist said special forces later spearheaded an assault to retake the campus, with heavy gunfire heard.

Security forces “liberated all of the male and female student hostages from the dormitories in Anbar University” and regained control of checkpoints at its entrances, Deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Assadi said in an emailed statement.

But he did not refer to the fate of university staff, and it was unclear if

the assault was over or if some other areas remained under militant control.

‘Never forget’

Before the military assault began, a student told AFP by telephone from inside the university that she and other women were ordered to gather in one place, after which the leader of the militants addressed them.

‘We will teach you a lesson you will never forget,’ he said, according to the student’s account “We will teach you a lesson you will never forget,” he said, according to the student’s account.

In the northern city of Mosul, heavy fighting between militants and security forces entered its second day on Saturday, killing 21 police and 38 militants, an officer and mortuary employee said.

Fighting erupted in Mosul on Friday morning and continued into the night, while twin suicide bombings targeted a minority group east of the city, and soldiers shot dead suicide bombers to its south.

At least 36 people were killed in Friday’s violence in Mosul and elsewhere in Nineveh province.

A day earlier, militants seized several parts of Samarra in a major assault that was only repelled after house-tohouse fighting and helicopter strikes in which dozens died.

A crisis broke out in the desert province of Anbar, west of Baghdad, in December when security forces dismantled a longstanding Sunni Arab protest camp near provincial capital Ramadi.

Anti-government fighters subsequently seized control of parts of Ramadi and all of Fallujah, to its east, and security forces have so far failed to drive them out.

The United Nations said on Friday that the conflict in Anbar is believed to have forced nearly 480,000 people from their homes.

They join some 1.1 million others displaced by past years of violence in Iraq. l

Intensified search for kidnapped Nigerian girls n AFP, United Nations

Twitter chews up Obama after gum gaffe at D-Day n Agencies Social media users tore into Barack Obama on Friday after the US president was seen chewing gum during solemn ceremonies to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

People took to Twitter to denounce Obama’s “shameful” and “vulgar” chewing, with one user attacking him as a “lout.”

“Obama do you want a Coke too while chewing gum while the Marseillaise is

Climate change helps seas disturb war dead!

being played?” said toto_des_bois, referring to the French national anthem.

“The Queen arrives and you have Obama chewing gum, #DDay70” said diminou, another Twitter user.

The US leader faced similar attacks on social media after he was seen apparently chewing gum during Nelson Mandela’s funeral in December.

The most powerful man in the world has faced an on-off battle to quit smoking and often chews a nicotine-based gum to drive away the craving. l

n AFP, Cairo

WIKI

no broken bones, no indication of war, we think maybe suicide,” he said.

The Islands were occupied by the Japanese during World War Two, until they were driven out by US forces.

In the years that followed the Islands

The African Union is involved in intensifying efforts to find more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram two months ago, its Ugandan ambassador said in New York.

Asked what the AU was doing to help, Mull Katende said it was engaged in “quiet diplomacy, because some of this information, we don’t want it to reach those who abducted the children.”

“We look forward to their recovery as soon as possible, and all heads of state of the African Union have offered their support,” he said after talks between AU and UN counterparts in New York.

The Ugandan diplomat said Nigeria could learn a lesson from his own country’s 20-year war against Lords Resistance Army rebels, “on how to isolate Boko Haram from the population.”

Asked how negotiations for the girls’ release could be advanced, Katende told reporters: “There are intensified efforts and a number of countries are helping Nigeria.”

“Now some of those efforts cannot come into the public, but these efforts are there, and we are hoping that these girls can be recovered very soon,” he added. l

Verdict postponed for Badie over inciting violence

n Agencies Rising sea levels have disturbed the skeletons of soldiers killed on the Marshall Islands during World War Two, BBC reported.

Speaking at UN climate talks in Bonn, the Island’s foreign minister said that high tides had exposed one grave with 26 dead, adding the bones were most likely those of Japanese troops.

Driven by global warming, waters in this part of the Pacific have risen faster than the global average.

With a high point just two metres above the waters, the Marshall Islands are one of the most vulnerable locations to changes in sea level.

The 29 atolls that make up the Marshall Islands are home to around 70,000 people.

The corals that have formed the island chain are highly vulnerable to the surrounding seas.

The waters are not just threatening to overwhelm their defences, they are eroding roads while the salt makes the land infertile.

Spring tides Now the waters are posing a new, macabre challenge.

Laura beach in the Marshall Islands “These last spring tides in February to “There are coffins and dead people being April this year have caused not just inundawashed away from graves, it’s that serious.” tion and flooding of communities but have He gave details of an island in his constitalso undermined regular land, so that even uency where a mass grave with 26 bodies the dead are affected,” said foreign minister had been exposed.

Tony De Brum, speaking on the sidelines of “We think they are Japanese soldiers, the UN climate negotiations.

later returned to serve as foreign minister, and briefly as economics minister after Yanukovych came to power in 2010.

Poroshenko supports signing an association agreement with the European Union, but has spoken against holding a vote on whether Ukraine should seek Nato membership. He says it’s important to mend ties with Russia quickly; relations with Moscow should be equal and should not undermine Ukrainians’ desire for closer ties with the European Union, he says.

were subject to dozens of nuclear weapons tests.

Now, according to their political leaders, they face an existential threat from global warming that is expanding the seas that surround them. l

An Egyptian court yesterday postponed to July 5 the verdict in the trial of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and 47 others for inciting violence that killed two people last summer.

However, it sentenced to death 10 defendants who are on the run, and a final ruling on their cases is expected July 5.

After the army ousted Islamist Mohamed Morsi last July, Badie was one of thousands of the deposed president’s supporters arrested in a crackdown that also left more than 1,400 dead.

He is being tried in nearly 40 cases, all of which potentially carry the death penalty, and has already been sentenced to die in one case.

In April, a court in the city of Minya sentenced him and nearly 700 alleged Morsi supporters to hang over the murder and the attempted murder of policemen. A final ruling in those sentences is expected on June 21.

In Saturday’s case, Badie is accused of inciting violence in which two people were killed in the Nile Delta city of Qaliub, only days after the military ousted Morsi on July 3.

He faces charges of inciting murder, inciting the spread of chaos, and inciting attacks on public and private prop-

erties, defence lawyer Mohamed Abou Leila told AFP. Saturday’s hearing was marred by chaos, as the 38 defendants in custody, including Badie, chanted anti-military slogans after entering the caged dock and were insulted by a witness, an AFP correspondent reported.

Other defendants in the Qaliub trial include senior Brotherhood official Mohamed al-Beltagui, well-known Islamist preacher Safwat Hegazy, two former Morsi cabinet ministers and two ex-MPs from the Brotherhood.

Along with Morsi, Badie, Beltagui and Hegazy are being tried on separate charges of mass prison breaks and attacks on police stations during the 2011 uprising that toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak.

Morsi is due in a separate court in that case on Saturday.

The deposed president also faces charges of espionage in collaboration with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

He is on trial for inciting the killing of opposition protesters in December 2012 outside the presidential palace.

In March, the same court that sentenced Badie to die triggered an international outcry when it handed down the same sentence for 529 alleged Morsi supporters on similar charges. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Sunday, June 8, 2014

riot as heat wave prompts power cuts Flash floods kill 60 Indians n in Afghanistan AP, Lucknow

n AFP, Kunduz Flash floods have killed around 60 people in northern Afghanistan, washing away hundreds of homes and forcing thousands to flee, officials said yesterday warning that the death toll was expected to rise.

The floods in the remote mountainous district of Baghlan province come a month after a landslide triggered by heavy rains buried a village and killed 300 people in a nearby region.

The twin disasters highlight the challenges facing underdeveloped Afghanistan’s next leader as the country heads into the second round of the presidential election on June 14.

“People have lost everything they had – houses, property, villages, agricultural fields, cattle,” Baghlan police spokesman Jawed Basharat said about the floods. “There’s nothing left for them to survive. People don’t even having drinking water,” he added.

Afghan disaster management officials said they were scrambling to get food and medical aid to the area after torrential rains unleashed the floods, which forced thousands of people to flee their houses.

Officials recovered 58 bodies from the inundated areas, including women and children, with several people said to be missing, according to the Na-

tional Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

“There is a lot of stagnant water, and there are more bodies under the rubble and mud,” Mohammad Nasim Kohzad, head of NDMA in Baghlan, told AFP. “We are still looking for other victims of this flood.”

‘Massive’ damage

The governor of the province, Sultan Mohammad Ebadi, said the death toll stood at 59, warning that the extent of the disaster was “massive” and the toll was expected to rise sharply.

“The floods destroyed four villages, and washed away 2,000 residential houses, agricultural fields and also killed thousands of cattle,” the governor of Guzargah-e-Nur, Noor Mohammad Guzar, told AFP. Officials were further assessing the extent of the damage on life and property in the affected area, the deputy head of the National Disaster Management Authority said.

“Our teams have also provided some edibles (food items) and medication to the affected people. More aid will get there soon,” said Mohammad Aslam Sayas.

Last month a landslide triggered by heavy rains buried a village in a remote area of northeast Badakhshan province killing at least 300 people. l

Thousands of people enraged by power cuts during an extreme heat wave rioted across northern India, setting electricity substations on fire and taking power company officials hostage, officials said yesterday.

The impoverished state of Uttar Pradesh has never had enough power for its 200 million people — about the population of Brazil — and many receive only a few hours a day under normal conditions, while 63 percent of homes have no access to electricity at all.

But recent temperatures that soared to 47 degrees Celsius (117 Fahrenheit) have caused power demand to spike at 11,000 megawatts — far higher than the state’s 8,000 MW capacity — triggering blackouts that shut down fans, city water pumps and air conditioners.

Thousands of people stormed an electricity substation Friday near the state capital of Lucknow, ransacking offices and taking several workers hostage for 18 hours until police intervened Saturday morning, state utility official Narendra Nath Mullick said.

Elsewhere, an angry crowd set fire to an electricity substation in Gonda, 180 kilometers (112 miles) southeast of Lucknow. It took three hours for firefighters to put out the flames on Friday.

Another substation was set on fire in Gorakhpur, 320 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Lucknow.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akilesh Yadav said officials were trying to purchase power from other states, though

An Indian cycle rickshaw puller drinks water on a hot day in Allahabad, India they were also facing shortages amid the extreme heat.

Power was largely restored to most areas by Saturday afternoon, leading dozens of people who were still protesting outside Lucknow’s Indira Nagar substation to go home.

Residents had been particularly angry about the power cuts after receiving reliable supplies through the Indian

elections, which ended May 16. Since then, only some regions have been guaranteed unbroken power supplies, while others have received little to none.

The High Court in the city of Allahabad is now hearing a petition alleging discrimination in power distribution, and has asked the government to explain why some regions allegedly were receiving preferential treatment. Those regions

AP

include the city of Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of new Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as constituencies held by Yadav and other top officials in Uttar Pradesh’s ruling party.

Meteorological officials said temperatures would likely remain high through at least Tuesday in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi and other areas of northern India. l

Difficult but steady progress for Afghan women Cheer up, Thailand.

That’s an order! n AP, Kabul

In a nation where most women remain second-class citizens, many cloaked from head-to-toe in burkas, one group has broken down formidable barriers by forming an Afghanistan women’s football league.

The standards of the grounds, and the play, may fall short of world class, but the delight at breaking the shackles of the conservative society is clear to see. So too is the determination to become the new face of Afghan women, gaining dignity for themselves and other women in their war-torn country while also improving their image worldwide.

The competitors in the Kabul league do have to make some concessions to the conservative protocols of the society, wearing head scarves and also covering their legs, yet even those accommodations have done little to reduce the disapproval and even ostracism they face for entering what is regarded as a male preserve.

The sport is very popular in Afghanistan, even if it is rare to find more than rudimentary facilities anywhere outside the capital.

Even rarer is the sight and sound of women on the pitch.

But at a recent semifinal match of the Kabul Women’s Premier League at the Football Federation Stadium, the shouts of encouragement and joy were unmistakably female and were not dampened by the heavy rain, even if the stands were largely empty.

“It is disappointing, but we are grateful to have it,” Afghan Club player Nadia Derweshi said of the meager attendance at

In this photo taken June 1, an Afghan female soccer player kicks a ball in a shooting exercise to get ready for Afghanistan’s first female football premier league, in Kabul AP the league semifinal game which her team won 4-0.

Derweshi started playing football eight years ago and is a goalkeeper for the female

national team.

Hajar Abulfazl, a 22-year old national team player, says it will take the passing of generations for Afghan society to accept

Americans split on prisoner swap of Taliban for US soldier n Reuters, Washington Americans are deeply divided over whether the Obama administration did the right thing by swapping five Taliban leaders to win the freedom of Afghanistan prisoner of war Bowe Bergdahl, according to Reuters/Ipsos survey released on Friday.

Americans strongly agree the United States should make every effort to free prisoners of war like Bergdahl, an Army Sergeant who was captured in eastern Afghanistan in 2009. But they also think the prisoner swap deal set a dangerous precedent.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll of 958 Americans interviewed online found that 44 percent disagreed with the statement that trading Taliban prisoners for Bergdahl was “the right thing to do,” with 26 percent of them strongly disagreeing.

Twenty-nine percent of those polled said they thought the prisoner swap was the right thing to do and 27 percent said they were not sure, the poll found.

Bergdahl was handed over to US special operations forces in Afghanistan last Saturday after the Obama administration agreed to send five Taliban leaders held at Guantanamo prison to Qatar, where they must remain for a year.

After an initial wave of euphoria over the release, the deal triggered a backlash

among US lawmakers angry because they were not given 30 days notice before the transfer of the Guantanamo prisoners, as required by law. Some of Bergdahl’s former Army comrades said they believe he deserted his post.

Twenty-nine percent of those polled said they thought the prisoner swap was the right thing to do and 27 percent said they were not sure White House counselor John Podesta on Friday told a Christian Science Monitor breakfast that President Barack Obama knew the prisoner swap would be a “controversial decision.”

The president said he acted quickly because he was faced with a “delicate situation that required no publicity” and that he had no regrets about the action.

“This is something that I would do again and I will continue to do wherever I have an opportunity, if I have a member of our military who’s in

captivity,” he told NBC Nightly News.

“We’re going to try to get ‘em out.”

Obama decided to personally announce the exchange in the White House Rose Garden, accompanied

by Bergdahl’s parents, in order to explain to the public the reasons behind the decision, Podesta told a breakfast meeting.

The uproar over the prisoner swap has left Americans with conflicted views of the events, the Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.

Asked whether they thought Bergdahl was a patriot or a traitor/deserter, 65 percent said they did not know. Only 13 percent said they viewed Bergdahl as a patriot and 22 percent saw him as a traitor/deserter.

The respondents overwhelmingly agreed the United States should make every effort to recover prisoners of war, with 78 percent agreeing with that statement, including 48 percent strongly agreeing.

At the same time, they also thought trading five Taliban leaders for Bergdahl set a “dangerous precedent for future kidnapping or hostage-taking,” with 66 percent agreeing with the statement, including 43 percent strongly agreeing.

The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. l

girls and women playing football, yet she is optimistic about the future and the progress of her teammates.

“It is very difficult to convince families to accept and let their daughters to join in a football team,” said Abulfazl, who herself doubts and resistance from many when she took up sports but was thankful for the support of her parents.

Abulfazl who is also director of Afghanistan’s female football committee, says that at least 22 female teams are registered, so far only in Kabul, but in other more conservative rural provinces there was little progress.

The Afghan football federation women’s committee was established only in 2004.

During the early years the committee started by picking football fans from local schools and initially it was difficult to find girls and young women who were willing and able to take what was the relatively risky and fraught step of joining an organized league.

When the committee was first established, the only members were seven sports trainers from local schools around Kabul.

Now the committee’s website says there are nearly 1,000 participants.

Mohammad Yousef Kargar, the coach of Afghanistan’s national men’s team in two stints up until the start of this year, said the medium-term goal for the women’s team is participation in the South Asian Games, though he recognizes the impediments.

“In a conservative country like Afghanistan there are many limitations when it comes about women,” Kargar said. “It is not easy to implement all plans or programs. l

N Korea detains US tourist; three now in custody n Reuters, Seoul North Korea said it had detained an American tourist for violating its laws after entering the secretive state in April, bringing the number of US citizens held by Pyongyang to three.

Pyongyang has held a number of US citizens in the past, using them as a tool to extract visits by high-profile figures, including former President Bill Clinton, but it has recently rejected visits by officials to discuss their cases.

North Korea periodically accuses the United States of military hostility and conspiracy to overthrow its leadership. The two states have been locked in a tense diplomatic conflict over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes.

The latest American to be held was being questioned by authorities for conduct inappropriate for the purpose of his visit as a tourist, state media reported on Friday. The North’s KCNA news agency named him as Jeffrey Edward Fowle and said he entered the country on April 29. It gave no further details.

US media reported that Fowle is 56 years old and from Miamisburg, Ohio, and worked in the Moraine city street department. A neighbour speaking on WDTN television in Ohio said he is a father of three who was travelling alone on the trip. l

n AP, Bangkok Cheer up, Thailand. The junta aims to return happiness.

The military junta that seized power here last month has no plans to restore civilian rule any time soon. But it has launched an official campaign to bring back something else it says this divided nation desperately needs — happiness.

The project has involved free concerts, free food, alluring female dancers in suggestive camouflage miniskirts, even the chance to pet horses trucked into downtown Bangkok with makeshift stables and bales of hay. The fair-like events are supposed to pave the way for reconciliation after a decade of political upheaval and coups.

But critics point out the feel-good project is being carried out alongside an entirely different junta-led campaign — an effort to stifle all opposition to the army’s May 22 putsch, which deposed a government elected by a majority of Thai voters three years ago.

