06 aug, 2014

Shraban 22, 1421 Shawal 9, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 124

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

7 | LONG FORM

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

9 | WORLD EARTHQUAKE DEATH TOLL IN CHINA REACHES 410

‘THEY NEED TO READ THE QURAN AGAIN’

11 | OP-ED

13 | SPORT INDIA HOCKEY TEAM PROMISES TOUGH COMPETITION

WAR CRIMES ARE WAR CRIMES

Hopes fading as no progress in rescue

Story of Pinak 6 and Habiba’s Another body found on day 2, over 130 listed as missing; minister says 270 were on board unending wait for Shamim n Ashif Islam Shaon

Rescuers until last night were able to recover the body of only one passenger of the capsized Pinak 6, raising the number to three, while relatives of over a hundred missing people remained in dark whether the bodies could be found for burial.

The launch could not be traced until 10pm apparently because of bad weather and strong current of Padma River.

Many of the family members kept waiting on the river bank while some others were frantically going to the rescue officials of the BIWTA, the Navy, the fire service divers and the Coast Guard to know whether any more body was recovered.

According to the rescuers, the possibility of tracing the launch is going away far with time.

Chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) M Shamsuddoha Khandakar last night briefed reporters about the salvage operation at the Mawa ghat. He said they would start a joint and intensive search operation within few hours.

“Three ships equipped with side scan SONAR systems will carry out the search operation simultaneously. Each of the system will search the waters covering around 200 metres and therefore, the ships will search 600 metres of the Kawrakandi to Mawa route,” he said.

The ships – one each from Navy, BIWTA and BIWTC – would also search one kilometre in the upstream and three kilometres in the downstream, he added.

He said during the operation, the authorities would impose restrictions so that small vessels could not operate at that time.

“We are not sure when the launch can be traced. Things are getting harder,” he told the Dhaka Tribune in the evening.

Comparing with previous experience of salvaged launches, he said: “This time the current is stronger and water is muddy. We have so far searched 20km  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

n Ashif Islam Shaon

ers said in most cases, the responsible launch owners and staff too were not told about what to do to prevent recurrence of accidents. Most of the owners repair or improve service by themselves.

Water transportation experts told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday said concealing the probe reports actually helped the launch owners escape punishment. They said the recommendations needed to be followed to prevent such casualities.

Shamim and Habiba got married without the permission of their families just two months ago. They were neighbours at Torki Bandar of Gournadi in Barisal.

They had fallen in love with each other six years back.

Shamim was returning home on Monday. “There would be an informal bridal reception at Shamim’s village today...I was waiting to go to his home,” said Umme Habiba yesterday.

Shamim Ahmed was on board the Pinak 6, which sank in the Padma River on Monday.

“I am still waiting here...but to receive his body,” Habiba told this correspondent on the bank of the Padma near the Mawa Launch Terminal.

The 26-year-old bride fainted several times.

Her father-in-law and a brother-inlaw were trying to console her, but they could not hold back their own tears.

“Shamim got a job at a drug company in Dhaka five months ago and I completed my honours degree. So, we thought it was the right time. I went to Dhaka where Shamim lived and got married,” Habiba said.

The families of Shamim and Habia had not taken the marriage easily. The couple could not also feel good for not including their parents in their new life.

“So, we decided to apologise to them and convince them to arrange a reception,” she said.

Shamim went to his home, leaving Habiba in Dhaka. Their parents pardoned the new couple and asked Shamim to bring Habiba home. Shamim informed Habiba the good news. But an elated Habiba could not wait any longer.

On the day of the launch capsize, she went to the Mawa terminal to meet her husband there and board a launch to go home.

Shamim boarded the Pinak 6 at Kawrakandi to pick Habiba at Mawa and take her home at Torki.

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A grief-stricken Salam, whose elder brother was one of the passengers of Pinak 6, waits for his brother’s body to be rescued at Mawa ferry terminal in Munshiganj. The overcrowded launch capsized in the Padma River near Mawa on Monday MEHEDI HASAN

Probe bodies no more than a joke n Syed Samiul Basher Anik Though casualities in ferry capsizes have topped around 4,500 while many remain missing in the last 38 years, the government is yet to take punitive action against those responsible because of a vicious cycle of corrupt officials.

Probe committees are formed after every incident and they make recommendations to the Shipping Ministry.

Of around 500 such committee reports,

only four have so far been published and punitive action was taken against the vessel owners.

In the other incidents, no probe report was made public in line with the related law and no one except for the ministry officials are aware of the facts and names of persons responsible.

Even it is alleged that the ministry does not pay heed to the preventive measures suggested by the probe bodies.

A senior leader of the launch own-

Rapp against trial of Jamaat-e-Islami Israel withdraws troops as n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

US Ambassador-at-Large Stephen J Rapp yesterday said no political party should be tried for crime against humanity, and the focus should be given on individuals who committed the crime.

“Do not take the step of moving forward to use the criminal process to prosecute a political party or a large group,” he said at a press conference at the American Center in the capital.

He arrived in the city on Sunday, his fifth visit since 2011, and met foreign and law ministers, prosecutors, defence attorneys and members of civil society.

Without mentioning the name of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Rapp said the crimes in 1971 were committed by individuals and not everybody in a political party.

The Nuremberg Tribunal … they did not convict any organisation, but they found Nazi leadership was criminal

He was of the view that it is essential to resort to the process of reconciliation in the society as convicting a political party would not help the people.

“That is not something that will help peace and reconciliation. What helps peace and reconciliation is focusing on individuals that made the decisions, and then separating those individuals

from parties and groups,” he said.

Citing Nuremberg trial, he said: “The Nuremberg Tribunal … they did not convict any organisation, but they found Nazi leadership was criminal, not the Nazi party.

“Even in that precedent, it is not appropriate to convict the political party,” he said.

Several verdicts in Bangladesh termed Jamaat as a criminal organisation for its role in 1971.

The Nazi Party was also termed criminal organisation by the Nuremberg Tribunal and was banned by the Allied Force led by the US. Prosecution of Quader Molla Washington was not happy over the execution of Abdul Quader Mollah last year.

Rapp said the US expressed its  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

72-hour Gaza truce begins n Reuters Israel withdrew ground forces from the Gaza Strip yesterday and started a 72hour ceasefire with Hamas mediated

by Egypt as a first step towards negotiations on a more enduring end to the month-old war.

Israeli armour and infantry left Gaza ahead of the truce, with a military spokesman saying their main goal of destroying cross-border infiltration tunnels dug by Islamist militants had been completed.

“Mission accomplished,” the military tweeted.

Troops and tanks will be “redeployed in defensive positions outside the Gaza Strip and we will maintain

those defensive positions,” an Israeli army official said.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas, said Israel’s offensive in the densely populated, coastal enclave was a “100% failure.”

three murder cases, married in jail last week, it spawned controversy. Four days after the marriage, Biplob was sent to Comilla Central Jail from Lakshmipur jail yesterday.

Jailer of Lakshmipur Jail Jainal Abedin told the Dhaka Tribune: “Jail Superintendent got the fax of IG Prisons

Brig Gen Syed Iftekhar Uddin at 10am.

Later, he informed me and we started our procedure to send him. Around 12.15pm Biplob was sent from Lakshmipur for Comilla.”

Biplob reached Comilla Jail around 4.30pm, confirmed Jailer Nasir Uddin.

Sayeeda Warsi, a senior minister in Britain’s Foreign Office, resigned yesterday, accusing Prime Minister David Cameron’s government of taking a “morally indefensible” approach to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

While the British government has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Cameron has come under criticism from political opponents for what they say has been his reluctance to condemn Israel’s actions in stronger terms.

Warsi announced her decision as Israel pulled its ground forces out of the Gaza Strip and started a 72-hour ceasefire with Hamas mediated by Egypt as a first step towards negotiations on a more enduring end to the month-old war.

Her resignation is embarrassing for Cameron, who has been accused of filling his government with too many middle-class white males. Warsi was not a full cabinet member but had the right to attend and played an important role in mediating between the government and Britain’s Muslim community.

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8 | World

14 | Sport

P8 ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICTS Israel sent officials to join talks in Cairo to work out a longer-term deal during the course of the truce. Hamas and Islamic Jihad also sent representatives from Gaza.

In Gaza, where some half-million people have been displaced by a month of bloodshed, some residents, carrying mattresses and with children in tow,  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

IG Prisons: Biplob sent to Comilla jail to shut media mouth n Tazlina Zamila Khan

Brig Gen Syed Iftekhar Uddin, inspector general of prisons, yesterday said he transferred Biplob to Comilla jail to shut the mouths of journalists.

“Journalists are publishing juicy news items on the marriage of Biplob

which in most cases are not true including that of his consummation night inside the prison, Brig Gen Syed Iftekhar Uddin, inspector general of prisons said.

“I found many newspapers writing untrue information on the marriage. So, I decided to transfer Biplob from the dis-

trict to shut your [journalists] mouths,” “I was on vacation with my mother at Sylhet for Eid and joined officer today [Tuesday]. At first I gave the transfer order in the morning. Do not think that I took the vacation for Eid in order to attend the wedding of Biplob.”

When AHM Biplob, a convict in

INSIDE B1 | Business

The foreign aid inflow has reached to its historical high of US$3bn in the last fiscal year thanks to increased disbursements by bilateral and multilateral development partners.

3 | News

The International Crimes Tribunal 1 yesterday criticised the prosecution for seeking adjournment in an informal way in the case against fugitive accused Syed M Hassan Ali alias Hachhen Ali.

4 | News

The long-awaited National River Protection Commission is now being formed thirteen months after the National River Protection Commission Act was passed, with the appointment of two retired bureaucrats as chairman and member.

5 | News

The construction of the proposed AzimpurGabtali Elevated Expressway in the capital has remained stalled for more than a year due to government indecision.

6 | Nation

About 5,000 residents of Shariakandi upazila have been compelled to move away from their homes recently as the erosions by the Jamuna River took a serious turn in last 15 days.

UK minister quits over ‘morally indefensible’ Gaza policy n Reuters

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki said there was ‘clear evidence’ of war crimes by Israel during its offensive in Gaza as he met International Criminal Court prosecutors.

Xavi Hernandez’s position as one of the most-decorated and important players in the history of Spanish football cannot be questioned.

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Govt curtails redundant benefits of officials with ministerial status n Mohosinul Karim Senior government officials whose positions as office chiefs entitle them to minister, state minister or deputy minister status, but who preside over institutions that have a fixed organogram, will no longer receive the benefits they used to receive under a 1973 law.

The cabinet division issued a gazette notification to this effect yesterday, signed by cabinet secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.

High officials affected by this new provision will no longer receive privileges given under The Ministers, Min-

isters of State and Deputy Ministers (Remuneration and Privileges) Act, 1973, including daily allowances, medical allowances, or having personal staff appointed to them.

The rationale behind this move was that officials who were technically entitled to ministerial privileges but who oversaw organisations that had their own organograms and therefore their own source of privileges, benefits and support staff, did not need redundant privileges provided under the original law.

The new order does not apply to those who do not preside over an ex-

isting organisation. Therefore the special envoy and advisers to the prime minister and deputy leader of the parliament were exempt, the notification said.

Officials of the cabinet division said the chairman of the University Grants Commission, Privatisation Board, Board of Investment and Law Commission, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, the Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA and the Bangladesh High Commissioner to India would be among those whose benefits will be curtailed by the order. l

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

SC orders ex-DMD of Jamuna Bank to surrender n Ahmed Zayeef The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has ordered Mozammel Hossain, former deputy managing director of Jamuna Bank Ltd, to surrender before the lower court for his alleged involvement in the Tk990-crore scam by the Bismillah Group between 2010 and 2012.

Chamber Judge Mahmud Hossain passed the order yesterday, following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Mozammel, who was arrested on January 20 by the ACC and law enforcement agencies, got out of prison on July 23 after the High Court granted him bail the day before.

Khurshid Alam Khan pleaded for the ACC, while SM Rezaul Karim, assisted

by BM Elias Kachee, represented Mozammel.

On November 3 last year, the ACC

filed 12 cases against 53 officials of five banks and the Bismillah Group under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012 for their alleged involvement in the embezzlement of funded loans worth over Tk990 crore.

The list of accused includes 13 people from the Bismillah Group, five officials of the Jamuna Bank, and others from the Janata Bank, Prime Bank, Premier Bank and Shahjalal Islami Bank.

According to the first information report, the Bismillah Group, in association with the bank officials, embezzled the money through loans against trust receipts using names of fake foreign buyers and laundered the money abroad.

They secured cash incentives against fake export documents, taking advantage of inland bill purchases and overpricing non-existent export items. l

Rapp against trial of Jamaat-e-Islami

UK minister quits

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concern as it found the process procedurally defective.

“We did raise issues, and there was communication at the highest level of the US government that raised concern about that case and about the fact that the death sentence had only been imposed on appeal, and that death sentence had not been reviewed by another court, which in my view is a requirement of the international human rights law,” he said.

He said the death penalty was not awarded by the first court, rather a law had been passed after the trial, and second court gave him death penalty.

Position on death penalty Rapp said both Bangladesh and the US have death penalty, but it should be given in the most exceptional cases.

“The expectation under international human rights law is that the death penalty is given only in the most exceptional cases where the highest level of due processes is being observed, where

the evidence is basically solid and undisputed,” he said.

The whole process needs to be based on evidence and facts, and should maintain highest standard, he said.

However, he said there were some concerns by the people that if there was no death sentence, the convicted might be released.

US policy on the ICT Rapp said the US policy is to support cases on crime against humanity at the national level.

The country itself can judge these individuals, investigate cases and decide about the trials without fear and favour and hold the guilty party responsible, he said.

He made several recommendations on the rules of procedures and practices, and some of them were accepted and some rejected.

“The challenge of this process was that we were dealing with a statute that was written more than 40 years ago.

They did not include some of the ele-

ments and experience that have been developed in the international level,” he said.

He encouraged the government to adopt international rules and practices.

Rapp said the court, prosecutors and investigating agencies needed to increase their capacity as there are many who can be implicated in the future.

“What this court needs now as it moves forward to develop – I am talking about prosecutors, investigating agencies – is to develop a strategy for making sure that before it completes its work, it prioritises its cases and focuses on the most serious, high-level individuals.”

Rapp said defence lawyers raised the issue to hold the trial in a mixed court, or a UN court with international judges, or shift the court to a third country, but he rejected the ideas.

“I do not think it is realistic at this stage. I said so to the defence and they were disappointed,” he said. l

Story of Pinak 6

Probe bodies no more than a joke

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“We last talked before the launch started. I asked him to take the next launch if it was overcrowded as the weather was rough. He asked me not to worry,” she said.

Habiba has since been waiting for Shamim at Mawa.

Hundreds of others, who have been waiting on the bank of the Padma, all have their own similar stories of loss and sorrow. The whole area was an overwhelming mix of wails and silence.

Take Rekha Begum, whose sister, brother-in-law and their two daughters, her brother ans his wife and son were all on board the sunken Pinak 6.

Rekha has lost the sense of reality at the death of the seven relatives.

“They had come to our village home at Satrashi in Sadar upazila of Faridpur on Eid. They were headed to Dhaka.

We saw them off around 7am,” Rekha said.

“TV channels were telecasting breaking news that a launch capsized here. Tensed, we rang all six cell phones with them, but the phones could not be reached,” she said.

Rekha and her relatives rushed to Mawa from Faridpur yesterday evening. l

At least 4,420 people died while 520 others injured and 400 remain missing in over 550 launch accidents in the last 38 years, according to the official statement of the Department of Shipping and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA). Of those, around 1,960 persons were killed and 176 persons went missing in the last decade.

However, the actual number of accidents and casualities is much higher than the government estimates.

The probe bodies found that most incidents had taken place because of faulty design and structure, inefficient drivers, overloading passengers, ignoring weather forecasts, and lack of life-safety equipment on the vessels.

“The recommendations made by the probe committees in most cases hold the masters [drivers] responsible for the incidents, but they are rarely punished. The relevant law has a provision to fine a maximum of Tk1 lakh. But no one has ever been fined that amount until date,” said Aminur Rasul Babul, general secretary of Nirapod Noupath Bastabayon Andolon, a platform working to ensure safe waterway.

According to the law, the probe reports are supposed to be made public

in 10 days after submission. Many of the committees did not event file reports within the stipulated time frame, he said.

In most cases, the recommendations were never implemented, Babul added.

According to the organisation, the reports of 863 investigation committees, formed to investigate 535 incidents, were not made public.

Buet’s Prof Khabirul Haque Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune that all these probe committees formed in the name of taking preventive measures were eyewash.

“All these incidents are killings and cannot be stopped only through formation of probe committees. There are not enough people to monitor the operation of the vessels; even the magistrates do not have any authority to prevent such incidents,” he said expressing frustration over the rising number of accidents.

“People responsible for the incidents are approving the designs and none of them even care about the recommendations,” said Khabirul, who has been working on the sector since 1986.

Regarding punitive measures mentioned in the probe reports, he said: “The reports are prepared in a way so

Hopes fading as no progress in rescue  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

of downstream by following sweeping technique with modern equipment.

But still it is uncertain.”

Double-decker Pinak 6 sank in the river in Louhajang upazila of Munshiganj with more than 250 people on its way to Mawa ghat from Kawrakandi terminal on Monday morning. After the end of the day, rescuers recovered the unconscious bodies of two women.

They died later.

Police yesterday said body of a woman found floating in Meghna River in Chandpur in the morning could be of one of the missing victims.

Meanwhile, the information centre set up by the district administration at Mawa ghat recorded the number of missing passengers to be 129 until 8pm.

Frustrated for not getting any development, relatives of the missing passengers blocked a road in front of Padma Rest House near the Mawa ghat for an hour since 8:30am. They alleged that the rescue work had been sluggish.

Later police managed them to leave the road.

The aggrieved relatives earlier staged protest at the same place around 2:30am.

“It cannot happen that the government fails to find out a small launch in two days. They are actually doing noth-

ing. We did not see a single diver diving into the river,” said Mahbub Alam, relative of a missing passenger while waiting on the riverbank.

“My two sisters are gone. I do not know, nobody knows, where they are now under the water,” he said.

Meanwhile, rescue vessel “Nirvik” joined “Rustom” yesterday morning.

Another vessel “Jorip 10” having Sonar (sound, operation, navigation and ranging) technology installed had to return to Chittagong because of bad weather.

It started from Chittagong around 11am as it has the capacity of locating a vessel under water, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan told Dhaka Tribune at Mawa ghat.

“But the 14-metre vessel was facing difficulties reaching the spot as the sea was too rough,” said Member (Harbour and Marine) of Chittagong Port Authority Commodore M Shahjahan. The vessel could cross the outer anchorage of the port around 3pm, he added.

The equipment of Jorip 10 were later shifted to “Kandari 2” which started from Chittagong at the same time. It may reach the spot around noon.

These equipment might help tracing the launch easily, the minister said since it had sub-bottom propeller which can identify solid things even

under the riverbed. The GPS system would then be used to get the exact location of the sunken vessel.

The launch sank amid high winds in the choppy waters where the depth of water is around 90 feet. The local administration could not confirm how many people had managed to swim ashore. But locals, who took part in the rescue operation, said 50 to 60 passengers made it to the shore. Most of them were returning to Dhaka after celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr at their village homes.

Talking about the rescue method, Captain Nazrul Islam of the Navy said: “We are following the latest side-scan Sonar technology. Our two vessels have these tools. These can search in an areas of 100 metres on both side of the vessel.

“Since morning, we searched in two kilometres upstream of the river and five kilometres in the downstream. Later we started searching randomly. The machine will detect any object lying on the riverbed.”

He, however, said: “But the problem is we do not know the exact location of the capsize. As time passes by, either the launch is washed away or covered by sand.” In that case, “Jorip 10” would be able to detect it.

The Navy official said they were not confirm whether they would be able to

Warsi, a baroness who sits in Britain’s upper house of parliament, in 2010 became Britain’s first Muslim to serve in cabinet but was later demoted to be a senior minister of state at the Foreign Office and a minister for faith and communities.

She announced her resignation on Twitter, publishing a copy of a letter she had sent Cameron giving the reasons for her decision.

“Our approach and language during the current crisis in Gaza is morally indefensible, is not in Britain’s national interest and will have a long term detrimental impact on our reputation internationally and domestically,” Warsi, 43, said.

Britain’s response to the events in Gaza was one of the factors behind the radicalisation of British Muslims, she said, citing early evidence from the Home Office. That could have consequences for years to come, she said.

Cameron, who is holidaying in Portugal with his family, said in a statement he regretted Warsi’s decision to

step down and thanked her for her “excellent” work.

“Our policy has always been consistently clear - the situation in Gaza is intolerable and we’ve urged both sides to agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” he said via his spokesman.

Warsi voiced her support for the people of Gaza in several comments on Twitter over the last month, saying the Palestinians needed a “viable and secure” state. She had called for the killing of civilians to stop.

Gaza officials say the war has killed 1,865 Palestinians, most of them civilians. Israel says 64 of its soldiers and three civilians have been killed since fighting began on July 8, after a surge in Palestinian rocket launches.

Speaking in an interview with the Huffington Post after the announcement, Warsi said she “couldn’t sit silently by as the Israeli military committed acts that have been described by (U.N. Secretary-General) Ban Ki-moon as ‘moral outrages’ and ‘criminal acts.’” l

that the guilty people can escape punishment.”

Blaming mismanagement as the core reason behind such incidents, former BIWTA secretary Syed Monowar Hussain said the recommendations of the probe reports were not implemented since those reports had been prepared by surveyor and inspectors under the shipping department. “These officials usually approves operation of water vessels with faulty designs. This is why the findings should be questioned.”

He also said the recommendations always remain the same in the reports when only the names of vessels and owners, location and number of passengers are changed.

Regarding the recent Pinak 6 capsize, Monowar said the launch was carrying over 300 people while the capacity was only 85. “The launch was already vulnerable and bad weather just made the accident evident.”

Since inclement weather has always been a common phenomenon, so the main reasons behind the tragic incident were “overloading passengers and lack of monitoring.”

“Neither the BIWTA nor the shipping department has any monitoring and control in Kawrakandi jetty to ensure that the launch did not operate

with passengers beyond its capacity,” he said.

Monowar said the shipping department had only six surveyor-cum-inspectors to monitor over 10,000 vessels, registered by the government, for the whole country. “None of them were prosecuted for approving the faulty designs.”

While contacted, Bangladesh Inland Waterways (passenger carrier’s) Association Adviser Badiuzzaman Badal, however, blamed the government for not cooperating with them in taking adequate preventive measures.

“Many of the probe committees were formed until date, but the government never contacted us. None of our representatives were included in the committees to help them taking effective preventive measures,” he said.

“We do not know how the accidents happened as the recommendations were never disclosed to us. So how can those be implemented?”

Badal said they were always unaware of the recommendations. So they address the visible problems with their own knowledge, not based on the recommendations.

“If we are included in the committees, it will create obstacles for the bureaucrats to make money through corruption,” he claimed. l

find the launch finally. He said it was the smallest one plying on that route.

cusing the vessel’s owner AB Siddiqui Kalu, the master (driver) and the machine operator.

Director General M Zakiur Rahman Bhuiyan filed the case, Jahangir said.

The DG also cancelled the registration and the survey certificate of Pinak 6.

Meanwhile, the BIWTA yesterday filed a criminal case with Louhajang police accusing six persons including the owner, who is a Munshiganj BNP leader, on charges of homicide, reckless operation and carrying passengers beyond capacity.

If found guilty, the accused would be given maximum life term jail sentence.

‘One more body found’

The police claimed that body of a woman found floating in Chandpur could be of one of the missing victims.

The bodies of a woman and a man, aged about 25 and 30 respectively, were recovered from the Meghna River in Haimchar upazila of Chandpur, Md Moniruzzaman, OC of Haimchar police, told the Dhaka Tribune.

“We suspect that the woman might be a victim of Monday’s launch capsize.

As the other body has already started to decompose, we think that the victim died two to three days back,” the OC said.

Meanwhile, relatives yesterday identified the body of a woman which was recovered soon after the launch sank. The victim is Hashi Begum, 50, wife of Alam Sheikh of Utrail, Shibchar.

His brother Hannan took the body around noon.

Two cases lodged

The Department of Shipping yesterday filed a case with the Marine Court over the capsize.

Jahangir Alam, public relations officer of the ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune that the case had been filed ac-

‘Over 100 people boarded midway’

The sunken launch had taken on board over 100 extra passengers at a terminal halfway to Mawa from Kawrakandi, the shipping minister said yesterday.

Shajahan Khan said the launch owner, workers and the management would face legal action because of this disaster.

“We have found that the launch had around 170 people when it started from Kawrakandi. But it took on board more than 100 passengers at the Kathalbari launch terminal,” he told reporters after visiting the site.

“If it had come to Mawa directly, it

IG Prisons  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

Before transferring, Biplob met his wife Sanjida Akhter, mother Nazma and uncle Shiblu and others.

Biplob’s marriage took place at Lakshmipur Jail gate around 5pm on Friday in the presence of Abu Taher, Biplob’s father and an Awami League leader in Lakshmipur, and relatives of both the families.

A marriage registrar and two witnesses on behalf of Biplob were also present. The relatives, riding 40 motorbikes and three microbuses, brought the bride to the jail gate around 10pm.

The bride and the groom reportedly stayed at jail gate till 1am.

Biplob tied the knot with Sanjida Akhter, a sophomore at Lakshmipur Government College, in prison on Friday afternoon. Sanjida is the daughter of late advocate Abul Khayer, a member of Pandit Bari which is the house of former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shafiqul Islam.

Biplob was granted presidential pardon by late Zillur Rahman in 2012 in the advocate Nurul Islam murder case, in which he was awarded death sentence a year earlier. He was granted mercy again

by Zillur, and his life sentence in each of the remaining two murder cases was reduced to a 10-year imprisonment. l

Israel withdraws  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

left UN shelters to trek back to neighbourhoods where whole blocks have been destroyed by Israeli shelling and the smell of decomposing bodies fills the air.

Sitting on a pile of debris on the edge of the northern town of Beit Lahiya, Zuhair Hjaila, a 33-year-old father of four, said he had lost his house and his supermarket.

“This is complete destruction,” he said. “I never thought I would come back to find an earthquake zone.”

Visiting International Red Cross President Peter Maurer, responding to local criticism that his organisation was late in helping some of the victims, said “we were insufficiently able to bridge the gap between our willingness to protect them and our ability to do so.”

Several previous truce attempts by Egypt and other regional powers, overseen by the United States and United Nations, failed to calm the worst Israeli-Palestinian fighting in two years.

Gaza officials say the Israeli offensive had killed 1,867 Palestinians, most of them civilians. Israel says 64 of its soldiers and three civilians were killed since Israel initiated its offensive on July 8.

Hamas said it had informed Egypt “of its acceptance of a 72-hour period of calm.”

The Palestinian cabinet welcomed the ceasefire. Efforts to turn the ceasefire into a lasting truce could prove difficult, with the sides far apart on their central demands, and each rejecting the other’s legitimacy. Hamas rejects Israel’s existence, and vows to destroy it, while Israel denounces Hamas as a terrorist group and eschews any ties.

Besides the truce, Palestinians demand an end to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade on impoverished Gaza and the release of prisoners including those Israel arrested in a June crackdown in the occupied West Bank after three Jewish seminary students were kidnapped and killed. Israel has resisted those demands in the past.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad alMalki said there was “clear evidence” of war crimes by Israel during its offensive in Gaza as he met International Criminal Court prosecutors in The Hague yesterday to push for an investigation. l

would not have capsized. Overloading of passengers is the main reason for this disaster,” he added.

The vessel had an approval for carrying 85 passengers only, officials said.

Minister’s 2 nieces missing

Three nieces of the minister were aboard Pinak 6. The body of one of them, Nusrat Jahan Heera, 20, was recoverd around 1:30pm on Monday, hours after the launch capsized in strong currents. But the two others are still missing.

“Some families have lost 10 members in this mishap. Three of my nieces were on the launch too. They are Swarna, Heera and Lucky,” he told reporters.

Heera was travelling with her sister Fatematuz Zohra Swarna, 18, and their cousin Jannat Nayeem Lucky.

Heera was a second year MBBS student at ZH Shikdar Women’s Medical College while Swarna took admission in Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College recently after passing the SSC examinations. They are the daughters of Nurul Islam Muhuri of Guatola in Madaripur’s Shibchar. They were returning to Dhaka after the Eid vacation.

