28 aug, 2014

Bhadro 13, 1421 Zilqad 1, 1435 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 146

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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Rangpur has the highest poverty rate A study says the average poverty rate in the division is 42% n Kayes Sohel Rangpur division has the highest poverty rate despite the government efforts to eliminate monga (famine-like situation) from the country’s northern region over years, says a new study.

The average poverty rate in the division is 42% followed by Barisal with a poverty rate of 38.3%, Khulna 31.9%, Dhaka 30.5%, Rajshahi 27.4%, Chittagong 26.1% and Sylhet 25.1%, according to the Bangladesh Poverty Maps 2010 released yesterday.

This is the third generation of poverty map in Bangladesh which is an important statistical instrument for estimating the poverty incidence up to sub-district (upazila) levels. The maps display poverty condition of people in 544 upazilas of 64 districts under the seven divisions.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the World Bank and the United Nations World Food Programme jointly developed the maps by applying a small area estimation technique on data from the household income and expenditure survey 2010 and the population census 2011.

State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan launched the Bangla-

Miazee and Mohammad n Manik Jamil Khan

desh Poverty Maps 2010 at a city hotel yesterday.

In terms of districts, Kurigram has the highest poverty rate of 63.7% followed by Barisal 54.8%, Shariatpur 52%, Chandpur 51%, Satkhira 46.3%, Sirajganj 38.7% and Sunamganj 26%, according to the study.

The lowest poverty rate was recorded in Kushtia at 3.6%, Noakhali at 9.6%, Dhaka at 15.7%, Bogra at 16.6%, Barguna at 19%, Sylhet at 24.1% and Panchagarh at 26.7%.

Experts said recognising the geographical and regional variations and inequality in growth and poverty allows for more effective targeting of policy interventions based on local conditions.

Poverty maps can become an important instrument for prioritisation of policy interventions and resource allocations, they said.

“With these latest poverty maps, we have responded to demand from policymakers, researchers and development partners. It will also facilitate the ongoing efforts to prepare the database of the poor people from across the country,” said Md Nojibur Rahman, secretary of Statistics and Informatics Division.

n

Although some major rivers are flowing above danger level and will continue to do so over the next 2-3 days, forecasters say there is nothing to worry about because this is natural during monsoon and things will start improving soon.

The same forecast is applicable for Dhaka residents as well, many of whom have been worried with the rising water levels in the rivers surrounding the city and the inundation of some low-lying areas in its outskirts.

For the time being though, the districts along with some of the major river basins in the country continue to suffer because of the flash flood, crisis

placed before the court of Narayanganj Senior Judicial Magistrate Chadni Rupom after being shown arrested in two murder cases filed regarding the abduction and killing.

The arrestees are Habildar Mohammad Emdadul Haque, Radio Operator Md Arif Hossain, Lance Naik Hira Mia, Sepoy Md Belal Hossain and guard Abu Tayeb.

Mamunur Rashid, the investigation officer and officer-in-charge of district Detective Branch (DB) of police, asked for a 10-day police remand, but was granted eight days of remand by the court, said Advocate Sakhawat Hossain, president of the District Lawyers Association.

Unidentified armed assailants slaughtered Shaikh Nurul Islam Faruqi, presenter of religious programmes on Channel i, at his own residence in the capital’s Pashchim Rajabazar area last night.

The deceased was also the Presidium member and international affairs secretary of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat – an organisation known better for opposing the views of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Faruqi also served as the Presidium member of Islamic Front Bangladesh – a platform of several Islamist groups.

Apart from anchoring programmes titled “Shantir Pothe” and “Kafela” on Channel i, he owned Faruque Tours and Travels Private Limited, a Hajj agency, and served as the imam of Supreme Court mosque.

His strong voice against superstitions in religion and stance against Jamaat-e-Islami might be the reason behind the murder, said Bilob Kumar Sarker, the deputy commissioner of Tejgaon division.

Col Ziaul Islam, the additional director general of RAB, thinks people from the same group who had killed six persons including Lutfar Rahman Faruk, a pir in Gopibagh, and blogger and architect Ahmed Rajeeb Haider were behind Faruqi’s murder.

“We have started investigating the murder of Faruqi in that way,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

The murder took place around 9:15pm. Family members of the deceased were found locked and tied with rope.

“The neighbours freed them and later entering the dining room found Faruqi tied to a chair and his throat slit with sharp weapon,” said Ahad Ali, sub-inspector of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police.

Nephew Maruf was tied to a chair in front of Faruqi, added Ahad.

He was later picked up by RAB for interrogation.

The wife, daughter and mother of Faruqi were locked in a room while his son and three visitors including Belal Hossain were found tied in another room.

Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, the state minister of home, who visited the spot soon after hearing the incident, said: “It is totally an unwanted incident.

Punishment will be ensured after tracing the culprits behind the murder.”

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Flood not worrying, it’s just usual high monsoon behaviour Abu Bakar Siddique

of food, drinking water and accommodation. To add to their misery that has been going on for a week now, relief distribution and rehabilitation have been slow in some areas.

According to the bulletin that the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) released at 6am yesterday, water levels in Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Padma will continue to rise over the next 72 hours.

As a result, flood situation in the districts of Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Bogra, Jamalpur, Tangail, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Munshiganj, Rajbari and Faridpur may slightly deteriorate over the next two days.

Ahle Sunnat leader Faruqi slaughtered

Meanwhile, because of a healthy monsoon rainfall in the hilly state of Meghalaya in northeast India, the Meghna River basin in Bangladesh is experiencing a flash flood over the last few days.

The same trend could be observed in the neighbouring Bangladeshi district of Sunamganj. A 30-year high of 370mm rainfall was recorded in Lawrergor area in the district on August 25 which, coupled with Meghalaya rainfall, negatively affected the flood situation in the districts of Sunamganj, Netrakona, Sylhet and Kishoreganj in the Meghna basin.

However, the rainfall forecast for  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

5 more RAB men arrested in N’ganj seven murders Jamil Khan n Mohammad and Ahmed Zayeef The police yesterday arrested five more RAB members suspected to be involved in the gruesome seven murders of Narayanganj, while a court placed the men on an eight-day remand.

Khandokar Mohid Uddin, superintendent of police in Narayanganj, told the Dhaka Tribune that police arrested the five officials of RAB 11 in the early hours of yesterday based on credible evidence of their involvement with the murders.

However, he refused to disclose details on how their link to the crime was found as the investigation was still ongoing.

Following the arrests, the five officials of Rapid Action Battalion were

Dredging erodes Padma riverbank in Munshiganj 100-year delta plan to n reduce climate risks Adil Sakhawat back from Munshiganj

Indiscriminate dredging of the river Padma, allegedly by ruling party leaders in Munshiganj’s Lohajang upazila, is threatening the fates of around 1,500 families who live near the banks of the river.

Erosion of the riverbank reportedly gathered pace from August 15 and has already claimed massive pieces of land in the affected villages. The victims claimed that the inconsiderate dredging of the river sediment from three points of the Padma had accelerated the erosion of the land that had belonged to their families for generations.

Visiting the most affected areas including Kumarbhogh, West Shimulia, Ranigaon, Mawa and Bhagyakul villages, the Dhaka Tribune found that many local residents were busy shifting their moveable properties away from their own land on the riverbank which might go under water at any moment.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

n Kayes Sohel

Elderly Sufia Begum belongs of one of the thousands of families rendered homeless by the devastating erosion of Padma River in Louhajang upazila in Munshiganj district. Yesterday, she sleeps under the open sky on the riverbank with meagre belongings she is left with after erosion gobbled up her entire homestead MEHEDI HASAN

The government has taken up a 100year mega project to reduce climate change risks in Padma-Meghna-Jamuna floodplains and ensure best water safety, food security and a sustained economic growth.

The project titled Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 Formulation involves 19 thematic surveys on river system management, impact of climate change, disaster management, and protection of environment and livestock at a cost of Tk87.86 crore.

The surveys are targeted at preparing scientific vision projections for 2025, 2050 and 2100.

The General Economics Division of the Planning Ministry is implementing the project with Dutch financial and technical assistance to formulate holistic and comprehensive plans of different terms for the next 50-100 years.

INSIDE

TMAG

Club Aquaria is an open Facebook group where aquarists from around the city can share their knowledge, experience and to help other aquarists or anyone willing to take up the hobby.

7 | Juris

‘Attempting to reform law is somewhat like making a sheet of corrugated irons flat with a hammer. The government’s move for the transformation of judges’ impeachment law reminds me of this catchy metaphor.

11 | Op-Ed

About 2,000 people have died since July 8, when Israel launched attack in Gaza. The death toll in road accidents across Bangladesh between January-August is more than twice the deaths in Gaza.

13 | Sport

Ángel di María said Manchester United was the ‘only club’ for which he would have left Real Madrid as the forward completed a £59.7m British record transfer, signing a 5-year contract worth around £200,000 a week.

B1 | Business

Tuba Group Workers Action Committee called upon the stakeholders to ensure jobs for 1,600 workers who were rendered jobless due to the shutdown of the group’s five RMG units.

Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal launched the project at the NEC Conference Room yesterday.

The delta plan is the result of a project being implemented from July last year to December next year.

The minister said Bangladesh, the largest delta in the world with rivers and floodplains supporting life and livelihoods, economy and ecology, already faced high pressure on its available land, water resources and environment because of poor management and high population density. This “now calls for achieving sustainable development through sustainable production and consumption.”

So, there was a higher need within the Bangladesh delta to improve the living conditions of the people through effective management and governance of land, river and other natural resources, he said.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, August 28, 2014

$125m ADB loan for creating ‘model towns’ n Tribune Report The Asian Development Bank will provide Bangladesh with $125m loan to improve services and governance in municipalities by making them more livable and attractive, for easing population pressures from major cities.

Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin and ADB Country Director Kazuhiko Higuchi yesterday signed an agreement at a ceremony held at the ERD in the capital.

Bangladesh needed to develop livable district towns with well-managed quality infrastructure to reduce over-

crowding in big cities, said Higuchi after signing the agreement.

“The ADB is pleased to help achieve this goal of creating model towns with proper planning, improved governance and infrastructure, and other services,” he added.

The Third Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Sector Project builds on successes and lessons from previous projects that focused on improvements in infrastructure, governance, and services.

The new project will provide assistance to 30 municipalities with a total population of 2.2 million, including 20 district headquarters. These adminis-

trative, trade and economic centres, and transportation and distribution hubs, are crucial for more balanced development in Bangladesh.

The project, which will help roads, drainage and sanitation systems, piped water supplies, and solid waste collection and disposal, will also strengthen the ability of the municipalities to carry out urban planning, financial management, and service delivery.

Some of the expected benefits will include reduced travel time and cost savings from better roads, health improvements from piped water and solid waste collection, and more citizens’ participation including women and poor and

marginalised groups in the governance and the provision of basic services.

Reflecting the lessons from previous ADB project assistance, the targeted municipalities will be eligible for additional phased funding support as they meet performance-based targets linked to governance reforms.

Many municipalities suffer from weak oversights and are struggling to provide citizens with key services. In response, the ADB has already been providing support for improved services under an urban governance improvement action program, according to an ADB release issued yesterday.

In addition to ADB’s loan, the Opec

HC halts vitamin A JS body sets deadline to realise Tk65 crore capsule distribution Kamran Reza Chowdhury The audit department said the mon- the persons and report back to the n ey had gone down the drain due to mis- committee after the deadline expired. n Ahmed Zayeef Independent MP Rustum Ali Farazi, The Public Accounts Committee, which management, misappropriation and The High Court has directed the authorities concerned not to distribute Vitamin A capsules without proper clinical trial.

The health secretary, the director general of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) and others related to the issue will carry out the order.

A vacation bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Abu Taher Mohammad Saiful Rahman passed the order upon a suo moto yesterday, following a report published in the vernacular daily Kaler Kantho titled “Children fed unapproved vitamin A capsules again.”

The court also issued a rule asking why the distribution of red and blue vitamin A capsules should not be declared illegal.

The bench said: “Vitamin A capsules are imported without clinical trial which is not acceptable under existing laws... Children are in a vulnerable position. Ensuring their security is essential.”

The court also said: “Vitamin A capsules cannot be distributed among children if they are found to be of substandard in the test.” l

has the ultimate say in the disposal of unsettled audit objections according to laws, has expressed dissatisfaction over the alleged inaction of the finance and the local government ministries to realise Tk65 crore from corrupt people.

While discussing the audits of different wings of the two ministries yesterday, the 15-member parliamentary body set a 30-day deadline to realise the money which the audit department in 2006-2007 and 2007-08 fiscal years detected as violation of the financial rule.

wastage.

“The amount of money involving the audit objections is over Tk65 crore.

The Public Accounts Committee has recommended realisation of the money from the people, but the ministries seem uninterested in doing so. This makes us unhappy,” Abdus Shahid, a committee member, told the Dhaka Tribune after the meeting at the parliament building.

He said the ministries had been given 30 days to realise the money from

another member of the committee, told reporters: “The audit wings detect audit objections and the ministries remain idle. If this trend [inaction in realising money] goes on, corruption will go up.

“The corrupt officials will feel encouraged to commit more corruption.”

The working paper presented at the meeting shows that the audit objections were reported in the internal resources division’s customs, excise and VAT circle and Customs House

BBS Director General Golam Mostafa Kamal explained that the latest poverty maps provided disaggregated poverty estimates to better understand the geographical variations in poverty incidence.

Mannan said the poverty map is an essential planning tool that provides powerful visuals to identify poor areas with greater accuracy. “The poverty map 2010 will also provide inputs for the seventh five-year plan keeping in view the targets proposed under Vision 2021.”

While Bangladesh has made an impressive economic and social gains over the past decade, poverty levels continue to be a challenge with around 32% of people living below the poverty line in 2010, says the World Bank.

These maps show that poverty rates vary considerably according to location, with pronounced inequalities at division, district (zila) and sub-district (upazila) levels.

“Comparing poverty maps with maps of social and other indicators that are correlated with poverty helps identify key impediments and bottlenecks that poor people face,” said Salman Zaidi, lead economist of the World Bank. “I hope the government will find

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He added that the arrested five officials admitted their involvement in the murders and told the court that RAB officials Lt Col Tareq Sayed Mohammad, Major Arif Hossain and MM Rana – who had all previously been arrested in connection with the Narayanganj murders – had forcefully ordered them to hide the bodies of the seven people who were killed after abduction.

Sources in the district police said the five RAB officials have been taken to the Masdair Police Line for interro-

the poverty maps helpful to plan better targeted interventions.”

The maps show that the northern and southern districts, apart from Barisal, have a high prevalence of poverty and low primary school completion rates.

Similarly, poverty appears to be high in chronic disaster-prone areas such as the districts along the Jamuna River where the communities are repeatedly affected by river erosion and flooding and in the south-west which is prone to cyclones, tidal surges, salt water intrusion and water-logging.

“These poverty maps also provide a good indication where the most food insecure areas of the country are. In Bangladesh, with well-functioning markets, people’s purchasing power remains the most important factor in their access to food,” said Christa Räder, WFP Representative.

The government officials claimed that starvation in the monga-hit northern region has now come down to 3% from 45% mainly due to the government’s economic activities in the area.

“Monga has already gone to the museum. The overall economic activities in the area has brought drastic changes in the life of people,” said an official. l

100-year delta plan  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Mustafa suggested that there was a need for an integrated approach to future land use and water management in relation to water safety and food security; governance also needed to be strengthened, integrated and focused on addressing Bangladesh’s future challenges.

The minister said it had become imperative to develop a holistic longterm vision to optimise short-term interventions and investments to prepare for future challenges.

Keeping these views in mind, the government initiated the formulation of the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, he said.

The delta plan will focus on effective river dredging and river bank protection, construction of embankments, management of low lying land reclaimed from rivers, lives and assets, proper utilisation of low lying areas for lives and livelihoods, particularly in the coastal belt.

Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said because of its geo-physical location, topography and high population density Bangladesh risked recurring natural and human-induced hazards with an average 10 million people affected every year.

Describing measures so far taken by his ministry in disaster management, cyclone preparedness and relief oper-

and Company Circle under the Finance Ministry, and the Dhaka City Corporation under the Local Government Ministry.

Of the total amount, the audit objections in the wings under the Finance Ministry is over Tk50 crore while the Dhaka City Corporation caused drainage of Tk15 crore.

Former home minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir presided over the meeting, also attended by AKM Mayeedul Islam, M Amanullah, Ishaq Hossain Talukder, AFM Ruhal Haque, Afsarul Amin, Golam Dastagir Gazi and Mayeen Uddin Khan Badal. l

5 more RAB men arrested in N’ganj seven murders gation under top security.

Asked whether any more arrests would be made, Narayanganj SP Mohid said the list of suspects had more names including other RAB officials, but refused to disclose further details because of the ongoing probe.

Sources said investigators have found clues linking the direct or indirect involvement of at least 35 people, including around 23 to 29 members of RAB, with the gruesome murders.

Currently, 15 people including the previously arrested three senior RAB

officials are behind bars, while six more members of RAB 11 have given confessional statements in court as witnesses to the abduction and killing.

Replying to a question about the progress in investigating the case, the SP added that the seven-murder case was a big case and all the people of the country were waiting for the trial to take place. The police were carefully investigating and it would need more time to finish the probe, he said.

On April 27, Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam, three of his aides and driv-

Rangpur has the highest poverty Flood not worrying  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

Fund for International Development will provide co-financing of $40m alongside government and municipalities counterpart support of $71m, for a total project cost of $236m, said the statement.

The project is expected to be completed in 2020. The Local Government Engineering Department and the Department of Public Health Engineering under the Local Government Division will be responsible for implementing the project.

Participating municipalities will prepare their development plans and implement sub-projects in consultation with a broad-based citizen forum known as town level coordination committee. l

ation, Maya said the delta plan would come up with new innovative inputs for framing successive national plans for the next 50-100 years.

He said the envisaged detailed studies in 19 thematic areas would provide precise suggestions that needed to be revisited in the current Standing Orders on Disaster last revised in 2010.

Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said: “We have already completed protection work of 265km river bank, constructed 538km new embankments, repaired 1,401km embankments, built 35 bridges and culverts, excavated 366km drainage canals and 129km irrigation canals.

He expressed hope that the studies would help cast a fresh look on the country’s river dredging strategy for augmenting their flows in dry season and maintaining navigability throughout the year.

“However, questions still remain to address: Whether we should continue expensive dredging activities and at the same time refill our riverbeds with sediments settled due to low flow during dry season and soil erosion,” Anisul said.

He put emphasis on having an integrated plan for haors, baors and beels to optimise the abstraction of natural resources of these areas without disturbing the ecological balance.l

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the next few days has been comforting. Bangladesh Meteorological Department said in its latest bulletin that monsoon rainfall was likely to remain normal over the next three days.

The met office said if monsoon behaved usually, then the water level in Maghna River would slide over the next 48 hours, marking improvement in the flash flood situation.

Dhaka

Buriganga, Turag, Balu, Shitalakkhya and Dhaleswari – the four rivers in and around the capital – would continue to rise over the next 72 hours because rainfall had been healthy in the upstream, but remain well clear of their respective danger levels, forecasters said.

On the inundation of the low-lying areas in the capital’s outskirts, FFWC Officer Ripon Karmaker said the heavy flow of water was normal monsoon behaviour.

Shariatpur

According to our Shariatpur corre-

spondent, the devastating erosion of the Padma River has hurt the people of Bhedorganj upazila badly. Things have been especially distressing over the last 10 days.

Anwar Hossain Majhi, chairman of Bhedorgonj pazila, said at least 300 families have been rendered homeless and thousands of acres of agricultural land had been eroded by Padma in the last 10 days.

Marooned people from the upazila have urged the government to take immediate steps for rehabilitation.

Local lawmaker Sawkot Ali and Shariatpur Assistant Deputy Commissioner visited the erosion- and flood-hit areas yesterday and assured the homeless people of rehabilitation as soon as possible.

Munshiganj

At least 48 houses have been freshly affected by flood as Padma erosion continued to wreck havoc in different villages in the district.

Bangladesh Water Development

er, and senior lawyer Chandan Sarkar and his driver were kidnapped from the Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road. Three days later, six bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya. The seventh body was recovered from the river the next day.

Selina Islam Beauty, the wife of Nazrul, filed a case with Fatullah Model police station naming Nur Hossain as the prime accused; while Chandan Sarker’s son-in-law Bijoy Kumar Pal filed a separate case with Fatullah police station for the killing of Chandan and his driver Ibrahim. l

Board sources said Padma has been flowing 21cm above danger level in the district, accelerating the erosion.

More than a thousand households were already affected by the ongoing flood over last few days. The district administration has so far distributed 30kg of rice to each of the affected families and allocated another 100 tons for further needs.

Tangail

At least 150 villages in the district along the Jamuna River have remained submerged in water for days. Several areas including Bhuapur, Kalihati, Nagorpur, Delduar and Sadar went under water as Jamuna started flowing 13cm above danger level in the district.

Most of infrastructures including school buildings and around 500 houses have gone under water.

The district administration has already shifted the affected people to safe places and distributed 30kg rice among some 1,400 families.

Faruqi slaughtered  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Locals and police sources said two youths aged around 26-28 entered Faruqi’s house around 8:30pm saying that they wanted to talk with him about Hajj issues. They visited the house on Tuesday too.

Just after 15 minutes of the incident, three other youths of around same age joined them saying that they were interested to perform Hajj.

Around 9pm, three more people, led by Belal from Uttara of the capital, came to the house to take religious lessons from Faruqi.

After couple of minutes, hearing motorcycle engines and screams coming from Faruqi’s house, neighbours rushed in and released the family members and the three visitors.

Members of Ahle Sunnat gathered in front of Faruqi’s house in Rajabazar and demonstrated blaming the activists of Jamaat-e-Islami for the murder.

Meanwhile, students of Jamia Al Sunia Madrasa in Chittagong city’s Muradpur area went on a rampage in the intersection and vandalised a number of vehicles around 11:30pm in protest against the murder.

The Islamic Front has announced protest programmes across the country for today.

Md Arifur Rahman Taher Nakse Bandi, the Dhaka city unit ameer of the front, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were yet to decide on announcing a countrywide shutdown.

Sheikh Naimuddin, another Presidium member of Ahle Sunnat, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have no idea who might have killed Faruqi. But we have strong belief that it is a planned act.”

The law enforcers collected evidence and samples from the spot. l

Bogra

At least 75,000 people of some 90 villages in Sonatola, Sariakandi and Dhunot upazilas beside the Jamuna River have been affected by flood.

As of yesterday, the situation was deteriorating as Jamuna had been flowing 63cm above danger level in the area.

The district administration has already distributed rice, dry food and cash among the sufferers. In addition, they have allocated Tk50 lakh and 50 tons of rice for future needs.

Jamalpur

As of yesterday, Jamuna had been flowing 27cm above danger level in Jamalpur district, marooning at least 200,000 people.

Cracks in flood protection embankment of Char Nadagari at Madarganj Upazila in the district are adding to the misery of the marooned people bringing in strong flow of water from the river. Local district administration has already started distributing relief among the flood-affected people. l

Dredging erodes Padma riverbank in Munshiganj  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Over the last couple of weeks, Rashid Sheikh, 60, a resident of Khoria village under Kumarbhogh union, has lost 56 decimal of the 70 decimal of land that he inherited from his father. Cracks have also appeared on the remaining property which appears ready to be eroded soon as well.

Sitting heartbroken on his remaining land, Rashid told the Dhaka Tribune: “Last night when I left my property, there was a minimum of five gonda [one gonda= seven decimal] land remaining. When I returned here in the morning, I saw another three gonda had already gone in the river. While I am staying at the local mosque for the moment, I fear there will be nothing remaining for me when I come to see my land tomorrow morning.”

Abul Kalam, another victim of river erosion, said: “As the dredgers are lifting sediment from the riverbed near these affected areas, the river current is strong and causing riverbank erosion.

“We have been living here for many years. This type of erosion has never happened before as dredging had not taken place in the area before,” Kalam added.

Families in Khoria village pointed to a dredger that was excavating sediments a kilometre away from the village, claiming that around 300 vessels carried the extracted soil everyday to other destinations where it was used for commercial purposes.

Victims of riverbank erosion also blamed the local lawmaker for failing to take initiatives in stopping the dredging of the river.

Sufia Begum, 72, a former union parishad member at Kumarbhogh, told the Dhaka Tribune that the local lawmaker, who had promised before the election to take care of all the problems of local residents, was now nowhere to be found.

When contacted, the MP of Munshiganj 2 constituency, Sagufta Yasmin, said: “All the residents of Lohajang upazila are like my children. I stand beside them for all kinds of problems they face.”

She also claimed that the sediment lifted from Padma River was used for the Padma Bridge project and also for development of roads and highways projects under the Shipping Ministry and Communication Ministry.

“As a local lawmaker, I have no power to oppose the ministry decision; although I am always against lifting of sediment from Padma River,” the MP said.

Meanwhile, the locals claimed that the dredging business was a lucrative trade for ruling party leaders, who allegedly received Tk15,000 in commission from every sand-carrying vessels.

The dredging work was also supervised by influential Awami League leaders, they added.

Lawmaker Yasmin, however, denied allegations about ruling party

leaders’ involvement in river dredging, saying: “None of my local leader is involved with the lifting of sediment from Padma river. All dredging projects have gone to people outside this area through tender.”

But when the Dhaka Tribune spoke to the people working with the dredgers, they said local ruling party leader Rashid Sikder was in charge of the sediment lifting.

Several victims of the riverbank erosion, preferring to stay unnamed, told the Dhaka Tribune that they received threats from Rashid Sikder over the phone after recently staging demonstrations against the dredging work.

Rashid threatened to file false cases against the locals who protested the dredging, they added.

“Now all of us have kept our mouth shut against them and are enduring their injustice,” a victim told Dhaka Tribune seeking anonymity.

Meanwhile, Rashid Sikder, the general secretary of Lohajang thana Awami League unit, denied the allegations against him. The sediment being dredged were used in government projects, Rashid claimed, but admitted that he oversaw the dredging operations. He further claimed that dredging of the river did not cause riverbank erosion in the area.

Asked about the alleged threats issued by him, the Awami League leader claimed that such rumours were spread by the local BNP activists.

Several local Awami League leaders, seeking anonymity, however told the Dhaka Tribune that Rashid was an influential leader in the area and was the “right-hand man” of local MP Sagufta Yasmin.

Many people who lost their land urged the government to rehabilitate them to other locations or compensate them with money equal to the price of their lost land.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Muhammad Khalequzzaman told the Dhaka Tribune: “We are trying to help the victims of riverbank erosion. From tomorrow, we are going to distribute 10 tonne of food among the victims.”

Asked about what action had been taken to stop the dredging, he said: “The river sediment is used for government-run projects, while without the soil the development work will stop.

But I think dredging is not responsible for riverbank erosion.

“As many of the victims are rich people, we will identify the families in need who have already lost their land and then find them rehabilitation.”

