08 Aug, 2014

Shraban 24, 1421 Shawal 11, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 126

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

20 pages plus 24-page weekend supplement | Price: Tk12

WEEKEND

7 | LONG FORM

11 | OP-ED

13 | SPORT

WAR AND PEACE

MONEY IN THE ETHER

SAVE JAMAATE-ISLAMI?

BFF IRKED WITH DUTCH COACHES

Police drive out Tuba workers Strike called in factories across the country for tomorrow n Mohammad Jamil Khan Police yesterday drove Tuba Group workers out of their factory where they had been on an indefinite hunger strike for the last 11 days demanding their overdue wages and Eid bonus.

Police used rubber bullets, teargas canisters and water canon to disperse the agitating workers on the factory premises in the capital.

Around 30 workers including photojournalists of different media houses sustained injuries in the police assault.

Agitating workers in retaliation vandalised at least 20 vehicles on the road in front of the factory.

The clash has suspended all traffic movement in the area for one and a half hours from 12.30pm.

The situation worsened when police stopped water and power supply to the factory Police also picked up Moshrefa Mishu, president of the Garments Sramik Oikya Forum and Bangladesh Trade Union Centre’s Assistant General Secretary Jolly Talukder, after evicting them from the factory.

However, Mishu was released after six hours of her arrest.

Before her arrest Mishu alleged that police had forcefully evicted the workers from the factory although they were observing a peaceful demonstration.

While evicting the workers a number of police personnel threatened them to rape if they did not vacate the factory immediately, she said.

Mishu vowed that their demonstration would continue to go on until their demands are met. She demanded explanation from police for their atrocities.

National Broadcast Policy gazette published n Mohosinul Karim The Information Ministry yesterday issued a gazette notification of the National Broadcast Policy 2014 that says the broadcast media authorities have to prepare their own editorial policies, which must not contradict the national policy.

These policies have to be approved by the Independent Broadcast Commission, which will be formed soon.

The cabinet approved the national policy on Monday at a meeting chaired

by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Journalist leaders from different broadcast media houses have alleged that they have been betrayed in the policy as it does not reflect their recommendations.

On Monday, Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu said the policy would come into effect after the gazette notification was published.

Senior Assistant Secretary of the Information Ministry, Md Akhtaruzzaman Talukder, signed the gazette notification published yesterday.

Joint Secretary Abul Hossain yesterday said the ministry would act as the commission to implement the policy until the formation of the Broadcast  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

MA Jalil, officer-in-charge of the Badda Police Station, said: “We have detained Mishu and jolly but we released them as their involvement in the violence was not proved.”

Protesting the police attack and arrest of workers leaders the Tuba Group Sramik Sangram Committee called a strike for Saturday in all garment factories across the country.

Shahidul Islam Sabuj, member of the Tuba Group Sramik Sangram Committee, told the Dhaka Tribune that they called the strike to force the owner to meet their demands.

On yesterday morning police padlocked the main gate of the Hussain Super Market where the garment is housed and no one was allowed into the factory.

But they allowed workers to come out of the factory to draw their wages from the BGMEA office.

The situation worsened when police stopped water and power supply to the factory. Later, police stopped all kinds of food supply, says Josna and Rahima, who were inside the factory yesterday.

Around 12.00pm workers from nearby factories including Big Boss, Star line and Kick Ruler of Badda area marched towards the Tuba factory to express their solidarity with the agitating workers.

Police charged baton, fired rubber bullets and used water canon on the advancing workers to disperse them. The workers pelted brick chips in reply turning the entire area into a battle field.

A group of police entered the factory premises around 1:00 pm and forced them out of the factory.

Mohibul, a protesting worker, who was inside the factory, alleged that police suddenly entered their factories and started lobbing teargas shells and  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Police chase Tuba garment workers as they were observing an indefinite strike demanding their overdue wages and Eid bonus yesterday . The photo was taken from Badda

Workers queue for dues as police foil agitation n Tribune Report The queue of Tuba Group workers present to pick up overdue wages for the month of May and June, promised by the BGMEA, increased after the law enforcers yesterday evacuated its factory building by charging batons on the agitating workers around noon.

In the morning, the flow of workers at the BGMEA headquarters was very thin. Until around 11:30am, only 60 workers went there to receive wages.

BGMEA officials said the presence had been low since a group of workers were still continuing their hunger strike

Little chance for Pinak 6 recovery as death toll reaches 33 n Ashif Islam Shaon

The authorities assigned to recover sunken launch Pinak 6 in the Padma River were struggling to trace the vessel yesterday – the fourth day of operation, even after using modern technology during the operation.

They said the equipment used for the operation was unable to detect wood. The small launch was mostly made by wood.

In the earlier cases, the authorities were able to recover any sunken objects by using 15% to 20% of the technologies used in the Pinak 6 recovery operation.

Now, the authorities are waiting for Jorip 10, a slightly higher-capacity ship than Kandari 2 which is now in opera-

tion, to join with the salvage operation.

Rescue vessel Jorip 10 – owned by the Chittagong Port Authority – was expected to reach Mawa at midnight.

“We cannot assure when or whether at all we will be able to recover the launch. Earlier we were successful in many accidents. But it is not possible to recover Pinak 6 using 15% to 20% of our technology-based instruments,” Captain Nazrul Islam of the Navy told the Dhaka Tribune.

“The Jorip 10 will conduct the operation along with Kandari 2 as the former is capable to locate any sunken ship at 200 metre depth,” he added.

Regarding Kandari 2, he said: “It is searching with sub-bottom profiler  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Victims’ families search for bodies on their own Samiul Basher Anik n Syed and Asif Islam Shaon After giving up hope of getting their relative back alive, most families of the missing passengers have already started searching for floating bodies in Chandpur, Barisal, Bhola and other areas in the Bay of Bengal on their own.

A very few of the relatives were seen at the Mawa ferry terminal yesterday as the authority concerned is yet to trace the sunken launch, Pinak 6, even four days after the accident.

Till filing of this report at 10:15 pm, 131 passengers were missing from Pinak 6 launch that capsized in the Padma River near Louhajang in Munshiganj on

RAJIB DHAR

Monday with over 270 passengers on board, according to the district administration.

As over a hundred passengers still remain unaccounted for, their families started searching for missing bodies by hiring trawlers in different areas where most of the bodies were found earlier.

It was alleged that most of the bodies drifted out with the strong current in the Padma. As of yesterday, the rescuers had recovered a total of 33 bodies, mostly from other districts.

The administration yesterday recovered 12 more bodies from rivers in Bhola, Shariatpur, Barisal, Madaripur and Lakshmipur.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

demanding all the due wages, overtime and Eid bonuses together by today.

On Wednesday, as many as 583 out of over 1,200 agitating workers drew their wages from the BGMEA office in Karwan Bazar. Until yesterday, a total of 1,475 workers drew two months’ wages.

The police yesterday forcibly evicted the workers – who were on fastunto-death for the 10th consecutive day – from the building in the capital’s Badda around 12:30pm while the flow in the BGMEA office got momentum around 2pm.

“As the police ousted Mushrefa

Mishu, leader of the demonstration, we became helpless and decided to pick up the wages fearing that we might miss the wages otherwise,” said Aklima Begum who led a small group of workers from the factory to the BGMEA office.

P16 NON-PAYMENT OF WAGES Until 3:30pm, a total 450 workers received their two months’ wages.

“There was no alternative and we had to take the wages as I had to pay rent for the last two months,” Karima Akter said.

Meanwhile, State Minister for

Labour and Employment Mujibul Hoque Chunnu said the wages for the month of July would be paid on Sunday. He made the announcement at a press conference held at the BGMEA headquarters.

The BGMEA leaders, the shipping minister and Chunnu held a meeting with Delowar Hossain, the managing director of Tuba Group, to devise ways on how to manage funds in order to pay the dues for the month of July at a city hotel yesterday, BGMEA Vice-President Reaz Bin Mahmood told the Dhaka Tribune.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, August 8, 2014

BNP speaks for Tuba workers for the first time n Tribune Report In its first official reaction since the Tuba Group workers started fasting 11 days ago, the BNP yesterday condemned the police attack on the workers, terming it “barbaric.”

“We are seeing a barbaric rule in the country. When common people, political and social organisations are raising their voices demanding the wages and festival bonuses for the workers, a section of BGMEA leaders, being patronised by the government and Tuba garments authorities, have remained silent,” said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of the party.

According to a press release, he also said: “The police attack on the workers proved that the country was being run by criminals, not by the rule of law.”

The BNP spokesperson said the peo-

ple of the country firmly believed that if the government pressured the BGMEA, the crisis could be overcome.

The party also demanded immediate payment of the workers dues.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Left Alliance (DLA), a combine of eight left leaning political parties, extended their support for the strike that the protesting workers of Tuba group announced for Saturday. They announced the stance at a protest rally in front of the capital’s National Press Club yesterday.

At a separate rally at the same venue, leaders of the Communist Party of Bangladesh and the Socialist Party of Bangladesh also extended support to the strike.

In another programme in Jessore, Workers Party of Bangladesh Secretary General Fazle Hossain Badsha also condemned the police attack on the fasting Tuba garment workers. l

Drug administration director sent to jail n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu The Dhaka Drug Court yesterday sent Abul Khayer Chowdhury, complainant of two cases filed over producing adulterated paracetamol syrup, to jail on charge of violating its order.

Also director of the Directorate General of Drug Administration, Abul Khayer had not responded to 18 arrest warrants and summons issued by the court.

Public prosecutor Md Shaheen Ahmed Khan said: ‘‘Abul Khayer appeared before the court to testify as plaintiff in the two cases filed in 1992

The cases were stuck with the court for a long time due to non-appearance of witnesses against BCI Bangladesh Ltd for producing toxic paracetamol syrup that allegedly killed many children.”

After recording his deposition partly, Judge Md Abdur Rashid enquired why he had not appeared before it complying with the court’s previous orders. Abul Khayer failed to give any satisfactory answer.

The court then sent him to jail saying that the official would remain in custody until the court completes recording his statements in the cases. The judge set Sunday for hearing and asked the authorities concerned to produce Abul

Khayer before it on that day.

The court issued non-bailable arrest warrant and summons asking Abul Khair to appear before it 18 times between May 31, 2012 and June 22 this year. “But he did not pay any heed to the court order,” the public prosecutor said.

The cases were stuck with the court for a long time due to the non-appearance of the witnesses including the plaintiff. Court sources said hearing date in the case was deferred 20 times as none of the six witnesses gave their depositions.

Then drug superintendent Abul Khayer filed the cases with the Dhaka Drug Court against six top officials of BCI (Bangladesh) Ltd on November 30, 1992 for manufacturing spurious drug that killed many children in the early 1990s.

The accused are directors Shajahan Sarker, Shamsul Haque and Nurun Nahar; Executive Director ASM Badruddoza Chowdhury, Production Manager Md Tajul Haque and Quality Control Manager Ayesha Khatun. Of them, only Shajahan is on bail while the others have been on the run since the case was filed. Police are yet to arrest them.

Charges against the accused were placed on January 2, 1993 and they were indicted on August 2, 1994.

But the case was subsequently stalled until 2011 following a defence petition filed with the High Court. The court on February 20, 2011 ordered to start trial in the case. l

National Broadcast Policy gazette published  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Commission. Until then, the electronic media houses will have to consult the Information Ministry regarding any issue that remains unclear in the policy, the policy says.

The policy – the first in the country – says the Broadcast Commission will monitor the broadcast media and regulate matters, including licensing, fixing licence fees, and ensuring the standard.

The commission – which will have semi-judicial authority – will formulate

a code of guidance and revise the policy itself after an in-depth scrutiny.

The policy also has restrictions on some issues which key players of the electronic media industry think may hamper their independence.

The policy would help the government enact the National Broadcast Act and the Independent Broadcast Commission Act. The Association of Television Channel Owners have, meanwhile, demanded immediate formation of the commission. l

A victim's relative gives an account of his dear one, who died in the Pinak 6 capsize, by showing a photo and a Facebook post in Madaripur on Wednesday

SCBA president: Broadcast policy stifles freedom of speech n Ahmed Zayeef

The head of the apex court’s bar association yesterday said the broadcast policy recently approved by cabinet restricted free speech.

“The National Broadcast Policy 2014 which was approved by the cabinet is an attempt to choke the freedom of the mass media in the country. The government is doing it so that its corruption, misrule and terrorist activities remain unexposed,” Supreme Court Bar Association President Khandoker Mahbub

Relatives and locals in Mawa told the Dhaka Tribune that most of the relatives are now gathering at the Pachchar Primary School ground in Madaripur where the district administration is keeping the bodies that are recovered by rescuers.

On the school premises, several hundred relatives were seen waiting for news about their dear ones in the evening while some were holding up photos of their missing relatives.

Jahid Matubbar had lost seven of his family members and relatives, but he had found only one body that of his niece Faiza.

“They (rescuers) have recovered the body from Bhola. We do not think that they can find any more bodies. So, I have asked my relatives to go to Bhola, Barisal and Chandpur points and search for others, hiring trawlers,” he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He said the families of the ill-fated

passengers are now waiting at Pachchar in Madaripur as they have lost their confidence in the authorities working at Mawa ferry terminal.

Ali Jabbar, who lost his wife and daughter in the accident, said: “As like today (Thursday), I used to search Chandpur area with a trawler as the lack of initiatives for rescuing the bodies taken by the authorities concerned is quite clear,” he said.

Along with Jahid and Jabbar, several hundred families were searching for bodies in different areas, including Kawrakandi in Madaripur, Naria in Shariatpur, Haimchar in Chandpur, according to Dhaka Tribune correspondents.

Madaripur Deputy Commissioner GSM Jafarullah confirmed to Dhaka Tribune that relatives were searching for bodies in the Bay of Bengal and also Shibchar area.

“We have received 23 bodies and 12 of them were handed over to their rel-

tried to shut down all newspapers using the 4th Amendment to the constitution. But they failed then and they will fail again,” he added.

“We are announcing our unity with mass media leaders and activists who are trying to stop the government attempt,” said Khandoker Mahbub Hossain.

The Supreme Court Bar Association joint secretary, AKM Rejaul Karim Khandoker, and vice president, Md Khaled, were also present at the press conference. l

Rights group demand arrest of indigenous woman's rapist n Tribune Report Rights group Manusher Jonno Foundation yesterday demanded the arrest of those who had gang raped an indigenous woman in Nachole Upazila in Chapainababganj.

Manusher Jonno Foundation came up with such a demand in a press release yesterday, two days after the Dhaka Tribune had run a report on the incident on Tuesday.

Earlier on Monday, a Union Parishad member and the president of Chapainawabganj District National Indigenous Forum was allegedly gang raped by former Union Parishad Chairman Razzak and his 30 to 35 accomplices.

In a press release, the rights group said: “Manusher Jonno Foundation and its associate organizations strongly protest such an inhumane and brutal incident. We demand

immediate arrest of the culprits and exemplary punishment after legal process.”

It said that the victim was under treatment at Chapainababganj Sadar Hospital.

Manusher Jonno Foundation expressed grave concern claiming that attacks, land grabbing, rape, killing, eviction have been increasing against indigenous community in the recent times in the country. l

Workers queue Police drive out Tuba workers for dues  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

 PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

“We told Delowar that he has to pay the wages of July by August 10. ‘We do not know how you will mange it,’” Chunnu said.

The government would take necessary action if the owner failed to pay the dues. “If necessary, the dues will paid by selling properties of Delowar,” the state minister added.

On August 3, Shipping Minister Shahjahan khan announced that the dues of May and June would be given on August 6 and of July on August 10 on the BGMEA premises. l

Victims’ families search for bodies on their own  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

Hossain said.

He was speaking at a press conference yesterday at the Bar association auditorium.

Hossain said: “The present government is disconnected from the people.

They hold power illegally, dependent on the law enforcement agencies.”

“The government is trying to establish a dictatorship by curtailing freedom of speech which is a basic right in our constitution,” the apex court bar association president said.

“In the past, the government had

atives after identification. Meanwhile, three other bodies were received by the relatives mid way while they were coming to Madaripur from different areas including Bhola. Relatives, who were searching for the bodies of their near ones have taken three bodies midway,” he said at 8:00 pm.

When a body was being brought to the Pachchar Primary School ground, all relatives were running to see if the body recovered was of their near and dear ones.

Meanwhile, relatives staged protests in Madaripur with the only demand of“return the bodies of near ones”.

Shahidul Islam, a survivor of the accident who has been roaming in the area for last four days to get her relative’s body said: “I have lost my pregnant wife, Ayesha Akhter, and daughter, Sarah Moni, in the accident. How I can live without them. Please give their bodies or kill me.” l

pepper spray along with charging batons asking them to leave the factory immediately.

Rehana, another worker, who was also present inside the factory, said police assaulted them psychically and hurled foul words like “son of beach”, “harlot”, “prostitutes” and “bustards”.

The workers of the Tuba joined the workers outside the factory. The clash then spread over the entire area. Some ruling party men were seen attacking the workers along with the police.

Angry workers vandalised some passenger buses and pick-up vans. They also put up barricades on the roads by

using bamboo.

Even some photojournalists and camera persons who were performing their professional duty were not spared from police atrocities. A numbers of photojournalists were injured in the attack.

However, the situation came under control around 2.00pm and vehicular movement resumed.

Mahbub Hasan, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police of Gulshan Division, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had charged batons and used some tear gas and rubber bullets to take the situation under control.

The workers forced police to do that by attacking them with bricks along

Little chance for Pinak 6 recovery  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

which can locate ships under 70 feet of soil and 18 feet of sand under the water. As of Wednesday, Kandari conducted section block search from 1-5km in the downstream course. The work area was extended to 6-10km today [yesterday].”

He said they would continue the drive. “We can extend the areas but that will only be infinity after crossing 50km, which is considered to be the end. If not found, we will conduct search operations manually at the places from where bodies have been recovered.”

12 bodies found on day 4

The authorities yesterday recovered 12 bodies from rivers in Chandpur, Barisal, Madaripur, Bhola and Shariatpur. Of those, 10 were handed over to the relatives after identification.

As of yesterday, a total of 33 bodies

were recovered, among which 18 were handed over to the families. Still, 131 passengers have remained missing, according to the control room.

Of the 33 bodies, three were recovered from Munshiganj, eight from Shariatpur, five each from Barisal and Chandpur, 10 from Bhola and one each from Lakshmipur and Madaripur.

BIWTA Chairman M Shamsuddoha Bhuiyan said they were conducting the operations on a meter by meter basis.

“Eight ships and 150 officials from the BIWTA, Cost Guard, Navy and fire service are working in the rescue operation,” he said.

Relatives hopeless

Relatives kept mourning at different parts of the river bank including in Mawa and Shibchar of Madaripur leaving hopes of having the bodies of their near ones for burial. They also demon-

RAJIB DHAR

Fake currency printing den busted n Mohammad Jamil Khan Members of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in a drive have unearthed a fake currency printing den and seized many counterfeit notes of Taka and Indian Rupee worth about Tk1 crore in Kamrangirchar area of the capital.

During the drive, the team also arrested the gangleader Shah Alam and his six accomplices named Zahirul Islam alias Khokon, 32, Aminul Islam, 35, Shahin Sikder, 40, Habib, 25, Sambunath Sarker, 48 and Kawser Ahmed, 38.

DMP Joint commissioner Monirul Islam informed in a press conference at its Media Centre, who also stated that being tipped-off, a DB team conducted the drive at Loharpool of the area on Wednesday noon and arrested Zahirul and Aminul along with some fake notes while trading.

Afterwards based on their confessional statement, the team busted the den situated in House no 22, road 3, of Tina goli of the area and arrested the rest five along with the money.

“We also seized fake currency making equipment, security thread, tin frame of printing fake money, various sorts of chemical, 2 laptops, 2 printers, 500 cartridges, and 6 mobile phone sets from his possession”, the commissioner continued, adding that the arrested confessed their involvement. l

with some outsiders of the area, he alleged.

Asked about why they entered the factory ADC Mahbub said they did not use tear gas and charged batons inside the factory. He termed the allegation baseless saying that they just tried to take the situation under control as workers attacked them.

As he was asked about why they cut off water line and stop food supply he just said there was enough supply of water and food inside the factory for the workers.

A tense situation was prevailing in the area when the report was filed. An additional police force was deployed to avert any further untoward situation. l

strated in Madaripur in protest against the slow rescue operation.

With trawlers, they also searched the places where bodies were recovered earlier.

“As the authorities cannot do anything, we are conducting search operations in Chandpur areas with trawlers while our relatives in Barisal and other areas,” said Jahangir Matobbor, who is yet to get bodies of seven of his family members.

Unidentified bodies to be buried today

Madaripur Deputy Commissioner GSM Jafarullah told the Dhaka Tribune that the unidentified bodies would be laid at the Shibchar Municipality graveyard after Jum’a prayers today.

“We cannot keep the bodies any more as those decomposing due to lack of preserving system. We will bury them if remained unidentified,” he said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

War crimes tribunal hears on war child for the first time n Udisa Islam

The prosecution yesterday ended placing their closing arguments in the case against war crimes accused Syed Mohammad Qaisar, a former Jatiya Party state minister, seeking death penalty and compensation for three victims, including a war child.

This is the first case where the prosecution has demanded compensation for war victims.

Prosecutors Tureen Afroz and Tapas Kanti Baul placed arguments on legal points of the case, a day after prosecutor Rana Dasgupta concluded arguments on the factual ground.

During her submission, Tureen said: “For the first time, a war child has testified in a war crimes trial in Bangladesh.

Two women victims and the war child, also a woman, have been enduring miserable life. They were also subjected to social harassment. They are real claimants for compensation.”

Then the tribunal asked her about the process of paying compensation, if

Qaisar was convicted. The prosecutor replied that it was possible to pay the victims from the property of the accused.

In her argument, Tureen submitted that the accused could be given death penalty for aiding, abetting, facilitating and contributing towards heinous crimes of rape. Qaisar might also be ordered to pay adequate compensation to Hiramoni Santal, Mazeda Begum and the war child for the social dishonour, ostracism and isolation these victims had to suffer.

Chief of “Qaisar Bahini” during the war in Habiganj and Brahmanbaria, the accused was indicted on February 2 on 16 charges of crimes against humanity.

A total of 32 prosecution witnesses testified against him. The defence refused to present any witness.

The prosecution started their arguments in the case on July 24 and concluded after submitting for six days.

Tureen said during the 1971 Liberation War, between 200,000 and 400,000 women was raped by the members of

the Pakistani occupation forces and its local collaborators. Citing reference, the prosecution also stated that roughly 80% of the rape victims were Bangalee Muslims – aged between seven and 75.

During this submission, Birangana Ferdousi Priyovashini and some other war crimes activists were present at the tribunal.

The prosecution mentioned the victims of rape and sexual harassment as sex slaves of the officers and soldiers since the women were not only raped but many were also taken away by the occupation forces and their local collaborators.

The prosecution submitted that in 1998, sexual violence, in general and beyond rape, had been recognised for the first time as a crime against humanity in the Prosecutor vs Jean-Paul Akayesu by the International Criminal Court of Rwanda.

Official documents stated that at least 25,000 women faced forced pregnancies during 1971 which was the result of one of the war strategies of the Pakistani

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Friday, August 8, 2014

Army and the collaborators, Tureen said.

The women, captive as sex slaves, were found to have been released by the Pakistani Army and its local collaborators only when they became sure that those women were carrying babies and that there were no scope for an abortion.

Before Tureen, prosecutor Tapos K Baul placed arguments on Joint Criminal Enterprise of the accused.

The defence started their argument part in the case in the second half of the day yesterday. But the tribunal was irked since the defence was placing introductory issues which had already been decided by the tribunal.

Defence counsel SM Shahjahan in his arguments tried to prove that the investigation had been mala fide and questioned the process of investigation.

Earlier they sought time to submit the arguments. But the tribunal asked them to begin as per its previous order.

After one hour of argument, when the defence counsel again pleaded for adjournment, the tribunal fixed Sunday for further proceedings. l

Tribunal prosecutor dropped for breaching discipline n Udisa Islam After his four month absence from duty, the government yesterday removed AKM Saiful Islam from the International Crimes Tribunal and its prosecution office.

Saiful was appointed during the formation of the International Crimes Tribunal The Law Ministry in a letter mentioned that he had been removed for breaching discipline and code of conduct, and also rejected his appointment issued on April 21, 2011. The order will come into effect soon.

A US citizen, Saiful left the country for Washington to meet his family in the first week of April on a three-week leave. But the prosecution office had no idea whether he had extended the

leave as Saiful did not maintain contact with the prosecution office.

However, family members of the prosecutor in Dhaka have been using his official car since he went abroad.

In response to a query of the ministry, the prosecution office last month mentioned that they had no idea about Saiful’s position.

Acting chief prosecutor Syed Haider Ali said appointment and removal were decisions of the ministry. “We cannot comment on this. We do not know whether he appealed for an extension of the leave. Now whatever is decided by the ministry is not our concern. We are very sorry about the situation as we were colleagues.”

Saiful was appointed during the formation of the International Crimes Tribunal. He flew to Bangladesh to join the team. He was the conducting prosecutor in the war crimes case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azhar.

Earlier, he visited his family in Washington several times. l

Supreme Court lawyer seeks ban on Indian TV channels n Ahmed Zayeef A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking direction for banning three Indian channels – Star Jalsha, Star Plus and Zee Bangla – in Bangladesh within seven days.

Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Syeda Sahin Ara Laili filed the writ yesterday with the vacation bench of the High Court seeking an answer to why the Indian television channels should not be banned in Bangladesh.

Secretaries of Information and Home Ministries and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) chairman are the defendants of the writ petition.

She also urged to submit the compliance report within two weeks to ensure the implementation of stopping the telecast of the three Indian channels.

In the petition, Laili said programmes broadcast by the Indian channels had become one of the major

Trader killed in shootout n Mohammad Jamil Khan

A trader was killed in an alleged shootout with Detective Branch of police at Hatirjheel in the capital yestrday.

The deceased was Rajib Hossain, 28, resident of Shree Chowdhury Village of Shibchar in Madaripur, said Jahangir Hossain Matubbor, deputy commissioner of DB police.

The incident took place at 3:45am when a the DB team challenged three young men for suspicious movement.

Sensing danger, the armed young men, riding on two motorcycles, opened fire at the law enforcers. The policemen retaliated with gunshots, said Matubbor.

During the gunfight, Rajib received bullet injuries. Later, he was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead. His body was kept at the DMCH morgue. Police recovered a pistol, three bullets, a motorcycle and Tk47,500 from Rajib.

Rajib’s family claimd he was a flexi -load trader and ran a shop in Rampura. l

causes for the degradation of the society.

She also said: “Star Plus, Zee Bangla and Star Jalsha are telecasting several TV serials and maximum stories of those serials are of very low in quality, like illegal affairs, quarreling between the mother-in-law and wife and high ambitious life.”

On behalf of the petitioner, Advocate Aklas Uddin Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune that the HC would hold hearing on the petition either next Sunday or Monday.

On August 3, he sent a legal notice through registry post to the information minister, secretary of information and BTRC chairman, seeking a ban on airing all Indian TV channels in Bangladesh within 24 hours.

He sent the notice quoting a news published in a national daily about suicides of two Bangladeshi youths for “Pakhi dress,” a dress worn by a popular character in a drama serial “Bojhena Se Bojhena” telecast on an Indian television channel. l

Devastated family members of Pinak 6 victims stare at the Padma near the Mawa ferry terminal in Munshiganj, waiting for their loved ones’ bodies to be rescued

ACC approves charge sheet against Khandaker Mosharraf

Charge sheets against 41 BNP men accepted

n Adil Sakhawat

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday approved charge sheet against BNP Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain in a money laundering case.

ACC Public Relations Officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told the Dhaka Tribune that the approval was given at a regular meeting.

The charge sheet states that Mosharraf illegally amassed over Tk95,395,381 by misusing his power from 2001-2006, when he was the health minister of the BNP government.

This was a clear violation of law accordingly section 5 of the Foreign Currency Control Act 1947.

The amount was deposited to a joint fixed term deposit account of Lloyds TSB Offshore Private Banking at

Guernsey in the UK. The account was jointly owned by Mosharraf and his wife Bilkis Akhter Hossain.

