17 July, 2014

Shraban 2, 1421 Ramadan 18, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 107

THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

8 | IRAQI ARMY RETREATS FROM TIKRIT

20 pages | Price: Tk12

11 | THE MIDDLE EAST BURNS

14 | BARCA OK WITH SUAREZ ANTICS

7 | LEGAL BATTLE IN THE BAY

Sangsad to get back power to impeach judges

‘When there is no ceasefire, our answer is fire’ n Tribune Desk

Government thinks interference of judiciary is hampering executive’s work the independence of the judiciary. n Mohosinul Karim “Everything will be done following The government is likely to amend the constitution to reinstate Jatiya Sangsad’s authority to impeach Supreme Court judges to make them accountable to the legislature.

Following a recommendation from the parliamentary watchdog concerned, the Law Ministry has already initiated a move to reinstate the provision, which was removed from the constitution during military ruler Gen Ziaur Rahman’s regime.

Ministry is examining the constitutions of Australia, South Africa, USA, India and UK laws The ministry has started examining the constitutions of Australia, South Africa, USA and India and the existing laws in the United Kingdom, sources said. The UK does not have any written constitution.

Endorsing the information, Law Minister Anisul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “We are planning to amend the constitution... But, we do not want to interfere with

the constitutions [of other democratic countries] and upholding the independence of judiciary... [However] nothing will happen before Eid-Ul-Fitr.”

Earlier, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs made the recommendation for amending the constitution following a suggestion from the Law Commission.

The commission in the lone body in the country tasked to suggest the government on legal reforms.

According to the commission suggestion, article 96 of the 1972 constitution authorised the legislature, with a two-third majority, to impeach apex court judges for misconducts and violating constitution.

However, military ruler and BNP founder Gen Ziaur Rahman dropped the provision from the country’s charter through military orders and instituted a new mechanism – the Supreme Judicial Commission, headed by the chief justice and two other senior judges.

Installation of the new mechanism curtailed the legislature’s authority to make the judiciary accountable to the people’s representatives.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Children’s organisations Surjalok Ashor and Chandralok Ashor stage a human chain in the capital’s Mohammadpur yesterday protesting the Islraeli attack on the Gaza Strip MEHEDI HASAN

Bus services cashing in on Eid rush n Ashif Islam Shaon

With Eid fast approaching, bus companies have reportedly raised their ticket fares to draw maximum profits from the rush of home-bound passengers; with some of the air-conditioned bus services nearly doubling their ticket prices.

After visiting the counters of several bus companies on Tuesday, the Dhaka Tribune found that AC buses travelling from Dhaka to the southern and northern districts have hiked up their ticket prices by Tk600-800 ahead of Eid, while non-AC buses are charging around Tk150-200 extra for each ticket.

“Our buses are more luxurious than those of any other company and during the Eid rush we will not get enough

passengers for the return journey to Dhaka for our 27-seat buses. So, there is no option other than increasing the fare,” said a staff at the counter of Yellow Line Paribahan in Kalyanpur, seeking anonymity.

He said they are now selling each ticket to Satkhira for Tk2,000, which was priced at Tk1,200 a few days ago.

Despite the extra fare, almost all the tickets have already been sold out, the counterman added.

The scenario was same for AC buses operating on northern routes. The ticket price for Hanif Paribahan’s AC bus service to Rajshahi has jumped to Tk1,400 from Tk800 during the Eid rush.

“This is nothing new. We have been introducing new and luxurious buses

INSIDE B1 | Business

landfill in the capital did not match that of any Rana Plaza victim.

5 | News

Rahimafrooz Renewable Energy Ltd, a local solar panel manufacturing company, has begun exporting solar panel products to Nepal and Dubai.

3 | News

The law commission observed that district and session judges often take leave from their workplaces, violating the rules and ultimately hampering judicial activities.

4 | News

A DNA test of the samples found from 29 pieces of human limbs at the Matuail

Dhaka Metropolitan Police has decided to set up formalin-testing booths at prime kitchen markets in the capital within a week to check the presence of the harmful chemical in food items.

6 | Nation

As people have started heading to their ancestral homes for Eid, the dope gang, commonly known as aggyan party, have recently again started attacking unsuspecting travellers on the Dhaka-MymenshinghJamalpur rail route.

9 | World

The first typhoon of the Philippines’ brutal rainy season shut down the nation’s capital yesterday, killing at least 13 people across the country and cutting power for millions.

every year. These are comfortable, expensive and have high maintenance costs. Besides, the return journeys do not draw passengers,” said Mosarraf Hossain, manager of Hanif Paribahan.

He also claimed that the Bus Owners Association has issued no directive over the fare for AC buses.

The Dhaka Tribune has learned that Khulna-bound AC buses are charging Tk1,300 for each ticket instead of the original price of Tk900. For the Non-AC buses, the Dinajpur-bound passengers have to pay Tk630 instead of Tk450; for Khulna, Satkhira and Jessore Tk670 instead of Tk500; while for Kushtia the new fare is Tk500 instead of Tk450.

Staff working for the non-AC bus  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

INDIA’S RIVER INTER-LINKING PROJECT

JS body concerned over Rs100 crore allocation n Kamran Reza Chowdhury The parliamentary watchdog on water resources yesterday expressed concerns at the Indian government’s allocating Rs100 crore for examining the implementation of inter-linking of the common rivers without which Bangladesh cannot survive.

At a meeting at the parliament building, the 10-member committee asked the Water Resources Ministry to propose that the Indian government carry out a joint study on the project’s

probable impacts on Bangladesh and India before its execution.

In 2002-03, the then BJP government initiated the project that would spell disaster in the down stream. The subsequent Congress government assured Bangladesh of not doing anything that would adversely impact Bangladesh.

According to the plan, India will carry water of the Brahmaputra, the Meghna and the Ganges to its water scarce areas through canals before the rivers enter Bangladesh.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

Israeli missiles struck the houses of several senior Hamas figures throughout early yesterday morning, as at least seven Palestinians were reportedly killed in the latest escalation of violence. The renewed strikes came a day after the failure of a brief and one-sided ceasefire on Tuesday observed by Israel, but not by Hamas.

Among the residences targeted were those of former interior minister Fathi Hamad and senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar, which was destroyed. Zahar was said to be hiding elsewhere at the time of the missile strike.

The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has said he had “no choice” but to escalate Israel’s bombing campaign. “When there is no ceasefire, our answer is fire,” he said.

The Israeli security cabinet met yesterday to discuss a limited ground operation, an Israeli official has revealed to the Guardian, a British newspaper.

“The direction now is to continue air strikes and, if need be, enter with ground forces in a tactical, measured manner,” an Israeli official said to Reuters after the security cabinet meeting.

World powers urged calm, worried about spiralling casualties should Israel send tens of thousands of troops it has mobilised into Gaza. It is one of the world’s mostly densely populated areas, its poverty exacerbated by the collapse of public works and displacement of at least 18,000 Palestinians who the UN said have taken shelter at its Gaza City schools, Reuters reported.

On Tuesday, Israel unilaterally accepted an Egyptian blueprint for a ceasefire. The dominant Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, however, said it had not been consulted by Cairo and kept up rocket attacks while Israel held back for six hours.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

SEHRI & IFTAR TIME Day Ramadan 18/July 17 Ramadan 19/July 18

Sehri – 3.51am

Iftar 6.52pm 6.52pm

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, July 17, 2014

BB: BASIC clients can withdraw deposits using own judgement

PM flies to London on July 21 n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

The deposits at BASIC Bank declined by Tk997.56 crore in six months money at BASIC Bank,” the letter reads. n Asif Showkat kallol The BSEC also suspects that its ofBangladesh Bank has advised the clients of scam-hit BASIC Bank to withdraw their deposits from that bank using their own judgement.

Md Syful Islam, general manager of the Financial Integrity and Customer Services Department of Bangladesh Bank, sent a letter to the finance division last week, saying BASIC Bank clients could withdraw their deposits.

In June, Chairman of the Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation Md Imtiaz Hossain Chowdhury had sought advice from the finance division as well as the Bangladesh Bank on withdrawing its fixed deposit return (FDR) from the bank.

On the Bangladesh Bank advice, the BSEC in a second letter last week alleged that the central bank had avoided its responsibility in resolving the matter.

“We are worried about saving the corporation’s FDR fund in the wake of misappropriation of a large amount of

ficials might be harassed by the Anti-Corruption Commission because of its large FDR fund at BASIC Bank when the ACC starts investigating the scam.

According to a Finance Ministry report, the deposits at BASIC Bank declined by Tk997.56 crore in six months this year as depositors gave the stateowned bank the cold shoulder after Bangladesh Bank had detected huge irregularities at the bank.

Bankers say the depositors lost confidence in the BASIC Bank after the central bank unearthed that it disbursed more than Tk4,500 crore in loans in the last few years violating rules and regulations.

The ministry report, submitted to the parliamentary standing committee on public undertakings on Thursday, shows that deposits at BASIC Bank dropped to Tk12,451.78 crore as of June 30 from Tk13,449.34 crore in December 31, 2013. l

Members of Palestine-Iraq Solidarity Council bring out a procession on the Dhaka University campus yesterday, protesting the Israeli attack on Gaza NASHIRUL ISLAM

Human chain at DU to protest Gaza attack n DU Correspondent Hundreds of students at Dhaka University staged a demonstration in protest of the ongoing Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip in Palestine at the Central Shahid Minar in the university yesterday afternoon.

Forming a human chain under the banner “Young Patriots,” the students called to boycott all Israeli products to show solidarity with Gaza.

Chief whip hails part of TIB report n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

The parliament authorities for the first time have not rejected the report of Transparency International Bangladesh on the Jatiya Sangsad, acknowledging that it has contained many good points.

But some of the points referred to in the report on the first session of the current 10th parliament were motivated and it gave the wrong impression about the country’s legislature.

Chief Whip ASM Feroz yesterday gave a formal reaction to the TIB’s report, claiming that the Jatiya Party had been playing the true role of the opposition.

The Bangladesh chapter of Berlin-based Transparency International comes under attack every year from the MPs after their publication of reports on parliament in which the anti-corruption watchdog criticises the government for quorum crisis, poor law making and conflict of interests of the lawmakers.

While releasing the report on July 7, the TIB said the Jatiya Party had been suffering from identity crisis and it could

not play the role of the opposition.

“We do not reject the report; it contains many good points. I hope the TIB will be careful in making future comments,” Feroz told a press conference at the parliament members’ club.

He said the civil society body like the TIB had very important role in a democracy as the government would correct its mistakes from their criticisms.

“The government has many successes that are recognised by the international community. But the TIB is silent. I hope the TIB in future will be more careful in releasing any report and maintain maximum caution in this regard,” said the chief whip, flanked by three whips.

Feroz rejected the TIB’s findings that the quorum crisis (absence of the MPs in legislature in time) cost over Tk80 million. “The claim that Tk78,000 is spent every minute for running the parliament has no basis.”

He also said the main opposition Jatiya Party had been very much active in the parliament as opposition to ensure transparency and accountability of the government.

“The independent and Jatiya Party MPs have been talking on many nationally important issues on point-of-order,” he said.

“So, such report of the TIB has created confusion among the people, also tarnishing the image of the majestic Jatiya Sangsad,” said the chief whip.

Replying to a question on the use of indecent words on the BNP, now having no representation in the parliament, Feroz said Tarique Rahman’s controversial comments on the war of independence and Bangabandhu had sparked debate in the assembly.

“The MPs did not speak in line with the party decision to criticise the BNP. The MPs were criticising the BNP from their own conscience and judgment,” he said.

Refuting the TIB’s allegation of the speaker’s silence for use of indecent words in the floor, the chief whip said Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury earned a reputation in running the legislature efficiently.

“Both the speaker and the deputy speaker reminded the MPs not to use unparliamentary language,” said Feroz. l

They also threatened to lay siege to the United Nations office in Dhaka if the organisation failed to play an active role in stopping the Israeli air strikes in the Palestinian territory.

Speakers at the human chain said the Israeli forces were killing the Palestinian people indiscriminately and attacking the country without any legal cause.

Criticising the Israeli atrocities, they called upon the UN to step up and im-

Khaleda: Dire consequences if post-Eid programme barred n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday warned the ruling Awami League of dire consequences if they attempted to bar the BNP’s post-Eid movement to force the government to hold the national elections under a non-partisan government.

To intensify the movement, Dhaka city unit and BNP convening committee will be announced soon, the former premier informed.

“We came to know that AL will also take to the streets after Eid. That you [AL] are taking preparations to take up positions on the streets is good, but do not have police and goons accompanying you. If you do, we will reply strongly, the consequences of which will not be good,” Khaleda said.

The BNP chief made these remarks at a Iftar party hosted by city unit BNP at the Lunch and Dinner Hall of the Parliament, adding that a movement does not mean violence and destruction. “The movement after Eid will be completely peaceful and democratic,” she said.

Draft ready to amend ICT act to try Jamaat n Mohosinul Karim

The Law Ministry has taken an initiative to amend the International Crimes Tribunal Act, keeping the provision of trying organisations such as the Jamaat-e-Islami and including the scope of bail for the accused.

The ministry had already prepared the draft of the amendment, which would be placed to the cabinet after Eid-ul-Fitr, officials told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Law Minister Anisul Haque said: “There is no option but to amend the ICT act to try Jamaat-e-Islami as a war criminal organisation. We are considering amending the law.

“We may decide on the matter after Eid-ul-Fitr.”

However, when asked about keep-

ing the provision of bail for the accused, the minister refused to make any comment. He only said: “Nothing is finalised yet. It may take time to finalise the matter and we will inform the media of the amendment before it is placed in parliament.”

The ministry may also consider dissolving one of the two tribunals as the number of cases has decreased A number of officials at the ministry, however, confirmed that the provisions for trying organisations on war crime charges and bail for the accused would be kept in the law.

In the draft, the ministry proposed inserting the word “organisation” in section 20(2) of the ICT act so that organisations could also be tried along with individuals for war crime charges, they said.

It would also keep the provision for the tribunal to take the offence in cognisance if an organisation was found guilty.

The provision for allowing bail for the accused would be included in the law.

Many officials said the amendment initiative had been taken to try Jamaat as a war criminal organisation following the tribunal’s judgments on trying anti-Liberation War organisations.

The investigation agency of crimes against humanity finalised its report on Jamaat last March, but it could not sub-

Sangsad to get back power to impeach judges  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

The Law Commission made the recommendation after the parliamentary watchdog sought its opinion on the ways to reduce backlog of cases and expediting disposal of cases.

“Everybody should understand that nobody is above law. Even if any of the honourable Supreme Court judges shows negligence in carrying out duties or commits gross misconduct or violates the code of conduct, they should be made accountable to the Jatiya Sangsad. This provision, which was present in the original constitution, can be restored,” says the commission.

Mentioning that there were allegations of “massive corruption” against the bench officers of the Supreme Court, the commission said: “They should be transferred regularly and put under tough monitoring.”

Suranjit Sengupta, chairman of the parliamentary body, told the Dhaka Tribune after the meeting of June 27:

“We recommended that the law minister talks to the chief justice for the implementation of the suggestions to the extent possible.”

He said the government should consult the chief justice as he had “stake” in it.

Anisul Haque said the ministry had taken the initiative following the instruction of the parliamentary watchdog and also directives from the prime minister. “We are working on it. But, nothing is final yet.”

Law Ministry officials said the draft of the amendment has already been finalised. It would be sent to the cabinet immediately after the Law Minister gives his nod.

The draft will be sent to the prime minister after Eid. It would be sent to the cabinet division after getting the PM’s nod, an official told the Dhaka Tribune.

According to ministry officials, the authorities of parliament, the executive and the judiciary have interfering

with each others’ work, ignoring their own responsibilities. The judiciary’s interference had been hampering the regular work of the executives.

The issue was discussed in a recent cabinet meeting.

During that discussion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the law minister to take initiative to bring back the constitutional provision.

If the constitution is amended, the mechanism, enabling the formation of Supreme Judicial Council for holding apex court judges accountable, will be nullified.

The 1972 constitution says Supreme Court judges could be removed from office if parliament passes a proposal with two-third majority. It also made getting prior approval from the country’s president mandatory for the purpose.

The original charter also allows parliament to make new laws if needed for controlling the misconducts and violation of constitution by judges. l

mediately stop the genocide.

Later, they set fire to Israeli products, saying boycotting the products could cause economical damage to Israel, which would make a lot of difference.

Meanwhile, leaders and activists of progressive student organisations organised processions in the campus area and held a short rally near the Raju Bhashkorjo on the campus to protest the Gaza attack. l

mit the report to the tribunal as there was no provision of trying an organisation in the act.

On May 29, the law minister informed the media of the loopholes in the act, saying the government would have to amend the law if it wanted to try Jamaat.

The initiative of trying Jamaat has since stuck in that stage. Later, the Law Ministry was instructed to prepare a draft of the amendment.

Ministry officials said the draft of the amendment would be sent to the cabinet after Eid. The ministry may also consider dissolving one of the two tribunals as the number of cases has decreased. The officials said the thought was, however, still at a primary level. The prosecution team may also be reorganised, they said. l

Alleging that the government is not interested in holding dialogues because they want to stay in power forever, she threatened, “But if you [AL] think this, then your situation will worsen.”

Expressing concern over the recent price hike of daily essentials, the BNP chief said it would prevail as long as the current government held power. Khaleda said they would introduce a new style of politics for the sake of the country.

Meanwhile at a separate programme, the BNP chief handed over financial assistance to family members of 21 victims of either killing or abduction, so that the families could observe Eid. The former premier handed over a cheque of one lakh taka to each family at her Gulshan office in the capital.

Assuring the victims’ relatives that they would get justice one day, Khaleda said: “Many were abducted across the country during the tenure of the current government. Those who were abducted or killed were the asset of the [BNP] party. Their only crime was that they did BNP’s politics.” l

JS body concerned over Rs100 crore allocation  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

The Brahmaputra, originated in China, carry more than 60% water in Bangladesh, the biggest delta in the world.

“Allocating money for such project is a matter of concern for us. We have asked the ministry to bring the matter to the Foreign Ministry proposing a joint study with India to assess the impacts of the project,” Ramesh Chandra Sen, a former water resources minister, told reporters after the standing committee’s meeting.

He said India had agreed to carry out a joint study on the impacts of the Tipaimukh dam on the Barak River, adding that Bangladesh should engage with India to discuss water issues. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her British counterpart David Cameron are likely to discuss issues relating to democracy and governance, trade, aid and the diaspora during their bilateral talks in London.

“The prime minister is going to London on July 21 at the invitation of her British counterpart and they will have a bilateral meeting,” a senior official of the Foreign Ministry told the Dhaka Tribune.

Hasina was invited to attend the Girl Summit in London to be held on July 22.

About half a million Bangladeshi diaspora are now living in England and Bangladesh will raise the issue of their welfare in the European country, the official said.

The invitation of David Cameron is considered significant as the British government along with other governments of western countries criticised the government for their one-sided election on January 5. Hasina will also have meetings with several members of parliament and the diaspora community.

The UK will host the first Girl Summit on July 22 aimed at mobilising domestic and international efforts to end female genital mutilation and child, early and forced marriage within a generation. UNICEF will co-host the event.

Girls and women have the right to live free from violence and discrimination and achieve their potential, but millions are being prevented from doing so by harmful practices. l

Our answer is fire  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

With Palestinian fire having inflicted the first Israeli fatality of the conflict - a civilian bringing food to soldiers near Gaza - Netanyahu vowed to “expand and intensify” to stop persistent rocket strikes that have made a race for shelters a daily routine for hundreds of thousands in the Jewish state.

Cabinet grills Netanyahu

Binyamin Netanyahu has been criticised by members of his own party and other right-wingers for agreeing to a ceasefire with Hamas, The guardian reported.

Binyamin Netanyahu’s cabinet is in disarray as the Israeli prime minister comes under fire from several of his most senior ministers for his handling of the crisis in Gaza.

The storm of public criticism from within his own ranks led to the sacking on Tuesday night of the deputy defence minister, Danny Danon, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Danon had told the media that Hamas had humiliated Israel by setting conditions for peace, after Netanyahu said he was willing to accept the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire. Hamas claimed that it had not been consulted over the ceasefire conditions and rejected it.

“At a time when … Israel and the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] are in the midst of a military campaign against the terrorist organisations and taking determined action to maintain the security of Israel’s citizens, it cannot be that the deputy defence minister will sharply attack the leadership of the country regarding the campaign,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Tuesday.

“These sharp remarks on the deputy defence minister’s part are irresponsible, especially given his position. They also serve the Hamas terrorist organisation as a tool to attack the government with.”

The divisions within the Israeli cabinet have been mocked by Hamas, with spokesman FauziBarhoum calling the sacking of Danon a “victory for the resistance.” l

Bus services cashing in on Eid rush  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

services, however, denied allegations of hiking ticket prices during the Eid rush.

Hanif Paribahan GM Mosarraf said they have been charging the actual fare for non-AC buses during the Eid rush. “The fare is Tk1.45 per kilometre.

During other times, we take less fare than the government-approved fare list. So, the passengers think that we are charging extra, which is not true,” he said.

Tickets almost sold out

Just a day after bus services began selling advance Eid tickets at their counters, several companies announced that their tickets – especially for the AC bus services – were sold out. Although some companies saved some tickets for sale, most of those tickets were for rear seats.

During the first day of ticket sales on Monday, a large number of ticket-seek-

ers thronged the counters at Gabtoli, Kalyanpur and Shyamoli; however the numbers trickled down on Tuesday following the announcement of tickets being sold out, while there was also no rush yesterday.

The selling of advance tickets will continue until tomorrow.

Countermen of different bus companies said around 60% tickets for all north-bound buses had been sold out on the first day of sale, while the rest were sold by Tuesday. Some reserved tickets however are still in their hands for demands from “special passengers.”

Home-goers’ demand was reportedly higher for tickets dated July 24, 25 and 27, with the tickets for the dates already sold out.

However, some transport companies are also preparing to arrange additional trips for carrying extra passengers, keeping tickets for those reserved.

Sayedabad without rush

Every year, the Sayedabad bus terminal usually sees a small number of advance tickets being sold by bus companies there.

Only a handful of renowned companies arrange extra trips from the terminal for home-goers during the Eid rush. Visiting the terminal on Tuesday morning, the Dhaka Tribune found that none of the counters had any queues of ticket-seekers.

When asked why they did not sell advance tickets, the bus staff said every year they failed to maintain the bus schedule because of traffic congestion on Kajla-Sayedabad and Kachpur-Sayedabad roads. That is why they were not selling any advance tickets, but the passengers would get tickets on arrival, they added.

However, some companies like Hanif, Shyamoli, Unique, Shohag, Eagle, Saudia, and S Alam will start selling advance bus tickets in Sayedabad from July 20. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Thursday, July 17, 2014

‘Unauthorised’ station leave of judges irks Law Commission n Kamran Reza Chowdhury The Law Commission observed that district and session judges often take leave from their workplaces, violating the rules and ultimately hampering judicial activities.

Headed by former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque the Law Commission, the body authorised to suggest legal reforms to the government, made the observation in a report on how to reduce backlogs of cases.

The parliamentary standing committee on the Law Ministry tasked the Law Commission to give its opinion on how to expedite the disposal of some 32 lakh cases in different courts.

‘I do not think that rule is being violated grossly; most of the district judges inform me about their departure from their workplaces’ At its scheduled meeting today, the 10-member parliamentary standing committee on law, justice and parliamentary affairs is expected to discuss the report.

The Supreme Court Registrar AKM Shamsul Islam, however, contradicted the Law Commission’s observation saying the number of truant judges is “insignificant.”

“Rule 500 of the civil rules and orders stipulates that district and the session judges and judges of equal status must inform the registrar of the High Court division (Supreme Court registrar) in writing if they need to leave their stations,” said the Law Commission report.

“The aforesaid rule is grossly being violated,” it said.

“Observation is that some judges equivalent to district judge status leave the workplace during court hours on Thursdays without the knowledge of the authorities. And they turn up at the workplace on Sunday around noon,” the report stated.

It further said the subordinate judges under the supervision of these “morally weak” judges also leave their workplaces every week without the permission of the authorities, harming the overall justice system “severely.”

“The High Court division registrar (Supreme Court registrar) receives a few applications from judges for leave,” said the Law Commission, adding, “Unauthorised leaves from workplaces by the judges must stop at any cost.”

The report further said judges should stay in their workplaces so that they can ponder about judicial activities throughout the week.

It suggested that the authorities should telephone the houses of the judges to ensure their presence and serve “show-cause notices” to reduce unauthorised leaving.

AKM Shamsul Islam, the Supreme Court registrar, told the Dhaka Tribune that the district judges took their leave after informing him.

“I do not think that rule is being violated grossly; most of the district judges inform me about their departure from their workplaces. They sometimes inform me over the phone and then send papers,” said Shamsul.

“The percentage resorting to unauthorized station leave is very low,” he said.

Law Secretary Abu Saleh Sk Md Zahirul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune that the Supreme Court registrar would examine the authenticity of the Law Commission’s report.

“The government has nothing to do with it,” said Abu Saleh, who is also the secretary of the judicial services association. l

As Eid fast approaches, more people are begging for alms on city streets, often using children to draw sympathy. One such infant is left dangerously beside the central reservation of a road in Lalmatia yesterday by his parents SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

ATTACK ON EX-BCL PRESIDENT SHAMIM

Stamford ex-VC on six-day remand n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court placed former vicechancellor of Stamford University Dr Hannan Firoz on a six-day remand yesterday for his alleged involvement in the attack on former Chhatra League president Enamul Haque Shamim.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasibul Haque passed the order after investigating officer Shamsuddin Saleh Ahmed Chowdhury produced Firoz before the court with a 10-day remand plea.

A team of the Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested Firoz from his Dhanmondi residence early yesterday, said Abu Yusuf, assistant commissioner (media wing) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Shamsuddin told the court that Firoz gave money to a group of people who had shot at Shamim in Dhanmondi on June 19, attempting to kill him.

“Firoz was arrested based on the confessional statement made on Tuesday by Rana Howlader, who was

arrested on July 9 in connection with the case,” he said.

Shamim is a central leader of Awami League and also a member of the Board of Trustees of Stamford University.

“In his confession, Rana said it was Firoz who had planned the attack and also provided the money. He and several others had hired professional goons to kill Shamim,” said the investigating officer.

“For the sake of investigation, we need to know what sort of conflict existed among the accused and the victim. We also need to know how 60-year-old Firoz contacted the goons and made the deal,” he told the court.

Meanwhile, seeking bail for Firoz, his counsel Barrister Rafiqul Haque said police did not carry out a proper investigation into the internal feud among the top officials of the university and the whole thing was an attempt to tarnish the former vice-chancellor’s image.

“As he is a freedom fighter, an Awa-

mi League activist, and used to care about Shamim like his own younger brother, it is clear that he has been framed,” Rafiqul told the court.

“He is a well-respected member of society. He will not flee if granted bail.

Considering the month of Ramadan and his age, he should be allowed bail,” he added.

The court, however, turned down the bail petition.

According to police and Shamim’s driver, Shamim was shot, by three youths astride a motorbike, in front of Ibn Sina Diagnostic Centre in Dhanmondi while on his way to Stamford University in the morning on the day of the incident.

Shamim, who was sitting beside the driver, escaped the attempted murder by ducking his head but two bullets pierced his hand.

After the attack, RAB arrested four people, and DB police another three.

Investigators said Shamim was targeted because of a feud regarding ownership of the university. l

ACC chair slams profit-seeking during Ramadan n Tribune Report Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman M Bodiuzzaman yesterday said corruption has increased “tremendously” during Ramadan because businesses were trying to squeeze out the maximum amount of profit possible during this month.

