24 July 2014

Shraban 9, 1421 Ramadan 25, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 114

THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

B1 | TOFAIL INVITES USTR OFFICIAL TO SEE RMG SECTOR PROGRESS

20 pages | Price: Tk12

8 | ISRAEL PUMMELS GAZA AS KERRY STEPS UP DIPLOMATIC PUSH

7 | TACKLING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

11 | DID LAX MONETARY POLICY HELP?

Sayedee’s appeal verdict unlikely in August Arguments in Kamaruzzaman case yet to begin; four other appeal cases in queue n Nazmus Sakib There is no possibility that a verdict will be delivered in August for the much-talked-about war crimes appeals case of death row convict Delawar Hossain Sayedee.

Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain, presiding judge of the case, has not yet called the meeting needed to determine the sentence for the top Jamaat-e-Islami leader, said court sources.

Moreover, the Supreme Court will go on vacation from tomorrow until August 30.

The five-member Appellate Division bench has reached the decision of conviction for Sayedee by a majority view but yet to determine the punishment.

The case was kept for verdict on April 16 after completion of the proceedings.

UN to probe Israeli violations in Gaza n Reuters The United Nations Human Rights Council agreed yesterday to launch an international inquiry into violations that may have been committed during Israel’s latest military offensive in Gaza.

At the end of an emergency session, the 47-member Geneva state forum adopted a resolution presented by Palestinians by a vote of 29 states in favour, one against (the United States) with 17 abstentions (including some European Union members).

Earlier in the day, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Israel might have committed war crimes by killing civilians and shelling houses and hospitals during its twoweek-old offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Pillay also condemned the indiscriminate firing of rockets and mortars

by Palestinian militants into Israel.

“These are just a few examples where there seems to be a strong possibility that international humanitarian law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes. Every one of these incidents must be properly and independently investigated.”

The UNHCR convened the special one-day session at the request of the Palestinians, Egypt and Pakistan. l

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told the Dhaka Tribune that like the whole nation, he had also been waiting for the verdict.

Sayedee was sentenced to death on February 28 last year in two out of

‘Jamaat is the ultimate beneficiary as the trial for 1971 crimes is running at a snail’s pace’ eight charges of crimes against humanity which he had committed in Pirojpur during the 1971 Liberation War. Even though the six other charges were proved, the tribunal did not give any sentence. The Jamaat nayeb-e-ameer was acquitted in 12 other charges.

On March 28 last year, Sayedee reg-

istered an appeal with the top court, seeking acquittal, while the government lodged an appeal for specifying the sentences in the six other charges.

So far, the apex court disposed of the appeals case of war criminal Abdul Quader Molla. He was hanged on December 12 last year.

On the other hand, the argument stage has not begun in the only ongoing war crimes appeal case of another death row convict Mohammad Kamaruzzaman. Hearing on the convict’s appeal started on June 3.

The four-member bench headed by Justice SK Sinha deferred the proceedings until September 2 following a defence plea.

Four other appeal cases for Ghulam Azam, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

PM: Bangladesh to stop RMG workers take to the child marriage by 2021 streets again for dues n Tribune Report The government has taken up the target to eliminate child marriage from the country by 2021, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said.

In an interview to the BBC Bangla, she said her government had already taken different steps to stop child marriage, and plans for enacting a law that would prevent marriages of children under the age of 15.

The rate of child marriage had been brought down to 17% from 52%, the

premier claimed, adding that efforts to build better awareness as well as “focusing more on female education has brought the number down.” She also urged all parents to provide education to their children, irrespective of their gender.

In the radio interview given during her stay in London to attend the Girl Summit, the premier also expressed hopes that the awareness created by the summit would also reach Bangladesh.

Earlier, Hasina attended an iftar  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

n Kailash Sarkar At least 15 workers of a factory in the capital’s Bhatara area sustained injuries as police fired rubber bullets and hurled tear gas cannister at them during a demonstration demanding immediate payment of wages and bonuses.

Agitated workers clashed with police and blockaded roads in the area causing traffic congestion.

The Satarkul area under Bhatara police station turned into a battlefield when several hundred workers of Fu-

wang Garments Factory locked into a clash with law enforcers yesterday afternoon.

The workers had been demonstrating on the road by leaving their workplaces since morning demanding their dues.

The clash erupted when police tried to drive them away from the road around 3:30pm.

As police fired rubber bullets, lobbed tear gas canisters and charged batons, the workers retaliated with bricks.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

Awami League ponders if Joy is ready for leadership n Emran Hossain Shaikh Recently, while exchanging views with Awami League organising secretaries, the prime minister’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy expressed his willingness to become more involved in Bangladesh’s politics.

“So far I have not been visible in politics. Now I want to be visible,” he said on that day.

‘So far I have not been visible in politics. Now I want to be visible’ One section of the party leaders, comprising mostly young leaders in their thirties and forties, are enthusiastic

INSIDE 3 | News

Workers of Tuba Textiles take position in front of the main entrance of the BGMEA building in the capital yesterday demanding three months’ unpaid wages and Eid bonuses MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Replacing MCQ in PSC exams with essay-type question is sure to spell disaster in the BCS recruitment system.

5 | News

Nearly two months after the crisis, the authorities of the USTC are yet to take any step to bring normalcy to academic activities.

about bringing in Joy right now.

However, there is some hesitation among another section of leaders of the party about whether Joy is ready to immediately succeed his mother Sheikh Hasina as the leader of Awami League and also the country, although at this moment, it does not appear to be too much of a challenge for him.

They think Joy, who has spent the lion’s share of his life abroad, will need

to better understand the country, its people and its soil to be able to step into his mother’s shoes.

However, Awami League presidium member Nuh-ul Alam Lenin told the Dhaka Tribune that there had not been any collective thinking about bringing Joy into the party’s leadership.

“There could be some individual thinking about bringing him into the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

SEHRI & IFTAR TIME Day

Sehri

Iftar

Ramadan 25/July 24

–

6.49pm

Ramadan 26/July 25

3.56am

6.49pm

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, July 24, 2014

seeks commanding role Extortion rampant Bangladesh n on south-bound river services Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Ruling party functionaries blamed

n Mohammad Jamil Khan South-bound Eid travellers taking steamers and launches from Dhaka’s Sadarghat allege that porters and launch staff, backed by local leaders of the ruling party, are overcharging them for porting and boarding services, in full view of the authorities concerned.

Launch staff are illegally charging tag-on fares to third class travellers even though the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) declared 10% discount on the existing fare.

Meanwhile, porters, allegedly supported by Sadarghat Workers’ Union and Terminal Workers’ League President Alamgir Hossain, were compelling passengers to use porter services at rates much higher than those posted on BIWTA’s fee chart.

Passengers trying to negotiate lower fees said they faced harassment or were forced to leave the terminal.

Solaiman, a private sector employee, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that several porters at Sadarghat took his family’s luggage and demanded Tk100, five times the fixed rate, for each bag although the three bags were small and light.

Another passenger, Mohosin, was harassed at a Sharupkhati-bound launch by porters demanding that he

should pay Tk700 to carry a 21-inch colour television.

However, the BIWTA chart shows the following rates: Tk10 for less than 9kg luggage, Tk20 for 20kg luggage, Tk30 for 30kg, Tk40 for 40kg, Tk50 for 60kg luggage, Tk100 for steel or wooden almirahs, Tk50 for a refrigerator, Tk40 for a hardware packet, Tk25 for a motorcycle, Tk20 for bicycle and Tk20 for a fan.

Several porters, requesting anonymity, said they had to overcharge passengers because their loan sharks and handlers kept a close eye on their work and took half of their earnings.

Launch owners charging exorbitant fares told the Dhaka Tribune, on condition of anonymity, that they had to overcharge passengers to make the payments allegedly demanded by the local ruling party leaders. Tk18,00030,000 has to be paid as berthing fees to local terminal leaders during Eid. Workers’ League President Alamgir Hossain, denied the allegations saying that he was not aware of any irregularities.

Saiful Islam Rintu, vice-president of Bangladesh Inland Waterways Association, a consortium of launch owners, admitted that overcharging did exist but claimed that it had been successfully controlled at present. l

Govt to disburse Tk131 crore for road repair before Eid n Asif Showkat Kallol

The government will shortly release the first instalment of Tk131 crore through emergency allocation to repair the country’s dilapidated roads to make them usable before Eid-ul-Fitr.

The Finance Division officials said Finance Minister AMA Muhith signed the summary of the proposal placed by the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) before he went on a tour in Sylhet yesterday.

The finance minister was under the pressure of government high-ups to disburse the money, they added.

The officials who look into the budget of the Communications Ministry said they had yet to receive any proposal for the disbursement, adding that the RHD officials had to come and separate the allocation for road repair from the total fund.

In the current fiscal year, the government allocated Tk2,000 crore for road repair work across the country, Tk200 crore more than last year’s Tk1,800crore allocation, RHD sources said.

The Tk131-crore fund was due to be allocated in the last fiscal year, the sources added.

The RHD officials said it is not possible to spend such a huge amount of fund to repair the roads in the days ahead of Eid vacation, and only Tk10

crore could be spent.

The RHD spent only Tk10 crore last week to procure bricks and sand for the repair work, the officials said.

A couple of years ago, the finance and communications ministries were at loggerheads over the corruption allegation in spending funds for the road repair work.

The RHD is dealing with as many as 21,481km of roads and highways across the country, along with hundreds of bridges and culverts under its jurisdiction. Every year, it spends thousands of crores of taka in repairing the roads and bridges.

The deadline set by Communications Minister Obaidul Quader expired on July 23, but some roads and highways are still in bad shape.

It is feared that the repair work that has been done so far may become redundant due to rainfall, raising the concern that there might be no relief this time for the people who will be heading home to celebrate Eid. Donor agencies, including the World Bank, are refusing to finance any project or work with the department’s officials, thanks to the latter’s corruption.

In 2009, the WB withdrew itself from a project under which the Dhaka-Mymensingh, Sylhet-Sunamganj and Comilla-Brahmanbaria highways were supposed to be repaired. l

Bangladesh has asked the top UN peacekeeping official to help the country get a more commanding position in the UN peacekeeping force.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam made the request at his office yesterday at a meeting with UN Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous, said a Foreign Ministry press release.

In response, Ladsous emphasised on the importance of learning French and other languages, suggested acquiring extensive knowledge about destination countries, stressed the need to increase efficiency through enhancing skills and recommended a quick ability to commit to deployments.

Bangladesh has been contributing to the UN peacekeeping operations for the last three decades. It has taken part in 53 missions in 39 countries in which 126 thousand Bangladeshi peacekeep-

BMSS: Textbook printers use low-quality paper n Tribune Report

Bangladesh Mudran Shilpa Samity, a national platform of printing industry, yesterday alleged that the presses in charge of printing primary and secondary textbooks were not using the specified quality of paper, which is why students were getting books with sub-standard prints.

At a press conference in their office in the capital’s Motijheel area, the BMSS representatives claimed that the presses were not following the work order criteria they had previously agreed to.

Shahid Serniabad, president of the BMSS, presented an analytical report on the paper quality by Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR). “We made the allegation long before, but the National Curriculum

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

hosted by the UK unit of the Awami League, where the premier said she had been assured of continued British assistance from her UK counterpart, David Cameron, reports our correspondent travelling with Hasina.

Speaking at the programme, held at the ballroom of London Hilton on Park Lane Hotel yesterday, Hasina said: “I have had fruitful talks with the British prime minister. He said we will continue to receive British assistance.”

Hinting at possible future complications surrounding British visas, the prime minister said the UK government had assured Bangladesh that they would look after the issue.

There are reports that suggest the British government is planning to consolidate its visa processing system in the region by delegating the visa scrutinising authority to its New Delhi office for cost-saving purposes. However, it will not have any impact on the Bangladeshi visa seekers.

Addressing hundreds of expatriate Awami League supporters, who came from both the UK and neighbouring countries, the ruling party president credited expatriates for being the “main driving force” behind the country’s economy, and expressed hopes that Bangladesh would be turned into a middle income country by 2021, and into a developed country by 2041.

Highlighting her government’s

achievements, Hasina said information services had been introduced across the country to allow expatriates to better communicate with their relatives in the rural parts. She also emphasised on the country’s achievements in bringing down child and maternal mortality rates.

Regarding the development of education sector, the premier said she had directed the education minister to increase the SSC pass rate from 92% to 98%.

Claiming that her government was able to complete 95% of its Annual Development Programmes, Hasina promised further development during her government’s remaining four years and five months’ tenure.

The government also started work on the Padma Bridge after announcing that its construction would be self-funded, she said, adding that a network infrastructure had been built throughout the country.

Slamming the BNP-Jamaat, the premier said the two parties did everything in their power – from calling hartals to burning the Qur’an and felling trees – to stop the national election. Hasina also claimed that the BNP-Jamaat burned over 500 schools last year.

On a separate note, Hasina said Biman Bangladesh flights would go to Dhaka via Sylhet in the future, adding that London-Sylhet-London flights would also be introduced.

The prime minister returns to Dhaka today wrapping her three-day UK visit. l

and Textbook Board (NCTB) did not take it into account. So we went to the BCSIR for an examination of the paper.

“According to the tender, the printing presses should provide paper with a minimum brightness (ISO) of 80%, and the bursting factor [a property that measures paper’s durability] should be a minimum of 12. But according to the BCSIR report, the brightness is 67.78% and the bursting factor 8.58.”

AFM Shah Alam, general secretary of the BMSS, said: “The NCTB formed a committee which is working to ensure quality of the paper. But there is no expert in that committee, nor any member from the government’s security press.

“The printing presses are making money by providing low-quality paper for the school children. The NCTB should ban their activities.” l

deployment and troop modernisation, better integrated planning and the need for performance evaluations.

Existing contributors to peacekeeping should deepen their involvement while new players should be allowed to become engaged in the process, he said.

The African Union, the European Union, Nato and other regional players were now more engaged in ensuring peace and stability in their respective regions and they would be given more priority in this regard, he added.

The UN official favoured cutting down bureaucratic processes and making needed troop deployments swifter.

“Timely deployment saves lives in conflict zones,” he said stressing the need for troop modernisation.

Peacekeeping forces needed to enhance their aerial capacity and Bangladesh already lent several helicopters to the forces, he said.

“Some of the biggest challenges are political in nature,” the UN official said. l

A TransAsia Airways turboprop plane crashed on its second attempt at landing during a thunderstorm on an island off Taiwan yesterday, killing 47 people, officials said.

Eleven injured people were taken to hospital, the government said.

The plane, a 70-seat ATR 72, crashed near the runway on the island of Penghu with 54 passengers and four crew on board. A few empty apartment buildings adjacent to the runway also caught fire.

The aircraft took off from Taiwan’s southern city of Kaohsiung, headed for the island of Makong, but crash-landed in Huxi township of Penghu County, the main island of the chain also known as the Pescadores.

Typhoon Matmo slammed into Taiwan yesterday with heavy rains and strong winds, shutting financial markets and schools. l

Gazipur finally chosen for building wildlife centre n Abu Bakar Siddique

The government has finally chosen Gazipur as the location to set up a World Bank-funded wildlife centre, ending a long-standing disagreement about the project site which had put the centre’s fate in jeopardy.

Forest and Environment Minister Anwar Hussain Manju told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that the government has agreed to set up the proposed wildlife centre as per the project outline which mentioned Gazipur as the location.

“I have sent a letter to the World Bank authority few days ago, confirming this,” he added.

The global lender has also been assured that the Forest Ministry would implement the project on time, Manju said, adding that he was not respon-

sible for the sluggish progress of the project as he had taken charge of the ministry only a few months ago.

Earlier, uncertainties arose about the future of the wildlife centre after top-tier government officials allegedly tried to assert their influence in shifting the proposed site for the centre to their preferred locations. In June, after three years of disagreements, the World Bank reportedly decided to pull the $5m earmarked for the wildlife centre, since the government could not utilise the money on time.

There are also allegations that a five-member committee of the ministry assigned to assess the possible location for the wildlife centre unnecessarily spent government funds during their field visits to Madaripur, Shariatpur, and Mirsharai and Rangunia of Chittagong. l

Sayedee’s appeal verdict unlikely BD-Myanmar relationship should be friendly, says Yunus  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

n Tribune Report Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus has said at a conference in Myanmar that the relationship between the people of the two neighbouring countries is centuries old and should be one of friendship.

His made the remark in response to a question from Aung San Suu Kyi’s close associate Win Htein, also a lawmaker.

Htein said Myanmar had problems along its borders with Bangladesh and wanted to know Yunus’s views on the clashes among “people who originated in Bangladesh” and those who came from other groups.

In his reply, Yunus stressed that all people had the right to live in peace and security wherever they lived. He applauded Htein and his party Suu Kyi’s NLD for upholding the human rights of all people living within the

boundaries of Myanmar.

On the final day of his three-day visit to Myanmar yesterday, Yunus addressed ministers, government officials and lawmakers in the country’s capital Nay Pyi Taw about the role of social business in national development.

In the evening, in Yangon, Yunus addressed a group of young students, activists and civil society members and urged them to not wait for the elders to show them the way, but rather to dream up the world they wanted to create for themselves and to get working on that immediately.

He also urged them to break down all religious and ethnic prejudices that divided people and reach out for the young people all around the world, especially those from the neighbouring countries.

A young woman leader from the Rohingya community also took part in discussion with Prof Yunus. l

and Abdul Alim are pending at the Appellate Division.

As per the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, the punishment or the judgement of the tribunal will only be executed after the final decision from the Appellate Division.

However, slow progress in the trial process has become the reason of frustration for the justice seekers.

War crimes campaigner Shahriar Kabir told the Dhaka Tribune: “Jamaat is the ultimate beneficiary as the trial for 1971 crimes is running at a snail’s pace while the nation continues to be tormented.

“Many justice seekers are dying without seeing the verdicts. How long should they wait?”

He suggested that the Supreme Court should consider the magnanimity of the war crimes trial since those had been committed against the birth of a nation. “Special benches should be constituted for the speedy disposal of such cases,” he said.

The acting president of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee also lam-

basted the prosecutors for not fulfilling their due role for speedy trials. “They are trapped by Jamaat’s tricks,” he alleged.

There is also concern of violence before and after delivery of the verdict in the Sayedee case.

The supporters of Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir established a reign of terror across the country last year just after the tribunal announced the verdict date.

The more than a week-long violent attack on state establishments, properties of the pro-liberation people and the law enforcers hit the headlines every day both at home as well as in international media.

However, the present situation is not volatile like last year when major movement demanding caretaker government was mounting.

Three other death row convicts who did not defend their cases at the tribunal also have not appealed against the verdicts with the Appellate Division.

Meanwhile, four cases have been kept awaiting verdicts for a long time at the two tribunals. l

RMG workers take to the streets again for dues  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

PM: Bangladesh to stop

ers have taken part.

At present, some 9,000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers are deployed in nine missions all over the world.

Meanwhile, at a programme yesterday, Ladsous said Bangladesh would continue to play a key role in ensuring peace and stability in conflict zones around the world.

“When the United Nations speaks with one voice, the results are positive to advance peace and security,” he said at a lecture on Trends and Challenges in Peacekeeping at a city hotel.

Ladsous arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday night on a three-day official trip.

“It makes all the difference to see the smile of a child who, after years of suffering, has rediscovered the meaning of the word hope,” he said.

The top UN peacekeeping official said the blue helmets face six critical priorities – the need to enhance contributions, the need for an active role by regional players, the need for timely

47 killed in Taiwan plane crash n Reuters

The clash gave rise to a long traffic tailback in the adjacent areas causing homebound people to suffer.

SI Sirajul Islam of Bhatara police station said they had no option but to take action because the workers’ demonstration halted traffic movement.

Salam Jahan, a worker of the Fuwang factory, said they had taken to the street because they had not been getting their wages for three months,

let alone Eid bonus.

Meanwhile, workers of five factories of the Tuba Group that also owned the fateful Tazreen Garments in Savar, laid siege to the BGMEA building in the capital yesterday, in the same demand.

Witnesses said several hundred workers of Tuba Fashions, Bukshan Garments, Tuba Textiles, Pipe Design and Mita Design gathered in front of the BGMEA building around 11:30am and kept everyone inside confined by

locking the main gate.

Johora Khatun, a worker of Tuba Textiles, said they had not been paid their dues for May, June and July.

“We have been agitating for more than a month... but the authorities told us that unless the factory owner was freed, we would not be paid,” she said.

Tuba Textiles owner Delwar Hossain is now in jail in connection with the November 2012 factory fire in Tazreen that killed 112 workers.

The workers said they would not leave the place until they got their dues paid.

Around 2pm, workers of the Four Wings Garments Factory also took position in front of the BGMEA building in the same demand.

They said the owner had closed the factory recently without paying their dues.

Maruf Hossain, deputy commissioner of police of Ramna Division, said BGMEA leaders had been holding talks with the ministry concerned for a solution. l

Awami League ponders if Joy is ready for leadership  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

leadership. The prime minister herself or the family may think about it,” he said.

Joy’s first visible presence in politics could be dated back to the time immediately after the August 21, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in which a number of party leaders and activists were killed.

Then opposition chief Sheikh Hasina and many other party men were injured in the attack, which is often termed a failed attempt on Hasina’s life.

At that time, Joy was in the US. Soon after the attack, he became vocal about his mother’s safety, saying he would always stand beside her during her difficult times.

He strengthened his political endeavours during the 2007-08 tenure of the army-backed caretaker government.

After his mother was arrested, Joy was instrumental in mobilising international opinion to push for her release at home.

He attended various programmes of the Awami League in the US and lob-

bied for international pressure for his mother’s release. He also spoke strongly in international media against his mother’s arrest.

Before the December 2008 national election, Joy emerged as an integral part of the Awami League’s election campaign. It is often said the “Digital Bangladesh” slogan, which played a key role in the party’s landslide victory in that election, was Joy’s brainchild.

In February 2010, Joy formally joined the party as a primary member of the Rangpur chapter. Rangpur is the home of his late father Dr Wazed Ali Mia, a noted nuclear scientist.

Since then, he is said to have been playing an important role in politics from behind the scenes.

Initially, Joy studied computer science at the University of Bangalore in India. Later, he got his credits transferred to the University of Texas in US and graduated from there with a BSc degree in computer engineering. Subsequently, he attended the Harvard Kennedy School

of Government, where he completed his Masters in Public Administration.

Party insiders say Hasina now wants her son to be active in national politics.

As a matter of fact, over the last few years, she has grown heavily dependent on her son. However, insiders also say a number of senior leaders caution against “dynastic politics.”

Presidium member Lenin also told the Dhaka Tribune that before becoming active in politics, Joy should first work for a better understanding of “the soil and the people of the country.”

“I think if Joy wants to step into the party leadership, he will have to prove his leadership qualities. I believe he is now going through that process,” Lenin said.

“As a highly educated and talented person, Joy has the scope of contributing a lot for the country,” the senior leader added.

He also said there was no problem with using family traditions as a stepping stone for getting into national politics. “Anybody can come to politics if

they can prove their abilities. I believe that Joy would eventually step up by giving proof of his leadership qualities just like his mother and grandfather.”

Awami League Advisory Council member Suranjit Sengupta said: “I welcome Joy in Bangladesh’s politics...I think Joy’s involvement will create a new trend in our politics.”

The younger leaders of the party however believe that it is now time for Joy to get to the next level. They believe that Joy should be given a portfolio for him to contribute better.

“Now we think Joy should be appointed to party post,” a secretarial body member told the Dhaka Tribune.

Organising Secretary Khalid Mahmud said now that Joy has become a primary member, it was only a matter of time for him to pick up a party post.

“Party post is not important in politics and Joy is working for the development of the country. I am sure he will take up the party’s leadership role as well as that of the country when it is needed,” he said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Replacement of MCQ in BCS exam to spell disaster Reza Chowdhury and n Kamran Mushfique Wadud Replacement of the existing Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) in the Public Service Commission’s preliminary examination with essay-type question is sure to spell disaster in the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) system as it will require 66,666 working hours to finish the primary shortlisting of the applicants.

A parliamentary watchdog on Tuesday recommended the government find out an alternative to the MCQ method.

At present, a machine readable script of the BCS preliminary examination can be read in a few seconds and the PSC can determine the number of a candidate. But an examiner will require at least 20 minutes to mark the script of a candidate if essay-type question is introduced, experts say.

Again, the PSC authorities is unlikely to get adequate number of quality examiners, ultimately deteriorating the quality of the public servants.

Over the last one decade, the PSC has been successful to complete the BCS (the last 33rd) in around 21 months, since the government gives requisition for officials.

