04 Sep, 2014

Bhadro 20, 1421 Zilqad 8, 1435 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 153

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

20 pages plus 16-page T-Mag tabloid | Price: Tk12

TMAG

7 | JURIES

11 | OP-ED

14 | SPORT

A LETTER SHORT OF DANGER

LEGAL BASIS FOR SEEKING REFUGEE STATUS

DON’T KEEP US A SECRET

NEW-LOOK SPAIN SET FOR TEST AGAINST FRANCE

RMG blues give rise to alarming unemployment Since Rana Plaza collapse last year, 209 RMG factories were closed n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi The number of jobless garment workers is on an alarming rise as the RMG factories are being shut day by day since the collapse of Rana Plaza building that brought bane to the RMG sector.

Lack of enough work orders, non-compliance with the rules, labor unrest, exit from business and factory relocations are attributed to the closure of the factories.

‘Lack of enough work orders, shared building, non-compliance issues, workers’ unrest were behind the closures’ According to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) latest data, since the Rana Plaza collapse last year, a total of 209 RMG factories were closed for the aforesaid reason.

Of the total units, 56% or 118 factories were subcontractors, while 45.45% or 95 were housed in shared buildings.

At least 1.20 lakh workers, mostly women, were employed in those factories, of which most were in trouble as they had to lose jobs.

CLOSURE OF GARMENTS FACTORIES CURRENT SCENARIO CAUSE OF CLOSURE OR LAYOFF Subcontracting+shared building Subcontracting Shared Building Labour unrest In the process of shifting/relocating Exit from business Non-compliance with rules

UNITS

Fire incident Source: BGMEA

84 35 14 36 13 11 14 2

16th amendment bill set to pass on Sunday n Kamran Reza Chowdhury The government is set to table on Sunday next the 16th constitution amendment bill that will empower the legislature to impeach the judges of the Supreme Court for misconduct and incapability, plus give the parliament authority to punish holders of all constitutional posts on similar grounds.

If passed, not only the judges, parliament can also remove the chief election commissioner and commissioners of the Election Commission, the chairman and the members of the Public Service Commission, chairmen and the commissioners of the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Comptroller and Auditor General on similar grounds.

The articles establishing the Election Commission, Public Service Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the office of the Comptroller  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

In a recent visit to Savar, Ashulia, Gazipur, the Dhaka Tribune found that the garment workers were craving for jobs in garment factories but failed as the owners hung notice of no vacancy.

“Of the jobless, 40% manged jobs in another factory, while 20% remained unemployed, 25% were working on contact basis, 10% left Dhaka and 5% male workers changed their professions,” Sirajul Islam Rony, president of Bangladesh National Garment Workers-Employees League (BNGWEL) told the Dhaka Tribune.

“I have tried several times to get a job in the city as well as outside the city but failed,” said Helena Akter, a worker of Juki Garments, which had been closed recently. She also said most of the factory hung notice that there was no vacancy.

“Being failed to avail a job, now I have gone back to my village,” said Taslima Akter, a worker of Tuba Group.

“After the Eid ul-Azha, I will go to Dhaka and try to find a job, but I do not know whether it will be possible,” said Taslima.

On the other hand male workers are facing more trouble as the owners are unwilling to recruit them to avert unrest.

Seeking anonymity, a factory owner told the Dhaka Tribune: “We avoid  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

EMPLOYMENT SCENARIO LEFT DHAKA WORKING ON CONTRACT BASIS

10%

25% 20%

5%

40%

CHANGED PROFESSION (MALE)

GOT NEW JOB

UNEMPLOYED

Source: Bangladesh National Garments Workers Employees League

Police charge a man with baton as BNP men engaged in clashes with lawmen after Khaleda Zia appeared before a special court in Bakshibazar in city yesterday

ACC now finds no merit of Padma corruption conspiracy case n Adil Sakhawat The Anti-Corruption Commission will soon withdraw charges against all the seven accused and the suspected people in connection with the Padma bridge corruption conspiracy case since the anti-graft body did not find any evidence against them.

“Following newspaper reports in 2011, we initiated an inquiry into corruption allegations in the project, but found nothing suspicious. Later in 2012, we initiated an inquiry into the corruption conspiracy in appointment of consultant as the World Bank requested us to do so. The ACC investigators again have found nothing,” commission Chairman M Bodiuzzaman said yesterday.

The ACC chief made the disclosure after the commission in a regular meeting approved the probe report and rec-

ommended withdrawal of the charges against the accused and the suspects.

After 20 months’ investigation, ACC official Mirza Jahidul Alam submitted the report to the commission on Sunday with a recommendation to discharge the seven accused.

‘We found no strong evidence against the accused to place them before the court’ The ACC in 2012 filed a case for alleged “corruption conspiracy” hoping that it would find evidence during the investigation stage. “But nothing suspicious was found in the appointment process of consultant,” the commission chairman said.

The commission has reached the decision as the probe team failed to find

any credible document to prove the allegation of corruption conspiracy, even after attending a Canadian court.

Asked why the commission filed the case without any strong documents, Commissioner M Shahabuddin said: “We filed the case after assessing primary evidence like media reports and World Bank’s recommendation. But finally our investigation team has not found any proof against the accused of bribery in appointing consultant.”

He also claimed that there was no relation between discharging the accused and World Bank’s withdrawal of fund for the project.

Allegations of corruption conspiracy

by Bangladesh government functionaries in the process of awarding the bridge’s construction supervision to Canadian consultancy firm SNC-Lavalin  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

BB now asks banks to write off bad loans n Jebun Nesa Alo The central bank, which has so far been protective about the actual situation in the banking sector, has finally asked the banks to reduce bad loans by writing them off.

The regulator also said the major financial scams have had their toll on the country’s banking sector because there was a lack of corporate governance.

This, it said, was reflected in the increasing classified loans, the huge amount of existing bad loans and the declining quality of assets owned by the commercial banks, which turned out to be a major concern for the banking sector.

The Bangladesh Bank yesterday published its Financial Stability Report 2013 at a programme in the capital.

At the programme, Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor SK Sur Chowdhury admitted that the level of bad loans was alarming.

He said the central bank had suggested that the banks should reduce

bad loans by writing them off and keeping the required provisions.

In layman’s terms, including bad loans in the balance sheet of a bank means showing some low quality assets. According to the report, such inclusions could be a result of wrong appraisal of assets and frauds.

The adverse effect of high volume of classified loans on the balance sheets of banks was a major concern for the monetary authority, the report commented.

The report also said out of a total of 56 banks operating in Bangladesh, the stressed advances ratio of 29 banks were between 6% and 20%, which meant they were more vulnerable to credit risk than others.

Stressed assets, which are mainly low quality assets, have continued to rise, primarily due to higher non-performing loans. As a result, public sector banks are in a worse conditions compared to those in the private sector, the report states.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

CLASSIFIED LOANS Public sector banks are in a worse condition compared to those in the private sector NPL COMPOSITIONS

INDUSTRY-WISE STRESSED ADVANCES RATIO Stressed Advance Ratio

35% 30% 25% 20% 15%

11.2%

10% 5% 0% SCB

10.1%

78.7%

Bad & Loss Doubtful Sub-Standard

Micro & Small Segments Medium & Large Segments Retail & Others

PCB

FCB

DFI

All

BANKS SHARE IN THREE MAJOR SEGMENTS Share in Total Loans

80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% SCB

PCB

FCB

DFI

All

Source: Data: Scheduled Banks; Computation: FSD,BB

Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat leader Shaikh Nurul Islam Faruqi was killed as his religious ideology clashed with those of some Islamist groups, victim’s family members told a press conference yesterday.

4 | News

Indian authorities had been trying to find out the fugitive killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who had been allegedly hiding in the Indian territory for long, and they wanted to know specific whereabouts of the killers.

5 | News

INVESTMENT NEED FOR ATTAINING HIGHER AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH Current investment

34.3%

is required to achieve FY2015 budget target growth of

A recent study conducted by Bangladesh Agricultural University says carbon or methane gas emissions can be reduced by 20-35% through using poultry droppings and vermin compost in paddy fields along with traditional nitrogenous fertilisers.

28.7% of GDP Investment needs to rise to

7.3%

B1 | Business

37.6% 8%

of GDP if GDP growth is to be attained for faster poverty reduction

Bangladesh requires increasing private investment to attain higher and sustainable economic growth, said Asian Development Bank yesterday.

8 | World

Barack Obama said that the US will not be intimidated by IS militants after the beheading of a second American journalist and will build a coalition to ‘degrade and destroy’ the group.

12 | Entertainment

Mehazabien will soon be seen in a TV play titled ‘Boroshar Prothom Din,’ also featuring Nayeem and Ripon. In the play, she will be portray a docile university student.

BNP men clash with police as Khaleda appears in court Islam Shaon and n Ashif Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

Activists of BNP and its associate bodies got embroiled in clashes with police yesterday after party Chairperson Khaleda Zia had appeared in the Special Judge Court 3 in the capital’s Bakshibazar area.

The Special Judge Court 3 of Judge Basudev Roy is hearing the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases. The court was set up on the Aliya Madrasa ground. Khaleda reached there at 1:05pm and left 40 minutes later.

The court set September 10 for recording deposition of the complainant in response to two petitions filed by the defence counsel seeking adjournment of recording deposition of the prosecution witness.

In one of the petitions, defence counsel Taherul Islam Towhid said they had earlier submitted four leave to appeal petitions with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the legality of four High Court orders, which were pending for hearing. He sought an adjournment order until the final hearing of the apex court took place.

On the other hand, Mosharraf Hossain Kajol petitioned for recording deposition Harun-ur-Rashid, the complainant of the two cases and also a deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Additional police were deployed in and around the area since morning and law enforcers closed traffic movement on the street between Chawkbazar and Bakhsibazar.

BNP activists had gathered on the street leading to the court since morning. Senior pro-BNP lawyers as well as senior party leaders thronged the court premises when Khaleda arrived there.

BNP activists wanted to enter the court after Khaleda but police prevented them, prompting a clash.

Witnesses said police charged baton  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

INSIDE 3 | News

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

6 | Nation

The headmaster and the former president of governing body of a local school in Natore have been accused of improperly appointing teachers as well as misappropriating funds.

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, September 4, 2014

MP warned for gossiping in JS Tangail tense as evicted n Kamran Reza Chowdhury Awami League MP Nazrul Islam Chowdhury yesterday faced censure from the chair for gossiping in the assembly, flouting the speaker’s call to read out his notice of public importance.

Nazrul from Chittagong 14 seat had submitted a notice drawing attention of the railways minister asking for operation of Demu train from Chittagong to his constituency Dohazari.

In line with the parliamentary rules, the chair – Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah – gave him floor and the microphone in front of his seat was switched on.

But Nazrul was then gossiping with another MP, Abu Reza Muhammad Nezamuddin of Chittagong 15 constituency.

For around 30 seconds, their personal conversation was aired live on state-run TV and radio.

The attending MPs called Nazrul aloud, but none of the two MPs bothered.

According to the rules, MPs cannot gossip in the floor or sit on

others’ seats.

“Honourable member, you have been given the floor. Please, read your notice. You are absent-minded,” said the deputy speaker asking him not to do it again.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid made a mistake while naming the standing committee of his ministry Nazrul fumbled and looked at the MPs, apparently to understand the situation. A good number of MPs asked him to read the notice kept in the folder. The lawmaker then finished reading his notice.

Not only Nazrul, many of the MPs were seen gossiping with each other yesterday.

Housemaid sets herself on fire n Tribune Report A teenage housemaid who set herself on fire on Tuesday is fighting for her life in the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Doctors said 60% of her body was burnt badly and the chance of survival was low as her condition was critical.

The girl said she was lured by the son of her employer into having physical relation with him.

“A few years back, my step sister gave me the job at the house of Mokbul Munshi in Kalabagan area of Gazipur.

The employer’s son Munir got into physical relation with me, assuring me of marriage,” she told the Dhaka Tribune.

“I aborted four times, with the

ACC now finds no merit of Padma corruption conspiracy  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

led the World Bank to suspend its pledged $1.2bn credit line for the project in June, 2012.

In April last year, the World Bank blacklisted SNC-Lavalin for 10 years.

The seven accused are former Bridges Division secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, now Privatisation Board member; Bangladesh Bridge Authority Superintendent Engineer Kazi Mohammad Ferdous; Roads and Highways Department Executive Engineer Riaz Ahmad Jaber; and Engineering Planners Consultant Ltd Deputy Managing Director Mohammad Mostafa; and SNC-Lavalin’s former director Mohammad Ismail, former vice-presidents Kevin Wallace and Ramesh Shah.

The names of former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury and former communication minister Syed Abul Hossain were kept in the case as suspects.

About Ramesh Shah’s diary, Shahabuddin said: “We ran our investigation without the so-called diary since there is difference between diary and notepad. The World Bank termed it a diary whereas the Canadian court documents say it was a notepad.”

The World Bank report and its requesting the ACC for launching an investigation on possible corruption had been mysterious, he said replying to queries.

Earlier, an ACC team led by its former legal adviser Anisul Huq, now law minister, visited Canada twice to collect copy of the diary.

A World Bank note, prepared based on Ramesh’s diary, lists the names of some Bangladesh functionaries as “Padma PCC,” “4% Min,” “2% Kaiser,” “2% Nixon,” “1% Secretary” and “1% Moshi Rahman.”

According to the documents, “Min” stands for Syed Abul Hossain; “Kaiser” for Abul Hasan Chowdhury; “Nixon” for Mujibur Rahman MP, the prime minister’s nephew; “Secretary” for Mosharraf; “Moshi Rahman” for the prime minister’s adviser Mashiur Rahman.

Sahabuddin said: “We found no strong evidence against the accused to place them before the court and decided not to run the case any more.” l

latest happening in a local clinic of Joydebpur. I asked Munir to marry me but he refused, saying he would never tie the knot with me,” she said.

The victim then threatened Munir on Tuesday that she would commit suicide.

“Hearing this, Munir brought me kerosine and I used that to set myself on fire,” she said.

The girl said Munir rushed her to a local hospital and brought her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday.

She sustained severe injuries in the face, neck and vocal cord.

SM Kamruzzaman, Officer-inCharge of Joydebpur police station said: “I am unaware of the incident but actions will be taken if we receive a complaint.” l

State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid tabled the Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council Bill 2014. Instead of sending it to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy Ministry, he uttered the one of the Finance Ministry.

Ruling party lawmaker AKM Jahangir Hossain and other MPs pointed the mistake and drew the attention of the chair.

Fazle Rabbi Miah then asked the state minister to pronounce correctly, but Nasrul made the mistake again while uttering the full name of his ministry.

The attending MPs and the deputy speaker asked him to utter his ministry’s official name. Nasrul then followed the instruction.

Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed tabled the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (amendment) Bill 2014 while the House passed the Hi-tech Park Authority (amendment) Bill 2014 after Telecommunications Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui proposed its passage. l

sex workers return n Our Correspondent, Tangail At least 100 sex workers of Tangail town’s Kandapara brothel took position in the now-vacate place yesterday, nearly two months after they were forced to leave by a so-called citizens’ committee backed by the mayor.

They started to gather at the place since noon and built makeshift camps with polythene and clothes.

Hearing this, people under the banner of the citizens’ committee titled “Oshamajik Karjokolap Protirodh Committee” brought out a procession from the central mosque. The protesters stopped and held a rally in front of the model police station as the law enforcers stopped them.