“The very first question you have to ask is, whose happiness are they talking about?” said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thai professor of Southeast Asian studies at Kyoto University who has refused to respond to a junta summons ordering him to return home and report to the army.

“I’m sure this is not happiness for Thais who want a civilian government, whose rights were taken away by the coup,” he said. “It’s surreal. And it’s ridiculous to believe this will create an environment conducive to reconciliation. That can’t happen when the military is harassing, hunting and detaining its enemies.”

Last month’s coup, the 12th in Thailand since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, ousted a civilian government accused of abuse of power and corruption that had increasingly been cornered by protesters, the courts, and finally the army.

The junta says it had to restore order after half a year of political turmoil left dozens dead and the government paralyzed. And it insists it will be a

neutral arbiter. But since taking power, the army appears to be carrying on the fight of the anti-government protesters by mapping out a similar agenda to redraft the constitution and institute political reforms before elections, and going after politicians from the grassroots “Red Shirt” movement that had vowed to take action if there was a coup.

Although the junta has censored partisan media on both sides, it has begun prosecuting opponents and summoned hundreds of politicians — mostly those who supported the former government or were perceived as critical. The moves have forced some of the nation’s most prominent activists and scholars to flee or go into hiding.

Critics point out the feel-good project is being carried out alongside an entirely different junta-led campaign — an effort to stifle all opposition to the army’s May 22 putsch Deputy army spokesman Col. Weerachon Sukondhapatipak said the clampdown was necessary because “if you let people talk at the moment, they will talk with emotion, they will be very critical.”

The aim of the project, dubbed “Return Happiness to the People” by the military, is to get people “to relax,” he said. “We’re trying to create an atmosphere to gain trust and build confidence. That is the plan.”

And the junta is serious about it.

The weekly radio address of military ruler Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha is now titled, “Bringing Back Happiness to the Nation.” It is also now prefaced with a new song Prayuth commissioned called “Return Happiness to Thailand.” l

In this June 4 photo, a woman is taken a photograph with a Thai soldier in front of a sign that reads: ‘Return Happiness to the People’ at Bangkok’s Victory Monument AP

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Sunday, June 8, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Collaborate to grow new business

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he International Chamber of Commerce and HSBC have launched the ICC Knowledge Centre to provide a new platform for learning and networking.

We believe more businesses need to emulate this type of knowledge facilitation initiative.

Exporters need better access to resources, and up-to-date trade information, as well as training facilities and conferences, in order to make the most of their potential.

Improving knowledge sharing and promoting success stories can be highly effective ways to inspire and help new businesses to grow.

If the economy is to keep moving forward and grow exports and the GDP, business organisations generally need to become more ‘outward focused’ on marketing their industry.

Too many bodies in the country expend excessive energy on inward looking matters. It has become commonplace to see professional bodies split into cliques and political factions, and to see internal elections give rise to costly legal disputes.

It is a gross waste of time and energy for groups established to promote common interests, become mired in such politicking and internal disputes.

The economy needs more trade bodies and professional organisations to be focused on sharing expertise and working for the greater good.

Skills development and training is the most important area where improved collaboration can benefit the country’s businesses.

There should also be more co-operation on developing pro-active export initiatives and opening more trade liaison offices abroad, rather than being reliant on ‘third party’ trade fairs and intermediaries. The Bangladesh brand needs businesses to become more outward focused to sustainably grow our exports.

There should be more co-operation on skills and export initiatives

Worker helpline a smart idea

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ore RMG factory owners are beginning to open up or welcome telephone helplines for workers.

While not a substitute for good industrial relations, they can be a handy tool, providing a readily accessible way for employees to express concerns about workplace issues.

The trend will be boosted further this month as the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety begins its programme to roll out helplines for workers at 100 factories by the end of this year.

Using a mobile phone, workers will be able to report safety and security concerns in a confidential and verifiable manner. The helpline coordinators will check and share collected information so that issues can be investigated and followed up by factory managers and buyers.

Improving worker voice is a key challenge for the RMG industry.

Historically one barrier has been that trade unions have not been representative of the predominantly young, female, workforce, or have been misused for extortion purposes. Another has been restrictive labour rights laws, which the government has been reforming in response to the GSP issue.

It is vital for stakeholders to keep working together to overcome such obstacles. The better that owners and employees can work together constructively, the less the risk of safety concerns going unchallenged.

Ensuring effective representation of employee concerns will also help to identify and resolve other types of worker grievances.

Well functioning factories tend to ensure such mechanisms. The industry should encourage all factory owners to emulate them. In time, this will diminish the need for whistleblower-style helplines.

Stakeholders should keep working together to improve worker voice

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

Sonar Bangladesh vs digital Bangladesh June 3

Safkat Monjur We are not hearing either the Sonar Bangla of Bangabandhu or the digital Bangladesh of Sheikh Hasina by any of the ministers of the sitting government, or even the current PM. Rather we are hearing about murders, abductions, forced disappearances, rapes, crimes occurred by RAB and law enforcement agencies, and corruption by ministers etc.

If we look back at the newspaper headlines of the last few days, we find that this is a common phenomenon. When the agitation led by Ilias Ali, regarding the withdrawal of river-water from Sylhet, intensified against the Indian government, he was

CPD suspects huge capital flight in FY14 June 2

Hafeejul Alam Who will check this possible mis-invoicing? Mr Finance Minister, please wake up!

Britain’s zero-hour contracts eyed by other countries June 2

vihan No please! I’ve lived in the UK for many years and the so called “zero hour” contracts are a violation of the rights of hardworking people. Especially young people are badly affected by such contracts.

Making history won’t be a bed of roses June 2

rezvi newaz I think the writer should have cross-checked the data regarding the placement of the budget of the late Saifur Rahman. As far as I know, he placed at least 10 times.

Thai army rulers prepares emergency economic measures

June 2 Someone The army’s brazen, albeit premeditated, power grab in Thailand is an atrocious and alarming event. And now we’re seeing the power usurpers’ predictable tactics of intimidation and repression of the public.

I can only hope that enough ordinary Thais are able to resolutely resist and reverse General Prayuth’s unwarranted coup. Even Thais who have been fiercely clamouring to see ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra go, ought to realise that their own favoured leaders need to contest and actually win elections (something they have been completely incapable of achieving for more than a decade) to be elected to government.

They can’t be more deluded than to think that the opposition can now somehow sneak in to power through a political back door. To illegally oust a democratically-elected incumbent prime minister through blatant judicial engineering, and acquiescing to an army takeover in the country, only sabotages Thai democracy, exacerbates existing divisions, and ensures that Thailand will be left in turmoil for quite a long while yet.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 17 represents B so fill B every time the figure 17 appears.

You have one letter in the control grid to start you off. Enter it in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters go in the missing squares.

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

As you get the letters, fill in 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.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

abducted. Journalists Sagor and Runi were murdered. Mayor Lokman of Narshingdi was murdered.

Twoki was murdered in Narayanganj. Seven were recently murdered, including Nazrul Islam, the panel mayor of Narayanganj. Upazila chairman Ekram of Fulgazi in Feni was also recently murdered, with many others.

Yet, every time ministers of the sitting government and even the PM commented that all perpetrators would be punished, we have seen no real actions that reflect their words. Only dragging their feet. Please, AL, live up to your words. Work solely for the people and let God pass on the verdict for your treatment of the people.

Ghosts of World Cups past June 2

Osmania We should never have started chasing India and Pakistan on cricket and nuclear power. One day, FIFA will give Asia a lot more space in the real World Cup. That’s where we want to be.

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.

Zero-Agenda It’s baffling how we have a lot of passion for football in the international context, yet vast swathes of seats are seen empty during local games. I don’t buy this hollow enthusiasm.

3,000 USTC students face study disruptions May 31

USTC student It is true that the teachers have whipped up the students into a frenzy to serve their own ulterior motives, ie getting a salary hike. Nonetheless, the students have a valid point. The 25th, 26th, and 27th batches have been refused registration on the basis that USTC has not complied with BMDC regulation. If the university had any integrity, they would have at least refused to admit additional students once the issue was raised in 2012 for the 25th batch. However, these 1,200 students would be bringing an influx of close to Tk2.4bn, so who can turn their back on that?

The bottom line is that the Janesheba Foundation and the university syndicate are comprised of a group of greedy, arrogant, and disgustingly corrupt men and women who have absolutely no care about the state of the university. What’s amusing to me personally is that the bulk of the university fees are designated as “development fees.” My question to the Janesheba Foundation and the university syndicate is this: The development of what? Your bank accounts? They are a shame to the memory of the late Professor Nurul Islam, the founder of USTC, and to Bangladesh in general.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Ten years (6) 6 Edge (3) 9 Likeness (5) 10 Large volume (4) 11 Governs (5) 12 Monkey (3) 13 Fate (6) 15 Waistband (4) 18 Prayer ending (4) 21 Emphasise (6) 24 Neckwear (3) 25 Out of order (5) 28 Operatic air (4) 29 Dogma (5) 30 Japanese monetary unit (3) 31 Replenishes (6)

DOWN 1 Highland daggers (5) 2 Flightless bird (3) 3 Pacifies (5) 4 Mature (3) 5 Furniture item (4) 6 Wander (4) 7 Obstruct (6) 8 Encounter (4) 14 Mineral spring (3) 16 Dress (6) 17 Garden tool (3) 19 American state (5) 20 Cosy retreats (5) 21 Remain (4) 22 Check (4) 23 Satisfy fully (4) 26 Adults (males) (3) 27 Ply the needle (3)

Ukraine hopes

June 1 Abelard the Greek Lover Very well written. As hollow as my words may ring, I truly wish the situation at Ukraine was better than the status quo.

Stolen mobile phones on sale online May 31

goodbro “Section 411 and 412 of the Penal Code 1860 say anyone carrying stolen properties will be subjected to legal actions.”

Section 411 of the Penal Code 1860.

Great, an almost 150-year-old law still exists. I thought we were independent and had passed the phase of slavery so we could make our own laws!

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

Look to the West June 2

PEANUTS

nds I don’t have the necessary competence and knowledge to analyse all those questions raised in the article, but my common sense feeling, which may be entirely wrong, is that the prime reason of West Bengal politics getting degenerated was the Left front’s remaining in power continuously for more than a quarter century with an absolute majority. People made the grave mistake of putting a particular political platform in power for such a long time, which enabled them to take the form of a monster that destroyed every norm of a democratic polity. Absolute power is a sort of poison that kills every living thing. In West Bengal, exactly that has happened; their democratic polity is dead.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Where is the economics? n Mamun Rashid

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Has he set targets that are unlikely to be met?

RAJIB DHAR

No burden of expectations

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n Khawaza Main Uddin

t’s been far from the reality of the pledge by the finance minister. In his budget speech, he spelt out a few measures haphazardly and reiterated old ones in support of businesses. AMA Muhith employed euphemisms or expressed pious wishes and great expectations, but forwent offering a breakthrough for an inclusive political economy.

Incentive packages with credible, innovative approaches that could have pulled investors back in business with renewed zeal were all but expected.

This is something which is missing from the budget documents.

The minister instead set an unrealistically high target of growth at 7.3% for the next fiscal year, given this year’s attainment of a 6.2% growth, which too has been contested by all others outside his government. A key assumption in favour of projected growth is “favourable weather and political stability.”

Unfortunately, we have not come across any business leaders or potential investors who would believe that.

What needs to be done to reinvigourate confidence in investors, according to them, is to ensure a peaceful political process on top of every other step required.

The minister remained evasive when I asked him how he would attain such growth, given the investment scenario and a variety of constraints in doing business.

Why then, has he set targets which are unlikely to be achieved? Simply because he has to do it to justify the Awami League clinging to power, by painting a bright picture or outlining high-sounding budgetary measures.

While following an ad hoc policy in authoring such a budget, Muhith

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has abandoned the five-year plan, as the Center for Policy Dialogue said.

He repeatedly mentioned “five years” either to glorify activities during AL’s previous tenure, or to generate hopes of survival for the regime following the controversial January 5 polls.

The issue of the manifesto for that one-sided, non-participatory election came three times in his speech only as a reference.

ing bank money, and the patronising terrorist godfathers are samples of the quality of governance this administration can offer the nation.

There is no one in parliament, legally and practically, to debate the budget proposals – for the first time in a democratic setup since 1991. This is reminiscent of the rubberstamped budget during the Ershad regime.

Popular will, as often reflected in the

The minister remained evasive when I asked him how he would attain such growth, given the investment scenario

Who cares if the manifesto is transformed into fiscal programs, or when and if the ballot was rigged and manipulated? The finance minister was even smart enough to omit the title of AL’s 2013 manifesto “Marching Ahead Bangladesh: Road to Peace, Democratic Development and Prosperity.” A student of English literature, Muhith preferred a more appropriate title for the 2014-15 budget – “Beckoning a New Era of Prosperity.”

Will the genuine democratic development continue to beckon us the way the sky (horizon) appears to have touched our neighbourhood? It’s possible that the leaking of public exam question papers under Nurul Islam Nahid’s jurisdiction, the seven murders in Narayanganj, the abductions and killings in Feni and elsewhere, allegations of bribery against law enforcers, cheating with gold medals, plunder-

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opposition’s demand for, and the protest against, fiscal measures, is no longer tenable in Bangladesh.

Thus, it’s been an exercise in arithmetics, doling out benefits to a few, and the narcissism of the Awami mind. Look at the 2009-10 budget and the proposed one – the difference is the presence and absence of popular support in the two, respectively.

The BNP has finished its duty of criticising the budget proposals by terming the government illegitimate.

Squarely blaming the BNP for political unrest, AL displays its unwillingness to create any space for dialogue in resolving the present political crisis.

So, knowing full well the situation is devoid of democratic pluralism, the finance minister came up with proposals and ideas that he considers are “realistic” in serving the interests of the regime.

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Under hardly any pressure on implementation, Muhith has shown the luxury of sharing his own thoughts on decentralisation and administrative reforms despite the proven lack of commitment of his government to the devolution of power. Transfer of power to local entities, division of power between local government bodies, specialised bureaucracy at the grassroots, and fair revenue sharing are such issues for them.

The finance minister customarily held pre-budget consultations where most proposals came from a single group – the businesspeople. Some of their expectations have been met in the budget. However, the most critical issue – the restoration of business confidence – has not been addressed as Premier Sheikh Hasina and company are adamant in defying popular expectations of holding a widely participated election.

Is the government angry with the people for their failure to turn up in the January 5 polls, or vote for the AL candidates in the city corporation elections prior to the national polls? It would have been sympathetic towards them for the increasing costs of living, which, I am sure, have never been correctly reflected in official estimates of inflation.

Food adulteration is killing an entire generation but the government is not using the budgetary instruments to stop the import, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and sale of hazardous chemicals and foods.

Instead, the prime minister resorted to mockery using formalin to demean the BNP’s leadership, cruelly ignoring the health hazard for its rampant use in food items. l Khawaza Main Uddin is Executive Editor, ICE Business Times.

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popular television program host on budget day asked me to explain all the budget complexities in a simple way, more importantly, in a way understandable by his common viewers. I was mostly talking about tax incidences. Public finance textbooks taught to me in my school days were taking command of me. I could not help it. Maybe our teachers in those days didn’t emphasise too much on public speaking or populist approaches.

However, when a village lady from Brahmanbaria’s Kashba upazila asked me: “While you are emphasising on increasing investment and creating an investment-friendly environment to create employment, don’t you think that political uncertainty will play a deciding role here?” Then and there I stood corrected. We underestimate our readers and audience so much. They are not asking us to make economics easy. They have learned to appreciate the underlying economic fundamentals too. They are asking: What do we get in exchange of what?

Where is the utility of a large public administration? What are we getting from the public utility companies?

What are our regulatory bodies delivering? How will these numbers help us get into a new phase of the growth story? One could ask, with so many knowledgeable people spread all over the country, why do we believe our politicians?

I was born in a humble family in a remote sub-district in southern Bangladesh. I can’t say I have seen abject poverty, but we had to learn the tricks of managing well within limited means. I studied economics for eight years. Simple economics says: Provide breaks or incentives to those who can make the best use of them.

For the last few years, Bangladesh has been included in Goldman Sachs’s Next 11 list. JP Morgan included us in the “frontier five.” People are watching Bangladesh along with Vietnam, the Philippines, Egypt, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

In this backdrop, the budget in Bangladesh can’t be a public balance sheet analysis or an income-expenditure statement. It needs to be more. I am sorry to say, the more time goes by, the weaker our financial management or economic governance is becoming.

I am not talking about the size of the budget, the selection of growth-impacting projects or their timely implementation, higher taxes on rich people, or tax imposition on the “fattening streams” of the economy. I am talking of overall management.

While the budget document is trying to do justice to environmental concerns, you see taxes have been increased on hybrid vehicles. When tax evasion is rampant among non-traded companies, was it necessary to reduce the turnover tax? When the government is trying to become more direct in tax incidences, why is source tax

H

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dominating so much in income tax, or even value added tax.

Why not bring in more people within a lower tax slab, say 5%? Why can consultants, researchers, and economists get away by paying only 10%, withholding taxes? Why is there no final assessment? Any apartment owner in Dhaka city could have assets in excess of Tk2cr, and pay an extra 10% on his paid taxes. Why not gradually bring 25 million interest-bearing account holders paying regular source taxes under the tax net? Instead of bringing more people under the tax net, why kill the golden goose?

The budget can’t be a public balance sheet analysis or an incomeexpenditure statement.

It needs to be more

A few years back, I came across a list of 49 persons paying more than Tk1cr in individual income tax. With my more than two decades of active banking experience, I could not find more than one known name on the list. These were all individual importers, or civil or public contractors. There too, most of their taxes were realised as source tax.