When asked about initiatives for rehabilitating the erosion victims, lawmaker Sagufta Yasmin said: “I have already sent proposals to the water resources minister and the shipping minister to take initiatives to help my area’s residents who have fallen victims to riverbank erosion. Many projects worth Tk120 crore are also going on to protect the area from erosion.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Rohingya, security issues to dominate talks Myanmar delegation arrives today; official talks on August 31 n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Dhaka is set to welcome a high-level Myanmar delegation scheduled to arrive today to discuss matters of mutual interest.

“Myanmar is our next door neighbour and we want to engage with them in as many ways as possible,” Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune.

The seven-member delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant Kyaw will have formal talks with the secretary on August 31, he said.

This is the 8th foreign secretary level talks, diplomatically termed foreign office consultation [FoC], between the two countries. The seventh FoC was held in Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw last year.

“Our prime minister visited Nay Pyi Taw in 2011 and 2014 and invited Myanmar President Thein Shen to visit Dhaka,” he said.

In the FoC, both the parties will mainly discuss security dialogue, border management, Rohingya repatria-

tion, trade, connectivity and gas import issues, he said.

“Bangladesh has proposed to have foreign minister level talks in Dhaka and we will discuss about it,” he said.

Security Dialogue

Another senior foreign ministry official said the main problem between the two countries is mistrust and lack of confidence.

“We want to engage with them in all levels and that’s why we proposed to form a platform to discuss security issue with Myanmar,” he said.

Bangladesh has already handed over the draft of the memorandum of understanding of the security dialogue and will discuss to finalise it in the meeting, he added.

The objective of holding the security dialogue with Myanmar is to build confidence and remove mistrust.

The government plans to have at least one meeting in a year where an additional secretary of the foreign ministry will lead the Bangladesh delegation.

Rohingya repatriation

Bangladesh will ask Myanmar side to take immediate action to repatriate the Myanmar nationals stranded in Bangladesh.

Dhaka is well aware about the human rights situation in Rakhine state but Bangladesh is a small country and it cannot allow Myanmar nationals to be pushed into its territory, said the senior foreign ministry official.

About 30,000 documented Myanmar nationals are located in two refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar and 0.3 million to 0.5 million undocumented Myanmar nationals are living inside Bangladesh.

“They are posing serious threat to us as Bangladesh does not have enough land and resources to take care of such huge population,” the official said.

Border management

Bangladesh and Myanmar have joint borders and they have agreed to control it jointly to tackle drug and human trafficking, arms smuggling, and illegal movement of people.

“The Myanmar side proposed to set

up border liaison offices, which will coordinate the border management,” the official said.

Myanmar and India have such arrangement and Dhaka asked for concept paper of the liaison office from Nay Pyi Taw, he added.

Bangladesh in principal agreed to the concept and would discuss with all relevant stakeholders about how to implement it, the official said.

Gas import

Dhaka will discuss the issue of gas import from the Shwe gas field in Rakhine state during the official talks.

“There are four stakeholders in that gas field and we will reach all of them,” said the senior official. Bangladesh had already discussed the issue with China and they were positive about it, he said.

A consortium of China, India, Myanmar and Daewoo of South Korea has developed the gas field and about 800-km-long pipeline was installed to supply gas from Rakhine state to Kunming in China in 2013.

Dhaka is now preparing to negotiate with other stakeholders like Myanmar, India and Daewoo for importing gas, the official said.

Connectivity

Bangladesh and Myanmar are the members of BCIM initiative and the issue will be discussed in the official level talks.

“In addition to that Bangladesh is ready to construct 25 kilometres of road to have smooth connectivity between the two countries,” the official said.

The proposal had been included in the 2007-08 Annual Development Programme but Myanmar is yet to response to the project.

Bangladesh also likes to finance and develop 125 kilometres of roads inside Myanmar to connect Taungbro to Bawalibazar so that it would be easier for Bangladesh to connect Kunming in China, the official said.

Dhaka will also seek Nay Pyi Taw’s support for Bangladesh’s candidature for UN Human Rights Commission election to be held in October. l

Writ challenges government’s authority to conduct MBBS, BDS exams n Ahmed Zayeef A Supreme Court lawyer has filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the legality of conducting MBBS and BDS examinations under government supervision.

Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akond filed the petition yesterday. He urged the court to issue a rule upon the government seeking an explanation.

He also sought the court’s directive about not holding the examinations until the settlement of the writ.

In his petition, Akond said: “According to the Medical and Dental Council Act 2010, the council is supposed to conduct the examinations.”

Among the respondents of the petition are the health secretary, director of health care provision and education, Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council and Dhaka University.

Admission tests for 8,493 seats in medical and dental colleges across the country will be held on October 24.

In 2012, the government decided to take tests for admission in the medical colleges. It stepped back after students had protested and the High Court intervened. l

Students will have to take six more papers than the existing lineup in the HSC examination from 2016.

The decision to implement the new curriculum under the creative question system was made at a meeting at the Education Ministry yesterday.

Education Secretary Mohammad Sadik and senior officials of the ministry were present at the meeting.

The six subjects are economics, logic, information and communication technology, finance, banking and insurance, production management, and marketing and geography.

The meeting also decided that the Da-

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Seven people, including a former director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, were sent to jail as they surrendered before a Dhaka court yesterday in a corruption case filed for misappropriating over Tk2.31 crore.

Dhaka’s Senior Special Judge Md Jahrul Haque passed the order rejecting their bail prayers.

Earlier in the day, four doctors including former DMCH director Brig Gen (retd) Bajle Kader surrendered before the court and sought bail. After hearing the plea, the court decided to pass the order later.

Instead of the dock, the court allowed the seven accused to sit on a bench in the courtroom considering their old age.

As soon as the court cancelled their bail around 3pm, two accused doctors – former senior lecturer of practical pharmacy Dr Md Moshiur Rahman, and Assistant Professor Dr Atiar Rahman – fled the court.

Additional public prosecutor of the court Tapash Kumar Paul told the Dhaka Tribune: “The court issued arrest warrants against the duo. It also issued notices on defence counsel Dulal Mitra and the court’s duty police to explain their failure to stop the accused from fleeing the court.”

The judge set September 9 for holding a hearing on charge framing.

The other accused in the case are former deputy director Md Fazullah, former cashier Nazrul Islam (1), former accounts officer Nazrul Islam (2), and Habibur Rahman, proprietor of surgical instrument supplier ‘‘Habib Traders.”

According to the case details, the accused in connivance with each other misappropriated Tk2.31 crore from different machinery purchase.

Anti-Corruption Commission Assistant Director Syed Tahsinul Haque filed the corruption case with Shahbagh police on November 16, 2011.

The charge sheet was submitted to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on May 15 this year. Later it was sent to the Dhaka’s Senior Special Judge’s Court for trial. l

Manpower for police and Rooppur plant suggested n Mohosinul Karim

The first Hajj flight left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Saudi Arabia yesterday

6 more creative papers for HSC n Mushfique Wadud

Ex-DMCH director among seven ordered jail

khil students under the Madrassa Education Board would have to take civic science and citizenship while Alim students have to take economics, physics, biology, civic science and good governance.

From 2017, nine more subjects would be added under the creative question system, the press release said.

The creative question system was introduced at the HSC level in 2012. Between 2012 and 2014, a total of 15 subjects of HSC and Alim were brought under the creative question system.

Speaking at the meeting, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said the ministry wanted to improve the standard of education to meet the demand of the new globalised world. l

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Defence starts argument in Azhar case n Udisa Islam

On the first day of closing arguments, the defence in the case against Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam yesterday said the accused had not been responsible for “superior command responsibility.”

They also tried to show anomalies in the prosecution case and documents.

Lawyer Shishir Monir said the prosecution witnesses had not mentioned the names of al-Badr leaders in Rangpur during the Liberation War. He claimed that the prosecution had placed different information about the formation and activities of al-Badr force in the charges and exhibits. “Either the prosecution has to rely on the exhibits or the witnesses.”

On superior command responsibility, Shishir said: “To impose this responsibility, it has to be clear on whom the accused imposed control and who were the subordinates. There is no specific name of any.”

The tribunal said: “In localities, we know many people by their faces but cannot name many.”

After just two hours of argument, the defence counsel pleaded for time saying: “If I am not unreasonable, then please allow me adjournment until Monday.”

The prosecution did not oppose the plea and the tribunal allowed the adjournment.

Earlier, the tribunal asked prosecutor Tureen Afroz to clarify her stance on using the word “brute” during submission

on Wednesday since the defence had raised question about it orally.

The defence said their client had felt abused by one of the prosecutors’ language and that such remark violated the court’s proceedings and law as well.

Tureen said: “I did not mention someone’s name with the word. I just used it to prove the intensity of crimes. But if it has hurt anybody, then I apologise and I will be more conscious about my language in future.”

The tribunal said: “A good artist is one who can end a painting by using their brushes less. You are also an artist and your language is your art...The court has its own decorum, you all should follow this.” l

‘Subhan targeted Hindus’ n Udisa Islam

A pile of garbage occupies more than half the road adjacent to the Fire Service Department building in Fulbaria much to the sufferings of pedestrians and locals . The picture was taken yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

A new prosecution witness in the trial against Maulana Abdus Subhan yesterday said he had seen the accused assisting the Pakistani Army men to identify and kill the Hindus in Satbaria of Pabna during the 1971 Liberation War. On May 12, 1971, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Subhan, then a Pabna Peace Committee leader, had asked the occupation forces to kill Hindus since they supported the country’s independence, the witness told the International Crimes Tribunal 2.

Twenty-fifth prosecution witness Abdul Baten, 61, said the army and their local collaborators, led by the accused, had carried out atrocities in Fakitpur, Sindoorpur and Kondorpur of Satbaria, Pabna, which his father Madari Mondol and uncle Laskar Mondol luckily escaped.

Quoting his father, Baten said the Kandarpur mass killings had taken place by Maulana Subhan and his cohorts Mostafa and Tikka.

“In the morning of May 12, my moth-

er told me that the Pakistani Army besieged our village and asked me to run. I hid myself behind the house of Basu Saha where I found many of my neighbours hiding. I watched the forces entering our house and taking away my father and uncle. They also set our house on fire.

“When some of us came out of the hideout and tried to cross the road to reach Narohati Beel, Subhan saw them and asked the army men to kill them.

Ratna, Chetna, Modon and Ghugri died on the spot during the firing.”

After the situation calmed down, Baten said he had gone outside and heard about the killings in Sindurpoor and Kondorpur of Satbaria from his cousin.

“With the help of local people, I found my father and uncle at a place where many dead bodies were dumped.”

Later, defence counsel Mizanul Islam cross examined the witness and the tribunal adjourned the trial until Tuesday as the prosecution pleaded for some time to place their next witness.

The prosecution said they might end placing witnesses next week. l

A proposal from the home ministry to create 744 new posts of police’s Sub-Inspector, Assistant Sub-Inspector and Constable has received approval of the Secretary Committee on Administrative Reform. The committee has also given its approval to create 97 posts for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant under the revenue sector.

The approvals were given in a meeting of the committee held at secretariat with Committee Chief and Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.

Cabinet Division’s Acting Secretary (Coordination and Reform) Nazrul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune after yesterday’s meeting that the committee decided to accept all the proposals that were tabled at the meeting. The recommendations will be sent to the ministries and divisions.

The ministry wants to create the new posts of SI, ASI and constables to depute them in the camps which will strengthen the administration there The ministries and divisions concerned will take necessary steps to create the posts and start the procedure of recruiting the desired officials and employees.

According to the proposal of the home ministry, there are around 144 police camps along the south-east belt of the country which is considered as a crime zone. The forces at those camps are working to ensure security and safety of the local people. The forces of Ansar and VDP are also working with the Police forces now in that area.

The ministry wants to create the new posts of SI, ASI and constables to depute them in the camps which will strengthen the administration there.

The Ministry of Science and Technology proposed to create 97 posts of technical and non-technical experts, officials and employees for the proposed Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant under revenue sector. That proposal was also given approval as prime minister’s priority project.

At the same time, the committee also approved a proposal of creating posts for Gopalganj Sheikh Sayera Khatun Medical College and Hospital and Deaf and Dumb Residential School in Jhenaidah. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, August 28, 2014

3rd foreign minister-level talk with Delhi on Sept 20 n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman The third Bangladesh-India foreign minister-level talks will be held on September 20 in New Delhi to discuss mutually interested issues of the two countries.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will go to India on September 19 and have the ministerial talks, officially termed as Joint Consultative Commission [JCC], on the following day, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune.

This will be the first time the foreign minister will engage formally and officially with the Modi government which assumed power in May. Earlier in June, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Dhaka on a goodwill visit and both the ministers had a meeting at the foreign ministry.

Another senior foreign ministry official said the meeting will give input into the meeting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the sideline of UN General Assembly in late September.

Bangladesh has three long pending issue – Teesta water sharing agreement, ratification of land boundary agreement and border killings – and in

Dr Akhlakul’s 2nd death anniversary today n Tribune Report The second death anniversary of Dr Akhlakul H o s s a i n Ahmed, a former Gano Parishad member and an organiser of the 1971 liberation war, will be observed today.

As part of it, members of Dr Akhlakul Hossain Ahmed Sriti Parishad will place garlands on his grave and hold a doa mahfil at his birthplace of Choiasi village in Mohanganj upazila of Netrokona seeking the salvation of his departed soul, says a media release.

Akhlakul, who was a physician, was born in 1926. He was a member of the 1970 Pradesik Parishad from the ruling Awami League and he played a pivotal role in making the constitution of our country. l

the JCC Bangladesh will flag those for early implementation.

“Bangladesh will also discuss about enhancing its export to India,” he said.

Dhaka will raise certain para-tariff and non-tariff barriers that are stumbling block to increasing export to New Delhi, he added.

He said Bangladesh side opposed inclusion of alleged “illegal immigration” issue in the JCC agenda.

The Indian side also wanted to discuss the illegal immigration issue at the BGB-BSF meeting held in New Delhi last week but due to opposition from Dhaka it was not discussed.

The official said prior to this meeting no foreign secretary-level talks would be held. “We will not hold foreign secretary-level talks this time.”

Before the first two Joint consultative commission meetings at the foreign minister level, foreign secretaries of both the countries sat together and hammered out agenda for the meetings of their bosses.

Teesta agreement

The Indian Foreign Minister before her coming to Dhaka had a talk with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and hinted Bangladesh side that the

West Bengal leader was positive about Teesta agreement.

India notified Bangladesh that New Delhi had already started to work with all stakeholders to build internal consensus to get it through soon, the official said.

Bangladesh and India have been negotiating on Teesta water sharing agreement for four decades and was scheduled to sign in 2011 during the visit of then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh but due to strong resistance from Mamata, it could not be inked.

Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) The immediate past Congress-led Indian government had placed a bill to amend constitution in the Rajya Sabha to pave the way for ratification of land boundary agreement but it was opposed by the then opposition BJP on the ground that it would not support hastily ratification of the LBA. “But this time they are in the power and we hope that they will not oppose,” the Foreign Ministry official said.

The issue has been pending for four decades and the new Indian government must prove that they are sincere in resolving the boundary dispute, he said.

Bangladesh and India signed LBA in 1974 and Dhaka ratified it the same year but New Delhi is yet to do so. l

Coordination among ministries stressed for human trafficking n Rabiul Islam Speakers at a conference yesterday emphasised on the coordination among ministries concerned to combat human trafficking in the country.

The observation was made at the national conference on Bangladesh’s National Plan of Action (NPA) 2012-14 and 2015-17 organised by WINROCK International at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

INCIDIN Bangladesh, a non-government organisation working on human trafficking, presented a draft NPA for 2015-17. The NPA 2012-14 is being implemented under the responsibility of the Home Ministry which would end on December this year.

Speaking as chief guest, Law Ministry Joint Secretary Abu Ahmed Jamadar expressed discontent as officials of the ministry concerned were absent. If officials who are directly involved with the coordination of the

issue, remained absent, who would listen to it, who would implement it, he pointed out.

Officials of the Home Ministry, Social Welfare Ministry and Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry were absent. Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry Additional Secretary Hazrat Ali was to attend as the chief guest.

Jamadar suggested the organiser arrange an inter-ministerial meeting to effectively deal with human trafficking.

While over-viewing the draft of NPA 2015-17, INCIDIN Bangladesh’s Executive Director AKM Masud Ali said a concerted effort of different ministries is needed to tackle human trafficking.

Chief of Party, ACT Program Sarah Stephens said human rights of the people were being violated due to human trafficking and as a result, people from all walks of life are affected, adding the traffickers abuse and misuse legitimate migration. l

Managing Director and CEO of the City Bank Ltd Sohail RK Hussain addresses a press conference titled ‘Second Bangladesh Investment Summit’ at Sonargaon Hotel in the capital yesterday NASHIRUL ISLAM

In order to resolve the shortage of drinking water at home, residents of the capital’s Rajarbagh area fill up bottles and jars with tap water from the Rajarbagh Police Lines yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

BNP: Govt wants to put last nail in the coffin of judiciary n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

The BNP yesterday said the government wanted to put the last nail in the coffin of the judiciary by empowering the parliament to impeach Supreme Court judges.

“The government is giving the parliament authority to impeach the judges in order to establish absolute control over the judiciary so that judges cannot deliver any verdict against them,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of the party, said.

Addressing a rally at National Press Club protesting the government’s move to empower the parliament to impeach the Supreme Court judges, the BNP leader asked the ruling party men to come to the street without law enforcement agencies to taste its power.

“You will say Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia are killers and Tarique Rahman is a black sheep and will people see the mockery sitting idle?,” he said.

The BNP-led 20-party alliance earlier announced demonstration at 15 spots of the city, but later they decided to hold a rally at the National Press Club.

Alliance leaders started joining the rally with small processions and law enforcement agencies tightened security centring the programme. Police prison van, APC car and water cannon were seen outside the meeting venue.

Fakhrul alleged that ‘false’ cases had

Court acquits two physicians who left a needle inside the body of patient n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong A Chittagong court yesterday acquitted two physicians from a criminal case filed for leaving a needle in a patient’s body during a surgery in Chittagong city on January 28 in 2013.

The court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Moshiur Rahman Chowdhury, passed the order observing that criminal case could not be run against the two physicians and added that a compensation suit

could be run against then, said Advocate Rana Das Gupta, counsel for the plaintiff.

The acquitted physicians are Dr Shurman Ali, a doctor of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, and Dr GM Zakir Hossain, a doctor at a private clinic in the city, said court sources.

According to the case statement, the victim Amirul Islam, 21, a student of Journalism department in Asian University, was admitted to a private clinic on May 30, 2012 for surgery.

During the surgery, Dr Shurman left a needle inside Amirul’s body, which caused further health complications for the patient. Later, Dr Zakir again operated Amirul but failed to recover the needle.

Later, the victim went to India for better treatment where Consultant Dr Debashish Dutta of Apollo Hospital in Calcutta succeeded in recovering the needle from Aminul’s body on June 30, 2012.

Following that, the victim’s mother Delwara Begum filed the case with

the court of Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate on January 28, 2013 accusing the two physicians under sections 269, 270, 326, 420 and 34 of Criminal Procedure Code.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Ruhul Amin of Panchlaish police station, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet against two doctors on May 30, 2013 for negligence in surgery.

The two physicians are on bail since March 14, 2013, said court sources. l

been filed and charge sheets in those cases were submitted to keep the opposition leaders and activists away from the election. Cases were filed against more than five hundred thousand leaders and activists, he claimed.

Criticising Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu and Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon, the spokesperson of the party said, “Do not mislead people by making false statements. Make public what was your role in the formation of Baksal during 1972-75? You would not be spared for harshly criticising Ziaur Rahman and Tarique Rahman.”

Calling upon the people to join the party’s ongoing movement, Fakhrul said, “Let us resist the government through the movement and move forward to form the people’s government.”

Dhaka City Unit BNP Convener Mirza Abbas who chaired the programme said all who attended today’s programme were not BNP leaders and activists rather most of them were conscious people.

“If we take to the streets with the people, the government will not find the way to escape. No one will be spared for committing misdeeds.”

Asking the party leaders and activists not to chant any slogan inside the hall room, he said, “It is not needed to chant slogan and show placard everywhere. You show it where it is needed and do not chant any slogan here.” l

Health services DG Deen Mohammad gets contractual appointment n Mohosinul Karim The government awarded Director General of Health Services Dr Deen Mohammad Nurul Islam a one year contractual appointment to serve the office.

The public administration ministry yesterday issued a gazette notification in this regard as per the proposal of the health and family welfare ministry and approval of the prime minister.

According to the order, the contractual appointment would be effective from September 1 or the date of his joining.

Dr Deen Mohammad was supposed to go on Post Retirement Leave (PRL) from September 1 after the completion of his service age. However, according to the new contract, the PRL will be cancelled from the date of his joining the office.

Meanwhile, retired Brigadier General Ahsan Habib Khan was appointed as Vice Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission for three years on a contractual appointment.

Also, retired district judge Murshid Alam was appointed as member of the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority for next three years from his date of joining the office. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Kashimpur residents take fright at group hysteria Kashimpur High School was closed for a week as 25 students fell ill ly felt headache and could not breathe n Our Correspondent, Gazipur properly.

Panic has gripped the locals in Kashimpur of Gazipur in the wake of 25 female students of Kashimpur High School falling ill and fainting simultaneously on Tuesday.

The school has been closed for a week after the incident, said Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Nurul Islam.

Headmaster of the school Abdul Mannan said the first case of the collective hysteria occurred on August

'Around 1,000 students study in the school , but only girls have fallen ill so far' 21 when tenth-grader Samia Tamanna Mishu had to be taken to Hazi General Hospital after she had abruptly fallen ill due to headache and respiratory problems.

“On August 24, several other girls fell ill the same way and were admitted to the hospital. The following day, the number rose to 15 and they were taken to different hospitals and clinics. Then on August 26, another twenty-five students said they were feeling sick and fainted afterwards. They were taken to Hazi General Hospital and Kashimpur MM Clinic,” he said.

Mannan said he announced general holiday in the school for Tuesday, but people began to believe that some sort of virus had caused the illness.

“Panic spread fast among the residents of the area, and especially the guardians feared a virus attack,” he added.

A number of girls receiving treatment at the hospital said they sudden-

Road accidents kill two in Chittagong n FM Mizanur Rahaman Two persons were killed in seperate road accidents in Chittagong yesterday.

The deceased were identified as Md Selim (25) and Md Jahrul Islam Soton.

Selim is a truck driver's assistant.

Nayek Jahangir Alam of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) Police Outpost said Selim was critically injured when a truck collided head-on with a lorry on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway at Banshbariya area of Sitakunda upazila at 7:30am. Later, he died at the CMCH. Earlier, Soton was killed when a truck hit him inside the BSRM Steel Re-Rolling Mills at Bar Awlia area of Sitakunda upazila early yesterday. l

“At one stage, I lost consciousness.

Something like this never happened to me at home,” one of the girls said.

Taijul Islam, father of eighth-grader Suchana, said he was concerned about the illness of his daughter and was apprehensive about the possible spread of any virus. Assistant teacher of the school Shahidul Islam said the students who fell ill on Monday did not attend Tuesday's classes, fearing that they might become sick again.

Dr Rafiqul Islam at Hazi General Hospital said girls were getting admitted to the hospital for the last three days.

“This could stem from tension or physical weakness, but I cannot rule out a virus attack. The girls fainted after feeling headache. Those who recovered after receiving treatment said they did not have that feeling again,” he said.

“We have no medical equipment in our hospital to detect the presence of any virus,” he added.

1,000 students study in the school but only girls have fallen ill so far, said the headmaster.

“I informed the deputy commissioner and the upazila nirbahi officer of this,” he said.

Civil Surgeon of Gazipur Dr Shah Alam Sharif said he was informed of the incident but there was nothing to be panicked.

“This is a mental illness. It attacks people who are around a patient of this illness. This is called mass psychogenic illness, and is prevalent among schoolgirls,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Nurul said he talked to the civil surgeon after learning about girls falling ill collectively.

“Hopefully, the panic will go away when the school opens a week later,”

A portion of a road adjacent to a amusement park in the Borokuthi area of Rajshahi city collapses on Tuesday night, creating panic among local people

Minority people dispossessed of their land in Barisal n Our Correspondent, Barisal Valuable land properties of minority owners were dispossessed during early hours of Sunday and Monday allegedly by the cadres of influential land grabbers.

The police at Rahamatpur area under Barisal airport police station were informed about the grabbing attempts, but the law enforcers remained inactive, the panicked local minority community members alleged.

Local influential land grabbers Hossain Hawladar and Ripon Hawladar with a gang of armed people forcibly occupied 22 decimals of land owned by betel leaf planter Shanti Ranjan Mitra during early hours of Sunday and Monday.

Gopal Mitra, betel leaf planter and nephew of Shanti Mitra, said they owned 1.02 acres of land through inheritance after the government allotted

them the property many years ago as landless betel leaf planting families near the Rahamatpur Khal of Rahamatpur Bandar under the then Babuganj and present Barisal airport police stations.

Gopal added: “Land grabbers led by Hossain Hawladar and Ripon Hawladar tried to grab our land by preparing false documents of auction and filed a case in 1992. However, the court rejected their plea and gave the judgment in favour of us in 2008.

The grabbers then filed an appeal against the verdict of the lower court but were ordered to maintain statuesque till the disposal of the case.”

However, the grabbers cordoned off a portion of the disputed land with a fence and also constructed a shop on that land on August 25 and 26 nights.

Local minority people said they informed Barisal airport police station

n Mushfique Wadud

A trustworthy partnership between publishers of Bangladesh and India can help both the countries to reach a new height in publishing books, discussants at a conference said yesterday.

There are opportunities of trade in books and content between the two countries but some trade barriers are impeding them, Bangladeshi and Indian publishers said while speaking at a conference on the Challenges and Opportunities in the Book Publishing Sector.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) organ-

ised the conference in association with Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Global Intellectual Property Academy in the capital.

Speaking at the conference, Bangladeshi publishers pointed out that there was not a fair book trade between the two countries as some barriers were causing problems for publishers in Bangladesh.

“The possibilities of Indo-Bangla book trade are great but potentials have not been realised fully,” Mofidul Hoque, director, Shahitya Prakash, Bangladesh said.

He said while books in English pub-

lished from India found easy access to the market in Bangladesh, unfortunately the same is not true for English titles published from Bangladesh.

Mofidul also pointed out that in the procurement policy and practice of the library network of India, there was no place for books from Bangladesh.

“A joint study on Bangladesh book access to Indian market and vice-versa is necessary to work towards the promotion of fair trade concept,” he added.

Mohiuddin Ahmed, managing director of The University Press Limited, termed the Bangladesh-India book trade unequal. “Bangladesh remains a peripheral market to India,” he said,

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Rangpur

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Khulna

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Barisal

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Accident can take place at any time as cables on a lamp post in Zindabazar area of Sylhet city have been set up hazardously. The photo was taken yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Protest shuts down garment factory PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:22am 5:38am 12:00am 4:28pm 6:21pm 7:39pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

adding that Bangladesh was still lagging behind in producing quality books for the region and the work.

Pointing out figures, Mohiuddin said except for the financial year 2013-2014, import of books and periodicals was increasing over time and export was negligible and has been decreasing.