The PSC took around 39 months to complete 27th BCS examination. The commission now publishes the result of the preliminary test in maximum two months.

“This (MCQ) is an established system now. Yes, introduction of essay-type question in the preliminary test would require huge time,” Ekram Ahmed, the PSC chairman, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The chairman said he came to know about the recommendation from media and the official attending the meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on public administration ministry.

“We will send our opinion as soon as we get a copy of the resolution of the watchdog,” he said. The PSC is a constitu-

3 Abbas denies factional feuds n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

tional body which can reject government decision on examination related issues.

Anwarul Haque, a former member of the PSC, told the Dhaka Tribune: “There is no need for altering the MCQ system which is now accepted by all quarters. A machine readable MCQ script can be read in a few second. But an examiner needs at least 20 minutes to see one script.

“So, how long the PSC will take to publish results of over 200,000 scripts”. Besides, he said, there was scope of corruption in the process.

“The essay-type question should no way be introduced,” he said.

A former chairman of PSC Professor SMA Faiz said that withdrawing MCQ will create many problems. “MCQ is a good system. We should think twice before its withdrawal.”

Faiz said that checking examination scripts will be a big challenge if MCQ is withdrawn. He said that PSC’s reform was a continuous process and any change should take place in consultation with its members.

Former Cabinet Secretary Akbar Ali Khan however said that the whole examination system of Public Service Commission should be reformed.

On Tuesday, the prime minister’s political adviser HT Imam, a former cabinet secretary, former home minister and bureaucrat-turned MP Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir and former central bank governor Farash Uddin Ahmed told the parliamentary watchdog that the MCQ system was not the right way of judging merit.

But Secretary of the Public Administration Ministry Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury opposed the idea of dropping the MCQ system saying introduction of the essay-type question in the preliminary test would make the BSC exam hugely time-consuming. The standing committee will meet again to discuss the matter next month. l

As people start to leave Dhaka to spend Eid at their village homes, the roads leading out of the capital are seeing more frequent traffic gridlocks. Vehicles are seen stuck in traffic jam on the Babubajar Bridge portion of the Dhaka-Mawa highway yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

SI Zahid, informer on fresh remand n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday granted four more days remand each for detained Sub-Inspector Zahidur Rahman Khan of Mirpur police station and his source Nasim Sheikh in connection with the custodial death of a young trader.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mizanur Rahman passed the order after DB Inspector Nibaron Chandra Barman produced them before the court, seeking a 10-day remand for each.

In the remand prayer, Barman said the two accused gave them important information during the interrogation.

“So, we need to quiz them further to collect more information,” he added.

During the remand hearing, the family of deceased Sujan was also present.

Defence counsel Farooq Ahmed sought bail, rejecting the remand plea.

But the court rejected the bail plea and granted remand for the duo.

According to the case details, on July 16, Mirpur police arrested SI Zahid at Shialbari under Rupnagar police station of the city.

Earlier, SI Zahid had picked up Mahbubur Rahman Sujan, 35, from the city’s Shankar area in the early hours of July 13.

After the arrest, SI Zahid allegedly tortured Sujan in police custody.

When Sujan fell sick, he was admitted to a local clinic and then shifted to Suhrawardy Hospital where doctors declared him dead in the morning.

As the family members of the victim alleged that Sujan was tortured to death, SI Zahid was suspended to Ra-

Former VC of Stamford University sent to jail

Arguments in Qaisar case begin

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

n Udisa Islam

Stamford University’s former vice-chancellor MA Hannan Feroz was sent to jail on charge of being involved in an attack on former Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Enamul Haque Shameem.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Alamgir Kabir Raj passed the order, turning down his bail plea.

Nibaron Chandro Barmon, investigation officer, petitioned the court to confine Hannan for the sake of proper investigation, following two rounds of remand.

On July 16, Hannan was arrested by DB Police at his Dhanmondi residence.

According to Nibaron, the arrest was made based on information provided by Rana Hawlader, an accused in the case.

On June 19, Shameem received bullet wounds when three men on a motorbike shot him in Dhanmondi. l

The prosecution yesterday said war crime accused Syed Mohammad Qaisar had been involved with the anti-liberation forces following the footsteps of his father and uncle, who were leaders of Convention Muslim League – a party that opposed the 1971 Liberation War alongside Jamaat-e-Islami.

Quoting the probe report, prosecutor Rana Das Gupta said during closing arguments that Qaisar, 30/35 years’ old during the 1971 Liberation War, had formed “Qaisar Bahini” comprising 500-700 men and committed crimes against humanity in Habiganj and Brahmanbaria areas.

After 45 minutes, the International Crimes Tribunal 2 adjourned

the trial until today saying that the prosecution may continue and end their arguments before the Eid vacation. It also asked the defence to place their arguments on August 4.

Prosecutor Rana started placing arguments around noon after defence counsel Abdus Sobhan Tarafder concluded questioning Investigation Officer Monowara Begum.

Justice Obaidul Hassan, chairman of the three-member tribunal, said: “At this stage, we are asking the prosecution to present their arguments as the defence has not submitted any list of defence witnesses.”

Qaisar, a former state minister during HM Ershad’s regime, was indicted on February 2 this year on 16 counts of charges that include mass killings, murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, abduction and torture in confinement, rape and other inhuman acts.

The trial in the case began on March 4 and 32 prosecution witnesses placed their depositions at the tribunal.

The investigation agency submitted the report on September 22 last year and the prosecution placed the formal charges on November 20.

Rana said: “Qaisar was involved in the crimes as an individual or as a member of an individual group along with

the Pakistan occupation army.”

His father and uncle were involved with the politics of Convention Muslim League. “Qaisar Bahini” had acted like the notorious razakar force that collaborated with the Pakistani occupation forces.

“After the war, the accused could not be found anywhere until the brutal killings of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members in 1975. Before and after that time he was working with the anti-liberation groups.

The accused took part in the elections of 1979 and 1986,” Rana said.

He also said the defence had never denied any charges framed against the accused.

At that time the tribunal asked the prosecutor why the probe agency had not taken any action against third prosecution witness Tajul Islam, who claimed to be a member of “Qaisar Bahini” during the war. The court also wanted to know how an associate of an alleged war criminal had been made a prosecution witness.

Prosecutor Rana said: “The case was against Qaisar and the probe body concentrated on the accused only. The witness repented for his acts and that is why we are not thinking that way.”

The tribunal then enquired about the legal position of placing this particular witness. l

jarbagh Police Lines later that the day.

An unnatural death case was filed with the police station.

Khurshida Begum, the mother of another victim Jony, also came to the court and demanded justice and punishment for her son’s killer.

On February 8 this year, SI Zahid picked Jony up from a bridal party and allegedly tortured the youth to death on February 9.

On February 23, the victim’s mother went to Pallabi police station, but the police did not register any case.

They later filed a petition case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court, accusing SI Zahid.

Even though the court asked the Detective Branch of police to investigate the case, they have yet to submit their probe report. l

Convener of the newly formed Dhaka city unit of BNP, Mirza Abbas, denied the existence of any faction within the party, saying the party members were united under the leadership of Chairperson Khaleda Zia. “There are no groups led by me or Sadeque Hossain Khoka. This is only a rumour. There is only one group led by Khaleda Zia,” he told the press after the new committee’s first meeting at the BNP office in the city yesterday.

On Friday, the BNP announced its 52-member committee, and former convener Khoka was made the adviser of the committee. Abbas was reportedly unhappy over Khoka’s inclusion; Abbas and Khoka has had a long history of rivalry.

None of the advisers were present at the new committee’s first meeting, which lasted 40 minutes. Around 10 members of the committee were absent as well.

When asked about his grievance over Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel’s inclusion in the committee, Abbas handed over the loudspeaker to Sohel, who said: “Mirza Abbas is my elder brother and I am his younger brother.

We are brothers.”

After the meeting, Abbas said Dhaka city failed to wage the expected movement, so people demanded a reshuffle of the committee.

He said the new committee was formed to fulfil people’s hopes and aspirations.

Abbas said the new committee would place wreaths at BNP’s founder late president Ziaur Rahman’s grave tomorrow around 11am.

At the meeting, the committee decided to prepare for intense movement after Eid to compel the government to accept election under a non-partisan interim government.

It also decided to reshuffle all the party thana and ward committees in the capital. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, July 24, 2014

750MW-850MW LNG-based plant planned for Khulna n Aminur Rahman Rasel The state-owned North-West Power Generation Co Ltd (NWPGCL) is planning to build a 750MW-850MW re-gasified LNG-based combined cycle power plant in Khulna.

For the first time, this type of power plant will be built through imported re-gasified liquefied natural gas (LNG) from India.

The project is envisaged under the power system master plan drawn by government in 2010.

The government has moved to import LNG for the country as it is reeling from an acute gas crisis due to the fast depletion of current reserves and lack of new discoveries.

Currently, the cost of electricity per unit from a gas-run plant is less than Tk2 while the cost of electricity per unit produced from a diesel or oil-run plant is Tk14 to Tk18.

“We have decided to carry-out a techno-commercial feasibility study with respect to import of re-gasified LNG from India. This study would be completed by December 2014,” NWPGCL Managing Director AM Khurshedul Alam told the Dhaka Tribune recently.

“Following the completion of feasibility study and tender process, the

signing of contract for construction of the power plant is targeted for March 2016,” he added.

“Imported re-gasified LNG is to be made available at the plant site for its operation. The company [NWPGCL] has set a target for making the power plant operational preferably by mid-2018.

“We have planned to import around 125 million cubic feet per day [mmcfd] equivalent of re-gasified LNG at Bangladesh-India border through an offshore LNG terminal from India’s West Bengal by June 2018,” Khurshedul said.

“Now we are negotiating with the Indian state-owned Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) to import re-gasified LNG for the power plant,” he added.

This arrangement involves transportation of re-gasified LNG by the GAIL operated pipeline inside Indian territory up to Petrapol point of Bangladesh-India border, and further transportation of re-gasified LNG by a new interconnecting pipeline to be built within Bangladesh territory up to the existing gas transmission grid at Jessore, and finally further beyond up to the power plant location at Khulna.

A 10-member joint working group has already been constituted with five members from the NWPGCL and the rest from the GAIL to implement the project.

Mozena: Justice bedrock of democracy n Tribune report

A two-day seminar jointly organised by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the US Embassy in Dhaka began yesterday at the Detective Training School (DTS) in the capital’s Rajarbagh area.

The seminar aims to train law enforcers in order to strengthen the country’s justice system. Around 25 law enforcers are participating in the training.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena, guest of honour at the event, said justice was the bedrock of democracy.

“In Bangladesh and throughout South Asia, justice has traditionally relied largely on confessions by the perpetrator. The system invites abuse as the agents of justice have a great incentive to force confessions from alleged perpetrators, leading the courts to throw

the case out. The result is often a miscarriage of justice for all concerned, thus eroding public confidence in the justice process,” he said.

“In a democracy, the state must ensure justice to the victim, to the alleged perpetrator of a crime, and to society as a whole,” he added.

Top specialists from the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) of the US Department of Justice are providing the training.

Mark Mogle, deputy assistant director of ICITAP, said: “Forensic science provides information to investigators, and sometimes lawyers challenge investigators. In order to get a better justice system, all of us need to coordinate.”

Among others, Md Mokhlesur Rahman, additional inspector general of CID, and Shahadat Hossain, commandant of DTS, were also present at the event. l

Protest against Gaza assault continues n Tribune Report

Speakers at a human chain in front of the National Press Club said Israeli forces had been killing Palestinians mercilessly, and attacking Palestine territory without any legal grounds. They also alleged that the UN’s indifference in this regard had goaded the military actions in Gaza to a great extent.

Jonmo Odhikar Bastobayon Songstha and Swadhinota and Manobadhikar Bastobayon Foundation formed the human chain in the capital, while different professional, cultural and political organisations also formed human chains, hosted rallies and protest gatherings in Moulvibazar yesterday.

Protesters criticised the UN saying it had failed to stop the blatant human rights violation. They also criticised the Arab leaders for remaining quiet in this regard.

Bam-Front Chairman Dr MA Samad and Durniti Protirodh Andolon President Harunur Rashid Khan addressed the human chain, among others. Large numbers of people also took part in the human chain.

Meanwhile, speakers at different protest programmes in Moulvibazar demanded that steps be taken to stop bomb attacks in Gaza, and urged the Muslim community and freedom loving people across the globe to stand beside the people of Gaza.

Wearing black badges, members of Arunodoy Moulvibazar, a socio-cultural organisation, brought out a rally in the town and distributed leaflets to press home their demand – an immediate stop to the killing of people in Gaza.

Anti-genocide Movement Moulvibazar also formed a human chain on Monday in Poura Park area to protest the Israeli aggression. l

4 held for killing cops Correspondent, n Our Gaibandha Police arrested five men on Tuesday night for their involvement in the killing of cops in Sundarganj area of Gaibandha.

The arrested were Liton alias Dish Liton, Ilias Ali, Jahidul Islam, Solaiman Miah and Aynal Haq. All of them are residents of Khanabari village in Bamandanga union.

Gaibandha Police Super

Mofajjol Hossain said the accused were arrested when they were passing by the Bamandanga police outpost on a pick-up van. Liton was directly involved in the murder, he added.

On February 28 last year, four constables were hacked to death in an attack on the police outpost by armed Jaamaat-Shibir activists after the death sentence of Delwar Hossain Sayedee was announced. l

India’s H-Energy East Coast Private Ltd is promoting a 4 million tonnes per annum floating LNG import terminal in offshore Digha region of West Bengal, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2015 and is intended to supply natural gas to eastern states of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar and some northern states through the proposed Jagdhishpur-Haldia pipeline of the GAIL. As the JHPL is designated for bi-directional flow, re-gasified LNG from the proposed Floating Storage and Re-gasification Unit of H-Energy at offshore of Digha region can be injected at Haldia and delivered to Bangladesh at Petrapol border, subject to execution of suitable firm agreement between the GAIL and H-Energy and necessary government clearances.

A total 118km long stretch of pipelines will be required to be built to run the LNG from India into Bangladesh’s national gas grid, including a 72km pipeline from Kolkata to Benapole and a 46km pipeline from Benapole to Jessore.

Another state owned company, Gas Transmission Company Ltd (GTCL) would build the gas-transmission pipeline inside Bangladesh to import LNG. The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) might finance the project. l

A private car gets trapped in a pothole at Kalshi intersection in the capital’s Mirpur yesterday. Most of the damaged city roads lack proper repairing attention, causing sufferings to the city commuters NASHIRUL ISLAM

Matia Chowdhury: People of Gaza not safe n Our Correspondent, Sherpur

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury yesterday condemned the US for backing Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip.

She also criticised the UN’s late reaction to the military actions, saying many people had died in Gaza in the past few days, and the UN held only a meeting at

the Security Council. “The UN is safe, the people of Gaza are not,” she said.

Addressing a distribution programme of VGF rice, elderly allowance and clothes among the poor people at Sherpur’s Nalitabari municipality office, she said the government strongly condemned the US’s support in such a heinous act.

Matia Chowdhury was accompa-

nied by, among others, Sherpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zakir Hossain and Police Super Mehedul Karim.

A total of 6,000 poor people of the upazila were given 10kg of rice each.

1,250 women were given saris, 1,195 men were given shirts and trousers, 230 people were given elderly allowance and 105 widows were given their allowances. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Bomb explosion injures 3 children n Tribune Report

55 DAYS OF USTC STALEMATE

Fates of 5,000 students uncertain n FM Mizanur Rahaman Nearly two months after the crisis, the authorities of the University of Science and Technology Chittagong (USTC) have yet to take any mentionable steps to bring normalcy to academic activities.

Since May 18, the USTC teachers, employees and students went on a four-hour work abstention programme demanding that the authorities concerned ensure transparency in the appointment of its vice chancellor and implement the service rules.

Due to the strike, more than 5,000 students of the university have been passing their days amid great uncertainty regarding the future of their education.

Sources said the authorities have yet to take any preparations for the medical faculty students’ professional examination that is set to be held on July 31.

Meanwhile, the local deputy commissioner and local distinguished persons held separate meetings with the agitating group and the USTC authorities to stop the deadlock. However, these initiatives provided no results.

A tripartite meeting was held at Circuit House in the city on July 19

regarding the staffs’ demands, where Chittagong DC Mesbah Uddin and the demonstrators’ representative Dr Nina Islam, also a member secretary of the USTC Board of Trustees, were present.

When asked about the meeting, Nina told the Dhaka Tribune that the Board of Trustees had agreed to pay the salary of June as well as the Eid bonuses but the promise has yet to see light.

“If the professional examination is missed, the medical students will have to face at least six months of session jam,” she added.

Kamrul Islam Bappy, a 7th semester student of the CSE department, said: “Although the semester final examination was scheduled to be held in July, but the ongoing deadlock has hampered it.”

Imtiaz Emu, a 6th semester student of the EEE department, said their examination and the viva-voce of the semester final remained stuck due to the strike.

Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology VC Dr Jahangir Alam, who was a member of the USTC syndicate, said both the authorities concerned and the agitators have to reach a consensus for the sake of the students’ future. l

Eid special Dhaka-Barisal launch service starts today n Our Correspondent, Barisal The private water vessel owners are set to initiate a 13-day Eid special launch service on the Dhaka-Barisal route, but with a 20%-25% increased fare.

At least seven special vessels will hit the water route from the Dhaka end today to carry the homebound passengers, with 12 such transport vehicles ready to embark on the Eid special trip on July 26.

The owner of the triple-decker “Sundarbans” Launch Fleet, Saidur Rahman Rintu, also central vice-president of launch owners association, said normally 4-5 triple-decker launches ferried passengers every day between Dhaka and Barisal.

On the occasion of Eid ulFitr, the number of launches had been increased only to accommodate the growing number of passengers, added the leader. Sources said the launch cabin tickets had already been sold out before the trip started, despite the fact that advance booking was prohibited.

Rintu said they might witness a mad rush of passengers on July 24, 26, 27 from the Dhaka end and on August 1, 2 and 4 from Barisal.

Passengers of private tri-

WEATHER

LIGHT RAIN THURSDAY, JULY 24 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:46PM SUN RISES 5:25AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

33

27

Chittagong

30

26

Rajshahi

32

26

Rangpur

33

26

Khulna

30

25

Barisal

31

26

Sylhet

33

26

Cox’s Bazar

30

25

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

35.6ºC Dinajpur

23.5ºC Feni

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

3:59am 5:22am 12:05am 4:45pm 6:47pm 8:12pm

SourceL IslamicFinder.

ple-decker launches have to pay an excessive fare amounting to Tk1,100 for per first class cabin ticket, Tk600 for sofa seat and Tk250 for a seat in the deck.

“We change the fare only for two weeks before and after Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Azha, in line with the fare chart fixed by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority,” said Saidur Rahman Rintu.

He also said the realisation of excessive fares helped to cover the losses the vehicle owners incur around the year. l

5

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Two children of the three brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital after they were injured in a crude bomb blast in the capital’s Islambagh yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

CCC mayor: Mariners Road to reduce traffic jam in port city n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Mayor of the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) M Manjur Alam yesterday expressed hopes that Mariners Road would reduce traffic jams in the port city to a great extent.

The mayor said this while addressing the inaugural programme of the 1.3-kilometre long road stretching from Firingi Bazar area to Bridge Ghat.

He said, “After completion of the construction of Rajakhali Bridge, the road will be directly connected with Shah Amanat Bridge, which will save the commuters’ time and ease the traffic congestion.”

The road was constructed at a cost of Tk12 crore and will be upgraded into a four-lane one for an extra expense of Tk 25 crore later, he added. l

Three children sustained injuries when a crude bomb they were playing with went off in the capital’s Islambagh area yesterday morning.

The injured children – Rifat, 4, son of late Amzad Hossain, Sultana Akhter, 7, daughter of Liakat Ali, and Sadia Akhter Mim, 9, daughter of Nayan Hawlader – are all residents in the area.

Quoting the victim’s family members, police said the children had found a round object wrapped with red tape around 9am. They seemingly thought it was a tennis ball and started playing with it, accidentally causing it to explode, leaving them severely injured.

Sultana legs, Rifat’s cheeks and one of Sadia’s hands were badly damaged by the blast.

They were rushed to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital around 10am.

Azizul Haque, officer-in-charge of Chowkbazar police station, said: “Their injuries were not serious, but we will investigate the matter.” l

Khulna RHD engineer served show-cause notice by communication minister n Our Correspondent, Jessore The minister of communication yesterday issued a show cause notice to a Roads and Highways Department engineer in Khulna because a highway repair project had not yet been completed, the minister told journalists at a news conference from the highway.

Obaidul Quader, the communication minister, issued the show cause notice to additional chief engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, Khulna, Mohammad Ali, during a visit to Nawapara industrial town on the Jessore-Khulna Highway yesterday, where the minister walked along a stretch of the run-down road and expressed his dissatisfaction to journalists.

The minister ordered Zi-

aul Haider, executive engineer, Jessore, Mohammad Saifuddin, executive engineer, Satkhira, and Mehedi Khan, executive engineer, Kushtia, to complete the repairs within the next three days.

The minister told reporters he had made seven visits to the highway since becoming the minister for communication.

“A new contractor was given charge

for the highway repair work,” the minister said.

“If the new contractor fails to complete the job by Eid-ul-Fitr, he’ll be replaced,” he added.

According to reports, the highway is badly potholed despite the minister’s visits. Piles of bricks, apparently to be used for repairs, were strewn across the highway at Nawapara. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Ferry crisis hits Lakshmipur n Our Correspondent, Lakshmipur Passengers from 16 districts in the north are suffering because of a shortage of ferry service on the Lakshmipur – Bhola river route.

Kanakchapa, the ferry service on the Lakshmipur – Bhola river route, has been shifted to the Maowa – Keorakandi ferry ports, which is causing distress to the passengers home-bound for Eid, businessmen and transport workers.

There were three ferry services called Kanakchapa, Krishani and Kas-

SI suspended in Chuadanga

n Our Correspondent, Chuadanga A sub-inspector of Chuadanga police station was suspended on Tuesday due to negligence during duty.

Chuadanga ASP Kamruzzaman said Sub-Inspector Fakir Pannu was suspended as allegations against him were proven after an investigation.

Locals found a bomb inside Chuadanga Sadar Hospital a few days back and informed the police station. The then on duty officer Fakir Pannu went to the spot and used a minor boy at the hospital to recover the bomb. l

100 shops gutted n Our Correspondent, Khagrachari More than 100 shops were gutted in a devastating fire yesterday at Panchari Bazar in Khagrachari district.

According to sources, the fire broke out at night in Noakhali market, leaving the shops burnt to ashes.

Upon receiving information, firefighters from Sadar upazila went to the spot and doused the fire after three hours of hectic efforts with the help of police personnel, army men, BGB members and local people. l

turi on the Lakshmipur – Bhola route.

At the advent of Eid the authority took away the Kanakchapa ferry service to Maowa – Keorakandi route, which didn’t have any effect initially, but later caused problems as the pressure of vehicles increased before Eid. Every day, hundreds of vehicles carrying passengers and cargoes are getting stranded in that route.

Some passengers are risking their lives to cross Meghna by boats or trawlers. Besides these, some illegal speedboats are seen carrying passengers across the riv-

er. The passengers have to spend extra money for this, which is a burden for the people with lower income.

Truck drivers and businessmen said different raw materials and edible items get stale waiting at the ferry port.

Launch Terminal Assistant Mohammad Kamrul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that the pressure of vehicles gets very high before Eid, but with the Kanakchapa there, the problems would have alleviated. However, everything will be solved immediately, he also added. l

Janata Bank officials threatened for toll n Our Correspondent, Barisal Officials of different branches of Janata Bank in Barisal have recently been threatened by anonymous extortionists demanding money.

Officials of the state-owned bank said they had filed several general diaries in this connection.

Altaf Hossain, deputy general manager of the bank’s corporate branch in Barisal, said a man identifying himself by different names such as “Hatkata” Biplob or Abul Kalam, had threatened a number of officials of the branch demanding different amounts of money ranging up to Tk3 lakh.

The caller also identified himself as the leader of Purba Bangla Communist Party, he said.

General diaries (no 953, 955, 956 and 957) on behalf of the corporate branch and the Banglabazar, Medical College, and Chawkbazar branches have already been filed with Kotwali police station and the authorities of other branches have been asked to do so with local police stations, bank sources said.

In the general diaries, bank officials claimed a caller, identifying himself as a key member of Purba Bangla Sarbahara Party, asked them to talk to the commander of the party.