We are still saddened to see most of our budgetary allocations going for non-developmental sectors, be it education, health, or even social safety nets. It is sickening to see that in an emerging economy like ours, larger allocations are going towards keeping an inefficient, back-dated, and increasingly politicised public administration.

It is bad to observe that despite repeated requests and suggestions, we could not impose a minimum possible accountability on our state-owned enterprises, or improve the financial administration in the large-spending ministries. Most of our regulatory body chiefs are being appointed on political considerations, hence they remain dependent on the insiders mostly playing according to the gallery, or maneuvering things to his benefit, or for his own vested group.

A 6% average GDP growth rate is not bad at all. But we need more to bring out more people out of poverty, to create more employment, and build a solid national wealth. We need respectable institutions to safeguard the interest of the common people.

Growth also has side effects.

We want our public representatives to truly represent us, our dreams, and build around them. We can’t put our hands on our hearts and say we already have it. We don’t know when our leadership will subscribe to the whole truth, not the half truth. l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

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The app for appayon n Iffat Nawaz

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few times a week in my childhood home, the door bell would ring right when lunch was served. Someone would rush to the door. At the gate there would be a distant relative or a friend of the family with a mid-afternoon hungry sun-drenched smile. They would join us for lunch.

we always open doors for others – the appayon in our villages, and it doesn’t even have to be your own village home, but a friend’s, a friend of a friend. It doesn’t matter.

There is always a porch to sit on and drink a little water, without formality, without a promise of something in return. The only expected return to that traditional Bengali hospitality is perhaps a big smile, and appreci-

I would request the smart people who make this app to design it the colour of the mid-afternoon sun, with a pot of rice as the icon

My mother, like many other mothers in this country, would always cook an extra pot of rice for the suprise guest. We would work out the meal somehow, there was always room for a guest and that’s how many of us grew up.

When foreign visitors come to our land, they talk about our hospitability, how nice the people are here, how

ation towards the host. “Khub bhalo laglo,” “apnara eto apon kore dekhen” “erokom torkari toh kokhono khai ni ageh, eto shaad!” – “It’s been a pleasure,” “you make me feel like one of your own,” and “I have never tried a dish like this in my life, what taste!”

And everyone is happy, the host, the guests, and we move on to the next house, the next afternoon, the next bit

of happy exchanges.

But what happens when the hospitability becomes more of a tradition and not a matter from the heart? We continue doing what our mothers did, we expect others to do the same. The ones who don’t, we think of as too Westernised or mannerless. We invite each other and eat catered food in our Dhaka concrete jungle. There are parties in response to other parties, the host may not be all smiles, but everything else in the room looks perfect. Because our mothers taught us that.

I wonder now, where this Bengali hospitability came from, towards strangers and known ones. Was it to befriend strangers, to show we are no threat to them in case they were going to invade our lands and take over our homes? Was it because we sought knowledge, and strangers and faraway guests brought news from places beyond ours? Or was it just for the sake of networking? I scratch your back and maybe some day you will scratch mine?

In the land of telecom, more and more Bangladeshis are now hooked on the iPhone and the fascinating apps which smart people are discovering every day. In our city, appayon, true

BIGSTOCK

appayon, is slowly becoming a thing of the past, and by no means do I think it’s a bad thing.

In fact, I am all for an app for appayon. I would request the smart people who make this app to design it the colour of the mid-afternoon sun, with a pot of rice as the icon. It would be a customised app according to your

personalities, and will calculate how to act with acquaintances, old relatives, family friends, friends, friends of friends.

The app will set your limitations and give us tips on the traditional right thing, and the modern day right thing according to our lives. One would cater to their guests in that respect,

some will be fed, some will be given space to stay, and others just a cup of tea. The space between one another is increasing every day. We don’t treat all as equals here anymore anyway. Might as well have an app to justify it. l Iffat Nawaz is Acting Editor, Arts & Letters, Dhaka Tribune.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment Nature & People

No strings attached n Shadma Malik Wealthy and privileged Apurbo lives the unrestrained party lifestyle, living it up with his girlfriend Sarika in town. Through a series of incidents, the young Romeo gets in touch with his cultural roots, and becomes what he once thought of as a “backdated” person. This is the story of telefilm “Backdated,” written and directed

by Apurbo himself, addressing what he believes to be “the moral degradation” of the present generation, while extolling the practical and emotional values of the culture of our society where family bond is the first priority.

In a conversation with Apurbo, he said: “I have been writing this story for quite a long time. I discovered only I can portray the story and convey the message in a manner that I want.”

Apurbo who has a keen interest in photography and an institutional background in graphic animation said: “It is challenging to juggle the work of an actor, director and writer simultaneously, but my experience working with good directors encouraged me to take up such a challenge.”

The telefilm will be aired on a satellite channel this Eid. Best known for his good looks,

Sunday, June 8, 2014

n Entertainment Desk

Apurbo has come a long way since his modelling days. Although Apurbo mostly acts for romantic scenes, he stars in a feature film “Gangster Return” which will release soon where he breaks from his previous image and appears as an action hero. The

actor-director is happy with the way things are on small screen as far as his career is concerned.

Apurbo is also planning to open a restaurant in the capital soon. He is also making time for his family and excited to welcome his first child. l

A solo art exhibition by artist Apurba Ranjan Biswas titled “Nature and People Close to the Nature” has begun at the Galerie Zoom of Alliance Française de Dhaka. A total of 20 artworks on acrylic and pen-ink media are on display for the two weeks long show.

Olivier Litvine, Director, Alliance Française de Dhaka has formally opened the exhibition as the chief guest while Professor Jamal Ahmed, chairman of Department of Drawing and Painting, University of Dhaka, accompanied him as the special guest during the ceremony that held on Friday.

Ahmed in his brief statement has expressed his best wishes for the success of this art exhibition and hoped that the audience would enjoy viewing Apurba’s artworks.

Artist Apurba feels that our riverine country is a hub of beauty. A piece with pathways, paddy fields, and small huts altogether has formed an incredible art space.

The artist believes that the greatest beauty can be found in nature. His works depict rural beauty and the relationship between human and his surroundings. l

Living history n Najmal A Nadvi

Shakib Khan, Apu Biswas and Bobby at the Chonburi Stadium,Thailand for the shooting of a song from film ‘Hero: The Superstar’ directed by Badiul Alam Khokon.

Shakib Khan and Apu are supposed to take part in the shooting of another movie Raja Handsome in Thailand under the same director

Forrest Gump runs again! n Entertainment Desk The heart-warming 1994 epic starring “Forrest Gump” is all set to hit the theatres again marking its 20th anniversary.

Paramount is re-releasing the Oscar winning film directed by Robert Zemeckis in IMAX theatres on September 5, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film was originally released in theatres July 6, 1994, and was a critical and commercial smash, grossing $677m worldwide.

It was nominated for a whopping 13 Academy Awards and earned six awards, including best actor for Hanks and best director for Zemeckis. The

film co-stars Robin Wright, Sally Field and Gary Sinise and is based on the novel by Winston Groom.

Recent theatrical re-releases have had mixed success at the box office.

“The Lion King” netted $94m domestically when it was re-released in 3D in 2011, but other efforts—including “Phantom Menace” in 2012—have not been so fortunate.

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” added an extra $3m to its coffers from its 2012 IMAX re-release.

“Forrest Gump” is currently ranked at 31 on the list of all-time highest domestic grosses. It stands $4.5m behind 2010′s “Alice in Wonderland” at 30. l

Open-air theatre has been around for a very long in our heritage and culture.

How about a performance about our heritage and culture staged within one of the oldest archaeology sites in Bangladesh? On June 6, Shilpakala Academy and Oittijho Onweshon staged a performance titled Wari Bateshwar, a part of BSA’s year-long environmental theatre project.

The play is about the 2500 years old historical landscape, and its significance on the geography of the country.

Wari Bateshwar is believed to be the cradle of Bengali civilisation.

The drama demonstrates the lifestyle that existed 2,500 years ago with characters who show our forefathers’ occupation of making and selling amulets, muslin and also war weapons.

Another segment reveals how Professor Sufi Mostafizur Rahman and Habibullah Pathan rediscovers the forgotten site. The narrators bridge the gap between the historic and contemporary times.

The presentation was made accessible to all classes and types of people.

The story of our elders was exhibited

NAJMAL A NADVI

in a brilliant display of art direction through a dazzling light and sound effects of modern standards.

Through the drama the massage

was clear to the public that the heritage sites are very important in keeping us connected to our ancestors.

The play is written by Tanvir

Hate Story 2 out in July n Entertainment Desk Following the success of its prequel in 2012, a tale of an erotic love story coupled with sweet vengeance “Hate Story 2” is slated to be released this July 18.

Featuring television actors Jay Bhanushali and Surveen Chawla, “Hate Story 2” revolves around a woman who is robbed of her love, dignity and life from a powerful man, played by actor Sushant Singh.

Produced by Vikram Bhatt and directed by Vishal Pandya, “Hate Story 2” is bold with several erotic bedroom scenes. The action also runs high as Surveen’s character slowly turns into a deadly woman seeking revenge.

The Censor Board has also asked the film’s producers to tone down the trailer for it to be aired on television.

The prequel “Hate Story” which starred Paoli Dam, Gulshan Devaiya and Nikhil Dwivedi was well received and became a box office success. l

Ahmed Sydney and directed by Somrat Pramanik while Komol Khalid is the music director and Enam Ara Saki is in charge of the wardrobe. l

TODAY IN DHAKA Exhibition

Of Man and Earth II Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Art Lounge, Gulshan Avenue Rd-131, Circle -1 Unconsciously Conscious Time: 9am to 9pm Alliance Francaise de Dhaka Road-3, Dhanmondi Can You Handle the Truth?

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

Theatre

Ja Nei Bharote Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm Experimental Theatre Hall , Shilpakala Academy Surveen Chawla in Hate Story 2

Hrithik signs for ‘Mohenjo Daro’ n Entertainment Desk Actor Hrithik Roshan is all set to team up with his “Jodhaa Akbar” director Ashutosh Gowariker after five long years. Roshan has signed Gowariker’s love story, “Mohenjo Daro.”

The story is set during the ancient Indus Valley civilisation and is scheduled to start filming in the last quarter of 2014.

Apparently, the director had approached the actor earlier, but is only now that he has given the nod.

Hrithik said, “The In-

dus Valley civilisation is very centric to India but is also interesting and intriguing for the rest of the world.

But more than anything I am truly excited to once again be working with Ashutosh. I think the right words would be ‘We’re back!’”

“I wrote my first draft of “Mohenjo Daro” three years ago and I thought of him as my hero. I am glad Hrithik and I are working together on this. He will single-handedly bring great value to my film and enhance it tremendously with his presence,” said the director. According to Ashutosh, the “Core of the story is Mohenjo Daro - seen through the eyes of the lovers.”

Reports also say that Sonakshi Sinha will be paired with Hrithik. l

Lopez and Casper Smart split amid rumoured transsexual texts n Entertainment Desk After two and a half years together, American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez and choreographer Casper Smart have called it quits. The relationship has been on rocks lately, especially during Smart’s alleged transsexual scandal.

The famous couple has been hit with rumours of the boy toy dancer texting a transsexual. According to The Mirror, the actor was flirting on Instagram with transgender model Sofie Vissa. The Dirty reports that sexual exchanges, including some nude pictures, were secretly made to each other behind Lopez’s back. Lies upon lies could have been the ultimate reason for their public breakup.

The split supposedly doesn’t come as a surprise to close friends because Smart was already in the process of moving out. JLo has been away on the road promoting her latest album, A K A.

Maybe Smart didn’t feel he was getting enough attention from his significant other. The “Jenny from the Block” diva can also be seen canoodling with the hunky British model David Gandy in her latest video, “First Love.” The megastar even wore a nude bodysuit at KISS’s concert in 2014. l

Did you know?

Miroslav Klose becomes Germany’s all-time record goalgetter yesterday with 69 goals (Gerd Müller had scored 68)

Sport

Sunday, June 8, 2014

4

DAYS TO GO

14 Wheels come off ‘Rolls Reus’ World Cup hopes

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Argentina ‘Fab Four’ to light up World Cup

Long-awaited BPL judgement today The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) tribunal will let the ICC, BCB and the accused individuals know of its complete judgement on last year’s BPL match fixing allegations today through email.

Justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury, the convener of the three-member committee told Dhaka Tribune that the process would remain confidential and only those involved would be informed of the tribunal’s decision. “We will email them our verdict along with the reasons behind it,” said Khademul yesterday.

“We will also explain the reasons why we acquitted six individuals in our short hearing in February,” he added.

The tribunal in its short judgement announced on February 26 this year, acquitted six of the nine individuals which included players and officials charged with match-fixing related offenses during the second edition of BPL in 2013. Dhaka Gladiators chairman Salim Chowdhury, the team’s Indian CEO Gaurav Rawat, bowling coach Mohammad Rafique, and three players including Mosharraf Hossain, Mahbubul Alam and Darren Stevens were all acquitted of all charges after the Tribunal concluded its hearing.

Justice Khademul further informed that the sanction judgement would be the most important part of the whole

saga and though it was earlier reported that sanction judgement would be held on June 18, Khademul now thinks it will be delayed.

“We will hold the sanction judgement on June 18 or 19. Both the prosecution and the defendants will be able to appeal against tribunal’s complete decision during the sanction judgement,” explained Khademul.

Earler both ICC and BCB expressed disappointment over the short judgement of the tribunal announced on February 26 this year. However, both parties were in consensus that the decision to appeal will depend on the complete judgement of the tribunal.

The tribunal in its short judgement found Dhaka Gladiators’ managing director Shihab Chowdhury guilty of making an attempt to fix the Gladiators’ match against the Chittagong Kings in February last year while their players Mohammad Ashraful and Kaushal Lokuarachchi from Sri Lanka pleaded guilty to the tribunal.

Former New Zealand cricketer Lou Vincent, whose name popped up during the tribunal hearings, was also found to be involved with fixing. The former opener who played for Khulna Royal Bengals in BPL 2, was found involved not only with corruption in BPL but in few other domestic T20 matches around the globe also. Lou also pleaded guilty to the tribunal. l

Children play football in a street decorated with a graffiti of Brazil national football players referencing the 2014 World Cup in the neighborhood of Ceilandia in Brazil, on Friday

REUTERS

Portugal need more than Ronaldo to flourish Mashrafe hoping for Portugal’s troubles in the World Cup qualifiers have shown that they will need a lot more than an on-song Cristiano Ronaldo to mount a serious challenge in Brazil.

Although they can beat any team on their day, Portugal are prone to unexplained lapses and can be chronically wasteful in attack.

Portugal reached Brazil in style with Ronaldo netting all their goals over the two legs of a memorable 4-2 aggregate playoff win over Sweden.

But that performance masked a difficult qualification campaign in which they were held to unexpected draws by Northern Ireland and Israel and forced into the drama of a two-leg playoff after losing Group F’s top spot to Russia.

It could have been even worse had Ronaldo not dug them out of a hole in the match away to Northern Ireland, scoring a second-half hat-trick in a 4-2 win after they had trailed 2-1 and been reduced to 10 men.

“We certainly had an inconsistent campaign. If that wasn’t the case, we wouldn’t have had to contest a playoff,” said coach Paulo Bento.

Worryingly for Portugal, Ronaldo has suffered some nagging minor inju-

ries in the run-up to the World Cup and was rested for their friendly against Greece in Lisbon and Portugal’s train-

THE STARS BATTLING INJURY Age

Club

DIEGO

Costa SPAIN

25 Atletico Madrid Forward 1 0 Hamstring

Position

Caps

LEADERBOARD, DAY 3 1 2 3 3 3

Player Saksansin (THA) Siddikur (BAN) Wiratchant (THA) Niyomchon (THA) Seuk-Hyun (KOR)

R1 66 68 71 68 69

R2 67 70 68 68 66

R3 To Par Tot 68 -12 (201) 64 -11 (202) 67 -7 (206) 70 -7 (206) 71 -7 (206)

The 28-year-old finished the third round with a superb display that included seven birdies and not a single bogey to hit a total of 11-under-par 202 aggregate at Santiburi Samui Country Club in Thailand – the place where Siddikur began his career.

“It was really a great round, a bogey-free round. Seven great birdies.

I’m really happy, especially my putting which I got back. My hitting was excellent, overall it was very good,” enthused

World Cup appearances

LUIS

Type of injury CRISTIANO

Suarez

Ronaldo PORTUGAL

URUGUAY

27 Liverpool Forward 77 1 Knee injury

ing sessions after complaining of muscular pain in his left thigh.

After years of basing their game around a playmaker, firstly Rui Costa and then Deco, Portugal have

Siddikur in race for title Siddikur Rahman reoccupied his place into contention for a third Asian Tour victory as the Bangladesh golfing sensation slammed a stunning bogey-free seven-under-par 64 to move to second place after the third round of the Queen’s Cup yesterday.

changed their style to try and get the best out of Ronaldo.

Although they traditionally play a

Siddikur in the Asian Tour website.

“The first six holes, it didn’t go in but on seven, I got a birdie putt from four feet and then hit another putt from 15 feet and on the last few holes, I managed to get three in a row. It was all down to my putting,” said Siddikur, who needed only 25 putts.

Following six straight pars, Siddikur produced the fireworks at Santiburi Samui, a course where he has enjoyed three top-10 finishes, as he narrowed his overnight five-shot deficit on Thailand’s Poom Saksansin to one.

“I practiced more on my putting after yesterday’s round. I think that helped me a lot as I got my feel back.

I’m in good form, I feel confident. This is one of my favourite places in Asia.

I’m confident and looking forward to tomorrow.”

Other Bangladesh golfer Zamal Hossain stepped down to joint 31st place with a third round two-over-par 73 yesterday.