“Bangladesh must adopt and implement the National Book Policy that will enable national book capacity.”

Subrata Das, editorial director of Setu Prakashani of India said there was lack of trust between the publishers of the two countries.

Inaugurating the two-day long conference, Cultural Affairs Minister Asa-

n Aminur Rahman Rasel

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28

Chittagong

Md. Shamsuddin, commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP), said he will investigate about the violation of statuesque and the inaction of police to ensure the safety and security of the lives and properties of minority community.

BMP commissioner also asked the minority community land owners to come to his office with related documents.

A team of Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha- Christian Oikya Parishad (BHBCOP) Barisal unit visited the spot on Tuesday to prepare a report for the central committee and various authorities, informed Suranjit Dutta Litu, city secretary of BHBCOP. “The BHBCOP also called for interference of the Prime Minister to ensure the safety and security of the minority community and their life and properties,” said advocate Hiran Kumar Das Mithu, district president of BHBCOP. l

duzzaman Noor said the imbalance between the ratio of book import and export between the two countries was quite apparent.

“Bangladesh imports huge number of fiction and non-fiction books from India which is a contrast to Indian imports from Bangladesh. This type of conference has the potentials to negotiate on business ventures between the countries and bring the people involved in the book publishing sector together,” he said.

Among others, Rohit Kumar, cochair of FICCI publishing committee, FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed spoke at the conference. l

Government to assess output performance of power distribution utilities

DRIZZLE

Dhaka

about the grabbing attempts violating the statuesque. Police Sub Inspector Monir visited the spot four-times ensuring us about providing safety and security of our lives and properties, local minority people claimed.

Gopal said: “When we informed the police about the grabbing activities by armed cadres of the grabbers on Monday night, police assured us about sending the patrol team immediately.

However, the police remained indifferent till this report and the grabbers completed their criminal offences.”

Hossain Hawladar, alleged land grabber, however claimed deputy commissioner allotted that land to them as river erosion affected landless family.

“As we were busy during day-time earning livelihoods, so my men worked at night on the land allotted to us,” explained Hossain.

Speakers: Indo-Bangla publishers' partnership can help both

WEATHER

TODAY SUN SETS 6:22PM

DHAKA TRIBUNE

n Our Correspondent, Savar

A garment factory was declared closed for an indefinite period of time following a protest by workers.

Authorities of Designers Jeans factory at Ashulia's Jamgora area, shut down the factory yesterday morning.

According to the workers of the factory, the authority laid off factory's

line chief Jahangir and an operator also named Jahangir on Tuesday.

Since then the workers went on a strike demanding reappointment of the two workers, an end to the whimsical discharge, and removal of six administrative officials.

When the workers returned on Wednesday morning, they found the factory closed since then they burst

into protest. Later police brought the situation under control by dispersing the crowd.

Director of Industrial Police in Ashulia, Mostafizur Rahman said, the authority had shut down the factory to avoid further deterioration of the situation. A large number of law enforcers was deployed to keep the site under control. l

The government will conduct a survey on customer satisfaction about electricity supply through a firm to assess the performance level of three state-owned distribution utilities out of five.

The initiative has been taken because of the criticisms regarding frequent power outages and also to ensure better customer service. The survey is believed to give a clear picture of the nature and causes of public suffering related to electricity supply.

“We have already selected a firm named Midas Financing Limited after sorting a number of proposals submitted by different firms,” Power Cell Director (Commercial) Md Amzad Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The Power cell under the Power Division will supervise the survey after the appointment of the private firm, he added.

“A deal will soon be signed with the firm and after that the survey will start within six months,” Amzad said, adding that the firm would charge Tk40 lakh for conducting the survey.

The firm's survey would mainly focus on domestic, industry and commercial consumers to verify and evaluate the data on the frequency and duration of electricity outages. The firm would also examine the strengths and weaknesses of the utilities in re-

spect to customer service and provide recommendations for better customer service.

The survey would be carried out in ten selected Network Operation and Customer Services (NOCS) division under both the Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) and Sales and Distribution (S&D) division under the West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited and four Palli Bidyut Samiti out of 72 under the Rural Electrification Board (REB). A total of 15, 000 consumers would be surveyed, 5, 000 from each distribution company.

The DPDC covers Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Tejgaon, Moghbazar, Dhaka (South) and Narayanganj areas and the West Zone covers 21 districts including Khulna in the southwestern region.

The REB supplies electricity in the rural areas.

Power Development Board (PDB) and Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco), the two other stateowned suppliers, have not been included in the survey.

Amzad said PDB and Desco would not be included in the survey as PDB covers mainly district town based areas similar to the West Zone. “On the other hand, Desco covers the Dhaka city which is the same as DPDC and that is why there is no need to conduct the same survey in two companies operating in the same area.” l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Chandpur turns safe route for drug peddling

100 students fall ill having school tiffin

n Our Correspondent, Natore

Traders choose river, road and rail routes to send hauls elsewhere n Our Correspondent, Chandpur The evildoers involved in the drug smuggling and trading have become upbeat as the district has recently turned into a risk-less passage for their business.

It was learnt that drug hauls are being brought to the district from the Indo-Bangla frontier Comilla, Cox’s Bazar, Brahmanbaria and Bandarban districts and then the drug traders supply those to Shariatpur, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, greater Barisal as well as the capital.

Basically, the drug traders choose naval, road and rail routes to send their hauls elsewhere in the country, in which they use women and children to shun the eyes of the law enforcers.

Locals alleged that the traders have been running their business in connivance with some corrupt officials of law enforcing agencies and local influential political leaders, who have become a great barrier in curbing the trading.

They also stated that in line with being used as a safe route, different sorts of drugs have flooded all over the district although once upon a time it was only limited in the district town.

Puranbazar of the district town is vastly known for wholesale trading of drugs, to influence which many incidents of fierce clash erupted earlier as well while Baburhat, Wireless areas are being used as safe transit point.

Police sources said the drug traders have currently prefer naval route due to not having proper checking there.

Although several years ago the district administration declared a war against the drug trading, there were no mentionable achievement till now while the drug barons change their ways continuously so that the law enforcers easily can not track down them.

According to the district intelligence department, law enforcers arrested 50 drug traders along with around Tk28 lakh drugs till June from January this year and some 39 cases were launched in the incidents.

The lion part of the seized drug included hemp, phensidyl and yaba.

Md Anjum Ferdouse, OC of District Detective Branch of police, told the Dhaka Tribune that despite having various types of limitation, they were conducting drives repeatedly to arrest the drug smugglers and traders.

Chandpur SP Aamir Zafar said: “Drug smugglers bring their hauls from bordering districts - Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Comilla and Brahmanbaria – in my district from where the drug traders supply those elsewhere in the country by different channels.”

The law enforcers have been kept alerted dully on all possible drug routes while they were showing zero tolerance to the dangerous drug trading, the SP continued.

In this regard, Chandpur Government Railway Police (GRP) OC Suvas Kanti Das said he was not aware of drug smuggling through the rail route, but he assured of looking into the matter seriously in the future. l

Picture shows students of Natore Government Girls' School lie at Sadar Hospital as they fall ill after taking snacks provided by the school authorities yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Child rescued after 13 hours of abduction n Our Correspondent, Gazipur Police rescued a schoolboy from Tongi yesterday around 11pm, 13 hours after abduction from Gazipur.

The victim is Parvez, 7, son of Italy expatiate Shahidullah from Kashempur area. Kidnappers abducted Parvez from his school around 9am and demanded a ransom of Tk2 lakh from his mother through a phone call.

Later, police rescued him from near a bKash shop at Shataish Kha Para in Tongi around 11pm. The SI Hafizur Rahman said the kidnappers were waiting for the ransom money in front of the office. l

Over 100 students fell ill at Natore Government Girls’ School after eating snacks provided by the school authorities yesterday.

Family sources of the students said the students of the school started to feel severe stomach pain after eating cakes served by the authorities.

Many of them started vomiting and having dizziness within few minutes.

Umme Fariatul Prema, a Class VI student of the school said the cakes were provided among the students and teachers. After taking the snacks, the students fell ill one after another.

Civil Surgeon Ferdous Nilufar said 70 students of them were sent to hospital.

“We have collected the sample of the cakes and sent it to Dhaka”, she added.

Child specialist Emdadul Haque Dulal and doctor Abdul Kalam Azad of Natore Sadar Hospital said the students might fall sick due to food poisoning.

A probe committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Kazi Atiur Rahman was formed in this connection.

Meanwhile, the teachers flee away locking their rooms instead of proving medical services for the ill students. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Body of a youth recovered in Moulvibazar town

Body of a young man was recovered from a house in Moulvibazar district town yesterday morning. The deceased was identified as Rama Kanta Sarkar, 20, son of Bidhan Sarkar of Sayerpur residential area of Moulvibazar district town. According to police and local sources, Rama’s body was found hanging from the ceiling of his room. The cause of the death could not be known immediately. Police sent the body to Moulvibazar 250-bed Hospital morgue for an autopsy. Md Abdus Salek, officer-incharge (OC) of Moulvibazar sadar model police station confirmed the incident.

– Our Correspondent, Moulvibazar

30 injured in Habiganj clash At least 30 people, including women, were hurt in a clash over establishing supremacy in Habiganj. Among the critically injured, 3 people were sent to Sylhet and 8 to Habiganj Sadar Hospital.

Police and local witnesses said, there had been a long standing dispute between UP member Kalon Mia and Haji Hugul Mia of Mirzapur village. The two sides locked in clash with local weapons and injured villagers including women. OC of Habiganj Sadar police station, Md Nazim Uddin said, they rushed to the spot upon information and brought the situation under control.

– Our Correspondent, Habiganj

Indefinite bus strike in Thakurgaon The Motor Owners’ Association and Sramik Union of Thakurgaon district went on an indefinite bus strike on five routes of the district Tuesday morning, demanding a ban on plying of unauthorised vehicles. The reason for enforcing the strike was local administration’s alleged failure to stop plying of human haulers like diesel-run three wheelers, Nasimon, Karimon and battery-driven easy bikes on the busy roads and highways. The motor owners’ association and Sramik Union gave a 72-hour ultimatum to press home their demands at 12pm yesterday. District Motor Owners’ Association President Ram Babu said: “The Sramik Union has taken the decision in a joint meeting with the leaders of Truck-Tank-LorryCovered van Workers’ Association at 8pm on Tuesday. The owners’ association has extended its support with the demand.

– Our correspondent, Thakurgaon

Female held with smuggled liquor in Kurigram Police arrested a femal with 60 bottles of Indian liquor yesterday from Ghogadah Bazar of Kurigram. Sadar Thana police said, they detained Beauty Begum in a raid and recovered the bottles of Officer Choice and Tango brands spirits smuggled from India.

Beauty Begum’s husband escaped at that time. OC of Kurigram Sadar thana Abdul Baten said, a case had been filed against the couple under the Narcotics Control Act. – Our Correspondent, Kurigram

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Juris

Faith, hope and promise

Are we ready to take the good things while designing our nation’s destiny?

“A

n SM Masum Billah

ttempting to reform law is somewhat like making a sheet of corrugated irons flat with a hammer.” The government’s move for the transformation of judges’ impeachment law reminds me of this catchy metaphor coined by the Indian legal giant VR Krishna Iyer, a former Indian chief justice. There will be talks, criticisms and upsets. But transformation is always challenging and daunting. The issue is whether we are ready to take the good things to design our nation’s destiny.

Therefore, the moot question is: if the parliament gets the power of judges’ impeachment, will that undermine the independence of the judiciary?

For me, whatever mechanism we do fashion, the goal should be to develop a good state system under which every organ will be placed at the service of the people. This is what I call “law at people’s service.”

It is settled that judges cannot function under a condition where they suffer from insecurity of tenure and feel the presence of a guillotine over their head in the event of a case otherwise adjudicated upon. If either of the twin constitutional pillars of judicial independence: security of tenure and conditions of service is eroded, in time, society will have to pay an awful price, says Australian Chief Justice Sir Gerard Bernnan. For this, any removal provision should have certain basic safeguards. Keeping this truth in mind, I will examine some of the issues that recently revolve around our state wheels.

As widely admitted, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) was almost dysfunctional, the need change in the system was being well felt. The government has taken a move to introduce the parliamentary intervention system in the impeachment process of the judges. This system is not unheard of, rather practised in different jurisdictions. However, the migration of that constitutional idea is not in itself a boon for our purpose. The issue is what kind of safeguards we will be able to provide to make the system more native, sound and efficient.

In the first place, the grounds of impeachment should be very rigid and limited. The practice throughout the Commonwealth countries shows that grounds of removal are largely confined to two: misconduct and incapacity. The 1972 provision is very specific in this regard. It suggests that judges are irremovable except on the ground of “proved” “misbehaviour” or “incapacity.”

Thus, it not only makes the ground specific, but also stringent through the use of the word “proved.” The use of this qualifier is significant to say the least. For, the arrangement under fourth amendment was perilous as it conferred unfettered power to the president of defining the term “misbehaviour” or “incapacity.” There was, of course, the opportunity of self-defence. However, any judge’s removal by Bangabandhu under this clause is unheard of. He was well rewarded when his Chief Justice ASM Sayem endorsed the martial law and took the taste of power after his tragic assassination.

Subsequently, the SJC system under the fifth amendment tailored

by General Zia, also an offspring of General Ayub’s concept, kept the word “incapacity” intact, but replaced the word “misbehaviour” by “gross

O

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amendment may be to make Article 70 non-applicable in case of judges’ impeachment motion. This sole step could have appeared as a great check on government’s unprincipled move.

Unfortunately, that is very unlikely to happen.

Judge’s impeachment cases are not a regular phenomenon. If the 16th amendment and its enabling laws ensure the above safeguards substantively, if not entirely, it may appear as a glorious addition to our constitutional fabric.

To lose trust upon the parliament is to lose trust upon ourselves. In that case we really have to seriously think about whether we are worthy of a parliamentary system at all

Secondly, the procedural safeguard is also significant. There should be several hurdles for this. A motion should only move if it receives endorsement of a minimum number of lawmakers, say fifty. Then it should go to the second round, ie, adopting a resolution.

In the meantime, the investigation body should have its report in compliance with the principles of natural justice.

If the report is positive and a resolution looms large, the accused judge must be provided an opportunity of being heard. If then, the impeachment resolution is passed by two-third members of parliament, the president will remove the judge from the office. The 1972 provision (proposed 16th Amendment) has the safeguard of two-third majority only. The other safeguards or the like are to be ensured by the proposed law. Our bet should lie there.

Thirdly, an important obstacle of the parliamentary system of impeachment is the embargo of floor crossing law under Article 70. Article 70 is a stigma for our constitution.

It is feared that if a politically motivated motion is brought before the parliament by the ruling party, the members will not oppose it due to the fear of losing their membership. Therefore, an important consideration of the 16th

Hence, the idea of the new system is not bad per se. I do not wish to travel beyond our native jurisprudence to justify the claim. This is a question of belief and trust. To lose trust upon the parliament is to lose trust upon ourselves. In that case we really have to seriously think about whether we are worthy of a parliamentary system at all. To term the conferment of impeachment power with all its safeguard as making the so called “rubber” parliament boss of the judiciary, is nothing but a fearful exaggeration.

In a curious way, the new system may promote judicial integrity and competency. The system may increase the image of the office being almost irremovable except the said two proved grounds by the parliament. This would ensure the balance of powers and save the judiciary from bearing the ignominy of dealing with its own allegations by itself.

I recall the views of two celebrated legal minds of Bangladesh. Mustafa Kamal CJ in his 1994 lecture in the Dhaka University appreciates both the methods of judges’ removal. He, however, indicates his weakness towards SJC system being more in line with the separation of powers theory. To him under the SJC system the grounds of removal are on a more “sophisticated plane” and judges are saved from the ignominy of “public exposure in a popular forum.”

This view is contestable because absolute separation is neither possible nor desirable and it is always prudent to have some sort of balance between the organs of the state. However, the gist of Justice Kamal’s argument does not deny efficacy of the parliamentary intervention system.

Former Chief Justice Khairul Haque, on the other hand, saves the SJC system in the Fifth Amendment case, though he declares almost all other changes of that amendment unconstitutional. Interestingly, as media report suggests, as the Chairman of the Law Commission he has altered his views.

The Commission recommends going for the parliamentary impeachment mechanism. You can always interpret one’s mind according to your whim, but role of a judge and law reformer succinctly differs.

Thus, we see that two of our best chief justices, in principle, do not oppose the system. Many commentators sense the move as a response to parliament’s alleged conflict with the higher judiciary. It may deteriorate further, they apprehend. Our judiciary is vested with the great weapon of judicial review. They will always be able to scrutinise the wisdom of a good law and the vice of a bad law. A good native constitutional jurisprudence may evolve amidst this trial and error. This may also crystallise the grey area of judiciary’s public accountability.

Opposite school of political thought mainly expresses their concern about the credibility of the members of the 1oth parliament. These MPs do not really represent the people, as they are the product of a controversial election, they claim.

The issue, in general, is a question of public confidence. The paradox is: we did not warmly accept the 15th amendment restoring the four national principles which are the product of a strong parliament. So what do we want actually? Do we really know what we want?

Faith, hope and promise are the tenets of our national record. It is good to see that we haven’t lost faith on our judiciary. Let us not lose hope on the promise of our parliament. A lame duck can have good flesh, but it cannot go forward in times of necessity. l SM Masum Billah is an Assistant Professor (on study leave), at the Department of Law, Jagannath University, Dhaka.

JURIS QUOTE Justice? – You get justice in the next world. In this one you have the law.

William Gaddis

American Author December 29, 1922 – December 17, 1998

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Laws that favour foreign investment in Bangladesh n Luc Mvono

misconduct.” However, mere use of the word “gross” does not make an offence “gross” unless it is proved beyond all reasonable doubt and the body in charge of determining that is not allowed to function independently. There are many instances where judges were simply ousted from the office under martial law dispensation keeping the SJC inert. Justice Subhan’s removal by General Ershad was nothing but one example as such. Therefore, no device is devoid of political overtones.

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

ver the past decades, Bangladesh has become a major attraction for international investment. Be it H&M, Zara or GAP, the fact that renowned brands have manufacturing units in Bangladesh is a testament to the claim that Bangladesh is a dream destination for investors from across the globe in numerous sectors.

Having accorded statutory protection to foreign investments and ensured equal treatment for local and foreign investors, Bangladesh welcomes foreign investments and guarantees equal, and in many respects, favourable treatment to foreign investors. The government assures protection against nationalisation and expropriation through the Foreign Private Investment Act of 1980 which inclusively assures the repatriation of capital and dividend for foreign investors. Bangladesh has also made adequate legislative provisions to protect intellectual property rights.

In supplement to the Foreign Private Investment Act of 1980, the government has established a FDI Policy (Foreign Direct Investment Policy) advocating simple yet efficient mechanism for investing in Bangladesh. The policy eases setting-up businesses by simplifying the process of leasing and buying private land, incorporating an entity, allowing corporate tax holiday for 7 years (15 years in the power sector) and implementing an exemption of income tax of foreign employees for up to 3 year in some respects.

Foreign investments in Bangladesh vary in both expenses and duration.

Although different businesses have different procedures, the typical requirements to set up a business include a trade license, VAT registration, import/export registration certificate (if applicable), licence from authori-

or by shares. Supplementary requirements to set up a joint venture include a copy of the joint venture agreement, a Memorandum of Association (MOA), an Article of Association (AOA), the names and addresses of shareholders and directors, and a copy of the rental agreement or lease deed.

Foreign investors looking to set up a business in Bangladesh can do so through branches/liaison/representative offices. These offices are expected to confine their activities to the boundaries set by the National Board of Investment (BOI). The offices will be required to provide an inward remittance of at least $50,000 in a period of two months after the permission letter has been issued along with six months of operational expenses.

Branches/liaison/representative offices will be required to submit documents to BOI including a filled, signed, and stamped application form, MOA and AOA of the head company, and the nationalities of the directors along with accounts of the immediately preceding financial year.

Immigration in Bangladesh looks at prospective investors favourably. The government has strove over the years to improve employment conditions as well as social security. To enforce and sustain equity and a welcoming business environment, the Bangladeshi government has outlawed prejudice on the basis of nationality, giving all people equal employment opportunities with very few restrictions.

Prospective international investors may apply for visas for periods ranging from one month to five years.

Branches/liaison/representative offices must obtain a work permit from the BOI. Such offices however are free and encouraged to hire employees locally.

The number of expatriate employees in an industrial enterprise cannot exceed the ratio of 1:20 (foreign: local) for industrial settings and 1:5 (foreign:

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ties, bank account, taxpayer’s identification number (TIN) and membership of the trade body.

Sole proprietorship (sole tradership) is a type of business where the proprietor is held solely liable for any occurrence pertaining to the business.

The laws related to the individual are the legislation applicable to a sole proprietorship. Partnerships are also a common form of business. A partnership is an agreement between 2 to 20 individuals consenting to share profits and risks among themselves for a business. To be recognised as such, it is important that an agreement or contract be made between the partners.

A limited company is a company in which the shareholders’ liabilities are limited to their investments (or guarantees) in the company. The Companies Act of 1994 requires all to be registered in Bangladesh via the registrar of joint stock companies and firms. A private limited company places firm restrictions on the rights to transfer of shares, and is comprised of between two and 50 members (excluding employees). Private companies do not allow public subscription for the debentures or shares of the company.

Public limited companies are allowed to welcome the public to subscribe to the shares and debentures of the company through a guide congruent with the Companies Act of 1994, the Securities and Exchange ordinance of 1969 and the Securities and Exchange Commission Act 1993.

Public limited companies require at least seven members and three directors to be acknowledged as such.

Another form of business commonly undertaken in Bangladesh is joint ventures. These are business agreements between entities agreeing to establish a business collectively for a specific purpose. The parties involved split all costs, risks and profits. Joint ventures can be limited by guarantee,

The government assures protection against nationalisation and expropriation through the Foreign Private Investment Act of 1980 which inclusively assures the repatriation of capital

local) for commercial establishments.

In cases of disputes, alternative dispute resolutions are possible under the Arbitration Act of 2001.

Bangladesh has signed the International Convention for the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. Bangladesh is also member of International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The current legislation also allows the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards without much hindrance.

Although venturing in a business may be daunting, Bangladesh offers investors a stable and resourceful environment suitable for the establishment or expansion of any business, and after much consideration, it can be stated that Bangladesh is in fact a “dream investment destination.” l The writer is an aspiring lawyer interested in foreign investment law. He can be reached at info@legacylegalcorporate.com.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Thursday, August 28, 2014

C H I L D R E N O F WA R : G A Z A C E L E B R AT E S F O L LOW I N G A C E A S E - F I R E T H AT E N D E D S E V E N W E E K S O F B LO O DY F I G H T I N G

Clockwise from top left: A Palestinian Hamas supporter in Ramallah holds up a little girl wearing green flags as people gather in the streets during celebrations for an ‘unlimited’ cease-fire between Palestinians and Israelis that marked an end to seven weeks of deadly fighting.

Children, one holding an Islamic flag, sit atop a car as Palestinians gather in the streets to celebrate the cease-fire. A Palestinian girl flashes victory sign with her father as they celebrate the cease-fire in the northern Gaza Strip. A Palestinian boy flashes the sign of victory as people gather in the streets after the cease-fire was announced. Palestinian children hold guns as they celebrate with others following the ceasefire AP/AFP/REUTERS

Gaza truce holds, Netanyahu under fire at home

Truce ended most prolonged fighting in nearly a decade; 2,139 people, including more than 490 children, died in Gaza Israel launched an offensive with the rael’s release of Hamas prisoners in the Netanyahu’s national security adviser, to achieve, someone who makes deciestinian violence in a decade. n Reuters, Gaza/Jerusalem occupied West Bank, possibly in a trade said on Army Radio. sions and engages in a sincere and real “After 50 days of warfare in which a declared aim of ending rocket salvoes.

An open-ended ceasefire in the Gaza war held on Wednesday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced strong criticism in Israel over a costly conflict with Palestinian militants in which no clear victor emerged.

On the streets of the battered, Hamas-run Palestinian enclave, people headed to shops and banks, trying to resume the normal pace of life after seven weeks of fighting. Thousands of others, who had fled the battles and sheltered with relatives or in schools, returned home, where some found only rubble.

In Israel, sirens warning of incoming rocket fire from the Gaza Strip fell silent, but media commentators, echoing attacks by members of Netanyahu’s governing coalition, voiced deep disappointment over his leadership during the most prolonged bout of Israeli-Pal-

terror organisation killed dozens of soldiers and civilians, destroyed the daily routine (and) placed the country in a state of economic distress ... we could have expected much more than an announcement of a ceasefire,” analyst Shimon Shiffer wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel’s biggest-selling newspaper.

“We could have expected the prime minister to go to the President’s Residence and inform him of his decision to resign his post.”

Netanyahu, who has faced constant sniping in his cabinet from right-wing ministers demanding military action to topple Hamas, made no immediate comment on the Egyptian-mediated truce deal that took effect on Tuesday evening.

Palestinian health officials say 2,139 people, most of them civilians, including more than 490 children, have been killed in the enclave since July 8, when

Can US defeat Islamic State without help from Assad? n Agencies After a flurry of speculation recently that President Obama might overcome his distaste for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to go after Islamic State militants in their base inside Syria, the White House is speaking out: There will be no cooperation with the Assad regime. But even as the United States begins surveillance flights over Syria in anticipation of possible expanded US action against the Islamic State (IS), also known as ISIS, some security experts are cautioning the administration about its anti-Assad stance. While it will be possible for the US to degrade IS inside Syria without coordinating with Mr. Assad, they say, reaching more long-term objectives like defeating or even containing the group will probably mean giving up on the goal of seeing Assad step down from power.

“I don’t think it would be by any means difficult for us to carry out airstrikes [inside Syria] without a permissive environment” of cooperation from the Assad regime, says Michael Desch, an expert on international security and US defense policy at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

But if the US objective is to “see ISIS pretty well contained,” he adds, “the only way there is with a relatively strong central government in Syria – and that means the Assad regime.”

Administration officials on Tuesday confirmed that Mr. Obama has authorized surveillance flights over Syrian territory to assess and pinpoint IS positions inside the civil-war-ravaged country, in particular the location of the militant group’s leadership.

Such reconnaissance activity could be the precursor to airstrikes on IS targets such as those the US is carrying out across the border in Iraq.

The president has made no decision to expand airstrikes beyond northern Iraq into Syria, his spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday. But he suggested that if such action is taken, it will not be in coordination with Assad. The US does not recognize Assad as Syria’s legitimate leader, Mr. Earnest said. Other White House officials say Obama sees Assad as the source of Syria’s problems and not as a lesser evil to work with against a worse enemy.

Obama has called for Assad to step down since the early days of the Syrian conflict in 2011, insisting that it was the leader’s brutal repression of his own people that spawned the civil war and that allowed IS and other Islamist extremist groups to flourish.

Whatever course Obama takes on Syria, it will almost certainly be limited and focused on degrading IS, some say.

“What they’re talking about is going after the group’s leadership inside Syria, which is very different from getting involved in Syria’s civil war,” says Lawrence Korb, a former Pentagon official now focusing on national security policy at the Center for American Progress in Washington.