The charge sheet states that Mosharraf illegally amassed over Tk95,395,381 by misusing his power from 2001-2006 However, Bilkis’s name has not been included in the charge sheet although she was interrogated.

An ACC official explained: “Her name has not been included in the charge sheet because ACC officials have not found her involvement in the case.”

In the charge sheet, it has also been

stated that though the former minister claims that he had deposited the money while residing along with his wife in the UK from 1969 to 1975 for studying and workin, he has failed to submit any document authenticating that claim.

Khandaker Mosharraf had not also taken any permission from Bangladesh bank to open an account abroad.

Earlier on February 2, ACC Director Nasim Anwar filed the money laundering case with Ramna police station against senior BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf.

After the case had been filed, the former minister secured an advance bail from the High Court on February 10.

The anti-graft body then filed a petition with the Appellate Division, which later rejected his advance bail.

Khandaker Mosharraf was arrested on March 12 in connection to the case. l

A Dhaka Court yesterday took cognisance of charges against BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and the party’s standing committee members Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas and 38 others in two cases filed for assaulting police and torching vehicles on March 2 last year.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate SM Ashiqur Rahman accepted the charges after scrutinising the dockets in the cases filed against the 41 BNP men.

On August 5, the Detective Branch of police submitted two separate charge sheets in the case to Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.

One of the charge sheets accused the BNP leaders of assaulting police, torching vehicles and preventing lawmen from discharging their duties.

The other brought charges of hurling crude bombs at the police on March 2 last year.

Names appearing on the second charge sheet include BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Vice-chairman Abdullah Al Noman, Aman Ullah Aman, Barkatullah Bulu, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, Juba Dal President Moazzem Hossain Alal and General Secretary Saiful Alam Nirob, among others.

The cases were filed with Ramna police station for obstructing law enforcers from discharging their duties, attempting to kill them and hurling crude bombs to create panic in front of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in Bailey Road of the capital on March 2, 2013, during a BNP-led agitation programme. l

Siraj Kosai wants to conduct his own case

Girl strangled as scarf gets stuck in easybike wheel n Tribune Report A young girl died yesterday after her scarf got tangled up with one of the wheels of an easybike she was riding near Ghor-e-Shahid Mazar in Lalbagh.

The deceased was identified as Sharifa Akhter Nila, 16, first year student of Azimpur Girls School and College. The incident took place at around 9am when the victim was on her way to college.

Eye-witnesses said Nila’s scarf was caught on the wheel of the vehicle and she was pulled out of the vehicle onto the road.

“It was the first day of college. Nila was a brilliant student. She did very well in her SSC examination,” said Eti, Nila’s friend and an eye-witness of the incident, while talking to the Dhaka Tribune. l

MEHEDI HASAN

n Udisa Islam

Some workers of the Tuba Group accept partial payment of their dues at the BGMEA Building in the capital yesterday after police drove them out of the Hossain Market in Badda where they had been protesting for more than a week ZAKIR HOSSAIN CHOWDHURY

War crimes suspect Sheikh Sirajul Haque, alias Siraj Master, has expressed his wishes to conduct his case himself if the International Crimes Tribunal allowed him to.

Also known as Siraj Kosai, he said this after the tribunal yesterday asked him about his counsel. He said he did not had the financial capabilities to hire a lawyer.

The International Crimes Tribunal 1 then set August 20 for passing order in this case.

Later prosecutor Syed Sayedul Haque submitted a petition to allow the investigation agency to question Siraj Kosai at its safe home. The tribunal allowed the plea.

On June 10, the war crimes tribunal issued arrest warrants against Siraj Master and his partners – Khan Akram Hossain and Abdul Latif Talukder.

Bagerhat District police rounded him up on July 21.

The prosecution presented the 72-year-old deputy commander of razakar force of Bagerhat during the 1971 Liberation War before the tribunal yesterday.

The suspect was called Siraj Kosai (meaning butcher) because he used to slaughter the victims with a dagger to confirm death. He was a key accomplice of razakar founder and war crimes accused AKM Yusuf.

Prosecutor Md Haque said the investigation against Siraj Kosai was underway. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, August 8, 2014

GOVERNMENT ORDERS RICE SELLERS TO USE JUTE SACKS

Traders say the move might raise the price of rice n Abu Bakar Siddique The government warned rice sellers yesterday to not use polyethylene (a plastic polymer of ethylene used chiefly for packaging), but Jute bags for packaging rice as per the Mandatory Jute Packaging Act, 2010.

A mobile court led by Executive Magistrate Mahabub Jamil made the announcement to the wholesalers in capital’s Karwan Bazar kitchen market.

“We are warning them for the first and last time, next time we will punish them if violate the act,” Magistrate Mahabub Jamil told journalists.

To promote the local jute industry, Mandatory Jute Packaging Act, 2010 was enacted on January 1 this year to stop the use of non-biodegradable Polyethylene that is harmful to the environment.

Abdul Haq, a rice seller, said the usage of Polyethylene bags must be stopped at the millers and producers level first.

“If the millers supply rice in Polyethylene bags, what can I do alone?” he said.

According to the act, rice, wheat, sugar, maize, paddy and fertiliser must be packaged in jute made sacks instead of Polyethylene or any other synthetic matter.

However, fertilizers and sugars can

come in Polyethylene if they are imported and packaged in Polyethylene by the country of production.

Last month, High Court put a stay order on the act in terms of sugar and fertiliser following a writ petition by a section of rice millers.

However, on Tuesday it disposed the stay order for eight weeks.

Noagaon Rice Wholesalers Association President Nirod Baran Saha said “We would have to spend Tk30 more for packaging 50kg of rice if Jute is used. Polyethylene comes at Tk10-15 whereas Jute made bags cost Tk40-45 for packaging the same volume.”

Price of rice would increase to meet the expenses where consumers would have to suffer the most. Moreover, jute bags with the containing capacity of 50kgs were scarce in the market, he added.

“If we wish to use Jute bags from the next morning, the supply chain will collapse,” said Saha.

However, Babul Chnadra, director of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) told the Dhaka Tribune that they had the capacity to supply jute bags if required.

“Currently we have a stock of 60 lakh jute bags with the containing capacity of 50kgs,” he said.

According to statistics of the Min-

Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, a humanitarian and environmentalist organization yesterday filed a petition with the High Court to preserve and protect the Kachharibari, an estate that belonged to Tagore’s family at Shahjadpur in Sirajganj.

Manzill Murshid, the lawyer for the petitioner told the Dhaka Tribune that a private business organization named Yarn Merchant Association reportedly built a 5 storied building within the 10 feet of the estate ignoring the government rule.

The government had declared the place a historical archeological site several years ago.

According to the Antiquities Act, 1968, no structure can be constructed damaging the natural existence of any historical and archeological site. l

A mobile court led by Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation runs an inspection at the capital’s Kawran Bazar area yesterday to raise awareness among vendors to stop using plastic bags and start using the environment-friendly jute bags SADIA MARIUM istry of Textiles and Jute, the current annual demand for jute bags with containing capacity of 50kgs in the country

is 50 to 55 crore.

The director said currently 22 mills running under the BJMC and 100 pri-

vately run mills were producing bags every day that could cater more than the demand. l

Fuel-efficient rice parboiling system will increase production

Nine Bangladeshis returned by the BSF

n Tribune Report

n Our Correspondent, Dinajpur

Energy efficient rice husking mills with improved technologies would increase rice production as well as by-products like husk and bran, speakers at a discussion on energy efficient rice husking technology said yesterday.

Bangladesh grows around 50 million tonne paddy annually, producing around 10 million tonne husks as by-product. And around 80% of the parboiled rice is produced in nearly

50,000 small and medium size rice mills using stream from locally made inefficient boilers.

The speakers at the discussion, organised by the power division in association with German Technical Cooperation, also said improved technologies could produce additional 8 lakh tonne rice and 15 lakh tonne edible oil annually.

Power division Joint Secretary Siddque Zobair said: “We have to think of renewable energy and energy efficiency for long term energy security.”

Regarding energy efficiency in the rice producing sector, Al Mudabbir Bin Anam, component manager of German development organisation GIZ, said improved rice parboiling system was not only energy efficient, but also environment friendly, safe and cost effective.

KM Layek Ali, president of Bangladesh Rice Millers Association, said the government should introduce low interest financial support to the millers to install the safe and energy efficient technology in their mills. l

Border Security Force (BSF) of India handed over nine Bangladeshi citizens, who were detained by local law enforcement authorities there, to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Thursday morning.

The returned Bangladeshi citizens are Ananda Chandra Shil, 30, Protima Shil, 26, Gobinda Kumar Sarkar, 44, Basanti Paul, 55, Manik Paul, 26, Archana Rani Paul, 20, Khushi Mohan Paul,

3 medical colleges renamed after exAL leaders n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

Some corrupt suppliers fill up mineral water bottles with Wasa water and supply them to different stores. The photo was taken recently from near the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the capital DHAKA TRIBUNE

Seven bureaucrats Nagorik Oikko concerned over promoted to new broadcasting policy secretary Dhaka University law professor Dr Tribune Report n Asif Nazrul alleged: “Following the n Mohosinul Karim The government wanted to suppress January 5 elections, the government The government yesterday promoted seven junior secretaries to senior secretaries.

The public administration ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard.

Those who got the promotion areElection Commission Secretary Sirajul Islam, Housing and Public Works Secretary Golam Rabbani, Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Dr. Shelina Afroza and Social Welfare Secretary Nasima Begum, Planning Commission’s Acting Member SM Golam Faruque, Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center’s (BPATC) Rector Khandoker Md Iftekhar Haider and Chairman of Tariff Commission Iqbal Khan Chowdhury.

They newly promoted secretaries were given the charge after their promotion. l

the freedom of press by imposing a new broadcasting policy on the media, speakers at a round table discussion said yesterday.

The discussion titled “People will not conform the controlled broadcasting policy” was arranged by Nagorik Oikko at the VIP Lounge of the National Press Club yesterday, when a gazette notification was published regarding the new broadcasting policy.

Speaking at the discussion, eminent jurist Dr Shadheen Malik expressed his concerns and said if the policy was made active, the government would start shutting down the media houses from next January.

He also said: “The present government acts like an autocratic government, where the rulers first depend on the law enforcing agencies and then start controlling the media.”

Petition to protect Tagor’s Kachharibari n Ahmed Zayeef

started to control the talk show telecast in different electronics media.”

Meanwhile, former information state minister Abu Sayeed said no broadcast policy would be able to shut down the people’s voice.

“Several attempts were taken earlier to impose broadcasting policy, but they had never seen the light,” he said, adding that no policy regarding broadcast media would last long in the age of technology.

Nagorik Oikko Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, who presided over the discussion, said: “This broadcasting policy will help the corrupted people do more corruption freely.

The round table was also addressed by, among others, Dhaka University teachers Professor Rubayet Ferdous, Dr CR Abrar, journalists Mostafa Kamal Mojumder and Asraf Kaisar. l

The government renamed three public medical colleges after former Awami League leaders, issuing three separate circulars on August 6 in this regard.

Sirajgonj Medical College was renamed to Shaheed M Monsoor Ali Medical College and Hospital. Monsoor Ali was the first home minister of independent Bangladesh also the father of incumbent Health Minister Mohammed Nasim.

Gazipur Medical College was renamed to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College and Hospital. He was the first prime minister of independent Bangladesh and Noakhali Medical College was renamed to Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College, Noakhali. Abdul Malek was a former speaker of the parliament.

A press release was also issued by the Health Ministry regarding the renaming of the medical colleges. In 1971, the country had eight public medical colleges and six more colleges were set up over the course of 34 years.

Of those, five came into operation in Comilla, Khulna, Bogra, Faridpur and Dinajpur in 1992, and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College in 2005.

Fifteen more public medical colleges were later approved by the ministry after 2005.

Currently, a total of 29 public medical colleges have been approved of which six of them are in Manikganj, Sirajganj, Patuakhali, Rangamati, Jamalpur and Tangail.

It was learnt that out of 29 public medical colleges only 15 received recognition from Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC). l

Youth electrocuted n CU Correspondent An electrician died by electrocution at Navy Hospital Gate area under EPZ police station in Chittagong city yesterday.

Nayek Abul Bashar of Chittagong Medical College Hospital police outpost said Md Motiur Rahman, 26, was electrocuted when he was fixing an electric wire at a house of one Moksheda Manjil in the area around 6pm.

He was sent to the CMCH where the doctors on duty declared him dead, said Bashar. l

32, Krishno Chandra Rajbangshi, 30 and Sumit Chandra Mandal, 19.

The detained citizens entered India illegally a few days ago to visit their relatives. Nayek Subedar Rafiqul Islam, commander of BGB’s Hilli check post, received the citizens from the Indian authority. Before that, BGB and BSF attended a flag meeting.

Mokhlesur Rahman, sub-inspector of Hakimpur police station, said the detained were sent to the district court around 2pm yesterday. l

Website designing contest at Central Women’s University

n Tribune Report

Central Women’s University Computer Club yesterday organised a competition titled “Website Designing Contest 2014” on August 7 2014, at university’s computer lab. There were 21 participants who took part in the contest.

Ruhul Amin, acting registrar of the university, inaugurated the event.

Chairperson of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering Sher Shermin Azmiri Khan presided over the event.

The programme began with the acting registrar’s speech. All the faculty members of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering were also present at the ceremony.

The contest was based on Joomla open source software on Linux platform. Contestants were given three hours to create a prototype of a website.

Names of the winners were announced at the end of the programme. l

Court grants ad-interim bail to Stamford ex-VC n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court has granted one month ad-interim bail to former Vice-Chancellor of Stamford University Dr Hannan Firoz in a case of attempted murder of former Chhatra League President Enamul Haque Shamim.

Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge Jahrul Haque passed the order after hearing a bail petition filed by defence lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajol.

Hannan was arrested from his Dhanmondi residence on July 16 for his alleged involvement in an attack on Enamul Haque Shamim who is a central leader of Awami League and also a member of the Board of Trustees of Stamford University.

Advocate Kajol said as Firoz was a above 60 years of age, his name was not included in the First Information Report, moreover, as the wedding ceremonies of his two daughters were scheduled on August 12, the court had

granted him bail.

However, the court has ordered Firoz to appear before the it on the first week of every month.

According to police and Shamim’s driver, Shamim was shot by three youths astride a motorbike, in front of Ibn Sina Diagnostic Centre in Dhanmondi, on his way to Stamford University in the morning on June 19.

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

Rana Hawlader, the detained driver of the motorbike, said in a confessional statement that Hannan Firoz had financed the attack.

Following a case filed by Shamim’s uncle Nasir Uddin with Dhanmondi police station, RAB arrested four people and DB police another three.

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

Probe body to look into recalled ambassador’s irregularities n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman The government has formed an inquiry committee to investigate the irregularities of former Bangladesh ambassador to Lebanon AFM Gousul Azam.

“He was recalled [last month] as he utterly failed to run the Beirut mission,” said an official of the foreign ministry.

The four-member committee will be headed by Secretary (Bilateral) Mustafa Kamal, he said.

The government will take action after the submission of the inquiry report, the official said.

The foreign ministry found several allegations against him including maladministration, misuse of power, and indecent behavior towards subordinates.

The government had taken the decision to recall the ambassador when Azam was summoned by Lebanese foreign minister Gebran Bassil on July 16

as the envoy detained two Bangladeshi local staff inside the embassy premises, a charge the envoy denied.

“If we had not recalled him, he would have been declared person-anon-grata,” the official said.

The ministry dispatched Foreign Ministry Director General Nazrul Islam to take replace him. Nazrul will stay in Lebanon until a new ambassador takes over.

Azam was posted to Lebanon last September and prior to that, he was the ambassador to Sweden.

A career diplomat, Azam joined the foreign service in 1989 and served in Hong Kong as the consul general.

He is the fourth ambassador, who was recalled in the recent years. Earlier, Mujibur Rahman Bhuiyan from Japan, Mazeda Rafiqunnesa from the Philippines and Hasib Aziz from Uzbekistan were recalled for misconduct, misuse of power, sexual harassment and corruption. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Friday, August 8, 2014

Shops, car parks occupy most footpaths in Mirsarai

Joydebpur-Elenga highway upgradation work starts December

Police and local authorities are more interested in mud slinging rather than taking a pragmatic approach for a solution n Rabiul Islam Mayor of Bariarhat municipal SM Communications Minister Obaidul Shop owners alleged they had to pay road, there are some makeshift fruit n Our Correspondent, Mirsarai shops, and traders of the nearby mar- influential ruling party leaders and ac- Taher Bhuiyan said he had verbally Quader said the work to upgrade the Most of the footpaths in Mirsarai of the district have been illegally occupied by a variety of shops, and are also used for parking CNG-driven auto-rickshaws, cars and buses.

Police and local authorities, however, tend to shift the responsibility for taking measures in this regard to each other.

Owners of different markets have also installed makeshift staircases for movement in the occupied footpaths.

There is a fruit shop and a CNG-driven auto-rickshaw garage near the Bariarhat municipal mosque lane. Another such garage is found near Shantirhat road.

Beside the median strip on Ramgarh

ket allegedly take money from the fruit shop owners.

The roads and highways authorities or the municipal officials are yet to take any measure to evict the illegal shop owners, or to rehabilitate them.

Pedestrians, especially students, use the footpaths every day, risking their lives. Parents also worry about the safety of their children.

Requesting anonymity, a trader said, illegal occupation of footpaths by owners of makeshift stalls had been commonplace for a long time, and the number of such stalls is on the rise.

The local authorities never took any effective measures against them, he said.

tivists rent every day, and the amount varied between Tk50 and Tk100.

They refused to disclose the identities of the political men who take this rent, saying they would be unable to run their business if they did so.

The illegal occupation of footpaths by makeshift shops and vehicles is also growing in other parts of the upazila, including Thakurdighi, Mithachhara, Mirsarai, Baratakia and Nizampur. The situation bars two vehicles from simultaneously crossing each other as the roads have become narrower.

Residents have also expressed anger at the local authorities for their failure to take any effective measure.

permitted a number of poor people to sell seasonal fruits for the time being.

“They will leave at the end of the season. I am not aware of anyone else doing business by occupying roads,” he said, adding that the police would take care of such people.

Mehedi Hasan, in-charge of Jorarganj highway police, said the municipal area was under the jurisdiction of district police.

Sub-inspector of Mirsarai traffic police Mostafa, however, said such allegations should be dealt by mayors and local police stations of individual areas.

“We have nothing to do in this regard,” he added. l

two-lane Joydebpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga highway into four lanes would begin in December this year.

Addressing the press after a review meeting at the ministry yesterday, the minister also said communication between North Bengal and the rest of the country would be hassle-free once the project was complete.

He also said invitation for tender in this regard had been issued on July 24, and the submission deadline was September 29.

“I hope after the assessment of the tender, the work order can be given by December,” the minister said.

The project, a part of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation

2 fined for selling substandard baby food in Khulna n Our Correspondent, Khulna

Two arrested for lynching youth n CU Correspondent

A local court yesterday fined two people Tk7,000 respectively in a case filed

by Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) for selling low quality baby food.

A court of Khulna Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Md Jakaria Hossain pronounced the verdict to Asaduzzaman, owner of Save & Safe shop, and Remix Trading Company representative of the district Shahriar Taha, and also directed to send the duo to jail for one month if they do not pay the fine.

According to the case, a man named Faruk bought powder milk of Lilac 2 brand from Asaduzzaman’s shop situated in New Market area of the city in 2009. His child fell ill after consuming the product and the victim’s father complained to Khulna BSTI office which prompted a drive and the seizure of some such type of milk from the shop.

Afterwards, the BSTI filed a case against the duo after finding substandard ingredients in the milk in a lab test. l

Kaliganj Municipality Councillor attacked

n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

Teachers of the Dhaka University form a human chain on the campus yesterday, protesting attack on Gaza residents

Kaliganj Municipality ward no 6 Councillor Parimol Chandra Gosh was injured in an attack by unidentified miscreants in the district town He is also joint secretary of Kaliganj upazila unit Awami League, who was later admitted to a local health complex in a critical condition.

The victim’s family member said the gang hit Porimal’s head with stick in baligaon area around,10pm when he was returning home from the party office. l

DU teachers protest Israeli atrocities in Gaza

WEATHER

DRIZZLE FRIDAY, AUGUST 8 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:37PM SUN RISES 5:31AM FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

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30

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Rajshahi

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Rangpur

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Khulna

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Barisal

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Cox’s Bazar

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YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

36.0ºC Sylhet

24.7ºC Rangpur

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Jumma Asr Magrib Esha

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

(SASEC) Road Connectivity Project, will improve the 70-km highway and directly connect Dhaka with the northern part of the country.

Upgrading the road will also facilitate the road connectivity with the neighbouring countries, as it is a part of SAARC Highway Corridor 4, Asian Highway 2 and Asian Highway 41, according to an information booklet provided by the ministry at the press briefing.

A separate lane for slow-moving vehicles will also be incorporated with the highway, and five flyovers would be built at the intersections and rail crossings to reduce traffic congestion.

Under the project, a total of 26 bridges and 60 culverts will be built, and accident-prone spots will be identified for safer vehicular movement on the highway. l

n DU Correspondent Teachers of Dhaka University formed a human chain on the foot of the Aparajeyea Bangla yesterday, protesting the ongoing Israeli offensive on Gaza civilians.

The DU teachers demanded they immediately stop the killing of innocent civillians in Gaza and urged the international community’s aid for permanent settlement of the issue.

Speaking at the protest rally, President of Dhaka University Teachers Association Dr Farid Uddin said, “Not only the western world but also Muslim world is responsible for the Israeli attack on Gaza as both worlds are not playing their due role in stopping this genocide.”

He alleged that the western world was not taking proper initiatives to resolve the Gaza crisis. They say a lot about humanity when anti-humanity terrorist is given death penalty in Bangladesh. He urged the Organisation of Islamic Coop-

eration (OIC) to build up a strong protest against the Israeli brutality.

DU former Pro-Vice Chancellor AFM Yousuf Haider said the peace-loving people of the world and international Human Rights Organisation should compel Israel to give compensation to the war victims in the Gaza.

Jahangirnagor University (JU) former vice-chancellor professor Dr Anwar Hossen said the western world was silent when the Paksitani occupation had killed innocent Bengali people in 1971 and now they were silent when Israel is conducting dreadful offensive in Gaza.

Among others, DU professor Akhter Hossen Khan, DU treasurer Professor Dr Kamal Uddin, Professor Fakhrul Alam, Professor Dr Golam Rabbani, Professor Dr AJM Shafiul Alam Bhuyan, Professor Asim Kumar Sarker and the Palestine Ambassador to Dhaka Saher Muhammad were present at the human chain. l

NASHIRUL ISLAM

CU employees observe work abstention protesting attack on deputy registrar n FM Mizanur Rahaman Officers and staff from different departments of Chittagong University’s (CU) administration yesterday observed a two-hour work abstention demanding the punishment of leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), who allegedly carried out an attack on a CU official and vandalised his office.

Campus sources said the employees started their two hours work abstention programme from 8am to 10am.

During the strike, they staged demonstration in front of Dr AR Mallik building chanting slogans against the attackers.

Rashidul Haidar Jabed, general secretary of CU Officer’s Association, said protesting the attack on Zaker Ahmed, deputy registrar of CU estate office, by three BCL men, employees

of the university would continue their work abstention if the authority concerned did not pay heed to their demand.

Three BCL men assaulted Zaker Ahmed and vandalised furniture and his computer over a house related matter on Wednesday Following the attack on the deputy registrar, a tripartite meeting was held with Professor Dr Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury, pro-vice chancellor of CU, in the chair where Professor Siraj Ud Dowla, proctor of CU, Professor Imran

Gazipur garment workers take to the streets again demanding overtime bills n Our Correspondent, Gazipur Workers of a factory demonstrated back saying that they had been cheated in the name of meeting their eightpoint demand, including overtime bills and production bonus, at Kaliakair upazila in Gazipur yesterday.

Earlier on Wednesday, they had reached a consensus with the owning authorities at a meeting with the police and the BGMEA in the mediating role, after three days of demonstrations and work abstention from Sunday to Tuesday to press home their demand.

Factory authorities had then refused to meet the demand of continuing the overtime system as well as the wages

on production beyond target saying that there was no overtime system for those who work for wages on production beyond target.

They had though wanted that the workers work on wages for production beyond target even after working eight hours until 5pm.

The workers had said that if they have to work after 5pm, they must be paid overtime bills as well as wages on production beyond target.

However, they had promised at the meeting to join back their work with the owners promising to meet their demand to some other demand and came to office yesterday morning.

On coming to the office yesterday morning, they they were however

Police yesterday arrested two siblings for their alleged involvement in the murder of a youth, who was allegedly lynched by a mob who thought he was a thief, at the Chittagong city’s EK Kilometer area on Tuesday.

“The arrestees were Saifur Rahman, 21, an honors student, and his brother Mukiar Hossain, 18, an HSC candidate,” said Sub-Inspector (SI) Abul Kalam Azad of Chandagon Police Station.

Earlier on Tuesday, 19-year old Joni, from Debider of Comilla, was rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital in a critical state after police rescued him from being lynched by a mob on suspicions of being a thief. The victim later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

SI Azad, who is also the investigating officer of the case, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The victim was caught by the two siblings from the second floor of their residence and they beat him mercilessly suspecting him to be a thief.

Following the incident, the victim’s father filed a murder case accusing 10 to 12 people, including the name of the duo, on the same day with Chandgaon police station.

The arrestees were sent to jail after producing them before the Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court on Wednesday noon, added the SI. l

shocked at seeing a notice, which reads that their demands would be met subject to the approval of the managing director of Haesong BD Ltd, a sweater factory, who would return home from abroad soon.

Taking it for granted that the authorities’ promise to meet their demand was nothing but pull the wool over their eyes as they said authorities had put up the notice just for buying time, not to meet their demands.

They swung into demonstrations, blocking Kaliakair-Nabinagar highway, halting the vehicular movement to a halt for around two hours.

Police rushed in and the agitators hurled stones at them, leading to a clash, when at least 14 people, includ-

ing police members and passengers, were injured.

They baton-charged, shot a few rounds of gunshots and tear canisters while the workers hurled stones and vandalised a few vehicles stuck on the highway.

Gazipur Industrial Police Inspector Zakir Hossain confirmed the occurrence of the above incident and said they were able to bring the situation under control around 11:30am.

Moreover, the authorities had declared closure of the factory for the day in view of the workers’ unrest.

Additional police force was was also deployed at the factory to protect the factory from the workers’ unrest, he said. l

Hossain, convener of deans committee and also the syndicate member, CU registrar Engineer Alamgir Chowdhury and leaders of CU Officer’s and employee’s association, among others, were present.

From the meeting, the work abstention programme was postponed for the next seven days as CU authority assured the protesting staff and officer’s that strict measures would be taken against the BCL men, said Rashidul Haider Jabed.

Professor Siraj Ud Dowla, CU proctor, said CU vice-chancellor would form a probe committee on Saturday regarding the attack.

Three BCL men led by Mamun Hossain, former athletics affairs secretary of BCL, CU unit assaulted Zaker Ahmed and vandalised furniture and his computer over a house related matter on Wednesday. l

Abducted schoolgirl rescued n Our Correspondent, Savar A schoolgirl was rescued yesterday from Rangpur after three after being abduction in Savar, outskirts of Dhaka.

According to police sources, three youths-Nishat, Milon and Mohammad Ali abducted Runa in Baipal area while she was returning home from a coaching centre.

Later, the youths demanded Tk3 lakh as ransom over the phone from Runa’s father.

Then, the father of the girl filed a case accusing the youths.

On a tip-off, a team of police conducted a drive in the area and rescued the girl from house of Milon.

The police also arrested four people in this connection.

OC Badrul Alam confirmed the incident. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Friday, August 8, 2014

Huge irregularities under TR project in Ramganj n Saiful Islam Swapan, Lakshmipur A syndicate backed by political party leaders has been allegedly misappropriating Test Relief (TR) project funds under the Rural Infrastructure Development and Maintenance programme of Ramganj upazila in Lakshmipur.