Committee President Maulana Abdul Aziz and central mosque Imam Maulana Shamsuzzaman spoke at the rally. They announced mass gathering and procession for this morning.

District police chief Saleh Mohammad Tanvir said the law enforcers were on alert to avert any untoward incident.

Ghulam Azam suffering from pneumonia n Moniruzzaman Uzzal Convicted war criminal and former chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Ghulam Azam has been suffering from pneumonia-like illness.

Doctors took an X-ray and found infection on his left lung. He has been given antibiotic injection advised by

the medical board members.

Asked about the follow-up condition, Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Majid Bhuyan, director of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), told the Dhaka Tribune: “His physical condition is better now. He is taking normally and has to stay under treatment for one more week."

Analysis shows that the 15 weakest banks have stressed assets concentration ratios between 32.8% to 48.2% at the end of December 2013.

Among the 10 worst banks, three are state owned commercial banks, three specialised development banks, two domestic private banks and two foreign banks.

Stressed assets in those banks are higher because of a lack of efficiency and transparency in credit approval, administration, monitoring and recovery, and poor selection of borrowers, the report says.

Classified loan concentration ra-

Ghulam Azam was moved to CCU from the prison cell following breathing difficulties around 10:30am on Tuesday.

The authorities formed a seven-member medical board headed by Prof ABM Abdullah, dean of medicine faculty.

The Jamaat kingpin was sentenced to 90-year imprisonment on July 15 last year. l

Chhatra League men beat journo at DU n DU Correspondent Bangladesh Chhatra League activists beat up a journalist yesterday evening following an altercation in front of Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University.

Arifur Rahaman, sub-editor of ATN Times, is a third year student of mass communication and journalism department. He came under attack when

he wanted to enter the Fine Arts Institute, witnesses said.

Chhatra League's central committee Cultural Affairs Secretary Ashiqul Islam Rono barred him to enter the premises.

Arif gave his identity.

At one stage of the argument, some 10-12 activists led by Rono attacked Arif around 7:15pm.

Later, the injured journalist was tak-

BB now asks banks to write off bad loans  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

The Dhaka Tribune has found that current Mayor Shahidur Rahman Khan Mukti masterminded the recent eviction. Most of over 1,000 sex workers left the brothel after iftar on July 12 and the remaining few by the next afternoon.

Following the eviction, they staged demonstrations in the capital with the support of different women and human rights organisations.

In October 2006, a section of local residents and clerics tried to evict the 200-year-old brothel. A local citizen committee opposed the move saying that they could not be evicted without rehabilitation.

A few days later, the High Court prohibited eviction of sex workers without proper rehabilitation. In another ruling in 2000, the court gave legality to the trade.

In 2010 and 2013, the committee again tried to remove the sex workers from the area but failed to succeed. Just like this year, those two drives were also made in the month of Ramadan. l

tios of the five worst banks including Sonali, Janata, Rupali and Agrani were 54.5% of the total non-performing loans in December 2013. The classified loans in the state-owned commercial banks were higher due to a lack of efficiency in fund management, the report concluded.

In 2012, the central bank found major financial irregularities in loan programming in several state-owned and private commercial banks, orchestrated mainly by two big business groups – Hall-Mark and Bismillah. However, it had so far always tried to give the idea that the sector was not in any big trouble.

In the report published yesterday,

the central bank said the loan scams were mainly carried out my means of fraudulent letters of credit, inland bills of trading and other documents.

It was said that “deficiency in corporate governance” allowed these financial crimes to take place.

While unveiling the report yesterday, central bank Governor Atiur Rahman said: “No matter how powerful or close to us someone was, we did not give any kind of concession to anyone.”

In December 2012, classified loans equalled 10% of the total outstanding loans. However, exactly a year later, it dropped to 8.93%, which the central bank said was because some banks

en to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

However, Rono denied the allegation saying he was not present on the spot during the incident.

Chhatra League President Badiuzzaman Sohagh said Rono was an alcoholic and remained drunk all the time.

The central committee would take steps against him after discussion, he added.l

appointment of male workers as they create more problem than that by the female workers.”

“Lack of enough work orders, shared building, non-compliance issues, workers unrest were major issues behind the closure of 209 factories,” BGMEA Vice-President Shahidullah Azim told the Dhaka Tribune.

He urged the government to provide gas and electricity for the factories whose owners want to relocate them to avert permanent unemployment.

“Being disturbed by the workers, I closed the factory as the workers stopped working at their own sweet will,” Iqbal Hossain, owner of Tivoli Apparels Limited told the Dhaka Tribune.

According to the BGMEA data, a total of 36 garment factories were closed due to labour unrest.

The workers confined four officials for three days and there was no way but to shut the factory, Iqbal said, alleging that some workers’ leaders were calling the shot from behind.

The situation is worsening and further closure of other factories is in the pipeline, he said, adding that the work order is much less than earlier while the workers are not cooperating, rather creating anarchy that hampers production.

The safety issue acted as a catalyst behind the factory closure and most factories were declared closed over the issue.

The issues of fire and building safe-

ty in the country’s RMG sector came under the spotlight last year following the collapse of Rana Plaza building.

Due to safety issues over 21 factories had been declared closed out of 1,631 units.

“I have shut the operation of my factories as it was risky to safety for the workers,” Shams Uddin Ahmed, managing director of Jamuna Fashion Wears, told the Dhaka Tribune.

He also urged the government to provide gas and electricity for the owners, who need to relocate their factories in urgent basis, otherwise the number of jobless workers would rise alarmingly.

The factory owners claimed the pullout of work orders led them to

The United States officially offered the United States Coast Guard Ship Rush to Bangladesh on August 8.

The Rush will complement the Somudra Joy, which was transferred to the Bangladesh Navy last year, say a press release of the US embassy.

The Rush is powered by a combined diesel or gas engine system and is equipped with a helicopter flight deck, retractable hangar, and facilities to support helicopter deployment.

Following a joint visual inspection in Hawaii, the ship is expected to be officially transferred to the Bangladesh Navy this spring.

According US Coast Guard website, the 378 feet long Rush is the ninth of the Hamilton class high endurance cutters.

It was launched on November 16, 1968 at New Orleans at an approximate cost of $20 million. Rush was used in Vietnam War and presently, Maritime Law Enforcement is its major mission.

Meanwhile, US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible foreign military sale to Bangladesh to provide regeneration, overhaul, modifications, and logistics support for four Lockheed Martin C-130Es and associated parts, equipment, and training for an estimated cost of $180 million in 2012. But Congress is yet to take any decision.

Bangladesh earlier requested the possible sale to provide four Lockheed Martin C-130E United States Air Force baseline aircraft and 20 T56AA RollsRoyce engines being provided as grant under Excess Defense Articles. l

BNP men clash with police as Khaleda appears  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

close down their factories.

Kazi Iftekhar Ahmed, managing director, The Immaculate Apparels Ltd, said: “I had to close down my factory as the buyers were not placing orders in the shared building housing the garment factory.”

Kazi used to manufacture products for European buyers.

Meanwhile, some factory owners said the banks are not cooperating to provide them with fund, rather they are creating some problems.

“During political unrest my factory was looted by some local hoodlums with the help of others and I tried to reopen but bank did not help me,”said Syed Faizul Ahsan Shameem, chairman of Dotcom Sweater. l

to disperse the BNP men, who hurled brick chips and stones at the law enforcers.

The 45-minute clash, which left several people injured including three policemen, spread to Bakshibazar and Badrunnessa College areas. Chased by police, BNP activists entered the Buet campus but were again chased by Chhatra League activists.

BNP activists burnt wood on the street, and vandalised some vehicles and roadside makeshift stalls.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mehedi Hasan said they did not allow all the BNP activists inside the court premises for the sake of security.

“The BNP men made the attack deliberately. We tried not to create any untoward situation,” he said.

Of the nine accused in the cases, Khaleda and four others are now on bail. BNP Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Rahman is also on bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust case and his lawyer represented him in his absence. The three others are on the run.

The ACC in July 2009 filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case against Khaleda, Tarique and four others for embezzling over Tk2.1 crore by forming the “fake” trust.

The four were former BNP lawmaker Kazi Salimul Haque, businessman Sharfuddin Ahmed, Kamal Uddin Siddiqui and Momenur Rahman, nephew of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.

On August 8, 2011, the commission filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case against Khaleda and three others for abusing power while setting up the charity.

The three were Harris Chowdhury, Khaleda’s former political secretary, Ziaul Islam Munna, assistant private secretary of Harris, and Monirul Islam Khan, assistant private secretary of former Dhaka City Corporation mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

Harris, Momenur and Kamal are absconding. l

standing committee on law ministry for further examination before passage in the House.

According to the directives of the Supreme Court, the Awami League government on June 30, 2011 passed the 15th constitution amendment law to restore the provisions of the original constitution framed in 1972.

The constitution amend dropped the provision of non-party caretaker government for holding the general elections.

Many of the lawmakers demanded restoration of the original 96 of the constitution, empowering the legislature to impeach the apex judges for misconducts and inabilities.

But the government refrained from doing so, apparently not to antagonise the judiciary.

Suranjit Sengupta, who was the co-chair of the special parliamentary

committee, told the Dhaka Tribune the government should restore the original provision for impeaching the judges by the legislature.

“But the government did not do it, as you may need to compromise, sometimes, in democracy,” he said.

Tasked by the parliamentary standing committee on the Law Ministry, the law commission in April sent a set of proposals to speed up the disposal of the pending cases.

That proposal said the government should restore the article 96 of the constitution to make the judges accountable.

In line with the law commission, the authorised body to suggest the government on legal reform, the cabinet approved the proposal to restore the article 96 of the 1972 constitution. l

took advantage of its relaxed policy and rescheduled huge amount of classifiable loans.

According to a Bangladesh Bank circular, classified loans are those which are considered sub-standard, doubtful, bad or loss.

Former central bank governor Salehuddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that the country’s banking sector was now is a really volatile situation.

“Getting the banks to write off their bad debts will not be an easy task because they will have to keep huge provisions. That will eventually hit their profitability and the capital bases,” he said. l

RMG blues give rise to alarming unemployment  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

US offers ship to Bangladesh n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

16th amendment bill set to pass on Sunday  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

and Auditor General stipulate that the holders of constitutional posts would be removed according to the procedures applicable for the removal of the Supreme Court judges.

At present, the Supreme Judicial Council, headed by the chief justice, can remove the apex court judges for misconducts and inabilities. Two other senior judges are the members of the council, a mechanism put in place by the military ruler Ziaur Rahman through the second military proclamation in 1978.

The original constitution of 1972 contained the provision for impeachment of the judges by a two-third majority in parliament.

According to the law minister’s proposal contained in the bill, the parliament would impeach the judges for a “proven misconducts and inabilities” with

a two-thirds majority in the assembly and the legislature would enact a law governing investigation of the charges against the judges.

In line with the law on investigating the allegations, the report would go to parliament in a form of motion of impeachment. The House would hold discussion, giving the alleged judges a room for self-defence, and remove them if charges are proved.

The judges will serve for 67 years, says the bill. The draft law terms the Supreme Judicial Council against the spirit of the constitution’s article 7 that says the people are source of all power.

It further says the legislature can remove the President, the prime minister and the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad.

But the judges of the Supreme Court are exception. So, the judges should also be accountable to the people through the

legislature elected by the people.

“Yes we have got the 16th constitution amendment bill today (Wednesday). The law minister has shown interest in tabling the bill on September 7 (Sunday),” the Speaker, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The Dhaka Tribune has obtained a copy of the bill that the restoration of the article 96 of the constitution would enhance people’s confidence in the judiciary and restore the basic spirit of the constitution.

It said the provision for removal of the judges has been practiced in many countries in the world.

The speaker also said the bill would pass in the current session, set to end on September 18, according to the decision of the business advisory committee.

After the initiation in the assembly, the bill will go to the parliamentary

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Family claims Faruqi murder premeditated n Tazlina Zamila Khan Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat leader Shaikh Nurul Islam Faruqi was killed as his religious ideology clashed with those of some Islamist groups, victim’s family members told a press conference yesterday.

Faruqi’s son Reza Faruqi at his Purbo Rajabazar house told reporters that it was a preplanned murder.

In a written statement, he said: “It was not an incident of robbery. My father believed in Sufism and Shariah.

He did not believe in superstitions and lies. He was a liberal alem [scholar] of Sunni ideology. For this, he received threats on his life several times on Facebook. They killed my father.”

Reza claimed that though Faruqi had two wives, they did not have any conflict. There was no feud among his children as well. He did not have enemies in business.

The law enforcers too on Tuesday said Faruqi had been killed by radical Islamists for his religious views.

On August 27, unidentified armed assailants slaughtered Faruqi, presenter of religious programmes on private television channels, at his own residence. He was the international affairs secretary of Ahle Sunnat – an organisation known better for opposing the views of Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam. He was also a Presidium member of Islamic Front Bangladesh.

From a rally in Chittagong on Tuesday, Ahle Sunnat leaders alleged that the activists of Jamaat and Hefazat might have killed Faruqi for opposing their views. They also demanded a ban on Peace TV and some religious programmes on private television channels for “instigating militancy.”

Faruqi had six children. His eldest son Masud-Bin-Noor works at the Foreign Ministry of the Netherlands, Razu looks after the businesses, daughter Tuba studies social welfare in Dhaka University, Faysal studies in North South University, Labiba is an

HSC student at Motijheel Ideal School and College while Fuad studies in a madrasa.

Faruqi’s first wife Ayesha Akhter lives in Malibagh Bazar Road while second wife Lubna Islam in Purbo Rajabazar.

On August 27, unidentified armed assailants slaughtered Faruqi, presenter of religious programmes on private television channels, at his own residence Describing the differences between Ahle Sunnat and Jamaat-Hefazat, Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Sena President Md Nurul Haque Chishti told the Dhaka Tribune: “Maulana Faruqi was a supporter of Sunni Islam while Hefazat-e-Islam and Jamaate-Islami are followers of Wahabi and Moududi.”

He said: “We believe in performing Milad as a sawab but they think that Milad is haram. We believe that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is superior but they believe that the Prophet is a normal person like us. We believe that the Prophet was made with light while they believe that he was made by mud.”

Chhatra Sena is the student wing of Islamic Front.

Executive Secretary General Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat Md Masud Hussain Al Kaderi told the Dhaka Tribune: “Jamaat and Hefazat people do not believe in wali and aulia, but we believe in them.”

Also organising secretary of Islamic Front, Kaderi said the followers of Jamaat and Hefazat believed that Allah can break promises, while the Ahle Sunnat and Islamic Front supporters believe in “Iman” and “Akida.” l

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia arrives at Bakshi Bazar in the capital to appear before a special court in a corruption case yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

DB arrests another accused in Mogbazar triple murder n Mohammad Jamil Khan The Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested one more accused in the Mogbazar triple murder case in the capital’s Demra area early yesterday.

Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner of police, confirmed the arrest to the Dhaka Tribune: “A team of DB police nabbed him from Demra area following a tip-off.”

The arrested, Arif Hawlader, is listed as the 12 in the case’s First Information Report (FIR), filed with Ramna police station.

Including this arrest, the total number of arrest made in this case now stands at four.

The murders took place on August 28 at Sonalibagh area in Noyatola, Mogbazar. Miscreants broke into a residential house and shot three people – owner Brishti Akhter Ranu, 30, and her tenants Munna, 22, and Billal Hossain, 20 – dead.