Meanwhile, Thai golfer Poom, however, still remain at the top for three straight days carding a threeunder-par 68 yesterday at the $300,000 Asian Tour event with a 12-under-par 201 aggregate. l

29 Real Madrid Forward 110 2 Leg injuries

possession game, under Bento they have started to mix this with long passes into space for Ronaldo and Nani to run on to.

After Ronaldo, midfielder Joao Moutinho has become the most influ-

ential player in the team. The Monaco player is part of a fluid three-man midfield triangle which dictates the pace, tirelessly recovering balls and delivering pinpoint passes.

Joao Pereira and Fabio Coentrao are two energetic fullbacks who like to burst forward and, in Pepe and Bruno Alves, they have a fiery, intense pair of centre backs, sometimes too much so.

A big concern is the centre forward position where Helder Postiga and Hugo Almeida have been less than clinical.

The highly unpredictable Ricardo Quaresma would have been an interesting alternative, but was overlooked

by Bento, the third World Cup in a row where he has been in contention for a place and has missed out.

There is plenty of experience in the side with Raul Meireles, Bruno Alves, Postiga, Pepe and Pereira all over 30 and one of the criticisms aimed at Bento is that he has been too conservative in his team selections.

For a small country, Portugal have had an exceptional record at big tournaments over the past decade, reaching the final at Euro 2004, the semi-finals at the 2006 World Cup, the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 and the semi-finals of Euro 2012. l

quickies to improve Veteran Bangladesh paceman Mashrafe Bin Mortaza made his international debut in a Test match against Zimbabwe in Dhaka 13 years ago. Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak, who is now the bowling coach of the Tigers, was his opponent back then.

Since then, the 40-year old Zimbabwean’s designation has changed from a fast bowler to a mentor but for Mashrafe things are still the same.

Given Streak’s fine track-record as an international cricketer, Mashrafe believes the former right-arm seamer’s recruitment as the bowling coach of the Bangladesh cricket team can only be a good thing with less than a year to go to the ICC World Cup in the pace-friendly conditions of Australia-New Zealand.

“I think we are doing some good work in the nets at the moment and I hope that the bowlers will have a good experience with him,” Mashrafe told the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.

“Spinners are usually given priority in Bangladesh but after quite a long time, pace bowlers are coming back strongly.

“The World Cup is in Australia and New Zealand where wickets will be

bouncy. Pace bowlers are needed to be backed in this regard as they will have a bigger role to play there. So it is really good the way things are happening,” said the Narail Express.

The 30-year old is hoping that Streak’s stint as bowling coach will be followed by the emergence of new pace bowling talents in the country.

“None of the South Asian teams have a good pace backup except for Pakistan. It will be great if we can produce a few pacers in the upcoming years,” said Mashrafe.

Meanwhile, healthy competition is currently prevailing in the pipeline of national pacers and it was evident in the recently announced 15-man national squad for the upcoming ODI series at home against India. Three pace bowlers – Mashrafe, Al Amin Hossain and uncapped Taskin Ahmed – were selected with Rubel Hossain missing out and the likes of Shafiul Islam and Robiul Islam patiently waiting their turn.

Rubel was Bangladesh’s highest ODI wicket-taker in the 2013-14 season, but his expensive spells this year probably cost him a place. In six ODIs this year, Rubel conceded more than 60 runs on four occasions although the sling-action paceman still found a way to pick up wickets.l

From Bangladesh to Brazil In the context of Bangladesh, very few people get the rare opportunity of seeing their favourite international football team in flesh. Even a less amount of fans receive the chance to witness a World Cup game. Furthermore, a paucity of people get to watch their favourite team as World Cup hosts.

Therefore, it was quite normal for Akbar Haider Munna to feel like he was on cloud nine as he will get to savour all the aforementioned dreams. A Brazil supporter since childhood, Munna will realise all his dreams as he is set to be present in three games in the impending Fifa World Cup with one of those three games featuring the hosts in their second outing against Mexico on June 17 in Fortaleza, Brazil. After 64 long years, Brazil once again got the chance to stage a World Cup and Munna will fully utilise the opportunity afforded to him.

Munna, who owns a non-professional football club, better known as an underground football club, Club 11, must consider himself as one of the luckiest ones having got the chance to watch the heavyweight encounter between defending champions

Akbar Haider Munna Spain and last edition’s finalist the Netherlands in a Group B clash on June 13 in Salvador. The third and final game awaiting Munna is also another blockbuster game, three-time champions Germany taking on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in a Group G tie on June 16 in Salvador.

“As a Brazil fan, I could not reject the opportunity. It had always been my dream to watch a football match of Brazil but could not make it happen in the past due to financial reasons. This time, I have been planning it from last year. As it is a World Cup and will be held in Brazil, it is more than a dream to

me,” said the lucky Brazil fan who will fly to London tomorrow before setting off to Rio de Janeiro the following day. While staying in Rio for 11 days, he will be joined by one of his friends from Thailand.

The football-lover started watching the beautiful game from 1986 and was one of the witnesses of probably the world’s greatest ever footballer Diego Armando Maradona lifting the World Cup for the Albiceleste. Besides, he stayed in Germany along with his family in 1982 and his father is a Germany fan but Munna, however, did not change his mind from supporting Brazil, “I love their (Brazil) passion for the game, their technique and the dribbling skills of their players. I just love the way they play.”

“I wished to attend all of Brazil’s matches. I bought my World Cup tickets through my uncle who lives in England and I also wanted to see one of England’s match.

However, due to time strain as the Ramadan is near added with the humid temperature in Brazil, I cut short my plan,” said the 35-year old who is a director at Comfit Composite Knit Ltd, Patromax Refinery Ltd and Shajibazar Power Company Ltd. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Japan edge past Zambia

Sport

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Russia captain Shirokov ruled out

Yoshito Okubo netted the winning goal in stoppage time to give bloodied Japan a 4-3 victory over Zambia on Friday in the Asian champions’ final World Cup warm-up match. Milan striker Honda scored two goals and United forward Shinji Kagawa added another, but it took second-half entrant Okubo to send Japan to Brazil with a 3-0 mark in tune-up friendlies.

Japan fell behind by two goals but they rallied behind their star attackers for the victory.

–AFP

Russia captain Roman Shirokov has been ruled out of this month’s World Cup in Brazil because of an Achilles tendon injury and will be replaced in the squad

by Pavel Mogilevets, coach Capello confirmed on Friday. The 32-year-old midfielder, who finished the Russian domestic season on loan at FC Krasnodar from Zenit, suffered the injury in a game against Lokomotiv Moscow on April 26 and has not played since. After joining up with the national squad Shirokov underwent an individual training programme.

–Reuters

Jelavic sinks Socceroos in warm-up Nikica Jelavic gave Croatia a 1-0 win over Australia in a warm-up game Friday ahead of their World Cup opener against hosts Brazil next week.

The Hull City striker broke the deadlock in the 58th minute after he benefited from a deflected ball and slotted home unmarked in the penalty area. Jelavic’s goal came after delightful interplay between Real Madrid playmaker Luka Modric and Inter Milan’s Mateo Kovacic on the fringe of the penalty area.

–AFP

Fred winner steadies Brazil Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari shrugged off complaints from a restless home crowd as his team wrapped up their World Cup preparations with a 1-0 win over Serbia on Friday.

A second-half goal from centre-forward Fred secured an unconvincing win for Brazil, who were subjected to boos and catcalls by sections of their support as they struggled to break down the Serbians.

Scolari brushed off the restive reaction of the Sao Paulo crowd after the win, saying his team had got used to being booed by fans.

A crowd of 67,042 saw Fluminense striker Fred slide an effort home despite being grounded after a challenge to end stubborn resistance by the Serbians, who kept Brazil starlet Neymar in check throughout.

The visitors took to the pitch wear-

ing shirts bearing the legend “Serbia needs Help” after heaving flooding in May left some 50 preople dead.

But it was Brazil who were floundering early on as they took time to find their rhythm.

As midfielder Oscar admitted afterwards to Globo TV: “It was tough.

Serbia played very well and people will now hope things go better against Croatia. I am sure they will.”

The first chance fell to the Serbians, with Manchester City star Aleksandr Kolarov getting the better of Barcelona fullback Dani Alves before firing in an effort just off target.

Fans swiftly grew impatient and some started to demand Scolari turn to former striker Luis Fabiano, now 33 and not in the squad though he has managed a goal every other game in 45 appearances.

With just six days to go before they begin their quest for a sixth World Cup title – but first at home after their failure against Uruguay in 1950 – Brazil showed signs of sluggishness. l

Brazilís Fred celebrates after scoring against Serbia during a friendly at Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Friday

Gerrard revels in England captaincy Steven Gerrard will captain England at a World Cup for the second time but believes Brazil will be the first tournament he holds the role ‘for real’ having not felt that previous manager Fabio Capello truly believed in him as skipper.

Liverpool midfielder Gerrard captained England in South Africa four years ago but only after first choice Rio Ferdinand was injured and John Terry was stripped of the role due to the controversy surrounding him at the time.

“Capello didn’t believe in me as his number one captain, Roy does. I don’t know what it was, I think he did believe in me as a player and our relationship was totally fine, I enjoyed working under him, but at the time when he had to pick a captain we had Rio Ferdinand

here and John Terry as well,” Gerrard told reporters on Friday.

“Maybe he thought they were going to offer something different from me or maybe they were his preferred choice which was totally up to him. But for me now I know that I’m Roy’s number one captain which is a big confidence boost for me,” he said.

While Gerrard enjoys having the full backing of his manager in his captaincy skills he said the formal position doesn’t change his behavior as a senior member of a youthful squad.

“I’d have still behaved in the same way four years ago (as now). If I wanted to go and put my arm around a player or show a bit of authority I’d do it in front of John. I’m sure he respected that.

“Just because I’m the captain with the armband on I still want the likes of Frank (Lampard) and Wayne (Rooney) and Phil Jagielka to be leaders in there with me and backing me up and we do

it together. But of course I’d rather be captain than vice-captain for sure,” he added.

The 34-year-old says he is relishing being part of a young squad that he believes is better than the one Capello took to the last World Cup. “There are two players pushing in every position to get into the 11 and I don’t think there’s much between those two players in every position. I think the manager is probably capable of picking four or five teams for the Italy game and you wouldn’t see much difference in the standard,” he said.

“That’s what gives me hope and also to know that whichever 11 he picks we’ve got some fantastic talent on the bench to come in when needed.

“I think they (the young players) have brought their form from the individual clubs into the set up. That’s what I’ve noticed in the training so far and hopefully they continue that into the tournament. l

Portugal snatch late win over Mexico Coach Paulo Bento admitted there was work to do after his Portugal side missed the firepower of Cristiano Ronaldo in snatching a 1-0 friendly win over fellow World Cup qualifiers Mexico on Friday.

Sweating on the fitness of talisman Ronaldo with the Brazil showpiece just six days away, Portugal could only draw 0-0 with Greece last weekend and were hanging on for another goalless stalemate.

But deep into injury time, up popped stand-in skipper Bruno Alves with a thumping header to seal a victory Portugal barely deserved.

Manchester United winger Nani had been anonymous, while gangly forward Eder failed to convince, leaving Bento with plenty to ponder ahead of Tuesday’s final warm-up match with the Republic of Ireland.l

AFP

Costa denies he was offered World Cup chance with Brazil Spain striker Diego Costa has refuted Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari’s claims that he contacted him over playing the World Cup for the host

nation.

The Brazil-born forward chose to represent Spain, where he plays his club football with Atletico Madrid, and made his debut for the team in a friendly against Italy last March.

He was a revelation in La Liga last season, hitting 36 goals, as Atletico won the league and reached the Champions League final, and he will be an important addition to Spain’s armoury as they look to retain the World Cup. Costa said that Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque convinced him to play for the reigning world champions while

Scolari never approached him.

“Scolari never called me by telephone. The only coach that I spoke with was Del Bosque who showed interest in me, invited me for a meal and made me realise that I was in his plans,” Costa told reporters in Washington, where Spain are preparing for the World Cup. “I am Brazilian and that is not going to change but I want to win the World Cup with Spain.”

Costa was responding to comments on Friday by Scolari who said that he wanted the striker to play for Brazil.

“I was going to call him up for the World Cup. Was I wrong? I don’t know,” Scolari told O Estado de Sao Paulo. “He would be at the World Cup with Brazil. I spoke to him two times about it.

“The problem is that there are other interests behind everything. With Diego Costa a Spanish citizen it opens doors in Europe.” l

Six-goal Germany crush Armenia in final warmup RESULTS

Germany’s midfielder Marco Reus reacts injured on the pitch during their international friendly against Armenia in Mainz, central Germany on Friday AFP

Germany produced a dazzling display of attacking football to thrash Armenia 6-1 in their last World Cup warmup on Friday but Marco Reus could be in doubt for the finals after twisting his ankle.

The Germans, looking to end an 18-year wait for an international title, scored all their goals in the second half after midfielder Reus was taken to hospital for checks after being injured in the 43rd minute.

Mario Goetze struck twice and Lukas Podolski, Andre Schuerrle, Benedikt Hoewedes and Miroslav Klose, who became his country’s all-time top scorer with 69 goals, were also on target as the hosts hit five goals in 18 minutes.

“It was obvious we were much fresher today,” coach Joachim Loew told reporters, referring to Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Cameroon. “In the second

Wheels come off ‘Rolls Reus’ WC hopes Germany suffered a major blow ahead of the World Cup finals on Saturday as an ankle injury ruled midfielder Marco Reus out of the tournament, the German Federation announced.

The 25-year-old Borussia Dortmund star, known as ‘Rolls Reus’ and scorer of seven goals in 21 appearances for Germany, suffered a slight tear to ankle ligaments shortly before half-time in Friday’s 6-1 friendly win over Armenia.

He was helped off the pitch by two of the medical staff and taken to hospital in Mainz where scans revealed the damage.

“Marco is obviously very disappointed to miss the World Cup and also for us it is a real blow,” said German coach Joachim Loew.

“When we learnt last night (Friday) that the injury was to the ligament we knew his chances of going to the World Cup were over.”

Loew called up the 22-year-old central defender Shkodran Mustafi, capped just once and who plays for Serie A side Sampdoria.

Reus’s withdrawal is a serious blow to Loew as he had been in superb form towards the end of the season, scoring eight goals and creating five in the last nine games of the Bundesliga season.

He also scored a double against eventual Champions League winners

Real Madrid in their quarter-final second leg match. Reus is the latest big star to see his World Cup hopes dashed because of injury.

Colombia’s talismanic striker Radamel Falcao, France winger Franck Ribery and Italian midfielder and AC Milan skipper Riccardo Montolivo have all been ruled out in the past week.

Mustafi, who had a spell at English Premier League side Everton before joining Sampdoria, had been left out of the original 23-man squad named by Loew last Monday following a 2-2 draw in the friendly with Cameroon.

“We are taking someone (Mustafi) who was with us at the training camp (in Italy) with us and who is into the rhythm of the squad,” said Loew. l

Mexico

0 1

Greece

2 1

Kone 20, Katsouranis 53

Costa Rica Borges 64-P

Japan

1 1

Fred 58

Germany

Bolivia Cardozo 69

Ireland Doyle 18

Zambia

1 0

Serbia

Katongo 9, Sinkala 29, L. Musonda 89

6 1

Schuerrle 52, Podolski 72, Hoewedes 73, Klose 77, Goetze 82, 89

Russia

Alves 90

4 3

Honda 40-P, 75, Kagawa 73, Okubo 90+1

Brazil

Portugal

2 0

Armenia Mkhitaryan 69-P

Morocco

Berezutsky 29, Zhirkov 58

half we upped the tempo as well.

“When we switch on that turbo my team can do a lot of things. I am looking forward to the tournament.”

Germany, who take on Portugal, Ghana and United States in World Cup Group G later this month, were without first-choice keeper Manuel Neuer who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

Neuer, expected to be fit for the group opener against Portugal, was replaced by Borussia Dortmund’s Roman Weidenfeller for the second consecutive international.

The deputy keeper was rarely called into action as Germany took the initiative from the start. They missed early chances through Reus and Thomas Mueller, starting as the only forward with Klose on the bench.

Reus missed several good chances before he was hurt, an injury that instantly silenced the 27,000 crowd.

Schuerrle, who also scored on Sunday, gave the fans something to cheer when he drilled the ball in after 52 minutes following good work from Podolski.

Mesut Ozil, a second-half substitute

after recent below-par performances, rattled the post with a low drive before Armenia levelled when Henrikh Mkhitaryan beat Dortmund team mate Weidenfeller with a 69th-minute penalty.

Germany then put their foot on the gas to fire five goals in an explosive finish.

Podolski, hitting top form at just the right time, picked up a clever pass from Ozil to score in the 71st minute before Hoewedes added another goal two minutes later.

“We have to be ready from the very first game,” said Podolski after claiming his first international goal for more than a year. “That is where it counts because if you win that first game then you can benefit from a big tailwind.”

Klose, who came on as a substitute, broke Gerd Mueller’s 40-year Germany record by notching a 69th goal on his 132nd appearance with a diving header.

Goetze completed the rout with a late double. l

Greece down Bolivia in tune-up Greece, backed by a partisan crowd at Red Bull Arena, scored once in each half to beat Bolivia 2-1 on Friday in their final World Cup tuneup match.

Panagiotis Kone and Kostas Katsouranis scored for Greece – who open their World Cup campaign in Brazil on June 16 against Colombia – but a goalkeeping gaffe allowed Bolivia to pull one back late in the game.

The drought ended in the 20th minute when Dimitrios Salpingidis fired a cross into the area that Kone headed past goalkeeper Romel Quinonez into the right corner for a 1-0 lead. l

England’s Rooney (L) is sprayed with water for cooling down as Raheem Sterling (2L) and Daniel Sturridge (3L) look on during a training session in Miami on Friday REUTERS

DHAKA TRIBUNE

QUICK BYTES NAT’L CRICKET CHAMPIONSHIP

Second round line-up confirmed The second round line-up of the 34th National Cricket Championship was completed after the conclusion of the first-round games on Friday.

