19 Aug, 2014

Vadro 4, 1421 Shawal 22, 1435 Regd. No. DA 6238 Vol 2, No 137

TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

20 pages | Price: Tk12

B1 | BUSINESS

8 | WORLD

11 | OP-ED

14 | SPORT

JUTE PACKAGING ACT STILL AT LOW THRESHOLD

IRAQ FORCES RETAKE MOSUL DAM

TWO WITH A VISION

ARSENAL SET FOR BESIKTAS TEST

JS to get back authority to impeach judges Cabinet okays 16th amendment bill n Mohosinul Karim The Jatiya Sangsad is finally set to get the authority to impeach the Supreme Court judges, 39 years after losing the power under a martial law order.

The council of ministers yesterday gave its nod to reinstate article 96 of the 1972 constitution, revising the existing one which was amended through

P3 BNP’S REACTION the fourth and the fifth amendments to the constitution in 1975 and 1978.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the cabinet meeting that approved the draft of the “Constitution (16th Amendment) Act 2014,” allowing the restoration of parliament’s authority to impeach Supreme Court judges.

The final approval was given on condition of vetting of the Law Ministry.

The draft bill was prepared and tabled in the cabinet by the same ministry.

“The draft will be tabled in the next parliament session set to begin on September 1,” Law Minister Anisul Huq told reporters. “We are expecting that it will be passed during this session.

“If parliament passes the 16th amendment bill, the provision of forming Supreme Judicial Council to remove Supreme Court judges will be erased from the constitution. Parliament, as a forum of elected public representatives, will get the authority to remove the judges with the consent of the President.”

Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan after the meeting told journalists: “According to the amendment, article 96 of the 1972 constitution will be revived allowing the parliament instead of the Supreme Judicial Council to impeach Supreme Court judges for their misconduct.”

According to article 96(2) of the draft amendment, parliament would not be  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Rickshaws and pedestrians wade through ankle-deep water following a heavy shower at the capital’s Chankharpul area yesterday

MEHEDI HASAN

Move comes two years after the JS-judiciary row n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

Many senior lawyers oppose cabinet’s Chief whip’s attempt to save MP hostel officer fails move over judges’ impeachment

The ruling Awami League moved to reintroduce a constitutional provision to impeach judges by the legislature, after more than two years have passed since the grand alliance MPs of the ninth parliament had raised such a demand.

The situation arose when a high court judge ruled that then speaker Abdul Hamid, now president of the republic, had committed seditious offence by making comments about the judiciary.

What the speaker said about the Supreme Court was “provocative and tantamount to treason against the state,” said Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury on June 5, 2012.

His comments sparked debate in parliament with the MPs demanding the removal of the judge through the formation of the Supreme Judicial Council or restoration of the original

Senior lawyers and constitution experts have expressed opinions against the government move to authorise parliament to impeach Supreme Court judges for misconduct and violating the constitution.

Dr Kamal Hossain, head of the committee that framed the country’s constitution in 1972 and Amir-Ul Islam, another member of the committee, have vehemently opposed the cabinet decision to amend the constitution to restore article 96 of the original constitution.

The original article 96 empowered the legislature to remove judges with two-third majority in the assembly.

However, former Supreme Court Justice Syed Amirul Islam talked in favour of allowing parliament to impeach judges. He said if the legislature had the authority to remove the president, then why not judges.

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

Dr Kamal said: “I do not support this move at this moment. This move has created fear among people. I consider it an attack on the judiciary, and it will hurt the independence of the justice system, which is a must for an effective democracy.

“We have seen in the past how the judiciary had been fragmented during

P3 ‘NOTHING TO PANIC’ Ershad’s rule; how the chief justice was shown the door,” the veteran lawyer said.

He said the lawyers had to fight for a long time to establish the independence of the judiciary. “In 1972, we had the national unity that led us to empower parliament to impeach the judges. That scenario does not exist any more. Now, the situation is reversed.”

Barrister Amir-ul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that empowering the

legislature to impeach judges would “destroy” everything.

“Those who have suggested that the government make such a decision are not its friends. This will not only curtail the independence of the judiciary, but also destroy everything,” he said.

He also said the present mechanism for impeaching judges, that is the Supreme Judicial Council, was better than impeachment by parliament.

The lawyer said the formation of the Supreme Judicial Council was in the hands of the executive as the President could constitute the council.

“In 1972, we empowered the legislature to impeach judges, keeping in mind that we would appoint judges in a way that would not warrant the removal of judges for misconduct and violation of the constitution,” said Barrister Amir.

He also said the UK and the Indian  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

n Kamran Reza Chowdhury Chief Whip ASM Feroz has failed in his alleged efforts to unlawfully influence the parliament’s House Committee to adopt a resolution against the arrest of an officer suspected of criminal wrongdoing, following counter-arguments from another MP who said the parliamentary body should not poke its nose into a police investigation.

The police suspect that Ajit Kumar Dey, an administrative officer-incharge of the parliament’s hostel wing, was an accomplice of a fake army major who was arrested for trespassing in an MP’s office with the help of Salahuddin Md Amin, the caretaker of the hostel wing who maintains keys of all rooms of the MP hostel.

Upon clearance from Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, the police arrested Salahuddin; but Ajit has been lobbying with the MPs, showing grounds

that the police cannot arrest anyone in the parliament premises without the permission of the speaker.

“I think Ajit is not involved in it [the crime]. He should not be arrested.

We can consider whether the House

Police suspect Ajit helped a fake army major in trespassing in an MP’s office Committee can take a resolution on this,” Feroz told a meeting of the committee which Ajit also attended.

The chief whip admitted to the Dhaka Tribune about making the comments at the meeting.

Discussing security arrangements at the parliament secretariat, the chief whip raised the issue of the fake  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Tensions rule fate of Gaza truce, death toll tops 2000 n Agencies

The Gaza death toll rose over 2,000 yesterday as the clock ticked towards a midnight deadline and Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Cairo strove to hammer out a decisive end to weeks of bloodshed.

As millions in and around Gaza enjoyed an eighth day of calm brought on by two back-to-back truce agreements,

tensions were once again on the rise ahead of a new deadline ending a fiveday ceasefire which expired at 2100 GMT. The aim was to broker a long-term arrangement to halt over a month of bloody fighting which erupted on July 8 although both sides have largely lowered their guns since August 4 thanks to a series of brief truce arrangements.

Ahead of the deadline, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas was sched-

INSIDE 3 | News

The BNP yesterday alleged that the government is aiming to establish a one-party parliamentary system through its attempts to amend the constitution and empower the parliament to impeach Supreme Court judges.

4 | News

The Malaysian human resources minister, Richard Riot Anak Jaem, yesterday said his country would recruit more Bangladeshi labourers, but did not specify how many or what the timetable for recruitment would be.

6 | Nation

At least 60,000 people living in the low-laying areas of the districts have become marooned as the flood situation took a serious turn due to the continual downpour during the ongoing rainy season.

7 | Long Form

The Partition of India and the vivisection of Bengal in 1947 no longer stands at the front and centre of public consciousness in East Bengal, now Bangladesh.

9 | World

The death toll from three days of flooding and torrential rain in Nepal and India rose to more than 180 people yesterday, as relief teams sent food, tents and medicine to prevent any outbreaks of disease.

12 | Entertainment

Band music has immense popularity in the country especially among youngsters who often consider band musicians as their idols. Despite the huge popularity, opening and continuing a new band remains challenging and even impossible for many musicians.

uled to travel to Doha to meet with exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal today and also hold talks with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

Qatar is a key backer of Hamas, the de facto rulers of Gaza.

Last night, the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency reported, quoting Palestinian officials, that the Israeli and Palestinian teams had signed an outline ceasefire agreement that details the is-

sues that both sides have agreed to, and those that will be discussed in a second round of negotiations at a later date.

The Israeli team returned to Jerusalem for consultations at midnight. In the meeting, the Israelis would either approve or reject the proposal, it reports.

Palestinian sources close to the negotiations told Ynet that both sides were working on extending the temporary truce for a few days, beyond its

midnight deadline, rather than signing a long-term ceasefire deal.

In an apparent attempt to pressure Hamas, Egypt said it would co-host an international fundraising conference for Gaza, but only if a deal is reached, reports Fox News.

Since last week, Egypt has been hosting indirect talks between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending a devastating  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

‘Anti-Indian feelings exist in Bangladesh’ n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Sitaram Sharma, chairman of an Indian government-sponsored think tank, yesterday claimed that anti-Indian feelings had existed in Bangladesh, especially in the military circles, to some extent since the Liberation War. “A country needs an external foe, like many others. After 1971, India replaced West Pakistan in that role. There is a natural tendency to see an Indian hand behind all disturbing events,” he said at an international seminar in the capital.

He led the delegation from the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS) that came to Dhaka to take part in the seminar.

Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies organised the seminar titled “Contemporary Thoughts on Bangladesh-India Relations: Challenges and Opportunities.”

Sharma said: “India prefers democratic governments because it considers them less likely to be anti-Indian.”

In response, former ambassador Mohsin Ali Khan said Bangladeshis did not have anti-Indian feelings, but there were “frustration and resentment” as Dhaka did not receive its due deliverables from New Delhi.

He said even the main opposition party BNP publicly said they wanted to have a good relationship with India.

Former foreign secretary Farooq Sobhan said the issue of illegal immigration was constantly voiced by India when he was high commissioner to New Delhi from 1992 to 1995.

“The Indian government, experts and others claimed that there were 20 million illegal immigrants living in In-

dia,” he said. “Please tell us who they are where they are.”

Some people moved to India in 1947, 1971 and 1975, he said, asking: “But what is the definition of illegal immigrants?”

About 80 million Bangla-speaking people live in West Bengal and a good number of Bangla-speaking people in different parts of India.

“Are they from West Bengal or are they from Bangladesh – how do we establish that?” the former foreign secretary questioned.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election campaign raised the issue of illegal immigration and on several occasions threatened to send the illegal immigrants back to Bangladesh after he assumed power on May 26.

Farooq said he saw no reason why there should be visa between the two countries.

“Yes, there may be insurgents and terrorists, but do these people line up and take visas before they cross over to engage in acts of terrorism?” he added.

About North-east India, he said: “India’s north-east side has no future without economic integration with Bangladesh.”

In the programme, former ambassador Muhammad Zamir said under international law, India cannot withdraw water from any common river.

India has long been withdrawing water for irrigation and other purposes, depriving Bangladesh of its due share of water of the common rivers, he said.

Bangladesh has 54 common rivers and 52 of them are with India.

About border management, he said it is a violation of international humanitarian law to kill anybody at the border. l

After being deemed risky for public use, the footbridge near Farmgate's Ananda Cinema Hall was recently declared closed. However, the threat to pedestrians remain as they have to risk their lives and dodge speeding cars while crossing the busy road yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

BNP leader Mosharraf dies n Tribune Report Adviser to the BNP chairperson and former lawmaker Mosharraf Hossain, 80, passed away yesterday at a hospital in the capital.

Mosharraf was admitted to United Hospital few days back because of old-age complications. He died around 7:30pm, said the chairperson's Press Secretary Syrul Kabir Khan. l

Tensions rule fate of Gaza truce  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

month-long war. But just hours before a temporary five-day truce was to expire at midnight, it remained unclear whether a long-term deal would be reached.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would only accept an agreement which contained “a clear answer” to its security needs, while Hamas has insisted there would be no deal without an end to Israel’s eightyear blockade on Gaza.

Before Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel would only accept a proposal for a long-term cease-

fire if Israel’s security needs were met.

“If Hamas thinks it will cover up its military defeat with a diplomatic achievement, it’s mistaken. If it thinks that by taking potshots at us we will concede, it’s mistaken,” he said.

US State Department Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Harf last night urged the Palestinians and Israel not to resume fire, Army Radio reports.

She said the US was hoping that the Palestinians and Israel would reach an agreement for a long-term ceasefire.

“If there is no permanent arrangement, the US will call on both sides to

Chief whip’s attempt  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

major’s arrest and said the security wing often harassed the MPs in the name of checking, but many intruders went unchecked.

“Why should Ajit be involved in it?” he asked the Sergeant-at-Arms Ashraful Haq; who replied by saying: “Why has Ajit been hiding? Ajit is the officer of the department that kept all keys of all rooms.”

Quoting police officials, Ashraful said the arrested persons had been maintaining offices at the MP hostel for more than a year, while Salahuddin and the fake major said they had connections with Ajit.

Police officials were also present at the House Committee meeting.

Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury, a committee member and the prime minister’s nephew, then took the floor.

“Why should we discuss the arrest

of an officer at the House Committee; this is not the forum to discuss the issue. If he was an MP, it could have been a matter for us,” Noor-E-Alam told the Dhaka Tribune after the meeting.

He said the speaker and the parliament secretariat were there to deal with this issue.

“The House Committee should stick its own duties. We must not take any resolution on whether the police should arrest him [Ajit] or not. If we adopt a resolution, it will create pressure on the police; they should act in accordance with the law,” he said. Immediate-past chief whip Abdus Shahid also supported Noor-E-Alam, asking the committee to refrain from adopting the resolution as proposed by the chief whip.

The committee then recommended that the MPs will have to maintain the keys to their offices and none would be allowed in the hostel after 10pm.

extend the current lull and continue talks,” she said.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry said the death toll rose to over 2,000 as more people succumbed to injuries sustained since the fighting began. The figures showed 2,016 people had been killed and another 10,196 wounded.

Among the dead were 541 children, 250 women and 95 elderly men – accounting for around 44 percent of the total number of victims.

Separately, the Israeli army confirmed that five of 64 soldiers killed in combat had died as a result of “friendly fire.” l

On August 12, security officials arrested Mahmud Hasan, a professional fraud who allegedly cheats people by promising jobs and contracts, and hostel caretaker Salahuddin, who allegedly used to enter the MP’s offices while they were outside Dhaka, just to show people that he had many offices at the Jatiya Sangsad premises.

Ashraful Moqbul, the parliament secretary, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The honourable speaker has already instructed us that anyone proved to be involved with the crime should face punishment in accordance with law.

“We will handover [Ajit] to the police for the sake of investigation, if necessary,” he added.

The association of the parliament officials yesterday also saw Pranab Chakravarty, an additional secretary of the parliament secretariat, demanding that Ajit should not be arrested. l

Move comes two years after the JS-judiciary row  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

article 96 of the constitution to make the judiciary accountable to the legislature.

According to the constitution, no legal proceedings can be initiated against the discussion in parliament, which is sovereign.

Justice Naima Haider rejected a hearing on a discussion in parliament.

On May 29, 2012, Abdul Hamid told parliament: “It does not look good when the court makes quick decisions to solve their problems and spends years on delivering justice, as the court is perceived neutral and independent.”

“If people are aggrieved with court verdicts, the day will come when they will stand against the court,” he said in response to a question from Shahriar Alam MP. It is Shahriar Alam who brought the issue of a High Court order on handover of a land by the Roads and

Highways Division to the notice of the House.

Senior MP Suranjit Sengupta raised the debate in the House.

“We handed over parliament’s authority to you [judiciary], considering that democracy is mature enough. We want you [chief justice] to exercise your authority to remove the judge who has clearly violated the constitution,” Suranjit said.

He said the Awami League needed five minutes to bring the authority of restoring article 96 of the 1972 constitution back to parliament.

“The judge has no right to stay in the chair for a moment because his derogatory remarks about the speaker amount to contempt of parliament.

“We will wait three days, and then we will bring back the parliament’s sovereign power [to impeach a judge through voting],” Suranjit said, urging

then president Zillur Rahman to initiate the formation of the Supreme Judicial Council.

But the council was not formed.

Awami League lawmakers Tofail Ahmed and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Jatiya Party’s Mujibul Haque and Mayeen Uddin Khan Badal of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal took part in the hour-long discussion moved by Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon.

“I think the time has come to restore article 96 of the 1972 constitution,” Tofail Ahmed said urging the government to amend the constitution to restore the parliament’s sovereignty.

Tofail then said the speaker had told parliament that the state organs should not cross their limits and rather supplement each other for the betterment of the people. The speaker did not make any comment against any of the state organs; rather he wanted all organs to

Many senior lawyers oppose  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

legislatures could impeach the judges.

“But they have not impeached any judge.”

Through a military proclamation, Maj Gen Ziaur Rahman, who usurped state power in 1975, curtailed parliament’s authority to impeach judges.

Any change to the constitution must be made through a two-third majority vote in the assembly.

Ziaur Rahman amended the charter with a new mechanism styled Supreme Judicial Council headed by the Chief Justice (ex officio). Two senior judges of the apex court would be included in the three-member body. That provision still remains.

In 2011, the Awami League brought the 15th amendment to the constitution to restore the original 1972 constitution, in line with court directives that declared Ziaur Rahman’s amendments illegal and void. But the judiciary strongly opposed the proposal for authorising

the legislature to impeach judges.

The government accepted their demand, keeping the Supreme Judicial Council unchanged.

Justice Syed Amirul Islam told a private TV channel that all developed countries had the constitutional provision to impeach the judges.

“The president appoints the judges.

The legislature can impeach the president. If that is so, why can the legislature not impeach the judges?” he asked.

He said the judges must be removed by a two-third majority in the House.

“When allegations come against a judge, the speaker of parliament should form a five-member probe body. The speaker should head the probe committee with the inclusion of two judges – one from the Supreme Court and the other from the Appellate Division,” he clarified.

“If the allegations were true, the speaker should then place the im-

peachment motion through the committee,” he said.

Syed Amirul also said the alleged must get the right to defend themselves in the legislature.

Prof Nizam Uddin Ahmed, a Chittagong University teacher who wrote several books on Bangladesh’s parliamentary politics and practices, told the Dhaka Tribune that ideally the legislature should impeach the judges.

“We incorporated the idea of impeaching judges by the legislature from the Indian constitution. But Pandit Nehru took Indian parliament to a new height; nobody ever raises any questions about parliament’s authority,” he said.

He also pointed out that the British parliament had the authority to impeach judges. “But we should not authorise a legislature, the legitimacy of which is in question, to impeach judges. People have very little faith in this parliament,” said Prof Nizam. l

JS to get back authority to impeach judges  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

able to remove or impeach a judge of the Supreme Court for his or her proven misconduct or inability without a minimum two-thirds majority vote of parliament and the consent of the president.

“The procedure of bringing an allegation, investigation, and proving and removing the Supreme Court judges will be determined by law. The parliament will enact a law to regulate the process,” article 96(3) reads.

However, the judges will have the authority to resign from their office by signing and submitting resignation letters to the president.

According to the existing article 96(2) of the charter, a judge shall not be removed from his or her office except in accordance with the following provisions of this article.

The article 96(3) says there shall be a Supreme Judicial Council, which shall consist of the chief justice of Bangladesh, and the two next senior Judges.

The article 96(4) elaborated the formation, terms and references and jurisdictions of the council.

The law minister told reporters after the cabinet meeting that his ministry would now complete the procedure to placing the amendment proposal as a

bill in the upcoming session of parliament.

Responding to a query, Anisul said: “The independence of the judiciary will not be hampered because of the amendment. The Supreme Court judges will be able to discharge their regular duties independently.”

He further said: “The government will also introduce a new Act titled ‘Impeachment Act’ within three months of the approval of parliament. It will also be passed in parliament like other laws after getting approval of the cabinet.”

The cabinet secretary said the draft was prepared following the constitutions and provisions of several developed and democratic countries that have parliamentary or presidential form of the government. The countries are the USA, Australia, Germany, the UK, India and Sri Lanka.

Of those, the USA and Sri Lanka are ruled under presidential form of government. Thus, their parliaments have the authority to remove the judges.

Citing several provisions of the existing constitution of Bangladesh, Musharraf said: “Parliament is now having the authority to remove the president and the speaker. It also has the authority to bring ‘no confidence motion’ against the prime minister to

remove him or her from office.

“The cabinet considers that authority of removing the judges must come under parliament as the judges may have scope to be convinced while investigating allegations against their long-time colleagues. The new process of investigating allegations will be determined by a new law.”

In reaction to the approval of the bill, the BNP yesterday alleged that the government was aiming to establish a one-party parliamentary system through this amendment to the constitution.

Meanwhile, former chief justice and Chairman of Law Commission ABM Khairul Haque appreciated the move of the government to amend the constitution empowering parliament to impeach the judges.

Terming the initiative “democratic,” he said: “The impeachment power will not curtail the independence of the judiciary.

Justice Khairul suggested that the judges must be given scope to defend themselves if any allegation of misconduct or inability is proved against them.

The 15th amendment to the constitution was passed in parliament on June 30, 2011 bringing 55 changes in the charter. l

work in harmony.

Sheikh Selim said the judiciary was independent but not above the legislature.

“Such an attack is not an attack on the speaker alone, it is an attack on the Jatiya Sangsad,” he said. “If the speaker is called a traitor, are all the lawmakers and the government deemed traitors too.”

He said the judiciary could in no way give its observation on parliamentary proceedings as the constitution has provided a blanket of immunity to the lawmakers for their discussion in the plenary and committees.

“I hope the judiciary will withdraw the judge and uphold the sovereignty of parliament,” he said adding that the judiciary should also apologise to the speaker.

Mujibul Haque said the judge might be a “psycho” who enjoys humiliating others. Shamsuddin was made a judge “at the mercy of the Awami League al-

though he has no qualification for the position.”

The judge’s comments questioned the parliament’s sovereignty, he said and demanded restoration of the parliament’s authority to impeach the Supreme Court judges.

JSD’s Badal said the judge’s comments were an ominous sign seen in the Pakistan era. “A quarter is out to create chaos when the government is trying to bring order in different sectors.”

After the January 5 election, the scenario changed.

In line with the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law Ministry, on April 27, the Bangladesh Law Commission sent a proposal on the ways for speedy disposal of pending cases.

Led by former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque, the commission, which advises the government on legal re-

forms, proposed that the constitution could be changed to restore the original article 96 of the constitution to make the judges accountable.

On July 16, the watchdog discussed the Law Commission report. Suranjit Sengupta, the chairman of the watchdog, told media the next day that the legislature should get back the authority of impeaching the judges for the parliament’s sovereignty.

In July, the prime minister told a press conference that her government had planned to amend the constitution to empower the legislature to remove judges for misconduct and violation of the charter.

The cabinet yesterday approved the constitution amendment bill to introduce the provision.

The bill is likely to be placed in the legislature in the upcoming third session starting on September 1. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

BNP: JS to get impeachment authority for establishing one-party rule n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The BNP yesterday alleged that the government is aiming to establish a one-party parliamentary system through its attempts to amend the constitution and empower the parliament to impeach Supreme Court judges.

“After becoming detached from the people, the government wants to stay in power using guns. They have enacted a broadcast policy to control the media. They have finalised the draft of empowering the parliament to impeach [Supreme Court] justices. In these ways, they want to establish a one-party ruling system in the country,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of the party, said.

The BNP spokesperson said a movement would be waged against such activities.

The cabinet yesterday approved the final draft of the 16th Amendment Act

2014, which – if passed by the House –would allow the restoration of the parliament’s authority to impeach Supreme Court judges. The bill is likely to be placed in the parliament session slated to start from September 1.

According to the existing constitutional provision, the Supreme Judicial Council – comprising of the chief justice and two other seniormost judges of the Appellate Division – investigates allegations of misconduct against any Supreme Court judge and makes necessary recommendations to the president.

The president then takes steps as per the suggestions. He can also impeach a judge for having physical and mental incapacity to properly perform the functions of his office.

Fakhrul made the remarks after placing wreaths at party founder Ziaur Rahman’s grave yesterday to mark the party’s volunteer wing Swechchhasebak Dal’s founding anniversary.

Criticising LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam’s allegation that Khaleda Zia was involved with the August 17 bomb blast, Fakhrul said: “Mr Syed Ashraf’s statement is false, fabricated and politically motivated. They are playing the old records of militancy again and again.”

Fakhrul alleged that the prime minister along with senior cabinet members have been disseminating such propaganda to implicate the BNP with that incident.

The BNP leader claimed that militancy was raised during the Awami League government’s tenure, while the BNP government had brought the situation under control.

“BNP is a democratic party. Begum Khaleda Zia is the wife of a freedom fighter. She fought for democracy, and there is no room for militancy in the BNP. Those who wanted to be involved with militancy, Begum Zia brought them to the book. She controlled

3

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

them. So those who are propagating lies, they are doing so with a political motive.”

On Sunday, Ashraf, also the general secretary of the Awami League, alleged that Khaleda Zia was not only well aware of the 17 August 2005 bombings, but backed the attack also. Addressing a programme at the Bangabandhu Avenue, Ashraf also said Mirza Fakhrul was a gentleman, adding: “I feel sorry for him. You will get anything despite hectic efforts. Khaleda and her son [Tarique Rahman] will give you nothing. When Tarique returns home, he will be the secretary general. None will be made secretary general in his absence.”

Regarding this comment, Fakhrul said: “It is Mr Syed Ashraf’s unauthorised practice. According to our party charter, the council determines the appointment of secretary general of the party. There is no problem with this issue in our party.” l

PINAK 6 CAPSIZE

Probe committee misses report submission deadline n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj The seven-member probe committee, formed to look into the capsize of Pinak 6, failed to meet yesterday’s deadline for submitting its report.

Committee chief Nur-ur-Rahman, also a joint secretary of the Shipping Ministry, said: “We have interviewed 13 out of the 25 witnesses. In order to properly finish our investigation into the capsize of Pinak 6, we need more time. Since all the members of the committee have agreed to the need for more time, we will now apply for a seven to 10 days’ extention.”

He also said: “The survivors have all stated that the launch capsized because of passenger overload.”

Nur said they would try to include the reasons behind the deadly capsize, point out the glitches in management

and equipment, and also their recommendations.

Meanwhile, a local court yesterday granted four days’ remand to Pinak 6 owner Abu Bakkar Siddque and his son Omar Faruq Limon. When this report was being filed, police were making preparations to take the duo into the custody of the Louhajang police station.

On August 4, launch ML Pinak 6 capsized in Padma River near the Mawa terminal with around 300 passengers on board.

So far, dead bodies of 48 passengers have been recovered and 62 people are still missing, says official data. More than a hundred people swam ashore to safety.

Jahangir Hossain Bhuiyan, BIWTA inspector at Mawa terminal, filed a case soon after the accident accusing six people including Siddique and Limon. l

Justice Khairul: Nothing to panic over impeachment n Ahmed Zayeef Bangladesh Law Commission Chairman Justice ABM Khairul Haque has said there is no reason to panic about the restoration of parliament’s authority to impeach Supreme Court judges.

He made the statement at a press briefing at the Law Commission office in the capital yesterday.

Justice Khairul said: “Britain, the birth place of democracy, has the provision of impeachment for many centuries, especially from 1689. America has the first written constitution which contains the impeachment provision from the very beginning, 1787. The provision prevails in India, too, from 1950. If they can practice the power of impeachment by the people’s representative, what is the reason [for us] to be afraid?

“In many places around the world, parliaments criticise judges harshly. But the law does not stop for that reason.”

The Bangladesh parliament had been given such authority in the original constitution of 1972. But Gen Ziaur Rahman had changed the constitution through a martial law order and included the provision of Supreme Judicial Council through the Fifth Amendment to impeach or remove judges, he said.

Khairul said the High Court had cancelled the Fifth Amendment in 2005 and the Supreme Court in 2011 said in a judgement that the provision of Supreme Judicial Council would remain in force until December 31, 2011.

“The impeachment power will not

curtail the independence of the judiciary.

“We have to remember that our country is run by the people of this country. And parliament represents the people. Not only the judiciary, all departments are bound to be accountable to the people,” said Justice Khairul.

Mentioning that the whole country was suffering from a decline in values, he said: “Judiciary is not an isolated island. Judges did not come from heaven.

They came from among the people.”

The former chief justice thinks that the impeachment provision will not create any problem in the judiciary.

“I am not disappointed. If you see the history of impeachment in our country, you will see no impeachment has taken place since the beginning until January 1975.

“During Ziaur Rahman’s regime, there was no impeachment provision, but the judges of that time said ‘constitution is supreme, no doubt. But it is subordinate to the martial law proclamation.’ Why did they give such speech though there was no impeachment provision?

“In parliamentary democracy, any speech in parliament is fully privileged.

There is no scope to criticise or challenge it,” said Khairul.

In response to a query, the Law Commission chairman said the government would have to formulate a law determining the procedure of impeachment.