The chairman was addressing a discussion and iftar programme at the media centre of the anti-graft body’s headquarters. Reporters Against Corruption (RAC) arranged the discussion.

He said businesses strived to make all of their profits during Ramadan, which was the opposite of business practices in other countries. “Whereas businesses in other countries offer discounts during religious holidays, Bangladeshi businesses indulge in all sorts of irregularities to maximise profits during Ramadan,” the chairman said.

ACC Commissioner M Shahabuddin said: “We have conducted raids this month and have trapped and detained corrupt officials.” l

WAR CRIMES CASE AGAINST SUBHAN High Court SI held for killing trader in city questions Nizam Witness: We chose justice, not revenge n Kailash Sarkar Hazari’s legality n Udisa Islam as an MP

n Nazmus Sakib The High Court yesterday sought the records of the appeal on which lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari secured bail from the High Court.

It also ordered the inspector general of prisons and the superintendent of Chittagong jail to submit a report before it on the jail tenure of Nizam for an arms case.

The section concerned of the Supreme Court has to provide the record

by August 31.

The bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order.

On June 8, following a writ petition filed by Shakhwat Hossain, ex-joint convener of Feni district Jubo League, the court asked Nizam to explain under what authority he was holding office as the lawmaker of Feni 2 constituency.

It also wanted to know why the seat should not be declared vacant.

Responding to an earlier order of the High Court, the jail authorities informed the court in writing that the uncontested lawmaker was freed on July 1, 2006.

Shakhawat in his petition said Nizam was supposed to serve in jail till September 13, 2010, and he would not be qualified to contest in the parliamentary elections the next five years as per the constitution.

The petitioner said Nizam could not be a candidate in the parliamentary election before September 2015, as per the constitution.

The writ petition mentioned that on August 16, 2000, a Chittagong court sentenced Nizam to 10 years in jail in an arms case. He, however, was released after serving only five years in prison.

Although he appealed against the verdict with the High Court and the Appellate Division, the appeals were dismissed, said the plea. Even his review petition was rejected.

But Chittagong jail authority said Nizam had obtained bail from the High Court in 2006. l

Md Shahidulla, the 21st prosecution witness against Maulana Abdus Subhan, yesterday accused the alleged war criminal of torturing his father to death as retribution for Shahid and his brother’s participation in the war as freedom fighters.

Giving his deposition in front of the International Crimes Tribunal 2, Shahid – a 64-year-old resident of Sadhupara in Pabna sadar – said Subhan was also behind the killings of 16 others at Dogachhi and Kulunia during the Liberation War. Shahid said he wanted to take revenge against Subhan’s family after hearing the news of his father’s death, but remained patient, thinking that one day justice would be served.

Shahid said on the first week of September in 1971, a white car that was used by Subhan and a van came to their house and took his father – Sheikh Kobad Ali – to Noorpur army

camp. There, Pakistani army personnel asked Kobad about his sons’ plans and whereabouts, and offered to free him if he would bring back his sons, who would then be recruited as razakars.

Shahid said his father later told family members that Subhan was present during the interrogations.

“When my mother went to plead with Subhan, he also told her if she could bring back the two freedom fighters, they would not do any harm.”

Shahid later learned that his father was killed by razakars near their village mosque on October 13, 1971, after being allowed out on bail from jail. Prior to being sent to jail, Kobad was severely tortured, the witness claimed.

Shahid also said the occupation forces attacked Pabna between March 26 and 28; while on March 28, the local Sangram Parishad resisted them and at least 20 Pakistani army personnel died in the battle.

He told the tribunal that on May 2 or May 3 of 1971, anti-liberation groups met at the deputy commissioner’s office and decided to form a peace committee with Subhan as its secretary.

The witness also said on May 11, 1971, Subhan came to Kulunia with the Pakistan army, who killed Somjuddin based on Subhan’s directive, as well as destroying 10 houses there. The witness said they also saw at least 11 dead bodies at Dogachhi Bazar including seven unarmed civilians whose bodies were inside a mosque.

After his deposition, defence counsel Advocate Mizanul Islam cross-examined Shahid before the tribunal adjourned the trial till today.

The defence counsel also pleaded that Subhan’s son wished to meet him, to which the tribunal allowed permission for only a five-minute meeting as only counsels, not family members, were allowed to meet regularly. l

Charge framed against Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday finally submitted the charge sheet against Rana plaza owner Sohel Rana and 17 others in a case filed for violating the building code when constructing Rana Plaza, which collapsed on April 24 last year killing 1,135 workers.

ACC Deputy Director SM Mofidul Islam, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court of Dhaka.

After pressing the charges, the IO also applied to the court to issue arrest warrants against the 12 fugitive accused in the case. The IO mentioned 18 prosecution witnesses.

Earlier, the ACC did not include Sohel Rana’s name in the case as the building was owned by his father and his was not found in any of the documents.

On June 15, the ACC filed a case

against 17 people including the parents of Sohel Rana, the owner of the Rana Plaza building.

On Tuesday, however, the ACC included Sohel’s name in the case as they found evidence of his involvement in the building code violations.

The anti-graft watchdog also approved the charge sheet on Tuesday.

Sohel Rana and five other accused in the case, who were earlier shown as arrested, are now in jail while the remaining accused are on the run.

The charge sheet includes Savar Mayor Mohammad Refatullah, Associate Professor of Khulna University Abdur Razzak, who was the architect of the building; former chief executive officer of Savar municipality Uttam Kumar Roy, Mohamamd Ali Khan, a ward commissioner of Savar and Rana’s parents Abdul Khalek and Morzina Begum, among the accused.

According to the charge sheet, the local Savar municipality initially ap-

proved a six-storey building and later it permitted the owner to extend into a 10-storeyed one.

The municipality has no authority to approve beyond six-storeys.

According to the case statement, the building authorities obtained permission for a six-storey building but later they added three more floors.

The Savar municipalty authorities, including their engineers, gave the approval for the illegal construction, it says, adding that they also approved the setting up of garment factories on the top six floors, even though the nine-storey building was supposed to be a shopping complex.

On April 24 last year, Rana Plaza, which housed five garment factories, a shopping complex and a branch of Brac Bank, collapsed.

The death toll from the deadliest building collapse stood at 1,135 while 2,438 people were rescued alive from under the rubble. l

Three days after the death of trader Mahbubur Rahman Sujon on July 13, allegedly due to torture while in custody of Mirpur Police Station, members of the same police station yesterday arrested sub-inspector Zahidur Rahman, who is implicated in the deaths earlier this year of three more people.

A Mirpur Police Station team arrested SI Zahidur from Rajarbagh Police Lines yesterday afternoon, immediately after police received a copy of the forensic test report regarding the death of Sujon.

Same SI implicated in the deaths of 3 more people The SI was arrested although no case was filed yet for the murder of Sujon, who was allegedly tortured to death following his refusal to pay Tk1 lakh as a monthly extortion payment to the SI. Police sources said the same policeman, Zahidur Rahman, killed three others earlier in the year—traders Nurul Islam and Zaved, and Bihari youth Johnny.

“SI Zahidur has been arrested after the forensic test report stated that the trader died from head injuries,” Imtiyaz Ahmed, deputy commissioner of police (DC) for the Mirpur Division, told the Dhaka Tribune.

“Unless anybody files another case in connection with the death of Sujon, police will file a case in this connection and the SI will be shown arrested under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure

(CrPc)”, the DC said.

The DC admitted that the same SI was also allegedly responsible for the death of three more people while in police custody.

The DC said investigations in connection with those incidents were in process.

A team of police led by SI Zahidur Rahman picked up Sujon and his wife Mamataj Sultana Luchi along with their five-year-old son Mosharraf from his residence in the capital’s Shankar area late at night on July 12 and tortured Sujon to death in the early hours of July 13.

Meanwhile, Professor Habibuzzaman Chowdhury, the chief of the Forensic Department at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), and assistant professor AKM Shafiuzzaman at DMCH in the forensic test report found that Sujon’s death resulted from head injuries.

Following the incident, SI Zahidur Rahman was closed to Rajarbagh Police Lines as part of primary punitive measures against him while a three-member committee was formed to probe the incident.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Habibur Rahman Chaklader Opu, a cousin of the deceased, said a human rights organisation was going to file a case in connection with the death of his cousin.

He also said SI Zahidur had been accused in the murder of three more people earlier under his custody.

“The SI had been used to collecting extortion money from the people by arresting them. He was also used to implicating people in various cases unless the detained persons were not willing to meet his demand for extortion money.” l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, July 17, 2014

DNA TESTS OF MATUAIL REMAINS

Samples did not match Rana Plaza victims n Moniruzzaman Uzzal A DNA test of the samples found from 29 pieces of human limbs at the Matuail landfill in the capital did not match that of any Rana Plaza victim.

The human remains at the landfill were recovered on June 23 last year.

The national DNA profiling laboratory at Dhaka Medical College Hospital submitted the detailed findings of the test before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court on June 26 the same year and the samples were sent to the laboratory on September 15.

Dr Sharif Akteruzzaman, head of the laboratory, told the Dhaka Tribune that it was suspected that the recovered remains were those of Rana Plaza victims.

“But we did not find any matches,” he said.

The doctor, however, refused to disclose the specific number of DNA profiles found in the test.

Police, court and laboratory sources said among the 29 pieces, complete DNAs of two males and one female were found. The test also found mixed DNAs (both male and female) of five people.

Kazi Jashimuddin, an investigating officer and a sub-inspector of Jatrabari police station, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that he had learnt about the recent submission of the test report before court.

“Forensic doctors at Sir Salimullah Medical College sent the samples to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital for testing. The doctors will get a copy of the test report and will then make the final recommendation in the autopsy report. We will take further steps after

receiving the report,” he said.

On June 23, police recovered several human limbs inside seven sacks at a dumping site in Matuail. Some street children discovered the sacks and told city corporation officials, who then informed police.

Police recovered seven legs, five arms, parts of two heads and 13 bones from inside the sacks. The remains are believed to belong to at least four people.

Seeking anonymity, police and DNA lab officials told the Dhaka Tribune the remains found in Matuail were either dumped by criminals after murdering the people or came from hospitals or anatomy departments of medical schools.

“Some of the bones were screwed and wired together. It will be tough to identify the victims,” they added. l

Protesting the recent TIB report on corruption in private universities, students from all private universities hold a rally at the National Press Club yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

No annual report in 42 years!

SSC EXAMINEE KIDNAPPED, RAPED Three get death sentenced for n Aminur Rahman Rasel killing woman, The office of the Electrical Advisor and Chief Electrical Inspector under the daughter in N’ganj government’s Power Division has not published its annual report for 42 years. n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong against the accused were proven beMoreover, the office has not audited n yond any doubt, Taslim was given 60 its expenditure for five years since 2009.

A local court yesterday sentenced three

One gets 60 years, two others get 30 years

people to death for killing a woman and her daughter two years ago.

The convicts are Abdul Malek alias Hero Malek, Omar Faruk and Abdus Salam, all of whom are residents of the district.

Mizanur Rahman, judge of Narayanganj 2 additional district judge court, handed down the verdict in presence of the convicts.

According to the prosecution, KSA expatriate Ahmed Ali’s wife Mabiya Akhter and the couple’s daughter Sadia Akhter were drugged and then murdered by miscreants at their house in Paikparha area of the district on August 16, 2012.

In the incident, a case was launched with Sadar police station and police later tracked down the three by using mobile tracking system Narayangnj additional public prosecutor KM Fazlul Hoque expressed satisfaction at the judgement. l

A Chittagong court yesterday sentenced a man to 60 years in prison, and two others to 30 years, for raping a SSC examinee after kidnapping her from Rangunia upazila in Chittagong in 2001.

The convicts were Taslim Hossain, who was given 60 years, and Shamsul Hoq and Omar Farook, both of whom got 30 years. Taslim and Shamsul are on the run and Farook is now behind bars.

The court also fined Taslim Tk80,000 and Tk30,000 to each of the two others, said court sources.

Md Zakir Hossain, judge of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal 2, handed down the verdict after seven witnesses had testified.

Advocate MA Naser, prosecutor of the tribunal, said that as the charges

years, equal to two life imprisonment sentences, under Section 7 and 9(1) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act while Shamsul and Farook each got life term under Section 7 of the same act.

According to the case document, the three convicts abducted the victim from near Kaokhali High School in Pomra union of Rangunia on October 15, 2001, and kept her in captivity in a local tea garden where Taslim raped her.

The father of the victim lodged a case with Rangunia police station on December 15 the same year, accusing the trio.

Police submitted the charge sheet in the case on March 16 the following year while the court indicted the three on April 13, 2003. l

For any government office, publishing annual reports and auditing incomes and expenditures are mandatory according to existing rules.

The office ensures proper control over life and property in generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

Its main responsibility is inspecting the installation, substations and lines and granting licenses for high tension and medium tension electricity connections.

The high and medium tension connections are generally installed for commercial purposes, especially at industrial establishments.

The office of the electrical advisor, through the Electrical License Board under it, also issues licences to electrical contractors, engineers and electricians.

HC grants bail to BDR carnage case convict n Nazmus Sakib The High Court yesterday granted bail to a convict in the BDR carnage case.

Sarwar Hossain, who was sentenced to jail for three years, obtained bail for one year from the bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore.

Sarwar’s lawyer Shameem Sardar said the Ansaar man was the first convict who obtained bail in the BDR carnage case.

Shameem said before the punishment was pronounced on November 5 Sarwar was also on bail. He said though his client was not present in the place of carnage, he was punished as he kept a mobile phone of slain Major Saleh.

However, Towhid, a BDR personnel, who gave the mobile to Sarwar, was acquitted for which the High Court granted his client bail, Shameem said. l

the advisor deposited a total of Tk5.54 crore to the government exchequer.

However, none of the later annual reports of the Power Division say anything about how much money the office deposited with the government exchequer.

A chartered accountant, on condition of anonymity, said: “It would be really difficult for the office of the electrical advisor to get an internal government audit because there has been no external audit over the years. Even getting an external auditor will be difficult. No external auditor will be ready to take the responsibilities if there was any irregularity.”

Electrical Advisor and Chief Electrical Inspector Md Abul Kashem told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “We have already invited an expression of interest from reputed audit firms for auditing our last five years’ accounts.”

Admitting that the website was outdated, he said he could not say anything in detail why no annual report had been published for 42 years because he took over just a few months ago. l

Chittagong Jamaat chief arrested again

Narayanganj deputy assistant engineer served show-cause n Our Correspondent, Narayanganj Communications Minister Obaidul Quader show-caused Narayanganj road and transport department deputy assistant engineer Jafaruzzaman Miah because of his negligence of duty.

He took the action while visiting Kanchan bridge road in Vulta area of Rupganj in Narayanganj yesterday.

Earlier, the minister visited an under construction bridge on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway.

While visiting the site, the minister said: “We have taken the challenge of retaining normal vehicular movement on the highways. The entry points of the capital will be kept traffic jam free ahead of Eid.” Obaidul said: “The Joydeppur-Mymensingh road will be opened if it becomes necessary in order to reduce the sufferings of the passengers.” l

The Dhaka Tribune has also found that apart from not publishing annual reports for over four decades, the website of the electrical advisor’s office is badly outdated.

As is normal with the websites of government offices, this website does not have any citizen charter either.

This means that the two major sources of information about the activities of the office are virtually unavailable.

A Power Division official said the advisor and the ministry were both responsible for the situation.

“The fact that the office of the Electrical Advisor has not published annual report makes it clear that there are problems in the organisation,” he said.

He also said although the government is keen on entering the “digital age,” the outdated website was a result of nothing but callousness on the part of the government officials.

“Everybody has the right to see the citizen charter of the office of the Electrical Advisor,” he said.

According to the 2011 Annual Report of the Power Division, from January 2009 till December 2011, the office of

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina poses with the Bangladesh Team and officials at the PMO who won the Challenged T-20 series held at Arga, India BSS

Police yesterday arrested Chittagong Metropolitan unit’s Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer ANM Shamsul Islam from the central jail gate immediately after his release on bail in a case lodged under the Terrorism Prevention Act. Later, the former Jamaat lawmaker was shown arrested in another case launched with Lohagara police station and then he was taken to the police station, said Chittagong Superintendent of Police AKM Hafiz Akter.

Senior Jail Super Md Sagir Miah of Chittagong Central Jail told the Dhaka Tribune that the local Jamaat leader was released from jail around 10:30am on a

bail granted by the High Court earlier.

The SP said the Lohagara police station case was launched against him for attacking a police camp and setting fire to a refuelling station during the nationwide anti-government movement by 18-party alliance centring the January 5 national election.

On May 12, Kotwali police nabbed 20 Jamaat leaders along with ANM Shamsul Islam from their city office at Dewanbazar while they were holding a secret meeting. During the drive, two litres of petrol, 1.5kg of potassium, 60 glass bottles, a laptop, a modem and Tk1.13 lakh were also seized.

Afterwards, a local court sent them to jail in the case. l

Smuggled 50 gold bars seized Government to procure six feeder vessels at Kamalapur Railway Station for Bangladesh Shipping Corporation n Kailash Sarkar Within a gap of two hours, a total of 50 smuggled gold bars weighing around 6kg were seized at the Kamalapur Railway Station yesterday with the arrest of three individuals in this connection.

The smuggled gold would be worth around Tk3 crore, said police.

General Railway Police (GRP) of Kamalapur station suspect that the gold bars were smuggled into the country through Chittagong Airport by the same criminal gang smuggling gold into the country using air route.

Inspector Abdul Majid Khan, officer-in-charge of Kamalapur GRP, said they first arrested two, Md Suman, 35, and Delwar Hossain, alias Dilu, 34, with 34 gold bars around 9am after their arrival in Dhaka from Chittagong by Turna-Nishitha Express.

Later, police arrested another, Md Selim, 27, with 16 more gold bars around 11:30am on the platform of the railway station.

“During the primary interrogation of Suman and Dilu it appears that many more smugglers are on their way to the

capital,” said the OC. “As per the information from the duo, we conducted further raids at the station and the remaining 16 gold bars were recovered with one more arrest.”

The police official said they were trying to understand whom the gold bars were intended for.

Suman and Dilu had been carrying 16 and 18 gold bars respectively hiding them inside their socks while Selim strapped the gold bars on different parts of his body, he added.

Suman comes from Omorita village under Bahubol upazila in Habiganj and Dilu Sikanderpur village under Baniachong upazila in the district.

The OC said Selim also boarded the same Turna-Nishitha Express for Dhaka and was arrested for his suspicious movement in the station.

Since neighbouring India imposed restrictions on the import of gold, the incidents of gold smuggling into Bangladesh has increased although their main destination remains to be India.

Over 2,000kgs of gold were seized in the last one year since India had imposed the ban on gold import. l

n Tribune Report The government will procure six new feeder vessels for the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation at a cost of Tk1,439.10 crore from China there are restrictions placed on running old vessels on international routes, official sources said.

China National Machinery Corporation will provide three oil tankers and three bulk carrier tankers to the staterun BSC on suppliers credit from China Exim Bank Ltd. After 22 years, the BSC has decided to procure six ships. It procured its latest bulk cargo vessel, MV Banglar Shikha, in 1991.

The Ministry of Shipping sent a proposal for procuring six ships from China to the cabinet committee on economic affairs for vetting which was signed by Shipping Secretary Syed Manzurul Islam.

According to the proposal, the government spent huge foreign currency on importing fuel oil, fertiliser, sugar and cement clinker. “The capacity of BSC will be enhanced if the six new vessels are able to carry imported goods

from abroad and the government can save huge amounts of foreign currencies,” the proposal said.

In 2011, the BSC proposed the CNMC for six vessels and signed an MoU on June 15 in 2012. On April 30, the Ministry of Shipping signed a contract with the CNMC. The cost of each tanker is Tk282 crore while each bulk carrier will cost Tk197 crore and six vessels will reach Bangladesh in 2016.

The BSC started its journey in 1972 without any vessels and later procured a total of 38 vessels from abroad. In late 80s, it had a total of 26 vessels. At present, it has only eight vessels.

The BSC needs to add new vessels to its fleet as there is a restriction on running older vessels on the international routes.

The BSC had long been pressing the Planning Commission for fund, but in vain.

Ananda Shipyard and Slipways Chairman Abdullahel Bari said it is not a wise decision the government had taken as it would affect the local shipbuilding industry.

“The government could have bought the ships from the local companies by arranging money from abroad like Ger-

many and the Netherlands,” he said, adding, “If the government procures these ships from local companies, it will help promote the country’s shipbuilding industry.”

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan said the national flag carrier is overburdened with old ships, negatively impacting its operational capacity and severely cutting into its profit margin.

“We want to bring six brand new ships from globally-reputed companies on a supplier’s credit from China,” he said.

Earlier, the ministry in a meeting approved the proposal put forward by the BSC to procure two bulk carriers of 30,000 to 35,000 DWT (dead weight tonne) capacity, two product carriers having the same capacity in terms of DWT and two container feeder vessels of 1000 to1200 TEUs (twenty feet equivalent units).

In December, 2010, the board of directors of the BSC, which is headed by the shipping minister, moved to purchase a container feeder vessel and dispose two age-old general cargo vessels -- Banglar Urmee and Banglar Gourab -- that were procured in 1982 and 1984 respectively. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Thursday, July 17, 2014

DMP to set up formalin-test booths at kitchen markets n Tribune Report Dhaka Metropolitan Police has decided to set up formalin-testing booths at prime kitchen markets in the capital within a week to check the presence of the harmful chemical in food items.

The initiative was declared by DMP Commissioner Benazir Ahmed yesterday while addressing a discussion on food safety organised by Saarc Cultural Society at the National Press Club in the afternoon.

He said: “The booths will be set up within seven to ten days at 236 kitchen markets so that the customers and the retailers can test the food for formalin at a minimal price.” He did not, however, mention the cost.

The commissioner said police would provide the testing kits and engage some university level students to test the food items at the booths. “The DMP will also seek support and cooperation from government and non-government organisations to make the campaign a success.”

The DMP chief said around 600 tonnes of formalin were being import-

RMG owner held for attacking police in Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Police arrested an owner of a readymade garment (RMG) factory from Tin Puler Matha area in the port city yesterday afternoon for attacking a policeman.

Assistant Commissioner (AC) Shah Mohammad Abdur Rouf of Kotwali circle in Chittagong Metropolitan Police said police had arrested Mohammad Mainuddin, owner of a garment factory in the port city, as he had reportedly attacked a policeman.

The AC said Mainuddin had parked his car on a road in such a way that it created a tailback several hours long on the intersection where three busy city roads are connected.

On receiving information, police rushed to the spot and asked him why he had parked the car at that place. But, he started to fight with law enforcement instead.

At one stage during the altercation, he grabbed the collar of a policeman’s shirt. Because of this, we had to arrest him as assaulting a police officer is against the law, he added.

The AC added that the arrestee was taken to Kotwali police station. A case was will be lodged with the police station against the RMG owner for obstructing government duty and assaulting a police officer. l

WEATHER

HEAVY RAIN THURSDAY, JULY 17 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:48PM SUN RISES 5:21AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

32

27

Chittagong

29

26

Rajshahi

32

26

Rangpur

30

27

Khulna

30

26

Barisal

31

26

Sylhet

30

25

Cox’s Bazar

29

26

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

33.3ºC Rajshahi

25.0ºC Feni

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

3:55am 5:19am 12:05am 4:45pm 6:49pm 8:15pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

ed every year, though the demand at factories was a maximum of 50 tonnes a year.

“The extra chemical is illegally used in fruits and for other purposes. Some traders are involved with the illegal business,” he added.

He said: “We have already identified at least 38 institutes who import formalin and will keep an eye on their movements.”

“We have seen that traders mix formalin not only in the local fruits but in imported food items as well. This process is being done after import, so police will set up check posts at land and sea ports,” he added.

The recent drives against formalin by the DMP drew huge criticism and even the fruit traders went on strike as the formalin testing kits were allegedly defective and were not meant for testing formalin in foods.

However, the DMP had denied the allegations.

The discussion was chaired by Saarc Cultural Society President Syed Abu Hossain Babla and State Minister for Labour and Employment M Mujibul Haque Chunnu spoke at the occasion, among others. l

A road lies in a dilapidated condition in the capital’s Mouchak area. The photo was taken yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

KNIT FASHION WEAR MUGGING

Over Tk11 lakh recovered in Gazipur; 3 arrested

Patient’s daughter assaulted by DMCH ward boy

n Our correspondent, Gazipur

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Police recovered Tk11.45 lakh of the Tk1.33 crore which muggers had stolen from a microbus at Kaliakoir upazila of the district on July 7.

The recovery was made after separate raids and arrests were conducted in different areas of the upazila.

The arrested were Abdur Rashid, 28, Asim Kumar Mondal, 35, and Anwar, 40.

Gazipur Police Super Abdul Baten revealed the information at a press conference yesterday.

He said acting on a tip-off, police arrested Abdur Rashid first from Chandra Dankini area of Kaliakoir upazila and rounded up the other two from Sinabah and East Chandura Pasha Gate areas of the upazila.

He said there might be eight people involved in the mugging.

According to the police super, the lawmen first recovered Tk3.45 lakh

from Abdur Rashid. Investigation Officer Atikur Rahman, sub-inspector of Kaliakoir police station, said following Rashid’s deposition, police were able to arrest the other two.

Rashid admitted that they were a total of eight members in the gang, including Hanif, Babu and Shukur.

Police said they recovered Tk3 lakh from Asim who ran a digital photo studio in Kaliakoir and Tk5 lakh from his father-in-law’s house in Jhenaidah.

Anwar was caught in the few hours of yesterday, the sub-inspector said, adding that the gang member from Tangail.

The gang of muggers were lying in wait for the Knit Fashion Wear Ltd microbus, which was carrying the money.

When the vehicle reached the board mill area, the gang swooped down on it and snatched the large sum which was supposed to be disbursed among the garment workers. l

An 11-year-old girl, the daughter of a patient admitted at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), was allegedly assaulted by a ward assistant inside the hospital premises late on Tuesday night.

The DMCH authority formed a four-member committee to investigate the incident amid tension among the hospital’s patients and their relatives.

“The committee, headed by the hospital’s Deputy Director Mushfiqur Rahman, has been asked to submit the probe report within the next three working days,” Brigadier General Mostafizur Rahman, director of the DMCH, said to the Dhaka Tribune.

According to sources in the hospital, the victim’s mother, 45, from Dinajpur district, had been undergoing treat-

Country’s first integrated maritime border map introduced n FM Mizanur Rahaman The Institute of Marine Science and Fisheries at Chittagong University has formally introduced what they claim to be is the first fully integrated map of the country’s maritime territory.

A team from the institute led by its Director Dr Shahadat Hossain handed over the Bangla and English versions of the maritime map to CU Vice-Chancellor Anwarul Azim Arif and Pro-VC Dr Ifthekhar Uddin Chowdhury at their respective offices yesterday. Saidur Rahman Chowdhury, leader of the map implementation team, and Mohammed Jahedur Rahman Chowdhury, a teacher at the institute, were also present.

The maritime map titled “Bangladesher Somuddro Prodesh” (Maritime Province of Bangladesh) was published after getting the landmark judgement of the International Arbitral Tribunal, said Saidur.

In the map, around 121,110sq-km was recorded against the Bangladesh maritime border; as well as 24,077sq-km of ten meters deep inlet, coastal water and river estuary; 42,007sq-km of 10 to 200 meter of neutral continental shelf of sea; and 44,383sq-km of deep sea area of 200 to 2100 meters deep, which is the largest portion in the deep sea border comprising about 36.6%.