Eight teams – Mymensingh and Faridpur from Dhaka division, Naoga from Rajshahi division, Satkhira from Khulna division, Dinajpur from Rangpur division, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet – qualified for the second round of the limited-over competition. The eight teams have been placed in two groups and will play each other on the basis of a league format. Only the group champions will progress to the final. The second-round matches will start on June 11. The matches will be played at Shahid Chandu Stadium in Bogra and Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium in Cox’s Bazar. The final will take place in Cox’s Bazar on June 20. Unlike the first round, all matches of the second round will be played on turf wickets.

–Tribune Desk

Walton Bodybuilding Championship starts today The first edition of the Walton Smart Television Beach Bodybuilding Championship will get underway at the Laboni Point in Cox’s Bazar today. The three-day event will be played out in eight different weight categories - 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85+kg.

–Tribune Desk

Lukaku doubts future at Chelsea Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku has said he will likely have to leave Chelsea in the close season amid speculation that the London side are about to sign Diego Costa. The 21-year-old forward has spent the last two seasons on loan at West Brom and Everton as he has been repeatedly overlooked at Stamford Bridge. That is not something Lukaku, who scored 16 goals for Everton last season, expects to change any time soon. “You know Chelsea: every year they buy a new top striker,” he told several newspapers. “I remember me coming into the dressing room last year and seeing Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba and going: ‘Whoah! What’s happening here?’ “But no problem.

Many clubs are interested in me. “At this stage I have to look to myself. I have to play a good World Cup. That’s very interesting for all the players looking for a transfer, and I must be one of them. Chelsea know my point of view.”

–AFP

Sport

Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero and Angel di Maria form one of the most sublime attacking forces in football, but their goals may not be enough to win the World Cup for Argentina.

Los Cuatro Fantasticos, as fans call them, are all 26, came through Argentina’s ranks together and are hitting the peak of their careers.

Coach Alejandro Sabella is spoiled for choice as he takes his fancied team to the World Cup to take on Nigeria, Bosnia and Iran in Group F. Barcelona’s Messi has deposed Diego Maradona as Argentina’s leading scorer -- with 37 strikes in 85 appearances -- and is rated as the world’s most valuable footballer.

Higuain, of Italian side Napoli, has 22 goals from 36 internationals; Aguero, who has just won the English title with Manchester City, 21 goals from 50 games and di Maria, triumphant in the Champions League with Real Madrid, 11 goals from 45 games.

Sabella could play them any way he wants and that kind of firepower has made Argentina second favourites to win the cup, behind Brazil.

The coach struggled however to get

the right formation after he arrived in September 2011.

“Today the team plays with three attackers (Messi, Aguero and Higuain) of an extraordinary level, plus di Maria, who is a fourth attacker,” said Sabella.

Jardim appointed new Monaco coach Monaco have appointed Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim as the club’s new boss on a two-year contract with the option for a third season, the Ligue 1 side announced on Friday.

Jardim, 39, replaces Claudio Ranieri at the helm after the Italian parted ways with Monaco last month having guided the principality outfit to second place and a spot in the Champions League.

Jardim left his post at Sporting Lisbon in May after just one year in the job.

“I am very happy to work for Monaco because it’s a big club. I believe very strongly in this project and I think we will do good things together as a group,” said Jardim in a statement on Monaco’s website.

“AS Monaco is a team with quality players. There are a lot of young talented players and I will do everything to help them progress,” he added.

Vice-president Vadim Vasilyev said the club was “convinced that Leonardo Jardim was the right man to lead the

project going forward”.

“He’s a coach who has achieved excellent results at his former clubs. He is very motivated and forms part of this new generation of coaches who bring a new dynamic to the table. He is ambitious, just like us. It’s exactly the type of profile that we were looking for,” added Vasilyev.

After starting his coaching career in the Portuguese lower divisions Jardim took over Beira Mar in 2009 and guided them to promotion to the top flight the following season.

He then helped Braga to a thirdplace finish during the 2011/12 campaign before moving to Greece to take over the reins at Olympiacos.

His time in Greece was short-lived though and he returned to Portugal, where he penned a two-year contract with Sporting, who he steered to second the past season.

Jardim is expected to be officially presented at Monaco around the time players return for pre-season training on June 30. l

Fernandao, the swashbuckling striker who led Internacional to Copa Libertadores and World Club Cup triumphs in 2006, has died in a helicopter crash in central Brazil, his former club said on Saturday. He was 36. The helicopter crashed with five people on board and none survived, according to news reports. “I am saddened by the death of #Fernandão, a hero to all Internacional fans and all lovers of football,” Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, herself an Inter fan, said on Twitter. “On the field he was world champion, off the field he was an example of a man of character.” Fernando Lucio da Costa played 190 times for the Porto Alegre club and scored 77 goals. He also managed the side in 2012.

–Reuters

Ten Sports Hockey World Cup 2014 2:30PM New Zealand v Germany 5:00PM Korea v Argentina 11:40PM South Africa v Netherlands Neo Sports 3:30PM French Open 2014: Finals Women’s Doubles followed by Men’s singles Star Sports 2 7:30PM Natwest T20 Blast Gloucestershire v Glamorgan Star Sports 4 11:45PM F1: Canadian GP Main Race

15

Argentina ‘Fab Four’ to light up World Cup

Internacional hero Fernandao dies in helicopter crash

DAY’S WATCH

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Russia’s Maria Sharapova reacts after a point against Romania’s Simona Halep during their French tennis Open final match at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris yesterday AFP

Di Maria normally plays an offensive midfield role for Argentina.

“It is very difficult to take one out,” Sabella added. “But we are going to continue like this.”

Even if one of the fab four is injured,

Sabella has plenty of support to fall back on.

Carlos Tevez could not even make the Argentine squad despite a brilliant season with Juventus. Sabella could not handle managing a squad with

Messi and Tevez.

But he still has Rodrigo Palacio of Inter Milan and Ezequiel Lavezzi of Paris St Germain, who both got games in the 3-0 friendly win over Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday.

Aguero and Higuain were rested for that match.

Normally Sabella plays Higuain as the target man, Aguero on the left, di Maria in midfield and Messi marauding on the right.

The lineup makes Argentina a huge threat on the counter-attack.

Messi cast aside some of the weight of playing for the national team, scoring 18 goals in his last 16 games, including World Cup qualifying.

But Sabella makes frequent changes to the formation and the rest of the team poses problems for him.

Javier Mascherano will have to carry many of the defensive duties in midfield and centre back Federico Fernandez and left-back Marcos Rojo have regularly been exposed.

The team are favourites to win their group. Argentina will face pressure as they were the winners the last time the tournament was held in South America, in Argentina in 1978. The last time they got past the quarter finals was in 1990. l

Nadal, Djokovic target Paris history the last two years here, especially the one last year serving at 4-3 in the fifth set to go 5-3. It was a very close one.

“And knowing that I was that close to win against him the past two years gives me that reason to believe that I can make it this time. He’s not unbeatable.”

The rivalry between the two men stretches back to 2006.

Their first meeting was in the quarter-finals at the French Open when Djokovic retired with back trouble.

Since then they have fought out a series of classic battles, most notably the 2012 Australian Open final which lasted almost six hours.

That match won by Djokovic was played under the Melbourne floodlights whereas Sunday’s final is expected to be greeted by bright sunshine and temperatures pushing towards the 30-degree mark. No wonder Nadal was all smiles.

“For me it is much better when the weather is like today. My ball creates more topspin. The ball goes quicker in the air, and with my forehand I am able to create more with less,” said Nadal who has a career 13-4 winning record on clay over Djokovic. l

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic clash for a 42nd time on Sunday with the French Open title and a place in the record books at stake.

World number one Nadal hopes to wrap up a ninth triumph in nine finals in Paris and take his record to 66 wins and just one defeat.

Victory would also make the 28-year-old the first man to win Roland Garros five years in a row and give him a 14th Grand Slam title, just three behind the record of 17 held by Roger Federer who is nearly five years older.

Djokovic, who has six majors to his name, needs a Roland Garros trophy to become just the eighth man in history to have won all four Grand Slam events.

He also has the advantage of having defeated Nadal in their last four meetings, including on clay in the Rome Masters final last month.

The momentum, however, appears to be with Nadal who allowed Wimbledon champion Andy Murray just six games in a brutal semi-final demolition on Friday.

“It’s nothing new for Novak to be in the final here. He has the motivation to win Roland Garros for the first time for sure,” said Nadal who has won their last three Grand Slam meetings and all four of their previous encounters at Roland Garros.

“But at the same time, he has the pressure to win for the first time.”

Djokovic was defeated by Nadal in the 2012 final but came desperately close to beating him in the semi-finals in 2013 when he led 4-2 in the final set.

The 27-year-old Serb, who is playing in his 13th Grand Slam final compared to Nadal’s 20th, believes the key to victory is to take the Spaniard out of his comfort zone on the Philippe Chatrier court where he has only lost once, a fourth round exit to Robin Soderling in 2009.

“It’s a very wide and very big court.

He likes to have that visual effect, as well, because it appears that he gets every ball back,” said Djokovic.

“He feels more comfortable when he plays on the bigger court. That’s one of the reasons why he’s so successful here.

“But we played some really close and good matches, good quality matches

Sharapova wins French Open in second longest final

Pietersen flops on return to action in England

Maria Sharapova won her second French Open and fifth career major on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 win over Romania’s Simona Halep in the tournament’s second longest final.

At 3hr 02min, it was just two minutes shy of the 1996 final between Steffi Graf and Aranxta Sanchez.

Sharapova, the seventh seed, won her first Roland Garros title in 2012 and was runner-up last year to Serena Williams.

Halep, the fourth seed, was playing in her maiden final at a Grand Slam and was hoping to become the first Romanian champion since Virginia Ruzici, now her manager, in 1978.

Saturday’s win took Sharapova, 27, level with Martina Hingis as a five-time Grand Slam title champion.

Simona Halep evened up winning the second set 7-6 (5) after the Russian had won the first 6-4.l

Kevin Pietersen suffered a disappointing return to action in English cricket as he scored just five runs for Surrey in their five-wicket defeat against Essex on Friday.

Pietersen’s flop came in a domestic Twenty20 clash at the Oval, where the controversial batsman was playing for the first time on home soil since his acrimonious removal from the England team in the aftermath of the dismal Ashes whitewash in Australia.

To add insult to injury for the South Africa-born star, who was reportedly axed by England due to the breakdown of his relationship with several senior players, he had been teased by former England team-mate Ravi Bopara on Twitter earlier on Friday, with the Essex all-rounder telling him; “Don’t let me get you out”.

That was exactly what happened as Pietersen tried to smash Bopara over

the long-on rope but only found the hands of Ryan ten Doeschate for five.

Pietersen walked out to the middle to loud cheers, his seasonal debut having been delayed because of a finger injury suffered playing for Delhi, but was soon heading back to the dressing room.

He nudged his way along to five before trying to go big to Bopara and Ten Doeschate took a great catch on the fly.

Pietersen’s failure left Surrey struggling to a total of 151 for six and Essex made comfortable work of the chase, thanks largely to a thrilling base laid down by Jesse Ryder.

The New Zealander walloped a 16-ball 31 before perishing to Kevin O’Brien. Ryder hit the first ball for four, the second for six and accounted for all of Essex’s first 25 runs.

Mark Pettini was a junior partner to Ryder and went not long after, run out for 12, but that just allowed Tom Westley (44) and Ten Doeschate (43 not out) to get the job done. l

Windies want revenge against Kiwis West Indies will be bent on revenge while New Zealand are concerned about the crooked arm of a key opposition bowler heading into the first match of the three-Test series starting on Sunday at Sabina Park in Jamaica.

While much of the local focus on the fixture has centred on local hero Chris Gayle becoming just the ninth Caribbean cricketer to play 100 Tests, the bludgeoning opening batsman’s impending landmark has taken a backseat in the minds of the visitors, with coach Mike Hesson raising questions as to the match referee’s ability to effectively police the action of Shane Shillingford.

Suspended from the international game for the second time in his career

following two Tests in India last November, the tall off-spinner is set for a return on a pitch that may lack the venom of old but should still have enough bounce to allow both the Dominican and the even more gangling left-armer Sulieman Benn of Barbados to pose significant threats.

“It’s quite hard to see how they actually police that,” Hesson said on Friday in reference to the ability of officials to detect whether or not Shillingford bowls the “doosra,” a delivery that has been a key weapon in earning him 65 wickets in 14 Tests but which he is not now allowed to use following the latest remedial work on his action.

West Indies, who were comprehensively beaten 2-0 in New Zealand six months earlier, are likely to opt for a bal-

anced attack that could see late call-up Jason Holder sharing the new ball with either Kemar Roach or Jerome Taylor, both of whom are returning from injury.

New Zealand’s build-up to only their sixth Test series in the Caribbean has involved two warm-up matches, a rarity in recent times given the congested international calendar.

Both fixtures against local teams in the western Jamaican venue of Trelawny were low-scoring affairs, although there was enough evidence to suggest that it may be worthwhile investing in uncapped off-spinner Mark Craig even if the seam attack, led by Trent Boult and Tim Southee, will again be key to their pursuit of just a second Test match victory in the West Indies since their first tour here in 1972. l

Players of Amigos FC receive the Underground Champions League-4 trophy from former national footballer Kaiser Hamid on Friday. Amigos beat Club 11 4-3 in the final at the Abahani outer basketball ground. Captain of Amigos, Imranur Rahman was the top scorer in the five-a-side futsal tournament with 17 goals COURTESY

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Sunday, June 8, 2014

teacher Question paper ‘leaked’ again! Indigenous raped, pushed off hill HSC English exam to be held despite question leckage rumours n

‘Leaked’ question paper was posted on several Facebook pages with phone numbers

Mushfique Wadud

The English second paper examination of Higher Secondary Certificate under Dhaka Education Board will be held on schedule despite rumours about question paper leak.

Dhaka Education Board Chairman Taslima Begum told the Dhaka Tribune last night that the English second paper examination will be held today as per the schedule.

About allegations of question paper leak, she earlier in the evening said they had not heard about any such news. “I will be at the office till 10:00 pm. If we find any leaked question, we will take action accordingly,” she added.

But at 10:40pm she told the Dhaka Tribune that they found the rumour to be baseless.

The English examination was scheduled for May 8, but later postponed fol-

‘Govt expects Japanese support for learning and earning project’ n UNB Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said yesterday the government was expecting Japanese investment for launching a ‘learning and earning’ project to build skilled manpower in the country’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

“I believe Japan will invest for building skilled manpower in the field of ICT. The government is going to take up ‘learning and earning’ project in this regard,” he told a seminar at Barura upazila in Comilla.

The seminar, titled ‘Education, Culture and Civilisation of Japan’, was jointly organised by Shaherbanu Ideal School, Projuktipith and Munsi Jinnat Ali Welfare Trust. Mustafa Kamal

‘The government is considering investment in education sector as a future return’ hoped that the Japanese government will come forward with investment in education and manpower development sectors in Bangladesh so that the country can achieve the targeted GDP growth in the years to come, said a PID handout.

He noted that building quality and skilled manpower is the topmost priority of the government. “The government is considering investment in education sector as a future return.”

Speaking on the occasion, Japanese Ambassador in Bangladesh Shiro Shado Shima said the state of economy in Bangladesh is now attracting all the big economies of the world. He also suggested that Bangladesh should move ahead with a plan to expand its apparel exports to Eastern countries instead of solely relying on the European and the US markets.

The seminar was held Shaherbanu Ideal School founder Abdul Haque in the chair. l

lowing allegations of question paper leak. Rumour has it that the question paper of the rescheduled examination has also been leaked.

‘Leaked’ question paper was posted on several Facebook pages since

yesterday afternoon. A Facebook page ‘Proshno Bazaar’ posted a mobile phone number on its status saying, “If anyone wants to get the original question paper, contact me at 01780730122.”

This correspondent phoned the man who demanded Tk500 for providing the original question paper. “Please send me Tk300 in advance and we will send you the original question paper.

After the examination, you have to pay Tk200 more,” the man told this correspondent.

The ‘question paper’ of English second paper examination was also posted on several other Facebook pages.

Earlier, there were rumours of question leak in mathematics first paper examination scheduled for May 24. The leaked questions matched the original ones on which the students took the examination next day. l

n Our Correspondent, Bandarban Police have recovered the body of a female school teacher, who was allegedly raped and pushed off a hill, in Roangchari of Bandarban.

The dead woman was identified as U Pru Marma, 23, a teacher at Ananda School run by Brac. Her body was recovered from the bottom of Naresatang hill, 100ft from the peak, in Bangchhari yesterday morning.

Her parents began looking for her in the evening on Friday as she went out in the morning but did not return home till then, said police.

Local indigenous people saw her body around 11pm at the bottom of the hill and informed police. Her head was bashed with a stone, eyes gouged out, and there were marks of injury in different parts of the body.

The body was sent to Bandarban Sadar Hospital for autopsy.

Roangchari Upazila Chairman Key

Ba Mang Marma said the girl had been raped before she was pushed off the hill which resulted in her death. Police and locals also hinted the same.

Complicity of the Rohingyas in the killing was alleged. Local indigenous people were enraged at the incident and demanded immediate arrest of the criminals.

Meanwhile, wood worker Musa Alam, who was suspected to be involved in the murder, was lynched by locals yesterday noon. The 35-year-old hailed from Bajalia union of Satkania upazila in Chittagong.

His body was brought to Bandarban Sadar Hospital morgue in the afternoon but no case was filed in this connection.

Police have also arrested Tarachan Tangchenga alias Bijoy, 26, in connection with the murder of the schoolteacher.