“The judges must be given scopes to defend themselves if any allegation of misconduct or inability is proved against them,” Justice Khairul said. l

A portion of the capital’s Panthapath road caves in, exposing utility lines out in the open and posing serious risks to commuting vehicles and pedestrians. The picture was taken yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

HIMU MURDER CASE

No bar to resuming the trial as HC withdraws stay order n

Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

The High Court (HC) has recently withdrawn its stay order on the trial of the gruesome murder of Himadri Majumdar Himu, clearing the way for the resumption of the case.

Himu, 18, an A-level student of Summerfield School and College, was brutally killed in Chittagong city’s Panchlaish area in 2012.

On August 7, the HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Jafar Ahmed withdrew the stay order on the trial following the plaintiff ’s plea. The court order reached the 4th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Chittagong yesterday, court sources said.

Earlier on July 21, the same bench stayed the trial of the case for six months following a petition filed by Shahadat Hossain Shaju, an accused in the murder case, the sources added.

Advocate Anupam Chakraborty,

public prosecutor of the 4th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, said the case was shifted to the Speedy Trial Tribunal on July 16.

“The defence counsel did not mention it in the plea submitted before the High Court. So, the HC was sending its orders to the 4th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court. However, the HC is now sending its orders to Speedy Trial Tribunal,” he said.

He added: “Now there is no bar to resuming the trial. The tribunal judge will fix the date for the next hearing after submission of the HC order before the court.”

The cross-examination of the 6th prosecution witness Jawad Ali Chowdhury, the general secretary of anti-drug organisation “Shikor,” was going on, but the trial was halted due to the HC stay order.

Himu was allegedly pushed off the roof of a four-storey building by his

Killer of RMG worker to die n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced one person to death in a murder case filed over the murder of garment worker Ruby Aktar in 2008 at Malibagh’s Chowdhurypara in the capital.

The convict Morshed Bhuyain, 31, was the so-called lover of the victim.

Judge Md Ruhul Amin of Dhaka’s Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court pronounced the verdict after examining the evidence and witness statements. The court also

fined him Tk50,000.

The lone accused was present before the court during the delivery of the verdict. Later he was sent to jail.

According to the case, Ruby, 18, a resident of East Goran, was hacked to death by Morshed on August 18, 2008 because her father had turned down Morshed’s marriage proposal.

Morshed, then an employee at a bakery, stabbed Ruby indiscriminately in front of the Matir Masjid at Maliabagh Chowdhurypara when she was headed to work around 7:30am. l

friends in Panchlaish Residential Area on April 27, 2012 after he was tortured

by German Doberman dogs.

He died in Dhaka after fighting for his life for 26 days. He was reportedly killed for his anti-drug activities involving with anti-drug organisation “Shikor.”

Asit Das, the maternal uncle of the deceased, lodged a case with Panchlaish police station, accusing five people.

On September 30, 2012, police submitted the charge sheet of the case, accusing Himu’s friend Junaid Ahmed Riad and Riad’s father Shah Selim Tipu and friends Shahadat Hossain Shaju, Mahbub Ali Khan Danny and Zahidul Islam Shaon. They were indicted for murder on February 3 this year.

Tipu and Shaju are out on bail, but the others are on the run, the sources said, adding that a total of five prosecution witnesses had given their depositions till date. l

Prosecution starts closing arguments in Azhar case n Udisa Islam On the first day of closing arguments in the war crimes case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azhar, the prosecution said yesterday that the accused had been the president of Rangpur town unit Islami Chhatra Sangha, then Jamaat’s student wing.

The members of this student unit, now known as Islami Chhatra Shibir, had formed militia force al-Badr to collaborate with the Pakistani occupation forces during the 1971 Liberation War. In response to a query of the tribunal 1, prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum said they had submitted at least two documents before it to prove the claim. For about two hours, he submitted on the history of Bangladesh. Later the tribunal adjourned the session until today.

The prosecution said five of their members might place the arguments.

Today prosecutor Tapos K Baul may place his submission.

Quoting a report of Jamaat’s mouthpiece the Daily Sangram, Zead argued

on Azhar’s anti-liberation role. The report titled “Rangpur-e Dushkritikarider Haate Mesbahuddiner Shahadat” (Meshbahuddin martyred at the hands of miscreants) was published in the newspaper on September 13, 1971 where it stated that Azhar had directly threatened the supporters of independence.

A total of 19 witnesses testified against Azhar. Of them, the prosecution declared that the seventh witness was hostile. On the other hand, the defence produced one witness.

Meanwhile, the same tribunal set October 26 for the submission of a written reply to a contempt notice issued on August 3 upon four persons including the editor of the Daily Sangram.

The four appeared before the tribunal yesterday. After a short hearing, the tribunal set the date for the submission of their written reply.

The tribunal issued the contempt notices of its own volition for commenting on a sub-judice matter and publishing those comments in the newspaper. l

Qaisar’s defence gets an hour to end argument n Udisa Islam The war crimes tribunal yesterday allowed the defence one more hour today to sum up the closing arguments in the case against former Jatiya Party state minister Syed Mohammad Qaisar.

On the other hand, the prosecution sought time until tomorrow to place their rebuttal on the defence arguments. The International Crimes Tribunal 2 allowed the plea.

As per a previous order, the defence

was supposed to end arguments by the first half of yesterday’s proceedings – the sixth day of their submission.

Defence counsel SM Shahjahan claimed that the prosecution failed to prove the case by the documents they had submitted to the tribunal.

Yesterday the defence again argued that Qaisar had not been present at the crime scenes and that no “Qaisar Bahini” existed.

When Shahjahan tried to identify some contradictions in witness state-

ments, the tribunal differed. At one point the tribunal said: “If he [accused] was such a nice person, then why was he there with the Pakistani Army and why he should hint to shoot somebody?”

Qaisar was indicted on February 2 on 16 charges of crimes against humanity which he had committed in Habiganj and Brahmanbaria during the 1971 Liberation War. A total of 32 prosecution witnesses testified against the accused.

The defence, however, did not place any witness. l

Counselling better than punishment to counter delinquency n Tribune Report Child delinquents need psychological support not punishment to help escape a life of crime, the audience of a Dhaka University Law Faculty programme was told yesterday.

Speakers at a public lecture on Justice for Children said society had to enable young minds to awaken, to learn to distinguish right from wrong and to live in a congenial environment in order to thrive.

“When a child is caught by law enforcers and accused of committing a crime, sometimes he or she does not even comprehend what the offence is. Punishment does not change children’s thoughts, but it may make them more hostile.

“It is better to teach them what is right or wrong in a decent manner, said Justice M Imman Ali of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

He urged parents to pay attention to their children’s intellectual, moral and psychological development.

Criticising the effect of trials on children, he said jail sentence and exemplary punishment were not effective in rehabilitating delinquent children.

He asked the government to pass further legislation to protect children and to implement existing regulations.

With law department chairperson Professor Shahnaz Huda in the chair, Dr Ridwanul Haque, associate professor of law, delivered the introductory speech with students of several batches of the law department present at the programme. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Malaysia to open up labour market under G2G recruitment system n Mohosinul Karim The Malaysian human resources minister, Richard Riot Anak Jaem, yesterday said his country would recruit more Bangladeshi labourers, but did not specify how many or what the timetable for recruitment would be.

“Bangladeshis are currently allowed for plantation work only, but the Malaysian cabinet has decided to open other sectors including the building, manufacturing and service sectors to Bangladeshi workers,” the visiting minister said.

He was speaking to the press after holding talks with Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Bangladesh’s expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister, at his office in Probashi Kalyan Bhaban.

Riot said 6,414 workers from Bangladesh had been sent to Malaysia through the G2G system over the last twenty months. Industry insiders said the number represented a fraction of the number of migrants that had gone to work in the South East Asian country before the G2G system was put in place.

The large influx of Bangladeshi workers, including many who had overstayed their visas, led to a clampdown on recruitment and the introduction of more stringent controls on the flow of labour.

Riot said workers would be recruited from a database as demanded by the Malaysian private sector. He said: “We understand that around 1.4 million Bangladeshi workers have registered for Malaysian jobs. They will be taken gradually.”

Mosharraf said non-registered would not be allowed to go to Malaysia, when asked about conditions on sending workers to Malaysia.

The Malaysian government agreed to recruit housemaids from Bangladesh but the recruitment method would later be decided by a sub-committee formed by the two governments, Riot said.

A nine-member Malaysian team led

by Riot arrived in Dhaka yesterday on a three-day official visit.

The Malaysian team is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Nepal on Wednesday, said officials. l

Although highest level of cleanliness should be maintained for hospital materials, garbage-filled water from the Rayerbazar Beribadh area is being used to wash clothes brought from different hospitals yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

BSMMU plans to set up BMT unit n Moniruzzman Uzzal Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) authorities are planning to set up a full-fledged bone marrow transplant unit.

This was revealed yesterday by Professor Dr Shahidullah Sikder, pro-vice chancellor (research and development) of the BSMMU, as he was addressing a seminar on bone marrow transplantation at Dhaka Club in the capital.

Bangladesh Society of Hematology organised the seminar.

Dr Md Salauddin Shah, secretary general of Bangladesh Society of He-

matology and the keynote speaker at the seminar, said the number of blood cancer patients, and other patients of blood-related diseases, was rising gradually in the country.

More than 2.5 crore people have been suffering from such diseases, he said.

“Every year, 1,200 new patients are diagnosed with such diseases. Amid such a situation, the bone marrow unit at the BSMMU would create the opportunity for the patients to receive quality treatment at a cost which is one-tenth of the money required for treatment in the developed countries,” he added.

There is only one bone marrow transplant unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital but it is not a full-fledged facility.

Speakers at the seminar identified consumption of adulterated food, environment pollution, uncontrolled use of drugs and excessive use harmful chemical as the reasons behind the increase in the number of blood disease patients.

Dr Md Abdul Aziz presided over the seminar while Professor Dr Colonel (retd) Abdul Hai and Professor Brigadier General (retd) AKM Mustafa Abedin attended as special guests. l

Hearing in Limon case deferred for ninth time n Our Correspondent, Barisal The charges against Limon Hossain in a case lodged for attempted murder of RAB members have not been withdrawn, even 13 months after a Home Ministry order, as the case’s hearing was deferred for the ninth time yesterday.

The new date is September 30. The hearing has continuously been deferred for the last one year as the chief judicial magistrate of Jhalakathi was transferred in August last year while the acting CJM has no jurisdiction to hear such an appeal.

Limon was exempted from personal appearance since he recently started studying at Gono Bishwabidyalay in Savar. The defence lawyers appeared before the court yesterday on his behalf, said his counsel Akkas Shikdar.

A fortnight before his HSC exam-

ination, Limon was shot in the leg by members of elite force Rapid Action Battalion near his house at Jamaddarhat in Rajapur upazila of Jhalakathi.

The RAB team was conducting an operation to arrest local goons of the Mizan-Morshed gang on March 23, 2011.

Later, Limon’s left leg had to be amputated from the thigh.

After the incident, RAB filed two cases against Limon and seven other accused – one under the Arms Act and another for obstructing government duty and attempt to murder and injure RAB personnel.

Since the incident created a huge sensation, on July 9 last year, the Home Ministry ordered the withdrawal of the charges only against Limon in both the cases. The charges against Limon in the arms case were withdrawn on July 30 the same year. l

CU admission process begins on September 4 n CU Correspondent The admission process for first-year students in the 2014-15 academic session at Chittagong University (CU) will begin on September 4.

SM Akbar Hossain, deputy registrar (academic) at the CU, said the decision was taken at a meeting of the university’s central admission committee at the vice-chancellor’s office yesterday.

Akbar said prospective students should start the application process by sending messages using Teletalk numbers from September 04 to September 26.

All notifications and more details regarding the admission will be published in daily newspapers, and will be available on the university website, he said. The admission tests for the Honour’s programmes will begin on October 27, he added. l

Minor girl injured as bricks fall from high-rise n Tribune Report

The winners of IUT Inter-Varsity Debating Championship pose with their trophies at a city hotel yesterday

NASHIRUL ISLAM

IBA team wins IUT InterBroadcast policy challenged programmes aired on private and pubVarsity Debating n Ahmed Zayeef lic television channels.

Championship 2014 A Supreme Court lawyer has filed a writ Cabinet Secretary, Secretary of the petition with the High Court challeng- Ministry of Information, Chairman of ing the legality of the National Broad- the Press Council and President of Bann Tribune Report gladesh Federal Union of Journalists cast Policy 2014.

A team from the Institute of Business Administration of Dhaka University won the Islamic University of Technology Inter-Varsity Debating Championship 2014 on Sunday.

Four teams participated in the grand finale, which was titled “Outsource the Entire Operation of the Bangladesh Cricket Board to a Foreign Corporation,” while a total of 40 teams from 18 educational institutions participated initially.

In the final of the debating competition, which was held at a hotel in the capital, Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Huseyin Muftuoglu was present as the chief guest and gave away the prize to the winners, Saad Ashraf and Wasifa Noshin, and the runners-up, another IBA team comprising Taosif Amin Khan and Shadmaan Siddique.

IUT Vice-chancellor Professor Imtiaz Hossain, who was also present at the programme, said debate was a very important activity for every students as it prepares them for the future. l

Eunus Ali Akond filed the petition yesterday.

He urged the court to issue a rule upon the government, seeking an explanation as to why the broadcast policy should not be declared illegal.

He also requested the court to direct the government to formulate a guideline for talk shows and other broadcast

were made respondents to the writ.

“The policy violates human rights, moral rights and also the freedom of the press. I have filed the petition for the sake of the people,” Akond told the Dhaka Tribune.

“I will present the writ before the bench concerned of the court today,” he added. l

RMG worker stabbed to death n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong A female RMG worker succumbed to her injuries early yesterday after she was stabbed by unknown miscreants in Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) on Sunday night.

The dead Monjila Akhter, 35, was the daughter of Fazlul Haq from Pirojpur district. She was a machine operator at a factory of Youngone Company in CEPZ, said police sources.

EPZ police station Officer-in-Charge Abul Mansur said Monjila was stabbed

in front of the TPB building at CEPZ area on Sunday night around 10pm when she was on her way home after work.

After the incident, she was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries around 5am, the OC added. The official said they were suspecting a previous enmity as the cause of the attack and were investigating the matter. No one was been arrested in this connection yet, however a case was lodged with EPZ police station in this regard, added the OC. l

A 12-year-old girl sustained serious injuries as bricks fell on her head from an under-construction building in the capital’s Sutrapur area yesterday.

The victim, Sohana Akhter, is a class -six student of Dhaka Central Girls’ High School, Her father Md Sohel said around 2pm, while Sohana was returning home after attending an examination, the bricks fell on her head. She was later admitted to Dhaka Medical College

Hospital with severe injuries.

“The seven-storey under-construction building is situated right beside our tin-shed house. We have asked the owner of the building a number of times to put nets around the site as bricks keep falling on our roof,” said Sohel, a rickshaw van driver.

“However, the owner Morshed did not pay any heed to our requests. He put some sacks on our tin-shed roof instead of putting nets around his building.

“As soon as my daughter entered our main gate, 10-12 bricks from the build-

ing fell on her head,” Sohel said.

Doctors at DMCH said Sohana’s head was broken and many parts of her body were severely injured.

Morshed, the owner of the building, could not be reached over phone despite several attempts.

According to the existing building code, the owner, structural engineer and architect of an under-construction building are responsible for taking safety measures to protect public life.

Meanwhile, Sutrapur police said they were not aware of the incident. l

Selim Al Deen’s birth anniversary celebration begins at JU n JU Correspondent A two-day celebration began at Jahangirnagar University (JU) yesterday to mark the 65th birthday of Selim Al Deen, noted Bangladeshi playwright.

The department of drama and dramatics of the university, which was founded by the late playwright, has organised the programme, which includes a grand rally, placing flower wreaths at Selim’s grave, staging his dramas, a seminar and a photo exhibition on him, said sources at the university.

Teachers, students, officers and employees of the university, as well as the guests invited to the celebration, brought out a colourful rally at the old arts faculty building around 10am yesterday. Around 11am, they put wreaths at Selim’s grave near to the central mosque of the university.

Professor Farzana Islam, JU vice-chancellor, Professor Abul Hossain, pro vice-chancellor, Abu Bakr Siddique, registrar, and Nasiruddin Yousuf Bachchu, prominent theatre personality, were present there, among others.

“Selim Al Deen introduced a social movement through theatre. His plays reflected the lives of mass people, and he took drama to grassroots level by establishing Graam Theatre,” said Prof Farzana Islam while addressing the event.

Different social and cultural organisations, including the Selim Al Deen Foundation, Dhaka Theatre, and Graam Theatre, also paid respect by placing floral wreaths at his grave, sources said.

Later, a seminar titled “Bhanga Premer Osheshotto Bisheshotto: An observation on Selim Al Deen” was held at Zahir Raihan auditorium at the university, presided over by Professor Afsar Ahmed.

Students of the drama and dramatics department staged one of Selim’s plays titled “Muntasir Fantasy” at the auditorium yesterday evening.

Sandeep Chakraborty, the Indian deputy high commissioner in Bangladesh, is scheduled to attend the showing of Selim’s play “Kobi” today. Two photo exhibitions on Selim by Bareen Ghosh and Rakib Hasan and a mask exhibition

by Sumon Sarker will also end today. l

Bhasha Matin hospitalised n Tribune Report Language activist Abdul Matin was admitted to ICU at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday after he suffered a stroke that partially paralysed him.

His wife told the media yesterday evening that Matin – called Bhasha Matin for his contribution in the Language Movement – was first rushed to the National Heart Foundation in Mirpur, where doctors found about the stroke.

As the doctors there advised, Matin was then transferred to DMCH where his electrocardiography (ECG) was recorded.

A medical board comprising experts is due to decide the procedure for Matin’s treatment. Matin, who is now 88, has been suffering from old age complications for the past 17 years. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

LGED implements Tk425cr rural road network project n Tribune Report A rural road network project in Rajshahi is being implemented with the main thrust of removing physical bottlenecks for improving rural accessibility, upgrading quality and enhancing sustainability of rural transport and market services in the project area.

The estimated cost of the six-year project titled "Improvement of Rural Roads, Bridges, Culverts and other Infrastructure of Backward upazilas" is around Tk425crore.

A total of 53 disadvantaged upazilas under Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Pabna, Sirajganj and Bogra districts were brought under the project being implemented by Local Government Engineering Department.

Under the project, more than 105.70-km upazila roads, 323-km union roads and 502.74-km village roads were improved besides construction of 1000-meter bridges and culverts on the improved roads connecting important places of upazila and every union with Union Parishad, and next higher road network.

Apart from this, 15.75-kilometre submergible roads and 4- kilometre road protection infrastructures are being constructed.

The rural level improved infrastructures have already started reducing transport cost, improving marketing system, increasing production and marketing facilities of agricultural products which are contributing a lot to socio-economic development of the project area.

Roadside tree plantation activities on the 85-kilometer improved roads are progressing successfully that will ultimately help reduce carbon emission at a substantial level and that is very important to face the adverse impact of climate change in the vast Barind tract, reports BSS. A total of 15 growth centers are be-

ing improved to create short and long -term employment opportunity, socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation.

Improvement of the physical facilities of rural markets will ensure fair price of agricultural products and thereby provide incentives to increase agricultural production, assist enhancement of rural economic and commercial activities.

The scheme of rural infrastructure development and creation of short and long-term employment opportunities in the farm and off farm sector will ultimately assist alleviation of rural poverty by involving rural people in economic and social activities.

Participation of beneficiaries including women and local government institutions in planning, implementation and maintenance activities of the project will be intensified.

To this end, community people are being imparted training on campaigning and awareness building on health and nutrition.

At least 80 percent work on the scheme have so far been completed, the sources said adding, implementation of these schemes would in fact further strengthen the overall activities of rural markets at the grassroots level.

With infrastructure development of the selected area, rural communication net work has been improved facilitating overall socio-economic advancement.

Abdul Wahid, additional chief engineer of LGED, told BSS here that the ongoing project is expected to be completed in near future. The improved transportation network will facilitate reducing the transportation cost and create marketing facility of the produce.

On successful competition, the project will contribute enormously to raising standard of living and livelihood condition in the remote villages, he said. l

Fire guts 17 houses in Chittagong n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

LGED officials asked to 10 injured as BCL factions clash explain audit objection at Comilla University

At least 17 thatched houses were gutted by a fire early yesterday at Shitakunda upazila’s Rahamatpur area in Chittagong.

Fire brigade sources confirmed zero casualty from this incident.

Station Officer Omar Faruk of Shitakunda fire station said, the fire had originated from an electric short circuit at a thatched house around 3:00am and soon spread to other houses.

Upon receiving information, fire fighters rushed to spot and doused the blaze after an hour long attempt, he added. l

WEATHER

THUNDERSHOWER

TUESDAY, AUGUST 19 DHAKA

TODAY SUN SETS 6:29PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:35AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

32

27

Chittagong

30

26

Rajshahi

32

26

Rangpur

30

26

Khulna

31

26

Barisal

31

26

Sylhet

29

25

Cox’s Bazar

29

26

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

34.7ºC Khulna

23.8ºC Hatiya

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:16am 5:34am 12:02am 4:37pm 6:29pm 7:48pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

n UNB

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts yesterday asked two LGED officials to explain an audit objection to their signing a project worth more than Tk. 4 crore through fake tender notice.

The 2010-11 fiscal year’s audit report found that Local Government Engineering Department executive engineer of Cox’s Bazar district and the superintendent engineer concerned signed the signed fraudulently showing that legally required tender was published in newspapers.

A bridge lies in vulnerable condition at Gabtoli in the capital causing risk to life

MEHEDI HASAN

Mozena: 7.0 quake can topple 20% of city buildings n BSS The US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena yesterday said if a 7.0 Richter scale earthquake strikes Dhaka, at least 70,000 of the city's 350,000 buildings will collapse.

"The mind cannot even begin to fathom a disaster of this magnitude.

But fathom it we must ... we simply must think the unthinkable, imagine the unimaginable prepare for the disaster of all disasters," he said this while speaking as the chief guest on preparation programme on prospective earthquake at a city hotel.

Armed Forces Division of Bangladesh

The parliamentary watchdog body asked the officials to form a committee to know the actual condition of the work and submit a report within the next 30 days.

The instruction was given at the 6th meeting of the committee presided over by its chairman Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, said a parliament secretariat press release.

Standing Committee members M Abdus Shadid, Mohammad Aman Ullah, M Ishaq Hossain Talukdar, M Afsarul Amin, Begum Rebeca Momin, Moin Uddin Khan Badal, AKM Maidul Islam, M Rustom Ali Farazi and Begum Wasika Aysha Khan also attended the meeting. l

Army and United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC) jointly organbised the fifth annual Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange 2014 (DREE), focusing communications among various ministries, agencies of Bangladesh and the international community for providing assistance to rescue and recovery. Commander, Military Institute of Science and Technology Major General M Siddiqur Rahman Sarker formally inaugurated the four-day annual DREE, while Mesbah ul Alam, Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and Brigadier General Sayeed Khan, Chief, Operation and Plans Directorate, Armed Forces Division spoke.

n Our Correspondent, Comilla At least 10 people were injured yesterday when two groups of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of ruling Awami League, engaged in a clash over establishing supremacy at Comilla University (CU).

The two groups were led by BCL convener Mahmudur Rahman Masum and BCL leader Ilias Hossain Sabuj.

No classes were held at the university yesterday because of the incident.

On Sunday night, Masum and his as-

The US envoy said, "April 24, 2013 ...It was a horrible day. Rana Plaza collapsed, destroying 1136 lives, injuring hundreds more, tearing apart hundreds of families ... the wails of grief were heard around the world. It was a horrible day ......but a day that carried instructive lessons for us. Rana Plaza was a taste of what would happen when Dhaka is hit by a major earthquake."

"I applaud the Government of Bangladesh for its deep commitment to engaging on preparations for a large-scale earthquake. I am proud that America is Bangladesh's partner in making these preparations," Mozena said.

He said the four-day exercise will

sociates attacked the Shaheed Dhirendranath Hall of the university leaving 10 students injured, alleged Ilias. The injured were admitted to Comilla Medical College Hospital.

“Protesting the attack we laid a siege on the main gate of the university,” said Illias. Illias said Mahmudur Rahman Masum was made the convener of the BCL committee on September 15, 2012.

Among the 48 members of the committee, the studentship of 37 members had expired including Masum’s. He, how-

Nasim: BNP to pay the price for boycotting polls n Our Correspondent, Barisal

Health Minister Mohammad Nasim has said the Awami League believes in politics of development, but not in facing any threat of movement.

“So, we don’t bother with the threats of movements made by the BNP-led 20-party alliance as the people are not with them,” Nasim, also an Awami League presidium member, said while speaking to reporters yesterday.

“They [BNP] have made a mistake in boycotting the January 5 polls and have to pay the price for their mistake,” he said.

Referring the broadcast policy, the health minister claimed that the policy had been announced to save “honest” journalists.

Nasim who arrived in Barisal yesterday morning unveiled the plaque of the foundation stone of a 200-bed children’s hospital in Amanatganj area.

The minister also unveiled the plaque of the foundation stone of the divisional health and family planning office in the area.

Later, he exchanged views with the officials and employees of the family welfare department at the district family planning office. Health Secretary SM Niazuddin and Director General of Family Welfare Directorate Nur Hossain Talukdar were present.

He also visited Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital and talked with the patients and medical students.

The minister held talks with the officials at Barisal Circuit House in the afternoon and addressed a public meeting organised by the ruling party

focus heavily on communications, communications among various ministries and agencies of the Bangladesh government; communications between government agencies and civil society; communications with the media and the citizens of the nation; communications with foreign governments and the international community as they seek to provide assistance for rescue and recovery.

"Employing a combination of table-top exercises and field exercises, DREE will test and validate the plans that the government, civil society and other stakeholders have in place for responding to a mega-disaster. l

ever, was still occupying a room at the university’s Nazrul Hall, claimed Illias.

Denying the allegation, BCL Convener Mahmudur Rahman Masum said Illias was an activist of Chhatra Dal and an intruder in the Chhatra League.

Registrar of CU Mujibur Rahman said a seven-member probe body led

by Dr Syedur Rahman, dean of the science faculty, had been formed to investigate the matter. “The students who are living in the halls illegally will be removed after the investigation,” he said. l

Art exhibition on Bangabandhu and Bangladesh begins at RU n RU Correspondent

BCL activists clashed with each other during the health minister's visit to Barisal yesterday at Ashwini Kumar Hall for the National Mourning Day. Abul Hasanat Abdullah, district AL president and lawmaker, Advocate Talukdar Md Yunus, district AL secretary and lawmaker, Jebunnesa Afroj, AL lawmaker, and Saidur Rahman Rintu, chairman of Sadar Upazila Parishad accompanied the minister during his visit.

BCL men clash during minister’s visit

The activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League, clashed with each other during

the health minister’s visit yesterday.

Ripon, a BCL activist, was injured in the clash and treated at a local clinic.

Witnesses said BCL activists, riding on motorcycles, were moving towards Kalibari Road to attend a discussion.

On the way, a BCL man, Shihabuddin, hit Ripon’s motorcycle with his own.

When Shihab was charged about it, he assaulted Ripon, resulting in the clash between the BCL activists in the veranda of the district family welfare office.

The police immediately controlled the situation, said Sakhawat Hossain, of-

DHAKA TRIBUNE

ficer-in-charge of Kotwali police station.

During the minister’s visit, healthcare services of different departments and wards of SBMCH were reportedly hampered since doctors, technicians and nurses were busy participating in the programs, witnesses said.

Dr Qamrul Hasan Selim, director of SBMCH, said he had yet to receive any complaints about doctors neglecting their duties. “The authority will take action against those who will be found to have neglected their duty,” the director added. n

A three day art exhibition titled “Bangabandhu and Bangladesh” began at Rajshahi University (RU) yesterday to commemorate the National Mourning Day. The exhibition was organized by the Fine Arts department of the university.

Addressing the inaugural session, RU VC Muhammad Mizanuddin urged people from all walks of life to foster and uphold the ideology and contribution of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Also present at the event were ProVC Professor Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan, Arts faculty Dean Professor Khandaker Farhad Hossain, and Fine Arts department Chairman Professor Abdul Matin Talukder.