“I did not know this at first. Later my wife told me about it,” he said. l

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Bangladeshi youth killed in Gaza attack n Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Left: Rabeya Begum, whose daughter was on board the Pinak 6, waits for the rescue workers to find her daughter’s body at Mawa ferry terminal in Munshiganj. The overcrowded launch capsized in the River Padma near Mawa on Monday. Right: Relatives of the missing passengers of the capsized Pinak 6 launch wait on the bank of Padma River for the bodies of their loved ones to be rescued MEHEDI HASAN

Khaleda asks city leaders to bury conflict n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The newly formed Dhaka city convening committee will see neither any change nor any power curtail, said party insiders.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia rather asked the committee leaders to work together burying the differences with a view to reorganising the party within the shortest possible time.

She also warned that if anyone tried to hinder the party activities tough action would be taken against him, said sources.

“Party chairperson expressed her confidence upon the newly formed convening committee,” Salahuddin Ahmed, joint convener of the committee, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Some media reported that Member Secretary of the newly formed Dhaka city convening committee Habib-unNabi Khan Sohel’s power will be curtailed as convener of the committee Mirza Abbas dislikes him.

He said at the starting of the meeting Khaleda asked Convener of the Dhaka city Mirza Abbas and Member Secretary Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel to sit beside

ICT slams prosecutor n Udisa Islam

The International Crimes Tribunal 1 yesterday criticised the prosecution for seeking adjournment in an informal way in the case against fugitive accused Syed M Hassan Ali alias Hachhen Ali. When the day’s proceedings began around 11am, prosecutor Abul Kalam told the tribunal that they could not finalise the formal charges in the case.

He then verbally sought more time to prepare the charges.

Kalam, the conducting prosecutor, was supposed to submit the charges yesterday.

The tribunal, led by its Chairman Justice M Enayetur Rahim, then interrupted and asked him about the formal process of seeking adjournment.

The tribunal asked: “Why have you taken the issue of time petition casually?”

When the prosecutor kept quiet and

started hesitating, the tribunal said: “If any of you further show a relaxed view toward the trials, we may impose fines for such unprofessional acts.”

The tribunal said the prosecutor could have written the petition since he entered the courtroom more than 15 minutes before the proceedings began.

Kalam then said he thought that a “miss case” (a case yet to be on trial) did not require petition. The judge asked him: “Is this is a case or only a ‘miss?’”

The tribunal then deferred the trial until August 24 and asked him to place a written petition later.

The investigation agency submitted its report to the prosecution on June 29, in which six specific charges of crimes against humanity have been brought against the accused, who had been infamously known as “Razakar Daroga” in Tarail of Kishoreganj. l

her. As per tradition, Abbas chaired the meeting and Sohel conducted the meeting.

Khaleda for the first time sat with the newly formed Dhaka city convening committee leaders at her Gulshan office to expedite the reorganising process of the party.

Salahuddin Ahmed said Khaleda advised everybody to show respect to the seniors.”

Another Joint Convener Kazi Abul Bashar said the city unit committee meeting would be held on Wednesday at 12pm at the city’s party office and the

The government has extended the tenure of two costly rental power plants since the projects expired last year.

The tenure of 53MW United Ashuganj Power Plant has been extended by five years while that of 110MW project located near Dhaka and built

by Malaysia-based NEPC Consortium Power Ltd was extended by one year.

The Power Division made the proposal for extending the tenure of the two power plants, which was approved at a meeting of the cabinet committee on public purchase held at Cabinet Division yesterday with Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the chair.

After the meeting, Cabinet Division Joint Secretary Mustafizur Rahman told reporters that the tenure of the two rental power plants had been extended and the per unit cost of electricity had been cut.

“The government has extended the tenure of rental power plants so that coal and gas-based power plants come into operation,” he said.

The joint secretary also said the government would procure 31,240KM conductors and 5.60 lakh single-phase electronic meters at a cost of Tk215 crore.

As per the proposal, the government has extended the tenure of the power plant project of NEPC Consortium Power Ltd by a year from June 23, 2014, considering the country’s electricity demand.

It has also extended the tenure of 53MW United Ashuganj Rental Power Plant project by five years and agreed to purchase electricity from it at Tk3.28 per unit.

During its previous tenure, the gas-fired rental power project supplied electricity to the BPDB at Tk5.012 per unit, which was Tk1.7272 more than its present revised rate NEPC Consortium Power Ltd is implementing the project. It has been supplying electricity to the Bangladesh Power Development Board since October 10, 2000 under an unsolicited deal.

The government will pay Tk1,224 crore, including fuel cost, to procure electricity from the power plant during

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

Bitterly criticising the new broadcast policy for the second consecutive day, the BNP yesterday called upon people to raise their voices against its implementation and vowed to scrap it after coming to power.

In a press conference at their Gulshan office, Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan alleged that though it is a media policy, in the perspective of objectivity and effectiveness “it is mainly a broadcast control and repression policy.”

Demanding that the policy be scrapped immediately, he said the issue would get priority in their ongoing movement against the government.

Soon after the policy got the cabinet’s final nod on Monday, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general of the party, said at a press briefing that the

the extended period, the proposal said, adding that the government would be able to save Tk172 crore subject to extension of the project’s tenure.

The project was gas-based till 2010 and later converted to HFO-based.

After the expiry of the power purchase deal with the power plant sponsor in October last year, the government requested the plant authority to continue power generation.

The government will purchase per unit of electricity from the power project at Tk15.85 and, excluding fuel cost, at Tk13.66.

In 1997, it signed a deal to procure per unit of electricity from the project at Tk18.09 and, including fuel cost, at Tk15.32 per unit. The tenure of NEPC Consortium Power Ltd has been extended by one year as the project expired on October 7, 2013.

Besides, the tenure of 53MW United Ashuganj Power expired on June 21, 2014. BPDB had signed a power purchase deal with the company on December 23, 2010.

During its previous tenure, the gasfired rental power project supplied electricity to the BPDB at Tk5.012 per unit, which was Tk1.7272 more than its present revised rate. l

government was hatching a conspiracy to gag the media in the name of responsibility and accountability. “The BNP thinks that it is a strategy to establish Baksal [one-party rule] in the country,” he said.

Moyeen Khan said yesterday: “There is no doubt that the policy was formulated to stop criticism of the isolated government’s misrules and failures.

The provision for punishment in the ‘disgusting, dark law’ is an ill-attempt to bring the broadcast media under complete control of the rulers by spreading fear.”

In his written statement, the BNP leader said different social and political organisations and conscious citizens had already criticised the policy.

He claimed that the commission was empowered with much power to formulate rules and control the media.

“This will work as a dangerous weapon

A recent survey on adolescents’ hygiene reveals that menstruation is a serious threat to the education of schoolgirls in Bangladesh.

Around 40% of the surveyed girls reported that they did not go to school for an average of three days every month during the time of their menstruation.

The study also found that 89% of the girls stored their menstrual cloths in a

hidden place for repeated use without washing them in a hygienic manner.

The ICDDRB’s Centre for Communicable Diseases (CCD) conducted the survey titled “Bangladesh National Hygiene Baseline Survey” in association with the Policy Support Unit of Local Government Division. The survey was financed by international development organisation WaterAid Bangladesh with technical cooperation from Stanford University.

The ICDDRB issued a press release on the survey yesterday.

The objective of the survey was to assess the hygiene practices of adolescents and a total of 100 rural and urban areas (both schools and household settings) were surveyed across the country.

The study found that a single toilet was available for every 187 students in schools against the government standard of one toilet per 50 students. Only 45% schools had improved toilets for

to turn the media into the government’s propaganda machine and a weapon to snatch away media freedom.

“The more dangerous point is that the Information Ministry will be entitled to exercise all powers until the commission is formed. It means that the private media houses are going under the government’s full control.”

Moyeen Khan pointed out that the policy stipulated a provision that not only the new channels, but all the private channels would have to take licences again.

The BNP leader alleged: “Actually, censorship has been imposed on airing the opposition party’s meetings, processions, press conference live.”

He claimed that the government had been using the law enforcement agencies to serve its own purposes and “the new policy will encourage criminal activities.” l

India to support move to import power from Nepal using its territory n UNB India has agreed to allow Bangladesh to import electricity from Nepal through its territory, said State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid.

Nasrul stated this yesterday after his meeting with Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran at the Power Ministry office at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

Bangladesh has been pursuing the import of electricity from a power plant in Nepal, now being set up by an Indian company, GMR. But reports have it that the Indian bureaucracy has been creating impediments to the Bangladesh move.

Referring to the Indian prime minister’s recent Nepal visit where he made a deal with Nepal to facilitate GMR’s investment in the Himalayan nation, Nasrul said apparently, the Indian envoy in Dhaka made his country’s stance clear on the issue by assuring to support Bangladesh’s move. The state minister also said India wanted to jointly conduct hydrocarbon exploration in Bangladesh.

Nasrul informed that Bangladesh would get 100MW of electricity from

Survey: 40% girls do not attend school during menstruation n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

ing committee members Tariqul Islam, ASM Hannan Shah, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, advisers to the BNP chairperson Abdul Awal Mintoo, senior leaders Amanullah Aman, Barkatullah Bulu, Abdus Salam, Abul Khayer Bhuyan, Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and other city unit leaders were present in the meeting.

The new committee was formed as the previous convening committee headed by party’s vice chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka failed to form the full committee and wage any movement in the capital. l

BNP: Broadcast policy repressive

Government extends tenure of two rental power plants n Tribune Report

next steps would be taken there.

On July, the 52-member Dhaka city convening committee was announced and it was assigned to form the full committee of the city unit and ward and thana committees within two month.

But due to the intra-party feud, the convening committee is yet to form any committee rather the conflict surfaced on the very first programme of the party when the leaders went to party founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave to place wreaths.

Party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, stand-

students and only a quarter of the toilets were clean. Less than 5% schools had separate toilet facilities for boys and girls that offered optimal menstrual hygiene management.

According to Dr Leanne Unicomb, head of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene Research Group that led the survey, schools are important settings for disease prevention initiatives, in part because hygiene behaviours that are learnt early in life can lead to habit adoption. l

India’s eastern region by December next as promised by the neighbouring country. Bangladesh was also expecting to get another 500MW of electricity from the Indian private sector in addition to its current import of 500MW, he added.

After the changeover in government in the neighbouring country, there was some sort of confusion about the future Bangladesh-India deals in the power sector.

Brushing aside such confusions, the state minister said: “The present government in India is very positive about taking forward its role in power sector development. This is our diplomatic success.”

He also said the Indian high commissioner had informed him of some major Indian private companies’ eagerness to invest in Bangladesh’s private sector.

Nasrul Hamid said the Indian companies believed that the law and order situation had significantly improved in Bangladesh for which they showed their interest to invest in Bangladesh.

“They want to invest $10 billion in the power sector of Bangladesh,” the state minister added. l

A Bangladeshi expatriate living in Britain was killed last Wednesday in battle against Israeli troops in trouble-torn Gaza.

Hamidur Rahman(20), son of Abdul Mannan at Mazhpara village under Biswanath upazila in Sylhet went to Gaza from Portsmouth in the United Kingdom eight months ago with a 10 member-team.

Abdul Mannaf, uncle of Hamidur said he had been living in the UK with his family members for many years and he came in Bangladesh five years ago.

Parents of Hamidur was not informed about his going to Gaza.

Someone had telephoned them from Gaza that Hamidur was killed in a battle. The family members also observed Kulkhani.

Hamidur was also involved in Syria war, confirmed the family members.

Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Biswanath police station, said the uncle of Hamidur had informed the incident but they had no information from Palestine embassy. l

Over 6,000 doctors to join health sector today n Moniruzzman Uzzal Over 6,000 doctors who passed the 33rd BCS exam are set to join the country’s health sector today.

Health Minister Mohammed Nasim will inaugurate the joining programme and address the newly appointed doctors at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

The Health Ministry has been conducting a registration process of the passed candidates. A total of 6,075 out of 6,151 passed candidates have already completed their registrations.

The registration process will continue till 10am today.

Basu Dev Ganguly, joint secretary (administration), told the Dhaka Tribune that such a large number of doctors had never been appointed before.

“We hope for a positive change in the root level of health services, following this recruitment,” he added. l

80 BNP activists sent to jail in Comilla

n Our Correpondent, Comilla The general secretary of Bangladesh National Party’s Muradnagar upazila unit in Comilla and 80 other leaders and activists of the different wings of the party were sent to jail yesterday by the court.

Police filed 3 cases against BNP leaders and activists for vandalism during the party’s movement on November 13 and 14 last year.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Razia Sultana granted the accused bail in one of the cases, but denied it in two other cases and sent them to jail. l

Nasim: BNP lost political strategy n Tribune Report Awami League presidium member and Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim yesterday said the BNP had lost political strategy by boycotting the national election.

The minister made the statement in a rally at the capital’s Bangabandu Avenue, organized by Awami Sweshasebok League on the occasion of the 65th birth anniversary of Sheikh Kamal.

Nasim suggested that the BNP chairperson reorganise her party for the next election.

“You have to wait now for the train that you have missed. You can board it when the next election train arrives,” the minister said, refering to Khaleda.

“I would like to request you (BNP) to reorganise your party instead of going for any movement and to extend cooperation to the government’s development activities,” Nasim said.

“The parliament election will be held in accordance with the constitution in time and we will come to power again,” he said. l

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Massive reshuffle in civil admin as 53 top bureaucrats reassigned n Mohosinul Karim At least 53 senior civil bureaucrats have been moved to different posts since Sunday, as the government undertook a major reshuffling of the civil administration.

One was made acting secretary from additional secretary, and the posts of 14 additional secretaries and 38 joint secretaries were changed in the course of the move.

Additional secretary of the Cabinet Division, Md Nazrul Islam, was made acting secretary of the same division, a post created recently to reduce pressure on the cabinet secretary.

The public administration ministry

recently created the post of secretary (coordination and reform) for the cabinet division to reduce the load on the cabinet secretary who must attend several daily meetings as head or member of various committees.

Among the additional secretaries, the chairman of Bangladesh Handloom Board Mostafa Kamal Haider was made director general (DG) of the National Institute of Local Government (NILG) while NILG DG Kabir Md Ashraf Alam was made a member of the Land Appeal Board on deputation.

Land Appeal Board member Jahangir Alam was deputed as project director to the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project.

Three officer-on-special-duty (OSD) additional secretaries received new posts. Of them, Asit Kumar Mukutmoni was made chairman of the Bangladesh Handloom Board, AS Shameem Ahmed was made member directing staff of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre and ABM Khorshed Alam was posted as chief executive officer of the National Skills Development Council on deputation.

Mohammad Abu Taher and Mahmuda Begum were posted as additional secretaries to the Economic Relations Division. Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation director Jahangir Mollah and project director of the Employment Generation for the

Poorest Project, Abdul Kuddus, were made officers-on-special-duty.

Environment and Forest Ministry additional secretary Rafiqul Islam was transferred to the energy and mineral resources division while the Public Administration Ministry’s Nurul Karim was made an additional secretary in the Environment and Forest Ministry.

Project director of Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Wildlife Protection Aparoop Chowdhury was transferred to the Local Government Division while the Public Administration Ministry’s Rupan Kanti Sheel was made additional secretary of the Social Welfare Ministry. l

Indefinite transport strike begins in Rajshahi n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi Rajshahi District Motor Sramik Union went on an indefinite strike yesterday after a clash occurred between bus and CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers in the city.

The strike will spread to other districts in the division from today, said Kamal Hossain Rabi, president of the union, after emerging from an emergency meeting.

The meeting was called because of the clash at Naudapara in the city around midday, in which at least five people from the union were injured.

He said there was a government embargo on the plying of Bhubhuti, a locally assembled vehicle, and CNG-run auto-rickshaws across the country.

However, local MPs Ayeen Uddin

and Fazle Hossain sided with the plying of such vehicles in the district and so the administration could do nothing against such vehicles operating here.

Kamal Hossain Rabi said they would continue their strike until operation of such vehicles was stopped.

MP Fazle Hossain said: “CNG-run auto-rickshaw is approved to run in the country, but motor workers will not allow it to operate in the district. We cannot let them do it when such vehicles ply in other 63 districts in the country.”

Rajshahi District Bus-Truck Malik Sramik Oikya Parishad had gone on such a strike from May 25 to May 27 and again in July, demanding that the locally assembled vehicles like Bhutbhuti, Nasiman and Kariman be barred from running on the highways in the division. l

Body formed to preserve nation's watercourses n Mohosinul Karim The long-awaited National River Protection Commission is now being formed thirteen months after the National River Protection Commission Act was passed, with the appointment of two retired bureaucrats as chairman and member.

Former Land Secretary Ataharul Islam has been named chairman while former Additional Secretary to the Shipping Ministry Md Alauddin has been made a member of the commission, according to separate gazette notifications issued on August 3 by the public administration ministry.

The commission has been tasked with protecting rivers from illegal occupation, resisting illegal construction on embankments, combating water contamination, and recovering river navigability. The National River Protection Commission Act was passed in parliament on July 14, 2013.

A shipping ministry proposal last February to appoint former Rural Development and Cooperative Secretary Dr Mihir Kanti Mojumder as the commission's first chairman was rejected due to strong internal opposition, sources said.

In January 2014, the shipping ministry appointed its Joint Secretary Firoz

Khan Noon as the commission’s member secretary, shipping ministry public relations officer, Jahangir Alam Khan, confirmed.

He said the chairman and a member had been appointed and said two more members would be appointed later as required by law.

Shipping Secretary Syed Monjurul Islam said in February this year the commission would function under the shipping ministry as a statutory body with the chairperson and members appointed for three years.

According to the law, the five member commission will be comprised of a chairman, a woman member and three members, and membership would be sought from those with expertise in public administration, lawmaking, human rights, river management or engineering, river surveying and environmental management.

Of the five members, one will be appointed on a full time basis and the remainder will have honorary status.

The shipping ministry says of the 230 rivers in the country, 97 are now moribund.

Experts and conservationists have long been campaigning to save the country's rivers, and a higher court instructed the government to form a commission to do this. l

Cattle trader shot dead by BSF n Our Correspondent, Joypurhat

Hospitals again told to open breastfeeding corners

Members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) shot and killed a Bangladeshi cattle trader early yesterday near Koria frontier of Panchbibi upazila.

The victim, Raju Ahmed, 25, was the son of Shahidul Islam, a resident of Nandail village of the upazila.

Joypurhat 3 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Commander Lieutenant Colonel Abdur Razzak Tarafder said a patrol team of the BSF shot and killed Raju inside Indian territory, about 200-yards away from the main pillar, before dawn when he and some other traders went to fetch cattle.

Later, the Indian border force took the body away.

The BGB camp sent a letter to its Indian counterpart protesting the killing and sought the return of the body, the commander continued. l

n Moniruzzaman Uzzal The government has directed all public and private hospitals and clinics to open breastfeeding corners to ensure that mothers can breastfeed their children properly.

Health Secretary MM Niazuddin made the comment at a press conference at the secretariat yesterday, and added that letters have been sent to all medical facilities in this regard.

“We will conduct a survey very soon at private hospitals and clinics to check and monitor how many of them have opened breastfeeding corners,” he added.

Two years ago, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed the Health Ministry to open breastfeeding corners at all hospitals, clinics and doctors' chambers. However, the directive has yet to be carried out at most private hospitals and clinics.

Members of the Dhaka Union of Journalist form a human chain in front of the National Press Club in the capital yesterday, protesting the approval of the new National Broadcast Policy NASHIRUL ISLAM

On a separate note, the health secretary also said the ministry has almost finalised the rules and regulations of Breast Milk Substitutes Commercial Production and Equipment (Regulation and Marketing) Act 2013. It will be submitted before the cabinet within a month, Niazuddin added.

Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, who was also present there, urged both print and electronic media to publish more stories highlighting the usefulness of breastfeeding Dr SK Roy, president of Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation (BBF), told the Dhaka Tribune that most public hospitals have opened breastfeeding corners but the number was very low in the private sector. Over 200 public hospitals have already been announced as baby-friendly hospitals and around 1,000 doctors trained in this regard, he added.

Dr Roy, however, admitted that they have not conducted any assessment on whether or not the hospitals were working as baby-friendly hospitals.

Dr Md Shah Newaz, director of Institute of Public health and Nutrition (IPHN), claimed that they have opened comprehensive service corners to ensure integrated management of childhood illnesses, breastfeeding of children and to create awareness regarding nutrition and other health education.

Along with the rest of the world, Bangladesh is celebrating World Breastfeeding Week from August 1 to 7. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will officially inaugurate World Breastfeeding Week programmes today at the capital's Osmani Memorial Auditorium.

This year's theme for World Breastfeeding Week is “Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal for Life.” l

Bangladesh-born US citizen abducted in Noakhali n Our Correspondent, Noakhali A Bangladesh-born US citizen was abducted from Lotpotia village of Chatkhil upazila under Noakhali district.

The victim’s father, Md Manik Mia, a US expatriate, alleged that his younger brother's son Parvez, along with three associates, had picked up his daughter in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw on Monday.

He filed an abduction case with Chatkhil police station on the same day.

The victim, Mishti (not her real name), arrived at her residence in the village on June 30. Learning that her wedding had been fixed, Pervez had abducted her, said Manik.

Chatkhil police station Offi-

cer-in-Charge Md Nasim Uddin said police had arrested Ismail Hossain, the driver of the auto-rickshaw and Pervez's mother Parveen Akhter in this connection.

On Monday, Parvez called Mishti to come out of her house to take a photograph with him.

When Mishti went out, Parvez and his associates forcibly pushed her inside a CNG-run auto-rickshaw and fired blank shots to create panic.

“We had been living in USA for the last 30 years. Police could not find my daughter although 24 hours have passed since the incident. I have informed the matter to the US embassy,” said Manik. l

Communities to celebrate international indigenous day National celebration demanded n Abid Azad

Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, president of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, addresses a press conference for the upcoming International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples at Hotel Sundarban in the capital yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

The indigenous communities across the country are going to celebrate the 20th International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9 with a weeklong programme starting from today.

However, Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum (BIPF) has demanded that the day be celebrated nationally as Bangladesh has signed the Indigenous and Tribal Populations Convention-107 of International Labor Organisation (ILO).

The demand was made at a press conference yesterday held at capital’s Hotel Sundarban where BIPF President Shantu Larma made the call.

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was first proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in

1994, to be celebrated every year during the first International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (1995 – 2004).

In 2004, the Assembly proclaimed a Second International Decade, from 2005 – 2014, with the theme “A Decade for Action and Dignity.”

Larma, also chairman of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), informed the General Assembly would hold a World Conference on Indigenous Peoples from September 2223 this year with an aim for preparing a road map to work on the indigenous population’s rights.

The focus of this year’s International Indigenous Day is “Bridging the gap: implementing the rights of indigenous peoples.”

Larma said: “Although Bangladesh

has signed the ILO Convention-107, no government had come forward to establish the indigenous people’s rights according to the Convention. Moreover, the number of incidents of land grabbing, eviction, killing, rape, abduction and attacks on the indigenous people are on the rise in different parts of the country.”

To bring these issues to the forefront the indigenous people of the country will unitedly celebrate the day with discussions, seminars, cultural programmes, he said.

Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon and National Human Rights Commission Chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman are expected to grace the main programmes to be held on Saturday at the Central Shaheed Minar. l

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Azimpur-Gabtali elevated expressway remains stalled Work on the project has been stopped for government's indecision over who to be given charge of the project n Abu Hayat Mahmud The construction of the proposed Azimpur-Gabtali Elevated Expressway in the capital has remained stalled for more than a year due to government indecision over who to be given charge to implement the project.

Last year, the government drafted plans to construct the project under its Strategic Transport Plan and later the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) allocated Tk375 crore in FY2013-14 and FY2014-15 for the project after it was handed over to them by the Local Government Division.

However, the DSCC could not go ahead with the project as it was transferred to the Dhaka North City Corporation after the Awami League was elected to power for the second time after the January 5 election.

On September 18, 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told the Jatiya Sangsad that the construction work of the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Development Project would soon begin and the construction of an elevated expressway from Gabtali to Azimpur under Strategic Transport Plan (STP) was being considered.

Sources at the DSCC said the govern-

Five, including 3 Indian citizens, held in Dinajpur n Our Correspondent, Dinajpur Border Guard Bangladesh arrested five people, including three Indian citizens, on Monday from Hakimpur and Birampur borders in Dinajpur on charges of illegal trespassing. They were subsequently handed over to law enforcers.

Fazlur Rahman, nayeb subedar of Hilli Camp, BGB 3 Battalion, said: “The three Indian citizens were detained from 284 pillar area of Hakimpur on Monday afternoon. They are Janoi Sarkar, 18, Uli Roy, 14, Attent Roy, 16, of South Dinajpur, India. l

Youth lynched n CU Correspondent

A youth was allegedly beaten to death by a mob in suspect of burglary at Ek Kilometer area in Chittagong yesterday morning. The deceased, Joni, 19, is from Muradnagar area of Comilla district, said police sources.

Quoting locals, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Chandgaon police station, Md Abu Bakar said, the youth had been caught red handed while trying to steal from a house in the area.

He was left in critically injured in front of one Matiur Rahman’s residence. Upon receiving information, police rescued the youth and rushed him to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), where he succumbed to his injuries, the ASI added. l

ment had hurriedly handed over the project to them, without conducting a detailed feasibility study, to start the construction work before the end of its tenure.

When asked, DNCC Chief Executive Officer BM Enamul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune: “As a major portion of the 10.5-kilometre Elevated Bus Rapid Transit and Expressway from Azimpur to Gabtali falls under the jurisdiction of DNCC, the government shifted the project to DNCC.” He also said as per a feasibility study and a survey conducted by a private company, the six-lane expressway would cost around Tk3,200 crore in total.

“We hope that after its competition, this project will bring a rapid change in the city’s transportation system,” Enamul added.

When the project was under DSCC, the authorities had approached the civil engineering department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) with a request to conduct a feasibility study for the project within 2-3 weeks, the sources added.

However, the department said a detailed feasibility study for such a huge project would require at least 18 months to complete.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune in this regard, Dr Md Shamsul Haque, professor of the Buet’s civil engineering department, said: “It will need at least 18 months to complete a detailed feasibility study as different social and environmental issues are related with it.”

In March last year, Maisha Group, a local business conglomerate owned by ruling party lawmaker Md Aslamul Haque, placed a proposal with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to build the Elevated Bus Rapid Transit and Expressway on the Mirpur road, from Azimpur to Gabtali in the capital under a Public Private Partnership (PPP), saying that it will help ease the traffic congestion in the capital.

Later, in May, Maisha Group signed an agreement with Chinese company Guizhou No 2 Power Engineering Construction Company for the construction of the expressway.

Admitting that the project had yet to progress, Maisha Group General Manager Md Anwar Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have just submitted a proposed design and plan to the LGD and we sat for meetings several times in this regard. The LGD will verify the plan and then decide how the project will be implemented.” l

Christian community’s land grabbed by local influential n Anisur Rahman Swapan A group of miscreants allegedly took illegal possession of 49 decimals of land owned by the local Christian community at Padri Shibpur union in Bakerganj upazila, Barisal on Saturday.

Now around 2,000 Christians in the locality are living in fear of losing the property which is worth Tk3 crore.

Upon visiting the spot, this reporter found a tin-shed house on the land in question. There were also signboards saying “Southern Regional Office of the Weekly Crime Diary,” and a billboard with the photo of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman saying “Tribute to all the martyrs, including Bangabandhu and his family members, by the Weekly Crime Diary family.”

However, this reporter could not find any evidence that a mainstream publication by the name of the Weekly Crime Diary actually exists.

Armed with lethal weapons, the grabbers, led by Helaluddin, forcibly constructed a 100-foot long tin-shed

house and erected the signboards and billboards on the property early on Saturday, said Basil Gomez, secretary of the Father Liu Gomez Welfare Trust.

Locals claimed that around 150-200 people built the house and put up the signboards and billboards overnight.

Helaluddin, a local influential person whose family has connections with the ruling party, claimed that Rizia Begum, the land’s owner, gave him a power of attorney for the land on May 20 last year, and he filed a case claiming its ownership with a lower court on May 23. The case has yet to be dissolved.

However, according to the land’s documents, Rizia sold the land to Father Liu Gomez, the then head of the local Catholic Church, on May 22, 1961.

Through a trustee deed on August 14, 1995, Father Liu formed a welfare trust which included the land property in question, said Martin C Gomez, vice-president of the trust.

The 49 decimals (0.49 acre) is a part of a total 21 acre land owned by the

trust, surrounding the church, a historical site in Barisal.

The local Christian community had been using this land for their welfare for the past 53 years. The trust earns Tk18 lakh annually from the property – part of it is leased out, and the rest is used for farming.

The earnings are spent to support a secondary school which is run by the church, give scholarships to poor students, run a shelter for the disabled and a medical centre, and other welfare activities for the community, according to Father Lazarus Gomez, president of the trust.