Officer-in-charge of Roangchari police station Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan said they were trying to arrest the perpetrators who had killed the teacher. l

Sleep’s memory role discovered n BBC

portant for making the connections.”

The mechanism by which a good night’s sleep improves learning and memory has been discovered by scientists.

The team in China and the US used advanced microscopy to witness new connections between brain cells – synapses – forming during sleep.

Their study, published in the journal Science, showed even intense training could not make up for lost sleep.

Experts said it was an elegant and significant study, which uncovered the mechanisms of memory.

It is well known that sleep plays an important role in memory and learning. But what actually happens inside the brain has been a source of considerable debate.

Researchers at New York University School of Medicine and Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School trained mice in a new skill – walking on top of a rotating rod.

They then looked inside the living brain with a microscope to see what happened when the animals were either sleeping or sleep deprived.

Their study showed that sleeping mice formed significantly more new connections between neurons - they were learning more.

And by disrupting specific phases of sleep, the research group showed deep or slow-wave sleep was necessary for memory formation.

During this stage, the brain was “replaying” the activity from earlier in the day.

Prof Wen-Biao Gan, from New York University, told the BBC: “Finding out sleep promotes new connections between neurons is new, nobody knew this before.

“We thought sleep helped, but it could have been other causes, and we show it really helps to make connections and that in sleep the brain is not quiet, it is replaying what happened during the day and it seems quite im-

Analysis

This is just the latest piece of science to highlight the importance of sleep.

A new reason for sleep was discovered last year when experiments showed the brain used sleep to wash away waste toxins built up during a hard day’s thinking.

However, there are concerns that people are not getting enough sleep.

As part of the BBC’s Day of the Body Clock, Prof Russell Foster argued that society had become “supremely arrogant” in ignoring the importance of sleep, leading to “serious health problems”.

These include: cancer, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, infections and obesity.

The reward for more sleep, Prof Foster argues, is we would all be “better human beings.”

Further tests showed how significant sleep was.

Mice doing up to an hour’s training followed by sleep were compared with mice training intensively for three hours but then sleep deprived.

The difference was still stark, with the sleepers performing better and the brain forming more new connections.

Prof Gan added: “One of the implications is for kids studying, if you want to remember something for long periods you need these connections.

“So it is probably better to study and have good sleep rather than keep studying.”

Commenting on the findings, Dr Raphaelle Winsky-Sommerer, from the University of Surrey, told the BBC: “This is very impressive, carefully crafted and using a combination of exquisite techniques to identify the underlying mechanisms of memory.

“They provide the cellular mechanism of how sleep contributes to dealing with experiences during the day.

“Basically it tells you sleep promotes new synaptic connections, so preserve your sleep.” l

Poor and distressed children take food following a drawing competition organised by Human Safety Foundation at Dhaka University’s TSC yesterday. The foundation works for the deprived children of the society RAJIB DHAR

Health officials ‘unwilling’ to travel abroad n Moniruzzaman Uzzal In a strange turn of events, health sector officials – who are usually eager to grab any opportunity to go abroad on state-sponsored trips – are now unwilling to leave the country, fearing that they might be transferred or made OSDs. As funding deadlines near their end during the final few months of every fiscal, the officials of the Health Ministry and the health directorate hurry to get their names listed for sponsored trips to international seminars, symposiums and training courses.

However, following recent incidents, which saw senior health sector officials being transferred or made officers on special duty (OSD) while they were abroad, other officials are now unwilling to go on international trips

fearing that they might lose their office, said sources within the health sector.

Seeking anonymity, several senior officials said that some of their colleagues had been enjoying trips abroad when they received the unexpected news that they had been reassigned.

The Health Ministry recently reshuffled the ranks among several directors and deputy directors, issuing orders for transfers and assigning OSDs. Dr Md Shah Newaz, director (administration) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), was reassigned as the director of Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN); while IPHN Director Dr Hedayetul Islam was made an OSD at the DGHS. Both of them were reportedly attending a programme in China when the reshuffling was carried out. The

RAB: Media reports misleading, unwanted n

A visitor checks out colourful cacti yesterday at a month-long tree fair organised in the capital’s Agargaon as part of programmes to mark the World Environment Day SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Tribune Report

Rapid Action Battalion has claimed that media reports on the involvement of the force’s higher official following the confessional statements of two exRAB officials are misleading.

A statement signed by RAB media wing director ATM Habibur Rahman also claimed that such reports are an evil effort to hamper the investigation procedure in the Narayanganj seven murder case.

Former RAB officers Arif Hossain and MM Rana gave confessional statements last week on the abductions and murders of seven persons in Narayanganj.

Several newspapers published “misleading” and “unwanted” reports on June 6 claiming two former RAB officers in their confessional statements before the court gave information about the involvement of a top RAB official in the seven murders, the statement said.

The media release claimed that the news articles tarnished the image of the elite force.

The confessional statements were given before an executive magistrate and any statement with court is not

Arif Hossain and MM Rana gave confessional statements on seven murders in N’ganj publishable as per law while the trial is underway, it further said.

“A lawyer’s comments claiming the involvement of a senior official of the RAB headquarters just after the confessional statements of two former RAB officers was a deliberate effort,” the RAB statement also said.

The statement termed the media reports as an attempt to divert the investigation of the case. l

two officials have since returned to the country and joined their new posts.

Sources said a deputy secretary of the Health Ministry, Humayun Kabir, was also on an international trip recently when he was transferred to a different ministry.

Other fresh reshuffles in the sector saw DGHS Director (finance) Dr Ehetashamul Hoque Chowdhury being made the new director of administration and DGHS Deputy Director Dr Md Ruhul Forkun Siddik being assigned as the new finance director.

Saruj Kumer Mojumder, director of National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), was also transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, while Dr Akterunnahar of the same institute was appointed as the new director of NIPSOM. l

Journalist Mahbubul Alam laid to rest

n Tribune Online Report Mahbubul Alalm, former adviser of caretaker government and also the former editor of English daily Independent, was laid to rest on Saturday afternoon.

He was buried at his father’s grave around 3pm at Azimpur new graveyard in the city.

Mahbubul Alam breathed his last at BIRDEM Hospital on Friday morning.

He was 78.

Earlier in the day, his body was taken to National Press Club from United Hospital mortuary around 1:30pm.

People from all walks of life thronged the Press Club premises to bid a last farewell to the senior journalist.

Mahbubul Alam’s second namaz-ejanaza was held at the Press Club premises after Johr prayers. His first namaz-e-janaza was held at Azad Mosque at Gulshan in the city after the Asr prayer Friday.

Kulkhani and doa mahfil will be held at his younger brother Farudul Ahshan Mintu’s Gulshan residence on Monday. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

B3 China to boost bank lending power

B4 World Bank sees China growth on track, urges reform

SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

World Cup football pushes up TV sales

A buyer looks at television sets at a city show room recently. The demand of product has risen ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2014

n Tribune Report Mainul Islam, a university student in Dhaka, was looking to buy a television set. He lives in a house with three other fellow students. As there is no TV set in their room, they are desperate to get one within their affordability before the FIFA World Cup begins on June 12.

“We have arranged Tk12,000 for a television. If you watch (matches) together, there will be more fun,” he said while choosing TV sets at Bangaband-

hu National Stadium Market yesterday.

As the biggest football event approaches, television sales have increased substantially, according to the vendors who are trying to cope with the rise in demand.

The LCD and LED TV sets have witnessed a particularly increasing demand, the market insiders said.

Visits to various TV showrooms in the city found that people of different income brackets thronged to purchase TV sets ahead of the World Cup which has

Bangladesh Denim Expo in Dhaka on Nov 11-12 n Tribune Report A two-day “Bangladesh Denim Expo” is scheduled to be held in Dhaka on November 11-12, this year to promote Bangladesh brands to the global market and share knowledge with the international producers to get acquinted with the latest technologies.

Denim Expert Limited, a domestic denim producer, will organise the international Denim Trade Show in Bangladesh to popularise the brand in international denim industry.

‘Our aim is to bring foreign experts here and to enrich our industry by exchanging our experiences among ourselves’ The Expo will be held at Hotel Radisson Blue Water Garden in the capital on November 11 -12.

Our primary purpose is to create a platform for Denim stakeholders and to make Bangladesh as ‘One Stop Sourcing Platform’ for denim industry, which could bring benefits to the entrepreneurs, said chief initiator of the expo and Managing Director of the organisation Mostafiz Uddin while addressing a press conference at a city hotel yesterday.

“We expect that Denim goods from Bangladesh will yield greater brand

value in the global market through this initiative,’’ said Mostafiz, who termed the initiative as a not-profitable one.

A total of 11 foreign participants took part in the last Denim Expo while the organisers are expecting more turnout of apparel entrepreneurs, businessmen, fashion professionals and stakeholders of the industry from Europe, US, UK and several Asian countries in the expo this year.

Currently, Bangladesh produces low and mid end products and to reach the high end products, we have to know about the global trend and the latest technologies, said Engr MS Hasan, Director, PARTEX group.

“Our aim is to bring foreign experts here and to enrich our industry by exchanging our experiences among ourselves,’’ he added.

According to the industry insiders, Bangladesh is the second largest denim exporter in European markets while it is holding the third largest position in the USA market.

Bangladesh exports denims’ products worth around US$600m per annum to the global market.

Currently, the industry has 25 Denim fabric manufacturers, which produce around 20m yards per month to meet 40% of the total demand. The country, however, needs to import 60% fabric.

The press conference was also addressed, among others, by Kamal Uddin, Managing Director of Raymotex Corporation and Shohel Rana, Director, Nassa Group. l

already started dominating daily gossips.

To attract the customers, the vendors have offered different price discounts, raffle draw and lucky coupons.

There was a particular demand for comparatively cheaper local brands like Walton and Marcel among the customers who are mostly young.

“New designs (of TV) have been launched keeping prices within affordability of our consumers,” said Marketing Director of RB Group of Companies Emdadul Haque Sarker. RB Group is the

producer of Walton brand products.

“We have seen 41% hike in May sales of TV sets from the previous month.

Our usual stock of TV sets is 40,00050,000, but due to World Cup it has been increased to 1.5 lakh,” he said.

The demands of the imported TV sets have also marked big rise before the World Cup. Importers said the sales are much higher than expectation.

Foreign brands suppliers are also making lucrative offers to bring the customers to their stores, which include, among others, free travel to one of 32 participating countries after the end of the World Cup. There will also be a regular discount of Tk1,000 in every product and “the customers” will even enjoy 100% discount rubbing scratch cards, said Sabbyasachi Haque, sales executive of Electra International which is the supplier of Samsung TV in Bangladesh.

Sony Bravia and Rangs televisions are offering five blue-ray home theater to five “lucky customers” through participation in raffle draw.

“World Cup have really boosted our sales,” claimed Md Mohiuddin, an official from of Rangs Electronics. Rangs supplies both of the products to the Bangladeshi customers. The prices of CRT television now ranges between Tk5,000 to Tk11,000 while it is over Tk10,000 for both the LCD and LED television sets.

The whole Banganadhu Stadium market was seen buzzing with TV customers selecting “best offers” and “best TV sets” for them.

All were in festive mood and would start counting down to football extravaganza just after grabbing a TV which is much-coveted at least for the time being. l

Banks ‘highly exposed’ to public borrowing n Asif Showkat Kallol

The asset structure of Bangladesh’s commercial banks is highly exposed to the government making the possibility of dearth of the private credit, said an International Monetary Fund report.

“The share of banks’ net credit to the central government in total bank assets, while similar to the average for the South Asian region, is much higher (about three times) than the average for low-income countries, and also considerably higher than the ratios prevailing in the emerging and advanced economies,” IMF’s recent report said.

This leads to a concentration risk, too high a share of assets exposed to a single borrower, said the report ti-

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) said the proposed budget would help increase GDP growth as it has offered more incentives for the expansion of small and medium enterprises and accelerate industrialisation.

The DCCI in a statement yesterday also hailed the budget for extending the tax holiday facility for the under-developed areas from 7 years to 10 years.

Income tax rate for the non-publicly traded companies has been reduced to 35% from 37.5%, which DCCI sees is a positive effort and it urged reducing all other corporate taxes, said the chamber.

DCCI also welcomed government’s commitment of developing infrastructure like construction of Padma Bridge, setting up of a tunnel under Karnafuli

River in Chittagong, elevating important highways into four-lanes, establishment of deep sea port and LNG terminal.

DCCI viewed that the commitments would encourage the private sector.

It recommended the government to widen the tax net to increase revenue collection up to 17% of GDP by the next five years.

Budget to help improve export competitiveness: BEA

Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) has appreciated the proposed budget for the next fiscal year which they think is investment-friendly and would help improve the competitiveness of export-oriented industry, especially the country’s apparel industry.

Steps taken in the proposed budget to boost the country’s economy as well as

 B3 COLUMN 1

Bourses: Capital gain tax may cause setback BEA: 7.3%

growth target attainable

n Tribune Report The country’s twine bourses have demanded reconsidering the proposal of fixing tax on capital gains through selling shares as they considered it to be a setback for the capital markets, and would not be functional under the existing system.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith proposed to slap taxes from the gains to be realised by individual investors by selling shares in the capital market.

The proposal said a person will have to pay tax at the rate of 3% of the realised gains if his or her gains exceed Tk10 lakh, but do not exceed Tk20 lakh. So far, the gains by general investors remained tax-free.

“It is not operationally possible to implement,” said Swapan Kumar Bala, managing director of Dhaka Stock Exchange while giving reaction to the proposed budget at the DSE yesterday. He demanded continuing with the existing tax exemption in the coming fiscal year.

He said it is very difficult to collect capital gain tax due to multiple BO (beneficiary owner’s) account in different brokerage houses, linked BO accounts and adjustment between the capital gains and losses.

“If an investor sells shares through linked BO account, the selling brokerage house cannot calculate profit or loss as the broker will not have the information of buying cost of shares,” he explained.

Besides, he said, the existing trading system does not allow the calculation on adjustment between the capital gain and loss. “The adjustment

n Tribune Report

between capital gain and loss is necessary as par income tax rules.”

In case of multiple BO accounts, Bala questioned how the calculation will be done and who will do this.

“With all these perspectives, we think the tax provision cannot be implemented right now.”

The DSE, however, appreciated the proposal of offering tax exemption facilities for five years in graduation rate for demutualised stock exchanges and extending the limit of tax-exempted dividend income from Tk10,000 to Tk15,000.

It also thanked the government for the plan in setting up of a Financial Reporting Council and a Clearing Company.

“Financial Reporting Act will help ensure institutional good governance

while the clearing company would ease the process of introducing derivatives market and establish settlement fund to attract foreign investors,” said Bala.

On reduction of corporate tax for non-listed firms, he said it cannot be a motivation for listing. “Still the companies will get tax benefits if listed on the exchanges,” he added.

Chittagong Stock Exchange Chairman Abdul Mazid in a separate press conference earlier said capital gain tax might push the market to an uncomfortable position. He said some of the proposed measures are positive and some others negative for the stock market. “But we expect the government will not take any measures that will affect the stock market.” l

DCCI hails budget incentives to SMEs IBA team to contest Global n Tribune Report

tled “Fourth review under the threeyear arrangement under the extended credit facility.” The was dispatched to Finance Minister AMA Muhith for examining the matter.

IMF found increases in banks’ exposure to the government have historically been associated with declines in private sector credit growth- a possible indication of financial crowding out in an environment where banks are “often forced to purchase government securities.”

The recently data shows that banks’ exposure to the sovereign has been expanding rapidly since 2013, reversing a trend decline that started in 2007.

“Keeping the fiscal deficit in check is therefore crucial to allow for an

export business, trade and commerce, EAB said in a separate statement.

In his budget speech, Muhith proposed duty-free import of prefabricated building materials to facilitate factory relocation and fire-safety equipment for the RMG sector as well as to improve fire safety standards. It also hailed the government for reducing source tax on export of apparel items to 0.30%.

They, however, demanded fixing the source tax at the same rate for all other export sectors, introducing uniform dollar exchange rate for exporters, establishment of deep sea port and an allocation of Tk500 crore for enhancement of workers’ productivity.

The EAB urged the government to give importance on the implementation of infrastructure projects to expedite exports else it would cast negative impact on the export sector. l

Business Challenges n Tribune Report

Team ‘Potter’ from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of Dhaka University has been selected for competing the Global Business Challenges, wining the final round of the “Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) 2014.

The 2014 CIMA GBC is an international business management competition designed to showcase the very best in the next generation of business leaders. To reach the final, students analysed a real life CIMA business scenario and presented innovative solutions.

The winning team will now represent Bangladesh at the global final at Mumbai in India to be held in between August 4 and 7, this year.  B3 COLUMN 1

The 7.3% growth target set in the proposed budget for the fiscal year 201415 is attainable only if stable political environment is ensured with increased competency in wealth management, says an analysis carried out by the Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA).

BEA analysis also found that the challenges to implement the proposed budget are not so difficult to face, bringing down the projected inflation at 7%, as yield of rice has been good this year while food price in the world market is also in a declining trend.

BEA General Secretary Dr Towfique Ahmed Chowdhury presented the analysis yesterday at a press conference on the proposed budget held at the BEA auditorium in the city. BEA President Dr Abul Barkat and other committee members also attended the press conference.

Terming the political uncertainty as the main obstacle to achieve the growth target Abul Barkat hoped that it would be possible to reach the growth target as the finance minister in his budget speech had repeatedly assured us of ensuring sustainable political situation for attaining economic growth.

“Providing infrastructural facilities and bring down the cost of doing business is one of the way to easily enhance the private sector investment but the budget did not define any certain strategy in this regard,’’ he, however, said.

Both the government and the Bangladesh Bank have to take effective measures of uninterrupted individual financing.