The convener of the exhibition, Mehedi Hasan Rasel, said: “We have organized the exhibition with a vision to spread Bangabandhu's ideology and his role behind Bangladesh's independence among the new generation. It also gives the students an opportunity to express their creativity.”

About 84 paintings and portraits of “Bangabandhu” by 52 artists from different public universities, art institutes and colleges are on display. The three day exhibition will remain open to visitors from 10am till 5pm each day. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

About 60,000 stranded in Kurigram, Jamalpur Flood condition worsens in 10 villages and 150 chars in last 24 hours

Flood shelter lies in shambles at Subarna Char

n Tribune Report

n Our Correspondent, Noakhali

At least 60,000 people living in the low-laying areas of the districts have become marooned as the flood situation took a serious turn due to the continual downpour during the ongoing rainy season.

In Kurigram, around 50,000 people at more than 150 chars, which are lands that have been reclaimed from riverbeds or water-bodies, were left stranded when the incessant rainfall made the flood situation worse.

Most of the people were forced to climb onto their roofs to save themselves from the fast-rising water.

Around 10,000 residents are living in deplorable conditions at a flood shelter in Subarna Char upazila of Noakhali.

Bangladesh Army built the flood shelter under a residential project in 1998-99 fiscal year to provide housing to 1400 destitute families who had lost their homesteads in the erosion of the Meghna River.

The project provided each family with Tk30,000 and set up an adequate number of sanitary latrine, deep tubewells and a school.

Upon completion of the project, the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the project in October, 1999.

However, with time, as different government came to power, the establishments under the project were left in shambles due to a lack of maintenance, alleged many residents at the shelter.

Upon visiting the shelter it was found that the tin-shed roof was damaged enabling rain water to seep into the house.

The tube-wells were out of use while the toilets were broken. The schools is currently closed as a number of people had left the shelter.

A day labourer Golam Rabbani said: “We are passing days with great difficulty at the shelter. We cannot sleep when it rains as the rain water keeps pouring on us. Our children are getting sick.”

Hosne Ara Begum, another resident of the shelter said as the tube-wells were damaged they had to drink water from the pond.

Golam Moula, another resident claimed that although they were promised an acre of land, it was not provided.

They called upon the government to address their problems.

Subara Char Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khalid Mehedi Hasan said the residential project was in a sorry state.

“We have sought help from the government in this regard. Different non-governmental orgaisations are working for the betterment of the families living in the shelter,” he said. l

The river erosion has started in many areas, causing the flood situation to become worse and the UNOs concerned have been asked to stay alert regarding the flood conditions The recently planted Aman paddy and vegetables on about 20,000 hectares of land also went underwater, causing massive losses for the local farmers.

The flood has also engulfed the approach road for the Vurungamari Sonahat Bridge, and so goods can no longer be transported to the Sonahat Land Port.

Kurigram Water Development Board Engineer (Sub-divisional) Chabirur Rahman said the water level of the Brahmaputra River has risen 1cm above the danger level on the Chilmari point, and the water level has increased by 22cm at Noon Khaua point and 3cm at Dharala Pani Setu point.

Kurigram DC ABM Azad said 30 tonnes of rice has already been sent for the flood affected people and 100 tonnes more are on route.

Rising water level of the Jamuna River has flooded at least ten villages in two unions under Islampur upazila. This picture was taken from Jarultala village yesterday In Jamalpur, at least ten villages of two unions under Islampur upazila have become inundated as the water level of the Jamuna River rose 15cm above the danger level in the last 24 hours.

Consequently, about 10,000 people

in Patharsi and Kulkandi unions have become marooned and they are facing unbearable suffering due to the lack of daily commodities, especially clean, potable water.

Moreover, river erosion in many are-

as has taken a serious turn as well.

Patharsi UP Chairman Md Hasmot Ali said seven villages there were absolutely flooded.

Local DC Md Shahabuddin Khan said the river erosion has started in

DHAKA TRIBUNE

many areas, causing the flood situation to become worse and the UNOs concerned have been asked to stay alert regarding the flood conditions.

Relief activities will be started soon if it is needed, the DC continued. l

5 killed in road accidents across country n Tribune Report

Picture shows the last few cobras alive at Tota Mia's farm at Chourangi Bazar in Thakurgaon’s Haripur upazila

DHAKA TRIBUNE

The legacy of a snake farmer vanishes with his death n Our Correspondent, Thakurgaon Who knew that Tota Mia’s snake farm, which he had spent most of his life building with much hard work, thinking he would earn enough money to support his family by selling snake poisons and collecting visitors’ tips, would vanish upon his death?

He was really a snake lover and used to wrap poisonous snakes around his neck, stunning people at home and abroad.

His farm, located at Chourangi Baza in Thakurgaon’s Haripur upazila, had brought him celebrity status not only in the country but also across the border, as global media eagerly ran reports about his farm.

There is a story that some people once came to visit his farm and offered to take him to USA, but he had not agreed for the sake of his love toward his homeland.

He had wanted to do something great in his motherland.

A swift demise

In 2007, snake lover Tota Mia died in his own home from the bite of a cobra which had been wrapped around his neck.

At the time of his death, around 5,000 cobras were incubated at his farm. However, within a week of his death, over 100 snakes died from starvation since his family, including his wife Nur Jahan, who was afraid of the snakes, did not know how to nurture the cobras.

When the shocking news of the death of so many snakes went viral, it created a sensation among snake experts and environmentalists across the country.

The Ministry of Forest and Environment decided to keep some of the snakes at the zoo and cull the rest.

It also decided to keep some snakes at the farm.

Welcoming the move, experts urged the government to keep the snakes in a congenial environment.

At least five people were killed in road accidents yesterday at Moulvibazar, Comilla, Brahmanbaria, Kishoreganj and Mymensingh districts.

Our Comilla correspondent reports that a motorcyclist was killed when a covered van ran him over at Amtola area on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Sadar upazila.

The victim was Rasel, 22, who hailed from Krishnanagar village of Comilla Sadar.

Roich, sub-inspector of Moynamoti highway police, said the body had been handed over to family members In Moulvibazar, a motorcyclist was killed in a road mishap in Kulaura upazila on the Moulvibazar-Kulaura road.

The deceased was Md Mahmud Ali, 40, who was the son of Late Abdul Jabbar of Monraj village of Ratgaon union of the upazila.

Family members said Mahmud’s motorcycle crashed into an electric pole when he tried to give way to another bike coming from opposite direction. He was left seriously injured.

He died on the way to a hospital in Sylhet, said Ratgaon UP chairman Abdul Jalil Jamal.

Our correspondent from Brahmanbaria said an auto-rickshaw driver was killed and four others were injured when

a tractor rammed into an auto-rickshaw on the Comilla-Sylhet highway.

The deceased auto-rickshaw driver was 20 year old Rajib.

Traffic inspector Md Bayezid, said a Sylhet-bound tractor rammed into an auto-rickshaw around 2pm, leaving the driver dead on the spot and four others injured. The injured were admitted to District Sadar Hospital.

Police seized the tractor.

In Kishoreganj, a minor girl was killed in an accident at Hossainpur upazila.

The deceased Tumpa, was the daughter of Ira Mia of Dhuljuri village.

Sources said an easy bike hit the girl while she was playing in front of her house around 11am, leaving her critically injured.

Later, she was rushed to Kishoreganj Hospital where she died.

Md Nannu Molla, officer-in-charge of Hossainpur police station confirmed the incident.

According to our Mymensingh correspondent, a schoolgirl was killed when a truck hit her on Haluaghat road in the district.

The deceased was Marufa Arefin Jemy, the daughter of Mozammel Haque Monju in Guptergaon village.

Phoolpur police station Officer-inCharge Abdul Motaleb confirmed the incident. l

Environmentalists, however, opposed the move saying that wild life habitats in the country would be destroyed if such a farm was approved. They had called on the government to not allow any such wildlife farms to exist.

Dearth of staff crippling primary education

A forgotten farm

n Our Correspondent, Comilla

A week after Tota Mia’s death, his eldest son drowned in a pond, leaving behind his mother, brother and sister.

This correspondent recently went to visit Tota Mia’s farm and family, but found only a tin-shed house, a kitchen and an empty-snake farm.

His wife, Nur Jahan, had taken their remaining two children and left home three months ago.

Julekha Begum, a neigbour, told the Dhaka Tribune that Nur Jahan had been working hard to make ends meet ever since Tota Mia died seven years ago. She had even begged for alms for a while.

Now only the homestead bears witness to Tota Mia’s legacy. l

The primary education programme in Comilla district is in crisis due to a lack of education officers, headmasters and assistant teachers.

Positions of 24 assistant education officers, 274 headmasters, and 350 assistant teachers are currently vacant in the district’s 16 upazilas.

Sources said a long-time teacher shortage has been disrupting the academic activities of Monairkandi Government Primary School in Comilla’s Homna upazila. On the record, the school has three teachers, but among the three, Headmaster Abdul Latif is currently on leave after being injured in a road accident, while one of the assis-

tant teachers, Imam Uddin, is frequently absent at work.

Khairul Alam, the other assistant teacher at the school, is running the school, said the sources. The school shuts down completely when he goes to the upazila Sadar for the school’s official work, they added.

In this regard, the district’s Primary Education Officer Bilkis Ara Begum said the vacancies are created when teachers go into retirement.

She said written and oral examinations had been held in order to appoint teachers for the vacant positions, and the process was at the final stage.

In addition, the higher authorities have been informed about the crisis, said the primary education officer. l

Robbers shoot businessman, snatch Tk30 lakh n Our Correspondent, Thakurgaon Robbers shot a businessman yesterday and stole Tk30 lakh from him in Munshirhat of the district town.

Family sources said Mazharul Islam Babu, 33, a cigarette company agent, was attacked at noon when he was going to a bank to deposit the money.

A gang of robbers, riding on two motorcycles, intercepted Babu’s motorbike. They shot Babu in his head and looted the money.

When the local people came to rescue Babu, the robbers threw a few cocktail bombs and fled the scene.

Babu was first taken to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital.

Later he was shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital since his condition had deteriorated.

Upon receiving information, police went to the spot and recovered a pistol and some cocktail bombs.

Thakurgaon police station Officerin-Charge AKM Mehedi confirmed the incident. l

Family looking for mentally challenged youth tortured by BSF n Our Correspondent, Meherpur The mentally challenged youth tortured by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on the Sonapur border has been identified as Sayem, 18, son of Mojnu Mia of Sirajganj.

Sayem went missing from home on April 2 and was brutally tortured by BSF when he unknowingly came to Sonapur border on April 21.

Later local people rescued and took him to Meherpur General Hospital as an anonymous patient. However, he escaped from the hospital while being under treatment.

Seeing his photos on paper and TV, Sayem’s family came to Meherpur only to find him gone. The grief-stricken family urged all to help find their only son. They can be contacted in these numbers: 01915-350067 or 01745984504. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

7

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Partition’s parting shots And what we still haven’t learned from the partition of India

T

n Zeeshan khan he Partition of India and the vivisection of Bengal in 1947 no longer stands at the front and centre of public consciousness in East Bengal, now Bangladesh. Liberation from Pakistan in 1971 pushed them onto the backburner, and the tragic murder of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family on August 15, 1975 has given the date(s) of Partition – August 14 and 15, 1947 – a different colour in Bangladesh altogether.

Indeed, the very existence of Bangladesh has effectively put the two-nation theory, upon which Partition was predicated, permanently out to pasture and has correspondingly driven it away from most East Bengali discourses.

The very name East Bengal has all but disappeared as well, hastily buried to be able to slam shut the door to history and begin again, new and improved, only as the Republic of Bangladesh.

But mental magic-rope tricks can’t erase centuries of sociology or the calamitous events that accompany it, no matter how emotionally inconvenient it may be to remember them. The balm of nationalism and the pride of nation-statehood go a long way toward taking the sting out of past injustices, but many of the issues that both led to and are a consequence of Partition still affect the sovereign Bengali nation-state that now exists in place of the province.

Although a great deal of Partition-inspired art and literature, as well as academic research, focuses on the western boundary between India and Pakistan, where the violence and

evance of Partition in the present time.

The event was the first of its kind in Dhaka, and brought together academics, writers, filmmakers and researchers, all of whom presented papers on a particular aspect of Partition.

Four films related to Partition were also screened. The week began with an exploration into the socio-economic circumstances that have driven Bengali Cinema, before and after 1947 and the subtexts of national identity that inform storytelling. Presented by Dr Zakir Hossein Raju, from his book “Bangladeshi Cinema and National Identity” the talk focused on the narrative monopoly that Hindu Bengali “bhadroloks” enjoyed in an undivided Bengal, at the expense of Bengali Muslims.

Much like corresponding references in literary works, in cinema too, Hindu Bengali identity attempted to assert itself as the only “true” Bengali identity, with Muslims being just generically “Muslim.”

The fact that this was successfully established for a brief period, despite Bengali Muslims being in the majority and Bengali literature being developed, for the first time, by Muslim Bengali Sultans in the 1400s, is a testament to the social and economic exclusion that characterised British patronage of Hindu zamindars in 18th century Bengal.

It is also evidence of the pan-Islamic nature of anti-colonial struggles in many Muslim-majority areas. According to Dr Zakir, the desire to establish a “second Bengali cinema,” coincided with the need to establish “seperate Bengaliness,” which could reflect the experience and culture of eastern Bengal-delta.

Bengal’s vital role in both Indian and Muslim nationalism leading up to 1947 is also an essential part of the story of Partition, which too often remains untold. It is often forgotten

the upheaval is believed to have been more acute, crucial opportunities to understand its causes and effects are missed when one considers the nuances of Partition in the east, and the absence of a clean, quick break here, which led to the events of 1971.

Bengal’s vital role in both Indian and Muslim nationalism leading up to 1947 is also an essential part of the story of Partition, which too often remains untold. It is often forgotten, for instance, that the Muslim League was founded in Dhaka in 1906; that AK Falzul Huq, the premier of an undivided Bengal drafted and presented the Lahore Resolution in 1940 (even though the draft called for “muslim states” in plural) and that Direct Action Day in 1946 sparked the Kolkata Riots that led to widespread communal violence in undivided India.

Even less is known about the attempts at securing Kolkata as the capital of East Pakistan, about the Hindu Mahasabha’s role in taking West Bengal and Assam out of the Pakistani equation, and the very real push for a united, independent Bengal by Sarat Chandra Bose, Huseyn Shahid Surhawardy, and Abul Hashem.

East Bengal’s struggles with its orientation are at the heart of its experience with Partition, and subsequently with its experience within Pakistan.

Quite often, the same individuals that stressed its Islamic character also opposed communalism, and many of the architects of Pakistan were also the vanguards of Bengali linguistic nationalism.

This schizophrenic behaviour is most apparent in men like Surhawardy and Fazlul Huq, who championed a Muslim homeland but also supported a Bengali nation-state and bi-communal politics.

(Fazlul Huq refused to join the Muslim League because it was a platform for Muslims only).This existential dilemma has led to East Bengal being the only territory in all of South Asia to have enthusiastically subscribed to, and then to have emphatically forsaken the narrow confines of the two-nation theory.

To understand and critically discuss the factors that led to this, the Bayaan Collective, in partnership with University Press Limited and Dhaka Tribune, hosted “Partition Week: Nations and notions” from August 10-14, with the hope of creating a dialogue on the rel-

By 1947 the need for “national cultural modernity” among Muslim Bengalis stood in contrast to both the pan-Islamism of the Pakistan movement and the Bengali “bhadrolok” identity of the Bengal Renaissance, neither of which represented the unique experience of being both Bengali and Muslim.

The creation of East Pakistan and a second Bengali film industry was therefore seen as an opportunity to develop characters and a film language entirely its own, that would provide a vehicle for this identity. However, panelist Manzare Hassin Murad, an independent documentary filmmaker, opined that apart from a few films like “Mukh o Mukhosh,” Bangladeshi cinema, as the successor of East Pakistani cinema, has fallen very short of that mark.

The point being made overall, is that a 19th century Bengali identity was unable to achieve the “singular, secular, cultural marker” required for unity, in spite of such an identity existing in the middle ages, and this manifests itself in virtually all spheres of life, even in cinema.

The second session of Partition Week dealt with the much more complicated question of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and its inclusion in a Muslim majority East Pakistan despite it being a predominantly non-Muslim area. Tamina Chowdury from Cambridge University presented a paper of the intricacies of communal politics in the region and the economic consideration that affecting the boundary.

According to her research, the CHT was not included in the Muslim League’s original demands for territory nor was it of particular interest to the Congress, which viewed it as beyond the pale of Indian civilisation.

Being a frontier land, it was an excluded territory, and therefore had no representation in the Bengal Assembly.

Effectively no one from the CHT had the political authority to determine it’s fate, which was left to the judiciousness of the Boundary Commission. The League developed an interest in it when it realised it would not be awarded Kolkata, and would only have Chittagong as Pakistan’s eastern port. Infrastructural projects already underway to develop Chittagong port required the hinterland, the CHT as well as Kaptai Lake, to be connected to it and so it was economic

The Radcliffe line – the map that determined how India will be split into the ‘Two States,’ the communal violences, and the movement of people during the period and infrastructural considerations, more than anything else that led to the CHT being part of East Pakistan.

The Congress and the Hindu Mahsabha eventually did make a bid for the CHT, and its one of the few instances in Partition history that the demands of the Congress were not put above all other considerations when allocating territory. The Congress generally had far greater say than the Muslim League in the way Partition unfolded.

Similar to the CHT, traditionally muslim areas like Maldah and Murshidabad were not awarded to Pakistan (even though they originally had been, they were finally awarded to India on August 17, 1947) because that would have cut the “seven sister” states of North Eastern India apart from the Indian mainland. Religious considerations were only one among many other things that determined the drawing of lines in South Asia.

The third Partition Week session looked at the historical legacy that led to people becoming “stranded Pakistanis” or Biharis as they are more commonly known in Bangladesh, after they arrived at their “promised land” and became unwelcome foreigners there.

Presented by Dina Siddiqi of Brac University, the session correctly identified the Biharis as among the worst sufferers of Partition, finding themselves constant victims of prejudice, and stateless twice in 25 years.

Having left their lives in India behind, Muslims from the eastern part of the Ganges basin moved to East Pakistan in search of a life free from communal strife, but became embroiled in an ethno-linguistic conflict that resulted in their total disenfranchisement.

That many of them sided with Pakistan over Bangladesh is not unusual or unexpected, considering they were not Bengali and stood to become second-class citizens in a country based on linguistic nationalism. But not all of them did, and that’s the point that is often overlooked in the search for scapegoats and enemies.

Session 2 and session 3 dealt with the narratives that led to the creation of Bangladesh and East Pakistan, and examined how they ignored the realities on the ground, leading to exclusion, prejudice, hatred and conflict. A perpetual “othering” – using either religion or language, has been an enduring problem in Bengal, traces of which still plague the current state and erupt into violent confrontation from time to time.

forces that were determined to pull the communities apart, unnaturally and deliberately.

Among the narratives around 1947, there was also talk of a united independent Bengal, which, despite numerous efforts, fell apart at the 12th hour as Hindu Bengalis became anxious about living in a muslim-majority country. It’s interesting to note that there was hardly any talk of East Bengal remaining with India even though that may have been

Similar to the CHT, traditionally muslim areas like Maldah and Murshidabad were not awarded to Pakistan because that would have cut the ‘seven sister’ states apart from the Indian mainland

The topics of discussion at the fourth and fifth sessions centred on the grand narratives o f Partition and the personal stories that are the result of it.

Dr Emdadul Haq of North South University presented paper on the conditions and attitudes among both Hindus and Muslims that led to demands for a Muslim homeland, and more specifically for the dividing of Bengal. He ascribes a lot of the blame to Hindu attitudes towards Muslims, who were seen as an underclass, but also to Muslim attitudes regarding Western and Hindu civilisation, which they viewed as morally inferior.

Literature and rhetoric before Partition intensified these differences, and even though men like Jinnah originally championed Hindu-Muslim unity, they were unable to contend with the

the only way to keep Bengal together.

Muslim Bengalis were the least amiable, it seems, to remaining in a multi-religious, multicultural environment.

The final session of the week delved into personal stories, some tragic and others triumphant, as boundary lines ran through families, districts, neighbourhoods and villages. Once again, an unnatural “othering” was superimposed upon actual differences, creating East Bengali migrants in West Bengal and West Bengali migrants in East Bengal, who had family members in the opposite parts.

These communities struggled to integrate into a new society and align themselves to new identities – Indian, Pakistani, and then Bangladeshi.

The jarring nature of these experiences, along with the violence often

WIKI COMMONS

experienced or witnessed created a displaced generation who’s psychological disconnections played out in the public sphere and in literature.

Along with cultural traits that were specific to regional identities, languages and dialects also struggled to survive in this tumultuous atmosphere.

The session was hosted by Dr Ferdous Azim of Brac University and also featured journalist Afsan Choudhury The legacy of Partition manifests itself in Bangladesh through these and other examples of displacement and prejudice. University Press Limited has a number of titles dealing with these issues in both English and Bengali; “A Divided Legacy,” “Partition’s Post-Amnesias,” “Fault Lines” and “Bangla Bhag Holo” give a clearer picture about the complexities of identity and the fallout of separation. But it would be foolish to imagine that these issues exist in isolation.

The conditions that created the catastrophe that was Partition, which led to the largest mass exodus in human history, still exist in British India’s successor states. In spite of divisions, population exchanges, boundary fences and nation-state building, nothing has really changed. The same policies of exclusion, prejudice and contempt plague Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, and pit their populations against themselves as well as against one another.

These are ailments of the heart and can’t be remedied with borders and boundaries. For South Asia to be truly free of communalism, etho-linguistic chauvinism and racism, it will have to examine its commitment to multiculturalism and its belief in the principles of pluralism and the complexities of identity. Until we can appreciate that differences and contradictions are a healthy part of our social experience and learn to rise above petty hatreds, we will be condemning ourselves of continuing cycles of bigotry and bloodshed. l Zeeshan Khan is a journalist.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

As protests continue, can Ferguson heal? n Tribune Desk

A Kurdish peshmerga fighter prepares his weapon at his combat position near the Mosul Dam, Iraq AP

Iraq forces retake Mosul Dam Mosul Dam Dohuk

n AP, Baghdad

Al-Qosh

I R AQ

Mosul Dam Tal Afar

Mosul Ti

gr

50 km

is

Controlled by: Islamic State jihadists Kurdish peshmerga fighters

Iraq’s largest dam Length: 3,650 m Height: 113 m Capacity: 1,000 MW

Provides electricity and irrigation water for farming

If it were breached, a 20 metre-high wave would hit Mosul*

*2007 report by US Army Corps of Engineers

NEWS BITES

WikiLeaks’s Assange to exit Ecuador embassy ‘soon’

n Reuters, London

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has spent over two years in Ecuador’s London embassy to avoid a sex crimes inquiry in Sweden, said yesterday he planned to leave the building “soon,” but Britain signalled it would still arrest him if he tried. Assange made the surprise assertion during a news conference alongside Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino. But his spokesman played down the chances of an imminent departure, saying the British government would first need to revise its position and let him leave without arrest, something it has repeatedly refused to do. The 43-year-old Australian fled to the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition for questioning in Sweden over sex assault and rape allegations, which he denies. He said he fears that if extradited to Sweden he would then be handed over to the United States, where he could be tried for one of the largest information leaks in US history. l

Gunmen attack Saudi prince’s convoy in Paris, steal €250,000

n Tribune Desk

Heavily armed men have attacked a convoy of cars belonging to a Saudi prince, stealing 250,000 euros (£200,000; $330,000), BBC quoted police as saying yesterday. The convoy was heading through northern Paris on its way to Le Bourget airport late on Sunday evening when it was raided. The gunmen seized a vehicle carrying the money and documents, later releasing the driver and two others. The convoy was said to have come from the Saudi embassy. No-one was hurt.

The gunmen, reportedly armed with Kalashnikov rifles, targeted a Mercedes mini-van at 21:15 (19:15 GMT) on the northern ring road, or peripherique, at Porte de la Chapelle, on the edge of Paris. The motorcade, belonging to a Saudi prince, was targeted by eight people in two separate vehicles who pointed their guns at the driver of the Mercedes, forcing him to stop, French media reported. l

Boosted by two days of US airstrikes, Iraqi and Kurdish forces yesterday wrested back control of the country’s largest dam from Islamic militants, a military spokesman in Baghdad said as fighting was reported to be underway for the rest of the strategic complex.

Soon after the news broke, the Islamic State group, which two weeks ago captured the Mosul Dam spanning the Tigris River just north of the city of Mosul, denied the claim, insisting it was still in control of the facility.

The retaking of the dam would mark the first major victory for the Iraqi and Kurdish forces battling the Islamic militants since US airstrikes began earlier this month.

It could significantly boost their morale as they try to free territory overrun by the Islamic State in a blitz this summer. Also, the dam and its broader complex hold great strategic value as they supply electricity and water to a large part of the country.

Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said the dam itself was secured by Kurdish peshmerga troops and Iraqi security forces on Monday but that the southern side of the com-

plex remains contested and that fierce fighting is underway to free that area.

At least 170 bombs have been dismantled around the dam but many more remain, al-Moussawi added in a televised statement.

Al-Moussawi said the Iraqi and Kurdish forces “hoisted the Iraqi flag over” the dam. He added that the troops were backed by a joint aerial support but didn’t specify whether there were any US airstrikes in the area of the dam Monday.

Iraq’s Ministry of Defense said security forces “liberated a large part of the Mosul Dam” with the help of US airstrikes, adding that forces are working to fully free the entire complex. US Central Command would not immediately confirm any involvement.

However, a senior Kurdish commander told The Associated Press that his peshmerga forces had withdrawn from the dam complex on Monday afternoon because it was heavily rigged with explosives.

The US launched airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq more than a week ago in a bid to halt its advance across the north. The US military said US forces conducted nine strikes Saturday and another 16 on Sunday. l

On the streets of Ferguson, Mo., and perhaps in parts of the rest of America, it’s felt as a fundamental injustice, a palpable sense that no one with the power to do anything cares about the unarmed black teenager, dead on a Midwestern street, the victim of police gunshots.

During the past week, that sense of despair has built into a fierce energy that neither the armor clad officers of the Ferguson Police Department nor the softer touch of Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson, the current commander of the crowd control effort, could manage. The anger that began building after officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Mike Brown last Saturday has resolutely failed to abate and has morphed into scenes more reminiscent of Gaza than the Great Plains.

On Saturday night, 150 protesters rebuffed a curfew and were scattered with smoke bombs and tear gas, marking the eighth night of conflict. Seven were arrested and one hurt by a gunshot that did not come from police.

It is a situation that has only one resolution, say many of the protesters – the arrest of Wilson – and every day of social unrest raises the stakes further.

But it’s far from certain where the facts will lead, or whether protesters’ demands will ever be met.

Where does Ferguson go from here?

Wherever Ferguson goes, it seems, it must do so carefully. The city has always felt like a racially harmonious town, residents say. But the shooting has tapped into something deeply rooted, which is only now coming to the surface.

It has its origin in the white flight that has left largely black towns ruled by nearly all-white power structures here in greater St Louis, say civil rights activists. This dynamic has undermined the trust necessary for police now to persuade protesters to remain peaceful and obey curfew. Only 12% of Ferguson residents vote, on average, suggesting either a highly mobile population or a demoralized one rife with a sense of disenfranchisement.

The strife also has its origin in a generational divide, say black leaders.

While they attempt to keep protests peaceful, younger generations chafe at their message, not having seen the transformative impact of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Protesting youth exclaimed Saturday night that “Mike Brown is our leader.”

And it has its origin in data that paint a portrait of a nation at war with its black youth. Of the roughly 400 reported police shootings a year, 18% are black teens and 9% are white teens, according to a recent USA Today analysis. Blacks make up 12% of the population, and a fraction of US police departments actually self-report such statistics.

The next few days are likely to produce more angst and pressure in the US town as more details emerge about Brown’s death Addressing such inequities and attitudes is “a conversation we need to have, and it’s going to be going on for a long time,” says Steve Smith, a St. Louis community activist.

The resolution the protesters are demanding, after all, is by no means assured. For much of the past week, the Ferguson Police Department has done little to counter the prevailing narrative, put forward by eyewitnesses, that Wilson killed Mr. Brown when Brown had raised his hands and was pleading with the officer not to shoot because he was unarmed.