The trust has been paying all legal and land taxes and has the relevant, up-to-date documents, Martin Gomez said.

The grabbers had been trying to take possession of the land for a while, claimed Father Lazarus, adding that the trust had filed two general diaries with Bakerganj police station in this regard.

When asked about the illegal pos-

session of a sub judice property, Helaluddin claimed that the house had existed for a long time and he had only put up the billboard to mark the beginning of August, “the month of mourning.”

Rizia was not available for comment due to poor health. However, her son Tuhin Ahmed claimed that the church authorities had been occupying the land on the basis of fraudulent documents and that a case had been filed with a lower court in this connection.

However, Tuhin admitted that he did not have any tax related documents.

He also said he did not know about the house being constructed and the signboards and billboards being put up.

Father Lazarus called for immediate demolition of the establishments and vowed to take legal action against the grabbers.

Nurul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bakerganj police, said he had visited the spot and advised the leaders of the Christian community to file a case for immediate legal action. l

WEATHER

LIGHT RAIN

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:39PM SUN RISES 5:30AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

34

27

Chittagong

31

26

Rajshahi

33

26

Rangpur

33

27

Khulna

32

26

Barisal

32

26

Sylhet

32

25

Cox’s Bazar

30

26

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

34.3ºC Sylhet

24.5ºC Feni

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:09am 5:30am 12:05am 4:44pm 6:39pm 8:00pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Authority of The Weekly Crime Diary has set up the billboard on the land of Christian community at Padri Shibpur union in Bakerganj upazila after taking illegal possession of the land on Saturday. The photo was taken yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

New building of Barisal passport office opens n Our Correspondent, Barisal Barisal Divisional Passport and Visa office has began operation at it its new building on Monday.

The Tk5.61 core project covers a three-storey building constructed on 33 decimal land in Kashipur area near Nathullabad Central Bus Terminal in the city.

Earlier, the office was operating from different rented buildings inside the city bearing limitations in terms of space, security, and cost, said Shah Md Waziullah, deputy director of Barisal Divisional Passport and Visa office.

Opening of the new office on own premises was a milestone in the history of this divisional city, he added.

The new office premises is directly connected to the Barisal-Dhaka Highway with different facilities including police

barrack and 100 kV power generator, said Md Zakir Hossain, executive engineer of Public Works Department, Barisal office.

However, a few construction works of the linking road and the gate was yet to be completed, said Hossain.

Previously, on an average, 300 applications for new passports used to pour in the Barisal passport office every day. The number came down to 150 after opening of the district level offices. There is a rush of applications when certain offers are made over employment of expatriate workers, said Shah Md Waziullah.

The new divisional passport office is expected to expedite the process of issuing and renewal of passports and mitigate a hassle free process by coordinating between different government departments, said Dr Mizanur Rahman, member secretary of Barisal Bivag Unnoyon O Swartha Sangrakkhan Committee. l

Mystery shrouds the death of a housewife in Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Police uncovered a mystery when they found a hanged body of a housewife yesterday night at her residence in Chittagong city’s Panwala Para area.

The victim, Mohua Roy, 23, who lived in the area with her husband Indrajit Sharma and two brother-in-laws, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her living room, police told the Dhaka Tribune.

The victim’s family members claimed that Mohua was killed by her husband and his family for not being able to comply with their dowry demands and that they had been trying to cover up the murder making it look like suicide.

Tushar Kanti Roy, the elder brother of the deceased, told the Dhaka Tribune that Indrajit had often harassed his sister for dowry.

“Four days ago, I talked to my sister for the last time when she told me about the dowry and I told her that I would meet her husband’s demands within a short time,” he said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Tanvir Arafat of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (West Zone) said on Monday, the victim’s husband and two brother-in-laws found the door locked from the inside when they returned to their flat around 9:45pm.

“Failing to get an answer from Mohua after knocking on the door repeatedly, they entered the house by breaking down the door, and found her hanging from the ceiling fan,” he said.

He added that police later recovered the dead body around 10:45pm, after being informed of the situation by Indrajit.

“Police sent the dead body to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) morgue for an autopsy,” Tanvir said. The victim’s family lodged a murder case with Double Mooring Police Station in this regard and police have nabbed the husband and two brother-in-laws in this connection, the ADC added. l

Clash between launch owner, staff and passengers leaves 8 injured n Our Correspondent, Barisal At least eight passengers were injured on Monday in Barisal following a clash with the launch owner and staff for protesting the selling of the deck spaces of an overloaded launch.

The injured passengers Laila, 28, her husband Nazrul Islam, 32, Shahjahan Akon, 22, Zahirul Islam, 28, Zihad,20, Sohel, 22, Shampa, 18, and Saidul Islam, 30, were all given first aid at the port.

Md Yunus, the father of injured passenger Shampa, said three of his family members booked spaces from the launch staff on the deck for the Dhaka bound MV Sundarban-8 launch at 4pm.

Saidul Islam, another injured passenger, said, “I booked a space by pay-

ing Tk200 to the launch staff. However, within a short time the launch staff tried to sell our spaces to other passengers. When we protested, the launch staff attacked us.”

Shahjahan Akon, a student of Kazi Nazrul Islam University, said at 6:30pm, when he protested the misbehaviour of the launch staff, they, led by Hanif and launch owner Akej, attacked the passengers. The police then intervened and beat the passengers up and detained 5 passengers, including 2 women.

Mojibor Rahman, sub inspector (SI) of Barisal river police post, however, said the police tried to control the situation and negotiate the dispute between the passengers and launch staff but the passengers attacked the police instead. Hence, the police detained 5

passengers and brought them to the police post. They were later released after the situation calmed down, added the SI. Akbar Hossain Akej, director of Sundarban Navigation Company which is owned by his brother AL backed upazila chairman Saidur Rahman Rintu, said, “There was no provision for selling advance tickets and preserving spaces for deck-seats by providing seat numbers.

Hence, the launch staff protested the spaces that were taken over by the passengers but the passengers attacked the launch staff and damaged launch property.”

Tanzil, assistant sub inspector of Kotwali police station, said extra police forces were deployed in the port. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Hundreds fall ill as diarrhoea spreads alarmingly in Chuadanga As many as 700 patients came to Sadar hospital until yesterday since Friday night Meanwhile, Chuadanga Sadar Hoshas been admitted to the hospital, said: yesterday. n Our Correspondent, Chuadanga tomsThey had brought nurses from the “We have been affected with this wa- pital’s RMO Masud Rana said they had A diarrhoea epidemic has affected hundreds of people since Friday night at Masjid Para, Majherpara, Baganpara, Masterpara, Mallik Para and Jintola Para in Chuadanga municipality.

However, it had not claimed any life as of 8pm yesterday. Earlier on Sunday, there were rumours going around about a person dying because of diarrhoea, but our correspondent has dispelled the rumour by speaking to the residential medical officer (RMO). It was not the death from diarrhoea, nor was the patient from any of the three diarrhoea-affected areas, said RMO Masud Rana.

According to the hospital’s emergency section, as many as 700 patients had come to Chuadanga General Hospital for treatment until yesterday since Friday night. Of them, 176 patients came to the hospital with diarrhoea symp-

upazila health complexes to tackle the rush of diarrhoea patients. Even some office rooms had to be vacated to accommodate the diarrhoea patients as patients’ wards were unable to house so many. Now there is no room for even a patient inside the hospital.

The Border Guard Bangladesh however is making room for accommodating the patients in front of the hospital, but no patient was yet to be brought in here until filing of this report yesterday.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, diarrhoea patients said they had fallen sick after drinking the contaminated water supplied by the municipality authority.

They explained that they had realised the water was contaminated when they drank it on Friday night, but had nothing to do but to drink it.

Nasrin Akter from Baganpara, who

terborne disease by drinking the water supplied by the municipal authority.

“At least three to four people have been affected by it at every house in Baganpara.”

Another woman, Rahela Khatun, who hails from the same area, has been placed next to the main gate of the hospital because of a lack of space in the patients’ wards.

She said: “I started vomiting and lost control of my bowels after drinking the water supplied by the municipality authority.”

Chuadanga Municipality Mayor Riazul Islam Joarder Toton said: “We are suggesting people through mikes not to eat any stale food and to drink no unboiled water,” and added that they had supplied the hospital with the municipality’s sweepers to help tackle the situation.

176 patients yesterday night and new diarrhoea patients were still coming in.

However, there is no room for new patients inside the hospital.

Supervisor of the Immunisation Programme at Chuadanga Municipality Ali Hossain said: “We have already tested the water pumps at the three designated areas in the municipality. The pumps were also washed with germicides.”

“Those who have been affected with the waterborne disease are being given all kinds of oral salines and also being provided with water purification tablets,” he added.

Civil Surgeon Azizul Islam said: “We do not know how this is breaking out.

To know it, we have sent water sample to Dhaka. We hope to know the cause behind such epidemic by tomorrow (today).” l

Indigenous UP member raped in Chapainawabganj n Our Correspondent, Chapainawabganj

A female union parishad member of Parvatipur Union under Gomostapur police station was beaten and raped by miscreants in Gomostapur, Chapainawabganj on Monday, after a dispute over a piece of land.

The victim, also a local leader for indigenous people, was first taken to Gomostapur Upazila Healtha Complex.

Later, when her condition deteriorated, she was transferred to Chapainawabganj Sadar Hospital.

A case was lodged against 30 to 35 people, 18 named, by the victim with the Gomostapur police station.

In her written complaint to the police, she stated that around 12pm, when she was preparing her land for rice cultivation, the land grabbers attacked her with logs and sharp instruments.

The miscreants started beating the victim heavily with spade handles and sticks while their accomplices looted the shallow well pump, power tiller and cattle which were being used to prepare the land.

Afzal Hossain, Monirul Islam,48, Abdus Salam, Abul Kalam, 45, Tariqul Islam, Aktar, 40 and around 30 other people were termed land grabbers and accused of attacking the UP member and her workers.

When the workers fled the scene, Monirul, Abul and Aktar pulled the victim to a corner of the field and raped her.

Members of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad’s Chapainawabganj unit formed a human chain in front of the Satu Hall yesterday, and later gathered in front of the district commissioner’s office after circling the city with a rally protesting the assault.

Firoz Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Gomostapur police station, said police arrested Ziaul Karim, 35, in connection with the incident. l

At least five people were killed yesterday in Comilla, Feni, Sirajganj, Bogra and Narsingdi districts.

According to our Comilla correspondent, a woman was killed by her nephew yesterday at Lakshmipur village in Daudkandi upazila when he attempted to steal her money.

Jamila Akter, Kalu Miah’s aunt, used to earn a living through begging. When Kalu demanded that she hand over her earnings to him, she refused the demand. At one stage, he knifed her to death.

SI Sajedul Islam confirmed the incident.

In Feni, a man was murdered by miscreants at Dagonbhuya in Feni district over a previous enmity.

Sources said the terrorists shot Kamaluddin, 42, in Alipur village, leaving him dead on the spot.

OC Abul Foysal confirmed the incident.

An Asian International Ltd security guard was murdered at Belkuchi upazaila of Sirajganj district.

Sources said miscreants killed Shah Alam, 25, at night

n Our Correspondent, Thakurgaon Despite a government circular on giving priority to the Harijans for jobs of sweepers and cleaners, members of the community in Thakurgaon are being deprived of employment, especially because of high number of candidates from the main stream.

“We are sweepers by family trade.

We clean human excrement with our own hands all the year round, but we do not get jobs.

Rather, those who pose as sweepers are employed in our place,” said Joypati Bampar.

Harijans have been catering to the demand of sweepers in the country for a long time and mainstream people usually used to avoid the job in view of their dignity.

But time has now changed as mainstream people have begun entering the profession for livelihood.

In 2012, the government issued a circular, reserving 80% positions of sweepers and cleaners at all government, non-government and autonomous bodies in the country for Harijans.

However, the Thakurgaon municipality recruited six sweepers and cleaners on July 24, who are not Harijans.

Joypati Bampar was one of the five who had participated in the interview for the job, but none of them were

recruited.

Joypati alleged that they had not been given the job because they had refused to pay Tk12-14 lakh demanded from each of them for the job citing their financial paucity.

He said one of the people employed was a Muslim named Abu Salam, and five others were Hindus – Keli Das, Minati Das, Ramananda Das, Abir Das and Subrata Das. Citing irregularities and other examples of nepotism, former hospital staff Mazedul Haq and others have lodged a complaint with local MP Ramesh Chandra Sen, demanding an end to such practices. They have also staged a protest.

On Sunday, they besieged the civil surgeon’s office and threw dirt and human excrement at its gate, stairs and windows.

Civil Surgeon Afzal Hossain Tarafdar said: “The candidates have been appointed by selecting them in line with the government rules. They were all certified sweepers.”

The Harijans have also alleged irregularities and nepotism in six other appointments by the civil surgeon.

Focal person Premdwip of the Dalit and Adivasi Programme of Thakurgaon Eco Social Development Organisation said: “How they have been deprived is the violation of the government rules.

Legal steps should be taken against this.” l

Outlaw leader killed in gunfight n Our Correspondent, Khulna

Local people gather on the bank of the Jamuna river which has been eroded for the last couple of weeks by the river. The photo was taken from Sariakandi in Bogra yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

5,000 displaced for Jamuna erosion in Bogra n Hasibur Rahman Bilu, Bogra About 5,000 residents of Shariakandi upazila have been compelled to move away from their homes recently as the erosions by the Jamuna River in the district took a serious turn in last 15 days.

Sources in the district said several hundred homesteads and vast tract of crop-land at Kamalpur, Bohail, Chandonbaisha and Kutubpur unions have already vanished into the riverbed due to spate caused by incessant downpour during the rainy season.

On the other hand, the erosion has threatened the 1,200-meter flood control embankment streched

5 killed across the country n Tribune Report

Thakurgaon Harijans allege deprivation in employment

while he was playing cards.

Upon receiving information, police recovered the body and sent it to a hospital.

A case was filed in this connection.

Our Bogra correspondent reports that a body of a seven-year-old boy, who was reportedly kidnapped for ransom, was unearthed from a go-down at Shantahar.

According to sources, the deceased Mirdat was abducted on July 29 by Ashik, the caretaker of their house. Ashik demanded Tk7 lakh ransom from Mirdat’s parents.

On Saturday, police arrested Ashik for kidnapping Mirdat.

Following Ashik’s information provided during interrogation, police recovered Mirdat’s body from the godown of an abandoned silk mill in Shantahar in the morning.

Ashik admitted that he killed Mirdat and buried his body inside the silk mill.

In Narsingdi, a man was killed in a clash between two rival groups at Raipura upazila in the district.

According to sources, there had been a longstanding enmity between Abdul Kader and Nasu Miah from Birgaon village. l

from Chandonbaisha to Rahodaho.

Shariakandi UNO Zillur Rahman said at least 5,000 people from 1,000 families of the unions have took shelter on the embankment last 15 days.

“To rehabilitate the people, we have already sent a demand letter to the ministry concerned to allocate 500 bundles of corrugate Iron (CI) sheets and Tk5 lakh although the local administration meanwhile distributed 15 metric ton rice among the victims.”

Kutubpur Union parisad Chairman Gaziur Rahman said at least 450 families were forced to relocate from their homes due to the erosion.

Rafiqul Islam, a local tea stall

businessman in Rahodaho bazar area, said he will have to shift elsewhere from his house within few days owing to the serious erosion.

A school teacher named Enimul Bari echoed the thoughts of Rafiqul.

Confirming the displacement, Executive Engineer (Ex-n) of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) concerned Nurul Islam Sarker said the department has already taken necessary steps to protect the flood control main embankment.

“As part of the efforts, we have put 6,000 Geo-textile bags beneath the dyke in Rahodaho Bazar area but the situation is getting totally out of control,” Sarker continued. l

Leader of an outlawed party was shot dead during a gunfight by the members of police at Dhopakhola village in the district yesterday.

According to police sources, Manirul Islam, 35, son of Abdus Sattar Sheikh, regional leader of Purba Banglar Communist Party, was arrested from Baroipara village on Monday afternoon.

Later, according to his statement, a team of police conducted a drive in Dhopakhola area.

Sensing their presence, the associates of Manirul opened fire and hurled bombs at the police. In retaliation, police also fired back to protect themselves.

Manirul was caught in the line of fire. He was sent to a local health complex where doctors declared him dead.

His body was sent to Khulna Medical College Hospital morgue.

Police seized huge arms and ammunition from the spot.

Police said Manirul was accused in more than 10 cases including murder. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

7

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

‘They need to read the Quran again’ On July 22, at the session of ‘Girl Summit’ arranged in London for the first time, I had the opportunity to hear the youngest and most widely known women’s rights campaigner of recent times, Malala Yousafzai, speak

S

n Julfikar Ali Manik

he is a teenager, a minor who turned 17 only last month.

Yet, there she was, sitting in a chilled auditorium in London with an audience from 50 different countries. When I heard this young girl’s firm voice asking those who are against the rights, education, and developments of women and girls, to read the Quran again, I could not help but imagine the reaction of the advice on the face of the 94-year-old Bangladeshi “Islamic scholar” Shah Ahmed Shafi.

Weeks earlier, on July 22, as a member of the entourage of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to a high level session of “Girl Summit” arranged in London for the first time, I had the opportunity to hear the youngest and most widely known women’s rights campaigner of recent times, Malala Yousafzai, speak.

She was speaking at a session where Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, host country Britain’s prime minister, David Cameron, and Burkina Faso’s first lady, Chantal Compaore discussed tackling the problems of female genital mutilation and child marriage.

Pakistani schoolgirl activist Malala Yousafzai speaking at the Girl Summit 2014 at the Walworth Academy in London on July 22, 2014 women, and is considered as a great inspiration to the world.

During the discussion at the summit, Malala said: “Islam is a religion of peace and Islam gives equal rights to women, so I think there are people who need to read the Quran again, there are people who need to do a bit more study.”

Their ultimate goal is to convert secular democratic Bangladesh into a state based on ‘Islamic law or Sharia Law’ or Khilafat

Pakistani teenager Malala has been repeatedly brutalised by Islamist fanatics of her country since 2007 for her “crime” of attending school despite being a girl, and later raising her voice for women’s rights against the terrorist outfits of her country. Fighting all odds, Malala now campaigns across the world for rights of girls and

As I listened to her speech in the London auditorium, I kept wondering what Bangladesh’s so called most senior Islamic scholar Shafi, also principal of the Chittagong-based Hathazari Madrasa, would say, if Malala had given this advice to him in person.

Shafi, also the ameer of Hafazat-e-Islam, a recently emerged radical organ-

isation that fanatically opposes women’s rights, tells women in his sermon, “Sitting inside your husband’s home you should take care of your husband’s furniture and raise your children, your male kids. These are your jobs. Why do you have to go outside?”

Not only Shafi, Malala’s advice, I believe, is also applicable for many other “Islamic leaders” like him in Bangladesh.

Shafi, and many other leaders like him in different Islamic political parties and organisations in our country and their followers from pre-teenage to adults in mosques and madrasas, have been claiming that they have learned proper Islam, Quran and Hadith as they studied in madrasas. They capitalise on this educational background to motivate and convince people to follow their interpretation of Islam.

Malala, interestingly, is from a country like Pakistan which is the largest source of strength for Bangladeshi Islamist fundamentalists, fanatics, radicals, militants and terrorists, such as: Jamaat-e-Islami, Hefazat-e-Islam, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (Huji), Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and many other organisations, which have been operating either as politi-

cal parties, or “non-political” Islamic organisations, or NGOs, or running mosques and madrasas under disguise.

The Taliban is their inspiration.

Malala termed Taliban as “terrorist.” They stopped her and many other girls in Pakistan’s Swat Valley from going to school in 2007. Taliban terrorists also shut down four hundred schools there, and stopped girls’ education in the name of Islamic law.

Malala narrated how her life changed since that attack on their rights to education when she was only 11 in 2007: “I was 11 when I started speaking out against the Taliban and for my right to go to school.

I was 12 when I had to leave my home in Pakistan’s Swat Valley as terrorism and extremism raged in my city.

I was 15 when I was shot by the Taliban and almost died but was given another life. I was 16 when I once again raised my voice for girls’ rights and education, this time on an international stage.”

Last month, little more than a week after she turned 17, Malala was saying in the session, “In Islam girls are allowed education.” She referred to Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) wife Khadija, who was a businesswoman, and had her own independent identity as a woman.

Reuters as they were covering news over Hefazat’s rally.

Fanatical Hefazat men told them.

“Being a woman, why are you here?

Just get out of here.” Malala opined that these abuses of girls could only be stopped if people questioned tradition: “We should not be followers of those traditions which go against women’s rights. We are human beings, and we make the traditions, and we have the right to change them. Traditions are not sent from heaven, they are not sent from God. It is we who make culture, and we have the right to change it, and we should change it.”

I am curious to know what Shafi’s reply to these remarks from the minor Pakistani Muslim girl would be, because in our country in the name of Islam, Shafi said: “No matter how pious you may be, if you shake hands with a woman, your heart will start having evil intentions.

“This is a zina (fornication) of the mind, zina of the heart, and soon it will turn into a real zina. If an elderly man tells me that he does not start having evil intentions when he sees a woman, then I will tell him, old man, you are suffering from impotency, your manhood has gone. That is why you do not get evil

‘Islam is a religion of peace and Islam gives equal rights to women, so I think there are people who need to read the Quran again, there are people who need to do a bit more study.’

Present at the Girl Summit 2014 were Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, host country Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron and Burkina Faso’s First Lady Chantal Compaore PID

“We are human beings,” when Malala was saying these words, it reminded me of the philosophy of Bangladeshi parties like Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Okiyo Jote (IOJ), and Hefazat, those not only oppose female leadership, but also want to keep women in cages.

They cannot tolerate any discussion on the equal rights of women. And Shafi himself compares women with a fruit named tamarind: “If a small boy is sucking on a piece of tamarind … when you walk beneath a tamarind tree … when you go by a tamarind shop in the market, it makes your mouth water; women are worse than that.” He also advises women: “Do not come out of your house ... Beware!

Don’t go for shopping. Ask your husband and son to do the shopping.”

Fundamentalists and radicals abuse women and girls in many ways in the name of their self interpreted Islam.

Such as in April last year, a group of Shafi’s followers assaulted and intimidated two female journalists, Jakia Ahmed and Nadia Sharmeen,

intentions when you see a woman.”

Shafi is vehemently against family planning and birth control, and he not only campaigns against these ideas, but also motivates people through his sermon that men should go for up to four marriages to increase the size of the Ummah (community of Muslims), mentioning that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) “had entered into 11 marriages.”

Malala shared her belief that when a girl gets education, she becomes independent and that education is the best way to fight the obstacles to establishing girls and women’s rights.

But Shafi campaigns just the opposite: “Women go to schools, colleges and universities; let them study up to class four or five. After marriage, keeping record of their husbands’ finances is enough for them. You are spending lakhs of taka over sending them to schools, colleges and universities. But, after a few days, your daughter will get a husband of her own, enter into a love marriage or a court marriage and elope.

She will not remember her father.”

People like Shafi in our country and their followers claim, they have dedicated their life to the purpose of nurturing Islam. Their ultimate goal is to convert secular democratic Bangladesh into a state based on “Islamic law” or “Sharia Law” or Khilafat. The terrorist organisation al-Qaeda is their idol, and the former Taliban rule in Afghanistan is their model.

Though these people are divided in many parties, groups and organisations, the ultimate goal of all these organisations is the same – to establish their own interpretation of Islamic law in our country through Jihad which means by force and even bloodshed, killing people, if necessary – the most recent example being set by the former Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

I’ve been wondering what Shafi and people like him in Bangladesh and abroad learned in madrasas so that their views would be so much in contrast with that of the 17-year old Pakistani girl, who holds the teaching of the Quran in her heart.

Shafi studied at the historic Indian institution Darul Uloom Deoband, commonly known as Deoband Madrasa. Later, many like Shafi have set up thousands of Qawmi madrasas across Bangladesh in decades past.

Since these madrasas are not monitored at all, “Shafi styled” education is being taught in both Qwami and Alia madrasas, and young minds are being motivated to continue to abuse women in the name of religion.

I wonder who, in Bangladesh, is to ask the madrasa students and followers of people like Shafi to read the Quran again and understand it correctly. l Julfikar Ali Manik is special correspondent, Dhaka Tribune

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Palestine pushes for ICC probe into Israel war crimes

Israel warns of retaliation for any ICC action against it Palestinians are members of the ICC, n Reuters, The Hague the court would have no jurisdiction Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki said there was “clear evidence” of war crimes by Israel during its offensive in Gaza as he met International Criminal Court prosecutors yesterday to push for an investigation.

Malki visited The Hague shortly after Israel and the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement that rules Gaza entered a 72-hour truce mediated by Egypt in an effort to pave the way for an extended ceasefire.

Israel and the Palestinians traded accusations of war crimes during the Israeli military onslaught into Gaza, during which Hamas kept up rocket fire into the Jewish state, while defending their own actions as consistent with international law.

Last week, the United Nations launched an inquiry into human rights violations and crimes alleged to have been committed by Israel during the offensive given the far higher toll of civilian death and physical destruction on the Palestinian side.

Malki, visiting the court to lobby for action against Israel over its Gaza incursion, said the Palestinians aimed to formally joint the ICC to open the legal avenue for an investigation.

“Everything that has happened in the last 28 days is clear evidence of war crimes committed by Israel, amounting to crimes against humanity,” he told reporters in The Hague. “There is no difficulty for us to show or build the case.

Evidence is there ... Israel is in clear violation of international law.”

Israel declined public comment, But a senior Israeli official who asked to be identified said any ICC legal action against Israel over the Gaza conflict would prompt an Israeli counter-suit at the ICC against the Palestinians.

But given that neither Israel nor the

over Gaza at this time. This could be granted in a UN Security Council resolution, but Israel’s main ally, the United States, would have the power to veto any such proposal.

Israel has said it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties in conflict with the Palestinians but has accused Hamas of putting its people in harm’s way by launching rockets from within densely populated areas of Gaza.

Membership of the ICC opens countries to investigations both on their behalf and against them. Several major powers, including the United States, as well as Israel have declined not to ratify the court’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute, citing the possibility of politically motivated prosecutions.

The ICC, created more than a decade ago to prosecute individuals for war crimes, is a court of last resort, meaning that it will only intervene when a country is found to be unwilling or unable to carry out its own investigation.

ICC prosecutors declined to investigate allegations against Israel relating to its 2012 incursion into Gaza to counter Hamas rocket salvoes, citing the unclear status of Palestinians’ quest for statehood recognition at the United Nations.

Gaza officials say 1,834 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the latest Gaza war. Israel maintains that almost half of those killed were militants.

Israel has put its own death toll at 64 soldiers and three civilians.

Amnesty International appealed to the United States on Monday to halt transfers of fuel shipments to the Israeli military. It said there was mounting evidence of war crimes from both Israel and the Palestinians and an ICC investigation would be crucial in stopping the cycle of violations. l

The ruins of destroyed houses are seen in Beit Hanoun town, which witnesses said was heavily hit by Israeli shelling and air strikes during Israeli offensive, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Israel pulled its ground forces out of the Gaza Strip yesterday and started a 72-hour ceasefire with Hamas mediated by Egypt as a first step towards negotiations on a more enduring end to the month-old war. Gaza officials say the war has killed 1,865 Palestinians, most of them civilians REUTERS

Israel-Palestine conflict: Basic facts n Tribune Desk In case you find yourself less clear on the hows and the whys of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, here are some basic facts presented by Vox Magazine. This is not a definitive account of Israel-Palestine’s history or the present-day conflict. Today goes the second part: How did this conflict start in the first place?

The conflict has been going on since the early 1900s, when the mostly-Arab, mostly-Muslim region was part of the Ottoman Empire and, starting in 1917, a “mandate” run by the

British Empire. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were moving into the area, as part of a movement called Zionism among mostly European Jews to escape persecution and establish their own state in their ancestral homeland. (Later, large numbers of Middle Eastern Jews also moved to Israel, either to escape anti-Semitic violence or because they were forcibly expelled.)

Communal violence between Jews and Arabs in British Palestine began spiraling out of control. In 1947, the United Nations approved a plan to divide British Palestine into two mostly independent countries, one for Jews called Israel and one for Arabs called Palestine. Jerusalem, holy city for Jews and

Egypt plans to dig new Suez Canal

Secret serum working on Ebolainfected Americans n Reuters, Cairo Egypt plans to build a new Suez Canal alongside the existing 145-year-old hisn Agencies toric waterway in a multi-billion dollar While Big Pharma in the US is typically pilloried by rest of the world for not working on medicines that treat diseases in poor countries because there is no money in it, a little-known American drug company is reported to have produced a serum that may be working on the two US aid workers infected by the deadly Ebola virus – which has so far killed 887 people in Africa.