The rest of the 10,644sq-km under the continental shelf was out of the exclusive economic zone, Saidur said.

Although the country already had a navigation chart for operating vessels on the sea, the latest is a fully integrated map where different information such as the locations of resources areas in the sea has also been identified, he said.

Saidur expressed hopes that the map would help professionals to get their required information, adding that the maritime map would be supplied to different government offices including

the Prime Minister’s Office before Eid. The map will also be available at mapsnmaps.blogspot.com, Saidur said. However, the official authority for

preparing maps in the country is the Geological Survey of Bangladesh under the Energy and Mineral Resources Division. l

ment at the DMCH for several psychical complications for nearly a month. The victim was staying with her in the hospital.

On Tuesday night around 11:30pm the girl went outside her mother’s ward to wash the dinner utensils. She was then grabbed by Mohammad Kamal, 22, who forcefully took her inside a washroom and attempted to rape her.

The victim managed to escape and went to her mother to tell her about the attack. The patient then informed the hospital authority about the incident and asked them to take action.

While talking to the Dhaka Tribune, the teary-eyed mother said: “What are we going to do now? We are not safe even inside the hospital, where we have come for treatment.”

She said she wanted nothing but the assurance that the culprit would be punished to ensure the safety of all the

patients and their relatives.

According to hospital sources, Kamal, the son of DMCH ward assistants Chan Banu and Rahmat Ali, had been working at the hospital as a temporary, daily-paid staff for the past six months.

When asked about it, Mushfiqur Rahman, deputy director of DMCH, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are investigating the incident. Primarily, we came to know that Kamal is not a permanent staff here.

“These daily-paid temporary staff are troublemakers, so they will be let go,” he said.

Mozammel Haque, inspector stationed at DMCH police outpost, said police were looking for Kamal, who went into hiding soon after the incident.

Police had already interrogated Kamal’s mother Chan Banu in this regard, he added. l

‘Every government failed to maintain city management’ n Abu Hayat Mahmud Every single government has failed when it comes to city management in the country, Institution of Diploma Engineers’ Bangladesh (IDEB) President AKMA Hamid said yesterday.

“Not only the present government but also other governments, including those from the historic period, failed in city management affairs. The present waterlogging problem in Dhaka and Chittagong is a glaring example of that,” he said.

Hamid was addressing a seminar on waterlogging arranged by IDEB which was held at its headquarters in the capital.

IDEB Dhaka district unit President Engineer Khabir Hossain chaired the programme while Hasan Mahmud, former environment minister, also spoke.

Hamid said: “Faulty drainage of Dhaka Wasa and unplanned urbanisation of Rajuk are the key reasons for waterlogging in Dhaka, which was also observed in Chittagong.”

He also lambasted Wasa for dependency on groundwater, saying: “Dhaka city is facing constant risk as Wasa keeps extracting groundwater.”

Hasan Mahmud said the urban areas were developed in ways that had negatively affected the environment, resulting in a number of crises such as waterlogging.

“We should take environment-friendly initiatives in every sector, otherwise we would be facing a range of hazardous situations in the coming days,” he added.

Engineer Kazi Habib Ullah, a member of IDEB research cell, presented the keynote paper at the seminar.

“In general, the nature, type and intensity of waterlogging depends on a city’s geographical location and topography but in our country, this is a

man-made hazard. Reasons for waterlogging in the capital and other cities across the country include filling up of natural waterbodies, canals and rivers in unplanned ways to develop housing projects,” he said.

“Due to unplanned urbanisation, during monsoon, even after a little rain, roads and lanes in different areas in Dhaka and Chittagong go under knee-deep water,” said Habib.

Habib said the waterlogging problem was getting worse day by day because of not addressing drainage and sewerage systems, and unplanned urbanisation and infrastructure development in urban areas.

According to the Detailed Area Plan (DAP), the total area of Dhaka city is 1,528 square kilometres of which 360 kilometres are surrounded by Tongi canal in the north, Turag river in the west, Buriganga river in the south, and Sitalakhya and Balu rivers in the east.

Habib said there are nearly 46 canals in and around the capital, with 26 in the western part being properly maintained.

“Canals in the eastern part and the Dhaka-Narayanganj-Demra dam were vanished when different housing firms filled those up in unplanned ways. This has resulted in poor drainage in the city, which actually creates waterlogging,” he added.

Habibd said Wasa, in order to pump rain water, set up pumping stations in Kallyanpur, Dholaikhal, Goran Chatbari and in 13 spots of the western part, with others being constructed in Kamlapur and Rampura.

“Due to shortage of enough pumping system to drain rain water, waterlogging occurs in the capital,” he said.

He also suggested increasing capacity of pumping stations at different points of flood protection dam built around the capital. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Dhaka-Jamalpur rail route rampant with dope gangs n Our Correspondent, Jamalpur As people have started heading to their ancestral homes for Eid, the dope gang, commonly known as aggyan party, have recently again started attacking unsuspecting travellers on the Dhaka-MymenshinghJamalpur rail route.

People who use the rail route often fall victim to the gang and lose their belongings.

Sources said aggyan party mem-

bers travel in the guise of passengers on the intercity trains and develop good relations with other passengers whom they target for looting valuables. At one point, the gang members drug the travellers with food and vanish with their belongings.

On Monday, even about 10 passengers on an 11pm train fell victim to the gang and four of these victims were also pushed off the roof of the train. They were later taken to Jamalpur General Hospital because of

their critical conditions by the government railway police.

One passenger named Shilpi Khan said: “The victims were in different rooms and on the rooftop of the night trains. We think that an organised gang which operates in Dhaka, Gafargaon, Mymensingh and Jamalpur is involved in the crime.”

Another passenger Sultan Alam said such types of incidents occur in all the trains running on the route, particularly during the night. How-

ever, the authorities concerned are not paying any heed to it, he alleged.

In this regard, Jamalpur GRP station OC Khokon Chandra Sarker confessed the outbreak of such types of crime and he blamed the carelessness of the travellers.

“Travelling on the rooftop of a train is duly prohibited. It is mostly those passengers who are not paying heed to our cautions who are falling prey to the gang,” the OC continued. l

Nephew kills uncle in Moulvibazar n Our Correspondent, Moulvibazar A man was allegedly killed yesterday by his nephew in Sadar upazila of the district because of a family feud.

According to police sources, Alais Miah, 65, the son of late Abdur Noor of Khalispur village under Kamalpur union of the upazila, engaged in an altercation with his nephew Jayed Miah regarding a family feud.

At one stage, Jayed hit Alais on his head, leaving him critically injured.

Alais was sent to Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital and later shifted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, where he subsequently passed away.

Md Abdus Salek, officer-in-charge of Moulvibazar Sadar model police station, confirmed the incident. l

Shihoron Shilpi Gosthi, a cultural organisation in Jhenaidah, forms a human chain in Kaliganj upazila yesterday, protesting Israel's aggression against Palestinians DHAKA TRIBUNE

Call to save Lamchhari village from erosion n Our Correspondent, Barisal Residents of Lamchhari, the village of philosopher Araj Ali Matubbar, under Charbaria union of Barisal formed a human chain yesterday morning demanding that immediate measures be taken to save the area from river erosion.

The Darshanik Aroj Manjil Public Library organised the programme in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall in Barisal city.

The programme was presided

over by Shah Azizur Rahman Khokan, president of the library.

Addressing the rally, speakers said the river had devoured hundreds of houses and damaged half a kilometre of road this year, causing grave concern among the local people.

They also said the rapid erosion of Kirtankhola River had become a threat to the existence of Lamchhari village. Road communication between the village and other parts of the city may snap at any time because of the erosion.

A portion of Taltali Bazaar-Lamchhari road has already been eroded by the river, they said, adding that the river has also engulfed a good number of houses.

The participants further demanded the construction of embankments and ring dams to check the river erosion.

They also urged authorities concerned to arrange relief and assistance for the people whose properties had been eroded by the river.

“If the erosion continues in this

way, I may lose my ancestral house within a short time,” said a villager.

After the human chain, the participants also handed over a memorandum to the deputy commissioner’s office seeking prompt measures in this regard.

The rally was addressed by Aiub Hossain, member secretary of Amra Bachtey Chai, Advocate AK Azad, district CPB president, Harun-or-Rashid, United Communist League leader and Advocate Tarun Chanda, among others. l

STRIKE ON KHULNA-MAWA HIGHWAY CONTINUES

People urge transport leaders to reach a consensus n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj Thousands of people living in the southern districts have been suffering from a lack of available transport since Sunday as the indefinite transport strike enforced by the Khulna Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association entered day four.

The association of the transport workers went on strike on the Khulna-Mawa Road on Sunday protesting the vandalism of a vehicle by the labourers of another transport owners’ association.

Road communication between Dhaka and the southern region of the country has remained severed since.

No long-route bus or minibus has operated on the road since the beginning of the strike.

Yesterday, transport workers under Gopalganj District Motor Union vandalised a Rohan Paribahan bus, triggering tension among local residents.

Although vehicles plied on alterna-

tive roads, including Rajbari-Goalanda Road, Dhaka-bound people suffered since they had to change transportation several times to get to their destination.

Tanvir Ahmed, a resident of Gopalganj sadar upazila, said, “I have to go to Barisal to visit my sister's residence, but I am not being able to get there because of the strike.”

He said transport workers always scuffle over trivial matters and later call strikes and he feels that this trend should be changed.

According to Tanvir, if the transport strike was not withdrawn immediately, commuters who were home-bound for Eid would suffer the most, and so he urged transport leaders to withdraw the strike as soon as possible.

A clash ensued between the activists of Khulna Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association and Gopalganj Bus-minibus Owners Association after an altercation over a trivial matter on Sunday afternoon.

Later, Gopalganj Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association activists vandalised a bus on its way to Khulna from Barisal and indiscriminately beat the bus worker.

Later, protesting the attack, Khulna Bus-minibus Owners Association announced the indefinite strike from 8pm on Sunday.

Md Bulbul Islam, president of Gopalganj District Motor Union, told the Dhaka Tribune that they would not allow any vehicle from Khulna to run on the highway until the people who had vandalised the vehicles were punished.

Md Anwar Hossain, general secretary of Khulna Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association, said they had stopped the operating of all vehicles on the Khulna-Mawa Highway to save the lives of the bus workers as well as to protect the vehicles from vandalism.

“We will continue the strike until a mutual agreement is reached between the two transport owners' associations,” he said. l

NEWS IN BRIEF 50 injured in clash At least 50 people, including women, were injured in a clash yesterday between two groups from Dariapur village in the district over the establishing of supremacy in the area. According to sources there had been a longstanding enmity between Rajab Ali and Abdus Samad over establishing their supremacy in the village. On that day, supporters of the two men engaged in a clash using local weapons, leaving 50 injured. Upon receiving information, police went to the spot and brought the situation under control. Of the injured, Tajul Islam, 30, Kajol Miah, 40,Kasum Ali, 50, Abdus Samad, 52, Babul Mian, 42, Abdul Gafur, 60, Akol Mian, 65, Maksud Ali, 35, Jalal Mian, 30 and Mamun Mian, 22, were admitted to Habiganj Sadar Hospital in critical conditions. When contacted, Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Md Nazimuddin confirmed the incident.

– Our Correspondent, Habiganj

Abducted businessman rescued in Sirajganj A businessman, who was abducted on July 11, was rescued from the Soyadabad area of Siraganj district on Tuesday. Police rescued Abdur Rahman, a drugstore owner, around 3am on Tuesday but were unable to arrest anyone in connection with the kidnapping. Razaul Haque, officer-in-charge of Salanga police station, said Abdur was

abducted near the Ghurka bus-stand on the evening of July 11. Later the kidnappers demanded Tk10 lakh from his family. When informed

by Abdur’s family, police tracked down the cell phone number from which the kidnappers had called and raided the caller’s address. The kidnappers managed to escape, leaving Abdur behind.

– Our Correspondence, Sirajganj

Outlaw killed in Jessore gunfight An outlaw was killed yesterday in a gunfight with his rivals at Subrara village in Abhaynagar upazila of the district. The deceased Siraj Akonji, 40, was a member of Biplobi Communist Party and the son of Afsar Akonji. Khabir Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Abhaynagar police station, said that a gunfight had taken place around 12:25am between two groups of outlaws. Upon receiving information, a team of police led by OC Khabir Ahmed rushed to the spot and found Siraj's body in the jungle. The rest of the outlaws from both groups managed to flee. Police recovered the body and sent it to Jessore Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy. The body bore several bullet injuries. Police also recovered one shooter gun and four bullet shells from the spot. Siraj was accused in 10-12 cases including murder, filed with different police stations.

– Our Correspondent, Jessore

Juris

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Legal battle in the Bay

Addressing the skin colour discrimination in ads

We should now focus on exploration of marine resources in the Bay of Bengal

This folksy form of discrimination should be stopped will not get picked for dances n Mohammad Habibur Rahman oror “you other public events,” etc. From

BIGSTOCK

C

O

n Mohammad Rubaiyat Rahman n July 7, the five members’ arbitral tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), constituted under Annex VII of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), issued its award in respect of the delimitation of the maritime boundary between Bangladesh and India. The arbitral tribunal, by a majority of four votes to one, settled the issues regarding: location of the land boundary terminus; delimitation of the territorial sea and EEZ; and delimitation of continental shelf in and beyond 200 nautical miles (nm). The tribunal utilised a two-step method to construct equidistance line in the territorial sea between Bangladesh and India. A member of the tribunal, PS Rao, voted against the majority decision disagreeing upon “creation of grey area” and “adjustment of the provisional equidistance line.”

After the adjustment of the provisional equidistance line, the ratio of relevant areas of Bangladesh to India is equated to 1: 2.81. However, computing upon the tribunal’s delimitation line, the adjustment done to the provisional equidistance line has increased Bangladesh’s maritime area by 19,467sqkm. The PCA, an intergovernmental organisation, acts as Registry in this arbitration. On October 8, 2009, Bangladesh instituted arbitral proceedings and by December 2013, the hearing on the merits was held at the Peace Palace in Hague, headquarter of the PCA. The tribunal award is binding on both parties and there is no option for appeal.

Decision on land boundary terminus Since “land boundary terminus” is the point for delimiting the maritime boundaries, the Tribunal first determines the precise location of it between India and Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal. Both parties have

agreed that the delimitation of the territorial sea should start from the land boundary terminus. In the award, the tribunal determines the position of the land boundary terminus which is 21° 38′ 40.2″N, 89° 09′ 20.0″E by reference to the Radcliffe Map.

Decision on base point selection and territorial sea delimitation Base points are used to control the course of a line though the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone, and the continental shelf within and beyond 200nm. For delimitation, the tribunal constructs the equidistance line in the territorial sea between Bangladesh and India. It adopts a two-step method to delimit. First, it identifies the base points relevant for the delimitation of the territorial sea and thereafter it identifies the median or equidistance line.

Tribunal draws the provisional median or equidistance line in the territorial sea (starting at the midpoint between B-1 and I-1), which is between the low waterline of Mandarbaria/Clump Island and the low waterline of Moore Island. Due to this, the South Talpatty island area (known as “New Moore Island” to India) falls within the ambit of Indian territorial water. Considering the issue of special circumstances, tribunal draws territorial sea boundary line which is a 12 nautical mile long geodetic line continuing from the land boundary terminus in a generally southerly direction to meet the median line.

Delimitation of EEZ and Continental Shelf Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which has customary status in international law, refers to an entity that combines three different resource regimes such as living resources; nonliving resources, and other resources generating economic value out of the area.

Although both parties agree upon

the construction of an “equidistance line” as the beginning step of the delimitation process; there is contention as to applicability of angle-bisector method and equidistance method for the delimitation of the EEZ and continental shelf within 200nm. Regarding angle-bisector method, Bangladesh contends that the “double concavity” of its coastline constitutes a relevant circumstance that justifies its favour of angle bisector method. The tribunal deems equidistance method as preferable contending that arguing that there is no factor present in the case that would make the application of the equidistance method inappropriate.

Delimitation of continental shelf beyond 200nm After the Bangladesh-Myanmar maritime delimitation case at ITLOS in 2012, for the second time an international tribunal has had an occasion to delimit continental shelf beyond 200nm. While delimiting the continental shelf beyond 200nm, the tribunal contends in the award that inaction by this tribunal would in practice leave the parties in a position in which they would likely be unable to benefit fully from their rights over the continental shelf.

Both the parties claim in the tribunal that they have entitlements to the continental shelf beyond 200nm.

Here, tribunal also implements equidistance method to delimit the continental shelf beyond 200nm with consideration that the adjustment of the provisional equidistance line must not infringe upon the rights of third states.

Decision on “grey area” The tribunal also provides its decision regarding, provisional equidistance line; the disproportionality test of the delimitation process; and “grey area” which is situated beyond 200 nautical miles from Bangladesh coast but

within 200 nautical miles from the coast of India. Here, the term “grey area” refers to an unresolved ocean governance arrangement of a single area where both contending parties have overlapping sovereign rights.

Such “grey area” is used to arise because of the adjustment of the provisional boundary line by the tribunal.

Tribunal contends that the resulting “grey area” is a practical consequence of the delimitation process. In the award, the tribunal advocates to create a cooperative arrangement in order to ensure the proper exercise of both parties’ respective rights in that “grey area.”

Provisions of Articles 74(1) and 83(1) of the UNCLOS refer that achieving “an equitable solution” is the main objective of any exercise on the delimitation of maritime boundary.

Any long-standing disputes over maritime jurisdictional claims between two littoral countries of Bay of Bengal may jeopardise the long-term stability and prosperity. The award of the PCA tribunal evidently settles decades long dispute between two neighbours.

It is evident from the award of the arbitral tribunal that both Bangladesh and India requires more cooperation rather than competition due to the complex maritime significance of the Bay of Bengal. Economic development, marine environmental protection, and maritime safety and security are now considered to be interdependent and indivisible in the orb of ocean politics and ocean governance. The award of the tribunal should be deemed to begin enhanced cooperation between the two littoral states of the Bay of Bengal.

Bangladesh should, without any delay, mull for hydrographic survey and exploration for non-living marine resources (eg, oil and gas) in the areas awarded to it by the arbitral tribunal to gain economic benefits for the welfare of its common people. l Mohammad Rubaiyat Rahman is a graduate student of Admiralty Law Program, Tulane University Law School, USA.

olourism is a form of discrimination prevalent in all over the world. From the birth of the civilisation, it has been recognised as a distinct form of discrimination which eventually led to a number of movements. Certainly, Nelson Mandela’s name comes to our minds when we raise our voices against colour based discrimination.

Colourism can be defined as discrimination based on skin colour in which human beings are treated differently based on the social meanings attached to their skin colour. In the context of our country, colourism plays a vital role, especially in a girl’s life, which truly depicts that our mentality is very stereotypical. However, such a socially acknowledged type of racial detection is indeed very problematic. Particularly, when the notion of whiteness is strongly associated with elements of “purity” and “fairness” while blackness is more allied to “dirt” and “evil.”

In print, online and electronic media we often come across dominant messages that advertising companies are sending to people. They try to portray dark-skinned people as inferior, less beautiful, less competent, less intelligent, and less accomplished than lightskinned people. The main purpose of the advertisers is to promote their products by conveying a message through these ads. These ads attempt to convince people that they are incomplete without a particular product. Thus it affects the psychology of the dark-skinned people and they tend to feel deficient and suffer from low self-esteem.

Moreover, another common fact we often experience is that majority

these negative experiences they start considering themselves as inferior, and think that they will never have success in personal or professional life.

However, colour as a ground for discrimination is prohibited in the equality clause of the constitution of Bangladesh through Article 28(1).

Although constitution only talks about discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, but colour is conventionally grouped with race when unfair discrimination is in question (Article 1 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination).

Moreover, international instruments also prohibited the discrimination based on any specific colour, such as Article 2 of UDHR and ICCPR, and Article 14 of ECHR. Challenging such discrimination, an Indian NGO called Women of Worth delivered a petition with 30,000 signatures to the cosmetics company “Emami,” calling on them to withdraw a particularly discriminatory advert for “Fair and Handsome.” However, the company refused to remove the ad.

Nevertheless, an Indian organisation recently proposed a new regulation to control such discrimination.

The new rules propose that ads should not directly or implicitly show dark people as unattractive, unhappy, depressed or concerned, should not portray people with darker skin are at a disadvantage, should not associate skin colour with any particular socioeconomic class, ethnicity or community, and should not show gender based discrimination because of skin colour.

In Bangladesh, we do not have any

BIGSTOCK

of media, eg television programmes, movies, and advertisements choose to represent fair skinned people. According to those ads, fair skinned people tend to have higher social standing, more positive networks, and more opportunities to succeed than those of people with darker skin tones. Additionally, we see that blackness is always associated with elements of “dirt” and “evil” things such as “black money,” “black laws,” etc.

This notion of colourism affects dark-skinned children’s performance at school because their confidence level goes down and they feel they are not good enough to compete with their fair-skinned counterparts. When it comes to marriage, we again find skin colour playing a prominent role; sometimes girls are rejected or ignored by the in-law’s family just because of the darkness of their skin. We even see skin-colour based discrimination within the families. Sometimes elders and other family members tell a darkskinned girl that “you will never get married,” or “who will marry you?,”

such specific regulation to control discriminative ads. And, we are yet to see the result of the Indian proposal provided by the Advertising Standards Council of India as it has not been passed yet.

Colour discrimination always dispirits the youth to nourish their inborn talent. In order to eliminate this menace the areas of protection against unfair discrimination based on skin colour should be regulated properly.

Simultaneously, proper legal attention should be paid to persons living under discriminative positions. Moreover, we all have to begin to realise that our skin, no matter the shade, is always beautiful. We should work on bringing common sense, self-pride and economic self-determination to our own community. How can we expect others to respect us and our dark skins, if we ourselves do not practise the same?

Mohammad Habibur Rahman is a student coordinator of the Moot Court Society, School of Law, BRAC University.

Consult Your Counsel

JURIS QUOTE Freedom of speech means freedom for those who you despise, and freedom to express the most despicable views. It also means that the government cannot pick and choose which expressions to authorise and which to prevent.

Alan Dershowitz American lawyer September 1, 1938

Send us queries for

Consult your counsel

and also your articles on any legal issues at: law@dhakatribune.com

Dhaka Tribune Visit our website at: www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune RIO SHUVO

7

Question: I regularly receive unwanted SMSs and phone calls from unknown numbers with various service and product offers, which are very disturbing. I never shared my cell phone number with such companies and never intended to receive such offers. Upon inquiry, I discovered that my network operator shared my number with such telemarketer. Is it legal? If not, what remedy can I get? Sadat Khan, Gulshan Answer: Your cell number or other details are your personal information, and you have the right to protect or keep them private. It is illegal if your network operator had shared your cell phone number with the marketing companies without your consent.

You may note that, transferring or processing an individual’s personal information without his/her prior knowledge breaches such person’s privacy.

‘Protection to privacy’ is considered as a fundamental human right. Article 43 of the Constitution of Bangladesh safeguards every citizen’s right to the pri-

vacy of his/her correspondence.

SMSs or calls, which are transmitted without any reasonable excuse, and cause annoyance or inconvenience to you, would be treated as an offence under Section 70 of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act of 2001, and for such offence the marketing company shall be liable to pay a fine not exceeding one Tk100,000, and in default of payment of fine, the company owner shall face imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months under the same law.

You can also lodge a complaint with your network operator in this regard, who upon receiving your complaint, must immediately take necessary action as per the Code of Practice framed by the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC). If your network operator fails to resolve the issue within appropriate time, you may then request BTRC for taking necessary action.

Advised by Barrister ABM Hamidul Mishbah, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Iraqi army retreats from Tikrit Assult stalls, Maliki’s future unclear

n Reuters, Baghdad Iraqi forces have withdrawn from the militant-held city of Tikrit after their new offensive met heavy resistance, in a blow to the government effort to push back Sunni insurgents controlling large parts of the country.

The failure highlights the difficulties of Baghdad’s struggle to recapture territory from the insurgents who seized Mosul, Tikrit and other cities last month in a rapid offensive which threatens to fragment Iraq on ethnic and sectarian lines.

The setback came as Iraqi politicians named a moderate Sunni Islamist as speaker of parliament on Tuesday. That was a long-delayed first step towards a power-sharing government urgently needed to confront the militants, who are led by the al Qaeda offshoot Islamic State.

It is unclear if the election of Salim al-Jabouri as speaker will break the broader deadlock over Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s bid to serve a third term. He has ruled since the April election as a caretaker.

Government troops and allied Shi’ite volunteer fighters retreated from Tikrit before sunset on Tuesday to a base four km (2.5 miles) south after coming under heavy mortar and sniper fire, a soldier who fought in the battle said.

Residents said there was no fighting on Wednesday morning in Tikrit, which lies 160 km (100 miles) north of Baghdad. It is a stronghold of ex-army officers and loyalists of executed former dictator Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party who allied themselves with the Islamic State-led offensive last month.

UN: Hard to justify Britain’s data collection law n Reuters, Geneva An emergency data collection law being rushed through the British parliament may not address concerns raised by the European Court of Justice and are difficult to justify, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said yesterday.

“The United Kingdom is one of the most well-established democracies in the world so it is a surprise to me they have not undergone a public dialogue on these key issues,” Navi Pillay said.

The draft law, brokered behind closed doors by Britain’s three main parties, will force telecoms firms to retain customer data for a year, a measure that Prime Minister David Cameron has said was vital for security.

The government rushed the proposed law through the lower house of parliament on Tuesday and plans to get the backing of the upper house, the House of Lords, in time for it to become law by the end of the week.

“To me it’s difficult to see how the UK can now justify rushing through wide-reaching emergency legislation which may not fully address the concerns raised by the court, at a time when there are proceedings ongoing by the UK’s own investigative powers tribunal on these very issues,” Pillay said. l

n Reuters, Washington

Iraqi onlookers gather yesterday, around a burnt motorcycle at the scene of an explosion that took place the previous night in Sadr City AFP Tuesday’s military attack was launched from Awja, Saddam’s birthplace some 8 km (5 miles) south of the city, but ran into heavy opposition in the southern part of the city.

Pictures published on Twitter by supporters of the Islamic State showed a fighter holding a black Islamist flag next to a black armoured car it said had been abandoned by a military SWAT team, as well as vehicles painted in desert camouflage – one of them burnt out – which it said retreating troops left behind.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urged the European Union to take tough action against Russia over the separatist conflict in Ukraine’s eastern regions at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels yesterday.

Poroshenko’s website said he had spoken to Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, after intensified fighting in the east, in which Kiev has alleged Russian involvement in an air strike on a residential area and the downing of a military transport plane.

Poroshenko informed Van Rompuy of new evidence of rebel fighters crossing into Ukraine from Russia along with heavy military equipment and arms, his website said. He had called on the EU “to demonstrate a strong position of action by the European Union to support Ukraine,” it said.

Diplomats in Brussels say EU leaders are likely to give the go-ahead on Wednesday to new sanctions, though they may fall short of the far-reaching economic measures sought by the

Maliki’s future unclear

The stunning advance in the north and west by the militants over the past month has put Iraq’s very survival in jeopardy, as its politicians remain divided over forming a government to confront the insurgency.

A shared resentment at Maliki’s style of rule, which his critics say has marginalised Iraq’s Sunnis and Kurds, may have bolstered the Islamic State’s offensive last month.

The Shi’ite leader has defied de-

mands from Sunnis and Kurds that he step aside for a less polarising figure.

He also faces challenges from within the National Alliance, a Shi’ite umbrella group that includes Maliki’s State of Law bloc and rivals.