Ranu’s brother Hridoy, 18, was also shot and injured, and received treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Shamim alias Kala Chand, secretary of Awami League’s Railway unit in Mogbazar, and Hridoy filed the FIR next day with Raman police Station in this regard, accusing 16 people.

Soon after the case was filed, police arrested Faruk and Sohel, two of the accused and they confessed to being involved in the murder. Presented before a Dhaka court, they were placed under a five-day remand.

On August 31, police arrested Jony, another accused in the triple murder.

The rest of the accused – Kailla Babu, Faisal Ahmed Rony, Shahadat, Raju, Topu, Arif, Maruf, Billal, Thandu, Siraj and Pichchi Rony – went into hiding soon after the incident. The DB is currently investigating the case.

Locals and police claimed that the murders were the result of a conflict between Kailla Babu and Kala Chand over the possession of a land owned by Bangladesh Railway.

When contacted, Krishna Pada Roy, deputy commissioner of the DB and investigation coordinator of the case, told

the Dhaka tribune that they had significant leads in the case.

“We do have important information regarding the murders and we are verifying it,” he said. “Several of our teams are investigating the case and raids are being conducted to arrest the criminals.”

False arrest claimed

Allegation of false arrest in the triple murder case was made against the DB yesterday.

Taslima Akhter Shathi, resident of the capital’s Rampura area, claimed that her husband Jahidul Islam Sohel was picked up by some people identifying themselves as the DB personnel on Friday on charges of being involved in the murders.

Sohel, an expatriate and cancer patient, was visiting his elder sister in Badda along with his wife when he was arrested, Shathi said.

“My husband used to work in Saudi Arabia and came back to the country in June last year, after being diagnosed with cancer and being treated for it,” she told the Dhaka Tribune.

“On the day the murders took place, Opu, an acquaintance of my husband who lives in the same neighbourhood as the murder victims, called my husband on his mobile phone seeking help to get out of the area,” she said.

“Sohel then called a friend of his to help Opu out, who was hiding inside a tin-shed building during the shooting.

There was nothing more to this as far as my husband is concerned, but the DB still arrested him,” she said. She further alleged that the DB was now denying having arrested her husband.

“Sohel needs around Tk20,00025,000 worth of medications, and if he does not get them soon, his health condition will deteriorate,” he said.

When asked about the allegation of false arrest, Deputy Commissioner Krishna Pada Roy said:”We have already arrested an FIR-listed criminal named Sohel. Therefore there can be no such mistaken arresting any other Sohel.”

It might have been imposters using the DB’s name to grab Sohel, the deputy commissioner said. l

PM: Broadcast policy formulated to ensure responsibility of media n Emran Hossain Shaikh

A bus falls into a waterbody in the capital yesterday as its driver lost control over steering

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Charge framing hearing against 26 BNP men deferred

Defence: No evidence placed to convict Azhar

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

n Udisa Islam

A Dhaka court yesterday deferred the hearing on charge framing against 26 leaders and activists of BNP in a case filed for vandalising vehicles and arson attacks.

Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Tarek Mainul Islam Bhuiyan deferred the hearing following a time petition filed by the defence lawyer. The accused also filed a petition seeking a discharge from the case which is pending for hearing.

The defence counsel mentioned in the time plea that they had attended the hearing of graft cases against Khaleda Zia in the Bakshi Bazar special court and after returing from there they fell ill and were unable to take part in the hearing of the case. The court allowed them time and set the next date to October 12.

At least 19 BNP leaders and activists including Mirza Fakhrul, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy have been absconding since the case was lodged. l

The defence of Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam yesterday claimed that the prosecution had not placed any strong evidence for which the accused could be convicted.

Lawyer Abdus Sobhan Tarafder during the fourth day’s arguments said none of the prosecution witnesses had mentioned the name of the accused against charge one.

He also said it was not clear to whom Azhar had committed conspiracy against during the beginning of the 1971 Liberation War. The counsel claimed that there had been no evidence of “conspiracy,” “instigation” and “planning” against his client in March 1971. “On March 24, 1971, Bangladesh was not born and an 18/19 year old boy cannot hatch any kind of conspiracy with the Pakistani Army commanders in the cantonment.”

He also claimed that the prosecution could not prove that Azhar had fled Rangpur after the liberation on December 16.

“One witness claimed that he never met the accused but saw him on Television. Is it believable?” The tribunal said: “It is very much believable. You just place your arguments on track.”

Earlier, Sobhan placed arguments on the indictment order and said when the tribunal framed the charges, it had blamed the accused for his offences.

The tribunal then intervened and said: “Do not argue on these matters.”

According to the prosecution case, Rangpur al-Badr commander Azharul had been involved in the killing of more than 1,200 unarmed civilians, mostly Hindus, in the district during the war.

Meanwhile, the tribunal 2 deferred the recording of testimony of a prosecution witness since the prosecution had failed to place him before the court yesterday. l

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday claimed that the national broadcast policy had been formulated to ensure the responsibility of mass media.

“The government has formulated the policy for the welfare of the common people and mass media,” she said in reply to a query from Jatiya Party lawmaker Nurul Islam Milon during her question-answer session.

Hasina, the leader of the parliament said: “Without having a complete policy, it is not possible to ensure freedom, accountability and responsibility of mass media. This is why the broadcast policy has been prepared.”

The Awami League government believes in full freedom of mass media, she said, adding that her government had formulated the broadcast policy after discussion with all stakeholders.

She said: “The government formed a 16-member committee for preparing the draft of the broadcast policy. The committee had finalised the draft after reviewing the policy of the BBC and

neighbouring countries.”

“Those who are now criticising the broadcast policy have not raised voice while the draft was formulated,” claimed Hasina, adding that the draft policy was published on the website in September, 2003 for taking opinion of the general people. And finally on August 4 in 2014, the cabinet approved the policy.

Urging stakeholders for making suggestion to correct the loopholes if any, she said the work was going on to enact a law to set up an independent broadcasting commission for the continuation of the policy.

“All concerned will be able to give advice to this end. So, any loopholes in the policy can be addressed through the law,” she said.

Responding to a question from MA Maleque about establishing the rule of law, the premier said her government had taken a tough stance to show zero tolerance against the miscreants irrespective of party affiliation.

“The government is trying to bring the miscreants to book whoever they

are,” she said.

Replying in another question from AL lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Majumder about relocation of tannery industry to Savar from the capital’s Hazaribagh, the prime minister said the process would be completed within the current tenure of her government.

“Some 30% construction work of the Central Effluent Treatment Plant has been completed,” she said, adding that the rest of the work would be completed by 2015.

Replying to a query from lawmaker MA Hannan about electricity generation, Hasina said her government had taken a mega plan to produce 38,360MW power by 2030 through independent power plants, friendship power company, joint venture company and power producing authorities.

The premier also replied to questions about Bangladesh’s recent victory over maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal, implementation of the CHT peace accord, women empowerment, establishment of the rule of law and people’s right to get justice. l

Four arrested over Moghbazar mugging, no money recovered n Mohammad Jamil Khan The Detective Branch of police yesterday said they had arrested four men for their alleged involvement in the mugging of Tk30.6 lakh in the capital’s Moghbazar but failed to recovery the money.

The four were Abul Kalam Howladar alias Kamal, 28, Khalilur Rahman alias Khalil, 35, Golam Sarwar Howladar, 27, and Md Noyon, 24.

“The four were arrested from Khilgaon, Rampura and Gulistan,” said Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB, while addressing a press briefing at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police media centre.

Police also recovered locally-made weapons, bombs and bomb-making

materials from the arrestees, he said.

“During the probe, we came to know that the group split into several teams before committing crimes. One of the teams collect information from an organisation or bank about any kind of big transaction. There is another team that make bombs while a third team carries out the operation by blasting bombs and shooting,” said Monirul.

“In some organisations where they failed to collect information, they bribed the staff heavily and later committed the crime,” he added.

The arrestees confessed during interrogation that they had committed several mugging crimes in the capital by blasting bombs, the DB official said.

“Of the four, Kamal is a FIR listed

accused in a murder and robbery case filed in Nalchity of Jhalokati, Khalil is a FIR listed accused in a robbery case filed with Rampura police station and Sarwar is a FIR listed accused in a robbery case registered in Patuakhali,” Monirul said.

We have received information about the other members of the group and are trying to arrest them, he added.

On August 19, muggers took around Tk30.6 lakh from five employees of JR Corporation, a distributor of Akij Group, after shooting them and blasting several crude bombs. The five sustained injures in the attack.

DB began the probe after two cases had been filed with Ramna police station in this connection. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, September 4, 2014

India now seeks whereabouts of Mujib killers n Mohosinul Karim Indian authorities had been trying to find out the fugitive killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who had been allegedly hiding in the Indian territory for long, and they wanted to know specific whereabouts of the killers.

Following a meeting with Indian Home Secretary Anil Goswami in the capital yesterday, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal made the disclosure to reporters.

“They will return the killers after arresting them, if we can provide specific information,” the state minister said.

Yesterday’s meeting was held when the Indian home secretary went to the state minister’s secretariat office to discuss the progress of the three-day home secretary level meeting that is being held in Dhaka and scheduled to end today.

The state minister also informed that the land boundary agreement between the two neighbouring countries would be tabled in the Indian Parliament in its next session, and expressed hopes that the bill would be passed.

Regarding the development of the secretary level meeting, Asaduzzaman said it was decided that the authorities concerned of the two countries’ border districts would hold deputy commissioner and district magistrate level

meetings every month. Such meetings would produce recommendations for the two governments on how to improve border situation, trading and agriculture, he added.

Regarding repatriation of Bangladeshi Nur Hossain, prime accused in the Narayanganj seven murder case, and Indian Ulfa leader Anup Chetia, the state minister said: “India is yet to request for Anup’s repatriation. We will consider it, if they make any such request.

“And the case against Nur is under trial. We will start the process to bring him back immediately after completion of the trial.”

The Indian home secretary also offered modern training in India for Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies like RAB, BGB, police, ansar and coast guard to improve their professional efficiency. India was also willing to provide financial and technical assistances to renovate the Sarda Police Academy in Bangladesh, the oldest police training academy in South Asia, Asaduzzaman informed.

Regarding the signing of an MoU on stopping human trafficking and rehabilitation of the victims, the state minister told reporters that the draft of the Mou would be tabled in the next session of the Indian Parliament. If approved, the Mou would be signed next month, he added. l

Abducted child rescued from train n Our Correspondent, Gazipur

A six-year-old abducted boy was rescued by passengers of a Jamalpur-bound express train yesterday.

Abu Sohab, son of expatriate Abdur Rahman, was abducted in the morning from Tejgaon’s Kunipara by his elder brother’s friend Sabbir.

He was later sedated by another ring member Shah Alam before boarding the train.

Police arrested Shah Alam from Sreepur of Gazipur, and Sabbir and another Ibrahim from Tejgaon, SI Abul Kashem of Sreepur police said.

Shah Alam told police that Sabbir had kidnapped Sohab from in front of their house around 11am, saying that Rabbi was injured in an accident.

Handed over, Shah Alam boarded the train after sedating the child.

After passing Joydevpur station, the child got back sense and wanted to go back to his parents.

As the passengers got suspicious, they questioned Shah Alam. In face of questions, he tried to jump off the train. But he was caught and handed over to the police around 6pm.

Sohab’s mother Halima Khatun filed a case with Tejgaon police. l

Seized vehicles get damaged as they have been left uncared under the open sky at Jatrabari police station in the capital. The photo was taken yesterday

Government set to send HC seeks explanation of patient’s suicide at DMCH more workers to Iraq n Rabiul Islam The government has decided to send more workers to Iraq after receiving confirmation that the war-torn country would have a secure working environment.

Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain made the disclosure while talking to journalists at his ministerial office in Eskaton yesterday afternoon.

Answering a qestion he said: “The Iraqi company Hanwa Engineering and Construction will recruit 1,400 Bangladeshi workers to their company and they have assured the Bangladeshi government that they will ensure full security for those workers.”

The minister said migrant workers

Third national debate contest to start at Rajshahi University n RU Correspondent A two-day-long debate called CuteBFDF 3rd National Debate Contest is going to start at Rajshahi University on Friday.

Business Studies Faculty Debating Forum (BFDF), the renowned student debating organisation on RU campus will organise the event with the support of Cute Cosmetics.

Ananda Sangker Ray Chowdhury, chief executive member of BFDF, announced the debate competition in a press conference at RU central cafeteria, where a marketing department assistant Professor Shah Azam, advisor of BFDF spoke, among others.

The competition will be inaugurated at 9am which will be graced by RU VC Professor Muhammad Mizanuddin as the chief guest and Pro-VC Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan as the special guest.

AIUB founding chair’s 2nd death anniversary tomorrow n Tribune Report The second death anniversary of Dr Anwarul Abedin, founder chairman of American International University, Bangladesh, will be observed tomorrow.

A Milad Mahfil would be held at Banani AIUB campus after Asar prayers on the day, says a media release.

All relatives, friends, well-wishers, admirers, teachers, officers, students and employees of the AIUB have been requested to participate in the programme to seek eternal peace of his soul. l

About 32 debating groups from the same number of public and private universities including Dhaka University, Chittagang University, Jahangirnagar University and Khulna University are expected to participate in the competition.

The first round, second round and quarterfinal debate will be held on the first day from 10am to 7pm at Shiraji Bhavan, Rabindra Bhavan, Rahmatunnesa Hall, Begum Rokeya Hall and Deans’ Complex conference room of RU. On the second and the last day, a colorful procession will be brought out on the campus from in front of the Senate building of the university at 9am, where guests and participants will participate.

The semi final of the debate contest will be held from 12 noon to 2pm at Deans’ complex conference room while the final debate will be held at Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium at 2.30pm on

Saturday.

Later, at 4.30pm, a policy forum titled “Digital Bangladesh: Our Expectation and Experience” will be held at Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium where Junaid Ahmed Polok MP, State Minister, Ministry of Information and Communication Technology will be present as the key speaker.

The two-day long debate contest will be concluded amid a cultural program followed by a giving ceremony among the winners at 6pm at Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium. The two day long function will remain open for the viewers and organisers.

English language daily newspaper Dhaka Tribune, news portal Banglanews24.com, Daily Kaler Kantha, Jamuna Television, local daily Sonar Desh and Rajshahi based community radio Padma are the media partners in the event. l

State minister hopeful about full ratification of CEDAW charter n Tribune Report Speakers at a views-exchange meeting said equal rights of women in many areas, including guardianship of children and inheriting property could not be ensured due to the restrictions on two sections of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Speaking as chief guest, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki, however, hoped that the CEDAW charter would be fully ratified and implemented.

Ctizens’ Initiatives on CEDAW, Bangladesh organised the meeting on the occasion of international CEDAW day at a conference room of the Daily Star yesterday.

The speakers said different discriminatory laws could not be amended because of restrictions, although different sections and sub sections of the constitution have ensured equal rights for men and women.

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

They also mentioned that 29 Muslim countries have signed the CEDAW charter without any restriction. Bangladesh is not an Islamic state but showing excuses of Quran and Sunnah, to restrict certain sections which are vital to equal rights.

They also said government and non-government organisations have to work together to create awareness regarding women’s rights.

He said the government was positive in ratifying and implementing the charter.