The top secret experimental vials were secretly flown to Liberia last week to be administered to Dr Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, both of whom were working for the charity Samaritan’s Purse treating Ebola patients when they were infected by the deadly virus that causes almost certain death.

Brantly showed immediate improvement in his condition, reports said, even as he was flown back to the US for further treatment.

In fact, television footage showed him walking unassisted to the hospital in Atlanta, accompanied by medical personnel in hazmat suits. Writebol’s condition is not known; she was to be flown out from Liberia on Monday night to be brought to Atlanta. They are both being treated by a medical team that includes Dr Jay Varkey, a physician of Indian-origin who is an infectious disease specialist at the Emory Medical Hospital in Atlanta.

Some reports said Dr Brantly, who had isolated himself in Liberia as soon as he found he had contracted the virus and had given himself up for dead, was able to shower by himself within a day of taking the secret serum.

The drug, called ZMapp, was reportedly sent by a representative from the National Institutes of Health to Samaritan’s Purse.

Evidently, the medication is still at an experimental stage and has not been cleared for use, but such was the imminent danger to Dr Brantly’s life that standard protocols were circumvented in an effort to save him.

It is not clear if Mapp Biopharmaceutical, the San Diego-based biotechnology firm, approved the application of its drug, but the recipients had to sign consent forms. They were told that the treatment had never been tried before in a human being but had shown promise in small experiments with monkeys. l

project aimed at expanding trade along the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

The Suez Canal earns Egypt about $5 billion a year in revenues, a vital source of hard currency for a country that has suffered a slump in tourism and foreign investment since its 2011 uprising. The new channel, part of a larger project to expand Suez port and shipping facilities, aims to raise Egypt’s international profile and establish it as a major trade hub.

“This giant project will be the creation of a new Suez Canal parallel to the current channel of a total length of 72 kilometers (44.74 miles),” Mohab Mamish, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, told a conference in Ismailia, a port town on the Canal. His comments were broadcast by state television.

He said the total estimated cost of drilling the new channel would be about $4 billion and be completed in five years, though Egypt will strive to finish it within a more ambitious threeyear deadline.

The total estimated cost of drilling the new channel would be about $4bn and be completed in five years The original canal, which links the Mediterranean and Red Seas, took 10 years of intense and generally poorly-paid work by Egyptians, who according to the Canal Authority, were drafted at the rate of 20,000 every 10 months from “the peasantry.” It took weeks if not months off journeys between Europe and Asia, otherwise necessitating

a trip round the tip of Africa.

Egyptian President Adel Fattah al-Sisi, a former army chief, said the armed forces would be in charge of the new project for security reasons. Up to 20 Egyptian firms could be involved in the project but would work under military supervision, he said. Last year, Sisi orchestrated the ouster of elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and oversaw a massive crackdown on Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood.

This was followed by a rise in violence from Islamist militants based in the Sinai peninsula, which has stoked some concern about the security of the nearby Suez Canal. The government has since been fighting militants in an ongoing military campaign in which hundreds have died on both sides.

Any disruption to shipping along the canal tends to have a serious impact on trade and oil prices. “Sinai to a large degree has a sensitive status. The army is responsible to Egypt for this,” said Sisi. l

Muslims, was to be a special international zone.

The plan was never implemented. Arab leaders in the region saw it as European colonial theft and, in 1948, invaded to keep Palestine unified. The Israeli forces won the 1948 war, but they pushed well beyond the UN-designated borders to claim land that was to have been part of Palestine, including the western half of Jerusalem.

They also uprooted and expelled entire Palestinian communities, creating about 700,000 refugees, whose descendants now number 7 million and are still considered refugees.

The 1948 war ended with Israel roughly

controlling the territory that you will see marked on today’s maps as “Israel”; everything except for the West Bank and Gaza, which is where most Palestinian fled to (many also ended up in refugee camps in neighboring countries) and are today considered the Palestinian territories. The borders between Israel and Palestine have been disputed and fought over ever since. So has the status of those Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem.

That’s the first major dimension of the conflict: reconciling the division that opened in 1948. The second began in 1967, when Israel put those two Palestinian territories under military occupation. l

Turkey detains 33 police for alleged wire-tapping n AFP, Istanbul Turkish authorities yesterday detained dozens of police officers accused of illegally wire-tapping top officials including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a new wave of arrests just days ahead of presidential elections.

The new swoop came after over one hundred people were arrested last month -- of whom 31 were remanded in custody and charged -- in an eavesdropping scandal linked to a dispute between Erdogan and a former ally turned opponent.

In the latest sweep, at least 33 police officers were detained in 14 provinces across the country, Turkish federal television channels reported.

The operation started with an early morning raid on a police lodging in Istanbul, but raids were also carried out

‘SEAS OF RED’ IN LONDON

From left, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, her husband Britain’s Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and his brother Prince Harry visit Paul Cummins’ art installation entitled ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ for its official unveiling in the dry moat of the Tower of London in London. Their visit to the work in progress installation, which currently consists of approximately 120,000 ceramic poppies and will finish with 888,246 poppies, was held yesterday to mark the centenary of World War I AP

in cities in the Kurdish-majority southeast including Diyarbakir.

Television pictures showed police being led away by plain clothes officers from their residences but the names of those arrested were not immediately disclosed.

Turkish news reports said that those arrested were less senior than those netted in the last raids on July 22, who included two former heads of the anti-terror department in Istanbul.

The arrests appeared to represent a new sweep against the movement of Erdogan’s former ally Fethullah Gulen in the wake of a vast corruption scandal that broke late last year implicating the prime minister and his inner circle.

Much of the evidence for the corruption allegations -- which were vehemently denied by Erdogan -- was obtained through wire-tapping. l

730,000 have left Ukraine for Russia due to conflict n Reuters, Geneva About 730,000 Ukrainians have left the country for Russia this year due to the fighting in eastern Ukraine, the European head of the United Nations agency for refugees said yesterday, pointing to a far bigger exodus than previously thought.

The figure strips out seasonal data and numbers for people who would normally have crossed the border for trade or tourism purposes, UNHCR’s European director Vincent Cochetel told a news briefing.

“The 730,000, it’s the ‘plus’ compared to other years,” he said. “They are not tourists. We’ve seen them at the border, just like in any other conflict. They walk, sometimes they just walk across the border, they come with plastic bags.

Many of them are really destitute.”

A further 117,000 people are displaced inside Ukraine, a number that is growing by about 1,200 per day, he said.

Russia’s Migration Service has said it has this year received applications from some 168,000 people who had fled Ukraine. Cochetel said the 730,000 figure included those people who had asked Russia for protection. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Earthquake death toll in China reaches 410 n AFP, China More than 400 people have died in an earthquake that devastated a Chinese village, officials said yesterday, as relatives faced the stark probability that rescuers would only find the remains of their loved ones.

The death toll had risen to 410, authorities in the southwestern province of Yunnan said in a statement, as concerns mounted over a barrier lake formed by a landslide blocking a river in the disaster zone.

Some state media reports speculated that the swollen waters may burst within days, potentially flooding the downstream area.

The magnitude 6.1 tremor destroyed 80,000 houses and seriously damaged 124,000 more, wrecking the once-idyllic mountainside village of Longtoushan, where residents confronted their losses.

“My daughter and I have no hope for the future,” said farmer Lan Helian, 32, whose husband was crushed by a collapsing building.

“He should have been outside in the field, he only returned for a few minutes,” she said, holding her brow and staring at the floor.

“We have no money and I don’t know what we are going to do.”

Li Shanyan, 35 watched anxiously as emergency personnel dug through the debris of her home, searching for her 71-year-old aunt.

“We could still hear her yesterday morning,” said Li. “(The rescuers) dug for a whole day and couldn’t find her.”

Like many in poverty-stricken Longtoushan, the crudely-made house is built from yellow earth, with a tiled roof.

“It was flattened, all flattened,” she said. “We couldn’t salvage anything -all was buried in there. Everything is reduced to ruins.

“It’s just like Wenchuan in 2008,” she added, referring to the huge earthquake in neighbouring Sichuan province that killed more than 80,000 people, China’s deadliest quake since 1950.

Moments later, she sobbed as rescuers dug out her aunt’s lifeless body from under the wreckage.

Widespread devastation

More than 18,000 rescuers were deployed in Yunnan, where Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was overseeing the rescue effort, state-run media reported.

“With each life saved, there will be one more happy family,” Li told soldiers, according to the state-run China Daily newspaper.

Relatives of the dead will receive 20,000 yuan ($3,200) in compensation, state media said.

Longtoushan, the epicentre of the quake, has a population of more than 50,000, and nearly every building in a 600-metre hillside swathe of the township was almost entirely demolished by the quake.

Many of the more modern buildings in the centre of Longtoushan appeared to be less severely damaged, but brick and old-style wooden houses were seriously affected.

Scores of workers assembled a red metal bridge across a river which cuts through the heart of the valley township.

Engineers set off huge explosions to dislodge boulders and rocks perched precariously over the narrow, winding roads that snake through the mountains.

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Further disaster looms

China’s state-broadcaster CCTV raised the ominous possibility of a further disaster in Ludian county, which includes Longtoushan, where a landslide had blocked a river.

With heavy rains falling the lake which had formed behind the barrier could burst within days, endangering at least 800 people, the broadcaster said. Other reports said there was a power station downstream.

A local official surnamed Lu told AFP that people in villages close to the lake had already been evacuated.

The China Earthquake Administration pointed to the area’s population density and fragile building materials as contributing to the quake’s destruction.

“Most rural houses were made of brick or wood, were not designed to be resistant to quakes, and many of them were outdated,” it said, according to the official Xinhua news agency. l

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(1) Militia men stop to listen for voices in the rubble of a collapsed house at Longtoushan, in China’s southwest Yunnan province. (2) An injuried girl (R) cries in the corridor of Ludian hospital after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit Ludian county in Zhaotong. (3) Candles burn beside the body of 71-year-old family matriarch He Guixiu in a ceremony after she was found buried in a collapsed house at Longtoushan AFP

Japan defence paper warns over China’s ‘dangerous acts’ in sea, air n AFP, Tokyo Japan warned yesterday that China’s “dangerous acts” over territorial claims in the East China Sea could lead to “unintended consequences” in the region, as fears grow of a potential military clash.

The annual defence white paper was adopted by hawkish Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ministers at a cabinet meeting, heaping criticism on Beijing’s unilateral declaration of an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) late last year.

The ADIZ sparked regional criticism as well as condemnation from Washington, while commentators voiced concern over the growing chances of an armed conflict between the two Asian powers.

Tokyo’s paper, which noted that China’s military budget had quadrupled over the past decade, said Japan was seeing an “increasingly severe” security environment.

“Japan is deeply concerned about the establishment of ‘the East China Sea ADIZ’ which is profoundly dangerous act that... escalate the situation and may cause unintended consequences” in the region, the 505-page paper said.

Chinese vessels and aircraft have regularly approached an East China Sea archipelago claimed by both countries after Tokyo nationalised some of the chain in 2012 Chinese vessels and aircraft have regularly approached an East China Sea archipelago claimed by both countries after Tokyo nationalised some of the chain in 2012, which is believed to harbour vast natural resources below

its seabed.

The islands are called the Diaoyu by China and Senkaku by Japan.

In a June confrontation, Tokyo said that two Chinese fighter jets flew within 30 metres (100 feet) of its aircraft in an area where the two nations’ air defence zones overlap.

Beijing responded that it was Japanese military planes that flew dangerously close to its aircraft.

China has also laid claim to much of the South China Sea, angering Vietnam, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations.

“In regard to conflicts over maritime interests, China has adopted assertive measures, including attempting to alter the status quo by coercive measures... which is incompatible with the existing international law and order,” the paper said.

“These measures include dangerous acts that could cause unintended consequences and raise concerns over China’s future direction,” it added. l

Nato strike kills 4 Afghan civilians n AP, Kabul A Nato helicopter strike targeting missile-launching Taliban militants killed four civilians in western Afghanistan, an Afghan official said yesterday. Nato said they were investigating the attack.

The attack in western Herat province comes as civilian casualties from Nato attacks remain a contentious issue across the country as international troops prepare to withdraw by the end of this year. Almost 200 people protested against Nato in Herat on Tuesday, carrying the bodies of the dead civilians into the provincial capital and demanding an investigation.

The strike happened Monday night in the province’s Shindan district, said Raouf Ahmadi, a spokesman for the provincial chief of police. He said

Taliban militants launched a missile at an airport nearby, drawing the Nato helicopter’s fire. He said the Nato attack killed two men, one woman and a child.

In a statement, Nato said it was aware of the attack and was investigating, without elaborating.

Nato “takes all allegations of civilian casualties seriously, and is assessing the facts surrounding this incident,” it said.

Civilians increasingly find themselves under fire as the 2001 US-led war draws to a close, as Afghan forces take the lead in operations targeting the Taliban. The civilian death toll in the war in Afghanistan rose 17 percent for the first half of this year, the United Nations reported in July. The UN said 1,564 civilians were killed from

3

January through June, compared with 1,342 in the first six months of 2013. It blamed Insurgents were responsible for 74 percent of the casualties, the UN said, while pro-government forces were responsible for 9 percent, government forces 8 percent and foreign troops just 1 percent. The rest could not be attributed to any group.

Outgoing President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly clashed with Nato over civilian casualties.

Afghan security forces also increasingly find themselves under attack as the planned foreign troop withdrawal draws near. On Tuesday, a police car struck a roadside bomb in the eastern province of Nouristan, killing three officers, provincial police chief Abdul Baqi Nouristani said. l

Man in Afghan uniform shoots at foreign troops n AP, Kabul A man dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire Tuesday on foreign troops at a military base, causing casualties, an Afghan military spokesman said.

Nato said it was investigating an “incident” involving both Afghan and international troops at Camp Qargha, a base west of the capital, Kabul, which trains officers for the country’s army.

Gen. Mohammmad Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry, wrote on Twitter that “a terrorist using (the) uniform of (the) Afghan Army” opened fire, wounding some. He did not elaborate. Afghan officials declined to immediately comment.

In its statement, Nato said that it was “in the process of assessing the situation.”

Qargha is known as “Sandhurst in the sand,” as British forces oversaw building the officer school and its training program. In a statement, the British Defense Ministry said it was investigating the incident and that “it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

The attack comes as so-called “insider attacks” — incidents in which Afghan security turn on their Nato partners — largely dropped last year. In 2013, there were 16 deaths in 10 separate attacks.

In 2012, such attacks killed 53 coalition troops in 38 separate attacks.

Such “insider attacks” are sometimes claimed by the Taliban insurgency as proof of their infiltration. Others are attributed to personal disputes or resentment by Afghans who have soured on the continued international presence in their country more than a dozen years after the fall of the Taliban’s ultra-conservative Islamic regime.

Foreign aid workers, contractors and other civilians in Afghanistan are increasingly becoming targets of violence as the US-led military coalition continues a withdrawal to be complete by the end of the year. l

China quizzes Canadians suspected of threatening national security n Reuters, Dandong China is investigating a Canadian couple who ran a coffee shop on the Chinese border with North Korea for the suspected theft of military and intelligence information and for threatening national security, China’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

The official Xinhua news agency identified the two as Kevin Garratt and Julia Dawn Garratt. In a brief report, Xinhua said the State Security Bureau of Dandong city in northeast Liaoning province was investigating the case, adding it involved the stealing of state secrets.

Neither the Foreign Ministry nor Xinhua said if the couple had been detained, although the ministry said the Canadian embassy in Beijing was notified on Monday and that the couple’s “various rights have been fully guaranteed.”

Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail said the Vancouver couple had been living in China since 1984 and opened a coffee shop called Peter’s Coffee House in Dandong, a key gateway to reclusive North Korea, in 2008. The couple previously worked as teachers in southern China.

It said the whereabouts of the Garratts was unknown. Calls by Reuters to the coffee shop went unanswered.

A family friend said the Garratts had three children.

“Kevin Garratt and his wife ... are suspected of collecting and stealing intelligence materials related to Chinese military targets and important Chinese national defence scientific research programs, and engaging in activities that endanger China’s national security,” the Foreign Ministry said in a short statement.

The Canadian embassy said it was aware of reports that two Canadians had been “detained” in China and was gathering information on the matter.

The investigation into the Garratts comes a week after Canada took the unusual step of singling out Chinese hack-

ers for attacking a key computer network and lodged a protest with Beijing.

Canadian officials have said “a highly sophisticated Chinese state-sponsored actor” broke into the National Research Council, the government’s leading research body, which works with big firms such as aircraft and train maker Bombardier Inc. . In response, Beijing accused Canada of making irresponsible accusations that lacked credible evidence.

‘See you soon!’

China’s state secrets law is notoriously broad, covering everything from industry data to the exact birth dates of state leaders. Information can also be labelled a state secret retroactively.

Canadian couple suspected of stealing intelligence related to military targets In severe cases, the theft of state secrets is punishable with life in prison or the death penalty.

One of the Garratts’ sons told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper that he didn’t believe the accusations.

“It sounds so wildly absurd,” said 27-year-old Simeon Garratt, who lives in British Columbia. “I know for a fact it’s not true.” He said he last spoke with his parents on Monday.

The Garratts’ western-style restaurant, which bears a sign touting french toast and hot dogs, has a view of traffic flowing across the Yalu River that divides China and North Korea.

Shades covered the windows when a reporter visited on Tuesday, and the entrance was shut up. A chalkboard sign in a window read in English: “SORRY, WE ARE CLOSED.” “See you soon!” it added, with a smiley face underneath. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Draft broadcasting policy oversteps the mark

T

he draft National Broadcasting Policy, adopted by the cabinet, contains draconian provisions which are not consistent with a free and independent media.

It muddles statements of good intent such as protecting “the unity and solidarity of the country” with highly restrictive and ill thought through regulations.

Free speech can only be undermined by a policy which seeks to restrict “programs that satirise national ideals,” or that does not allow any news or programmes which hamper “relations with friendly nations.” The practicalities of fairly defining such issues also makes such directives unworkable.

The government must pay heed to the objections raised by experienced journalists and revise the proposed policy so that it cannot be misused to undermine freedom of expression.

It is one thing for a code of practice to assert that “misleading and untrue information” should not be given on news programs, but it is undemocratic to seek to control and regulate what such programs can or cannot say.

Some of the proposed provisions also appear unnecessary as they address problems which do not exist. We are not aware for instance of any advertisements which “demean or ridicule the armed forces.”

In any case, we believe a free and open media provides the best means of protection against such concerns, by providing platforms for opposing viewpoints to be addressed.

The policy also contains proposals on the content of advertisements.

For the most part these would appear to be addressed by industry selfregulation.

We call on the government to urgently undertake an impartial review of the policy’s myriad provisions.

It should appoint an independent committee of non-partisan professionals and senior members of the judiciary to consult with the public to agree on principles on which a workable broadcasting code of practice can be based.

It is undemocratic to regulate what programs can or cannot say

Sport for all

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ongratulations to shooter Abdullah Hel Baki for earning a silver medal for Bangladesh at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Few will be surprised that it was Bangladesh’s only medal win in the 53-nation event. This was almost as predictable as global superstar Usain Bolt delighting the crowds with his contribution to Jamaica’s successful relay team.

We should be asking how our country can begin to nurture world-class sporting stars of our own to match our population’s size.

Of course, without overcoming poverty and poor nutrition, we can never seriously expect our population to match its potential in any walk of life, let alone in ever more competitive world sports.

However, this does not mean that there is nothing to be done.

We already have large numbers of people interested in every facet of sport.

And in the long term, economic growth means that more sponsorship is likely to become available for talented individuals who need full-time training resources to gain the vital edge needed to achieve international success.

What is needed most immediately however is more mass participation in sport. Colleges and schools must work together with sporting associations to markedly raise rates of sporting activity.

Attitudes must change. Both boys and girls should be encouraged to take part in sport from a young age.

Businesses, government and sporting bodies should work together to build more sporting facilities to help lower the barriers which reserve competitive sport for the few.

For health reasons alone, it is imperative we get more people participating in sport anyway. Any future medals nurtured in the process are a mere bonus.

Get more people participating in sport

Be heard Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email letters.dt@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

Into the deep August 3

Raja Miah The author of this article clearly has no idea what is really going on in Eastern Europe. The situation is far more complex than the western media has portrayed so far. To begin with, the Russians are really afraid of a possible attack launched from the west due to its bloody past (first and second world wars left millions dead). Second, the area beyond East Ukraine forms the industrial heart of Russia; a few strikes are enough to bring the Russians to their knees.

What does that mean? One word: vulnerability.

After the fall of the Berlin wall, the western military alliance has assured not to expand into the former Soviet-influenced territories. The opposite happened when many former countries became part of the European Union.

About Ukraine: The country is divided into two halves: Ukrainian vs Russian-speaking people.

The EU has lured west Ukrainians to protest against their democratically-elected – most votes came from the east – president with false hopes of having West European living standards.

As I live in the Netherlands, this will surely not happen in the foreseeable future due to (justified) fierce opposition from the people, who are fed up with paying the bill of its poorer “family members.” The organisation OSCE,

No response from mobile operators

which is currently monitoring the situation, has admitted that are many non-state actors active in East Ukraine to (each for their own reasons) fight against a government in which they do not feel represented. The first act of this new government was to make Ukrainian language the sole official language of the country. You know as a Bangladeshi how that feels.

The East Ukranians has since then resisted, but the answer of the government was to attack these people (the burning down of a building full of protestors was not even condemned by the West). These people have used the same tactics as on Maidan Square by occupying administrative buildings, which is ironically now seen as an act of crime.

On Dutch television, you see innocent civilians crying and (the same situation as in Gaza) asking themselves why a government would kill its own citizens. A possible reason could be that the government wants to distract the people from their economic worries. The resignation of the Ukrainian PM was not even breaking news in major media outlets. Our news coverage is far more balanced compared to what I see on English or Russian media channels. Try to understand the underlying feelings instead of drawing your conclusions based on a few biased sources.

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 4 represents T so fill T every time the figure 4 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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.

A lack of diplomacy?

August 1

August 3

Kamal Hossain They need to be found, have a huge tax cut from their incomes, and put on Biman airlines.

Sbua Joy They don’t care about the Bangladesh government’s laws on mobile operations.

Dhaka in 5 years

August 2

CROSSWORD

Ahnaf Saber “I think she needs to do more homework and assess the mood of Bangladeshis.”

I don’t think our mood really matters in this country but that aside it was a good piece.

Madonna’s voice on Gaza conflict August 2

ACROSS 1 Malignant substance (6) 4 Distant (3) 7 Combine (5) 8 Whole (6) 11 Slender stick (3) 12 Disturbance (4) 13 Slender support (4) 15 Rate of progress (5) 16 Document (5) 20 Narrow beams (4) 23 Bird (4) 24 Sharp blow (3) 25 Oozes out (6) 26 Ward off (5) 27 Marry (3) 28 Country (6)

DOWN 1 Couples (5) 2 Majestic (7) 3 Fasteners (4) 4 Discharge (4) 5 Minute particle (4) 6 Colour (3) 9 Pinch (3) 10 Digit (3) 14 Malign (7) 17 School of whales (3) 18 First woman (3) 19 Plant secretion (5) 20 Utter wildly (4) 21 Copied (4) 22 Becomes firm (4) 24 Uncooked (3)

Zarif Ud Doula Adit Wake up Dhaka residents!

India grants residential visa to Taslima August 3 Romzanul Islam Great news for her!

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Rob Stones At least both Israel and Palestine can agree that Madonna’s comment is pointless.

Pakistan widows, ‘second’ wives victims of army offensive August 3

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

PEANUTS

Shamuna Mizan Shame on Pakistan. Shame on its religious leaders! Thank God we Bangladeshi women have our freedom and basic human rights. Thank God we got our freedom from this country just 40+ years ago.

Banning doesn’t work August 2

Shahadat Hossain If you don’t know how to bend and dance along, then you will break. Banning Star Plus will not be a good move. Rather, we need to make better serials in Bangladesh, and show fewer Hindi serials.

Then we will see success.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

When the world stopped for us n Mohammad Ali Sattar

I

Has mighty Israel violated the rules of warfare?

REUTERS

War crimes are war crimes

I

n Farhana Syead

t is interesting to note that Israel’s brutality against the civilians in Gaza has made more than 50 former Israeli soldiers refuse to serve in the nation’s reserve force, citing regret over their central role played in oppressing Palestinians.

Their statements reflect that the entire military helps implement the oppression of the Palestinians.

This is not the first time that Israeli soldiers have shown regret. In 2009, the Israeli Military College published very damaging statements and accounts by its own soldiers, describing their killing of innocent and mostly unarmed civilians, and their wanton vandalism during Israel’s 22-day assault on the Gaza Strip.

Among the accounts by graduates of the Yitzhak Rabin Pre-military Academy at Oranim Academic College, and published in the academy’s newsletter, one that was particularly horrifying described an IDF sniper killing a mother and her small children at close range after Israeli soldiers had suddenly ordered them to leave their home.

Thus, along with the worldwide outrage on Israel’s war crimes against Palestinians, guilt among Israeli soldiers and also its supporters can be noticed. There are several arguments outlining a framework for a future legal procedure to hold Israel legally accountable for human rights violations against the people of Gaza.

In this scenario, let us scrutinise the matter a bit further in understanding the reasons for which we can identify the ongoing brutality perpetrated by Israel against Palestinian civilians as war crimes.

War crimes are defined in the Char-

ter of the International Military Tribunal, Nuremberg, of August 8, 1945 and confirmed by the General Assembly of the UN, particularly the “grave breaches” enumerated in the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949 for the protection of war victims.

A war crime is a serious violation of the laws and customs of war (also known as the international humanitarian law) giving rise to individual criminal responsibility. It denotes murdering, mistreating, or deporting civilian residents of an occupied territory.

and the youth. 43% of Gaza’s population is aged 0-14 and just under 21% are 15-24. Thus 64% is aged 0-24.

Aid agencies said a child had been killed every hour on average (over two days), and there had been a sharp spike in premature births. In addition, more than 3,000 homes had been destroyed or damaged, and that 46 schools, 56 mosques, and seven hospitals had been hit.

Among a number of incidences that clearly show Israel’s war crimes, take the example of the attack on the

Human Rights Watch says some Israeli airstrikes have no lawful military objective

War crimes include violations of the recognised rules of warfare by members of the armed forces, illegitimate hostilities in arms committed by individuals who are not members of armed forces, espionage and war treason, and marauding.

According to Principle IV of the Report of the International Law Commission, war crimes are the violations of the laws and customs of war which include, but are not limited to, murder, ill-treatment or depredation to forced labor, or for any other purpose of civilian population. This time, Israel’s war crimes can be mounted from the massacre of more than 800 civilians in Gaza. Again, a war is declared against civilians, most of them are children

UN-run school in Gaza. An elementary school packed with hundreds of Palestinian evacuees seeking shelter under UN protection came under heavy fire, leaving 16 people dead and more than 100 wounded, including women, children, and infants.

Human Rights Watch says some Israeli airstrikes have no lawful military objective. One crucial element in any lawful attack is that it is directed at a reasonably certain military target. But in a number of airstrikes before the ground invasion that Human Rights Watch investigated, no evidence of a lawful military objective has been found. There were none evident at the Fun Time Beach café, where an Israeli attack on July 11 killed nine civilians,

including two boys, who had gathered to watch the World Cup. It is pertinent to say that the world has watched a military superpower shelling, bombing, and attacking a relatively defenseless and captive population of 1.8 million people in the Gaza Strip, a piece of land which qualifies as the world’s largest open prison — a ghetto by any other name. The scale of death and destruction appears to be aimed not just at lessening the actual threat from Hamas, but also at punishing Gazans for elevating Hamas to power in the first place. Netanyahu seems determined to teach them a lesson.

Despite the fact, only 29 of the UN Human Rights Council’s 47 members voted in favour of creating a commission of inquiry to look at possible war crimes committed by Israel. Only the United States voted against the resolution, while 17 states abstained, 10 of them European.

Regardless of the role of Western leaders, and their willingness in giving succour to Israel’s war crimes, people have not been silent.

All over the world, there have been massive demonstrations of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, and with every man, woman, and child slaughtered or maimed, more and more are raising their voices, calling for boycotting Israel, just as they did against apartheid in South Africa.

The cause of the Palestinian people is the cause of humanity of our time. It will push governments and the United Nations to support the Palestinian call for pressure on Israel. Thus, the UN is responsible for fulfilling its charter duties, and it must use the leverage and stand against Israel’s war crimes. l Farhana Syead is a freelance contributor.

t’s hugely demanding to write an obituary note on somebody who was the most valued person in your life, a person who altruistically loved you.