Moments later, another person claiming to be the commander of the party said some members of the party had been passing their days in misery and the bank should help them financially.

The caller also warned them of severe consequences in case of failure to comply with his request.

Bank sources said managers of the corporate branch, and the other branches in Banglabazar, Chawkbazar, Kalaskathi, Bakerganj, Torki, and Sharikal received similar calls until Tuesday afternoon.

Shakhawat Hossain, officer-incharge of Kotwali police station, said bank officials had registered four general diaries alleging that they had received threatening calls where the callers asked them to pay different amounts of money.

“Police are probing the allegations,” he added. l

Thursday, July 24, 2014

BGB-drug smuggler gunfight leaves 3 hurt in Cox’s Bazar Correspondent, n Our Cox’s Bazar

Three people, including two members of Border Guard of Bangladesh, were wounded in a shootout early yesterday between yaba smugglers and the border guard personnel in Maulvipara area of Teknaf upazila here.

The injured personnel of BGB 24 battalion are Nayeb Abdur Razzak and Sepoy Mubarak Hossain. They were admitted to the local health complex while the injured smuggler Nazir Hossain, 30, was admitted to Cox’s Bazar General Hospital in a critical condition.

Teknaf BGB 42 battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Abujar Al-Jahid said acting on a tip-off, a patrol team from his unit conducted a drive on the estuary of the Naf River, which divides Bangladesh and Myanmar, around 3am.

Sensing the presence of the law-men, the armed drug smugglers, who were bringing yaba into the country, started firing shots at the BGB members, forcing them to retaliate, ultimately leaving three injured.

Afterwards, one firearm and one round of bullets and 10,000 pieces of yaba were recovered after searching drug smuggler Nazir’s body.

However, the other drug smugglers managed to escape during the gunfight. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Juris

7

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Tackling human trafficking In 2012, a new law has been enacted to fight this monstrous crime

Ensuring justice for border victims Ashbarul Bari and n KM Nusrat Jahan

A

s a sovereign state, for the last 42 years Bangladesh has been confined to many internal and international hitches. Border Killing is such a problem that escalates the legacy of blood of the innocent citizens slayed upon the tip of the nose of the government. The families of the victims of border killing have nothing to do except accepting government’s compensatory money and living the rest of their lives under extreme dejection. Now, the big questions are whether the government has anything to do to address this issue within the periphery of international law, and how the government should go about it.

l

Is attributable to the state under international law; and

l

Constitutes a breach of an international obligation of the State

Challenges in seeking justice in border killing cases: l

Unwillingness of state parties to bring the offenders to book, whether it is affected party or the party offending

l

Lack of knowledge among the victims and general citizens about available remedies

l

Poverty is the biggest impediment for the victim’s family because of costly legal procedures.

l

Inefficient diplomatic tactics which undermines justice

Human rights perspective

These isolated people who once might have led normal lives, were saved from being commodities for smuggling

Choudhury and n Sushmita Rokeya Chowdhury

H

uman Trafficking is an interstate criminal activity that confines humanity in the cage of capitalism by taking advantage of globalisation. The ever-widening expansion of market economy coupled with the increasing demand of cheap labour causes human trafficking.

The victims of human trafficking get trapped in the exploitative situation from where they cannot escape.

To combat this fast growing illegal business, a series of national and international instruments have been adopted, and stern punishment has been sanctioned against the perpetrators. Most countries of the world have national mechanisms to prevent and punish this heinous crime.

To respond to the changing parameters of human trafficking, we need to look into it with an updated scope.

Besides the constitutional provisions, a newly enacted law entitled “The Human Trafficking Suppression and Deterrence Act, 2012” (HTSDA) is a momentous breakthrough to combat human trafficking. This legislation, for the first time, endeavored to introduce a holistic approach to address this extremely complex crime.

A robust move Human trafficking, for its clandestine nature, is hard to be tracked in all cases. Sometimes it becomes difficult to distinguish the crime as it gets intermingled with its close associates. We believe that the newly enacted Human Trafficking Deterrence and Suppression Act, 2012, framed in line with international instruments, has the potential to remove such confusions attuned to human trafficking. The law will also be able to control the potential traffickers if implemented properly.

Section 3 of the Act bridges the gap among all of the dynamics which might arise in terms of victim identification and punishing the perpetrators.

For instance, according to the Act,

human trafficking includes selling, buying, recruitment, transportation, transfer, or harboring of any person for the purpose of sexual and labour exploitation, or any other form of exploitation whether within or outside of Bangladesh. It involves the exploitation of people through force, coercion, threat and deception, and contains the human rights abuses such as debt bondage and deprivation of liberty.

It is notable that similar to violations across the border, there are significant inhuman treatments and rights violations taking place within the territory of Bangladesh that fulfill the elements of human trafficking as provided in the Act.

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

growing market economy and its need for cheap labor never exclude a man from becoming a trafficked victim.

It is estimated that in the vicinity of labor trafficking, 80% of adult males fall prey to the lucrative job offers abroad and eventually face long working hours, low or no pay, harsh treatments, fees, fines and debts, psychological and physical abuses.

The ordeals of unfortunate adult male have barely been identified.

Instead they are treated as illegal immigrants and deported without any investigation of their cases. The HTSDA has included men under the term “person” under section 2 (13), and has paved the way to bring the

The highly dynamic and heterogeneous nature of the group keeps them above suspicion, and puts the common people in dilemma to prevent their evil activities The HTSDA covers not only suppression of human trafficking; rather victim protection, rehabilitation and prevention are very much within the ambit of the Act. The HTSDA being holistic in nature includes the person as a perpetrator who with an ill motive induces others to move for work abroad although the potential risks are known to traffickers. So, combating the dynamics of human trafficking is a challenging task for law enforcers, prosecutors and social workers. Towards that end the HTSDA is a definite improvement over the piecemeal penal provisions in the Penal Code and Suppression of Cruelty towards Women and Children Act.

Removal of the ‘gender biased’ perception It is an undeniable fact that usually women and children become the worst victims in a sex trafficking enterprise. Therefore, sex trafficking attains a hugely disproportionate amount of public focus. However, the

perpetrators who engage adult male person in degrading and inhumane work environment before justice.

People deprived of getting minimum decent and dignified life, suffering under debt bondage, and severe infringement of dignity also cover the huge amplitude of the term exploitation as enshrined in section 2 (15) of the Act. Exclusion of adult male persons feature a skewed representation of the problem which distorts the real view of the picture and it leads us to imbalanced responses to human trafficking.

Death valley for fortune seekers Human Trafficking is an ugly wound in the contemporary society which obtains its fuel from the trafficking agencies or organised criminal groups which seem to be sophisticated business enterprises and this framework is responsible to manipulate the fortune of thousands of vulnerable people.

Even the urban Bangladeshi fortune seekers are also trapped in this death

valley. The highly dynamic and heterogeneous nature of the group keeps them above suspicion, and puts the common people in dilemma to prevent their evil activities. These group of persons, irrespective of their nationality, assemble generally for a specific period of time and maintain the mission of a concrete crime like trafficking collectively.

Moreover, it is evident that those organised criminal groups have expanded the trafficking business and have become a prime source of cheap labour. The HTDSA through Section 2(16) imperatively addresses the notion of organised criminal groups and takes adequate initiative to punish the perpetrators.

Human Trafficking is a curse in the kingdom of humanity. The pathetic circumstances of exploitation and the untold agony of mankind have also been portrayed in Tagore’s legendary creation “Rakta Karabi,” where the dwellers of Jakhapuri suffered adversely and were even restrained from sharing their ordeals with others.

They were confined in the cage of the evil wish of the unkind emperor of Jakkhapuri. Nandini, an enlightened soul, appeared before them to remove the severe wounds of their hearts and kindle the light of freedom and justice.

Human trafficking objectifies humans as commodities, snatches away all humanistic expressions and freedom as if they are under an evil spell like that of Jakkhapuri. Enactment of a law alone, however solemn it might be, does not lead to solution of a complex offence like human trafficking, unless it is accompanied with appropriate rules and vigilant, dedicated advocates for the oppressed and the unheard. Finally, we need passionate hearts like Nandini the character in Tagore’s Rakta Karabi that would guide us the way to end this worldwide epidemic widely known as human trafficking. l Sushmita Choudhury is a Program Officer, Public Awareness and Campaign, Relief International, USA, and Rokeya Chowdhury is a Lecturer, Department of Law, University of Dhaka.

JURIS QUOTE I have gained this by philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law.

Aristotle

Greek philosopher (384 BC-BC 322)

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

Killing of any ordinary citizen of Bangladesh, or any member of boarder guard Bangladesh (BGB) at the border by the Border security force of any other country is violation one of the foremost human rights of the deceased persons, that is, the right to life recognised under all the national constitutions and international human rights instruments. Under international law, right to life enjoys supreme status as “peremptory norms” (the norm from which no derogation is permissible irrespective of the situations.) l

l

l

Article 32 of the constitution of of Bangladesh guarantees protection of right to life. The enforcement of all other rights depends on the protection of right to life.

Article 6 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) stated that “Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.”

It is important to note here that both India and Bangladesh is a signatory to this convention.

Article 3 of this The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) says, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.”

Basic principles on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials This instrument has been adopted by the eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders. It highlights the lawful use of force and firearms by the law enforcing agencies which directly relates to our present purpose.

Article 5 of the principles says, whenever the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials shall: 1.

Exercise restraint in such use, and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and the legitimate objective to be achieved

2. Minimise damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life 3. Ensure that assistance and medical aid are rendered to any injured or affected persons at the earliest possible moment 4. Ensure that relatives or close friends of the injured or affected person are notified at the earliest possible moment

Forum for seeking remedies If the domestic laws fail to provide adequate remedy or the state stands silent, relatives of the victim can go to the international forums to secure justice for human rights violation.

One can go to the Human Rights Committee or to the Human Rights Council for seeking remedy.

Human Rights Committee Individuals may complain directly or through representatives to the committee, about a State Party in circumstances where they are the alleged victims of violations of the Covenant, and the state party has ratified the

Awareness among the common people about the forums of justice must be raised Optional Protocol to the Covenant.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that the committee is not a court; it does not issue judgements. It can only issue views which are published with the committee’s annual report, but it has no means to enforce any views, which it might adopt. However, since 1990, the committee gives states 180 days to respond and if they fail to do so, or do not provide a satisfactory remedy for the victim, the country will be listed in the committee’s annual report.

Human Rights Council In June, 2007 complain mechanism was introduced by the United Nations Resolution No 5/1. Any individual, group of persons, non-governmental organisations or anyone having reliable information regarding the alleged violation can make complaints through communications.

Initial screening is done on communications based on admissibility criteria and manifestly ill-founded and anonymous communications are screened out. Communications not rejected in the initial screening are transmitted to the state concerned to obtain its views on the allegations of violations. Both the author of a communication and the State concerned are informed of the proceedings at each stage.

Steps that may be taken by the government of Bangladesh l

The government of Bangladesh can request the government of neighbouring countries to take appropriate step to prosecute the offenders related to the killing of Bangladeshi nationals at the border.

l

Appropriate and feasible steps from the diplomats need to be taken to ensure justice from governmental sectors.

l

Awareness among the common people about the forums of justice must be raised.

l

Victims or their families must be provided with adequate support so that they can seek justice.

Responsibility of states for internationally wrongful acts States are bound to honour their international obligations, and if any state breaches any of those obligations, it shall be liable for the wrongful act or conduct. These types of responsibilities have been crystallised in International Law Commission (ILC) Draft Articles on State Responsibility of 2001. These draft Articles have got the status of Customary International Law.

ILC Draft Articles on State Responsibility, 2001 Article 1 of the ILC Draft Articles on State Responsibility says that “every internationally wrongful act of a state entails the international responsibility of that state.”

Article 2 of the same document states that “there is an internationally wrongful of act of a state when conduct consisting of an action or omission:

A proper approach to international forum regarding border killing incidents can yield adequate remedy.

Therefore, the government should step forward with appropriate measure to ensure justice. l KM Ashbarul Bari and Nusrat Jahan are students of the Department of Law, University of Dhaka.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Israel pummels Gaza as Kerry steps up diplomatic push n Reuters, Gaza/Jerusalem Israeli forces pounded Gaza yesterday, meeting stiff resistance from Hamas Islamists and sending thousands of residents fleeing, as US Secretary of State John Kerry said on a visit to Israel ceasefire talks had made some progress.

In a blow to Israel’s economy and a public relations coup for Hamas, US and European air carriers halted flights to the Jewish state citing concern over a militant rocket from Gaza that hit a house near Ben Gurion airport. Israel urged a re-think, saying its air space was safe.

Adding to pressure on Israel, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said on Wednesday there was “a strong possibility” that it was committing war crimes in Gaza, where 645 Palestinians have died in the fighting, mostly civilians.

Israel denied the suggestion, stepping up the war of words and accusing Hamas of using fellow Gazans as human shields.

Making an unannounced, one-day visit, Kerry was due to see Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, signalling an intensification of efforts to end the bloodshed.

“We have certainly made some steps forward. There is still work to be done,” Kerry said shortly after arriving.

Israel launched its offensive on July 8 to halt missile salvoes by Hamas and its allies, struggling under the weight of an Israeli-Egyptian economic blockade and angered by a crackdown on their supporters in the nearby occupied West Bank.

After failing to halt the militant barrage through days of aerial bombardment, Israel sent ground troops into the Gaza Strip last Thursday, looking to knock out Hamas’s missile stores and destroy a vast, underground network of tunnels.

Palestinian children, who fled their houses during Israeli ground offensive, fill bottles with water as they stay at a United Nations-run school in Gaza City. Some 643 Palestinians, many of them children and civilians, have died so far in the conflagration REUTERS “We are meeting resistance around the tunnels ... they are constantly trying to attack us around and in the tunnels. That is the trend,” Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said on Wednesday.

Some 29 Israeli soldiers have been killed so far in the conflagration, including a tank officer shot by a Palestinian sniper overnight. Three civilians have died in rocket attacks out of Gaza, including a foreign labourer hit yesterday.

The military says one of its soldiers is also missing and believes he might be dead. Hamas says it has captured him, but has not released a picture of him in their hands.

Death, destruction

Gaza’s Health Ministry said 18 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday, many of them in the southern town of Khan Younis – one of the focal points of Israel’s recent assault.

In the far north, residents continued to flee Beit Hanoun as Israeli tanks thrust deeper into the border town and destroyed nearby orchards in their search for hidden Hamas tunnels.

“Columns of people are heading west of Beit Hanoun, looking for a safe shelter. This is not war, this is annihilation,” said 17-year-old Hamed Ayman.

“I once dreamt of becoming a doctor. Today I am homeless. They should

watch out for what I could become next,” the youth told Reuters.

Gaza officials said that so far in the 16-day conflict, 475 houses had been totally destroyed by Israeli fire and 2,644 partially damaged. Some 46 schools, 56 mosques and seven hospitals had also suffered varying degrees of destruction. “There seems to be a strong possibility that international humanitarian law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes,” the UN’s Pillay told an emergency session at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

She also condemned indiscriminate, militant rocket and mortar attacks out of Gaza. l

Israel, Hamas battle over public opinion online n AP, Jerusalem Beyond the boom of Israeli airstrikes and the stream of rockets fired from Gaza, Israel and Hamas are also battling to control the message emanating from this latest Israeli-Palestinian conflagration.

Using videos, Twitter, text messages, leaflets and phone calls, both sides have attempted to direct the tone of the fighting — for their own public, their opponent’s population and for a global audience. Propaganda and psychological warfare are nothing new in battle, but technology and social media have exponentially increased the ability of each side to penetrate their intended audiences.

Each side has sought to tip the moral scale in its favor with an international audience. Israel has tried to make its case that it is defending its citizens from unprovoked attacks but taking steps to avoid killing civilians on the other side. Hamas has appealed to the world by pointing to the high civilian death toll from Israel’s onslaught on Gaza. Israel and Hamas are each addressing the other’s populations as well.

Israel has pushed the message to Palestinians in Gaza that the territory’s Hamas rulers are to blame for the bloodshed that’s being wreaked. In phone calls that the military makes to Gazans to tell them to evacuate their homes before a strike, the recorded script in Arabic also tells them that Hamas is using them as human shields. Hamas, in turn, has sent text messages directly to Israelis, warning them that the group will continue firing rockets at them until its demands — like the end of the long-stifling blockade of the tiny Gaza Strip — are met.

“This is a war over public opinion,” said Yuval Dror, an expert in digital communications. “It’s an inseparable part of battle in the modern age.”

Israel says it launched the war on July 8 in response to heavy rocket fire out of Hamas-controlled Gaza. By mid-day Wednesday, at least 657 Palestinians and 31 Israelis were reported to have been

killed in the fighting, which escalated last week with the start of a ground offensive.

The war over hearts and minds that has accompanied it has been just as dramatic.

Israel’s military has been at the forefront of trying to mold the message. Its spokesperson’s office has posted more than 40 videos online since the conflict began, an onslaught of footage aimed at portraying its citizens as under threat from Hamas attacks. The videos range from raw footage taken from a warplane’s cockpit, to high-gloss productions with jazzy graphics.

The other main theme in them aims to show Israel is trying not to hit civilians but Hamas is putting them in danger. One picture posted on the military’s Twitter feed was a schematic drawing purporting to demonstrate how Hamas tunnels are built intentionally underneath Gazan homes.

In the most sensational offering, Israel released video game-like footage of what the military says is an attempt by Hamas militants to swim from Gaza to Israel to infiltrate and carry out attacks. The video, which has garnered more than a million views on YouTube, shows the suspected militants creeping onto the beach, scampering on sand dunes, and then one by one getting picked off by blasts of Israeli fire.

The military says four militants were killed in the incident. The message was that Hamas is not just relying on rudimentary rockets but is actively trying to attack inside Israel.

Hamas quickly countered with its own video, presenting the same message from the other side — apparently trying to intimidate Israelis and show its own population it is striking back against the Israeli pounding of Gaza. Its video, with a suspenseful musical score, shows Hamas navy commandos training. Armed men in full scuba gear are seen weaving through murky green waters, emerging at the water’s surface and opening fire.

In other videos, Hamas has sought to boast about its capabilities. Its videos have shown compilations of rockets whizzing toward Israel. Some of its videos are in Hebrew, aiming to intimidate Israelis. l

A kiss, a prayer: The last hours of MH17’s victims n AP, Ukraine

Miguel Panduwinata, left, Mika Panduwinata, Samira Calehr, second from right, and Shaka Panduwinata, right, pose for a photo. Shaka and Miguel were killed aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine AP

NEWS BITES

Sierra Leone’s chief Ebola doctor contracts the virus

In a bedroom in a townhouse near Amsterdam, Miguel Panduwinata reached out for his mother. “Mama, may I hug you?”

Samira Calehr wrapped her arms around her 11-year-old son, who’d been oddly agitated for days, peppering her with questions about death, about his soul, about God. The next morning, she would drop Miguel and his big brother Shaka at the airport so they could catch Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, the first leg of their journey to Bali to visit their grandmother.

Her normally cheerful, well-traveled boy should have been excited. His silver suitcase sat in the living room, ready to go. Jetskiing and surfing in paradise awaited. But something was off. A day earlier, while playing soccer,

Miguel had burst out: “How would you choose to die? What would happen to my body if I was buried? Would I not feel anything because our souls go back to God?” And now, the night before his big trip, Miguel refused to release his mother from his grasp.

He’s just going to miss me, Calehr told herself. So she stretched out beside him and held him all night.

It was 11 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16. Miguel, Shaka and the 296 other people aboard Flight 17 had around 15 hours left to live.

The Boeing 777 tasked with shepherding its passengers from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, held the promise of beginnings and endings for many on board: the thrill of a new adventure or dream vacation for some, and the comfort of

going back home for others.

It was love and a fresh start that had lured Willem Grootscholten aboard.

The burly, 53-year-old divorced former soldier from the Netherlands — a gentle giant of a man — had sold his house and was moving to Bali to build a new life with his darling Christine, a guesthouse owner.

He’d met her by chance on a trip to the Indonesian island last year.

Christine, who like many Indonesians has only one name, had heard through a friend that some guy had fallen off a cliff and hurt his back. She told her friend to take him to a traditional healer she knew. The next day, Grootscholten called Christine to thank her.

They connected over coffee. Grootscholten had to return to the Netherlands, where he was working as a

bouncer at a pot-selling cafe. But the two stayed in touch online, and their relationship blossomed. On New Year’s Eve, he surprised her by showing up at her doorstep. He stayed three weeks.

The father of Christine’s two children, 14-year-old Dustin and 8-yearold Stephanie, had died six years ago, and they quickly bonded with Grootscholten, calling him “Daddy.” The four stayed in touch online. Almost every day, they shared meals via Skype by placing their iPads on their tables during dinner for Christine’s family and lunch for Grootscholten.

In May, Grootscholten returned to Bali to celebrate Christine’s birthday and told her he wanted to spend the rest of his life beside her. She drove him to the airport on June 3 and kissed him goodbye.

It would be their last kiss. l

Young Islamic State robs al Qaeda of militant prestige

n Reuters, Freetown

n Reuters, Dubai

The head doctor fighting the deadly tropical virus Ebola in Sierra Leone has himself caught the disease, the government said. The 39-year-old Sheik Umar Khan, hailed as a “national hero” by the health ministry, was leading the fight to control an outbreak that has killed 206 people in the West African country.

Ebola kills up to 90% of those infected and there is no cure or vaccine.

Across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, more than 600 people have died from the illness, according to the World Health Organisation, placing great strain on the health systems of some of Africa’s poorest countries. Khan, a Sierra Leonean virologist credited with treating more than 100 Ebola victims, has been transferred to a treatment ward run by medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, according to the statement released late on Tuesday by the president’s office.

Health Minister Miatta Kargbo called Khan a national hero and said she would “do anything and everything in my power to ensure he survives.” Khan told Reuters in late June that he was worried about contracting Ebola. “I am afraid for my life, I must say, because I cherish my life,” he said in an interview, showing no signs of ill health at the time. “Health workers are prone to the disease because we are the first port of call for somebody who is sickened by disease.” l

In hiding, targeted by drone strikes and unable to land a blow in the West, al Qaeda’s ageing leaders are losing a power struggle with ultra-radical young militants in Iraq and Syria who see themselves as the true successors to Osama bin Laden.

The shadowy network that targeted the West and its Arab allies for almost a generation is increasingly seen as stale, tired and ineffectual on the hardcore jihadi social media forums and Twitter accounts that incubate potential militant recruits.

Western officials insist the network is still a top threat, in part because turmoil in Arab states gives it scope to organise: Its affiliates in Syria and Yemen include experienced guerrillas and expert bomb makers.

But many young Islamists who were of school age at the time of the Sept. 11 2001 attacks on the United States now look for inspiration not to al Qaeda, whose leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, is in his mid-60s, but to a Sunni Muslim group styling itself a caliphate.

Supporters of the so-called Islamic State admire its sectarian attacks on Shi’ites in Iraq and government forces in Syria, confident such violence is part of a broader war with the West advocated by bin Laden, killed by US troops in 2011.

The generational divide opening

up in radical Islamist ranks threatens to topple al Qaeda from its primacy in trans national militancy, a stunning loss of prestige for a group whose hijacked plane attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York’s World Trade Center, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Supporters of the so-called Islamic State admire its sectarian attacks on Shi’ites in Iraq and government forces in Syria The Islamic State, known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) until the June 29 declaration of the caliphate, has galvanized young followers by carving out swathes of territory in Iraq in a rapid advance last month.

US intelligence agencies estimate around 7,000 of the 23,000 violent extremists operating in neighbouring Syria are foreign fighters, mostly from Europe.

Diplomats in the region say many of these foreigners are fighting for the Islamic State, which also deploys them Iraq.

Jihadi bastion

The group, whose leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi calls himself a “Caliph” or head of state, fell out with al Qaeda

in 2013 over its expansion into Syria, where his followers have carried out beheadings, crucifixions, and mass executions.

Saudi dissident Saad al-Faqih told Reuters that the declaration of a caliphate was not as important for the militants’ prestige as the lightening military advance that preceded it, beginning with the capture of Mosul on June 10.

“The declaration is a very loud noise, but not as effective as the success in conquering vast areas of Iraq,” he said.

“That conquest has had a huge psychological effect in the whole region.”

No al Qaeda affiliate has officially endorsed the Islamic State, and scholars sympathetic to al Qaeda have denounced it, pointing to what they see as ISIL’s willingness to use violence in turf disputes with al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria.

But their disapproval is cold comfort for al Qaeda. The caliphate, analysts say, was declared with potential recruits in mind, not to win kudos from leading scholars.