After quickly picking Salim al-Jabouri as speaker on Tuesday afternoon, lawmakers argued bitterly for hours over his Shi’ite deputy, suggesting they are still far from a deal to complete the formation of a new government or a decision on the fate of Maliki. l

US President Barack Obama spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday for the first time since a new spy scandal dented relations between the two allies, and pledged to be in touch about ways to improve US-German intelligence cooperation.

The call followed a difficult period in US-German relations after Berlin told the CIA station chief last week to leave the country after officials unearthed two suspected US spies.

Berlin said last week it had discovered a suspected US spy in the Defence Ministry. That came just days after a German foreign intelligence worker was arrested on suspicion of being a CIA informant and admitted passing documents to a US contact.

“The president and the chancellor ... exchanged views on US-German intelligence cooperation, and the president said he’d remain in close communication on ways to improve cooperation going forward,” the statement said.

The phrase “exchanged views” may suggest the two leaders were far apart on how they see the issue.

Merkel has said spying on allies is a “waste of energy.” The White House, while being circumspect in what it would confirm about CIA activity, has said the issue should be resolved through diplomatic channels and not through the media.

The United States and Germany are

R E D U C E D TO A S H E S : I S R A E L AT TAC K S D E C I M AT E T H E G A Z A S T R I P

important partners on a host of global conflicts. Obama and Merkel also discussed the violence in Ukraine and talks with Iran about its nuclear program, the White House said.

The two leaders reiterated that Russia had to take more steps to de-escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine by urging rebels to release hostages and by ending the flow of heavy weapons, equipment, and fighters across the Russian border.

“The leaders agreed that to date neither the United States nor Germany has seen Russia fulfill these required actions,” it said.

Obama and US officials have held a number of calls with European leaders in recent days about Russia in a sign that Washington is pushing for a new round of sanctions against Moscow.

US Vice President Joe Biden told Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko on Tuesday that the United States was working with European allies on the issue amid what they cited as further acts of escalation from Russia.

“The leaders discussed Russia’s ongoing support for the separatists and apparent escalation of the conflict over the last few days,” the White House said in a statement about the call between the two men.

“The vice president told President Poroshenko that the United States was engaging with European leaders to discuss the imposition of costs on Russia for its continued escalation of the conflict,” it said. l

NEWS BITES

Cameron reshuffles his cabinet on Twitter

n AFP, London

A Palestinian man looks at the wreckage of cars next to a house destroyed by an Israeli air strike early yesterday, in Gaza City. New Israeli air and tank strikes in Gaza early yesterday killed several people, medics said, bringing the death toll from Israel's operation in the besieged Palestinian territory to 204 AFP

Ukraine leader urges EU to take tough action against Russia n Reuters, Kiev

Obama vows intelligence cooperation to Germany’s Merkel

United States and by some of the more hawkish members of the EU, including Poland and the Baltic states.

Ukraine has accused Russia repeatedly of turning a blind eye to Russian fighters crossing the long shared border to team up with rebels, often with Russian weapons and military equipment.

Moscow denies this.

But the war of words has grown more shrill since a shell struck a Russian town across the border last Sunday, killing a Russian man. Moscow said the shell had been fired by Ukrainian government forces, though Kiev denies this, blaming it on rebels out to discredit government forces. Eleven people were said by local health authorities to have been killed on Tuesday in an air strike on the Ukrainian town of Snizhne, 20 km (12 miles) from the border.

Kiev denied rebel charges that the strike had been carried out by a Ukrainian warplane and said it was the work of an “unknown” plane – apparently an accusation against Russia, since the rebels have not used aircraft in the conflict. l

US preparing sanctions on Russia n AP, Washington

The United States is considering imposing unilateral sanctions on Russia over its threatening moves in Ukraine, a shift in strategy that reflects the Obama administration’s frustration with Europe’s reluctance to take tougher action against Moscow, according to US and European officials.

Until now, the US has insisted on hitting Russia with penalties in concert with Europe in order to maximize the impact and present a united Western front. The European Union has a far stronger economic relationship with Russia, making the 28-nation bloc’s participation key to ensuring sanctions packages have enough teeth to deter Russia.

But those same economic ties have made Europe fearful that tougher penalties against Russia could boomerang and hurt their own economies. After weeks of inaction, the officials say the US is now prepared to move forward alone if EU officials fail to enact strong sanctions during a meeting Wednesday in Brussels.

The US official cautioned that no final decisions would be made until after the European meeting. The officials insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly by name.

The White House’s willingness to punish Russia without European back-

ing comes as the Obama administration faces criticism that its repeated warnings about tougher sanctions are little more than empty threats.

“Sometimes I’m embarrassed for you, as you constantly talk about sanctions and yet, candidly, we never see them put in place,” Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said during a Senate hearing on Ukraine with administration officials last week.

The US and Europe have levied coordinated sanctions on Russian individuals and companies connected to Moscow’s alleged destabilization in Ukraine. Obama administration officials argue that those penalties have had an impact on Russia’s economy, citing International Monetary Fund statistics showing a downgrade in Russia’s growth this year.

However, officials have acknowledged that the sanctions have not have an impact on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision-making in Ukraine.

State Department spokesman Jen Psaki said Tuesday that if Putin “cares deeply about his people, about the economy, his own country” the sanctions would shift his calculus.

Obama and European counterparts have vowed to take even broader sanctions targeting Russia’s lucrative energy and defense sectors, as well as access to financial markets, if Moscow

failed to quell tensions with Ukraine.

But it is unclear what the new package of US sanctions would include.

During a Group of Seven meeting in Brussels in early June, Western leaders warned Russian President Vladimir Putin those penalties could be levied within a month if Russia did not meet specific conditions, including recognizing the results of Ukraine’s May 25 election and start a dialogue with President Petro Poroshenko, ending support for the pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine and stopping the flow of arms across the Russian border.

The end-of-June deadline the West outlined for Putin came and went with little follow-through from Russia, yet no penalties were levied by the US and Europe.

Heather Conley, director of the Europe program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the West’s failure to follow through on its threat of sector sanctions has raised a “credibility question” for the Obama administration.

“I think the bluff has now been fully called,” Conley said.

If Obama moves forward with unilateral sanctions, he’ll face opposition from the private sector. US businesses have been pressing the administration to hold off on sanctions that could put them at a disadvantage in the global economy. l

Getting the latest news on a government reshuffle once meant loitering for hours in Downing Street waiting for ministers to emerge from the prime minister’s office and judging their fate by the look on their face.

But in this age of social media, David Cameron unveiled a major shake-up of his cabinet on Tuesday via his two official Twitter accounts, which between them boast 3.4m followers.

“I’ll be reshuffling the Cabinet today.

Watch this Twitter feed for the very latest. #Reshuffle,” the premier announced overnight. When his Conservative party was still in opposition in 2009, Cameron was famously reluctant to join Twitter admitting he was wary of the instantness of the micro-blogging site.

But he is now firmly on board, and amid the swirling and often contradictory rumours in Westminster, @Number10gov and @David_Cameron became an authoritative source of information about who was in and who was out.

Government ministries routinely use Twitter and more than 450 of the 650 members of the House of Commons have accounts, with former foreign secretary William Hague one of the most enthusiastic users. l

ANC in row over antisemitic Facebook post

n The Guardian South Africa’s governing party is facing calls to denounce a member of its election campaign who posted an image of Adolf Hitler on Facebook with the comment, “Yes man, you were right!”

Rene Smit, a social media manager of the African National Congress (ANC) in Western Cape province, published the photo at the weekend. Below the Nazi dictator’s face were the words: “I could have killed all the Jews, but I left some of them to tell you why I was killing them.”

According to South Africa’s Times newspaper, Smit said she shared the picture as part of the “outpour of protest against the Israeli killing of innocent babies and women in the Gaza Strip.”

She posted the picture and the comment: “Yes man, you were right!” in her personal capacity, she added. “I remorsefully removed it immediately once I became aware that it is inappropriate and offensive.”

But opposition Democratic Alliance condemned Smit and demanded that she and the ANC apologise. Its national spokesperson, Marius Redelinghuys, said: “The post is not only antisemitic and hate speech, but can also be construed as an incitement to violence and is an insensitive insult to victims and survivors of the Holocaust. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Chinese oil rig moved away from Afghan hopeful credits US deal disputed waters off Vietnam n Reuters, Shanghai/Hanoi A Chinese oil rig has finished drilling near the disputed Paracel islands in the South China Sea after finding signs of oil and gas and is being moved away from the area, more than two months after its deployment damaged relations with Hanoi.

The Vietnamese coastguard said the $1-billion rig had been towed from contested waters. China’s official Xinhua news agency said the rig would be relocated off the southernmost island province of Hainan. It gave no timeframe.

The rig’s relocation could reduce tensions between the two neighbours after one of the worst breakdowns in ties since they fought a brief war in 1979.

Its movement toward Hainan is also likely to be welcomed by Washington, which had criticised China’s decision to put the rig in waters disputed with Vietnam, calling it a “provocative” act.

Hanoi had said the rig was in its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and on its continental shelf. Beijing had said it was operating completely within its waters around the Paracel

islands, which China occupies.

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the country›s dominant oil and gas producer, said in a statement the rig «smoothly completed» its drilling on Tuesday and found signs of oil and gas. The next step would be to analyse the geological data and evaluate the layers of oil and gas, it said.

CNPC’s preliminary analysis showed “the area has the basic conditions and potential for oil exploration, but extraction testing cannot begin before a comprehensive assessment of the data,” Xinhua quoted Wang Zhen, deputy director of the CNPC Policy Research Office, as saying.

China had previously said the rig was scheduled to explore the waters around the Paracels until mid-August.

It was not clear why it had finished one month ahead of schedule, although Xinhua said July was the beginning of the typhoon season.

China’s popular Twitter-like microblogging service Weibo lit up with criticism of the move. Many people said the government had bowed to the United States, underscoring the domestic pressure Beijing faces to be tough in its territorial disputes.

But China’s Foreign Ministry said the decision was made in accordance with commercial decisions and had «no relation to any outside factor.»

The government also insists the area belongs to China and as recently as Tuesday told Washington to stay out of quarrels over the South China Sea. Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, a Chinese government think tank on Hainan, said he believed the rig completed its work ahead of schedule because of good weather before the typhoon season began.

“The place has fairly good oil and gas potential. It looks promising,” said Wu, an expert on China’s energy ambitions in the South China Sea.

Action at sea

The rig was towed from its original position overnight to beyond what Hanoi considers its exclusive economic zone, Lieutenant-Colonel Ngo Minh Tung of the Vietnamese coastguard told a small group of reporters on one of the maritime agency›s ships in the area.

“According to our assessment and the speed at which it was moving, the rig has left Vietnamese waters,” Tung said. l

n AP, Kabul Somber and reflective, Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah says his country was on the verge of a “very serious, serious situation” before he struck a US-brokered deal with his rival to avert the crisis by holding a fully audited vote count.

The ex-foreign minister, who is in a deadlocked contest to succeed Hamid Karzai, told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday that he holds out hope that the outcome will bring Afghanistan closer to his vision of a country ruled by democratic institutions and laws.

“It’s not like a win-lose situation, it’s a sort of win-win situation,” he said.

Asked about a published report that some supporters were ready to seize the presidential palace by force before the deal, because they feared the June 14 runoff was being decided fraudulently, he declined to discuss details.

“But it was a very serious, serious situation, not just in Kabul but throughout the country,” said Abdullah, an opposition leader with strong support in northern Afghanistan, especially among the ethnic Tajik community and loyalists of the former Northern Alliance militia.

There already had been widespread reports that Abdullah was under pressure from angry backers to declare himself the victor in the contest against former finance minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, and that he was resisting their pressure. A report by the New York Times on Tuesday suggested the outlook for Afghanistan was even direr than publicly known — that Abdullah’s backers were ready to march on the palace. Abdullah did not specifically deny the report.

The 53-year-old veteran of the movement that resisted the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in the 1990s and swept into Kabul after it allied with US forces following the 9/11 attacks said he decided on the deal with Ahmadzai for an audited ballot return followed by a national unity government because “this was the right decision for the country, and for the future of the country.”

But his demeanor indicated he is still bitter that many ballots may have been cast illegally for his opponent.

“We didn’t need this and we don’t need this,” said Abdullah, who has had experience of vote fraud before — he reluctantly conceded the 2009 presidential election to Karzai in spite of widespread reports of stuffed ballot boxes. l

Typhoon shuts down Philippine capital, kills 13 n AFP, Manila The first typhoon of the Philippines’ brutal rainy season shut down the nation’s capital yesterday, killing at least 13 people across the country and cutting power for millions.

Ferocious winds from Typhoon Rammasun tore roofs off houses, overturned cars and ripped down electricity lines in the megacity of Manila, as well as remote fishing villages hundreds of kilometres away.

“I thought I was going to die. I went out to look for gasoline in case we needed to evacuate, but it was a mistake,” said tricycle driver Pedro Rojas, 35, as he nursed a cut head while sheltering at a town hall on the outskirts of Manila.

“My tricycle rolled over twice after I slammed into sheets of rain.

It was like hitting a wall... huge tin roofings were flying everywhere.”

Falling trees, poles and walls killed at least 13 people across the northern parts of the Philippines that Rammasun swept over with wind gusts approaching 200 kilometres (120 miles) an hour, authorities said.

The national disaster management council reported seven fatalities, while local authorities confirmed the six others to AFP. l

Jakarta’s populist governor looks set to become Indonesia’s next president, according to a private tally of eighty percent of the votes cast, as his rival lashed out at critics, including the capital’s biggest English-language newspaper.

The Elections Commission (KPU) is to officially announce the result on July 22, but a number of private groups are maintaining counts of the votes as they are published on the commission’s website.

One such group, www.kawalpemilu. org, showed Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in front with 53% of the vote after 80% of the count.

“This is a crowd sourcing project based on open data released by the KPU,” said Elisa Sutanudjaja, an administrator for kawalpemilu.org. “It’s based on the official (tallies) uploaded by the KPU but...there are some technical problems like not all the documents are uploaded correctly.”

KPU officials declined to comment on the reliability of the kawalpemilu. org website.

Several sample “quick counts” of the vote on July 9, issued shortly after polls closed, also gave Jokowi a narrow but convincing lead in the closest, and most acerbic, presidential election in the history of the world’s third biggest democracy.

His rival, former special forces general Prabowo Subianto, has said quick counts by other private pollsters gave him the lead. Quick counts are tallies of votes by private polling firms at a sam-

Pakistan jets, US drones attack militants, at least 50 said killed

n Reuters, Peshawar

The Pakistani military said its jets killed 35 suspected militants yesterday as part of an anti-Taliban offensive hours after US drones attacked another area nearby and killed up to 20 people.

The violence in Pakistan comes as the United States struggles to bring stability to neighbouring Afghanistan before most of its forces pull out after 12 years of inconclusive war.

In one of the worst attacks in Afghanistan in a year, at least 89 people were killed on Tuesday when a car bomb exploded in a crowded market in the eastern province of Paktika, near the Pakistani border.

Taliban and other al Qaeda-linked fighters battling in both Afghanistan and Pakistan have for years mingled in strongholds in Pakistan’s ungoverned, ethnic Pashtun border lands but there has been little coordination in confronting them between US-led forces in Afghanistan and their Pakistani allies.

On Wednesday, Pakistani jets killed 35 suspected militants in the Shawal valley, a remote militant stronghold on the Pakistani side of the border opposite Afghanistan’s Paktika, Pakistani military officials said.

The military said that the jets targeted members of the Pakistani Taliban and included Uzbeks, Chechens and Arab fighters, who had fled to the remote Shawal region from the military’s offensive launched last month. l

n Reuters, Tokyo

A nuclear plant in southern Japan cleared an initial safety hurdle yesterday which could make it the first nuclear facility to restart under tough new safety regulations after the industry was idled by the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

With Japan in its first summer without nuclear power in four decades, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing to restart the country’s nuclear sector, as a prolonged shutdown forces the nation to rely on expensive fossil fuel imports.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority gave preliminary safety approval for Kyushu Electric Co’s Sendai plant, accepting its upgraded design and safety features. The new safety standards involve safeguards against natural disasters, like earthquakes and tsunami, and severe nuclear accidents. l

Parliament first: BJP MPs denied foreign junket, sent to work A man walks through heavy wind and rain as Typhoon Rammasun barrels across Manila yesterday. Typhoon Rammasun shut down the Philippine capital on July 16 as authorities said the first major storm of the country's brutal rainy season claimed at least one life and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate AFP

Agencies

n

NEWS BITES

Japan nuclear plant gets safety clearance, Abe hopes for restarts

‘Indonesia’s Jokowi leads BJP eyes Congress split to form Delhi govt n with 80% of votes’ Reuters, Jakarta

9

Thursday, July 17, 2014

ple of voting booths across the country and have proved accurate in the past.

But two of the pollsters showing a Prabowo win refused to be audited this week, a spokesman for the Association of Public Opinion Surveys told Reuters.

He said that six others, several of which have been reliable in the past, that predicted a Jokowi win had been audited and declared sound.

Both sides have suggested the other might try to cheat and there have been reports of irregularities in some areas.

But analysts said the number of votes involved – about 130m people cast ballots – would make it near impossible to fix the result.

Prabowo, who has faced repeated accusations of human rights abuses that he denies, has lashed out at media favouring his rival.

A video circulating on social media this week showed Prabowo criticizing the country’s leading English daily for not printing his articles.

“Your newspaper is a jerk,” Prabowo told a Jakarta Post reporter after refusing to answer her question at a news conference. “If Prabowo writes an article, it’s not allowed to be published.

That’s not real democracy.”

The newspaper had written an editorial ahead of the election, backing Jokowi.

His team has also lodged a defamation complaint against a US journalist over an off-the-record interview in 2011 in which the ex-general is quoted as saying Indonesia was “not ready” for democracy. l

BJP on Wednesday indicated that it may take a shot at government formation in Delhi if invited by lt governor Najeeb Jung.

Sources said in case BJP decides to form government, senior leader and former finance minister Jagdish Mukhi could be a strong contender for the chief minister’s post.

They said the party was confident of getting the required support of MLAs

from other parties, , with reports suggesting that government formation in Delhi could hinge on a group of Congress MLAs breaking away to support a BJP government to avoid fresh assembly polls.

The possibility of a split in the eight-member Congress unit in the Assembly has been doing the rounds for some time now. The moves for government formation have gathered momentum after the appointment of Satish Upadhyay as Delhi

BJP chief and Amit Shah as national president.

After a meeting with party legislators, Satish Upadhyay said the party will consider formation of government if the lt governor invites it to take over the reins.

“We will consider it (formation of government) provided Lt Governor Najeeb Jung calls us,” he said. He, however, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders of the party will take a final call on the issue. l

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS

A visitor looks at books at the 25th International Book Fair in Hong Kong yesterday. The Hong Kong Book Fair opened its doors with hundreds of thousands expected to attend the seven-day show, packed with everything from cute cartoons to cutting-edge political satire AFP

n Agencies

It may have enough strength and support to pass bills and counter a beleaguered Opposition, but the NDA leadership wants to ensure its MPs do not fly away when Parliament is in session.

Last week, parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu turned down the request of five BJP MPs for foreign junkets. They were told bluntly that while the session is on, they are expected to remain present in Delhi.

Anurag Thakur, Sanjay Jaiswal, Kamlesh Paswan Tarun Vijay and Ashwani Kumar of the BJP had initially informed the parliament secretariat about their plan to fly abroad. While some were headed to China, one MP planned to go to Washington and another one was visiting Europe.

“All of them were going on invitations from organisations like bilateral friendship forums or attending seminars,” said a Lok Sabha official.

Naidu also reportedly cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to defer his Japan tour in the wake of the budget session. Although the PM is currently in Brazil to attend the all-important BRICS summit he politely turned down an invitation to watch the World Cup final two days before the summit.

Although the ruling NDA has more than 300 MPs as against the half-way mark of 272 in Lok Sabha, it is still not taking chances. In Rajya Sabha the government is in a minority but has found support from parties like AIADMK, Trinamool, BSP and BJD. The BJP’s decision not to allow its MPs travel abroad on junkets during Parliament session comes in stark contrast to the UPA regime when many members went on foreign tours even as the UPA struggled to tackle an aggressive Opposition in both Houses.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too, was often accused by his political opponents of visiting foreign countries frequently during Parliament sessions. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Thursday, July 17, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Time for zero tolerance for BCL crime

T

here seems to be no end to the series of atrocities carried out by the Bangladesh Chhatra League. It is a shameful commentary that our government has been unable to rein in these thugs and put a stop to this violence, in spite of the fact that the BCL is the student wing of the ruling party.

The fact that two separate incidents of shocking brutality took place on the same day shows the extent to which BCL cadres feel immune to legal repercussions. After the twin incidents of 10 journalists being assaulted on the same day that a student from Jessore Science and Technology University was stabbed to death, instead of facing punishment, some cadres have even reportedly been promoted in the BCL ranks.

Time and again, BCL activists are getting away with assault and murder. There does not seem to be enough impetus from our government to take disciplinary action against them. Even when the central committee takes action and suspends its men, usually it is just for show.

We have editorialised before about the need for firm action to curb the lawless activities of the BCL. We are not content to have university authorities, party committees, and the government making false promises about taking action while the reality of the BCL crime rate remains unabated.

If the government allows the BCL to do whatever it wants with impunity, the student organisation will remain a serious stain on the credibility of the government, and a disgrace to the nation.

There does not seem to be enough impetus from our government to take disciplinary action

Police need to respect the rules

R

ecent reports about the police refusing to accept a case for a 23-year-old woman who was drugged and gang raped in the capital raise deep concerns about the attitudes and behaviour of our police force.

The police are entrusted to protect and to serve the public. Instances such as this one of the police declining to act on complaints, especially when it comes to rape cases, are far too common in Bangladesh. This is inexcusable dereliction of duty, and requires the urgent attention of the Home Ministry.

What is more, truck drivers are reportedly being subjected to extortion by the police on various highways, and are forced to pay higher tolls if their documents are not in order. These cases highlight the fact that often the police themselves are the worst legal offenders.

Law enforcement officers who act outside of the law, or abuse their power, should be brought to book. There are upright members in the police force of course, but until the institution itself undergoes complete and thorough reform, it will not regain credibility and authority in the eyes of the public.

We urge the government to take the matter seriously, and to work out a strategy to transform the police force and help restore our confidence in the law enforcement establishment. Our country cannot expect to progress if there is such rampant lawlessness among law enforcers.

Law enforcement officers who act outside of the law, or abuse their power, should be brought to book

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

Climate, weather impacts revealed in atlases too July 13

mememine Deny this: “The scientific method prevents science from being 100% certain THAT THE END IS NEAR.” So that is why “believers” have to say it for them?

32 years of 95% certainty is why it’s called “research” for lab coats and “belief” for determined “believers,” a promise of better weather by politicians.

But you can’t call “could be” sustainable in “belief” for another three decades.

Each district needs an engineering college July 12

Md Ashraf Hossain Bangladesh emerged as an independent country 43 years back, but it could not even produce a nail then. It makes ocean-going ships, produces cold-rolled steel coil, and assembles air coolers, fridges, motorbikes, sedans, textile products and so on now. It is the second-largest garment exporter and is going to be a significant player of medicine exports.

Bangladesh is moving towards industrialisation. The number of people below the poverty level has also been also reducing. In the next decade, Bangladesh is expected to become a middle-income country. In the near future, many industries will need a huge technical and professional workforce. Indeed, a shortage of technical and professional workers will be a major impediment for economic development.

Bangladesh has to take on programmers now to cope with the upcoming problem, ie required population needs to be transformed into a technical and professional workforce. The transformation needs a few years to achieve the desired goal. The authorities concerned know that a lot of industrial ventures, like steel, dyeing, and fish, have engaged huge foreign technical hands with exorbitant salaries compared to local workforce salaries.

Definitely, thousands of students at higher secondary level are interested in studying engineering. In fact, the expansion of general higher education increases the number of the educated unemployed, which is a mere wastage of national wealth.

A programmer is necessary to set up engineering institutes, at least one in each district, where there is no such university or college, to impart undergraduate courses in different engineering disciplines.

‘Father’s killers’ abducted Gazipur councillor July 13

Dr Ahsan Habib This bail being granted to accused people by higher courts is an unfortunate incident in Bangladesh. I wonder what motivates them?!

CALVIN AND HOBBES

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 3 represents A so fill A every time the figure 3 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

As you get the letters, fill in 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

CB mememine: Done. Science is never 100% certain of anything. That is not how science works.

Now, how certain are you there won’t be a crisis?

If we haven’t set the world on a course toward total polar meltdown, 75 metres of sea level rise, the drowning of the homes of billions of people, and untold climate chaos just with the CO we’ve already emitted, why isn’t there a single previous example in Earth’s history of polar ice caps withstanding CO so high?

Argentina’s love for Bangladeshi supporters July 8

Bravo Delta Bangla As the son of Bangladeshi immigrants who was raised in the West, I have to say, this is embarrassing. Fanatical levels of support have been given to foreign teams in sports that we should at least attempt to play better ourselves in, instead of just ball-watching.

We are not like these made-up nations who really have no ties to each other. Bangladeshis share culture, language, blood and (in most cases, let’s be honest) religion. I do not want to see foreign flags and support to aliens in my ancestral homeland. I want to be proud of Bangladesh itself.

Heck, even here where I live I attempt to follow and support the Bangladeshi cricket team (despite it being possibly the most boring sport on earth that I have no genuine interest in and the utterly shambolic third-rate performances of our “stars”).

We need much better upgrade of sports infrastructure and organisation so that we can at least try to be better than other Asian teams in sports like soccer, hockey, basketball, etc. It shames me to read things like Bangladeshis fighting (in some cases to death) over foreign football teams!

Regardless of where I was raised, I am Bangladeshi by blood, and want to see the proud green-and-red fly over the shonar desh.

This is very embarrassing.

SUDOKU How to solve: Fill in the blank spaces with the numbers 1 – 9. Every row, column and 3 x 3 box must contain all nine digits with no number repeating.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Former Iranian leader (4) 3 Morass (5) 8 Power of rejecting (4) 9 Midday (4) 11 Postpone (5) 12 Rodents (4) 14 German town (3) 15 Coming after (5) 18 Make merry (5) 19 Vegetable (3) 21 Periods of time (4) 24 Giant with a hundred eyes (5) 26 Not any (4) 27 Neckwear (4) 28 Concluded (5) 29 Fuel (4)

DOWN 1 Go down (4) 2 Minute particle (4) 4 Hail! (3) 5 Allude (5) 6 Plant’s support (4) 7 Mount (5) 10 African river (4) 11 Frighten from (5) 13 Grottoes (5) 16 Dash (4) 17 Flood (5) 18 Stormed (5) 20 Ireland (poet) (4) 22 Alone (4) 23 Water hole (4) 25 Employ (3)

Sex workers forced to leave brothel July 14

vihan A shameful act in the name of religion!

Wrong is right in Bangladesh July 9

PEANUTS

Saddened Bangladeshi MA Sattar’s write-up on rights and wrongs in Bangladesh, published in your daily, confirms the fact that what is wrong anywhere in this world is right in Bangladesh! This is how powerful and well-connected “wheelers and dealers” command and corrupt our politics.

They use influence, backed with money.

This ensures for them astronomical returns on cash. This is the name of the game.

Meanwhile, corrupt politicians become hoarse, preaching “right” across the nation, while, under the table, and under the guise of important “state business,” carry out dark deeds needed to make “wrong become right!” As needed, might, muscle, and money are used, and potent forces are mobilised. And we silently watch the show of our political key players, both “in position” and in the opposition. That is the cornerstone of politics and governance in Bangladesh over the last decades.

The way we are progressing, the day is not far off, when “wrong” will be washed, dressed and displayed as right, while the word itself will no longer be a part of our vocabulary!