Among others, lawmaker Shirin Akter, Chabi Biswas, Lutfa Taher, Selina Jahan Lita, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women and Children Affairs Chair Rebeka Mabin, its member Fazilatunnessa Indira, member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law Affairs Talukder Md Younus, member of Law Commission M Shah Alam, Human Rights leader Hamida Hossain, Maleka Banu, Farah Kabir and Jakia K Hasan, Rokea Kabir and Rokea Rafiq Baby participated in the meeting. l

were not the target of attack in Iraq and Bangladeshi workers and their families should not be worried about their relatives working there.

Earlier, some Bangladeshi workers left Iraq because of the risky situation due to internal conflicts among different forces.

Considering the situation of the war-torn country, the government had suspended sending workers to Iraq for several months.

Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) statistics shows a total of 16,783 workers have gone to Iraq since 2009.

It is estimated that over 14,000 Bangladesh nationals are working in Iraq, mostly in the construction sector, according to the Foreign Ministry. l

SI withdrawn for allegedly torturing villagers n Our Correspondent, Feni

Sub-Inspector Golam Hakkani has been withdrawn from Chhagalnaiya police station in Feni on allegations of torturing several residents of Nishchintopur village.

Confirming the news, Feni Police Super Rezaul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune that the SI was transferred to Feni Police Line from Chhagalnaiya yesterday.

Sources said a woman from Pathangar union recently married a man from Radhanagar union’s Nishchintopur village.

As the woman’s family members were not happy with the marriage, they filed a complaint with Chhagalnaiya police station in this regard.

Following the complaint, a team of police, led

by SI Golam Hakkani, arrested the new couple at Nishchintopur on Sunday night.

Police charged batons on the villagers as they protested the arrest.

Later, the agitated villagers confined the police team and snatched away the couple from the law enforcers.

On information, additional police were deployed in the area to bring the situation under control.

Following the incident, SI Golam Hakkani had allegedly tortured several residents of the village after bringing them to police custody in connection with the incident. l

n Ahmed Zayeef The High Court (HC) yesterday sought a report on the negligence of duty by the staff of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) which resulted in a patient committing suicide in the hospital premises.

In response to a writ petition filed by human rights organisation Ain O Salsih Kendra (ASK), the HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman ordered MM Niajuddin, secretary at the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs, and Brig Gen Dr Mustafizur Rahman, director of the DMCH, to submit a report on the action taken against the persons who failed to provide medical help to the patient.

The victim, Nur Nabi, from Laksh-

mipur, jumped from the eighth floor of a DMCH building on Tuesday and killed himself when he was allegedly denied medical attention at the hospital.

Based on a report on the incident published in a national English daily yesterday, the ASK filed the writ petition at the High Court.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune about the case, Deputy Attorney General Biswajit Roy said the HC bench also ordered an explanation of why the authorities concerned should not be directed to provide Nur Nabi’s family with adequate compensation.

“The judges also asked them to explain, in two weeks, as to why their failure and negligence to provide medical treatment to Nur Nabi should not be declared illegal,” he said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Thursday, September 4, 2014

5

'Poultry droppings cut greenhouse gas emissions'

DU syndicate election A study conducted by BAU says carbon gas emissions can be reduced by 20-35% through vermin compost today n Du Correspondent “If we cannot be able to cut green- trogenous fertilisers in their crop lands to minimise the greenhouse gas emis- tal plots. Then produced gases were n BAU Correspondent collected from the gas chambers set up house gas emissions immediately, to boost production of rice and other Elections for the Dhaka University synsions,” said Prof Aslam Ali. A recent study conducted by Bangladesh Agricultural University says carbon or methane gas emissions can be reduced by 20-35% through using poultry droppings and vermin compost in paddy fields along with traditional nitrogenous fertilisers.

Prof Dr Muhammad Aslam Ali of Environmental Science Department at BAU along with Prof Dr PJ Kim of Gyeongsang National University, South Korea has conducted the study.

“It is not realistic to reduce crop production as a huge amount of greenhouse gases are emitting from the crop fields for using traditional fertilisers.

So, we have to find every possible ways

From this aspect, he said, they had conducted research with technical support from Gyeongsang National University. “We have done research by using various bio-fertilisers combined with traditional nitrogenous fertilisers to minimise methane and other greenhouse gas emissions.”

Other members of the research team were Dr Murad Ahmed Farukh and Jahangir Alam, a master’s student of the same department.

Researchers had used compost, decomposed cow dung, town compost, bio-gas slurry, poultry droppings and vermin (worm) compost combined with nitrogenous fertilisers in 21 experimen-

in each plot by using syringe and analysed at the Environmental Chemistry Lab of Gyeongsang National University.

“Finally, we have found that poultry droppings and vermin compost are the most effective bio-fertilisers that produce 20-35% less methane and other greenhouse gas compared to others,” said Dr Aslam.

Besides, rice production significantly increased and production costs also reduced, he added.

He stressed the need for creating awareness among the farmers of the country and urged all and organisations concerned to be aware of greenhouse effects.

coastal areas in the world including Bangladesh would go under water by 2050,” Dr Aslam said. He advised to use advanced agri-technologies and organic fertilisers in crop fields to reduce greenhouse effects as well as retain the soil fertility and cut production costs.

He suggested that the government and institutions concerned launch mass campaign for using these two organic fertilisers in crop lands to minimise greenhouse gas emissions and make the earth liveable for all.

The demand for foods for the growing people of the country is increasing day by day and farmers of the country are indiscriminately using various ni-

crops to meet huge demand.

As a result, a huge amount of carbon or methane gas, commonly known as greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, is being released in the air mostly emitted from these inorganic fertilisers.

Of a wide variety of sources of atmospheric greenhouse gases, paddy fields are considered one of the most important sources and emitting about 5-20% of the total emissions from all anthropogenic sources.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that the global emission rate from paddy fields was 60 Teragram/yr with a range of 20100 Tg/yr. l

Ferry service on Mawa-Kawrakandi route in disarray n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj The ferry services on the Mawa-Kawrakandi route was disrupted yesterday due to a strong current in the Padma river and the operation of one of the roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ghats stopped.

Sources said there were only four of 16 ferries plying on the route while yesterday was the 15th day of this condition.

Consequently, about 600 buses and goods-laden trucks were stuck on both sides of the route and thousands of passengers were suffering from the stagnant situation.

About 600 buses and goods-laden trucks were stuck on both sides of the route It was learnt that ro-ro ferry is capable of plying in strong currents and it also can carry comparatively more vehicles than ordinary ones, ghat or platform of which on the Mawa side fell victim to river erosion on August 19, resulting in the authorities concerned to stop the service.

Although the workers afterwards began the operation of the new ro-ro ghat there, several days ago the authorities stopped it after it developing a crack on the newly-built platform due to the unbridled erosion.

Bangladesh Inland and Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Assistant Manager Sirajul Islam said the crisis could continue as long as the upstream water does not come to a halt. However, the manager was hopeful that the problem will end within a couple of days.

Bangladesh Inland and Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Deputy Director Abdus Salam said the workers were trying their best to build a new ro-ro ferry ghat as well as an approach road to it as early as possible.

When asked, the deputy director could not state any time-frame of returning normalcy to the ferry service. l

WEATHER LIGHT RAIN OR THUNDERSHOWER

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 DHAKA

TODAY SUN SETS 6:15PM

TOMORROW SUN RISES 5:41AM

FORECAST FOR TODAY Dhaka

33

26

Chittagong

30

26

Rajshahi

33

25

Rangpur

33

26

Khulna

31

25

Barisal

31

25

Sylhet

32

25

Cox’s Bazar

29

26

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

35.2ºC Rajshahi

24.8ºC Rangamati

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:24am 5:40am 11:58am 4:28pm 6:15pm 7:32pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

dicate, the academic council and the finance committee, will be held at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban today.

DU Treasurer Prof Dr Mohammad Kamal Uddin will conduct the election where the pro-Awami League Blue panel and pro-BNP White panel are contesting.

The syndicate elections will be held under six categories – dean, hall provosts, professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers. The academic council polls will be under two categories – associate professors and assistant professors.

Three representatives will be elected from associate professors and assistant professors each while one representative from the finance committee.

The White panel and the Blue Panel have already announced their candidates.

The Blue panel comprises Prof ASM Maksud Kamal (dean), Dr Nazma Shahin (Provost), Prof Dr Farid Uddin Ahmed (professor), Dr Chandra Nath Poddar (associate professor), Nilima Akthar (assistant professor) and Rad Mujib Lalon (lecturer).

Meanwhile, Prof Dr Mohammad Saiful Islam (dean), Prof Mohammad Lutfar Rahman (provost), Prof Dr Laila Noor Islam (professor), Dr Mohammad Siddikur Rahman Khan (associate professor), Dr Mohammad Arifur Rahman(assistant professor) and Afrin Chowdhury (lecturer) comprise the White panel.

The academic council polls will also be held under two categories - three representatives each for associate professor and assistant professor. l

JU admission test rescheduled n JU Correspondent

Members of the Bangladesh Girls Associations form a human chain on Baily Road in the capital yesterday with a call to stop all kinds of propaganda against the association on demolition of Sorkari Samajik Shiksha Kendra MEHEDI HASAN

Construction of walls in Azimpur graveyard finally begins n Moniruzzaman Uzzal The construction of the boundary walls in Azimpur graveyard started under the supervision of the Lalbagh police yesterday.

In line with the High Court order, the Lalbagh police have taken the initiative to construct the boundary wall of the graveyard.

Inspector (Investigation) of Lalbagh police station told the Dhaka Tribune: “As per the directive of the High Court,

we have taken the initiative to start the construction. Some 100 labourers are working to construct the boundary wall of the graveyard as soon as possible.”

Earlier on September 1, the High Court summoned three police officials, including Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Benzir Ahmed, for not complying with its previous order regarding the construction of boundary walls of Azimpur graveyard.

The court also ordered them to appear before it on September 10.

An HC bench comprising of justices Farah Mahbub and Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo passed the order following an explanation of contempt of court by the Dhaka South City Corporation.

The petition was filed by Jakir Hossain, an Azimpur resident, seeking directives to stop the construction of a street by the DSCC upon his fathers’ grave at the graveyard.

Following the writ on August 1, 2013, the same HC bench directed the DSCC

Footpaths taken over by makeshift kitchen market in Moulvibazar Filthy and pothole-ridden town street gets worse during monsoon “I need to come to Poshchim dating the market in Poshim Ban Our Correspondent, zar, yet the competitive vendors Bazar every day for shopping. But Moulvibazar

Fruit and vegetable stalls occupying footpaths on both the sides of the road, pedestrians forced to walk on the main street, frequent traffic gridlock due to inadequate moving space for both humans and vehicles – this is the everyday scene at the Poshchim Bazar area in Moulvibazar town.

According to locals, Poshim Bazar is the hub of everyday commodity trade in the town, with fish market, butcher and poultry shops, and fruit and vegetable stalls catering to local residents as well as people coming from other parts of Moulvibazar district. Business starts around 8am and runs until midnight, every day, in the market.

What is causing the trouble for the commuters is that the shops are on the footpaths on both the sides of the streets in the area.

The pavements of the street from Bazar Jame Mosque area on Syed Mujtaba Ali Road to Mohsin Pharmacy end, and between the Bata intersection near Central Road and Srimangal Road, are completely occupied by these shops and inaccessible to the pedestrians.

There is a building accommo-

choose to occupy the footpaths to showcase their products and attract customers, sources said.

Forced to use the main street, the pedestrians then take up the space for vehicles, which causes traffic congestion, the locals complained.

It gets worse during the monsoon season, as constant rain results in roads covered with thick mud and puddles of dirty water But even the streets in those areas are in bad conditions. The vendors dump rotten products and other waste right on the road, making it filthy. Added to that are the potholes covering the entire streets.

It gets worse during the monsoon season, as constant rain results in roads covered with thick mud and puddles of dirty water.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Suruk Miah, 30, from Jagannathpur area, said the entire place was disgusting.

it is a nightmare, since the roads are filthy and we cannot walk on the footpaths. We are forced to step on the main street, which inevitably ruins our clothes,” he said.

Momtaz Miah, a local businessman and another buyer who frequents the market, said: “It gets especially difficult to come here when it rains. We are no other options as this is the only kitchen market in the town.”

He complained that the authorities were blind to these problems.

However, when contacted, Moulvibazar Municipality Mayor Faizul Karim said he was aware of the dilapidated conditions of the streets in Poshim Bazar.

“Not everyone knows, but those streets are parts of the market building. Construction of the building’s second floor will start soon, which is when the streets will also be repaired. That is why they are not being patched up right away,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

About the occupied footpaths, he said: “Eviction drives will be conducted on the footpaths to make them accessible for the pedestrians.” l

authorities to construct the boundary wall of the graveyard within three months of the petition, while the police force was also asked to assist the authorities concerned in this regard.

Local people, however, expressed discontent over construction of the wall.

They said thousands of people and hundreds of transport vechicles ply the road everyday. If the graveyard boundary wall is constructed, it will increase the suffering of the people. l

The authorities of Jahangirnagar University yesterday rescheduled its first year honours admission tests under the 2014-15 academic year to September 17 which will continue till September 23.

Earlier the admission tests were scheduled to start on September 13 and end on September 25.

University sources said the admission tests were rescheduled at a meeting of the university’s central admission test conduct committee.

Earlier, the committee reduced the admission test requirements and extended the deadline of registration following the movement of JU officers and employees over reducing admission test requirements under the brood quota.

However, JU deputy registrar and admission test conduct committee’s secretary member, Mohammad Ali, said it would not play any influence on applicants and the admission tests as well. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Natore school under investigation for corruption n Our Correspondent, Natore

The donors and school management committee of local junior high school in Natore have accused the headmaster and former president of the committee of improperly appointing teachers as well as misappropriating funds.

Members of the management committee, including some donors, alleged that the headmaster and the management committee’s founder president defrauded the authorities by claiming some of the junior high school teachers and staff were secondary school employees, securing monthly salaries for

them at secondary school levels.

Members of the management committee including Saiful Islam Mannan, who is also a school donor, submitted a complaint to the deputy commissioner, upazila secondary education officer, education ministry and the Anti Corruption Commission against headmaster Mohammad Ali Luton and managing committee president Siddiqur Rahman.

The appointment of four teachers and a worker has been questioned. The school currently has just 22 students and 12 teachers and staff members.

The complainant said the headmas-

ter and committee head falsely advertised secondary school posts in Rajbarta newspaper on July 11, 1997.

Following the advertisement, they showed the school had five teachers and three workers in the junior section and four teachers and two staff in the high school section.

They then passed the monthly pay of three teachers as high school teachers under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO), the allegation said.

Upon receiving the complaint, upazila secondary education officer Anowarul Islam Chowdhury investigated the matter on two

separate occasions and the Rajshahi regional deputy director (education), Dr Sharmin Shirin, investigated the allegation following a directive from higher authorities.

The upazila secondary education officer’s report signed on May 7, 2014, said the school is included in the Monthly Pay Order as a junior school with an allowance for five teachers and two staff members.

Anowarul’s report said assistant teacher Shahinuzzaman was appointed using a fake signature of a government education board representative.

The report said assistant teacher Ku-

One held with fake notes n Our Correspondent, Madaripur Rapid Action Battalion arrested a man with Tk40,000 notes yesterday at Takerhat Port in the district.

Sources said on a tip-off, RAB launched a drive in Gohala village and arrested Bakkar Mallik , son of Sarwar Mallik with the notes.

Family members claimed that Bakkar was a power tiller driver and he was not involved with the incident.

Additional Superintend of Police Nur-e-Alam said Bakkar was a fake note-trader.