“Hands up, don’t shoot!” has been a protest refrain, even taunt.

On Friday, however, Ferguson police released a video that purportedly shows Brown strong-arming a liquor store clerk after shoplifting cigars minutes before he was shot.

No one has suggested that the alleged theft precipitated the encounter between Wilson and Brown. All parties appear to agree that Wilson stopped Brown and a friend for jaywalking before the situation escalated. l

In Gaza, emotional wounds of war remain unhealed n AP, Beit Lahiya, Gaza Strip Shahed Quishta was curled up in an armchair one late afternoon during the Gaza war when a shell slammed into her living room. Shrapnel pierced the 8-year-old’s head and neck, and she died minutes after arriving at a hospital.

Her funeral was held before nightfall, in line with Muslim tradition. Her family couldn’t host a customary three-day wake, typically attended by hundreds of people, because streets remained dangerous during ongoing fighting between Israel and Gaza militants.

Almost a month after her death from what her father says was an Israeli tank shell, her family remains paralyzed by grief.

Sister Rojina, 14, can’t sleep in the room they shared, spending nights on a mattress in the hallway. Her mother Nisreen, 38, takes clothes from Shahed’s closet from time to time, crying as she inhales the lingering scent.

The Quishtas are among thousands who suffered a loss during the current Israel-Hamas war, the third in Gaza in just over

five years. The emotional wounds, though sometimes hidden, can be seen in the grim statistics of the conflict.

Close to 2,000 Palestinians were killed, including 459 children, and more than 10,000 people were wounded since fighting began July 8, according to UN figures. About 20% of Gaza’s population of 1.8 million people has been displaced, including about 100,000 whose homes were destroyed or damaged beyond repair.

Based on these numbers, “the psychological effects (in this war) will be much higher than in the previous ones,” said Dr. Iyad Zaqout, who runs the community mental health program of Gaza’s main aid group, the UN Relief and Works Agency.

Children are especially vulnerable because they can’t put their experiences into context yet, he said.

The UN estimates that about 373,000 children in Gaza need direct psychological intervention because they’ve witnessed violence, lost a relative or have been displaced.

Such children often display one or more of a

In this Aug 13 photo, Mouin Quishta holds photographs of his daughter Shahed, 8, who was killed on July 22, in the town of Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip AP

range of symptoms, including bed-wetting, nightmares, irritability or clinging to parents.

In the last major round of fighting in Gaza in the winter of 2008-2009, about 18,000 of some 190,000 children attending UN-run schools required counseling, Zaqout said. Several hundred still haven’t recovered, he said, adding that repeated exposure to trauma — a given in Gaza — compounds the problem.

Some 100 UN trauma counselors now visit several dozen crowded UN schools that have been turned into shelters for those who fled or were made homeless by the fighting. Several private groups providing trauma relief have also sprung up in recent years, though the demand continues to outstrip available treatment.

The counselors offer psychological “first aid” to those at the shelters. Children are usually accessible, eagerly joining playgroups in school courtyards or picking up crayons to draw what they saw in the war. At least 30% of the children at the shelters will need longer-term treatment, Zaqout estimated. l

Russia: Agreement Ebola health workers battle a mix reached on aid to Ukraine of death, heat, rumours but not on ceasefire n AP, London

n Reuters, Berlin Russia yesterday said all objections to it sending a humanitarian convoy to Ukraine had been resolved but said no progress had been made in Berlin talks toward a ceasefire between government and rebel forces in the east of the country.

Following the talks between Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said “finally, all questions have been resolved ... related to the Russian initiative to send 300 trucks with humanitarian aid.”

“Everything has been agreed with Ukraine and the International Committee of the Red Cross,” he said at a news conference in Berlin.

Russia and Ukraine have been at loggerheads over a convoy of 280 Russian trucks carrying water, food and medicine. It has been parked for days in Russia near the border amid objections from Kiev, which believes the convoy

could be a Trojan Horse for Russia to get weapons to the rebels - a notion that Moscow has dismissed as absurd.

Lavrov described the situation in east Ukraine as a “humanitarian catastrophe” and said a ceasefire was needed as civilians had been under bombardment from the Ukrainian advance.

“We are not able to report on positive results on reaching a ceasefire and on (a start to) the political process (to resolve the conflict),” he told journalists.

The four-month-old conflict in Ukraine’s Russian-speaking east has reached a critical phase, with Kiev and Western governments watching nervously to see if Russia will use troops massed along its border to intervene in support of the increasingly besieged pro-Russian rebels.

Russian has repeatedly said it has no plans to invade and Lavrov again denied Moscow is helping the rebels. He defended the military buildup on Russia’s border. l

Doctors and nurses fighting Ebola in West Africa are working 14-hour days, seven days a week, wearing head-to-toe gear in the heat of muddy clinics. Agonizing death is the norm. The hellish conditions aren’t the only problem: Health workers struggle to convince patients they’re trying to help them, not hurt them.

Rumors are rife that Western aid workers are importing Ebola, stealing bodies or even deliberately infecting patients. Winning trust is made harder by a full suit of hood, goggles, mask and gown that hides their faces.

“You want to say so much ... because they’re in so much pain,” said nurse Monia Sayah, of Doctors Without Borders. “They suffer so much, but they can only see your eyes.”

The outbreak has hit three of the world’s poorest countries, where health systems there were already woefully understaffed and ill-equipped. In Liberia, there is only one doctor for every 100,000 people, while in Sierra Leone

there are two, according to the World Health Organization; there were no statistics available for Guinea. The figure is 245 for the United States.

Emotional distress conspires with exhaustion and dehydration, but doctors say it’s hard to stop working.

“When the need is so great, you can’t justify not being there for a day or going home earlier,” said Dr. Robert Fowler, who recently worked in Guinea and Sierra Leone.

The critical care doctor at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, Canada — now on sabbatical with the World Health Organization — said that the barrier of the protective suit is big but not insurmountable.

“There was a young girl, about 6, who came in late in the illness who was bleeding from her bowels, very dehydrated and delirious,” he said. Ebola wiped out her immediate family — so she was all alone.

“She was very frightened and very reluctant to engage, and just wanted to push people away,” he said. Fowler

spent days trying to help her, bringing her things she wanted like Fanta soda.

“She eventually developed this sense that this person in the suit who’s a bit scary is trying to help me.”

One day he brought the girl her favorite dish: cucumbers and lime. “She chowed down,” he said — a sign that she was on the mend. Fowler said the girl was close to being discharged by the time he left Guinea.

The girl is the exception rather than the rule. Death is the fate of more than half of the West Africans infected in the Ebola outbreak. “With the mortality rate being what it is,” Fowler said, “you know every day there will be a couple of patients on your ward who didn’t make it through the night.”

Dr. Kent Brantly — an American who fell sick from Ebola last month treating patients — echoed Fowler in speaking of the moral weight of the struggle.

“I held the hands of countless individuals as this terrible disease took their lives away from them,” Brantly said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Pakistan protest leaders ignore or reject Sharif’s talks offer

The protests have sparked concerns over the fragility of democracy in the nation

n Reuters, Islamabad Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan and a firebrand cleric either ignored or rejected an offer of talks from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday, the fourth day of anti-government protests in the capital.

Both former cricketer Khan and cleric Tahir ul-Qadri, who runs a network of Islamic schools and charities, have called for Sharif to quit, accusing him of corruption and ballot-rigging during his landslide election victory last year.

Khan’s representatives did not respond to calls seeking comment on the government’s offer. Qadri rejected it and called for his followers to stage more sit-ins in other cities.

So far, the protest turnout has been far below what Khan and Qadri had hoped for. Tens of thousands, not millions, have occupied two streets in Islamabad.

The government was setting up committees to negotiate with the protest leaders, lawmaker Marvi Memon from the ruling party said Monday. She laughed off suggestions negotiations might fail.

“I don’t believe they will reject negotiation, because they would also like some kind of face-saving,” she said.

The protests have sparked concerns over the fragility of democracy in the nuclear armed nation of 180 million.

The military, fighting a Taliban insurgency, has not publicly commented on the protests.

Many Pakistani analysts believe Khan and Qadri mounted their parallel protest campaigns because they sensed Sharif’s fraught relationship with his generals had nosedived in recent months.

Sharif’s last term ended in a coup in 1999 and since taking office last year he has clashed with the military

Supporters of Imran Khan, cricketer-turned-opposition politician and chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party, chant slogans while listening to their leader during the Freedom March in Islamabad REUTERS on several issues.

Many officers are unhappy that Pervez Musharraf, the army chief who ousted Sharif, is on trial for treason.

They distrust Sharif›s dovish stance towards rival India and were frustrated by delays over the launch of an anti-Taliban offensive.

But few think the military, which has ruled Pakistan for around half its 67-year history, wants a coup.

Police estimated the number of people participating in the two protests on Sunday at around 55,000, but the numbers wax and wane under the

blazing summer sun.

Most of Khan’s supporters spend the night at the homes of friends rather than camp out in the open. Although some roads are blocked by shipping containers, most life in most of the capital continues as usual.

The government’s offer of talks followed a call from Khan on Sunday for his supporters not to pay taxes or utility bills. His appeal met with widespread ridicule since most Pakistanis who can get away without paying taxes and utility bills already do so - a major contributor to the

9

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

country’s economic woes.

In a veiled threat, Khan also warned that he may not be able to stop his supporters from marching on parliament and the fortified enclave where most foreign embassies are located.

Such a move would be a recipe for violence given the heavy deployment of riot police and paramilitary forces, prompting many newspapers to publish critical editorials of Khan.

“Were Mr Khan’s threats not so risible they would be worthy of the severest condemnation,” said Dawn, one of the country’s most respected papers. l

Forced conversions torment Pakistan’s Hindus n Al Jazeera, Pakistan About two months ago, a Muslim businessman approached Dharmo Sochi and put a gun to his head, demanding his Hindu daughter’s hand in marriage.

The businessman, Jameel Solangi, allegedly threatened the family with abduction and murder unless they acquiesced. Sochi’s 16-year-old daughter, Madhuri, had previously been harassed

by Solangi but was too traumatised to tell the family about it, according to her aunt, Sri Devi.

“Dharmo dared him to shoot,” Sri Devi told Al Jazeera. “He thought it better to die than allow this unholy union between Hindu and Muslim. Somehow we pushed Solangi out of the house and no one was hurt.”

From that day onwards, Madhuri who works as a panhandler, the traditional profession for women from her Sochi caste - was too fearful to leave the house.

Pakistan is home to about two million Hindus, most of whom live in the southern province of Sindh and belong to lower castes, including Sochi. While upper-caste Hindus complain of their traders being kidnapped for ransom, lower-caste Hindus say their daughters are being targeted.

“Our community can bear looting and the kidnapping of our men, but the abduction of our daughters and wives is too painful,” Bhawan Das, who holds a National Assembly seat reserved for minorities, told Al Jazeera.

“Unfortunately, the frequency of these crimes is increasing due to religious extremism.”

According to a report from the Movement for Solidarity and Peace, about 1,000 non-Muslim girls are converted to Islam each year in Pakistan. Every month, an estimated 20 or more Hindu girls are abducted and converted, although exact figures are impossible to gather, said Amarnath Motumal, the vice chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

In Madhuri’s case, Solangi claims to

love the young woman and does not understand why she refused to marry him. “Right now she goes from house to shop begging for charity,” he told Al Jazeera. “I can provide her with so much more.”

Asked why he threatened to shoot Madhuri’s father, he said: “What else am I supposed to do? I can’t give up on her.”

While religion appears to be a secondary issue for Solangi, it is a chief concern for Madhuri, who would have to convert if she married a Muslim.

Pakistan is home to about two million Hindus, most of whom live in the southern province of Sindh and belong to lower castes “I’m terrified he will kidnap me, force me to accept Islam and marry him,” she told Al Jazeera. “He is not Hindu. I will die before I marry him.”

‘Vulnerable’

HRCP chairperson Zohra Yusuf said Muslim girls in Pakistan are also abducted and married against their will or sold into prostitution.

However, “if you compare the number of kidnapped Hindu and Muslim girls, in relation to their population in Pakistan, you will see that Hindus are more vulnerable” - especially poorer ones such as Madhuri.

The HRCP doesn’t have a research to back its claim. No other organisation has the statistics on it because a large majority of the crimes go unreported.

One official who wished to remain anonymous said that the HRCP has been planning to do a countrywide survey of abducted girls in the last 10 years, “but it’s not high on the priority list.”

The Meghwar community, low-caste Hindus living on Hyderabad’s Kali Road, are also said to face discrimination. l

180 dead as floods wash away homes in Nepal, India n AP, Katmandu

Pope gets crash course on Korea issue n AP, Seoul In a whirlwind five-day trip to South Korea, Pope Francis beatified 124 martyrs, kissed almost as many babies and rallied thousands of Asian youth. It might be his use of English, though, that will define his first trip to Asia.

While churches in Christian Europe shrivel, Catholicism is seeing growth in South Korea and other parts of Asia The Argentinian pope not only gave speeches in a language he has expressed discomfort with, he also adlibbed and even joked around — a linguistic victory deemed crucial to the church’s push to make Asia a future focal point of the religion.

While churches in Christian Europe shrivel, Catholicism is seeing growth in South Korea and other parts of Asia.

To make strong inroads, the head of the church must be able to communicate in a region where many people’s second language is English.

The South Korean trip was a test run for Francis’ English, and the pleasant exchanges he had with young people

here pleased Vatican officials.

Francis’ health was another takeaway from the trip.

Though he looked exhausted Monday before leaving for Rome, the 77-year-old workaholic pope, who has only one full lung and a bad back, withstood the rigors of a grueling schedule halfway around the world in a foreign culture.

He seemed cheerful and engaged throughout, despite a sometimes dawn-to-dusk agenda that had him traveling each day, sometimes in multiple helicopter rides.

The trip also shows that the Vatican will likely make more martyrs into saints as a way to connect with Catholics. Hundreds of thousands gathered for a Mass in Seoul in which the pope beatified 124 Korean martyrs who died for their faith in the 18th and 19th centuries.

A telling moment came when the pope was asked by a young Cambodian about the lack of saints from her country. The pope promised to get “my friend Angelo” to work on it, referring to Cardinal Angelo Amato, the head of the Vatican’s saint-making office.

For this pope, the recognition of martyrdom is important because it provides a powerful link between today’s Catholics and those who died for their faith. That, the Vatican believes, gives Catholics role models from their own cultures they can look up to. l

The death toll from three days of flooding and torrential rain in Nepal and India rose to more than 180 people yesterday, as relief teams sent food, tents and medicine to prevent any outbreaks of disease.

The worst-hit areas were in western Nepal and northern India, where swirling floodwaters submerged hundreds of villages and swept away homes made of mud and straw.

Four helicopters with relief supplies and medical workers were sent to cut-off villages in western Nepal, said Jhanka Nath Dhakal of the National Emergency Operation Center. Most roads into the area are submerged or damaged by flooding, preventing vehicles from passing.

Thousands of people are without shelter in 10 flooded districts, and local officials on Monday distributed rice and lentils and cooking pots to people who lost their homes. The area is mainly farmland where the poor live in mud and straw huts that wash away easily.

At least 100 people have died in Nepal and 84 in neighboring India since Thursday due to torrential rains, authorities said.

The situation in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh worsened after dams were opened in Nepal, said Alok Ranjan, a top official in Uttar Pradesh. Along with incessant rain, the rising waters caused several rivers to breach their banks, he said.

Officials in the state reported 10 more deaths overnight, pushing its toll to 34 over the past three days.

Also in northern India, at least 50 people have died in Uttarakhand state, many of them washed away as rivers overflowed, submerging villages and fields.

People in the worst-affected villages were being evacuated to relief camps set

up in government and school buildings, Ranjan said.

State authorities said paramilitary soldiers in about 400 boats were helping to evacuate people from their homes after entire villages were marooned in northern Uttar Pradesh.

Vinod Kumar, a resident of Karonda village in Uttar Pradesh, said flood waters moved in so swiftly that they barely were able to escape.

“Late Friday we saw the water level of the Saryu River rising and by Saturday it had inundated our homes. We left the house with whatever we could manage,” Kumar said.

Schools and government buildings were hastily turned into makeshift relief camps, and officials were struggling to provide food and other necessities to thousands of people in the camps, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

In the remote northeastern Indian state of Assam, flood waters submerged large swathes of Kaziranga National Park, a wildlife reserve, forcing animals to cross a highway to escape to higher ground, said M.K. Yadava, the park’s director.

The Kaziranga reserve is home to more than 2,500 of the 3,000 one-horn rhinos left in the wild.

“Some parts of the park are under five feet of flood water from the Brahmaputra River which flows along one side of the park,” Yadava said.

Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala appealed to domestic and foreign agencies to help flood victims. The main opposition party, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, disrupted parliamentary proceedings and demanded that the government declare a national emergency. l

(Top) Nepalese rescuers walk past dead bodies of victims of Saturday’s landslide in Mankha, 120km east of Katmandu. (Botom) Rescue workers patrol in a boat as they look for people in the flooded streets in the town of Misia, 175km north from Sofia AP

Malaysia’s opposition steps back from brink n Reuters, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia’s three-party opposition alliance has averted a damaging split by agreeing to support the wife of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as the next chief minister of Selangor, an industrial hub that is the country’s richest state.

But while the parties shelved their differences, a weeks-long crisis over control of the state has exposed deep divisions in the alliance that could re-surface to hamper its chance of ousting the government in the next election, analysts say.

The opposition infighting - a boon for Malaysia’s 57-year-old governing coali-

tion - began when the Islamist PAS party refused to support Anwar’s party’s move to sack the current chief minister over accusations of incompetence and graft.

The top state official, Khalid Ibrahim, refused to accept the sacking and tried to cling to power, with the backing of the ruling coalition and support from PAS, which was opposed to Anwar’s wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, becoming chief minister.

Senior opposition figures warned the dispute could split the disparate multi-ethnic alliance, but PAS leaders stepped back from the brink late on Sunday by agreeing to support Wan Azizah.

The “Pakatan” (alliance) parties have

taken strides towards national power in the last two elections, most recently in May 2013, but have been dogged by divisions between the secular ethnic Chinese party, Anwar’s party, and PAS. The Islamist party itself is divided between conservatives and modernizers.

“The progressives in PAS need to decide if they want to remain in the old PAS or form a new party to replace PAS and create a more progressive agenda for the country,” said Wan Saiful Wan Jan, a political analyst at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs.

“They need to focus on the common agenda rather than highlighting differences,” he said.

Legal experts said Khalid would probably have to step down in the coming weeks now that Anwar’s wife, with PAS’ backing, has the clear support of the majority in the state assembly.

Wan Azizah is widely seen as a proxy for her husband, a former finance minister whose own plans to take over the top state job were stymied by his conviction in March for sodomy, a ruling that rights activists say was politically motivated.

How well she runs Malaysia’s most populous state until the next national election, due by 2018, will be crucial to the opposition’s chances of taking power for the first time. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

End offensive rules in rape cases

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

A

round three out of four rape cases are unable to progress or result in acquittals, because the law blames victims who can be proved to be “immoral” or sexually active with the accused.

Section 155(4) of the Evidence Act 1872 says: “When a man is prosecuted for rape or an attempt to ravish, it may be shown that the prosecutrix (the victim) was of generally immoral character.”

It is patently unacceptable that the law is skewed against victims in such an outrageous manner.

The Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association is right to highlight this evidential provision as a loophole that must be closed.

By placing emphasis on the personal history of victims, which has nothing to do with the facts of assault and violence in rape cases, this rule makes it much harder for victims to seek justice.

It also embeds misogynist attitudes in the law and gives comfort to actual or potential perpetrators.

This provision along with the notorious so-called “two-finger” test are obvious factors which deter many victims from reporting rape.

They go against the intentions of the High Court’s directive to the government last year to create a civilised and sensitive environment for victims of rape.

It is high time that legal provisions based on discriminatory perceptions are repealed in accordance.

The offensive morality clause and two-finger test must be dropped and the law must also clearly outlaw marital rape.

Removing offensive rules will encourage more victims to seek justice, and make it easier to punish rapists and protect the public.

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

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 21 represents F so fill F every time the figure 21 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

Repeal provisions which deter victims from reporting

Decentralise to help growth

R

eports that the health ministry is facing difficulties in providing postings to new doctors ring a familiar bell.

Not only doctors but other public servants routinely lobby administrative figures to secure posts either in, or close to, the capital city. This pattern is also seen in the private sector and comes as no surprise.

Bangladesh is grossly overcentralised and public and private investment is heavily concentrated within Dhaka.

We need to move quicker to decentralise development and resources around the country.

The virtual monopolisation of prestigious or better-paying jobs within the capital unnecessarily adds to congestion and migratory pressures on Dhaka.

It also reinforces a selfperpetuating cycle that unfairly concentrates opportunities in only one part of the country.

90% of citizens live outside of Dhaka district. The national interest would be better served if other cities and districts were enabled to compete with the gravitational pull on talent and resources exerted by the nation’s capital.

Creating new hubs for job creation and development will help people all around the country, including in Dhaka.

To do this, we need significantly more investment in transport infrastructure. There is no reason why a country of our size should not be served by fast railways and modern highways that allow people to live and work all around the nation.

It is important also for the government to lead by example by building incentives which encourage public servants to work all around the country so pressure is reduced on Dhaka.

Creating new hubs for development will help people all around the country, including Dhaka

The supermoon moves around the world August 12

SM Wonderful pictures!

STA Beautiful! Did any of you see the perigee moon?

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.

Government sticking to its decision on trying Jamaat-e-Islami August 12 SA “The government has decided not to change its stance regarding trying Jamaat-e-Islami for its alleged crimes against humanity during 1971, despite US Ambassador-at-Large Stephen J Rapp’s recent suggestions against trying a political party for such crimes.”

I didn’t even know they were rethinking their decision. Obviously Jamaat should be tried.

Able-ing the disabled August 13

Mizanur Rahman Kiron Thank you for the excellent report, DT.

Krishna: Easily the coolest Hindu god August 14

Fahmim SouthPaw Ferdous You should write more often, bhai.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Hajj economics August 13

Khundkar Mohammad Arefin Kamal What is the evidence that in Bangladesh a lot of people feel pressured to go for Hajj? None is provided.

Instead, we are treated to asinine theories regarding the “real” reason why people spend considerable sums of money undertaking a journey from which there is no guarantee they will come back alive!

Worse, the author equates acts that generate as much blessings as the Hajj as substitutes of the Hajj itself!

A brazen display of overwhelming ignorance of Islamic theology.

I also find it incredibly dishonest of the author to leave out the following disclaimers from Al Miftah.com: “The promises of “gaining the same reward as Hajj” that are mentioned above, are restricted to the reward only. It does not mean that one upon whom Haj is obligatory can merely suffice on these deeds.”

The purpose here is not to discourage one from the actual Hajj.

Depressed Town Khundkar Mohammad Arefin Kamal: Thank you very much, sir, for pointing out the dishonesty being done in here. I hope other readers might also scroll down to read what they have actually missed in the main article.

A viewpoint is frequently misleading because of the obvious reason: Personal experience. If you were not thoughtful enough then the mistake here must have been overlooked completely.

I am hoping DT also notices your viewpoints, which are obviously yours, taken from your life, your personal experiences. :D

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Young horse (4) 4 Specialised skills (4) 8 By way of (3) 9 Period of time (4) 10 Slender (4) 11 Transmit in stages (5) 12 Dreadful (4) 14 Metal (3) 15 Male swan (3) 17 Spirit (3) 19 Forefront (3) 21 Dash (4) 23 Take as one’s own (5) 26 Hand-thrown missile (4) 27 Lawsuit (4) 28 Immerse (3) 29 Paradise (4) 30 Bring up (4)

DOWN 1 Promote (6) 2 Greedy (4) 3 Restrict (5) 4 Respectful fear (3) 5 Souvenir (5) 6 Beverage (3) 7 Firmament (3) 11 Of the kidneys (5) 13 Fastener (5) 16 Acrimonious (6) 18 American elk (5) 20 Lowest point (5) 22 Back of the neck (4) 23 Top card (3) 24 Father (3) 25 Female swan (3)

Khundkar Mohammad Arefin Kamal Depressed Town: Your rejoinder made even less sense compared to the article itself.

Around 20,000 children from Bangladesh go missing every year

August 13 AR This message should be heard. We Bangladeshis are mostly reluctant to do more in terms of these homeless children.

Though childbirth rate is decreasing, nowadays still our people are not conscious about their responsibilities for these innocent children on the streets.

Maybe, when we are thinking of family planning, we go out of our doors and find those who are homeless, like these children.

PEANUTS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SK Do we have any helpline for missing children?

Shakil Ahmed There’s Aparajeyo-Bangladesh. Their helpline is 1098.

SUDOKU HSC results today August 13

Abdul Mannan Thanks to all the students who took the test.

Athorbo Rafi Hopefully everyone has done well.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

11

Mad with motive n Moinus Saleh

T

Tareque and Mishuk brought out the best in each other

KHAN FATIM HASSAN

Two with a vision

W

n Enayetullah Khan hile the National Mourning Day on August 15 probably needs little retelling anymore – of the macabre events corresponding to that date in Bangladesh 39 years ago, the week also marks three years now since a less obviously sinister, yet pervasive tragedy struck, for no apparent reason other than to darken our lives a little.

The loss the country in general and its cultural arena in particular, suffered on August 13, 2011 is potentially irreparable, because giants such as Tareque Masud and Ashfaque Munier (or Mishuk, as he was fondly known to everyone) do not come along often.

Theirs was the sort of partnership that a nation stumbles upon maybe once in a generation, and for a country like ours – burdened as it is with a variety of factors that act to undermine human endeavour – the intervals are even greater.

Indeed, as we have seen, four decades of independence has yielded only one truly world-class partnership in the field of the moving image, and we managed to lose both halves of this winning combination at once. The FIPRESCI for Maatir Moyna at Cannes confirmed this, if one needed such confirmation.

But for those who knew them personally, as I did, merely their presence was enough to confirm that you were not in normal company. The canvas on which their thoughts and ideas and ambitions played out was larger, to accommodate visions that could not be confined within the limits of society.

Tareque dwelled extensively on the past, the present, and the future of the film industry in Bangladesh, finding in Catherine the most perfect partner with whom to wage his battles in their own unique manner.

The last few occasions that I spent with them were spent talking about the possibility of digitally archiving the endangered output from the 50s, 60s, and 70s of the film industry in what were first East Pakistan and then the formative years of Bangladesh.

Theirs was the sort of partnership that a nation stumbles upon maybe once in a generation

He drew his wealth of knowledge that allowed him to talk through the night on folk culture from endless travels throughout the length and breadth of the country, his thirst never satiated by the ocean he found.

He made films taking his own sweet time perhaps, but that is why they always had the stamp of authenticity in them. What made him so special was that he was one of those true artists, who you can tell from their work because nothing in them ever feels contrived.

In Mishuk, Tareque found (or rather they found each other) a talent who

could do justice to his grand vision. To capture it all with the same profound appreciation of nuance that could be missed by most eyes, and yet was all-important in the overall structure.

Quite comfortably – the most assured hand to operate a camera in independent Bangladesh – he found his calling in journalism (working with organisations such as the BBC and National Geographic) and this perhaps naturally brought us closer together, eventually helping to sustain a friendship with much deeper roots.

A son of the martyred intellectual Munier Chowdhury, who lived in the same lane of the teachers’ quarters at Dhaka University as we did in the 60s, he was a patriot at heart, but never wore it on his sleeve. I still remember his phone call from Canada, in the latter half of 2010, to inform me that he was coming home to take charge of ATN News.

Having known him since he was seven or eight, I knew there could be no better man at the helm for the country’s first 24-hour news channel.

His contribution to the field of journalism in Bangladesh is of course incalculable, having moulded “with his own two hands” some of the leading lights in the broadcast media today. The outpouring of grief we witnessed at his demise was not one bit misplaced.

I would rather not get into the circumstances of their death, the tragic state of our communications network, and whose fault it was or wasn’t. It was only a matter of time before one of these daily events on our roads and highways took away the sort of life that draws the attention of the whole nation towards the problem.

Having worked in the news

industry over four decades, I have seen firsthand how our indifference towards daily reports of trucks falling into ditches and buses colliding has grown till assuming a disconcerting numbness.