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Darkness under the lamp n Moinus Saleh

N

Fighting in the name of religion

REUTERS

The Middle East burns

S

n Ziauddin Choudhury

o this is finally happening. A band of militants fighting in the name of religion, or jihadists as they call themselves, has been able to quarter away parts of Syria and Iraq declaring a new Islamic state after driving out a ragtag Iraqi army comprising mainly Shiite soldiers. The insurgents call their newly acquired chunk of land Islamic State of Levant because their dream goes beyond Syria and Iraq to other neighbouring Muslim Arab countries.

The leader of this ambitious group has grandiosely declared himself Khalifah (Caliph). For the first time since the map of this part of the world was redrawn by the West after the First World War, another attempt is being launched by militant Islamists to establish their worldview on the map of the Middle East.

To say that this military success of the militants has taken the countries within the area, or even the outside world, by surprise would be a misstatement. It may be a surprise to the weakling government of Iraq, but other countries in the neighbourhood, including Iran, were all aware that the Islami jihadists had established a firm foothold in the area following the Iraq war and the beginning of the turbulence in the Middle East. The Syrian war gave birth to different militant groups fighting against the regime, but none more determined and aggressive than the Islamists who established their version of Islamic laws in the cities and towns they controlled.

The conundrum now is not how the jihadists have been able to drive away thousands of Iraqi forces from a large chunk of territory in Iraq and Syria, the main puzzle is how they have been able to hold on to a territory bordering three countries (Syria, Iraq, and Iran)

without much opposition. It seems the jihadists are now in comfortable control of the territory despite attempts at thwarting them with help of volunteer forces by the jittery Iraqi government of Malliki. Assistance from neighbours, including Iran, is scarcely visible, while the main ally of Iraq — the United States – is in watch-and-see mode.

In the meantime, the Iraqi army, even with support from volunteers, keeps retreating to the inner belt of the country.

of their ideas by word, but by sword.

They do not believe that a state is run by the will of people; they believe it is run by the will of God. They are not moved by the ideals of democracy, but by the ideals of theocracy. Democracy, as is understood in the countries that practice it, is anathema to the core belief of this brand.

An Islamic state based on the ideals of these firebrands will separate it completely from other Muslim countries in the area. And if the state does

A radical Islamic state based on the dreams of a band of zealots may not happen without external support

There are two possible outcomes from this latest success of the Islamic militants: Either the map of the Middle East will be redrawn, or this new breed of militants will be wiped out from the territory – at least for some years to come. Both cases will have serious repercussions in the Middle East, with fallouts that may extend to the West as well.

The grand ambition of the militants to establish an Islamic Caliphate harking back to a period that spawned the Islamic world 1,400 years ago, may sound quixotic to many. But to the strain of militants who swear by it, it is a dream that must be realised at any cost. This is a brand of Islamists who are different from others of their ilk, including Al Qaeda, that apparently disapproves of the harsh ideology and practices of the band.

The group that vows to establish their ideals on the territory they have grabbed believes not in propagation

become viable, it will not stop there, because its grand ambition will be to convert all other countries to their definition of Islam and Islamic state. In other words, the conflict will continue.

In an ideal world where no country interferes in the affairs of another, no community dabbles in the politics of another, in other words live harmoniously, a state could operate in any manner it liked as long as it does not harm its neighbours. The so-called Islamic State of Syria and Levant exist on name only, in a territory that the militants have occupied by driving out the legitimate forces of the affected countries. It has yet to become operational, and if it did, its viability would be open to question without acceptance from its neighbours and the international community. But it remains a possibility, given the current conditions in Iraq and Syria. Without external assistance of a material kind to retake the lost territory from the

militants, the possibility is looming larger every day.

The good news, or bad news depending on the perspective one has on the issue, is that a firebrand Islamic state bred by a dream of a medieval period will not happen simply on the tenacity or jihadi spirit of a militant group. The group may be aided with the firepower and zeal of a band of committed radicals, but it will not succeed until it gets moral and physical support from people they want to establish their ideas upon. More importantly, the territory they are holding on to will need more than their firepower to be viable. It will need either acquiescence or concurrence of the countries within the territory and the powers that sustain those countries.

Militancy alone, however imbued it may be with religious fervour, cannot found a state.

New events close to the tri-state area (Syria, Iraq, and Iran), with renewed hostility between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza, have temporarily put the war in Iraq and Syria in the backburner. But with territories already lost to Iraq, to the militants, with possibilities of further inroad inside Iraq by them, parties vitally interested in the area will not remain dormant.

An all-out effort to drive the militants and demolish them will be made by the countries threatened soon.

A radical Islamic state based on the dreams of a band of zealots may not happen without external support and popular acceptance of the new rulers of the land. Unfortunately, an outcome of either kind will be costly to all participants, most importantly to the people living in the affected areas. It seems the Middle East will continue to burn for the foreseeable time. l

othing perhaps describes corruption in the education system more glaringly than the metaphor “darkness under the lamp.”

In response to this, a question arises: “Why is there always darkness under the lamp?” One blogger came up with the idea that the scenario can be interpreted in a couple of ways – the lamp is like those pretentious people who do not see their own shortcomings, or the lamp is like those benevolent people who spend their entire lives for the welfare of others.

Which interpretation one accepts obviously depends on the context. In our context, where pretentiousness and hypocrisy reign supreme, the first interpretation seems more plausible.

But, what surprised me most was the blogger’s additional tip on how to dispel that darkness from under the lamp: “Put another lit lamp near it!”

But, when you choose not to acknowledge the fact that there is darkness under the lamp in the first place, the question of putting another lit lamp does not arise at all. This is perhaps what happened in the case of our education minister’s reaction to the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report on corruption in higher education in the private sector.

Terming the TIB report “unacceptable” and “disgraceful,” the education minister seemed to come out of his otherwise sensible demeanour to swoop in on TIB, that claimed to have found “widespread” irregularities, including financial ones in private universities, especially in the process of getting administrative approval for the posts of high executives.

In the perception index of corruption in Bangladesh – as reported from time to time by TIB – the education department unfortunately always had bad figures. Not only a pity, it is also the height of paradox that the department which is entrusted with the responsibility of enkindling the light of education is smeared with so much of the darkness of corruption. Given the historical vulnerability of our education sector to malpractices, the education minister should not have been so taken aback by TIB’s report, let alone swooping in on the watchdog.

The private sector in different levels of education – secondary to tertiary – is playing an important role

Ziauddin Choudhury is a former civil servant and a retired World Bank official.

Interestingly, my reading of the TIB report coincided with my reading of Indian novelist Chetan Bhagat’s best-selling novel Revolution 2020: Love, Corruption, and Ambition. Set in the Indian holy city of Varanasi, the novel describes the rampant corruption apparent in the Indian educational system. I think that not only Bangladesh or India, most of the developing countries are seriously affected by profit-driven and commercialised education systems where corruption lurks

reported that the United States tried to introduce quarterly breaks in football before the 1994 World Cup but FIFA did not agree.

Secondly, most Americans get bored watching football since it has a slower scoring rate compared to other popular games like basketball

or American football. A higher scoring rate provides more excitement and amusement to them.

FIFA is unlikely to change the rules of the game to satisfy the American audience. As one sport enthusiast suggested, the game could gain more popularity if the US team had ad-

as an unalienable partner.

As I went through the novel, I thought a change of the setting from Varanasi to Dhaka would reveal the same phenomenon of the private higher education system in Bangladesh.

The education minister and his bureaucratic colleagues may go through the book to have an understanding of the width and breadth of corruption that the higher education system may be susceptible to.

Commercial gains must not become more important than the mission

The solution to a problem requires the recognition of the problem first. The way our ministers and bureaucrats tend to brush the problems aside seems to be a futile attempt to keep a storm at bay just by playing blind.

But instead of pretending, we need to recognise the problems of darkness and then devise ways of how to dispel it from under the lamp that looms so large in our higher education section in particular.

There is no denying the fact that in the absence of enough public institutes, the private sector in different levels of education – from secondary to tertiary – is playing an important role in providing education services.

But that service must provide students with real education and must not be limited to issuing certificates only.

Here comes the question of the quality of education in hundreds of universities of our country – public and private. The University Grants Commission (UGC) can play a vital role in ensuring the quality of education in all higher education institutes.

Political commitment coupled with a strengthened UGC will be good enough to ensure that. Once all higher education providers are subjected to some quality-control mechanism, the ill practices which are allegedly rampant in most of the private universities will automatically fade away.

On the other hand, if the role of many private universities is allowed to remain limited in issuing certificates, then the current trend of indulging in corruption will only aggravate because of the profiteering mentality that inspires the establishment of private universities. There is definitely business in the provision of education, but commercial gains must not become more important than the mission that an education provider is supposed to be inspired by – the mission of enlightenment. The government must act as a sentinel in this case to ensure that all public and private educational institutes provide standardised quality education, and obviously not act as an accomplice in their profit-making process in all possible ways – good or bad, ethical or unethical. l Moinus Saleh did his PhD on taxation and governance issues from an Australian University.

Some call it soccer n Abdul Matin

T

he greatest show on earth – the 2014 FIFA World Cup – is over.

As I was visiting the United States during the tournament, it was easy for me to watch the matches at very convenient times – afternoons.

The most interesting aspect of the 2014 World Cup was the performances of underdogs like Algeria, Ghana, and Nigeria, whereas favourites like Spain, Italy, and England failed to qualify for the knockout stage. The performance of Brazil at the semi-final against Germany disheartened many fans not only in their home country, but in many other countries, including Bangladesh.

The World Cup fever that gripped football-loving countries around the planet was not so visible among the Americans. Football is known as soccer in the States. Surprisingly, many Americans were not even aware of the recent World Cup. A couple of TV channels broadcast the games and the opening and closing ceremonies, but the audience, though much larger than ever before, was limited to first

generation Americans or immigrants from football-loving countries.

The performance of the US team in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil helped to attain the current popularity of football (soccer) in the USA. Its national team advanced from what was called “the group of death” to enter into the knockout stage. Though considered as underdogs against Belgium, they held the match goalless for the first 90 minutes.

They went down with a score of 2-1, fighting against the favourites during the extra time. Freedom Plaza in Washington was packed with American fans. So was the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where the attendees included President Barack Obama. He later called the captain of the team, Clint Dempsey and the goalkeeper, Tim Howard to congratulate them on their performances. Tim turned into a hero almost overnight.

According to the US Youth Soccer, there are more than 3 million registered youth players, compared to just over 100,000 in the mid 70s. One sport enthusiast said: “Every four

years there’s more and more interest.

And the further the US goes, the more people are paying attention.” The CNN reported on July 2 that during the previous 28 days, 36.7 million US fans had engaged with the World Cup’s online properties.

Football still has to go a long way to become popular like American football, baseball, basketball, or hockey, even though the United States initiated a Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1993 in line with other leagues, successfully hosted the 1994 World Cup, and English footballer David Beckham was hired by Sporting Kansas City. Why? There are two main reasons.

First of all, no sport is likely to be very popular in the States unless it serves the commercial interests of sponsors. Football has only one break between two halves of a game, whereas most other popular games have several breaks (normally three) when TV channels show commercials. Neither the sponsors nor the TV channels find a single break sufficiently lucrative from a commercial point of view. It is

vanced further in the World Cup. Better performance by the national team thus holds the key to the popularity of football in the States. We may have to wait for that to happen. l Abdul Matin is a former chief engineer of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.

REUTERS

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Bangladeshi singers perform Suchitra hits n Entertainment Desk Suchitra Sen, the most charismatic actor of Bangla cinema, who ruled as a leading lady for 26 long years, will be remembered through the voices of five young and popular singers of Bangladesh.

The Eid special TV programme titled “Amar Ganer Nimontrone” features 10 songs from Sen's superhit films.

Singers Kona, Priyanka Gope, Anima Roy, Anupama Mukti and Nirjhar will present two songs each while the music arrangement has been done by Maksud Zamil Mintu. The singers have already recorded the songs giving new flavours but keeping the beauty of the original melodies.

The show promises to make the audience nostalgic by presenting popular songs such as Tumi Je Amar Ei Bhubone, Ami Swapne Tomay Dekhechi, Ei Shundor Shornali Shondhay, Kichu Khushi

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Selim Al Deen’s Eti Potromita in new light n Entertainment Desk

A comedy by Selim Al Deen titled “Eti Potromita” is set to be staged by Dhaka Theatre. After “Muntasir Fantasy” in 1975, the troupe will stage an Al Deen’s play after four decades.

The play was originally a television drama but the young and dynamic theatre director Rubayet Ahmed adapted it for the stage.

The story revolves around two friends Lomba Rinku and Baitta Rinku who share the same apartment and love to make penfreinds. The comedy of errors starts when a girl named Pinku arrives at their place. Pinku mistakes Baitta Rinku as Lomba Rinku with whom she has been exchanging letters for a long time and developed a romantic bond. The story moves on with a series of hilarious incidents.

Rubayet Ahmed said to the Dhaka Tribune: “I’ve changed some dialogues to narrative and added a few songs to the play to give it a traditional form of ‘shongjatra’ or ‘shongpala’ and also blended Italian traditional comedy. We produced a few serious plays by Selim Al Deen. Therefore, it is challenging for us to adapt his comedy for the first time.”

He added: “Selim Al Deen is an icon. So, whenever someone directs or adapts a work of Deen, it has to be immaculate or else the critics do not spare them.”

The troupe plans to hold a technical show on the first week of the coming month, however the date of the premier is yet to be determined. Rafiqul Islam, Sumon Ibrahim, Hasnat Mithun, Joyosri Majumder Lota and Fahmida Kamal Ripa will be seen in the play. l

A moment of the rehearsal of Eti Potromita

TODAY IN DHAKA Film

Kichu Nesha, Mor Bina Othe Kon Shure Baji, Ei Je Kache Daka, She Amar Buk Bhorano Chotto Ekta Chithi etc.

Hosted by Moutushi Biswas, the programme is set to be aired on NTV during Eid. l

Noah 3D, Godzilla 3D Mr. Peabody and Sherman 3D Tarkaata Time: 12:30pm – 9:30pm Blockbuster Cinemas Jamuna Future Park

Exhibition

Urban Experiences Time: 12pm – 8pm Bengal Art Lounge

Tisha and Nisho in Day Out n Entertainment Desk A single episode Eid special “Day Out” starring Tisha and Nisho will be aired on the third day of Eid-ul-Fitr on Maasranga TV at 10:15pm. Written by Sharif Hossain Emon, the drama is directed by Humayun Rashid Samrat.

The story follows Tisha, who is learning photography from Nisho. One day Nisho invites Tisha to his residence. At that time, Nisho’s wife was not present in the house and he attempts to get physical with Tisha.

A strong willed Tisha manages to divert his attack and in the process Nisho gets injured. Terrified, she leaves the place in a hurry and on her way, she faints in the bus. When she regains consciousness, she calls her friend Sohel and repeats the traumatising experience to him. When a group of her closest friends visit her, Tisha seeks advice from them on how to deal with the situation. l

Band members of Shohojia

‘Beauty is simple’ n Shadma Malik

A group of musicians with the ideology of simplicity formed the band Shohojia in 2009. Their debut album “Rongmistree” released at the end of last year and was a success among band music fans of the country. Dhaka Tribune caught up with the aspiring band to learn about their ideology and more.

What does “Shohojia” mean?

The title of the band is derived from a Bangla poetry-book “Charyageeti” that had lived through ages and is still acclaimed for its gravity, thoughts and creativity. A group mentioned in “‘Charyageeti,” named “Buddhist Shohojia” chanted their thoughts through poetry and music. They were one of those naturalist religious

groups of ancient civilisation, who discovered their religion through nature and struggles of everyday life.

Does the simplistic lifestyle of the Buddhists inspire you?

We admire the way Buddhists express their feelings. Shohojia band members are writing and singing their songs in the same manner as the group Buddhist Shohojia. We are also interested in copying the lifestyle of the group, but since they lived a thousand years ago, it is a little difficult for us to maintain the exact same lifestyle.

What specific theme does the band cover?

We do not have any specific themes.

We see, believe, write and sing. The theme of the band is not confined to

any genre. We strongly believe that a song must have meaningful lyrics.

Our songs completely depend on our imagination and feelings. We express our feelings through words, so it is always a challenge.

We believe beauty is simple. Our lyrics are simple and aesthetically pleasant.

It has an essence of rural Bangla.

What are your upcoming ventures?

We are about to release our second album “Ghora.” The composition of the album has already been finished. The title song emphasises on how people are always on the run, just like a horse. l

n Entertainment Desk

Salman and Karan Johar have off late become very good friends and it was cemented more firmly with the appearance of the “Dabangg” star on

n Entertainment Desk

Tells us about the lyrics.

Salman and Karan Johar team up for Shuddhi Bollywood superstar Salman Khan confirmed that he will be a part of filmmaker and friend Karan Johar’s ambitious project “Shhuddhi,” which has been in news for a long time now.

Salman reveals that he will be a part of one of Karan Johar’s films at a recent press conference for “Kick.”

When asked which film would that be, he said, “Shhuddhi.”

Meanwhile film’s producer Karan Johar also confirmed the report in Twitter saying that Salman will be a part of the project which will release on Diwali 2016.

Last year, Hrithik Roshan had walked out of the project citing date issues. The film was already delayed as Hrithik was recuperating from a brain surgery. Post that the actor had given bulk dates for the filming of “Bang Bang.” Soon after Hrithik Roshan’s departure, the film’s female lead Kareena Kapoor Khan had also walked out.

There were reports that Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone may replace them but Karan later denied the news.

Rani Mukerji dazzles at India Counter Week

What is your usual songwriting process?

“Koffee With Karan.” Salman was seen in the first episode of KWK, which is usually reserved for KJo’s closest friend and Salman’s rival Shah Rukh Khan. l

Encounter with stalker stuns Bullock n Entertainment Desk Sandra Bullock’s recent encounter with a stalker in her home reads like a scene from a scary movie in newly released documents, that talks about an obsessed fan who described himself as her “husband.”

Joshua James Corbett, 39, was later found to have a stash of illegal weapons, including two fully automatic rifles and a machine gun, at his home. But he was unarmed when he broke into Bullock’s home, police said.

Investigators said the sleeping actor was awakened at 6:30am June 8 by banging noises, opened her bedroom door and saw a dark-clad stranger moving toward the stairs.

Bullock, 49, who has portrayed brave, strong women on screen, acted quickly, locking the door and summoning police.

“Sandy, I’m sorry!” the man shouted as he was being taken away. “Don’t press charges.”

Police determined Corbett had scaled the gates of the home and forced open a locked sunroom glass door. He remains in jail awaiting trial and could face more than seven years in prison. l

Ace fashion designer Sabyasachi flagged off the India Couture Week with Rani Mukerji adorning the front row yesterday in New Delhi.

Entitled “Ferozabad” the collection had the old-world charm of the city of Mughal Emperor Akbar.

Sabyasachi’s muse Rani, who was looking spectacular wearing a beige embellished zardozi saree, did most of the talking on behalf of the designer as he was unwell.

“I feel really emotional seeing his collection. One could see the hard work, the blood and sweat he has put into every outfit. Every show of Sabyasachi is different,” Rani told the reporters.

The ramp was decorated like the compartment of a luxury train and the designer beautifully depicted the humdrum of a train journey. The six-day fashion extravaganza will see nine of the country’s top designers. l

Renowned painter Masuma Khan conducts a children painting workshop at South Breeze School, Dhanmondi on Saturday. The workshop will continue till August 15, 2014

Sport DHAKA TRIBUNE Thursday, July 17, 2014

13

Tigers to play 3 Tests against Zimbabwe n Minhaz Uddin Khan For the first time in Bangladesh’s history, the country will play a three-match Test series in their upcoming assignment at home against Zimbabwe. The Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday confirmed the itinerary of the lengthiest series where Zimbabwe will arrive in October for three Tests and five ODIs. Zimbabwe are expected to reach Dhaka on October 17 and play a single three-day warm-up match at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium from October 20, before both sides move to the port city for the first two Tests.

The last Test match of the series will be played at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) on November 11.

The teams will fly back to Chittagong for the last two ODIs after playing the first three at Mirpur on November 19, 21 and 23 respectively. The last two ODIs will be held on November 26 and 28.

With so much cricket scheduled, it was expected some new venues would get the taste of international cricket.

But only two venues named for the whole series raised eye brows of many while questions were also asked behind the decision.

When quarried, BCB reasoned Khulna for not having standard accommodation facilities while Bogra had the issue of transportation as there is no domestic airport in that region.

While the latest international venue of the country, the Sylhet Divisional Stadium which hosted World Twenty20 matches just few months back, was ruled out due to work to be done on the drainage system. l

ITINERARY Oct 20-22 Oct 26-30 Nov 03-07 Nov 11-15 Nov 19 Nov 21 Nov 23 Nov 26 Nov 28

Warm-up game 1st Test 2nd Test 3rd Test 1st ODI 2nd ODI 3rd ODI 4th ODI 5th ODI

KSOAS ZACS ZACS SBNS SBNS SBNS SBNS ZACS ZACS

Uttar Baridhara’s Gambian midfielder Darling Darboe slides the ball past Feni Soccer Club captain and goalkeeper Osman Goni and towards the goal during their Nitol-Tata Bangladesh Premier Football League encounter at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MUMIT M

Feni Soccer Club’s place all but secured n Shishir Hoque Feni Soccer Club have all but secured their place in the top flight for the upcoming season while Uttar Baridhara are on the brink of relegation after the encounter between the two bottom sides of the Nitol-Tata Bangladesh Premier Football League ended in a 4-1 win for Feni Soccer Club at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

The soggy pitch of Bangabandhu National Stadium didn’t trouble the Soccer Club’s foreign recruits much as

their Gambian midfielder Darling Darboe slammed a sensational second-half hattrick, his first in Bangladesh, to earn his side three vital points in style against a 10-man Baridhara side.

It was Soccer Club’s first premier league victory in last 14 matches spanning a period of almost three months, and only their second win out of 25 games alongside 12 draws. They now have 18 points which is six more than that of Baridhara. With two games in hand, only a point in their last two matches would be enough for them to confirm their place in the league.

It was all about Feni Soccer Club’s unquestionable dominance in yesterday’s encounter as Ali Hasan put Soccer

Afusi set to leave for Churchill Brothers n Shishir Hoque

Nigerian coach Joseph Afusi, the man who guided Sheikh Jamal to their second Bangladesh Premier League title and Federation Cup glory, is likely to set his foot one step higher in the Ileague by taking over the reins of Goa based club Churchill Brothers as the head coach.

After Sheikh Jamal confirmed their premier league title with a win over Abahani two days ago, Joseph Afusi congratulated the club through a facebook status and thanked the players, officials, management and Bangladeshi people for the support he received from them during his time at the Dhanmondi club. He also announced his next move to the I-League.

Afusi began his career in Bangladesh as a player and assistant coach of Sheikh Jamal before taking the responsibility of the head coach the following year. In his debut season as coach, Sheikh Jamal finished second in three professional tournaments - premier league, Federation cup and Independence Cup, under the guidance of Nigerian coach.

Jamal built a new squad recruiting top rated players from the league and Afusi won his first title in the form of

the Federation Cup, the season opener.

His club then put up a sparkling display in the 118th IFA Shield in Kolkata where they finished runners-up. This achievement of his actually drew the attention of I-League clubs.

“A very big thanks to all my players. You have made me proud.

Without you, I’m nobody. I will always remember your hard work and dedication throughout the season,” said Afusi through facebook before adding, “Sad to say goodbye, but that is part of our job. All I need from you is your prayers for my next assignment in I-league.”

The new premier league champions appointed former Sheikh Russell coach Maruful Haque as the chief technical consultant during the second phase of the league, and this appointment of Maruf might have been the indication that Afusi’s days at the club were all but over. He was not with Sheikh Jamal throughout the third phase of the league and his last game in charge of Shiekh Jamal came against Sheikh Russell on May 28.

Afusi, however, expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Jamal president Manjur Kader saying, “You (Manjur Kader) have played a very big part in my new life.” l

midfielder made no mistake to send the ball into the net from the spot. He then completed his hattrick in the 84th minute. After a neat one-to-one with Chuka Charles, Landing broke into the penalty area and smashed home past Osman into the far post.

Meanwhile, in the day’s other match, Muktijoddha Sangsad continued their fine form and registered their third consecutive victory when they edged past Brothers Union 1-0 at the Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Stadium. In-form striker Nkwocha Kingsley netted the all important winner in the 61st minute. It was Nkwocha’s 15th goal in the league this season, third highest in the top scorers’ list of the premier league. l

Club ahead after just nine minutes of the match. Collecting a back pass from rightback Ala Uddin, the local midfielder dribbled past two Baridhara defenders before slotting home past Baridhara keeper Osman Goni to give his side a 1-0 lead.

Uttar Baridhara’s hope of salvaging anything out of the match received a major blow when they were reduced to 10 men six minutes into the second half after Ahsanul Kabir Masud received straight red card for his clumsy foul on Azmal Hossain Bidduit.

Soccer Club capitalized on the numerical advantage as Landing Darboe scored the first of his three goals through a screamer of a volley to double Soccer Club’s lead in the 59th minute. Receiving

the ball from 30 yards out, the Gambian unleashed a powerful volley to find the back of the net into bottom right corner.

Although substitute forward Dulal Hasan pulled one back for Baridhara in the 69th minute, it wasn’t enough for them to prevent Darboe’s impending onslaught. It was a Khalekur Jamen corner from left side which found Dulal inside the six-yard box who out-muscled his marker to head the ball home past Nehal into the near post to revive Baridhara’s hopes of survival.

But Landing netted his second of the day in the 76th minute from a penalty after Baridhara’s Nigerian defender Oyeyemi Olabanji brought down Landing inside the penalty area. The Gambian

Hockey team gets training camp boost

Dhoni has no regrets over Anderson charge

n Shishir Hoque The accommodation facility in any national team’s training camp has rarely been up to the mark and it is no different in the hockey camp. The unhygienic situation prevailing in the hockey team’s training camp though is likely to be over soon as Green Delta Insurance extended their support by providing around Tk5.2m to renovate the dormitory of the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium.

Renovation work already got underway from the beginning of this month and it will take another month, probably the middle of August, to be completed. The newly decorated dormitory will be ready before the national team’s final preparations for the World Hockey League which is scheduled to be held in the first week of September in Dhaka.

“Sir (Bangladesh Hockey Federation president Air Marshal Md. Enamul Bari) has been planning to modernise the accommodation facility of the players for a long time. However, it did not see light due to a lack of sponsors.

Thanks to Green Delta for coming forward,” said the BHF president’s representative. l

n AFP, London India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni insisted Wednesday his side had been right to complain about the conduct of England’s James Anderson.

England seamer Anderson was charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday for allegedly “abusing and pushing” India’s Ravindra Jadeja during last week’s drawn first Test at Trent Bridge.

If the charge is upheld, Anderson could be banned for as many as four Tests and England have responded by levelling a charge of their own against Jadeja.

England captain Alastair Cook suggested at a pre-match press conference at Lord’s, ahead of Thursday’s second Test, that India’s complaint had been a deliberate tactic to get Anderson banned from the rest of the five-match series.

However, Dhoni -- speaking later at Lord’s -- said: “We felt what happened was wrong so we went ahead with the charges.

“It’s not something that we have done. Let’s realise the fact.

“In a press conference you can ask me tough questions. I have the right to answer them or not to answer them, but in no way can I go and touch you or you can come and touch me,” the wick-

etkeeper-batsman added.

“You can put it in whatever way you want to but there are certain things that need to be followed, and it should be followed.