For many, ISIL’s creation of a jihadi bastion spanning western Iraq and eastern Syria, and the slick online presence that publicises it, compare favourably with al Qaeda’s failure for almost a decade to land a big attack in the West.

The contrast is not lost on Islamists such as Abdul Majeed al-Heetari, a Yemeni cleric who reproached al Qaeda in a message on his Twitter and Facebook pages on July 15. l

Wrecked Concordia finally headed for scrapyard n Reuters, Giglio Island, Italy The rusty hulk of the Costa Concordia cruise liner began its journey to the scrapyard yesterday after a two-year salvage operation off the Italian island where it capsized two years ago, killing 32 people.

Boats sounded horns and church bells rang as a tug boat slowly pulled the wreck of the liner, which was around two-and-a half times the size of the Titanic, away from the island of Giglio, accompanied by a convoy of 14 vessels.

Salvage workers gathered in bars at the port, drinking beer and smoking huge cigars, to celebrate after completing one of the largest maritime

salvage operations in history.

The 114,500-tonne wreck is due to arrive at a port near Genoa in northern Italy on Sunday, before being broken up for scrap. The once-gleaming white luxury liner sank off the holiday island of Giglio in January 2012 after sailing too close to shore.

Over the past week, salvagers have slowly lifted the ship from underwater platforms by pumping air into 30 large metal boxes, or sponsons, attached to the hull.

Franco Porcellachia, engineer in charge of the salvage, said on Tuesday that his team had done everything in their power to make sure the massive ship was structurally sound for the journey. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

‘Thai army ruler would be good PM’ The junta tore up the old constitution and a provisional charter approved on Tuesday

n Reuters, Bangkok Thai General Prayuth Chan-ocha has run the country flawlessly since he seized power in a military coup in May and would make a good prime minister under a provisional administration to be set up shortly, a junta colleague said yesterday.

The military said it intervened to restore order after months of political turmoil as protesters tried to topple the government of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Yingluck was forced to step down on May 7 after being found guilty of abuse of power by the Constitutional Court. The remainder of her cabinet was ousted in the coup two weeks later.

The junta tore up the old constitution and a provisional charter was endorsed by head of state King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Tuesday, allowing the appointment of a parliament, the National Legislative Assembly, which will nominate a new prime minister.

Asked at a news conference whether Prayuth would continue as leader under the interim charter, Wissanu Kreangam, a legal adviser to the junta, said: “The constitution allows it, but whether he is appointed or not is down to the National Legislative Assembly.”

General Paiboon Koomchaya, in charge of legal affairs for the junta, suggested Prayuth could do the job perfectly.

“I don’t see he has any flaws in performing his duties. As of now he is already performing the duties of a prime minister. For the past two months, he has been sitting at the head of the table

l Military seized power on May 22 after months of turmoil l Military wants broad political, economic reform before election l Politicians excluded from the provisional govt, reform process Prayuth Chan-ocha

at every meeting and the administration of the country has gone smoothly during these two months,” Paiboon said.

Ambika Ahuja, a specialist on Thailand at Eurasia Group, a New Yorkbased political risk consultancy, believed Prayuth would retain control of the government either as prime minister or defence minister.

Alternatively, she wrote in a note, he could wield influence by staying on as army chief after his scheduled retirement from the army in October while former army chief Prawit Wongsuwan was installed as prime minister.

“Such a move would signify a failure to find a neutral figure to navigate the political conflict and strong distrust of those outside the army,” she said.

The upheaval is the latest chapter in almost a decade of conflict pitting Thai-

Philippine army warned against ‘meddling’ as coup rumours swirl n Reuters, Manila Philippine soldiers should keep clear of politics, the military’s new chief said yesterday, as rumours of a possible coup swirled in the capital after the Supreme Court declared President Benigno Aquino’s economic stimulus fund illegal.

The 120,000-member armed forces has a history of coups and attempted coups. Last month, rumours sprang up of a plot against the Aquino administration because of the fund scandal.

“We should be reminded that as members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, we should remain professional and non-partisan,” military chief Lieutenant-General Pio Gregorio Catapang told troops at an air base in Pampanga province, north of Manila.

“The DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Programme) has become a political issue. We should allow the democratic process to take its course and let the judicial, the executive and legislative branches of government deal with

this,” he said. “We should not meddle (but) concentrate on our mission.”

Aquino, the only son of the country’s democracy icon, former president Corazon Aquino, is facing the biggest challenge to his four-year rule after his popularity ratings dropped to the lowest levels last month.

His Disbursement Allocation Programme was a 145-billion-peso ($3.34-billion) fund to boost public spending, but some of the money went to allies in Congress in violation of the constitution, the Supreme Court ruled.

Aquino has become politically vulnerable to his opponents who have mobilised street protests ahead of his State of the Nation Address before a joint session of Congress next week.

“You cannot discount the range of possible scenarios in which the plotters would resort to extra-constitutional measures,” said Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms, an independent advocacy group. l

land’s royalist establishment and Bangkok’s middle class against Yingluck’s brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, and his supporters among the poor. Thaksin’s devoted following in the rural north and northeast has ensured that he or parties loyal to him have won every election since 2001. He was toppled in an earlier coup, in 2006.

Martial law remains

The military will remain in charge of national security alongside the incoming provisional government and Paiboon said martial law, imposed on May 20, would remain in force. “It is still necessary for the peace and safety of our country,” he said.

Junta adviser Wissanu said the interim constitution would probably be in force for around a year, after which

a new constitution would take effect and elections then held under its provisions. Prayuth has said a general election could be held in late 2015.

A national reform council is to be set up with a broad remit to draw up political and economic reforms, including the reshaping of national and local government, education, energy policy and other matters. The protesters who undermined Yingluck’s government during months of street rallies - and whose leadership is close to the royalist and military establishment - wanted the electoral system to be redrawn to eliminate the influence of Thaksin. Many favoured a parliament that was partly or wholly appointed.

A committee is to draft a new, permanent constitution under a chairman nominated by the junta. There is no provision for a referendum, unlike in 2007 when the army pushed through a new constitution after toppling Thaksin, and apparently no great desire.

“If the constitution is drafted quickly, we can have a referendum. But if it’s slow, we’ll have to consider whether it’s necessary because a referendum takes time and that will cause further delay for the election,” Wissanu said.

Ambika at Eurasia Group said the charter gave the army “effective control of Thailand’s constitutional and electoral reform.” It excluded people who had recently been in political parties from becoming prime minister, cabinet members or even members of the provisional parliament, she said, and was likely to “strengthen the role of technocrats, bureaucrats and supporters of the conservative establishment.” l

South Africa: Rhino poacher gets 77 years in jail n AP, Johannesburg A rhino poacher in South Africa has been sentenced to 77 years in prison in one of the heaviest penalties aimed at curbing poachers who target rhinos for their horns, which fetch a high price on the illegal market in parts of Asia.

The sentencing of Mandla Chauke, a South African who was arrested in Kruger National Park in 2011, shows that South African courts are starting to realize the negative impact that poaching has not only on wildlife but also an economy heavily dependent on tourism, South Africa’s national parks service said Wednesday.

“We hope that this will be a deterrent” to other poachers, parks spokesman Reynold Thakhuli said.

Earlier this month, a South African court sentenced two Mozambicans to 16 years in prison for killing a rhino and taking its horn last year in Kruger park, where many poachers cross from neighboring Mozambique. In late 2012, a South African court sentenced a Thai national to 40 years in prison for selling rhino horns.

Kruger park has lost 370 rhinos to poachers this year — well over half the total for South Africa — and 62 people have been arrested in connection with some of the cases, according to the parks service.

South Africa, which has 70% of the world’s rhinos, lost a record 1,004 of the animals to poachers in 2013, according to government figures. Some Vietnamese

n

Reuters, Suncheon/Incheon

South Korea’s most wanted man, whose heavily decomposed body was found in an orchard last month, had evaded arrest by hiding in an upstairs wall of a wooden cabin, with suitcases of cash at hand, prosecutors said yesterday.

The body of Yoo Byung-un, 73, wanted in connection with a ferry sinking in April, was only identified

this week more than a month after he was found lying next to a copy of a book he had written, empty bottles of alcohol nearby.

When prosecutors returned to the cabin last month, acting on testimony given by an assistant, police found two suitcases that between them contained 830m won ($810,800) and $160,000, prosecutors said.

The cabin is on the outskirts of Suncheon, in the south of the country,

and Chinese view rhino horn as a status symbol and a healing agent, despite a lack of evidence that it can cure. The horn is made of keratin, a protein also found in human fingernails.

Chauke, the poacher, and two accomplices shot three rhinos after illegally entering Kruger park, then got into a firefight with patrolling rangers in which one suspect was killed and another fled, according to police.

Chauke was convicted of murder, illegal hunting of rhinos, rhino horn theft, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as trespassing in a national park. He was sentenced Tuesday in the Nelspruit Magistrates Court, near Kruger in the northeastern part of South Africa.

Prosecutors had argued successfully that Chauke should be convicted for the murder of the accomplice who was killed by rangers, South Africa’s SABC News said on its website. The judge rejected Chauke’s argument that he was forced into the poaching excursion by his accomplices.

In a separate case, five suspected poachers appeared in court Tuesday after they were arrested in a game reserve in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, south of Kruger park, according to police.

The group was detained after a shootout with police in which one suspect was injured, and they face charges including attempted murder, the South African Press Association reported. l

SMASHING COCONUTS

Sri Lankan Tamil Hindu devotees smash coconuts on the ground during the Vel Hinduism festival in Colombo. Ethnic Tamils, who are mainly followers of Hinduism, are the main minority community in the island which is emerging from nearly four decades of ethnic conflict which had claimed up to 100,000 lives AFP

South Korea ferry fugitive hid in Ex-general Prabowo cabin wall, suitcases of cash at hand to challenge Indonesian election defeat

A boy ties a yellow ribbon dedicated to the missing and dead passengers of the sunken passenger ship Sewol, on a wire at Seoul City Hall Plaza REUTERS

9

Thursday, July 24, 2014

about two km from the plum orchard where the corpse was found.

Yoo headed the family that owned the company that operated the Sewol, a ferry that capsized on April 16 on a journey to the holiday island of Jeju, killing about 300 people, most of them schoolchildren.

The disaster triggered grief and outrage across the country - especially when video footage emerged of crew members abandoning ship while the children stayed in their cabins as instructed.

Yoo had managed to evade the country’s largest manhunt in what had become a political headache for President Park Geun-hye, whose government came under heavy criticism for its handling of the disaster.

On Tuesday, police said a badly decomposed body found on June 12 by a farmer in the orchard had been identified with DNA and fingerprint evidence as Yoo. Police said that beside the body was a book written by Yoo, along with an empty bottle of a shark-liver-oil health tonic, made by a Yoo family company, and empty bottles of alcohol nearby.

The police chief in charge of the case was sacked on Tuesday for not recognising the book, or putting two and two together, and for not identifying the corpse earlier. l

Prabowo Subianto speaks at a press conference on July 22 AFP

n Reuters, Jakarta Indonesia’s losing presidential election candidate, ex-general Prabowo Subianto, plans to challenge the result in the Constitutional Court, his team’s chief lawyer said yesterday.

The challenge had been widely expected, but many analysts believe it

would be near impossible for Prabowo to overturn the result of the election, seen as among the cleanest in the country’s history.

The losers in the previous two presdiential elections also went to the Court to raise objections, but to no avail.

“We have decided to bring this case to the Constitutional Court (within three days),” the head of Prabowo’s legal team, Mahendradatta, told reporters.

He estimated there were about 21 million disupted votes out of the total of around 130 million.

Jakarta governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was declared the winner on Tuesday with 53.15% of the vote. He won by nearly 8.5m votes.

As the final vote count neared, and Jokowi’s victory looked increasingly certain, the Prabowo team raised charges of widespread cheating and accused the Elections Commission of not properly investigating the allegations.

Constitutional Court Secretary General, Janedjri Gaffar, told reporters on Tuesday that if the suit is filed by this weekend, the case would be heard from Aug.6. He expected a verdict by Aug. 21. The decision cannot be appealed. l

NEWS BITES

Afghans rally to denounce Gaza conflict

n AP, Kabul

Several hundred Afghan protesters rallied yesterday in the heart of Kabul to denounce the fighting in Gaza Strip and the killings of Palestinian civilians caught up in the conflict. Chanting anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans, the protesters marched through the center of the Afghan capital, carrying banners and photographs of Palestinian children killed during Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.

Israel says it launched the war on July 8 in response to heavy rocket fire out of Hamas-controlled Gaza. l

Typhoon Matmo slams into Taiwan, one killed

n Reuters, Taipei

Typhoon Matmo slammed into Taiwan yesterday with heavy rains and strong winds, shutting financial markets and schools, with at least one person killed and some damage reported. Typhoon Matmo, a category two on Tropical Storm Risk’s scale of one to five, packed gusts of 155 kph (90 mph) and made landfall early on Wednesday, the central weather bureau said. A man in northern Taiwan died after falling into a pool on his farm. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Thursday, July 24, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Media freedom matters

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

W

e are concerned by remarks made by the Social Welfare Minister that the government intends to enact a tough law to limit the freedom of the press and electronic media.

There is no valid case for such a move. It is the government’s role to facilitate freedom of expression not limit it. Laws which arbitrarily gag the freedom of the media have no place in a democratic society.

As well as being wrong in principle, laws to limit media freedom are also impractical in this era of modern telecommunications.

If as the minister expressed, he is concerned about reports which damage the image of the government, he would do well to note that the tough law for which he calls, would itself damage the government’s image.

The spurious nature of the minister’s argument, made during an inter-ministerial meeting regarding the rehabilitation of the beggars, was evidenced by his reported remark that “Electronic media houses have been broadcasting the Narayanganj seven murders report to create unrest across the country. You saw that hundreds of people died at the Twin Tower incident in the US, but they aired it only for a few seconds.”

It is self evident that his comment on coverage of the World Trade Center attacks was incorrect. More importantly in relation to his call for a tough law to limit press and media freedom, this would also be counterproductive, because a free media provides the best platform for the government and others to present differing viewpoints.

Laws to limit media freedom have no place in a democratic society

www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

Brutal murder of one in custody July 18

Frustrated Bangladeshi A front page report was published on July 15 about this foul deed. Have our police turned into killers and murderers? No civilised society can accept this. It only goes to show that if law protectors can be law breakers, then law and order has truly gone down the drain! Even if Saju was a criminal, and involved in corruption and bribery, of which some police officers were also involved, as the report claims, that does not mean that the police can just take his life with no consequences. Rather, the

Beckham showered with golden mud July 19

A

director and two officials of Adflame Pharmaceuticals have been fined and imprisoned for manufacturing adulterated paracetamol syrup which killed 76 children in the 1990s .

The company was one of several manufacturers accused of the same malpractice under the 1982 Drug (Control) Ordinance. It is claimed that cases against all the companies involved were stalled by official indifference and interference in the pursuit of justice against influential business persons.

While it is not satisfactory that this case, which was originally filed in 1992 was delayed for many years, the conclusion of this case represents a step forward in enforcing the rule of law.

It is significant that a director has been held personally accountable in this case. This sends an important signal that individuals can be held responsible for corporate wrongdoing.

Far too many similar cases, in many industries, have occurred over the years, of justice being delayed or ignored. From accidents on ferries and in factories to adulterated food illegally sold in many markets, a culture of impunity exists which prevents the law being properly upheld to protect public safety.

The government must do more to root out individuals who obstruct the course of justice in such cases.

As well as ensuring timely enforcement of rules, it should also consider tougher penalties, whether in the form of higher compensation payments or by bringing in more stringent laws on corporate accountability, to hold to account organisations and businesses which disregard basic safety requirements.

The government must hold individuals and organisations to account

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

police who were complicit in his murder must be prosecuted. Maybe the RAB should arrest them immediately, but can we trust RAB? They themselves are a party to killings, as the Narayangunj murders have shown! So, who will bell the cat?

We, the citizens, request a clear and lucid statement, backed by prompt action, by the home minister. Will he kindly oblige? The sooner the better. Sadly, we live in a country where law enforcers are murderers, and limits of civilisation have been crossed!

Six-year-old raped in Bangalore school by staff members July 20

P Sarker Recently, a girl aged five was raped by her Arabic teacher on a Dhaka school compound! That teacher, who is from a Jamaat family, is the younger brother of the principal.

No impunity for harming safety

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

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

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.

Tanzeel Abdullah What the hell is wrong with the world?!

Farha N Zaman Doesn’t seem like fun, really.

Gaza conflict: Obama warns Israel July 19

‘Lawmaker Shamim Hasan violates electoral codes’ July 18

Tarek Kabir Rahi Haha … lawmaker! What a nice title for someone who breaks some law.

CROSSWORD

Suranjit: Impeachment authority to make parliament sovereign

Md Walid Akram Hussain LOL Oh, Obama, you joker!

Arch Bishop Another effort to nail the coffin of independent institutions. Baksal II!

July 18

July 18

BNP: Govt using law enforcers like party cadres July 18

arup He is right, but then which political government hasn’t? Mr Alamgir would have more credibility if he outlined how his party, if it came back to power, would make those legal changes that would make this kind of abuse never happen.

Shakib appeals to lessen punishment July 20

Ûñkñøwñ Løvë Shakib was innocent, but the BCB gave him harsh punishment. It was an injustice.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Time for zero tolerance for BCL crimes AB A very timely editorial, and 100% right. That said, until and unless columnists stop excusing “student politics” via reference to the “glorious history of our student politics,” this will never, ever stop.

Campaign against muggings by private cars launched on social networking websites July 16

ACROSS 1 Scatters fine particles (6) 5 Pungent (3) 7 Copy (3) 8 Specimen (6) 11 And not (3) 12 Large antelope (5) 14 Table-shaped hill (4) 16 Narrates (5) 18 Embellish (5) 20 Food (4) 21 To one side (5) 23 Hill (3) 24 Large placard (6) 27 By way of (3) 28 Colour (3) 29 Autocrat (6)

DOWN 1 Distress signal (3) 2 Male sheep (3) 3 Becomes visible (7) 4 Shout (4) 5 Manage (6) 6 Push forcibly (6) 9 Matured (4) 10 Consume (3) 13 Retributive justice (7) 14 Teacher (6) 15 Flew upwards (6) 17 Crippled (4) 19 Pinch (3) 22 Bird (4) 25 Faucet (3) 26 Groove (3)

Rubana Islam This is scary. Be careful, people.

SI arrested over death in police custody July 16

Ameena Sheema Not only arrested, he should be hanged!

Mirpur OC among 10 sued for killing trader July 21

PEANUTS

A citizen The killing of Sujon, even if he is a criminal, demonstrated barbaric sadism at its worst.

Possibly superseding the Nazi wartime crimes on Jews in late 1930s? It seems that in around 80 years, that germ of criminality has now infected Bangladeshi police. Why cannot they be sacked, like what happened to the RAB criminals at Narayanganj?

Shame on the Bangladesh police. They have “closed” this case. Why? Do the police high-ups believe that someone else killed Sujon? By “closing,” it seems as if they put the culprit behind the curtains, quietly, only to let him off later on when things cool down.

Hopefully, there are only a few criminals among them, like the ones in the group who killed Sujon. There could be some who are ethical and law abiding, but they are possibly too few! To the average person, the overall impression is that police are corrupt, but not killers, but this group seem to be the worst and cruel killers.

Rapists get life sentence in Chittagong July 16

MCS By the way, the verdict was delivered after 13 years.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

T

H

I

Op-Ed

R

11

Thursday, July 24, 2014

D

E

Y

E

Did lax monetary policy help?

W

n Mamun Rashid ith support from the World Bank and more importantly the IMF, Bangladesh Bank has, over the last seven to eight years, significantly improved its policy analysis capability. The watchdog agency has been announcing the half-yearly monetary policy statement (MPS) for the last eight years or so.

Monetary policy is usually either expansionary or contractionary in nature. When the total supply of money is increased, it is expansionary, and it is contractionary when cumulative money supply is decreased. An expansionary policy is usually adopted in a situation where employment generation is a priority by lowering interest rates. Conversely, a contractionary policy is followed to stabilise inflationary pressure through increased interest rates.

floating, with Bangladesh Bank (BB) buying or selling currencies to keep liquidity at the desired level, though we do hear about “managed float” or “moral-suasion” at frequent intervals.

Bangladesh Bank’s MPS so far has been focusing on continuous watch towards locating and neutralising likely inflationary pressures from the growth-supportive monetary and credit policies, to the extent feasible, targeted to selected priority sectors.

Deepening of financial inclusion of agriculture, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), renewable energy, and ecological footprint are mentioned to remain as the priority sectors while monetary watchdogs remained focused to discourage expansion in lending for wasteful consumption and unproductive speculative investment.

Though Bangladesh Bank has mostly been talking about an accommodative monetary policy, in reality, through mopping up the surplus by increasing the CRR (cash reserve ratio),

If we err, let us err with investment and employment generation

Lately, we have been hearing about “accommodative monetary policy” in Bangladesh, focusing more on a balance between taming price spiral and supporting growth. Under such a policy, we see relatively quick shifts from expansionary to contractionary measures and vice-versa, to fine-tune growth in an economy prone to inflationary pressure.

Since its inception, monetary policy in Bangladesh was conducted with full direct control on interest rates and exchange rates, as also on the volumes and directions of credit flows. However, as of today, the directed lending (other than loans at times directed by the state-owned bank’s board) has been abolished, and gradual liberalisation of interest rates has taken place.

Thus, though there are debates, interest rates to a great extent have become market-driven.

The exchange rate has become

it was rather following a contractionary policy. However, at frequent intervals, they were trying to soothe the market by releasing more money through repurchase agreements or REPO. They were having a tough time in differentiating between unproductive sector credit growth and normal credit growth.

Though they are committed to protecting the banking sector from the effects of any possible stock market crash, the overall susceptibility to pressure from a popularly elected regime didn’t help them much in focusing on execution.

Allowing black money to be invested in capital market or real estate or support packages to sick apparel industries carry enough policy contradictions and put unnecessary pressure on the central bank in effectively managing its monetary policy. Added to these is increasing debt default in

A transition economy has its challenges the state-owned banks and weak monitoring of the classified loans, specially to release the reserve made against classified loans, impacting the overall liquidity in the banking sector.

Economists have raised questions about whether Bangladesh Bank has performed its due role while the capital market needed their help. Analysts say, despite a huge increase in money supply, inflationary pressure on food and non-food items was not high since most of the surplus money went into the capital market.

However, when Bangladesh Bank started to mop up the surplus, the market felt the pinch, liquidity dried out, and market index came down from 8900 to 6300 and ultimately to below the 4000 mark, pushing many retail investors to the streets and bewildering the government policy planners. Now, the situation is reported to

Beyond buzzwords n Alyson Hayes

B

angladesh, identifying as one of the most disaster prone areas on the globe, also faces unique social, political, and economic challenges. It boasts one of the highest population densities and population growth rates within the mega-city of Dhaka. It regularly sees its fair share of developmental aid and non-governmental agencies hard at work for promoting improved societies, striving to address the millennium goals, and aiming at promoting sustainable human development among all populations.

Disaster resiliency, equality and women empowerment, universal access to various services, energy independence, and sustainable development are all utopian concepts that have infiltrated normal daily conversation. They have become trendy, fashionable buzzwords. They are used so freely, but still there lies a deeper, more profound meaning that is as relevant today as 15 years ago with the inception of the MDGs; and as relevant as 25 years ago with the shift toward a human-centric approach and sustainable development in the Manila Declaration and the Brundtland Commission report “Our Common Future,” and as relevant today as 40 years ago

with the UN Conference on the Human Environment and emergence of contemporary environmentalism.

These buzzwords hold valuable meaning for the marginalised populations, poverty-stricken communities, and victims of disaster. These buzzwords litter reports, seminars, conferences, and meeting rooms.

These buzzwords are used to motivate change, inspire action, solicit program funding, and reach the ears of policymakers.

But recognising the disparity these words stand for, and understanding the suffering these development trends seek to address, is critical for true sustainable and equitable human development.

In Bangladesh, there has been positive growth in many areas of social development, including education enrollment, health service delivery, and reduction of poverty. But Bangladesh is far from finished. Disaster resiliency, despite the number of programs and large sums of money working to improve community-based adaptation and risk reduction efforts, is still failing on the whole in terms of improved community wellbeing.

Disaster resiliency, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states “the ability of a social or

SYED LATIF HOSSAIN

ecological system to absorb disturbances while retaining the same basic structure and ways of functioning, the capacity for self-organisation, and the capacity to adapt to stress and change.”