Someone without whom your basis in the universe wouldn’t have been possible, someone in whose warm womb you have been given the fortification you needed to breathe, eat, and grow for 36 long weeks.

It is not possible to coin words or phrases for that lady who was my mother, and who left me, crushed.

The lady, from a patrician family of West Bengal, with her beauty, glamour and intelligence, illuminated our lives with lights and fragrance of elegance, education, and humanity.

She passed away quietly, but her exit was deafeningly thunderous, that busted our senses and systems.

I could see her being carried from emergency to the cabin to the ICU to the HDU and back to the ICU. She was given failed treatment from supposedly the best doctors of the subcontinent, backed up by the most modern equipment of the state of the art hospital in Dhaka.

I witnessed how my mother was being attended to, and given treatments that we all trusted so much.

We all wished that this time too she would dodge the ailment and come back. That did not happen.

As I look back, I quite rightly see the time and date that the Almighty had fixed for her reception into the other world! The holy month of Ramadan and the blessed night of 21st.

God had planned differently on this occasion. She went off from home (July 10) never to return. Frail and tired, she resigned from the world and went into the cold cabin of the hospital.

The most popular and a sugary person went quiet. Her silence was roaring in each corner of our homes, and in the corridors of the hospitals.

Her calm was so loud that all the blasts in the world together couldn’t match the sound and fury of her silence.

Her brief stint with the ailment was hectic. She could not respond to the drugs that she was given to pull through. The doctors at ICU kept changing their drugs and doses.

I stood witness to the toughest event of life, as she was being transported to the other world We were confident to greet her back and wheel her to the car to take her home very soon. Doctors never said that there was no hope.

I met her for the last time in consciousness on July 15. She wore an oxygen mask. She looked up at me, put her frail hand over my head and drew me closer to her. I groaned as she also

failed to utter any word.

No words passed between us.

Fountains of surging tears from inside me drenched her bosom. I sought forgiveness for all my failures. She looked on and on and on … until the attending nurse asked me to leave.

I never knew that that would be our last meeting. So many things remain untold. Alas, if I could reach her heart and decode her gazes.

She passed away quietly, but her exit was deafeningly thunderous

I know I would never be able to know her last wishes.

She slipped into a coma the next day following cardiac arrest, and was provided with the last resort – life support devices. Inside our hearts we were apprehensive of the ventilator treatment.

Doctors suggested new treatment every day. We went on signing undertakings for each new treatment they started, and went on praying to God. As the moments passed, the fear grew. Hopes faded, and friendly doctors in white now appeared to be distant persons. They started losing hope and dimming ours as well.

The end came on July 20. The 21st of Ramadan. It was around 3pm that we received a phone call.

We all rushed to the ICU on the second floor. I requested the doctor to allow me inside, so that I could stand by her side and bid her the valediction.

As the only surviving son, I had lots to bear.

I stood witness to the toughest event of life, as she was being transported to the other world. The angels were preparing her departure.

Head turned towards the Kaaba, she breathed on peacefully. She believed in God all her life, and for all divine reasons God also believed in her.

I realised how helpless one could be. The strength, wits, knowledge and guts – all freeze here. You are just another speck in God’s world!

I turned into a mere onlooker, with the Himalayas over my chest.

I touched her, as she touched me countless times as a little one, and hummed to me those sweet lines with her melodic voice.

I so religiously wished her eyes would open to look at me for once! She did not turn, her eyes did not open. I cried and begged to the Almighty not to take her away now. I shared many things with her at that moment that I did not before.

Her adored Kany, Sunny, Rona, Rumki, Ema, Piku, Pinky, and Popo (grandchildren), waiting in the lounge, yearning for a return of their darling grandma. The world stopped for us at 7:33pm. l Mohammad Ali Sattar is a journalist and a DT columnist.

Smell of siege, fragrance of freedom n Seema Amin

I

t must be that nothing is inviolate in a violated world. Deciduous blood clots, men carrying the brains of children, women walking through a valley of imploded concrete wombs, the sea’s shimmering hypnotising the Ramadan sky with the scintillating fire, precision bombs, intended to make the most out of human skin’s sensitivity.

The fans are all turning on the seventh floor of Hossain Market.

Between the red and yellow, pink and black variants on the brightness the girls carry, there is the occasional canary yellow Eid dress; someone’s child is circling the sewing machines and tables that have been cleared to make space for the women who are fasting (unto death) on Eid.“We will not accept a living death,” the citizens of Gaza, who have never been citizens, said point blank.

It is intriguing, if one had the time for irony, in a world so timed to the needs of coordinates half a world away – Germany who must receive its orders in time to sell its jerseys during the World Cup – to consider the violation of a cultural expectation and how

it hurts even the sensibilities of the jaded, numbed Dhaka everyman. “We were not allowed to pray outside,” said the men. “We want to go home and celebrate too …”

The world awaits a release. The system promises breaks and freedoms, breathing spaces that keep things going … moves it forward … not an opiate but perpetual cheese. But a hungry rat has no desires. And a starving rat is senseless.

Delowar was neither hungry nor starving. He was awaiting a strange bail hearing in the High Court. Already convicted for criminal negligence, he had been successfully operating his five factories under Tuba Group – so successfully that he received direct contracts from German companies like Owim KG for World Cup t-shirts. So successful he needed loans or he couldn’t pay the workers, he says. So successful he can’t get loans, he says. It’s as if Israel was promising an independent state of Palestine. Post its destruction.

In May, they toiled for the World Cup t-shirts for Argentina, Germany, and Brazil. In June they toiled over the regular buyers – H&M, Levis, Rawlings.

Then on July 7, third day of the Gaza

invasion, a photo of a pink horizon floated on social media. 1,200 workers – no, more, 1,500 – protesting in North Badda, blocking the road, demanding their due pay and expecting their bonus.

The situation inside the factory is not desperate but fierce, it is not pathetic but wilful

For daring to think of themselves as anything more than Delowar’s hostage population, cogs in his rusty wheel, on Ramadan, they were treated to a strange, illegal tear gas, with unknown consequences. Two workers tell me what this crowd control product – made usable under the Police Reform program – has meant for them.

Anwar, hurt by the pink “tear gas” and the canisters that spit out glass when they opened, and Shalom, even

more visibly injured, have nowhere to heal their wounds. So they, unlike the girl whose legs are gone from the beating she took and the pregnant women assaulted in their safe space during the protest, returned to the factory floor where the workers are occupying the factory, where they have taken over the five factories, where they surrounded the mother-in-law of Delowar, where they are demanding their due pay without any conditions – any of the bribes, concessions, compromise – and where the informers, sell outs, and dalals must face the consequences of a fraternity built on the inviolate roses of a violated world.

When we entered the building, at the gate, a girl was crying. I don’t know why. Some things are not to be known. But no one is crying upstairs.

There the atmosphere is not siege, but a very strange smell and the sound of will, when it is employed.

What 1,300 women and 300 hundred men are being deprived of, is what the rest of us have been given – a reason to go on, as if nothing had happened in this world. From sunrise to sunset, as though no new story had been told.

When the Buddha said deprive

yourself of illusions and seize the end of Samsara, that is, the end of feeding yourself that which keeps the cycle gong. Ramadan is not just about controlling one’s base instincts, it is about reversing the immune system, living as spirits and not animals – somehow knowing we are inviolate, in a violated world. A people at the edge of the world have no illusions.

Without rent, watching their comrades bleeding, not sure if they will get to give their earnings to their parents, having been told they will get it any day now, the line towed by the BGMEA to journalists. The BGMEA that promised plenty and compromised on the workers’ due pay with the factory management, who actually went around asking workers to sign in favour of Delowar’s bail.

Giving the lie to power is like hitting yourself with a tank, or a bulldozer.

The costumed stone inside the machine will just roll over you, level you, and pretend you are sand. But, and this is all the but that ever stopped an inexorable logic: The situation inside the factory is not desperate but fierce, it is not pathetic but wilful.

I won’t echo the echo of the chants, the slogans in the mouths of these girls

and boys, men and women. A factory occupation, finally. Unprecedented.

Unique. Dreamed of, by the May Day gang. Here. Now. One medic, one paramedic. A media blackout lifting with the descending darkness of the end of Eid. These are the workers you have been dreaming of, the ones who know their worth. This is the man who fought that war. Now call them what they are – your brothers, your sisters, your leaders.

There was a feeling once, that maybe the fans are on because the show must go on, because Delowar and Co want the show to go just this way, somehow to force them into a corner where they would succumb to the desire for a crumb.

But like the people of Gaza, the workers of Tuba group have said: “No! Your freedom, has never, ever, meant ours. Join the occupation.” We need paramedics and press, but most of all, we need pressure, on the state, on the citizens on the people. Our freedom is nothing without the freedom of the Palestinians and … fill in the blank. l Seema Amin is a writer. This article was first published in AlalODulal.org.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Why Tagore is still fashionable ‘I love to wear Tagore era look’ n Hasan Mansoor Chatak

Rabindranath Tagore’s popularity has not diminished over the years and his work is considered evergreen by artistes and litterateurs alike. The sobriquet Kobiguru was born 150 years ago and we tried to figure out why Tagore is still important in this modern world or why his work is still fashionable.

Today is the 73rd death anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore

Room for modern music arrangement

Rabindranath himself had the openness of experimenting with different genres of music. He introduced Irish and Bangla folk-song fusion in his line of music design. From the time Viswa Bharati’s copyright over Tagore’s works have expired, there have been a hive of young singers who have taken up on remixing the age old Tagore compositions. Basically some musicians and bands from Kolkata and Dhaka who have inclination towards rock music including Kabir Suman, Arnob, Shironamhin, Sahana Bajpaie and Dohar regenerated Tagore songs with

contemporary compositions. About this notion, eminent Bengali poet Sankho Ghosh said: “Launching of Rabindranath Tagore’s songs by bands cannot be a taboo if it conforms and upholds the spirit and basics of the original pieces.”

Addressing issues that are always contemporary

Tagore’s stories and plays have been the centre of interest for many young filmmakers and theatre directors who are keen to add new dimensions to the works and present it in today’s context.

Thus, countless adaptations are being made. One exemplary work is done by Bengali filmmaker Kaushik Mukherjee who made an adaptation of Tagore’s play “Tasher Desh” and revealed his work’s fresh explanation particularly on the play: “I’m amazed by his power of prediction. What Tagore predicted in 1933 became a reality in the 1960s – women roaming around naked on the streets with flowers in their hair singing songs.

The 60s revolution, the flower power generation and hippie logic, the idea of peace being central to revolution were actually predicted in ‘Tasher Desh.’”

Array of wonder-works

Among the array of his numerous pieces, he has done such works which have been considered as wonder-works, even to the contemporary generations.

Indicating the fact, Kabir Suman said: “How on earth did he make songs like

“Tomar Holo Shuru,” “Aji Je Rojoni Jay,” “Tumi Robe Nirobe,” “Ke Jabi Pare Ogo Tora Ke,” “Na Go Na Koro Na Bhabna,” “Birosh Din Birol Kaj,” “Momo Dukkher Shadhon,” “Amar Ei Poth Chawatei Anondo” and so many others so long ago? How could he work such miracles? There was nothing before him in the 19th century which could have been an example.”

Bangladeshi singer Arnob once said: “Tagore took all the best resources of arts of his time and presented those in his own way.”

Beyond worship, logic and sense

At one point, a generation used to worship Tagore. But as time changed, that generation has been replaced by another who value the logic and sense demonstrated in his works and they are keeping Tagore alive in a new way.

Tagore singer Lily Islam said: “To praise Tagore, you don’t need to be blind.

If you are logical, filled with literary sense and a certain level of taste, you are bound to admit that Tagore is evergreen. I think we haven’t discovered all of Tagore yet.”

Advocacy of the brighter side of human life

Tagore’s work always performed as powerful advocate in bringing the positive side of human life beyond the discrimination based on caste, creed and religion. Seasoned Tagore artiste Mita Haque termed his work as “a weapon against ignorance and narrowness.” l

n Punny Kabir

Nadia will be seen as the female protagonist in the special TV play “Patro O Patri” that marks the 73rd death anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. The play which also stars Arman Parvez Murad will be aired on Channel i today at 7:50pm.

The plot is based on a short story of Tagore with the same title. It centres around a young man named Saonat who refuses to marry a typical woman whose whole life orbits around Hindu religious rituals. He goes out into the world and makes money and a name for himself. The doors to the society of urban high class ladies, that had once seemed unapproachable, now open up to him. Soon, he is attracted to a lady of good social standing and wants to marry her. Here, Saonat’s love-interest is played by the beautiful Nadia.

Based on Tagore’s famous short story “Apod,” a TV play directed by Ferdous Hasan will be aired on ATN Bangla at 8pm tonight. The play narrates different human emotions in terms of trust and mistrust in diverse human life through the story of Kiran, an ailing housewife who goes to their rural Bungalow for a change of air as suggested by her physician. Kiran has been suffering from an acute illness for quite some time. She starts living in the countryside and enjoys the atmosphere. One day, a stranger named Neelkanta suddenly appears on a stormy night. After his arrival, strange incidents start happening and with this plot, the story moves forward.

Kanak

Marking the 73rd death anniversary of Bangalee Nobel Prize winning writer, composer, philosopher and polymath, Rabindranath Tagore, a single episode drama “Kanak” will be aired today at 9pm on NTV. Based on Tagore’s short story “Bicharok” the drama is scripted and directed by Nahid Ahmed Piyal. Aparna, Jitu Ahsan, Ashiq Chowdhury, Rasel, Prithu and others form the cast of the drama. The plot revolves around Kanak, who is a fan of an author named Jabed Sarwar. One fine day, Kanak invites her favourite writer to her home and urges that Jabed write a story based on her life.

Upon hearing her story, Jabed is reminded of Rabindranath’s character Hem Shashi from “Bicharok,” and realises that he has discovered the same character 120 years after it was penned.

TODAY IN DHAKA Film

Most Welcome 2 Transformers: Age of Extinction 3D Edge of Tomorrow 3D X-Men: Days of Future Past 3D Maleficent Star Cineplex, Level 8, Bashundhara City 13/3 Ka, Panthopath

Exhibition

Her Words: Storytelling with Saris Time: 9:30am – 8:00pm EMK Center, Road No 16 Life and Works of Tajuddin Ahmed Time: 12pm – 8pm Gallery 21, Dhanmondi

Theatre

Aurangzeb

By Prangonemor National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Tringsho Shotabdi Time: 7:30pm – 9:00pm Experimental Theatre, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

What is your opinion on the look of that era?

I love to wear the look of women from the Tagore era. The frilled blouse, traditional jewellery and the sindoor on the forehead—are all-time favourites of all the Bangalee women. Previously I worked in a number of TV plays such as “Drishtidan,” “Odhyapok” etc which are based on short stories of the great personality. I loved all of them.

How special it is for you to play a character of Tagore?

Like most people, I am also a huge fan of Tagore since my childhood. When I read the stories I used to imagine the characters and delve deeper into the imaginary world. So, when I play such roles I become very nostalgic.

What are you busy with at present?

I am working in around seven TV series including “Khonikaloy,” “Mamlabaj” and “Eksho Hat Durey Thakun” that are being aired on different TV channels. I have recently signed another upcoming comedy serial titled “Comedy at Colony.”

And what about dance?

Well, during the month of Ramadan there was a break. Now I am back in the scene and will perform in a show on August 14 at the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel. A number of other projects are also in the talks. l

What is different about your role in Patro O Patri?

TAGORE SPECIALS ON TV Apod

The role is really interesting and unique compared to the female characters of Tagore. Here, the lady is educated, intelligent and smart and the play is set on the backdrop of the nineteenth century.

She is bold in expressing her choice on how to lead her life. However, she is also careful about the social and moral values.

Malyodan Tisha donned the character of Kurani in a special television drama titled “Malyodan” on the occasion of Rabindranath Tagore’s 73rd death anniversary. Sumon Anwar dramatised and directed the TV play while Arman Parvez Murad, Sabbir Ahmed and Bonya Mirza form the cast along with Tisha. The drama will be aired on RTV, August 6 at 8:20pm. The story revolves around a childless couple, Potol and her husband. One day Potol finds an orphan named Kurani and brings her back home.

She gives Kurani the love, care and affection of a mother and they both forge a relationship so strong that it would have been impossible for a stranger to guess that Kurani was adopted. But Potol’s husband has his doubts as they do not know Kurani’s background. Her younger brother Jatin, a doctor, comes to visit them and Potol proposes that he marries her daughter. But Jatin refuses to do so. However, fate brings them back together in a hospital after a few years.

Tyag A special drama titled “Tyag,” directed by Shuvro Ujjal and starring Pijush Bandyopadhyay, Intekhab Dinar and Sanjida Preeti, will be aired at 8:00pm.

The focus of the story had been the caste system that has spoilt the very fabric of the society. It shows how the caste variance can ruin a relationship and bring in enmity amongst people. This picture has not changed much even in the present times.

Artistes of both Bengals mark Tagore’s death anniversary

n Limana Solaiman The name Rabindranath Tagore holds immense importance for the people of both India and Bangladesh. Artistes of both the Bengals make an occasion out of everything related to the Nobel Laureate. Marking the 73rd death anniversary of Tagore, a cultural programme has been jointly arranged by the Delvistaa Foundation of Bangladesh and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at the Satyajit Ray Auditorium, Kolkata on Friday at 6:15pm.

The event is titled “Shudurer Piyashi” and from Bangladesh, featuring artistes are Shwapnil Shojib, Samiul Islam Pollock, Asha Hossain, Puja Sengupta, Mustapha Khalid Palash. On the other hand, artistes from West Bengal features Imran Chakraborty, Bappa Chatterjee, Raktim Goswami and dance troupe Nrittolok.

In conversation with the Dhaka Tribune, Mustapha Khalid Palash said: “The event is being held in Kolkata because we were invited to jointly arrange the programme with ICCR as we at the Delvistaa foundation are all Tagore enthusiasts.”

So far, the Delvistaa foundation has released 14 Tagore albums of artistes such as Sazia Islam, Rezaur Rahman, Mustapha Khalid Palash, Shreya Guho Thakurata, Shom Chatterjee, Nandini, Rimi Biswas and others. In mid September this year, the foundation will be releasing four albums of Tagore simultaneously in Koltaka and Dhaka. One of the album is titled “Nayok Robi” and participating artistes include Ranjan Bandyopadhyay, Rimi Biswas, Mustapha Khalid Palash and others. The titles of the remaining solo albums of Sazia Islam, Palash and Rezaur Rahman are yet to be decided. l

Sandra Bullock tops Forbes list n Entertainment Desk Oscar winner Sandra Bullock is Hollywood’s highest paid female actor with estimated earnings of $51m over 12 months, followed by Jennifer Lawrence and Jennifer Aniston, Forbes magazine said on Monday.

Bullock, 50, had a big hit last year with the space thriller film “Gravity,” which won seven Academy Awards including best director for Alfonso Cuaron, and made more than $716m worldwide.

The Best Actress Oscar winner in 2010 for “The Blind Side,” Bullock jumped from seventh place on the previous Forbes earnings list to the top spot between June 2013 and June 2014.

“Hunger Games” star Lawrence, 23, came in second for the second consecutive year with estimated earnings of $34m, while Aniston, 45, climbed one spot to number 3 with $31m.

Forbes compiled the list by estimating earnings from the actors’

Rani bats for martial arts training for school girls n Entertainment Desk

film work, endorsements, residuals and advertising work, and by talking to agents, managers and lawyers.

Although all of the ladies pulled in hefty incomes, Forbes said women still earn less then men in Hollywood.

While the 10 highest earning male actors took home a combined total of $419m, Hollywood’s 10 best paid female actors made a total of $226m during the same time period. l

Kick crosses Rs3bn worldwide n Entertainment Desk There isn’t a dull moment in the life of the actors, producers and director of “Kick.” After having being released ahead of Eid, the film is on a record breaking spree and continues to make new ones with every passing day.

According to a new report of Koimoi, the Salman Khan starrer has managed to cross Rs3.13bn worldwide in terms of collections. It had

created a lot of hype even before its release and the thundering response from the audiences even post the second week is taking the collections to newer heights.

Salman’s “Kick” recently beat his own worldwide collections of “Dabangg 2” and Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone’s “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” now also falls behind “Kick” in the list of highest Bollywood grossers. l

Bollywood actor Rani Mukerjee said martial arts will help school girls to protect their honour.

“There is a need for women power to come forward in all the fields…

Girl students, who are symbolic of ‘shakti,’ should be given martial arts training besides their regular studies so that they can protect their pride and honour,” Rani said while promoting the film “Mardaani.”

Rani, 36, believes that all the women in the country should have a reflection of Rani Lakshmibai, who was the queen of Jhansi, so that they can strongly face each and every problem coming their way.

In “Mardaani,” which will hit theatres on August 22, her character of strong police officer wants every individual to think that his wife, daughter and sister should also be like her.

The Bengali beauty also visited the historical Jhansi fort, Iskon temple, which was set up on the property donated by her family, besides meeting her relatives before leaving for Mumbai. l

Did you know?

Xavi completed 599 passes at the 2010 World Cup; more than any player has managed at a single tournament since 1966

Sport

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

14 Xavi bows out

with place in history secure

15 Sri Lanka,

Pakistan gear for Mahela finale

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Female football

coach gets off to losing start

Decision on Shakib not before second week of this month n Raihan Mahmood The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is in no hurry to reconsider the appeal of star all-rounder Shakib al Hasan and is poised to take the decision in the second week of this month, said board president Nazmul Hasan yesterday.

It is a collective decision and the board will take it.

We want to reach a collective conclusion While talking with the press after attending the memorial meeting of Sheikh Kamal’s 65th birth anniversary at the Abahani club ground, Nazmul said BCB is aware of the matter and will act accordingly. “The CEO of the board is currently abroad and he is scheduled to return on August 8. We had thought of calling the meeting on that day but at the same time we are also not in any hurry as Shakib will not feature in the up-

Tamim’s injury not serious n Minhaz Uddin Khan Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal’s ankle injury is gradually improving and any speculation over injury was ruled out by national physiotherapist Vibhav Singh yesterday.

“His (Tamim) condition is improving.

There is much less pain from yesterday (Monday) and the swelling is reducing.

He will be examined tomorrow (today) and if needed will be sent for x-rays,” said Vibhav. Tamim received an injury scare during the national team’s practice session on Monday. Whilst batting in the nets, Tamim was hit on the right ankle by a yorker off paceman Taskin Ahmed. l

coming series against the West Indies.

So the meeting can wait till the second week of this month. We are aware of the issue and the decision will be taken in due course of time,” said Nazmul.

Shakib’s eligibility to play in the domestic leagues also depends on the clearance of the board but the BCB president said he had nothing to do with it. “The decision does not solely depend upon me. It is a collective decision and the board will take it. We want to reach a collective conclusion,” said the BCB president.

Shakib was banned for six months from all types of cricket activities for his “severe attitude problem” on July 7. Shakib, the most prominent cricketer of the country, was also barred to play in any overseas competitions till the end of 2015. Shakib was accused of travelling to the West Indies to play in the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 without availing a no-objection certificate and was ordered to return to Bangladesh. He has also reportedly exchanged heated words with new head coach Chandika Hathurusingha. l

The Indian A hockey side pose for a photograph after their arrival at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka yesterday

India hockey team promises tough competition n Raihan Mahmood Though the Indian national hockey team was in Scotland and finished runners-up in the just concluded Commonwealth Games, Harendra Singh, the manager of the Indian A hockey team which arrived in Dhaka yesterday to play three Test matches claims his team can also be dubbed as the Indian national team and the hosts will benefit from the series.

Harendra Singh also claimed there’s nothing like A team in hockey arena.

“This team comprises of a number of senior Indian players and also the youngsters who are eager to prove their

worth and establish themselves in the national team. This team can be called an Indian hockey team and there’s nothing like A team in hockey,” said Harendra who played for Indian Air Lines in Dhaka in 1994 and 1997.

Harendra emphasized on the strong relationship between the subcontinental hockey neighbors. “India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have hockey heritage and a strong bonding is required to strengthen the ties. We are here to win the hearts of Bangladeshi people and hope that the process continues,” said Harendra in a press conference at the hockey federation.

Tushar Khandkar, the visiting

team’s coach who has played against Bangladesh a good number of times in his playing days, thought the tour has double utility.

hand, it is a chance for the Indian players also to show their worth to wear an Indian national team shirt. Bangladesh is a good side and we will be working

Unfortunate Nithin Thimmiah Nithin Thimmiah, the 25-year old forward of the Indian hockey team will return home today as he broke his hand in the very first practice session at BKSP yesterday. The forward, who has played 36 internationals “My team is strong compared to Bangladesh team and ahead of the Asia Cup, the Bangladesh players will be benefited by the hard competition. On the other

for India, collided with goalkeeper Harjot Singh and was rushed to the nearby clinic where the doctors said he requires an operation. Instead of playing the first match today Nithin will be returning home. hard to win the series,” affirmed Tushar.

Captain Vikram Kanth echoed his coach’s tune. “It doesn’t matter where we play. We will be wearing the Indian

COURTESY

shirt and we are committed to put the best. We will be on our toes to grab the opportunity to display our worth,” said the midfielder.

Meanwhile, Khwaja Rahmatullah, the general secretary of Bangladesh Hockey Federation promised to continue such bilateral series in future.

“It’s the first arrival of any Indian hockey team as per our invitation and we will work to continue the process.

We are also eager to tour India next.

We hope the process continues,” said Rahmatullah.

BHF vice president Md. Sadeque and joint secretary Md. Yusuf Ali were also present during the press conference. l

Primary hearing against BPL verdict today n Mazhar Uddin

Abahani Limited chairman Salman F Rahman speaks during the 65th birth anniversary of Sheikh Kamal at the club’s ground in Dhanmondi yesterday NASHIRUL ISLAM

The primary hearing set against the backdrop of the verdict relating to match-fixing offences in the second edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) will take place today after both the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed their disappointment over the rulings and had recently decided to appeal against the verdict given out by the tribunal.

Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful, Dhaka Gladiators managing director Shihab Jishan Chowdhury and Sri Lankan cricketer Kaushal Lokuarachchi have appealed to reconsider the punishment given against them by the tribunal.

The tribunal, which was formed by the BCB, earlier delivered their ver-

Construction of Sheikh Kamal Sports Complex begins in September n Raihan Mahmood The ground-breaking of the proposed Sheikh Kamal Sports Complex at the Abahani ground in Dhaka will start in the first week of September next. This announcement was made yesterday

by Salman F. Rahman, the chairman of Abahani Ltd on the occasion of the 65th birth anniversary of Sheikh Kamal, the founder of Abahani and also the eldest son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The club officials along with different sports and political organizations placed floral wreaths at the mural of Sheikh Kamal at the club premises at the early hours of Tuesday while a Quran Khwani and a discussion

was followed by a doa mahfil during daytime. The announcement of ground-breaking came during the discussion session.

Salman F. Rahman, also a close friend of Sheikh Kamal, said the country needs a sports visionary like Sheikh Kamal and his vacuum is yet to be filled. “Sheikh Kamal died at 26, he was a young guy but his thoughts were big and Abahani Ltd is the perfect testimony of that. He founded Abahani club to inject more competitive edge in the sports arena and his dream came true. Abahani has now grown as the most renowned sports club in the country,” said Salman.

Salman further added that to realize the dream of Sheikh Kamal, the sports

complex at the Abahani Club would also be built soon. “It was his dream to see Abahani as the prime sports organization and we will be starting the construction of Sheikh Kamal Sports Complex in the first week of September. The Ministry of Housing and Public Works will soon issue the clearance and the Prime Minister also wants to see the start of the work,” said Salman.

Kazi Shahed Ahmed, the Director in charge of the club opined Sheikh Kamal was a extremely talented person. “I feel the absence of Sheikh Kamal, his talented approach and thoughts in many aspects today. We should work hard to run the club more efficiently,” said Shahed.

Kazi Nabil Ahmed, the director of Abahani and a ruling party MP paid tribute to the founder of the club.

“His thoughts and works were the reflections of his foresight and Abahani is here to demonstrate it. He founded Abahani when he was a young man,” said Nabil Nazmul Hasan Papon, the BCB president and also a ruling party MP said it was the influence of Shiekh Kamal that inspired him to sports and become an organizer also.

The MP of the constituency Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, BFF vice president Badal Roy, BFF ex-co member Fazlur Rahman Babul and Shahabuddin Ahmed also paid tribute to Sheikh Kamal on the occasion. l

dict on June 18 this year in relation to match-fixing in BPL 2. However, both the plaintiff and accused were not satisfied by the verdict and had thus decided to appeal to the chairman of the BCB’s disciplinary committee, former Justice Abdur Rashid.