But not everyone agrees that it will be possible to go after the one in Syria – IS militants – without at least tacitly acknowledging the need for the other – Assad – no matter how despised he is. Syria’s foreign minister, Walid al-Muallem, said Tuesday that his country is ready to cooperate with the US and other Western countries in fighting IS. l

Israel’s death toll stood at 64 soldiers and six civilians.

The ceasefire agreement called for an indefinite halt to hostilities, the immediate opening of Gaza’s blockaded crossings with Israel and Egypt, and a widening of the territory’s fishing zone in the Mediterranean.

A senior Hamas official voiced willingness for the security forces of Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the unity government he formed in June to control the passage points.

Both Israel and Egypt view Hamas as a security threat and are seeking guarantees that weapons will not enter the territory of 1.8 million people.

Under a second stage of the truce that would begin a month later, Israel and the Palestinians would discuss the construction of a Gaza sea port and Is-

for the remains of two Israeli soldiers believed held by Hamas, the officials said.

Israel has in recent weeks said it wants the full demilitarisation of Gaza.

The United States and European Union have supported the goal, but it remains unclear what it would mean in practice and Hamas has rejected it as unfeasible.

Competing victory claims

“On the land of proud Gaza, the united people achieved absolute victory against the Zionist enemy,” a Hamas statement said.

Israel said it dealt a strong blow to Hamas, killing several of its military leaders and destroying the Islamist group’s cross-border infiltration tunnels.

“Hamas’s military wing was badly hit, we know this clearly through unequivocal intelligence,” Yossi Cohen,

But Israel also faced persistent rocket fire for nearly two months that caused an exodus from a number of border communities and became part of daily life in its commercial heartland.

“They are celebrating in Gaza,” cabinet minister Uzi Landau, of the far-right Yisrael Beitenu party in Netanyahu’s coalition, told Israel Radio.

He said that for Israel, the outcome of the war was “very gloomy” because it had not created sufficient deterrence to dissuade Hamas from attacking in the future.

Nahum Barnea, one of Israel’s most popular columnists, expressed concern “that instead of paving the way to removing the threat from Gaza, we are paving the road to the next round, in Lebanon or in Gaza.”

“The Israelis expected a leader, a statesman who knows what he wants

IMF chief questioned in fraud probe n Reuters, Paris

IMF chief Christine Lagarde has been put under formal investigation by French magistrates for negligence in a political fraud affair dating from 2008 when she was finance minister.

Lagarde, who this week was questioned by magistrates in Paris for a fourth time under her existing status as a witness in the long-running saga, said she would contest the decision.

“I have asked my lawyer to use all recourse against this decision which I consider to be completely unfounded,” she said on BFMTV. “I am returning to work in Washington this afternoon.”

Under French law, magistrates place someone under formal investigation when they believe there are indications of wrongdoing, but that does not always lead to a trial.

Christine Lagarde Lagarde’s lawyer, Yves Repiquet, told Reuters he would appeal the appeal the magistrates’ decision and so the matter would not prevent Lagarde

from doing her job at the head of the International Monetary Fund in the meantime.

The inquiry relates to allegations tycoon Bernard Tapie, a supporter of conservative ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, was improperly awarded 403m euros ($531m) in an arbitration to settle a dispute with now defunct, state-owned bank Credit Lyonnais.

The inquiry has already embroiled several of Sarkozy’s cabinet members and France Telecom CEO Stephane Richard, who was an aide to Lagarde when she was Sarkozy’s finance minister.

In previous rounds of questioning, Lagarde has not recognised as her own the pre-printed signature to sign off on a document facilitating the payment, Repiquet told Reuters by telephone. However Richard has stated that Lagarde was fully briefed on the matter. l

IS executes soldiers, takes hostages n Reuters, Beirut

Islamic State militants have executed Syrian army soldiers and are holding a group of them hostage after capturing an air base in northeast Syria at the weekend, pictures posted on the Internet and on Twitter by supporters showed yesterday.

Islamic State, an offshoot of al Qaeda, stormed Tabqa air base near Raqqa city on Sunday after days of fighting with the army that cost more than 500 lives, according to monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Tabqa was the army’s last foothold in an area otherwise controlled by the militants, who have seized large areas of Syria and Iraq. The United States has carried out air strikes on the group in Iraq and is studying its options in Syria.

In one picture posted online, a group of militants in balaclavas are seen gunning down at least seven kneeling men identified as army personnel. Reuters was not able to immediately confirm the authenticity of the images or when exactly they were taken.

Other photos showed groups of eight to 10 soldiers in fatigues taken hostage, some with facial wounds.

Three are identified as officers. The photos appeared to show at least two dozen hostages. One picture reportedly shows the body of a pilot who had appeared on Syrian state television before the attack on the base explaining how the army could easily defend it. Others show militants holding up knives next to groups of captured men.

Syrian state television aired a report last week interviewing army personnel

at the base and showing its defences, just before Islamic State overran it.

On Sunday, Syrian state television said that after fierce battles, the military was “regrouping” and that there was a “successful evacuation of the airport” as the army continued strikes on Islamic State in areas close to the base.

Raqqa is a stronghold of Islamic State, and some people celebrated in the city after the capture of the air base.

The Observatory said at least 346 Islamic State fighters were killed and more than 170 members of the security forces had died in five days of fighting over the base, making it one of the deadliest clashes between the two groups since the start of Syria’s war.

The photos posted online also showed the attack on the base and bodies on the ground. l

dialogue with his public,” he wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth. “They received a seasoned spokesperson, and very little beyond that.”

Ben Caspit, writing in the Maariv daily, said there was no victory for Israel in a conflict that resulted in “a collapsed tourism industry (and) an economy approaching recession.”

Israel’s central bank has estimated the conflict will knock half a point off economic growth this year.

But with future diplomatic moves on Gaza’s future still pending, there was no immediate talk publicly among Netanyahu’s coalition partners of any steps to break up the alliance.

Israel said it would facilitate the flow of civilian goods and humanitarian and reconstruction aid into the impoverished territory if the truce was honoured. l

UN: Syrian govt and IS committing war crimes n Reuters, Geneva The Syrian government and Islamic State insurgents are both committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in their increasingly brutal fight against each other, UN investigators said yesterday.

Islamic State forces in northern Syria are waging a campaign to instil fear, including amputations, public executions and whippings, they said.

Government forces have dropped barrel bombs on civilian areas, including some believed to contain the chemical agent chlorine in eight incidents in April, and have committed killings, torture and other war crimes that should be prosecuted, they said in a report issued in Geneva.

“Violence has bled over the borders of the Syrian Arab Republic, with extremism fuelling the conflict’s heightened brutality,” said the 45-page report.

Deaths in custody in Syrian jails are on the rise and forensic analysis of 26,948 photographs allegedly taken from 2011-2013 in government detention centres back its “longstanding findings of systematic torture and deaths of detainees.”

“Forced truces, a mark of the government’s strategy of siege and bombardment, are often followed by mass arrests of men of fighting age, many of whom disappear,” it said.

The UN report is based on 480 interviews and documentary evidence gathered by its team, which is trying to build a case for future criminal prosecution.

Islamic forces have drawn more experienced and ideologically motivated foreign fighters and established control over large areas in northern and eastern Syria, particularly oil-rich Deir al-Zor, it said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Afghan election audit disrupted as Abdullah threatens to walk out Ghani’s team says it has been asked by the UN to withdraw observers n Reuters, Kabul Afghanistan’s deadlocked presidential election veered further off course yesterday after both candidates withdrew their observers from a UN-supervised audit of votes that was meant to resolve the crisis.

The audit was part of a US-brokered deal to defuse escalating tension between rivals Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani, who have both claimed victory in the ballot intended to mark the country’s first democratic transfer of power.

“We boycotted the audit process today because it is worthless for us. Let them carry on,” Fazel Ahmad Manawi, Abdullah’s chief auditor, told Reuters early on Wednesday.

A few hours later, the United Nations asked Ghani’s team to withdraw its observers in the interests of fairness and it had agreed, according to a team member, who said the withdrawal was unfair but prudent.

A spokesman for the United Nations was not available for comment although it had confirmed earlier a “temporary disruption” of the vote count.

The United Nations has said it would go on regardless and officials involved in the process say it is likely Ghani would eventually be confirmed president.

US officials stepped in again earlier on Wednesday and held emergency talks with Abdullah, according to a member of his team.

The crisis over the outcome of the vote has raised the spectre of instability, turmoil and perhaps even another round of fighting in a country already battling a potent Taliban insurgency.

Afghan election workers count ballot papers for an audit of the presidential run-off in Kabul. Afghanistan’s deadlocked election veered further off course yesterday after both candidates withdrew their observers from a UN-supervised audit of votes REUTERS If the rival politicians needed a reminder of the militant threat, Afghan security forces were battling the Taliban for control of the northern province of Kunduz on Wednesday with heavy clashes also reported in parts of the south.

‘No legitimacy’

Abdullah, a former foreign minister, won a first round vote in April but without a majority needed for out-

right victory, while preliminary figures showed Ghani, a former finance minister, won the run-off by more than a million votes. But Abdullah complained of rigging and demanded a recount in which fraudulent votes would be thrown out.

Abdullah’s team believe that the more fraudulent votes are thrown out, the better his chances will be of victory but they have com-

Pakistan’s prime minister resolved to ride out protests crisis n

Reuters, Islamabad

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told parliament yesterday he would not be cowed by thousands of demonstrators camped outside the assembly demanding his resignation.

Protesters led by cricketer-turnedpolitician Imran Khan and firebrand cleric Tahir ul-Qadri have rallied in Islamabad for almost two weeks and vowed to occupy the capital until Sharif resigns - a demand the premier has firmly rejected.

In his first public remarks since the start of the crisis, he did not say explicitly how the deadlock might be solved but said he was fully committed to democracy.

“We are not one to be scared of such things,” he said. “We have seen ups and downs, we have seen highs and lows, we have seen times when we have not only borne problems but borne them with a smiling face and without complaining.”

Just outside the parliament where he addressed members, thousands of protesters camped out in the heat, but the gathering was peaceful and the at-

mosphere was festival-like.

Security forces protecting the building looked on but did nothing to disperse them.

Government officials and protest leaders have been in sporadic talks since last week to find a peaceful solution “I want to say with complete resolve and belief that, God willing, this journey of the supremacy of law and constitution will continue in Pakistan,” Sharif said told a sparsely attended session of parliament.

“This democracy will keep taking us forward, keep making Pakistan shine, and make Pakistan proud and a day will come when it will never again be disrupted or halted.”

Pakistan has been ruled by the army for half of its history and the military’s position in the standoff will ultimately determine whether the protests even-

tually fizzle out or take on a more violent course.

If the all-powerful army referees a solution to the stand-off, it will emerge strengthened at the expense of the prime minister in the coup-prone country.

Sharif, who was himself toppled in a 1999 coup, jailed and then exiled, made a triumphant comeback as prime minister for a third time in last year’s general election.

Few believe the military wants to seize power this time, but there is a widespread perception it is using the protests as an opportunity to weaken Sharif.

Government officials and protest leaders have been in sporadic talks since last week to find a peaceful solution but Khan has refused to back down unless Sharif quits over accusations that he rigged the last election.

Qadri has given the government another deadline to quit by the middle of this week, saying otherwise circumstances might be “uncontrollable.” But as of Wednesday afternoon, the protesters still sat outside parliament and no solution was in sight. l

plained that the rules of the audit are not strict enough to weed out the invalid ballots.

“More than a million votes are fraudulent,” Mohammad Mohaqeq a leader of the Hazara minority and one of Abdullah’s vice presidential running mates, told Reuters.

“If these votes are not invalidated, we will never accept any outcome and it will have no legitimacy.” l

9

Court rules Modi can pick charged politicians n Agencies India’s Supreme Court has ruled that Narendra Modi should be left to choose his own cabinet when considering appointing those charged with crimes, but said it hoped the prime minister would ultimately take into account public expectations and the country’s democratic values.

Wednesday’s ruling is likely to put pressure on Modi, who swept to power earlier this year pledging clean governance, with over a dozen ministers facing charges for attempted murder, rioting and other offences.

“We leave it to the wisdom of the prime minister to see whether people with criminal backgrounds are appointed as ministers,” Justice Dipak Misra told the court.

“Ultimately it is expected that people with criminal backgrounds should not be part of the council of ministers,” said Misra, who headed a bench of five judges.

The court was handing down its judgement on a petition seeking to bar parliament members with “criminal backgrounds,” including those charged but not yet convicted of crimes, from being appointed ministers in state and federal governments.

The court said it could not disqualify such politicians from cabinet, AFP news agency reported.

India bans those convicted of serious crimes from holding office, not those facing charges.

Plagued by corruption

Modi won a landslide election in May partly on a promise to clean up government after the previous Congress-led administration was plagued by corruption and other scandals.

Thirteen of Modi’s 45 ministers have been charged with criminal offences, eight of those involving serious charges, according to the Delhi-based Association of Democratic Reforms, a clean-up government advocacy group.

Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharti has 13 cases pending, including two charges related to attempted murder and six charges related to rioting, the association said.

India bans those convicted of serious crimes from holding office, not those facing charges Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari has four cases, including one charge of criminal intimidation.

Amit Shah, Modi’s most trusted aide and president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, faces charges of ordering extra-judicial killings and of extortion dating back to his time as home minister in the western state of Gujarat.

Politicians say charges against them are false, trumped up or levelled by political opponents seeking to harm their reputations.

Those convicted of crimes have traditionally continued to hold office simply by filing an appeal in India’s clogged and notoriously slow courts.

But in a landmark judgment last July, the apex court ruled that parliament members sentenced to more than three years in jail should be disqualified, regardless of any appeal. l

Modi slams whispering campaign against Rajnath

Indian girl survives being buried alive n Agencies

n Reuters, New Delhi

A seven-year-old Indian girl who was allegedly buried alive by relatives in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has been rescued by a villager. Police say relatives first tried to strangle her and then left her to die in a shallow grave. It is unclear why.

The man who found her in Sitapur district alerted police - she was taken to a hospital and is said to be doing well.

Police are looking for her mother, uncle and aunt who they say have fled.

The villager who rescued her followed the sound of muffled cries to the middle of a cane field where he found the soil moving.

Police allege the girl’s uncle and aunt had promised to take her to a fair, but then strangled and buried her near the village of Semri Gaura where she lives. “When the girl became conscious, she began to remove the soil on top of her and clambered out of the shallow grave,” Sitapur police chief Rajesh Krishna told BBC Hindi.

“There are strangulation marks around the girl’s neck.”

Reports say the girl lived with her mother. Her father apparently had no idea about the attack and has told police he is estranged from his wife. l

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday denied reports that the son of a top minister was involved in influence peddling, seeking to staunch the type of corruption allegations that sent the country’s last government to election defeat.

Modi’s office issued the rebuttal shortly after Home Minister Rajnath Singh gave an emotional statement to the media, saying he would quit public life if reports in recent days about his adult son proved to be true.

“The reports are plain lies,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement, adding that they “constitute a malicious attempt at character assassination and tarnishing the image of this government.”

Earlier, the Economic Times wrote that Singh had complained to leaders of the ruling party that a ministerial colleague had been spreading false rumours against him. The report cited an unidentified senior source saying there was a “power struggle” in the party.

Singh, a former president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), holds the second most senior cabinet post after Modi and is responsible for policing

H AU N T E D BY PA ST

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh and internal security.

Modi, a tea-seller’s son who rose to become chief minister of Gujarat state, has cultivated an austere image since ousting a Congress-led government tarnished by corruption scandals that affected industries ranging from coal to telecoms.

The 63-year-old prime minister has installed close ally Amit Shah as BJP president as he seeks to strengthen his hold on power ahead of state elections that could boost its presence in parliament’s upper house. l

Thai premier to foreign investors: ‘We are not dictators’ n Reuters, Bangkok

Stone-carved guardian dogs sit at the entrance of a memorial compound honoring World War II-era war criminals in Koyasan Okuno-in temple in Koya town, Wakayama prefecture, central Japan. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga acknowledged yesterday that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on April 29 sent a condolence note to the Koyasan temple’s ceremony honouring hundreds of war criminals that praised their contributions to the country. The move is likely to irritate neighbouring China AP

Thai Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha told European investors yesterday that he was not a dictator and that his government was seeking to create a Thailand that would be more attractive for their long-term investments.

Prayuth was appointed prime minister on Monday after he was elected by a rubber-stamp parliament he handpicked. The army chief seized power in a bloodless coup on May 22 following six months of sometimes deadly protests that helped oust elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The military said intervention was necessary to avoid further bloodshed.

Prayuth met representatives from the Thai-European Business Association (TEBA), a group representing 80 Thai and European investors including automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and logistics firms, telling them he was prepared to do “everything” to ensure Thailand remains a hub for foreign investors.

“I am prepared to do everything.

Just show me your investment roadmap,” he said. Prayuth, 60, who is also Thailand’s army chief, said the country needs time to deal with its political transition.

“We are not dictators that just order whatever,” Prayuth said during the meeting at the army’s Bangkok headquarters, the first between the junta leader and foreign investors following his appointment as premier.

“We listen to many civilian advisors. I ask you and the European Union to give us some time to deal with our problems.”

The United States and European Union (EU) both downgraded diplomatic ties with Thailand following the coup.

The EU, Thailand’s third largest trade partner and its second biggest investor, has suspended visits and trade talks.

Critics have accused Prayuth of ruling with an iron fist and say his appointment as premier gives the country only a veneer of democracy while power remains firmly in the military’s hands. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Thursday, August 28, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Bengali settler criminality in CHT must end

T

hose responsible for Monday’s attack on an official of the CHT Commission must be apprehended and called to account.

Coordinator of the CHT Commission Hana Shams and a Jahangirnagar University lecturer were physically assaulted by a group of 10 people while returning from a trip to Bandarban.

The attackers are reportedly members of the same group, Bangalee Somo Odhikar Andolon (BSOA), which carried out similar assaults in Rangamati in early July, to prevent members of the commission from visiting the district. Even though July’s attack blatantly took place outside an army office, none of the people named in a case filed by the commission have yet been charged.

Reports by a witness and the OC of the local police confirm that this week’s attack was also politically motivated.

The attackers were led by a local official of a Bengali settler group which is associated with BSOA. We are highly concerned by these disgraceful incidents, which were clearly calculated to intimidate and undermine the work of a peaceful community group.

Of most concern is that although some police protection was provided to CHTC members this week, it was missing when the attack took place, and this discouraged the victims from filing a report straight away, as they felt insecure.

Four Detective Branch policemen are reported to have followed the victims but failed to protect them. The police must make clear why the victims were followed and whether or not these officers were in league with the attackers. The facts cry out for an explanation. The police failure to protect the victims is inexcusable.

Enough is enough. There must be zero tolerance for this kind of thuggery in the CHT. For too long, Bengali settler groups have perpetrated violence and intimidation with tacit official support.

No more. Law enforcement cannot continue to protect and shield these criminals. If the guilty and the officials colluding in the violence are not brought to book, we will know what to think.

There must be zero tolerance for thuggery in the CHT

Save our green spaces

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haka’s parks and playgrounds are victims of institutionalised neglect.

This is not for any want of public demand for green spaces and recreation areas. But, with even the historic Suhrawardy Udyan suffering from mismanagement, it is no surprise that most playgrounds and parks are in dire need of renovation and improvement.

Illegal occupation of green spaces by private clubs and the authorities themselves are depriving citizens of the ability to use parks for their proper public purpose. Playgrounds are systematically neglected and left unsafe, discouraging parents from allowing children to play on them.

All residents of the capital suffer from a general scarcity of civic spaces for rest and recreation. This makes it even more unconscionable for existing spaces to be poorly managed.

The complicity of city authorities in many reported instances of public spaces being illegally occupied is made worse by widespread allegations of monies being misappropriated. Dhaka South City Corporation for instance has little to show for the Tk9 crore it has budgeted on parks in the past two years.

There is no excuse in a city as densely populated as Dhaka for all green spaces not to be better maintained and kept safe for everyone to use whenever they like.

However, public concerns constantly go unheard because different departments and officials pass the buck on their responsibility.

The best way to root out the negligent way in which civic space is managed in Dhaka is to ensure proper accountability by holding elections for the city corporations.

Ensure proper accountability to keep parks and playgrounds maintained and safe

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

Attend to basics to make Dhaka liveable August 22

Riaz Osmani We should not take the Economist Intelligence Unit too seriously. Obviously the writer has, and some other people do as well, but I doubt anyone of the Economist Intelligence Unit has even set

Catastrophic accident averted by gatekeepers’ effort

August 19 Dominic Bennett The gatekeeper deserves a reward for his heroism!

Real-life couple Shokh-Niloy on reel August 20

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.

August 19 SA This is why you turn the idiot box off and go read a book or two.

August 20 Shondhaya Tara I don’t think this is a good idea. If you tell me the tagged article is satire, then I lose what interest I had in reading it. I need to get the meaning of an article from the article itself, without tags.

Dancing in the rain

August 20

Mahamudul Hasan “Lovebirds Shokh and Niloy will be seen romancing on the silver screen for the first time in the upcoming flick “Olpo Olpo Premer Golpo.”

Directed by Saniat Hossain, the film is all set to hit the cinemas on August 29.”

Olpo Olpo Premer Golpo ... a movie I must see. :)

First Dhaka-Tokyo economic talks today August 21

Mohd Hasan II Bangladesh should spend more money to improve infrastructure, especially in key sectors like roads and railways. I recommend the Roads and Transport department chief to oversee the bettering of our roads and highways. He is the only person I believe can take up this project and do a good job.

Sara What a lively photo!

Jute Packaging Act still at low threshold

I have passion for acting: Konal August 22

August 20

Sbua Joy “More subsidiaries are needed to mobilise the sector as the demands for jute products are on the rise nationally and internationally.”

Jute goods are our gold. This is what we should focus on and invest in.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

foot in Dhaka. Such armchair economists should be taken for what they are.

Having said that, much needs to be done to make Dhaka more appealing to people who live here. That much is not in doubt.

‘Pakhi’ dress, three deaths, and a divorce

Facebook tags The Onion ‘satire’ in news feeds

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 9 represents C so fill C every time the figure 9 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.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Untamed (5) 4 Poke (4) 7 Tool (3) 8 Hawaiian dish (3) 9 Country (5) 12 Gem (4) 13 Small dog (7) 15 Slippery fish (3) 16 Secret agent (3) 18 Pigs’ enclosure (3) 19 Domestic animal (3) 21 Refusals (7) 24 Otherwise (4) 26 Thick (5) 27 Spell (3) 28 Fresh (3) 29 Require (4) 30 Long lock (5)

DOWN 1 Quick (4) 2 Specialist (6) 3 Bring up (4) 4 Needy (4) 5 Tear (3) 6 Put off (5) 10 Anger (3) 11 Family member (5) 14 Large antelope (5) 17 Measured beats (6) 18 Harsh (5) 20 Neckwear (3) 21 Exploit (4) 22 Girl’s name (4) 23 Plies the needle (4) 25 Pronoun (3)

Mohiuddin Kader Congrats on her upcoming album! Hope to see her acting sometime in the future.

Quantum of solace for jailbirds August 22

Depressed Town Excellent piece! :)

Indian Trinamool Congress MP and actor Tapas Pal admitted to hospital

CALVIN AND HOBBES

August 20

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD Rangappa Venkatadri So what if he is sick?

PEANUTS

Soumen Chatterjee He was admitted for Diplopia (double vision).

It’s not that serious a problem for one to be admitted and placed in ICU. What is the date for him to appear before the court? That is the real question.

Sachipriya Mukherjee Exactly. He’s dirty and shameless. Don’t forget that was indicted for torturing his old mother and trying to throw her out of her own home for his benefit.

Syed Arshad Jamil Wouldn’t be surprised if he is only pretending because of the on-going case in the court.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Black spots of death

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n Omar Gias bout 2,000 people have died since July 8, when Israel launched its attack in Gaza. The death toll in road accidents across Bangladesh between January to August this year is more than double that of the deaths in the most recent chapter of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

According to the statistics drawn up by Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association on accounts of media reports, a total of 4,716 people were killed and 13,000 more were injured in road accidents during that time period.

According to official statistics, at least eight people die every day in road accidents in this country. However, the World Bank say the number is as high as 30. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that in 2012-13, a staggering 48 people died on an average in daily road accidents in Bangladesh. All these statistics can make us feel that we don’t need to wait for an attacker to kill us; just using the roads is a big threat!

these black spots scattered along the highway make up a total of 55km.

It is a matter of great regret that even though the list of these black spots was provided to the Communications Ministry in 2009, only 11 spots along the Dhaka-Aricha highway from the National Mausoleum in Nabinagar to Patua have been fixed so far in last six years.

It has been observed that the fixing of engineering and construction glitches at the 11 spots has significantly reduced the number of road accidents from the National Mausoleum in Nabinagar to Patua. According to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), a total of 175 accidents occurred in 2011 along this stretch of the highway.

After the 11 spots were fixed, the number of accidents along this stretch had gone down to 25 in 2013. In 2011, the number of deaths here was 95 and after the fixes, in 2013 the death toll decreased to 25. The number of injured had also gone down by threefourths of the previous number.

So, it is proved that fixing the black spots can drastically reduce the num-

Accident-prone ‘black spots,’ along the highway make up a total of 55km More dangerous than a war zone

The Accident Research Institute of BUET has identified that 35% of the deaths and 90% of the road accidents take place on the highways around the country, which accumulates a total of 3,580km. A total of 209 spots have been identified along the highways as accident-prone “black spots,” and

ber of road accidents. But, the pertinent question is: As it took six years to repair the 11 black spots, should we have to wait 114 years for all of the 209 black spots to be fixed? At least the snail space in improving these accident-prone areas should make us a little bit optimistic.

RAJIB DHAR

Media reports say that the RHD has been taking up projects since 2009 to repair the 209 accident-prone areas. Six months have passed in just examining and experimenting with a Tk165cr project.

When valuable lives of the region are being lost in road accidents, the dillydallying of the government in

repairing the potholes and fixing the damaged roads is totally unacceptable.

As all the sensible people of the world except the staunch supporters of Israel castigated the brutal attack of Israel on the Palestinians, wouldn’t all the people of Bangladesh except the stalwarts of the ruling party criticise the government for its lackadaisical

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H

I

approach of repairing the black spots?

The Communications Ministry has taken up projects of about Tk30,000cr for the construction and repair of roads and bridges. But a project to lessen the prevalence of accidents has been hanging in limbo for the past six years.

It is really difficult for the ruling par-

R

ty to shut the mouths of the opposition who are already alleging that the government is only interested in big projects rather than effective ones, as it is easier to extort money in those projects.

Now, the onus is on the government to prove that the allegation is wrong. l Omar Gias is a freelance writer.

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Burning from birth n Mamun Rashid

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Progressives may have helped Modi

REUTERS

Des(h)i progressives’ nightmare n Jyoti Rahman

“B

ut see, I don’t want to vote for AL. I do not think the AL should return to power. We need checks and balances. The BNP should come. But how can I vote for the BNP when they are in an alliance with Jamaat?”