So, in the most literal sense, many communities in Bangladesh according to the definition can be deemed disaster resilient; many communities in rural and urban Bangladesh lack infrastructure or overall access to basic services even before disaster, making their situation unchanged or worse after disaster strikes. So, it can be seen that the problem with this definition is that it is limiting. It does not account for improved wellbeing or a current standard of living; it assumes static conditions. and in the case of Bangladesh, this is often disparate conditions for many urban and rural populations.

More infrastructure development, community-based expertise and planning, and improved rapid response services are necessary to encourage community recovery, growth and improved wellbeing for all.

Sustainable development is more than just environmental conservation, renewable energy use, and energy efficiency. Sustainable development is a complicated web of cross-cutting human issues that in no way can be mutually exclusive and none can be prioritised over another. Each pillar of social, environmental, and economic factors directly influence the other. Sustainable development, due to its interweaving and intertwining themes and complex linkages among the population, can only be pursued through active cross-sectoral collaborations, shared resources, and effective communication to properly convey the meaning of true sustainability in development. The development sector is open for all to participate. l Alyson Hayes is Associate Coordinator, Eminence Associates for Social Development, and Conference Organiser, Bangladesh Summit on Sustainable Development.

NASHIRUL ISLAM

have improved much, but confidence still needs to increase to bring back the investors.

There are more than 40 million bank account holders, and the number is increasing with the opening of more farmers’ accounts with the stateowned banks to channel subsidy.

Should the monetary watchdog then be too concerned to protect the interest of about 3 million beneficiary owners account (BO) holders in the stock brokerage houses, which was already heated up, warranting massive correction based on fundamentals?

If we go back to the basics, Bangladesh Bank is more responsible for real sector growth and, at the same time, it needs to protect and help nourish the country’s banking sector. However, a $30bn capital market with 300 traded issues, and that too being quite shallow, not

depicting the real fundamentals, can’t do much to ensure “inclusive growth” in Bangladesh and, more importantly, make growth more equitably distributed. In a labour surplus economy, we need more employment at home and also abroad with an increasing rise in investments, both domestic and foreign. Only real sector investment can make it happen.

While it remains a tough job for the central bank to do justice between price hike of essentials and growth warrants, they need to be more watchful about private sector credit growth and unusual and undesirable support being provided to unproductive sectors.

It should tightly monitor debt default in the banking sector, especially in the state-owned banks and, more importantly, effectively manage the exchange rate. They should

remember taming inflation has almost become an issue of “governance” or “ensuring rule of law” in a weakly governed country. Too much focus on taming inflation or, at times, forcing inflation down is not helping investment growth or even national wealth creation.

Bangladesh is a growing economy offering policymakers all the challenges of “managing growth in a transition economy” with an apparently weak regulatory framework and pressure on capacity. Even if we perform at 60% of the desired level, striving continuously to maintain a balance with fiscal measures, the country does not have a high risk of slipping from the growth track.

If we err, let us err with investment and employment generation. l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

Gluttony in disguise?

BIGSTOCK

n Naima Nuren Khan

I

n our endlessly changing and dynamic society, social trends emerge and evolve ever so often. Through time, such trends often become customary. One such recent trend is the binge eating and overindulgence during iftar – the iftar parties. The trend of the iftar buffet seems to be one that is growing to become a tradition of the elite society.

While some customs enhance richness in culture, this particular trend is undoubtedly worth criticising. Iftar buffets contradict the true purpose of Ramadan, resulting in meaningless festivity, waste of food, loss of time to pray, loss of humility, and most importantly, the reinforcing of the sin of gluttony.

For a developing country like ours, it is to a large extent preposterous and ridiculous to spend such amount of money that we do on iftar buffets. The eateries are excessively occupied by customers, with some of them even waiting in queues. Twenty-five or more food items are placed neatly on the table to be self-served, at prices that range from Tk800 to Tk2000 and above. The ultimate result is an unnecessary waste of money and leftover food.

The contrast of the people in the city restaurants and the beggars residing just outside portrays a picture that is unfortunate, selfish, depressing, and

gives a jerk of harsh reality. Inside the restaurants are affluently dressed-up people with excessive food items that give them a confusing range of choice.

Right outside reside individuals or children with bare bodies and hungry stomachs. It seems as if the month of Ramadan has become the time to maximise profit by commercialising the whole act of iftar.

Iftar party is an unfortunate oxymoron that we have cultivated recently

The excessive payment for the food is then followed by overeating to utilise the money to the maximum. Even after binge eating of unhealthy food that leaves a bloated and sick feeling, there remains an abundant of leftover that is entirely wasted. The Maghrib Salah has been already missed. And, at the later part of the night, there remain little time and energy for Isha and Tarabi Salah after enduring the endless and intolerable traffic on the way home from the iftar party.

Subconsciously, and perhaps intentionally, there is misuse of money on

the month that emphasises on charity – zakat. Occupied in planning and preparing for the flashy and wasteful iftar parties, the energy is diverted from the real deals of Ramadan. Humility seems to disperse while Instagram pictures of expensive food are uploaded to boost the social status on Facebook.

As there are high profits for the restaurant owners on the month of Ramadan, the rich become richer.

Lately, there is also a growing trend of extravagant sehri parties. With time and money invested in get-togethers and seeking out special buffet offers, there is improper allocation leading to a lack of time for praying and to fund for helping the needy.

On the other hand, the modern take on iftar parties conducted in the restaurants eases the difficulties to host one at home. An iftar get-together at eateries enables an already-prepared meal that everyone can enjoy together.

For a large get-together, it alleviates the hassle and stress of preparation and cooking at home. Hence, a nice meal with family and friends is well justified. However, in the iftar or sehri parties that have evolved as of late, are we not losing ourselves in overindulgence? With wasted food, lost time and energy for prayers, and misuse of money, are we not losing focus from what Ramadan aims to teach us?

Instead of a lavish and loud iftar party, picture a calm and quite iftar at home. A nice iftar meal outside is pleasant too as long as we remember to restrain from overindulgence that diverts attention from the compulsory acts of Ramadan. Let us make iftar a time which allows spiritual enrichment and strengthens family bonding.

Iftar party is an unfortunate oxymoron that we have cultivated recently. Before it becomes a persisting tradition, I hope that we avert from this trend and embrace the true purpose that is intended for the month of Ramadan. l Naima Nuren Khan is a freelance contributor.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Toukir and Bipasha dynamic this Eid Money has a bad influence over people: Aparna n Shadma Malik

n Entertainment Desk Dynamic duo of the small screen Toukir Ahmed and Bipasha Hayat promises to lift their image to a higher level with acting, writing and directing this Eid. The favourite couple of the TV audience will be seen in two dramas “Beche Thakar Gaan” written by Toukir and “Shorgopuri” written by Bipasha Hayat.

“I am not being able to be regular on TV, so in my leisure hour I allocate my schedule for

writing scripts. In this Eid, I want to treat my audience by writing good scripts,” said Toukir.

The multi-talented artiste has also directed a few dramas titled “Shornolota Upakkhan,” “Nil Kabbo” and “Onek Tarar Raat.”

Here Toukir will be seen opposite to Prasun Azad, Bonya Mirza and Sharlin Farzana respectively.

Toukir has also acted in a number of Eid projects of other directors.

On the other hand, after fifteen years, Bipasha has acted with Afzal Hossain in a drama title

“Tobuo Nokkhotro Jage” directed by Arif Khan.

Besides, for the first time in her illustrious career Bipasha Hayat played the role of a farmer where she had to plough land manually in the single-episode play “Ma,” written a directed by Animesh Aich. The play is set on the backdrop of a village where Bipasha runs a very poor family through ploughing lands.

The play was shot in Pubail for three days in the scorching heat of the sun where Bipasha had one of the toughest shooting experiences in her entire career. l

Aparna is busy in last-minute preparations for the Eid special Teleplays. She has experimented with diverse roles and also with her look in the projects. In an interview with the Dhaka Tribune, Aparna said: “I have been working for Eid from April. I appeared in around 10 plays and telefilms including ‘Amar Tomar Golpo,’ ‘My Life,’ ‘Ulto Durbin’ and many others.”

One of the favourite of Aparna’s Eid ventures is telefilm “Vitamin T” that narrates stories of five friends who run after a big amount of big money. It satires the fact that the value of money apparently surpasses the value of relationships. Through a series of interesting events the friends understand how greed for money ruins friendships. Directed by Shafayeet Monsoor, the telefilm will be aired at 11:30 pm on the third day of Eid on NTV. “The letter T stands for Taka. I also agree with the moral of the story that excess money has a bad influence over people.” Aparna further said: “Here I played one of the friends. Since my character was of a university student, it was challenging for me to adopt the look and attitude of a student.”

In the latest episode of “Made in Chittagong,” series, Aparna spoke in the local dialect of her hometown. “It was fun for me but not for the rest of the cast. This is the last part of ‘Made in Chittagong’ where I have paired with singer and actor Partha Barua. Also, in another drama serial ‘Hollabaji’ which is currently being aired on Banglavision, I had to deliver the local dialect of Brahmanbaria.

Initially, I wanted to leave the project as it seemed very difficult for me, but with the help of the cast and crew, I made it.”

Aparna is excited to visit her parents in Chittagong this Eid. “We don’t get holidays that much. We even get offers/requests to attend many live TV and radio shows on the occasion of Eid. But, I prefer to be with my parents and enjoy this special occasion with the rest of my family,” said Aparna. l

Hrithik-Katrina sizzle in action extravaganza n Entertainment Desk

Jongi Jahangir Bhalobeshechilo Julekhake

n Entertainment Desk A five episode drama serial titled “Jongi Jahangir Valobeshechilo Julekhake” will be aired from second day of Eid-ul-Fitr to sixth day on ATN Bangla at 10:40pm. The drama serial is directed by Zahid Hasan and written by Zakir Hossain Ujjal. Zahid Hasan, Ahona, Heera, Shamim Jaman, A Kh M Hasan, Tushar Khan, D A Tayeb, Tofa Hasan, Farhana Mithu and others are cast in the drama serial. The story revolves around Jahangir played by Zahid Hasan who is a senior member of a terrorist organisation. A fearful and nervous guy, he trains his fellow group members in a distant hill tracks. Jahangir failed to recruit a single member and thus his boss Mufty Roomy is disappointed with him. On other hand, Julekha played by Ahona is a jour-

nalist and goes to visit the hill tracks with her aunt and cousins. Jahangir meets Julekha in the hill tracks and tries to impress her. When she pays a visit to his camp, Jahangir’s boss Mufti Roomy captures her. Jahangir

protests against the act and as a result, he is also taken hostage. Subsequently, the whole gang gets caught by the police and Julekha later becomes the advocate who tries for Jahangir’s release. l

Benedict Cumberbatch poses for Madame Tussauds

n Entertainment Desk The sensational actor is to be immortalised in wax after Madame Tussauds revealed that the “Sherlock” actor has already posed for two sittings for its sculptors. The museum said the waxwork will show the actor looking impeccably groomed in a stylish dark suit. Work on the figure is already well underway, and the Cumberbatch has been heavily involved with the creation process.

Cumberbatch has given two sittings for Madame Tussauds studios team, during which hundreds of precise measurements and numerous photographs were captured to be used by the sculptors and artists. l

Robert Downey Jr Hollywood’s richest actor n Entertainment Desk For the second year in a row, Downey topped the actors list with a stunning $75m earned between June 2013 and June 2014, Forbes announced recently. Downey, who restored his career with the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man in the eponymous Marvel franchise, has now become irreplaceable for the studio and thus, earned himself substantial pay increases for the “Iron Man” and “Avengers” sequels.

Downey Jr, who is expecting his second child with his wife Susan, will again be seen on the big screen with yet another hit film “Avengers: Age of Ultron” in 2015.

Rounding up the top ten in the highest paid actors list are Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ($52m), Bradley Cooper ($46m), Leonardo DiCaprio ($39m), Chris Hemsworth ($37m), Liam Neeson ($36m), Ben Affleck ($35m), Christian Bale ($35m), Will Smith ($32m) and Mark Wahlberg ($32m). l

On the most peaceful day of the year, bullets will fly - that’s the tagline of Katrina Kaif, Hrithik Roshan - starrer “Bang Bang” and its teaser proves the film means it. Revealed on Wednesday, the teaser has slick action, fast cars and Bollywood’s most good-looking pair sharing sizzling chemistry. And a lot of bullets. The film releases on October 2.

Directed by Siddharth Anand, “Bang Bang” is produced by Fox Star Studios and is being touted as the biggest action-romance of the year.

Shot in Prague, Phuket, Greece, US and Indian cities like Shimla, Manali, Delhi and Mumbai, the film with guns, explosions and death-defying action has impressed a host of Bollywood celebrities who have tagged it as “smouldering hot” and “smashing.”

“As a film, ‘Bang Bang’ has turned out amazing. Big canvas, great emotion and chemistry and outstanding action! Hrithik and Katrina are two of the most gorgeous people in the film industry and this is Hrithik’s biggest action film that he has done till date.

They simply look awesome with each other,” Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios, said in a statement.

And friends from the film fraternity agree too. Here are a few of the Tweets: Priyanka Chopra: Love the teaser of Bang Bang!! Katrina @iHrithik and Siddharth anand!! Killing it!!! (sic).

Neha Dhupia: #bangbangteaser lookin bangin hot ! @iHrithik #BangBang #Katrina Arjun Kapoor: @iHrithik wish I cld list the words I have used in

60secs...F**K what a teaser #BangBang Parineeti Chopra: What an amazinggggg teaser!!! Beacause you’re Happyy tananananana @iHrithik Karan Johar: No this is what you call a TEASE!!!! http://bit.ly/1ty9YWQ #BangBang The mind is blown!!!!!

Abhishek Bachchan: What a great teaser for #BangBang loved it! Well done bro braz @iHrithik , Katrina, Sid. Sonam Kapoor: Why are they so good looking!! http://bit.ly/BangBangTeaser @iHrithik This is too hot! l

Sport DHAKA TRIBUNE Thursday, July 24, 2014

13

BCB to pick Windies tour squad today n Mazhar Uddin Chief selector Faruk Ahmed thinks Bangladesh’s upcoming West Indies tour promises to be a preparation for the 2015 World Cup down under as he sits today to pick the final squad for the month-long tour after he had a meeting with the new coach Chandika Hathurusingha and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim yesterday for their opinion.

“We had a meeting with the skipper and the coach to know their suggestions and their opinions about the team, like where we are playing and in what condition we are expected to play. We will sit tomorrow again,” said Faruk.

The former captain of Bangladesh thinks the batting department is a matter of concern for the team as both top and the lower middle order failed to click during the recent home series against India where the Tigers lost the second ODI despite restricting the visitors to 105 and later capitulating for a shocking 58 runs. The Tigers eventually lost the three match series 2-0 with a match abandoned due to rain.

“Batting is definitely a concern as we did not do well in the past except occasionally. We did well in the first match of the last series but could not win a low scoring match. We are struggling as a few players together have lost form.

The opening pair is not clicking and so is the lower middle order which used to to be our strength before. I think we have to take this as a preparation for the World Cup,” said Faruk.

Bangladesh will play three ODIs, two Tests and a T20 international against West Indies and the Tigers are supposed to leave for the Caribbean late in August.

However, the 48 year old also thinks the pitch and the condition in West Indies have changed compared to past.

He also informed that the batsmen are working hard as they are practicing

playing short pitch deliveries courtesy of the bowling machine and Faruk is optimistic Bangladesh team will do well under the new coach.

No doubt the Tigers will miss their most skilled cricketer Shakib al Hasan due to his six month suspension, and Faruk sounded resigned to the loss as he thinks it’s part of cricket while adding at the same time that they now have to pick an extra bowler and a batsman to replace Shakib.

“Shakib is an important player but it can happen in cricket. We have played without Shakib before. The only thing that needs to be considered as the chairman of the selection panel is that we then had to replace Shakib by two players as he functions equally both with the bat and the ball,” said Faruk.

On the other hand, the chief selector expects opener Tamim Iqbal will recover soon from his current lean patch and regain form before next year’s World Cup although the experienced left-hander has been struggling with the bat for quite some time. He then justified his expectation by adding that Tamim has been working hard to return to form and they also have the backup options.

It is widely speculated that Bangladesh A team’s recent tour of West Indies will be helpful for some of the national players who were part of the second string national side along with some youngsters.

However, there is less chance for any new player to get into the side and Faruk did not deny this.

Taijul Islam, the young left-arm spinner who has been performing well and picking up wickets consistently, may get the opportunity to make his Test debut against West Indies while fast bowler Robiul Islam who was left out from the Test side against Sri Lanka earlier this year will get another opportunity to prove his worth in the upcoming series. l

Farmer Amjad Hossain (3L) receives his official Germany national team fan club card from the acting German Ambassador to Bangladesh, Dr. Ferdinand von Wehye (2L), in a reception hosted by SA TV yesterday. Former footballer Sheikh Md. Aslam (R) was also present DHAKA TRIBUNE

Farmer Amjad Hossain realises his dream n Raihan Mahmood

Hailing from Magura, Amjad Hossain drew nationwide and also Germany’s attention with his 3.5km flag of the 2014 Fifa world champions crafted during the World Cup. At a reception hosted by SA TV yesterday, Amjad was duly rewarded for his passionate following as he received his official German national team fan club card.

Dr. Ferdinand von Wehye, the acting German ambassador to Bangladesh, officially handed over the card to Amjad who was visibly charged with emotions.

To honour his deed, the card flashed the name ‘Pataka Amjad Hossain’.

Ferdinand, who visited Magura to acknowledge Amjad’s feat during the World Cup, was still amazed. “It was

awesome. In a village of Bangladesh, far, far away from Germany, a man for the love of the German national team created a 3.5km flag. It was hard to believe but we were moved with the deed and salute him for his commitment. He is the official member of the German national team fan club,” he said.

SA TV managing director Salahuddin Ahmed said people like Amjad has raised the country’s image. “With the deed of Amjad, Bangladesh formed a link with Germany. That is why the German ambassador is here with us and beside Amjad, these kind of deeds should be acknowledged as it raises the image of the country,” he said.

It is mentionable that Amjad fell sick back in 2006 but cured himself by taking German-made homeopathy med-

icines. Since then, he started thinking that he should return the favour by making a gigantic flag. He started his mission back in 2006, continued the

I hope and pray that Bangladesh football raises its standard gradually. I also hope to see the German national team play a match in Bangladesh work in 2010 but as Germany failed to win the World Cup he did not disclose his project.

But his time arrived in 2014 with Joachim Loew’s men finally winning

the World Cup after a span of 24 years.

Consequently Amjad revealed his project. He spent an amount in the region of Tk250,000 for making the flag but he had to sell some of his cultivable lands to meet the expenses.

Deep inside his heart he hopes that Bangladesh football will flourish one day. “I hope and pray that Bangladesh football raises its standard gradually and reach a higher stage. I also hope to see the German national team play a match in Bangladesh,” said Amjad.

State minister for foreign affairs, Shahriyar Alam, and former football star Sheikh Md. Aslam were also present on the occasion. Noted sports journalists and a number of journalists who covered the World Cup in Brazil were also present among others. l

BJMC, Abahani Ltd end league campaign with narrow victories n Raihan Mahmood

Walton additional director FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn (C) speaks during the unveiling of the seventh edition of the popular Singna Boat Race in a presser held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium conference room yesterday. The boat race will take place on August 1

Singna Boat Race on Aug 1 n Raihan Mahmood

The ever popular Singna Boat Race powered by Walton and Marcel, the two top local brands of the country, will be held at the Kumri Bill of Kalihati upazila in Tangail on August 1.

A total of 100 boats divided into five groups will be competing for titles in front of the massive usual village crowd. This is the seventh edition of the boat race and it has once again attracted the boat racers across the country.

Walton and Marcel will provide the awards - a number of refrigerators, colour televisions and home appliances.

Minister for Post, Tele Communications and Information Technology Abdul Latif Siddiki will be present as the chief guest and distribute the prizes among the winners.

In a press conference held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Wednesday, FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, the additional director of Walton, presented the details of the competition to the media.

Mir Kaisar Sadik Sajib, the general secretary of Singna Samaj Kalyan Jubo Sangha, Mosharraf Hossain Rajib, the head of marketing and Brand Ambassador of the event and film star Alexander Bo were also present during the occasion. l

Fifa’s Blatter raises alarm over Gaza crisis n AFP, Geneva Fifa chief Sepp Blatter on Tuesday raised the alarm about the spiralling Gaza crisis as he held talks with the head of the Palestinian Football Association.

“I am very much concerned with this situation in the region. We are heartbroken to learn that people from the football community have been killed. FIFA and I personally deplore this situation and any form of violence,” Blatter said.

“We are united in hoping for peace in this region and across the world,” the global game’s chief added.

PFA president Jibril Rajub met Blatter at FIFA’s headquarters on the sidelines of a visit to Switzerland to attend a session of the International Olympic Committee.

Rajub also heads the Palestinian Olympic Committee.

“I appreciate the commitment of the FIFA President to develop and invest in football in Palestine, despite the difficulties we face,” Rajub said in a statement.

“We believe football should remain a tool to build bridges between people.

I am very saddened by the loss of Palestinian life in the current conflict but I am still optimistic that peace will prevail,” he said.

He said his dream was to see the Palestinians achieve an “independent, sovereign state alongside our neighbours, including the State of Israel, according to international legitimacy.”

In September last year, FIFA brokered a watershed face-to-face meeting between Rajub and his Israel Football Association opposite number Avi Luzon. l

Team BJMC defeated Brothers Union 2-1 to wrap up their Nitol-Tata Bangladesh Premier Football League campaign this season at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday. However, the win had no effect on the teams’ positions as Brothers, despite losing, ended in fifth place while BJMC finished seventh in the 10-team league.

Nigerian midfielder Samson Illiasu put BJMC ahead in the ninth minute, making his way through the defence after clutch-

ing onto a through ball from midfielder Navid Newaz Jibon and Illiasu completed the job with a neat right-footer.

Shafikul Islam equalised for Brothers in the 29th minute with a placing shot from close range. Faisal Mahmood had provided the cross from the right flank.

However, Guinean forward Ismael Bangoura scored the winner in the 39th minute with a right-footer after being fed by Jibon from the midfield.

The second half was a dull affair with BJMC concentrating upon holding their fort and Brothers, knowing a loss would have no effect upon their position, showed little interest of putting in the extra effort.

Brothers earned 38 points from their

quota of 27 matches while BJMC totaled 30 points from the same number of matches in the three-phase league.

Meanwhile, Abahani Limited finished their season as the runners-up side after beating Chittagong Abahani Limited 1-0 in their last match at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong yesterday.

Defender Atiqur Rahman Meshu scored the all-important goal in the 60th minute of the game.

With this win, Abahani completed their premier league journey with 52 points from 27 matches while their port-city counterparts ended their campaign on eighth position in the points table with 25 points from the same number of games. l

BCB announces fresh dates for player transfers n Minhaz Uddin Khan The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced fresh dates for the players’ transfer dates of the pool, non-pool and foreign cricketers for the upcoming Dhaka Premier League 2014-15 season yesterday.

Transfers of the pool players, including the non-pool cricketers selected in the Bangladesh squad for the forthcoming tour of the West Indies, will be held on August 10 and 11 instead of August 6 and 7.

A cricketer from the pool will be entitled to a tournament fee on the basis of pro-rata on the total contract of the season. On the other hand the players’ transfer of the non-pool players will be held on August 27 and 28 instead of August 6 and 7.

The premier division cricket tournament will begin on August 10.

The transfers will take place at the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) office at Bangabandhu National Stadium. The transfers will be held between 3-9pm on the aforementioned dates. l

Mohun Bagan sign Sony n Raihan Mahmood Haitian forward Sony Norde has signed for Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan as their fourth overseas player this season.

Sony, who played for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in the Bangladesh Premier Football League this season, was reportedly linked with Belgian top flight club KV Oostende but he has finally signed for Mohun Bagan. The 24year old playmaker attracted the eyes of the Indian Premier League clubs in the IFA Shield earlier this year when Sheikh Jamal finished runners-up.

It was also reported that Mohun Ba-

gan did not disclose the signing as the Bangladesh Premier Football League was not yet finished and the news was only revealed after Sheikh Jamal finished their campaign as the champions. He did not feature in the last two matches of Sheikh Jamal and left Dhaka on July 15.