Meanwhile, former Justice Rashid informed that the guilty parties who had appealed against the verdict will see their hearing taking place today.

“The hearing will take place on August 6 (today). Those who have appealed against the verdict, their hearing will take place on that day but it is the primary stage. And the next dates of hearing and other processes will also be decided on that day,” said Rashid.

The BCB had formed the tribunal following the conclusion of the second edition of the BPL where involvement of different personalities in match-

fixing shook the cricketing fraternity.

Ashraful, the youngest centurion in the history of Test cricket, admitted his involvement in match fixing to the media following which the tribunal took eight long months before giving out the verdict.

Although Rashid could not set a timeframe for the conclusion of the hearing process, he informed that since the chairman of the BCB’s disciplinary committee will handle the proceedings, it will not be a lengthy process this time around.

“The accused or their lawyers have to be present at the primary hearing.

It took eight months to announce the verdict of the match-fixing allegations and the works after the appeal are yet to start. It is hard to say when it eventually comes to an end but it will not be a lengthy process this time,” he said. l

MARCEL BEAT WALTON IN STREET FOOTBALL

Winners of the Marcel team celebrate after defeating Walton 6-1 in a six-a-side friendly football match titled ‘Walton Street Children Football Festival’ at the M Mansur Ali Handball Stadium yesterday. The street children were split into two groups - Marcel and Walton. Walton additional director FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn (C) was present as chief guest COURTESY

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Xavi quits Spain duty n

Reuters, Barcelona

Spain midfielder Xavi, one of the most decorated footballers of all time who defined the nation’s spectacularly successful ‘tiki-taka’ possession-based playing style, has retired from internationals at the age of 34.

The Barcelona player represented his country 133 times, a record for an outfield player and only bettered by goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas, and was a key figure in Spain’s glittering run when they won the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.

Xavi had a disappointing 2013-14 season, when Barca failed to win major silverware for the first time in six years and holders Spain were knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage, and reports suggested he was poised to end his career in the Middle East or the

PROFILE Xavier Hernandez Creus Date of birth: 25 January 1980 Place of birth: Terrassa, Spain Height: 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) Playing position: Midfielder Current Club: Barcelona Spain Debut: Nov 15, 2000 National Team Career Years Team Apps Goals 1997 Spain U17 10 2 1997–1998 Spain U18 10 0 1999 Spain U20 6 2 1998–2001 Spain U21 25 7 2000 Spain U23 6 2 2000–2014 Spain 133 13 1998 Catalonia 10 2 Honours Fifa World Cup: 2010 Uefa Euro Championship: 2008, 2012 Summer Olympics Silver Medal: 2000 Fifa World Youth Championship: 1999

Fading force Xavi bows out with place in history secure n AFP, Madrid

Xavi Hernandez’s position as one of the most-decorated and important players in the history of Spanish football cannot be questioned.

Alongside the likes of Andres Iniesta and Iker Casillas he turned around the label of the Spanish national side from perennial underachievers to champions, triumphing at the 2010 World Cup and the last two European Championships.

“He has won my affection as a person, while for his football there are very few who cannot say he is a great player,” said Spain coach Vicente del Bosque of the 34-year-old, who on Tuesday announced his retirement from international football.

“It is impossible to know who is the best player in the history of the Spanish national team, but that Xavi is one of the best is not in doubt. In the past there were some extraordinary players, but I cannot say who is better than others.”

However, Xavi only appeared once during Spain’s doomed defence of the World Cup in Brazil in June and his performance in the 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the Netherlands served as evidence that his time at the top is now in the past. Xavi was also questioned for his performances early on at Euro 2012, but Del Bosque remained faithful to his loyal servant and was rewarded with his best display of the tournament as Spain retained their title in style with a 4-0 thrashing of Italy in the final in Kiev.

Yet, two years on, he played no part as La Roja bowed out of the competition with a 2-0 defeat to Chile at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, and he did not feature in the 3-0 victory over Australia that wrapped up their campaign. After so many years of relentless high-pressure matches for Barcelona and Spain, his tiring legs seemed to have finally run out of steam.

Xavi, who first emerged in the Spain teams that won the World Youth Championship in 1999 and then took Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000, said that last season was “perhaps the worst of my career” and he had hinted in the spring that he would continue playing away from Barcelona.

However, he is now set to stay on at the Camp Nou, where his friend and old team-mate Luis Enrique has taken charge and is hoping to revive the club’s fortunes after a season in which they failed to win any major trophies.

Barca’s record all-time appearance holder with a CV that includes 25 trophies at club and international level was linked with a move to either the United States or Qatar before being persuaded by the new coach to stay put. l

United States.

“I’m grateful for all those years,” Xavi told a news conference after a Barca training session.

“It has been a fantastic time. I’m not 20 any more, but I still have the motivation of a kid.

“I was disappointed on two levels at the end of last season as I did not feel useful to Barca or to the national team.

“I would like to single out Luis Enrique, who has made me see that I can still be important.”

Xavi, who has won three Champions League crowns, seven La Liga titles and a host of other trophies with Barca, made his debut for Spain in a friendly against the Netherlands in November 2000.

He played in four World Cups and three European Championships and won 100 of his 133 matches for the Iberian nation, controlling play from a central position, regularly providing assists and also scoring the occasional goal.

His last appearance for Spain was a bitter 5-1 reverse to the Netherlands in their opening Group B match in Brazil in June.

He was dropped by coach Vicente del Bosque for their next game against Chile, which they also lost and were eliminated, and replaced by Atletico Madrid’s Koke, whom he has singled out as his natural successor.

“I would like to express my appreciation for a fantastic player,” Del Bosque said on Spain’s official website (www. sefutbol.com) after Xavi’s announcement.

“We are losing a unique player from the national team and it will be hard to find his equal,” he added.

“He has been a key figure in the team’s playing style which has brought us so much success. We will miss him both on and off the pitch.” l

United rally for 3-1 win over Liverpool in US tour finale n Reuters, Miami Second-half strikes from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard earned Manchester United a morale boosting 3-1 win over Premier League rivals Liverpool in the final of the pre-season International Champions Cup in Miami on Monday.

United end their U.S. tour unbeaten under new manager Louis van Gaal and a victory over their old rivals was perhaps the sweetest way to sign off. They will now return to England to finish off preparations for the new Premier League season, which starts on Aug. 16.

Despite the win, Dutchman Van Gaal was in no mood to go overboard about his team’s pre-season, which also included a 3-1 victory over European champions Real Madrid on Saturday.

Asked what the value of the tournament win was, Van Gaal said: “Nothing.

It’s nice, nice for the fans in the U.S. and also at home, that we have beaten Liverpool, not our favourite opponents for United fans, and I think we have given a lot of pleasure to these fans and that is important.

“Of course it is better to win preparation games than to lose but the most important game is against Swansea City, our first game, at home, in the Premier League - that we have to win,” he added.

Both managers went with their strongest possible teams for the game, played in front of 51,000 fans at a rainy Sun Life stadium in Miami.

RESULT Man United Rooney 55, Mata 57, Lingard 88

3 1

Liverpool Gerrard 14-P

Liverpool began brightly and took the lead in the 14th minute when the lively Raheem Sterling was brought down in the area by United defender Phil Jones and skipper Steven Gerrard drilled home the penalty.

The Merseyside team should have doubled their advantage shortly after half-time but Rickie Lambert fluffed his shot after finding space inside the area.

United equalised in the 55th minute when Mexican forward Javier Hernandez delivered a cross deep to the back post

and Rooney coolly side-footed home a cushioned volley from a tight angle.

Two minutes later, Mata’s wellstruck effort from the edge of the box took a slight deflection off Mamadou Sakho and beat Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

Manchester United had the ball in the net again after a high cross from Ashley Young looped over Mignolet and appeared to bounce back off the woodwork to Rooney, who side-footed home.

American referee Mark Geiger signalled a goal but images on the stadium’s giant screen showed the ball had gone over the bar and bounced back off the stanchion. After consulting with his linesman, Geiger changed his decision and ruled out the goal.

United did get a third two minutes from time, substitute Lingard blasting home from 18 yards to seal the win and wrap up the eight-team tournament victory.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers felt the scoreline was unfair on his team, who could have had a second penalty in the first half after Ander Herrera’s challenge on Sterling.l

Neymar back injury healing ‘satisfactorily’ n Reuters, Barcelona

Navas ready to fight for Real starting spot

Neymar’s injured back is healing “satisfactorily” although there is no specific date for the Brazil forward to return to training, his club Barcelona said on Tuesday.

Neymar fractured a bone in his back following a challenge from Colombia defender Juan Zuniga in last month’s World Cup quarter-final and was ruled out for the rest of the tournament.

The 22-year-old, who has targeted a return to action in a friendly on Aug. 18, had tests on his return to Barca after his post-World Cup holiday and the club said the results were “satisfactory”.

“The player will follow a specific recovery programme,” Barca said on their website (www.fcbarcelona.es).

“The progress of the injury will determine when he returns to training,” they added.

Barca play a friendly against Italian Serie A side Napoli in Geneva on Wednesday and said midfielder Xavi and defender Jeremy Mathieu, a new signing from Valencia, are unavailable due to minor muscle problems. l

Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas is ready to fight with Iker Casillas and Diego Lopez for a place in the Real Madrid starting lineup after sealing what he called his “dream” move from Levante.

“If I am here it’s not because I bought a lottery ticket,” Navas told a news conference on Tuesday after

n Reuters, Madrid

Keylor Navas (2R) poses with Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez (L), his wife and his daughter during his presentation ceremony at Santiago Bernabeu yesterday REUTERS

Brown backs desperate Celtic to make great escape n AFP, Edinburgh

Manchester United players pose for a photograph following their victory over Liverpool in the Guinness International Champions Cup 2014 Final at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Monday AFP

Celtic captain Scott Brown has backed his side to produce a remarkable comeback as they bid to claw their way past Legia Warsaw in the Champions League third round qualifier on Wednesday.

Ronny Deila’s side trail 4-1 from the first leg after a comprehensive defeat in Poland and face a tough task to make it through to the final play-off qualifying stage of Europe’s elite club competition.

But the Scottish champions can draw hope from last season’s 3-0 home win against Shakhter Karagandy, which took them into the group stages after falling 2-0 behind in the first leg, and Brown is backing his teammates to emulate that great escape.

“It’s going to be hard because we need three goals and we need to show them how good we are. But I believe we can do it,” Brown said.

passing his medical, signing a six-year contract and being presented to fans at the Bernabeu stadium.

“My work is my foundation and when you work hard you feel ready to take on any kind of challenge.

“I am very calm. What I have to do is train hard and be available to the technical staff and when I get my chance be ready for it,” added the 27-year-old. l

“The Shakhter game last season was huge for us - we scored three goals then and we have to do it again this week.”

Brown will once again be sidelined due to a hamstring injury he sustained in pre-season and in his absence Celtic suffered a heavy defeat in the Polish capital after taking an early lead.

Defender Efe Ambrose was sent off in the first half and the result, defeat in the first competitive game under new Norwegian manager Deila, could have been much worse but for two missed penalties from the hosts.

The return leg will be played at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium as work continues on Celtic Park following its use in the Commonwealth Games.

And Brown says the Celtic players will want to use the match to prove the critics who have written off their chances wrong.

“Everyone knows it was a disappointing result and it was hard to take but we’ve got a chance here to go and put it right and I’m sure we will,” the midfielder said.l

Former Greece coach Santos banned for 8 games

n Reuters, Zurich

Former Greece coach Fernando Santos has been banned for eight competitive international matches after he was sent off at the end of the World Cup match against Costa Rica, FIFA said on Monday.

FIFA said in a statement that Santos, who was sent off at the end of extra time in the round-of-16 tie on June 29, had been guilty of “several acts of unsporting conduct towards the match officials.”

Costa Rica went on to win on penalties and the 59-year-old coach parted company with Greece as his contract expired at the end of the tournament in Brazil. He has since been replaced by Italian Claudio Ranieri.

FIFA said its disciplinary panel had also banned Italian physiotherapist Aldo Esposito for six games after he was sent off during Italy’s stormy 1-0 defeat by Uruguay in the group stage.

Esposito was also guilty of unsporting conduct towards match officials, FIFA said.l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

ICC to consider Anderson verdict after India protest n Reuters, New Delhi

QUICK BYTES

Former BCB president Akmal no more Former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president M Akmal Hussain has breathed his last in Dhaka earlier yesterday. BCB president Nazmul Hasan and directors of the board have expressed deep bereavement at the passing away of the former BCB boss. Cricket’s governing body extended heartfelt sympathies and profound condolences to the family members of Akmal. Akmal, a former Secretary of the Ministry for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources of the Bangladesh government, headed the ad hoc body of the BCB in 2001, shortly after the country had made its entry into Test cricket.

–Tribune Desk

Bangladesh play UAE in AFC U16s opener The official fixtures of the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2015 qualifiers have been finalised as the hosts Bangladesh will play the inaugural game against Jordan at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on October 14.

Bangladesh is placed in group B alongside Iran, India, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Jordan. The top two teams from the group will qualify for the final round. Bangladesh will face UAE in their second game on October 16 before playing India, Qatar and Iran on October 18, 21, 23 respectively at the same venue.

–Tribune Desk

Naismith gives tickets to homeless

Everton forward Steven Naismith has revealed that he has bought tickets for his side’s Premier League home games to donate to unemployed people from the Liverpool area. “I thought this might be a small gesture to help those in that situation to enjoy a day out at one of our league matches,” said the 27-year-old, according to reports on several British websites on Monday. Naismith joined Everton from Glasgow giants Rangers in 2012, having started his career with Kilmarnock.

–AFP

Evergreen Marquez signs for Verona Mexico captain Rafael Marquez is set to continue his career after signing for Serie A side Verona on Monday from two-time defending Mexican champions Leon. The 35-year-old -- whose foul on Arjen Robben in the final minute of injury time of their last 16 game at this year’s World Cup finals led to a penalty and a 2-1 win for the Dutch -- had been at Leon since December 2012 after a brief spell at MLS club New York Red Bulls. “Rafael Marquez has signed for Serie A club Verona,” Leon tweeted on their Twitter account. “We wish him plenty of success in this new phase of his career.” Marquez, who holds the national record of 16 World Cup appearances at four World Cup finals, will be seeking a third European league title.

–AFP

Pakistan cricket team captain Misbah-ul-Haq (L) and Sri Lankan cricket team captain Angelo Mathews pose with the series trophy during a press conference at The Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle yesterday AFP

DAY’S WATCH Ten Cricket 9:30AM Pakistan Tour of Sri Lanka 2014 1st Test Day 1 Star Sports 4 9:00PM Tennis: Rogers Cup Star Sports 1, 2 Pro Kabaddi League 8:15PM Delhi v Kolkata

The International Cricket Council will consider a judicial commissioner’s verdict clearing England fast bowler James Anderson of a code of conduct breach after the Indian cricket board expressed its disappointment with the decision.

“The International Cricket Council (ICC) today confirmed that it has received and is considering the written decision of His Honor Gordon Lewis AM, the Judicial Commissioner, in respect of his findings...” the governing body said in a statement.

ICC chief executive Dave Richardson has until Sunday to decide whether to lodge an appeal against the decision.

Anderson and India’s Ravindra Jadeja were involved in a verbal altercation during the first test at Trent Bridge last month and media reports said the heated dispute continued after they left the field.

Both players were found not guilty after a six-hour video-conference hearing on Friday and, under the rules, only Richardson can appeal against the commissioner’s verdict.

The spat could have resulted in a four-test ban for Anderson, England’s second-highest ever wicket taker, if a guilty verdict had been returned.

The fourth Test of the five-match series starts at Old Trafford, Manchester on Thursday with the teams level at 1-1. l

Sri Lanka, Pakistan gear for Mahela finale n AFP, Galle Hosts Sri Lanka hope to give retiring former captain Mahela Jayawardene a winning farewell when they take on Pakistan for a sixth Test series in as many years from Wednesday.

The elegant right-hander, sixth in the all-time scorers’ list with 11,671 runs in 147 Tests since his debut in 1997, is due to quit the longer format after the series.

Jayawardene, 37, who retired from Twenty20 internationals after Sri Lanka’s title-winning campaign in the World T20 in April, still hopes to compete in next year’s one-day World Cup Down Under.

But he will be remembered most for his exploits in Test cricket, where he averages a commendable 50.09 -- with a monumental 374 against South Africa in 2006, the best of his 34 centuries.

Jayawardene starts the two-Test series against Pakistan just six runs ahead of his close friend and long-time team-mate Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 11,665 runs as Sri Lanka’s leading Test batsman.

Thoughtful Sri Lankan cricket officials picked Jayawardene’s two favourite venues, the Galle International Stadium and the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo, for what will almost certainly be an emotional farewell.

Jayawardene’s 2,297 runs in 22 Tests in Galle and 2,863 runs in 26 matches at the SSC -- which replaced the originally chosen P. Sara Oval for his final appearance -- are the most by any batsman at a single ground.

Sri Lanka’s captain Angelo Mathews, while admitting Jayawardene’s retirement will “leave a big hole to fill”, hoped the occasion will not distract his team from the goals ahead.

“We need to win the series both for him as well as the future of Sri Lankan cricket,” Mathews said. “The task ahead is clear in our minds.”

Sri Lanka’s winning streak this year, when they won the Asia Cup one-day tournament, the World Twenty20 and the Test series in England, was broken by the 1-0 Test loss to South Africa at home last month.

The Proteas, led for the first time by Hashim Amla, won the Galle Test by 153 runs and then hung on bravely for a draw at the SSC to overtake Australia as the number one Test side.

Sixth-ranked Sri Lanka have defeated number three Pakistan in two of their last five series since 2009, losing just once. Two series were drawn including the most recent one in January in the United Arab Emirates.

The upcoming matches, which are not part of the Future Tours Pro-

gramme, were finalised at Pakistan’s request since Misbah-ul Haq’s men faced a barren period from January to October.

Pakistan, looking for their first series win since defeating England in the UAE in 2012, have recalled fast bowling great Waqar Younis as head coach, with Zimbabwean Grant Flower as batting coach.

Spin is expected to dominate, with Pakistan boasting the prolific Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman, and the hosts banking on the trusted duo of Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera.

“Spin usually has a big say in Sri Lanka and I don’t think it will be any different this time,” said Misbah. “We have the resources to win, but need to be at our best.”

The Test series, which ends on August 18, will be followed by three oneday internationals. l

Mahela Jayawardene looks on during a practice session in Galle yesterday AFP

Zimbabwe offer reformed Vermeulen unlikely lifeline n Reuters, Cape Town

Rodwell signs for Sunderland from City English midfielder Jack Rodwell will attempt to resurrect his career at Sunderland after the Premier League club on Tuesday announced his arrival from Manchester City on a five-year contract.

“Sunderland have completed the signing of midfielder Jack Rodwell from Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City,” the northeast club announced on their website. Rodwell, 23, spent two years at City after signing from Everton in 2012, but injuries prevented him from making an impact at the Etihad Stadium.

Sunderland did not disclose the fee they had paid for Rodwell, who has won three England caps, but British media reports said that it was around £10 million ($16.9 million, 12.6 million euros). Rodwell made his Everton debut at the age of only 16 in 2007 and was tipped for a bright future. He made 109 appearances for the club before moving to City in a £12 million deal, but a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the 2012 European Championship was an unfortunate precursor of things to come.

–AFP

15

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

(L) Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland during their men’s doubles match against Juan Sebastian Cabal of Colombia and David Marrero of Spain in the Rogers Cup at Rexall Centre at York University in Toronto, Canada on Monday AFP

Bangladesh chess players continue good show n Tribune Desk The Bangladesh women’s chess team registered their second victory while the open chess contingent conceded points for the first time when they drew against a higher seeded Belgian side in the third round of the 41st World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway on Monday.

GMs Abdullah Al Rakib and Niaz Murshed won their respective matches but the other Grandmaster, Ziaur Rahman, and International Master Minhazuddin Ahmed Sagar went down to defeats as the Bangladesh open chess team, seeded 55th, drew with 40th seeded Belgium by 2-2 points.

Al Rakib (Rating-2522) beat GM Michiels Bart (Rating-2535) and Niaz (Rating-2453) defeated IM Docx Stefan (Rating-2491), both from Belgium. However, Ziaur (Rating-2523) lost to Belgian GM Winants Luc (Rating-2545) while Sagar (Rating-2418) suffered a loss against Bel-

gian IM Ringoir Tanguy (Rating-2508).

The Bangladesh open team slipped to joint-second position after the draw, tied with 19 other teams. Following the conclusion of the third round, the open side gathered five match points and eight game points.

Meanwhile in the women’s section, the Bangladesh team returned to winning ways beating Sri Lanka by 3-1 points. WIM Shamima Akter Liza (Rating-2147) beat WFM Chanrasiri S.A.K (Rating-1777), WFM Nazrana Khan (Rating-2001) beat Yashora Tiumi (Rating-1715) and WFM Sharmin Sultana Shirin (Rating-1984) beat WFM Thilakawardana Supeshala (Rating-1729), all from Sri Lanka. The only loss was suffered by Bangladeshi WFM Zakia Sultana (Rating-1964) against Sri Lankan WCM Methmali Y (Rating-1727).

The Bangladesh women have so far earned four match points and seven game points. l

Mark Vermeulen, who admitted burning down Zimbabwe’s cricket academy in 2006 but was acquitted on the grounds of mental illness, has been named in the country’s training squad for matches against South Africa and Australia this month.

The 35-year-old batsman last played for Zimbabwe in a 50-over match against South Africa in 2009, while his last test appearance was more than a decade ago against Sri Lanka.

He retired from all forms of cricket in 2011 in the hope of forging a career in golf but that was short-lived and within a year, he was back playing on the Zimbabwe domestic scene.

Vermeulen, who was also banned for a year by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2006 after an altercation

with a spectator at a Central Lancashire League club match, is one of 25 players named by Zimbabwe Cricket for the training squad.

Australia then join the pair for a one-day international triangular tournament that starts on Aug. 25.

Zimbabwe training squad

Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza Butt, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Elton Chigumbura, Steven Chimhamhiwa, Michael Chinouya, Luke Jongwe, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Neville Madziva, Hamilton Masakadza, Shingirai Masakadza, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Natsai M’shangwe, Cuthbert Musoko, Richmond Mutumbami, Taurai Muzarabani, John Nyumbu, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Donald Tiripano, Prosper Utseya, Mark Vermeulen, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams l

Female football coach gets off to losing start n Reuters, Paris Corinne Diacre received a bouquet of flowers from her opposite number but ended up on the losing side when she became the first woman to coach a men’s soccer team in a competitive professional match in France on Monday.

Diacre, celebrating her 40th birthday, also became the first woman to coach in a game in the top two divisions of European soccer as she made her debut with Clermont Foot in their Ligue 2 match away to Brest. Despite taking an early lead, her side conceded two second half goals to lose 2-1.

“We made two mistakes on the goals that we conceded, but we did some good things which are promising for the future,” Diacre told reporters.

“Brest were in charge of the game and we had to chase the ball too much. l

Clermont-Ferrand’s French coach Corinne Diacre stands during their French Ligue 2 football match against Brest at the Francis Le Ble stadium in Brest on Monday AFP

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Tuba workers threaten tougher movement n Tribune Report The agitating workers of Tuba Group have threatened to go for tougher movement, including strike and blockade, if their dues are not paid fully by today.

Under the banner of Tuba Group Sramik Sangram Committee, the workers, left political parties and labour leaders made the announcement yesterday when they laid siege to the BGMEA Bhaban at 11am.

The workers of Tuba Group besieged the BGMEA Bhaban to press home their demands, including payment of three months’ wages, Eid bonuses and overtime dues.

‘We do not want to rely on the BGMEA’s pledges as the association had missed its earlier deadline’ Police barred the workers when they reached Karwan Bazar and tried to lay siege to the BGMEA building around 11am. The workers engaged in scuffles with the law enforcers at that time.

At one stage, police charged batons to disperse the demonstrating workers.

The workers moved forward, defying the police obstruction and staged a sitin there.

“If all dues of the five factories of Tuba Group are not paid by tomorrow [Wednesday], we will announce a strike or block road,” said Joly Talukdar, secretary of the Garment Workers Trade Union Centre.

“The BGMEA and the factory owner have to send all dues of the workers to the factory by tomorrow, otherwise we will continue our hunger strike and announce tougher programmes,” said Miraz, a worker of Tuba Group.

No representative from the workers was present at the tripartite meeting, said Sumon, another worker of Tuba Group. The BGMEA, government and so-called workers’ leaders at the meeting decided to pay wages for the months of May and June, he said rejecting the proposal.

“We do not want to rely on the BG-

MEA’s pledges as the association had missed its earlier deadline,” said Morzina, a trade union leader and worker of Tuba Group. They wasted time by fixing several dates, she added.

Shilpi, a worker of Tazreen Fashions, had threatened to commit suicide by taking poison if all dues of the workers and compensation for the victims of Tazreen factory fire were not paid by today.

Meanwhile, BGMEA acting president SM Mannan Kochi claimed that a group of left political parties had made a political issue of the Tuba crisis.

The workers would be the ultimate losers if they did not accept the wages today as the leaders of these parties would not pay them money, said Kochi in an instant reaction to the besiege. He also urged the workers to receive wages and expressed hope that the workers would come as they needed money.

At least 1,200 workers from five factories of Tuba Group have been staging a hunger strike for eight consecutive days at the Hossain Market in the capital’s Badda area, demanding payment for three months’ wages, overtime and Eid bonuses.

The five factories are Tuba Fashion, Tuba Textile, Mita Design, Taif Design and Bughsan Garments. The group needs around Tk4.13 crore to pay all dues of its workers.

Meanwhile, teachers of several public and private universities yesterday expressed solidarity with the workers of Tuba Group and demanded immediate solution to their problems.

At least 35 teachers from Dhaka University, Jagannath University, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Islamic University and University of Asia Pacific made the demand during a four-hour hunger strike programme held at the foot of the Aparajeya Bangla.

Besides, Supreme Court lawyers and eminent citizens of the country formed a human chain in front of the High Court yesterday, demanding punishment for Delowar Hossain, managing director of Tuba Group.

Advocate Sultana Kamal, human rights activist Hamida Hossain, lawyer ZI Khan Panna and journalist Abu Syed, among others, took part in the programme. l

Police charge baton on the protesting RMG workers of Tuba Group yesterday who laid siege to the BGMEA headquarters in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area

Workers’ leaders trying to convince Tuba workers to accept BGMEA offer

Tazreen owner Delowar released n Tribune Report

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

Owner of Tuba Group Delowar Hossain, who also owns Tazreen Fashions, where a fire killed at least 112 workers in 2012, was released from Dhaka Central Jail Yesterday.

However, the government decided to appeal with the Supreme Court against his bail order.

Forman Ali, Dhaka Central Jail Super told the Dhaka Tribune: “Delowar was released from jail at 8.00pm yesterday.”

On July 24, the bench granted two month’s ad-interim bail to Delowar in a case filed for the tragic factory fire that killed 112 workers in November 2012.

Deputy Attorney General Shafiul Bashar Bhandary opposed the bail prayer during a hearing on July 24 when the High Court bench of Justice Syed AB Mahmudul Huq and Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder granted him two month’s ad-interim bail.

On August 3, the public prosecutor announced that they would make an appeal against Delowar Hossain’s bail.

“A decision has been made to file the petition seeking a stay order on the High Court’s bail order,” Deputy Attorney General Shafiul Bashar Bhandary, said. l

A section of workers’ leaders are now trying to convince the agitating workers from Tuba Group to accept BGMEA’s terms after they refused the offer and demanded the full payment of all dues by today.

The workers have threatened tougher movements if all their dues were not paid by the afternoon today.

“I have spoken to several workers and they have agreed to accept payments for May and June, as proposed by the BGMEA,” said Nahidul Islam Noyon, general secretary of Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation.

“We have four unions in the Tuba Group factories and 90% of its workers are members,” he said adding that the workers would take the money as they were in need of it.

When asked how many workers had agreed to the BGMEA proposal, Nahid said: “My colleagues are working on it now and tomorrow I will be able to tell you the exact number of workers who will be present there.”

“There are six to seven worker or-

Beware of anonymous calls with news of relatives’ accidents

Fakhrul among 41 BNP leaders charged n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Detective Branch (DB) of Police yesterday pressed charges against 41 BNP leaders, including its acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in a case filed over violence in the capital on March 2, 2013.