He was handed over to police. l

Health assistants form a human chain in Comilla district town yesterday, demanding measures to fulfill their several points of demand DHAKA TRIBUNE

Two siblings get 14 years 5 cops hurt in gunfight n for acid attack Our Correspondent, Comilla

n Our Correspondent, Netrakona A tribunal in the district yesterday sentenced two brothers to 14 years’ rigorous imprisonment each in an acid attack case.

The court also fined the convicts Abdur Rashid and Saiful, sons of Khorshed Fakir of Gamruli village in Kendua upazilaTk10,000 each, in default, to suffer one year in jail.

Mohamamad Abdul Hamid, additional sessions judge of the Acid Crime

Prevention Tribunal Court-2, handed down the verdict after examining the records and witnesses. According to case statement, the convicts entered the house of Mohammad Wahed with sharp weapons and acid on May 21, 2003. Later, they threw acid through a window when Rashid and Saiful were sleeping.

The victim’s father filed a case with Kendua police station next day. Police after investigation submitted charge-sheet before the court on June 19, 2003. l

At least five policemen were injured in a gunfight with an alleged gang of armed terrorists in Kaliajuri area of the town yesterday.

Humayun Kabir, officer-incharge of Detective Branch of police, said a team of DB police launched a drive in the area to arrest the terrorists and recover firearms around 9pm.

Sensing the presence of police, the miscreants fired gunshots at

the law enforcers, triggering a gunfight that left five policemen injured with bullets.

Police arrested one named Roman in possession of a foreignmade pistol and five bullets from the spot.

The injured five policemen including three sub inspectors Shah Kamal Akand, Shahidul Islam and Alimuzzaman were admitted to Comilla Medical College Hospital.

Additional policemen were deployed in the area. l

mari Shikha Rani’s teacher registration certificate was confirmed to be fake by the education authorities.

When contacted, headmaster Mohammad Ali Luton and management committee president Siddiqur Rahman denied any wrongdoing and said they were the victims of a conspiracy.

The complainant in the accusation, now president of the management committee, Saiful Islam Mannan, said director general (education) Fahima Khatun had sent show cause letters to assistant teachers Shikha Rani and Shahinuzzaman asking why their monthly pay should not be rejected.

Abdur Rahid and Jarina Khatun were also show-caused about why their MPO salaries were passed in 2013 and not earlier. They have been asked to meet with the director general.

When contacted, Dr Shadhan Kumar, deputy director (education) confirmed that show causes letters had been sent and said the Rajshahi regional deputy director had investigated the matter on March 3 and submitted her report on March 16.

Krishnapur junior high school was established on October 23, 1995, and included in the Monthly Pay Order on May 1, 2004 as a junior school. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Juris

7

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Legal basis for seeking refugee status President is not A well-founded fear of persecution can be a sole ground immune from judicial process In the case of United States vs Nixon, the court ordered the president to produce certain audiotapes

n Juris Desk

I

n the US, the early 1970s was a time of growing distrust in the national government.

The Pentagon Papers exposed the intentional deception of the American people about Vietnam.

Americans were shocked when the National Guard opened fire at a Kent State University protest following the then President Nixon’s authorisation for the United States to attack Cambodia. Four students were killed. Nixon would soon add more fuel to the fire, attempting to cover up illegal actions by himself and his administration.

to evidence needed in a criminal proceeding. This is a dispute that can properly be heard in the federal courts.

Arguments for President Nixon The constitutional scheme of separation of powers grants to the president the privilege of withholding information from the other branches of government. Furthermore, this power is absolute, and it is vital where high-level communications are involved. In addition, this dispute should be resolved within the executive branch, not by the courts.

Circumstances of the case

AP

From a general point of view, persecution indicates a repulsive behavioural attitude towards a person that it undermines his or her physical or psychological quietude and sometimes may even cause death of that person

P

n Arif Ahmed

eople around the world have been persecuted as long as history and people in every corner of the world have been forced to flee the countries of their birth in search of freedom from persecution, political violence, or armed conflict. During the liberation war of 1971, the persecuted people of Bangladesh have sought refuge and taken shelter in India as there was a well-founded fear of being persecuted and killed by the military of Pakistan.

The Muslim minorities of Myanmar have also been persecuted in Myanmar for many days and finding no other alternative, they have taken shelter in Bangladesh. Moreover, the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Gaza have also become the victim of persecution by the US and Israeli forces, left their country of origin and became refugees.

According to Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, persecution is the most important ground of becoming a refugee by a person who is a victim of persecution or has fear of being persecuted. The convention states that, “A person is a refugee who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.” From the definition of refugee provided by this Convention, it is clear that, mere persecution per se is not enough to constitute the claim to be a refugee or to seek the refugee status. Rather a well-founded fear or apprehension of persecution or infliction of harm is indispensable in order to be a refugee, as the term “fear” has been qualified by the term “wellfounded.” This implies that there must be adequate facts on the ground to justify the notion of fear and the fear must be reasonable, exact, and imminent, which might arise from a variety of circumstances.

Though there is no universally accepted definition of persecution and various attempts to formulate such a definition have met with little success, from a general point of view, persecution indicates a repulsive behavioural attitude towards a person that it undermines his or her physical or psychological quietude and sometimes may even cause death of that person.

Persecution refers to a systematic as well as chronic maltreatment to the mind or body of an individual or group of individuals by another individual or group. Article 33 of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees points out that, persecution refers to infliction or threat to infliction of psychological or physical harm or harassment, fear or pain, isolation or imprisonment by which the fundamental human right of a person is severely infringed to subjugate or eliminate him or her for reasons of race, cast, religion, nationality and political opinion, place of birth or membership of a particular social group. Though there are naturally some overlaps among them, the instances of the most common forms of persecution are political, religious and ethnic persecution.

There are numerous cases in this regard where the concept of persecution was properly clarified by the courts. Persecution was well defined in the famous American case called Al-Ghorbani vs Holder, 2009, where it was held that “persecution is the infliction of harm or suffering by the government or persons. The government is unwilling or unable to control or overcome a characteristic of the victim, because a critical element of persecution is motive and a petitioner must provide some evidence of it, direct or circumstantial.”

Membership of a particular social group or any political party may sometimes be a valid ground for seeking the status of refugee as has been mentioned in the definition of refugee under the 1951 Refugee Convention.

In the case of Matter of Acosta, 1985, the US Board of Immigration Appeals held that persecution on account of

“membership in a particular social group” refers to persecution that is directed toward an individual who is a member of a group of persons, all of whom share a common, immutable characteristic, ie, a characteristic that either is beyond the power of the individual members of the group to change or is so fundamental to their identities or consciences that it ought not be required to be changed.

In a reputed case of Chan vs the Minister of Immigration, 1989, Chan Yee Kin was a citizen of China and was a member of a faction of Red Guards which lost the struggle for control of that organisation in his local area, who was questioned by the police and was detained for two weeks in 1968. He tried to escape but was caught and received increasing periods of detention. In 1974 he escaped to Macau and stowed away on a ship to Australia which he entered illegally in 1980. He applied for refugee status on November 29, 1982. He was refused the status of a refugee within the meaning of the 1951 Refugee Convention. The court inter alia held that the phrase “wellfounded fear of being persecuted” had produced some difference of opinion in the interpretation of the definition of a refugee. There must be a state of fear of being persecuted and a basis “well-founded” for that fear. While there must be fear of being persecuted, it must not be in the mind; there must be a sufficient foundation for that fear.

From the above discussion it may be observed that in order to seek the asylum or refugee status and eventually to be a refugee, the claimant must have a well-founded fear of persecution. If this definitional condition of seeking refugee status is not fulfilled by the applicant, there is a probability of rejection of the application by the refuge state. Proof of sufficient fear is a must for the application to be granted by the host state. l Arif Ahmed is a Lecturer at the Department of Law and Justice, Southeast University, Dhaka.

JURIS QUOTE

Will Rogers

American comedian and humorist November 04, 1879 – August 15, 1935

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The court made it clear that the president could not withhold evidence from an ongoing criminal prosecution of another person simply because he was the president

Hotel Watergate In 1973, a Senate select committee began an investigation, and it became clear that top members of the Nixon administration were involved in a cover-up of the breakin and several other illegal actions.

It was also discovered that Nixon had installed a taping system that automatically recorded all of his conversations with his advisors.

A special prosecutor appointed to probe the Watergate scandal subpoenaed the tapes. Nixon refused to release them, claiming they were protected under executive privilege.

Nixon eventually released some of the tapes, but portions of them had been erased. Finally, another special prosecutor asked the United States Supreme Court to compel Nixon to release all of the tapes in their entirety.

Constitutional issues

The minute you read something that you can't understand, you can almost be sure that it was drawn up by a lawyer.

RIO SHUVO

In June 1972, five men armed with cameras and bugging equipment were arrested inside the Democratic National Committee’s offices in the Watergate complex in Washington DC. The police soon discovered that the burglars worked, directly or indirectly, for the Committee to reelect the president. President Nixon and leaders of his campaign denied any connection with the incident.

The five men were convicted of burglary, along with E Howard Hunt Jr a former Nixon aide, and G Gordon Liddy, a lawyer for the Committee to re-elect the president. Shortly afterward, the presiding judge received a letter from one of the convicted men.

It spoke of payoffs to the burglars in return for their silence – the men had perjured themselves to protect others involved in the break-in.

Does the separation of powers created by the Constitution provide the President with an absolute power to withhold information from other branches of government? If the power is not absolute, should President Nixon be able to claim executive privilege under the aforementioned circumstances?

Does the separation of powers allow for the settlement of this dispute to reside in the executive branch or should it be settled by the judicial branch? Does the claim of executive privilege damage the precedent set by the 5th Amendment, which ensures due process?

Arguments for the United States The president’s power to claim executive privilege is not an absolute one. Executive privilege may not be invoked to deny the courts access

BIGSTOCK

Decision and rationale The court ruled unanimously that President Richard Nixon had to surrender the tapes. Chief Justice Warren Burger delivered the opinion of the court. Burger wrote, “The impediment that an absolute, unqualified executive privilege would place in the way of the primary constitutional duty of the Judicial Branch to do justice in criminal prosecutions would plainly conflict with the function of the courts under Article III.” Burger then turned his attention to the damage that a privilege of confidentiality would cause to citizens’ constitutional rights: “The right to the production of all evidence at a criminal trial similarly has constitutional dimensions. The Sixth Amendment explicitly confers upon every defendant in a criminal trial the right “to be confronted with the witnesses against him” and “to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favour.” Moreover, the Fifth Amendment also guarantees that no person shall be deprived of liberty without due process. It is the manifest duty of the courts to vindicate those guarantees, and to accomplish that it is essential that all relevant and admissible evidence be produced.” The court made it clear that the president could not withhold evidence from an ongoing criminal prosecution of another person simply because he was the president.

Several days before, the House Judiciary Committee had approved three articles of impeachment. On August 9, 1974, Nixon became the first President in US history to resign from the presidency. He did so in order to avoid going through the likely prospect of being impeached by the full House of Representatives and convicted by the Senate. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Obama: America will degrade and destroy IS His threat came after IS released a video showing the beheading of a second American hostage

n AP, Tallinn, Estonia US President Barack Obama said yesterday that the United States will not be intimidated by Islamic State militants after the beheading of a second American journalist and will build a coalition to “degrade and destroy” the group.

Obama still did not give a timeline for deciding on a strategy to go after the extremist group’s operations in Syria.

“It’ll take time to roll them back,’’ the president said at a news conference during a visit to Europe.

Obama’s comments came after he said the United States had verified the authenticity of a video released on Tuesday showing the beheading of freelance reporter Steven Sotloff, two weeks after journalist James Foley was similarly killed.

Obama vowed the US would not forget the “terrible crime against these two fine young men.’’

“Our reach is long and justice will be served,’’ Obama said.

In the Sotloff video, a masked militant warns Obama that as long as US air strikes against the militant group continue, “our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people.’’

Obama responded that he will continue to fight the militant threat and the “barbaric and ultimately empty vision’’ it represents.

“Our objective is to make sure that ISIL is not an ongoing threat to the re-

Britain urges G8 countries not to pay hostage ransoms n Reuters, London Britain will increase diplomatic efforts to make sure other countries in the Group of Eight (G8) major economies stick to an agreement not to pay hostage ransoms, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday.

Leaders agreed at last year’s G8 summit to a communique rejecting the payment of ransoms and calling on other countries and companies around the world to follow their lead.

“Britain continues with this policy, America continues with this policy but we need to redouble the efforts to make sure that other countries are good to their word,” Cameron said.

US and European officials have said that France, Spain and Italy have tolerated or facilitated ransom payments for citizens held in Syria.

Cameron told parliament he had no doubt that tens of millions of pounds of ransom payments were going to Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria and Iraq, and were being used to promote and fund attacks that affected Britain.

His comments came after an IS video on Tuesday purported to show the beheading of a second American hostage by a man with a British accent, and issued a threat against a British hostage. l

A video purportedly showing US journalist Steven Sotloff kneeling next to a masked Islamic State fighter holding a knife in an unknown location in this still image from video released by Islamic State. The Islamic State released the video on Tuesday REUTERS gion,’’ he said, using an acronym for the militant group. “And we can accomplish that. It’s going to take some time and it’s going to take some effort.’’

Sotloff, a 31-year-old Miami-area native who freelanced for Time and Foreign Policy magazines, vanished a year ago in Syria and was not seen again

until he appeared in the video that showed Foley’s beheading. Dressed in an orange jumpsuit against an arid Syrian landscape, Sotloff was threatened in that video with death unless the US stopped air strikes on the Islamic State.

In the video distributed Tuesday and titled “A Second Message to Amer-

ica,’’ Sotloff appears in a similar jumpsuit before he is apparently beheaded by a fighter with the Islamic State, the extremist group that has conquered wide swaths of territory across Syria and Iraq and declared itself a caliphate.

British foreign secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC on Wednesday that

Somalia offers militants amnesty n Agencies

Somalia’s government has offered an amnesty to fighters of Islamist group al-Shabab, amid uncertainty over whether its leader survived a US air strike, BBC reported.

The militants would be reintegrated into society if they surrendered over the next 45 days, a statement said.

The offer seems to be an attempt to exploit the vulnerability of al-Shabab following the air strike, analysts say.

Al-Shabab has refused to say whether its leader Ahmed Abdi Godane survived.

The strike took place on Monday as Godane was travelling in a convoy in southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region.

Witnesses said US troops landed at the site soon after the strike and took away bodies after a fierce gun battle, reports the BBC Somali Service’s Abdullahi Abdi.

The Somali government’s amnesty offer appears to be a political initiative aimed at encouraging defections from al-Shabab, he says.

The group is under pressure militarily - not only has it faced a US air assault, but African Union (AU) and government troops have launched a ground offensive to recapture territory, our reporter adds.

Al-Shabab has lost control of four towns in the past week, with AU and government forces now advancing towards the coastal town of Barawe,

the main base of the militants, he says.

However, the government faces the risk of its amnesty offer backfiring as al-Shabab fighters take it up under the false pretext that they have changed when, in fact, they want to regroup in government strongholds to continue their military campaign for an Islamic state, our correspondent adds.

On Tuesday, al-Shabab spokesman Abu Mohammed told AP news agency that six of its fighters were killed in the US air strike, about 240km (150 miles) south of the capital, Mogadishu.