Apart from Sony, Mohun Bagan have signed Katsumi, Abu Fatai and Pierre Boya. Sony has represented the Haitian national football team at the youth and senior levels. He represented Haiti in the 2008 CONCACAF men’s Olympic qualification tournament. He also trained in Boca Juniors’ academy in Argentina. l

14

Sport DHAKA TRIBUNE Thursday, July 24, 2014

Rodriguez unveiled to huge crowd at Bernabeu n AFP, Madrid Colombia’s World Cup revelation James Rodriguez was unveiled as Real Madrid’s latest headline signing in front of tens of thousands of fans at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Rodriguez, the top scorer at the World Cup in Brazil, has moved to the European champions from Monaco on a six-season contract.

Spanish media said Real paid about

EUR80 million ($108m) for the 23-yearold playmaker, which if correct would make him the fifth most expensive player in history after Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

“It’s a lot of pressure to be here but I’m ready to take it on,” said Colombia’s poster boy, looking relaxed and smiling and sporting Real’s number 10 shirt last worn by Mesut Ozil.

“My goal here is to always win, I don’t like losing,” he added.

“I’m thrilled to be here, it’s a dream come true, I hope to give a lot of pleasure,” he told a huge crowd estimated at about 40,000, including a significant number of Colombians.

“I think Colombia will now be a fan of this great club,” he added.

Neither club confirmed the size of the transfer, but Monaco described it as “one of the biggest transfers in football history”.

Spanish sports daily Marca, which has close ties with Real Madrid’s board, said Real will pay EUR75 million straight away and up to five million more in add ons. Monaco paid EUR45 million ($60m) when he signed from FC Porto of Portugal.

Monaco said in a statement that it had not wanted to sell Rodriguez but that it was “proud to have carried out one of the biggest transfers in football history”.

Rodriguez’s six goals for his country at the World Cup won him the Golden Boot award. A spectacular volley against Uruguay went down as one of the best goals of any World Cup. Before being unveiled he had posted on Twitter: “The dream already is REAL. Happy to be part of the best club

in the world” He is Real’s second major signing in five days as they prepare for a new season of confrontation against eternal rivals Barcelona.

German midfielder Toni Kroos moved from Bayern Munich on Thursday, just days after the 24-year-old helped Germany win the World Cup. Real have also been linked with a move for Keylor Navas, the goalkeeper whose heroics helped Costa Rica reach the World Cup quarter finals. Navas plays with Levante in the Spanish first division.

Rodriguez had only been at Monaco for one year but his sizzling performance at the World Cup made him the number one target for many European clubs.

In a FIFA.com poll released Monday, his volley against Uruguay in the last 16 was declared goal of the World Cup by more than four million voters - three quarters of those who took part.

Rodriguez went to the World Cup as Colombia’s second best known striker.

But Radamel Falcao was injured in January leaving the starring role to his Monaco teammate as Colombia reached the last 16 for the first time.

Uruguay’s coach Oscar Tabarez compared Rodriguez to Argentine legends Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, the “players who succeed in doing things because they are special”.

The Colombian has made it clear for a long time that it was the Spanish league that he wanted to get to.

“The Spanish league is a league that I’ve always watched - it’s different from the English League, which is very physical,” he told FIFA.com in an interview in November. l

Real Madrid President Florentino Perez (L), Colombian striker James Rodriguez (R) and his wife Daniela Ospina pose during his presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium following his signing with the Spanish giants on Tuesday AFP

Pep warns foes not to copy Germany Celtic rout Reykjavik, n clear first Euro hurdle AFP, Washington

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola warned Tuesday that those seeing Germany as a model for success after their World Cup triumph need greater dedication and patience with their own philosophies.

Speaking ahead of the reigning Bundesliga champions’ upcoming US tour, the 43-year-old Spaniard said teams who try to reboot their football program after World Cup failures risk falling further behind.

“Any system is good. Any system is wrong,” Guardiola said in a conference call.

“I’m not convinced because England is out and Italy is out their system is bad or because Germany won that the philosophy is right.

“Every federation has to believe in what they have and make the best facilities and (opportunities) for the players to develop their talents.”

While World Cup results every four years weigh heavily upon football squads worldwide, Guardiola says one bad game can doom your dreams in any event, noting how his ideas were copied during a successful run at Barcelona before his Bayern move.

“All the people went and copied that.

It’s a big mistake,” he said. “You copy

that and because of that one day you won. But one day you are going to lose.

“Be patient with the coach and be patient with the players and you are going to be good.”

Guardiola cited his homeland Spain’s early exit after winning the title in 2010 and the decision not to toss out the entire coaching staff and philosophy.

“Spain lost and they will keep going with the same coach and same style of play. And maybe they will go back,” he said. “It’s a matter of believing in what you do.”

For now, Guardiola believes his squad will have tough matches against Mexican club Chivas on July 31 in suburban New York and the Major League Soccer All-Stars at Portland, Oregon, on August 6 in warm-up matches for the upcoming Bundesliga campaign.

In addition to fitness issues, several Bayern players had key roles in Germany’s run to the World Cup title.

“We want to make a good game and win but we are not in the best moment,” Guardiola said. “Nine of the most important players on the team they are still on holidays. I know in this moment (opponents) are fitter than us.

“We’re going to play in the best way possible, the way we believe. Forget about the results and what’s going on with the score. We play our best for the

people who come to see us and make the best game possible.”

Guardiola says he expects 19-yearold winger Julian Green, who scored a spectacular goal for the United States against Belgium in a World Cup defeat, will stay on Bayern’s top squad for the coming campaign.

“My first idea, he’s going to stay for the rest of the season,” Guardiola said while noting that other factors could change that decision before the season starts.

Green is nursing a sore knee but will tour with Bayern in America.

“We were really impressed with his talent, his movement to the goal,” said Guardiola. “He’s going to travel in the US and I hope he’s going to be fit and be able to play for us.

“It’s not easy moving up to the senior team but he deserves to try to keep going here and play with us.”

Beyond Green, Guardiola was impressed with the US World Cup side of German legend Jurgen Klinsmann.

“United States is making a lot of steps forward in their concept about football,” he said. “They play so aggressive and are physically stronger and I was impressed with their backline.

“United States is a reality in the world football. In the next few years, they will be stronger in the World Cup and can make it better and better.”l

n AFP, Edinburgh Virgil van Dijk ensured Scottish champions Celtic a safe passage into the Champions League third qualifying round as he scored twice in a 4-0 demolition of Iceland’s KR Reykjavik at Murrayfield on Tuesday.

With Celtic leading 1-0 from the first leg in the Icelandic capital, Van Dijk calmed any lingering nerves with two goals in the space of seven first-half minutes at the home of Scottish rugby in Edinburgh.

The Hoops were forced to relocate with their Parkhead stadium out of commission due to its use in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but the change of venue had little bearing on the outcome as Teemu Pukki also netted a brace with Celtic cruising to a 5-0 aggregate victory.

The Hoops will next face Polish side Legia Warsaw or Irish outfit St. Patrick’s Athletic, who drew the first leg 1-1 in Poland, as they try to make it to the group stages of Europe’s elite club competition.

Celtic boss Ronny Deila, who took over from Neil Lennon last month, handed Pukki a start in place of the injured Anthony Stokes in the lone

change from last week’s tie in Reykjavik as last season’s leading scorer Kris Commons recovered in time from a thigh injury to feature in the Scottish capital.l

RESULTS FK Sutjeska

0 3

FC Sheriff

2 0

FC Coloma

1 1

S Prague

1 1

Ludogorets

4 0

Valletta FC

0 2

Slovan Bratislava

1 1

BATE Borisov

1 3

Partizan Belgrade

0 2

Dinamo Zagreb

2 0

Cliftonville FC

4 0

KR Reykjavik

Sheriff qualify 5-0 on aggregate

M Tel-Aviv

Maccabi qualify 3-0 on aggregate

Levadia

Sparta qualify 8-1 on aggregate

Dudelange

Ludogorets qualify 5-1 on aggregate

Qarabag FK

Qarabag qualify 5-0 on aggregate

New Saints FC

Slovan qualify 3-0 on aggregate

Skenderbeu

Aggregate 1-1. BATE qualify on away goals

HB Torshavn

Partizan qualify 6-1

Zalgiris

Dinamo qualify 4-0 on aggregate

Debrecen VSC

Debrecen qualify 2-0 on aggregate

Celtic

Celtic qualify 5-0 on aggregate

Title holders City still looking for reinforcements n Reuters English champions Manchester City are still in the market for new signings to boost their title defence, manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Tuesday.

Pellegrini has already brought in Brazilian midfielder Fernando from Porto, French fullback Bacary Sagna from Arsenal and goalkeeper Willy Caballero from former club Malaga but isn’t convinced his impressive pool is enough.

“I don’t think the squad is complete yet but we have six weeks before the transfer window closes,” the Chilean told reporters in Kansas ahead of their friendly match against Sporting Kansas City.

“Perhaps there is the option to bring one or more players in or maybe one or two will leave our squad but there is time for us to consider what is best for our team.”

Pellegrini’s purchasing plans may have been changed after striker Alvaro Negredo suffered a broken foot in the friendly win over Scottish side Hearts on Friday.

Pellegrini, who won the Premier League title and the League Cup in his first season in England last year, said the powerful Spaniard had an operation on Tuesday.l

Man United ‘ready to break transfer records’ n AFP, London

New Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal walks across the pitch as his players perform drills during a training session at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Tuesday

AFP

Manchester United are prepared to break transfer records in order to give new manager Louis van Gaal the players he wants, according to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

The English giants have already spent over £50 million ($85 million, 63 million euros) on England left-back Luke Shaw and Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera, and Woodward says that they are ready to spend even more.

Some of United’s European rivals have spent big recently. Real Madrid on Tuesday signed James Rodriguez from Monaco for a fee of around £63 million ($107.4m), while Barcelona paid Liverpool around £75 million ($127.8m) for Luis Suarez.

Asked if United were able to pay a similar amount for a player, Woodward said: “It is in our capabilities. The club are not afraid of doing that.”

United are rebuilding under Van Gaal after a dismal 2013-14 season and Woodward says that in the context, the club will have no qualms about sanctioning big-money signings.

“Whether it’s a record or not doesn’t really resonate with us,” he added, in comments reported by the British media on Wednesday.

“What resonates is a top, top elite

player that the manager wants that is going to be a star for Manchester United. We are in a very strong financial position. We can make big signings.

“I get pointed in the direction of a target that the manager wants and there is an assessment of what that might cost and I’ll negotiate hard to do the best I can on the trade.”

United have been linked with a host of players in recent weeks, including Germany centre-back Mats Hummels, Belgium defender Thomas Vermaelen, and the Dutch trio of Daley Blind, Stefan de Vrij and Kevin Strootman.

Woodward endured a trying first close-season last year, when United missed out on a succession of major targets, and he admits he still needs to prove his worth to the club’s supporters.

“You gain credibility through experience and through time,” said the former investment banker.

“You can’t expect credibility from day one and I wouldn’t ask that of the fans. You keep learning on the job and I’ll continue to learn for a long period of time.

“I don’t mind reading (criticism), because it’s extremely important for me to listen to the fans. Criticism can change into positive comments over a period of time.”l

Sport DHAKA TRIBUNE Thursday, July 24, 2014

Amla heaps praise on struggling Tahir

QUICK BYTES

Bojan leaves Barca to join Stoke Stoke City have signed striker Bojan Krkic from Spanish giants Barcelona for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League side announced on Tuesday. Bojan, 23, has penned a four-year contract at the Britannia and becomes Stoke’s fifth signing of the summer. Stoke boss Mark Hughes told the club’s website: “Anyone who knows European football will be aware of him as a player and the fact that he sees his future at Stoke City is really exciting and an endorsement of the club itself. “He’s desperate to prove himself in the Premier League and we’re pleased to be able to offer him that platform.” Bojan was expected to fly out to Germany to join his new teammates, including former Barca defender Marc Muniesa, at Stoke’s pre-season training camp. Bojan, capped once by Spain, came up through the Barca academy and scored 41 goals in 163 appearances for the first team before joining Roma in 2011.

–AFP

n AFP, Colombo

Athens 800m winner Borzakovsky retires Yury Borzakovsky, who won gold for Russia in the men’s 800m at the 2004 Olympic Games, on Tuesday announced his retirement from competitive athletics. “I want to announce officially the end of my sporting career,” the 33-year-old, who also won gold at the 2001 world indoor championships, told the R-Sport agency. “Now I will start work full-time as an athletics official and continue training,” said Borzakovsky, who withdrew from the 2014 Russian championships because of injury. Borzakovsky has won 11 domestic 800m gold medals between 1999-2009, and three European titles.

–AFP

Barcelona buy defender Mathieu Spanish giants Barcelona said Wednesday they have bought 30-year-old French defender Jeremy Mathieu from Valencia for EUR20 million ($27 million). Barcelona have been seeking to bolster their defence since Carlos Puyol ended his career. Though he is not an established French international, Mathieu is recognised as a powerful operator at left back and in central defence. Barcelona called him a “physically imposing defender”. The Catalan club had made several offers to Valencia for Mathieu who last week issued a public letter calling on the side to negotiate his release. “I have a chance to play for the world’s biggest club and that’s all I want right now,” he said. Barcelona said in a statement it had reached agreement on a transfer and Mathieu would sign a four season contract. Mathieu played at Sochaux and Toulouse in the French first division until he joined Valencia in 2009.

–AFP

Shakhtar move CL games away from Donetsk Shakhtar Donetsk will shift their headquarters to Kiev and play their Champions League and domestic games in the western city of Lviv to escape from the Ukraine’s strife-torn east, CEO Sergei Palkin confirmed. The Ukraine champions were forced to move from Donetsk, a major industrial city in the East which has become a stronghold of pro-Russian separatists who are fighting army forces controlled by the government. Offered a choice of four venues by European soccer governing body UEFA, Shakhtar chose to play their games at Lviv Arena, a stadium that hosted matches during the European championship in 2012.

Shakhtar opened the new season with a 2-0 win at rivals Dynamo Kiev in the Super Cup game in Lviv on Tuesday.

–Reuters

DAY’S WATCH Sony Six 9:00AM Pre-Season Football La Galaxy v Manchester United 6:00AM Caribbean Premier League T&T Red Steel v Guyana Amazon Ten Sports 9:00AM Commonwealth Games 2014 Opening Ceremony Ten Cricket 10:30AM South Africa Tour of Sri Lanka 2nd Test Day 1 Star Sports 2, HD1 11:30PM Natwest T20 Blast

15

South African captain Hashim Amla (R) and team coach Russel Domingo (L) talk during a practice session at Sri Lanka’s R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo yesterday AFP

South African skipper Hashim Amla on Wednesday backed struggling leg-spinner Imran Tahir to come good, saying he had the qualities to be a match-winning bowler.

The 35-year-old Pakistan-born spinner took just one wicket off 45 overs in the first Test at Galle, raising doubts about his role as an attacking spinner in a side which has traditionally struggled to produce quality slow bowlers.

While his one-day record is commendable, Tahir has failed to translate that success into Test cricket, having taken 37 wickets in 14 Tests at an average of 45.67.

“Imran is a quality performer. I am not concerned about him at all. He has been exceptional in the shorter format of the game,” said Amla ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka starting in Colombo on Thursday.

“Test cricket is a challenging place.

He will come good, it will take a few good performances to get his confidence back. He is a wonderful bowler.

I’d say he is one the most highly skilled leg-spinners in the world.”

Such high praise from the captain is likely to boost Tahir’s morale as he gears up for the second Test. A victory would hand South Africa their first series win on the island in 21 years.

The Proteas won the first Test in Galle by 153 runs to go 1-0 up in the twomatch rubber, giving Amla a win in his

Cook remains captain, Buttler in n AFP, London Alastair Cook retained the England captaincy while the selectors brought in uncapped Lancashire wicketkeeper Jos Buttler to a 13-man squad announced Tuesday for the third Test against India at Southampton on Sunday.

After England’s 95-run defeat in the second Test at Lord’s on Monday, struggling wicketkeeper Matt Prior announced he was taking a break from international cricket in order to regain full fitness, with the Sussex gloveman set to undergo surgery on an Achilles injury.

Cook insisted on Monday he had no intention of standing down as captain despite the heavy loss representing England’s 10th successive Test without a win - their worst run in

more than 20 years.

The left-handed opener has also seen his own form decline, with Cook now having gone 27 innings since scoring the last of his England record 25 Test hundreds.

Several former England captains have all urged Cook to stand down as

ENGLAND SQUAD Alastair Cook (Essex, capt), Sam Robson (Middlesex), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Jos Buttler (Lancashire, wkt), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)

skipper in a bid to regain his batting form, with Ian Botham even going so far as to say in his Daily Mirror column on Tuesday that the 29-year-old “needs a break from the job and the game”.

But England coach Peter Moores has no doubt Cook could lead England out of their present slump.

“The question is ‘can he be the captain who can take the team forward in the long term?’,” Moores said.

“Can he be that man? In my opinion, yes, and so I’m going to support him through that.”

Buttler, although uncapped at Test level, has long been earmarked for a debut in the five-day game after impressing in the course of 63 limited overs appearances for England.

But following his stunning 121 in England’s one-day loss to Sri Lanka at

Lord’s in June, the 23-year-old insisted he wasn’t ready for Test cricket.

However, this season has seen Buttler score 568 runs at an average of 40.57, including one hundred and five fifties in eight Championship matches after leaving his native Somerset at the end of last term because he could not be guaranteed a place as wicketkeeper, with Craig Kieswetter also on the staff of the south-west county.

“It was a really tough decision to leave Somerset, who helped me a lot, but with my long-term goal being Test cricket, I knew I had to leave,” Buttler told Lancashire’s website.

“I guess it’s justified it, and it’s justified it pretty quickly.”

India lead the five-match series 1-0 after the first Test at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge ground was drawn. l

first Test as captain. Amla said the side was not thinking too much about their winless record in series on the island.

“What is more on our minds is to play good cricket for the next five days,” he said.

“Fortunately we’ve got the backing of a one-nil victory behind us. But the bigger picture is to play some solid cricket in (this) match. We come here with a clean slate, we have to forget what happened in the last Test.”

For Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews, the Galle Test is harder to forget. The famed Sri Lankan batting line-up unravelled against some topnotch fast bowling from Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.

“We were on that flat wicket (in Galle) and their seamers were the ones who really troubled us. They bowled pretty well,” said Mathews, stressing that his team would have to raise their game to win against the world number two side.

“We’ve got to sharpen our game in every aspect, everything has to improve to be able to compete against them.

We’ve got to be on top of our game.”

With the wicket at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground once again expected to be a flat batting track, Mathews is hoping his batsmen will put a winning total on the board this time.

“The wicket here does a bit in the morning session and then it turns out to be a batting paradise. Our batters need to score runs to give the bowlers a chance.” l

Manchester City cancel youth game due to racism n Reuters, London Manchester City cancelled an under-21 game against Croatian side HNK Rijeka after an alleged incident of racist abuse against one of their players in the first half, the club said on Tuesday.

City took their players off the pitch after their midfielder Seko Fofana was allegedly abused by a member of the opposition.

“Following an alleged incident in the latter stages of the first half of the game, being played in Novigrad, Croatia, a decision was taken by the management staff to withdraw the City team from the field of play and cancel the game,” City said in a statement on their website (www.mcfc.co.uk).l

Sri Lanka pacer Eranga ruled out of second Test n AFP, Colombo Sri Lanka’s frontline seamer Shaminda Eranga was Tuesday ruled out of the deciding second Test against South Africa due to a hand injury, dealing a fresh blow to the beleaguered hosts.

Eranga, 28, tore the webbing between the thumb and index finger of his right hand while fielding on day one of the first Test in Galle which Sri Lanka lost by 153 runs to go down 1-0 in the two-Test rubber. He bowled just nine overs in the game, with his injury requiring eight stitches.

“Eranga has been ruled out of the second Test. The selectors have decided against picking a replacement for him,” Sri Lankan media manager Rajith Fernando told AFP. The national selectors however brought in uncapped wicketkeep-

eer-batsman Niroshan Dickwella in place of Dinesh Chandimal who will now be flying to England to join the Sri Lanka A team.

Eranga’s absence will be sorely felt

by Sri Lanka as he has been the most effective bowler for them this year, taking 25 wickets at an average of 27.64.

Sri Lanka, who recently lost the one-day series against South Africa 2-1, have Dhammika Prasad and left-armer Chanaka Welegedara as fast-bowling cover in their squad.

Meanwhile, South Africa have called in former coach Gary Kirsten for some batting and strategic advice as they seek their first Test series win on the island in 21 years.

Kirsten relinquished his head coach position with the national team last year but he has been used as a consultant on an ad hoc basis.l

Brian Montenegro of Paraguay’s Nacional celebrates after scoring against Uruguay’s Defensor Sporting during their Copa Libertadores semi-final in Asuncion on Tuesday. Nacional won the match 2-0 REUTERS

Williamson banned from bowling n Reuters, Wellington New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson has been banned from bowling his occasional off-spin in international cricket because of an illegal action, New Zealand Cricket said on Wednesday.

Williamson was reported by the match officials during the second test against West Indies in Port of Spain in June and independent analysis confirmed that his elbow extension exceeded the 15 degrees permitted by the rules.

“I will concentrate on changing whatever’s necessary to return to the bowling crease,” Williamson said in a media release.

“Clearly, the onus is on me to satisfy assessors as to the legality of my action, and I’m aware I have some hard work in

front of me to achieve that goal.

“It’s never nice, going through this sort of process but it will be worth it if I can manage to bowl again at international level.”

Williamson, 23, has taken 24 wickets in 34 test matches, 23 wickets in 54 one-day outings and three wickets in 19 Twenty20 appearances for New Zealand.

The suspension will stand until he has submitted independent biomechanical analysis that satisfies assessors that his action is legal.

“Kane’s disappointed, clearly - anyone in his situation would feel the same way,” said New Zealand coach Mike Hesson.

“He now has a challenge on his hands if he’s to bowl again at the top level, but we’re very hopeful he can manage it.” l

Long tours not good for preparations: Van Gaal n Reuters New Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has bemoaned the club’s lengthy pre-season tour to the United States and said it is not helping preparations for the English domestic campaign.

United play Los Angeles Galaxy at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Wednesday and then have at least three more matches in Denver, Washington and Detroit as part of the International Champions Cup. They could play a fourth, in Miami on Aug. 4, if they reach the final after the matches against AS Roma, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

“More or less, yes,” Van Gaal told British media in the United States, when

asked whether the demands were hindering his work. We have to prepare the season and when you have commercial activities and dreadful distances, having to fly a lot and the jet lag, it is not very positive for a good preparation.”

“The tour was already arranged and I shall adapt and United will do everything to apply to my rules, but I have said that already,” the Dutch coach said after arriving 30 minutes later to meet journalists.

“This is the first time I am late for a press conference, but it is the Los Angeles traffic, so I am sorry for that.”

Last year, United went on a lengthy pre-season tour of Thailand, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong after agreeing several commercial deals in the region. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE Thursday, July 24, 2014 DHAKA TRIBUNE Monday, June 16, 2014

13 Amjad Hossain realises his dream

14 Rodriguez unveiled at Bernabeu

Sport

15 Amla heaps praise on struggling Tahir

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo (C) poses with Japanese children during a football clinic in Nagoya in Aichi prefecture, central Japan. Ronaldo is currently on a two-day visit to Japan yesterday

ULAB bow out of Red Bull Campus Cricket n Tribune Desk University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) were knocked out from Group 2 in the Red Bull Campus Cricket World

Finals after losing their last group game to Leeds-Bradford MCC University by a huge 120 runs at Wormsley yesterday.

Having won one and lost one, it was a must-win situation for ULAB but they faltered against the local side who lost both their matches prior this encounter. Their first win, however, came with bonus points and it lifted Leeds-Bradford to the second place in the table.

Leeds-Bradford opted to bat first and put up a challenging 189 for five. ULAB were hoping for their openers – Hasa-

GROUP 2 Teams Assupol TUKS

M 2

W 2

L 0

Leeds-Bradford JICSA ULAB

3 2 3

1 1 1

2 1 2

Pts NRR 9 +3.670 5 5 4

+1.250 +0.507 -3.811

nuzzaman and Avishek Mitra – to fire once again, but their cheap dismissals left the side in dire straits.

Skipper Hasanuzzaman and Avishek, both of them coming to this game on the back of half centuries in the previous game, returned for single-digit scores as the remaining line-up also surrendered cheaply to the

Leeds-Bradford bowlers.

Coming in at No. 4, Izal Khan remained unbeaten on 34 as he saw his partners fall like a house of cards from

the other end. ULAB were all out for 69 runs in 18.3 overs.