“Frankly, usually we have been on the receiving end a lot of times where somebody starts something and we retaliate and we get fined or different kinds of offences are levelled against us,” added Dhoni of an India coached by former England boss Duncan Fletcher.

Dhoni added: “It was good on Jadeja’s part to not really do something.

“It could have gone a bit far, but I felt he addressed this in the most appropriate manner.

“Someone has to back off at the right time. At the end of the day we play sport and lot of people look up to us, and there is a lot of responsibility on us.

“There have been a few individuals from our side in the past that have crossed that line. It’s a difficult one.

You can be aggressive, you can be vocal and that’s fine but there are certain guidelines and we should be following all of them.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Cook accused India of making a “mountain out of a molehill” in an effort to try to get Anderson banned. l

ULAB to play in Red Bull Campus Cricket in UK

Zia posts second win in Spain n Tribune Desk

n Raihan Mahmood

Bangladesh GM Ziaur Rahman defeated Oms Fuentes LIuis of Spain in the third round of the 16th Obert International Sant Marti 2014 which is being held in Barcelona, Spain.

It was Ziaur’s second consecutive victory in the meet after losing the opening round. Zia has now earned two points after the end of the third round of Group A. The third round games were held on Tuesday. He beat Masferrer Niubo Enric of Spain in the second round on Monday.

Earlier, Zia took part in another chess tournament in Spain early this month where he finished 12th in the 34th Open International Villa De Benasque. l

University of the Liberal Arts (ULAB) will represent Bangladesh in the RED Bull Campus Cricket World Final scheduled to be held in London from July 20.

A total of eight university teams from eight Test playing nations will be playing in the tournament. The universities are New South Wales University of Australia, Bradford MCC University of England, Leeds, Rizvi College,Mumbai India, Karachi University, Pakistan, University of Pretoria of South South Africa, International College of Business and Technology of Sri Lanka, University of Jamaica of West Indies and

ULAB from Bangladesh.

ULAB earned the ticket of the tournament by emerging as the champions in the ULAB Fair Play Cup Inter Private University Cricket. The Red Bull Cricket commenced at India 2012. ULAB participated in inaugural edition, and now it will be their third consecutive involvement. The final of the event will be held at Oval.

In a press conference held at the Bangladesh Olympic Association auditorium on Wednesday, professor Imran Rahman, the vice chancellor of ULAB, registrar Lt. Col. (rtd) Md Foyzul Islam, coach Sarwar Imran and captain Md Hasanuzzaman presented the details and the team’s aspirations. l

ULAB registrar Lt. Col. (retd.) Foyzul Islam (2L) speaks while ULAB professor and vice chancellor Imran Khan (L), coach Sarwar Imran (2R) and captain Hasanuzzaman look on during a press conference at the Bangladesh Olympic Association auditorium yesterday COURTESY

14

Sport DHAKA TRIBUNE Thursday, July 17, 2014

Ribery returns after injury, salutes Germany squad n AFP, Berlin

(L to R) Mexican goalkepeer Guillermo Ochoa, captain Rafael Marquez, President Enrique Pena Nieto and team coach Miguel Herrera take part in a dinner for the national team at the Los Pinos Residence on Tuesday

Chelsea agree to sign Atletico’s Luis n AFP, London Chelsea have reached a deal to sign Filipe Luis from Atletico Madrid subject to the defender agreeing personal terms with the Premier League club.

Luis impressed as Atletico won the Spanish title and reached the Champions League final last season and the Brazilian left-back is likely to fill the void left by Ashley Cole’s move to Roma.

A statement published on Chelsea’s official website read: “Chelsea Football Club can confirm an agreement has been reached with Atletico Madrid for the transfer of Filipe Luis.”

The 28-year-old is poised to become Chelsea’s second signing from Atletico in the last 24 hours after Spain striker Diego Costa completed his move to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Luis is reported to have cost £20 million ($34 million) after Chelsea agreed to pay the buy-out clause in his contract.

A statement on Atletico’s website added: “Atletico Madrid and Chelsea have reached an agreement to transfer the rights of Filipe Luis, pending a medical with the English club. l

Dhaka Tribune’s writers share their best and worst memories of the World Cup 2014 RASHAD BANNA Match of the tournament Germany 2 – 2 Ghana. End-to-end stuff.

Although the second half produced all the four goals the first half was no short of entertainment either. Starting from the 51st minute, the goals began to arrive thick and fast. Mario Goetze gave Germany the lead before Andre Ayew equalised three minutes later. Exhibiting exhilarating football in the next quarter of the game to which the Germans had no answer, the Ghanaians soon took a 2-1 lead courtesy Asamoah Gyan in the 63rd minute. Were it not for veteran striker Miroslav Klose in the 71st minute, equaling Brazilian Ronaldo’s record in the process, the Germans would have surely suffered an embarrassment at the hands of the Black Stars. That was the only game in the World Cup when Germany conceded points.

Player of the tournament Thomas Muller. Just pipping Colombian starlet James Rodriguez. Besides his five goals and three assists, the 24-year old Bayern Munich midfielder offered interminable energy to Joachim Loew’s side.

One of the most tireless players in the German squad, Muller’s endless running came in extremely handy in the round of 16 win over the Algerians which extended to extra time.

Van Gaal can renew United challenge, says Robson n Reuters New manager Louis van Gaal can propel Manchester United back into Premier League contention after their dismal form of last season and excite the players again, former United skipper Bryan Robson said on Tuesday.

Robson, speaking a day before the Netherlands’ World Cup coach Van Gaal arrives in Manchester to take up his new post, also said that the lack of European football at Old Trafford could help the team back to the top.

“You could see Holland were very well organised in the World Cup and there was discipline. Hopefully, he can bring that to Manchester. I think he will,” Robson told BBC Sport.

“They can bounce back straight away. His CV is great. He’s got great experience with top clubs and top players.”

United finished a lowly seventh in the Premier League last season - 22 points behind champions Manchester

City - under former Everton boss David Moyes who replaced long-standing manager Alex Ferguson.

“A lot of the players let themselves down (last season) and didn’t perform the way they had under Sir Alex,” said Robson, who spent 13 years at United and earned the nickname “Captain Marvel” for his driving performances in midfield.

“They will be up for the challenge and will be excited by the new coach.”

The lack of European football, while disappointing, could also be beneficial to United, who failed to qualify for either this season’s Champions League or Europa League, he said.

“The players get a bit more rest and you don’t get as many injuries,” he said.

“That can also be a real advantage.”

Van Gaal arrives at United on a wave of hope and expectation following his Dutch team’s performance at the World Cup, where they finished third with the 62-year-old’s reputation greatly enhanced.

He was heavily criticised when he changed Dutch tactics and ditched the traditional attacking style on the eve of the Brazil tournament.

In a country obsessed with playing possession football, the decision to adopt a defensive approach, with emphasis on swift counter-attacks, was tantamount to heresy but Van Gaal was eventually proved right - after getting his senior players to buy into his belief.

“He had everyone believing in the tactical changes and the fact it would work for us,” said Wesley Sneijder on the team’s return home this week. “Our success in the tournament was a lot about the coach.”

There were few detractors by the end of the World Cup as the Dutch battled their way to the semi-finals, finally being eliminated by Argentina on penalties.

He was also not scared to throw young players - like Memphis Depay and Jordy Clasie - into key World Cup games, highlighting his belief in youth.

In Brazil, Van Gaal made few refer-

ences to his new job - he signed a threeyear contract with United in May - but looked genuinely enthusiastic when he eventually spoke about his next assignment after last Saturday’s 3-0 win over Brazil in the third place playoff.

“It is an exciting challenge,” he told Dutch television. It is a return to club football for Van Gaal for the first time since Bayern Munich sacked him in 2011.

Van Gaal has shown little of his hand yet with the pre-season signings of Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao and Luke Shaw from Southampton.

At Barcelona more than decade ago he was heavily criticised for creating a colony of Dutch players, but one of them says that is unlikely to happen at Old Trafford.

“There were seven players dominating the changing room, speaking Dutch and not moving out of our own bubble.

It was a very unhealthy situation and I think Louis realised that. He won’t do it again,” Ronald de Boer, now an analyst on NOS television, predicted. l

Serbia’s Markovic signs for Liverpool n AFP, London English Premier League giants Liverpool have signed Serbia winger Lazar Markovic from Portuguese side Benfica, the club announced on Tuesday.

The undisclosed fee was reported

by British media to be £20 million ($34 million) for a “long-term deal” The 20-year-old is the fourth new arrival at Anfield this pre-season following Southampton and England duo Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana, as well as Emre Can, while controversial striker Luis Suarez has left to join Barcelona in a £75m move.

Markovic made his name at Partizan Belgrade and won successive Serbian titles with them before leaving last year to join Benfica, where he helped the Lisbon side complete a Portuguese treble during the 2013/14 season and reach the Europa League final, where they lost to Spain’s Sevilla.

“I am very happy that I have joined such a great club,” Markovic told Liverpool’s website. “I hope that I will fulfil the expectations of the supporters, coaches, players and all connected to the club.”l

Tale of the Ticos and laser-beams stands out among the rest. The game was heading to a draw, and a not-so-interesting one when Messi intervened with one of his trademark goals from outside the box. Messi’s swerving shot convincingly beat the outstretched hands of Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi.

Biggest disappointment England. Even though Italy, Spain and Portugal were all ousted in the first round, the trio at least posted a victory each. England though failed to win a single game and made a disappointing exit having accumulated just a single point from their three group games, a dull stalemate against Costa Rica.

Team of the tournament Neuer, Lahm, Hummels, Varane, Blind, Robben, Mascherano, Kroos, Di Maria, Messi, Muller.

Surprise package of the tournament Costa Rica, without a shadow of a doubt. Few expected the Ticos to reach the quarters.

Most interesting off-field moment Russia were all set for their first victory against Algeria, thanks to Alexander Kokorin’s sixth minute goal. The Algerians though equalised in the hour mark, courtesy Islam Slimani from a Yacine Brahimi cross. The goal though was shrouded by controversy. Seconds before the goal was scored, sections of the Algerian spectators on the right of Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev flashed out a green laser several times, targeting Akinfeev’s eyes. Millions of TV viewers witnessed this. Russia’s Italian coach Fabio Capello even complained after the game but his complaints fell on deaf years. Akinfeev is the one who can really tell whether he was blinded for a couple of seconds due to that laser attack.

Predictions for 2018 Heart is backing England as their talented youngsters will mature in four years’ time but brain says Germany to repeat their triumph in Russia and few will bet against them. l

Goal of the tournament There have been many brilliant goals scored in the Brazil World Cup, notably James Rodriguez’s volley against Uruguay in the second round and Robin van Persie’s header against Spain in the first round but Lionel Messi’s superb, lastgasp strike against Iran in the group stage

AFP

France winger Franck Ribery, who missed the World Cup through injury, returned to training with Bayern Munich on Tuesday and paid tribute to his German teammates crowned world champions in Brazil.

“I feel good and I’m pleased to be here again,” Ribery said in a statement on the Bundesliga champions’ website.

The 31-year-old was ruled out of the finals in Brazil with a lower back problem but was back in training on Tuesday as he was put through his paces on an individually-tailored programme.

He is expected to rejoin full team training sessions soon.

Ribery was also full of praise for Germany’s World Cup winning squad, which featured seven Bayern players, saying he was “so, so happy for my teammates and for the whole German team”.

The freshly crowned world champions were greeted by more than 250,000 jubilant fans in Berlin on Tuesday upon returning home from Rio de Janeiro.

“The moment when (Germany captain) Philipp (Lahm) lifted the trophy was super,” added Ribery. l

Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev being attacked by a laser against Algeria

FC Barcelona’s coach Luis Enrique, right, and Sports director Andoni Zubizarreta arrive for a press conference at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper in San Joan Despi, Spain yesterday AP

Barcelona accepts Suarez ‘imperfections’ n AFP, Barcelona Barcelona will accept Luis Suarez with his “imperfections” and believes he will play a positive role despite his notorious World Cup bite, a top club official said Wednesday.

Barcelona could not show off their new signing from Liverpool because he is serving a four month ban from all football for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.

But sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta said: “Luis Suarez is going to play a positive role in the years he will be at Barcelona.”

The Spanish giants “accept humans with all their imperfections, all their

mistakes and their capacity to learn from their errors.”

The incident with Chiellini during Uruguay’s World Cup group win over Italy was the third case of Suarez biting an opponent.

Barcelona paid a reported EUR95 million ($128 million) for Suarez. But he cannot train or play with them until November because of the four month ban imposed by a FIFA disciplinary committee.

He was also suspended for nine internationals and fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($112,000).

A lawyer for Suarez has said the player will appeal against the biggest punishment imposed at the World Cup

to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Asked if Barcelona wanted to get the ban reduced, Zubizarreta said: “We are analysing the information provided

by FIFA to see how we can defend the player’s rights.”

He added that club lawyers had recommended that officials be “extremely prudent” when discussing the case.

Barcelona’s new coach Luis Enrique told the press conference he would have prefered to have Suarez ready at the start of the season.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Monday that the ban was “very severe” but that he had to accept the action of the FIFA committee. l

Sport DHAKA TRIBUNE Thursday, July 17, 2014

Sri Lanka fight back after Elgar ton

QUICK BYTES

Chelsea complete Costa move Spain striker Diego Costa has completed his transfer to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid, the English Premier League side announced Tuesday. The Brazil-born forward had long been linked with a move to the London side and completion of the deal appeared to be imminent after the Blues said earlier this month they had met the buy-out clause for the 25-year-old, whose transfer transfer fee could be in the region of £32 million ($55 million, 40 million euros). “Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce Diego Costa has today (Tuesday) completed his transfer from Atletico Madrid by signing a five-year contract,” a statement from the London club said. “He will join up with the first team for our pre-season European training camp next week.” Costa scored 35 goals for Atletico last season as they won the Spanish title and reached the Champions League final, only to lose in extra-time to city rivals Real Madrid after they had defeated Chelsea in the semi-final.

–AFP

n Reuters, Galle

Porto sign Barca striker Tello on loan Barcelona forward Cristian Tello has joined Porto on a two-year-loan deal, the La Liga club said on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old made only a handful of first team appearances last season and following the arrival of Luis Suarez from Liverpool, those chances were expected to dry up further and hence prompted the move. “Barcelona and Porto have reached an agreement for the loan of Cristian Tello for the next two seasons with the option to buy for the Portuguese club,” the Catalan club said in a statement. “FC Barcelona can cancel the buy option in the agreement after the first season.” Barca missed out on the major trophies last season and the side are undergoing extensive restructuring under Luis Enrique. So far Ivan Rakitic and keepers Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Claudio Bravo have signed, along with Suarez. While Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez are two of those leaving in big money moves to Chelsea and Arsenal respectively.

–Reuters

Injury forces Australia’s Sullivan to retire Australian triple Olympian and former world record holder Eamon Sullivan on Wednesday announced his retirement from competitive swimming on medical advice. The 28-year-old, who pulled out of this month’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games with an injury, has been told his shoulder will not hold up to the training required to prepare for the 2016 Rio Olympics. “I’m at a point where I’ve had one too many injuries, and it has become too much to manage,” he said. “In the end my body has let me down, so I’m very disappointed, but it’s the right time.” Swimming Australia chief executive Mark Anderson said Sullivan’s contribution to the sport over more than a decade should be applauded. “As an athlete he’s been the world’s best, which is what we are all striving for as part of the goal to be the best in the world in and out of the pool by 2020,” he said.

–AFP

Besiktas courting Chelsea’s Ba Besiktas are in talks to sign Chelsea’s Senegalese striker Demba Ba, the Turkish side announced on Wednesday.

“Besiktas has begun talks with Chelsea for the transfer of Demba Ba,” the club said in a statement, without giving further details. Turkish media said that negotiations were already advanced and Ba, 29, was on his way to Istanbul for a medical later Wednesday. Previous reports suggested Beskitas would be acquiring Ba on loan but it was not immediately clear what form the final deal would take. Under Croatian manager Slaven Bilic, Besiktas will be looking in the coming season to improve on last year’s third place in the Super Lig behind Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. The team also has a place in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH Ten Cricket 10:30AM South Africa Tour of Sri Lanka 1st Test Day 2 Star Sports 1, 3, HD1 4:00PM India Tour of England Second Test, Day 1

15

South Africa’s Dean Elgar celebrates his century during the first day of their first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle yesterday

REUTERS

Opener Dean Elgar struck a magnificent century for South Africa but Sri Lanka came back strongly with four wickets in the final session to balance the scales on the opening day of the first test on Wednesday.

Elgar’s 103, his second test century, put South Africa in a strong position at tea on 194 for one, but following his dismissal in the third over of the final session, the visitors slid to 268 for five wickets at close.

Quinton de Kock, unbeaten on 17, and nightwatchman Dale Steyn were at the crease when stumps were drawn.

Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal struck two decisive blows for Sri Lanka to bring his team back into the reckoning.

He first got rid of Elgar, who hit 11 fours and three sixes, when the batsman flashed at a wide delivery and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal.

In the penultimate over of the day, Lakmal, with the second new ball which was taken after 85 overs, bowled out AB de Villiers for 21.

Spinners Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera toiled all day and picked up a wicket each in the final session.

Herath’s tight length frustrated Hashim Amla, who was making his debut as test captain, and he ended up hitting a catch to Perera at extra cover after scoring just 11.

Perera accounted for Faf du Plessis (80) when he fell to a bat-pad catch to Kaushal Silva.

Du Plessis hit five fours and a six during his knock and shared a second-wicket stand of 125 with Elgar.

Neither Elgar nor Du Plessis allowed the Sri Lankan spinners any chance to settle into a rhythm, using their feet well to block anything pitched on a good length or getting to the pitch of the ball to hit through the line for boundaries.

With the pitch hardly offering any assistance, Sri Lanka adopted different

fielding strategies for the batsmen.

Although they did not succeed in breaking the partnership, they managed to restrict the scoring rate with the second session producing just 83 runs off 32 overs.

South Africa had reached lunch on 111-1 after Amla won the toss and elected to bat.

The wicket of Elgar’s opening partner Alviro Petersen was the only success Sri Lanka had in the first two sessions.

After an opening stand of 70, off-spinner Perera gave Sri Lanka the breakthrough by trapping Petersen leg before on the back foot for 34, a decision confirmed after an unsuccessful review by the batsman.

Sri Lanka lost the services of fast bowler Shaminda Eranga in the final session when he attempted to stop a powerful drive from Du Plessis off Herath at mid-off and split the webbing between his right thumb and index finger.

Eranga left the field for treatment and did not take any further part in the match. l

SCORECARD, DAY 1 South Africa 1st innings A. Petersen lbw b Perera D. Elgar c Chandimal b Lakmal F. du Plessis c Silva b Perera H. Amla c Perera b Herath AB de Villiers b Lakmal Q. de Kock not out D. Steyn not out Extras: (lb2) Total: (for 5 wickets; 91 overs)

34 103 80 11 21 17 0 2 268

To bat Duminy, Philander, Morkel, Tahir Fall of wickets 1-70 (Petersen), 2-195 (Elgar), 3-220 (Amla), 4-246 (du Plessis), 5-266 (de Villiers) Bowling Lakmal 16-6-29-2, Eranga 9-4-32-0, Herath 37-7-95-1, Mathews 2-0-10-0, Perera 27-3-100-2

Pakistan get Champions Conte leaves Juve, tipped for Italy job n League T20 invite AFP, Rome

n AFP, Karachi Pakistan will send its domestic Twenty20 champions Lahore Lions to play in the Champions League to be held in India in September, an official said Wednesday.

The Lions, led by former Pakistan Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez, beat Misbah-ul Haq’s Faisalabad Wolves in the final of the event held in February.

The Twenty20 champions of Australia, South Africa, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies will also take part in the event.

“We have received an invitation to send our Twenty20 champion team so Lahore Lions will be participating in the event in September,” a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman told AFP. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier this month announced the event will take place on its

grounds, ruling out a possible neutral venue in the United Arab Emirates.

The event is likely to start on September 7 although no final dates have yet been announced.

The Lions also include international stars Ahmed Shahzad, Nasir Jamshed, Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz.

No Pakistan team featured in the first three editions of the Champions League, which started in 2009.

The Sialkot Stallions, led by Shoaib Malik, played in the qualifying stages of the event held in South Africa in 2012 but failed to progress to the main rounds.

Misbah-led Faisalabad suffered the same fate, failing to qualify for the main rounds when they featured in the event in India last year.

Both PCB and the BCCI are hoping to revive bilateral cricketing ties in December 2015 after last month’s signing of six series in the next eight years. l

Antonio Conte emerged as favourite to take over the vacant Italian national team manager’s job after he resigned as Juventus coach on Tuesday.

Conte, 44, steered Juventus to a third consecutive title last season, the first time the club had achieved the feat since a five-season title run in the 1930s. His shock announcement came in a video posted on the club’s official website.

Dressed in a black-and-white striped Juventus shirt, Conte told the website he felt time had caught up with him at the club and that the time was right to go.

“I have decided to terminate my contract with Juventus,” he said.

“I have matured with time and my feelings led me to make this choice. It may be more difficult to keep winning with Juventus.

“An enormous thank you for what you have given to me as a player and as a coach. I have always been close to you. I want to say that the journey tak-

en in recent years has been historic.”

The feeling was reciprocated by club chairman Andrea Agnelli, who wote on the site: “Dear Antonio, you have been a great leader and this news saddens me greatly.

“Three years together have led us to

India complaint threatens to sour England relations n Reuters, Mumbai As England paceman Jimmy Anderson faces the prospect of a ban following a complaint from India, relations between the sides are in danger of becoming seriously soured in the wake of the latest contentious issue involving the Asian powerhouse.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) charged England’s bowling spearhead under level 3 of the code of conduct for allegedly “abusing and pushing Ravindra Jadeja” during the opening test of the five-match series in Nottingham last week.

Anderson, adjudged man of the match in the test for his all-round performance, was charged after India team manager Sunil Dev reported the alleged incident that took place immediately after the players left the field for lunch on the second day.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are backing their senior player, expressing “surprise” at India’s complaint for what they dubbed as a “minor incident”.

Anderson, who turns 32 this month, faces a ban of at least two test matches if found guilty after a hearing, the date of which has not yet been announced

by the ICC. Incidentally, Anderson was at the receiving end during the 5-0 Ashes drubbing when Australia captain Michael Clarke was caught by a stump microphone telling the bowler to get ready for a ‘broken’ arm when the paceman was batting.

Both teams moved quickly to bury the hatchet over the incident, ensuring it was soon forgotten and the focus returned to cricket.

“I think it’s important that both sides recognise that a couple of scenes in that last test weren’t great for the game

of cricket,” England captain Alastair Cook told reporters after the Brisbane incident. Trent Bridge has witnessed a fair bit of bad blood between India and England in the past.

In 2007, India’s pace spearhead Zaheer Khan accused England of throwing jelly beans on the pitch while he batted, which spiralled into a major controversy. The visitors, under Rahul Dravid, won the series 1-0 with a win at the same venue after Zaheer’s heroics with the ball.

Trent Bridge averted a major dispute the last time India toured the country

England’s James Anderson prepares to catch a ball during a training session before second cricket Test match against India at Lord’s cricket ground in London yesterday REUTERS

in 2011 when Ian Bell was contentiously run out at the stroke of tea, having left the crease thinking the ball was dead.

Visiting skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni diffused the tension by withdrawing the appeal after being approached by England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower during the tea break, letting Bell bat again after the interval.

In 2008, India spinner Harbhajan Singh was banned for three tests for racially abusing Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds but the penalty was later reduced to a fine on appeal.

India had threatened to call off the tour, with the incident escalating into the infamous ‘monkeygate’ scandal.

The ugliest dispute involving India was, however, in 2001 when ICC match referee Mike Denness, a former England cricketer, found Sachin Tendulkar guilty of ball tampering and sanctioned several other Indian cricketers for various breaches during a test in South Africa.

India refused to play the third test if Denness was not stood down, which the ICC did not accede, and the match was stripped off its official status after the referee was removed by the South African and Indian boards. l

write history with three consecutive titles and two Italian cups.”

He added: “Antonio, thank you for everything. Til the end.”

The managerial merry-go-round has seen Conte emerge as a front-runner to succeed Cesare Prandelli as Italian national manager, after Prandelli’s postWorld Cup resignation and subsequent appointment in charge of Turkish side Galatasary.

Ironically, former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini, recently released by Galatasaray, and ex-AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri were already being linked with the Juventus job.

Conte had already hinted he could quit the Serie A giants if they failed to invest in players during the summer break, ahead of a fresh assault on the Champions League.

After winning the title, Conte, speaking in the third person, said: “If Antonio decides to take another path, then he will do so with the greatest respect for the club and the players.”l

Allegri appointed new Juventus boss n AFP, Rome Massimiliano Allegri was on Wednesday appointed the new manager of Serie A champions Juventus less than 24 hours after Antonio Conte quit the post.

Allegri has been out of work since his sacking by AC Milan in January. The 47-year-old won the title in his first season (2010/2011) in charge.

Milan finished runners-up the following campaign before the club’s fortunes dipped.

According to Italian media reports, Allegri has signed a two year deal worth 2.5 million euros a season.

The club, announcing his appointment, said Allegri would be unveiled as their new boss at a press conference later Wednesday alongside “Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta”.

Conte, who left Juve after guiding the club to a third consecutive title, is tipped to succeed Cesare Prandelli as national team manager.

Prandelli stood down after Italy’s first round knockout at the World Cup. Allegri joins Juventus with the club on a high after a record 102 points haul last season en route to their third straight Scudetti. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE Thursday, July 17, 2014 DHAKA TRIBUNE Monday, June 16, 2014

13 Feni Soccer Club’s place all but secured

14 Tale of the Ticos and laser-beams

Sport

15 Sri Lanka fight back after Elgar ton

Thorpe’s gay revelations earn praise, support n AFP, Sydney

Germany’s Roman Weidenfeller, Shkodran Mustafi, Andre Schuerrle, Miroslav Klose, Mario Goetze and Toni Kroos (L-R) appear on stage during celebrations to mark the team’s 2014 Brazil World Cup victory, at a ‘fan mile’ public viewing zone in Berlin on Tuesday REUTERS

Germans agonise over ‘gaucho’ dance n AFP, Berlin Commentators chided Germany’s football champions Wednesday for mocking Argentina during a giant World Cup title party in Berlin, an event that marked a rare exuberant celebration of national pride.

In a country where strident patriotism is still largely taboo, newspapers said the young players’ “tasteless” victory dance on Tuesday reflected badly on Germany.

Six of the players including Mario Goetze, the sole scorer during Sunday’s 1-0 win over Argentina, performed a taunt often seen in stadium stands, on a stage set up behind the capital’s Brandenburg Gate before hundreds of thou-

sands of flag-waving fans.

“This is how the gauchos (Argentines) walk, the gauchos walk like this,” they sang, hunched over, to cheers from the crowd.

Then they jumped up and chanted, “This is how the Germans walk, the Germans walk like this!” and strutted around the stage.

The word “gaucho” is the South American equivalent of “cowboy”.

Several German newspapers called the display of swagger before the world’s media a sour note after an otherwise pitch-perfect World Cup. “The victory celebration at the Brandenburg Gate turned into a gigantic own-goal,” the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung fumed.

“With a mean satire of the opponents in the final, the German world champions are squandering the image of an open-minded, tolerant nation.”

Berlin’s centre-left Tagesspiegel called the display “tasteless” and said it overshadowed the team’s gracious behaviour on the pitch in Brazil.

“The German modesty is over. Their joy wasn’t enough, they only find full satisfaction when they torture their mourning vanquished opponents a little,” it said.