The syndicate comprising of 16 members – most of them ruling party leaders – had been misappropriating the fund allegedly in association with the project implementation authorities.

Nur Nabi of Noagao village, Hanif Mia of Tamta village, Abul Kashem of Lam Char village and several deprived Awami League leaders and activists, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that the 16-member syndicate,

led by local lawmaker MA Awal’s PS Mizanur Rahman and BNP leader Delwar Hossain, had been looting the TR project funds in association with the upazila project implementation officer.

In the name of Kanta Mahila Unyoyon Sangstha, Bangabandhu Smriti Sangsad, Al-Hera Kindergarten and many other organisations, the syndicate misappropriated money worth 145 tonne wheat allocated in total 109 TR projects. Besides, Kanta Mahila Unyoyon Sangstha had been illegally granted two allocations in a single fiscal year.

In some cases, the syndicate allegedly forced the authorities concerned to allow them do their criminal activity. They forcibly took signatures of the presidents and secretaries of different

project implementation committees on due letters and paid them only Tk11 per kilogramme TR instead of Tk27.

Project committee President Tofazzol Hossain of a madrasa development project at Sri Ram Pur told the Dhaka Tribune: “Delwar Hossain gave me Tk24,000 after taking my signature on a due letter, when I went to withdraw the allocated money worth 2 tonne wheat for my project.” Two tonne wheat was worth Tk36,000, he added.

It is also alleged that the project implementation officer granted different TR project proposals of the local lawmakers and political leaders without scrutinising the projects.

Upazila Woman Vice-Chairman Suraiya Aktar Sheuli, in the name of Kanta Mahila Unyoyon Sangstha, got

allocations worth 3 tonne and 5 tonne TR under the quota of lawmaker Lion MA Awal and woman reserved seat lawmaker Nurunnahar Mukta respectively.

Though a bill voucher for furnitures was shown against the allocated money, this correspondent did not even find furnitures worth Tk5,000 at the organisation’s office.

When contacted, Sheuli, an Awami League leader and one of the syndicate members, told the Dhaka Tribune: “There are many others who did not complete their projects. Why are you concerned with my organisation?”

After visiting different TR project sights in Ramganj upazila, this correspondent found that many projects were shown completed only in papers,

but no work was done under the projects.

No evidence of work was found at the project sight of the Free Daffodil Kindergarten, the project under Shapla Shangha was almost untouched and many other projects were found in the same condition.

However, Upazila Project Implementation Officer Borhan Uddin, when contacted, said legal actions would be taken and the misappropriated money would be recovered after probing the incomplete projects.

When contacted over phone, Ramganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kazi Mahbubul Alam refused to comment on the issue over phone and asked the correspondent to meet him at his office to talk about the allegations. l

Woman sets herself on fire n Our Correspondent,

A youth was electrocuted at his residence in Magura district town yesterday.

Sheikh Shahjalal, 18, son of Sheikh Aziz of Tati Para area, sustained electric shocks around 12 noon while he was repairing a TV set.

In a critical condition he was taken to Magura Sadar Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, Sheikh Aziz said. l

Health complex vandalised over child’s death n Our Correspondent, Jessore

A procession is brought out in Khulna city yesterday, marking the Global Tiger Day

Pollution level of Bazar Bakkhali River reaches to all time high n Our Correspondent, Cox’s Bazar The pollution level of the Bakkhali River, the largest river in Cox’s Bazar, has risen to an all time high, but the local environment authorities have allegedly been inactive.

Local officials at the Department of Environment (DoE), however, argue that they are unable to take any measures because of a shortage of manpower.

They have also stressed the need for a coordinated approach by the municipal authorities, district administration and environmental groups to combat the problem.

The level of pollution is rising because household wastes produced by more than five lakh people living in the district are dumped there.

The DoE has tested samples collected from several parts of the river and found that the level of dissolved oxy-

A half day hartal, imposed by the BNP and its alliances, was observed amid sporadic incidents in Feni yesterday.

No picketing was reported during the hartal hours – 6am to 12 noon. Vehicular movement was normal, long route buses left the district terminal, but no heavy vehicle was seen operating in the district town.

Additional police were deployed at different important points of the town.

Only a single procession, led by district Chhatra Dal General Secretary Nayeemullah Chowdhury Borat, was brought to the streets around 8:30am.

The BNP called the hartal on Wednesday protesting the killing of Baligaon union Swechchhasebok Dal General Secretary Monir. The GS was killed on Tuesday night, and the BNP blamed the Awami League for the killing. l

Youth electrocuted n Our Correspondent, Magura

Chapainawabganj

Following a fight with her husband, a woman set herself on fire in Khonda village of Shibganj upazila under Chapainawabganj district.

Shibganj police station Officer-inCharge Ashikur Rahman confirmed the incident.

The deceased is Rokina Begum, 25, daughter of late Badiur Rahman of Kamat village.

Locals said two years ago Rokina married Ahsan Ali of Khonda village.

Since the start of the marriage there were frequent conflicts between the couple.

On Wednesday around 12:30am, the couple engaged in an altercation following which Rokina poured kerosine all over her body and set herself on fire.

Hearing her scream, the locals rescued her and sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where she died yesterday morning.

Rokina’s parents said Rokina had been emotionally abused by her inlaws since beginning of their marriage.

When contacted, Rokina’s in-laws denied to comment on the incident.

Binodpur Union Parishad Chairman Mohbul Hossain said since Rokina had committed suicide following a family dispute, no case should be filed in this connection rather the matter should be resolved through local court. l

Half day hartal observed in Feni n Our Correspondent, Feni

gen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) vary greatly in comparison to the standard values.

Water from a source is considered polluted if the level of DO is 4.58.5ppm, BOD is below 50mg and TDS is over 2,100ppm. In a DoE test last year, the level of TDS was found to be 9,110ppm in the river’s middle wharf area, much higher than the standard value.

Experts say the overly high amount of TDS proves the river is gradually getting polluted.

“Pollution cannot be controlled solely by our own efforts. We need assistance from everyone. The local municipality has been of no help till now.

Nonetheless, we will take legal steps to check the pollution,” said Sardar Shariful Islam, assistant director of DoE’s Cox’s Bazar office.

He said the municipality arranges to

have the wastes produced by the district’s inhabitants dumped in the river, causing it to be polluted gradually.

The DoE official warned that a lack of effective action would make the river more polluted than the Buriganga.

Twelve tonnes of wastes from the municipal area are dumped in the water bodies every day and more than half end up in Bakkhali River, said Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, director of Green Cox’s Bazar.

He said every country has a waste management policy and the wastes could be utilised to be turned into organic fertilisers and other elements.

Md Ruhul Amin, deputy commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, said the municipality officials had already been asked to dump the garbage at the designated place.

He also emphasised the necessity of coordinated efforts to save the river from pollution. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

JL leader secures Tk3 cr work through tender manipulation n Our Correspondent, Sirajganj A district-level leader of Jubo League, an associate body of the ruling AL, has allegedly managed a Tk3 crore work from the Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED), in collusion with the party men as well as other people.

Sources said district unit Jubo League president Moin Uddin Khan Tinu got the task on Tuesday under the license of the construction company “Prokalpo Bastobaion” as the lowest of five bidders.

On June 26, local LGED office flouted a tender on building a two-storied primary health care clinic or urban clinic at Battola in Banigram area of Sirajganj Municipality.

It was alleged that Tinu’s followers set up a tender box in front of local fishery office, which comes just before the LGED office, and they coerced with bribes, and in some cases forced, people into not submitting the tender papers.

When contacted, Tinu said: “I have managed the work by making many requests to my party men and other people.”

Ariful Islam Ditu, a senior leader of Sadar upazila unit Jubo League, said: “29 other ruling party men and I deposited the tender papers with Tinu as we were offered money, but we have yet to receive it.”

When questioned about the manipulation, Sirajganj LGED Executive Engineer Golam Mostafa said he was not aware of the matter. l

Villagers vandalised Avaynagar Health Complex in Jessore on Wednesday over the death of a child caused by the negligence of the doctor in charge.

Zishan, 2, the son of Ruhul Amin from Buikra village under Avaynagar upazila, died after receiving treatment from the Medical Assistant Abdul Hannan, as the on duty doctor Abdul Gaffar was not available.

Hannan gave Zishan, who was taken to the health complex for diarrhoea, an antibiotic injection and sent him home, where he died around 10pm.

When the news spread, people from Buikra village went to the health complex together and beat up the medical assistant. They also vandalised the premise during the rampage.

Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Avaynagar police station, said police went to the spot and brought the situation under control. l

19 injured in AL-BNP clash n Our Correspondent, Khagrachari At least 19 people were injured yesterday in a clash between AL and BNP activists at Kabakhali union in Dighinala upazila of the district.

The upazila Awame League organising secretary Md Delwar Hossain alleged that some BNP men attacked the AL activists with weapons leaving 19 injured.

On the other hand, BNP president Moslemuddin claimed the clash had taken place as the AL men assaulted a BNP leader without a cause.

OC Shahadat Hossain said that the BNP activists had attacked the AL activists without a cause.

Action would be taken against the accused, he said.

The injured were sent to Khagrachari Adhunik Hospital. l

Protest over rape of Chapainawabganj UP member continues n Tribune Report

A mobile court destroys a huge quantity of mangoes during a drive in Noakhali yesterday

FOCUS BANGLA

Protest against the rape of a union parishad chairman continued yesterday for a second consecutive day in Rangamati and Chapainawabganj.

The female UP member was raped on Monday, by people who were trying to grab a piece of land which she was cultivating rice on.

People from indigenous communities brought out a procession in the district administration compound in Rangamati, demanding exemplary punishment of those who tortured and raped an indigenous woman leader in Gomostapur upazila under Chapainawabgonj on 4 August, and another three indigenous women, our Rangamati correspondent reports.

The protesters also demanded immediate arrest and punishment of the killer who had killed three indigenous people, including a woman, in Khagra-

chari, Dinajpur and Sherpur.

Jointly organised by the Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum (Hill region) and MN Larma Memorial Foundation, they later submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner and organised a protest rally in front of the deputy commissioner’s office.

The protest rally was presided over

by Prokriti Ranjan Chakma, district unit president of the Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum.

Sajib Chakma, assistant press and publication secretary of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti, Trijinadh Chakma, a woman rights activist, and Jorita Chakma, general secretary of Mohila Somity, Suprava Chakma, assistant general secretary of Mohila Somity and Noupru Marma Meri, a woman rights activist, addressed the programme, among others.

Speakers at the rally said in most cases when indigenous people are at-

tacked, the police are unable to trace or take action against the perpetrators.

They demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the culprits who are directly and indirectly involved in the recent attacks on minority people.

The law enforcers should be more sincere and should ensure the security of the minority community, they said.

In Chapainawabganj, Jatiya Adivasi Parishad and Adivasi Chhatra Parishad organised a protest rally in front of Shahid Satu Hall.

Later, they brought out a procession from the hall premise that went through the main thoroughfares of the town.

They vowed to wage tougher movement if the authority failed to bring the culprits to book.

Earlier, police arrested Ziaul Karim, a local Awami League leader, in connection with the incident. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Friday, August 8, 2014

7

Money in the ether

The prospects of mobile banking, its potential and challenges

n Khondoker Shakhawat Ali “Mobile technology on its own, can’t cure social ills. But people who find new ways of putting mobile technology to work can make a difference.”

Alan Knott Craig

B

angladesh entered into the era of technology empowered economy in the nineties. During the mid-nineties we witnessed the end of monopolistic mobile network operation and the introduction of new licenses to bring competition and efficiency in the telecom industry.

Effective policy decision impacted mobile phones reaching the poor relatively fast. Utilising mobile network infrastructure and ubiquitous presence of handsets with millions of people, the Mobile Financial Services (MFS) or mobile banking started its journey in 2011.

It should be mentioned that mobile phone technology has been recognised as a powerful tool to facilitate building inclusive financial systems. An evidence of such hypothesis is that within three years of launching, the MFS sector has achieved meaningful success by reaching over 16 million users and built roads towards financial inclusivity.

This achievement should serve as the foundation for moving towards the future of mobile banking which would further impact the financial inclusive objectives of a developing country like Bangladesh.

As the regulator of the financial system, Bangladesh Bank has given paramount importance to the safety of the depositors and of financial flows, and made sure that licenses are given to financial institutions that are accountable to Central Bank.

So far the Bank has granted license to

Within three years of launching, the MFS sector has achieved meaningful success by reaching over 16 million users and built roads towards financial inclusivity million. While the mobile operators have been essential in supporting with network connectivity, the other four stakeholders are critical in delivering the service – Bangladesh Bank, as the regulator; banks or banks’ subsidiaries, as the service providers; agents, who serve the end users following the

Continuous attention should be given to agents so that they can bring more unbanked people to the banking network and create customer confidence through their services

27 banks and to “bKash,” a subsidiary of a bank dedicated for MFS. Out of the 28 mobile banking service providers, 20 are in operation (April 2014).

The mobile banking service providers who are in operation can be divided into four categories: First, MFS providers with significant investment, robust technology and efficient management who are focusing solely on mobile financial services.

Second, providers with resources in places such as investment, technology and management, but their focus is not on mobile banking. Third, providers who have started operation but are yet to expand the business. Fourth, providers who got the license but are yet to start the operation.

The primary objective of Bangladesh Bank regarding MFS is to bring financial inclusivity in the economy, so that the unbanked and the people from the bottom of the pyramid can come under the umbrella of the formal banking channel.

It is particularly effective for the poor and marginalised people who are living in urban and rural areas, since it is quite impossible to reach out to the 64,000 villages across the country through traditional banking infrastructure.

These initiatives are giving birth to new aspirations and possibilities for rural Bangladesh as it helps the unbanked population to come under the net of the formal banking channel which is likely to make a major contribution to the economy.

Among the stakeholders, mobile network operators are one of the most important partners of the mobile banking industry. Since the introduction of mobile technology to the mainstream socioeconomic activities of Bangladesh in the nineties, there has been sustainable growth in this sector.

Today the number of mobile phone users in Bangladesh is over 100

agreement with the service providers; and customers, the end users of the mobile banking services.

Bringing all these stakeholders together, Bangladesh has successfully given birth to a sustainable mobile banking model that other countries may consider replicating.

The “Guidelines for Mobile Financial Services for Banks” was issued in September 2011, which became a milestone for inclusive financial services in the country and would continue defining the industry in the future.

The discussion on various innovative usages of the mobile phone in service sectors started in early 2000.

The discussion particularly centred on using the mobile phone for providing information on agriculture, education, empowerment, social campaign and healthcare.

While the mobile network operators had fast expansion of their businesses during these years, illegal business activities such as VoIP created negative impact on the sector. The sector once again started receiving special attention as the use of information technology was prioritised in the strategy for economic development.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Bank had been exploring ways to implement its inclusive banking agenda from 2009 and mobile banking emerged as the leading service with the potential of various inclusive possibilities using network connectivity.

At present, the size of such financial activities is Tk100 crore per day and it is growing. We have two national achievements in the process: first, it is the first large-scale bank-led mobile financial service model in the world which is regulated by a Central Bank; second, Bangladesh provides mobile banking services to the customer at the lowest cost in the world.

The second success came through bKash, a subsidiary of BRAC Bank. Our

future aspirations should be determined on the basis of these worthy achievements.

There are economic and cultural barriers for the poor in Bangladesh to open bank accounts. A recent research

by IMF (2012) showed the reasons why poor people’s money could not reach the banks.

The research report said that 64% of the workers in the ready-made garment industry do not have a clear idea about bank services while 50% think that opening and operating a bank account would be a difficult process and 20% of the workers do not feel comfortable visiting banks.

Mobile banking has created a huge opportunity for the large number of workers in the apparel sector as well as the poor working class population.

The following segments of population may generate exemplary beneficiaries of mobile banking in terms of socioeconomic impact: First, the salary of the primary school teacher and stipend of students could be disbursed through mobile banking. Such initiative would improve the efficiency, time management and good governance in this sector.

Currently, school teachers need to visit government banks in Upazilla Sadar to collect salaries at least once in a month. The teacher has to skip at least half a day’s school duty as well as spend around TK100 as travel cost to collect the salary.

Similarly, a student has to collect his stipend every three months. In another research conducted in 2012, it was found that either father or mother of a student has to sacrifice one whole working day to collect the stipend money in addition to spending on travel and food.

currently disbursed through nationalised banks.

If such support fund is disbursed through mobile banking channels, it would have several positive impacts on the programme since digital payment would save time and money for the poor to collect the fund, would ensure accountability and reduce misuse of the fund, and enhance capacity building of the Social Safety Net programme.

It is crucial that various institutions, be they government organisations, NGOs or private businesses, start adopting digital finances not only to bring efficiency to their organisations but also to initiate digital money flow which will generate user confidence and behavioural change whose by-product would be a transparent and inclusive financial system.

As the above activities, along with disbursement of primary school teachers’ salaries, Union Parisad officials’ remunerations and social safety net payments pass through mobile banking, they will boost customer confidence as well as contribute in building an ecosystem of digital economy.

Bangladesh can set the global standard in this field as we had done so in the space of microfinance in the eighties and nineties.

While the Bangladesh Bank prescribed bank-led model has given the mobile financial services a strong foothold and it has emerged as a service focused industry, I would like to mention six challenges of mobile banking briefly which I find is closely related to the market expansion and overall development of the sector: First, a fair competitive environment should be created for the sector while there should be a positive attitude for the MFS providers who are

Bangladesh has successfully given birth to a sustainable mobile banking model that other countries may consider replicating

On the other hand, a student gets only TK300 as stipend. If the number of the students is two in the same family, the stipend amount is around TK325 only.

Second, it is possible to disburse the remuneration of the Union Parisad chairman, member and security staff through mobile banking. Dutch Bangla Bank has already started taking initiatives in certain districts under Sylhet Division.

Third, the government pays cash support through several Social Safety Net programmes. The cash support is

doing well. Initiatives should be taken to explore new markets so there are scopes for growth and innovation.

If the space for innovation is limited then the parties who are currently doing well will sooner or later face stagnation. As I have shared my observation earlier in this article, several performance trends are currently visible in this sector: (a) Service providers with loads of initiatives (investment, sound management, robust technology and entrepreneurial character) that have

also developed products in line with the market demand. (b) Providers who are lagging behind and having certain ambiguity regarding the understanding of mobile banking. It is quite natural to have such a situation in the preliminary phase of industry development.

There is no need to regulate the market artificially. The service providers who are lagging behind can learn from the successful ones. Bangladesh Bank may create an environment for knowledge sharing among the MFS providers.

At the same time, Bangladesh bank

The agent is the new face for the social power of mobile banking

as a regulator has to maintain a keen focus on the whole sector so that the MFS stakeholders follow the guideline while providing services to customers at an affordable price and ensuring access to all. These two things have to be achieved by policy support and competition.

Second, the base of mobile banking is its agent network. The agent is the new face for the social power of mobile banking. They are playing the role of a catalyst in bringing the unbanked population into the banking network.

It has also created a large number of employment opportunities. Agents are directly working with financial institutions. However, the agent who initially joined the MFS industry lacked knowledge on basic banking, educational qualification and skills.

Continuous attention should be given to agents so that they can bring more unbanked people to the banking network and create customer confidence through their services.

Third, all MFS providers are not in the same league of investment capacity and understanding of the business.

So if one MFS provider does well, it should not be seen as a concern, rather it should be recognised positively.

The MFS providers who lag behind should be encouraged to learn from the successful ones or to join their resources together rather than reinventing the wheel. There is a pressing need for creating an effective working environment among the banks to work together through innovative partnership and cooperative attitude. Bangladesh Bank can play the role of a catalyst and provide policy support in this regard.

Fourth, the way the customers of the cellphone operators can talk to

SYED LATIF HOSSAIN

those of another network operator, MFS providers should also develop interoperability among each other. bKash has already ensured interoperability among the customers of various mobile phone operators.

We should aim at the next step of the interoperability features; in the future, money should be transferred from one MFS provider’s account to another MFS provider’s account like we do presently transact from one bank’s account to another bank’s account.

Fifth, one of the strengths of our mobile banking system is that there is a guideline for it. In this case, one of the challenges is to monitor if the service providers or relevant stakeholders are following the guidelines with adequate depth of understanding in the field. It is necessary to form a separate, dedicated and skilled division in Bangladesh Bank to monitor this technology dependent evolving banking system.

Sixth, the success of mobile banking has been achieved through innovative partnership among banks, foreign direct investors, mobile network operators and agents under the prescribed model of Bangladesh Bank with the objective of achieving financial inclusion. Bangladesh Bank has to play strong roles to protect the interest of customers and assure that the focus of stakeholders is not diverted from that objective.

In conclusion, there is a lot to recognise in what has been achieved through mobile banking in the past three years. In turn it has also given birth to certain challenges and finding solutions for those challenges are crucial.

The good thing is that we have gathered experience, thus, we can assess those challenges with good understanding and leverage on the possible solutions to focus on the institutionalisation of the sector.

Mobile banking has already established its position as the second generation of financial inclusivity after microfinance. In order to achieve long-term sustainability of this sector, stakeholders should act responsibly which would ensure overall benefit to all of them.

The policymaker should realise that this technology dependent mobile banking service is a different, dynamic, and innovative banking system that should not be measured by conventional scale of mainstream banking.

Bangladesh Bank may need to continue playing its engaging and open-minded role in leading the institutionalisation process of mobile banking to ensure financial security of the end users and the long-term integrity of this new financial system of Bangladesh. l Khondoker Shakhawat Ali is a freelance contributor.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Friday, August 8, 2014

Russia bans western food imports over Ukraine sanctions The move shows that Putin has no intention of bowing to Western pressure

n AP, Moscow Russia yesterday banned most food imports from the West in retaliation for sanctions over Ukraine — a sweeping move that will cost Western farmers billions of dollars but could also lead to empty shelves in Russian cities.

The decision shows that President Vladimir Putin has no intention of bowing to Western pressure over Ukraine and will instead try to strike back at the West. It also demonstrated that the Kremlin is ready to inflict damage on Russia while pursuing its course in Ukraine.

The US and the EU have accused Russia, which annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in March, of fomenting tensions in eastern Ukraine by supplying arms and expertise to a pro-Moscow insurgency, and have imposed asset freezes and loan bans on a score of individuals and companies.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at a televised Cabinet meeting that Russia’s retaliatory ban covers all imports of meat, fish, milk and milk products and fruit and vegetables from the United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada and Norway. It will last for one year.

Russia depends heavily on imported foodstuffs — most of it from the West — particularly in the largest and most prosperous cities such as Moscow. In 2013 the EU’s agricultural exports to Russia

File photo of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (L) and Prime Minister and President-elect Vladimir Putin toasting with beer during a visit to a self-service restaurant in Moscow May 1, 2012 RUETERS totaled 11.8bn euros ($15.8bn), while the US Department of Agriculture says food and agricultural imports from the US amounted to $1.3bn.

Experts said that local producers will find it hard to fill the gap left by the ban, as the nation’s agricultural sector has continued to suffer from poor efficiency and shortage of funds.

The damage to consumers inflicted

by the ban will be felt particularly hard in big cities like Moscow, where imported food fills an estimated 60-70% of the market.

Medvedev said Russia could go further and ban Western carriers from flying over Russia on flights to and from Asia — a move that would significantly swell costs and increase flight time. He said there has been no decision on that yet, and

wouldn’t specify when and under what conditions the move could be taken.

Medvedev made it clear that Russia hopes that the sanctions will make the West revise its policy and stop trying to pressure Russia with sanctions. “Until the last moment we hoped that our partners would understand that sanctions only lead to a deadlock, and no one needs them, but they didn’t,” he said. l

EU reserves right to ‘action’ after Russia sanctions n AFP, Brussels The European Union’s executive warned yesterday it was ready “to take action” over Russia’s decision to restrict imports of EU food and agricultural products.

“This announcement is clearly politically motivated,” the European Commission said in a statement. “Following full assessment by the Commission of the Russian Federation’s measures, we reserve the right to take action as appropriate.”

The response followed Moscow’s announcement of a “full embargo” against food imports from EU nations as well as other Western countries that have imposed sanctions on Russia over its policy in Ukraine.

Exports of food and farm products from EU nations to Russia last year amounted to 11.8bn euros, or 10% of the

Russian embargo on Western food imports n Reuters, Moscow Russia has banned fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, milk and dairy imports from the United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada and Norway, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told a government meeting yesterday. The ban is valid from August 7 and will last for one year. Below is the list of banned products:

Jihadists take over Iraq’s largest Christian town n AFP, Kirkuk

Jihadists took over Iraq’s largest Christian town and surrounding areas yesterday and sent tens of thousands of panicked residents fleeing towards autonomous Kurdistan, officials and witnesses said.

Islamic State (IS) militants moved into Qaraqosh and several other towns overnight after the withdrawal of Kurdish peshmerga troops, who are stretched thin across several fronts in Iraq, residents said.

“I now know that the towns of Qaraqosh, Tal Kayf, Bartella and Karamlesh have been emptied of their original population and are now under the control of the militants,” Joseph Thomas, the Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk and Sulaimaniyah, told AFP. Qaraqosh is an entirely Christian town which lies between Mosul, the jihadists’ main hub in Iraq, and Arbil, the Kurdish region’s capital. It usually has a population of around 50,000.

“It’s a catastrophe, a tragic situation. We call on the UN Security Council to immediately intervene. Tens of thousands of terrified people are being displaced as we speak, it cannot be described,” the archbishop said.

Tal Kayf, the home of a significant Christian community as well as members of the Shabak Shiite minority, also emptied overnight. “Tal Kayf is now in the hands of the Islamic State. They faced no resistance and rolled in just

Snowden gets three-year Russian residence permit

n Reuters, Moscow

Devastating offensive

A member of the Kurdish ‘peshmerga’ takes his position holding a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher during an intensive security deployment against Islamic State militants, on the outskirts of the province of Nineveh. Islamic State militants extended their gains in northern Iraq yesterday, seizing three more towns and gaining a foothold near the Kurdish region REUTERS across much of the Sunni heartland.

The experienced peshmerga were initially thought to be a sufficient bulwark against massive further advances by the jihadists, but IS fighters have been moving stealthily across the

northern Nineveh province and making surprise gains.

At the weekend, its units took over most of the Mosul hinterland which the peshmerga had occupied after government forces retreated in disar-

ray two months ago.

Among the IS conquests was the Sinjar area, from which tens of thousands of civilians fled, including many from the Yazidi minority who are still hiding in nearby mountains. l

Ebola sparks states of Monkey caught in copyright war emergency across W Africa over its own selfie n

AFP, Madrid

The fast-spreading Ebola epidemic sparked states of emergency in overwhelmed west African nations yesterday as the death toll neared 1,000 and an elderly Spanish missionary was evacuated for treatment at home.

In Liberia, where the dead lay in the streets, lawmakers gathered to ratify a state of emergency while Sierra Leone sent troops to guard hospitals and clinics handling Ebola cases. Nigeria held out hope it could receive an experimental US-developed drug to halt the spread of the virus.

Since breaking out earlier this year, the epidemic has claimed 932 lives and infected more than 1,700 people across west Africa, according to the World Health Organisation.

Ebola causes severe fever and, in the worst cases, unstoppable bleeding. It is transmitted through close contact with bodily fluids, and people who live with or care for patients are most at risk.

As African nations struggled with the sheer scale of the epidemic, Spain flew home a 75-year-old Roman Catholic priest, Miguel Pajares, who contracted the disease while helping patients at a hospital in the Liberian capital Monrovia.

The missionary was the first patient

in the outbreak to be evacuated to Europe for treatment.

A specially equipped military Airbus A310 brought him to Madrid’s Torrejon air base along with a Spanish nun, Juliana Bonoha Bohe, who had worked at the same Liberian hospital but did not test positive for the deadly haemorrhagic fever, the Spanish government said.

Priest stable

Immediately after landing Thursday morning, ambulances took the pair to Madrid’s Carlos III Hospital, which specialises in tropical diseases. The priest was stable and showing no sign of bleeding while the nun appeared to be well but would be re-tested for Ebola just in case, health officials said.

Two Americans who worked for Christian aid agencies in Liberia and were infected with Ebola while taking care of patients in Monrovia were taken back to the United States for treatment in recent days.