That’s what a friend told me in December. I have the deepest respect for this person’s sincerity. She is a genuine progressive. She wants a democratic Bangladesh – of this I have no doubt. And I understand her reasons for aversion to Jamaat – never mind 1971, Jamaat categorically rejects some liberal-progressive tenets such as equal citizenship rights. Had she said “I will not vote for Jamaat,” I would have accepted it.

But that’s not what she said. She implicitly rejected BNP for its electoral alliance with Jamaat. I didn’t engage in a prolonged conversation with her. She is hardly the only person I know who made that leap about conflating Jamaat and BNP. Bangladesh is full of self-proclaimed progressives who choose to reject democracy, never mind the facts.

I just don’t have the mental energy to engage in fruitless debates these days. At least my friend had the

decency to not engage in that kind of sophistry. I didn’t engage in a political discussion with her, but was reminded of her comment after the Indian election. You see, I had heard similar stuff from my Indian progressive friends.

Way back in the early 2000s, I heard people say “don’t want to vote for Congress, don’t like the sycophancy/ dynasty, and the Vajpayee government isn’t so bad, but you know, how can BJP be supported when they have someone like Modi.” And now, Modi is the prime minister.

Bangladesh is full of self-proclaimed progressives who choose to reject democracy My Indian friends could have supported Vajpayee or other moderates in the BJP/NDA government. They could have provided the left flank of a genuinely centrist alternative to Congress. But their self-inflicted intellectual blind spot meant that they

couldn’t even contemplate such a course – never mind that such an alternative would have served India well.

A lot of things contributed to Mr Modi’s rise to power. The progressives’ blind spot is just one factor, and probably not even an important one. But to the extent that he represents a lot of things progressives loath, they have no one but themselves to blame.

I fear whether someday my Bangladeshi progressive friend will wake up to her political nightmare. Jamaat’s importance in Bangladesh is constantly over-rated, and BNP’s strength under-rated, by everyone.

Of course, Jamaat benefits from the inflated power projection. And the Jamaat bogey suits the Awamis fine.

The thing is, as the centrist opposition is systematically denied any political space, and as the ruling party degenerates into an orgy of violence (google Narayanganj / Feni murders), Islamists (Jamaat or otherwise) may well emerge as the only alternative.

My friend is a genuine progressive, not a closet Awami fascist. Will people like her act to prevent their own worst nightmare? l Jyoti Rahman is a political blogger. This article was previously published in jrahman. wordpress.com.

RB banks were granted licenses for non-resident Bangladeshis to be identified in the development process of the country. Though any special package drawn for the NRBs in the capital market or issuance of premium, investment bond by the Bangladesh Bank, or donations to the construction of the Padma Bridge didn’t yield desired results in the past, it was thought that Bangladeshi professionals or businessmen residing abroad would be able to “success transfer” through their engagement in Bangladesh financial markets. Thus, the government has issued licenses to three NRB banks.

We do have a state-owned “Prabashi Kalyan Bank.” Courtesy to Mohammad Farashuddin and his successors in the Bangladesh Bank, most of the commercial banks in Bangladesh are rightly or wrongly too focused on inward remittance facilitation. Thus, the people at Bangladesh Bank or the finance ministry’s banking division were finding it tough to satisfy them to issue new licenses to three commercial banks reportedly owned by NRBs. But for reasons known, the licenses were issued at the instructions of the “top brass.” I was told by a senior Bangladesh Bank official, with all this “dhamaka” with the NRBs, certain quarters even wanted more licenses to be issued for the NRBs to find “an opportunity in nation building.” The finance minister, as usual, was very candid in the parliament – “licenses have been issued on political consideration.” Many of his loyalists, including this scribe, hailed him for his openness. Who got the licenses? Awami League leaders in the US, and quarters close to the ruling party in Bangladesh.

No worries. The political leaders intelligently had some professionals and local businessmen with non-resident connections engage these banks. They could fortunately attract a few senior, but almost retiring, bankers to join them too. One of those banks, with the least amount of political connections, could attract people from global banks too.

But the job was not done. NRB banks with unprofessional ownership and less visibility about the destination could not put a mark in the local finance industry, be it inward remittance, international trade, or infrastructure financing.

Though it is a little premature to close out on them, they have literal-

ly failed to ensure migration of best practices from their markets to the Bangladeshi banking industry. They are simply upholding the bad legacy of local banks – poor risk analytics, insider lending, poor IT delivery platforms, and poor human resources.

Unless NRB banks can differentiate themselves from the crowd, they don’t have a good future

To their credit, they are facing stiff competition from their local peers.

Their inability to open “nostro accounts” with large clearing banks in the US, UK, Japan, Australia, and Europe, and most importantly, obtain credit or trade confirmation lines from international banks, didn’t help them to get identified in the cross-border trade in an emerging trading nation: Bangladesh.

Ownership of the political leaders or ruling party stalwarts in these banks barred international banks from opening their accounts. US banks have always been known and respected for smelling of “foreign corrupt practice,” “politically exposed persons (PEP),” or “significant public figure (SPF).”

Unfortunately, most of the NRB bank directors fall into this category.

The finance minister’s testimony made their journey much tougher though.

Hefty penalties imposed on a British Bank by US regulators for holding the USD clearing accounts of a few Islamic banks in Bangladesh made it all the more complex.

European banks also reportedly followed the same route. Since most of the NRB bank principal licenses didn’t have enough money to pay for the licenses, other than their political identity and favours from the highest political authority, they had to bank on the local business houses to pay for their shares in the form of large “premium” payment for their individual stakes in those banks.

These new owners are bent on getting their money back or their favours returned; thus resorting to massive insider lending.

I think that unless NRB banks can differentiate themselves from the crowd, put in a strong delivery platform, ensure better asset-liability management, obtain world class risk management tools, and most importantly, allow the professionals to play their due roles, they don’t have a good future. We were expecting better results from our NRBs. It’s likely that we may have to wait a bit if we wish to see them performing in Bangladesh and delivering on their desired success transfer. l Mamun Rashid is a banker and economic

BIGSTOCK

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Kumar Biswajit’s second stint as music director

Entertainment

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Kate Bush back on stage after 35 years

Trophy Wife Star World 9pm

n Shadma Malik

F

or the second time, ace singer and composer Kumar Bishwajit will be working as a music director for a film. He has been selected to work in “Shutpaar Thikana” directed by Proshun Rahman that won the National Filmmaking Grant in 2013 and has six tracks, among which two are collected from Radharaman and the rest are original. About directing the music, Kumar told the Dhaka Tribune: “The film is portraying a woman from the 80’s. It goes back to a time when a woman of a middle-class family usually moved directly from her father’s home to her husband’s without getting any opportunity to explore life on her own. Music is incorporated in the story in such a manner that it plays a crucial part of the storytelling.

“Samina Chowdhury and Nancy will be lending their voice in the songs, on the other hand my music direction will be supported by Kishore” added Kumar.

Kumar made his debut as a music director with the movie “Shami Strir Wada” and bagged the National Film Awards in three categories in 2010 for his remarkable work in the film.

This year also saw the release of his solo music album “Priyo Aunubhob.” l

The series explores the marriage between Kate and Pete, along with the modern family dynamics between them, the ex-wives, and their respective children.

Tremors

Star Movies 11:30pm

n Entertainment Desk British singer Kate Bush kicked off 22-show run at the Hammersmith Apollo in west London, the same venue where she effectively retired from live performances after six weeks on the road in 1979, in Tuesday.

Kate Bush mixed note-perfect renditions of her biggest hits with two visually stunning interpretations of her longer conceptual works to delight fans who had waited for the British singer and songwriter to return to the stage.

Receiving a standing ovation before she had sung a note, Bush opened with “Lily” from her 1993 release “The Red Shoes,” followed by “Hounds of Love” from the double-platinum selling album of the same name.

The show shifted gears midway through the first half with the song cycle “The Ninth Wave,” which is about a woman floating in the sea, slipping in and out of consciousness.

The eclectic range of musical styles in the piece, ranging from an Irish jig to a chorale, was mirrored in a staging that combined

TODAY IN DHAKA Exhibition Images of Caring Men Time: 3pm – 8pm Dhaka Art Centre

ABC Radio launches Darr n Entertainment Desk ABC Radio FM 89.2 will launch its new programme titled “Darr” today. The programme has been created based on unexplained incidents across the country.

The new programme will be on air every Thursday at 11:20pm and will continue till 2am on the next day.

The “Darr” team has come up with the new show by roaming around Bangladesh in order to find out places where unexplained incidents occurred.

The producer of this programme Golam Kibria thinks it would introduce the radio audience in Bangladesh with a new trend. “I believe it is going to win the hearts of the audience,” he says. l

Hridi debuts on silver screen n

Shadma Malik

Tabassum Anila Hridi will be making her big screen debut with a dance number from the film “Olpo Olpo Premer Golpo.” The song is a Nazrul Geeti “Alga Kore Go Khopar Badhon,” which has been made upbeat by adding modern-day tunes.

When asked about how she landed an item song, the dancer said: “From my childhood, I was trained in various dance forms and participated in cultural programmes. I am in my element when I am on the dance floor and I am not camera shy. These factors added up for me when I signed for the film.

“At first, director of the film Saniat Hossain wanted me to play a supporting role but later came up with the idea for the item number. That is how I ended up with the part.

“The song is aesthetically pleasant and the costume, set design and moves are all on the decent side. I am thankful to Babu, the choreographer, he made an effort to portray this item song in a way which would suit my personality.”

About further work in the film industry, Hridi said: “It will depends on how the audience react to my performance. If the response is positive, I would definitely snatch the opportunity. I am specially keen on acting in West Bengal films.”

Dressed in a splashy red and golden lehenga, Hridi is all set to light the screen on fire.

Featuring Shokh and Niloy together for the first time, the upcoming flick “Olpo Olpo Premer Golpo” directed by Saniat Hossain is set to hit the cinemas tomorrow. l

film with theater.

For the 22 shows dubbed “Before the Dawn,” Bush has returned to London’s Hammersmith Apollo, a venue in her only previous tour in 1979, a year after she went to No.1 with the self-penned “Wuthering Heights.”

That song, based on the Emily Bronte novel, stood out in a pop Kate Bush scene filled with disperforms in a co and punk, and the show in 1979 19-year-old Bush’s high-pitched voice and expressive dancing only added to her uniqueness.

Bush has released nine studio albums, two of which topped the charts. Her singles collection “The Whole Story” also went to No.1.

But she has largely stayed out of the public eye, giving few interviews and leaving long gaps between releases.

In the process she has become one of the most celebrated of Britain’s anti-celebrities, generating a devoted following from fans who were ecstatic when she announced the shows in March. l

Valentine Mckee and Earl Bassett is a pair of small-town handymen living in a small desert community. They stumble upon several difficult-to-explain phenomena, including a couple of people who’ve died under extremely strange circumstances.

Attack the Block Z Studio 6pm

A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.

SEVEN BOLLYWOOD MOVIES RELEASING ON SAME DATE

Ode to Beauty

By Shama Shaiom Time: 3pm – 9pm Alliance Francaise de Dhaka

Show: Yourself Time: 18, 10am – 8pm Athena Gallery of Fine Arts, Progoti Shoroni, Uttar Badda

A scene from Mary Kom

n Entertainment Desk A big Box Office clash is set to happen on September 19 as the date will see the release of seven Bollywood movies.

Priyanka Chopra and Parineeti Chopra, the most popular first cousins of Bollywood have finally warded off a Box Office clash with their respective films, “Mary Kom” and “Daawat-E-Ishq.” Priyanka’s film is based on the life of boxer MC Mary Kom while the later is a comedy drama.

Sonam Kapor’s “Khoobsurat,” a remake of the 1980 film of the

A scene from Daawat-E-Ishq

same name, is also releasing on the day.

Anupam Kher’ “Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami” whose trailer was launched by none other than Shahrukh Khan is also releasing on September 19. This is a political comedy drama where Anupam will be seen playing the role of a BMC worker whose dying wish is to have a martyr’s last honour. The other films of the list are: psychological thriller “Ugly” directed by Anurag Kashyap, “Tamanchey” featuring a cute yet twisted love story, “Roar” about how a Bengal Tigress avenges the kidnap of her cub and “Balwinder Singh Famous Ho Gaya” featuring singers Mika and Shaan in the lead roles. l

Western classical music at Chhayanaut n Entertainment Desk A musical show by Classical Music Academy (CMA) will be held on August 30 at the Chhayanaut Auditorium.

The premiere show took place at the Bishwa Shahittyo Kendra on August 22. The programme has been divided into two segment.

At first, with twelve singers from CRP centres, Savar will be singing three songs include “Dhono Dhanne Pushpe Bhora,” “Anondo Loke” and “Ami Banglai Gaan Gai” alongside moderated by Iftekhar Anwar with twenty five participants will be playing orchestra.

The second series will be “Raham Ali’r Putul Nach (Doll Dance of Raham Ali). ” Narrator Heera Chowdhury will be commanding the story of Raham Ali who had arrived in Dhaka from his village where he used to do puppet shows. Written by Iftekhar Anwar, Md Akasha and Smaron Prottoy, the story will be well accompanied by music created by the chamber orchestra for the entire 40 minutes of the show. Ricardo Elias Rodriguez a Mexi-

can musician, will play in “Raham Ali’r Putul Nach” as a special attraction. Iftekhar, the founder of CMA said: “We are inviting patients from CRP to showcase their talent. It will be enthralling for the audience to listen to them. About CMA, Iftekhar said: “I want-

Mexican musician Ricardo Elias Rodriguez will play in the event along with local musicians

ed to start a western classical school just because we did not have one. Our effort is to familiarise western classical and form a full fledged orchestra in the country. A number of music schools here specialises in eastern classical music but western classical remains unexplored.”

The ticket of the event will be available at the gate priced BDT 200. l

Did you know?

Sergio Aguero has played only 29 minutes this season but is the Premier League’s joint-top scorer with two goals

Sport

Thursday, August 28, 2014

14 United were the

‘only club’ after Real: Di María

15 De Villiers, Du

Plessis double act seals Proteas win

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Federer, Serena

in cruise control as teen duo rock

Shakib in the mix of things Second phase of players’ transfer ends today n Mazhar Uddin

Aftab Ahmed registers for Brothers Union as coach Mominul Haque (R) and teammate Nazimuddin (L) looks on during the first day of the non-pool players’ transfer at BNS yesterday COURTESY

Aftab to retire after season-end n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Former national cricketer Aftab Ahmed has informed of his decision to call time on his cricket career following the conclusion of the upcoming Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 2014.

The 28-year-old hard-hitting batsman notified the media after signing with Brothers Union in the second round of

“I do not think it will be wise for me to spend more time here. So I thought now is the right time to retire taking all facts into consideration,” he said.

Aftab clarified his decision was not borne out of grudge and that it was totally his personal wish.

“This is my last year. I request everyone to pray for me so that I can leave the stage on a high note,” Aftab added.

CAREER STATS Tests ODIs T20Is First-class List A Twenty20

Mat 16 85 11 61 121 28

Inns 31 85 11 111 121 26

NO 3 6 1 9 7 2

Runs 582 1954 228 2502 2783 343

the players’ transfer held yesterday.

Aftab had an average season with Gazi Tank Cricketers in the last edition of the Dhaka Premier League as well as for other sides he played for in domestic cricket in the past year. When queried why he decided to retire in spite the fact that he can still contribute, Aftab said, “Cricket is tough now. To be honest the club officials have started thinking differently about me and this resulted in very few offers this season.

HS 82* 92 62* 129 92 62*

Ave 20.78 24.73 22.80 24.52 24.41 14.29

BF 1173 2353 178 4438 3451 313

SR 49.61 83.04 128.08 56.37 80.64 109.58

100 0 0 0 1 0 0

50 1 14 1 9 19 1

The Chittagong lad had a flying start to his international career for Bangladesh in September, 2004. He first came to the attention of the Bangladeshi selectors after scoring 79 against South Africa in the 2002 Under-19 World Cup following which he was drafted into the Test squad to face England, despite having failed to impress in the two earlier warm-up matches. His tenure, however, was put on hold when he joined the Bangladesh exodus in the

rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) and was subsequently banned for ten years.

After one season, he quit the ICL and made himself available for selection again. His last assignment following his recall to the national side was in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.

Aftab admitted his involvement in the now-defunct ICL jeopardised his career permanently.

“It is true that I had a fine start to the national team but unfortunately it did not end in the same manner. My decision to play in the ICL was very wrong as the gap it created made severe damage to my career,” Aftab explained.

“However that is in the past now. I am thankful to everyone who were beside me, prayed for me and loved me,” he said.

“I have planned to start up a cricket academy,” said Aftab adding, “Most of the work is done and it will be launched soon. I have spent a good amount of time in cricket with everyone’s blessings. I aim to take my coaching career to a high-level,” said the right-handed batsman.

Aftab informed the port city lacks a quality cricket academy and he is planning to contribute to the game by bringing the city of Chittagong to its former glory days. l

A new controversy emerged surrounding Shakib al Hasan as the second phase of the players’ transfer for the cricketers outside the national pool got underway at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

A total of 70 cricketers took part in the second phase of the two-day players’ transfer of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 2014 but Shakib was at the forefront of all headlines as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) gave contradictory statements regarding the transfer of the national all-rounder.

Following a board meeting on Tuesday, Shakib’s six-month suspension was nearly halved making him available for the premier 50-over competition of the country. It was earlier learned that Shakib will be featuring for Gazi Tank Cricketers as he is reportedly set to receive Tk5m from the champions of the previous edition. However, in a latest twist to events, CCDM informed

n Shishir Hoque The Walton Refrigerator National 13th Intermediate and 1st Junior Women’s Boxing Championship will get underway today at the Mohammad Ali Boxing Stadium in Paltan.

A total of 150 participants from different divisional sports organisations, district teams, services teams and clubs will take part in the meet. The four-day long tournament will conclude on August 31.

The events of the intermediate category are - 46, 49, 52, 56, 60 and 69kg while the events of the women’s junior category are - 36, 40, 45, 50 and 55kg.

Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy will inaugurate the meet as chief guest while Walton additional director and head of games & sports FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn, popular actor

n Arsalan Quddus Day six started off with Dhaka Tribune finally reminding the crowd why they are the defending champions of this tournament as they coolly dispatched Green Delta in a 6-1 mauling. Dependable midfielder Fazley Rabbi Moon netted a spectacular hattrick for DT while Tareq Miru grabbed a brace. Star striker Reazur Rahman Rohan converted as well to complete the scoreline.

For what its worth, North South University gave a good account of themselves in their match against the mighty Gemcon Group. As first-timers of the tournament, a 2-7 scoreline should be considered an achievement against one of the tournament favorites. Ujjal and Sazzad of NSU scored one goal each while the fabulous Gemcon Group are still looking ominous for the Cup. Shamim scored a hattrick for them.

STS Group came from behind to beat Incepta Pharmaceuticals in a fascinating encounter which saw Rezwan Huq finally score for the esteemed hospital.

Better late than never. Shaidul Islam of STS also scored a hattrick.

Magnito Digital overturned Energy Pac in a high-energy encounter which saw the digital firm advance to the quarters.

We bid farewell to Spellbound whose spirited run in this tournament came to

An action from the match between Therap BD and bKash at the STM Hall yesterday an end through a 5-2 rout by Rahimafrooze SPD. Hafizur Rahman of Rahimafrooze scored a fine hattrick.

Meanwhile, the last match on day five, Tuesday, was the one everyone was waiting for. A true David versus Goliath occasion which had the STM packed to its capacity. People had come to see the plucky newcomers Runner, who have come thus far in this tournament in a trail glory, took on the five-time champions, the mighty Beximco Pharma.

However, the biblical connection ended just as soon as the referee blew the whistle, as the Pharmaceutical giants dispatched a stern footballing lesson to the tournament newcomers, not to mention a statement of intent to the

teams facing them after. Runner were made to run the full 20 mins, chasing lost causes and shadows and conceded a staggering 11 goals.

Goal-machine Adil slotted home four

RESULTS Dhaka Tribune NSU Beximco Textile Incepta Energypac Spellbound Therap BD Kazi Farm

6-1 2-7 6-2 3-5 1-4 2-5 3-2 3-8

Green Delta Gemcon Bangla CAT STS Group Magnito Digital Rahimafrooze bKash Chevron

er, following much disharmony among the players, the system was scrapped after just one season.

Left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny, who was included in the national pool but was unable to find a team during the first phase of the players’ transfer on August 11-12, signed for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club yesterday. It was learned that another spinner, Sohag Gazi, who encountered a similar situation to that of Sunny, will also feature for the same club.

National discard Shahriar Nafees also signed for Sheikh Jamal yesterday.

The left-handed batsman informed the media that the premier league will be the best possible platform for him to script a comeback into the national side. “Dhaka League is one of the most prestigious tournaments of the country and it will be very important for me to perform and return to the national side. I will try to give my best to Sheikh Jamal,” said Nafees.

The two-day players’ transfer for the cricketers outside the national pool will come to an end today. l

Walton Boxing C’ship begins today

Walk in the park for Gemcon, BexTex

Beximco Textiles has often lived in the shadow of their more illustrious sister concern Beximco Pharma but they did their parent company proud as they humbled Bangla Cat in a 6-2 drubbing.

Captain Faiz of Textiles put in a terrific performance notched a whopping four goals.

that Shakib’s services will be acquired through an auction instead of his own preference and the clubs who were unable to recruit any cricketer from the national pool will get first priority to sign him with his base price fixed at Tk4m.

BCB president Nazmul Hasan had informed on Tuesday that Shakib’s fate will be decided by CCDM but the committee’s chairman AZM Nasir sang a different tune yesterday saying the final decision will be taken by the board.

According to the existing system of the players’ transfer, Shakib holds the right to sign for any club he desires.

However, it remains to be seen who will have the final say now, the BCB or the CCDM, and whether Shakib is really bought through an auction or signs for Gazi Tank as per his desire.

Meanwhile, the cricketers outside the national set-up were relieved after the players’ transfer returned to its traditional system in place of the controversial “Players by Choice” system opted by both the BCB and the CCDM last season when the clubs recruited the cricketers through lottery. Howev-

COURTESY

in the first half while Shoriful added a hattrick. Shuvo scored two while Mukul and Sunny added one each. Md. Shofiul pulled one back for Runner which only served as a consolation. We shall miss seeing the Runner players who have been extremely polite with everyone at the tournament. Their exciting football and their wonderful fans who came to every match and bought the house down in this tourney. We wish them the best of luck for next year’s spectacle. As for BexiPharma, they are still the team to beat in this year’s Ascent Cup. l Arsalan Quddus is a key member of the organiser Excalibur Entertainment, a die hard Manchester United fan and also a passionate football fanatic.

Walton additional director FM Iqbal bin Anwar Dawn (C) speaks at the Walton Refrigerator Nat’l 13th Intermediate and 1st Junior Women’s Boxing C’ship presser yesterday COURTESY Masum Parvez Rubel and Walton sports ambassador Jobera Rahman Linu will be present as special guests.

“Boxing is a popular sports and it has many prospects. We have sponsored

before and we will continue to help the game. The reason is that we want to get the glory of boxing back,” said Dawn at a press conference yesterday when the details of the tournament were revealed.l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Man United thrashed 4-0

by MK Dons in League Cup n

RESULTS

Reuters, London

Manchester United’s early season problems were compounded by a humiliating 4-0 loss to third-tier Milton Keynes Dons in the League Cup second round on Tuesday leaving new manager Louis van Gaal still looking for his first win.

MK Dons’ Will Grigg and substitute Benik Afobe scored two goals apiece as United’s defensive frailties were ruthlessly exposed by their enthusiastic lower division opponents who took advantage of playing against a second-string side.

Grigg capitalised on United’s mistakes to score either side of halftime before Afobe compounded the visitors’ misery with two late goals, the first seconds after coming off the bench.

Dutchman Van Gaal is still without a competitive victory since taking over at United in the close season and he will be desperate for British record signing Angel Di Maria to play after he signed from Real Madrid earlier on Tuesday.

It was United’s first outing in the second round of the competition since 1995 and the first time they had conceded four goals in a League Cup match against lower league opposition.

Van Gaal left out several first-team regulars including captain Wayne

0-1

Sheffield W’day

Gillingham

0-1

Newcastle

Leicester City

0-1

Shrewsbury

Millwall

0-2

Southampton

Burnley

Nuhiu 78-P Egan 25-og Mangan 38 Cork 53, Pelle 90+3

4-0

Man United

1-0

Rotherham Utd

Walsall

0-3

Crystal Palace

West Brom

1-1

Oxford United

1-1

Sheffield United

MK Dons

Grigg 25, 63, Afobe 70, 84

Swansea City Gomis 22

Gayle 7, 25, 41

Mullins 29-og Hylton 86 West Bromwich Albion win 7-6 on penalties

West Ham

Sakho 40 Reid 58-og Sheffield United win 5-4 on penalties

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal (C) and assistant manager Ryan Giggs (2L) watch from the bench during their League Cup match against Milton Keynes Dons at stadiummk in Milton Keynes, north of London on Tuesday REUTERS Rooney and strike partner Robin van Persie but asked if he regretted making so many changes, he said: “No, you have to analyse the problem and I’ve done that.

“We have nine injuries and a very young team. I’ve seen them trying to do their utmost best so you cannot expect more.”

West Ham United lost 5-4 on penalties at home to Sheffield United following a 1-1 draw after extra time, while fellow top-flight sides Leicester City and Burnley went down 1-0 to visiting Shrewsbury Town and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.

Dwight Gayle scored a first-half

hat-trick as Premier League crisis club Crystal Palace, without a manager after Tony Pulis left the club, enjoyed a 3-0 win at third-tier Walsall.

Newcastle United won 1-0 at Gillingham, Southampton beat Millwall 2-0 away, Swansea triumphed 1-0 at home to Rotherham United and West Bromwich Albion beat visitors Oxford United 7-6 on penalties with the teams locked at 1-1 after extra time. l

Manchester United were the ‘only club’ after Real: Di María n The Guardian Ángel di María said Manchester United were the “only club” for which he would have left Real Madrid as the 26-year-old completed a £59.7m British record transfer, signing a five-year contract worth around £200,000 a week.

With the Argentinian secured United will step up their attempt to sign a midfielder and, possibly, a defender in the closing days of the transfer window. Juventus’s Arturo Vidal, Milan’s Nigel de Jong and Ajax’s Daley Blind, who is also a left-sided defensive player, are potential targets.

United hope to confirm Di María’s work permit in time for Saturday’s match at Burnley. If granted – and that should be a formality with his status as an Argentina international – he should be selected for the match-day squad at Turf Moor and could make a full debut.

After completing a medical and the requisite paperwork on Tuesday to seal the deal, Di María said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester United. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Spain and there were a lot of clubs interested in me, but United is the only club that I would have left Real Madrid for.

“Louis van Gaal is a fantastic coach with a proven track record of success and I am impressed by the vision and determination everyone has to get this

Di Maria won’t provide instant fix: Van Gaal n Reuters, London Manchester United’s new winger Angel Di Maria will not change the course of their troubled season straight away following his British record transfer from Real Madrid, manager Louis van Gaal said on Tuesday.