Ramna police station Sub-Inspector Dipak Kumar Das submitted two chargesheets against the accused to Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

One charge sheet was submitted for preventing the police from discharging their duties, attempting to kill officers, vandalising and torching vehicles in capital’s Shantinagar and Malibagh areas, while the other was under the Explosives Act for setting off handmade bombs during party’s protest programme.

On March 2, the accused BNP leaders held a protest procession demanding parliamentary election under a caretaker government, and subsequently engaged in a clash with police.

Apart from Fakhrul, the other charged include BNP Standing Committee members Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas and Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Amanullah Aman and Barakatullah Bulu and Vice-Chairman Abdullah Al Noman, among others. l

Just before noon on a busy working day last week, the manager of Sonali Bank’s Nalchhiti branch in Jhalokati, Kefayet Ullah, received a call on his mobile phone from an unknown number.

Without giving any name, the caller identified himself as an IT official from the Sonali Bank head office and asked Kefayet to switch off his phone for half an hour because of official security reasons. Before Kefayet could ask anything, the person at the other end disconnected the call.

Instead of bothering to call back the “IT official” and finding out what the reason was behind this unorthodox directive, Kefayet told the Dhaka Tribune, he chose to just turn off his phone, thinking it would cause no harm if the phone was switched off for the short period of time.

Little did he know that he was set up to become a victim of a sinister plot that was being played out by a group of fraudsters.

As soon as Kefayet switched off his phone, his wife Saifunnahar – who was at home at the time – received a phone call from an unfamiliar number.

This time, the caller told Saifunnahar that her husband was seriously injured in a road accident and needed Tk10,000 immediately for his treatment at a hospital.

Claiming Kefayet’s condition might get worse with passing time, the caller said it would be much quicker if she were to send the money through bKash instead of coming to the hospital herself.

Her first reaction was to call her husband’s phone; but once she found out that the number was switched off, she panicked and thought that the news of the accident was indeed true. So, she decided that it was best to send the money to save her husband’s life.

When Kefayet turned on his phone half an hour later the couple realised that they

had been victims of a scam.

This is just one of many new techniques fraudsters are using to trap unsuspecting and unaware people.

Sources in the law enforcement agencies said even well-educated people were being conned on a regular basis and most of these victims were not interested in filing a case or a complaint with the police.

Using mobile phones, the frauds are also exploiting the greed of people to set their schemes in motion.

A few days ago, Riadul Islam, an information officer of the Information Ministry, received a text message on his mobile phone which read that he had won a lottery and was selected for a Tk1.5 lakh prize. However, the message also instructed Riadul to submit Tk15,000 as a procedural and transfer fee before he would be eligible to collect his winning, and added that he should contact the phone number to know details on the procedure.

Although he was ecstatic after getting the SMS, Riadul decided to discuss the issue with a cousin who was a computer engineer. The cousin – Sohel Hawladar – recommended Riadul to ignore the message as it might be a scam.

Although Riadul was spared from becoming a victim, many more like him are reportedly falling for similar traps of fake lottery wins and losing their money.

When contacted, Lt Col Abul Kalam Azad, director of the Intelligence Wing of Rapid Action Battalion, told the Dhaka Tribune that the gangs were able to successfully run their scams because people were giving them the chance to do so. If people were more aware, the criminals would fail.

Asked about what action had been taken to tackle the issue, the intelligence director said RAB was working on the issue and trying their best to arrest the culprits based on the complaints that were filed. l

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

ganisations active in the Tuba Group factories and they are now working to convince the workers to accept the proposal,” Badruddoza Nizam, member secretary of Garment Sramik Somonnoy Parishad, told the Dhaka Tribune.

However, this correspondent found that many of the workers were yet to be approached by the leaders for a formal invitation to accept the BGMEA proposal. At the same time, many workers also said they would not accept the offer, fearing a further halt of previous dues.

“One of my colleagues had proposed that I accept the BGMEA proposal, but I have rejected the offer as in the past we have seen that the BGMEA has always failed to keep their pledges, which included the payment of wages and dues before Eid,” said Faruk Hossain, a worker of Tuba Group.

He also claimed that the persuasive approach of workers’ leaders would not yield any outcome as most workers would not comply with the BGMEA’s terms.

Earlier, on Sunday, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan announced that the BGMEA would pay the

wages of the workers for May and June at the BGMEA building in the capital today.

“On August 10, factory authorities will clear the workers’ wages for July.

The other dues will also be cleared soon,” said Shahjahan, who is also the convenor of Garment Sramik Somonnoy Parishad, after attending a meeting with BGMEA and labour leaders.

According to a BGMEA source, there are 1,488 worker in five factories of Tuba Group and around Tk2.34 crore is needed to pay salaries for two months.

“We have taken all the necessary steps to pay two months’ salaries to the Tuba Group workers and the fund has been managed,” BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim told the Dhaka Tribune.

Later, in a statement, the BGMEA announced that wages for May and June of Tuba Group, including Tuba Fashion, Tuba Textile, Mita Design, Taif Design and Bughsan Garmentsto would be paid today at the BGMEA headquarters at 9am. It also urged the workers to take their wages within the stipulated time. l

Shortfall, classified loan of BASIC Bank rose at end of July Showkat Kallol and n Asif Kamran Reza Chowdhury The capital shortfall of troubled stateowned BASIC Bank has gone up to Tk303 crore during last the six months (December 2013 to June 1014) as no additional fund has been injected into the bank after the big scam.

In banking term, shortfall increases when a bank’s earnings go down with no back-up funds against loans given to the parties. Increasing shortfall is an indicator of bad performance of a bank.

Due to the huge capital shortfall, Basic Bank’s regular activities has been severely disrupted over the last couple of months, according to the last report on Basic Bank which will be placed before the parliamentary standing committee on finance ministry today.

According to the Bank and Financial Institutional Division’s latest report, the shortfall of Basic Bank stood at Tk1675.50 crore at the end of June 2014 while it was Tk1372.01 crore at the end of December 2013.

Capital shortfall of Basic Bank, now facing severe liquidity crisis, was only Tk3.34 crore in 2012, before a scandal amounting to Tk4,500 crore was detected.

“We fear that the capital shortfall in the bank may further increase if the central bank carries out a fresh audit,” Banking Division Secretary M Aslam Alam told the Dhaka Tribune.

Financial condition of the stateowned scheduled bank would worsen if the previous board under which the financial scandal was allowed to continue, he said.

“It is not possible to provide additional fund support to Basic Bank as the largest state owned bank such as Sonali, Janata and Agrani seek more funds to meet their capital shortfalls”, he said.

The Bank Division on July 5 dissolved the BASIC Bank board over its involvement in the scandal which Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith termed a ‘dacoity’.

Last week, the new board of director of the Basic bank sought additional Tk1,372 crore to meet its capital shortfall from the finance division.

After dissolution of the BASIC Bank previous management, the first meeting of the newly appointed board on July 14 came up with the observation that the bank was facing difficulty in foreign trade with poor ranking among the local banks resulting in the drop of the cli-

ents’ confidence level to the lowest.

BASIC Bank is suffering from a huge capital deficit due to irregularities in distribution of loans over the last five years.

As according to the banking division report the classified loan went up to 40.38% at the end June 2014 while it was only 28.78% by 2013 end.

The classified loan means the money banks give to the defaulting clients.

The banks have very slim chance of getting the money rated as classified loans back. In most of the cases, the classified loans turn into bad loans –a complete liability for the institute.

The percent age of classified loan was only 8.28 % at the end of 2012, says the latest report.

According to the report, the Banking Division suggested six measures for smooth restoration of financial discipline of the bank. These include detecting the banking officials who aided in the disbursement of the loans in violation of the banking rules and take legal and administrative actions against them.

Meanwhile, the new management of the bank has acted promptly. It instructed the five branches that gave loans in violation of the rule to make the loans regular. l

‘US has no objection to death penalty for war crimes’ n Mohosinul Karim Law Minister Anisul Haq has said although there is a debate on the death penalty across the world, the US has no objection to capital punishment for war criminals if it is deserved.

The minister made the statement while talking to reporters after a meeting with the visiting US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues

Stephen J Rapp at his secretariat office yesterday.

“I told him [Rapp] that they [war criminals] had killed our people brutally in 1971. Though there is a debate on the death penalty globally, we think that no punishment other than death penalty would be sufficient for them,” he said.

Quoting Rapp, the minister said: “The US has proposed finding an alternative to death penalty for war crimi-

nals, but they have no objection to it if the war crime deserves this punishment. He is not against the verdicts or decisions of courts.”

Anisul added: “Remarkable change has been noticed in the US’ opinion on the war crimes trial. They have softened their stance on the trial of war criminals. Now they are satisfied with the trial.”

Earlier, the US and some other coun-

tries had opposed the trial system and death penalty for war criminals.

The law minister said: “Initiatives have been taken to amend the International Crimes Tribunal Act to try organisations involved with war crimes.

After amending the law, such organisations can also be tried under it.

“A draft of the ICT (Amendment) Act has been prepared and it will be placed in the cabinet meeting shortly.” l

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B3 WTO failure paints to

fragmented future for global trade

Muhith: WB’s Padma fund cancellation was a wrong policy n Tribune Business Desk Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the World Bank’s decision to cancel fund from the Padma Bridge project was a wrong policy.

“Now they’ve admitted it was a wrong policy,” he told reporters, following a meeting with the World Bank Country Director Johannes Zutt and high official Junaid at his ERD office.

The Finance Minister’s comment came following the World Bank’s recent realigned approach to tackling corruption in projects after the muchtalked-about Padma bridge episode, reports UNB. Previously, the multilateral Washington-based lender would wash its hands off projects as soon as allegations of corruption surfaced. But now, in essence, it will carry on with the projects but will work with local authorities to identify and snuff out the issues.

“When the evidence of corruption comes to light, its response should not be to disengage, but to engage differently,” the WB said in its Country Assistance Strategy Progress Report.

The Finance Minister said the World Bank is now saying that their tactics was wrong which is good for the World Bank and also for the developing countries. “This means now they (WB) will be more cautious to have such kind of disengagement.”

Replying to a question, he reiterated that there was no corruption in the Padma Bridge project.

Muhith told another questioner that due to disengagement by the World Bank, the country lost two years for starting the project work as the plan for beginning the work was in 2012. “Now we’ve started it in 2014, so two years are lost. But, as far as the money is concerned, there is no loss.”

About the image problem over the allegation of conspiracy of corruption in the Padma Project, the Finance Minister said it will get solved after the case is completed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC). l

B4 South Africa leader says

new BRICS bank will help all

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Foreign aid hits historical BTRC may go tough against share transfer high of $3bn in FY14 of telecom operators Muhith happy with the disbursement, but thinks $3.2bn would have been ideal n Tribune Report The foreign aid inflow has reached to its historical high of US$3bn in the last fiscal year thanks to increased disbursements by bilateral and multilateral development partners.

Some $2.27 billion of the total aid was in terms of loans and $723.60 million in grants, according to Economic Relations Division.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith expressed satisfaction over the aid flow in 2013-14, but said it would have been ideal had it reached $ 3.2 billion.

“I'm quite happy about it," he said, however, talking to reporters at his ERD office yesterday. "Aid commitment to the country has increased fantastically, but the disbursement is slow to some extent.”

The minister appreciated the World Bank’s substantial disbursement that contributed reaching the aid inflow to highest ever in the history of the country. In the last fiscal year (FY 14), the World Bank disbursed a record-high $950 million, including $140 million of the multi-donor trust fund.

About the pipeline foreign aid reaching over $19 billion, he said it was $18 billion on July 1, 2014 as compared to $16 billion on July 1, 2013.

Muhith said the ERD would issue a statement on the latest disbursements and aid in the pipeline within this week.

The donors had pledged $5.85 billion worth of loans and grants in FY13, according to ERD. The disbursement by Bangladesh's second-largest multilateral donor, the Asian Development Bank, in the last fiscal stood at $469 million - down $283 million than the previous fiscal.

Meanwhile, the donors had confirmed $5.34 billion worth of loans and $499.36 million of grants in the last fis-

cal for disbursement against different development projects and programmes in Bangladesh, the ERD data showed.

The government has already repaid $1.23 billion funds as principal and interests for the outstanding public-sector debts to the bilateral and multilateral lenders between July 2013 and June 2014.

Among the repayments, the govern-

ment paid $1.03 billion worth of principal amount for the outstanding debts and $202.47 million as interests.

In the corresponding period in FY2013, the government made $1.11 billion payment to the lenders for the outstanding debts-- $908.20 million as principal and $197.50 million as interests. l

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam As telecom operators along with some other private satellite televisions and FM radios in the country are frequently changing their share structures without prior approval from the telecom regulatory authority, they are going to face tougher action soon.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has served a show cause notice to all the television channels and radio stations that have transferred shares, asking them to explain why they should not face any legal action for changing their capital structure defying the telecom act?

In reply, most of the tv channels said “sorry” for their mistakes and assured the regulator of not reoccurring the same mistake in the future.

Most of the televisions and radios that had got licenses during BNP-led four-party alliance government tenure, have changed their ownership structure during the tenure of the immediate past AL-led government.

But, recently, an International Gateway (IGW), Digicon Telecommunication Limited, that are used to terminate international telephone calls only have changed their share structures after getting prior approval from the BTRC. Digicon Telecommunication Limited rearranged their 1,00,000 shares after a shareholder Jasimuddin Ahmed left the company, who had 45,000 shares.

Following this incident, BTRC served the same show cause notice to the Digicon and yet to get any reply.

Under the exciting telecom act, BTRC can even cancel the license or fine up to Tk200 crore for committing the offense.

Besides, the telecom watchdog has ordered all the telecom licensees enlisted with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSCF) to take

prior permission when they change their capital structure.

The telecom regulator has also given some directives to all the telecom operators including mobile phone companies, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Broadband Wireless Access (BWA), International Gateway (IGW) and International Terrestrial Cable (ITC) operators.

The regulator issued the directive following violation of section 37 (2) of the telecom act 2001 by a number of companies relating to the capital market issue.

Most of the tv channels said ‘sorry’ for their mistakes and assured the regulator of not reoccurring the same mistake in the future The directive read that some telecom license holding companies are changing their capital share taking approval of RJSCF, but do not inform the regulator, which is a violation of the telecom act and licensing condition.

The directive signed by M A Taleb Hossain, director at Legal and Licensing Division of the BTRC, also said the telecom licensees have legal obligation of taking prior approval while changing their capital structure, new share issue and distribution, restructure of board of directors or inclusion of new share holders.

When contracted legal commissioner Abdus Samad said: “Recently, Telecom license have become very sensitive especially for the spectrum license holders and share transfer against these licences should go through some process and also some strict scrutiny by the government.” l

Dhaka getting ready for Tk720cr development projects approved n CAIB membership

Power sector ADP target missed in FY14

n Asif Showkat Kallol

n Aminur Rahman Rasel

Tribune Report

The ministry of finance has sought opinions from three state institutions over the government’s willingness to become a founding member of the proposed Chinese Asian Infrastructure Bank (CAIB) being set up by the Asian economic giant China.

The institutions are Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and Bangladesh Insurance Development Authority (BIDA).

According to official sources, as a first founding member of the proposed bank, the government in principal decided to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to take a part in the bank.

Nawez Hossain Chowdhury, senior assistance secretary of Bank and Financial Institutions Division under the Ministry of Finance sent a letter last week to the institutions seeking their views.

Apart from the opinions, the government also invited them to examine the advantages and disadvantages of joining as a founder member.

The opinions are expected to reach the Banking Division this week.

An official said: “We are examining the clauses of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to check whether there is any restriction for a country like Bangladesh to become a member of a new international bank.”

The government will be financially benefitted by being a member of a new multinational bank as it will create new opportunities for getting cheaper credit from a new source, he argued.

“I don’t believe there is any such clause either in the World Bank or the IMF that may restrict Bangladesh from joining the proposed bank,” AB Mirza Azizul Islam, former advisor to a caretaker government, told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said there is a huge demand for cheaper foreign credits for the economic development of Bangladesh, although the country is unable to properly utilise 45% of its Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) and credits under Annual Development Programs (ADP).

He also noted that a country like Bangladesh would be financially benefitted from the cheaper foreign credits only if there are no conditions imposed by the lenders in the credit programmes. l

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved four development projects involving Tk720.7 crore.

The projects include an upward revised allocation of Tk331.8 crore for rural electrification expansion activities in Barisal Division-I from original allocation of Tk267.72 crore due to fund shortage.

The approval came at a meeting of the government’s highest policy-making body at the NEC conference room in the capital with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told reporters after the meeting that the project cost has been increased due to rising currency exchange rate

and currency price in international market.

The project was started in July, 2010 with a cost of Tk267.72 crore and IDB was supposed to provide US$ 20m for it, he said.

But, he said, the project was not implemented in 2013 due to fund constraint as IDB did not reach any agreement with the government. Later on June 24 this year, the government signed an agreement with IDB for the financing while project implementation period has been extended to June, 2016.

Under the project, nearly 2200 km new transmission line will be installed and 300 km line is needed to be renovated.

Of the total four project costs, the government will provide Tk564.70

crore from the national exchequer and Tk156 crore as project assistance.

Another project approved by the Ecnec is 'Breed Up-gradation Through Progeny Test (3rd Phase)' involving Tk44.13 crore aiming to increase annual milk production rate to 10% from 3% towards ensuring daily 150 ml milk per person by 2021.

Department of Livestock Services (DLS) is entrusted to implement the project by June, 2019.

The another two revised projects approved by the Ecnec are river bank maintenance to protect the Ramgati and Kamalanagar upazilas and adjoining areas of Laxmipur district from the erosion of the Meghna River (Tk198.02 crore) and construction of 19 regional passport office buildings. l

Tax receipts from DSE falls as turnover drops n Tribune Report Tax earnings from stock trading at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) declined month-on-month in July due to declining turnover in terms of value.

The government in July received Tk2.5 crore in tax, a sharp fall of more than 43% from June's Tk4.4 crore, according to the DSE. A DSE executive said tax collection depends on turnover.

On behalf of the government, the DSE collects the tax as brokerage commission at 0.05% and deposits the amount to the state coffers.

In June, the DSE realised Tk4.2 crore from its member brokerage firms as commission. The figure was Tk7.8 crore in the previous month.

During the period, the bourse collected Tk2.4 crore in tax from share sales by sponsor shareholders and placement holders, which was Tk3.2 crore. l

Garments workers demand outstanding salaries and allowances as they protest police repression in front of BGMEA complex in the city’s Kawranbazar area yesterday RAJIB DHAR

Power Division has failed to achieve its physical implementation target of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) set in the power sector during last fiscal year, according to a report released at a meeting on Thursday.

The physical progress rate of the projects during the year was 97.56% against 100% target. The Division, however, achieved 100% physical implementation rate in the previous fiscal year.

But according to the report, the financial expenditure was 99.85% as the Division spent Tk7,91,684.19 lakh from total Tk7,92,842 lakh of the revised ADP under which 69 ADP projects are being implemented in the power sector.

Of the total figure, a sum of Tk4,63,087.06 lakh was spent from the government's allocation while Tk3,28,597.13 lakh was spent from foreign loans and aids.

The portion of the government's expenditure was 98.13% and the project aids expenditure was 102.40%.

However, the government released Tk4,76,072.50 during the year which was 100.88% of the its allocated part.

The FY2013-14 budget earmarked Tk65,872 crore for the nation's total ADP. Of the total ADP projects, the Power Development Board is implementing 23, the Rural Electrification Board 11, the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh 12, the Dhaka Power Distribution Company six, Power Division and the North West Power Generation Company five each, the Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh and Dhaka Electric Supply Company two each, and the Power Cell, West Zone Power Distribution Company and Ashuganj Power Station Company are implementing one each.

“We have failed to reach our target in physical implementation, but we were close to achieve financial target,” said Power Division Secretary Monwar Islam. l

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stocks end flat with volatility n Tribune Report

Company

Turnover (Million Taka)

4,918.63 121,693,274

Number of Contract

choppy trading comes on the heels of the profit booking that was observed throughout the day.

“Buying interest was mostly generated by the news that net profit of nearly 80% of the listed private banks have increased in the first half of this year due mainly to higher income from treasury bonds and improved import situation.”

IDLC Investments said with the back of volatility, market absorbed flat end as session closed.

It said bullish beginning couldn’t sustain ahead of profit booking in large caps. Eventually, remaining meticulous, investors were searching for investment worthy spread in mini and small caps, it said.

Zenith Investments said market kicked off with a bullish swagger, slowed its pace in the middle and managed to avert a downfall at the end.

Investors have glued their attention on some selective large cap scrips that have kept the money inflow into the stock market, it said.

“On a different note, most of the stocks that roared on the previous day, gave in to the pressure of profit taking which have somewhat slowed the pace of the overall momentum of indices to move forward.”

Beximco Limited topped the liquidity chart with Tk35 crore worth of turnover.

It was followed by Golden Son, ACI Limited, Lafarge Surma Cement, Padma Oil, Megna Petroleum and Argon Denim. l

Stocks ended flat amid volatility yesterday as late selling pressure mainly on large cap issues cut early gains.

After failing to sustain an initial upward move, stocks have fluctuated over the course of the trading. The intraday volatility was more than 36 points.

However, some other stocks gained owing to positive return in quarterly earnings, sending the market in the negative territory.

The benchmark DSEX inched 5 points or 0.2% higher to 4,472, hitting highest 4,504 in the morning and lowest 4,467 in the mid session.

The Shariah index, however, marginally fell – nearly 2 points or 0.2% to 1,020. The comprising blue chips DS30 was down 4 points or 0.3% to 1,650.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, gained 30 points to 8,482.

Trading activities at the DSE declined to Tk491 crore, down 12.2% over the previous session.

The market bellwether banks appreciated by only 0.4% and 24 out of 30 banking scrips sustained in positive territory with progressive news of half yearly earnings improvement.

Food and allied, and telecommunication also edged up while power, non-banking financial institutions, cement and pharmaceuticals edged down.

Lanka Bangla Securities said the

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features August 5, 2014

Turnover (Volume)

113,692

Traded Issues

300

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

188

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

106

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,343.87

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.41

CSE key features August 5, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

366.03

Turnover (Volume)

11,061,273

Number of Contract

Weekly capital market highlights

15,108

Traded Issues

225

DSE Broad Index :

4472.17697

(+) 0.12%

▲

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

151

DSE - 30 Index :

1650.59553

(-) 0.27%

▼

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

63

CSE All Share Index:

13777.86610

(+) 0.23%

▲

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

10

CSE - 30 Index :

11329.13690

(-) 0.11%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,248.83

8481.93310

(+) 0.36%

▲

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

27.26

CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSERS Company ICB AMCL 1st NRB -A Apex Tannery -A FAR Chemical-N Savar Refractories-Z The Peninsula CTG.-N GeminiSeaFood-Z BGIC -A Federal Insu.-A Padma Oil Co. -A Mithun Knitting -A

Closing (% change) -4.92 -4.04 -3.66 -3.43 -3.43 -3.29 -2.99 -2.82 -2.59 -2.57

CSE LOSERS Company Emerald Oil Ind. -N Midas Financing-Z FAR Chemical-N Green Delta M.F.-A Mithun Knitting -A ICB Emp. PMF-A The Peninsula CTG.-N Prime Insur -A Jamuna Oil -A ACI Formulations-A

Closing (% change) -80.53 -9.09 -4.50 -3.85 -3.65 -3.64 -3.17 -3.11 -2.85 -2.49

Average (% change) -4.92 -1.69 -0.95 -5.75 -1.88 -2.60 -1.83 -4.43 -1.90 -2.44 Average (% change) -0.74 -9.35 -1.34 -1.38 -4.48 -1.65 -2.04 -3.11 -1.63 -2.81

ANALYST

Closing average 29.00 141.97 56.15 56.55 37.00 136.36 23.07 17.46 341.42 103.72

Closing average 241.21 16.00 55.88 5.01 102.09 5.38 36.98 18.70 226.28 86.03

Closing 29.00 140.10 55.20 56.30 36.60 135.40 22.70 17.20 338.40 102.50

Closing

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 377.32 95.84 66.14 681.33 234.85 718.09 1.09 650.04 794.20 0.60 108.43 53.85 18.39 249.67 73.40 53.69 63.24 82.01 154.42 441.91 0.15

Daily high

Turnover in million

Daily low

29.50 148.00 58.90 58.40 38.30 140.00 25.00 18.00 347.70 106.30

47.30 16.00 55.20 5.00 103.00 5.30 36.60 18.70 225.10 86.30

28.50 138.90 54.50 54.10 36.40 135.00 22.00 16.00 325.00 102.10

0.087 11.088 82.066 0.082 114.048 0.075 1.763 8.536 133.726 21.898

4.57 4.35 3.92 0.52 1.32 -1.80 2.94 1.16 21.40 2.69

Turnover in million

Daily low

47.50 16.10 57.50 5.10 105.00 5.50 37.90 18.70 230.90 86.30

Latest EPS

46.50 15.90 54.30 5.00 102.00 5.30 36.40 18.70 225.00 86.00

Latest EPS

0.844 0.016 6.985 0.038 1.633 0.073 19.424 0.005 1.134 0.086

2.92 -6.91 3.92 0.83 2.69 0.68 1.32 1.28 16.65 3.36

Latest PE 6.3 32.6 14.3 108.8 28.0 -ve 7.8 15.1 16.0 38.6

Latest PE 82.6 -ve 14.3 6.0 38.0 7.9 28.0 14.6 13.6 25.6

PragatiLife Insu. -A Renwick Jajneswar-A Central Pharm-A SummitAlliancePort.-A 7th ICB M F-A National Life I -A Legacy Footwear -A Deshbandhu Polymer-A Fine Foods A Paramount Insur-A

Closing (% change) 8.82 8.75 7.41 7.35 7.28 5.51 5.44 5.11 5.10 5.08

CSE GAINERS Company Samata LeatheR -Z 8th ICB M F-A Apex Footwear-A Paramount Insur-A Rahima Food -Z Central Pharm-A SummitAlliancePort.-A Argon Denims Limited-A Apex Foods -A Wata Chemicals -A

Closing (% change) 9.09 8.97 8.75 8.19 7.98 7.37 7.01 6.46 6.21 6.19

Average (% change) 6.87 11.16 5.68 7.49 7.61 3.14 3.37 3.93 3.75 4.02 Average (% change) 9.09 8.58 8.75 8.08 8.64 5.90 8.22 6.12 6.80 7.44

Closing average 123.12 237.65 37.22 28.70 99.00 232.66 24.87 18.23 16.32 18.37

Closing average 24.00 71.66 346.90 18.45 46.00 37.17 28.43 52.35 105.03 228.30

Closing 125.90 238.70 37.70 29.20 98.70 235.70 25.20 18.50 16.50 18.60

Closing 24.00 71.70 346.90 18.50 46.00 37.90 29.00 52.70 104.40 228.30

Daily high 127.00 238.70 38.50 29.80 100.00 238.90 25.70 18.70 16.70 18.80

Daily high 24.00 72.30 346.90 18.50 46.00 38.50 29.80 53.00 106.00 228.30

Daily low 118.00 225.00 34.00 25.80 95.00 220.00 22.00 17.00 15.40 16.20

Daily low 24.00 71.50 346.90 18.00 46.00 35.80 27.70 50.50 102.60 228.30

Turnover in million 3.346 12.013 103.847 50.960 0.198 3.330 4.633 12.210 2.786 1.353

Turnover in million 0.480 0.179 0.139 0.221 0.069 9.552 6.695 10.460 0.121 0.046

Latest EPS 2.38 3.92 2.09 0.96 12.01 12.46 0.28 0.81 -1.01 1.18

Latest EPS 0.09 7.96 -7.40 1.18 -1.01 2.09 0.96 3.86 3.01 6.20

Latest PE 51.7 60.6 17.8 29.9 8.2 18.7 88.8 22.5 -ve 15.6

Latest PE 266.7 9.0 -ve 15.6 -ve 17.8 29.6 13.6 34.9 36.8

News, analysis and recent disclosers From TradeServers:

DELTASPINN: The Board of Directors has recommended 10% cash dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2014. Date of AGM: 30.08.2014, Time: 11:30 AM, Venue: Factory premises of the Company at Kaltapara, Gouripur, Mymensingh. Record date: 14.08.2014. The Company has also reported consolidated profit after tax of Tk. 64.90 million, consolidated EPS of Tk. 1.41, consolidated NAV per share (including revaluation) of Tk. 27.26 and consolidated NOCFPS of Tk. 2.98 for the year ended on June 30, 2014 as against Tk. 47.80 million. Tk. 1.04, Tk. 26.82 and Tk. (0.05) respectively for the year ended on June 30, 2013.