Everyone knows what the problems are. They are immense, but they are hardly intractable. We know what can be done to turn the situation around.

The entire transport sector is crying out for sensibly administered regulation.

Let’s not forget, the tragedy that befell MV Pinak on the waters of the Padma falls under the same broad category. As is human nature, near and dear ones tried to find solace amid their grief over losing Tareque and Mishuk (and their three companions, let’s not forget) by leveraging the outpouring of grief and outrage towards lasting, agreeable solutions to the woes, indeed the mortal danger posed by travelling in Bangladesh.

“Let’s hope the deaths of Tareque and Mishuk, so unfortunate, so untimely, so needless, are at least not useless as well,” we told ourselves.

Little did we know the compounded grief into which we were letting ourselves in.

And yet, it is a tribute to the gold that resides in the hearts of their nearest and dearest, that they still continue to wage the campaign – and one would expect no different from the two great friends themselves – to which they lent their names, and at least part of the legacy left behind by Tareque Masud and Mishuk Munier. l

he literal Bangla translation of madness, “paglami,” has both positive and negative connotations. To connote positively, many of us, particularly politicians, tend to downplay the misdoings of our recalcitrant protégées by terming them sheer paglami. Terming a delinquent’s behaviour as being paglami usually renders a sense of condescension rather than censure, and is perhaps intended to make the delinquent feel comfortable rather than warned.

Does UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s terming of Israeli bombing of schools as “madness” render any better meaning? Madness is, in medical terms: “An antiquated, non-specific term for any mental illness, including psychoses or neuroses, of any degree and state of decompensation.”

When the UN secretary general condemned the “shelling of another UN school” in Gaza, terming it “madness” that “must stop,” did he mean the mental sickness with which the Israelis are mindlessly killing innocent Palestinians, or did he try to tone down the severity of the Israelis’ crime, as we sometimes do, by terming the wickedness of our boys as paglami?

Does the expression of his condemnation capture the magnitude of the Israel atrocities perpetrated on the Palestinians in Gaza, or just shroud them in understatement as the number of dead bodies shrouded in coffins keeps increasing?

To be candid, this really is madness – devastating psychological stuff that destroys all our reason and logic. According to Hamid Dabashi, a Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, the number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli army in the latest attack amounts to 0.055% of the total Palestinian population.

But what is more ominous than the number of deaths is the dehumanising element inherent in what the eminent Israeli historian Ilan Pappe has termed “incremental genocide.” The process of dehumanisation becomes blatantly manifest as we see pictures showing many Israelis, mostly residents of the southern Israeli city of Sderot, standing on a hill overlooking the Gaza Strip to relish the “spectacle” of burning

Enayetullah Khan is Editor, Dhaka Courier and Editor-in-Chief, United News of Bangladesh (UNB).

Gaza, allegedly smoking hookahs and munching on popcorn.

What does it signify? The madness has not only corrupted the rational thinking of a handful of political or military leaders, but has also afflicted the good senses of the mass people who turned a gruesome scene of brutal killings and burnings into a spectacle of entertainment.

Given the macabre entertainment that man, the “quintessence of dust,” at times indulges in the way many Israelis do, could you imagine Shakespeare have his tragic protagonist uphold the nobleness of human beings?

“What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how/infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and/admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god!/ the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals ...”

If we are to call these Israeli brutalities on the Palestinians “madness,” then this is not a non-voluntary psychological disorder. It is madness with a method or motive, feigned madness, which itself is another psychological malaise and hence, must not be pampered.

As “all the perfumes of Arabia” could not sweeten the blood-stained “little hand” of Lady Macbeth, all medicinal words following Ban Ki-Moon’s call to stop “this madness” would not cure the methodical madness of Israelis.

What is needed to bring the killers from their feigned madness to their senses is a strong jerk – action, not words. This could have come from those allies – the United States and many European countries – who ironically extend support rather than admonish Israel in its unjust and irrational pursuits.

Unfortunately, that is not to be. So, what remains for us is to experience the “incremental genocide” in Gaza where the slaughtered innocent Palestinians at best remind us of the Shakespearean imagery of the flies which are killed by wanton boys for their sport. And the wish that we can live with is that this sport does not escalate into the annihilation of humanity globally, in the course of time. l Moinus Saleh is a public policy analyst.

REUTERS

Looking in the mirror n Farhana Rahman

I

t is fashionable to blame America for all that we see in the Middle East today. It is fashionable as well to blame it on oil, on Saudis and Qataris and Jordanians and Egyptians – not to say the Israelis.

The brutal images of children killed in Gaza by Israelis are undeniable; just like it is undeniable that Muslim children by 10, or 100, or maybe 1,000 times more have been killed, maimed, and slaughtered by Muslims in the past decades. You may not have seen those on Facebook because they were not killed by Jews or Christians.

When Muslims kill/maim/brutalise other Muslims, it is convenient to blame the US/West. People blame the US because they supplied the arms or because they have in the past supported one or the other or both sides. It is like blaming God for creating us. I am sure if God had not created us, none of these events would have happened.

But at the end it is we, Muslims, who are to blame. Not God, not the US, not Israel, and not oil.

They are all contributing factors, including God, but the root cause is the misguided interpretation of the religion – Islam – that has given a moral umbrella to millions of people who have shown utter lack of any feeling while slaughtering their fellow Mus-

lims because they believe in the long run Allah will take them to heaven for their Jihad.

What we also should be blaming is the apathy that has been shown by billions of moderate Muslims, practicing (including myself) or non-practicing, to address some fundamental issues related to Islam and to bring it to the 20th century (and then 21st). If not addressed, in the long term it will result in the demise of the world as we know it, far before the increasing carbon-levels can harm us.

Let us start with ISIS and look at what is happening in Iraq today and how it has evolved. If you have to blame somebody contemporary for what ISIS is doing, blame it on Obama and Maliki. If you are looking to blame somebody for the root cause, blame the interpretation of Islam. The main cause of this is centuries old: Imam Ali, Imam Mehdi, and the Shia-Sunni conflict.

Protestants and Catholics have solved their conflict. We Muslims are about 1,000 years behind in solving ours, and there is no sign that it is getting any better. ISIS may not have the support but they represent the anger and the fear of the 20% Sunni population of Iraq who were disenfranchised

by Maliki, the day Obama forced the military to leave Iraq and let Iraqis govern themselves.

Years before that, when Paul Bremer left Iraq and left governance to locals, the Iraqi vice president, a Sunni (and a Bath party loyalist), was charged with crimes of operating a death squad and sentenced to death (resulting in him then fleeing to Turkey).

Since then, Maliki has systematically destroyed what Bremer and Petraeus were craftily building – which was ensuring that Sunnis would have a voice in the Iraqi government. The “surge” that brought in additional troops helped Petraeus force Maliki and the Shias to accommodate the Sunnis. Since the departure of the US troops, this delicate balance was destroyed. Is the US to be blamed for the creation of ISIS? In a way. Let us see why and how.

The sectarian violence that plagued Iraq in 2011 was finally managed by General Petraeus who bought off the Sunni insurgents ($400m) and created the “Son of Iraq” brigade – which eventually evolved into ISIS. Petraus was able to reduce Iraqi-on-Iraqi violence by almost 90%.

Petraeus, a Princeton PhD, is an expert in counterinsurgency. He knew that the only way to address the sectarian violence, which was claiming more than a thousand lives a month, was to arm and buy both the Sunni insurgents (Son of Iraq brigade) and the Shia Insurgents (Mahadi brigade – the

aftermath of the Fallujah war). Petraeus’s policy was to let the two groups police themselves and keep enough pressure on the Maliki government so that they would not oppress the Sunnis the same way Saddam oppressed the Shias for decades.

The carnage can only be addressed if we, the billions of Muslims, rise up and say enough is enough

This strategy worked as long as the US troops were there. The day US troops left, Maliki was able to do whatever he wanted – and he decided to start brutally oppressing the Sunni population. So much so that in just two years, hardliner Sunnis of the Son of Iraq group erupted in what you see today as the march of ISIS. So now, how about the other fashionable argument? “If Bush had not invaded Iraq, then 100,000 Iraqi civilians would not have been killed

and what we see now would not have happened.” Well, maybe not now, but it absolutely would have happened eventually. Saddam brutalised the majority of Shias in a way that, once again, makes me say that it makes the Israeli brutality look tame.

And it was a matter of time, years, or decades, that the brutal oppression

by Saddam and the Sunnis would have been met with equal brutality from Shias, and millions would have died.

History shows that. This is what happened in the 80-88 Iran-Iraq war: Millions died, were maimed and gassed with no gain to show any resolve to the Shia-Sunni conflict.

Yes, once again, it’s fashionable to say that the US tacitly gave approval to Saddam to start the Iraq invasion of Iran in 1980 and thereby is to blame. However, if you have to blame the US, then blame Allah for creating man. Blame the Prophets, the ones who have created religion, blame Imam Ali and the others who had led to the Sunni-Shia divide.

There is a lot of blame to go around, but none absolve the parties from their own personal responsibilities and the fact that Islam, as a religion, has not evolved, as well as the fact that “moderate Muslims” have done very little to address this.

They went along with their merry

lives, showing moral outrage from time to time through Facebook posts and boycotts when Jews or Christians kill Muslims, and then blame the US, Israel, and the West when Muslims kill Muslims with an order of magnitude more ferociousness and brutality.

The carnage that we see now in the entire Muslim world can only be addressed if we, the billions of Muslims, rise up and say enough is enough.

Enough with the finger-pointing at the West, at the US, and at Israel. When you point a finger at someone, there are always three fingers pointing at you. What are we going to do to stop a religion that is being taken over by millions of fanatics and simply observed by billions of people who are content with the status quo?

How Islam is interpreted and applied in many countries and within many religious communities must change for humanity to survive and prosper. Every religion has gone through this phase. There was a time when working on a Sunday in the US was a crime, because according to scripture, it is the day of the Sabbath. But with time, religion, like everything, has evolved, and now it is time for Islam to evolve to bring peace to the region and to the world. l Farhana Rahman is a freelance contributor.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

New bands still struggling n Mona Mehjabin Baishakhi

B

and music has immense popularity in the country especially among youngsters who often consider band musicians as their idols. Despite the huge popularity, opening and continuing a new band remains challenging and even impossible for many musicians.

“It has really become difficult to continue practicing band music with so many constraints like financial limitations, shortage of practice pads, lack of media coverage and many others,” said Tapan, vocal of Shohortoli band, to the Dhaka Tribune.

“It is difficult to find a place where we can rehearse without creating public nuisance, as practice pads are rare in the city. Besides, musical instruments are really expensive and difficult for middle-class musicians to afford,” added Tapan.

Supporting Tapan, Pintu Ghosh, the vo-

cal of popular band Chirkutt said they had to struggle for a long time before they became an established band. “The media is not interested at all to support new bands. They only consider their TRP and thus always look for popular troupes,” said Pintu, who also blamed the listeners for barely welcoming new musicians.

“People are not supportive to new bands.

I can share an experience: Few years ago, we performed at a concert in Rabindrasarobar.

The crowd did not applaud us as they wanted us to present some rocking ‘hit’ numbers.

They discouraged us to play our new melodic songs,” shared Pintu.

New band Resonance that formed in 2012 is also facing difficulty to make a mark in the music scene. “There is still a concept among people, especially the elderly citizens, that the band musicians are unruly and even drug addicts, but actually we are not,” said Jahirul Islam Sumon, the vocalist of the band.

However, Sumon is hopeful and believes that the situation is getting better. “People are now being more tolerant about band music and some channels like NTV are also promoting new bands through airing special shows for newcomers,” he said.

On the other hand, some band musicians consider that establishing a band is not so difficult if the band is formed in a planned manner.

“We used to perform in a casual manner with our friends on the Charukala premises and we made a fan base on our own,” said Saiful Jarnal, the percussionist of popular band Joler Gaan.

“When we declared our band, we already had a substantial number of audience. So, forming a band should be a planned process,” observed Jarnal, who also added: “If the songs are good and are unique in composition and lyrics, people will definitely love them.” l

Bobby and Mousumi Hamid acted together with Anisur Rahman Milon in an upcoming film “Blackmail” and a teaser poster is revealed. The catchy poster featured the lead female actors in a provocative way which is quite rare in the Bangladeshi film arena. The alluring look is becoming quite popular in women centred action films. The film will see the two actresses in the role of boxers and the poster is creating quite a hype in the social media

Film festival begins

Jol Chobi celebrates beauty of monsoon

at Goethe Institut n Entertainment Desk

n Entertainment Desk The second solo painting exhibition of artist Md Shahnoor Mamun titled “Jol Chobi” featuring fascinating artworks depicting the exquisiteness of monsoon is going on at the La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka.

Artists Samarjit Roy Chawdhury, Hamiduzzaman Khan and Alakesh Ghosh along with other distinguished guests were present in the opening ceremony on August 8.

According to Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, the source of watercolor painting is the combination of light and shadow. Mamun displayed his dexterity in portraying the details of light and shadow in his paintings that celebrate the beauty of monsoon in water colour.

Artist Shohanoor Mamun said in his speech that his love for the medium is endless. He is very much inspired by the legendary Bangladeshi artist Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin and so he dedicated this exhibition to his name.

As the artist adores monsoon, the love for rain holds the larger part in “Jol Chobi.” He depicts the running boats loaded with passengers on Bramaputra, traffic of boats and a busy river bank, as if it is the story of a river.

The work entitled “City Rain” showcases the wet roads of Dhaka city during rain, busy movements of rickshaws and people heading for work with umbrellas, veiling themselves from the downpour.

Another piece, “Old Dhaka” depicts a number of living issues such as; struggles and bustles of hard working people living in the narrow streets of the Old City, Babu Bazar Bridge, Dhaka’s Islampur, old and shabby buildings, movements of rickshaws and traditional horsedrawn carriages and many more.

But his works are not confined to Dhaka only, he presents the rivers Matamuhuri at Lama in Bandarban and Brahmaputra, by portraying the lively sights into his canvases. The exhibition will be open to all until August 26. l

Siddharth following Aamir’s footsteps n Entertainment Desk Sidharth Malhotra seems to be going the Aamir Khan way. The actor is changing his look for every film. Depending on his role and the character he is playing, Sidharth moulds his body and alters his look.

Sidharth debuted with a chocolate boy look in “Student of the Year,” was lean in “Hasee Toh Phasee” but put on a lot more muscle in order to beef up for his character in “Ek Villain.”

The young actor is following in Aamir Khan's footsteps who changes his look drastically for every film from “Ghajini” to “Three Idiots.” Sidharth too not only changes his look but also his body type for every film.

For his upcoming film “Warrior,” Sidharth has to beef up as his role requires him to weigh 90 kg and is on a high protein diet and weight training schedule. l

BLACKMAIL

A short film festival titled “Looking at the Big Sky 14” will be inaugurated at 6pm today at the Goethe Institut and will continue for seven days.

The videos have been produced by young students from German Art School and are being showcased worldwide in Goethe-Institut.

At the opening ceremony, Ishtiaque Zico, lecturer of Pathshala South Asian Media Institute will talk about the Bangladeshi short film scene. During the presentation he will also discuss the 14 videos of “Looking at the Big Sky” and compare them to short films made in Bangladesh and his overall impression of this project.

14 films of two to 14 minutes du-

ration will be screened everyday from 2 – 6pm. Films to be screened tomorrow includes “Hohenpeissenberg” (2011) by Fabian Driehorst/ Frédéric Schuld, “Birkensee/Birch Lake” (2011) by Stefan Ewald, “Untitled” (2012) by Hannah Hummel, “Weirdo’s Brain” (2012) by Bianca Kennedy, “Und Zigaretten/And Cigarettes” (2011) by Alwin Lay, “John’s Desire” (2011) by Henning Frederik Malz, “An vertrauten Orten/Familiar Places” (2012) by Kevin Pawel Matweew and many others.

The theme of the videos, sky, evokes a variety of different associations: The faraway horizon stands as a symbol for vastness of thoughts, freedom, openness, and unlimited possibilities, all that is connected with the blue sky or a starlit night. l

Uzo Aduba wins Emmy n Entertainment Desk

Actress Uzo Aduba was awarded a Creative Arts Emmy for her role as Crazy Eyes on “Orange Is the New Black.” The series also won Emmys for picture editing and casting, reports Time and according to Mashable it received 12 Emmy nominations this year.

n Entertainment Desk Sylvester Stallone’s “Expendables” have failed to knock the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” off the box office top spot.

The pizza-munching reptiles raked in $28.4m (£16.9m) in their second weekend in US cinemas.

They remain ahead of “Guardians Of The Galaxy” which added another $24.7m (£14.7m) to its three-week haul of $222m (£132.6m).

Third spot was taken by adult comedy “Let’s Be Cops,” starring Damon Wayans Jr, about two friends who become entangled in criminal intrigue when they dress up as police officers for a costume party.

The film, which has been savaged in overwhelmingly negative reviews, nevertheless took $17.7m (£10.5m) in its opening weekend, meaning

the film will turn a profit after costing around $17m to make.

But it was a disappointment for the latest installment of Stallone’s “The Expendables” saga.

The third movie in the action romp took just $16.2m (£9.6m) on its opening weekend to finish in fourth.

The first two films in “The Expendables” series had taken $34.8m (£20.7m) and $28.6m (£17,m) in their opening weekends, suggesting that interest in the franchise, which groups together a galaxy of action stars including Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wesley Snipes, Jet Li, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford, is firmly on the wane.

Earlier this month Stallone spoke to Sky News about the problems of film piracy after the film was leaked online before its release. l

Aduba’s role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren is hilariously crazy and creepy, with some touching depth that her backstory brings in the second season.

The show is based off of an autobiography of an upper-class woman who gets sent to prison for drugs and must learn to fit in with women’s prison culture. l

NCIS: Los Angeles AXN 6:00pm

An American police procedural television series that revolves around a team of special agents belonging to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

The Italian Job Zee Studio 9:30

Mark Wahlberg plays a mastermind thief who, along with a team, is on a big mission. Charlie is shocked to the core when one of them turns out to be a double-crosser. The twist is how the gang deals with the situation.

TURTLES DEFEAT ACTION STARS

Did you know?

No defending Premier League champions have ever lost their opening game of the following season (W20 D3)

Sport

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

14 Confident

Gunners set for Besiktas test

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Gavaskar slams

‘embarrassing’ India

PROFILE Full name: Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene Right-hand batsman. Right-arm medium-pace bowler Age: 37 Test debut: Sri Lanka v India, Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, August 1997 Last Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan, SSC, Colombo, August 2014

Test career Matches 149, Runs 11,814, Highest 374, Average 49.84, Centuries 34

Notable achievements

Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene is carried by his teammates after winning their final Test match against Pakistan in Colombo yesterday. Former captain Jayawardene was given a fairytale sendoff in his last Test match as Sri Lanka eased to a 105-run victory that completed a 2-0 series sweep over Pakistan REUTERS

Youth hockey team suffer second defeat n Shishir Hoque Bangladesh youth hockey team slumped to their second defeat in the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games as they were beaten 5-2 by Australia at the Nanjing YOG Sports Park Hockey Field in Nanjing, China yesterday. Yesterday’s scoreline, however, gives a far respectable reading than the previous one when the youth hockey team was humiliated 9-1 by Spain.

The five-a-side hockey match was played in three periods and Australia youth team went 1-0 up in the opening period before Bangladesh pulled one back to take the score to 2-1 after the first two periods. Australia, one of the tournament’s favorites, however, rolled on comfortably in the last half when they managed to find the back of the net three more times to seal a comprehensive 5-2 victory.

Australian forward Warne Mackenzie netted four goals in the 11th, 18th, 30th and 31st minute of the game but was unlucky not to get the hat-trick as Rasmussen Alec scored the third one in the 21st minute for the Aussies. Md Deen Islam Emon and Md Naim Uddin scored one apiece in the 21st and 26th minute respectively for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh will play their third match against Canada today at the same venue before facing South Africa the next day in their last game. If Bangladesh wins against South Africa, there is a chance they will reach the quarterfinals as the South Africans are yet to win a game as well from pool A. A total of 10 teams split into two groups are playing in this 5-a-side hockey and top four teams from each group will progress to last eight. l

Banned Shakib reclaims No 1 Test spot

n Tribune Desk National all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has moved to the top position in the ICC Test allrounders’ ranking, courtesy of poor showings by his rivals. Shakib, who is currently serving a six-month ban from cricket due to indiscipline, played his last Test in February this year against Sri Lanka at home.

Shakib who was sitting at No 3, reclaimed the No 1 spot after India’s R Ashwin and South Africa’s Vernon Philander failed to perform well against England and Zimbabwe respectively.

The former Bangladesh skipper earned 364 rating points, 7 more than Ashwin at the second place. l

First class cricketers receive six months’ dues n Mazhar Uddin The pending six months’ salaries of 105 first class cricketers outside the national team who are under the renewed central contract have been transferred to their respective bank accounts, informed Nizamuddin Chowdhury yesterday, the acting CEO of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

“We have already approved the renewed contract and the players have already received their salaries in their respective bank accounts, and the contracted cricketers will be receiving their salaries regularly from now on,” said Nizamuddin.

A pending in the approval of the first class cricketers’ renewed contract meant they were denied their salaries from February this year and yesterday’s confirmation from the acting CEO of BCB means the dues till July have been cleared as a discarded national cricketer also confirmed yesterday,

“I have received my salaries for the last six months just a couple of days back in my bank account.”

The players have already received their salaries in their respective bank accounts, and the contracted cricketers will be receiving their salaries regularly from now on However, BCB took a long time to approve the central contract for the cricketers citing this year’s busy international schedules behind the delay as the old contract expired last December and no concrete initiative regarding the renewal of the contract was taken

by BCB in in the following six months.

This made the cricketers doubtful and anxious about their salaries for the months which had already passed.

AHM Mostafa Kamal, the former

Olympic Association pondering Bangladesh Youth Games n Shishir Hoque

In a bid to search for young talented athletes from grass-roots level, the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) is planning to hold Bangladesh Youth Games for the first time in the country, which is likely to be held in December this year.

Badal Roy, the deputy director general of Bangladesh Olympic Association talked yesterday about the possibility of holding the Youth Games while admitting the deficit of time to organize the event as the Asian Games is just a month away with the the SA Games likely to be held in March next year in India.

After a poor display in the Commonwealth Games last month, BOA is thinking hard to develop the games and the future of it from every aspect, and this thought led to the birth of the idea of holding Bangladesh Youth Games to find out young talents from across the country. The event will be held in under-18 level and the participants will have a chance to prove their worth with an opportunity to book their names for

the next SA Games.

The primary plan is to begin the event from Upazilla level which would consume around a month to finish the process. The top athletes from Upazilla will then compete in the district level followed by all the district sports council jointly forming a district team comprising of the top performers. The district teams will eventually take part in the divisional level to qualify for the final round which will be held in Dhaka in January.

After the plan was proposed, BOA president and also the Army chief General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan expressed his interest to hold the event.

“Though the time is very short, we are working to chalk out the format to start the Games in December which will eventually finish in January so that the top athletes will get a chance to prepare for the SA Games and join the camp alongside the existing athletes,” said Badal Roy yesterday.

“The senior players will also get some competition in the camp which will help to form a strong national team for the SA Games,” added Badal. l

president of BCB and the current ICC president, brought 105 cricketers under the central contract from outside the national team for the first time in 2012.

It was a landmark step towards the decentralization of cricket in Bangladesh from its Dhaka-centric structure.

According to the previous contract, in addition to the match fees, a cricketer with 11 years of first-class experience received Tk 25,000 per month under Category A while players with 6-10 years of experience received Tk 20,000 per month under Category B, and players with experience of 1-5 years received Tk 15,000 per month under Category C. BCB took the initiative of bringing in first-class cricketers under the central contract in order to create competition among the players in the National Cricket League, the first-class cricket competition of the country played among the divisional sports association teams. l

t Jayawardene is one of only five batsmen – the others being Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Kumar Sangakkara -- to score more than 11,000 runs in both Test and one-day cricket. t Jayawardene and Sangakkara hold the record for the highest partnership in Test cricket: 624 for the third wicket against South Africa in Colombo in 2006. Jayawardene scored 374 and Sangakkara made 287. t Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera also have the highest partnership for the fourth wicket: 437 against Pakistan in Karachi in 2009. Jayawardene scored 240 and Samaraweera 231. t His 205 Test catches are second only to Indian Rahul Dravid’s tally of 210 by a fielder other than a wicket-keeper. t Jayawardene captained Sri Lanka in 38 Tests, winning 18, losing 12 with 8 drawn. t Jayawardene has played 420 one-day internationals and scored 11,681 runs at an average of 32.90 with 16 centuries. He hopes to keep playing one-day matches till next year’s World Cup. t Jayawardene also played in 55 T20I before quitting the shortest format in April.

He scored 1,493 runs with one century and a strike-rate of 133.18 runs per 100 balls. t His 2,921 runs in 27 Tests at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo are the most by any batsman at a single ground. He averaged 74.89 at the ground with 11 centuries.

Emotional Jayawardene ends Test career on a high n AFP, Colombo An emotional Mahela Jayawardene ended his glittering, 17-year Test career on a high Monday as Sri Lanka won the second and final Test against Pakistan by 105 runs to sweep the series 2-0.

The 37-year-old was hoisted onto his team-mates’ shoulders for a lap of honour after the tourists, who resumed their second innings at 127-7 chasing a target of 271, were shot out for 165 before lunch on the fifth day.

The former Test captain, who had retired from Twenty20 internationals after Sri Lanka’s title-winning campaign in the World T20 in April, will now play only one-day cricket heading into next year’s World Cup. Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse was among the 4,000 home fans who turned up at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) to bid goodbye to one of modern cricket’s great batsmen.

“I don’t know what to say, but I promise I won’t cry,” Jayawardene said at the presentation ceremony as firecrackers went off in the stands.

“I love you all. Thank you so much

for the support all these years. I still have a little bit left and I promise I’ll give it my all for the World Cup. “Thanks also to my team-mates. It’s been great to play for Sri Lanka for so many years. I have always worn this cap with pride and passion.”

The elegant right-hander is one of only five batsmen to score more than 11,000 runs in both Test and one-day cricket -- the others being Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and team-mate Kumar Sangakkara.

Jayawardene finished with 11,814 runs in 149 Tests with 34 centuries, but his average dropped from 50.02 to 49.84 after making four and 54 in his final Test at the SSC. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq described Jayawardene as a legend whose absence in the Test arena will be felt by all.

“Not only Sri Lankans, fans all over the world are going to miss him,” Misbah said. “I really wish him best of luck in life. He is really a legend.”

Last man Junaid Khan was unable to bat due to injury as Pakistan lost their final wickets on the last morning. l

THE SMILE IS BACK

Bangladesh national cricketers (L-R) Rubel Hossain, Nasir Hossain, Al Amin Hossain and Mithun Ali pose for a photograph at the team hotel lobby in Grenada on Sunday. Bangladesh won their lone warm-up game against Grenada XI by 95 runs on the same day COURTESY

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Arsenal set for Besiktas test n AFP, Paris After a positive start to the new season domestically, Arsenal head to Istanbul in optimistic mood ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League play-off first leg against Besiktas.

The Gunners followed up a convincing victory against Manchester City in the Community Shield with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday in their opening Premier League game, in which Aaron Ramsey netted a late winner.

Now they are looking to secure a place in the lucrative group stage of Europe’s elite club competition for a 17th consecutive campaign, although Wenger could do without the fitness concerns that are hanging over several players, including Kieran Gibbs, Laurent Koscielny and Jack Wilshere.

Meanwhile, Ramsey admitted that Arsenal will need to improve on their performance against Palace, although he lauded the contribution of Wenger’s summer recruits in that match.

Slaven Bilic’s side, who finished third in the Turkish Super League last season, do not begin their domestic campaign until later this month, although they

were convincing winners against Feyenoord in the third qualifying round, with former Chelsea striker Demba Ba scoring a hat-trick in the second leg.

The pick of the ties elsewhere on Tuesday sees Napoli, knocked out of a group containing Arsenal last season, entertain Athletic Bilbao.

FIXTURES Besiktas FC Copenhagen St Bucharest Napoli Salzburg

v v v v v

Arsenal Leverkusen Ludogorets Athletic Bilbao Malmo

Both clubs have yet to begin their domestic seasons, and Napoli coach Rafa Benitez may have reservations about playing Gonzalo Higuain, who returned late from his summer break after reaching the World Cup final with Argentina.

Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen go to FC Copenhagen, while Salzburg host Swedish champions Malmo, the 1979 European Cup runners-up who have never appeared in the group stage, and Bulgarian upstarts Ludogorets travel to Steaua Bucharest. The remaining five play-off first legs will be played on Wednesday, with the returns to come next midweek. l

Arsenalís French manager Arsene Wenger attends a training session at their London Colney facility in Hertfordshire, north of London, yesterday ahead of their Uefa Champions League Play-off first-leg match against Besiktas today AFP

Atletico seek Champions League revenge over Real in Super Cup

Bayern make winning start in German Cup

n AFP, Madrid

n Reuters, Berlin

La Liga champions Atletico Madrid have an early season chance to avenge their defeat to Real Madrid in May’s Champions League final in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Tuesday.

Despite having arguably Atletico’s best ever season, Diego Simeone’s men have still suffered from the departure of a number of key players over the close season as Filipe Luis and Diego Costa joined Chelsea and Thibaut Courtois returned to Stamford Bridge after a three-year loan spell.

The money received from the sales of Costa and Filipe Luis has however been reinvested in an exciting new frontline as Mario Mandzukic joined from Bayern Munich, Mexican inter-

national Raul Jimenez was signed from Club America, and Antoine Griezmann moved from Real Sociedad for 30 million euros ($40 million, £24 million).

All three are in line to make their competitive debutes at the Santiago Bernabeu, but playmaker Arda Turan misses out due to a hamstring injury.

And midfielder Mario Suarez is determined to make amends for their heartbreaking 4-1 defeat to Real after extra time in Lisbon three months ago having been just over a minute away from wining the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

Real haven’t rested on their laurels after claiming a tenth European crown as they have splashed over 100 million euros on World Cup stars James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos and goalkeeper Keylor Navas.

Colombian Rodriguez and Germany playmaker Kroos made an immediate impact in their debuts as Real won the first of a potential six trophies this season by defeating Sevilla 2-0 to win the UEFA Super Cup last week.

However, Navas has had to wait for his opportunity as Iker Casillas started against Sevilla in Cardiff despite his poor form in Spain’s disastrous campaign at the World Cup. Real boss Carlo Ancelotti, though, hasn’t yet declared who his first choice ‘keeper for the campaign will be and Navas is willing to push Casillas for his place in the side.

The second leg will be played at Atletico’s Vicente Calderon stadium on Friday evening before both clubs begin their league campaigns next Monday. l

Injury-hit Bayern Munich crushed third-tier Preussen Muenster 4-1 away on Sunday to bounce back from their midweek Super Cup defeat and launch a successful defence of their German Cup title.

Despite missing half a dozen key players through injury, including Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger, Bayern were eager to make amends for Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

Fellow Bundesliga club Werder Bremen, who had crashed out against lower-ranked opponnents in the past three editions of the competition, needed extra time to edge past regional club Illertissen 3-2.

Hoffenheim were much more convincing, beating USC Paloma 9-0 with five goals from Sven Schipplock while Freiburg advanced with a 2-0 win over Eintracht Trier 2-0.

Dortmund have already booked their second round spot after easing 4-1 past Stuttgarter Kickers on Saturday. l

RESULTS Illertissen Paloma Preussen Eintracht Trier RB Leipzig Magdeburg Darmstadt

2 0 1 0 2 1 0

3 9 4 2 1 0 0*

Werder Bremen Hoffenheim Bayern Munich Freiburg Paderborn Augsburg Wolfsburg

Brandao headbutt ‘scandalous’: French sports official n AFP, Paris French secretary of state for sports Thierry Braillard on Monday dubbed as “scandalous” the headbutt Brazilian striker Brandao landed on Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Thiago Motta.

PSG confirmed that Motta suffered a broken nose in an ugly clash with Brandao after Saturday’s 2-0 win against SC Bastia. Images from CCTV cameras in the tunnel at the Parc des Princes showed Brandao waiting for Motta to approach him before headbutting the Brazil-born Italy international at the end of the Ligue 1 game.

“Of course it merits a sanction,” Braillard told France Info, calling Brandao’s action “scandalous, unacceptable”. l

Beach boy Bolt wins Copacabana 100m n AFP, Rio De Janeiro

Rodgers wants new striker and to move on from Suarez

Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt won his first 100m of 2014 on Sunday in an exhibition race run on Rio’s iconic Copacabana beach, two years out from the 2016 Olympics.

The Jamaican superstar won in a time of 10.6sec although Bolt had predicted a sub-10sec time when he faced the press on Friday.

Britain’s Mark Lewis Francis (10.42sec) and Jefferson Liberato of Brazil (10.44sec) shared the podium with Bolt who, after an injury-hit season, was running his first 100m since Brussels in September last year when he won in 9.80sec.

“I had a poor start but I regained some of my poise later in the race,” Bolt told TV Globo. I felt a bit heavy, and I need to compete in more races... I will be in better shape after that.”

The 27-year-old Bolt will compete in his final Olympics in Rio in 2016 before calling time on his career in 2017 after the world championships. l

n Reuters, Liverpool

Jamaican Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt, front, smiles after crossing the finish line of the “Mano a Mano” men’s 100m challenge in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday on Sunday AP

Pellegrini wary of second-season collapse n Reuters Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini remains wary of avoiding another “disaster” the season after winning a Premier League title, despite the comfortable nature of Sunday’s opening 2-0 victory at Newcastle United.

Three years ago, City claimed their first top-flight title in 44 years under Italian Roberto Mancini but were off the pace during their defence the following season, finishing well behind local rivals Manchester United in second spot.

Last season brought another league crown to the Etihad Stadium in Pellegrini’s first campaign at the club, and he said they could not afford to rest on their laurels if they hoped to avoid an-

other letdown.

“This team won the title two years ago and the next season was a disaster, it wasn’t a useful year for anyone,” the Chilean told the BBC. “Last season, Manchester United had a disaster (finished seventh) after winning the title.

“It’s important from the beginning that we understand we won the title last season and need to win again this year.”

Pellegrini said Bosnia striker Dzeko was set to commit his long-term future to the club, joining Samir Nasri, Vincent Kompany, Aleksandar Kolarov and Aguero in penning new deals.

Dzeko scored 16 league goals last season. l

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says he will search for an additional striker until the close of the transfer window but believes the club must now move on from the departure of Luis Suarez.

Rodgers said Suarez, who scored 31 goals last season for Liverpool but moved to Barcelona last month, had sent him a text message before Sunday’s 2-1 home win against Southampton, wishing the team all the best.

But the Northern Irishman believes the sale of Suarez, for a reported fee of 81 million euros ($111 million), should not hang over the club into the new campaign.

“Our ambitions here at Liverpool have to be bigger than one player. Big clubs lose players and our ambitions are bigger than Luis,” said Rodgers after goals from Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge had given his team a winning

Monaco blown away by Bordeaux n AFP, Paris

Monaco suffered a second defeat in as many games this season as Bordeaux came from behind to beat the principality club 4-1 in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Dimitar Berbatov gave the visitors the lead at the Stade Chaban-Delmas just before half-time, but having lost at home to Lorient last weekend, Leonardo Jardim’s side collapsed in the face of a brilliant Bordeaux second-half performance.

Two goals from Uruguayan striker Diego Rolan and penalties from Emiliano Sala and Wahbi Khazri made it two wins out of two for Les Girondins, who are top of the fledgling table with a maximum six points after a fine start

under their new coach Willy Sagnol.

Jardim hit out at the referee, claiming the official made two crucial errors which altered the course of the game.

RESULTS Marseille

0 2

Montpellier

3 1

Reims

Mounier 18, Sanson 68

Saint-Etienne Gradel 61, Monnet-Paquet 71, Erding 82

Bordeaux

Perrin 27-og

4 1

Rolan 48, 65, Sala 61-pen, Khazri 75-pen

Monaco Berbatov 45

Radamel Falcao was again left on the bench at kick-off for Monaco, although Jardim did make five changes to his team, including recalling Jeremy Toulalan in midfield.

Saint-Etienne are the only other side

to have won their opening two matches after they also came from behind to beat Reims 3-1 at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Loic Perrin deflected a Benjamin Moukandjo shot into his own net to give Reims -- who held champions Paris Saint-Germain last week -- an interval lead, but Max-Alain Gradel, Kevin Monnet-Paquet and Mevlut Erding all found the net in the second half for Les Verts.

However, like Jardim, new Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa is finding the adaptation to life in Ligue 1 something of a challenge.

After OM threw away a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 in Bastia last week, his first home game at the helm ended in a chorus of jeers after a deflating 2-0 defeat to southern rivals Montpellier, whose goals came from Anthony Mounier and Morgan Sanson. l

start to the season.

“He sent us a lovely text this morning wishing us all the best, which was a great gesture. But he is a friend now of Liverpool.

“He’s a good boy, but he’s gone. His heart is with Liverpool, he will always be Liverpool and it was a lovely touch.

“But we look forward, we are bigger than any one single player,” he added.

Rodgers, who has been linked with several strikers since selling Suarez, repeated his desire to bring in another forward to his squad.

“I do still think we need another striker. It is something that we will look at but that will depend on the availability of one. So we will search for that through to the end of the window but you see the players, the quality that we have,” he said.

The Liverpool manager was full of praise for Sturridge, who notched 21 goals in the league last season and grabbed the 79th minute winner. l

South Korea talks with van Marwijk collapse n AFP, Seoul South Korea’s hopes of appointing Dutchman Bert van Marwijk to succeed Hong Myung-Bo as national coach have broken down, the Korea Football Association (KFA) said on Monday.

KFA technical director Lee Yong-Soo told local media South Korea would rely on a trio of interim coaches for next month’s home friendlies against Venezuela and Uruguay, but insisted the search for a full-time foreign manager would continue.

“We will keep trying to hire a head coach of foreign nationality,” Lee told Yonhap news agency. “In the meantime we will prepare for the two September matches with three (local) coaches.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Man of the series Jimmy channels his anger

QUICK BYTES

39 players report for AFC U-16 women’s football qualifiers

n AFP, London

A total of 39 players have submitted their report at the BFF House yesterday to join the preliminary camp of Bangladesh U-16 National Football Team for the AFC U-16 Women’s Football Championship 2014 qualifiers.

Three players couldn’t report to BFF and will not join the camp due to JSC exam. The squad will be trimmed to 30 players after three days and the training will be held at BFF’s artificial turf and Bangabandhu National Stadium.

–Tribune Desk

Wife convinced Cook to stay on as skipper Alastair Cook said support from his wife, Alice, had persuaded him to stay on as England captain after leading the side to a come-from-behind Test series win over India. After last month’s 95run defeat by India in the second Test at Lord’s, a result that meant England had gone 10 Tests without a win, Cook faced calls from several former England captains to stand down as skipper.

But the determined opening batsman insisted he would not quit, despite presiding over a 5-0 Ashes loss in Australia and a 1-0 defeat in a two-Test campaign at home to Sri Lanka immediately prior to the India series. It was a decision vindicated by England ultimately defeating India 3-1 in a five-Test series, a win completed with a crushing innings and 244-run victory at The Oval on Sunday. “It was the support I had from my wife,” said Cook.

–AFP,

United close in on signing Rojo Manchester United believe a deal to land Marcos Rojo is close, but it is still to be decided whether Nani should go on loan to Sporting Lisbon in addition to the £16m fee for the defender. Club sources are calling the move for the Argentinian “very complex”. Yet once an agreement can be reached regarding whether Nani will move to Sporting in return – probably for a season – there is confidence at Old Trafford that Rojo will become a United player and so strengthen an area of Louis van Gaal’s squad that is particularly weak. As first reported last week by the Guardian the manager wants Rojo because he can play at centre-back and left-back.

– The Guardian

Nadal to miss US Open due to wrist injury Reigning champion Rafael Nadal will miss the US Open later this month due to a right wrist injury. “I am very sorry to announce I won’t be able to play at this year’s US Open, a tournament in which I’ve played three consecutive finals in my last participations,” he wrote on his official Facebook page on Monday. A two-time champion in New York, Nadal also missed the tournament back in 2012 as he recovered from a knee injury. “I am sure you understand that it is a very tough moment for me since it is a tournament I love and where I have great memories from fans, the night matches, so many things,” he added.

–AFP

Former diplomat elected as PCB chief

Former diplomat Shaharyar Khan was Monday elected Pakistan’s cricket chief for a three-year term, a move aimed at ending a 14-month leadership tussle which has left the governing body in disarray. Khan, 80, becomes the 30th chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) but the only one to have a second tenure, having held the post between December 2003 to October 2006. Khan was elected unapposed under the board’s new constitution adopted last month in a bid to resolve the dispute triggered in May last year when then-chairman Zaka Ashraf was suspended by Islamabad high court.

After Ashraf’s suspension, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed veteran journalist Najam Sethi as PCB head. But court orders and government decrees saw Sethi swapping power with Ashraf five times.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH

Ten Action

1:30PM South Africa Tour of Zimbabwe 2nd ODI 3:00AM Spanish Super Cup 2014 Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid Ten Cricket 12:00AM UEFA Champions League, Qualifying Besiktas v Arsenal

15

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

England’s captain Alastair Cook (L) poses with teammate James Anderson after England won the series 3-1 against India in their fifth cricket Test match at the Oval cricket ground in London on Sunday REUTERS

James Anderson has said the fall-out from his row with Ravindra Jadeja helped him star in a 3-1 Test series win over India.

England wrapped up the five-match contest with a colossal innings and 244run victory, completed inside three days, at The Oval on Sunday.

Spearhead seamer Anderson was named England’s man-of-the-series after taking 25 wickets at an average of 20.60 as he made inroads into an ever-more fallible India top order.

Anderson’s sparkling form prompted a succession of increasingly low totals that culminated with the tourists’ humiliating 94 all out in their second innings at The Oval.

But had India had their way, Anderson would not have been playing at all by that stage.

Indian management brought a Level Three charge under the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct, alleging he had “abused and pushed” Jadeja in a pavilion incident during the drawn first Test at Trent Bridge.

The charges were dismissed by ICC code of conduct commissioner Gordon Lewis, who also rescinded the 50 percent match fee fine imposed on Jadeja by match referee David Boon, the former Australia batsman.

However, what did emerge from the hearing was Anderson’s fondness for some pretty crude ‘sledging’ or verbal abuse of opposition batsmen out in the middle.

Gavaskar slams ‘jelly-like’ India n AFP, London Sunil Gavaskar accused India of “embarrassing the country” after their humiliating innings and 244-run defeat

by England in the fifth Test at The Oval on Sunday.

It was the second time in as many matches that India had been beaten inside three days after their innings and 54-run reverse in the fourth Test at Old Trafford and saw England take the fivematch series 3-1.

Sunday’s loss was particularly humiliating, India collapsing to 94 all out in their second innings after being skittled out for 148 in their first effort at The Oval.

The tourists were dismissed in under 30 overs on Sunday as they suffered their third-heaviest Test loss of alltime, after going down by an innings and 336 runs to the West Indies at Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1958 and losing to England by an innings and 285 runs

at Lord’s in 1974.

For India great Gavaskar, one of cricket’s all-time leading opening batsmen, it was all too much to take.

“Everything about England has been top-class,” said Gavaskar while commentating for BBC Radio’s Test Match Special.

“But, India have shown jelly-like resistance. Therefore, England should not get carried away because there are sterner tests to come.”

Gavaskar, who made a thrilling 221 at The Oval in 1979 that so nearly saw India to a stunning Test win over England, said the present-day India team, the 50-over world champions, were more interested in one-day cricket than Tests.

“If you do not want to be playing Test cricket for India, quit. Just play limited-overs cricket. You should not be embarrassing your country like that.”

Meanwhile former England captain

‘Don’t get jealous of IPL’ n Cricbuzz

There was no doubt that the question would come up sometime. It was a more a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.

Should Mahendra Singh Dhoni resign as captain after India were, yet again, on the receiving end of a hammering overseas? But the India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni shot back when asked about his resignation, saying he was strong enough and that everyone should just ‘wait and watch’ for his decision.

“I was asked the same question in 2011. Wait and watch, I am strong enough. And if I am not, you will get to know. The lowest point was 2011 because we had the resources then and yet we had failed,” said Dhoni.

When asked if the youngsters in the Indian circuit would be better served if

they skip the Indian Premier League in order to get some experience in County Cricket, Dhoni said, “Ask the BCCI about it. And don’t get jealous of IPL.” When asked if he had taken India as far as he could and done enough as the captain, Dhoni curtly replied, Maybe, yes.

He added: “Why we are not lasting more than one session is very difficult to answer now. The batting form kept sliding and we were never really able to accumulate the runs to compete.”

He also said, during the presentation ceremony, that the continuous failure of the batsmen affected the confidence of their top-order as they could not absorb the pressure. He also he blamed lack of experience for India’s meek 1-3 surrender in the series, which concluded with the visitors capitulating in inside 3 days at The Oval. l

Michael Vaughan accused India of a lack of fight after they succumbed in jut 29.2 overs’ batting on Sunday.

“It’s a disgrace to think that India have been blown away in 29 overs under blue skies on a pitch that was only doing a bit,” said Vaughan.

“They should be embarrassed. Some of those strokes were of players who didn’t want to fight for their country.”

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, out for a duck on Sunday but whose first-innings 82 arguably prevented an even-quicker finish, agreed the tourists’ batting had been well below the required standard.

“The last three Tests, we were not up to the mark. We never competed.

Today’s batting was a reflection of a loss of confidence. It’s disappointing.”

James Anderson was named England’s man-of-the-series after taking 25 wickets at 20.6 apiece.

His haul left the paceman three short of equalling Ian Botham’s En-

gland record of 383 Test wickets and was central to England’s recovery from 1-0 down in the series after a drawn opener at Trent Bridge was followed by India’s 95-run win in the second Test at Lord’s.

“My form is right up there with the best in my career,” said Anderson, who will now have to wait until England’s Caribbean tour opener against the West Indies in April for his next chance to draw level with Botham -- a match that will be his 100th Test, if selected.

“Since Southampton (where England won the third Test by 266 runs) we got on top of their batsman and created pressure none stop.”

Sunday’s victory was set up by Joe Root’s dashing 149 not out that took England to a first innings score of 486 and took the Yorkshireman past 500 runs for the series.

“It’s always nice to score runs but to finish the way we have was very pleasing,” said Root. l

One of the game’s most elegant stroke-makers, Mahela Jayawardene, enjoyed a fitting farewell to Test cricket at his home ground as Sri Lanka completed a 2-0 series sweep against Pakistan on Monday.

Few cricketers exemplified the spirit of the game better than the gentlemanly 37-year-old, though his pleasant demeanour hid nerves of steel, a calculating, street-smart mind and an obsessive drive for perfection.

His final innings at his favourite Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo on Sunday had been yet another classy knock of 54 that saw him complete the milestone of a half century of Test fifties.

He had retired from Twenty20 internationals after Sri Lanka’s title-winning campaign in the World T20 in April, but will continue in the 50-over game hop-

ing to compete in next year’s one-day World Cup in Australia.

Jayawardene is one of only five batsmen to score more than 11,000 runs in both Test and one-day cricket -- the

STATS l

India recorded the 19th instance in the last 50 years of a team having 15+ batsmen dismissed for single figures in a Test.

l

England have played their 50th home bilateral Test series of 5+ Tests - this was their 23rd victory (lost 22, drawn five)

l

MS Dhoni has led India in 28 away Tests (Won 6, Drawn 8, Lost 14), joint-most for India with Sourav Ganguly (W 11, D 7, L10)

l

Jimmy Anderson & Stuart Broad have 355 Test wickets between them as an opening pair, 4th most

l

India have lost 3 consecutive Test series for the first time since 1976 - 78, when they lost to England, Australia and Pakistan.

l

Moeen Ali & Stuart Broad finished the series with identical averages, both taking 19 wickets for 437 runs (average-23.0).

l

Sunday’s win against India was England’s 5th biggest Test win (by an inns) in their history

Federer wins 80th ATP title n AFP, Cincinnati

Roger Federer won his 80th career title and sixth at the Cincinnati Masters on Sunday, beating David Ferrer 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to stamp himself a US Open favourite.

The Swiss now goes into the final Grand Slam of the season in eight days as a legitimate threat after reaching the final last week in Toronto and claiming his 16th win without a loss against Spain’s Ferrer over an 11-year span.

The world number three is unbeaten in six finals in Cincinnati, also winning the tournament in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012.

Federer added a third title of 2014 to those he won in Dubai and Halle. He ran his career title total to 80 from 121 finals. l

Champion Serena Williams and runner-up Ana Ivanovic of Serbia holds their trophies during the finals of the Western & Southern Open on Sunday in Cincinnati, Ohio AFP

Gentleman Jayawardene, the elegant run-machine n AFP, Colombo

And in the light of that, Anderson said he had tried to let his bowling, above all else, do the talking for him.

“Possibly, in the last few games, I have concentrated more on being aggressive with the ball rather than my mouth,” Anderson said.

“I think I tried to be as aggressive.

Whether I tried to say any less, I don’t know. But I think the Jadeja incident made me more determined to perform on the field.

“At Southampton, when the stuff was going on around before and after the game (the Lancashire paceman had his hearing the day after England’s series-levelling victory), we were so focused on winning that game, and since then we’ve not let India back into the series.”

However, Anderson insisted he was not about to abandon his aggressive onfield style that he believes has been a key to a career that has now seen him take 380 wickets in 99 Tests.

Only all-round great Ian Botham, with 383, has taken more Test wickets for England.

“The reason I struggled, I think, in the early part of my career is because I was the timid, shy character that I am off the field when I was on it,” said the 32-year-old Anderson.

“That didn’t help me. And working with people to try to get the best out of me, we found that it was best if I tried to be aggressive.

“What’s helped me in the last five or six years is the fact I’ve been aggressive on the field and had the odd word. l

others being Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and team-mate Kumar Sangakkara.

That he finished with an average of 49.84 over 149 Tests with 34 hundreds,

TOP 10 RUN-SCORERS IN TESTS Player Matches Sachin Tendulkar(India) 200 Ricky Ponting (Australia) 168 Jacques Kallis (South Africa) 166 Rahul Dravid (India) 164 Kumar Sangakkara* (Sri Lanka) 128 Brian Lara (WI) 131 Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) 149 Shivnarine Chanderpaul* (WI) 156 Allan Border (Australia) 156 Steve Waugh (Australia) 168

Runs Average 100s 15921 53.78 51 13378 51.85 41 13289 55.37 45 13288 52.31 36 11988 58.76 37 11953 52.88 34 11814 49.84 34 11414 51.88 29 11174 50.56 27 10927 51.06 32

six times passing 200, illustrates his irrepressible hunger for runs through a 17-year-career.

Although his form outside Asia had been inconsistent, he set a deluge of records at home.

He scored a monumental 374 during a world record partnership of 624 with Sangakkara (287) against a South African attack that included Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini at the SSC in 2006.

Jayawardene looked set to surpass Brian Lara’s record of 400 when he was bowled against the run of play. Ever the team-mate, he preferred to rejoice in his team’s huge win by an innings and 153 runs.

He got an immediate taste of big scores on his Test debut as a 20-yearold in 1997, when Sri Lanka piled up a world record total of 952-6 declared against India at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo. l

SCORECARD Sri Lanka 1st innings: 320 Pakistan 1st innings: 332 Sri Lanka 2nd innings: 282 Pakistan 2nd innings (overnight 127-7): Khurram Manzoor c Dickwella b Prasad 10 Ahmed Shehzad lbw b Prasad 8 Azhar Ali c Jayawardene b Herath 10 Younis Khan lbw b Herath 8 Misbah-ul Haq c Jayawardene b Herath 3 Asad Shafiq st Dickwella b Herath 32 Sarfraz c Sangakkara b Welegedara 55 Abdur Rehman lbw b Perera 5 Wahab Riaz c Silva b Herath 17 Saeed Ajmal not out 3 Junaid did not bat - absent injured Extras: (b4, lb7, nb3) 14 Total (all out, 52.1 overs) 165 Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-21, 3-31), 4-39, 5-50, 6-105, 7-122, 8-151, 9-165.

Bowling: Welegedara 9-4-22-1, Prasad 8-0-29-2 (nb3), Herath 22.1-2-57-5, Perera 13-1-46-1 Sri Lanka won by 105 runs, sweep series 2-0

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Easy bikes causing silent destruction Electric tricycles reduce emissions but have led to a rise in pollution from the batteries 12-volt batteries each. One battery side trash containing lead-acid batterthe prolonged inhaling of which can danga in Khulna. n Kamran Reza Chowdhury This Dhaka Tribune correspondent contains at least 50 kilograms of lead, ies or who handle batteries at transfer destroy the central nervous system and Though the government banned the import and production of battery-run tricycles, commonly known as easy bikes, in May 2011 to save energy and reduce road accidents, allowing the existing vehicles to continue operating is causing harm to the people, cattle and environment as a whole.

These vehicles are dumping thousands of exhausted acid batteries and spreading lead pollution, causing neurological disorders, lung ailments, kidney failures, cancer and other fatal diseases.

Cashing in on the huge volume of spare batteries, factories have sprung up across the country in defiance of the consequences to the human health and the ecology. They break the batteries and dump sulphuric acid into open space, canals, ponds and rivers while the authorities concerned sit idle.

Again, the factories burn lead plates from the batteries at high temperatures, resulting in the evaporation of lead and its compounds into the air —

cause lung diseases, including cancer.

In many places, people have raised their voices against these factories.

“When batteries are burnt in the dead of the night, the whole area is covered with a sharp acid odour. Many of us have severe coughs. Again, during the dry season, trees die from the gases that come out of the factories,” Abdul Khaleque Paik, a resident of Khulna’s Sholmari area where more than one battery factories have operated for years, told the Dhaka Tribune.

“Acid is dumped onto farm land and rivers through pipes. The situation is such that we live in an area with dead trees,” he said, adding that factory owners bribe local goons and administration to continue their operation.

In June, the people from Sholmari protested the battery-burning factories and ransacked the facilities. But the factory still works when the residents fall asleep.

In previous years, the local people flattened a factory near a river at Hogla-

saw battery factories at Khulna’s Rupsha, Labanchara, Horintana, Kholabaria, Tetulkhali, Hogladanga, Sholmari, Chhoyghoria, Anghata, Bilpabla, Rajbandha, Rajbandh and Rayermohol areas.

“Over 2,000 easy bikes are running in Naogaon town alone. Such three-wheelers run in about 10 upazilas. I think we have at least 10,000 easy bikes and the same number of battery-run rickshaws operating in Naogaon district,” Shiru, the former president of Easy Bike Workers Association in Naogaon, told this correspondent.

“Depending on use, batteries must be replaced twice a year. It is the same case for the battery-run rickshaws. The poor people who work in the factory to get lead poisoning from the expired batteries,” he said.

Fakhrul Islam, a professor emeritus at the Department of Applied Chemistry at Rajshahi University, told the Dhaka Tribune that easy bikes use six

which is very dangerous for human health and the environment.

“Putting the lead plates into the sulphuric acid inside the battery chambers results in the production of a new lead-sulphur compound. A very small quantity of lead can be extracted by burning the plates of the expired batteries,” said Fakhrul who carried out a research on the issue. “We should immediately stop such practices,” he added.

He said recycling lead is very complex and expensive, suggesting that the government should be tough on the polluters.

Improper disposal of acid batteries can cause them to corrode over time and release sulphuric acid, lead and other heavy metals, polluting the soil and water sources such as lakes, rivers, streams and ground water, says the Environment Protection Agency of the US. “If lead-acid batteries are burnt, lead can be released into the air and remain in the ash. Workers who collect curb-

stations and landfills may be harmed by the leaking acid,” it said.

“To help protect the environment and recover valuable components that can be reused, every effort should be made to send lead-acid batteries to a recycler.”

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority does not give registrations and route permits for easy bikes and battery-run rickshaws. However, some local government bodies such the union parishads, pourasavas and city corporations have unofficially allowed three-wheeler vehicles to operate, as they are very popular among the common people because of their cheaper fares.