The Dutchman was speaking after United’s humiliating 4-0 loss at third-tier Milton Keynes Dons in the League Cup second round had compounded their terrible start to the campaign.

“I think that he (Di Maria) can contribute and that is very important but we don’t have to expect that from tomorrow our world has changed,” van Gaal told Sky Sports after the Argentina international signed for 59.7 million pounds ($98.77 million).

“He has to adapt to the culture of England, the culture of the Premier League

and the philosophy of Man United.

“He shall contribute very much in our way of playing. He is a creative player. I can change the system with Di Maria. He can play as a winger and he can also play in midfield,” he added.

Van Gaal praised the reaction he got from the Old Trafford faithful during the reverse to Swansea and urged them to remain patient. “(The fans) have to believe in our philosophy,” he said. “We are building up a team that you cannot make in one month or even one year. It (Tuesday’s defeat) is very disappointing but I hope they shall maintain their confidence in the club, and in our philosophy because that philosophy takes time.

“We know exactly what we are doing. We have lost in the Capital One Cup, and so tonight has cost us the chance of a trophy, and that is disappointing.” l

n

Two-time winners Tottenham Hotspur carry a narrow advantage into their Europa League playoff second leg against AEL Limassol of Cyprus while their domestic rivals Hull need to overturn a 1-0 deficit to keep alive their first ever European campaign.

Thirty one places are up for grabs in the final qualifiers to reach the group phase draw on Friday in Monaco and governing body Uefa have thrown a valuable carrot in front of the potential winners.

The triumphant side in the May 25, 2015 final at Warsaw will, for the first

time, automatically qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Hull qualified for their first ever European competition as FA Cup runners-up last season, at the hands of Arsenal, but manager Steve Bruce must mastermind a comeback from 1-0 down against Belgian Cup winners Lokeren.

Elsewhere, Belarusian outsiders Dinamo Minsk stand on the brink of their first qualification for the group stages of a European competition after a run of five consecutive clean sheets including a 2-0 first leg win over Portugal’s Nacional last week. France risk losing two clubs before the draw with bitter local rivals Lyon and Saint-Etienne both needing second leg victories.

(R-L) Real Madrid’s Xabi Alonso, Marcelo, Iker Casillas, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez pose along with Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto during the launching ceremony of the team’s new Uefa Champions League kit at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday REUTERS

PSV Eindhoven, the 1978 UEFA Cup champions, take a 1-0 lead to Belarus where they tackle Shakhtyor Soligorsk while Dutch rivals Feyenoord have an away goal to protect after coming back to force a 1-1 draw against Zorya Luhansk of Ukraine.

Spanish sides are well positioned to reach the next round after Villarreal thrashed Astana of Kazakhstan 3-0 and Real Sociedad edged Russian outfit Krasnodar 1-0 thanks to a 71st minute winner from Xabi Prieto.

Italian interests rest with Torino, as they drew 0-0 on the road at RNK Split of Croatia, while Inter Milan are in the driving seat after overpowering Stjarnan 3-0 in Iceland. l

British bookmakers reacted to Manchester United’s humiliating 4-0 defeat

by MK Dons in the Capital One Cup by slashing the odds on manager Louis van Gaal leaving the club.

William Hill, who had been offering 66-1 against the Dutchman becoming the next Premier League manager to go, cut those odds to 12-1 on Wednesday.

Corals, meanwhile, are offering 6-1 against him leaving by the end of his first season in England after United lost for the second time in three matches since he took over with the other match ending in a draw.

“The odds suggest that Manchester United will win nothing and the owners might just cut their losses and rebuild again,” said William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams.l

Barca sign Brazilian right-back Douglas n AFP, Madrid

Donovan to make US farewell against Ecuador

La Liga giants Barcelona have completed the signing of Brazilian full back Douglas Pereira from Sau Paulo for an initial fee of four million euros ($5.2 million, £3.2 million), the club confirmed on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old will sign a five-year deal and is expected to compete with compatriot Dani Alves for a place in the first team. The deal could rise to 5.5 million euros subject to the number of appearances he makes for the Catalans.

“FC Barcelona and Sao Paulo FC have reached an agreement for the transfer of Douglas Pereira,” said a statement on the Barca website.

“The cost of the transfer is 4 million euros plus 1.5 million euros in variables depending on the number of games played.l

n AFP, Chicago US all-time scoring leader Landon Donovan will make his final appearance for the United States national team in an October 10 friendly against Ecuador, USA Soccer announced Tuesday.

Donovan, a controversial absentee from US coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s final roster for the World Cup two months ago in Brazil, has a record 57 goals for the American squad.

The 32-year-old Los Angeles Galaxy striker announced August 7 that he would retire at the end of the current Major League Soccer season.

His US farewell, the 157th cap of his career, will came at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.

“Playing for the US national team has been a huge part of my career and I’m ecstatic to have the opportunity to play for my country one last time,” Donovan said.

“I’m so grateful to all the fans that have supported me and this game will give me the chance to say thank you to all of them.”

“For 15 years, Landon has thrilled us with his amazing abilities on the field and impressed us with his gracious approach off the field,” said US Soccer President Sunil Gulati.

“We are looking forward to celebrating his legacy during our next home national team match and allowing fans the opportunity to thank him for all the memories he has provided over the years.” l

Sorry Celtic fail to take CL chance

Bayern agree deal for Benatia n AFP, Berlin German champions Bayern Munich on Tuesday announced an agreement with Serie A side Roma for a deal to take Moroccan international defender Mehdi Benatia to the Allianz Arena.

Bayern said that the two clubs have agreed not to disclose the fee for the 27-year-old French-born centre-back, although Italian media reports on Tuesday estimated that Roma will receive around 30 million euros (£23.9m, $39.6m). That would be made up of 26 million euros initially, with a further four million in potential bonuses.

Bayern had been searching for defensive reinforcements after losing Javi Martinez until the end of the calendar year when he suffered a serious knee injury in the recent defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup.l

Angel di Maria poses in a Manchester United shirt after completing his £59.7m move from Real Madrid INTERNET

Odds slashed on Van Gaal leaving United n Reuters, London

Spurs target Champions League via Europa loophole AFP, Paris

club back to the top – where it belongs.

I now just cannot wait to get started.”

The price for Di Maria makes him the world’s sixth most expensive player, behind Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo (£80m), Luis Suárez (£75m), Neymar (£71m), and James Rodríguez (£63m). l

n Reuters, Berne

Porto’s Jackson Martinez celebrates his goal against Lille during their Champions League second leg qualifying match at Dragao stadium in Porto on Tuesday REUTERS

Porto and Zenit St Petersburg swept into the Champions League group stage, helped by inspired displays from Yacine Brahimi and Hulk, on Tuesday while hapless Celtic were knocked out of the competition for a second time in three weeks.

Brahimi, who shone for Algeria in the World Cup, curled in a majestic free kick and set up a second goal for Jackson Martinez to give Porto a 2-0 win over Lille in their playoff round second leg tie.

Hulk scored twice, converting a penalty and then barging his way through the Standard Liege midfield, as Zenit beat the Belgians 3-0 despite playing the second half with 10 men.

Celtic, beaten 6-1 on aggregate by Le-

gia Warsaw in the third round only to be reprieved because the Polish champions fielded an ineligible player, slunk out for a second time with a 1-0 home defeat

RESULTS Zenit

3-0

Std Liege

3-0

Slovan Bratislava

0-1

Maribor

4-0

Aalborg

2-0

Lille

Rondon 30, Hulk 54-P, 58 Zenit win 4-0 on aggregate

BATE Borisov

Gordeychuk 41, Krivets 84, Rodionov 85 BATE win 4-1 on aggregate

Celtic

Tavares 75 Maribor win 2-1 on aggregate

APOEL

Vinicius 28, De Vincenti 43, Aloneftis 64, Sheridan 75 APOEL win 5-1 on aggregate

FC Porto

Brahimi 49, Martinez 69 Porto win 3-0 on aggregate

against Slovenian champions Maribor.

APOEL Nicosia, 4-0 winners over Aalborg, and Belarus champions BATE Borisov, who beat Slovakian counter-parts Slovan Bratislava 3-0, also qualified.

BATE, full name Borisov Automobile and Tractor Electronics, went ahead through Mikhail Gordeychuk four minutes before halftime and two late goals from Sergei Kryvets and Vitali Rodionov completed a 4-1 aggregate win.

Their Slovakian opponents had Seydouba Soumah sent off in the 79th minute.

Cypriot side APOEL, who reached the quarter-finals in 2011/12, outclassed Aalborg as they qualified for the group stage for a third time.

Vinicius, Tomas De Vincenti, Stathis Aloneftis and Cillian Sheridan shared the goals as they completed a 5-1 aggregate win over the Danes.l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

QUICK BYTES

Warnock named Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock has returned to Crystal Palace as manager to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Tony Pulis, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday. Warnock, who previously managed Palace between 2007 and 2010, takes over after Pulis abruptly left Selhurst Park on the eve of the season amid reports of a disagreement with co-chairman Steve Parish. “Crystal Palace are delighted to announce that Neil Warnock has been appointed as their new first-team manager with immediate effect,” Palace announced on their official website. “Neil has agreed a two-year deal and will lead the team this Saturday in our Premier League game at Newcastle United.”

–AFP

Everton bolster attack with experienced Eto’o Everton have bolstered their attacking options with the signing of Cameroon’s seasoned striker Samuel Eto’o, who was a free agent after leaving Chelsea at the end of last season. The 33-yearold, crowned African Player of the Year a record four times, scored nine league goals in 21 games at Stamford Bridge after joining from Russia’s Anzhi Makhachkala. Eto’o, who has won 118 caps and scored a record 56 goals for Cameroon, signed a two-year deal at Goodison Park. “I have been very impressed by the style of play Everton adopt,” Eto’o said on the Premier League club’s website (www.evertonfc.com), having been lured by manager Roberto Martinez’s footballing philosophy. “I was impressed with his enthusiasm but also by the knowledge of football that Roberto Martinez carries, his vision of football and how he reads football. I still think I can learn a great deal from him here,” he added. Eto’o has won four league titles, seven domestic cups, a FIFA Club World Cup medal and three Champions League, two with Barcelona and one with Inter Milan where he became the first player to win consecutive European continental trebles.

–Reuters

Sport

Football fever grips Sylhet n Shishir Hoque Football fever has gripped the people of Sylhet ahead of the second and final friendly match between the Bangladesh Under-23 team and the Nepal U-23 side in the north-eastern city as 80 percent of the total tickets have already been sold out yesterday afternoon. The organisers expect all the tickets to be sold out before the game takes place tomorrow.

Interest among local people has reached fever pitch following a superb display in the first match in Dhaka on Tuesday when the home side earned a convincing 1-0 victory over the visitors.

The Bangladesh U-23 side will play their second friendly match against the Nepal U-23 team at the Sylhet Zila Stadium tomorrow as part of their preparation for the forthcoming 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea next month.

The venue has a capacity of around 25,000 seats and according to the District Football Association (DFA), most of the tickets have been sold out including all the VIP tickets.

“We gave the responsibility of ticket-related issues to a local event management group. They informed us that 80 percent tickets have been sold out by today (yesterday) afternoon,” said Mohiuddin Ahmed Selim, president of Sylhet DFA, yesterday.

According to Bangladesh Football Federation officials in Sylhet, there is a festive mood prevailing in the city ahead of the game with motorcycle rallies taking place to promote the

game and urging people to throng to the stadium.

Bangladesh captain Mamunul Islam believes the enthusiasm of the fans will give them an added boost. “The victory was very important for us. The scoreline could have been bigger given the way we played the game. The best thing is we amused the crowd and their passion is providing us the mental boost that we need,” said the Sheikh Jamal midfielder yesterday.

Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif received another boost as juvenile midfielder Hemanta Vincent Biswas’ injury, which he picked up during the last game, proved to be nothing serious and the Mohammedan player will be available for selection for tomorrow’s game.

The national U-23 side, however, experienced some difficult moments during their hectic journey to Sylhet yesterday as the bus carrying them took more than 10 hours to reach the city from BKSP, Savar.

Both the teams left BKSP at 9am yesterday morning but they could not take the Gazipur route due to a political gathering there and had to come back to Dhaka where they encountered the inevitable traffic jam. They then started off for Sylhet and finally reached the destination after 7pm in the evening.

The overall journey took them 10 hours which is more than double the duration it normally takes in the other days.

The Bangladesh team will attend a practice session today at the Sylhet Zila Stadium. l

SCORECARD, ENGvIND India R. Sharma c Woakes b Tredwell S. Dhawan c Buttler b Woakes V. Kohli c Cook b Woakes A. Rahane st Buttler b Tredwell S. Raina c Anderson b Woakes M. S. Dhoni b Woakes R. Jadeja not out R. Ashwin not out Extras (b1, lb11, w16, nb1) Total (6 wkts, 50 overs)

52 11 0 41 100 52 9 10 29 304

Fall of wickets 1-19 (Dhawan), 2-19 (Kohli), 3-110 (Rahane), 4-132 (R Sharma), 5-276 (Raina), 6-288 (Dhoni) Bowling Anderson 10-1-57-0 (2w); Woakes 101-52-4 (2w); Jordan 10-0-73-0 (12w); Stokes 7-0-54-0 (1nb); Root 3-0-14-0; Tredwell 10-1-42-2; England (Target 295 off 47 overs) A. Cook lbw b Shami 19 A. Hales c Ashwin b Jadeja 40 I. Bell b Shami 1 J. Root b Kumar 4 E. Morgan c Shami b Ashwin 28 J. Buttler c Kohli b Jadeja 2 B. Stokes c Rahane b Jadeja 23 C. Woakes st Dhoni b Jadeja 20 C. Jordan lbw b Raina 0 J. Tredwell c Jadeja b Ashwin 10 J. Anderson not out 9 Extras (lb3, w2) 5 Total (all out, 38.1 overs) 161 Fall of wickets 1-54 (Cook), 2-56 (Bell), 3-63 (Root), 4-81 (Hales), 5-85 (Buttler), 6-119 (Morgan), 7-126 (Stokes), 8-128 (Jordan), 9-143 (Woakes), 10-161 (Tredwell) Bowling Kumar 7-0-30-1; M Sharma 6-1-18-0; Shami 6-0-32-2 (2w); Ashwin 9.1-0-382; Jadeja 7-0-28-4; Raina 3-0-12-1; Result India won by 133 runs (D/L method)

SCORECARD, SAvAUS Australia A. Finch c Duminy b McLaren 102 P. Hughes c de Villiers b Imran Tahir 51 M. Marsh lbw b Imran Tahir 5 G. Bailey c de Kock b Morkel 66 G. Maxwell c de Villiers b Morkel 7 S. Smith b McLaren 31 B. Haddin c Amla b Steyn 9 J. Faulkner not out 10 M. Johnson not out 23 Extras (12lb, 10w, 1nb) 23 Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 327 Fall of wickets 1-92 (Hughes), 2-115 (Marsh), 3-229 (Finch), 4-242 (Bailey), 5-253 (Maxwell), 6-268 (Haddin), 7-301 (Smith).

Bowling Steyn 10-0-54-1, Parnell 7-0-66-0, Morkel 10-1-63-2, McLaren 9-0-64-2, Imran Tahir 10-0-45-2, Duminy 4-0-23-0.

South Africa Q. de Kock c Faulkner b Starc 19 H. Amla c Smith b Richardson 24 F. du Plessis c Smith b Starc 106 AB de Villiers not out 136 JP Duminy not out 33 Extras (10w) 10 Total (3 wkts, 46.4 overs) 328 Fall of wickets 1-44 (Amla), 2-51 (de Kock), 3-257 (du Plessis).

Bowling Johnson 10-0-63-0, Starc 8-0-62-2, Richardson 10-0-68-1, Marsh 5-0-36-0, Faulkner 8.4-0-59-0, Smith 2-0-20-0, Maxwell 3-0-20-0.

Result South Africa won by 7 wickets South Africa’s Faf du Plessis (R) congratulates captain AB deVilliers on reaching a century during their ODI against Australia at the Harare Sports Club yesterday AFP

De Villiers, Du Plessis double act seals Proteas win over Aussies n Reuters, Harare

Hull sign Tottenham stalwart Dawson Hull City announced on Tuesday that they have signed English centre-back Michael Dawson from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee. Dawson, 30, has signed a three-year contract at the KC Stadium, having decided to end a nine-year association with Tottenham that saw him appointed club captain in 2012. “I have been here for almost a decade and have loved every minute of it,” Dawson said on Tottenham’s official Twitter feed. “I would like to say thank you to everyone at the club, including the supporters.”

–AFP

15

Thursday, August 28, 2014

BCB media manager Rabeed Imam (R) congratulates the new CEO of the cricket board Nizamuddin Chowdhury with a flower bouquet at the BCB office in Mirpur yesterday

AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis struck sublime centuries as South Africa chased down a massive score to beat Australia by seven wickets in the second one-day international of the triangular series on Wednesday.

The pair put on 206 for the third wicket, the highest South Africa partnership against Australia, as the Proteas reached their victory target of 328 with 20 balls to spare at the Harare Sports Club home of series hosts Zimbabwe.

It eclipsed the 187 put on by Herchelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith as they

famously chased down 434 at The Wanderers in 2006, and was no less impressive for the skill shown by the pair as they scored all around the ground.

After South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl, Australia showed great acceleration at the end of their innings to post 327 for seven in 50 overs, with opener Aaron Finch crashing 102 from 116 balls.

But it was not enough as the Proteas recovered from a wobble at 51 for two to reach their target with some ease on a wicket that got flatter as the day wore on.

For Du Plessis it was a first ODI century as he recorded 106 from 98 balls and made a mockery of recent criti-

Federer, Serena in cruise control as teen duo rock n AFP, New York

Five-time champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams reached the US Open second round on Tuesday, but found themselves sharing the headlines with teenage upstarts CiCi Bellis and Borna Coric.

Federer claimed his 50th win of 2014 as the 17-time major winner, playing in his 60th successive Grand Slam and bidding to become the oldest major winner in over 40 years, defeated Australia’s Marinko Matosevic 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) to register his 23rd win in 24 night matches in New York.

“It was a bit more difficult than I thought it was going to be in the third set. Marinko has a big game,” said second seeded Federer who hit 10 aces and 41 winners and was cheered on by bas-

ketball legend Michael Jordan.

Federer will face another Australian, big-serving Sam Groth, for a place in the last 32 as he continues his bid for a record sixth US Open but first since 2008.

Women’s world number one Williams, the double defending champion who is also seeking a sixth title, was equally untroubled, defeating 18-yearold compatriot Taylor Townsend, 6-3, 6-1 in just 55 minutes.

Williams, like Federer, a 17-time major winner, has failed to make it past the fourth round at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this year.

When the world number one won her first US Open in 1999, CiCi Bellis wasn’t even five months old.

But on Tuesday Bellis, ranked at a lowly 1,208 and aged just 15, knocked out Australian Open runner-up, Dominika Cibulkova, the 12th seed, 6-1,

4-6, 6-4 to become the youngest player to win a match at the US Open since Anna Kournikova in 1996.

Coric, the 17-year-old world number 204 who was junior champion in 2013, also made a stunning Grand Slam debut with a convincing 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 win over 29th-seeded Czech Lukas Rosol, the man who dumped Rafael Nadal out of Wimbledon two years ago.

The upset put Coric into a second-round clash with history-making Victor Estrella Burgos, the Dominican Republic’s first Grand Slam participant who is making his US Open debut at 34.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” said qualifier Coric, who arrived in New York with the goal of making it into the main draw. “I said to myself, ‘If I achieve that, that’s going to be perfect’.”

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova breezed into the second round with a 6-1, 6-0 rout of French number 73 Kristina Mladenovic.l

US’s Catherine Bellis returns a shot against Dominika Cibulkova during their women’s singles 1st round US Open match at the New York City yesterday AFP

India beat England by 133 runs to win 2nd ODI n AFP, Cardiff

India’s Suresh Raina bats during the second ODI against England at the SWALEC stadium in Cardiff yesterday REUTERS

India thrashed England by 133 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method to win the second one-day international at Cardiff on Wednesday.

World champions India, after losing the toss, made 304 for six in their 50 overs with Suresh Raina scoring exactly 100.

India had been in trouble at 19 for two after losing the toss before a stand of 91 between Rohit Sharma (52) and Ajinkya Rahane (41) repaired the early damage.

Raina and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (52) then picked up the pace in a fifth-wicket partnership of 144 in just 111 balls.

Chris Woakes (four for 52) and off-spinner James Tredwell (two for 42)

were the only England bowlers to take wickets.

England bowled 16 wides, with all-rounder Chris Jordan delivering 12 - the equivalent of two extra overs - during an expensive return of none for 73.

Rain during the mid-innings break left England chasing a revised target of 295 in 47 overs.

But they collapsed to 161 all out in 38.1 overs, with opener Alex Hales top-scoring with 40 on his one-day international debut.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took four for 28 in seven overs.

India lead the five-match series 1-0 after Monday’s first ODI in Bristol was washed out without a ball bowled.

The series continues at Trent Bridge on Saturday. l

cism over his slow strike-rate in limited overs cricket with a fine display of finesse and power hitting.

Captain De Villiers rode his luck after offering simple chances to Mitchell Johnson and George Bailey that were dropped when he had 78 and 85 respectively, and battled on through severe cramp to score 136 not out from 106 balls.

It is a welcome return to form for the right-hander, who had scored only 29 runs in three innings in test and ODI cricket on the tour before this match, and is the second highest score by a South African against Australia in limited overs matches. l

Ailing Benaud could call Tests from living room n AFP, Sydney Legendary cricket commentator Richie Benaud could call Australia’s Test series this summer against India from his home if he is not fit enough to be at the grounds, his boss said Wednesday.

The 83-year-old former Australia captain, who has worked in the commentary box since retiring from Test cricket in 1964, suffered chest and shoulder injuries during a car crash late last year.

It prevented him calling a single ball during the Ashes series against England last summer, and remains unclear whether he will be able to travel for the India series. Channel 9 has the cricket TV rights in Australia and chief executive David Gyngell told the Sydney Morning Herald that Benaud was so important he could call the games from his Sydney home. l

Zim’s Panyangara ‘expelled’ over Aussie video n AFP, Harare Seamer Tinashe Panyangara has been removed from the Zimbabwe squad for the remainder of the triangular series for sharing an intimidating video of Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson with his teammates.

A Zimbabwe Cricket media release confirmed that Panyangara had been “expelled” because of “indiscipline”.

It has subsequently been established that Panyangara was disciplined because on Sunday he sent his teammates a highlights package of Johnson from the Ashes series in Australia from Cricket Australia’s YouTube channel. Although the message was intended as a joke to Zimbabwe’s batsmen, their coach Stephen Mangongo and chief selector Givemore Makoni failed to see the funny side. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Thursday, August 28, 2014

R A I N T U R N S C I T Y S T R E E T S I N T O WAT E R W O R L D

Brief spells of rain in recent days have turned the potholed road in Malibagh into a regular trap for vehicles. The stagnant water hides the dilapidated condition of the road, causing vehicles to either overturn or get stuck in the holes. The pictures on the left show drivers and commuters struggling while passing the inundated road.

Top, Rickshaw-pullers wade through knee-high water on Nazimuddin Road, a low-lying area that experiences flooding whenever it rains heavily. Other areas in Old Dhaka, such as a mosque in Kaptan Bazar, above, also get inundated easily. Carrying out daily chores in ankle-deep water has become part of a routine for residents. A person is seen cooking while standing in stagnated water yesterday MEHEDI HASAN/MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Lawmen play ball with yaba peddlers Yaba dealer says in custody that most drives at the border are just eyewash

n Ashif Islam Shaon

through check posts without actually getting checked.”

The official also said: “We have got the names of some members of the law enforcement agencies and the BGB. After verifying the information, we will contact with the BGB authority take action against the members of the law enforcement agencies.”

He said: “Zubayeer and his gang bought Yaba pills at Tk130 per piece.

Law enforcers and BGB members took Tk20 for each piece of smuggled yaba.

After bringing the tablets to the capital, they sold them at Tk200 to the dealers.”

Zubayeer has also reportedly told detectives during interrogation that he lives in Cox's Bazar now, but he is originally from the Mondu district of Myanmar. He read up to grade seven in Myanmar. After finishing his secondary education in Dajeeling of India, he came back to Mondu. A few years later,

A yaba dealer in custody has told detectives that a section of police and BGB members are involved in smuggling at the border and most of their drives and seizures are nothing but an eyewash.

The law enforcers stationed at the border do not generally take part in direct peddling; rather they play ball with carriers in exchange for “commission on piece-rate basis.” They make sure that people carrying drugs pass through check posts without any hassle and the consignments reach Dhaka safely.

The drug dealer in custody said the law enforcers usually let the big consignments pass through, and conduct drives and seize yaba tablets from the smaller consignments. There has also been cases where it was found later that the seized tablets were all fake.

The Detective Branch (DB) of Police

got this information from a yaba dealer named Abdullah Zubayeer, who was picked up in the capital's Khilgaon area on Sunday.

A total of 55,000 yaba pills, a Mitsubishi Pajero SUV and some yaba-making equipment were seized from his possession. Three of his associates were also picked up during the drive. A Dhaka court later put Zubayeer and his associates on seven days' remand.

According to Zubayeer, consignments of yaba first reach the Bangladesh part of the Naf River in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar with the help of law enforcers. The drugs are then carried to Dhaka by road or by rail.

An official, who was part of the team that had grilled Zubayeer and his associates, said: “The members of BGB and other law enforcement agencies take a certain percentage from each consignment. They also help the carriers pass

Mentally challenged child raped n Tribune Report

BCL goes on rampage at Chittagong rail station

An eleven-year-old mentally challenged girl was brutally raped near the airport area in the capital on Tuesday night.

The child was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in a critical condition around 4:30am yesterday when she started to bleed excessively after the incident.

Mozammel Haque, in-charge of DMCH police outpost, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The child was first sent to a local clinic after she was rescued by the locals from in front of Hajj camp. Later, family members brought her to DMCH.” “The child went through an operation due to excessive bleeding,” he added.

The coordinator Bilkis Begum of One-stop Crisis Center (OCC) at DMCH said: “The victim said she was raped by one person and that the person took her forcefully. The victim might be transferred to OCC tomorrow. Now she is at the post operative ward.”

The victim's mother, a home maker, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We live at Dhobadia area near the airport. On Tuesday night, while I was working in the kitchen, I suddenly noticed that my child was missing. When I was asking around for her, locals informed me that they saw a body lying in front of Hajj camp.” l

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League vandalised the Chittagong Railway Station yesterday as they did not get tickets to their destinations.

All official activities at the station came to a halt following the incident, while demonstrations by the BCL men was going on when this report was filed at 11:30pm yesterday.

Station Master Jafor Ahmad said around 20-25 people entered the station manager’s room yesterday, asking about the status of the tickets they had demanded.

“Showing audacity, they started creating anarchy and causing vandalism without giving us any chance to look over their demand,” he said.