He said Godane’s convoy was on its way to Barawe, but he refused to confirm whether the group’s leader was among the victims. l

Somalia tries to verify if top militant killed n AP, Kampala, Uganda Somali authorities are trying to verify whether the leader of al-Shabab was killed or wounded in a US airstrike, a government spokesman said yesterday.

Somalia’s government is certain that the strike hit “a gathering” of leaders of the Islamic extremist al-Shabab group and they are “in the process” of confirming who was hit in the attack Monday night, said Ridwaan Abdiwali.

Abdiwali praised US support in the war on the al-Qaida-linked militant group whose leader, Ahmed Abdi

Godane, claimed responsibility for a deadly attack a year ago on an upscale mall in Nairobi, Kenya.

The strikes, conducted by special operations forces using manned and unmanned aircraft, targeted Godane, 37, al-Shabab’s spiritual leader, the US confirmed Tuesday.

The US launched the operation based on “actionable” intelligence, said Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman.

The US strikes hit a car in which Godane was traveling after he left a meeting of the group’s top leaders,

adding that Godane “might have been killed along with other militants,” a senior Somali intelligence official told The Associated Press on Tuesday. At least six militants were killed in the attack, said a militant commander, Abu Mohammed, but he would not say if Godane was among the victims.

Al-Shabab still control some parts of southern Somalia after being ousted from their bases in Mogadishu in 2011, and Somali government spokesman Abdiwali noted that it may take some time before there is confirmation about Godane’s fate. l

the masked, British-accented jihadist appears to be the same person shown in the Foley footage.

In the video, the organization threatens to kill another hostage, this one identified as a British citizen, David Cawthorne Haines. It was not immediately clear who Haines was.

Last week, Sotloff ’s mother, Shirley Sotloff, pleaded with his captors for mercy, saying in a video that her son was “an innocent journalist’’ and “an honorable man’’ who “has always tried to help the weak.’’

Obama said the prayers of the American people are with the family of the “devoted and courageous journalist’’ who deeply loved the Islamic world and whose “life stood in stark contrast to those who murdered him so brutally.’’

“Whatever these murderers think they will achieve by murdering innocents like Steven, they have already failed,’’ Obama said. “We will not be intimated. Their horrific acts only unite us.’’

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Tuesday that it is believed that “a few’’ Americans are still being held by the Islamic State. Psaki would not give any specifics, but one is a 26-year-old woman who was kidnapped while doing humanitarian aid work in Syria, according to a family representative who asked that the hostage not be identified out of fear for her safety. l

Slain US journalist Sotloff also had Israeli citizenship n Reuters, Jerusalem Steven Sotloff, a US journalist beheaded

by Islamic State militants, also held Israeli citizenship, Israel said yesterday after apparently withholding the information in a bid to stem the risks to the captive.

“Cleared for publication: Steven Sotloff was #Israel citizen RIP,” tweeted Paul Hirschson, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.

Islamic State, an insurgent group active in Syria and Iraq, on Tuesday published footage of Sotloff ’s execution, which it called retaliation for US air strikes. The video was authenticated by the White House on Wednesday.

Sotloff ’s death was extensively covered by Israeli media, which identified the 31-year-old reporter as Jewish and an occasional contributor having withheld such observations since Islamic State announced he could be killed two weeks ago. “We refused to acknowledge any relationship with him in case it was dangerous for him,” said Avi Hoffman, editor of the Jerusalem Report magazine, which had published Sotloff ’s work.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, quoting a former fellow captive, said Sotloff had kept his Judaism a secret from the Islamist insurgents, pretending he was sick when he fasted for the Yom Kippur holiday.

Israeli media reports said the USborn Sotloff immigrated to Israel in 2005 and studied at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. l

Corruption ‘impoverishes and kills millions’ n Agencies An estimated $1tn (£600bn) a year is being taken out of poor countries and millions of lives are lost because of corruption, according to campaigners.

A report by the anti-poverty organisation “One” says much of the progress made over the past two decades in tackling extreme poverty has been put at risk by corruption and crime.

‘Corruption inhibits private investment, reduces economic growth, increases the cost of doing business and can lead to political instability’ Corrupt activities include the use of phantom firms and money laundering.

The report blames corruption for 3.6 million deaths every year.

If action, according to a report by BBC, were taken to end secrecy that allows corruption to thrive - and if the recovered revenues were invested in health - the group calculates that many deaths could be prevented in low-income countries.

One describes its findings as a “tril-

lion dollar scandal.”

“Corruption inhibits private investment, reduces economic growth, increases the cost of doing business and can lead to political instability,” the report says.

“But in developing countries, corruption is a killer. When governments are deprived of their own resources to invest in health care, food security or essential infrastructure, it costs lives and the biggest toll is on children.”

The report says that if corruption was eradicated in sub-Saharan Africa, education would be provided to an additional 10 million children per year and money would be available to pay for an additional 500,000 primary school teachers.

One is urging G-20 leaders meeting in Australia in November to take various measures to tackle the problem including making information public about who owns companies and trusts to prevent them being used to launder money and conceal the identity of criminals.

It is advocating the introduction of mandatory reporting laws for the oil, gas and mining sectors so that countries’ natural resources “are not effectively stolen from the people living above them.”

It is recommending action against tax evaders “so that developing countries have the information they need to collect the taxes they are due.” l

Ukraine, Russia agree peace moves but fighting rages on n Reuters, Kiev/Ulan Bator Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday a deal to end fighting in eastern Ukraine could be reached this week, a clear attempt to show the West he was trying to deescalate the conflict despite renewed shelling.

After speaking with Ukraine’s Petro Poroshenko, Putin said their views on ending the violence were “very close” and Kiev and the rebels could reach an agreement by Friday, much-needed respite for the Ukrainian leader battling a crumbling economy.

But hopes of peace were clouded by Western concerns that the announcement was timed by the Kremlin to wrong-foot Nato on the eve of a summit that will discuss the crisis and to sow doubt in the European Union over imposing new sanctions against Moscow.

US President Barack Obama said a ceasefire would succeed only if Moscow stopped sending troops to Ukraine.

New shelling of the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, sending plumes of grey smoke from near the city’s airport, also undermined confidence in an end to hostilities.

“The parties reached mutual understanding on the steps that will facilitate the establishment of peace,” Poroshenko’s office said, amending an earlier

statement that had spoken of agreement on a “permanent ceasefire.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the leaders agreed on steps towards peace but not a ceasefire because Russia was not a party to the conflict, which has killed more than 2,600 people since April and caused the worst crisis in relations between Russia and the West since the Cold War. Putin sounded upbeat in comments to reporters during a visit to Mongolia.

“Our views on the way to resolve the conflict, as it seemed to me, are very close,” he said, outlining the seven steps he had put forward to secure a resolution to the crisis.

These steps, he suggested, should include a prisoner exchange and the creation of a humanitarian corridor for refugees and aid supplies. He called for Ukrainian troops to pull back and for rebels to cease offensive operations.

The West accuses Russia of arming the rebels and sending troops into Ukraine to turn the tide of fighting in the almost five month-old conflict.

Moscow denies the charges.

“We have consistently supported the effort of president (Petro) Poroshenko of achieving a meaningful ceasefire that could lead to a political settlement,” Obama said in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, during a visit intended

to underline US commitment to a frontline Nato state.

“So far it hasn’t helped, either because Russia has not been serious about it or it›s pretended that it›s not controlling the separatists, and separatists, when they thought it was to their advantage, have not abided by the ceasefire.”

Confusion

Although there was confusion over what had been agreed by Kiev and Moscow, the sides’ statements pointed to a degree of progress that might yet influence EU leaders as they consider introducing new sanctions against Russia as early as Friday.

Sanctions were first imposed on Russia in the crisis after it annexed the Crimean peninsula in March following the removal of a Ukrainian president sympathetic toMoscow.

But in a contradictory signal on Wednesday, Moscow announced plans for huge military exercises this month by the strategic rocket forces responsible for its long-range nuclear weapons.

It said the manoeuvres in south-central Russia would involve 4,000 troops and extensive use of air power.

The timing appeared calculated to show Nato and the United States Moscow’s military strength. l

A Ukrainian serviceman from the Kiev-1 Battalion holds a found portable anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launcher in the southeastern Ukrainian town of Slavyansk. Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday a deal to end fighting in eastern Ukraine could be reached this week, a clear attempt to show the West he was trying to deescalate the conflict despite renewed shelling AFP

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Thursday, September 4, 2014

ISIS reaches out to Pakistan, distributes pamphlets n Agencies The dreaded Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is trying to expand its influence in Pakistan, with pamphlets being distributed in Peshawar and border provinces of Afghanistan, seeking support for jihad.

A booklet titled ‘Fatah’ (victory) in Pashto and Dari languages was distributed in Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, as well as in Afghan refugee camps on the outskirts of the city, the Express Tribune reported.

The logo of the pamphlet has the Kalma, the historical stamp of Prophet Muhammad and a Kalashnikov assault rifle. Some copies were also mysteriously sent to Afghan journalists working in Peshawar, the paper said.

On the last page of the pamphlet, the editor’s name appears to be fake and where the document has been published cannot be ascertained, it said.

Since long, Afghan militant groups, including Haqqani Network and Hizb-e-Islami, have been publishing similar pamphlets, magazines and propaganda literature in Peshawar black markets.

Formerly known as the ISIS, the group introduced itself as Daulat-e-Islamia (Islamic State) in the pamphlet and made an appeal to the local population for supporting its jihad (struggle) for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate.

A number of hardline groups operating in border areas have already announced support for the outfit. Among them, Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost and Maulvi Abdul Qahar, stalwarts of Saudi Arabia-backed Salafi Taliban groups operating in Nuristan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan, have extended support to the self-styled caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Besides distribution of its literature and pamphlets, some of the ISIS sup-

Pakistan army ‘killed 910 militants’ in Waziristan offensive n BBC Pakistan’s military said it has killed at least 910 suspected militants since launching an offensive in the tribal area of North Waziristan in June.

Some 82 soldiers had died fighting the insurgents there and in raids across the country, the statement said.

The army, according to a report by BBC, said the main towns in North Waziristan, which had been a Taliban stronghold, were now under its control.

Media access is blocked in tribal areas near the Afghan border and there is no independent confirmation of the claims.

The army statement was released amid mounting anti-government protests in the capital. The military says it is not taking sides in the crisis.

The long-awaited offensive against the Pakistani Taliban finally began after the collapse of peace talks between the militants and the government.

“So far, security forces have cleared major towns of Miranshah, Mir Ali, Datta Khel, Boya and Degan in North Waziristan, which were considered strongholds of terrorists,” the military statement said.

It said 42 of the militants killed since June had died in intelligence-led operations across the country. More than 100 others had been captured.

The army gave no details of any civilian casualties. Residents who fled the fighting say there have been many.

About 800,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in North Waziristan since June.

Militant attacks inside Pakistan have fallen sharply since the offensive began, but no high-profile militant leader is known to have been caught so far.

The military conceded in July that many might have slipped out of North Waziristan after learning in advance of the impending military action. l

porters have also made wall chalking, asking locals to join and support the group. Some cars and vehicles also have ISIS stickers pasted on them.

Recently, established Ahrarul Islam, a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, is already working on the lines of ISIS. Similar is the status of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, also known as Hizb-e-Islami Turkistan.

Ahrarul Islam doesn’t believe in boundaries between Islamic countries, therefore, it is working for the establishment of a network throughout South and Central Asian regions.

The group doesn’t recognize al-Baghdadi as the caliph, but considers Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Omar as ‘commander’.

ISIS or IS is an al-Qaida splinter group and it has seized hundreds of square miles in Iraq and Syria. Al-Qaida has distanced itself from the group, chiding it for its lack of teamwork in its aggressive, brutal expansion. l

Supporters of Pakistan’s fiery cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri chant slogans during a protest near Prime Minister’s home in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Pakistan’s protest leaders demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation prepared to resume talks with the government late yesterday, reviving hopes for a negotiated solution to a crisis that has shaken the coup-prone nation AP

Pakistan protests ease as rival leaders seek negotiated settlement to ongoing crisis n Reuters, Islamabad Pakistan’s protest leaders demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation prepared to resume talks with the government late yesterday, reviving hopes for a negotiated solution to a crisis that has shaken the coup-prone nation.

Protests turned deadly last weekend, with thousands trying to storm Sharif’s house, in an outburst of violence which has prompted fears that the country’s powerfularmy might intervene and even topple Sharif.

But by Wednesday tension has significantly eased, with only a couple of thousand of hard-core supporters camping out peacefully outside parliament in the high-security Red Zone area in the centre of the capital, Islamabad.

After weeks of deadlock, early signs have emerged that protest leaders Imran Khan, a former cricket star, and Tahir ul-Qadri, a firebrand Sufi cleric, were inching closer to trying to find a negotiated solution to end the confrontation.

“We have put all our demands in front of the opposition jirga (mediat-

ing team),” said Raheeq Abbasi, Qadri’s right-hand man, adding that his camp would then hold a separate meeting with government representatives later in the evening.

After weeks of deadlock, early signs have emerged that the protest leaders were inching closer to trying to find a solution “If the jirga thinks that any of our demands are in violation of Pakistan’s constitution, law and democracy, then we would be willing to let go of that demand.”

Khan’s camp was also expected to follow suit and present its demands to the mediating team.

Yet, with both Qadri and Khan still adamant on their demand that Sharif step down, it was unclear what kind

China mulls opening of new route to Kailash Mansarovar n Agencies In a major political gesture, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to announce the opening of a new safe route for Indian pilgrims visiting Kailash and Mansarovar in Tibet via Sikkim during his forthcoming visit to India.

Besides a package of major investments, Xi may announce the opening of the route sought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their first meeting in Fortaleza in Brazil in July this year.

Chinese officials say the proposal is under serious consideration.

All announcements including the quantum of investments China plans to make in India are expected to be announced during Xi’s visit planned for the third week of this month. l

‘Where do we go?’

As the crisis dragged on through its third week, Sharif sought to boost his standing by convening a week-long emergency joint session of parliament where he enjoys a solid majority, and the chamber has rallied behind the embattled prime minister.

The assembly saw chaotic scenes, however, on Wednesday as a lawmaker representing Khan’s party took the floor to lay out opposition demands, with a sombre-looking Sharif making a show of walking out just before the speech.

Khan and Qadri have accused Sharif of rigging last year’s election and have demanded a complete overhaul of the electoral system.

“This is a deadlock, where do we go from here?” vice chairman of Khan’s PTI party, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, asked the chamber. “We are here today because of the impasse ... We are protesting to save parliament, not to destroy it.”

Sharif served two terms as prime minister in the 1990s before being ousted in a 1999 coup. l

Fukushima workers sue over unpaid hazard pay

‘Humiliated’ Indian girl found dead n Agencies The semi-naked body of a teenage girl who was allegedly humiliated by village elders for protesting against her father’s harassment has been found near a railway track in eastern India.

Police suspect the 15-year-old girl in West Bengal was raped and murdered.

Her family said she was made to spit on the ground and lick it up - an act considered a grave form of humiliation.

The girl’s body was found in the state’s Jalpaiguri district on Tuesday.

Unofficial courts in India’s villages often sanction punishment of residents deemed to have violated local codes.

Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus.

The government tightened laws on sexual violence last year after widespread protests following the attack, but violence and discrimination against women remain deeply entrenched. l

of face-saving solution the talks might bring that would suit all the parties and help avoid further confrontation or violence.