Recent forgeries occurred in the banking sector made the bankers reluctant to disburse loans, on the other hand businessmen are also unwilling to take loan due to higher interest rate.

The government and Bangladesh Bank should jointly sit to resolve this crisis, Barakat added. l

B2

Modest selloffs ahead of budget hit stocks market n

Cement and some engineering stocks moved up with expectation of allocation of fund for Padma Bridge in the budget.

IDLC Investments said market was slow after recent early-year rally, particularly at higher valuation multiples as budgetary expectations were only enough to create little buzz across the bourse. Large cap stocks dominated the turnover list.

Besides, directional movement was absent during the week.

“As the week ended, investors were in selloff mode to be in safe territory,” said IDLC. As the deposit rates of the banks and NBFIs were coming down, it has much expected that the investable fund may flow to capital market investment on a risk-adjusted basis, it said.

Losers took a strong lead over the gainers as out of 303 issues traded during the week, 229 declined, 66 advanced and eight remained unchanged.

The major sectors saw mixed performance in the week.

Cement, telecommunication and engineering performed better with a rise of over 8%, 7% and 5% respectively. Pharmaceuticals advanced marginally.

NBFIs, food and allied suffered heavily with losing almost 5% each.

Banks and fuel and power also ended in red losing more than 4% and 1%.

Grameenphone dominated the week’s top turnover chart with shares worth Tk18 crore changing hands ahead of its interim dividend declaration. l

Tribune Report

Stock market saw modest selloffs in the past week, as cautious investors preferred staying on the sidelines on the eve of new budget.

Thursday afternoon, the last day of the trading, Finance Minister AMA Muhith proposed the budget for the next fiscal year beginning next month.

After modest rally in the previous week, the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) benchmark index, DSEX, settled at 4,396, shedding 34 points or 0.8%.

The comprising blue chips DS30 index, however, gained nearly 13 points or 0.9% to close at 1,623.

The DSE Shariah Index, DSES, rose 15 points or 2% to 1,008.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, lost 135 points or 1.6% to close the week at 8,334.

Trading activities, however, improved a bit but still remained poor.

The average daily turnover for the week stood at Tk406 crore, registering an increase of over 55% over the previous week.

“Mixed budget expectation and growing worries over government’s strong position on bringing down the banks’ capital market exposure pulled the index down for four consecutive sessions,” said Lanka Bangla Securities in its weekly market analysis.

Market lost the momentum of the previous week, but average daily turnover was over 55% up from previous week, showing higher participation from investors, it said.

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSERS Company Union Capital -A AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A MBL 1st M. F.-A BD Building Systems -A Provati Insur.-A Global Insurance -A EBL NRB M.F.-A Rahima Food -Z ICB AMCL IslamicMF-A Beximco Syn.-Z

Closing (% change) -16.18 -15.49 -11.67 -11.53 -11.16 -10.74 -10.00 -9.83 -9.55 -9.38

CSE LOSERS Company AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Union Capital -A ICB AMCL IslamicMF-A BD Building Systems -A Provati Insur.-A Rupali Life Insur.-A Grameen M F One-A MBL 1st M. F.-A Northern G Insur-A Rupali InsurA

Closing (% change) -18.92 -15.57 -13.81 -12.15 -11.36 -11.18 -10.56 -10.00 -8.50 -8.47

4396.54263

(-) 0.77%

1622.94733

(+) 0.85%

13537.3875

(-) 0.96%

10962.8744

(-) 2.17%

8334.0787

(-) 1.59%

Average (% change) -14.99 -17.08 -11.75 -11.21 -10.78 -11.01 -10.00 -9.53 -9.35 -8.71 Average (% change) -18.92 -12.16 -13.81 -11.70 -11.36 -10.92 -10.37 -10.00 -11.00 -8.87

ANALYST

Closing average 20.48 6.07 5.33 54.09 20.02 21.59 6.30 52.77 18.03 8.80

Closing average 6.00 20.58 18.10 53.79 19.50 70.91 39.66 5.40 35.60 22.70

Weekly 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 1769.62 403.20 325.27 2544.86 980.53 2480.55 19.98 2119.27 3031.98 1.92 324.63 230.32 47.54 2302.14 88.79 245.32 640.31 2129.74 234.78 365.05 2.71

▼ ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ Weekly high

20.20 6.00 5.30 53.70 19.90 21.60 6.30 52.30 18.00 8.70

Weekly closing

24.30 7.40 6.00 61.70 22.50 26.60 6.30 59.90 20.50 9.90

Weekly high

6.00 20.60 18.10 53.50 19.50 70.70 39.80 5.40 36.60 22.70

7.30 23.20 19.80 61.00 22.00 83.00 45.90 6.00 38.10 25.50

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features June 1-5, 2014

Company

Turnover (Million Taka)

20,288.51

Turnover (Volume)

386,812,861

Number of Contract

425,543

Traded Issues

303

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

74

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

227 2

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,276.87

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

27.60

CSE key features June 1-5, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

2,604.59

Turnover (Volume)

37,554,320

Number of Contract

48,829

Traded Issues

249

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

63

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

183

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

2

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,179.81

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

26.42

Turnover in million

20.10 6.00 5.30 49.00 19.40 20.00 6.30 52.00 17.90 8.20

Weekly low 6.00 19.90 18.10 53.20 19.50 70.00 39.00 5.40 36.50 22.50

Latest EPS

11.587 11.880 26.877 94.190 7.233 6.151 0.006 9.047 2.306 3.018

Turnover in million

Wata Chemicals -A Al-Haj Textile -A BSRM Steels-A Stylecraft -A MJL BD Ltd.-A Rahim Textile -A LafargeS Cement-Z Sinobangla Indu.-A Generation Next-A GreenDeltaInsu -A

Closing (% change) 529.60 23.16 19.33 18.76 18.73 18.02 14.78 13.36 12.84 12.01

CSE GAINERS

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

Weekly low

Sunday, June 8, 2014

2.08 1.49 1.44 3.01 2.24 2.96 0.47 -1.01 2.33 0.76

Latest EPS

2.310 1.035 0.038 10.204 0.046 2.632 2.250 0.791 0.138 0.396

Latest PE 9.8 4.1 3.7 18.0 8.9 7.3 13.4 -ve 7.7 11.6

Latest PE

1.49 2.08 2.33 3.01 2.24 5.33 3.40 1.44 6.40 2.40

4.0 9.9 7.8 17.9 8.7 13.3 11.7 3.8 5.6 9.5

Company Wata Chemicals -A BSRM Steels-A MJL BD Ltd.-A LafargeS Cement-Z Sinobangla Indu.-A Generation Next-A Pragati Gen. I -A Rangpur Foundry -A GreenDeltaInsu -A Eastern Cables-A

Closing (% change) 245.15 20.22 19.11 14.52 14.41 11.41 10.76 9.52 9.11 7.55

Average (% change) 540.70 24.94 16.89 18.76 15.88 16.82 18.24 12.42 10.42 10.82 Average (% change) 245.15 17.03 14.58 17.33 13.71 10.05 11.33 9.52 9.19 9.50

Closing average 383.14 157.89 87.84 1,195.00 88.83 366.71 91.09 26.16 16.42 93.13

Closing average 462.50 88.08 88.25 90.67 26.04 16.42 45.30 107.00 91.00 140.83

Weekly closing 376.50 155.30 88.90 1,195.00 91.30 369.30 90.10 26.30 16.70 94.20

Weekly closing 462.50 89.20 91.00 89.90 26.20 16.60 45.30 107.00 91.00 138.20

Weekly high 524.60 167.10 90.00 1,238.20 92.40 381.00 93.20 26.70 16.70 95.50

Weekly high 500.00 90.00 92.70 93.00 26.50 16.60 45.30 109.00 92.00 146.90

Weekly low 160.00 115.00 73.00 1,060.00 70.00 305.00 79.80 23.80 13.00 80.00

Weekly low 350.00 75.00 76.00 80.00 23.10 14.10 43.10 100.00 77.00 129.00

Turnover in million

Latest EPS

240.899 226.200 921.918 3.425 619.467 45.405 1271.616 64.387 236.776 34.610

Turnover in million

9.80 2.00 4.72 47.83 4.72 11.16 2.16 1.04 2.28 3.00

Latest EPS

1.433 69.264 25.068 124.769 9.068 34.812 0.009 1.325 0.879 7.557

9.80 4.72 4.72 2.16 1.04 2.28 2.52 3.08 3.00 2.03

Latest PE 39.1 78.9 18.6 25.0 18.8 32.9 42.2 25.2 7.2 31.0

Latest PE 47.2 18.7 18.7 42.0 25.0 7.2 18.0 34.7 30.3 69.4

Weekly news from trade server AGM/Dividend

WATACHEM: The Board of Directors has recommended 30% stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013. Date of AGM: 27.06.2014, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: Factory Premises at Murapara, Rupgonj, Narayangonj. Record Date: 11.06.2014. The Company has also reported net profit after tax of Tk. 29.78 million, EPS of Tk. 6.13, NAV per share of Tk. 119.82 and NOCFPS of Tk. 10.99 for the year ended on December 31, 2013 as against Tk. 20.00 million, Tk. 4.12 (restated), Tk. 110.86 (restated) and Tk. 0.63 (restated) respectively for the year ended on December 31, 2012.

Audited/unaudited Financial Reports:

SINOBANGLA: (H/Y): As per un-audited half yearly accounts as on 30.04.14 (Nov'13 to Apr'14), the Company has reported profit after tax of Tk. 10.32 million with EPS of Tk. 0.52 as against Tk. 2.82 million and Tk. 0.14 respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas profit/(loss) after tax was Tk. 6.28 million with EPS of Tk. 0.31 for the period of 3 months (Feb'14 to Apr'14) ended on 30.04.14 as against Tk. (1.02) million and Tk. (0.05) respectively for the same period of the previous year.

Fixed Assets/Right/Investment: PHARMAID: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to import following assets immediately: (1) Spare Parts for Ampoule Manufacturing Machine @ Tk. 20.00 Lacs

(approx.) and (2) PSA Oxygen Generator (Oxygen Gas Producer) with standard accessories @ Tk. 55.00 Lacs (approx.).

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.

Credit Rating:

ISLAMIBANK: Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL) has rated the Company as "AA+" in the long term and "ST-1" in the short term in consideration of financials of the Company up to December 31, 2013 (audited) and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

BRACBANK: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has announced the surveillance rating of the Company as "AA3" in the long term and "ST-2" in the short term based on audited financial statements of the Company up to 31 December 2013 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

SONARBAINS: Alpha Credit Rating Limited (AlphaRating) has rated the Company as

"A" in the long term and "AR-2" in the short term along with a stable outlook based on audited financial information of the Company up to 31st December 2013 and relevant qualitative information up to 31 May 2014.

PHENIXINS: Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL) has announced the CPA (Claim Paying Ability) Rating of the Company as "AA-" in consideration of financials of the Company up to December 31, 2013 (audited) and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

AFCAGRO: National Credit Ratings Limited (NCR) has announced the rating of the Company as "A" in the long term and "ST-2" in the short term based on audited financial statements of the Company up to December 31, 2013.

BRACSCBOND: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has announced the surveillance rating of Subordinated Convertible Bond of BRAC Bank Ltd. as "A1" in the long term based on audited financial statement of the Company up to 31 December 2013 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

SHAHJABANK: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has rated the Company as "AA3" in the long term and "ST-2" in the short term based on audited financial statements of the Company up to 31 December 2013 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

As the week ended, investors were in selloff mode to be in safe territory

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

% change 8.72 1.99 1.60 12.54 4.83 12.23 0.10 10.45 14.94 0.01 1.60 1.14 0.23 11.35 0.44 1.21 3.16 10.50 1.16 1.80 0.01

Million Taka 120.24 35.80 18.82 196.04 49.18 696.21 0.00 180.45 542.46 50.66 12.32 222.35 4.49 332.19 8.06 5.62 47.71 145.65 40.67 46.78 0.20

CSE

% change 4.36 1.30 0.68 7.11 1.78 25.26 0.00 6.55 19.68 1.84 0.45 8.07 0.16 12.05 0.29 0.20 1.73 5.28 1.48 1.70 0.01

Million Taka 1889.86 438.99 344.10 2740.90 1029.71 3176.76 19.98 2299.72 3574.44 52.58 336.94 452.67 52.03 2634.33 96.85 250.93 688.02 2275.39 275.45 411.84 2.91

Total

% change 8.20 1.90 1.49 11.89 4.47 13.79 0.09 9.98 15.51 0.23 1.46 1.96 0.23 11.43 0.42 1.09 2.99 9.87 1.20 1.79 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

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Grameenphone-A LafargeS Cement-Z Meghna Petroleum -A BSRM Steels-A HeidelbergCement -A MJL BD Ltd.-A Square Pharma -A Mercantile Bank -A Delta Life Insu. -A ACI Limited- A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Meghna Petroleum -A Square Pharma -A HeidelbergCement -A Bata Shoe Ltd. -A LafargeS Cement-Z Grameenphone-A BSRM Steels-A BD Submarine Cable-A Delta Life Insu. -A Generation Next-A

Volume shares 6,444,004 14,853,650 3,426,285 11,141,233 1,348,360 7,385,373 2,076,368 26,016,766 2,127,150 1,517,826

Volume shares 2,125,004 1,665,582 346,640 152,844 1,459,000 356,600 836,329 240,956 201,850 2,195,496

Value in million 1838.50 1271.62 956.83 921.92 711.12 619.47 571.07 485.32 426.83 389.17

Value in million 594.94 456.82 184.25 155.85 124.77 101.46 69.26 44.19 40.43 34.81

% of total turnover 9.06 6.27 4.72 4.54 3.51 3.05 2.81 2.39 2.10 1.92

% of total turnover 23.07 17.71 7.14 6.04 4.84 3.93 2.69 1.71 1.57 1.35

Weekly closing 285.90 90.10 271.70 88.90 520.90 91.30 274.80 16.60 198.50 254.30

Weekly closing 272.10 274.10 522.90 980.50 89.90 285.10 89.20 181.10 197.40 16.60

Price change 7.36 14.78 -3.93 19.33 -0.36 18.73 1.78 -7.78 6.84 5.83

Weekly opening 266.30 78.50 282.80 74.50 522.80 76.90 270.00 18.00 185.80 240.30

Weekly high 297.40 93.20 287.30 90.00 539.00 92.40 280.00 19.10 215.00 275.00

Weekly low 260.00 79.80 259.00 73.00 508.00 70.00 246.40 15.80 187.00 229.60

Weekly average 291.01 91.09 273.73 87.84 528.90 88.83 275.35 16.93 200.46 258.82

Price change -3.65 1.52 -0.19 -1.16 14.52 7.34 20.22 0.89 6.30 11.41

Weekly opening 282.40 270.00 523.90 992.00 78.50 265.60 74.20 179.50 185.70 14.90

Weekly high 287.00 279.90 540.00 1050.00 93.00 300.00 90.00 189.40 214.00 16.60

Weekly low 271.00 268.50 519.10 980.00 80.00 267.90 75.00 179.00 188.00 14.10

Weekly average 274.82 274.96 529.59 980.50 90.67 289.69 88.08 181.00 200.50 16.42

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

China to boost bank lending power

Reuters poll: Rupee rally mostly over

IMF and World Bank, however, say the economy is doing fine, so it's not necessary Vigilant about shadow banks n Reuters, Beijing n Reuters, Bangalore Banks's RRRs are neither uniform or China aims to cut the proportion of cash that commercial banks must keep with the People's Bank of China, the banking regulator said on Friday, signalling further monetary loosening although the IMF and World Bank say the economy is doing fine.

The China Banking Regulator Commission (CBRC) did not say when reductions in banks' reserve requirement ratios would be made, but it is the third time in as many months that Beijing has signalled a cut in RRRs, which would free up more cash for lending needed to shore up growth.

The CBRC did, however, qualify its comments, saying RRR reductions would be available to those banks whose lending to small firms and the farm sector warranted the reward. It did not elaborate. The central bank also signalled on Friday that it would keep credit supply ample by letting China's main money market rate fall again this week.

Aside from prospects for reductions in banks' RRR, two bankers told Reuters on Friday that the central bank has also lent $16bn to commercial banks so that they can issue the money to farming projects.

Both the IMF and World Bank gave China a thumbs-up in separate reports this week that said the world's second-biggest economy should hit the government's target of around 7.5% growth this year, and encouraged the more urgent pursuit of reforms.

Some economists say the IMF and the World Bank may have been unduly confident about China's near-term growth prospects.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang claps as he attends the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2014 in Boao REUTERS "If the government wants to achieve its 7.5% growth target, I don't really agree with the IMF that it can just not do anything," said Julian EvansPritchard at Capital Economics in Singapore.

"I think the downward pressure on the economy, especially from the property sector, is still quite significant."

Buffeted by unsteady global demand and slowing domestic investment, growth in China's stuttering economy cooled to an 18-month low of 7.4% between January and March.

A cool-down in a buoyant property market, which contributes more than 15% of China's economic expansion, has fuelled fears that the Chinese economy will face even stronger headwinds in coming months. That has fed investor speculation that China will take firmer action to boost activity, including lowering the RRR for all banks.

The economy faces relatively big downward pressures even as the growth rate, employment and inflation stayed within reasonable ranges, state radio quoted Premier Li Keqiang as saying.

Banks ‘highly exposed’ to government  B1 COLUMN 6

increase in private sector credit and, with it, an increase in private investment and growth,” the Fund report said.

The overall budget deficit of next fiscal year is Tk67,552 crore, which is 5% of GDP. Of the amount, Tk24,275 crore will be financed from external sources and Tk43,277 crore from 26 domestic sources.

Of the domestic financing, Tk31,221

crore will come from the banking system and Tk12,056 crore from savings certificates and other non-banking sources.