Commandant Abdur Razzak of Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNP) of Chittagong Railway Station said around 200 BCL men vandalised the station, causing a stop to all activities at the station.

Nurul Azim Roni, general secretary of the Chittagong city unit of the BCL, told Dhaka Tribune that they had re-

quested the Bangladesh Railway on August 20 for 340 tickets of Dhaka-bound Subarna Express for August 30.

“When I, along with my associates, went to the railway station to ask about our tickets, the railway officials swooped on us without any reason, leaving five of my activists injured while two of them were sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital,” he said.

The two injured Shakil and Arif, both activists of the BCL city unit, are receiving treatment at the CMCH. Yiasin Faruk, officer-in-charge of Government Railway Police (GRP) outpost at the station, said additional police forces have been deployed to calm the situation.

Over the incident, Bangladesh Railway (East) suspended two station staffs – Station Master Jafor Ahmad and Booking Clerk Mohammad Mohsin – and formed a five-member probe body, headed by Divisional Traffic Officer Firoz Iftekhar, to look into the matter, said Divisional Railway Manager Murad Hossain of Bangladesh Railway (East).

As of filing this report, a meeting was going on among the BCL, the RNB, the GRP and railway authorities. l

he shifted to Chittagong along with his family.

A couple of years later, Zubayeer started working for Haji Saiful, a local drug dealer from Cox's Bazar. Soon, he developed a good relationship with some Myanmarese yaba-makers and dealers and built his own smuggling racket.

He said he had earned enough money from the business to buy two luxurious flats at Niketan housing society in the capital's Gulshan and established own clearing and forwarding (C&F) agency.

Zubayeer said he had bought the SUV that police had seized from him, for Tk65 lakh from his Niketan neighbour Ratan six months ago.

The DB official said they were now checking the backgrounds of Ratan, who Zubayeer said was a garments accessories trader. l

SI suspended for torturing journalist n Our Correspondent, Kushtia A sub-inspector of police was suspended temporarily yesterday for torturing a special correspondent of Ekushey Television (ETV) in Kushtia on Monday night. The district police also apologised for the incident.

Sources said Akhil Poddar, special correspondent of ETV, was returning home to Khoksa upazila from Kushtia city on Tuesday night, when he was stopped by the police at the Batikamara rail gate. When the SI of Kumarkhali police station Abul Kalam Azad came to know that Akhil was a journalist, he started beating him. At one point police started stomping on Akhil with their boots, and broke his cell phone.

Later, police made Akhil sign a blank sheet and brought him to the police station. When other journalists came to know of the incident, they demonstrated in front of the police station.

After a while, police released Akhil, but when the journalists continued protesting, District Magistrate Syed Belal Hossain and Superintendent of Police Mafizuddin Ahmed visited the police station around 1pm yesterday and suspended the SI Azad and assured the protesters of taking due measures to punish him. l

Ayas to be driven out from DMCH wards Uzzal and n Moniruzzaman Ahmed Zayeef Following the recent alleged kidnapping of a newborn from the DMCH, the hospital’s director has issued directives to authorities concerned to immediately drive out over a hundred “special ayas,” or female attendants, who have been working at five gynaecology and postnatal wards.

Brig Gen Mustafizur Rahman, director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, also told the ward masters and fourthclass employees known as “sardars” to prepare a list of ayas who were currently working at the DMCH. Claiming that all doctors and staff at the hospital try their best to provide quality healthcare to thousands of patients every day, the director said incidents like the kidnapping of a child tarnished the efforts of the hospital team as well as ruining the positive image of the DMCH. Asked about the number of ayas currently working at the DMCH, the hospital’s Deputy Director Dr Musfiqur Rahman could not give an exact figure, but claimed that each ward had at least 1525 ayas working to serve the patients.

The ayas, none of whom are government-paid employees, work at the gynaecology, labour, caesarean and postnatal wards to assist pregnant woman and new mothers.

However, despite the directive from the hospital’s chief, when the Dhaka Tribune visited the wards yesterday evening it was found that the ayas were still working there.

Shamsul Alam, a ward master, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had not yet received any written order to oust the attendants.

Asked about the issue, Abdul Khalek, platoon commander of Ansar, said they have heard about the verbal order but were yet to receive an official directive on ousting the ayas.

After the newborn was kidnapped on August 21, allegations were raised that some hospital staff and security personnel might have been involved in the kidnapping of the child. Security concerns were also raised surrounding the unauthorised attendants like ayas and ward boys who were hired unofficially.

The latest move comes as Shahbagh police station and RAB 3 continue their efforts to locate the alleged kidnapper and rescue the newborn. Officials from

RAB 3 yesterday collected a copy of the visitor’s register book kept by the Ansar personnel, while senior DMCH officials told the Dhaka Tribune that the police have found that the phone number logged in the register book by the suspected kidnapper was issued under a different name.

On Tuesday, the family of the missing baby identified the woman suspected to have kidnapped the newborn, after going through video footage from CCTV cameras inside the hospital.

However, several hours of CCTV footage from the day was found to be blank, reportedly because a rat had cut the wire connecting the cameras to a memory storage device kept at the hospital director’s room. Dr Mustafizur admitted not having some footage from the day even though all CCTV cameras were functional on the day of the kidnapping.

The DMCH director’s Personal Assistant Abul Bashar noticed that the wire that was connected to the memory device was bitten off possibly by a rat, Dr Mustafizur said, adding that it was nothing but an accident.

Judicial probe into DMCH kidnapping

The High Court yesterday directed authorities concerned to conduct a judicial probe into the kidnapping of the newborn at the DMCH. The court also ordered the chief judicial metropolitan magistrate to assign a magistrate to conduct the investigation, as well as finding out the loopholes in wards of the DMCH and the administrative failures on the part of the hospital.

The High Court vacation bench of Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif and Justice Abu Taher Mohammad Saifur Rahman passed the suo moto order after taking into consideration a report published in English-language newspaper The Daily Star titled “Culprit fled as CCTV went off.”

The High Court also issued a suo moto rule asking why appropriate legal actions should not be taken against the authority concerned for the failure to give appropriate protection to the missing child.

The health secretary, the director general of directorate of health services, the DMCH director, and its concerned ward head along with the ward registrar have been made defendants of the rule. They were asked to give an explanation within four weeks. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

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B3 China foreign investment pattern changes as challenges grow

B4 Eurozone borrowing

costs fall to record lows

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Exclusive tourist zone proposal okayed Cabinet also approves civil aviation ministry’s tourism complex proposal under Tk50,000cr mega project n Asif Showkat Kallol The cabinet has approved proposals of constructing a tourism complex of international standard in Cox’s Bazar and an exclusive tourist zone in Teknaf under a Tk50,000 crore master plan for tourism sector.

The master plan undertaken by civil aviation and tourism ministry one and half years ago is to transform Cox’s Bazar and Kuakata into international class tourist spots.

According to official sources, the projects to be implemented under public-private partnership initiative are expected to have a significant impact on the country’s tourism sector.

The cabinet committee on economic affairs gave approval to the proposals at a meeting yesterday with Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the chair.

Under the proposals, the civil aviation ministry will construct a five-star international hotel at a cost of Tk350 crore as tourism complex in the present Upal Motel area in Cox’s Bazar.

Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) runs Upal Motel which has a total of 5.76 acres land, according to a BPC survey.

The Exclusive Tourist Zone will be constructed on 1,164.85 acres of land.

However, the cost is yet to be estimated.

Of the land, the khas land will be 937.46 acres while the rest will be acquired from areas under the land ministry.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasan announced twice to build an exclusive tourist zone in Cox’s Bazar.

Recently, the tourism ministry sent the proposals to PPP office as the United Arab Emirates backtracked from their initial decision to implement the projects without mentioning any reason, said officials.

“The local investors have already held initial talks about investment in the Cox’s Bazar exclusive tourist zone and tourism complex. It will be constructed under the PPP initiative,” Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon told Dhaka Tribune yesterday after the cabinet committee meeting.

He said foreign investors were yet to offer any proposal of investment in the projects. But the minister hoped when the mega project is completed, it will attract foreign investors.

In early 2013 an inter-ministerial meeting held at finance ministry rolled out the mega-project of Tk500bn to implement it in a 10-year period.

The projects also include adding more natural beauty in those areas, development of communication system, building hotels, restaurants, an international marine university and other entertainment facilities zones like sports outlets including venue for international cricket.

The master plan will focus on developing five areas of Cox’s Bazar including Ramu, Ukhiya and two areas of Teknaf including Shah Porir Dip and St Martin’s Island. The Shah Porir Dip will be exclusive beach for foreign tourists as per the Cox’s Bazar development master plan.

The civil aviation minister said they have already divided the Cox’s Bazar beach into four categories including exclusive beach zone, concert and ordinary beach zones.

On February 10 in 2012 the cabinet approved the draft of Cox’s Bazar Development Authority Act, 2012 to facilitate planned development of the beach town and safeguard its ecological balance.

Cox’s Bazar is known for its wide sandy beach which is the world’s longest natural sandy sea beach. It is an unbroken 125 km sandy sea beach with a gentle slope. l

The much-hyped water buses launched just four years ago run on the back foot now, struggling to draw commuters and limping along in the capital’s circular water route, despite a series of plans and efforts to promote services. The picture was taken on the day of inauguration of the buses on August 28, 2010 SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Dhaka may sign waterways deal with Delhi to promote tourism in Bangladesh n Tribune report Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said the government will sign a contract with India to thrive on tourism on the country’s waterways.

“We will introduce river-based tourism across the country to draw foreign tourists and launch a publicity campaign,” he said.

The minister came up with the disclosure after a meeting with the cabinet committee on tourism at his secretariat office yesterday.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali,

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon, Home Minister Asaduzzam Khan Kamal, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan attended cabinet meeting.

Muhith said: “We had a contract on waterways with India in 1965, and under this contract, the cargoes or goods used to be transported between the countries.”

Bangladesh has such agreement with the neighbouring country on passengers’ travel by road and railways, and now an agreement on waterways needs to be signed with the

Indian government.

The minister said Bangladesh will be connected with the international cruise routes stretching along Chennai–Kolkata–Kuakata-Mongla-Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf-Saint Martin-Myanmar–Phuket (Thailand) - Penang-Kuala Lumpur-Singapore to raise the number of tourists.

“We will declare the year of 2016 tourism year, and arrange tourism festival in 2018-19 fiscal.”

Regarding the security of tourists, he said the government would enhance the security of visitors who will come

Action Committee calls to employ 1,600 jobless Tuba Group workers

Sluggish money market eats up BB profit

n Tribune Report

n Tribune Report

Tuba Group Workers Action Committee called upon the stakeholders to ensure jobs for 1,600 workers who were rendered jobless due to the shutdown of the group’s five RMG units.

Moshrefa Mishu, convenor of the committee, made the call at a media briefing in the city yesterday.

On August 18, the Tuba Group owner announced the closure of five of his factories in line with article 13(1) of Labour Act 2006.

In her address, Mishu threatened to wage tough movement and continue till their demands are met.

At the briefing, she made a threepoint demand including reopening of the closed factories, ensuring jobs security for 1,600 workers of the group, scrapping of Delowar’s bail and punishment for him as he was alleged to have killed workers deliberately in Tazreen Fashions.

To realise their demands, the Tuba Group workers’ platform will hold a sitin in front of the National Press Club on August 29 and stage demonstration in front of the Labour and Employment Ministry on September 7.

Mishu, also the president of Garment

Profit of Bangladesh Bank dropped by 19.27% to Tk3,351.82 crore in the fiscal year 2013-14 compared to Tk4152.37 crore in previous fiscal year due to sluggish investment climate accompanied by the growing idle liquidity.

The central bank, however, will be able to contribute worth Tk1562.78 crore to the national exchequer as its profit for the last fiscal year.

The operating profit of the bank increased by Tk293 crore in FY13 compared to Tk3,859 crore in FY12.

Bangladesh Bank board yesterday approved the financial statement of the bank. The statement was audited by foreign audit firm KPMG Lower Gulf Limited, Dubai and local firm Rahman Rahman Huq, Bangladesh.

The central bank had to mop up money from the market through interest bearing reverse repo that contributed to reduce overall profit, said Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Abul Quasem.

Moreover, income from foreign sources declined due to the falling interest rate in global market and lower government borrowing from the banking system also help to reduce the prof-

Workers Unity Forum, criticised Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan for his recent involvement in the RMG sectors.

“There is no country in the world, where a minister represents his ministry and RMG workers simultaneously,” said Mishu.

In the name of Workers Coordination Council of so-called 53 organisations, the minister is trying to rein in the RMG sector, but failing to protect his own sector from facing frequent mishaps, alleged Mishu.

Mishu termed the closure of those factories illegal, adding that the gov-

ernment in the face of pressure also termed the shutdown illegal.

The closure of Tuba Fashions, Tuba Textiles, Mita Design, Taif Design and Bughsan Garments made over 1,600 workers jobless.

On July 28, at least 1,200 workers of the five factories went on an indefinite strike at Hossain Market in Badda area, demanding payment of three months’ wages, overtime and Eid bonuses.

Following the demonstrations, BGMEA under the government pressure paid two months’ wages to more than 1,600 workers of Tuba Group. l

it of the central bank, he said.

“The central bank bought huge dollars from the market during the last fiscal year to keep stable exchange rate, which is one of the major reason for reducing the profit of the bank,” he added.

The central bank had to mop up money from the market through interest bearing reverse repo that contributed to reduce overall profit As Bangladesh Bank bought dollars from the banks through exchanging bills to manage inflation, it had to pay interest rate against the bills, which also helped in increasing its expenditures.

The central bank followed the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in preparing its financial report.

As a result, the foreign firm gave an Un-Qualified Opinion in favor of the central bank, said Quasem. l

to Bangladesh.

Terming the CHT special area for tourism, Muhith said the government will tighten security in the vicinity, plus strengthen the Cox’s Bazar protection dam.

He said the government needs to connect Cox’s Bazzar via railway and it is also necessary to introduce transportation to Kuakata by roads besides waterways communication.

“I traveled to Cox’s Bazar in 1962, but when I went there in 2010, I was spellbound by its beauty, and thought I had been in a different country.” l

Tofail: Sri Lanka keen to import 50,000 tonnes of rice n Trubune Business Desk

The Sri Lankan government has expressed interest to procure 50,000 metric tonnes of rice from Bangladesh, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said yesterday.

“At present, we have 1 lakh metric tonnes of surplus rice. The Sri Lankan government has showed interest to procure the rice through governmentgovernment arrangement,” he said.

Tofail was talking to reporters after a meeting with Russian Ambassador in Dhaka Alexander A Nikolaev at the Secretariat, reports UNB. The minister said though there had been a food crisis in the country when it had only 7.5 crore people, now there is no such crisis despite the fact that the country has 16 crore people.

Bangladesh has so far exported only aromatic rice in small quantities. In the last two fiscal years, export of aromatic rice amounted to Tk77 crore, according to government statistics.

Senior Commerce Secretary Hedayet Ullah Al Mamun was also present at the meeting. l

Investment Summit in Singapore on September 4 n Tribune Report The 2nd Bangladesh Investment Summit will be held in Singapore on September 4, which aims to make a platform for Asian investors for exchanging information.

The announcement came at a press conference at a city hotel yesterday, organised

by Standard Chartered and City Bank.

Standard Chartered is headline platinum

sponsor while City bank is platinum sponsor of the summit. Standard Chartered CEO Jim McCabe and City Bank CEO, among others, attended the press conference.

The daylong event is designed to examine trade and investment opportunities in Bangladesh for the Asia-based asset managers, private banks, family offices, private equity firms and corporations, according to officials.

“The summit is not for raising money

but for creating opportunity of collecting information for better investments,” said Jim McCabe.

He said the investors can find a way of raising money outside Bangladesh attending the event. Sohali RK Hussain hoped the summit would help to increase foreign fund inflow into the country. He said foreign investment would put pressure on local banks to reduce interest rate and local cur-

rency Taka will soon become lucrative like dollar to the investors.

The panel discussions at the summit will include mapping economic growth, risks and the regulatory landscape.

They will also accommodate Bangladesh’s journey to diversify its export and outsourcing sectors, developments in debt capital market, mapping infrastructural projects and harnessing funds. l

B2

Stocks edge higher amid volatility n Tribune Report

'Short-term rhythmic bullish movement faced some resistance due to selling spree and profit booking' The Shariah index gained 6 points or 0.4% to 1,073. The comprising blue chips DS30 closed at 1,735, rising 6 points or 0.2%.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, was up 6 points to 8,681.

Trading activities declined steeply as the DSE turnover came down to Tk578 crore, down more than 27% over the previous session.

Lanka Bangla Securities said after a volatile trading session market rose and built on the previous day’s gain. Though morning trading

DSE LOSER

Square Pharma -A S.B. 1st M. F.-A Midas Financing-Z Progressive Life-A NLI 1st M F-A GPH Ispat Ltd-A Samorita Hospital -A aamra technologies-A Central Pharm-A Bay Leasing.-A

Closing (% Change) -10.55 -8.75 -6.25 -5.07 -4.94 -4.52 -4.46 -4.38 -4.26 -3.90

CSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

Square Pharma -A Kay & Que (BD) -Z S.B. 1st M. F.-A Provati Insur.-A NLI 1st M F-A NCCBL Mutual Fund-1-A Beach Hatchery -A Brac Bank -A Summit Power -A Prime Finance-A

-11.13 -9.60 -8.97 -7.66 -7.23 -6.67 -4.90 -4.29 -3.90 -3.70

4599.46962

(+) 0.58%

1734.93241

(-) 0.00%

14199.22500

(+) 0.56%

11673.25580

(+) 0.43%

8680.96730

(+) 0.70%

Average (% Change) -10.89 -8.75 -4.90 -6.43 -6.85 -3.27 -4.12 -1.69 -2.18 -2.58 Average (% Change) -10.85 -9.60 -8.59 -7.66 -5.85 -7.50 -1.52 -2.11 -0.95 -3.79

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 244.45 7.30 13.79 94.48 7.62 47.06 93.74 37.70 41.20 27.21

ClosingAvg. 244.57 11.30 7.13 20.50 7.73 5.55 23.39 26.90 39.66 18.30

5,784.14 145,556,072

Number of Contract

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index :

Company

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume)

Closing

▲ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲

DHIGH

245.00 7.30 13.50 95.40 7.70 46.50 92.10 37.10 40.50 27.10

Closing

248.00 7.60 14.00 95.50 7.80 49.30 95.90 39.20 43.00 28.60

DHIGH

243.50 11.30 7.10 20.50 7.70 5.60 23.30 26.80 39.40 18.20

249.00 11.30 7.20 20.60 7.80 5.60 24.10 27.90 41.00 18.90

122,638

Traded Issues

298

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

143

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

145 10

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,409.66

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.21

CSE key features August 27-2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

418.13

Turnover (Volume)

13,224,429

Number of Contract

17,014

Traded Issues

222

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

92

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

126

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,311.34

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.02

Turnover in Million

225.00 7.20 13.00 93.00 7.50 44.00 90.00 35.00 38.20 26.00

Latest EPS

329.909 10.562 0.084 0.127 5.930 27.375 2.609 68.938 51.868 9.845

10.04 1.42 -6.91 2.30 1.41 2.35 2.20 1.39 2.09 2.32

Turnover in Million

DLOW 240.00 11.30 7.10 20.40 7.70 5.50 22.10 25.20 39.00 18.00

Alltex Industries -Z Standard Ceramic -A Dulamia CottonZ Asia Pasific Insu. -A National Tea -A 2nd ICB M F -A FAR Chemical-N ICB AMCL 1st NRB -A GQ Ball PenA Safko Spinning-A

Latest EPS

23.023 0.006 0.207 0.082 0.046 0.011 1.233 1.009 5.074 1.789

10.04 -1.24 1.42 1.52 1.41 0.46 1.70 2.91 3.54 1.02

Latest PE 24.3 5.1 -ve 41.1 5.4 20.0 42.6 27.1 19.7 11.7

Closing (% Change)

Central Insur -A Alltex Industries -Z Paramount Insur-A GreenDeltaInsu -A Safko Spinning-A Salvo Chemicals-B FAR Chemical-N Agni Systems -A Apex SpinningA City G Insu.-A

9.79 9.23 8.29 6.58 5.58 5.08 5.02 4.58 4.36 3.83

Average (% Change) 9.79 8.27 8.29 5.37 6.44 4.23 2.45 2.33 4.36 3.26

ClosingAvg. 6.96 48.10 6.77 20.45 830.00 256.00 53.58 25.14 112.42 22.82

ClosingAvg. 25.80 7.07 19.60 86.30 22.80 20.68 53.18 26.83 67.00 19.00

Closing 7.00 48.10 7.00 21.50 830.00 256.50 54.90 25.10 113.90 22.60

Closing 25.80 7.10 19.60 87.50 22.70 20.70 54.40 27.40 67.00 19.00

DHIGH 7.00 48.10 7.00 21.90 830.00 256.60 55.00 25.80 114.90 23.30

DHIGH 25.80 7.10 19.60 87.50 23.50 21.00 55.00 27.90 67.00 19.00

DLOW 6.90 48.10 6.50 20.00 830.00 256.40 51.60 24.90 99.00 20.60

DLOW 25.70 6.90 19.60 87.50 22.00 20.30 51.60 25.50 67.00 19.00

Turnover in Million 1.019 0.024 0.021 1.227 0.042 0.064 34.748 0.088 4.375 21.238

Turnover in Million 0.155 0.212 0.020 0.019 1.197 5.294 2.313 5.215 0.013 0.019

Latest EPS -1.24 1.32 -4.13 2.26 -27.68 33.24 3.92 4.57 2.34 1.06

Latest EPS 3.14 -1.24 1.18 1.90 1.06 1.10 3.92 1.27 2.24 2.04

Latest PE -ve 36.4 -ve 9.0 -ve 7.7 13.7 5.5 48.0 21.5

Latest PE 8.2 -ve 16.6 45.4 21.5 18.8 13.6 21.1 29.9 9.3

From TradeServers: SIBL: BSEC has given consent under the provisions of the Securities and Exchange Commission (Private Placement of Debt Securities) Rules, 2012, for raising of capital

by Social Islami Bank Limited amounting to Tk. 300.00 crore only through issuance of Mudaraba Subordinated Bond. The consent has been accorded subject to the condition that the Company shall comply with the relevant laws and regulatory requirements, and also shall adhere to the conditions imposed by BSEC under Section-2CC of the Securities and Exchange Ordinance, 1969.

POPULARLIF: (H/Y): As per un-audited half yearly accounts as on 30.06.2014 (Jan'14 to June'14), the Company has reported an increase in life insurance fund of Tk. 1,480.03 million with total life insurance fund of Tk. 26,274.17 million as against Tk. 1,996.69 million and Tk. 22,709.31 million respectively for the same period of the previous year. Whereas increase in life insurance fund was Tk. 434.60 million for the period of 3 months (Apr'14 to June'14) ended on 30.06.2014 as against Tk. 692.30 million for the same period of the previous year.

SIBL: The Company has further informed that the purpose of issuance of SIBL Mudaraba Subordinated Bond is to further strengthen the Tire-II Capital base of the Bank.

IPO Shares Credited: Tung Hai Knitting & Dyeing Ltd.: All concerned are hereby informed that the IPO shares of Tung Hai Knitting & Dyeing Ltd. have been credited through CDBL to the respective BO A/Cs on 26 August 2014 except 711 BO Accounts which were found closed in the system.

IPO Subscription: Khan Brothers PP Woven Bag Industries Ltd. subscription date 24-28 August 2014, NRB upto 06 September 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. Western Marine Shipyard Limited subscription date 10-14 August 2014, NRB upto 23 August 2014. @ taka 35, face value taka 10 and market lot 100.

Right Share: MIDASFIN: Subscription period for rights issue will be from 01.09.2014 to 30.09.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 03.08.2014.

ICB: Subscription period for rights issue will be from 07.12.2014 to 30.12.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 09.09.2014.

Dividend/AGM BSCCL: 10% cash, AGM: 12.10.2014, Record date: 04.09.2014.

PRAGATILIF: No dividend, AGM: 30.09.2014, Record date: 14.09.2014.

GPHISPAT: 15% cash and 5% stock, AGM: 10.11.2014, Record date: 22.09.2014.

Dividend of Mutual Funds: 1JANAT AMF: 12.50% 'Re-Investment' Units.

EXIM1STMF: 12% 'Re-Investment' Units.

IFIC1STMF: 9% 'Re-Investment' Units.

FBFIF: 10% 'Re-Investment' Units.

TRUSTB1MF: 10% Re-Investment Units.

EBL1STMF: 7% cash dividend. PHPMF1: 10% Re-Investment Units.

EBLNRBMF: 10% Re-Investment Units.

ABB1STMF: 10% Re-Investment Units.

POPULAR1MF: 12% Re-Investment Units.

DBH1STMF: 0.60% cash dividend.

GREENDELMF: No dividend.

GRAMEENS2: 15% reinvestment units, GRAMEEN1: 30% reinvestment units.

AIMS1STMF: 50% 'Re-Investment' Units as dividend, RELIANCE1: 11% cash dividend . Record date. Record date: 01.09.2014.

APEXFOODS: 20% cash, AGM: 28.09.2014, Record date: 21.08.2014.

APEXTANRY: 45% cash, AGM: 23.09.2014, Record date: 27.08.2014.

DELTASPINN: 10% cash, AGM: 30.08.2014, Record date: 14.08.2014.

NAVANACNG: 15% cash, AGM: 25.09.2014, Record Date: 10.08.2014.

SUNLIFEINS: 5% stock, AGM: 15.09.2014, Record Date: 07.08.2014.

SQURPHARMA: 30% cash and 15% stock, AGM: 25.09.2014, Record Date: 26.08.2014. NAV of Tk. 22,277.52 million, EPS of Tk. 8.36.

APEXSPINN: 20% cash, AGM: 28.09.2014, Record date: 07.08.2014. EPS Tk. 2.24, NAV per share of Tk. 49.75.

Latest PE 24.4 -ve 5.0 13.5 5.5 12.1 13.8 9.2 11.2 17.9

Additionally, out of 297 traded stocks, 49 observed more than 3% price change, reflecting significant volatility in the market

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY 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

Average (% Change) 7.41 8.90 12.83 1.89 6.41 5.89 2.13 5.76 4.42 6.84

News, analysis and recent disclosers

Company

DSE Million Taka 393.34 206.77 86.87 821.41 219.17 805.90 1.18 496.44 1105.84 115.88 75.96 19.59 31.20 191.21 144.60 58.71 39.01 221.81 273.08 472.08 4.09

9.38 9.07 7.69 6.44 6.41 6.04 5.98 5.91 5.76 5.61

Company

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Sector

Closing (% Change)

CSE GAINER

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

DLOW

Thursday, August 28, 2014

DSE GAINER

DSE key features August 27-2014

spooked by the hefty selling pressure in financial stocks, food and allied, telco and pharma sectors came to rescue the market.

IDLC Investments said despite session-long volatility, large cap stocks held up the bourse to end in positive territory. With third consecutive session’s positivity, DSEX closed marginally below 4,600 points.