Earlier, contributions from Nick Gubbins (42), Chris Wakefield (49), Charlie Roebuck (35) and Liam Watkinson (40) helped Leeds-Bradford to reach the target, though it was the latter surge from Watkinson that caused the most damage.

Watkinson faced just 22 balls and struck five fours and two sixes in his unbeaten innings.

Tanmoy Roy grabbed two wickets for ULAB while Morsalin Mortaza, Abdullah Imran and Tanvir Ahmed claimed a wicket each.

ULAB finished last in the group with four points. l

BRIEF SCORE LBMCCU 189/5 in 20 overs (Wakefield 49; Tanmoy 2/32) ULAB 69 in 18.3 overs (Izal 34*, Watkinson 2/6) LBMCCU won by 120 runs MoM: Liam Watkinson

AFP

ICC WC trophy arrives today n Tribune Desk

The original International Cricket Council World Cup trophy will arrive in Dhaka today for two days. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury informed on Tuesday that the trophy will be on display at a shopping mall, with Bashundhara City touted as the frontrunners.

“The trophy will first arrive at the BCB office. Then it will be taken to a mall. Obviously the trophy is original.

It is arriving from Sri Lanka,” said Nizamuddin.

The interested fans and spectators will be able to witness the famous trophy tomorrow before it travels to Dubai on Saturday.

Besides co-hosts Australia and New Zealand, the trophy will be traveling across all the 12 teams that are set to take part in the upcoming World Cup next year. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

B3 Watch what markets

B4 India outsources chores

don’t do as world politics turns nasty

as servant culture shifts

THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Tighten vault security during Eid vacation

Government asks state banks to cancel leave of security staffs even, if necessary chief executive officers of the banks. n Asif Showkat Kallol The banking division had formed

The Bank and Financial Institutions Division under the finance ministry issued the directive from the recommendations by a six-member committee to review the security of the bank vaults and formulating measures to stop further heists.

An official of the banking division said the clients of the banks will suffer from lack of confidence if another robbery takes place in the branches of the state-owned banks.

The instruction along with two other recommendations by the committee have already been communicated with the large state banks Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali as well as the stateowned specialised banks.

Finance Secretary Mahbub Ahmed yesterday endorsed the recommendations and asked officials to communicate with the managing directors and

the committee on March 9 to review security of the government bank vaults and formulating measures to stop further heists.

The committee consisted of the banking secretary, Banking Division Additional Secretary Amalendu Mukherjee and four deputy managing directors from the government banks.

The move follows a heist at a Sonali Bank branch in Bogra from where robbers on a holiday took away Tk30.8 lakh through a 30-feet tunnel from a nearby furniture shop into the vault.

In the same fashion, robbers looted Tk 16.4 crore from the bank’s Kishoreganj branch on January 24.

The six-member committee also suggested managers of the branches to inform the matter to the local police and, if necessary, they will also inform the home ministry in case of any possibility of vault robbery in the branches of the state banks.

It also suggested the banks to build three different strong vaults based on the deposits from Tk25 lakh, Tk1 crore and more than Tk1 crore. Strong vaults should be built as per instruction of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).

Earlier, Banking Secretary Dr Aslam Alam said as part of the security measures of the bank branches, people living in the vicinity of branches would have to submit their credentials to the nearby police stations.

Within the next three months, incidents of heists at government banks will no longer take place, the banking secretary said. l

Accord suggests corrective measures for RMG sector

Tofail invites USTR representative to see RMG sector progress

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

n Tribune Report

Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a platform of European retailers, has suggested for undertaking more substantial corrective measures to ensure further safety in the country’s readymade garment sector as it still finds some safety risks in fire, electrical and structural safety areas.

As per the annual report of the Accord published yesterday, the suggested measures include installing fire doors, automated smoke detectors and fire alarm systems, establishing fire protected exits from factory buildings, and strengthening of columns in the buildings.

After the inspection of all factories, the Accord shared its report with the factory owners, Accord brands and workers’ representatives and a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) is being developed by the factory owners and the brands.

More than 100 CAPs have now been agreed upon so far and the Accord will ensure CAPs in all the inspected factories in the coming year. Accord inspection’s findings, showed reducing weight loads and adhering to load management plans, can be easily corrected and are already being implemented.

The corrective measures are a matter of cleaning up, organising, and then being disciplined in maintenance practices. These include properly connecting and sealing electrical wires and keeping wires and circuits free of dust and lint.

The Accord will also continue to monitor implementation of the CAPs and all other commitments under the agreement.

The Accord has so far completed inspection of 800 RMG units and found less than 2% factories flawed in all three areas. The Accord intends that all initial inspections will be completed by end September 2014.

The Accord had committed to improve safety standard, including fire, electrical and structural safety after the collapse of Rana Plaza, which killed 1,135 workers and injured over 2,500 last year. l

Commerce minister has sent letter a letter to the United States Trade Representative (USTR), inviting its representative Michael Forman to visit Bangladesh for seeing the progress made in the country’s RMG sector during the last one year.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed himself sent an invitation to the USTR representative Michael Forman through an e-mail on July 22, 2014, with a request to visit Bangladesh.

The allegations raised by the trade union leaders about the country’s readymade garment sector are not true, said a commerce ministry official quoting the letter.

“If you (Forman) do not believe it, you can come and visit Bangladesh and watch the real progress what the sector made after the incident of Rana Plaza building collapse,’’ reads the letter.

According to the letter, Bangladesh has made tremendous progress in term of workers safety and workers rights issues and urged the USTR not to consid-

The state-owned banks have been asked to ensure security of vaults at their respective branches during the nine days of Eid vacation begins Monday next.

If necessary, the banks would cancel leave of the security staffs during the vacation, according to an instruction by the government issued yesterday.

The clients of the banks will suffer from lack of confidence if another robbery takes place in the branches of the state-owned banks

Workers busy manufacturing glass bangles in a factory at Lalbagh in the old part of Dhaka as the Eid approaching fast. Women usually try the bangles after completing other shopping to celebrate the festival

Saudi expatriates to get MRP by November 2015 n Tribune Report

Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia are finally going to get Machine Readable Passport (MRP) by November 2015 as the hand-written passports will no longer be accepted after the time.

The government has signed a contract on Monday in Dhaka with a Malaysian company for MRP for Saudi expatriates who are still holding hand-written passports, said a press release.

As the hand-written passports held by the Bangladeshi citizens working or living in Saudi Arabia will be invalid from November 2015, that they must get MRP by the time.

Department of Immigrations and Passport under the Home Ministry signed a contract with IRIS Corporation Berhad, Malaysia to collect MRP enrollment data and distribution of MRP passports among Bangladeshi citizens.

The Department said the getting an MRP issued will cost a person US$9 in

er the workers allegations in reviewing the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) facilities for Bangladesh.

Earlier, in a letter, sent to the US Senators, National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) had alleged that labour leaders were brutally assaulted by musclemen for their attempt to or-

ganise union.

In response, six members of the US Congress on May 30 sought Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina’s direct assurance to facilitate proper investigation into the allegations of intimidation and violence on workers’ leaders at Valuka, brought by the NGWF. l

n

State minister for labour and employment ministry Mujibul Haque Chunnu has sought specific proposal from the workers’ leaders over bonus issue to accommodate in the existing labour law.

Come up with a specific written proposal, so we can consider to include bonus issue in the law to avert any dispute over it, said Mujibul Haque while addressing a roundtable titled “Garment workers’ salary and bonus: Eid Festival” held in the city yesterday.

Imdadul Haq Milan, Editor of daily Kaler Kantho moderated the roundtable, which was orgained by the East

West Media Limited.

“I do not see any reason for discussing on the payment of salary and bonus for the workers before Eid as it is a routine work for the owners to pay them salary and bonus,” said Mujibul.

The state minister, however, once again urged the owners to ensure payment of salary, bonus and other allowances to the workers by July 26.

“If the issue relating to salary and bonus can be brought into a specific law, there will be no more dispute related to wages,” said Abdus Salam, Director General of Industrial Police.

There are around 3355 RMG units and 1033 other industrial factories in

the industrial zones outside Dhaka and among them, 351 factories are at risk as they would not be able to pay salary and bonus, and most of them are neither the member of BGMEA nor BKMEA. Meanwhile, factory owners claimed some 15 factories are running the risk of non-payment of wages by July 26 ahead of Eid while the remaining RMG units will pay salaries and allowances as per their capability within the government-set deadline.

Syed Ahmed, Inspector General of Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishment suggested for preparing a specific structure of salary and bonus for the RMG workers. l

General of Department of Immigration and Passport Md Abdul Mabud, Project Director of Machine Readable Passport and Visa Brigadier General Masud Rezwan were also present at the function.

Currently, Bangladesh’s passport authorities print an average of 15,000 MRP daily.

According to the contract, officials of IRIS Corporation which has been working since 1998 for electronic passport processing will travel every city of KSA and take information of the Bangladeshis. l

BTRC asked to raise international call revenue n Tribune Business Desk

Proposals invited to accommodate workers’ bonus in labour law Tribune Report

KSA through changing previous one to a new one.

During the signing of the deal, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, “It is undoubtedly a milestone initiative for the Bangladeshi workers who might not be able to go to the city to apply for the MRP. But under this process all of them can get MRP without any hassle.”

Among others, Managing Director of IRIS Corporation Dato Hamdan Mohammad Hasan, Senior Secretary Dr Md Mozammel Haque Khan, Director

The telecom regulatory body has been asked to ensure accountability and transparency in the operation of international gateway (IGW) operators for boosting revenue from international call.

It also suggested necessary measures to suspended IGW operators on equal and similar policy.

The parliamentary Standing Committee on Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Ministry asked Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) also to conduct audit of incoming and outgoing international calls, service audit, air- time audit and SIM Box to avert illegal call termination.

The committee came up with the

recommendations at its 5th meeting held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with its chairman Imran Ahmad in the chair.

Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Minister Abdul latif Siddique, Sharif Ahmed, Sheikh Afil Uddin and Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia attended the meeting. Post and Telecommunication Division Secretary M Foyzur Rahman Chowdhury and officials concerned were present in the meeting.

During the meeting, activities of the international gateway (IGW) operators and measures taken by Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to stop illegal VoIP (Voiceover Internet Protocol) were discussed.

The meeting discussed elaborately the activities of IGW operators and BTRC’s measures to stop illegal use of VoIP. l

JS body for a master plan to modernise Mongla Seaport n Tribune Business Desk A parliamentary watchdog body yesterday recommended formulating a master plan to develop and modernise Mongla Seaport with a highway and an airport.

The suggestion put forward at the 4th meeting of the Standing Committee on Shipping Ministry at Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban, presided over by Chairman Maj (Retd) Rafiqul Islam.

Committee members Talukder Abdul Khaleque, M. Abdul Hai, M. Habibur Rahman, Ranajit Kumar Roy, M. Anwarul Azim and Mamtaz Begum attended the meeting, according to a press release.

The meeting also held discussion on the overall activities of Paira Port Authority.

The body suggested formation of a joint committee of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and Bangladesh Water Development Board to coordinate activities between the two agencies subject to approval by the Prime Minister.

It also suggested introducing a dedicated ferry service on Mawa- Kaorakandi route for the transportation of garment materials.

The meeting suggested making all land ports functional and filling up vacant posts in Mongla Seaport. It also recommended the ministry to put the land ports earlier inaugurated by the government into operation as soon as possible.

Shipping secretary and senior officials were present at the meeting. l

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Profit booking pulls stocks down n Tribune Report

'Heavy fluctuation is severely causing disruption for the short term traders' The benchmark DSEX was down 31 points or 0.7% to end at 4,393.

The Shariah index lost marginally 7 points or 0.6% to 994. The comprising blue chips DS30 shed 16 points or 1% to 1,601.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, dropped 67 points to 8,321.

Trading activities declined as the DSE turnover stood at Tk314, a decrease of more than 15% over the previous session.

Among the large cap sectors, only telecommunication closed in green.

Non-banking financial institutions

Company

Turnover (Million Taka)

3,188.65 77,021,436

Number of Contract

posted the highest losses of over 2%, followed by pharmaceuticals, power, food and allied, and banks edged down.

Lanka Bangla Securities said despite decent corporate earnings in Q2, market held back its momentum as investors’ behavior was astounding towards the market.

“Q2 earnings performance of listed corporate entities was good. But market could not react according to the earnings performance due to selling pressure of stocks.”

IDLC Investments said despite hefty improvement in disclosed half-yearly earnings, the bourse took a hit ahead of nine-day long holiday beginning from today to celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr.

“Since, a weeklong trading halt is due next week, investors started pursuing meticulous strategy.”

Zenith Investments said it was another case for the index to produce a red candle as most of the stocks incurred losses. “Heavy fluctuation is severely causing disruption for the short term traders.”

Beximco continued leading the chart for the seventh consecutive session with Tk60 crore changing hands, contributing 18.8% to the total market turnover.

It was followed by Grameenphone, Lafarge Surma Cement, Shahjibazar Power Company, Padma Oil, FAR Chemical and Generation Next. l

Stocks fell yesterday, breaking gains of two consecutive days as risk averse investors went for booking quick profits.

The market was in positive territory in the first session but profit booking particularly on financial institutions has sent the market to the negative territory.

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features Jujy 23, 2014

Turnover (Volume)

Weekly capital market highlights

74,610

Traded Issues

297

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

110

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

180

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

7

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,295.56

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

27.82

CSE key features Jujy 23, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

347.87

Turnover (Volume)

15,819,045

Number of Contract

9,822

Traded Issues

208

4388.68793

(-) 0.81%

▼

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

80

DSE - 30 Index :

1602.03701

(-) 0.99%

▼

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

112

CSE All Share Index:

13491.23260

(-) 0.77%

▼

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

15

CSE - 30 Index :

11067.38450

(-) 1.60%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,196.15

8321.07380

(-) 0.81%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

26.62

DSE LOSERS Company Navana CNG-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A BD Fixed Income MF-A Shahjibazar Power-N Midas Financing-Z Golden Harvest Agro-N Premier Leasing-Z Pioneer Insur -A BD. Thai Alum -B Saiham Tex.A

Closing (% change) -7.11 -6.95 -6.25 -5.99 -5.38 -5.14 -5.06 -4.76 -4.74 -4.36

CSE LOSERS Company Rupali Bank - A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Navana CNG-A Shahjibazar Power-N ICB -A Asia Pasific Insu. -A AMCL (Pran) -A Eastern Bank - A IDLC Finance -A SummitAlliancePort.-A

Closing (% change) -9.42 -8.16 -7.77 -6.54 -5.01 -4.76 -4.65 -4.35 -4.18 -3.86

ANALYST

Average (% change) -7.10 -6.33 -4.50 0.92 -4.13 -3.35 -2.55 -1.62 -4.17 -2.80 Average (% change) -9.37 -6.25 -8.43 -1.01 -5.01 -4.57 -4.66 -3.80 -2.46 -1.39

Closing average 53.63 35.83 7.64 55.02 21.36 29.96 7.64 46.12 26.46 28.85

Weekly closing 53.60 34.80 7.50 53.40 21.10 29.50 7.50 46.00 26.10 28.50

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

55.80 41.30 8.10 58.00 22.50 31.30 7.80 46.60 27.70 29.70

Weekly low

Turnover in million

51.60 34.20 7.50 52.50 20.80 28.00 7.10 45.70 24.70 28.40

Closing average

Weekly closing

Weekly high

Weekly low

62.50 35.83 53.88 640.88 1,898.00 20.04 217.38 28.60 46.70 24.91

62.50 34.90 53.40 52.90 1,898.00 20.00 217.40 28.60 45.80 24.90

62.50 37.50 57.10 58.00 1,898.00 20.10 217.50 28.60 48.40 25.90

62.50 34.20 52.00 52.20 1,898.00 20.00 217.20 28.60 45.70 24.40

Latest EPS

25.458 601.086 0.042 102.883 0.995 7.493 0.461 1.153 13.324 2.008

Turnover in million

10.00 8.86 5.04 4.94 3.67 3.53 3.36 2.21 2.04 1.79

3.46 1.12 0.56 3.04 -6.91 1.55 0.12 3.12 0.84 3.09

Latest EPS

0.013 58.412 1.565 0.385 0.095 0.090 0.109 0.029 0.131 1.535

2.76 1.12 3.46 3.04 53.53 2.48 5.85 3.10 3.04 0.96

Latest PE 15.5 32.0 13.6 18.1 -ve 19.3 63.7 14.8 31.5 9.3

Latest PE 22.6 32.0 15.6 210.8 35.5 8.1 37.2 9.2 15.4 25.9

Company Prime Islami Life -A Argon Denims Limited-A GPH Ispat Ltd-A Rupali InsurA Hwa Well Textiles-N Jamuna Bank -A Sonargaon Tex -Z FAR Chemical-N JMI Syringes MDL-A AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A

Closing (% change) 4.67 3.93 3.16 3.08 3.08 2.48 2.25 2.20 2.11 1.82

Average (% change) 10.00 9.23 3.13 5.93 3.58 3.47 2.57 (0.20) 3.21 Average (% change) 4.63 3.88 3.12 3.17 3.61 1.75 1.90 5.42 4.81 1.82

Closing average 134.20 29.60 60.00 165.36 60.00 17.63 830.91 23.13 4.99 5.78

Closing average 87.50 44.98 52.21 23.40 40.48 12.23 9.10 52.53 164.21 5.60

Weekly closing 134.20 29.50 60.40 163.50 62.20 17.60 830.10 23.10 5.00 5.70

Weekly closing 87.50 45.00 52.20 23.40 40.20 12.40 9.10 51.20 160.00 5.60

Weekly high 134.20 29.80 61.20 169.00 62.50 18.50 848.00 24.00 5.00 5.80

Weekly high 89.00 45.00 52.30 23.40 40.90 12.40 9.10 53.90 167.00 5.60

Weekly low 134.20 29.50 60.00 150.10 62.00 16.00 820.00 20.40 4.90 5.70

Weekly low 86.00 44.00 50.40 23.40 39.50 12.10 9.10 50.40 160.00 5.60

Turnover in million 0.027 0.148 0.009 23.068 0.012 0.441 0.457 25.760 0.332 0.026

Turnover in million 0.009 0.416 0.888 0.012 2.267 0.047 0.005 8.589 2.463 0.022

Latest EPS -1.80 4.57 -43.81 4.50 0.52 1.52 -71.72 1.32 0.71 -1.33

Latest EPS 4.95 4.04 2.42 2.40 3.99 0.60 -0.92 3.92 4.50 -0.56

Latest PE -ve 6.5 -ve 36.7 115.4 11.6 -ve 17.5 7.0 -ve

Latest PE 17.7 11.1 21.6 9.8 10.1 20.4 -ve 13.4 36.5 -ve

News, analysis and recent disclosers NAVANACNG: The Board of Directors has recommended 15% cash dividend for the year ended on March 31, 2014.

Date of AGM: 25.09.2014, Time: 9:30 AM, Venue: Bashundhara Convention Centre-2, Baridhara, Dhaka. Record Date: 10.08.2014. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 3.46, NAV per share of Tk. 28.14 and NOCFPS of Tk. 4.03 for the year ended on March 31, 2014.

LAFSURCEML: The Company has informed that the Company ("Lafarge Surma") and Metrocem Cement Ltd. ("Metrocem") have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on 22.07.2014.

The MOU provides that, within six (6) months from the signing of the MOU, Lafarge Surma and Metrocem shall execute a Toll Grinding Agreement. Under the MOU Metrocem will produce Portland Composite Cement (PCC) for Lafarge Surma. Lafarge Surma shall supply clinker to Metrocem and Metrocem shall supply other raw materials to manufacture the bagged PCC cement strictly in accordance with Lafarge Surma's specification and quality standard. Metrocem shall sell the bagged cement, produced under the MOU, exclusively to Lafarge Surma.

Lafarge Surma shall market and distribute the cement under the brand name "DURACRETE".

BGIC: ARGUS Credit Rating Services Limited (ACRSL) has announced the CPA (Claim Paying Ability) Rating of the Company as "A+" for long term and "ST-2" for short term in consideration of financials of the Company up to 31 December 2013 (audited), Q1FY14 (unaudited) and other

relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

Unaudited Financials: BATASHOE: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 278.73 million with EPS of Tk. 20.37 as against Tk. 243.37 million and Tk. 17.79 respectively*.

BAYLEASING: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 152.23 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 1.16 as against Tk. 115.93 million and Tk. 0.89 respectively*.

LAFSURCEML: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 1,402.27 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 1.21 as against Tk. 1,062.02 million and Tk. 0.91 respectively*.

BEACHHATCH: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 33.58 million with EPS of Tk. 0.85 as against Tk. 17.96 million and Tk. 0.46 respectively*.

JMISMDL: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 24.79 million with EPS of Tk. 2.25 as against Tk. 13.25 million and Tk. 1.20 respectively*.

PEOPLESINS: (H/Y): NPAT=Tk. 55.67 million with EPS of Tk. 1.21 as against Tk. 52.86 million and Tk. 1.14 respectively*.

RECKITTBEN: (H/Y): NPAT=Tk. 85.92 million with EPS of Tk. 18.18 as against Tk. 63.16 million and Tk. 13.37 respectively*.

DHAKAINS: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 48.74 million with EPS of Tk. 1.30 as against Tk. 45.66 million and Tk. 1.22 respectively*.

SINGERBD: (H/Y): NPAT=Tk. 192.78 million with EPS of Tk. 3.14 as against Tk. 208.12 million and Tk. 3.39 respectively*.

HEIDELBCEM: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 817.07 million with EPS of Tk. 14.46 as against Tk. 862.78 million and Tk. 15.27 respectively*.

GEMINISEA: (Q3): NPAT= Tk. -1.49 million with EPS of Tk. -1.35 as against Tk. -11.05 million and Tk. -10.04 respectively*.

SAPORTL: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 79.28 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 0.48 as against Tk. 66.70 million and Tk. 0.41 respectively*.

ARAMIT: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 43.22 million with EPS of Tk. 7.20 as against Tk. 39.34 million and Tk. 6.56 respectively*.

PIONEERINS: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 127.09 million with EPS after tax & reserve for exceptional losses is Tk. 1.56.

PUBALIBANK: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 1,635.52 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 1.86 as against Tk. 1,125.97 million and Tk. 1.28 respectively*.

AFCAGRO: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 78.24 million with EPS of Tk. 1.42 as against net profit after tax of Tk. 38.52 million and EPS of Tk. 0.70*.

SQUARETEXT: (H/Y): NPAT= Tk. 472.85 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 3.20 as against Tk. 458.30 million and Tk. 3.10 respectively*. * for the same period of the previous year.

MARICO: The Company has further informed that the 14th AGM of the Company will be held on August 19, 2014 at 10:00 AM at Radisson Blu Water Garden, Airport Road, Dhaka Cantonment Area, Dhaka. Other information of the AGM is as announced earlier.

PEOPLESINS: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has elected Mr. Mohamed Ali Hossain as Chairman of the Company.

ISLAMIINS: The Company has informed that it has credited the bonus shares for the year ended on December 31, 2013 to the respective shareholders' BO Account on July 22, 2014.