Chaotic scenes in the usually quiet capital have alarmed many people in a nation where power has often changed hands though military coups rather than elections, with some officials accusing the military of orchestrating the unrest as a way of sidelining or even ousting Sharif.

The army has denied it was meddling in civilian affairs, saying it was neutral and calling for a political resolution.

The crisis has taken many turns since protests broke out in mid-August, subsiding at times only to flare up again in violence, with most commentators saying it was too early to say whether a negotiated solution was in sight.

Few commentators think the army is bent on seizing power again but even if Sharif survives, he would emerge significantly weakened and likely play second-fiddle to the army on key security and foreign policy issues.

n Agencies

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, front row center, and his new Cabinet members pose for a group photo following the first Cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo yesterday AP

Workers decommissioning Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant have sued its operator Tokyo Electric (Tepco) over unpaid hazard pay, BBC reported.

The four men are demanding about 65m yen (£375,000; $620,000) in extra pay. They claim the compensation for removing contaminated debris and patrolling the plant has been inadequate given the risks involved.

It is the first time Tepco has faced legal action from Fukushima workers over pay and working conditions. If they win, it could set a precedent for thousands of other workers to come forward.

The lawsuit was filed by two current and two former workers at Fukushima.

The Japanese utility company had no immediate comment.

“My health may be harmed some day,” one of the workers was quoted as

telling Japanese broadcaster NHK. “I believe there are many people who can’t speak out about this kind of problem.

“I may get fired or may be given no further work. But I hope people will take this as an opportunity to speak up and get paid.”

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors went into meltdown after a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 knocked out reactor cooling systems at the plant.

Subsequent radiation leaks made the surrounding areas around the plant unfit for habitation.

Tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes and businesses because of radioactive contamination, with the majority still unable to return home. The facility is operated by Tepco, which has spent billions of dollars on the clean-up and decommissioning of the plant. l

In many nations, men still dominate Malaysia Airlines important cabinet posts tweaks its ‘Bucket List’ n sales campaign AP, Tokyo

Japan appointed five women to the 18-member Cabinet yesterday in a small but symbolic step toward gender equality in government, which remains male dominated in many nations.

Globally, the percentage of women in ministerial posts stood at 17% in January, up from 16% in 2008, according to data compiled by the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union, an association of the world’s parliaments.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has made the empowerment of women a centerpiece of his economic revival strategy, has set a goal of having women in 30% of leadership positions in both the private and public sectors by 2020. He had just two female

ministers in his previous Cabinet. Now, women make up 28%.

The number of countries with at least 30% female ministers rose to 36, up from 26 in 2012, the Inter-Parliamentary Union said. Nicaragua had the highest percentage at 57%, followed by Sweden, Finland and France.

With some exceptions, female ministers remain well outnumbered by men in most countries.

Great Britain: Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, who has been accused of packing his government with middle-aged, private-school-educated white men like himself, appointed more women in a Cabinet shakeup in July.

Five of the 22 members are now female.

France: About half the 34-member Cabinet is female, fulfilling a 2012

election promise of Socialist President Francois Hollande.

United States: Three of the 16 members of President Barack Obama’s Cabinet are women: the secretaries of the interior, commerce and health and human services. Obama has also appointed women to Cabinet-rank positions including the administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Small Business Administration.

China: Three women are members of the Chinese government’s 36-member Cabinet, or State Council — one vice premier and the ministers of health and justice. The country’s apex of political power, the ruling Communist Party’s powerful seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, is all male. l

n Reuters, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Airlines has changed the wording of an online contest called “My Ultimate Bucket List” after internet users derided the campaign as insensitive following two disasters suffered by the airline this year that claimed 537 lives.

A bucket list commonly refers to things one wants to do or see before dying. Nearing six months since the unexplained loss of Flight MH370, the carrier launched the campaign asking Australian and New Zealand customers to describe in 500 words or less, “What and where would you like to tick off on your bucket list, and explain why?.” The prize for 16 winners was an

iPad or return tickets to Malaysia.

Hit by plunging ticket sales after the March 8 disaster and the July 17 shooting down of another passenger jet over Ukraine, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has slapped discounts on some routes and launched special offers to revive its business. It has almost doubled its commission payments to Australia-based travel agents to revive sales there, according to Australian media reports.

By Wednesday, the original link to the “Bucket List” contest had been removed from the airline’s website. The contest was still being offered, with less fanfare, asking contestants to describe destinations and activities on their “to-do” list. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Thursday, September 4, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Catch culprits, quit harassment

O

nly 25 people have been arrested out of some 2,000 accused persons in the 136 cases filed for arson and street violence in Dhaka during the hartals between October and December last

year.

Failure to produce witnesses and provide evidence is the key reason why cases are not progressing. The moving around of officers and related delays are also said to be hampering the process.

Questions must be asked about the slow pace of these investigations. Street violence of this nature is of the utmost concern to the general public and should be given the highest priority.

A plausible, suggested explanation for the delays is that instead of trying to catch the actual culprits involved in street violence and bombings, law enforcers have been focusing on trying to make opposition leaders the prime accused.

We have no sympathy for political leaders of any stripe, who create or inflame an atmosphere which causes violence. Notwithstanding this, it seems in many of these arson cases, opposition leaders have been accused in the absence of any tangible evidence, while at the same time, police have not been progressing cases against people who were actually caught or identified in the act.

It is disquieting to learn that an estimated 450 bomb makers implicated in the pre-election mayhem are reportedly known to the police but have not been arrested.

The police must protect the public by progressing those cases where they have evidence. Equally, accused persons should not have charges hanging over them endlessly when no evidence is available.

Justice must be timely and impartial.

Progress cases against people actually caught in the act rather than opposition leaders

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

Dhaka’s daily sin August 29

SA Mansoor A major story was published on this day about the “daily sin” that is committed in Dhaka, possibly day in and day out. Murder, of course. In this case, it was a report on the murder of Faruqi, an Islamist. Also published was a report on three more murders in the Moghbazar area in Dhaka. The main story reported the charge sheet issued to 50+ persons for murdering the upazilla chairman in Phulgazi at Feni. Luckily there were also some positive stories, for balance, on the recovery of the stolen baby, one of the twins born at DMCH

Ceasefire in Gaza August 27

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 11 represents T so fill T every time the figure 11 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

maternity ward the day before. This was the only positive and good news that day!

Is Dhaka city becoming the “murder capital” of the world? Are there any other capital cities that beat Dhaka on this routine of reported violent murders on a daily basis? Quite possibly there are more such sudden violent ends to life, which possibly go unreported.

Given this situation then, in our overall ranking, we are going down from the second-worst to the worst capital city in the world. Or ranked first as the world’s leading “sudden death” capital.

Faruqi killing: Wahabi, Moududi followers blamed August 29

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.

Sameer Raza The Wahabi, Deobandi, Najdi, Tablighi, Ahle Khabees and Minhaji are really to blame.

BD woman establishes $22.8m US company

The wrong way to stop sexual abuse

W

e strongly disagree with the School Education Board’s decision to transfer two teachers for sexually abusing and stalking students at the Binapani Government Girls’ High School in Gopalganj.

By transferring these two instructors, the education board has failed to deal with the problem at hand.

Instead, it has risked putting more students in danger of harassment and abuse, by opening the door for the perpetrators to target and abuse other students.

This is a gross dereliction of duty on the part of the board members. They should have immediately brought in the police to bring the two men concerned before the law, rather than burying their hand in the sand and passing on their problem to a different school.

It is harmful enough that the country lacks an adequate system for conducting police checks on those responsible for the welfare of children.

That, when these cases of abuse were identified, both the transferring and receiving school authorities ignored its significance in such a blatant manner sends completely the wrong signal.

It gives comfort to abusers that their actions may be covered up and makes a mockery of laws designed to protect the safety and welfare of children.

Transferring perpetrators as a punitive measure is clearly a lax and irresponsible way to address any cases of sexual abuse, particularly in schools.

All schools in all the country’s education sectors must work together to protect all students from sexual abuse. Perpetrators should be punished, not protected.

Abusers should be punished, not protected

August 30

SK “Palestinian groups and Israel end 50-day conflict.”

Says a lot.

Anonymous The chart gave me an idea of the tragedy in Gaza.

But the gut-wrenching images of the horrors of Palestine I simply can’t look at anymore. Too painful.

Channel I presenter Faruqi slaughtered August 28

CROSSWORD SS “Samia Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi entrepreneur, has started a ‘consulting, product development, sourcing and vertical production’ company in New York City.”

Truly inspiring. Kudos!

Dhaka to seek specific time-frame for Rohingya repatriation August 30

Syed Ali “Unidentified miscreants have slaughtered an Islamic program presenter at his residence in East Rajabazar in the capital.”

Faruqi was the kind of maulana who would speak for Sunnis and Sufis, and against Wahabis, Jamaat-e-Islam, Deobondi and other enemies of the state. Because of his candidness and outspokenness, he was murdered by, most likely, members of the latter groups. If the government really wants a free nation for all, it has to crack down on all those who have committed atrocities in the name of religion.

Hussain Azmi Before holding a bilateral meeting on the issue of the Rohingya refugees, the Bangladeshi government should ask the leader of the Rohingyas to join them at the bilateral meeting, so they can meet face-to-face and give their answer to the blame game that has been carried out by the Burmese military regime for the past six decades.

I request the Bangladeshi government to hold off from deciding on any further issues without our leaders. We have the right to meet them faceto-face and give our reply to the false allegations and blame-game tactics being carried out inside this country, and now beyond its borders.

ACROSS 1 Fragment (5) 5 Pipe (4) 8 Book of the Bible (6) 9 Discharge in disgrace (5) 10 Deprived of sensation (4) 11 Not intoxicated (5) 12 Spirit (3) 15 Transmitted (4) 18 Hex (5) 21 Argument (3) 22 Midday (4) 24 Defect (4) 25 Family members (5) 28 Cherry-coloured (6) 29 Water pitcher (4) 30 Vegetables (5)

DOWN 1 Weapons (6) 2 Corded fabric (3) 3 Tools (4) 4 Sport (4) 5 Melodies (5) 6 Unscrupulous moneylender (6) 7 Flow back (3) 13 More elevated (2) 14 Threaten (6) 16 Denial (2) 17 Intertwines (6) 19 Let down (5) 20 Behold! (2) 23 Fastener (4) 24 Enemy (3) 26 Employ (3) 27 Born (3)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

PEANUTS

To Chacha with love August 29

SS “Remembering the extraordinary cartoonist whose work inspired a generation.”

Chacha Chowdhury was a huge part of my childhood. Good work, Tanmoy.

Low lying areas surrounding Dhaka flooded August 27

SM “Roads in several areas have subsided, and thousands are marooned in different areas in the capital’s periphery.”

And North Bengal is now under water.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

T

H

I

Op-Ed

R

11

Thursday, September 4, 2014

D

E

Y

E

Don’t keep us a secret

P

n Mamun Rashid rospective investors, investment analysts, entrepreneurs, policy analysts, and government officials from Bangladesh and the Bangladesh High Commissioner to Singapore, along with representatives from BOI and Bangladesh’s banking sector, are all scheduled to convene in Singapore today to attend the Bangladesh Investment Summit. Courtesy of Finance Asia, this is happening for the second time in Singapore.

The same crowd met in London last year for the first ever European Investment Summit for Bangladesh. They also met in New York and Singapore in the past, and the BOI, in its own way, held some road shows in Dubai, London, and Hong Kong in the recent past.

We discussed Bangladesh’s economic and business potential, economic challenges, and sector growth potential such as that of the RMG, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding, and business process outsourcing in those summits.

We discussed the policy regime, and the institutional preparedness and depth in the finance industry. Most common discussions always hovered around Bangladesh’s capital market and its return potentials.

Vietnam or Indonesia here. If you ask any Nigeria or Vietnam-bound investor, the usual answer would be: “There is money to be made.”

Does this mean multinational or local companies here in Bangladesh don’t make much money? Not really.

Official or more of unofficial statistics would tell you that companies in Bangladesh, despite not paying much in the way of taxes, make a hell lot of money.

What’s wrong then? Bangladesh is a well-kept secret. Its real potential is overshadowed by its perceived complexities. It is not only an issue of promoting Bangladesh at the right corridors or opportunity spaces, it is more of an issue of policy disconnects.

Is Bangladesh serious about FDI? Do we have enough sectors or adequate numbers of projects where large FDI can flow in? Do we have proper “inand-out policies” delineated for the international investors? Can profit be easily repatriated from Bangladesh?

What is the policy planner’s or the citizen’s attitude towards FDI or foreign companies?

How do they look at one global corporation setting its business here, making hefty profits, and repatriating the same each year? In most of the emerging economies, nobody bothers about this. I’m not so sure about Bang-

Is Bangladesh serious about FDI? Do we have enough sectors or adequate numbers of projects where large FDI can flow in?

Bangladesh, as championed by our government machinery, has one of the best FDI environments and rules in the world. FDI here is protected by the “Foreign Investment Protection Act.” Yet, Bangladesh has seen much less FDI compared to its peer countries, even less than some small countries in central and western Africa. Trouble-borne Nigeria or Pakistan have always attracted much higher FDI than Bangladesh. I am not talking about

ladesh though.

Our domestic investment is not bad.

Though we seldom see enough FDI coming to RMG, pharmaceuticals, or shipbuilding, our domestic industries grew largely on the increasing rise in demand in the local market, especially in food, real estate, hospitality, and fast-moving consumer good opportunities.

Domestic operators, including the existing global operators, could keep

Spend it in Bangladesh their competitors away from Bangladesh by blowing up the political uncertainty and instability issues, the weak governance, the dearth of human resources and work ethic; many of those may not be true though.

Inadequate financial disclosures, corrupt bureaucracy, inefficient regulatory bodies, and greedy politicians also contributed significantly to the “underplaying of Bangladesh’s potential” to global investors. Reading international journals or Bangladeshi newspapers, nobody would dare to take all the trouble to fly down here and explore setting up a business.

“Bangladesh’s story” has always been downplayed in the right corners of the global investment community – be it predominantly Muslim GCC countries, ever-helpful Europe, and not-so-sure North American bigwigs.

Tribute to a father n Farhan Quddus

I

t has been one of the hardest years of my life, counting each day and every minute since we laid you down to eternal rest on this day, 365 days ago. It is not possible to express the grief of losing you because prior to your departure, death was something that happened to other people. The consolation that time heals the pain is not entirely true, it’s just a distraction.

You were an exceptional father and I have lost count of how many times you have cheated death over the 50 years of my life, but on September 4, 2013, when we crowded around your bed in the CCU at 2am, I knew my desperate pleas to the attending doctors wasn’t going to bring you

back. I tried to call God on his direct line but intentionally God didn’t answer, it was his way of saying “son, it is his time.”

You could move mountains, walk on fire, you could part the seas, that was the kind of father you were. I still vaguely remember as a toddler in Mauripur Air Base, Karachi, you wearing your flight overalls and helmet in hand leaving for the airfield to fly your B-57 bomber on missions in Pathankot, Halwara, and Adampur during the Indo-Pak war of 1965.

I had no idea that each mission meant the chance of you not coming back, but you returned every morning with a smile on your face upon seeing me.

Do you remember just a few years ago, I asked you what it was like to

Group Captain Taher Quddus (retd) (September 7, 1936 – September 4, 2013)

BIGSTOCK

Investment in “natural resources” remained as controversial as in many other developing economies, creating scope for “public interest litigation.”