GHCL: The Company has requested the concerned shareholders to collect their cash dividend warrants for the year 2013 from the registered office of the Company at 37 Segun Bagicha, Dhaka-1000 from August 05, 2014 to August 07, 2014 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Refund Warrants & Allotment Letters: Far East Knitting & Dyeing Industries Ltd.: All concerned are hereby informed that the Refund Warrants & Allotment Letters of the shares of Far East Knitting & Dyeing Industries Ltd. have been distributed as follows: 304,427 no. of application through online distribution(33 Banks), 420,239 no. of applications through Hand Delivery and 22,448 no. of applications through Courier Service. The undelivered Refund Warrants & Allotment Letters have been dispatched on July 24, 2014 through Speed Post Express, Vision Express, Modhubon Cou-

rier Service, Boshumoti Express, Bangla Courier Service, Somoy Express Ltd., Faith Courier Service, Ekhushe Express and Top Express for delivery to the respective applicants.

Conduction of IPO lottery: SAIF Powertec Limited: All concerned are hereby informed that the IPO lottery program of SAIF Powertec Limited will be conducted on 7 August 2014 at 10:30 am at Seminer Hall of the Institution of Engineers(IEB), Ramna, Dhaka.

IPO Subscription: Ratanpur Steel Re-Rolling Mills Limited subscription date 13-17 July 2014, NRB upto 26 July 2014. @ taka 40, face value taka 10 and market lot 200.

Khan Brothers PP Woven Bag Industries Ltd. subscription date 24-28 August 2014, NRB upto 06 September 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. Western Marine Shipyard Limited subscription date 10-14 August 2014, NRB upto 23 August 2014. @ taka 35, face value taka 10 and market lot 100.

Right Share: MIDASFIN: Subscription period for rights issue will be from 01.09.2014 to 30.09.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 03.08.2014.

Dividend/AGM

Dividend: 8THICB: 120% cash, 7THICB: 130% cash, 12.08.2014, 6THICB: 110% cash, 5THICB: 225% cash , 4THICB: 250% cash, 3RDICB: 250% cash, 2NDICB: 400% cash, 1STICB: 800% cash. Record date: 12.08.2014.

NAVANACNG: 15% cash, AGM: 25.09.2014, Record Date: 10.08.2014.

GP: 95% interim cash, Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 05.08.2014.

MARICO: 150% interim cash, Record date for entitlement of interim cash dividend: 07.08.2014.

SUNLIFEINS: 5% stock, AGM: 15.09.2014, Record Date: 07.08.2014.

SQURPHARMA: 30% cash and 15% stock, AGM: 25.09.2014, Record Date: 26.08.2014. NAV of Tk. 22,277.52 million, EPS of Tk. 8.36.

LINDEBD: 200% interim cash dividend, Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 03.08.2014.

APEXSPINN: 20% cash, AGM: 28.09.2014, Record date: 07.08.2014. EPS Tk. 2.24, NAV per share of Tk. 49.75.

RUPALILIFE: 5% stock, AGM: 21.08.2014, Record Date: 04.08.2014.

SANDHANINS: 25.50% stock, EGM and AGM: 06.09.2014, Record Date for EGM and AGM: 16.07.2014.

BDSERVICE: 15% stock, AGM: 25.08.2014, Record Date: 14.07.2014.

SALVOCHEM: 10% stock, AGM: 27.08.2014, Record date: 25.06.2014.

ISLAMIINS: 15% stock, AGM: 09.07.2014, RD: 12.05.2014.

JMISMDL: 15% cash, AGM: 24.07.2014, RD: 22.05.2014.

MARICO: 50% final cash, AGM: 19.08.2014, RD: 02.07.2014.

ASIAPACINS: 12% cash, AGM: 14.08.2014, RD: 08.05.2014.

GHCL: 10% cash dividend for the shareholders except Directors, AGM: 09.07.2014, RD: 15.05.2014.

Trading activities at the DSE declined to Tk491 crore, down 12.2% over the previous session

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Daily high

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

% change 7.67 1.95 1.34 13.85 4.77 14.60 0.02 13.22 16.15 2.20 1.09 0.37 5.08 1.49 1.09 1.29 1.67 3.14 8.98 0.00

Million Taka 30.95 8.38 4.32 38.78 23.18 46.98 65.25 47.34 27.95 8.15 30.35 2.09 20.34 9.26 1.76 2.47 11.52 24.66 45.45 0.00

CSE

% change 6.89 1.86 0.96 8.63 5.16 10.46 0.00 14.53 10.54 6.22 1.81 6.76 0.47 4.53 2.06 0.39 0.55 2.57 5.49 10.12 0.00

Million Taka 408.26 104.22 70.46 720.11 258.03 765.07 1.09 715.29 841.54 28.54 116.58 84.20 20.48 270.01 82.66 55.45 65.71 93.53 179.09 487.36 0.15

Total

% change 7.61 1.94 1.31 13.42 4.81 14.25 0.02 13.33 15.68 0.53 2.17 1.57 0.38 5.03 1.54 1.03 1.22 1.74 3.34 9.08 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 Golden Son -A ACI Limited- A LafargeS Cement-Z Padma Oil Co. -A Meghna Petroleum -A Argon Denims Limited-A Square Pharma -A Appollo Ispat CL -N The Peninsula CTG.-N CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BEXIMCO Ltd. -A The Peninsula CTG.-N LafargeS Cement-Z BD Submarine Cable-A Square Pharma -A Appollo Ispat CL -N Golden Son -A Argon Denims Limited-A Padma Oil Co. -A Central Pharm-A

Volume shares 9,805,123 4,652,793 590,681 1,742,500 391,674 447,465 2,251,182 435,821 4,002,400 3,082,600

Volume shares 1,137,091 525,200 150,240 62,500 43,220 361,200 219,999 199,820 28,228 257,000

Value in million 351.80 221.72 173.82 157.42 133.73 127.12 117.14 115.68 115.68 114.05

Value in million 40.78 19.42 13.56 11.52 11.43 10.47 10.47 10.46 9.59 9.55

% of total turnover 7.15 4.51 3.53 3.20 2.72 2.58 2.38 2.35 2.35 2.32

% of total turnover 11.58 5.52 3.85 3.27 3.24 2.97 2.97 2.97 2.72 2.71

Daily closing 36.10 48.50 298.00 90.10 338.40 282.80 52.60 264.70 28.60 36.60

Daily closing 36.00 36.60 90.00 184.00 264.50 28.80 48.60 52.70 338.30 37.90

Price change 2.85 2.11 2.41 -2.17 -2.59 -0.70 4.57 -0.45 -2.05 -3.43

Daily opening 35.10 47.50 291.00 92.10 347.40 284.80 50.30 265.90 29.20 37.90

Daily high 38.00 49.00 301.00 92.50 347.70 287.00 53.40 271.00 29.90 38.30

Daily low 31.60 44.00 268.00 89.00 325.00 262.00 46.00 243.00 28.50 36.40

Daily average 35.88 47.65 294.28 90.34 341.42 284.10 52.04 265.43 28.90 37.00

Price change 2.27 -3.17 -2.07 1.77 -0.04 -2.04 2.10 6.46 -1.97 7.37

Daily opening 35.20 37.80 91.90 180.80 264.60 29.40 47.60 49.50 345.10 35.30

Daily high 36.50 37.90 92.20 186.50 269.50 29.80 48.80 53.00 347.00 38.50

Daily low 35.00 36.40 89.00 182.50 261.30 28.60 46.20 50.50 337.30 35.80

Daily average 35.86 36.98 90.27 184.37 264.36 28.99 47.59 52.35 339.87 37.17

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

WTO failure points to fragmented future for global trade n Reuters, Geneva India has dealt a potentially fatal blow to the World Trade Organisation's hopes of modernising the rules of global commerce and remaining the central forum for multilateral trade deals.

In the short term, this is a setback for freer commerce. In the longer run, it means trade liberalisation may advance - if at all - among narrower groups of countries, denying dissenters a chance to block progress.

While the unwieldy 160-member, Geneva-based WTO will survive as a body for enforcing existing multilateral agreements, smaller clubs of likeminded nations are trying to move ahead faster to update the trade rules among themselves.

"Without a serious shakeup, the WTO's future looks like that of the League of Nations," said Simon Evenett, a professor at the Swiss Institute for International Economics. "Perhaps ultimately that's what some governments want."

Last week India vetoed the adoption of a treaty to simplify, standardise and streamline the rules for shipping goods across borders, having previously agreed to its terms at a ministerial conference in Bali last December.

It blocked the text because it wanted more attention paid to its concerns over food security.

After drawing widespread condemnation, the world's second most populous nation now says it wants to keep the treaty alive, with stronger assurances about protecting its food security needs, until a permanent solution is found.

But the genie is out of the bottle. India's tactics reawakened a ghost from the WTO's past that many diplomats hoped to have put behind them: the idea of "linkages".

Linking unconnected negotiations was a major reason why the Doha round of trade talks that began in 2001 collapsed. As more and more states parlayed a concession here into a pledge there, the weight of interwoven bargains eventually caused paralysis.

The draft treaty on customs rules, known as "trade facilitation", was supposed to be something that everyone could agree on -- "low hanging fruit" that might reinvigorate a WTO laid low by a

A worker smokes while sitting on a cart carrying rice sacks in New Delhi grinding decade of failed negotiations.

But there were few illusions about the WTO's overall health.

"The Doha Round has been dead at least since the last big push in 2011 failed," said Richard Baldwin, professor of international economics at the Graduate Institute in Geneva. "The Bali package was just a way of putting fresh flowers on the grave to remind people of what passed away.

"The big trading nations like India, the United States, the European Union,

China and Brazil all went along with it since they wanted to keep the WTO looking relevant."

For several years, many of the bigger economies have been pouring their energies into new clubs aiming to liberalise trade in particular regions or in specific sectors of the economy.

"What WTO promoters fail to understand is that their forum competes with other vehicles for reform. Through poor design, bad luck and bad tactics, the WTO has handicapped itself in this

REUTERS

race," said Evenett.

Of all the big economies, India has perhaps bet most on the WTO, with little progress in opening up bilateral or regional ties. Despite its role as a offshore services hub and its vast population, it has yet to sew up a bilateral trade agreement with the EU and an investment treaty with the United States.

The 28-nation EU and the United States, which are trying to negotiate a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, are among pioneers of the

smaller clubs, but China is also involved.

Beijing is a member of groups trying to develop new standards for information technology products and environmental goods, and it wants to join one that is working to liberalise trade in services.

Last week's veto prompted some countries to discuss moving ahead with the customs treaty without India.

The last world trade agreement, known as the Uruguay round, was concluded in 1993 and came into force in 1995.

For businesses based on globally mobile funds, data and intellectual property, WTO rules that essentially pre-date the Internet era are hopelessly out of date. Proponents of the new deals think India's new government risks relegating its economy to bureaucratic backwardness if it won't join such reforms.

Some of the existing groups, such as the one on information technology, include the bulk of world exporters and can promise to share the benefits of freer trade with the entire WTO without fear of non-members gaining much from being free-riders.

Others, such as the one on services, will not share the benefits with nonmembers, at least until a critical mass of countries are inside the club. That could lead to a two-tier WTO in which the leading reformers have the best terms of trade.

Even if it benefits in the end, India will have missed the chance to shape the rules by not being from at the start.

India is also trailing in regional trade agreements, with the United States setting the pace by negotiating simultaneously a 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and a potential deal with the EU, which faces obstacles on both sides.

While such mega-regional agreements grab the headlines, Evenett said they may be almost as hard to clinch as WTO deals.

"Instead, watch out for more unilateral reforms by emerging markets and deals done directly between foreign firms and national governments -- all done a million miles from the WTO." Informal groups such as the G20 might also be more active in promoting trade, although India is a member there too. Current G20 chair Australia said on Monday it wanted the grouping to do more to remove barriers to commerce.

Before India's veto, U.S. WTO Ambassador Michael Punke said the Bali deal had turned the lights back on at the WTO, but if India blocked the accord, it would "flip the lights in this building back to dark", with no return to business as usual.

"Many Members, including developing country members, have noted that, if the Bali package fails, there can be no post-Bali. It’s with regret that we agree with them," Punke said. l

LinkedIn to pay $6m Oil prices up on reviving Middle East supply fears over US wage violations n AFP, Singapore

n AFP, Washington LinkedIn has agreed to pay nearly $6m in back wages and damages to 359 current and former employees after a US investigation found it had failed to pay them properly for overtime work.

Under a settlement announced by the Labor Department on Monday, the career-focused social network will pay more than $3.3m in overtime back wages and $2.5m in damages to be paid directly to workers in California, Illinois, Nebraska and New York.

"This company has shown a great deal of integrity by fully cooperating with investigators and stepping up to the plate without hesitation to help make workers whole," said David Weil, administrator of the Labour Department's Wage and Hour Division.

"We are particularly pleased that LinkedIn also has committed to take positive and practical steps toward securing future compliance."

Labor Department investigators found that LinkedIn violated the overtime and record-keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act by neglecting to record, account and pay for

all hours worked in a workweek.

Under the law, covered, nonexempt employees must be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for all hours worked, plus time and a half their regular hourly rates for any work beyond 40 hours in a week.

LinkedIn has also agreed to provide compliance training and distribute its policy prohibiting off the clock work to all nonexempt employees and their managers, remind managers of the affected employees that overtime work must be recorded and paid for, and reiterate its policy prohibiting retaliation against any employee who raises workplace concerns.

"Off the clock hours are all too common for the American worker. This practice harms workers, denies them the wages they have rightfully earned and takes away time with families," said Susana Blanco, Wage and Hour Division district director in San Francisco.

"We urge all employers, large and small, to review their pay practices to ensure employees know their basic workplace rights and that the commitment to compliance works through all levels of the organization." l

Europe must remain 'vigilant' against economic crisis n AFP, Athens Europe must remain "vigilant" against new financial challenges as it struggles to overcome the lingering effects of the debt crisis, the European Commission's incoming head Jean-Claude Juncker said on Monday.

The day after Brussels gave the green light for a state rescue of Portuguese banking giant Banco Espirito Santo (BES), Juncker warned the recession-hit region remained vulnerable to fresh economic strains.

"I believe that we have gone a long way and we are nearing the end but we have not yet turned a corner," said Juncker during a visit to crisis-hit Greece, his first official visit to a member state since being elected as the head of the EU's executive arm.

Brussels on Sunday gave the green

light for a near 5.0-billion-euro ($6.7 billion) rescue plan for stricken BES in a bid to "restore confidence in financial stability" and avoid hurting the broader Portuguese economy.

Junker said the situation in Portugal remained "fragile," adding that "we must remain vigilant ... across Europe, we could be affected by things which we cannot predict".

The crisis at BES has shaken confidence in Portugal, which has only just emerged from a three-year EU-backed aid plan, one of several countries to be rescued when they were frozen out of international debt markets.

After holding talks with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, Juncker emphasised that member states must continue with "fiscal discipline" despite the improving outlook in financial markets. l

Oil prices rose in Asia yesterday on fresh fears of supply disruptions in the Middle East, analysts said.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for September delivery rose 10 cents to $98.39, while Brent crude for September gained 15 cents to $105.56 in afternoon trade.

"We haven't seen signs so far that the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East could cause disruptions, but those concerns are still there at the back of investors' minds," Desmond Chua, market analyst at CMC Markets in Singapore, told AFP.

WTI on Monday snapped a five-day losing streak to gain 41 cents in New York trade following continued vio-

There will be expectations of solid demand, with a decline of about 300,000 barrels of gasoline lence in crude producer Libya, where at least 22 more people died in Tripoli over the weekend.

The death toll stands at 124 since July 13, with more than 500 wounded.

Islami Bank Training and Research Academy (IBTRA) has recently inaugurated a twentyday foundation-training course for forty officers of Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited.

Mohammad Abdul Mannan, managing director of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited was present at the function as chief guest while Farman R Chowdhury, managing director of Shahjalal Islami Bank attended the event as special guest

Prime Bank has recently concluded its 72nd foundation training course for its management trainees. The bank’s deputy managing director Ahmed Kamal Khan Chowdhury attended the ceremony as chief guest

Analysts have said the violence threatens efforts to restore oil production in the North African country, a member of the OPEC oil-producing cartel.

Fighting also raged on in Iraq, where Baghdad's air force and Kurdish fighters from Syria joined forces with Iraq's embattled peshmerga to push back jihadists whose latest attacks sent thousands of civilians running for their lives.

Sunni militants have also seized two small oilfields in Northern Iraq which a North Oil Company official said had a combined capacity of 20,000 barrels per day.

Iraq is the second biggest producer in

the 12-nation OPEC, pumping 3.4 million barrels a day and possessing more than 11% of the world's proven reserves.

Chua said investors are awaiting the release of the latest US petroleum stockpiles data to be released Wednesday for clues about demand in the world's biggest crude consumer.

"There will be expectations of solid demand, with a decline of about 300,000 barrels of gasoline," he said.

Gasoline inventory data is closely monitored at this time of the year, with the US summer holiday period representing the traditional peak demand for motor fuel. l

BRAC Bank has recently won an award for sustainable marketing excellence from CMO Asia. The award was handed over to BRAC Bank at World Brand Congress at The Pan Pacific, Singapore on July 31, 2014. The bank’s head of communication and service quality, Zeeshan Kingshuk Huq received the award

Modhumoti Bank Limited has recently signed an agreement with Bangladesh Bank (BB) for participation in the refinance scheme for small enterprises at a ceremony presided over by Md Abul Quasem, BB’s deputy governor. Md Masum Patwary, general manager of SME & Special Programmes departments of Bangladesh Bank and Md Mizanur Rahman, managing director and CEO of Modhumoti Bank Limited have signed the agreement

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

S Africa leader says new BRICS bank will help all n AFP, Washington A new development bank launched by emerging economies will help all nations in distress to return to health, South African President Jacob Zuma said Monday.

The so-called BRICS - Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa - announced last month that they were setting up a development bank and emergency reserve fund.

This was seen as a major challenge to the Washington-based International Monetary Fund and World Bank, which some emerging powers see as biased towards Western policy positions.

Zuma, visiting Washington for a USAfrica summit, argued that the IMF has few success stories to show despite the often austere regimens it imposes on troubled economies in return for emergency loans.

"There has been concern from the African leaders that the existing banks that have been there before have not succeeded to produce an example country that was helped successfully and is now thriving," Zuma told a news conference.

Chinese smartphone makers win as market swells n AFP, San Francisco Chinese smartphone makers racked up big gains as the global market for Internet-linked handsets grew to record levels in the second quarter, International Data Corp said Tuesday.

Huawei and Lenovo, both based in China, came out winners as a recordhigh 295.3 million smartphones were shipped worldwide in the second quarter of this year, according to IDC. "As the death of the feature phone approaches more rapidly than before, it is the Chinese vendors that are ready to usher emerging market consumers into smartphones," IDC senior research manager Melissa Chau said in a release with the quarterly figures.

"The offer of smartphones at a much better value than the top global players but with a stronger build quality and larger scale than local competitors gives these vendors a precarious competitive advantage."

The overall smartphone market grew 23.1% when compared with the same quarter a year earlier, IDC reported.

The market tracker cited ongoing demand for accessing computing power on the go along with an abundance of low-priced smartphones with fueling the quarterly growth.

"A record second quarter proves that the smartphone market has plenty of opportunity and momentum," said IDC analyst Ryan Reith.

More than a dozen companies are jockeying for position among the top five smartphone vendors, according to Reith.

Buyers in emerging markets such as China supporting local smartphone makers boosted sales results, IDC said.

Huawei nearly doubled its shipments from the same quarter a year ago, while Lenovo also weighed in with strong performance, IDC figures indicated.

South Korea-based Samsung shipped millions of its premium Galaxy line of smartphones but saw its overall market share slip seven percent. l

The new bank, he said, "is going to do things differently. No country will go to the BRICS bank and say, I need to be rescued, and find itself not being rescued."

Experts say that much remains unclear about the scope of a BRICS bank, including how much risk it would take.

For now, only the BRICS nations will be able to draw from the $50 billion in the New Development Bank and $100 billion in the Contingent Reserve Arrangement.

The IMF, set up with the World Bank during the Bretton Woods conference in 1944, has faced criticism for imposing onerous conditions and for not giving wider representation to developing nations on its controlling committees.

Some defenders of the IMF say that restructuring plans encouraged longterm stability in Asian nations hit by the 1997-1998 crisis, as well as in Turkey, despite short-term pain.

The BRICS bank plan came after an agreement to give China and other emerging powers more voting power in the IMF got bogged down in the US Senate due to opposition by conservative Republicans. l

South African President Jacob Zuma waits to address an audience August 4 at the National Press Club on the sidelines of the US-Africa Summit in Washington, DC AFP

Argentina launches investigation into holdouts' investments n Reuters Argentina's markets watchdog on Monday launched an investigation into what it believes may have been unlawful speculation by holdout creditors whose litigation against the country for repayment of their defaulted bonds pushed it into a new default last week.

The government also reiterated its fierce criticism of the mediator in debt talks with the holdout hedge funds for being "biased" and a "spokesman of the vulture funds".

took part in negotiations with Argentina which could trigger a default.

"The use of insider information, which would be the case here, and market manipulation are crimes in Argentina, they are crimes in the United States, and they imply economic sanctions and eventually criminal sanctions," Vanoli told a news conference.

Over nearly the last two years, sources familiar with the position of the holdouts have told Reuters the firms are not holders of CDS positions.

A new source said on Monday that this

Alejandro Vanoli, President of Argentina's market regulator Comision Nacional de Valores (CNV), speaks during the Reuters Latin American Investment summit in Buenos Aires REUTERS

Local markets were mixed on Monday as players waited for new signs of how soon Argentina might reach a deal with holdouts in order to exit default. Argentine bonds fell slightly while the Merval stock index flickered up and down.

The head of Argentina's Securities Commission Alejandro Vanoli said it had asked its U.S. counterpart for information on trade of Argentina's sovereign debt and credit default swaps (CDS), derivatives used to insure against default.

The watchdog wanted to check if holdouts who rejected Argentina's restructuring in the wake of its 2002 default held or traded CDS while they

stance has not changed.

"There is absolutely no evidence to demonstrate that the holdouts hold Argentine CDS positions. No proof," said the source, who is familiar with the holdout positions.

Argentina missed a deadline at midnight last Wednesday to make a coupon payment on a restructured bond after failing to reach a deal with holdouts.

A US court had ruled Argentina could only service its exchange bonds if it at the same time paid holdouts in full their defaulted debt.

"We now think a settlement in 2015 is the most likely path although cannot exclude something longer," said

Stuart Culverhouse, head of research at Exotix, a frontier markets broker in London.

On Friday, a committee facilitated by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association voted unanimously to call the missed coupon payment a "credit event", triggering a payout process on CDS worth an estimated $1bn.

"The holdouts were awarded $1.33bn and the interest too, right? Well there is just $1bn in potential payout on the CDS and that would mean the holdouts would have to own all of it and that's simply not the case," the source said.

US District Judge Thomas Griesa said last week Argentina must continue negotiations with mediator Daniel Pollack to reach a deal with holdouts.

Argentina's Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich on Monday reiterated its criticism of the lawyer.

"We consider he has been incompetent.. that he has been manifestly partial and definitively does not fulfil the role a mediator should," Capitanich said in his daily briefing.

Griesa later on Monday came to Pollack's defense with an order stating that he confirms his position to remain the mediator in the case and that removing him would be a gross injustice and drastically interfere with the discussion process which he wants to continue.

"He (Pollack) has been even-handed in relationship to the parties. There has been no bias in any degree," Griesa said.

This default strikes a contrast to the last one in 2002, which occurred during an economic and financial meltdown that plunged millions into poverty and saw dozens killed in riots.

While Latin America's No 3 economy entered a mild recession at the start of 2014, its banks are sturdy, the state is solvent and the streets of Buenos Aires are calm.

Underscoring the fact it is willing to pay its debts, Argentina said last week it had made the first payment of its debt arrears to the Paris Club of major creditor nations under an agreement struck earlier this year. The club said on Monday it had received the $642m tranche "as scheduled". l

Micromax pips Samsung as India's leading mobile phone brand n Reuters, Mumbai Indian budget smartphone maker Micromax has ousted Samsung Electronics Co Ltd as the leading brand in all types of mobile phones in the April-June quarter, grabbing a 16.6% market share, a recent research report showed.

Samsung had 14.4% market share, down from 16.3% in the first quarter, said the report by Counterpoint Research. In the smartphone segment, however, Samsung still came out tops.

"Micromax is leveraging its wider distribution reach, growing brand awareness not only in urban but in rural India with affordable low-cost handsets," said Counterpoint analyst Neil Shah.

These companies mostly use chipsets made by MediaTek, which tend to be cheaper than those made by industry leader Qualcomm Inc, and outsource production to China and Taiwan, instead of investing in manufacturing plants, further helping keep costs down. l

Facebook unveils free Internet app, starting in Zambia n AFP, New York Facebook on Thursday unveiled an app to allow people around the world with mobile phones but no Internet access to access online services for health, education and basic communications.

The Internet.org app is being released first in Zambia, and is to be rolled out in other countries where Internet access is lacking or unaffordable, Facebook said.

'With this app, people can browse a set of useful health, employment and local information services without data charges.

By providing free basic services via the app, we hope to bring more people online and help them discover valuable services they might not have otherwise'

"Over 85 percent of the world's population lives in areas with existing cellular coverage, yet only about 30 percent of the total population accesses the Internet," Facebook's Guy Rosen said in a blog post.

"Affordability and awareness are significant barriers to Internet adoption for many and today we are introducing the Internet.org app to make the Internet accessible to more people by providing a set of free basic services."

The app allows people with Android-powered mobile phones to get free access to services including Wiki-

pedia, Google Search, Facebook, AccuWeather and websites offering health and other services.

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the app is part of "our effort to bring affordable Internet access to everyone in the world."

"We believe that every person should have access to free basic Internet services - tools for health, education, jobs and basic communication," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page.

"Over the past year we've been working with mobile operators around the world to deliver on this goal. We're starting to see this vision become a reality, and we've already helped three million people access the Internet who had no access before."

Zuckerberg said that in Zambia, "only 15% of people in Zambia have access to the Internet," but that "soon, everyone will be able to use the Internet for free to find jobs, get help with reproductive health and other aspects of health, and use tools like Facebook to stay connected with the people they love."

Users in the African nation will also have access to services such as Go Zambia Jobs, Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action, Women's Rights App and Zambia uReport. It will be available in partnership with the mobile carrier Airtel.

"With this app, people can browse a set of useful health, employment and local information services without data charges," Rosen said.

"By providing free basic services via the app, we hope to bring more people online and help them discover valuable services they might not have otherwise."

Zuckerberg last year announced the creation of Internet.org to help improve online access around the world, with partners including Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera, Qualcomm and Samsung.

Google has its own initiative aimed at boosting Internet access around the world, and is testing the use of balloons in areas without wireless networks. l

India holds rates steady on monsoon worries n AFP, Mumbai

This photo shows pre-owned Luxury bags to be expertised at Instant Luxe office on July in Paris. Instant Luxe buys and sells authenticated pre-owned luxury goods AFP

India's central bank left interest rates unchanged on Tuesday, keeping a watchful eye on inflation as it waits to assess the impact of weak annual rains on food prices.

After meeting in financial capital Mumbai, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the benchmark repo rate, at which it lends to commercial banks, would remain steady at a steep 8%.

The move was widely expected by economists, who said the RBI needed time to assess whether a drought situation could emerge and send food prices soaring - despite a recent easing in the consumer price index.

"With some continuing uncertainty about the path of the monsoon, it would be premature to conclude that future food inflation, and its spill-over to broader inflation, can be discounted," said RBI chief Raghuram Rajan.

Rajan has raised the key repo rate three times to clamp down on rising prices since he came to the helm in September, gaining a reputation for hawkishness on inflation, even with

the economy growing at sub-five percent for a second straight year.

Businesses have been clamouring for monetary easing, saying the current high repo rate discourages investment needed to help India's economy get back on its feet.

Although June's consumer price index, closely watched by the central bank, rose by its slowest pace since January 2012, climbing 7.31% from a year earlier, Rajan wants further evidence inflation is slowing before cutting rates.

Indian farmers rely for irrigation largely on the annual rains, which are more than 20 percent below average so far this year - meaning the CPI is likely

DILBERT

to rise again later in the year.

"The Reserve Bank will continue to monitor inflation developments closely, and remains committed to the disinflationary path of taking CPI inflation to 8% by January 2015 and 6 per cent by January 2016," Rajan said.

The central bank on Tuesday cut the statutory liquidity ratio, the amount banks must keep in government securities, by 50 basis points to 22%, to free up funds for the banking system and spur economic activity.

But the cash reserve ratio - the amount of cash deposits that banks must keep with the RBI - was held steady at 4%. l