They have shown signs of improvement after being given an experimental drug known as ZMapp, which is hard to produce on a large scale. The vast majority of those infected face a far inferior level of health care at home.

There is no proven treatment or cure for Ebola. l

 cattle meat, fresh, chilled or frozen;  pork, fresh, chilled or frozen;  poultry and its subproducts, fresh, chilled or frozen;  all salted, dried or smoked meats;  fish, shellfish, scallops and other aquatic invertebrates;  milk and dairy products;  vegetables, fruits, nuts  sausage and similar meat products;  cheese and similar products. l

NEWS BITES

after midnight,” said Boutros Sargon, a resident who fled the town.

“I heard some gunshots last night and when I looked outside, I saw a military convoy from the Islamic State.

They were shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is greatest),” he said.

The number of people forced from their homes by the latest jihadist advance dwarfs the exodus sparked last month by an IS ultimatum to the Christians in Mosul.

“This is one of the biggest tragedies for Iraq’s Christians since 2003,” said Faraj Benoit Camurat, the Paris-based head of an association supporting Iraqi Christians and other minorities.

A peshmerga spokesman said Kurdish forces were battling the Islamic State in Qaraqosh and Al-Qosh further north, but no witnesses could corroborate that claim.

The spokesman also said the peshmerga were fighting in Gwer, a Kurdish community south of Qaraqosh.

The IS advance means jihadists are now within striking distance, in some areas barely 20 kilometres (12 miles) away, of the official border of the Kurdish Regional Government and 40 kilometres from Arbil.

The jihadist group launched a devastating offensive in northwestern Iraq on June 9, seizing the country’s second city Mosul the next day and sweeping

bloc’s total agricultural exports.

“Russia is introducing a full embargo on imports of beef, pork, fruit and vegetable produce, poultry, fish, cheese, milk and dairy products from the European Union, United States, Australia, Canada and Norway,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.

A Commission spokesman refused to give further details on what action the EU might consider.

“The Commission will assess the measures in question as soon as we have more information as to their full content and extent,” the statement said.

“We underline that the European Union’s restrictive measures are directly linked with the illegal annexation of Crimea and destabilisation of Ukraine.

The European Union remains committed to de-escalating the situation in Ukraine.” l

n

Tribune Desk

Wikimedia, the US-based organisation behind Wikipedia, has refused a photographer’s repeated requests to remove one of his images which is used online without his permission, claiming that because a monkey pressed the shutter button it should own the copyright.

British nature photographer David Slater was in Indonesia in 2011 attempting to get the perfect image of a crested black macaque when one of the animals came up to investigate his equipment, hijacked a camera and took hundreds of selfies, The Telegraph reported.

Many of them were blurry and some were pointed at the jungle floor, but among them were a handful of fantastic images - including a selfie taken by a grinning female macaque which made headlines around the world and brought Mr Slater his 15 minutes of fame.

“They were quite mischievous jumping all over my equipment, and it looked like they were already posing for the camera when one hit the button,” he said at the time. “The sound got his attention and he kept pressing it. At first it scared the rest of them away but they soon came back - it was amazing to watch.

“He must have taken hundreds of pictures by the time I got my camera back, but

not very many were in focus. He obviously hadn’t worked that out yet.”

But after appearing on websites, newspapers, magazines and television shows around the world, Mr Slater is now facing a legal battle with Wikimedia after the organisation added the image to its collection of royalty-free images online. The Wikimedia Commons is a collection of 22,302,592 images and videos that are free to use by anyone online, and editors have included Mr Slater’s image among its database.

The Gloucestershire-based photographer now claims that the decision is jeop-

ardising his income as anyone can take the image and publish it for free, without having to pay him a royalty. He complained To Wikimedia that he owned the copyright of the image, but a recent transparency report from the group, which details all the removal requests it has received, reveals that editors decided that Mr Slater has no claim on the image as the monkey itself took the picture.

Mr Slater now faces an estimated £10,000 legal bill to take the matter to court.

“If the monkey took it, it owns copyright, not me, that’s their basic argument. What they don’t realise is that it needs a court to decide that,” he said. The image has been removed in the past when he complained, but different editors regularly upload it once again.

“Some of their editors think it should be put back up. I’ve told them it’s not public domain, they’ve got no right to say that its public domain. A monkey pressed the button, but I did all the setting up.”

Mr Slater said that the photography trip was extremely expensive and that he has not made much money from the image despite its enormous popularity.

In its report Wikimedia said that it “does not agree” that the photographer owns the copyright, but also that US law means that “non-human authors” do not have the right to automatic copyright of any photographs that they take. l

Former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, wanted by the United States for leaking extensive secrets of its electronic surveillance programmes, has been given a three-year residence permit by Russia, his Russian lawyer told reporters yesterday. The announcement comes at a time when Russia’s relations with the West are at Cold War-era lows over Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Russia responded to Western sanctions by banning certain food imports from the United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada and Norway on Thursday.

“The decision on the application has been taken and therefore, with effect from August 1, 2014, Edward Snowden has received a three-year residential permit,” Anatoly Kucherena said. “In the future, Edward himself will take a decision on whether to stay on (in Russia) on and get Russian citizenship or leave for the United States.” He said Snowden could apply for citizenship after living in Russia for five years, in 2018, but that he had not decided whether he wanted to stay or leave.

Kucherena said Snowden was studying Russian and had an IT-related job, but did not provide details. l

‘Israel’s 2014 budget will absorb cost of Gaza conflict’

n Reuters, Tel Aviv

Israel’s 2014 budget will be able to absorb the costs incurred during the month-long Gaza conflict and there will be no need to raise taxes, Finance Minister Yair Lapid said yesterday. Lapid said it would take a week or two before the government could determine the total impact of the conflict on the economy - both in terms of military spending and damage to the business sector - but that there was room to cover the cost in this year’s budget.

A 72-hour truce took effect on Tuesday after heavy fighting that began on July 8, and Lapid said Israel was making all diplomatic efforts to ensure that things remained quiet. “Israel has a very strong, sustainable economy. We are more than capable to digest this operation into the 2014 budget,” Lapid, speaking in English, told Reuters. “Of course it’s an expense we didn’t expect, but then again, why have a strong economy if not for these occasions in which you have to react to the unexpected.”

Lapid earlier told a news conference: “Taxes will not be raised.” He noted that the budget deficit target for 2014 was 3%, and that prior to the month-long military operation, the actual deficit was running at less than 2.6%. “This means we have room below the target for unexpected expenses,” he said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Friday, August 8, 2014

9

Cambodia tribunal convicts Khmer Rouge leaders in historic verdicts n AP, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Three and a half decades after the fall of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge, a UN-backed tribunal yesterday sentenced two top leaders of the former regime to life in prison for crimes against humanity during the country’s 1970s reign of terror that left close to 2 million people dead.

The historic verdicts were announced against Khieu Samphan, the regime’s 83-year-old former head of state, and Nuon Chea, its 88-year-old chief ideologue — the only two surviving leaders of the regime left to stand trial.

The tribunal’s chief judge Nil Nonn asked both men to rise for the verdicts but the frail Nuon Chea, wearing dark sunglasses, said he was too weak to stand from his wheelchair and was allowed to remain seated.

Nil Nonn said both men were guilty of “extermination encompassing murder, political persecution, and other inhumane acts comprising forced transfer, enforced disappearances and attacks against human dignity.”

There was no visible reaction from either of the accused, both of whom have denied wrongdoing. The rulings can be appealed, but Nil Nonn told the court that “given the gravity of the crimes” both would remain in detention.

The case, covering the forced exodus of millions of people from Cambodia’s towns and cities and a mass kill-

The historic verdicts were announced against Khieu Samphan, the regime’s 83-year-old former head of state, and Nuon Chea, its 88-year-old chief ideologue — the only two surviving leaders of Khmer Rouge left to stand trial ing, is just part of the Cambodian story.

Nearly a quarter of the population — about 1.7 million people — died under rule of the Khmer Rouge through a combination of starvation, medical neglect, overwork and execution when the group held power in 1975-79.

Survivors of the regime traveled from across the country to witness the historic day, filling several hundred seats available to the public at the tribunal. After the verdict was read, many

said they felt mixed reactions and questioned if any punishment could fit the crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge.

“The crimes are huge, and just sentencing them to life in jail is not fair,” said 54-year-old Chea Sophon, who spent years in hard labor camps building dams and working in rice fields. His brother was killed during the Khmer Rouge era.

“But what can I do? I just accept the verdict,” he said, but then added:

“Even if they die many times over, it would not be enough.”

Tribunal spokesman Lars Olsen called it “a historic day for both the Cambodian people and the court. The victims have waited 35 years for legal accountability, and now that the tribunal has rendered a judgment, it is a clear milestone.”

Many have criticized the slow justice, however, and its cost.

The tribunal, formally known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and comprising of Cambodian and international jurists, began operations in 2006. It has since spent more than $200m, yet it had convicted only one defendant — prison director Kaing Guek Eav, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011.

The current trial began in 2011 with four senior Khmer Rouge leaders; only two remain. Former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary died in 2013, while his wife, Social Affairs Minister Ieng Thirith, was deemed unfit to stand trial due to dementia in 2012. The group’s top leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998.

Khieu Samphan has acknowledged that mass killings took place. But testifying before the court in 2011, he claimed he was just a figurehead who had no real authority. He denied ordering any executions himself, calling the allegations a “fairy tale.” Instead, he blamed Pol Pot for its extreme policies. l

INDIA: PLANTING RICE AFTER MONSOON RAINS

This aerial view shows Indian farmers replanting paddy saplings at a rice field after monsoon rains on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, India. The annual monsoon season, which runs from June through September, is vital for the largely agrarian economies of South Asia AP

China imposes new restrictions on instant messaging tools n Reuters, Beijing China will force real-name registrations on users of instant messaging tools and require public accounts wishing to publish or reprint political news to seek prior approval, state media said yesterday.

Last year, China launched a campaign to clamp down on online rumor mongering and ‘clean up’ the internet.

The crackdown has led to an exodus of users from Twitter-like microblog platforms such as Weibo Corp’s Weibo after authorities detained hundreds of outspoken users.

The latest restrictions will likely affect hugely popular mobile messaging apps like Tencent Holdings Ltd’s WeChat, which has almost 400 million users. Other instant messaging tools include Tencent’s QQ, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s [IPO-BABA.N] Laiwang app, NetEase Inc’s Yixin and Xiaomi Inc’s Miliao.

Accounts that haven’t been approved by the instant messaging service provider are forbidden to publish or reprint political news, the official Xinhua news agency said. It added that service providers must verify and publicly mark accounts that can publish or reprint political news.

Users must also sign an agreement

with the service provider when they register, promising “to comply with the law, the socialist system, the national interest, citizens’ legal rights, public order, social moral customs, and authenticity of information,” Xinhua said.

Last year, China launched a campaign to clamp down on online rumour mongering and ‘clean up’ the internet These new regulations could have a similar effect to the one seen on Weibo last year.

The rules “could cool down the traffic of WeChat public accounts and discourage journalists from setting up individual WeChat public accounts,” said Fu King-wa, an assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong’s Journalism and Media Studies Centre.

Tencent said it would work within the new regulations. “We will take measures against offensive and abusive activities to ensure compliance with relevant regulations,” a spokeswoman said in an e-mailed statement.

Alibaba declined to comment. Xiaomi declined to provide immediate com-

ment by telephone, while NetEase was not available for immediate comment by phone.

Official scrutiny

As apps like WeChat have grown in popularity, they have increasingly come under the ruling Communist Party’s gaze.

“WeChat, and social media, are now truly mass media and regulated as such,” said Duncan Clark, chairman of Beijing-based tech advisory BDA. “There are challenges of course in regulating (WeChat), but the Party will never loosen up,” said Clark.

On Thursday, South Korea said Chinese authorities had blocked messaging apps KakaoTalk, operated by South Korean Kakao Talk, and Line, a Japanese-based subsidiary of South Korea’s Naver Corp, as part of efforts to fight terrorism, the first official explanation of service disruptions in China that began a month ago.

Other services such as online video streaming sites run by Youku Tudou Inc, Sohu.com Inc, Baidu Inc and Tencent have also been targeted by censors in recent months.

Tencent shares were down 3.5% in Hong Kong trading on Thursday, versus a 0.8% drop in the Hang Seng Index. l

Thai surrogate mother Pattaramon Chanbua (21) poses with Gammy, a nine-month old baby boy who was born with a Down syndrome, at a hospital in Sri Racha, Chonburi AP

Thai case casts spotlight on business of surrogacy n AP, Bangkok For thousands of well-off childless couples, the dream of having a baby is often realized in places like Thailand and India. Ready to help them are young women who become paid surrogates, their wombs offered up as vessels that can safely carry the babies until they are born.

Most of the time, it’s a bargain that suits both parties — unless something goes wrong.

The case of an Australian couple accused of abandoning their baby with his Thai surrogate mother after discovering the child had Down syndrome — and taking home his healthy twin— has cast unfavorable light on the largely unregulated business of commercial surrogacy.

The suggestion that the Australian biological parents wanted to raise only the healthy child and left behind her blond, brown-eyed brother, who also has a congenital heart condition, sparked outrage worldwide.

“There is a dark side to this business,” acknowledged a Thai employee of the agency that arranged the deal involving the baby. Surrogate Pattaramon Chanbua, a 21-year-old food vendor with two young children of her own, says she has not been paid the full $9,300 fee she was promised. “(But) most of the time I have seen happiness,” said the woman, who asked not to be identified because it might jeopardize her job.

Couples seek surrogacy away from home mainly for legal and financial reasons. Some nations tightly restrict surrogacy, or ban it outright. Others have no surrogacy laws, though national medical boards often deal with it in their codes of ethics.

Laws vary widely, and there is no guarantee that a contract — or the child resulting from the arrangement — will be recognized in another country. In the US, some states forbid commercial transactions and stipulate that any contract for a surrogate birth is unenforceable. Other states, including California and Illinois, are receptive to commercial surrogacy and have regulations to help enforce agreements.

In Thailand, wealthy couples from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Austra-

Afghan soldier who killed US general spent 3 years in army n Reuters, Kabul The Afghan soldier who killed US Major General Harold Greene had spent three years in the army before he squeezed off two to three bursts of gunfire from a first-floor window at a senior military delegation in Kabul, officials said.

As details emerged about Tuesday’s attack at a military complex in the Afghan capital, a picture was forming of a rogue Afghan soldier who may have been difficult to spot before he killed Greene and wounded 14 coalition troops.

Greene was the most senior US military official killed in action overseas since the war in Vietnam. His father described him to Reuters as a popular kid growing up whose intellect led to his military success.

“He was unique to the military,” the father said. “He was performing a function that took in everything from research to development and he helped develop weapons systems that really help save a lot of lives in the field.”

A US military official in Washington offered details about the positioning of the gunman firing on the group from

inside a building and the limited number of bursts of gunfire.

A spokesman for the German forces’ mission command in Potsdam, near Berlin, said the shooting at the complex on the outskirts of Kabul came from a neighbouring building. Brigadier General Michael Bartscher of Germany was among the wounded. “(The) delegation was listening to a speech in the open air on the premises of the Marshal Fahim National Defense University when somebody opened fire,” the spokesman said.

High-ranking officers such as generals normally travel with their own small security details.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, the Afghan Defence Ministry had described the gunman, who was also killed, as a “terrorist in army uniform,” indicating its belief he was an Islamist militant who had infiltrated the army from outside.

Details about the identity of the soldier and his motivation remained vague, but the fact that he had spent so long in the army before turning on fellow soldiers was likely to be a major line of inquiry in an investigation launched on Wednesday. l

lia — where commercial surrogacy is banned — are major customers, said Nandana Indananda, a Bangkok-based lawyer who headed a project to draft a Thai surrogacy law, which has not yet passed.

Contributing to Thailand’s popularity is the large number of impoverished women who will carry babies for a price, and the availability of doctors with good reproductive medical skills, Nandana said.

India has also emerged as a major center for low-cost surrogacy thanks to its skilled doctors, medical infrastructure and vast population of poor women willing to act as surrogates. A fullterm surrogate pregnancy normally costs $18,000 to $30,000 in India, doctors say, with about $5,000 to $7,000 going to the surrogate.

India legalized commercial surrogacy in 2001, but has just a handful of regulations governing the $1bn-a-year industry. Among them is a 2012 mandate that prohibits some people — including gay couples, single men and women, unmarried couples and couples from countries where surrogacy is illegal — from hiring a commercial surrogate in India.

Rights activists say the absence of regulations has led to widespread exploitation.

“Women who miscarry are not paid anything at all in many cases,” said Ranjana Kumari, director of the New Delhi-based Centre for Social Research.

“Instead, the agents try to shift the blame to the woman and tell her it is her fault that she has miscarried.”

Manasi Mishra, author of two government-funded reports on surrogacy in India, said many women have been cheated by agents and clinic owners and received a fraction of what they were promised.

Still, for many surrogates, the payments can mean a new house or better education for their children, with the money often more than they could save in a decade, Mishra said.

After India stopped offering surrogacy services to single women and samesex couples, Australians increasingly turned to Thailand, said Rachel Kunde, chief executive of the advocacy group Surrogacy Australia, and the mother of two children born to surrogates. l

Bengal minister: Ratan Tata going off his head n Agencies Less than 24 hours after Ratan Tata said he could not see any major activity in the industry sector in West Bengal, state finance and industry minister Amit Mitra replied that the chairman emeritus of the Tata Group was going “off his head.” “He should carry on with his hobby - flying.

I am surprised to know that his company officials did not brief him properly….

He does not know about the expansion of his own group of companies in West Bengal,” Mitra said yesterday, speaking on the sidelines of an event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.

At an interactive session in Kolkata on Wednesday, Ratan Tata had said, “There’s still no sign of industrial activity in the state.” Ratan Tata had to dump his plans of going ahead with the Nano factory in Singur, close to Kolkata, in 2008 owing to protests over land acquisition led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was then in the opposition. The Tatas then set up the factory at Sanand in Gujarat when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state.

Riding on the success of land movements in Singur and Nandigram, Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress ousted the Left Front in the 2011 state polls, promising to usher in development in a state which is not known as a business hub and infamous for strikes. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Friday, August 8, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Tackle the roots of corruption in NBR

A

new report by the International Finance Corporation observes that bribery and corruption involving officials of the National Board of Revenue is a major obstacle to business in Bangladesh.

The survey records widespread instances of harassment from NBR officials, such as delays or excessive tax-assessments, in pursuit of bribes.

Corruption within the NBR affects businesses of all sizes, both informal and formal.

More than three quarters of over 1,800 businesses surveyed, considered bribery and corruption to be a severe or significant obstacle to doing business.

Less than 8% did not consider corruption to be an obstacle in their dealings with the government.

It is disheartening to hear that, despite efforts to modernise our tax system through improved IT, dishonest officials are still skewing the system to harass legitimate businesses in pursuit of bribes.

This sort of unscrupulous behaviour is incredibly detrimental to businesses both small and big. At a time when start-up businesses are experiencing something of a renaissance in Bangladesh, it adds another unnecessary obstacle to the development of our economy.

We need major changes to restore people’s faith in the NBR. Building in more oversight and improving IT are important but not enough.

The government has to show more serious intent to punish wrongdoers and address the root causes of the irregularities.

Businesses should not have to accept or tolerate the prevalence of any corruption in the government. We must make it easier for officials and taxpayers alike to blow the whistle on bribery and corruption.

The government has to show more serious intent to punish wrongdoers and address the root causes of the irregularities

Rice farmers deserve credit

T

he Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have affirmed in a joint report that Bangladesh is well on its way to seeing record-breaking rice production over the coming decade.

This is a hopeful sign of the nation having reached a point in which it can remain self-sufficient in rice, and, thereby feed its people better than it has in the past.

At the same time, it is reassuring to learn that domestic rice prices have seen a decrease, however slight, with the start of the Boro season this year, and there are expectations that prices will decline further when the bulk of the harvest enters the market in the coming months.

Bearing in mind that rice is the staple food for this nation, and that, over the past few years, rice prices have increased drastically, making it difficult for the underprivileged to afford it, this is welcome news, and we hope such progress will result in rice becoming more affordable to all.

However, to continue making progress in rice production, the government must ensure its support for this sector. Previous governments have already helped to eradicate hunger, to the point where Bangladeshis are ensured at least one full meal a day, but more needs to be done.

Everyone has the right to foods at prices they can afford. We hope this news ushers in many more successes, so that no one ever goes hungry.

This is a hopeful sign of the nation having reached a point in which it can remain selfsufficient in rice

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

Bangladesh 2nd among South Asian countries to ensure breastfeeding

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 10 represents T so fill T every time the figure 10 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

August 4

Iftekhar Rashid Unfortunately, the rate of those who are solely breastfed is again falling. It was 64% according to BDHS 2011, but it has decreased in 2012-13.

The MICS 2012-13 report shows 56% and the UESD 2013 report shows 60%. All these surveys are government surveys. I hope the recent initiatives taken by the government, BBF, and the involvement of our prime minister will again increase the rate.

Bangladesh urges NAM to impose embargo on Israel August 5

SK We are doing our best. Our attempts may not be the best yet, but, unlike the Arabs, we at least are making a move.

Zeenat Chowdhury.

Yes, sometimes we get some things right.

Google doodle marks Kishore Kumar’s birth anniversary August 4

Latif Latif Wow wow wow!

Obaidul Quader: Ershad should get rid of two-faced mentality

Bijoy Sarker Iftekhar Rashid: Both the MICS-2013 and the UESD-2013 reports are vital.

Iftekhar Rashid Bijoy Sarker: You can see for yourself. You can access a pdf version of the MICS-2013 findings on Unicef’s website, and the UESD report on niport. gov.bd. :)

Basic Bank bankrupt?

August 3

Apprehensive bank customer It is simply unbelievable that Basic Bank made several “fake” transactions. But if it’s true, then all of Basic Bank’s activities, including any deposits, LCs, and bank guarantees need to be put to a stop. Further, all movable and immovable assets, both current and long-term, of all the government-nominated directors should be confiscated, and released only following detailed inquiries about all the steps they might have taken. This should be done to render politically-influential and other such people from fleecing the bank.

Did the government have no bureaucrats on the board to look after the bank’s interest?

What was the level of overseeing by the auditors and the central bank? The public, and especially BASIC Bank customers, need to know all this.

In future, government nominations to the board should be limited to no more than 10%.

Such members should not be authorised to nominate or recommend loans up to a maximum of Tk5 lakh during their term of office or five years, whichever is longer. Also they will have to provide a legal personal guarantee that can be drafted by the central bank, for all such loans in banks, where the government nominates directors. What’s more, they should legally be stopped from making any personal recommendations for any bank loans, as a Member of Parliament or as a political entity.

Put on the red light August 4

August 4

Hossain Suman Mr Minister, they are the opposition too, you know!

Should the US forget about India?

August 5

Mohammad Munshi Let’s not leave aside geo-strategic and geo-political matters as this divides India and America the most.

Indian objectives in South Asia are in direct contradiction to American values and policies regarding the region. A hegemonic and dominant India is not good for South Asia and risks greater instability and possibly war. India’s rejection of the WTO trade deal was not an act of petulance but a carefully crafted and considered policy that seeks to advance India as a regional superpower and hegemon. Economics and trade are just a means to an end.

Jon Byron It is misogynistic to say prostitution curbs rape and sexual assault. The fact is that both phenomenon exist everywhere.

The only way to curb sexual assault in the long term is a combination of better policing, more openness, and more sexual freedom for all – both men and women. The author claims to care about women, but it is evident he sees the issue from the perspective of a middle-aged man with a wallet in his pants.

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

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Festive jollity (5) 4 Musical group (4) 7 United (3) 8 Marsh (3) 9 Baking chambers (5) 12 Tide attaining least height (4) 13 Widened (7) 15 Barrier (3) 16 Liable (3) 18 Seek charity (3) 19 Ship’s record (3) 21 Slims (7) 24 As well (4) 26 Make into a statute (5) 27 Vast age (3) 28 Contend in rivalry (3) 29 Spurious (4) 30 Search (5)

DOWN 1 Emotional state (4) 2 Ask hospitably (6) 3 Scottish dance (4) 4 Written obligation (4) 5 Mature (3) 6 Storehouse (5) 10 Seize suddenly (3) 11 Not fresh (5) 14 Wear away (5) 17 Abstract (6) 18 Alloy (5) 20 Weapon (3) 21 Building division (4) 22 Grotto (4) 23 To let stand! (4) 25 Briny (3)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

PEANUTS

Bangladesh has most peacekeepers in UN peacekeeping contingent August 4

Elizabeth Bass Lol. Seems they’re all there to get some ‘Murican dollars!

1,200 RMG workers continue hunger strike August 1

Jiří Šafář Support the workers!!

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Friday, August 8, 2014

11

A tale of sectarian insanity n Sarwar Jahan Chowdhury

O

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

T

H

E

F

L

I

P

S

I

Save Jamaat-e-Islami?

T

n Nadeem Qadir he fundamentalist party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has found a friend in the United States for their efforts in preserving the party’s existence. They are strange bedfellows, as Jamaat has sponsored militancy and violence while the US wants to uproot both from Bangladesh – as far as their statements are concerned.

US Ambassador-at-Large Stephen J Rapp told reporters, after visiting the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) and meeting both the prosecution as well as the defence, that it was not right to prosecute a political party: “Do not take the step of moving forward to use the criminal process to persecute a political party or a large group.” The only party that falls into those criteria in Bangladesh is Jamaat.

He defended his country’s stance saying the Nurembourg trial “did not convict any organisation, but they found Nazi leadership was criminal, not the Nazi party.”

However, it is important to remember here that Jamaat has been termed a “criminal organisation” by Bangladeshi courts.

The Jamaat not only helped the Pakistani army to kill and rape Bengalis, but also set up militias like Razakar, al-Badr, and al-Shams to follow on the footsteps of the enemy forces.

Those who not only fell victim to these militias, but many who witnessed the brutality cannot agree with Rapp.

Only last week, I wrote that I was disappointed at the observation of the US Ambassador-designate, Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that, the US supports “bringing to justice those who committed atrocities in the 1971 war, but those trials should be fair and transparent, and in accordance with international standards.”

meted out to the freedom fighters as well as the women and men who fell prey to the militias.

Rapp praised the prosecution for carrying out its responsibilities without fear and favour. Thank you, as I had earlier mentioned that this was no “kangaroo court.”

We notice a little change in Washington’s stance as far as the trial is concerned. Hopefully, they will understand sooner rather than later that the Awami League is not on a witch-

We must not allow any quarter to disrupt these war crime trials, which includes the punishment of Jamaat

Now we have Ambassador Rapp making another of his country’s positions clear, that whatever Jamaat has done is forgivable as Washington too had supplied weapons to Islamabad in 1971 to kill Bengalis.

The US special envoy admitted that there was a death penalty in both US and Bangladesh, but must be used in exceptional cases. Indeed, Jamaat was involved in the history’s worst genocide, and exceptional cruelty was

hunt. Due thanks to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for remaining firm on this issue, despite massive local and international pressure.

The Pakistani army brutally tortured my father in the early days of the war. He was administered shocks on an electric chair and was beaten mercilessly for “being a traitor” to Pakistan and supporting Bangladesh in the war.

Later, when these militias were born, they followed suit.

D

E

A glaring example is Shaheed Rumi – the son of the late Jahanara Imam.

Jahanara had launched the campaign to bring to trial the war criminals and ban Jamaat.

My late mother Hasna Hena Qadir, one of the principal founders of Jahanra Imam’s Ekkaturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul committee, despite being ill, had joined in the marches, the protests, and the rallies held for this trial.

Losing her husband at a very young age was not easy for her, but seeing these killers brought to justice is the only thing that can heal her wounds.

Decades after the war, much evidence remains. I found my father’s grave in 2007 after a 36-year search.

He was killed in a brush fire along with a few others on April 17, 1971 in Chittagong. Witnesses and those who buried him are alive, which helped me and the army investigators to determine whether it was his grave or not. Bullets had hit my father on the chest and forehead, and he lay on the ground face-up.