“Maybe that is what will remain in the heads of many people outside Germany from this World Cup. And then the frenetic applause of the audience.

They didn’t mean anything by it, that is probably true. But they showed that

in football there are not only fools but damned fools.”

The criticism sparked a lively debate on Twitter under the hashtag #gauchogate, with many attacking what they saw as political correctness run amok.

A user with the handle @suburp said, “Germany has a word for #schadenfreude but struggles w fun and healthy national pride. It’s only FUSSBALL (football). regt euch ab.

(Calm down).”

Die Welt newspaper said the dance did not mark a “shining moment” but added: “We don’t need to overplay it.”

A senior member of the opposition Greens, Juergen Trittin, agreed the dance had been “unsporting” but said the backlash was an overreaction.

“I wouldn’t give it greater political significance,” he said. “Let’s not jump to conclusions that it was about nationalism. That is not what is reflected in opinion polls.”

Trittin said Germans were proud of their winning football team “but have also learnt from their own horrible history”.

As the issue gathered steam online, the head of the German Football Federation (DFB), Wolfgang Niersbach, said he regretted any hard feelings.

“We are sorry if anyone took this the wrong way,” he said in a statement.

Niersbach said he would write his Argentine counterpart Julio Grondona “to make clear again that this action was in no way meant to be disrespectful”. l

Swimming giant Ian Thorpe received support and glowing praise Monday for revealing he is gay in a move advocates believe will help remove the stigma of homophobia in sport.

The five-time Olympic champion made the admission in an interview with British presenter Michael Parkinson aired by Australia’s Channel Ten on Sunday. Thorpe’s bravery in openly discussing his sexuality was a major talking point with fellow sportspeople, celebrities and commentators speaking up for the global icon.

The New South Wales Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby said his coming out would have a positive impact, particularly on young people.

“It’s a measure of how far we’ve come that Ian Thorpe is able to come out and I think it’s a measure of how far we have to go that it’s a news story,” the group’s Justin Koonin told reporters.

Olympic gold medallist and gay Australian diver Matthew Mitcham said the revelations were an important development to break down the stereotypes about gay athletes.

“I think it’s wonderful that he feels like he’s in a place now where he can talk about it,” Mitcham told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Mitcham said sponsorship commitments would have weighed heavily on any athlete deciding whether to go public with their sexuality as the stereotypes and the stigma are well known. l

Brazil in mass cull of backroom staff n AFP, Rio de Janeiro Brazil continued a mass clearout of their World Cup backroom staff on Tuesday following the resignation of coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Team doctor Jose Luis Runco and head of communications Rodrigo Paiva became the latest casualties of a campaign that turned on its head with the 7-1 semi-final mauling at the hands of eventual champions Germany, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said. Scolari and his assistants went on Monday.

Paiva was suspended during the tournament for striking Chilean player Mauricio Pinilla during their last 16 match, which Brazil narrowly won on penalties.l

THIS IS HOW YOU CELEBRATE From an analysis of the 167 goals scored during the World Cup, here is a breakdown of the player celebrations, with the exception of four own goals. Note: Players could be counted for doing more than one celebration on a single goal

Arms-out run

38 times Celebrate with team

Lionel Messi, ARG v IRN

Blow a kiss

Andres Guardado, MEX v CRO

Flying fist pump

Karim Benzema, FRA v HON

Point to coach

Mats Hummels, GER v POR

Andre Schuerrle, GER v BRA

11 times Dance

33 times Gesture or point to crowd

Mario Balotelli, ITA v ENG

11 times Knee slide

Daniel Sturridge, ENG v ITA

9 times Break into an all-out sprint

Haris Seferovic, SUI v ECU

Alexis Sanchez, CHI v AUS

Gonzalo Higuain, ARG v BEL

Ahmed Musa, NGA v ARG

Joel Campbell, CRC v URU

15 times

Sofiane Feghouli, ALG v BEL

11 times Point to teammate who set up goal 9 times Retrieve the ball from the net 9 times

Ivica Olic, CRO v CMR

6 times Leap into a teammate’s arms 5 times Address the TV camera

4 times Use the corner flag as a prop 3 times Pretend to be pregnant

Tim Cahill, AUS v NED

20 times Show off, point to one’s jersey 16 times Pray or point to the sky

Wilfried Bony, CIV v JPN

4 times Collapse to the ground

Romelu Lukaku, BEL v USA

1 time Face-first dive

Aleksandr Kerzakhov, RUS v KOR

4 times

John Brooks, USA v GHA

1 time Flip (failed)

1 time

Miroslav Klose, GER v GHA

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 Global business leaders push for infrastructure funding overhaul

B4 BRICS set up bank to

counter Western hold on global finances

Vietnam firm eyes Citycell’s major stakes

But Citycell said such matter was not discussed with visiting mobifone team n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Vietnamese mobile phone operator mobifone has expressed its deep interest in acquiring some stakes of Bangladesh’s Citycell, according to people related with the companies.

A team from mobifone, a brand name of Vietnam Mobile Telecom Services has been in Dhaka for last few days and met with the government high-ups. Phuong, head of international division of the operator, is leading the delegation.

The company people said VMS can acquire whole 44.54% shares of SingTel Asia Pacific Investment Pet Ltd in Citycell and 37.95% of Pacific Motors Limited shares or 17.51% Far East Telecom Limited.

The mobifone team met Telecommunication Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, outgoing Telecommunication Secretary Md Abubakar Siddique and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose on Tuesday at their respective offices.

The delegation also visited different Citycell offices in last two days and went to Chittagong yesterday to oversee some of its infrastructures and network.

They also attended an iftar with Vietnam ambassador in Dhaka, two bank officials with Citycell yesterday evening. They are due to fly for Vietnam today.

When asked about the matter, Citycell CEO Mehboob Chowdhury, who is also Chairman of South Asia Mobile Forum, said he had a meeting with VMS officials but the meeting discussed “no bilateral issues.”

However, “they are very interested to invest here in the country for flourishing the broadband and we only discussed about it,” Mehboob Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune highlighting the prospects of Bangladesh market and of the region including Nepal.

Morshed Khan, chairman of pacific motors and known as de facto owner of

Citycell, said he has no idea about the matter.

According to telecom ministry sources, the government high-ups were in efforts to attract VMS officials into investment in Bangladesh promising all necessary assistance.

Citycell came into operation in 1993 and currently has a subcriber base of 14.33 lakh, lowest among the operators. Its holds 1.23% market share now.

But the operator used to enjoy nearly 20 lakh subscribers and 3.23% marker share just four years back in July 2010.

Citycell’s revenue in FY2012-13 was Tk267.63 crore ($344m), declining from Tk347.04 crore ($351m) in FY2011-12, according to BTRC data.

The operator made no investment in FY2012-13 while in FY2011-12 it had a Tk490.39 crore ($637m) investment in the market.

On the other hand, Mobifone, a government-owned operator, has a market share of nearly 34% in Vietnam. It also launched service in 1993 as a GSMA operator making a yearly revenue of around $4bn.

This is not the new. For last few years, Citycell has been searching potential investors. It is also trying to shift their technology from CDMA to GSMA. In July last year, a Chinese investor signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Citycell to invest on broadband and connectivity. But finally they didn’t reach any decision.

Company sources said not only the mobifone but also another foreign operator Axiata of Malaysia is interested to invest in Citycell. But Axiata has made its investment in Robi.

As Citycell has a scarcity of new flow of money, it has an outstanding amount of Tk228 crore ($296m) with BTRC as 2G licence renewal spetrum fees.

The operator applied for attending the 3G spectrum auction but later failed to deposit $20m as required. So the operator was unable to participate in the 3G spectrum auction. l

Rahimafrooz starts exporting solar panels n Aminur Rahman Rasel Rahimafrooz Renewable Energy Ltd (RREL), a local solar panel manufacturing company, has begun exporting solar panel products to Nepal and Dubai.

This is for the first time a company of a panel importing country embarked on exporting the item though not after meeting the growing local demand.

“We have recently started exporting our products to the markets of Nepal and Dubai as both the two markets are quite familiar to us,” RREL Managing Director Munawar Misbah Moin told the Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday.

The company has so far exported 1,700 units of solar Photovoltaic (PV) modules from 55wp to 280wp, with a total value of US$163,000.

“The panels will help mainly in installation of solar home systems and solar-powered pumps that have emerged as a viable electrification option for areas without grid access to the electricity,” he said.

About the quality and cost-competitiveness of Rahimafrooz products, he said they have taken all the necessary initiatives to ensure quality and maintain cost competitiveness. “Though the local market is still dominated by the imported products of Chinese origin, our goal is to establish an internationally reputed product on an overall sustainability and growth at home and abroad.”

He said: “Our solar panel is a standard quality benchmark product.

Because of the poor quality Chinese modules, people are looking for alternative cost effective sources and our quality-certified PV panel is becoming a good alternative source,” he noted.

He, however, alleged that there is no government support to encourage such new export item as the logistic costs for exporting from Bangladesh are still high.

“We have urged that government to take a pro-active role in taping the

For the first time ever, Bangladesh is set to launch its own “locally-assembled” smartphones and regular mobile phones in a ceremony at a city hotel today.

The soon to be launched handsets includes two different phone models – one with regular features and another a smartphone – that were assembled by the partnership of state-owned Telephone Shilpa Sangstha Ltd (TSS) and private company OK Mobile BD Inc USA. “Initially we are going to launch two low-end mobile sets, with the regular featured one priced at Tk1,200 and the 3G enabled handset priced at Tk4,000.

Soon we will also launch three more sets,” Khondoker Jamil Uddin, chairman of OK Mobile, told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said they were currently operating on a limited scale while all equipments for assembling smartphones were expected to be set up by December.

“We will start our assembly process soon, but currently we brought it [phones] from China with our own specification, and did some other work at the TSS,” Jamil added.

A couple of Chinese specialists also worked on the project to make it successful, a senior executive of OK Mobile told the Dhaka Tribune.

The products would be launched under the brand name “OK Mobile,” said Md Jasimul Haque, president of OK Mobile Global.

OK mobile authorities said they would initially sell their mobile sets at 13 points in Dhaka with plans to expand the number soon.

OK mobile sources also said they plan

to introduce high-end handsets priced between Tk25,000 and Tk30,000, as well as offering handsets ranging from Tk7,000-8,000, Tk14,000-16,000 and Tk22,000-24,000.

“All the handsets will have dual SIM facility and some will come with 2 megapixel to 12 megapixel cameras,” Jasimul added.

He said they were planning to go for global marketing within two years, while the initial aim was to sell one lakh handsets every month.

“We are not thinking about profit before two years, and by then, our plan is to have 10% to 12% market share in Bangladesh. We have targets to export handsets to some countries in Africa

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

export potentials by giving cash incentives and market development funds,” Moin said, seeking government support to encourage consumption of local panels in all the government projects now using cheaper imported products.

RREL PV Module Manufacturing Facility is located at Ashulia in Dhaka. The state of the art automated PV module manufacturing plant has 18MW capacity.

The total facility includes plants, warehouse and an office area of 10,000 square feet, with a working force of 45 and a total investment of Tk40 crore.

The plant area has precision air-conditioning to control humidity and dust.

The technology is brought fully from the USA, along with quality certifications, which makes the plant a unique one with robust productivity.

Dated back to its first installation of Solar Home System (SHS) in 1985, the company with its brand Rahimafrooz Solar has been able to be specialised as a system integrator and an installer of solar solutions and manufacturer of key solar components.

RREL offers a wide-range of solar related services including solar home systems, solar-powered pumps, solar-powered base transceiver station, on-grid solutions, solar streetlights and solutions for public and private institutions.

The company has so far installed more than 22 MW of solar solutions and it has the capacity to install 600,000 SHS all over the country.

Apart from that, RREL is also now exporting solar batteries to the United States.

The company has the largest automated plant in Bangladesh, first of its kind in the region, for off-grid modules, which has been established through complete turnkey basis, using US technology.

“It’s a good initiative for us and we should show our keen interest in the facility and operations being offered by this plant as RREL is playing a key role in promoting renewable energy in Bangladesh,” said Siddique Zobair, joint secretary of Power Division and a renewable energy expert.

He has also expressed his optimism that renewable energy would be a great source of energy and power for every corner of the country in the near future, and also play a pivotal role in the overall development of Bangladesh. l

BB set to disburse 2nd tranche of stock refinance scheme n Asif Showkat Kallol Bangladesh Bank has sought permission from the government to disburse the second instalment or Tk300 crore of a Tk900 crore refinance scheme for the stock investors who were affected by the market debacle after 2010.

The central bank sent a letter to the capital market wing of finance division yesterday, seeking the permission.

A senior official of the finance division said the government would not

First ‘Bangladesh-made’ smartphones to be launched today n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

and Latin America as well,” Jasimul said.

Earlier, the TSS – a government firm under the Telecom Ministry – collaborated with Malaysian firm TFT to launch the “Doel” laptop, a project that did not enjoy much success.

Jasimul, however, expressed his optimism surrounding the latest initiative. “Our project is going to be the first of its kind in the country which can have impact on the users shortly.”

The OK Mobile boss said they had brought the key technology from a Chinese company, but refused to disclose its name as it was a business secret.

Telecom Ministry sources said the TSS awarded Indigo Group, the local partner of OK Mobile, with the project following submission of tender for the fourth time.

In 2010, an Indian firm proposed to the TSS that it would assemble and market the “ZEN & TSS” brand mobile phones at competitive prices; but the deal could not be reached.

When the latest tenders were submitted, the TSS received three offers with the one by Indigo being the most attractive, said TSS Managing Director Md Husnul Mahmud Khan.

“We are allowing them to use our 14,923 square-feet office space and other infrastructures to implement the project. They will pay Tk6 for each square foot of space,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

On February 27, a contract was signed between the TSS and Indigo Group on this regard; while according to the contract, the Indigo Group is supposed to get six months to begin assembling handsets. l

disburse the instalment unless the conditions are fulfilled and the first instalment is disbursed. He said there is no fund allocated for this fiscal year for the refinance.

However, the instalment would be disbursed subject to implementation of the conditions.

Akter H Sannamat, managing director of Union Capital and vice president of Bangladesh Merchant Banks Association, said all conditions of refinancing scheme have been fulfilled, including

the issues of National Board of Revenue (NBR).

The Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) released the first instalment from the Tk900 crore government refinancing scheme for share investors on May 3, as the finance ministry withdrew its condition of providing personal guarantee by the directors of merchant banks and stockbrokers to receive the funds.

In August last year, the finance ministry approved the scheme and the cen-

Middle East remittance marks biggest fall n Tribune Report

Remittance from Middle Eastern countries, a major wheel of Bangladesh economy, dropped by 8.33% in fiscal year 2013-14 as manpower exports to those destinations fell.

Bangladesh received a total of $8.4bn from the expatriates in the Middle East during the year ended in June compared to $9.16bn in the previous fiscal, according to Bangladesh Bank’s country-wise data released yesterday.

Overall remittance inflow into the country has dropped for the first time in 12 years after a steady upward trend as, analysts said, manpower export to Middle Eastern countries has declined during the recent time.

The total amount of remittance declined 1.6% to $14.22bn in FY2013-14 from $14.46bn in FY2012-13.

The country, though, received $5.82bn from western developed countries, a rise by 10% in the July-June year, compared to $5.20bn in the previous year.

Bangladesh usually enjoys major inflows from Saudi Arabia, United Arab

Emirates, United States, Kuwait and Malaysia. In FY14 the expatriates sent $3.11bn from Saudi Arabia, $2.68bn from UAE, $2.32bn from USA, $1.1bn from Kuwait and $1.06bn from Malaysia.

Overseas employment decreased by 10.73% in January-March 2014 according to the statistics of Bangladesh Manpower Export and Training (BMET).

Bangladesh received a total of $8.4bn from the expatriates in the Middle East during the year ended in June A total of 96,068 workers went abroad with jobs during the period against 1,07,626 people in the same period last year, showing a decline of 11,567 overseas employment.

BMET also recorded that about 4 lakh workers including women flied to different countries in 2013 with overseas jobs against the number of over 6 lakh in 2012. l

tral bank released the first instalment of Tk300 crore in favour of the ICB, the scheme manager.

The ICB has since sanctioned Tk345 crore for the retail investors affected by the 2011 market crash, through 31 merchant banks and stockbrokers.

A total of 13 merchant banks and stockbrokers disbursed Tk239.5 crore to 9,006 investors till June 24 while 19 merchant banks and stockbrokers are now processing the loan of Tk164.22 crore for 4,741 investors. l

Body decides steps to operate NCT in Chittagong n Tushar Hayat, Chittagong The advisory committee on Chittagong Sea Port at a meeting yesterday took eight-point decisions, including taking measures for immediate operation of the New-mooring Container Terminal in consultation with the parties.

Other decisions include formation of a committee to protect the River Karnaphuli, taking necessary measures to re-initiate capital dredging of the River Karnaphuli, taking necessary measures to curb the incidents of theft at the port and paying demerge charge of containers by the shipping companies.

The committee asked the chairman of the port to submit a report on the current situation of the project undertaken for the dredging of the River Karnaphuli.

With Shipping Minister Shahajahan Khan in the chair, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, lawmakers Mainuddin Khan Badal and Shamshul Hoque Chowdhury, Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Nizamuddin were present, among others, at the meeting. l

B2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

cals, banks and non-banking financial institutions edged higher.

Trading activities recovered slightly from the last three session’s poor turnover which averaged Tk180 crore. The DSE total turnover stood at Tk260 crore, which was 32.7% higher over the previous session’s value.

IDLC Investments said news on 95% ADP implementation in FY 2013-14, despite political setback might put an upbeat stimulus among investors. “Besides, expectation on upcoming earnings and corporate disclosures merged with the vibe.”

Lanka Bangla Securities said the market hopped back to green zone after previous session plunge in index. It said investors showed up with strong position from the beginning of the trading session mostly in fuel and power stocks.

Shahjibazar Power Company Ltd in its second trading day became the biggest gainer with a rally of more than 10% after poor performance in the first trading day.

Top five scrips in turnover chart captured 36.52% of the DSE’s total trade.

Beximco continued leading the chart for the fourth consecutive session with Tk38 crore changing hands, followed by Grameenphone, Squre Pharmaceuticals, Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd and Meghna Petroleum. l

Stocks registered modest rally yesterday with improved trading activities.

The benchmark DSEX rose over 26 points or 0.7% to end at 4,389, recovering a few points from its losses over the several sessions.

However, the Shariah index gained 9 points or 1% higher to

News on 95% ADP implementation in FY 2013-14, despite political setback might put an upbeat stimulus among investors 1,001. The comprising blue chips DS30 closed at 1,605 with a rise of 10 points or 0.7%. Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, gained 41 points to 8,332.

All the major sectors closed in green except telecommunication which went down by 0.31%.

Food and allied, cement, engineering and power posted the highest gains of 2.9%, 2.3%, 1.3% and 1.2% respectively. Pharmaceuti-

Company

Turnover (Million Taka)

2,564.52

Turnover (Volume)

61,697,175

Number of Contract

63,951

Traded Issues

293

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

177

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

107

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

12

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,284.01

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

27.68

CSE key features July 16, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

221.51

Turnover (Volume)

Daily capital market highlights

5,568,298

Number of Contract

9,761

DSE Broad Index :

4389.35790

(+) 0.61%

▲

Traded Issues

203

DSE Shariah Index :

1001.53611

(+) 0.92%

▲

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

123

DSE - 30 Index :

1605.13461

(+) 0.64%

▲

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

68

CSE All Share Index:

13508.18330

(+) 0.62%

▲

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

11

CSE - 30 Index :

11256.30740

(+) 0.91%

▲

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,192.35

8332.51290

(+) 0.50%

▲

CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSERS

Popular Life Insu. -A EBL NRB M.F.-A BD. Thai Alum -B BD Fixed Income MF-A Rupali Life Insur.-A Peoples Insur -A LankaBangla Fin. -A Imam Button -Z

-5.49 -4.69 -3.87 -3.85 -3.23 -3.15 -2.40 -2.33

Average (% change) -5.51 -6.25 -2.29 2.70 -2.56 -1.40 -1.82 -2.54

Pioneer Insur -A Prime Bank-A

-2.11 -2.10

-1.76 -0.97

Company

Closing (% change)

CSE LOSERS

ACI Formulations-A Rahima Food -Z BD. Thai Alum -B Imam Button -Z Brac B.C. Bond-A Deshbandhu Polymer-A Ambee Pharma -A Eastern Cables-A

-4.25 -3.66 -3.51 -3.49 -3.41 -2.82 -2.75 -2.54

Average (% change) -4.21 -0.50 -1.98 -3.31 -3.41 -1.42 -2.08 -2.31

LankaBangla Fin. -A Malek Spinning-A

-2.16 -2.13

-1.70 -3.33

Company

Closing (% change)

ANALYST

Closing average

Closing

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 190.07 78.66 37.09 203.97 115.20 303.37 0.54 166.41 381.90 0.26 27.64 25.62 13.82 198.26 8.72 25.35 33.58 271.26 63.69 418.78 0.34

26.48

26.57

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

Latest PE

175.75 6.00 27.79 7.60 60.55 21.85 40.99 8.45

175.70 6.10 27.30 7.50 60.00 21.50 40.60 8.40

176.30 6.30 30.50 7.70 61.10 22.60 41.90 8.60

173.30 6.00 25.60 7.40 57.00 21.50 37.50 8.40

0.703 0.009 10.752 0.019 9.747 1.803 34.183 0.186

17.00 0.47 0.84 0.56 5.33 2.28 1.24 -1.85

10.3 12.8 33.1 13.6 11.4 9.6 33.1 -ve

46.37 23.46

46.30 23.30

48.00 24.10

43.00 22.90

0.677 3.612

5.16 5.00

9.0 4.7

Closing average

Closing

Daily high

Turnover in million

Daily low

Latest EPS

Shahjibazar Power-N Fareast Finance-Z Samorita Hospital -A Wata Chemicals -A MJL BD Ltd.-A Nitol Insurance -A Midas Financing-Z Agrani Insurance -A Republic Insu.-A EXIM Bank 1 MF-A

83.30 42.10 27.50 8.30 850.00 17.20 261.50 115.00

84.00 43.00 28.00 8.60 850.00 17.60 267.00 115.00

83.00 42.00 27.40 8.30 850.00 17.20 260.00 115.00

0.208 0.379 0.177 0.042 0.004 2.442 1.026 0.012

6.28 -1.01 0.84 -1.85 0.00 0.81 3.20 2.03

13.3 -ve 33.0 -ve 21.4 82.1 56.7

40.95 22.65

40.70 23.00

41.70 23.00

40.50 22.90

7.904 0.058

1.24 2.24

33.0 10.1

Investors showed up with strong position from the beginning of the trading session mostly in fuel and power stocks

% change 7.41 3.07 1.45 7.95 4.49 11.83 0.02 6.49 14.89 1.08 1.00 0.54 7.73 0.34 0.99 1.31 10.58 2.48 16.33 0.01

Million Taka 8.32 11.23 2.39 22.93 17.16 26.54 25.87 22.63 30.39 1.23 31.18 0.71 14.80 0.35 0.89 3.26 36.52 11.72 44.50 0.06

% change 2.66 3.59 0.76 7.33 5.49 8.49 0.00 8.27 7.24 9.72 0.39 9.97 0.23 4.73 0.11 0.28 1.04 11.68 3.75 14.23 0.02

Million Taka 198.40 89.88 39.47 226.90 132.35 329.92 0.54 192.28 404.53 30.65 28.87 56.81 14.53 213.06 9.07 26.25 36.85 307.78 75.41 463.28 0.40

Total

10.14 7.92 7.71 7.04 6.99 6.27 5.50 4.92 4.36 4.17

CSE GAINERS Company The Ibn SinaA Samorita Hospital -A SonarBangla Insu. -A MJL BD Ltd.-A ISN Ltd. -Z Republic Insu.-A Fareast Finance-Z B I F C -A BSRM Steels-A Usmania Glass -A

Closing (% change) 8.49 8.14 7.74 7.52 5.05 4.36 3.96 3.65 3.54 3.50

Average (% change) 6.86 6.42 6.30 3.78 4.96 6.36 5.55 4.56 3.33 1.81 Average (% change) 8.26 8.14 4.71 5.12 5.35 3.82 2.98 3.44 3.87 3.51

Closing average 39.09 10.77 92.48 221.92 81.46 28.78 23.00 19.26 28.51 7.33

Closing average 101.98 93.00 16.23 81.03 10.43 28.55 10.36 14.14 81.63 142.00

Closing 40.20 10.90 93.60 226.50 82.60 28.80 23.00 19.20 28.70 7.50

Closing 102.20 93.00 16.70 82.90 10.40 28.70 10.50 14.20 82.00 142.00

Daily high 37.00 11.10 95.40 230.00 83.90 28.90 23.90 20.00 29.10 7.60

Daily high 99.00 93.00 16.70 84.00 10.50 28.80 10.60 14.30 82.10 142.00

Daily low 37.00 10.00 87.10 200.00 70.00 26.00 20.00 17.50 25.00 7.40

Daily low 102.90 93.00 16.60 78.50 10.40 28.20 10.00 14.00 81.00 142.00

Turnover in million 53.700 4.651 2.682 9.355 39.603 0.609 0.597 0.170 1.554 0.011

Turnover in million 0.591 0.047 0.019 1.638 0.037 0.057 0.663 0.339 6.860 0.014

Latest EPS 3.04 0.12 2.20 6.24 4.72 3.24 -6.91 1.83 2.45 0.71

Latest EPS 3.12 2.20 1.52 4.72 0.20 2.45 0.12 0.24 4.72 4.07

Latest PE 12.9 89.8 42.0 35.6 17.3 8.9 -ve 10.5 11.6 10.3

Latest PE 32.7 42.3 10.7 17.2 52.2 11.7 86.3 58.9 17.3 34.9

News, analysis and recent disclosers GQBALLPEN: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has announced the entity rating (surveillance) of the Company as "A2" based on audited financial statements up to December 31, 2013; unaudited 1Q 2014 (ended as on 31 March 2014) financial statements; bank liability position as on June 09, 2014 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

APEXSPINN: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on July 19, 2014 at 10:30 AM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on March 31, 2014.

Far East Knitting & Dyeing Industries Ltd.: All concerned are hereby informed that the IPO lottery program of Far East Knitting & Dyeing Industries Ltd. will be conducted on 17 July 2014 at 10:00 am at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, Ramna, Dhaka.

IPO Subscription: Saif Powertec Limited subscription date 06-10 July 2014, NRB upto 19 July 2014. @ taka 30, face value taka 10 and market lot 200. Ratanpur Steel

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Grameenphone-A Square Pharma -A LafargeS Cement-Z Meghna Petroleum -A Beximco Pharma -A Olympic Ind. -A

CSE

Closing (% change)

Re-Rolling Mills Limited subscription date 13-17 July 2014, NRB upto 26 July 2014. @ taka 40, face value taka 10 and market lot 200.

Khan Brothers PP Woven Bag Industries Ltd. subscription date 24-28 August 2014, NRB upto 06 September 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. Western Marine Shipyard Limited subscription date 10-14 August 2014, NRB upto 23 August 2014. @ taka 35, face value taka 10 and market lot 100.

Right Share: MIDASFIN: Subscription period for rights issue will be from 01.09.2014 to 30.09.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 03.08.2014.

Dividend/AGM

SANDHANINS: 25.50% stock, EGM and AGM: 06.09.2014, Record Date for EGM and AGM: 16.07.2014.

RECKITTBEN: Interim cash @ 275% , Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 07.07.2014.

BDSERVICE: 15% stock, AGM: 25.08.2014, Record Date: 14.07.2014.