As per the central bank data, the private investment went down to 21.3% this year from 21.7% a year ago.

Private sector credit growth slumped to 11.46% in April this year, significantly lower than the target of 16.5% set in the ongoing monetary policy.

Currently, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20-year

treasury bonds are available in the market with online trading platform.

The government borrows from this type of long-term tools to meet its budget deficit. It also borrows by using short-term bills to meet its urgent financing. However, many economists say the government now wants to borrow less from treasury bills on the ground of availability of liquidity in the public sector. l

IBA team to contest Global Business Challenges  B1 COLUMN 5

The winning team members are Mastura Tasnim, Ahmed Istehad Shoumik, Tanzir Islam and Rakib Ibnay Hossain.

The four teams the Hufflepuffs, LOL and Potter of Institute of Business Administration (IBA) and Runners-Up from Bangladesh University of Professionals took part in the Bangladesh final held at a city hotel yesterday.

A total of 178 teams had registered from 36 different universities for the 2014 CIMA GBC in Bangladesh.

The jury board, which includes Rubaba Dowla Matin, Airtel Bangladesh’s chief service officer, Zara Mahbub, head of customer experience of BRAC Bank Limited, Kabir Yaqub, a di-

rector of Pubali Bank Limited and Syed Tanvir Husain, Grameenphone director for centre of expertise, declared the winner of the Bangladesh final.

CIMA will send the wining ‘Team Potter’ to the global final, where they will compete with teams from 23 other countries After the great success of the last year’s competition, CIMA is very excited to hold the sixth GBC. This year India will host to the global final, which illus-

trates the competition’s growing international appeal, said Andrew Hardling, Managing Director of CIMA. He also said the competition represents a real opportunity to showcase the business leaders of the future.

CIMA will send the wining ‘Team Potter’ to the global final, where they will compete with teams from 23 other countries.

The participating countries are Australia, Bangladesh, Mainland China, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, Gulf Coast Countries, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the UK, Vietnam and Zambia. l

B3

Sunday, June 8, 2014

transparent in China, and members of the ruling Communist Party's politburo have the final say on monetary policy, rather than the central bank or banking regulator.

In April, a week after an announcement by Li, the PBOC reduced the RRR by between 50 and 200 basis points for some banks.

It did not name the banks or detail what their RRRs were after the cut, but the central bank said only some rural banks benefited. Smaller banks tend to have lower RRRs than major banks.

The authorities flagged another cut a week ago, but it is unclear whether that has taken place, though the latest comments from the banking regulator have hardened expectations. The last time China reduced the RRR for all banks was in May 2012, when a cut of 50 basis points lowered the ratio to a maximum 20 percent for the country's biggest banks.

Authorities have chosen a more nuanced approach this year, opting to selectively relax policy in areas that it believes require assistance, rather than let money seep into speculative or wasteful activities.

The CBRC also said on Friday that it will tighten supervision of the shadow banking sector to crack down on risky lending that occurs outside bank balance sheets. The World Bank urged China to speed up fiscal and financial sector reforms to deal with the root cause of its debt problems.

President Xi Jinping said on Friday careful planning of fiscal reforms was needed, the official Xinhua news agency said. l

The rupee will only make scant gains in the next 12 months as the economy remains weak, although optimism around a new government and a narrowing current account deficit will underpin the currency, a Reuters poll found.

The rupee is among the best-performing emerging currencies this year, rising 4 four percent since January.

'Much of the rupee's gains in May (were) driven by post-election optimism via portfolio flows into both equities and Indian government bonds' It hit a one-year high of 58.25 against the dollar on May 22 - a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's landslide victory in general elections.

But analysts believe its rally is largely over.

The poll of over 30 currency strategists, conducted June 2-5, predicted one US dollar will fetch 59.25 rupees by the end of June, 59.20 in three months and 60.16 in a year. It was trading around 59.10 early on Friday.

Still, those are the strongest rupee forecasts in a long while. The consensus rose above 60 per dollar in the oneand three-month horizons for the first time since August and follows strong net inflows into the financial markets.

Over 337bn rupees in foreign money poured into Indian stocks and bonds last month, up from almost nothing in April. The stock market is trading near a record high.

"Much of the rupee's gains in May (were) driven by post-election optimism via portfolio flows into both equities and Indian government bonds," wrote Derek Halpenny at BTMU, who is expecting the rupee to trade at 59 per dollar in a year.

"Modi has been sending all the right signals so far, with considerations to allow at least 49% of foreign investments into all sectors."

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the first to win a majority in three decades, is expected to quickly pass key economic reforms and raise foreign investment caps in various sectors of the economy, including defence companies.

The first peek into the new government's policies will come around early July when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveils his maiden budget.

Recent data showing a sharp narrowing in the current account deficit to just 0.2% of gross domestic product should also prop up the rupee in the interim.

Still, weak growth will probably prevent the rupee from any significant break higher. The economy grew just 4.6% in the Jan-March quarter.

The US Federal Reserve's current track to end its economic stimulus before year-end will also hold it back.

And the Reserve Bank of India has been intervening in the market daily, buying dollars to prevent sharp rises in the currency from strong foreign inflows. l

Euro dips in Asia after ECB steps n AFP, Tokyo

The euro dipped a touch in Asia on Friday after the European Central Bank (ECB) launched unprecedented easing measures to bolster fragile eurozone growth and prevent deflation.

The single currency fetched $1.3657 in Tokyo afternoon trade, down from $1.3662 in New York but still up from $1.3600 in Tokyo earlier Thursday.

The euro weakened to 139.76 yen from 139.93 yen, but was also stronger

than 139.43 yen in Tokyo prior to the announcement. The dollar edged down to 102.33 yen from 102.41 yen.

The ECB said after a meeting Thursday it would cut its deposit rate to negative territory.

This means banks will be charged for leaving funds at the ECB in the hope they might lend it on to businesses and consumers instead.

It also slashed its lending rate to a record low of 0.15% from 0.25% and said hundreds of billions of euros would be

made available in cheap loans to banks as long as they lent more to the private sector.

Bank chief Mario Draghi said after the meeting that policymakers would also be open to possible asset purchases, or quantitative easing, similar to that undertaken in the United States and Japan.

"The ECB managed to surprise relative to high expectations by delivering a full package of easing measures," Credit Agricole said. l

Australia expects Putin at G20 summit n AFP, Sydney Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he expects Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit this year in Brisbane despite the Russian leader being banned from this week's Group of Seven meeting.

Russia was axed from the G7 meeting in Brussels over its annexation of Crimea, with Putin cold-shouldered by the United States and its allies since the March seizure of the peninsula.

Australia is the current holder of the rotating G20 presidency and hosts

the leaders' summit in Brisbane in November.

Abbott said that while he shared serious concerns over Russia's role in Ukraine, there was no indication Putin would not be invited.

"The G20 is an economic meeting whereas the G7 or the G8 has tended to have a very strong security component," he told Australian media in France late Thursday, where he will attend the 70th D-Day commemorations, alongside Putin.

"Obviously there are very grave concerns about the behaviour of

Russia in Ukraine and I can understand why the G7 leaders were reluctant to sit down with President Putin at this time.

"But when it comes to the prosperity of the world, when it comes to the management of international finances, when it comes to harmonisation of taxation rules, when it comes to trying to promote global growth, I think it is best if we can include Russia.

"At this point in time I'm expecting Russia to be well and truly part of the G20 in November," he added in a transcript provided Friday. l

Crude prices rise in Asia after ECB rate cuts n AFP, Singapore

Modhumoti Bank Limited has observed World Environment Day along with its green banking campaign through planting a tree at the bank’s Gulshan branch premises. The chair on the EC of the bank’s board, Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh planted the tree

Airtel Bangladesh Limited has recently launched its 3G service in Barisal, which ensures its 3G coverage in all the divisional cities of the country. The telecom’s zonal business Manager FM Shahriar Omar Prince was present on the occasion among others

The photo shows a cheque is being handed over to AKM Abdul Malek Chowdhury, deputy managing director of risk management unit in Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd by Ahmed Saifuddin Chowdhury managing director of Bangladesh General Insurance Company Ltd against settlement of claim for Islami Pharmaceutical Industries

Mutual Trust Bank Ltd recently commemorated World Environment Day 2014 through planting trees at vast areas adjacent to Water Bus Terminal at Gabtoli in Dhaka on June 4 in addition to its distribution of saplings amongst customers at the bank’s different branches on June 5

Oil prices rose in Asian trade Friday after the European Central Bank (ECB) announced an unprecedented cut in interest rates in a bid to spur economic growth.

US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in July gained three cents to $102.51 a barrel while Brent North Sea crude for July was up eight cents at $108.87 in afternoon trade.

"Crude prices look solid and likely to stay above their previous close as investors digest the ECB announcement," Kelly Teoh, managing director at IR Resources in Bangkok told AFP. "Europe's better-than-expected economic data and the interest rate cut means Brent will hold up," Teoh said.

The ECB on Thursday slashed its deposit rate to -0.10%. This means banks will be charged for leaving funds at the ECB in the hope they might lend it on to businesses and consumers instead. l

Coca-Cola Bangladesh has recently celebrated World Environment Day on June 5 through holding awareness-building programmes among school kids about conserving the environment for future. The company’s country manager Shadab Khan has talked about its commitments towards protecting the environment

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Sunday, June 8, 2014

World Bank sees China growth on track, urges reform n Reuters, Beijing

China is likely to meet its economic growth target of 7.5% this year, the World Bank said on Friday, but must persevere with fiscal and financial sector reforms to deal with the root cause of its debt problems.

"The prospect of growth falling below the government target will likely trigger accommodative fiscal and monetary policies," the Washington-based development bank said in its latest assessment of China's economy.

"These measures should help the authorities to reach the indicative growth target of around 7.5% in 2014, but will likely add to current imbalances and vulnerabilities."

The government unveiled a series of targeted measures after the economy got off to a weak start this year, with official May manufacturing and service sector surveys already showing an improvement.

The World Bank expected China's economy to grow 7.6% this year on policy support and a recovery of global demand, while it noted growth could slow to 7.5% in 2015.

The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it expected China to grow by around 7.5% this year and then slow to around 7% next year.

The World Bank said China's growth momentum could accelerate in the second quarter of 2014, a more upbeat view than many private economists.

A Reuters poll, however, found analysts expect annual GDP growth to slow to 7.3% in the second quarter, with fullyear growth of 7.3% in 2014, the weakest in 24 years and below the government target of 7.5%.

Reform-minded leaders have ruled

German trade surplus widens in April n AFP, Frankfurt Germany's trade surplus widened in April, as exports grew but imports stagnated, official data showed on Friday.

In seasonally adjusted terms, Germany exported goods worth 94.3bn euros ($129bn) in April, up from 91.6bn euros in March, the federal statistics office Destatis said in a statement.

Imports were unchanged at 76.6bn euros.

That meant the seasonally adjusted trade surplus - the balance between imports and exports - increased to 17.7bn euros in April from 15bn euros in March.

In unadjusted terms, however, the trade surplus narrowed, to 17.4bn euros in April from 18bn euros in March, as exports decreased, Destatis said. l

out any large stimulus campaign with the country still nursing the hangover from the 4tn yuan ($640bn) stimulus implemented during the global financial crisis in 2008-09, which piled up local debt. The new leadership has shown greater tolerance for slower growth as it attempts to steer the economy towards domestic consumption and away from the traditional engines of exports and investment.

"A rebalancing of growth from investment to consumption and from industry to services continues, but there are challenges and rebalancing is slow," the World Bank said.

Still, the World Bank saw downside risks to its 2014 China growth projection, as an abrupt deleveraging of local government debt and a sharp slowdown in the real estate sector could weigh on economic activity.

"We keep the baseline as it is, but we also stress that there are significant downside risks to that projection," Karlis Smits, senior economist at the bank, told a briefing.

He said there are signs that the government may set a lower growth target for next year to help reduce imbalances in the economy, but did not elaborate.

The government aims for average annual economic growth of 7T under its 12th five-year plan that covers 2011-2015.

The World Bank urged China to speed up fiscal and financial sector reforms to deal with the root cause of its debt problems.

"Delays in implementing coherent reforms could perpetuate resource misallocation, undermine the health of the banking system, threaten the debt sustainability of local governments, and increase the fiscal costs of reforms," it said. l

A man talks on his phone near a new residential compound in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, May

Google working on 3D motion-sensing tablet n AFP, San Francisco Google on Thursday revealed that is working on a tablet computer with 3D and motion-sensing capabilities in an effort dubbed Project Tango.

"The goal of Project Tango is to give mobile devices a human-scale understanding of space and motion," team member Johnny Lee said at a website devoted to the endeavor.

"Our team has been working with universities, research labs, and industrial partners spanning nine countries around the world to build on the last decade of research in robotics and computer vision, concentrating that technology into a unique mobile device."

The curtain on the project was pulled back as Google put out word it

will soon put prototypes powered by Nvidia chips in the hands of developers interested in creating applications that take advantage of innovations built into devices. The development kits can be used to make "apps" that track full 3D motion and recognize surfaces of things nearby, according to Google.

The California-based technology titan pulled back the curtain on Project Tango a day after online commerce colossus Amazon.com put out word of a June 18 mystery event at which founder Jeff Bezos will launch something new.

Online speculation immediately centered on the potential for the Seattle-based firm to unveil a Kindle smartphone, perhaps with 3D graphics and motion-sensing capabilities. Amazon invited people to request invitations at

website amazon.com/launchevent and even teased the mysterious event in a video posted at YouTube.

The video, titled "Find out what these Amazon customers are talking about," featured people admiring something they were holding out of sight of the camera. Comments included "it moved with me" and "it's very real life and uncomparable to anything I've ever seen."

For months, analysts have speculated about Amazon launching a smartphone that would be a companion to its Kindle tablets, which help keep consumers in the Amazon ecosystem.

Amazon is known for selling its tablets at low profit margins to compete with Goole and Apple and to be able to sell digital content including e-books and films. l

'Twitter in talks to buy online music firm SoundCloud' n Reuters Microblogging platform Twitter Inc has been in talks with Berlin-based audio sharing website SoundCloud in its efforts to add a music service to its offering, the Financial Times reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Twitter has weighed up deals worth billions of dollars and has also consid-

ered buying music-streaming service Spotify and internet-radio provider Pandora Media Inc, the newspaper.

SoundCloud is a platform that enables people to upload, record, promote and share their music and other audio files.

The company has aggressively expanded its capabilities to carry multimedia content. Last year, it acquired "We Are Hunted," a three-person music

streaming-startup from Australia.

SoundCloud declined to comment on the deal while Twitter did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment outside regular US business hours.

Twitter's renewed interest in music-streaming companies comes after Apple Inc acquired Beats, the headphones and music-streaming firm founded by Jimmy Iovine and Dr Dre,

for $3bn.

The Beats deal was seen as Apple's effort to jumpstart an uneven attempt to make headway in music streaming, the fastest-growing segment of the market, as iTunes sales decline.

Pandora Media and Spotify have raced ahead while Apple's eightmonth-old iTunes Radio has not made much of a dent. l

REUTERS

IMF: Britain's economic recovery strong but open to shocks n AFP, London Britain's economic recovery is robust and becoming more balanced, but action must be taken to deal with a housing shortage that is causing prices to spiral, the International Monetary fund said Friday.

'Although household expenditures played the driving role in the early stages of the recovery, business investment has picked up more recently' The IMF report into the country's economic health warned that the recovery could be derailed by external shocks, such as slowing growth in emerging markets, and advised that the Bank of England keep monetary policy loose for the immediate future.

"The economy has rebounded

strongly and growth is becoming more balanced," it said.

"Although household expenditures played the driving role in the early stages of the recovery, business investment has picked up more recently."

Britain's economy grew by 0.8% in the first quarter of 2014 compared with output in the final three months of last year, recent data showed. On an annual comparison growth was 3.1%.

The IMF said the rebound was "expected to persist" with real GDP growth remaining strong in 2014 before returning to trend rates, but that this outlook could be compromised unless productivity improves.

Despite ever-increasing house prices, the group found "few of the typical signs of a credit-led bubble", instead blaming the conditions on a failure to build enough new homes.

External threats to the economy include shocks to growth in emerging markets and the euro area, increased geopolitical tensions and the tapering of unorthodox liquidity measures in the United States.

However, money supply in Britain should "stay accommodative-for now" but policy should be tightened quickly "if costs run ahead of productivity growth". l

IMF 'strongly' welcomes ECB interest rate cuts n AFP, Washington The International Monetary Fund hailed the European Central Bank's unprecedented moves Thursday to prevent deflation in the eurozone, including cutting key interest rates to new all-time lows.

"We strongly welcome the very proactive stance taken by the ECB today," said IMF spokesman Gerry Rice.

"And we're encouraged that president (Mario) Draghi indicated that the ECB would be willing to do more if necessary."

DILBERT

A new i8 plug-in hybrid sports car developed by German car manufacturer BMW is parked at the BMW world delivery center in Munich, southern Germany.

AFP

After a monetary policy meeting Thursday, the ECB announced rate cuts, including a move that puts its deposit rate in uncharted territory at negative 0.10%, meaning banks will have to pay the ECB to hold their cash.

The cuts were accompanied by a package of new liquidity measures aimed at boosting bank lending, which has been declining for months.

Backing the decision for the bold moves, the ECB also said it was lowering its inflation forecast for the 18-nation eurozone this year to just 0.7%, far

below its target. The IMF had been urging the ECB for months to take action to head off deflation as the fragile recovery in the eurozone spawned weak inflationary pressures.

But ECB chief Draghi previously had brushed away IMF pressure.

"The IMF has been extremely generous in its suggestions on what we should do or not do ... We are really thankful for that," Draghi said in early April.

"But the viewpoints of the (ECB) governing council are in a sense different." l