We have not tried the Pakistanis involved, but we must not allow any quarter to disrupt these war crime trials, which includes the punishment of Jamaat. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has promised that the war criminals will be brought under the trial, and we believe her one hundred percent. l Nadeem Qadir, a senior journalist, is a UNCA Dag Hammarskjol Scholar in journalism.

Does anyone care? n Javeed Ahsan

H

ow many hundreds, or rather thousands more lives have to be lost before we find answers to these simple questions from the authorities?

Why can’t we make the use of life jackets for every water-bound passenger compulsory? Had the passengers of the Pinak 6 had life jackets on, everyone aboard that launch could have been alive.

Why do we continue to allow these launches to carry more passengers than they are capable of carrying?

But, authorities find it more important to eliminate dark glasses from vehicles than imposing the use of life jackets for every passenger.

Why do we continue to allow

these launches to carry more passengers than they are capable of carrying?

Rather, a more basic question is: Are they capable of carrying any passenger? They are unfit, not professionally made, completely unsafe, and meet no specified standards.

The government must allow only the ships that meet the safety requirements to operate on these routes. High-standard ferries have been operating between Saint Martin’s Island and Teknaf or Cox’s Bazar since long, and no accident has happened so far.

We have our own shipbuilders now.

If the authorities set the specifications, the owners will have to upgrade the ships assembled.

Why don’t the authorities responsible for allowing these boats to carry extra passengers resign and be tried?

No matter how many accidents happen, and how many thousand lives are lost, they continue to get away with clean hands. l Javeed Ahsan is a communication and social awareness consultant at the Central Procurement Technical Unit of IMED at the Ministry of Planning.

ften, a normal being would wonder how irrational a sizeable chunk of the populace of a particular culture or a region could be – especially after watching the recent developments in the Middle East. It is astonishing that at this stage of human civilisation, so many people there don’t care about their own and their families’ lives, or the lives of other fellow beings when it comes to sectarian sentiments.

People can be as dumb as to destroy their own community, township, city, or even country fighting over mere sectarian identity originated in the antiquity. Common language, culture, heritage, and centuries of living side by side evaporate when an otherwise petty sectarian cleavage pops up or is deliberately cooked up by the worst of the madmen. All the teachings and talks of great ideas like democracy, tolerance, coexistence, etc vanish with the first shot of the denominational infighting. No one is talking about the Arab Spring, often described as the greatest political awakening of the Arabs, anymore.

Sectarianism has completely overshadowed it.

It now appears that the predictions and warnings by a few seasoned Middle East experts to the US and its allies to “not to stir the stability, enforced by the dictators and Ameers, in the name of bringing liberty and democracy in the Middle East,” have come dead true. American politicians like George W Bush and his advisors were simply unfit to be in charge of global affairs for so many years.

Many often forget that the Middle Eastern societies are not modern societies in the Western sense or even by some Eastern measure, especially the Far East. The petro-dollars have bought the Arabs modern amenities, certainly not modernity itself which mostly is about rational ideals, values, and norms. Beneath the veneer of material gains of these Rentier States, there lies almost primitive Deep States of religious radicalism, sectarianism, neo-patrimonialism, and tribal-kinship ties in the place of rational and impartial bureaucracy of a 21st century Weberian State.

Common people of distant countries and leaders like George W Bush would never be able to grasp such nuanced insights. And thus, the latter messed around with somewhat lasting balance and stability created by homegrown despots. Some suspect it was deliberate and the hidden purpose was to secure the long-term safety of Israel, meaning putting millions of Arabs in peril to ensure foolproof safety of the Jewish state.

The Shi’ite-Sunni and tribal-kinship divide is an old one. But it was somewhat sent to the back burner by dictators like Asad, Saddam, Mubarak, Gaddafi, and the Gulf Ameers.

The dictators and some Ameers were essentially modernisers to varying extents – although unable to erase the ancient social construct. But whatever advancement was made was completely overturned when Bush and company bullishly decided to march into these states and, unwisely or with criminal intent, stirred the subtle stability enforced by the iron fist of local strongmen on the otherwise belligerent sects and tribes.

No one is talking about the Arab Spring anymore. Sectarianism has completely overshadowed it

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

The sectarian and tribal contestation have some similarity with the caste divides of India with the variance in intensity, which is obviously more on the Arab side, and some unique characteristics like the status of rituals.

But of course, there are tradition-sanctioned, if not scripture-induced, tribal or kinship hierarchy, a silent yet influential factor.

A strange aspect of the Shi’ite-Sunni identity cleavage is that it’s more about historical events and personnel rather that driven by ideals or values. That’s where it differs from the Catholic-Protestant divide. The Shi’ite doesn’t recognise the first three Caliphs of ancient Islamic state or Caliphate, who were, as per the Sunni version of history, elected democratically

by the Sahaba-e-Kiram, or companions of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Shi’ite consider them illegitimate and claim that only the members of the Ahlul Bayt or the household of the Prophet were entitled to be the leaders of the Muslim Ummah (worldwide Islamic community) and the Caliphate. They term the ultimate Islamic leader as Imam who they consider holds some divine authority. They have an additional set of holy sites in the ancient region of Kufa – present day Iraq – which are often targeted by Sunni extremists these days which triggers sectarian violence.

It’s difficult to see any rays of light in the near future in the Middle East

Regionally, it is understood that Saudi Arabia loosely patronises the Sunni groups whereas Iran does the same with the Shi’ite. In Syria, the Alawite Shi’ite was in the leading role due to their traditional dominance and over-representation in the military, despite being only 13% of the population, whereas the Sunnis constitutes close to 70%.

Obviously they have some Sunni allies. There is a sizeable Christian population as well. But most of the Syrian rebels are now sectarian Sunni groups.

In Iraq, it was the other way round until Saddam’s regime. After that, a conservative Shi’ite coalition came to power which is still at the helm of the country. Shi’ites are the majority in Iraq, mostly concentrated in the south of the country and partly in the centre in and around Baghdad.

The Sunni Arab areas are centre, west, and north-west along the Syrian border. The northeast is mostly Sunni Kurd and they are the only relatively peaceful self-administered regions.

Lebanon at the west of Syria has sizeable population belonging to all sects Shi’ite, Sunni, Christians, and Druze Muslims. It has a bloody sectarian past.

Sectarian crises in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq are getting increasingly interconnected also influenced by rival Iranian and Saudi patronages as part of the regional sectarian power game.

There are also sectarian issues in other Arab countries like Bahrain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia itself, and Egypt, among other countries.

The recent emergence of Sunni extremist outfit ISIS/ISIL which quickly occupied a large part of Syria and western and northern Iraq with support from the local population vindicates the severity of the sectarian faultline. The belligerent Shi’ite reaction to the ISIS rise was also vivid.

Clashes are increasingly becoming widespread in the region and human catastrophes more and more massive.

Close to 300,000 people have died in the past three years and numerous cities, townships, and villages were destroyed. The number of refugees is massive and so is the human suffering and collateral damage. Decades of buildup and progress have been wiped out in the madness of a few years.

Of course the Arabs and their dumb leaders are the primary ones to be blamed for their nightmares who also are playing to the hands of cruel and cool-headed America-Israel nexus.

Arab nationalism, which was a source of inspiration for so many decades cutting across sectarian lines, appears untraceable now. There are so many conflicting interests among Arabs ranging from maintaining the vested interests of sects, dynasties, and radical Islamists. Moreover, there are seemingly perpetual issues with Palestinians, Arab leadership, and so on.

It’s difficult to see any rays of light in the near future in the Middle East.

The international community, especially the US, is playing a dubious role.

What happens next in the Middle East is anybody’s guess. Sensible people all around the world should raise their voices for a logical and peaceful solution to the Middle Eastern crisis and for the end of this acute human misery. l Sarwar Jahan Chowdhury is the Head of Operations in BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University and member of its Regional Studies Research. This article was previously published in www.millenniumpost.in.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Celebrating Kabori’s 50 years in cinema

'I prefer working with new talents' n Punny Kabir Filmstar Amin Khan, who maintained his position in the industry for over two decades is now a popular face for the TV audience as well.

Starting his career by winning a talent hunt programme of the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation, he never had to look back and gave the industry an array of hits. When he tried his hand at acting on the small screen in a TV play in 1994, he was immediately welcomed by the viewers. Amin Khan's teleflm “Jamai Dhora” will be aired today at 12am on Maasranga TV. Here, the actor will portray the role of an expatriate who returns home to get married. The beautiful Mehazabien is Amin's counterpart in the production directed by Sanjay Barua.

In an interview with the Dhaka Tribune the celebrity shares his ventures in the small screen and how he became active in TV.

Tell us why we should watch Jamai Dhora?

The play is a great combination of humour and social reality. It satires the common notion of considering expatriate bachelors as attractive suitors by parents in Bangladesh. There are many interesting dimensions in the play. It is close to my heart as I have chosen the title of the telefilm myself.

A scene from the TV show Obhinetri Kaborir Ponchash Bochor which will be aired today on Channel i at 8pm

n Entertainment Desk Kabori Sarwar, a popular face in Bangla cinema started her acting career in 1964 with Subhash Dutta’s film “Shutorang,” and 50 years later, she is still one of the most favourite actresses of film enthusiasts. In honour of her golden jubilee in the film industry, a special television programme titled “Obhinetri Kaborir Ponchash Bochor” will be aired today on Channel i at 8pm.

The programme is anchored by none other than the beautiful Moushumi and has been planned/ directed by Abdur Rahman. In conversation with

the Dhaka Tribune, Abdur said: “Kabori’s career is an interesting one and we have tried to portray the various dimensions of her longevity in the film industry. She was the first heroine to star opposite the five prominent actors of her time which includes Zafar Iqbal, Ujjal, Faruque, Alamgir and Sohel Rana. Her chemistry with Razzak was appreciated by all and they have presented the audience with a number of hit films. A video clip of Razzak will be shown where the seasoned actor reminisces his golden days with Kabori. We have also included many scenes and songs from Kabori’s films.” l

Toukir gets tangled in crime after meeting Moushumi

Amin Khan and Mehazabien in Jamai Dhora that will be aired on Maasranga TV today

Nothing that serious.

I am an actor and anything that offers me a good scope tempts me. TV productions give the film actors opportunities which are not often available in the film industry.

Wo r k i ng in both the mediums is satisf y ing for an actor.

Amin Khan

I never occupy myself with too many projects at a time. Every production I work in, I try to deliver my best. So all of them are my favourite. l

Shakila Zafar to perform live today

Beautiful and fashionable music diva Shakila Zafar is performing today at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Gulshan at 6:30pm.

A seasoned singer, Shakila received training on classical music from Ustad Yasin Khan from her early years and, later she took lessons on Nazrul Giti from Ustad Mithun Dey. After gaining popularity through her appearance in a BTV organised programme “Jodi Kichu Mone Na Koren” in 1983, she has been one of the prominent figures of the music industry for the last 30 years.

The versatile singer is an expert both in contemporary and traditional genre and can keep a crowd well interested with her lively performance onstage. l

Victoria Beckham is clearing out her closet and selling off more than 600 pieces of clothing to raise money for charity.

The Spice Girls star-turned-fashion designer decided to sell pieces from her personal collection after a trip to South Africa earlier this year during which she visited mothers living with HIV. Her sale includes pieces from designers including Prada and Roberta Cavalli, as well as the white gown she wore to the MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles in 2003, and a number of items from her Spice Girls days.

The sale on TheOutnet.com, which will also feature hats, purses and shoes, will raise funds for “Mothers2mothers,” a charity set up by Annie Lennox’s husband Mitch Besser to help HIV-infected mothers in countries such as South Africa, Swaziland and Kenya.

Victoria says in a statement: “I came back from South Africa and thought, what can I do to help? I started going through my closet and found so many great pieces that I’ve worn and thought, maybe I can raise money by auctioning these off... I just want to do whatever I can do.”

Last year, Victoria and her soccer legend husband David sparked controversy when they generously gave 20 boxes of their designer clothes to a charity shop in London to raise cash for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Ruthless customers exploited their goodwill to snap up items at bargain prices and sell them for a fortune on eBay. l

What made you think that you should also try in TV plays?

Your favourite TV plays till date?

n Entertainment Desk

n

I recently completed two telefilms with Indian TV and film actress Reshmi Ghosh. The shoot of both the productions were done in Darjeeling and the whole experience was really enjoyable.

I always prefer working with new talents. Be it a director, producer or co-actress, the new comers dare to take risks and that is what I like most about them. To establish themselves in the industry they give their full effort and it is always good to work with dedicated people. I am the first hero of countless new heroines and directors and I am proud of it.

Toukir Ahmed and Moushumi Nag’s single-episode play “Dusswapno o Ek Rater Golpo” deals with the process where a common person can be trapped in a criminal act without any prior intention.

The story of the play opens with Zahir Ahsan who is returning home from office by his car. Few girls on the sideway try to draw his attention but he ignores them. Then again, an incident forces him to let an unknown girl get into his car and this entraps him in an inconceivable crime.

What happens when someone has to redeem without committing crimes?

Written and directed by Ivan Rehan, the play will be aired today on ATN Bangla at 8:00pm. Deepa Khandakar and Nazmul Huda Bacchu also play significant characters in the thriller. l

Entertainment Desk

What are the other upcoming TV productions?

What do you look for while signing a project?

n Entertainment Desk

Victoria Beckham sells 600 dresses for charity

Friday, August 8, 2014

Telefilm Vitamin T will be telecast on NTV at 2:30pm today. The story revolves around four friends who come across a large amount of money by chance. Right after their discovery, problems arise among them and many humorous incidents take place. The telefilm is made by Shafayet Mansur Rana. Popular soap actors Tariq Anam Khan, Mishu Sabbir, Aparna, Salman, Sayem and others acted in the drama

TODAY IN DHAKA Film

Most Welcome 2 Maleficent Transformers: Age of Extinction (3D) X-Men: Days of Future Past (3D) Edge of Tomorrow (3D) Time: 10am – 10pm

Star Cineplex, Level 8, Bashundhara City 13/3 Ka, Panthopath

Music

RockNation 3 Time: 3pm – 11pm Winter Garden, Ruposhi Bangla, 1 Minto Road Commemorating Rabindranath

By Chhayanaut Time: 7:00pm Chhayanaut Auditorium Musical and Recital Evening

By Shabnam Mushtari and Aminur Rahman Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm BRAC Centre, 75, Mohakhali

Saif Ali Khan could lose Padma Shri award n Entertainment Desk Indian government is examining a demand for taking back the Padma Shri award conferred on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan in the wake of a Mumbai court framing charges against him. RTI activist SC Agrawal had filed a complaint with the Union Home Ministry on March 14 this year, demanding stripping the actor of the award conferred in 2010 as the Mumbai court had framed charges against him for alleged scuffle in a restaurant there.

In response to a subsequent RTI application filed to know the status of his complaint, the Home Ministry has replied to Agrawal that “the matter is under examination.”

The 43-year-old actor was bestowed with the Padma Shri in 2010 for his contribution in the field of art.

It is alleged that Khan had punched on the nose of a South-Africa based businessman at Taj Hotel, Colaba in February 2012.

Khan, who is married to actor Kareena Kapoor, also faces criminal charges in Rajasthan for allegedly hunting the blackbuck deer, a protected species, while on a film shoot in 1998. Actor Salman Khan is also an accused in that case. l

Did you know?

This is the 14th time (second time for India) three members of a top four have fallen for ducks in a Test innings

Friday, August 8, 2014

Sport

14 World Cup

winner Goetze breaks silence

14 Blanc wary as

PSG begin title defence

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Steady Pakistan

take charge on second day

Batted after one-and-a-half months: Shakib n Mazhar Uddin

Anamul Haque takes a diving catch as wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim looks on during a friendly game between the national cricketers at Mirpur yesterday

rooting Football federation irked Cricketers for a fresh start with Dutch coaches n Minhaz Uddin Khan

n Raihan Mahmood The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) appeared angry and annoyed over the attitude of head coach Lodewijk de Kruif and assistant coach Rene Koster as the Dutch duo complained over their living standards at BKSP. The

Wijetunge uncertain, Kalpage expected next week

n Minhaz Uddin Khan

The signing of former Sri Lanka cricketer Piyal Wijetunge as the national spin bowling coach has become uncertain as he is yet to receive a “go” from the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

According to an influential BCB director, Wijetunge resigned as Sri Lanka national spin coach earlier this month, but not yet released by SLC. “He (Wijetunge) is a coach with a good caliber and have track record of producing good spinners for Sri Lanka. Any board will be confused while letting him go,” said the director to Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Wijetunge has been offered a substantially higher salary by the BCB same as they did with Sri Lanka A trainer Mario Villavarayan who is with the Bangladesh contingent now.

Meanwhile, the BCB had also appointed another former Sri Lankan cricketer Ruwan Kalpage as the national team’s fielding coach on a two-year contract and BCB director Mahbub Anam said they are expecting the current Sri Lanka assistant coach next week and catch the national team in the Caribbean islands. l

Dutch coaches are currently conducting a residential camp for the national under-23 side ahead of the forthcoming 17th Asian Games.

Earlier on Wednesday, De Kruif told the media the living standards of the BKSP International Hostel is horrible and it is impossible for them to reside in it.

The 44-year old head coach also accused that the BFF has failed to keep their promise of clearing all their dues following their arrival. The rooms of the national coaches were reportedly not up to the mark. But later, as claimed by the BFF, the rooms were thoroughly cleaned and all the necessary utilities were inducted.

The reports stirred the BFF and its president Kazi Salahuddin. “The president rang me and asked me what happened. He asked me why the coaches were saying things like that,” said BFF general secretary Abu Naeem Shohag.

“We cleared their three months’ dues and they will receive their upcoming month’s salary in the first week of next month. They agreed upon the deal at the president’s residence in the meeting after their arrival. Now they are saying things like that. I have heard that they dubbed the BFF as liars. Is this the approach of a professional coach?” said a frustrated Shohag.

It was learned the BFF has handed over an amount in the region of $90,198 to realise the three months’ dues owed by the Dutch coaches. “The way they

talk adds insult to our country and the federation. We have limitations and lack of resources but they also have to remember that it is Bangladesh not Holland. We have tried our best to provide all the necessary ingredients for them. The bed sheets and pillows have been changed. The room now has a mini-refrigerator. Adequate foods have been supplied. A blender and two electric kettles have also been delivered.

We have tried our best to create a convenient atmosphere,” said Shohag.

While commenting upon the latest round of events Salahuddin said it is not the ideal situation to inspire a team. “If the coach remains unhappy and keep complaining how will he motivate the players. The players are not complaining. The coaches are complaining about their living standards.

I do not like the situation. We are asking for commitments, not complaints,” said Salahuddin.

However, the angry reaction hardly made De Kruif regret as he said to Dhaka Tribune yesterday, “I m not bothered over the reaction of the BFF president over my comments. What I want to say, the BFF president should come and see the situation himself.”

The BFF is treating the issue seriously and vice president Tabith Awal, also a member of the national teams committee, will go to BKSP tomorrow to talk with the coaches. l

Bangladesh eying attacking route

The practice game played between Mushfiqur Rahim led BCB Red and Mashrafe bin Mortaza’s BCB Green carried a different significance among the national players and the result hardly mattered. Playing with white clothes on and the red cherry was more important for them as Bangladesh, who will be away to West Indies for 38 days, last put on the whites in January in the home series against Sri Lanka.

The 60-over affair saw Red team wear a cautious approach as they made 167-1 in 54 overs before rain took away the remaining six overs. The Green team in reply won the game by seven wickets, but they had posted 243 runs in 48 overs.

“The result was not a factor here,” said Mashrafe to the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday. “The important thing for everyone was to get as much positive out of the game today (yesterday) because it has been long that we played with a red ball and as because we don’t have any practice game with the red ball in the West Indies series.”

“Performing up to one’s potential in a longer version game is tough. I think everyone had focus on not to drop the level of potential. Those who fielded worked very hard. They didn’t lose patience despite of few partnerships. So this was very good. The bowlers tried to deliver in the right places or tried

MUMIT M

to learn new things. And the batsmen did what they have been always asked to do – score runs,” the former national captain added.

Opening batsman Tamim Iqbal’s 102-ball 44 (retired) was the main attraction for all as it the southpaw getting some runs came in as a relief for the team management. He was involved in a 70-run partnership with top-order batsman Mominul Haque.

“He (Tamim) has been working hard and have been practicing of his own in the nets since the home series against India. I hope he will get back his form this time. He batted very well today (yesterday) but it was different from how he plays to be honest. But I think he should not be blamed for that – a batsman when off form always tries to do things in different way, spent more time in the middle. He faced more than 100 balls and the positive thing was he didn’t give any chance to the bowlers,” said Mashrafe.

Preparing for the Caribbean tour must bring back nightmares for Mashrafe as his last played Test match was back in 2009 away to West Indies where he injured his knee and has been suffering since then.

However, he is enjoying his feel in the whites and said, “The feeling is always different playing with the red ball and in the white dress. This is the only format in cricket where a bowler gets freedom, target for wickets and create chances for taking wickets. So I enjoy bowling in longer version to be honest.” l

INDIA: 8

FOR

4

OFF

As one of the country’s leading cricketers, it can be quite unpleasant watching the fellow national players in action from the sidelines. The pain can increase two-fold if that very cricketer happens to be one of the world’s premier all-rounders.

The national cricketers were involved in a practice game in a 60-overs-per-side affair at Mirpur. To add a touch of longer-version feel to the game, the cricketers were clad in whites and played with a red ball. The amount of hunger to play in the middle either as the leader of the spin department or as one of the most dependable batsmen was clearly evident in Shakib al Hasan’s face whilst he was walking towards the National Cricket Academy premises via the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.

The unthinkable was in fact a harsh reality as Shakib was recently suspended for six months from all sorts of cricket activities besides being banned from the overseas leagues till the end of next year. With a smiling face, the 27-year old cricketer said, “I have batted today after almost one-and-a-half months and I felt like I was in a superb knick.”

“I never batted with this amount of confidence in recent times and I am feeling much better today.”

This Dhaka Tribune correspondent was the only media person present during that time and it was quite amusing for the left-handed all-rounder to remark that he was still in good touch despite not holding the bat for the best part of the last two months. Perhaps it is the marquee cricketer’s level of confidence, which always somehow tends to remain high in the face of controversies and criticisms.

Shakib then made his way to the gym alongside trainer Iftekharul Islam. In order to maintain the strength of his muscles, he worked with a medicine ball for 40 minutes. Shakib could be overheard saying to Iftekharul, “This will help build up the strength of my hands.”

Following the gym session, the all-rounder could not resist from watching his teammates battling against each other in a longer-version mode of game at the office of Ahmed Sajjadul Alam Bobby, one of the Bangladesh Cricket Board directors.

The game was arranged to prepare the cricketers for the upcoming tour of the West Indies this month. The last time the Tigers toured the Caribbean in 2009, Shakib led the side in the absence of regular skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza. Not only did Shakib have a great time in the Tests, he was also adjudged player-of-the-series in the oneday internationals.

But this time he will be missing from the line-up. And only he, himself is to be blamed for his current plight. As an international cricketer he should know better as to how he should conduct himself on and off the field. He is his own best teacher. l

5.1

OVERS

Second game against India today tient and pointed out the mistakes that n Raihan Mahmood they had committed. “There were a few In the second leg of the Bangladesh-India hockey series at BKSP today, the hosts will be targetting more penalty corners and looking to convert them.

In the first match of the three-match series on Wednesday, India came back to win 2-1 after trailing 1-0 at the end of the first half. Bangladesh’s defence and midfield were quite good but the attackers appeared to be a little shy while exploring the opposition defence. The home side came close but could not quite finish it off.

The Indian side on the contrary undertook a slow and steady approach and tried to control the game with a lot of running and attacking down the flanks. The visitors will once again look for a repeat of the formidable effort exhibited in the first game.

Bangladesh coach and former Pakistani Olympian Naveed Alam said on the eve of the penultimate game that he has asked his players to be more pa-

loopholes in the defence and the attackers missed a few basics. The players will concentrate more on possession of the ball and we must work hard to earn more penalty corners and increase our scoring chances,” said Naveed.

Naveed also informed that midfielder Sabbir Hossain will require three weeks to recover after dislocating his collar bone during the first game.

His counterpart, former Indian international Tushar Khandekar, however, is expecting more from his charges.

“I am not happy with the performance of the boys but at the end a victory is important. However, it was the first match. I hope they will be returning stronger in the second as it will be the series decider,” said Tushar.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran is expected to be present on the occasion.

The last match will also take place at BKSP tomorrow. l

GAMBHIR

4

VIJAY

0

KOHLI

0

PUJARA

India were reduced to 8 for 4 in 5.1 overs on day one during their 4th Investec Test against England at Old Trafford yesterday

0

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Friday, August 8, 2014

Ba hat-trick fires Besiktas

Hapless Celtic bow out of Champions League

n Reuters, Berne A Demba Ba hat-trick sent Besiktas into the Champions League playoff round at the expense of former winners Feyenoord and past champions Celtic were

RESULTS Zenit

3 0

AEL Limassol

2 0

HJK Helsinki

2 0

Sparta Prague

0 0

Slovan Bratislava

2 1

Aktobe

3 1

Feyenoord

2 0

Dnipro

2 0

Qarabag

0 2

Legia Warsaw

0 2

Aalborg

2 2

Ludogorets

Zenit win 3-1 on aggregate

APOEL

APOEL win 4-2 on aggregate

Malmo

Aggregate 4-4. Malmo win on away goals

Sheriff Tiraspol

Slovan win 2-1 on aggregate

Steaua Bucharest

Steaua win 4-3 on aggregate

Besiktas

Besikitas win 5-2 on aggregate

FC Copenhagen

Copenhagen win 2-0 on aggregate

Salzburg

Salzburg win 3-2 on aggregate

Celtic

Legia win 6-1 on aggregate

Dinamo Zagreb

Aalborg win 2-1 on aggregate

Partizan Belgrade

2-2 on aggregate. Ludogorets win on away goals

humiliated 6-1 on aggregate by Legia Warsaw on Wednesday.

Ludogorets Razgrad went through on away goals after a dramatic 2-2 draw at 10-man Partizan Belgrade and Zenit St Petersburg scored three second-half goals to end a brave challenge from AEL Limassol Scotland’s Celtic, who reached the last 16 two seasons ago and beat Barcelona on the way, were humbled 6-1 on aggregate by Legia Warsaw after losing the second leg 2-0 at home.

Michal Zyro and Michal Kucharczyk scored in each half to take the Polish champions within two games of their first group stage appearance since 1995-96.

Moldova, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan’s hopes of being represented in the group stage for the first time ended as their champions were all eliminated.

Azerbaijan’s Qarabag Agdam took a 2-1 lead to Salzburg, only to be sunk by two-first half goals from Martin Hinteregger as they lost 2-0 to the Austrians in the third qualifying round, secondleg tie.

Moldova’s Sheriff Tiraspol lost 2-1 on aggregate to Slovan Bratislava after a goalless draw at home to the Slovakians and Kazakhstan’s Aktobe were beaten 2-1 at former champions Steaua Bucharest, going out 4-3 on aggregate.l

Guardiola angry after Bayern loss n Reuters

Former Juventus and Italian football player Alessandro Del Piero kicks a woollen football after an announcement he would be an ambassador for The Woolmark Company, in Sydney yesterday.

After a two year stint at Sydney FC in the Australian A-League, Del Piero will play in a A-League All Stars team on Sunday against Juventus where he spent 19 years, scoring 290 goals during 705 matches

Angry Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola did not shake hands with his opposite number after his star-studded side lost to the MLS All-Star team in a fierce friendly in Portland, Oregon on Wednesday.

The Spaniard gave Caleb Porter a one-fingered wave-off, apparently angry at some of the tackles by the MLS players as the German champions were beaten 2-1. Guardiola offered the refereeing panel a token handshake and quickly disappeared into the tunnel.

The acrimonious ending overshadowed a brilliant first half goal by Polish striker Robert Lewandowski that gave Bayern the lead.

Lewandowski, who moved to the Bundesliga champions from Borussia Dortmond in the close season, struck a piledriver from just outside the box into the roof of the net that beat MLS keeper Nick Rimando with sheer pace. l

AFP

Japan to face Brazil in October friendly n AFP, Tokyo Asian champions Japan will face Brazil in a friendly in Singapore on October 14, in a high-profile test for new coach Javier Aguirre, the Japan Football Association (JFA) said Thursday.