NATLIFEINS: 20% cash and 38% stock, AGM: 21.07.2014, Record Date: 03.07.2014.

MEGHNALIFE: 20% cash and 10%

stock, AGM: 17.07.2014, Record Date: 30.06.2014.

DELTALIFE: 11% cash and 25% stock, AGM and EGM: 20.07.2014, Record date for AGM and EGM: 25.06.2014.

LAFSURCEML: 5% interim cash, Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 30.06.2014.

ASIAINS: 15% cash and 5% stock, AGM: 16.07.2014, Record Date: 19.06.2014.

SALVOCHEM: 10% stock, AGM: 27.08.2014, Record date: 25.06.2014.

CMCKAMAL: 12.50% stock, AGM: 30.06.2014. Record Date: 29.05.2014.

ISLAMIINS: 15% stock, AGM: 09.07.2014, RD: 12.05.2014.

JMISMDL: 15% cash, AGM: 24.07.2014, RD: 22.05.2014.

SUMITPOWER: 15% stock, AGM: 30.06.2014. RD: 18.05.2014.

SPPCL: 10% cash & 10% stock, AGM: 30.06.2014. RD: 18.05.2014.

MARICO: 50% final cash, AGM: 19.08.2014, RD: 02.07.2014.

ASIAPACINS: 12% cash, AGM: 14.08.2014, RD: 08.05.2014.

GHCL: 10% cash dividend for the shareholders except Directors, AGM: 09.07.2014, RD: 15.05.2014.

Latest PE

83.34 42.10 27.72 8.46 850.00 17.37 262.86 115.00

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Daily high

Thursday, July 17, 2014

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features July 16, 2014

Stocks post modest rally n Tribune Report

Stock

% change 6.90 3.12 1.37 7.89 4.60 11.47 0.02 6.68 14.06 1.07 1.00 1.97 0.50 7.40 0.32 0.91 1.28 10.70 2.62 16.10 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

Appollo Ispat CL -N Shahjibazar Power-N HeidelbergCement -A

BSRM Steels-A Envoy Textiles Ltd-N MJL BD Ltd.-A UNITED AIR-A Renata Ltd. -A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BEXIMCO Ltd. -A

Grameenphone-A LafargeS Cement-Z Appollo Ispat CL -N LankaBangla Fin. -A BSRM Steels-A Square Pharma -A The Peninsula CTG.-N Beximco Pharma -A UNITED AIR-A BSC-A FAR Chemical-N BD Submarine Cable-A Deshbandhu Polymer-A Generation Next-A

Volume shares 10,769,759 869,000 421,211 1,271,500 312,573 1,723,254 268,533 2,068,200 1,373,800 95,600

572,926 848,210 486,161 2,823,528 37,903

Volume shares

1,142,051 110,600 121,500 302,000 193,000 84,039 24,010 191,000 112,861 402,597 7,485 87,000 20,600 140,535 128,000

Value in million 380.88 253.02 114.42 105.32 83.11 78.56 62.46 59.79 53.70 48.77

46.70 44.02 39.60 35.38 34.37

Value in million

40.46 32.84 10.07 8.73 7.90 6.86 6.54 6.33 5.14 5.04 3.88 3.81 3.68 2.44 2.24

% of total turnover 14.85 9.87 4.46 4.11 3.24 3.06 2.44 2.33 2.09 1.90

1.82 1.72 1.54 1.38 1.34

% of total turnover

19.61 15.92 4.88 4.23 3.83 3.33 3.17 3.07 2.49 2.45 1.88 1.84 1.79 1.18 1.09

Daily closing 35.00 290.70 272.30 83.70 266.60 45.30 234.00 28.50 40.20 509.30

81.60 51.80 82.60 12.30 905.00

Daily closing

34.90 291.00 83.60 28.60 40.70 82.00 272.50 33.00 45.20 12.40 517.30 43.30 178.40 17.20 17.40

Price change 2.04 -0.34 0.55 3.59 0.83 2.03 2.59 -1.04 10.14 0.28

Daily opening 34.30 291.70 270.80 80.80 264.40 44.40 228.10 28.80 36.50 507.90

Price change

Daily opening

3.03 1.57 6.99 -1.60 1.74

1.75 -0.61 3.21 -0.35 -2.16 3.54 0.93 0.00 1.80 -1.59 1.07 0.93 0.06 -2.82 -0.57

79.20 51.00 77.20 12.50 889.50

34.30 292.80 81.00 28.70 41.60 79.20 270.00 33.00 44.40 12.60 511.80 42.90 178.30 17.70 17.50

Daily high 36.20 296.00 275.00 84.30 268.50 46.10 234.50 29.40 37.00 512.90

82.20 52.10 83.90 13.00 925.00

Daily low 31.00 289.20 258.00 80.90 241.50 40.00 220.00 28.40 37.00 507.10

75.00 46.60 70.00 11.30 860.00

Daily average 35.37 291.16 271.65 82.83 265.88 45.59 232.60 28.91 39.09 510.18

Daily high

Daily low

Daily average

36.20 301.90 84.00 29.50 41.70 82.10 275.00 33.60 46.10 12.80 523.50 44.50 180.80 17.60 17.70

34.50 290.00 81.40 28.50 40.50 81.00 268.80 33.00 44.60 12.30 515.00 43.00 178.00 17.20 17.40

81.51 51.90 81.46 12.53 906.68

35.43 296.91 82.91 28.91 40.95 81.63 272.23 33.13 45.55 12.53 518.97 43.75 178.83 17.37 17.50

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Global business leaders push for infrastructure funding overhaul n Reuters, Sydney International business leaders are lobbying the Group of 20 bloc of advanced and developing countries to tackle a $57tn shortfall in global infrastructure, pressing for changes to funding rules they say would help big projects move ahead.

The Business 20 Group, which is holding a summit in Sydney this week, criticized cumbersome global rules that make it hard for large pension funds and insurance companies to invest in major infrastructure projects.

Relaxing those rules and smoothing out approval and procurement processes that, in some countries, can result in a project taking 10 years to get the green light will be critical if the G20 is to meet its ambitious growth targets, B20 leaders said.

“Infrastructure investment is one of those critical levers you can pull that can drive into economic growth relatively quickly,” said David Thodey, Telstra Corp Ltd chief executive and spokesman for the G20 on infrastructure issues.

The B20, set up in 2010 to give policy recommendations on behalf of the international business community to the G20, has estimated that at least $57tn will be needed to finance infrastructure projects worldwide through 2030 to meet the demands of global economic growth.

Despite that, Thodey said, there was no priority list of global infrastructure projects, making it difficult for potential investors to know where to start.

G20 finance ministers agreed in Sydney in February to draw up “real and effective plans to lift the global economy” by more than 2% “above the trajectory implied by current policies” over five years. They meet again in Australia in September.

Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey has criticized progress towards the 2% goal as too slow. “Some countries like China and increasingly Germany have

G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors begin their annual meeting in Sydney

REUTERS

Tackling the infrastructure deficit is one of four areas the B20 says is critical to meeting the growth goal, alongside financing growth, slashing unemployment and boosting investment and trade.

Australia is the host of this year’s G20 meetings, a fact that B20 sherpa Robert Milliner said gave credibility to the talks, given Australia’s record two decades of unbroken growth.

border taxation to close loopholes that have allowed multinationals such as Starbucks Corp, Google Inc, Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc to avoid paying taxes.

Finance ministers endorsed a set of common standards for sharing bank account information across borders with automatic exchange of information among G20 members to take effect by the end of 2015.

Richard Goyder, B20 Chair and CEO of Wesfarmers Ltd, said the group endorsed a system under which taxes are levied where the profits are made, but he expressed scepticism that the G20 would be able to agree on a policy palatable to all countries.

“We’ll leave it to governments to sort out,” he said. l

been very supportive of our goals, but there’s more to be done,” he told ABC radio.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group CEO Michael Smith said one big problem was excessively tight financial regulation imposed in the wake of the global financial crisis.

“We’ve heard the feedback from market participants that regulation is unintentionally restricting financial inclusion, deterring infrastructure investment and limiting the provision of trade finance,” said Smith, spokesman for a B20 task force on financing growth.

“I’m not pre-empting things by saying that the task force wants the G20 to pause, take stock and align global regulation.”

Profit shifting

One issue that won’t be on the table at the B20 talks is corporate “profit shifting”, which costs governments up to $3tn a year, according to researchers from Tax Justice Network.

G20 finance ministers agreed in February to develop stricter rules on cross-

B3

Dollar rises in Asia on Fed chief rate comments n AFP, Tokyo The dollar rose in Asia yesterday as the head of the US Federal Reserve indicated that interest rates could rise earlier than expected if the world’s biggest economy continues to pick up pace.

In Tokyo afternoon trade, the dollar bought 101.73, up a tad from 101.67 yen late in New York and 101.50 yen in Tokyo earlier Tuesday.

The euro bought $1.3561 and 137.97 yen, little changed from $1.3570 and 137.97 yen in US trade.

Fed chief Yellen told lawmakers in Capitol Hill Tuesday that the bank would keep its ultra-low rates in place but could implement increases “sooner and be more rapid than currently envisioned” if the jobs market strengthens further.

The latest data from the Labour Department showed the world’s number one economy added far more jobs than expected in June, while the unemployment rate dipped.

But she added that the direction of rates “likely would be more accommodative than currently anticipated” if

economic performance is disappointing.

Markets expect the first rate hike to come in the middle of next year, and Yellen said it would be “sometime in 2015”.

Capital Economics said in a note that “the Fed appears to be in no rush to begin normalising interest rates, even though the pace of jobs growth has accelerated and the unemployment rate has fallen to 6.1%”.

But it added that it expected hikes to start by March.

The dollar was mostly higher against other Asia-Pacific currencies.

It firmed to Sg$1.2436 from Sg$1.2431 on Tuesday, to 60.21 Indian rupees from 60.17 rupees, and to 1,032.70 South Korean won from 1,026.26 won.

It also rose to 43.61 Philippine pesos from 43.59 pesos, and to Tw$30.01 from Tw$30.00, while it was flat at 11,758.80 Indonesian rupiah and it slipped to 32.17 Thai baht from 32.18 baht.

The Australian dollar edged down to 93.38 US cents from 93.90 cents, while the Chinese yuan fetched 16.38 yen against 16.33 yen. l

Microsoft to pass Yahoo in ad revenues n AFP, New York Microsoft is expected to overtake Yahoo for the first time in digital advertising revenues, a research firm said Tuesday.

The survey by eMarketer represents a setback for Yahoo’s effort to return to its glory days as an Internet pioneer.

The report said Google will extend its domination of the global digital ad market this year, with a 31.45% market share, while Facebook will see its share grow to 7.79%.

Yahoo’s ad revenues will increase by around 2.7% to $3.53bn, but its growth

will be slower than the rest of the fastgrowing sector, eMarketer said.

Microsoft meanwhile is expected to see 20% growth in ad revenues to $3.56bn, for a 2.54% market share.

The total market for digital ads is expected to grow by 16.7% to $140bn, the survey said. Facebook and Twitter are expected to see the fastest growth, eMarketer said, although Twitter’s market share will remain below one percent.

The news comes with Yahoo set to report quarterly results, two years into the reorganization launched by chief executive Marissa Mayer. l

Oil prices up in Asian trade Samsung battles on two fronts as Apple readies iPhone 6 n AFP, Singapore Oil prices rebounded on bargain-hunting in Asia yesterday following sharp losses in the previous session that were stoked by easing Middle East supply concerns, analysts said.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for August delivery rose 46 cents to $100.42 while Brent crude was up one cent at $106.03 in afternoon trade.

WTI fell 95 cents in New York to $99.96, the first time it closed below the $100 mark since May 9, while Brent fell 96 cents in London to hit its lowest level since April 7.

Singapore’s United Overseas Bank said prices remained under pressure “as investors eased up on worries about Iraq supply disruptions while there were indications that Libya’s oil production is returning”.

Iraq’s sharply divided parliament elected a speaker Tuesday in a step forward in the delayed government formation process, as a renewed bid to recapture Tikrit from a jihadist-led militant offensive ended in retreat.

The offensive has not reached

southern Iraq, home to the bulk of the country’s oil industry.

Prospects of a revival in Libyan crude exports to a global market already flush with supplies also capped prices, as investors brushed aside reports of fresh violence in the North African state on Sunday.

Libya’s interim Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thani declared this month that authorities had regained control of two export terminals blockaded by rebels demanding autonomy in the country’s eastern region.

The ports at Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra could add about 500,000 barrels of crude per day to global energy markets, analysts say.

Dealers are also eyeing the latest US supply report out later Wednesday for clues about demand in the world’s top crude consumer in the middle of the summer driving season.

Crude reserves are expected to have fallen 2.6 million barrels in the week to July 11, according to analysts polled by the Wall Street Journal.

A decline in inventories typically indicates strong demand, sending prices higher. l

NRB Bank Call Centre has been recently inaugurated by the chairperson of NRB Bank Iqbal Ahmed

Cathay Pacific’s chief executive Ivan Chu recently received the world’s best airline award given by Skytrax at the Farnborough International Air Show

n Reuters, Seoul Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is losing smartphone ground not only to cheaper Chinese rivals but also at the high end to Apple Inc, a survey showed, in an ominous sign for the South Korean giant as Apple readies to launch its next-generation iPhone 6.

Samsung last week gave secondquarter earnings guidance that was far weaker than expectations and is on track for its worst quarterly profit in two years, a performance the company attributed in part to price competition and higher inventory levels in China.

Research firm Counterpoint’s survey of 35 markets accounting for nearly 90% of global sales found that sales for the eight-month-old iPhone 5s stood at 7 million in May, compared with about 5 million for Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S5, which was in just its second full month of sales after a late March release.

Counterpoint said that the Galaxy S5 appeared to be doing worse than the Galaxy S4 had done in its early launch against the iPhone 5, with each selling about 7 million units a month. The data measure retailers’ sales to consumers

as opposed to typical industry data that look at shipments made by the manufacturer.

Galaxy S5 sales probably remained at about 5 million units in June, said Tom Kang, Seoul-based analyst for Counterpoint. He said the Galaxy S5 fell short of market expectations in terms of display quality and by using a plastic case.

“They made one mistake, one product that didn’t hold up to expectations

and they are paying the price,” he said in a phone interview. “They will have to move forward and leave behind what has failed and focus on the next product.”

The data suggests that Samsung’s problems run deeper than just the inventory buildup in mid-to-low tier devices that the company reported earlier in the month after disclosing weakerthan-expected second quarter guidance.

Samsung declined to comment on Counterpoint’s data or disclose shipment figures for the Galaxy S5, though a Samsung executive in April said that the new flagship device was expected to outperform its predecessor.

“We will strengthen our product competitiveness by reinforcing our premium brand reputation, powerful product line-up, and cutting-edge technology,” the company said in an email statement on Wednesday.

Data from research firm Canalys showed that Samsung’s market share in the first quarter of 2014 fell to 18% from 20% a year earlier, while the likes of China’s Xiaomi and Lenovo Group Ltd made gains.

Analysts said Samsung’s new products such as the S5 did not offer enough to entice consumers to pay a premium over cheaper alternatives that were rapidly improving in quality.

“Most major smartphone brands worldwide are battling brand fatigue at the moment,” said Strategy Analytics analyst Neil Mawston. “Consumers love their smartphones but almost all hardware, software and apps now look, feel or cost the same.” l

Professional Advancement Bangladesh Limited (PABL), a subsidiary of Green Delta Insurance Company Limited recently organised a three daylong workshop titled 'Train the Trainers'. Paul Archer, trainer at Chartered Insurance Institute provided training to the workshop’s participants Daffodil Japan IT Ltd (DJIT) recently organised a seminar on job facilities of Information Technology in developed countries at the auditorium of Daffodil International University.

Toru Okazoky, DJIT’s managing director presented the main speech at the seminar

Pubali Bank Limited has recently reduced the lending rate of giving loan for expansion of industry and economic development. The bank’s managing director and CEO Helal Ahmed Chowdhury announced it at a press briefing at the bank’s head office in Dhaka

Md Ahsan-uz Zaman has recently joined Midland Bank Limited as its managing director and CEO. Prior to this, Ahsan was working at Mutual Trust Bank as additional managing director, where he had initially joined as deputy managing director in July 2009. Previously Ahsan worked at Bank of America in New York, at its Global Wealth and Investment Management Division with responsibility for business across a wide assigned territory. Ahsan completed his MBA degree from the Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Thursday, July 17, 2014

BRICS set up bank to counter Western hold on global finances n Reuters, Fortaleza Leaders of the BRICS emerging market nations launched a $100bn development bank and a currency reserve pool on Tuesday in their first concrete step toward reshaping the Western-dominated international financial system.

The bank aimed at funding infrastructure projects in developing nations will be based in Shanghai, and India will preside over its operations for the first five years, followed by Brazil and then Russia, leaders of the fivecountry group announced at a summit.

They also set up a $100bn currency reserves pool to help countries forestall short-term liquidity pressures.

The long-awaited bank will be called the New Development Bank.

It is the first major achievement of the BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - since they got together in 2009 to press for a bigger say in the global financial order created

by Western powers after World War Two and centered on the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

The BRICS were prompted to seek coordinated action following an exodus of capital from emerging markets last year, triggered by the scaling back of US monetary stimulus.

The new bank reflects the growing influence of the BRICS, which account for almost half the world’s population and about one-fifth of global economic output.

The bank will begin with a subscribed capital of $50bn divided equally between its five founders, with an initial total of $10bn in cash put in over seven years and $40bn in guarantees.

It is scheduled to start lending in 2016 and be open to membership by other countries, but the capital share of the BRICS cannot drop below 55%.

The contingency currency pool will be held in the reserves of each BRICS country and can be shifted to another member to cushion balance-of-payments difficulties. This initiative gathered momentum after the reverse in

(L-R) Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma smile at a group photo session during the 6th BRICS summit in Fortaleza July 15. Leaders of these five countries are holding an annual summit in Brazil this week where they are expected to sign a deal creating a $100 billion development bank and a currency reserve fund of the same amount REUTERS the flows of cheap dollars that fueled a boom in emerging markets for a decade.

Bid to contain volatility

“It will help contain the volatility faced by diverse economies as a result of the tapering of the United States’ policy of monetary expansion,” Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said.

“It is a sign of the times, which demand reform of the IMF,” she told reporters at the close of the summit.

China, holder of the world’s largest foreign exchange reserves, will contribute the bulk of the contingency currency pool, or $41bn. Brazil, India and Russia will chip in $18bn each and South Africa $5bn.

If a need arises, China will be eligible to ask for half of its contribution, South Africa for double and the remaining countries for the amount they put in.

China’s official Xinhua news agency, citing unidentified sources at the Chinese Finance Ministry, said the new bank would give developing countries a greater say in the international financial order, a theme President Xi Jinping struck ahead of the summit. The new bank “will promote the global system of economic governance to develop in a just and fair direction,” the agency said.

Impasse broken

Negotiations over the headquarters and first presidency lasted until the elev-

enth hour due to differences between India and China. The impasse reflected the trouble Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have had in reconciling stark economic and political differences that made it hard for the group to turn rhetoric into concrete action.

“We pulled it off 10 minutes before the end of the game. We reached a balanced package that is satisfactory to all,” a Brazilian diplomat told Reuters.

Negotiations to create the bank dragged on for more than two years as Brazil and India fought China’s attempts to get a bigger share in the lender than the others.

In the end, Brazil and India prevailed in keeping equal equity at its

launch, but fears linger that China, the world’s No 2 economy, could try to assert greater influence over the bank to expand its political clout abroad. China, however, will not preside over the bank for two decades.

Facing efforts by leading Western nations to isolate Russia for annexing Crimea and stirring revolt in eastern Ukraine, the BRICS summit provided President Vladimir Putin with a welcome geopolitical platform to show he has friends elsewhere, economic powers seen as shaping the future of the world.

The BRICS abstained from criticizing Russia over the crisis in Ukraine and called instead for restraint by all actors so the conflict can be resolved peacefully. l

Intel says worst is over for battered PC industry n Reuters, San Francisco Intel Corp believes the worst is over for a personal computer industry hammered by the mobile revolution.

The Santa Clara, California chipmaker forecast third-quarter revenue above Wall Street’s expectations on Tuesday, sending its stock 4% higher in extended trade.

Investors have pushed shares of PC mainstays Microsoft Corp and Intel to decade-highs, partly on bets that the global slump in PC demand that began with Apple Inc’s launch of the iPad four years ago is hitting bottom.

“PCs have stabilized,” Chief Financial Officer Stacy Smith told Reuters after Intel’s report. He said he expects shrinking demand from consumers in China and other developing countries to rebound, just as it recently has in the United States.

From the end of 2010, the year the iPad was launched, to the end of 2013, annual global PC shipments shrank a total of 12%, according to IDC. Intel now expects the market’s recovery to help it grow its full-year revenue about 5 percent, slightly higher than prior expectations.

Chief Executive Officer Brian Krzanich told analysts on a conference call that improved demand from companies replacing old PCs would last at least through the end of 2014.

Also on Tuesday, Intel increased its share buyback programme by $20bn. It plans to repurchase about $4bn of stock in the current quarter, underscoring its confidence in a turnaround and a growing crop of “two in one” devices with detachable keyboards and screens.

“My presumption would be that if they’re confident enough to boost it that they see this (PC market) upside maintaining,” Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon said. “God help them if they’re wrong.”

Intel said in a statement it expects third-quarter revenue of $14.4bn, plus or minus $500m. Analysts had expected $14bn on average, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Revenue from Intel’s PC group rose 6% in the quarter while its data center group, a big contributor to gross margins, had revenue jump 19%. l

China’s Xiaomi to invest in India, launches budget smartphones

IBM to offer iPads and iPhones for business users

n Reuters, Mumbai

n Reuters, Washington

China’s Xiaomi said it intends to invest heavily in India as the budget smartphone maker launched on Tuesday its flagship Mi phone and other products in the world’s third largest smartphone market, currently dominated by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. Xiaomi’s International Vice President Hugo Barra, a former Google Inc executive who joined last year, said the company does not expect to turn a profit in India any time soon.

He said the privately owned Xiaomi was planning to build India-specific features for its phones and set up a local team to help penetrate one of the world’s fastest growing smartphone markets.

“We realise this is a market where we have to invest heavily in,” Barra told Reuters. “There’s no point in thinking about profits at this early stage,” he said by telephone from New Delhi, where Xiaomi launched the Mi 3, the cheaper

Redmi and its Redmi tablet.

Localisation will be key to Xiaomi’s fortunes in India, where it will have to convince users to turn away from the apps and services they are used to and adopt Xiaomi’s own system. Xiaomi’s success in China has partly come from its unique Android operating system, which it tailored to its customers.

The company’s margins on phones are thin, as they use high-tech hardware, but it makes up for that by selling its higher-margin accessories and customised apps.

Xiaomi’s success has partly stemmed from its affordability. The Mi 3, Xiaomi’s latest smartphone, is priced at 13,999 rupees ($230). According to Neil Shah of Counterpoint Technology Market Research, the phone’s features are comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S4, which costs between 29,00030,000 rupees.

India ranks behind China and the United States in smartphone sales,

with up to 90 million smartphones expected to be sold there this year, according to Counterpoint Technology Market Research.

In India, Xiaomi is selling its products via ecommerce company Flipkart.

Xiaomi is better known globally as China’s answer to Apple Inc, an image that billionaire Lei Jun had fostered initially when he founded the company in 2010 by dressing in the black tops, jeans and sneakers favoured by the late Steve Jobs. In China, Xiaomi has built a fan base much like Apple.

Barra said Xiaomi would remain focused on emerging markets and was planning to launch in Indonesia next.

He did not specify a time frame.

Xiaomi became the world’s sixthlargest smartphone vendor in the first quarter of 2014, according to data firm Canalys, after repeatedly doubling its sales. The company, valued at $10bn last year, expects to sell 60m phones this year. l

A picture taken on July 11, shows the construction site of a wooden framework building of French developer REI in Montreuil, a suburb of Paris. The building is part of a collective eco-housing programm focused on the use of timber. While the construction sector is responsible for a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, REI highlights the wood as the sole construction material which is entirely renewable: it stores the CO2 which causes global warming and the waste it produces is easily recyclable AFP

International Business Machines Corp will partner exclusively with Apple Inc to sell iPhones and iPads loaded with applications geared at enterprise clients this fall, the company announced on Tuesday.

The announcement, just two days before IBM releases its second quarter earnings, comes as the company attempts to shift its focus to software and services as its hardware unit continues to slump, and follows a string of mobile software acquisitions. The company hopes software sales will contribute half of its total profit by 2015.

The company will release more than 100 apps targeting industry specific issues in retail, healthcare, banking, travel, transportation and telecommunications IBM said on Tuesday.

“We wanted to focus on creating an absolutely irresistible workflow and processes and a design of apps that can

be used by every user in the organization,” Bridget van Kralingen, IBM’s senior vice president of global business services told Reuters from Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California.

“We wanted to remove some of the existing barriers of mobile in enterprise,” she said adding that chief information officers worry about security, utilizing cloud and installing apps in mobile devices.

The partnership, which was six months in the making, will offer services geared at security, mobile device management and big data and analytics. The company also plans to develop cloud services optimized for Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS. The devices will operate through wireless carriers chosen by the client, she said.

BlackBerry Ltd shares were down 3% following the announcement. The Canadian smartphone maker has increasingly targeted its secure software at businesses as part of an effort to

turn the company around after losing ground to Apple’s iPhone and Samsung Electronics Co. Apple and Samsung have steadily expanded their share of the mobile enterprise market in recent years, mostly at Blackberry’s expense, while Microsoft Windows phones have made little headway. Increasingly, Apple’s expansion has been driven by employees bringing in their own devices and requesting corporate support, the socalled bring-your-own-IT trend.

Hooking up with IBM may help address lingering concerns about smartphone software security and data privacy, in the form of a veteran partner that’s led in enterprise IT for decades.

“This deal is a very targeted attempt

by Apple with the help from IBM to focus on the enterprise, corporate market which has really been the main business of Blackberry,” said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer at Solaris Group in Bedford Hills, New York. l

Buffett donates $2.8bn to Gates, family charities n Reuters

Google+ abandons need to use real names

Warren Buffett this week donated $2.8bn of Berkshire Hathaway Inc stock to five charities, as part of the billionaire’s plan to give away nearly all of his wealth.

Buffett donated about 21.73 million Class “B” shares of Berkshire on Monday, a regulatory filing shows.

About 16.6 million shares, worth more than $2.1bn, went to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which focuses on education, health and poverty problems.

The remainder went to four family charities, including a foundation named for his late first wife Susan and foundations for his children Howard, Peter and Susan.

The $2.8 billion is the most Buffett has donated to these charities, reflecting Berkshire’s near-record share price, since he began making annual gifts in 2006.

Buffett still controls nearly 20% of Berkshire’s stock, which made him worth $65.8bn on Monday, according to Forbes magazine. l

Google+ apologized Tuesday and stopped requiring people to use their real names while mingling in the online social network, as it looks to gain ground on market leader Facebook.

“When we launched Google+ over three years ago, we had a lot of restrictions on what name you could use on your profile,” the California Internet titan said in a post at the social network.

“This helped create a community made up of real people, but it also excluded a number of people who wanted

n AFP, San Francisco

DILBERT

to be part of it without using their real names.”

Google said that it has been slowly loosening the requirement with changes such as letting people use YouTube account names, but conceded that the names policy got a bit muddled.

“Today, we are taking the last step: there are no more restrictions on what name you can use,” Google said.

“We know you’ve been calling for this change for a while. We know that our names policy has been unclear, and this has led to some unnecessarily difficult experiences for some of our users. l