The government prohibited the production of easy bikes, considering the electricity consumption. According to rough estimates, easy bikes consume up to 500 megawatts of electricity to recharge their batteries – equal to the combined electricity demands for at least 15 small districts. l

Excerpts from Bangabandhu’s autobiography included in HSC syllabus n Tribune Report The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has included excerpts from the autobiography of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the syllabus of HSC Bangla paper I. NCTB Chairman Abul Kashem Mia last night confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune that Secretary Broj Gopal Bhowmick had signed a notice in this regard on August 13.

According to the notice, a portion named “Bayannor Dinguli” (Days of ’52) from Bangabandhu’s autobiography has been added in the prose section of the HSC syllabus for session 2014-15.

Bangabandhu’s journal kept during his stay at Dhaka Central Jail in 1967 has been published as “Ashomapto Attojiboni” (unfinished memoirs).

The revised syllabus of Bangla paper I contains a total of 12 prose pieces and 12 poems. l

Facebook tags the Onion ‘satire’ in news feeds n BBC

Street children hitch a ride on an ice cream van as they play on the open road during a heavy downpour at the capital’s Lalbagh area yesterday

Liberation War affairs secretary made OSD n Tribune Report Liberation War Affairs Ministry Secretary KH Masud Siddiqui was removed from his office yesterday, allegedly for his involvement in the introduction of fake freedom fighter certificates.

According to a notice issued by the Public Administration Ministry yesterday, Environment and Forest Ministry’s Additional Secretary MA Hannan replaced him as the acting secretary of the ministry. Masud has been made an officer on special duty (OSD).

Liberation War Affairs Ministry sources said the move was made because of Masud’s involvement in the

gold crest scam and also for introducing fake freedom fighter certificates in order to extend his service period. The ministry has already started the procedure of cancelling his certificates, the sources added.

The ministry has already cancelled around 150 fake freedom fighter certificates after confirming the forgery through an investigation by national security intelligence, local district administration and from the complaints of actual freedom fighters.

According to the ministry officials, public servants holding the fake certificates may have to face departmental and criminal proceedings. l

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Facebook is testing a new feature that warns users of satirical content posted from sites like the Onion.

Stories posted in users’ feeds are being tagged as “[Satire]” in an apparent move to prevent them being mistaken for real news stories.

Satirical stories have provoked confusion and angry comments from some social media users.

Facebook told the BBC that feedback from users has highlighted the need for the feature.

“We are running a small test which shows the text ‘[Satire]’ in front of links to satirical articles in the related articles unit in News Feed,” a Facebook spokesman said in a statement.

“This is because we received feedback that people wanted a clearer way to distinguish satirical articles from others in these units.”

It is not clear how many satirical sites will have their content tagged in this way, or whether the trial will be rolled out permanently across the site.

Sites like the Onion in the US and the Daily Mash in the UK publish satirical news stories that mimic mainstream media and often reflect the current news agenda.

But they are often mistaken as real news stories by social network users and even professional news organisations.

An article titled “Tips for being an unarmed black teen,” published in response to the recent police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, provoked some angry responses from Facebook users.

A website, Literally Unbelievable, catalogues incidents where satirical articles have been misunderstood.

Last year, the Washington Post was fooled into erroneously reporting that former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin was set to join al-Jazeera news network – a story written by satirical site the Daily Currant.

Meanwhile in 2012, a Chinese newspaper was ridiculed for reporting an Onion article that jokingly named North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as the “sexiest man alive.”

Facebook has faced recent criticism of the management of its news feed feature.

In June, it emerged that it had manipulated the news feeds of nearly 700,000 users to see how they would respond to emotionally positive or negative posts. l

Hajj agencies allowed to submit documents manually n Moniruzzaman Uzzal The Saudi Arabian government has consented to manual submission of documents for this year’s Hajj pilgrims, moving away from its previous decision that directed all Bangladeshi Hajj agencies to submit necessary documents through electronic system.

However, all private agencies have been directed to submit details on all their Hajj-related financial transactions to the Saudi government within one month after the Hajj ends.

The decision was made on August 14 following a series of meetings among senior government officials from both Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh and leaders of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB).

On June 5, the Hajj office in Jeddah issued a circular directing all Bangladeshi Hajj agencies to introduce an electronic system and use it to submit all documents regarding different Hajj-related activities, including opening bank accounts, renting houses and hiring catering services. However, the Hajj agencies failed to meet the August 12 deadline, allegedly because of the complexity of the new system.

Jahangir Alam, a deputy secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, said the ministry held talks with senior Saudi officials on August 11 to resolve the issue, while the revised decision that allowed the agencies to manually submit documents came last Thursday.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday, he said the Embassy of Saudi Ara-

bia in Dhaka would start issuing Hajj visa to the pilgrims within the next one or two days.

Hajj agency officials were currently busy renting houses and making other arrangements in Saudi Arabia for the hajis, the deputy secretary said, adding that once the agency officials returned from their trips, they would submit the necessary documents to the Saudi Embassy along with a unique barcode which has been assigned to each Hajj agency.

HAAB President Ibrahim Bahar told the Dhaka Tribune that although there were concerns about whether the Hajj agencies would be able to complete the necessary procedures, the uncertainties have been overcome after the Saudi government realised the reality of the situation.

Sources said the Saudi government had decided to introduce the electronic system to stop corruption and mismanagement among Bangladeshi Hajj agencies.

The Saudi government has blacklisted 41 Hajj agencies who were allegedly involved in human trafficking and other crimes during the Hajj pilgrimages between 2010 and 2013.

According to the Religious Affairs Ministry, 98,762 pilgrims are expected to participate in the upcoming Hajj.

Among them, only 1,600 pilgrims will go through government initiative, while the rest will travel under the management of over 800 private Hajj agencies.

The first Hajj flight will leave Dhaka for Saudi Arabia on August 27. l

WFP issues ‘food card’ for refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar n Tribune Report The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a new electronic system called “FoodCards” to allow refugee families to choose the food they want and need in Nayapara and Kutupalong refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar.

FoodCards are electronic vouchers loaded with a monthly amount of Tk730 per person and can be used to select food items from special shops opened within the camps. It replaces the previous food distribution system, which provided a basic food basket to families.

Each family now has a FoodCard with their entitlement loaded on a monthly basis. Up to three family members can use the card in combination with their biometric fingerprint, which is registered to their card alone.

With the assistance of the Bangladesh government and the UNHCR, and a $1.5m donation from USAID’s “Food for Peace” programme, the WFP is now providing food assistance to over 32,000 refugees of the camps.

“FoodCards give refugee families the opportunity to choose the food they prefer, including fresh foods, such as leafy vegetables,” said Christa Räder, WFP Representative in Bangladesh,

while visiting Kutupalong camp on Saturday.

“In addition to providing refugees with access to a wider range of nutritious food items, the new system will enhance monitoring and help ensure the most effective use of resources for the refugees,” said Farid Ahmed Bhuiyan, the refugee relief and repatriation commissioner of the government.

Ushida, a refugee living at Kutupalong camp, visited one of the new shops with her family FoodCard for the first time on Saturday.

“I feel so happy,” she said. “I was able to get fresh chillies, potatoes, and onions.” l

A man carries a child on his back to cross a road submerged in waist-deep water in Kulkandi in Jamalpur yesterday. Water levels of the Jamuna River rose 12 centimeters above the safety level at the district’s Bahdurabad Ghat point FOCUS BANGLA

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

B3 Promise of more keeps investors hooked on Asia’s frothy markets

B4 Across Asia’s borders,

labour activists team up to press wage claims

TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Japan wants joint platform to implement $6bn credit projects n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Japan has proposed to develop a platform to oversee different projects under the $6bn credit committed by it.

“We had a meeting with a Japanese delegation today (Monday) and it was proposed to form a platform to identify, formulate, manage and monitor the projects,” said an official who attended the meeting yesterday.

The delegation led by Japanese foreign ministry director Hanajiri Takashi arrived in the city prior to the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 6 and 7.

We will have another meeting on September 21 when a Japanese vice- minister will arrive in Dhaka “We received the proposal and after consulting about the modalities, we will finalise it,” the official said.

The initiative will boost Bangladesh’s engagement with Japan as Dhaka and Tokyo have decided to lift the relationship to a “comprehensive partnership” level, he said.

At the yesterday’s meeting, the team also discussed about BIG-B initiative that was proposed by Tokyo during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Japan visit in May. Japan has pledged $6bn to Bangladesh as part of its overseas development assistance.

The credit will be used in next four to five years to implement different projects. Japan wants a joint platform to shepherd the projects.

During her visit, the Bangladeshi premier sought assistance for

mega projects like Ganges Barrage, multi-modal tunnel under river Jamuna, dedicated railway bridge over Jamuna, multi-modal Dhaka Eastern Bypass and ecological restoration of four rivers around Dhaka city.

BIG-B Initiative

The Japanese delegation appraised Bangladesh side about its Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B) initiative.

The objective of the initiative is to improve socio-economic condition of Bangladesh investing in infrastructural development, the official said.

“Improvement of investment climate is another objective of the initiative,” he said.

Japanese businessmen want to invest in Bangladesh under the “China plus one” policy and they want to make it as safe as possible, he added.

Bangladesh itself is a big market, and demographic dividend like young population and cheap labour are the major decision-making factors for Japanese investment, the official said.

“We will have another meeting on September 21 when a Japanese viceminister will arrive in Dhaka.”

The government has formed a committee headed by PMO Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and six other secretaries are its members.

During the visit of Hasina, Bangladesh made commitment to set up a special economic zone of 500 acres of land in Chittagong exclusively for Japanese investors.

In addition to that, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) have signed an agreement under which 40 plots and two buildings in five different EPZs will be reserved for the Japanese investors for next one year.

The official said they would also talk about these issues at the meeting to be held at PMO. l

Workers at a jute industry in Savar are busy producing doormats. The photo was taken recently

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Jute Packaging Act still at low threshold n Rafe Sadnan Adel

Despite the fact that the demand for jute products in both national and international markets gains momentum, the Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010 is yet to be implemented properly even four years after the act came into being, discussants said yesterday at a roundtable in the city.

They observed that the implementation of the act is not up to the mark to make the industry viable.

The observation came at a roundtable discussion jointly organised by the Jute Protection Committee and ActionAid at the National Press Club in the city.

The stakeholders and businessmen who attended the programme called into question the poor implementation

procedure which is a bar to the sustainability of jute industry.

More subsidiaries are needed to mobilise the sector as the demands for jute products are on the rise nationally and internationally, the discussants pointed out.

In his address at the roundtable, ActionAid Deputy Director Aamanur Rahman appreciated the jute act.

He said this is high time the authorities concerned paid the highest attention to once golden fiber of Bangladesh as the European market turns to the environmentally friendly jute products.

In his speech, Khondaker Golam Moazzem, a researcher from Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said every year the demand for jute products is rising at the rate of 7% worldwide.

He suggested making a long-term plan to bring in success in jute industry.

Most participants at the discussion advocated for reduction of the production costs of the jute-based products to make the industry more competitive and sustainable.

Director of Marketing Babul Chandra Roy of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) confirmed that they are trying their best to implement the act.

He deplored the fact that rice and sugar mills are reluctant to use jute sacks. Babul called upon the private sectors to come up with initiatives.

He said nowadays China seems disinterested in the jute sector and so Bangladesh can cash in on the situation.

State Minister for Textile and Jute Mirza Azam was present at the roundtable.

He said the Awami League government wants to promote the jute industry and it is concentrating on quick implementation of the Mandatory Jute Packaging Act. The state minister admitted that the implementation of the act was at a slow pace in the past, but said now the government is trying to do its best.

“We have already ordered the district commissioners across the country to set up mobile courts at regular intervals and take legal action if anyone violets the act.”

During 80s and 90s most jute factories in the country were shut following the prescription of World Bank and IMF, but Bangladesh has recently decided to regain the lost glory of its golden fiber, Jute. l

CSE plans to launch trading platform for low cap cos BB plans to buy 3 acres n of Rajuk’s wetland Tribune Report

Chittagong Stock Exchange, the country’s second bourse, plans to launch a separate trading platform for low cap companies and the SME (small and medium enterprise) segment to facilitate start-up firms.

“A proposal relating to establish a separate trading platform for low cap companies and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) segment have been submitted to the securities regulator,” said CSE Chairman Md Abdul Mazid at a press conference on its recent activities and present market situation at his Dhaka office yesterday.

He said the new platform will offer easy access to finance SMEs and offering much relaxed listing requirements than the country’s main exchanges.

CSE has submitted a set of proposals to the Bangladesh Securities and Ex-

change Commission (BSEC) for consideration to further strengthen and bring more transparency in the stock market.

“CSE has proposed a change in the existing market maker regulation to make it realistic and functional for increasing market depth and liquidity in CSE,” Mazid said.

The proposals included OTC (over the counter market) market reconstruction, and setting up derivative market.

About the present IPO procedure, the CSE Chairman recommended bringing about some changes in the listing regulation to ensure listing of good companies.

“Before giving nod to an IPO (initial public offering), no physical inspection is made, which might give opportunity to the issuer to fabricate some information,” he said.

He said the process of IPO in our

country is on disclosure basis. As a result, what is submitted by the issuer company, the auditor and the issue manager to BSEC get approval by comparing to the checklist, he said.

“In the country like China, any new IPO gets approval by merit basis. If IPO also get screened in our country by merit basis, good companies may come into market and the investors will be benefitted,” he said.

CSE has been working together with NSE India to introduce CSE IPO Index, the Shariah index and the CSE benchmark index by mid-September this year depending on necessary regulatory approval.

On the present market situation, the CSE Chief said the economy of the country and overall investments environment of the country is also a major reason for low investors confidence and poor turnover of the capital market.

Recent market behavior shows that many investors have now become daytraders, he said, adding that “we need mid-term and long-term investors in our market and, for this, investors’ education now became mandatory.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) directives to the banks to adjust the capital market exposure to 25% of the total of components of core capital in the share market by 2016 has been reportedly instrumental for the poor turnover in the capital market, he said.

He said recently the central bank asked the financial institutions to reduce the single limit exposure to their subsidiary companies. Thus, these institutions are reducing their existing investment in the capital market, he said.

According to the CSE, the total number of BO (Beneficiary Owners’) accounts now stands at 55.27 lakh. l

Draft shrimp policy okayed to expand market n Mohosinul Karim

The cabinet yesterday approved the draft of “The National Shrimp Policy 2014” aiming to boost shrimp production and raising export earnings which was Tk3,376 crore last fiscal year.

The approval was given at a regular meeting of the Cabinet held at the Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Earlier, the fisheries and livestock ministry finalised the draft of shrimp policy last March to increase shrimp production through planned cultivation.

Ministry officials said the new policy would help raise production considering all environmental aspects by using sustainable technology.

It is also expected to meet the grow-

ing domestic demand of shrimp.

After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told journalists that the policy would be useful not only in increasing production but also in improving qualitative standard.

“It will help flourish shrimp industry, raise employment opportunities, alleviate poverty, raise export earnings and meet up nutritional demand of the people,” he said.

The cabinet secretary said: “Shrimp sector is very important for us as it’s the second largest export sector in Bangladesh.”

About 1.50 crore of people including women are employed in the sector with the shrimp export fetching Tk3,376 crore in the last fiscal year, he said.

According to him, although the

shrimp sector was included in the national fisheries policy in 1998, the ministry concerned felt that the indicative guidelines regarding shrimp in that policy were inadequate, requiring a big and full-fledged policy exclusively on shrimp.

He said the main goals of the policy include maintaining environmental and ecological balance, protection of biodiversity, improvement of public health and nutrition, employment generation, empowerment of women, shrimp production, processing and marketing, export market expansion of shrimp and raising overall economic growth.

The policy has addressed all the issues, problems and prospects regarding shrimp, cabinet secretary claimed.

Highlighting some features of the policy, Bhuiyan said in the policy

shrimp has been considered in a holistic manner.

As per the policy, stress will be given on increasing production, imparting training, expansion, quality control, protection of biodiversity, crop diversification, crop rotation, land zoning, crop zoning and research.

The policy was tabled in the cabinet meeting for its approval following discussions with different ministries and divisions, experts, stakeholders including owners of shrimp enclosures and hatcheries as well as holding workshops.

Bhuiyan said the private sector will be the driving force in the shrimp sector while the government will act as a catalyst.

A number of ministers, state ministers and secretaries concerned attended the meeting. l

n Asif Showkat Kallol Bangladesh Bank (BB) plans to construct several more buildings for extending its headquarters, buying 3 acres of wetland, which is located behind the central bank but belonged to Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).

A tussle has already been surfaced between BB and Rajuk over the purchase of the 3 acres of land. Rajuk has so far turned down the BB proposal for purchasing of the 3 acres land.

To resolve this stand off, Bank and Financial Institutions Division has arranged an inter-ministerial meeting, which will be held today at the finance division auditorium.

The meeting, which will be presided over by Banking Division additional secretary Amalendu Mukherjee, will be attended, among others, by the officials of Dhaka City Corporation South, Bangladesh Bank, and Rajuk.

Officials of the banking division, however, fear that the local environmentalist will definitely strongly oppose the idea to fill-up the wet land to construct high-rise buildings as they

believe that entire Motijheel areas will be flooded in the rainy season if the remaining wetland is filled up.

Rajuk is yet to fill up the wet land for the construction of its proposed research center on this piece of land, fearing possible flooding at the commercial hub during rainy season. Rajuk had undertaken a plan 22 years back to construct a planning and research institute on this wetland but finally it could not be implemented as yet.

Apart from that, the land ministry has a strict law against any construction of buildings on any wetland.

In a recent move, deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank Abul Kashem sent a letter to finance minister AMA Muthih to allocate required financial assistance from the ministry to purchase the aforesaid land. Bangladesh Bank has reportedly allocated a huge amount of funds for purchasing the land behind its quarters.

Besides, in a separate letter, central bank also requested the banking secretary M Aslam Alam to lobby at the housing and public works ministry to manage the management of Rajuk for constructing of new buildings. l

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stocks finish flat amid volatility

DSE key features August 18-2014

n Tribune Report

Number of Contract

Stocks finished flat amid volatile trading, as investors booked profit for the second consecutive session after previous six-day rally.

The market began on positive note in the morning but started declining on profit booking mainly on telecommunication, pharmaceuticals and food issues.

The benchmark DSEX witnessed fractional losses of 0.4 points to end at 4,554, hitting highest at 4,585 in the first session and lowest 4,551 in the midsession.

The Shariah index shed marginally 2 points or 0.3% to 1,062. The comprising blue chips DS30 rose almost 7 points or 0.4% to 1,712.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, lost 55 points to close at 8,541.

Turnover at DSE remained sluggish and total turnover stood at Tk615 crore, down 3% over the previous session.

The investors’ attention was mainly focused on textile, engineering and fuel and power sectors, accounting for 15%, 15% and 12% respectively of the day’s total turnover.

All the major sectors edged lower. Telecommunication suffered

the most with more than a fall of 2%, followed by pharmaceuticals 0.7%, fuel and power 0.4%, and food and allied 0.4%.

“Pressing down the demand side, market demonstrated marginal level of sale pressure. But, the switch across and focus on selective large caps still prevailed,” said IDLC Investments.

It said as DSEX accumulated gains from 4,350 points level in recent time, investors started pursuing cautious stance to track market movements.

Lanka Bangla Securities said: “After trading mostly higher in early session, indices have moved back to the downside on heels of hefty profit booking over the course of the day’s trading session.”

It said market seems to consolidate at this level after a weeklong rally, eyeing the next move in market following quarterly declarations by companies.

Zenith Investments said it seems the holiday hangover still looms over the market, as it started off with a slow stance and headed towards negativity. The sheer size of the volume tried to avert the course of direction but could not do so for the main index only. l

Daily capital market highlights

6,152.19 158,646,730 148,802

Traded Issues

300

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

101

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

189

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

10

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,410.63

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.22

CSE key features August 18-2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

4554.14521

DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSER Company Green Delta M.F.-A 8th ICB M F-A 2nd ICB M F -A Wata Chemicals -A ACI ZERO Bond-A AB Bank 1st Mutual Fund-A Renwick Jajneswar-A ICB Sonali Bank 1 MF-A AIMS First -A 6th ICB M F-A

Closing (% Change) -11.32 -6.96 -5.83 -5.77 -5.73 -5.63 -5.27 -4.60 -4.57 -4.55

CSE LOSER Company Aziz PipesZ Pragati Gen. I -A Rangpur Foundry -A ICB AMCL 2nd NRB -A Green Delta M.F.-A AB Bank 1st Mutual Fund-A ICB Emp. PMF-A Janata Insur -A Usmania Glass -A Eastern Bank - A

Closing (% Change) -10.00 -9.82 -8.74 -8.65 -7.69 -5.56 -5.45 -5.21 -4.34 -3.93

Average (% Change) -7.88 -8.74 -5.06 -3.36 5.41 -3.24 -3.58 -3.00 -2.63 -5.21 Average (% Change) -10.06 -1.25 -8.00 -8.46 -6.19 -5.42 -5.11 -5.22 -3.45 -1.65

ANALYST

(-) 0.01%

1712.56914

(+) 0.39%

14037.37690

(-) 0.08%

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 397.17 136.83 188.88 908.37 208.61 742.27 1.29 932.77 651.69 514.43 51.71 41.98 10.28 468.45 62.70 78.41 53.20 319.44 105.76 277.60 0.38

▲ ▼

11327.60820

(-) 0.86%

▼

8541.13320

(-) 0.64%

▼

ClosingAvg. 4.79 54.10 256.33 271.02 1000.00 6.86 286.21 8.41 42.64 52.24

ClosingAvg. 14.40 39.50 97.10 9.52 4.85 6.80 5.20 18.16 144.54 26.86

Closing

DHIGH

4.70 54.80 253.80 264.70 905.00 6.70 282.30 8.30 41.80 52.40

Closing

5.10 55.20 277.00 285.00 910.00 7.20 303.00 8.60 44.70 52.60

DHIGH

14.40 39.50 97.10 9.50 4.80 6.80 5.20 18.20 143.20 26.90

541.55

14.40 39.50 97.10 9.60 5.00 6.80 5.20 18.60 146.00 27.10

15,429,894

Number of Contract

22,949

Traded Issues

223

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

82

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

136

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

5

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,307.42

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

27.97

Turnover in Million

DLOW 4.70 53.20 253.10 260.00 900.00 6.60 280.00 8.30 40.00 52.00

4.989 2.732 0.628 16.787 0.002 6.883 8.987 2.562 25.127 4.446

Turnover in Million

DLOW 14.40 39.50 97.10 9.50 4.80 6.80 5.20 18.00 143.00 26.10

Closing (% Change)

LafargeS Cement-Z BSRM Steels-A Provati Insur.-A Rupali InsurA Malek Spinning-A Tallu Spinning -A Asia Insur. Ltd.-A Central Pharm-A ISN Ltd. -Z Dhaka Ins. Ltd.-A

9.21 7.39 6.85 6.61 6.35 5.33 5.16 5.00 4.85 4.76

Latest EPS 0.83 7.96 33.24 6.20 0.00 0.55 3.92 1.60 4.71 6.47

Latest EPS

0.008 0.004 0.049 0.029 0.335 0.068 0.005 0.018 0.470 0.150

0.42 2.44 3.20 1.40 0.83 0.55 0.68 1.00 4.07 3.10

Latest PE 5.8 6.8 7.7 43.7 12.5 73.0 5.3 9.1 8.1

Latest PE 34.3 16.2 30.3 6.8 5.8 12.4 7.6 18.2 35.5 8.7

Company LafargeS Cement-Z Rupali InsurA Provati Insur.-A BSRM Steels-A Dhaka Ins. Ltd.-A Malek Spinning-A Bangladesh Welding -Z Safko Spinning-A PHP 1st M. F.-A Premier Cement-A

Closing (% Change) 9.90 8.44 8.13 7.25 7.04 6.37 6.19 6.02 5.66 5.50

Average (% Change) 8.53 5.19 9.87 4.97 4.51 4.62 6.78 4.11 5.20 3.93 Average (% Change) 7.99 3.48 10.65 4.94 6.70 4.20 6.10 4.93 5.61 4.31

ClosingAvg. 111.22 89.84 23.60 25.36 26.39 31.00 22.68 39.30 10.92 28.32

ClosingAvg. 111.25 25.00 22.55 89.73 28.81 26.30 12.00 22.79 5.65 88.84

Closing 113.80 91.60 23.40 25.80 26.80 31.60 22.40 39.90 10.80 28.60

Closing 114.30 25.70 22.60 91.70 28.90 26.70 12.00 22.90 5.60 90.10

DHIGH

DLOW

114.30 92.90 24.00 26.20 27.20 32.00 23.10 40.40 11.00 28.90

DHIGH

105.00 79.00 19.80 23.00 22.70 29.00 19.20 35.00 10.40 27.50

DLOW

114.40 26.00 22.60 92.80 29.30 27.20 12.00 23.40 5.80 90.90

102.10 22.00 22.40 80.20 28.00 25.30 12.00 20.50 5.50 86.90

Turnover in Million 354.014 270.090 5.654 8.144 32.145 55.971 4.160 112.459 0.142 5.593

Turnover in Million 39.606 0.585 0.135 19.010 0.403 2.828 0.012 0.685 1.035 1.031

Latest EPS 2.42 4.80 1.52 2.72 2.24 2.60 2.40 2.09 0.20 2.60

Latest EPS 2.42 2.72 1.52 4.80 2.60 2.24 0.34 1.06 0.40 3.67

Latest PE 46.0 18.7 15.5 9.3 11.8 11.9 9.5 18.8 54.6 10.9

Latest PE 46.0 9.2 14.8 18.7 11.1 11.7 35.3 21.5 14.1 24.2

News from trade servers Yearly Financial and Dividend of Mutual Funds: 1JANATAMF: NP= Tk. 35.16 crore, EPU = Tk. 1.76. 12.50% 'Re-Investment' Units.

EXIM1STMF: NP= Tk. 12.75 crore, EPU= Tk. 1.28, 12% 'Re-Investment' Units. IFIC1STMF: NP= Tk. 9.37 crore, EPU=Tk. 0.72, 9% 'Re-Investment' Units. FBFIF: NP= Tk. 44.57 crore, EPU= Tk. 0.81, 10% 'Re-Investment' Units.

TRUSTB1MF: NP= Tk. 19.82 crore, EPU= Tk. 0.91, 10% Re-Investment Units. EBL1STMF: 7% cash dividend, NP=Tk. 7.14 crore, EPU=Tk. 0.65. PHPMF1: NP= Tk. 223,033,390.00, EPU= Tk. 1.12, 10% Re-Investment Units. EBLNRBMF: NP= Tk. 138,938,519.00 , EPU= Tk. 0.85, 10% Re-Investment Units. ABB1STMF: NP= Tk. 103,731,688.00, EPU= Tk. 0.64, 10% Re-Investment Units. POPULAR1MF: NP= Tk. 344,401,141.00, EPU= Tk. 1.68, 12% Re-Investment Units. DBH1STMF: 0.60% cash dividend, NP= Tk. 7.23 million, EPU= Tk. 0.06.

SQURPHARMA: Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL) has rated the Company as "AA+" in the long term and "ST-1" in the short term in consideration of audited financials of the Company up to March 31, 2014 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

NHFIL: Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) has rated the Company as "A2" in the long term and "ST-3" in the short term based on audited financial statements of the Company up to December 31, 2013 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

Khulna Printing & Packaging Limited: (Q3): The Company has reported its profit after tax Tk. 42.50 million and basic EPS Tk. 1.61 for the

3 (three) months ended on 31 March 2014 (Jan 2014-March 2014) as against profit after tax of Tk. 27.77 million and basic EPS of Tk. 1.05 for the same period of the previous year. It is to be noted that basic EPS has been calculated based on weighted average Pre-IPO paid-up number of shares i.e. 26,400,000 shares for both periods. However, considering Post-IPO 66,400,000 number of shares the Company's basic EPS for the 3 (three) months ended on 31 March 2014 would be Tk. 0.64 For the period of 9 (nine) months (July 2013 to March 2014) ended on 31 March 2014 profit after tax was Tk. 64.89 million and basic EPS was Tk. 2.46 as against profit after tax of Tk. 52.61 million and basic EPS of Tk. 1.99 for the same period of the previous year. It is to be noted that the said EPS has been calculated based on weighted average Pre-IPO paid-up number of shares i.e.

26,400,000 shares for both periods. However, considering Post-IPO 66,400,000 number of shares, Company's basic EPS would be Tk. 0.98 for 9 (nine) months ended on 31 March 2014 (July 2013 to March 2014) and NAV per share would be Tk. 16.65 as on 31 March 2014.