The 55-year-old Mexican, set to arrive in Japan this weekend, has a potentially tricky start with home friendlies against Uruguay on September 5 and Venezuela on September 9.

Japan, whose World Cup flop led to the resignation of Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni, will also play Jamaica in Niigata on October 10 before flying out to face Brazil, who they have yet to beat in 10 previous meetings.

Barcelona’s Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo makes a save during a friendly match against Napoli in Geneva on Wednesday. Napoli won 1-0

Aguirre, poised to become Japan’s highest-paid coach ever with an estimated annual salary of almost $2.5 million, led Mexico to the last 16 of the 2002 and 2010 World Cups.

The former Espanyol manager recently told Spanish daily Marca he had been unimpressed with Japan’s performance in Brazil, where they picked up just one point in three games, calling for “a more competitive edge and Latin cunning”.

Zaccheroni faced heavy criticism of his tactics and selection at the World Cup while key players such as Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa were also slammed for failing to make an impact. l

Goetze breaks silence n Reuters, Berlin Germany’s World Cup hero Mario Goetze said he did not have time to think about what he was doing when he controlled the ball with his chest before sweeping a sweet volley past Argentina’s Sergio Romero in the final.

“You don`t really think very much when you re in a situation like that,” Goetze, 22, said in the Bild newspaper on Wednesday in his first interview since scoring the winning goal.

“I could try to describe what happened to you but only after taking a look at the replay myself. In the match it all happens intuitively,” added Goetze whose extra-time strike gave Germany a 1-0 victory.

The Bayern Munich forward dismissed suggestions he had had a mediocre World Cup until coming on before extra-time in the final after staying on the bench for most of the knockout round.

He started Germany’s first four matches but was replaced at halftime in the round of 16 match against Algeria.

“Everyone wants to play as much as possible in the World Cup,” said Goetze. “I think that I made a contribution to our winning the World Cup. When-

ever I got my chances, my performance values were alright. I kept training hard (after being benched) and kept believing in myself.”

Goetze said he did not want to give any interviews after the World Cup because he wanted to digest it all himself first.

US pre-season to expand to Asia n Reuters, Miami The International Champions Cup, the U.S. based pre-season tournament featuring leading European clubs, will be expanded to include a simultaneous competition in Asia next year.

This year’s tournament, which concluded on Monday, was won by Manchester United and featured some huge crowds including 109,000 in Michigan for United’s game with European champions Real Madrid.

The competition will return to the Unites States next year but organisers said they will also put on a series in Asia, almost certainly in Australia and China, for other clubs.

“In the U.S. we will not go above eight teams but we have opened up a sister company in Asia and the Guin-

AFP

ness International Champions Cup will expand next year, most likely to Australia and China,” Relevent Sports chief executive Charlie Stillitano told Reuters on Wednesday.

“It will be played in the same time, simultaneously, as the tournament in the U.S. The idea for the future is to perhaps have the winners of Asia to face the winners of the U.S. tournament in September in Europe, perhaps at one of the team’s venues.”

Relevent have set up a sister company in Asia and believe the success they have enjoyed in the past two years in North America can translate to a region which has previously hosted top Premier League teams in pre-season events.

“Our tournament captured the imaginations of Americans as well as the attention of European fans because

of the seriousness of the tournament, games played at high intensity,” he said of their format of two groups of four and then a final, which raised the competition above that of a friendly match.

“By making it a tournament, every game became important. The players know they are going to be judged on how they are going to play,” Stillitano added.

Relevent expected four to six teams would feature in the Asian tournament and the aim was to keep teams close to a training base in order to limit travel.

The U.S. tournament is heading into the final year of a three-year broadcast agreement with Fox and has been shown in 150 countries.

“It has gone incredibly well for television both in the U.S. and internationally,” said Stillitano who added that some changes would be made. l

“To be honest I had to let it all sink in first,” he said when asked why he had declined to give any interviews.

“I wanted to savour the moment. I also wanted to avoid saying something in a moment of euphoria that would stick forever. I`d rather stay down to earth. That`s why I wanted to get away from it all for a while.”

Goetze also took aim at the media for being unfairly critical of him for not wanting to comment at times.

He said he could not understand, for instance, the criticism leveled at him for not celebrating more when he scored twice in Germany`s 6-1 pre-tournament win in a friendly against Armenia.

“I`ve had unpleasant experiences with some journalists in the past, it sometimes went below the belt. It`s fascinating that there`s an expectation for me to always be absolutely perfect.

That`s why I now think twice before saying anything.” l

Benzema signs new Madrid contract n AFP, Madrid France striker Karim Benzema has ended any speculation about his future by signing a new contract with Real Madrid, the European champions announced on Wednesday.

A statement on the club’s website read: “Real Madrid CF announce the extension of the contract linking Karim Benzema to the club until June 30, 2019, the next five seasons.”

Benzema’s existing deal had been due to expire in the summer of next year.

The 26-year-old striker, who performed well for France at the World Cup in Brazil, moved to the Spanish capital from Lyon in 2009. l

Blanc wary as PSG begin title defence n AFP, Paris Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc knows it will be difficult for his team to hit the ground running as they begin the defence of their Ligue 1 title away to Reims on Friday.

The capital club are odds-on favourites to win a third consecutive French crown and go to the Stade Auguste-Delaune fresh from defeating Guingamp 2-0 in Beijing last weekend in the season-opening Champions Trophy.

However, a quartet of key players will not be involved in Champagne country having only just started pre-season training after a post-World Cup holiday.

None of Argentina’s Ezequiel Lavezzi or Brazil trio Thiago Silva, Maxwell and new signing David Luiz will be considered for selection against Reims as a result.

“This month is going to be strange

because we have so many players coming back at different times and not everyone is in the same physical condition,” admitted Blanc.

“We have done a lot of tiring physical work. The games in August will be difficult but we are not worried.”

FIXTURES Friday Reims v PSG Saturday SC Bastia Evian TG Guingamp Lille Montpellier Nantes Nice Sunday

v v v v v v v

Marseille Caen Saint-Etienne Metz Bordeaux Lens Toulouse

Lyon v Rennes Monaco v Lorient

Reims, who finished 11th last season, have a new coach, with Jean-Luc Vasseur replacing Hubert Fournier, who has taken over at Lyon.

It is quite the baptism of fire for Vasseur, 45, who arrives from Ligue 2 Creteil and takes charge of a top-flight game for the first time against the club where he started his playing career.

“It is symbolic but I am thinking more than anything about my players. My job here is to take the team and the club forward. That comes before anything else,” said Vasseur, who also began his coaching career at the Parc des Princes, working with the club’s youngsters.

“When you have a game like this for the first match of the season there is not much I need to say to motivate the players.”

While PSG have strengthened further with the recruits of Luiz and Serge Aurier, Reims have lost influential Polish midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak to Spanish side Sevilla. l

Brazil’s soccer player David Luiz poses after a news conference at the Peninsula Paris luxury hotel in Paris yesterday. Luiz has signed a five year contract with the French Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain REUTERS

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Steady Pakistan take charge

QUICK BYTES

Khulna’s second Test on cards Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna is on the edge of holding its second Test match as the Bangladesh Cricket Board is considering to tag the venue during Zimbabwe’s visit to the country in October-November. The BCB earlier finalised the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) in Dhaka and the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chittagong as the only grounds for holding the three-match Test series starting from October 26 followed by the five-match ODI series. However, it was learnt that the International Cricket Council (ICC) insisted not to hold two consecutive Test matches at the same venue which made the BCB officials opt for the Khulna ground where they will visit on Monday to inspect the venue, wicket, accommodation and transport standards. The only Test match played at Khulna was between Bangladesh and West Indies back in November 2012.

–Tribune Desk

n AFP, Galle

West Ham’s Morrison made ‘acid threat’ West Ham United midfielder Ravel Morrison threatened to throw acid in his ex-girlfriend’s face and have her killed, a court in Manchester heard on Thursday. The 21-year-old former Manchester United player is also accused of threatening to blow up the house of Reah Mansoor, his former partner, during a campaign of harassment that lasted four years. Morrison was initially arrested and charged with two counts of common assault for allegedly attacking Mansoor, 19, and her 39-year-old mother, Parveen Mansoor, after a night out in Manchester on July 26. Morrison spoke only to confirm his personal details during a brief hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court, when an allegation of harassment was added to the charges he faces.

–AFP

PR swoop for Juventus defender Isla Premier League new-boys QPR signed Chile defender Mauricio Isla on a season-long loan from Juventus on Wednesday. Isla has received a work permit endorsement from the Football Association and is currently in Italy obtaining his working visa before officially linking up with his new team-mates.

“He’s a top player and we’re delighted to have him here,” QPR manager Harry Redknapp told his club’s website. “He showed his quality in the World Cup for Chile and it’s a great loan signing for us. “He’s a versatile player, he’s full of energy. I’m confident he’ll be a really big asset for us this season” Isla started all four of Chile’s matches at this year’s World Cup and has 51 caps for his country.

–AFP

Derby coach McClaren signs new deal Former England manager Steve McClaren has signed a new three-year contract as head coach of Derby County, the English second-tier club announced on Thursday. McClaren, 53, joined Derby last September after Nigel Clough was sacked and took them to the brink of promotion to the Premier League, only for them to narrowly lose to Queens Park Rangers in the play-off final. “I’m delighted to sign a new contract with Derby County, along with (coaches) Paul Simpson and Eric Steele, who are vital members of our coaching structure,” McClaren told the club website.

“Derby County is a club that is close to all our hearts and we’re all delighted to commit our futures to what continues to be an exciting project. “Last season ended in heartbreaking fashion, but we all have our focus on the future now and there’s a real excitement for the season ahead.” Derby open their Championship campaign at home to promoted Rotherham on Saturday.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH Ten Cricket 9:30AM Pakistan Tour of Sri Lanka 2014 1st Test Day 3 Star Sports 1, 3, HD1 3:00PM India tour of England 4th Test, Day 2 Star Sports 4 11:00PM Tennis: Rogers Cup Quarterfinals Star Sports 2 Pro Kabaddi League 8:15PM Kolkata v Vizag 9:45PM Patna v Mumbai

Pakistani cricketer Younis Khan raises his bat after scoring 150 runs during the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Sri Lanka yesterday AP

15

Friday, August 8, 2014

Younis Khan smashed 177 during a valiant fightback with the lower order batsmen as Pakistan gained the upper hand in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Thursday.

Khan, who came in to bat at 19-2 on the first morning, anchored the innings admirably to enable the tourists to pile up 451 all out by tea on the second day.

Sri Lanka replied with 99-1 by close, comfortably tackling both pace and spin, but the batsmen will remain wary of the turn and bounce that will increasingly come into play over the next three days.

Left-arm seamer Junaid Khan trapped Upul Tharanga leg-before for 19 in the fifth over, but Kaushal Silva and Kumar Sangakkara settled in to put on 75 for the second wicket.

Silva was unbeaten on 38 and Sangakkara was on 36 with Sri Lanka still 352 runs behind the tourists.

The 36-year-old Younis, who is playing his 90th Test, batted for eight hours and 16 minutes, hitting 15 boundaries and a six in his 24th Test century.

Pakistan, who resumed at their overnight score of 261-4, went to lunch on 347-5 with Asad Shafiq making 75 during a fifth-wicket stand of 137 with Khan.

The visitors added 32 runs in the first hour when left-arm spinner Rangana Herath broke through for Sri Lanka by trapping Shafiq leg-before. The batsman’s appeal to the TV umpire went in vain.

Sri Lanka came close to removing Khan when he was on 156, but seamer Shaminda Eranga spilled a sharp return catch as the batsman failed to keep a drive along the ground.

Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera, who had gone without a wicket for four sessions, struck five times in the postlunch period to hasten the end of Pakistan’s innings.

Perera ended Khan’s vigil soon after lunch by beating the well-set batsman in the air, resulting in an easy catch at short mid-wicket, a soft dismissal that came against the run of play.l

SCORECARD, DAY 2 Pakistan 1st innings (261/4 overnight) Younis Khan c Vithanage b Perera 177 Asad Shafiq lbw b Herath 75 Sarfraz Ahmed c Mathews b Perera 55 Abdur Rehman c Sangakkara b Perera 50 Saeed Ajmal c Jayawardene b Perera 12 Mohammad Talha not out 9 Junaid Khan c Jayawardene b Perera 0 Extras: (lb4, nb1) 5 Total (all out, 140.5 overs) 451 Fall of wickets 1-4, 2-19, 3-56, 4-156, 5-293, 6-359, 7-388, 8-424, 9-451, 10-451 Bowling Eranga 31-13-78-0 (nb1), Prasad 24-381-2, Mathews 15-7-25-0, Herath 389-116-3, Perera 31.5-1-137-5, Vithanage 1-0-10-0.

Sri Lanka 1st innings U Tharanga lbw b Junaid 19 K Silva not out 38 K Sangakkara not out 36 Extras: (b1, w5) 6 Total (for one wicket, 34 overs) 99 Bowling Junaid 10-3-38-1, Talha 7-3-26-0 (w5), Ajmal 12-4-19-0, Rehman 5-0-15-0

Tendulkar fails to attend parliament this year n AFP, New Delhi As a cricketer, he enjoyed the status of a god in India. But just months after hanging up his boots, Sachin Tendulkar has come in for rare criticism for failing to attend a single session of parliament this year.

The 41-year-old, considered one of the all-time cricketing greats, promised to be a vocal supporter of sport when he was sworn in as a member of the upper house of parliament in June 2012.

But parliamentary records show the former batsman has not attended a single session this year. He made it to just three in 2013 and has so far not participated in any debates in the House.

Although Indian legislators are notorious for failing to show up, Tendulkar has the worst record of all, with just three percent attendance last year, according to the monitoring group PRS Legislative Research.

The batsman was expected to be more of a presence this year after retiring from cricket last November, and some lawmakers ventured veiled criticism of him on Wednesday -- although none dared to mention him by name.

“These MPs were selected so that they can be present and make a difference in the society. But I have never seen him in the House,” Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Agarwal told parliament on Wednesday, in an apparent reference to Tendulkar.

D.P. Tripathi, an MP of the Nationalist Congress Party, said people who are not serious about attending parliament should not be nominated to the House.

“Their performance in the House has been despicable to say the least.

This is an insult to the Indian parliament and such people should not be nominated to this House,” he said.l

India skittled for 152 in first innings Bangladesh’s bad run n AFP, Manchester Stuart Broad took six wickets as India were bowled out for just 152 before tea on the first day of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Broad finished with figures of six for 25 in 13.4 overs including a post-lunch burst of four for six in 21 balls.

Meanwhile, new-ball partner James Anderson took three for 46 in 14 overs on his Lancashire home ground.

India equalled the record of six ducks in a Test innings, with three of their top four batsmen out for nought.

But given they had been eight for four, India’s final score represented something of a recovery.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who won the toss and elected to bat despite the initially overcast conditions, led from the front by top-scoring with 71.

The only other batsmen to make it into double figures were the recalled Ravichandran Ashwin (40) and Ajinkya Rahane (24).

All of India’s first four wickets fell with their score on eight, a quartet of batsmen dismissed in the space of 13 balls.

Gautam Gambhir, recalled in place of the dropped Shikhar Dhawan in one

of three changes to the India side was first to go when he nicked Broad to Joe Root in the gully.

Anderson initially struggled to control the lavish swing on offer but the 32-year-old, who started the match just

DAY 1, AT TEA India 1st Innings M Vijay c Cook b Anderson 0 G Gambhir c Root b Broad 4 C Pujara c Jordan b Broad 0 V Kohli c Cook b Anderson 0 A Rahane c Bell b Jordan 24 MS Dhoni c Jordan b Broad 71 R Jadeja lbw b Anderson 0 R Ashwin c Robson b Broad 40 B Kumar b Broad 0 V Aaron not out 1 Pankaj Singh b Broad 0 Extras (b10, lb1, w1) 12 Total (all out, 46.4 overs, 232 mins) 152 Fall of wickets 1-8 (Gambhir), 2-8 (Vijay), 3-8 (Kohli), 4-8 (Pujara), 5-62 (Rahane), 6-63 (Jadeja), 7-129 (Ashwin), 8-137 (Kumar), 9-152 (Dhoni), 10-152 (Singh) Bowling Anderson 14-3-46-3; Broad 13.4-6-25-6; Woakes 10-1-43-0; Jordan 9-4-27-1

12 wickets shy of Ian Botham’s England record of 383 Test wickets, got his line and length right in the fifth over.

He took two wickets for no runs in three balls as both opener Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli fell for ducks after edging to England captain Alastair Cook at first slip.

At lunch, India were 63 for five with Dhoni 25 and Ravindra Jadeja on nought.

Jadeja, jeered when he walked out to bat by a partisan crowd unhappy at his role in the Anderson row, soon found himself walking back in with nought against his name.

And to cap it all, he was lbw to Anderson, after an inswinger beat the lefthander’s defence.

A stand worth 66 ended when Ashwin, playing his first Test of the year, top-edged a hook off Broad having made 40 in just 42 balls.

Dhoni completed a 115-ball fifty but was eventually out when he hoisted a Broad ball from outside off stump straight to Jordan at deep backward square leg.

And 152 for nine became 152 all out when Broad bowled last man Pankaj Singh for nought, India losing 10 wickets in under four hours and fewer than 47 overs. l

in chess continues n Tribune Desk The Bangladesh open and women’s chess teams conceded defeats in their respective matches in the fifth round of the 41st World Chess Olympiad on Wednesday which is being held in Tromso, Norway.

Grandmasters Ziaur Rahman and Abdullah Al Rakib only managed to draw their matches while the other two lost as Bangladesh, seeded 55th, lost to 20th seeded Peru by 1-3 points in the open section.

Zia (Rating-2523) drew with GM Granda Zuniga Julio E (Rating-2663) and Rakib (Rating-2522) drew with GM Cordova Emilio (Rating-2629). GM Enamul Hossain Razib lost to GM Cori Jorge (Rating-2630) and International Master Minhazuddin Ahmed Sagar (Rating-2418) lost to GM Cruz Cristhian (Rating-2553).

The Bangladesh open team earned five match points and 10 game points following the conclusion of the fifth round.

Meanwhile in the women’s category, Bangladesh lost to Iceland by 2.5-

Djokovic battles as Murray sails through n AFP, Toronto Wimbledon champions Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray warmed up their hardcourt games on Wednesday with victories in their opening matches at the Toronto ATP Masters.

World number one Djokovic, who beat Roger Federer in five sets in last month’s Wimbledon final, needed almost two and three-quarter hours to extend his winning run to 10 matches as he beat Frenchman Gael Monfils, with the top seed reaching the third round after a 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2) victory.

Britain’s 2013 Wimbledon winner Murray made light of an absence from the ATP Tour of over a month to defeat promising Aussie teenager Nick Kyrgios 6-2, 6-2 in less than an hour.

Djokovic, married last month, was playing for the first time since his All England Club triumph.

“I tried to take the positives from this long match, obviously the fact that I stayed over two and a half hours on the court and I have not played an official hard court match since Miami finals (in March),” Djokovic said.

“That obviously helps to play a little bit more, to feel the court, to feel the conditions. I’m not feeling tired. I’m not exhausted. I haven’t played a tournament for four weeks. I of course look

forward to compete more.”

The Serb did have to struggle with the flashy Monfils, who put the Serbian under pressure with a break in the third set for a 3-1 lead.

The top seed got the break back a game later but showed his frustration as Monfils won a nine-minute 11th game, saving three break points to hold for 6-5.

Monfils was two points from completing the upset at 6-5 30-30, but Djokovic held on to force the tiebreaker in which he seized a 5-2 lead and converted on his first match point with a forehand winner. He goes through to a meeting with French 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat countryman Jeremy Chardy 7-6 (8/6), 6-4.

“I showed good stuff today, I think I was happy,” said Monfils. “This can just motivate me to work harder. Next time I will try to maybe be a bit further (along) and maybe beat him.”

Djokovic is bidding to become the third player, after Federer and Nadal, to win at least 20 Masters titles. He has claimed five of the last six he has contested.

Murray, the eighth seed who won the Canadian title in 2009 and 2010, had been seen as a potential scalp for the dangerous Kyrgios since losing to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.l

1.5 points in their fifth round games.

Sharmin Sultana Shirin (Rating-1984) won against Johannsdottir Johanna Bjorg (Rating-1862) and WIM Rani Hamid drew with Thorsteinsdottir Hallgerdur (Rating-1982). WIM Shamima

GM Ziaur Rahman drew with GM Granda Zuniga Julio E and Rakib drew with GM Cordova Emilio.

GM Enamul Hossain Razib lost to GM Cori Jorge and IM Minhazuddin Ahmed Sagar lost to GM Cruz Cristhian Akter Liza (Rating-2147) lost to WGM Ptacnikova Lenka (Rating-2273) and WFM Zakia Sultana (Rating-1964) lost to Finnbogadottir Tinna Kristin (Rating-1915).

The Bangladesh women accumulated four match points and nine game points out of five matches. l

Serena storms past Stosur in Montreal opener n AFP, Montreal

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates a game against Gael Monfils of France during the Rogers Cup at Rexall Centre at York University in Toronto, Canada on Wednesday AFP

Even a rain delay barely slowed defending champion Serena Williams in her 6-0, 6-2 progress past Samantha Stosur Wednesday at the WTA hardcourt tournament at Montreal.

Williams, the world number one and top seed, had seized the first set and they were knotted at 1-1 in the second when rain halted play.

The American showed no ill-effects when they returned to the court, wrapping up the victory over the unseeded Australian in 58 minutes.

“I’ve just been working on some things, working hard,” Williams said.

“Hopefully they’ll come together. I’ve just been waiting.”

Williams stretched her career record over Stosur to 7-3. The Australian stunned Williams in the final of the 2011 US Open, but Williams has now won all three of their meetings since.

Williams still found flaws she wants to improve.

“My toss was a little everywhere. I think I wasn’t as relaxed as I wanted to be,” Williams said. “But there’s always room for improvement Always keep that in mind, that I can continue to improve. So that’s one thing that I definitely want to work on.” l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Friday, August 8, 2014

What corporate non-payment of wages really means A look into the lives of Tuba workers and their families behind the lenses and fanfare Zamila Khan and n Tazlina Afrose Jahan Chaity Sixty-year old Amena, who is barely able to walk properly, was running desperately across Hossain Market with a small tiffin carrier at 11am yesterday.

Wiping her tears with a corner of her sari, she explained that her daughter Dolon, a Tuba garment worker, suffered from a kidney problem and was advised by doctors to eat properly. But Dolon hadn't eaten in two days. In a phone call to her mother at 10 in the morning, she had asked her mother to help out with some food because she was having serious abdominal pains.

Dolon is her family's sole breadwinner. She lives with her mother and two disabled brothers - Ibrahim and Sujon.

They share an 8-foot by 10-foot room, which is filled to capacity by a bed and a shelf. Although two people would find the bed a tight fit, all four of the family make do with it. Stale rice soaked in water, set aside in a bowl, is all they have been eating for lunch lately.

A tiffin carrier with a cup of rice and some fish curry given to her by a neighbour, was what Amena had clutched to herself as she ran to Tuba Garments to feed her hungry child.

After the death of Dolon's father 14 years ago, Amena had left Jessore to work in the Noyapara area of Dhaka.

She moved to the capital with three daughters and two sons. Amena start-

Amena, the 60-year-old mother of Tuba Group worker Dolon, looks on with a dejected face as her family struggles to make ends meet RAJIB DHAR

ed out as a cook in a hostel and later joined a sweater factory. When she later got sick and stopped working, her youngest daughter, Dolon, took over

the family's affairs and found work in the garments industry. Amena managed to marry off two of her daughters.

“Two of my sons are mentally chal-

lenged and cannot do anything. I have to feed them everyday,” Amena told the Dhaka Tribune.

“I haven't had a single paisa in my

bag for the last three months. It is hard for us to manage three meals a day. For the last 10 days, we have been eating stale soaked rice. Dolon used to earn Tk6000 per month of which Tk2000 was paid in house rent and Tk1000 in electric bills.”

“It has been a year since my daughter and I bought new clothes. I have worn this torn blouse and petticoat for the last four months. Dolon later got a blouse from a friend. We couldn't buy any new clothes or have good food this Eid.” Dolon, who has been working in the garments sector for the last two years, has a kidney problem. Amena said doctors found holes in her kidney. Because Dolon hadn't been paid, she couldn't buy the medicine she needed. The family's life, already hard, has become harder after Dolon stopped getting paid.

Amena owes Tk8,000 in house rents and Tk4,000 to grocers. The manager at her place of residence, Shorif, threatened to evict them if she didn't pay the rent immediately. Dhaka Tribune correspondents visited several households affected by Tuba's non-payment of dues, and found most in desperate condition.

Abdur Rafiq, the father of Farzana, a Tuba Garments worker, came to Dhaka five years ago. Along with two other daughters and a son, he has been running the family with the small amount of money he earns pulling a rickshaw.

Because their mother passed away at a very early age, Farzana has taken re-

sponsibility for the family. For the last few months they have been eating rice and dal once a day.

Rafiq quit his job as a rickshaw puller after becoming infected with TB. The family was running on wages of Tk5,700 but their lives have come to a standstill because Farzana hasn't been paid her wages for so long. His younger daughters, Aklima, 7, Rahima, 4 and son Rakib, 2 also live in Dhaka.

Rafiq said: “We, a family of five, have survived without money, eating only rice and dal for so many days. How can we continue? Eid isn't a special day for us, it is special only for the rich.”

We found Hafiz Mia, 65, cleaning the drain water near the tin-shed shanty he has been living in for the past eight months. He said the landlords forced him to vacate the house on the third day of Eid because he had not been able to pay the rent for four months.

“The landlords told me I could live in front of the house if I cleaned the drain,” he told us with tears in his eyes.

“They give me bread and a banana everyday,” he added. Nasima and Moyna, his two daughters, have worked at the mismanaged garment company for the last eight months.

Holding up the Tuba garment workers' pay for nearly a quarter has made them an increasingly economically vulnerable group as landlords, grocers and local lenders begin to choke off credit. l

Court orders probe into 169 Bangladeshi migrant workers Jony’s death at Pallabi to be evacuated from Libya police station n Rabiul Islam

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Fazilatunnesa Mujib's 84th birth anniversary today n Tribune Report Today is the 84th birth anniversary of Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, wife of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

To mark the day, the ruling Awami League along with other like-minded social and political organisation will hold various day-long programmes.

The party will place wreaths at her grave at Banani graveyard at 8:30am and organise a special prayers for the salvation of her departed soul.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the elder daughter of Fazilatunnesa Mujib, will attend a discussion in the capital's Osmani Memorial Auditorium at 10:00am organised to mark her birth anniversary.

The Awami Leagues's Dhaka City units will also organise a milad mahfil after Ashr prayer at Bangabandhu Avenue.

Begum Mujib was kept under house arrest during the liberation war by Pakistani army until December 17, 1971, a day after the country was liberated.

She was killed along with Bangabandhu and most of her family members by a disgruntled group of army officers on August 15, 1975. Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana are her two surviving children.

Begum Fazilatunnessa Mujib, nicknamed Renu, was born in Tungipara in GopalGanj in 1930. Her early schooling was in a missionary school but later she did home schooling.

She lost her parents at the age of five and was raised by her future motherin-law, mother of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

She was married to Bangabandhu at the age of 11 and had three sons and two daughters.

She was killed on the night of August 15, 1975 along with her husband Bangabandhu and his three sons.

Fazilatunnessa was also know for leadership skills. Whenever Bangabandhu was in jail for political reasons, she would keep contact with the Awami League leadership and give guidance in her husband’s absence. l

A Dhaka court yesterday ordered a judicial probe into a case filed in connection with the custodial death of Jony at Pallabi police station, accusing Sub-Inspector (SI) Zahid and eight others, including Officer-in-Charge Ziaur Rahman.

Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge Md Jahurul Haque passed the order after recording the deposition of plaintiff Imtiaz Hossain Rocky, the brother of the deceased victim.