Additionally, out of 297 traded stocks, 49 observed more than 3% price change, reflecting significant volatility in the market, it said.

“Short-term rhythmic bullish movement faced some resistance due to selling spree and profit booking.”

Zenith Investments said investors booked some profits on the stocks that have steadily increased over the past few days, and for which a slight correction is totally normal.

The overall market condition still looks quite promising as funds are cycling quickly in and out of stock market through profit taking and reinvestment, it said.

Losers took a marginal lead over the gainers as out of 297 issues traded, 134 declined, 131 advanced and 32 remained unchanged on the DSE floor.

Beximco Limited continued to top the turnover chart for the six straight sessions with shares worth Tk36 crore changing hands, followed by Beximco Pharma, Square Pharma, Mobil Jamuna Limited Bangladesh and Golden Son. l

Stocks edged higher amid volatility yesterday with sharpest drop in trading activities.

The market moved between positive and negative throughout the session, but moderate buying in the wee hour particularly on food and allied, telecommunication and pharmaceuticals helped the market to close marginally higher.

The benchmark DSEX rose more than 8 points or 0.2% to 4,599, extending the gaining streak for the third consecutive session.

Company

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

% change 6.80 3.57 1.50 14.20 3.79 13.93 0.02 8.58 19.12 1.31 0.34 0.54 3.31 2.50 1.01 0.67 3.83 4.72 8.16 0.07

Million Taka 20.01 11.09 5.29 40.66 13.37 40.40 38.79 62.33 32.65 4.58 6.25 2.60 11.94 35.46 10.71 1.86 21.45 50.37 51.12 0.05

CSE

% change 4.34 2.41 1.15 8.82 2.90 8.76 0.00 8.41 13.52 7.08 0.99 1.36 0.57 2.59 7.69 2.32 0.40 4.65 10.93 11.09 0.01

Million Taka 413.35 217.86 92.15 862.07 232.54 846.30 1.18 535.23 1168.17 148.53 80.54 25.84 33.80 203.16 180.06 69.42 40.87 243.25 323.45 523.20 4.15

Total

% change 6.62 3.49 1.48 13.80 3.72 13.55 0.02 8.57 18.71 2.38 1.29 0.41 0.54 3.25 2.88 1.11 0.65 3.90 5.18 8.38 0.07

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

BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Beximco Pharma -A Square Pharma -A MJL BD Ltd.-A Golden Son -A Grameenphone-A UNITED AIR-A BSRM Steels-A BD Building Systems -A Titas Gas TDCLA

Khulna Printing-N Summit Power -A

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BEXIMCO Ltd. -A UNITED AIR-A Khulna Printing-N Square Pharma -A Beximco Pharma -A Grameenphone-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Republic Insu.-A BD Submarine Cable-A Appollo Ispat CL -N

BSC-A Orion Pharma-N

VolumeShares 8,539,817 6,019,302 1,349,621 2,039,250 4,464,191 557,887 13,219,886 1,708,174 2,335,250 1,444,451

3,192,000 2,735,071 VolumeShares

987,258 3,053,657 765,000 94,140 224,644 39,000 85,567 352,000 58,429 289,800

13,235 158,120

Value in Million 361.25 340.12 329.91 236.38 219.20 178.49 173.91 164.69 151.38 118.27

% of TotalTurnover 6.25 5.88 5.70 4.09 3.79 3.09 3.01 2.85 2.62 2.04

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

115.27 108.63

41.73 40.04 27.50 23.02 12.75 12.48 9.84 8.98 8.97 8.72

8.14 8.07

1.99 1.88

10.04 9.64 6.62 5.54 3.07 3.00 2.37 2.16 2.16 2.10

1.96 1.94

ClosingP 42.00 57.00 245.00 113.40 48.70 325.40 12.70 95.30 65.00 81.80

34.90 39.50

ClosingP

42.00 12.80 35.00 243.50 57.40 324.20 113.20 26.70 152.20 30.00

610.50 51.20

Change % -3.00 1.79 -10.55 -3.08 1.46 2.52 3.25 -3.54 3.50 1.74

-3.59 -3.66

Change %

-3.00 3.23 -3.31 -11.13 1.77 2.24 -3.25 -0.37 -2.19 0.67

-0.97 -0.58

ClosingY 43.30 56.00 273.90 117.00 48.00 317.40 12.30 98.80 62.80 80.40

36.20 41.00

ClosingY

43.30 12.40 36.20 274.00 56.40 317.10 117.00 26.80 155.60 29.80

616.50 51.50

DHIGH

DLOW

46.00 60.00 248.00 124.90 49.90 329.00 13.50 98.90 66.00 84.10

39.00 50.40 225.00 106.00 43.40 302.00 11.10 91.00 57.00 72.60

DHIGH

DLOW

43.40 13.60 37.70 249.00 58.90 328.00 118.60 26.70 156.80 30.50

41.60 12.70 34.60 240.00 54.30 313.00 111.50 26.50 152.00 29.80

37.60 41.60

634.00 52.20

34.70 37.00

606.30 50.00

AvgPrice 42.30 56.51 244.45 115.91 49.10 319.94 13.16 96.42 64.82 81.88

36.11 39.72

AvgPrice

42.27 13.11 35.95 244.57 56.74 319.92 115.01 25.51 153.52 30.09

614.87 51.07

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

China foreign investment pattern changes as challenges grow

Fdi falls

Non-financial foreign direct investment was $7.81bn in July, the lowest in two years, and fell an annual 0.4% in the first seven months of the year.

Chinese regulators have warned against reading too much into a single monthly FDI figure, and many economists agree.

Still, in the context of July data that included softness in manufacturing, lending, housing prices and fixed-asset investment, the numbers have prompted some debate.

The FDI slowdown was led by a sharp decline in investment from Ja-

A man walks at the financial district of Pudong in Shanghai pan, which plunged 45% in the first seven months of 2014; Europe, down 17.5%; and the United States, off 17.4%.

“There are other geographies in Asia that are definitely more attractive for manufacturing,” said Matt Koon, consulting manager at Tractus Asia in Shanghai.

At the same time, there has been an increase in funds flowing into stocks via exchange-traded funds (ETF) in Hong Kong from foreign investors, who cannot yet invest directly in mainland equities.

ETFs under the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) scheme had net inflows of 8.2bn yuan ($1.3bn) last month, the highest since December 2012 and nearly doubling from June, according to Morningstar data.

Launched in 2011, RQFII enables institutions to use offshore yuan to invest

Oil prices up ahead of US stockpiles report n AFP, Singapore Oil prices rose in Asia yesterday as dealers await the latest US stockpiles report for clues about demand in the world’s top crude consumer, while buying was boosted by upbeat economic data out of Washington.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October delivery was up three cents at $93.89 while Brent crude for October jumped 22 cents to $102.72 in afternoon trade. The US Department of Energy will release the official petroleum stockpiles report for the week to August 22 later Wednesday.

Analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires expect crude oil reserves to have dropped by 900,000 barrels on average.

Euro weak as dollar stays firm on US confidence n AFP, Tokyo The euro sat around its lowest levels against the dollar in nearly a year in Asia on yesterday, with investors betting on fresh easing measures from the European Central Bank while the greenback was boosted by upbeat US data.

The single currency slipped to $1.3151 in Tokyo morning trade - down from $1.3169 in New York Tuesday and the lowest level since September - before edging back up to $1.3660. It also slipped to 136.89 yen from 137.03 yen.

The euro-dollar “continues lower in anticipation of new easing measures being announced by the ECB next week”, National Australia Bank said in a note.

The ECB announced unprecedented easing measures in June but its head Mario Draghi hinted at a further relaxing of policy as he looks to ward off deflation in the eurozone. The bank will hold a decision-making Governing Council meeting in Frankfurt on September 4.

The dollar held firm after the Conference Board said consumer confidence

n Reuters, Shanghai China’s foreign investment mix is changing, with portfolio investors buying more stocks but foreign direct investment falling to a two-year low on a slowing economy, rising business costs and anti-monopoly probes and crackdowns on foreign firms.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in China fell in over the first seven months of 2014 compared with a year earlier, while the offshore funds flowing into mainland stocks hit the highest in more than two years last month.

A plateau in foreign investment could be a challenge for China, as it offers manufacturers an alternative source of capital to the banking system.

Any shortfall is unlikely to be made up by portfolio flows, which favour more liquid stocks and are limited by quotas.

“Foreign capital coming here needs to get a lot more discriminatory,” said Gary Reischel, founder of venture capital firm Qiming Venture Partners in Shanghai, referring to overall investment.

The stock market has risen for the past six weeks, its longest streak since March 2012, after being among the worst performers in the first half of the year.

Investors are drawn to Chinese shares by low valuations for large-cap shares after a four-year slump, a rallying yuan, and the prospect of a pilot project to allow foreigners to buy yuandenominated stocks on mainland exchanges.

Gasoline inventories are projected to have fallen by one million barrels and distillates, including heating oil and diesel, are estimated to have declined by 600,000 barrels. A decline in US stockpiles typically indicates strong demand in the world’s biggest economy, supporting global prices.

Desmond Chua, market analyst at CMC Markets in Singapore, said investors have also been buoyed by “a string of strong economic data in the US”.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that consumer confidence rose for a fourth straight month to its strongest level since February 2008. Also, durable goods orders surged in July to a new monthly record, according to the Commerce Department. l

Green Delta Insurance Company Limited has recently organised a corporate night for its valuable corporate business partners in Chittagong. The company’s managing director and CEO Farzana Chowdhury was present on the occasion

in the mainland’s securities markets.

The net inflow in July was the equivalent to 14.5% of assets under management. A year earlier, there were outflows equivalent to 9.9% of assets under management.

Hostile environment

FDI has risen each year since China joined the World Trade Organisation in 2001, hitting a record $118bn last year, with manufacturing a main destination.

But Beijing’s plans to make the economy more reliant on domestic consumption could not only temper the inflows, but change the composition. Indeed, FDI in manufacturing fell in the first seven months of 2014 while it rose in services.

Many economists argue that China is losing attractiveness due to reasons

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

REUTERS

such as persistently increasing costs for labour, relatively higher prices for energy and expensive industrial property.

Coincidentally or not, the slowdown in FDI this year follows a campaign pillorying foreign firms for crimes including bribery, discriminatory pricing, monopolistic behaviour, and poor quality control - which has led to massive fines and detentions by police.

“The more aggressive stance of Chinese regulators is doubtless galling to foreign executives, but it is unlikely to eliminate their interest,” Arthur Kroeber, economist at Dragonomics, wrote in a research note, adding some firms had made so much profit that they can “easily afford to pay the fine and go on its merry way minting money in the Middle Kingdom.” l

rose for a fourth straight month to its strongest level since February 2008.

Also, durable goods orders surged in July to a new monthly record, according to the Commerce Department.

The greenback bought 104.01 yen in Tokyo, against 104.05 yen in New York.

Eyes are now on the release of revised US growth figures for April-June, which could add fuel to speculation that the Federal Reserve will raise its key interest rate sooner than later.

The dollar was mostly lower against other Asia-Pacific currencies.

It dipped to Sg$1.2485 from Sg$1.2503 on Tuesday, to 31.91 Thai baht from 31.93 baht and to 11,700.00 Indonesian rupiah from 11,710.10 rupiah.

The greenback fell to 1,014.25 South Korean won from 1,017.04 won, to 43.68 Philippine pesos from 43.81 pesos and to Tw$29.93 from Tw$29.96.

The dollar fetched 60.49 Indian rupees against 60.48 rupees.

The Australian dollar rose to 93.18 US cents from 92.89 cents, while the Chinese yuan bought 16.89 yen against 16.84 yen. l

Japan Abe aide Hamada: Could do next sales tax hike in stages n Reuters, Tokyo Japan could soften the impact of a planned sales tax increase by raising it in stages rather than IN a single hike, an outside adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on yesterday.

Koichi Hamada, professor emeritus of economics at Yale University, also told Reuters that Abe should focus on structural reforms and slash corporate taxes deeper than currently planned to boost the economy and attract investment.

Abe raised the sales tax in April to 8% from 5% to curb Japan’s runaway government debt. The increase hit consumption, sending the economy into its worst fall in the second quarter since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The premier is to decide around the

end of the year whether to proceed with another planned hike, to 10%, in October 2015. “As we have seen, the shock from the consumption tax hike could be large,” Hamada said in an interview. “So, ideally, we could raise it in a staged manner, such as 1 percentage point in October 2015 and another point after that.”

Abe’s government plans to cut the corporate tax rate - among the highest in the world at more than 35% - to less than 30% over several years. Details of the exact scale and timing of the cuts have not been decided.

“A drastic corporate tax cut would attract investment to Japan from abroad as well as domestically,” Hamada said. “This would help to revitalize the Japanese economy, which will help expand the tax base.” l

After disasters, stricken Malaysia Airlines staff brace for job cuts n Reuters, Kuala Lumpur As bodies from downed Flight MH17 were brought home last week, a group of Malaysia Airlines flight attendants, in black mourning headscarves contrasting with their pink and turquoise uniforms, sobbed and clung to each other in grief.

The 19,500 staff of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) now face a new ordeal - a quarter of them may lose their jobs at the unprofitable airline, hit by two jet disasters this year. Flight MH370 remains untraced since its disappearance en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March.

Deep job losses, route cuts and a

change of leadership are expected to feature in a restructuring plan being prepared by Malaysia’s government for announcement as early as Thursday, when MAS also reports second-quarter results. Likely the last before being delisted, the numbers are expected to show plunging ticket sales and heavy losses even before July’s shooting down of MH17 over Ukraine.

As state fund Khazanah Nasional, the majority owner, prepares to take the company private and inject efficiency into the airline, it must tackle crumbling staff morale and win over the powerful main labor union if turnaround efforts are to succeed.

“MAS is suffering from an image problem and a problem with the staff,” said Nik Huslan, former chief pilot at MAS. “They have to find someone the staff can respect and rally behind.”

Even before the lost aircraft tragedies, airline insiders said staff discontent had been growing for years due to strategy U-turns, leadership changes and poor career prospects.

One of the region’s most prestigious and fastest-growing airlines in the 1990s, MAS has steadily fallen behind high-end rivals such as Singapore Airlines and been battered by the rise of Asia’s budget carriers like AirAsia. The company hasn’t made an annual profit

since 2010.

This year’s twin disasters have caused new stresses. A total of 186 MAS flight crew quit between January and July, many of them due to family pressure not to fly after the crashes, MAS says. Over 5,000 MAS staff work as cabin crew or pilots and the airline says the resignation rate has now returned to normal.

About a quarter of MAS staff are likely to lose their jobs under Khazanah’s plan, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The pill is likely to be sweetened with costly redundancy packages and offers of jobs at other state enterprises. l

Concord, a real estate company has recently organised a programme to promote uses of eco-friendly construction materials in the country. Anwar Hossain Manju, Minister at the Ministry of Environment and Forest attended the programme as chief guest along with Concord Group chairperson SM Kamaluddin Coca-Cola Bangladesh recently selected Masthead PR as its media strategist. Shadab Khan, country manager of Coca-Cola Bangladesh and CEO of Masthead PR, Fahad Karim attended the signing ceremony, among others, on this regard

Aparup Chowdhury has recently joined Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation as its chairperson. He is an additional secretary to the country’s government. He has completed his MSc degree in Zoology, MBA degree in human resource management and also achieved a PhD degree for a research work Busbd.com and Grameenphone Limited have recently signed an agreement to provide e-ticketing service for bus tickets. Ashfaq A Rahman, managing director of Busbd.com and Choudhury Shobuctogin Rafique, head of internet retail development & management at Grameenphone signed the agreement

NRB Commercial Bank Limited has recently opened its 21st branch at Banani in Dhaka. The bank’s chairperson Engr Farasath Ali inaugurated the branch

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Eurozone borrowing costs fall to record lows n AFP, Paris The cost of borrowing for eurozone countries fell to record low levels on yesterday, despite gloom over the economic outlook and crisis over economic policy in France.

The bond interest rates are falling following comments made by the head of the European Central Bank assuring that deflation will be kept at bay.

The interest rate or yield indicated by traded German 10-year bonds, the benchmark for the eurozone, fell to a record low level of 0.915% from 0.939% late on Tuesday.

The rate for French 10-year debt fell to a record low of 1.249% from 1.275%, against a background of the formation of a new government in France following the shock dismissal on Monday of economy minister Arnaud Montebourg, who had criticised economic policy.

Records were also broken for Italian and Spanish 10-year debt. The Italian yield fell to 2.372% from 2.413%,

Maker of $33 smartphone hails ‘new era’ for India n AFP, New Delhi The maker of a new $33 smartphone billed as India’s cheapest said yesterday it aims to sell half a million in the next three months in what it called a “new era” for the market.

Indian mobile phone maker Intex has teamed up with California-based Mozilla - the non-profit organisation behind the Firefox open-source web browser - to create a cheaper alternative to Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy.

Intex spokeswoman Joyeeta Mitra said the handset, which went on sale this week, was aimed at first-time smartphone buyers and was the cheapest yet to hit the market.

“We’re moving into a new era in smartphones,” Mitra told AFP. “This is a user-friendly handset that can help people onto smartphones and onto the Internet.

“We have big expectations that this phone will find a large market and we are expect 500,000 sales in the first three months.”

The company is initially targeting the Indian market but expects to expand sales to other countries in Asia, she said.

India’s smartphone market is growing rapidly. US market research firm IDC reported shipments leapt by 186% to 17.59 million smartphones in the first financial quarter to June from a year earlier.

IDC forecast that smartphone sales would continue to rocket in coming years, growing at an annual rate of 40% for the next five years.

But price is key in India, which according to the World Bank is home to one-third of the world’s poor. Threequarters of smartphone sales in India are below $200.

The Intex offering undercuts the Smart A50S, made by Indian handset maker Karbonn which was launched in June at 2,790 rupees ($46). l

and the Spanish rate to 2.097% from 2.172%.

A belief that the European Central Bank is moving towards injecting money massively into the eurozone economy to ward off deflation has pushed funds into bonds before market interest rates fall further.

As the price of the bonds rises, the fixed interest they carry at issue falls as a percentage of the new, higher price.

This process has been at work since remarks by ECB head Mario Draghi on Friday.

At a symposium in the United States, Draghi stressed that the ECB was vigilant about the possible threat of deflation and would ensure price stability, its supreme duty under its statutes.

This was widely interpreted as meaning that the bank is moving towards adopting quantitative easing, a policy of buying securities and thereby providing the holders of these instruments with ready cash.

The intention would be for the money to flow into the economy via loans,

and so boost growth, and would also push down the euro, with the overall effect of increasing inflation.

Bond strategist Cyril Regnat at Natixis bank in Paris said that “with his words, Mario Draghi has a grip on the markets and will continue to keep this hold until the European macroeconomy turns up.”

However, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, in a newspaper interview on Wednesday, said he felt the markets had “over-interpreted” Draghi’s words.

Recent indicators show that recovery in the eurozone is flagging badly. An upturn, when it comes, will tend to draw funds out of bonds into other investments such as stocks, causing bond prices to ease and yields therefore to firm.

Investors broadly welcomed the surprise appointment of former banker Emmanuel Macron as the new French economy minister to replace Montebourg, but said that the reshuffle was having little effect on the cost of borrowing for France. l

Big business warn against Scottish independence n Reuters More than 100 business leaders spoke out against Scottish independence saying the business case for independence has not been made, the biggest intervention by the United Kingdom’s business community in the referendum debate so far.

Voters will decide next month whether Scotland, which has a population of just over 5 million and is a source of North Sea oil, should end its 307-year-old union with England and leave the United Kingdom.

In a statement heads of some of the United Kingdom’s biggest companies said the outcome of the historic Sept.

18 referendum would affect generations to come.

“As job creators, we have looked carefully at the arguments made by both sides of the debate,” the letter states. “Our conclusion is that the business case for independence has not been made.”

The letter also says there is uncertainty surrounding issues such as currency, regulation, tax, pensions, EU membership and support for exports.

Executives lending their names to

the statement include Andrew Mackenzie, chief executive officer of BHP Billiton Plc; Douglas Flint, group chairman of HSBC Holdings Plc; Simon Thomson, CEO of Cairn Energy Plc and Angus Cockburn, interim CEO of Aggreko Plc. All signatories have signed the letter in their personal capacity.

The open letter organised by Keith Cochrane, chief executive of Glasgowbased engineer Weir Group Plc, is likely to be a huge shot in the arm for the British government’s “Better Together” campaign.

So far, most businesses in the United Kingdom have refrained from making public comments as their workforces are divided on the issue of independence for Scotland.

If Scotland, with its $250bn (150bn pound) economy, 5.2 million people, oil industry, and nuclear submarine base, leaves Britain, with its $2.5tn economy and 63 million people, the consequences would be profound.

Britain’s three main political parties want it to stay in the union, which includes England, Wales and Northern Ireland. l

A picture shows one-euro coins in Lille on August 25

AFP

India’s sugar export rebound at risk from rising domestic prices n Reuters, Mumbai Sugar prices in India are firming on fears of short-term supply constraints and seasonal demand even as global prices are sliding, posing a threat to a recent recovery in exports from the world’s second-biggest producer of the sweetener.

A raised sugar import duty in India, festival demand and an expected delay in cane crushing in a key producing state have helped push domestic prices to a $70 a tonne premium to international prices, making it more lucrative to sell domestically. A year ago the premium was just $20 a tonne.

Lower exports from India could provide short-term support to global sugar prices that hit a seven-month low on Monday and give leading sugar exporters such as Brazil and Thailand an opportunity to take more of the market.

India last week raised the import duty on the sweetener to 25% from 15% to help mills, which are struggling with overflowing warehouses due to bumper crops over the past few years.

Government-set prices for sugar cane are also hurting them.

“The import duty hike has isolated the Indian market from global price trends. Local prices won’t fall due to global surplus,” said Ashok Jain, presi-

dent of the Bombay Sugar Merchants Association.

Thailand is offering white sugar at around $430 per tonne, but Indian mills won’t offer below $500 due to relatively higher local prices, said a Mumbai-based dealer, who declined to be named as he is not authorised to talk to media.

India’s local prices have risen 10% so far in 2014, while global prices have fallen 4.3%.

“Exports are not possible unless local prices drop by at least 15 to 20%,” said the dealer with a global trading firm that has been one of the top sugar exporters this season ending September. “I don’t see that happening in 2014.”

India celebrates the religious festivals of Dussehra and Diwali in the next two months, when sugar demand goes up and prices rise.

Since the start of the 2013/14 sugar marketing year last October, Indian mills have aggressively exported to reduce surplus sugar. India usually produces white sugar, but this year it also produced raw sugar, especially to cater to demand from the growth of refining capacity in Asia and Africa.

Exports are likely to swell to 2.5 mil-

lion tonnes in the current year ending Sept 30, compared with just 35,000 tonnes a year earlier. But in 2014/15 India is likely to ship much less than the current year as mills are not interested in producing raw sugar, industry executives say.

“Mills are not keen to produce raw sugar as they are getting a higher price for white sugar (in the domestic market) than the realization for raw sugar from exports,” said a senior official at the Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factories federation.

Sugar mills in India’s second-biggest sugar producing state of Uttar Pradesh have threatened to not crush cane in the new season starting in October, saying they will not be able to pay a high state-set cane price to farmers.

The mills suspended crushing this sugar year too for two months and had halted operations in earlier years as well.

“If crushing gets delayed, it will obviously support sugar prices. But it is unlikely to lead to shortfall due to ample carry-forward stock,” said Ashwini Bansod, a senior analyst at Phillip Commodities India Pvt Ltd. India is likely to start the new sugar year with an opening stock of 7.5 million tonnes, down from 9.3 million tonnes a year ago. l

GfK’s headline household confidence index was forecast to drop to 8.6 points in September from 8.9 points in August.

This reading is based on responses from about 2,000 households regarding their expectations about pay and the economy as a whole in the coming months, as well as their willingness to

spend.

Sentiment in Europe’s top economy is currently floundering amid uncertainty about possible fallout from the crises in Ukraine and Iraq.

Earlier this week, the Ifo business climate survey fell more than expected to its lowest level in 13 months. l

Raw sugar

German consumer confidence falters n AFP, Frankfurt

Consumer confidence in Germany is faltering in the face of growing concern about the economic impact of the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, a new poll found yesterday.

“The escalation of the situation in Iraq, in Israel and in eastern Ukraine,

as well as the accelerating spiral of sanctions with Russia is finally having a negative effect on consumers’ previously optimistic economic expectations,” market research company GfK said in a statement.

“Uncertainty with regard to the outlook for the German economy has risen noticeably,” the statement said.

At the same time, consumers’ income expectations and their willingness to spend money were still “relatively robust,” GfK found.

“They have fallen somewhat in the wake of the drop in economic expectations, but are still largely at a relatively high level,” it said. l Looking ahead to next month,

Swiss Re: Natural disasters caused $41bn losses in first half n AFP, Zurich

A model displays Japanese electronics maker Casio Computer's new style camera, the "Exilim FR10", which has a 14 megapixel CMOS camera and detachable control unit with 2.0-inch LCD display, in Tokyo on August 26, 2014. Camera captured digital images or videos can be transferred to a control unit or smartphone through Bluetooth or wi-fi connections. Casio will put the water proof action camera on the market on September 19 AFP

Natural disasters caused total economic losses of $41bn in the first six months of this year, much less than usual, reinsurance group Swiss Re estimated on yesterday.

The figure released by the Zurichbased group - which combines both insured and uninsured losses - was down from $59bn (45bn euros) in the first half of 2013.

It was also about half the average first-half loss of the previous 10 years, which was $94bn. The insurance industry took a hit of $21bn from disasters in the January to June period.

That was down from the $25bn in payouts over the same period in 2013, and also below the $27bn ten-year average.

The costliest disaster for the insurance sector was the thunderstorms and hail which hit the United States in mid-May, causing $3.2bn in damage, of which $2.6bn was insured.

Next came June’s storms in France, Germany and Belgium, where losses reached $2.7bn, with $2.5bn of that covered by insurers.

February’s snowstorm in Japan inflicted $5bn in economic losses, but

only half of that figured was insured.

The January snowstorm in the United States lead to economic losses of $2.5bn, of which $1.7bn was insured.

February’s snowstorm in Japan inflicted $5bn in economic losses, but only half of that figured was insured And May’s thunderstorms and tornadoes in the United States generated losses of $1.7bn, with $1.1bn of that covered.

Rich countries traditionally see the most expensive single disasters in terms of insurance claims, given their wealthier economies and extensive in-

DILBERT

surance penetration.

Poorer nations generally face a gap between overall economic damage and insurance payouts.

For example, May’s heavy flooding in Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia resulted in economic losses of $4.5bn, but Swiss Re said insured losses were moderate due to low coverage.

Poorer nations also traditionally bear the brunt in terms of lives lost in disasters, which Swiss Re said reached 4,700 in the first six months of the year.

Man-made disasters were to blame for economic losses of $3bn over the first half, with $2 of the sum insured.

In the first six months of 2013, manmade disaster losses had reached $5bn, above the 10-year average of $4bn. l