Q2 earnings performance of listed corporate entities was good. But market could not react according to the earnings performance due to selling pressure of stocks

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Weekly high

GeminiSeaFood-Z ICB AMCL 1st NRB -A Jute SpinnersA JMI Syringes MDL-A Savar Refractories-Z SonarBangla Insu. -A National Tea -A CMC Kamal Tex. -A Phoenix Fin. 1st MF-A Meghna PET Ind. -Z

Closing (% change)

CSE GAINERS

DSE Broad Index :

CSE Selected Index :

Thursday, July 24, 2014

DSE Million Taka 161.11 75.69 32.12 270.98 93.63 343.05 0.77 300.92 497.76 0.32 41.71 15.81 13.50 248.37 12.09 31.96 32.79 281.49 85.58 648.96 0.07

% change 5.05 2.37 1.01 8.50 2.94 10.76 0.02 9.44 15.61 1.31 0.50 0.42 7.79 0.38 1.00 1.03 8.83 2.68 20.35 0.00

Million Taka 112.15 6.29 0.97 18.36 17.22 23.23 38.30 32.04 26.54 1.83 27.76 1.83 11.20 1.42 0.97 1.35 28.45 15.51 62.07 0.01

CSE

% change 26.24 1.47 0.23 4.29 4.03 5.43 0.00 8.96 7.49 6.21 0.43 6.49 0.43 2.62 0.33 0.23 0.32 6.66 3.63 14.52 0.00

Million Taka 273.27 81.98 33.08 289.33 110.84 366.27 0.77 339.22 529.80 26.86 43.54 43.57 15.34 259.57 13.51 32.93 34.14 309.94 101.09 711.03 0.07

Total

% change 7.56 2.27 0.91 8.00 3.07 10.13 0.02 9.38 14.65 0.74 1.20 1.20 0.42 7.18 0.37 0.91 0.94 8.57 2.80 19.66 0.00

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Grameenphone-A LafargeS Cement-Z Square Pharma -A Shahjibazar Power-N Padma Oil Co. -A FAR Chemical-N G Next Fashions-A Active Fine Chem.-A HeidelbergCement -A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Shahjalal Islami -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Grameenphone-A FAR Chemical-N The Peninsula CTG.-N Square Pharma -A G Next Fashions-A BD Submarine Cable-A UNITED AIR-A LafargeS Cement-Z

Volume shares 16,777,298 818,420 2,012,500 465,234 1,869,800 300,740 1,581,500 3,908,368 957,384 123,800

Volume shares 9,027,374 1,630,169 71,200 163,500 234,400 30,610 421,681 39,900 594,215 74,500

Value in million 601.09 244.15 170.67 117.08 102.88 97.88 82.86 70.91 62.48 62.23

Value in million 99.30 58.41 21.21 8.59 8.03 7.69 7.61 7.24 7.19 6.31

% of total turnover 18.85 7.66 5.35 3.67 3.23 3.07 2.60 2.22 1.96 1.95

% of total turnover 29.68 17.46 6.34 2.57 2.40 2.30 2.27 2.16 2.15 1.88

Weekly closing 34.80 297.70 83.60 250.60 53.40 326.20 51.30 17.70 64.60 505.70

Weekly closing 11.10 34.90 298.70 51.20 34.00 250.50 17.90 180.10 12.10 83.80

Price change -6.95 1.36 -0.83 -1.18 -5.99 0.18 0.98 -3.80 1.41 -0.45

Weekly opening 37.40 293.70 84.30 253.60 56.80 325.60 50.80 18.40 63.70 508.00

Weekly high 41.30 301.00 86.80 254.00 58.00 328.10 54.20 19.90 66.40 509.50

Weekly low 34.20 290.00 83.40 240.00 52.50 305.00 50.80 16.30 59.00 498.00

Weekly average 35.83 298.32 84.81 251.66 55.02 325.48 52.40 18.14 65.26 502.63

Price change 0.91 -8.16 1.77 2.20 -1.16 -0.95 -1.65 -1.32 -0.82 -0.12

Weekly opening 11.00 38.00 293.50 50.10 34.40 252.90 18.20 182.50 12.20 83.90

Weekly high 11.10 37.50 300.00 53.90 34.80 253.50 18.60 184.50 12.20 86.30

Weekly low 9.90 34.20 293.50 50.40 33.90 250.00 17.70 180.00 11.00 83.50

Weekly average 11.00 35.83 297.90 52.53 34.28 251.36 18.04 181.43 12.10 84.64

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Watch what markets don’t do as world politics turns nasty n Reuters, London Like so much in the investment world of late, it’s what financial markets are not doing right now that is most intriguing.

Over the course of the past month, conflicts, superpower standoffs and economic sanctions have flared in Iraq and Syria, Israel and Gaza, Ukraine and Russia. All are at least potential threats to world energy supplies, if not globalised business links and supply chains.

What’s more, a September referendum looms on the potential breakup of the world’s sixth largest economy as Scots vote on secession from the rest of the United Kingdom.

Yet the world’s main financial markets have barely blinked.

Crude oil prices gyrated briefly on the upsurge in the Iraq/Syria violence but net moves have been slight to nonexistent. At around $108 per barrel, Brent crude is roughly where it was at the start of this year - and where it started last year and even the year before that.

In the face of all this seeming uncertainty, energy price volatility has in fact sunk to its lowest on record.

For some, energy prices moved to discount this more economically integrated but less politically stable globe more than 10 years ago, when they quadrupled in the early 2000s.

And the persistence of $100 plus per barrel oil in itself reflects that more fragile state of affairs. Little of what’s happened this year will have materially altered that picture beyond a relatively small $1 or $2 pop in futures markets premia for near-term supply disruptions.

For all that strategists puzzle over the lack of price reaction to last week’s downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine, many acknowledge that recent history does not support a view of either spiralling conflict or direct links between political violence and lasting market or economic fallout.

“In my mind, the market is not assigning a high enough probability of

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange this situation escalating to uncomfortable levels but the reality is the most likely outcome is that it doesn’t,” said Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid.

Even if western sanctions on Russia - the world’s eighth largest economy are ratcheted up and Russian markets are as exposed as their near 10% drop over the past 10 days suggests, investors know that seeing through periodic spikes in political tensions would have paid off time and again.

“Russia has oil and gas; it is in-

conceivable that the West will take any meaningful macro sanctions that would endanger the supply of Russian energy to Europe,” said Jim WoodSmith at Hawksmoor Investment Management. “So there will be all the usual huffing and puffing ... with politicians all hoping everything will have calmed down in a few months.”

Excite

That may sound too relaxed or even complacent given the stakes at hand.

REUTERS

But if wars, coups and conflicts in energy-critical hotspots can’t even excite oil prices for more than a few days, then it’s hard to see how the wider economic and financial universe would be materially affected.

“The simplest way to measure geopolitical risk is to look at the price of energy. Energy is everything for the macro economist,” said Steen Jakobsen, chief economist at Saxo Bank.

The reaction on world equity markets would appear to confirm that. For

all the short-term wobbles, world equity indices are up 0.6% for July and 5.6% in the black for the year.

As for any dash to “safe” assets such as US Treasury bonds, dollars, gold or Swiss francs, 10-year T-bond yields are down 3 basis points this month but those on two-year paper are up by the same. The dollar has strengthened 1% in July, but gold and Swiss francs have fallen almost as much.

But what of other transmission mechanisms from international con-

flict to the real economy? One potential route would be business or consumer anxiety that crimped spending, hiring or investment due to lack of visibility on demand or job security.

Surveys measuring sentiment will not yet have captured the period since flight MH17 was shot down but there was already a marginal ebbing of euro zone economic sentiment in June from three-year highs.

Some economists point to soft manufacturing data across Europe in May as partly a function of the Russia/ Ukraine standoff and the western sanctions imposed on Russian companies after Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in March and its subsequent support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Europe’s dependency on Russian gas, the large relative exposure of German and European companies to the Russian economy and the already fragile state of many euro zone economies does mark it out as a likely underperformer.

That’s been borne out by a breakdown in correlation since early July between the Euro STOXX 50 index of euro zone blue chips and the 4 percentage point outperformance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

But while Russia’s already ailing economy and specific western European companies and sectors may be in the firing line, any reading of the global economic disturbance pales in comparison to the weather-related shock of a first-quarter U.S. economic contraction, for example. That’s certainly true as long as oil prices remain unimpressed.

Investors will most likely choose to see through sometimes shocking events to more mundane but dominant drivers such as the - currently distorted - US interest rate cycle, and when those rockbottom interest rates will start to rise.

While that’s unlikely to be this year, it’s only the volatility associated with that event that would finally see geopolitics and energy prices amplified to the point of impact. l

Euro at multi-year lows against dollar, yen Oil extends losses in Asian trade n AFP, Tokyo

The euro touched multi-month lows against the dollar and yen yesterday as investors fret about the impact on the eurozone economy of possible fresh sanctions against Russia following the downing of Flight MH17.

In late afternoon Tokyo trade, the single currency bought $1.3461 and 136.51 yen, down from $1.3465 and 136.62 yen in New York late Tuesday.

However, it was up marginally from the earlier exchanges when it touched $1.3458 at one point, its lowest since November, and 136.40 yen, its weakest level since February.

The dollar fetched 101.40 yen compared with 101.45 yen in US trade.

The greenback was supported by data showing US inflation slowed in June to 0.3%, from 0.4% in May, suggesting there was no need for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates sooner than the expected middle of 2015.

The euro is facing selling pressure as investors worry that another round of sanctions on Russia will have a knockon effect for the eurozone.

Moscow is facing fresh measures over its support for Ukrainian rebels who have been accused of shooting down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 last week. But with the eurozone heavily reliant on its giant eastern neighbour for energy supplies, there are fears the bloc’s already fragile economies could suffer as a result.

Adding to the geopolitical tensions, major US, European and Canadian airlines cancelled flights to and from Israel Tuesday, after a rocket fired from Gaza struck near its main international airport in Tel Aviv.

However, IG Securities’ Junichi Ishikawa said the euro’s weakness may be more linked to a possible divergence in monetary policy between the European Central Bank and the Fed. The ECB has launched unprecedented easing measures which may weaken

BA Express USA Inc, a subsidiary Exchange House of Bank Asia has recently started its operation at Brooklyn of New York in the United States of America (USA) to provide remittance solution to Bangladeshi community living there. Md Shameem Ahsan, consulate general of Bangladesh in New York, USA was present at the inaugural ceremony as chief guest

the euro as the Fed scales back its stimulus programme, a move which tends to support the dollar.

In other trading the Indonesian rupiah battled back against the dollar after the reform-minded governor of Jakarta, Joko Widodo, was declared winner of Indonesia’s closely fought presidential election.

The rupiah had dropped as low as 11,620 against the dollar late Tuesday but was trading at 11,505 against the greenback yesterday.

The dollar was mostly down against other Asia-Pacific currencies.

It weakened to Sg$1.2392 from Sg$1.2406, to 43.29 Philippine pesos from 43.36 pesos, to 1,024.20 South Korean won from 1,024.73 won, and to 31.75 Thai baht from 31.87 baht.

It was flat at 60.19 Indian rupees.

The Australian dollar edged up to 94.40 US cents from 93.89 cents, while the Chinese yuan was lower at 16.34 yen against 16.36 yen. l

n AFP, Singapore

Oil prices extended losses in Asia yesterday as a stronger US currency discouraged buying in the dollar-priced commodity and concerns over the geopolitical fallout from the downing of flight MH17 in Ukraine eased.

Israel’s operation against Hamas in Gaza continued to cause tensions, however, as UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged an end to the conflict that has entered its 16th day.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for September delivery was down 39 cents at $102.00 a barrel in afternoon trade on the contract’s first day of trading. Brent crude declined 18 cents to $107.15.

The dollar strengthened Tuesday against most other major currencies, especially the euro, as easing US consumer inflation data pointed to the Federal Reserve keeping a steady course on interest rates.

Modhumoti Bank Limited has recently signed an agreement with the Bangladesh Bank for participation in “Refinance Scheme for Agro-based Product Processing Industries in Rural Areas”. Md Masum Patwary, general manager of SME and special programmers departments at Bangladesh Bank and Md Mizanur Rahman, managing director and CEO of Modhumoti Bank Limited signed the agreement

The pace of US inflation slowed in June, the Labor Department reported.

The department’s consumer price index rose 0.3 percent last month, after a hefty 0.4 percent rise in May. The dollar was sitting at multimonth highs against the euro in Asia on Wednesday, with DBS bank saying “there were more upside surprises in US data releases and more downside surprises in Eurozone data”.

It said the euro is “also considered geographically vulnerable to geopolitical risks” with the eurozone “wedged between the Russia/Ukraine crisis and Israel’s military offensive in Gaza”.

A stronger US currency makes dollarpriced oil more expensive to holders of other units, dampening buying interest.

Tensions have eased since news Tuesday that pro-Russian rebels had handed over the black boxes from the Malaysia Airlines passenger jet that came down in eastern Ukraine with the deaths of almost 300 people.

With the US blaming Moscowbacked separatist rebels for the incident, there are fears that an escalation of the conflict and tit-for-tat sanctions could affect supplies from Russia, the

'There were more upside surprises in US data releases and more downside surprises in Eurozone data'

world’s second biggest crude producer.

Investors are also keeping an eye on developments in the Middle East, where Israeli forces have vowed no let up in their aerial and ground assault in Gaza. l

Nitol Motors Limited and bKash Limited have recently signed an agreement on collecting monthly installments from Nitol Motors’s customers through bKash. Abdul Matlub Ahmad, chairperson of Nitol Motors and Kamal Quadir, CEO of bKash Limited signed the agreement

Carmudi introduces mobile app n Tribune Business Desk Mercantile Bank Limited, as part of corporate social responsibility, has donated an ambulance to Shaheda Gafur Ibrahim Geleral Hospital in Kalaiya, Patuakhali. The bank’s chairperson Morshed Alam handed over the ambulance to Dr MA Samad, CEO of National Healthcare Network

Midland Bank Limited recently held its Town Hall Business meeting at a city hotel. The bank’s managing director Md Ahsan-uzZaman presided over the meeting as chief guest

Carmudi, an online car classified has recently launched a mobile application which will allow country’s Android users to browse thousands of cars on the go.

Carmudi’s app is currently offering around 200,000 vehicles worldwide

where the number of Bangladeshi vehicles is more than 15,000.

The app is available in twenty countries across Asia, Africa and Middle East.

For the convenience of Bangladeshi people, Carmudi has made the app available in Bangla, along with 8 other languages, said a press release. l

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Thursday, July 24, 2014

India outsources chores as servant culture shifts n AFP, Mumbai Need someone to pay your bills and pick up your shopping, take an elderly relative to hospital or deliver 26 presents to your girlfriend on her 26th birthday?

These are just some of the requests received by Mumbai start-up “Get My Peon”, one of the new Indian companies offering to do your chores and errands in a country traditionally reliant on full-time servants.

Hired help still plays a huge role in hierarchical Indian society, with those who can afford it employing maids, cooks, drivers and nannies, as well as “peons” or servants at work - still an acceptable term in India for office boys and runners.

But some are increasingly opting to outsource their daily tasks rather than depend on in-house staff. Get My Peon, set up in 2012, now has about 800 clients on its books, from chief executives to housewives.

“People have stopped doing things the old-fashioned way. The labour costs for full-time staff are very high,” said Bharat Ahirwar, the 29-year-old founder of Get My Peon, which charges 200 rupees ($3) for a one-way errand.

While India’s urban middle-class is growing and looking for affordable help, new avenues are opening for poorer workers who earlier were more likely to settle as full-time, often poorly paid, servants.

Less manpower

“The availability of manpower is going down,” said Bhavin Shah, who runs dehydrated meals company Satvita Foods and regularly uses Get My Peon for deliveries after previously employing his own runner.

“Getting the right kind of people is tough, they occupy real estate, a lot of things are required for full-time staff and you’ve got to keep track of them all the time,” he said.

“The more you can outsource, the better it is.”

Having your own staff still appears to be something of a status symbol -- some of Get My Peon’s users prefer their clients not to know they are using the service instead of a personal servant.

“That happens a lot,” said Ahirwar, who employs a team of about 10 runners.

In this photograph taken on July 11, founder of India's door to door pickup and delivery service 'Get My Peon' Bharat Ahirwar (left) speaks to the company's marketing manager Devlina Pathye at their office in Mumbai. Hired help still plays a huge role in hierarchical Indian society, with those who can afford it employing maids, cooks, drivers and nannies, as well as 'peons' at work - still an acceptable term in India for office boys and runners AFP As well as being assigned errands, they can be hired for a day to help with certain tasks at home or in the office.

Anil Dharker, a Mumbai columnist who writes on social issues, agreed that most Indian companies now want fewer employees on their books and therefore fewer liabilities, with a declining number enlisting full-time chauffeurs for their senior executives.

“They give an allowance and he (the senior executive) finds his own person,” said Dharker, also mentioning the various taxi firms that offer drivers for hire by the day, in a country where public transport options remain limited.

American cab-hailing smartphone app Uber has recently entered the Indian market, positioning itself as an alter-

native to full-time chauffeurs by advertising as “everyone’s private driver”.

Get My Peon has meanwhile tied up with several other start-ups offering to take care of household chores, including laundry service Chamak Direct, professional cleaners Hammer and Mop and home repairs firm Travtus Workforce.

“I don’t think middle-class people in (Indian) cities have ever held a drill in their life. They’re so used to having people do it for them,” said Travtus founder Tripty Arya.

She said working with one’s hands was still considered a “lower grade job” in India, where even do-it-yourself enthusiasts struggle to find time for such tasks on top of commuting to work in traffic-clogged cities.

Home help in demand

With a growing number of nuclear families in which both parents go out to work, help in the home remains in high demand in urban India.

But those looking for cheap, fulltime labour often find themselves disappointed, said Vikas Singh, who runs domestic help provider Deliseva.com, based in Mumbai.

“We have householders coming in and saying a maid is working for us for 3,000 to 4,000 rupees ($50-67) a month, give us another for that same price,” said Singh, whose firm sticks to a minimum wage of 7,200 rupees a month for eight-hour days.

Singh said many cooks and maids on their books, often migrants from rural areas, would work for a few hours

at three or four different households, whereas traditionally they tended to take up a live-in job with one family.

Others are choosing to abandon domestic service altogether as the growing economy throws up a range of new jobs, rather than work in an industry still mired with tales of exploitation and abuse.

Neelam Ashok Kapadne, a 25-yearold living in northeast Mumbai, worked as a maid to support her family after her father died, but later found a job in a shopping mall and is now at college studying commerce.

“Even though we live in slums, hardly any of the girls in my neighbourhood want to work as house maids. They want to study, housework is tough,” she said. l

With sales sputtering, Apple’s iPad looks to IBM alliance n Reuters, San Francisco Apple Inc’s iPad is losing steam just four years after its release, but an alliance with International Business Machines Corp could rejuvenate a flagging product by entering into a largely untapped corporate market.

Apple shipped 13.2 million iPads in the June quarter, 8% fewer than a year earlier and lagging Wall Street’s forecast for 14 million or more. Sales of the device, which accounted for 15% of revenue, fell short of Wall Street’s expectations for the second quarter in a row.

Apple helped create the tablet market in 2010 with its first iPad. But growth has plummeted from 2012, as larger phones became more popular and people delayed replacing their tablets. And it is ceding market to mostly cheaper Android offerings from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Chinese manufacturers using Google Inc software.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook described iPad sales as “very bifurcated” - they continue to grow at 50 percent or above in emerging markets such as the Middle East and China, but in developed countries like the United States, the “market is weaker.”

Research firm IDC lowered its forecast for 2014 worldwide tablet demand growth to 12.1% - a fraction of the 51.8% expansion of 2013. The first quarter of this year also saw Apple’s market share slide to 32.5%, from 40% a year earlier.

“The tablet market globally has really hit a wall,” said Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White.

Another threat to iPad sales may come from within. Apple is expected to introduce a larger 5.5-inch (14.0-cm) iPhone in the fall. At those dimensions, the iPhone would begin closing in on the 7.8-inch (19.8-cm) iPad mini.

“You have the negative impact of the larger screen iPhone and what that would do to iPad mini,” said Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. “You’re going to get a larger screen iPhone before you’ll get contributions from the IBM partnership.”

Investors hope the partnership with IBM announced this month will help bolster sales in the largest global enterprises, which could provide a boon to US tablet sales. l

New India government Japan readies fuel cell subsidies in bet on urges changes to Toyota’s next big thing n World Bank Reuters, Tokyo

n AFP, New Delhi India’s new government has called for reforms to the World Bank structure to reflect the “emerging” clout of developing nations in a meeting with visiting bank chief Jim Yong Kim. The government, which took office in May, said in a statement late Tuesday that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stressed at an evening meeting with Kim the need for significant changes to the way the World Bank operates.

'We pledged our financial support (to India) but we also spoke at great length about our knowledge partnership that we are going to build' Jaitley told Kim that the Bank needs to play a “global role in poverty reduction and development” and also “reflect the emerging world order in its governance”.

Kim is on an official visit to India that wraps up Wednesday during which he is meeting members of the country’s new right-wing government.

The call by India’s finance minister came on the heels of the BRICS group of nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - establishing earlier this month a development bank to rival

DILBERT

the World Bank.

At a meeting in mid-July, BRICS leaders agreed on the set-up of a $50bn development bank by granting China its headquarters and India its first rotating presidency.

The move has been seen as a step away by developing nations from the traditional commanding role of Western nations in the global economy.

India and other developing nations have long faulted the World Bank for failing to give stronger voting rights to developing nations despite the fact they are home to some 40 percent of the global population.

The Press Trust of India news agency quoted Kim as saying late Tuesday that India had historically been the World Bank’s biggest borrower and its success hinged on the country achieving economic success.

“We pledged our financial support (to India) but we also spoke at great length about our knowledge partnership that we are going to build,” Kim said, according to the news agency.

“We will bring innovations from all other countries in the world here as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government embarks on an extremely ambition mission to grow the economy,” Kim said.

Modi was elected with his Bharatiya Janata Party winning the biggest majority in three decades on a platform of spurring India’s sharply slowing economy.

India is the World Bank’s highest cumulative borrower with a portfolio of 85 projects to which some $24bn has been committed. l

Japan is readying subsidies to help Toyota Motor Corp and key suppliers take the lead in hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles that could top $400m over the next several years if the most bullish projections for the technology play out.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s planned consumer rebates of at least $20,000 per vehicle would be the largest government support plan for hydrogen vehicles yet, raising the stakes for a commercially unproven technology with roots in the space race that Toyota and others see headed for the mainstream over the coming decades.

The taxpayer-funded program would bring down the cost of Toyota’s soon-to-be-launched hydrogen-powered fuel cell car to around $50,000 in Japan, about the cost of a small luxury sedan such as the BMW 3 Series.

Abe announced the outline of the plan last week and details are still being finalised.

The cost savings could be enough to make the Toyota vehicle affordable for taxi operators and other companies with fleets of vehicles within driving range of the 100 hydrogen fuelling stations that Japan expects to have built

by March 2015.

“It’s still difficult to make these cars popular among ordinary consumers, but the subsidy has certain effects on companies interested in promoting themselves as green,” said Tomohide Kazama, Senior Consultant at Nomura Research Institute. “It’s a move to plant a seed for future growth.”

Fuel cell vehicles, which run on electricity made by cells that combine hydrogen and oxygen, have been in testing since the 1960s, when the technology was also being developed by NASA. Since the vehicles emit only water and heat, they have been seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to those powered by combustion engines.

It could also help Japan shift to hydrogen energy as the country, dependent on imported fossil fuel as an energy source after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, seeks to cut carbon emissions.

While much of the hydrogen used in the

Toyota Motor Corp's Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) concept car is seen at the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo country now is made from fossil fuel, the government hopes to implement carbon-free production by 2040.

Promoting the technology last week, a smiling Abe test-drove Toyota’s fuel cell sedan, set to go on sale in Japan by end-March, and fueled hydrogen into a Honda Motor Co FCX Clarity car, currently leased to governments and some companies.

Commercial challenges

The challenges to commercial use of fuel cell cars have been the lack of a hydrogen fuelling infrastructure and their high cost. Abe’s government has taken aim at both barriers in the hope of protecting an area of emerging technology where automakers and suppliers believe they have a lead over rivals in the United States and Europe.

The $20,000 rebate per car means taxpayers may support subsidies of up to around $200 million a year. Annual sales forecast for fuel cell vehicles in the early years of market introduction

vary from several hundred to 10,000 vehicles.

To put 100 hydrogen fuel stations in urban areas by end-March 2015, the ruling party has suggested a subsidy of up to $2m per station - which cost $4-5m each to build - meaning another $200m in taxpayer money.

The government plans to continue offering subsidies and tax breaks so that fuel cell cars can sell at around the same price as gas-electric hybrids in the 2020s.

“The subsidy is a huge driving force for sales, but it won’t be offered forever and I think the message here is that we need to continue cutting costs,” said Koichi Kojima, a senior Toyota engineer who has been involved in fuel cell vehicle development for a decade.

The hydrogen supply chain has been benefiting from growing interest in the technology. Shares in Iwatani Corp, which opened the country’s first commercial hydrogen station in western Japan this month and plans to build

REUTERS

a total of 20 stations by 2015, jumped nearly 50% this year, while hydrogen tank maker JFE Container rose 14.3%.

Besides Toyota, Honda also plans to start selling its fuel cell vehicle in 2015.

Automakers including General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co have been working on fuel cells for years and Daimler AG and Hyundai Motor Co lease fuel cell cars in the United States, but so far there are no plans for sales in Japan.

That means the subsidy will be offered exclusively to Toyota and Honda for the time being.

The announcement came as Washington and Tokyo are deadlocked over US access to the Japanese auto market in talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a regional trade pact.

“I don’t see it being a friction in terms of a trade issue,” said Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car Journal. “I see it being a useful subsidy to help automakers that are going to be grappling with very high costs in developing very advanced vehicles.” l