Rocky filed the case against 8 people under Section 15 of the Torture and Custodial Death Act, 2013.

The other accused in the case are then Pallabi police station’s SI Zahidur Rahman Zahid, SI Abdul Batten, SI Md Rashed, SI Shovon Kumar Shaha, police constable Nazrul Islam and police source Sumon and Rasel.

According to the case details, on the night of February 8, police source Sumon came to a bridal party at Irani Camp in the Pallabi area, where both Jony and Rocky were present, in a

drunken state and harassed a female performer on the stage.

Later, a quarrel took place between Sumon and Jony when the latter told him not to harass the performer.

At around 2pm, Sumon came back to the party with SI Zahid and picked up the two brothers.

The accused then beat up Jony and Rocky with hockey sticks and cricket stumps at the police station.

At one point, Jony became unconscious from the police beating. He was sent to the National Hospital where the duty doctor declared him dead.

The case details also said following Jony’s death, police tried to cover up the killing by mentioning that Jony died during a clash between Irani and Rahmat camp in the area.

Earlier on July 20, some 10 people, including SI Zahid and the officer-incharge of Mirpur police station, were sued for allegedly torturing a young trader to death in police custody.

The plaintiff Mumtaz Sultana Luchi, wife of victim Mahbubur Rahman Sujon, filed the case. l

South Korean company Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co Ltd has decided to evacuate 169 Bangladeshi migrant workers in its employment from Libya.

“Due to the deteriorating situation in Libya, Korean companies have been evacuating their nationals, and they will evacuate 169 Bangladeshis in phases,” said Md Ahsan Kibria, first secretary of Bangladesh Mission in Libya, while taking to the Dhaka Tribune over the phone yesterday.

He said the company would provide everything, including air tickets, for the evacuation.

The first secretary also said the situation in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, was not good and around 3,500 Bangladeshis in the city had moved to safer places.

“We have instructed our workers not to go to conflict-prone zones,” Ahsan said, adding that a number of Bangladeshi migrants went to Tripoli to work because they thought the situation had improved.

Around 60,000 Bangladeshis are currently living in the war-torn coun-

try, according to the first secretary.

He said five Bangladeshi migrants were killed as they were caught up in clashes between Libyan government forces and rebels in Tripoli in the past few days.

‘The evacuation plan will be implemented to ensure maximum safety for the workers and to reflect local conditions’ “We are trying to send the dead bodies back home, but we are unable to do so as the international flights from Tripoli and Benghazi have been suspended,” he said.

Talking to reporters at his office yesterday, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain reiterated Ahsan’s statement, adding that Bangladeshis in Benghazi had moved to safer places.

According to the ministry, the work-

ers that were killed on Wednesday are Moshiur Rahman, son of Rafiqul Islam, from Gopalganj, Sheikh Mohammad Milon, son of Mohammad Ali Sheikh, from Madaripur, and Murad, son of Sarwar Mollah, from Madaripur.

Monir Miah, son of Phul Miah, from Narsingdi, and Milon Hossain, son of Sadar Ali, from Jhenaidah, were killed on Tuesday, according to a letter issued by the mission.

According to an August 7 report

by South Korea-based Yonhap News Agency, South Korean builders started evacuating workers from Libya several weeks after extensive fighting broke out in the oil-rich North African country.

Daewoo, which has some 652 workers in the country, including 87 Korean nationals, said 55 employees, who were assigned to the Misrata power plant, reached Dubai on Wednesday. These include 15 Korean workers.

The remaining 72 Korean and other migrant workers at the Zwitina power station will be pulled out in due course.

“The evacuation plan will be implemented to ensure maximum safety for the workers and to reflect local conditions,” the company said. l

Mediators race against clock to extend Gaza truce n Agencies Mediators worked against the clock yesterday to extend a truce between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, as the three-day ceasefire went into its final 24 hours.

Israel said it was ready to agree to an extension as Egyptian mediators pursued talks with Israelis and Palestinians on ending a war that has devastated the Hamas-ruled enclave. Palestinians want an Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza to be lifted and prisoners held by Israel to be freed.

“Indirect talks are ongoing and we still have today to secure this,” an Egyptian official said when asked whether the truce was likely to go beyond Friday.

“Egypt’s aims are to stabilise and extend the truce with the agreement of both sides and to begin negotiations towards a permanent agreement to cease fire and ease border restrictions.”

The Palestinian delegation was scheduled to meet Egyptian intelligence officials late last night.

After a month of bitter fighting, the two sides are not meeting face to face.

An Israeli official said late on Wednesday that Israel “has expressed its readiness to extend the truce under its current terms” beyond Friday morning's expiry of the three-day deal,

which took effect on Tuesday and has so far held.

A senior Hamas official told supporters at a Gaza City rally yesterday that the war with Israel won't be over until the group's demands for a lifting of the Gaza blockade are met, insisting that its fighters would never give up their arms.

“Our fingers are on the trigger and our rockets are trained at Tel Aviv,” the official, Mushir al-Masri said, as Egypt struggled to broker a lasting truce between Israel and Hamas, with an Egyptian official saying that Gaza-based militants were refusing to compromise.

Cairo is mediating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on extending a 72-hour cease-fire that expires this morning. Hamas has demanded the lifting of an Israeli and Egyptian blockade imposed on the coastal territory after the Islamist group came to power in 2007.

Israel has said the militants must disarm first, which al-Masri insisted was out of the question.

“The war is not over yet. Our men are still in the field, manning forward positions, our fingers are on the trigger, and our rockets are trained on Tel Aviv, and Lod and beyond,” he told several thousand supporters in the first mass rally since the fighting began on July 8.

“It is out of the question that the weapons of the resistance should be

on the negotiating table. They have not been put on the table, and God willing, they will never be.”

Al-Masri insisted fighters were “in good shape” despite the nearly monthlong war and still had tunnels extending into Israel that could be used for attacks if Hamas' demands were not met.

The Egyptian security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the Palestinian delegation's stance had hardened after the arrival in Cairo of Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders from the Gaza Strip.

He said Azzam al-Ahmad, the leader of the delegation and the representative of Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, had threatened to withdraw from the talks if the two militant groups do not show more “flexibility,” adding that the delegation, which was supposed to leave Cairo on Thursday, would stay through the weekend.

Palestinian delegates could not immediately be reached for comment.

On July 8 Israel launched a massive air assault on the territory and nine days later it sent in ground troops.

Nearly 1,900 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting, three-quarters of them civilians, according to the United Nations. Sixty-four Israeli soldiers and three civilians inside Israel have also been killed. l

Has militant group IS reached Bangladesh? n Tribune Report A video has surfaced on the internet which shows a group of Bangladeshis declaring themselves followers of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, chief of international militant outfit Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis).

In the video, uploaded on YouTube on August 2 and titled “Muslims In Bangladesh Give Bayah [Bay'ah] to the Caliphah Ibrahim (Hafiahulla),” five veiled people could be seen taking bay'ah, or the oath of allegiance, in Bangla to IS chief Abu Bakr.

In many Islamic traditions, bay'ah means giving one's self unto a spiritual

master in exchange for the knowledge he gives. Muslims believe that bay'ah was practised by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The veiled people were taking oath an of allegiance in Bangla to someone they called “Caliph Ibrahim ibn Awwad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad alBadri al-Husayni al-Qurashi.”

They were seen holding a banner with a message in Arabic. This is the first ever case on record of Bangladeshis expressing allegiance to Isis.

The video, uploaded by one Kamal Ahmedsama, was viewed 2,992 times until 10pm yesterday. On June 29, the top leaders of IS announced the re-establishment of the caliphate in the areas under its control in Syria and Iraq. l

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Awards Samsung Mobile Bangladesh

to slow as populations age

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Key fiscal targets missed in FY14 Political unrest destablises overall economy affecting key indicators n Kayes Sohel

TAR

FY14 ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE T GE

ACHIE

7.2%

TAR

GDP T GE

ACHIE

121K CRORE

TAR

REVENUE T GE

ACHIE

D VE

7.0%

7.35%

forestry sector grew 8.73% from 7.11% during the period.

In the first 11 months of the last fiscal, the government earned revenue of Tk103,625 crore against the 12-month target of Tk125,000 crore, according to the available data of the National Board of Revenue.

The figure indicated that it is not possible for the government to collect

$22bn

The country’s foreign exchange reserve set a new record yesterday, crossing US$22 billion-mark for the first time thanks to a robust inflow of remittances in July.

It received highest-ever monthly remittance worth $1.48bn in July due to increased inflow ahead of Eid festival and the reserve had earlier crossed $21bn on June 16 because of the increased inflow of the foreign funds.

The reserve rose to $22.05bn, which hit the record high in only one and half months, to meet as many as seven months of import payments, according to Bangladesh Bank data released yesterday.

It registered a new record, breaking all the previous records of the last nine months due to the increased inflow of foreign funds, lower import payments and appreciation of local currency against dollar, said a senior central bank executive.

It reached $20bn mark for the first time on April 10 this year, breaking earlier record of $18bn in December last.

Despite slower growth in foreign remittance inflow in the previous nine

Disruption in overall economy: due to rising food prices: supply disruption

FY13 Service sector growth (transport, storage, communication) Manufacturing growth (power outage, low domestic demand) Wholesale & retail trade Private investment

June 14

Aug 14

months, the forex reserve continued to grow due to the government decision to allow short-term foreign financing in the private sector coupled with lower import growth, the executive said.

“As the country’s import has started to pick up in recent times following the restoration of congenial atmosphere, the central bank has also become worried fearing pressure on its reserve.

But, increasing inflow of remittance in July brings a great relief for the Bangladesh Bank,’’ he added.

The country’s import expenditure rose by 3.96% in June compared to 21.81% growth in the same month last year.

The imports took an upward trend in recent months because of the increased food and capital machinery imports. The country’s overall import expenditures rose by 14% during the last fiscal year compared to 15% growth in the previous fiscal year.

The central bank’s various measures to maintain a stable exchange rate of taka against US dollars and stimulus to exporters, including expansion of the export development fund, helped the reserve to make a new record, said Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Mahfuzur Rahman. l

FY14

56.7% 43.11%

17.39% 12.33% 12.51% 11.48% 21.69% 21.33%

The public bank borrowing stood at Tk7,951 crore, down 26.5% from the fiscal target and lowest in four years, according to the Bangladesh Bank’s provisional data.

The government aimed to borrow Tk9,056 crore through national savings instruments, but it managed Tk10,018 crore in just the first 11 months of the fiscal year. Rising sales of savings instruments is a major reason for the decrease in bank borrowing.

remaining over Tk21,000 crore revenues in a single month. Reportedly, the revenue shortfall would stand at around Tk4,500 crore.

The government’s original revenue earnings target was Tk136,000 crore but revised down to Tk125,000 crore due to the political turmoil in the first half of the last fiscal year disrupted the country’s trade, export, import and the

overall economy.

The government planned to contain inflation within 7% in the last fiscal year. But BBS data said average inflation rate ticked up to an annual 7.35% in the last fiscal year on the back of rising food prices.

The public bank borrowing stood at Tk7,951 crore, down 26.5% from the fiscal target and lowest in four years,

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has backtracked from its earlier stance to take action against the country’s leading mobile phone operator Grameenphone for not following its agent banking guideline in airing “Mobicash’’ advertisement in various electronic media.

The central bank has changed its stance as the Grameenphone (GP) authority yesterday assured the bank of following its agent banking guideline properly. Meanwhile, Grameenphone has stopped its mobile financial service-related advertisements “Mobicash” after the central bank instruction.

GP Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Vivek Sood met BB Governor Atiur Rahman yesterday and assured that the GP would follow the agent banking guideline accordingly and display the related advertisement, focusing the objective of respective banks.

Earlier the central bank decided to sent a letter to the GP for stopping mobile financial service-related advertisement “Mobicash” of Grameenphone as the mobile operator was giving the service violating the agent banking guideline.

BB found that agents of Mobicash opened accounts of mobile financial services on behalf of the banks violating the central bank’s agent banking guideline.

“We have canceled our decision to sent letter to GP, asking it to stop the mobile financial service as GP has assured us that it will follow the agent banking guideline properly and it has already stopped to air such advertisements,” Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Sudhir Chandra Das told the Dhaka Tribune.

“As disputed issues have been resolved, we can reach a consensus on the substantive issues,” Mahmud Hossain, GP Chief Corporate Affair Officer said. l

EU officials may be invited to see steps to remove Salmonella from betel leaf n Asif Showkat Kallol

Forex reserve hits new record n Tribune Report

Political unrest, holding back of consumption & investment decisions

INFLATION

$20bn

April 14

D VE

125K CRORE

$21bn

Dec 13

Political unrest

6.12%

FOREX RESERVE GROWTH TREND

$18bn

PROBABLE CAUSES

D VE

The government has missed most of the economic targets set for the fiscal year 2013-14, including economic growth, revenue collection, investment and inflation.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the country’s GDP (gross domestic product) grew by 6.12% against the target of 7.2%.

The growth, however, was much higher than the estimates (below 5%) by donor agencies and economists.

Uncertainty surrounding political transition for most part of the year with holding back of consumption and investment decisions by the economic agents impacted on GDP growth prospects in general, said the World Bank.

Services sector witnessed substantial erosion of growth momentum in the last financial year as it grew by 43.11% as against 56.7% growth of the previous fiscal year, the BBS data showed.

The main contributors of this substantial erosion of growth momentum are slacking of growth in transport, storage and communications, general government services and community, social and personal services.

The manufacturing sector growth suffered from power outages and low domestic demand hit by the political unrest. It saw a growth of 12.33% against 17.39% during the period.

The wholesale and retail trade fell to 11.48% from 12.51% of the previous fiscal year. The crop and horticulture sector, however, witnessed robust performance as growth rose to 8.31% from 5.84% of the previous fiscal year.

The growth in animal farming sector rose to 8.31% against 5.84% of previous fiscal year. Overall agriculture and

according to the Bangladesh Bank’s provisional data.

This is the area where the government showed successes thanks to higher sales of national savings instruments and lower development expenditure.

The government aimed to borrow Tk9,056 crore through national savings instruments, but it managed Tk10,018 crore in just the first 11 months of the fiscal year. Rising sales of savings instruments is a major reason for the decrease in bank borrowing.

Another reason for falling bank borrowing is the low development expenditure. The planning ministry failed to utilise revised ADP allocation of Tk60,000 crore, as it spent Tk56,793 crore in the year ended in June 30.

The government implemented 95% of the annual development programme during the fiscal year 2013-14 despite political turmoil.

In the year ended in June 30, an amount of Tk56,793 crore was spent against the total revised allocation of Tk60,000 crore.

In keeping with tradition, the implementation of ADP became faster in the final months of the fiscal year, making room for wastage of public money.

Public investment to GDP ratio has inched up while private sector is reluctant to invest in this unfavourable investment climate due to simmering political uncertainty.

According to official data, private investment as percentage of GDP stood at 21.33% in fiscal 2013-14, down by 0.36 percentage points of the previous fiscal year.

Public investment during the same period rose 0.66 percentage points bringing the overall investment-GDP ratio to 28.69 percentage points year-on-year. l

BB backtracked from its tougher stance against GP n Tribune Report

The government has decided to request the European Union countries for a visit to Bangladesh so that they can closely see the measures taken by it against Salmonella bacteria in betel leaf and vegetables, said official sources.

Bangladesh continues to struggle to win back exports of these agricultural products to the $200m EU market as the EU authorities extended suspension order of importing these virus infected products from Bangladesh till June 30 next year.

The Bangladeshi government also decided to prepare an action plan in this regard within August 15 to place it before the EU Commission this month.

At an inter-ministerial meeting presided over by Commerce Secretary He-

dayetullah Al Mamoon yesterday made the decisions.

The meeting said the authorities cancelled export registration certificate (ERC) and packing credit (PC) of four vegetable and betel leaf exporters which include M/S Bangladesh Food Export Company Limited, M/S Akhi Enterprise, M/S Rafi and Safi Enterprise and M/S Moon Enterprise.

On July 30 office of the Health and Consumers Directorate-General of the European Commission informed the government that the recommendations put forward by the office was not implemented by Bangladesh.

The EU has not been importing Bangladeshi betel leaf since February this year after detection of harmful bacteria.

Hedayetullah Al Mamoon said the government would also give high im-

portance on agricultural exports like as the ready-made garment industry.

Professor Dr Bahanur Rahman of Bangladesh Agriculture University advised an organic chemical to to free betel leaf from Salmonella, said commerce secretary.

He said the authorities will provide necessary training to the stockholders under BAU on producing Salmonella-free betel leaf. “We will equip and accredit the BAU laboratories so that they can detect Salmonella in the products.”

The meeting said some exporters are sending Salmonella-infected betel leaf under false announcement in the Performance Certificate with the help of customs officials at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport although the government has issued gazette notification to stop it.

According to a BAU study, the huge vegetables and betel leaf export market in the EU was hit hard by a fresh blow after the EU detected insects in kakrol and brinjal consignments from Bangladesh.

Farmers count a loss of Tk5-6 lakh in an acre of land now for not being able to export betel leaf aboard, according to the study.

The production cost of betel leaf may rise 20% if the cultivators take Salmonella bacteria prevention measures, but it will help the country regain the EU market, the study report suggests.

BAU has developed a model for the prevention of Salmonella under a newly introduced project titled “Short term project for the removal of Salmonella from exportable highvalued betel leaf in Bangladesh’’ with a cost of only Tk5 lakh. l

Minister seeks intl support to fight climate change n Tribune Report Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal yesterday said every year Bangladesh is compensating 1% of its GDP (gross domestic product) due to the effect of climate change.

“This is a dreadful situation for a poor country like Bangladesh. Climate change is a burning issue for survival for all of us, our existence and future,” he said.

The minister was speaking at the report launching ceremony of 5th assessment report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Dhaka.

The IPCC report said Bangladesh will be one of the most vulnerable countries in the globe due to the adverse impact of climate change, as the temperature is set to rise by 4-6 degree Celsius within next 50 years globally.

The country will become one of the worst-affected South Asian countries due to global warming and increase of green house gas (GHG) in atmosphere, it said. The Geneva-based IPCC launched the report on “IPCC’s AR 5: How Bangladesh Translates Climate Change and Its Vulnerabilities.”

The minister said if the IPCC’s prediction comes into reality, a part of Bangladesh will be lost as the climate change

consequences by next half a century.

“We are trying to spend a certain amount of money to mitigate climate change issues every year,” he said, adding that since independence Bangladesh has spent over US$10bn to mitigate climate change effects on the country.

The minister urged the international community to come up and supplement the country’s efforts in tackling the climate change adversities.

Coordinating Lead Author of IPCC AR5, Dr John Church presented the keynote paper and said, due to rise of sea level, coastal systems and low-lying areas will increasingly experience adverse impacts such as submerge, coastal flooding and coastal erosion.

With rising sea levels, extreme heat, and more intense cyclones threatening food production, livelihoods and infrastructure, the warming climate will also slow the country’s growth and poverty alleviation initiatives, he said.

As one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change Bangladesh is at risk of facing food insecurity, severe illness, increase mortality and morbidity, loss of rural livelihood and loss of marine and coastal ecosystem due to climate change, according to the report. l

A garment worker of Tuba Group counts her wages as they receive two months dues after days of agitation and police crackdown in the city’s Badda area. BGMEA made the payments on behalf of the Group yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Large cap rally pulls up stocks n Tribune Report

Company

Turnover (Million Taka)

5,880.10 127,003,492

Number of Contract

cancellation of mobile banking licence by the central bank, making it worst position in top ten losers’ list.

Food and allied performed well among the major sectors. On the other hand, life insurance lost almost 2% on profit booking, breaking the sector’s two-day rally.

IDLC Investments said large cap pulled up the market momentum.

Coupled with volatile market movements, stock-specific focus knocked investors significantly, it said.

Lanka Bangla Securities said market has seen another green trading day on the last day of this week as investors were bullish on large cap pharma, telco and cement stocks.

Seems like, market is in the mood of testing the psychological resistance level of 4,500 of benchmark index, it said.

It said market opened with profit booking tendency in early session, but later on primary investment sentiment was bullish on sector specific stocks.

Zenith Investments said volatility grips overall trading pattern, as investors went rampant with their buying spree and profit taking moves.

MJL topped the liquidity chart for the second consecutive session with Tk40.6 crore changing hands, followed by GP, Beximco Limited, Square Pharmaceuticals, ACI, Active Fine Chemical and Shahjibazar Power Company Ltd. l

Stocks ended flat with volatility for the third straight day yesterday, driven by a rally of large cap issues.

The market opened on a happy note in the morning but dipped in red just before the final hour profit taking mainly on financials and energy stocks.

Later in the last 30 minutes, rally of Grameenphone (GP) and Mobil Jamuna Bangladesh Ltd (MJL) helped the market edge higher.

The benchmark DSEX gained marginally (1 point) to 4,486, hitting highest 4,503 in the morning and lowest 4,476 in the final session.

The Shariah index also inched 6 points or 0.6% higher to 1,026. The comprising blue chips DS30 closed at 1,649 with a slight rise of 3 points or 0.2%.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, experienced fractional fall of 0.9 points to 8,492.

Trading activities at the DSE declined by 9.8% to Tk588 crore.

Investors concentrated on pharmaceuticals and energy stocks as the two sectors made up over 38% of the total trade.

Large cap scrips like GP and MJL demonstrated robust performance, as their share prices gained more than 5% and 4% respectively.

Prime Bank share prices suffered with a fall of 5.5% on the news of

DSE GAINERS

DSE key features August 7, 2014

Turnover (Volume)

113,860

Traded Issues

297

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

104

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

185

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

8

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,369.54

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.72

CSE key features August 7, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

409.84

Turnover (Volume)

11,059,864

Number of Contract

DSE Broad Index :

4486.19556

(+) 0.03%

14,634

Traded Issues

226

▲

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

83 135

Weekly capital market highlights

1652.70721

(+) 0.18%

▲

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

CSE All Share Index:

13799.41910

(+) 0.02%

▲

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

7

CSE - 30 Index :

11303.46820

(-) 0.16%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,269.18

8492.42120

(-) 0.01%

▼

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

27.51

DSE - 30 Index :

CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSERS Company Prime Bank-A ISN Ltd. -Z Central Insur -A Popular Life Insu. -A 1st ICB M F -A Pragati Gen. I -A IFIL Islamic M.F.1-A Padma Islami Life*-N Peoples Insur -A Rahima Food -Z

Closing (% change) -5.50 -5.41 -4.62 -4.62 -4.60 -4.53 -4.17 -4.15 -3.93 -3.85

CSE LOSERS Company 5th ICB M F-A Nitol Insurance -A Prime Bank-A Padma Islami Life*-N Fareast Islami Life -A Apex Foods -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A City G Insu.-A Sandhani Life -A G Next Fashions-A

Closing (% change) -10.47 -6.81 -6.25 -4.96 -3.99 -3.21 -3.12 -3.06 -2.97 -2.81

Average (% change) -4.66 -5.59 -2.74 -5.81 -4.59 -4.33 -0.28 0.07 -0.98 -4.44 Average (% change) -11.12 -6.63 -3.71 -3.02 -1.81 -2.53 -3.71 -2.76 -2.37 -2.29

ANALYST

Closing average 21.05 10.48 24.88 161.12 952.00 40.01 7.10 58.73 22.14 42.60

Closing average 182.20 26.05 21.55 58.49 83.87 100.25 34.49 19.04 61.68 17.47

Closing 20.60 10.50 24.80 161.10 952.60 40.00 6.90 57.70 22.00 42.40

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 480.92 118.77 80.36 510.37 194.55 968.61 3.38 734.75 1294.89 2.02 80.43 50.19 19.74 192.14 115.07 44.17 76.77 460.99 141.54 310.06 0.38

Daily high

Turnover in million

Daily low

22.40 10.60 25.50 168.00 955.00 43.00 7.40 60.50 23.30 44.40

182.20 26.00 21.00 57.50 84.20 99.50 34.20 19.00 62.10 17.30

20.00 10.30 24.80 159.00 952.00 38.00 6.90 56.00 20.90 42.20

Turnover in million

Daily low

182.20 26.80 22.90 59.50 84.30 101.00 35.50 19.50 62.90 17.80

10.985 0.131 0.209 4.753 0.238 2.331 2.703 3.531 0.701 1.342

182.20 25.60 20.90 57.40 83.20 99.50 34.00 19.00 60.00 17.30

Latest EPS 1.96 0.20 3.14 17.00 38.55 2.44 1.07 1.10 2.42 -1.01

Latest EPS

0.055 0.195 0.598 0.409 0.092 0.010 29.686 0.172 0.176 9.419

18.67 2.58 1.96 1.10 4.60 3.01 0.88 2.04 2.12 2.06

Latest PE 10.7 52.4 7.9 9.5 24.7 16.4 6.6 53.4 9.1 -ve

Latest PE

Shahjibazar Power-N aamra technologies-A Renwick Jajneswar-A Wata Chemicals -A Al-Haj Textile -A Eastern Cables-A Hwa Well Textiles-N Monno Ceramic -B JMI Syringes MDL-A Grameenphone-A

Closing (% change) 9.89 9.27 8.75 8.73 7.61 6.52 5.79 5.47 5.36 5.20

CSE GAINERS Company 7th ICB M F-A aamra technologies-A Wata Chemicals -A Eastern Cables-A Hakkani P& Paper -B Bata Shoe Ltd. -A Hwa Well Textiles-N JMI Syringes MDL-A Monno Ceramic -B Active Fine Chem.-A

Closing (% change) 11.76 9.18 8.15 7.42 6.72 6.29 5.83 5.45 5.42 5.27

Average (% change) 7.11 4.67 9.97 5.42 5.31 3.54 1.91 4.88 2.67 2.18 Average (% change) 11.76 5.23 6.75 6.62 4.18 5.21 3.05 2.23 3.40 2.42

Closing average 78.51 32.06 279.68 229.14 174.25 131.75 48.01 28.78 171.15 316.77

Closing average 95.00 32.20 243.70 131.68 27.67 980.00 48.04 171.41 28.58 68.60

Closing 81.10 33.00 282.20 232.80 176.80 134.00 49.30 28.90 172.90 323.90

Closing 95.00 33.30 246.90 133.20 28.60 990.00 49.00 174.00 29.20 69.90

Daily high 81.10 33.20 282.20 232.80 179.00 135.00 50.00 29.50 174.50 331.00

Daily high 95.00 33.50 247.00 135.00 28.70 990.00 49.50 174.00 29.30 70.10

Daily low 72.70 28.00 264.90 217.50 154.00 127.90 45.40 27.50 166.70 302.00

Daily low 95.00 31.00 239.00 127.00 26.10 975.00 45.50 167.00 27.50 66.10

Turnover in million 146.436 98.078 28.010 18.249 86.887 10.790 117.369 6.532 27.641 398.375

Turnover in million 0.048 15.469 1.316 0.830 0.526 0.294 7.470 1.971 0.226 7.018

Latest EPS

Latest PE

3.04 1.39 3.92 6.20 2.00 2.03 3.99 0.28 4.50 15.70

25.8 23.1 71.3 37.0 87.1 64.9 12.0 102.8 38.0 20.2

Latest EPS

Latest PE

12.01 1.39 6.20 2.03 0.28 40.74 3.99 4.50 0.28 3.72

7.9 23.2 39.3 64.9 98.8 24.1 12.0 38.1 102.1 18.4

News, analysis and recent disclosers From TradeServers: ISNLTD: (H/Y): As per un-audited half yearly accounts as on 30.06.2014 (Jan'14 to June'14), the Company has reported net profit/(loss) after tax of Tk. 0.99 million with EPS of Tk. 0.09 as against Tk. (1.89) million and Tk. (0.17) respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas net profit/(loss) after tax was Tk. 0.47 million with EPS of Tk. 0.04 for the period of 3 months (Apr'14 to June'14) ended on 30.06.2014 as against Tk. (1.63) million and Tk. (0.15) respectively for the same period of the previous year. Accumulated profit/(loss) of the Company was Tk. (0.72) million as on 30.06.2014.

APEXFOODS: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on August 10, 2014 at 2:45 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on June 30, 2014.

ARAMIT: The Company has informed that the cash dividend has been credited to the respective shareholders' Bank Account for the year ended on December 31, 2013 through BEFTN system.