NAVANACNG: (Q1): As per un-audited quarterly accounts for the 1st quarter ended on 30th June 2014 (Apr'14 to June'14), the Company has reported consolidated net profit after tax (excluding non-controlling interest) of Tk. 78.36 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 1.14 as against Tk. 66.48 million and Tk. 0.97 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

ASIAINS: (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 after tax of Tk. 56.67 million with basic EPS of Tk.

1.26 as against Tk. 36.01 million and Tk. 0.80 respectively for the same period of the previous year. However, considering 5% bonus share for the year 2013, restated basic EPS is Tk. 1.20 as on 30.06.2014 (Jan'14 to June'14) and Tk. 0.77 as on 30.06.2013 (Jan'13 to June'13) Whereas net profit after tax was Tk. 38.11 million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.85 for the period of 3 months (Apr'14 to June'14) ended on 30.06.2014 as against Tk. 18.40 million and Tk. 0.41 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

However, considering 5% bonus share for the year 2013, restated basic EPS is Tk. 0.81 as on 30.06.2014 (Apr'14 to June'14) and Tk. 0.39 as on 30.06.2013 (Apr'13 to June'13).

GQBALLPEN: (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 after tax of Tk. 10.49 million with EPS of Tk. 1.17 as against Tk. 20.37 million and Tk. 2.28 respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas net profit after tax was Tk. 1.51 million with EPS of Tk. 0.17 for the period of 3 months (Apr'14 to June'14) ended on 30.06.2014 as against Tk. 8.12 million and Tk. 0.91 (restated) respectively for the same period of the previous year.

GLAXOSMITH: (H/Y): As per un-audited half yearly accounts as on 30.06.2014 (Jan'14 to June'14), the Company has reported profit after tax of Tk. 410.53 million with EPS of Tk. 34.08 as against Tk. 346.47 million and Tk. 28.76 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

Whereas profit after tax was Tk. 181.01 million with EPS of Tk. 15.03 for the period of 3 months (Apr'14 to June'14) ended on 30.06.2014 as against Tk. 149.93 million and Tk. 12.45 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

Pressing down the demand side, market demonstrated marginal level of sale pressure. But, the switch across and focus on selective large caps still prevailed

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

▼

Company

CSE GAINER

Turnover (Volume)

DSE Broad Index :

DSE GAINER

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume)

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

% change 6.46 2.22 3.07 14.76 3.39 12.07 0.02 15.16 10.59 0.84 0.68 0.17 7.61 1.02 1.27 0.86 5.19 1.72 4.51 0.01

Million Taka 31.45 10.36 8.70 58.78 12.00 37.41 73.59 40.28 148.29 1.61 16.16 1.47 50.49 141.83 2.63 3.59 32.48 17.50 27.50 0.00

CSE

% change 4.39 1.45 1.21 8.21 1.68 5.22 0.00 10.28 5.62 20.71 0.23 2.26 0.20 7.05 19.81 0.37 0.50 4.54 2.44 3.84 0.00

Million Taka 428.61 147.19 197.58 967.15 220.62 779.68 1.29 1006.37 691.97 662.71 53.33 58.13 11.75 518.93 204.53 81.05 56.79 351.92 123.26 305.10 0.38

Total

% change 6.24 2.14 2.88 14.08 3.21 11.35 0.02 14.65 10.07 9.65 0.78 0.85 0.17 7.56 2.98 1.18 0.83 5.12 1.79 4.44 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 Khulna Printing-N LafargeS Cement-Z BSRM Steels-A Grameenphone-A Appollo Ispat CL -N MJL BD Ltd.-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Matin Spinning-N Square Pharma -A Central Pharm-A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Khulna Printing-N LafargeS Cement-Z Appollo Ispat CL -N Grameenphone-A BSRM Steels-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A BD Submarine Cable-A The Peninsula CTG.-N BSC-A MJL BD Ltd.-A

VolumeShares 15,200,500 3,183,000 3,006,474 735,188 7,737,400 2,376,317 4,249,769 2,660,400 455,162 2,861,375

Value in Million 514.24 354.01 270.09 249.85 249.69 246.27 148.11 139.78 124.53 112.46

% of TotalTurnover 8.36 5.75 4.39 4.06 4.06 4.00 2.41 2.27 2.02 1.83

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

4,065,000 356,000 726,800 62,400 211,850 522,649 61,100 297,600 13,140 72,601

135.02 39.61 23.39 21.35 19.01 18.19 11.14 10.57 7.69 7.50

25.24 7.40 4.37 3.99 3.55 3.40 2.08 1.98 1.44 1.40

ClosingP 37.10 113.80 91.60 335.80 32.40 103.90 34.60 53.40 272.80 39.90

ClosingP

36.60 114.30 32.30 336.20 91.70 34.60 181.70 35.30 583.75 103.90

Change % 0.00 9.21 7.39 -2.44 3.18 -0.48 0.29 4.71 -0.66 5.00

Change %

1009.10 9.90 2.54 -2.55 7.25 0.29 -1.03 0.00 1.47 -0.29

ClosingY 0.00 104.20 85.30 344.20 31.40 104.40 34.50 51.00 274.60 38.00

ClosingY

3.30 104.00 31.50 345.00 85.50 34.50 183.60 35.30 575.30 104.20

DHIGH

DLOW

45.00 114.30 92.90 346.90 32.80 105.40 36.00 54.20 275.60 40.40

29.00 105.00 79.00 335.00 31.30 94.00 31.10 50.90 251.00 35.00

DHIGH

DLOW

37.50 114.40 32.70 353.90 92.80 36.00 184.50 36.10 594.00 105.50

28.00 102.10 31.40 335.10 80.20 31.30 181.50 35.20 580.00 93.80

AvgPrice 33.83 111.22 89.84 339.85 32.27 103.63 34.85 52.54 273.59 39.30

AvgPrice

33.22 111.25 32.18 342.09 89.73 34.79 182.29 35.51 585.08 103.25

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Promise of more keeps investors hooked on Asia’s frothy markets n Reuters, Singapore Calling the top in financial markets is never easy. Asian stock and bond markets may appear frothy at their nearrecord levels after a multi-year rally, but global investors are still betting on a mix of healthy returns and history to juice up their profits.

Six years since the global financial crisis spurred a relentless pursuit of yields, Asian stock markets are at record highs, bond yields have tumbled to pre-crisis lows and companies are raising huge amounts of cheap equity and debt.

Brisk corporate earnings growth, fed by a global thirst for the region’s exports of cars and electronics goods and robust domestic consumption, has further burnished Asia’s appeal and kept funds focused on ripe pickings.

“I would not at all subscribe to the idea that markets are expensive and now’s the time to get out,” said Julie Dickson, a portfolio manager at Ashmore Investment Management in London, a fund with $75bn in assets worldwide.

“And if you do that, you are going to be potentially losing out on some very compelling opportunities for growth in the next 3 to 5 years and possibly longer, particularly in China and Korea.”

Indeed, triggers for a correction, which seems overdue, have come and gone - ranging from geopolitics such as the Ukraine-Russia tensions or economic ones such as an Argentine debt default or periodic threats of a rise in US yields.

Other regions have cooled off in the past two months. There were outflows from US high-yielding bonds and equity funds, European equities have fallen sharply, and foreign cash has moved away from Latin American and European equity markets.

Asia has remained the exception, al-

Asian bonds to be sold. Even there, the high-yield market in Asia has been holding up well, barring some discrimination among investors on primary issues. For instance, Indonesian firm Berau Coal postponed a dollar bond offering citing adverse market conditions.

Risk premium

An investor (right) talks to a security guard in front of an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Huaibei REUTERS

most caught in a virtuous cycle where company earnings are surpassing expectations and bond yields offer a decent cushion for risk.

Earnings flourish

Asian stocks are up 137% in just under six years. Equity markets in India, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines and most other countries are well above their 2008 peaks, with some at record levels.

Earnings have spurred much of these heady gains, underwritten by an economic recovery led by domestic consumption and, more recently, exports. Second quarter earnings have so far on average been growing at 25-to-

30% over the previous year.

And despite a slowing in China’s frenetic growth rates, economists on average expect Asia to grow at 3 times the pace of the developed world this year - a big lure for investors grappling with uneven global growth.

The skyrocketing markets have understandably raised the risk of a sudden and sharp reversal, but those putting more money in the game make a persuasive case for staying on.

“You have to look at what earnings growth companies have delivered. And earnings in Asia over the past year or so have been broadly supportive of the move up in the market,” said Andrew

B3

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Gillan, Asia ex-Japan equities head at Henderson Global Investors. Henderson has $4.5bn in Asia-Pacific equities.

No one’s sure what will touch off a correction or even which part of the market will sell off first.

“We know that at some point the party is over but as a portfolio manager you are paid to look for opportunities for your clients,” Hans Goetti, head of Asian investments at Banque Internationale a Luxembourg (BIL) in Singapore, told Reuters TV. One likely trigger would be a spike in US yields, possibly in early 2015 in anticipation of a rate rise by the Federal Reserve, which would cause high-yield

JPMorgan’s JACI high yield index for Asia is now around 7%, and that compares with a 5.71% yield on the US high yield benchmark. Yields on such risky Asian debt were below that for the US counterparts in 2008, which means Asian bonds aren’t as overvalued now.

According to Citi’s Asian strategist Markus Rosgen, emerging Asia market valuations are below historic peaks, with prices on average 16% below the October 2007 peak and yet earnings per share now 29% higher than the previous peak in mid-2008.

Prices in Latin America and emerging Europe are also significantly below peaks, but the earnings growth is absent there. In the United States, earnings are above the peak but so are prices.

This higher risk premium in Asian equity prices gives investors more wiggle room, should markets turn when interest rates rise, Rosgen wrote recently.

That doesn’t stop policymakers from worrying.

In a recent interview with the Central Banking Journal, India’s central bank Governor Raghuram Rajan, who had also previously warned of a crisis ahead of the 2008 crash in markets, said investors were living on hope and prayer that markets wouldn’t unwind messily.

“They put the trades on even though they know what will happen as everyone attempts to exit positions at the same time.” l

Yen ticks up in Asia amid Ukraine tensions n AFP, Tokyo The yen ticked up in Asia yesterday as investors nervously watched the latest developments in the Ukraine crisis, while looking to a speech by the US Federal Reserve chief later this week.

In Tokyo afternoon trading, the dollar slipped to 102.32 yen from 102.34 yen in New York Friday. The euro weakened to 137.05 yen from 137.11 yen, while it also slipped to $1.3393 from $1.3397.

Traders moved into the yen - a safehaven currency during times of turmoil - on the back of rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

On Friday, news that Ukraine had shelled Russian armoured vehicles after they entered its territory stoked fears of a direct clash. The Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers ended “difficult” talks on the Ukraine crisis Sunday with no concrete advances but “some progress”, host Germany said.

Investors were also looking to the Federal Reserve’s annual economic conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, this week where Fed Chair Janet Yellen is to deliver a keynote address that was expected to focus on the country’s jobs market.

“While geopolitical developments continue to overshadow the market, central bank events will likely take the centre stage in the week ahead,” Credit Agricole said.

“Overall, we believe that Ms Yellen will continue to offer support for the view of ‘underutilisation of labour resources’ and thus do not anticipate any hawkish surprises from her comments,” it added.

The dollar was mixed against other Asia-Pacific currencies. It inched up to Sg$1.2446 from Sg$1.2442 on Friday, and to 11,679.90 Indonesian rupiah from 11,671.00 rupiah.

The dollar slipped to 1,017.59 South Korean won against 1,017.64 won, to 43.65 Philippine pesos against 43.67 pesos and to 31.82 Thai baht against 31.89 baht. l

China hopes WTO can 'resolve differences' and sign deal n Reuters, Beijing

Standard Chartered to celebrate 'Agrow Award' today n Tribune Report Standard Chartered Bank in association with Bangladesh Brand Forum is going to celebrate “Agrow Award” today to encourage people engaged in agriculture sector.

The announcement came at a press conference held yesterday at a city hotel jointly organised by Standard Chartered Bank and Bangladesh Brand Forum.

Shariful Islam, founder of Bangladesh Brand Forum, and Bitopi Das Chowdhury, head of Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered Bangladesh, came up with the announcement.

The “Agrow Award” is an attempt to recognise individuals and organisations that have played exemplary roles

through innovation and hard work, said the speakers. `These awards are expected to spur thousands of farmers across the country to innovation and modernisation, they added.

Standard Chartered Bank in association with the Forum has initiated the award. The award-giving ceremony will be held today at a city hotel with Agriculuture Minister Matia Chowdhury as the chief guest.

The award will be presented in five categories that include Farmer of the Year (Male), Farmer of the Year (Female), Innovation in the Agricuture Sector (under the subcategory of process, distribution, application of fertiliser, technology and innovation), Best Associated Industry and Best Agriculture Export. l

China said yesterday it regretted World Trade Organisation members had failed to reach an agreement on simplifying global customs rules, a breakdown it said could damage multilateral trade.

India last month torpedoed a global deal to standardise and streamline customs regulations, known as “trade facilitation”, after it demanded more freedom to subsidise and stockpile food grains than is allowed by WTO rules.

Many WTO member states, including the United States, voiced frustration after India’s demands led to the collapse of what was the first major global trade reform pact in two decades.

WTO ministers had already agreed to the global reform of customs procedures in Bali last December, but were unable to overcome India’s last-minute objections by the July 31 deadline.

“China hopes all parties can quickly resolve differences and find a way out of the impasse,” Chinese Commerce

The World Trade Organization WTO logo is seen at the entrance of the WTO headquarters in Geneva REUTERS Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang told reporters at a monthly press briefing, adding it was “worried” about the

possible negative impact on multilateral trade and Doha round negotiations, referring to the latest round of talks.

“China ... has called for all related parties to push forward the implementation of the Bali ministerial conference and work out a balanced, practical work plan within this year to lay a foundation for wrapping up the Doha round,” Shen said.

India has said it believed it could convince other members that its need for more leeway on food subsidies was legitimate, and has said a deal could be signed as early as September if its concerns were addressed.

Most diplomats had expected the pact to be rubber-stamped, marking a unique success in the WTO’s 19-year history which, according to some estimates, would add $1tn and 21 million jobs to the world economy.

India calls these estimates highly exaggerated.

India blocked the text because it wanted more attention paid to its concerns over WTO limits on stockpiling of food which will ultimately hit its subsidised food distribution programme, the world’s largest, targeted at nearly 850 million people. l

Oil prices slide in poor start to week n AFP, London Ishtiaque Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director and CEO of Trust Bank Limited recently attended the bank’s half yearly meeting for its managers. The bank’s DMD Abu Zafar Hedaytul Islam and EVP, Abdul Motaleb Patwary were present at the meeting in Dhaka

Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) recently celebrated its 50th anniversary at a hotel in Dhaka. The President of Bangladesh, Md Abdul Hamid was present at the event as chief guest

ONE Bank Limited has recently organised a celebration programme for its clients on the occasion of its 15th Foundation Anniversary at a hotel in Dhaka. The bank’s managing director started the programme at the presence of its chairperson Sayeed H Chowdhury

Delegates of Kuwait Armed Forces led by its deputy chief of staff at Kuwait Army, Lieutenant General Mohammed Khaled Al- Khadher has recently visited Dhaka EPZ. Executive chairperson of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), Major General Mohd. Habibur Rahman Khan received the delegates

World oil prices fell sharply yesterday, handing back pre-weekend gains on easing supply worries in both Ukraine and Iraq, dealers said.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in September dropped $1.01 to $96.34 a barrel.

Brent North Sea crude for October sank $1.25 to $102.28.

The oil market had surged late on Friday after Kiev said that Ukrainian forces had destroyed part of a Russian military convoy that entered its territory.

“It became apparent on Friday just how nervously the market reacts to geopolitical risks: reports of the alleged destruction of an armed Russian convoy by Ukrainian troops on Ukrainian territory pushed Brent up by one US dollar,” said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch.

“Over the weekend, the reports turned out to be false, and Brent has shed most of these gains at the start of the week, now trading at well below $103 a barrel again.”

News of the shelling sent stock

markets tumbling and pushed up oil prices on Friday as investors feared direct conflict could break out between Ukraine and Russia, the world’s second-largest oil producer.

Russia said on Monday that “certain progress” was made at Ukraine crisis talks in Berlin between the two countries’ foreign ministers and their counterparts from Germany and France.

Investors fear a full-blown military conflict between the two neighbours will disrupt Russian energy exports to Europe, particularly as Ukraine is a major conduit for Russian gas.

Elsewhere, traders eyed easing market concerns over ongoing unrest in key OPEC crude producer Iraq.

Kurdish officials said their fighters, backed by US warplanes, have retaken the country’s largest dam from jihadists, as the United States and Britain step up their military involvement.

The recapture of Mosul dam marks the biggest prize yet clawed back from Islamic State (IS) jihadists since they launched a major offensive in northern Iraq in early June, sweeping Iraqi security forces aside. l

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Across Asia’s borders, labour activists team up to press wage claims n Reuters, Jakarta

Labour leaders behind the biggest strikes in Cambodia’s $5bn garment industry knew last year they had a strong case for higher wages: they had already compared notes with activists in neighbouring countries.

The result was a 25% increase in the minimum pay for an estimated 600,000 garment workers, to $100 a month, the biggest jump in around 15 years. Now, they’re asking for more.

Negotiations over pay and working conditions have typically remained within national borders, but activists are now bringing more muscle to the table and putting more pressure on employers and governments by using shared experiences in nearby markets.

For global companies that have shifted production to Southeast Asia’s low-cost manufacturing hub, this could mean less room for wage bargaining, a squeeze on profits and maybe even higher price tags on anything from shoes and clothing to cars and electronics appliances.

“I see a trend towards more and stronger collaboration among labour leaders that can take different shapes and forms, from exchanging information to partnerships,” said Peter van Rooij, director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Jakarta, noting ties would likely strengthen with next year’s planned economic integration by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Thousands of workers in China, Indonesia and Cambodia have protested in recent months at local firms supplying U.S. sportswear company Nike Inc to press for better pay and conditions.

Up to 4,000 workers at Sabrina (Cambodia) Garment Manufacturing Co, which makes clothes for Nike, went on strike in May last year demanding higher wages to keep pace with transport, rent and healthcare costs.

Hotel lobby

Across Asia’s low-cost garment manufacturing industry in particular, there have been more strikes as unions use

a shortage of skilled workers to press for better pay and improved safety - an issue highlighted by the April 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh, which killed at least 1,130 people.

Members of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) have reported a jump in the number of strikes to 147 last year from fewer than three dozen in 2011. Other international brands hit by protests at Cambodiabased suppliers last year include H&M Hennes and Mauritz AB, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Gap Inc and Puma SE. Following the Bangladesh disaster, local unions reached out to international labour representatives, said Annie Adviento, director of IndustriALL’s Southeast Asia office, helping create the landmark Accord on Fire and Building Safety - a legally binding agreement signed by more than 150 apparel firms and the unions that requires factories to have independent safety inspections with the results made public.

IndustriALL, which represents 50 million workers in 140 countries worldwide, said it arranges meetings two to three times a month to bring together labour activists from across Asia, something that was rarely done before last year.

“Issues are not being kept secret at the national level anymore. The capacity of the unions to share information has improved,” said Adviento. “We’re doing many exchanges this year as we found they are very effective and we intend to continue in 2015,” she said, adding Cambodia and Bangladesh have been “high profile cases” for the global labour union.

“We communicate with each other and we give duties to this international union to lobby in asking for pay rises,” said Chea Mony, president of the Phnom Penh-based Free Trade Union.

Said Iqbal, who heads the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions, with more than 1.4 million members, said he has been invited to Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to share his experiences with other activists.

“Our motto is clear - say no to cheap

REUTERS

wages. We’re spreading that principle in Southeast Asian countries,” he told Reuters.

Iqbal said the meetings arranged by IndustriALL can be seminars for up to 50 people, or gatherings drawing a group of labour leaders from several countries to a hotel in one of the region’s capitals, where they compare minimum wages and talk about social security and other labour-related issues.

“We’re trying to spread the principle of ‘concept, lobby, action’,” said the 46-year-old, recalling how he became involved in labour activism to fight the kind of poverty that forced his mother to sell cakes to fellow workers in a Jakarta textile factory just to make ends meet.

“That probably took root in my mind and heart. A person can work for decades for one company and still remain poor. I felt a call to really fight at the labour unions,” he said.

from us. They contact us every day and they want to secure food supplies,” he said, adding CPF was negotiating on prices and the volume of exports.

CPF, which already exports to Japan and Russia and is a major supplier to KFC fried chicken restaurants in Thailand, has integrated operations and as a result can enforce safety and quality controls to minimize the supply chain risk, Adirek said.

Its chickens are raised in a closed, hygienic farming system, he said, with all visitors required to wear special outer clothing to prevent the spread of disease.

The CP Group says it adopts the same system and standards on its chicken farms in China and that consequently it has not been touched by the food scare there.

n Reuters, Bangkok Business is booming at Charoen Pokphand Foods Pcl, Thailand’s biggest meat and animal feed producer, especially now it has won orders for chicken products from McDonald’s Holding Co (Japan) after a food scare in China.

The Asian food giant is also benefiting indirectly from the conflict in Ukraine: after Moscow imposed a ban on many food imports from Western countries in retaliation for their sanctions, some Russian firms turned to CPF for chicken.

The resulting demand for exports has boosted meat prices in Thailand and that could help CP Foods post revenue growth of 15% this year, higher than its target of 10%, said President and CEO Adirek Sripratak.

“We have received orders from Mc-

DILBERT

REUTERS

Donald’s. Strong demand for exports helped push up chicken prices and the company will move orders from the domestic spot market to export to customers,” he told Reuters in an interview.

Regional companies including Japanese firms turned to Thailand for chicken after Shanghai Husi Food, a unit of US-based OSI Group LLC, was accused in a TV report of having improperly handled meat and using expired food.

McDonald’s has said it had shifted business to Thailand by boosting purchases from existing suppliers McKey Foods Services (Thailand) Ltd, a unit of Keystone Foods, and Cargill Thailand.

“The industry is short of supply and we’ve got a full order book now as people are asking us to accelerate our shipping after the China food scare,” Adirek said.

“This is a good opportunity for CPF.” “Russia is very keen to buy chicken

n AFP, Frankfurt

A garment worker sitting inside her room is reflected in a mirror at a building where garment workers live, in a suburb of Phnom Penh

Food scare in China is good news for Thailand’s CP Foods

Passersby walk past a McDonald's store in Tokyo

German central bank warns world tensions clouding outlook

Union influence

When negotiating with the GMAC and the Cambodian government, unions have drawn on examples from other Asian countries such as Thailand which last year brought in a national daily minimum wage of 300 baht ($9.42) - said Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union Movement of Workers.

While the GMAC agreed to gradually raise the monthly minimum pay to $160 by 2018, the unions - which have power and influence over Cambodia’s economy - are pushing for $177 a month and have threatened more strikes, Pav Sina told Reuters.

In Jakarta, capital of Southeast Asia’s largest economy, the minimum monthly wage has jumped around 60% to 2.4 million rupiah ($205.30) over the last two years, partly due to intense lobbying by labour activists. That com-

pares to 1,820 yuan ($295.79) a month in Shanghai - the highest in China, once the world’s ‘cheap factory’.

Even as wages rise, labour activists are confident they aren’t at risk of pricing themselves out of the market. Arief Budiman, President Director of consultancy PT. McKinsey Indonesia, says global firms recognise Asia’s “market opportunity” and expanding consumer base.

“Companies have threatened to move out of Indonesia, but I think that’s just an empty threat,” said Wahidin, an official at the Indonesian Muslim Workers Brotherhood. “The reality is that few have closed, and in fact more want to expand here.”

In an emailed statement, Nike said it takes a “long-term approach” to sourcing decisions - it has contract factories in 44 countries - and is always looking to improve its supply chain, through increased productivity and efficiency. l

Germany’s central bank yesterday warned that global tensions including the Ukraine crisis have clouded its outlook for this year, although it does not expect the Europe’s biggest economy to shrink further.

“A flurry of unfavourable news reports relating to the international environment have dampened Germany’s economic outlook in the second half of the year,” the Bundesbank wrote in its latest monthly report.

“Current indicators cast doubt on the assumption on which the spring forecasts were based, namely that the underlying cyclical trend would strengthen further in the second half of 2014,” it said.

“Nonetheless, sentiment has deteriorated from a high level, which, together with the fact that the trend for domestic demand remains basically upwards, suggests that the economy will not change direction,” the Bundesbank wrote.

German gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.2% in the second quarter, after growing by 0.7% in the first three months of this year, as geopolitical risks from the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East weighed on sentiment.

In the euro area as a whole, which stagnated in the second quarter, there would be a “resumption of positive economic growth, albeit not at the pace predicted by many analysts in the spring,” the Bundesbank predicted.

The underlying cyclical trend in some member countries was turning out to be weaker than expected.

“At the same time, the geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe owing to the Ukraine conflict as well as in other parts of the world are now appearing to weigh more heavily on corporate sentiment.

“Although they will only affect a small percentage of EU exports directly, the recently enacted EU sanctions and the Russian response are likely to dampen sentiment,” the report said. l

With cigars and crystal, Volvo makes eyes at Chinese rich n Reuters With headlights shaped like Thor’s hammer and space for a humidity-controlled cigar case, Volvo’s new cars are sporting luxury features and designer glitz to catch the eye of the booming Chinese market and shed their safebut-dull skin.

The XC90 SUV launch on Aug. 26 will be make or break for a company moving into a premium market dominated by German rivals.

It will be the first fully new car under Chinese parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co, which bought Volvo from Ford Motor Co four years ago, and heralds the revamp of its entire product range to more upmarket models.

It follows a five-year, $11bn investment programme aimed at doubling

Volvo sales, which for two decades have been stuck at around 400,000 cars a year.

It hopes the new line will reverse declining sales in the US, but must persuade customers to spend up to 100,000 euros for a brand many associate with functional family cars.

“Prices will be the same level as competitors like the Germans,” said Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson. “Customers should not expect to buy them cheaper than an Audi.”

The new cars aim to reconcile strategic tensions in the 87-year-old carmaker, which remains wedded to Scandinavian understatement, greenness and an emphasis on safety, but also wants to make swanky cars that will seduce affluent Chinese customers away from the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

The XC90 has anti-collision detec-

tors that will brake the car on dangerous left turns, and the company says its four-cylinder engine is an industry beater in terms of combining power with low emissions.

But the first preview of the car, for a small group of journalists at the company’s headquarters in Gothenburg, shows design is to the fore.

The seven-seater features a sleeker logo, and inside are Scandinavian touches of light wood and leather, a tablet-like, touch-screen control panel, and a minimalist dashboard. The head of the gear stick is Swedish crystal.

“This is Scandinavian design without the bling-bling,” said chief marketing head Alain Visser. “The XC90 is a signal that we are here as a premium brand. It is a signal that other models are going in that direction.” l

Expanding abroad

CPF, owned by billionaire Dhanin Chearvanond’s Charoen Pokphand Group, is looking for opportunities to buy assets in high-growth emerging markets to achieve its annual revenue growth target of 10-15% over the next five years, Adirek said.

It already runs feed businesses, farms and food processing plants in 13 countries, including India, and tries to sell its products domestically, in part to avoid any problems from trade barriers.

Foreign operations contributed 58% of its first-half revenue of 204bn baht ($6.41bn), with another 36% coming from the Thai market and 6% from exports.

The recently announced $1bn tie-up with Itochu Corp, one of the top three trading firms in Japan, will not only help CPF secure lower prices for raw materials but will also help it expand into Japan and China, he said.

Among its many businesses, Itochu is an operator of Family Mart convenience stores in China and other countries.

“Having this connection with Itochu will help us sell products in Family Mart. For Itochu, which has invested in 250 Japanese firms, this will provide an opportunity for them to expand into the Thai market because growth in the Japanese market is slower,” he added. l

A model displays Japanese electronics giant Sharp's new smartphone 'Aquos Crystal', 10 (top) and frameless LCD display models are pu together to make a large picture for demonstration in Tokyo on August 18. Japanese mobile communication giant Softbank will start to sell Aquos Crystal in Japan's market from August 29, while Softbank's sibsidiary Sprint will launch in US market AFP