IPO Subscription: 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.

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.

Dividend/AGM DELTASPINN: 10% cash, AGM: 30.08.2014, Record date: 14.08.2014.

ICB MF 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.

SANDHANINS: 25.50% stock, EGM and AGM: 06.09.2014, Record Date for EGM and AGM: 16.07.2014.

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.

ISLAMIINS: 15% stock, AGM: 09.07.2014, RD: 12.05.2014.

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.

BDSERVICE: 15% stock, AGM: 25.08.2014, Record Date: 14.07.2014.

SALVOCHEM: 10% stock, AGM: 27.08.2014, Record date: 25.06.2014.

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.

9.8 10.1 11.0 53.2 18.2 33.3 39.2 9.3 29.1 8.5

Large cap pulled up the market momentum. Coupled with volatile market movements, stock-specific focus knocked investors significantly

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Daily high

Friday, August 8, 2014

% change 8.18 2.02 1.37 8.68 3.31 16.47 0.06 12.50 22.02 1.37 0.85 0.34 3.27 1.96 0.75 1.31 7.84 2.41 5.27 0.01

Million Taka 27.22 12.63 3.90 32.76 33.04 52.24 82.78 63.28 46.67 4.87 51.95 1.46 17.40 16.79 1.35 2.90 40.71 22.34 33.98 0.01

CSE

% change 4.96 2.30 0.71 5.98 6.03 9.53 0.00 15.10 11.54 8.51 0.89 9.47 0.27 3.17 3.06 0.25 0.53 7.43 4.07 6.20 0.00

Million Taka 508.13 131.40 84.26 543.13 227.59 1020.85 3.38 817.54 1358.18 48.69 85.30 102.13 21.20 209.55 131.85 45.51 79.67 501.71 163.88 344.04 0.39

Total

% change 7.90 2.04 1.31 8.45 3.54 15.88 0.05 12.72 21.13 0.76 1.33 1.59 0.33 3.26 2.05 0.71 1.24 7.80 2.55 5.35 0.01

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company MJL BD Ltd.-A Grameenphone-A Renata Ltd. -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Square Pharma -A ACI Limited- A Active Fine Chem.-A Shahjibazar Power-N Hwa Well Textiles-N Meghna Petroleum -A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Grameenphone-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Argon Denims Limited-A FAR Chemical-N aamra technologies-A The Peninsula CTG.-N LafargeS Cement-Z Square Pharma -A Appollo Ispat CL -N G Next Fashions-A

Volume shares 4,251,079 1,257,609 317,475 6,765,490 738,143 592,494 2,712,216 1,865,200 2,444,500 411,960

Volume shares 104,800 860,793 346,846 295,500 480,415 407,000 147,500 46,305 335,000 539,092

Value in million 406.00 398.38 287.26 232.99 199.06 187.08 186.81 146.44 117.37 114.85

Value in million 33.29 29.69 18.21 17.75 15.47 14.52 13.45 12.47 9.49 9.42

% of total turnover 6.90 6.78 4.89 3.96 3.39 3.18 3.18 2.49 2.00 1.95

% of total turnover 8.61 7.68 4.71 4.59 4.00 3.75 3.48 3.22 2.45 2.44

Daily closing 97.00 323.90 904.10 34.10 269.90 317.60 70.00 81.10 49.30 280.90

Daily closing 323.20 34.20 52.50 59.80 33.30 35.30 90.90 269.20 28.20 17.30

Price change 4.08 5.20 -0.10 -3.13 0.71 1.73 4.95 9.89 5.79 0.36

Daily opening 93.20 307.90 905.00 35.20 268.00 312.20 66.70 73.80 46.60 279.90

Daily high 98.50 331.00 908.70 38.70 270.70 325.00 71.00 81.10 50.00 285.00

Daily low 84.00 302.00 860.00 31.70 255.00 285.00 61.00 72.70 45.40 257.00

Daily average 95.50 316.77 904.83 34.44 269.68 315.75 68.88 78.51 48.01 278.78

Price change 5.14 -3.12 2.54 4.55 9.18 -0.84 0.66 0.75 -1.05 -2.81

Daily opening 307.40 35.30 51.20 57.20 30.50 35.60 90.30 267.20 28.50 17.80

Daily high 330.00 35.50 53.00 61.90 33.50 36.40 92.00 270.90 28.80 17.80

Daily low 309.00 34.00 48.00 56.90 31.00 35.20 90.10 267.50 28.10 17.30

Daily average 317.62 34.49 52.51 60.08 32.20 35.68 91.19 269.28 28.32 17.47

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Friday, August 8, 2014

US Treasury looks to hold more cash to deal with future crises n Reuters, Washington The US Treasury wants to increase its daily cash holdings, a measure that would help Washington pay its bills during a crisis, a senior official said on Wednesday.

If adopted, the new policy would help the government in the event an emergency shut down markets and left Washington unable to borrow money to pay creditors and other obligations.

“Holding more cash on hand is a prudent measure,” Treasury Assistant Secretary Matt Rutherford said in a news conference.

He said the measures would help public finances weather events like the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks or 2012’s Superstorm Sandy, both of which disrupted Wall Street trading. Washington borrows vast sums in weekly auctions to pay its bills.

Investors who met with Treasury officials on Tuesday urged the government to increase its daily cash holdings to around $500bn. That would be enough to cover about 10 days worth of outlays.

A change in policy, however, would not buy the government any additional time if it runs into a legal limit on borrowing next year.

Current law will limit the amount of cash Treasury can hold when a cap on federal borrowing becomes binding again in March 2015. The US government suspended the debt ceiling in February of this year.

Even if the Treasury changes its cash management policy, it would be obligated to reduce its daily balance

ECB holds rates, waits for new funding measures to kick in n Reuters, Frankfurt The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged yesterday, holding off fresh policy action as it prepares to launch fresh funding for banks next month that it hopes will lift inflation from rock-bottom levels.

The decision to leave rates unchanged was expected after the ECB cut them in June, taking its deposit rate below zero and announcing a new round of long-term loans for banks that will be tied to lending to smaller companies. The first such loans will be available on September. 18. l

mPower’s ‘Farmer Query System’ wins best innovation award

n Tribune Business Desk

‘Farmer Query System’, a mobile-based agro advisory service developed by mPower Social Enterprises Ltd, has won the mBillionth award 2014’ in mAgriculture Category, according to a press statement released yesterday.

One of the highly respected award in this part of the world, mBillionth has been recognising social innovations for more than five years by partnering with organisations like Vodafone, Qualcomm & PwC. Upon competing with 14 finalists from South East Asia, this prestigious award was handed over to mPower’s Founder & CEO Mridul Chowdhury on July 18, at a ceremoney in India. l

to around $33bn in March, Rutherford said. The Treasury held about $66bn in cash on Monday, a typical level in recent months.

Rutherford said a decision had not been made yet on the policy, and that officials would be studying the matter.

Rutherford also announced the United States will buy back debt in the coming quarter for the first time since 2002 to make sure its computer infrastructure is adequate for any future buyback operations.

He stressed the buyback does not signal any current need to buy back debt.

“Given that IT systems have changed significantly in the 12 years since the last buyback operation, Treasury believes it is prudent to regularly test the current IT infrastructure,” Rutherford said.

He described the upcoming buyback as a “small-scale” operation.

Buybacks can help the Treasury manage liquidity in different segments of the bond market when budget deficits are declining, Rutherford wrote in a 2007 paper on buybacks that he coauthored when he was on the staff at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The paper also said buybacks can help the Treasury manage its cash balance and smooth weekly fluctuations in Treasury bill offerings.

The tests could augur more substantial buybacks years down the road, said Thomas Simons, a money market strategist at Jefferies & Co in New York.

“Why test the buyback when you won’t use it at some point?” Simons said. l

B3 Banglalink sees 9% revenue growth in Q2 n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

World Brand Congress Awards Photo

World Brand Congress Awards Samsung Mobile Bangladesh n Tribune Business Desk World Brand Congress has very recently awarded Samsung Mobile Bangladesh under the ‘Best use of Social Media in Marketing’ category.

The World Brand Congress, held this year in Singapore, honors the world’s branding and marketing elite for Brand Excellence. Mahzabin Ferdous, Manager of BTL and Digital Media, of Samsung Mobile Bangladesh received the award.

Samsung Mobile Bangladesh utilizes its social media with the primary focus to engage heavily with both po-

tential and existing customers, giving them an extremely interactive platform. Tools range from user-generated campaigns to witty technology-based quizzes and online games to pre-book promotions for their flagship products. Over the years, the company has launched very popular online reality shows as well featuring celebrities and idols of the country’s youth. Not only that, every day the Facebook page alone receives over 450 queries on an average which are answered within 3 hours with personalized replies and real-time solutions.

“We have experienced a brilliant

surge in direct communication and interaction among our customers and well-wishers regarding our products and services on our official Facebook page in the last three years. We believe our social media tools have played a great role in boosting our sales as well as the consumer’s faith in the brand, Samsung”, said Mahzabin Ferdous, Manager of BTL and Digital Media, Samsung Mobile Bangladesh. She also adds “Having a social media platform not only adds credibility for the business as well as changes consumers’ perception of the company’s products/ services”. l

Mobile phone operator Banglalink’s revenue surged by 9% during the second-quarter (April-June) from the previous quarter’s earnings.

Its earnings increased to Tk11bn in April-June period this year from Tk10bn in January-March period.

Voice, interconnection and VAS revenues were the key drivers in the growth, said Banglalink’s parent company Vimpelcom in a report published on Wednesday.

The earnings from these sectors increased mostly thanks to 10% growth in the number of customers which stood at 29.8m.

According to the report, while the country’s second largest operator’s revenue growth continued to drop during all four quarters last year, it started to take a U-turn reverse with the start of 2014.

In last two quarters the operator witnessed revenue growth.

In first half of the year, Banglalink has earned Tk21bn compared to Tk19bn during the same period last year.

Vimpelcom said Banglalink ended the quarter with more than 2,100 3G sites deployed across the country.

In the report Vimpelcom CEO Jo Londer expected higher growth potentials in 3G as smartphone penetration increased by 2% in the second quarter.

He also expected further expansion of mobile financial services like ticketing, payments, remittance and money transfer.

In the second quarter, capital expenditure (Capex) jumped by nearly 229% to $43m from $13m in June 2013, driven by the roll-out of 3G infrastructure, according to the Vimpelcom report.

During the quarter, Banglalink continued to focus on improving its 2G network coverage, expanding its 3G footprint with more than 2,100 3G sites and delivering the best value for its customers, according to it. l

Euro edges up in Asia ahead of central bank meetings

Russia puts the squeeze on Europe as focus turns to ECB

n AFP, Tokyo

The first Russian riposte in a sanctions tussle with the West over Ukraine kept European shares and the euro under pressure yesterday, as markets waited to hear how the European Central Bank would respond to the crisis.

Stocks in the region were on edge as a week-long slide, which has also seen nervy investors drive yields on safe-haven German government debt to all-time lows, continued. Russia said on Wednesday it would ban all food imports from the United States and all fruit and vegetables from Europe, in a sweeping response to Western sanctions for Moscow’s support for separatists in Ukraine.

As fighting has intensified on the ground in eastern Ukraine, NATO said Moscow had massed around 20,000 combat-ready troops on the Ukrainian border and warned of a possible advance.

Russian shares, which have lost almost 20 percent in the last three weeks, took another 1.3% hit, followed by Europe’s main bourses in London, Frank-

The euro edged up in Asia yesterday ahead of a slate of central bank meetings as investors focus on whether European policymakers will hint at further monetary easing.

In Tokyo afternoon trading, the European single currency bought $1.3385 and 136.93 yen, against $1.3384 and 136.66 yen in New York on Wednesday.

The dollar strengthened to 102.30 yen against 102.11 yen.

While no new European Central Bank stimulus measures are expected this time, some analysts say Thursday’s ECB meeting could spark more euro selling if its chief Mario Draghi hints at the need for further action.

“The BoE (Bank of England) and ECB hold meetings today, but very little is expected of either,” National Australia Bank said.

Traders are watching “how (Draghi) characterises the present state of the

economy, particularly as the risks to Germany’s economy are rising and the effect of Russian sanctions and geopolitical risk may have lowered their outlook.

'The BoE (Bank of England) and ECB hold meetings today, but very little is expected of either'

“The market will be expecting that. An acknowledgement may be enough to send the euro lower.”

Currency markets have been wobbly with Israel’s invasion of Gaza and rising tensions in the Ukraine crisis hitting in-

vestor sentiment.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin slapped one-year bans and limits on food and agricultural imports from nations that have imposed sanctions on Russia over its defiant stance on Ukraine.

The Bank of Japan also kicks off a two-day policy meeting yesterday.

The dollar was higher against most other Asia-Pacific currencies.

It rose to 32.24 Thai baht from 32.17 baht on Wednesday, to Sg$1.2495 from Sg$1.2485, to 1,034.80 South Korean won from 1,034.55 won, to 11,773.80 Indonesian rupiah from 11,760.00 rupiah and to 43.95 Philippine pesos from 43.74 pesos.

The dollar weakened to 61.29 Indian rupees from 61.35 rupees and to Tw$30.00 from Tw$30.01.

The Australian dollar slipped to 92.87 US cents from 93.03 cents, while the Chinese yuan changed hands at 16.58 yen against 16.60 yen. l

n Reuters, London

furt and Paris which were down 0.2-0.4 percent in choppy morning trading.

“The magnitude of the impact of the sanctions is hard to judge because we don’t know how long they will be in place or whether there are ways that companies can get around them,” said Kerry Craig, a global markets strategist at JP Morgan.

“I think investors are also looking at the general loss of momentum in the (European) economy we have seen in the last couple of months, looking at the world around them and adjusting their portfolios accordingly.”

As German Bund yields hit their latest record low of the week and gold jumped back above 1,300 an ounce, the focus turned to what should normally be the European Central Bank’s least eventful meeting of the year.

The Bank is certain to keep its interest rates at all-time lows but markets will be keen to see what impact it thinks the tensions with Russia will have on an already fragile euro zone economy and worryingly low inflation. l

Kazi Khurram Ahmed, managing director of EMX Limited, Bangladesh and Ostrin Pte Limited, Singapore has recently been appointed as the consul of Gambia in Bangladesh

First Security Islami Bank Training Institute has recently inaugurated its 24th foundation course for the bank’s newly recruited trainee assistant officers in Bashundhara. The bank’s managing director AAM Zakaria attended the launching ceremony

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited in Bangladesh has recently signed an agreement with Grand Sultan Tea Resort and Golf on providing number of privileges to HSBC Select customers. Tony Khan, general manager of Grand Sultan Tea Resort and Golf and Sabbir Ahmed, the bank’s head of retail banking and wealth management signed the agreement

Banga Bakers Ltd, a sister concern of PRAN-RFL Group has recently launced an outlet named Tasty Treat at Tajmahal road in Dhaka. Lt Col Mahtabuddin Ahmed (retd), chairperson of PRAN-RFL Group inaugurated the outlet

ASM Mohiuddin Monem has recently been appointed as the consul of Czech Republic.

Monem is the deputy-managing director of Abdul Monem Limited and chairperson of ServicEngine Limited

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Friday, August 8, 2014

Nine mistakes Bangladeshi brands are making online Alam and Monoshita n Ovick Ayruani Online marketing is bursting into the scene in Bangladesh. Many brands are slowly shifting their budgets to online, mainly through social media channels and predominantly, to Facebook. But we are missing some key points which can make these marketing efforts much more effective. We have listed down some key mistakes Bangladeshi brands are making online:

Defined strategy

Not defining clear goals, expectations and budgets is a recipe for disaster.

Many brands are not incorporating a digital strategy into their marketing plan. They are still treating online as just an extension of offline marketing, thus not putting sufficient thought into digital.

Engaging with users

Many brands are exclusively focusing on acquiring ‘followers’ through ads, often forgetting to listen to their users and trigger conversations. The power of social media allows brands to be responsive and interactive, warm and friendly, vocal and accommodating; not leveraging such features of social media is a shame.

Focus on user experience

Many brands using social media as just another platform to push their ads through one-way communications this defeats the purpose of going “social”. Moreover, ads are often directed to wrong audience, and disregards user experience in design and copy.

Visibility on search engines

Exclusively Facebook-focused marketing makes it difficult for search engines to index and rank local content.

Moreover, at WebAble, we feel brands should start with a website, optimize their contents in search engines, set-up search marketing and then go for social ads to drive traffic back to site.

copywriting, optimization and distribution. The practice of content marketing is quite non-existent as brands are mostly focused on ads. However, creating great content which adds value to target audience is priceless.

Funnels and data

Very few companies are directing their online traffic through a systematic flow to capture and use data for follow-ups.

Companies can use all social channels to drive traffic to their website, land them on desired pages, present offers, get users to sign up with e-mail addresses or phone numbers, build lists and follow up through tools like email marketing and retargeting.

Measuring the impact on bottom line

ROI of digital marketing is rarely measured (mainly because KPIs are not set on the first place) and compared to offline media, thus limiting objective assessment of impact on brand’s bottomline. There are lots of free analytics tools available to us, Facebook Page Insights and Google Analytics being the two most obvious ones.

Losing customers in the clutter

Many brands can’t break through the clutter due to mediocre content and ‘pushy’ ads. By “mediocre” we mean not well thought out, third party content with copyright issues, wrong sizes, etc. Best approach is to create original contents for blogs and promote them through social channels or just create original, branded contents for the social media.

Rapidly changing dynamics of platforms

While it is evolving everyday, digital space is still in its infancy. Many brands are struggling to keep-up with the rapidly changing dynamics of digital platforms. While it is actually very hard to keep up, brands may consider hiring digital agencies to be on the cutting edge and ahead of competition. l

Elderly women do morning exercises in Shanghai

Moody’s: Global growth to slow as populations age n AFP, Paris As populations age around the world, economies will be held back and growth trends will slow sharply in the next 20 years, a report forecast yesterday.

The mismatch of old people to the numbers of people at work is no longer a shadow only over advanced economies; it now extends to emerging markets as well, a report by rating agency Moody’s said.

This demographic time bomb, and related drop in household savings, could reduce the trend of annual growth worldwide by 0.4% by 2019, the agency warned.

Between 2020 and 2025 the impact could be “much larger”, amounting to 0.9%, it said.

Analysing the impact of a major shift in the age demographics of workers around the world, the agency said that more than 60 percent of countries

which feature in its credit ratings will be classified as ageing by next year, with more than seven per cent of their populations aged over 65.

By 2020, it said, the number of “super-aged” societies, where more than a fifth of the population are 65 and older, will increase from three today to 13. By 2030, the number will reach 34.

US-based Moody’s monitors the resilience of public finances and issues credit ratings for government debt bonds.

Ageing a worldwide ‘problem’

When a population ages faster than it is replaced by people of working age who produce goods, services and wealth, the costs of providing for the aged can outstrip public and private resources available, over-stretching pensions systems, over-burdening public finances and pushing up interest rates on the bond market.

In its report, which was based on a

Content optimisation

Ovick Alam is the Co-founder of WebAble and Monoshita Ayruani is the community manager at WebAble

FAO: World food prices hit sixmonth low in July n Reuters, Rome

Samsung’s next reinvention challenge

Brands are not getting the best out of their content due to lack of effective

Global food prices hit a six-month low in July led mainly by sharp declines in grains, oilseeds and dairy, which balanced out rising meat and firm sugar prices, the United Nations food agency said yesterday.

Food prices are set to be stable over the next 10 years, after global producers responded to price shocks which led to violent protests in the last decade by raising output, the United Nations and FAO said last month.

An import ban imposed by Russia to stop countries that have sanctioned Moscow over Ukraine from selling food there for the next year will likely have a limited effect on global food prices, senior FAO economist Abdolreza Abbassian said.

“The first casualties would be the domestic market, however it will have some implications for the farmers in the producing countries,” Abdolreza Abbassian said, pointing to a possible rise in unsold surplus stocks in some exporter countries which could depress prices further.

“I’m wondering what Poland will do with all those extra apples and where the poultry from the United States is going to end up,” Abbassian said.

Abbassian said out that the Russian ban - on imports of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, milk and dairy from the United States, European Union, Australia, Canada and Norway - does not affect major commodities like grains which are used as a gauge of global food security. July’s price index figure was 1.7% below July 2013, its fourth consecutive monthly fall.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) price index, which measures monthly price changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, averaged 203.9 points in July, down 4.4 points or 2.1% from June.

Global cereal prices dropped thanks to excellent production and export prospects in many major producing countries, FAO said, bringing its cereal price index to 185.4 points in July, down 10.7 points or 5.5% from June and as much as 36.9 points below its level this time last year. l

n Reuters, Seoul As its smartphone sales stutter and a generational leadership succession looms, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is under pressure to reinvent itself - to be more innovative, but not lose the rigor and focus that made it a global powerhouse.

One effort this summer to foster a more worker-friendly environment and a more creative culture is to allow staff at its main Suwon campus south of Seoul to wear shorts to work at weekends. Working hours are more flexible, and female staff can take maternity leave without worrying about job security.

The flagship of South Korea’s dominant conglomerate, or chaebol, is also trying to address shifting cultural values at home by curbing some of the excesses hardwired into corporate Korea.

Forced late-night drinking sessions, long a staple of local office life, are out.

“It’s 1-1-9 for evening company outings now: one type of alcohol, in one place and only until 9pm,” said a Samsung employee in his eighth year at the firm. “Younger staff are no longer forced to stay, and the senior workers will be careful not to upset their subordinates,” he said, asking not to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Samsung last month posted an unexpectedly sharp drop in secondquarter earnings, squeezed by falling market share in smartphones, and with no obvious driver in sight to reverse the decline. Chairman Lee Kun-hee, 72, who has famously managed Samsung with a sense of “permanent crisis”, remains hospitalized following a May heart attack.

The ascension of his son and heirapparent, the Harvard-educated Jay Y. Lee, 46, could be a breath of fresh air, but effecting wholesale change in the way the sprawling company operates would be a Herculean task and could prove a mistake.

“The company is in somewhat of a Catch-22 when it comes to changing its culture,” said Jay Subhash, a former senior product manager who left Samsung in April. “It desperately needs to adopt a culture that fosters openness, creativity and innovation. But doing so would jeopardize its greatest existing

AFP

cultural asset, its militaristic hierarchy, which enables it to operate at lightning speed to outpace the competition.”

'Soul searching'

Samsung has long emphasized the need for creativity while hiring more foreign talent as it operates in increasingly diverse markets. Along with relaxed rules on work hours, it stresses a “Work Smart” philosophy to reduce unnecessary time spent at the office.

While it’s hoped a looser environment will help stir new ideas, some insiders say progress is slow against what’s often described as an entrenched culture of rigid, top-down management.

“Samsung’s doing some soul searching right now, it’s asking itself ‘who am I, and what should I do next?” said Chang Sea-jin, a business professor at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and author of “Sony Vs Samsung”.

“In the long term, the company needs to become global and open. Giving employees more autonomy can lead to loss of control, but this will in the long run benefit the company by developing talent that can run the business from a global perspective.”

The drop in second-quarter profit triggered some symbolic belt-tightening at Samsung: Handset division managers gave up part of their bonuses and downgraded to economy class for shorter flights - acts of loyalty that are part of Samsung’s culture, which emphasizes urgency in action.

While the company is a market leader in smartphones, TVs, refrigerators and memory chips, it’s saddled with a perception that it’s a “fast-follower” and not an innovator like Apple Inc or Google Inc. Samsung is hardly alone in the culture struggle.

Many Korean firms deal with the same issues stemming from the legacy of the country’s Confucian, conformist culture, which has also fueled its industrial success. Several Samsung employees interviewed by Reuters said that those who “stand out” from the norm struggle and often end up leaving.

“The core challenge for Korea is that as a Confucian culture that has deep respect for age, hierarchy is very im-

sample of 33 developed and 22 emerging market countries, Moody’s concluded that ageing is no longer “just a developed-world problem”, with a broad spectrum of countries affected.

“Demographic transition, frequently considered a long-term problem, is upon us now and will significantly lower economic growth,” said Elena Duggar, a senior vice-president at the agency and one of the authors of the Moody’s Investors Service report.

“The demographic dividend that drove economic growth in the past will turn into a demographic tax that will ultimately slow this growth for most countries worldwide,” the report added.

The global working-age population will grow nearly half as fast in the years to 2030 as in the previous 15 years, increasing by only 13.6%, down from growth of 24.8, Moody’s estimated.

It said that all countries, with the

exception of a handful in Africa, face either a declining working-age population, or a slower growth rate.

The working-age population will fall by more than 10% in about 16 countries, including Germany, Russia, Ukraine and Japan, between now and 2030, the report said.

The authors highlighted a number of policy areas in which governments can mitigate the impacts of an ageing society on the economy, such as by increasing the number of women and young people who are available for work, and by raising the retirement age.

It said work-place innovation, higher productivity rates and “streamlined migration” could also help.

“Innovation and technological progress that improve labour productivity and human capital can also dampen the effects of the rapid demographic changes on economic growth over the long term,” the report said. l

portant and so what you’ll find is that it’s hard to innovate in an environment where challenging your boss is not something you can easily do,” said Shaun Cochran, head of CLSA Korea.

Signs of change

Samsung is making efforts to address that.

In July, Chief Financial Officer Lee Sang-hoon asked how Samsung can respond to rapid changes in the tech industry in the first “Grand Discussion”, an initiative for more dialogue, through the company’s newly launched Mosaic internal message board. The discussion generated 4,221 ideas and comments.

“Samsung takes pride in the creativity and diversity of its talented people and will constantly strive to create an environment where they have the opportunity to grow,” the company said in a statement to Reuters. The company did not make an executive available for an interview, but provided Reuters with written material on various initiatives.

Under its “Creative Lab” program, employees can individually or in teams take a year to develop an idea they come up with if it’s deemed worthy of pursuit. Samsung says it had some 14,000 ideas last year through this program and other company initiatives.

Employees and Samsung watchers say cultural change is inevitable as a younger generation of Koreans increasingly demands more than just high wages.

In a survey this year by job portal Incruit, Korean Air Lines Co ranked as the country’s most desirable employer, snapping Samsung’s 10-year run at the top. Incruit said Samsung’s reputation for imposing a heavy workload and limiting personal time jarred with a growing preference for work-life balance.

That said, some two-thirds of Samsung’s nearly 300,000-strong workforce is outside South Korea, and the vast majority of its revenue is generated away from home.

Among leading South Korean firms, Samsung stands out in that it doesn’t discriminate on where job applicants were educated, said Im Chan-soo, head of LCS Communications in the southern port city of Busan, which offers private lessons for those preparing for interviews at Samsung. l

Asia’s most expensive home per square foot on sale in Hong Kong n AFP, Hong Kong Asia’s most expensive home per square foot is set to go on sale in Hong Kong, which boasts some of the world’s costliest properties despite efforts to curb skyrocketing prices.

The 4,661 square-foot (433 squaremetre) ultra-luxury home, located in the southern Chinese city’s affluent Peak district, comes with a HK$819m ($105.67m) price tag. This would make it Asia’s most expensive home per square foot if a buyer matches the price sought by developer Sun Hung Kai Properties, according to analysts Thursday.

With four bedrooms the house is compact by luxury standards, but it comes with a swimming pool, jacuzzi, elevator and an exclusive location on Victoria Peak, the central mountain on Hong Kong island that offers spectacular views over the city.

“It should be Asia’s most expensive

DILBERT

per square foot,” if sold at the asking price, Joanne Lee, manager for Colliers International research department, told AFP. Despite efforts by Hong Kong’s government to curb property prices by boosting stamp duty for foreign residential property buyers, Lee said developers are still pricing property projects aggressively to tap into demand from wealthy buyers from mainland China.

“They are trying to attract mainland buyers instead of local buyers,” she said. “Some mainlanders, they are looking for this kind of thing -- like the biggest or the most expensive houses.”

There is no date set for the public sale, with the move-in date expected to be later this year. The government has in recent years imposed new taxes, raised stamp duty and staged a series of land auctions to boost supply and bring down prices in an attempt to tame one of the world’s least affordable housing markets. l