Failure in this regard can be attributed to Bangladeshi policy planners, government agencies, citizenry, or even local entrepreneurs who chose to remain as protective as possible.

However, gone are the old days.

Bangladesh has to live in the globalised world, a changing world trying to derive increasing values out of joining the global supply chain, and ensure success transfers. Bangladesh needs FDI not only to meet its increasing foreign currency warrants, more importantly for “technology transfer” or migration of best practices, if not employment generation too.

Once global bigwigs are ready to endorse Bangladesh’s qualities, or “made

in Bangladesh,” the game will be won.

Our success in RMG exports, despite manifold challenges, testifies to it.

Good governance or political stability may not be very important to international investors as long as they can ensure good returns on their investment and take the money back when they need it.

However, adequate land for putting up their manufacturing plants, timely supply of gas and electricity, availability of good human resources at competitive prices, and more importantly, well-run roads and highways, seas and airports, are non-negotiable. Same for the congenial regulatory regime and policy continuity despite government change, workable legal system, and respectable financial system.

Bangladesh’s economy is growing, and so is our purchasing power.

There is ample scope here to make money. Bangladeshis are making their presence felt in the global community.

This is perhaps the right time to invest in Bangladesh. We must be able to seek out the right friends to champion Bangladesh’s potentials and causes.

Prime Minister Abe in Japan wants Japanese businesses to go outside to delay their saturation or facilitate their growth. He is coming to Bangladesh with a large team of manufacturers.

Let us make best use of his visit.

We need many more investments to smooth our journey towards becoming a middle income country with distributive justice ensured. Let’s talk sense, behave responsively, and help Bangladesh grow in the right direction. l Mamun Rashid is a banker and economic analyst.

Leave no one behind fly low and bomb enemy territory, how does a hero feel? And you said “Shammu, there are no heroes in war, it’s just ordinary men following the call of duty and doing their job well enough to just come back alive to live another day.”

You gave us a lifetime of thrills and adventure, as Amma says: “53 years on a roller coaster,” laughter, tears, side by side with fear and uncertainty but a life of full satisfaction and no regrets.

Your duty towards the Air Force was always first and foremost. Not many kids grew up like Joy and I, wrapped around events which were shaping history.

It was only last year before you passed away, that I got to know so much about those episodes in our lives, such as how Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman smuggled Amma, Joy, and I onto a waiting Royal Saudi Arabian C-130 transport plane destined for Riyadh, and that too without passports during the ’71 war.

Or how we managed to leave New Delhi before the start of the Liberation war on an IAF plane in exchange for the repatriation of the ailing Indian High Commissioner in Rawalpindi.

You had cheated death in a war, as an ISI intelligence officer assigned in a diplomatic post in India, you jumped from a fifth floor window and hung onto a sewage pipe in Tejgoan Airport to avoid being shot by rebel soldiers in the 1977 Japan Airlines Hijacking and two years later you were a hostage in a Biman plane hijacking yourself.

It’s like you ran the gauntlet all your life, you were my superhero and superheroes don’t die, so it was that much harder to believe that a brain hemorrhage would end the innings.

You have left behind a wife, who for most of her life knew of nothing else but her husband, two daughtersin-law who doted on you, a grandson who sleeps with a large portrait of you with him in your arms, and two sons who are struggling to fill your shoes even with socks stuffed in them.

Rest in peace, Abbu. l Farhan Quddus is Managing Director, Securex Limited.

n Shazia Omar

A

ccording to the World Bank, the international poverty line stands at $1.25 a day, whereas the daily average earnings of the extreme poor in Bangladesh, approximately 25 million people, is less than $0.50. Extremely poor families exhibit a high degree of chronic and severe deprivation. In most cases, their low income is linked to climatic vulnerability as well as a lack of employment and secure shelter, low literacy, inaccessibility to basic services, and low community involvement. The elderly, the disabled, female-headed households, and minority groups are disproportionately high among the extreme poor.

Female-headed households are more common among the poorest because as the pressures of scarcity increase, often times the more economically able-bodied men of the families abandon their wives to manage a living for themselves. The women are often left to feed their children (and usually their dependent, elderly parents) though they have no job or skills or crafts to sell. They are utterly marginalised and excluded. They are worse off than the poor who are at the bottom of the economic ladder, because they are not on the ladder at all.

The good news is that with a small amount of support, these families can join the mainstream economy, and from there, they can slowly begin to climb out of extreme poverty to prosperity. I work at Shiree, a livelihoods program that gives out these bits of support in the form of assets and the necessary training needed to manage the assets.

On average, a transfer of Tk20,000 (or $250) is enough to inject an earning capacity into a family – but this alone is not enough. As extremely poor people have multiple vulnerabilities, they require additional support in the form of counselling, childcare support, education on nutrition and sanitation, market linkage, and linkage with public service-providers.

Furthermore, unless a family creates at least two or more sources of

income with their asset injection, and develop some form of savings, they remain too vulnerable to succeed. With these additional support mechanisms in place, it is estimated that within a year, an extremely poor family may make the transformational leap out of extreme poverty.

However, not all families can make this leap. Often, families are female-headed and loaded with dependents (infants, elderly parents). Other times, families that are progressing well suffer a shock such as the illness of a family member, a natural disaster, or theft, and this wipes out any gains they made. This often leads to the distressed sale of assets and a nosedive back into extreme poverty. To ensure that these struggling families receive adequate attention so that “no one is left behind,” we need to monitor all of our beneficiaries.

Digital technology has been critical in helping us identify families in need of support

A traditional baseline survey of a sample of households, followed by an annual progress survey, is not sufficient to meet our needs. As such, we partnered with tech superstars, mPower, to develop a “Change Monitoring System” that allows real-time monitoring of all our beneficiaries.

The digital survey, which focuses on beneficiary self-assessment of change and voice recordings, is administered by the field staff using software-equipped mobile phones that automatically transmit beneficiary data to Shiree’s central online program database which is available to all for monitoring and evaluation.

This technology makes it possible to identify trends, customise and target

support when and where necessary and manage supplementary packages.

It enhances our ability to make strategic decisions at a fraction of the cost (in terms of money and time) required by traditional, paper-based survey systems. Using this new platform, the field staff can gather data quickly with ease and accuracy and NGOs are better able to analyse the impact of their projects.

Using CMS 2 last week, I identified and visited two families that were struggling despite the support we had given them. They were both living in remote parts of Dacope. It turned out they were both Aila victims. The assets they received from Shiree helped for a while, but they had both sold off their assets over a year ago to meet emergency demands. One family’s head member suffered from typhoid and they spent their money on treatment.

The second family faced loss of shelter due to river erosion four times, and their money was used up in relocating over and over again.

This highlights one of the challenges in asset-transfers as a way out of extreme poverty where external vulnerability is high. We are now looking for ways to connect at least one member of each of those families to skills training so they may seek jobs in Khulna or Dhaka. We continue to search for private sector partners to work with, so if you’re reading this article and are interested in exploring how you can help, please do get in touch.

Digital technology has been critical in helping us identify families in need of support so supplementary funds may be used in a targeted and effective manner. This tool can significantly contribute to the efficient and transparent use of funds for the eradication of extreme poverty from Bangladesh and all other countries of the world. However, we must continue to encourage industrial expansion and innovative entrepreneurialism that creates jobs in rural and remote areas of Bangladesh, otherwise even with cutting-edge technology, it will be difficult to bring about sustainable change. l Shazia Omar is Advocacy Advisor at Shiree.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Thursday, September 4, 2014

n Entertainment Desk Al Pacino has opened up about the struggles he and others have faced while battling depression.

The veteran actor said that he felt “spared” and “lucky” that he is yet to have been derailed by the mental health condition that has led to the deaths of so many – including Robin Williams.

Speaking at Venice Film Festival, he said: “I may be depressed but I don’t know about it.

“People go into depression and it’s very, very sad and it can last and it’s terrifying.

“I know that, I’ve had bouts with stuff that comes close to that, but not with that intensity. I feel spared, I feel lucky.”

“In ‘Godfather II,’ I would imagine Michael Corleone was depressed,” he added.

n Entertainment Desk

L

ux-Channel i Superstar, the country’s most prestigious beauty pageant, is going to introduce a new surprising segment where the contestants will have to go underwater. The exclusive episode with the underwater footage and stills of the ravishing beauties will be aired on September 5 on Channel i, at 9:35pm. A teaser of the episode has been uploaded in youtube; the video has already created a buzz in social media outlets.

Jimi Jamison dead at 63

Pacino was at the festival to promote two films – “The Humbling” and “Manglehorn.”

On the role he plays in the former, in which he stars as an ageing actor who strikes up an affair with a younger woman, he said: “The character is getting older and the feelings he has for his work are becoming less available to him, so he tries to compensate and becomes a little off and confused and slips into a kind of depression that expresses itself in his work.” l

The organiser has smartly chosen a modest wardrobe, consisting of the vivid beautiful gowns for the contestants rather than directly follow the western pageants.

In the upcoming episodes, the contestants will be featured in more exclusive sessions including a session in which the beauties will be seen working with the famous designers of the country.

Unilever Bangladesh Limited and Channel i, the organising body of the pageant show, will disclose the date of grand finale soon. l

GANGA-JAMUNA THEATRE FESTIVAL

MEHAZABIEN’s break-up in Boroshar Prothom Din n Entertainment Desk

Jimi Jamison, who sang lead on Survivor hits such as “Burning Heart” and “Is This Love,” has died. He was 63.

Booking agent Sally Irwin said Tuesday that Jamison died last weekend from an apparent heart attack at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. He had returned to Memphis after performing in California.

Jamison joined the group in 1984, after it had already become known for “Eye of the Tiger,” the theme song for the Sylvester Stallone film “Rocky III.” With Jamison replacing vocalist Dave Bickler, the band had several more hits, and remained a popular touring act for the coming years. Jamison also co-wrote and sang “I’m Always Here,” the theme for “Baywatch.”

A native of Mississippi, Jamison was a member of bands Target and Cobra before joining Survivor. l

Victor Banerjee and Dolly Basu, two theatre icons of West Bengal, in a scene from the theatre production Atwioshojon by Chupkotha which was staged in the Shilpakala Academy on Tuesday. The play was staged as part of the ongoing festival Ganga-Jamuna Natyo O Shankskritik Utshab featuring theatre troupes and cultural organisations from Bangladesh and India KHAN HASAN MUHAMMAD RAFI

Bodhisattwa Trio from Kolkata to perform today

n Entertainment Desk Charlize Theron features on the cover of Modern Luxury’s September 2014 issue and looks sultry as ever in the spread, but she believes there is room for improvement, reports eonline.com.

“I do not have a perfect body! I’m always finding things I can work on, but I definitely have reached a point where I feel comfortable and happy with the way my body looks,” said the 39-year-old, who spins

and does yoga.

“I definitely am not one of those people who is constantly counting calories and doesn’t allow myself to enjoy food. I love food. But I just try to be mindful of what I eat and be good to myself,” she added.

Staying in shape is a family activity for the Hancock star. “My mom and I really enjoy hiking in the morning.

There is a great trail around the corner from my house, so I go with my two-year-old son Jackson and the dogs,” she said. l

KHAN HASAN MUHAMMAD RAFI

n Entertainment Desk

Mehazabien will soon be seen in a TV play titled “Boroshar Prothom Din,” also featuring Nayeem and Ripon. In the play, she will be portray a docile university student.

The theme of play portrays the current trends among university students – being in relationships and intense feelings of sadness and despair.

The plot revolves around Mehazabien who is in a relationship with Ripon.

However, her friends continually nag about Ripon’s character and ultimately the romance evaporates.

As the romantic relationship takes a back seat, Nayeem becomes a close friend of Mehazabien, and they both start enjoying each others company.

Dhaka Tribune had a chit chat with the actress regarding the TV play: “The TV play ‘Boroshar Prothom Din’ shows how people take advantage of an innocent person. How loyalty and trust work in the dynamics of a relationship. Friendship plays a significant role in this play. Director Niloy Masud has a good idea about the current issues among the youngsters, and emotional factors in their lives.” l

Protyaborton Maasranga TV 7:50pm

Telefilm Protyaborton features Bidya Sinha Saha Mim, Nayeem and Mishu Sabbir in a love triangle.

Collateral 7:10pm Zee Studio

n

Entertainment Desk

The Bodhisattwa Trio, a band from Kolkata, will present two back to back jamming sessions this evening at Red Shift Cafe in Gulshan and Shadhona Cultural Circle in Banani.

The band’s line-up includes Bodhisattwa Ghosh on guitars and vocals, Premjit Dutta on drums and Bijit Bhattacharya on bass.

The Bodhisattwa Trio is a Jazz outfit that believes in the expres-

sion of unadulterated human feelings in the form of unrefined powerful sounds created with energy from deep within the human soul.

Drawing influences from musical ideas, musicians, feelings and experiences, the musicians deliver a mix of original songs as well as renditions of pieces written by legends who have inspired the band.

A disciple of Indian Guitar legend Amyt Datta, Bodhisattwa is a blues musician whose aim is to stretch the boundaries of music. l

Cab driver Max’s life takes a terrific turn when a hit-man Vincent hires his service.

Did you know?

Only Hazard (7) and Torres (5) got more goal assists for Chelsea in 2013-14 than Fabregas already has in 2014-15 (4)

Sport

Thursday, September 4, 2014

14 New-look Spain

set for test against France

14 Brazil legend Zico

to coach in Indian Super League

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Federer, Monfils

to clash in US Open semis

BCB chief aims for development in root level n Mazhar Uddin The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) from now on will closely monitor the divisional cricket bodies responsible for the development of the game in the 64 districts of the country.

BCB president Nazmul Hasan, during the “ground maintenance equipment distribution” programme at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday, vowed to take necessary measures against the respective zonal bodies if found not carrying the development work properly.

After taking the helm last year, Nazmul’s board has mostly been busy revamping the infrastructure of stadiums for the ICC World Twenty20 in March this year, and now the BCB chief wants to concentrate on developing the game in the grass-root level by providing support to all 64 districts.

Through yesterday’s programme, BCB handed over grass cutting machines, pitch covers, boundary ropes, pitch rollers and cricket kits to officials of 39 districts while the remaining 25 district’s officials had already received the instruments earlier.

“Now we will keep an eye on each of the districts. We will monitor which district is actually doing something for the development of cricket and which

MEDAL TALLY 1. BKSP 64 57 48 2. BD ANSAR 22 17 17 3. BOGRA SC 13 8 2 4. C’GANJ DSA 2 5. DOLPHIN SC 1 5 6 6. JHENAIDAH SC 1 1 7. ALAMGIR SC 4 9 8. SOHANI SC 2 5 9. AMLA SC 2 1 10. KUSHTIA DSA 1 3 11. SOLAIMAN SC 1 1 12. JESSORE DSA 1 1 13. PABNA DSA 1 1 14. FENI DSA 1 15. BERA SC 1 16. PURBANCHOL SC 1 17. BATIAGHATA SC 1 18. NIKALI SC - 2 19. 3 BROTHERS SC 1 20. JESSORE SC 1 21. MANJUR SMRITI SC 1 22. SAINT MARTIN SC 1 23. MADARIPUR DSA 1 24. LALON SHAH SC 1 *SC - Swimming Club

is not. If there are people who have not done anything for the district even after getting benefits, then we will definitely do something about that,” said Nazmul.

“We have been busy with the World Cup, building stadiums and other things. However, now we have the time and hence today’s (yesterday’s) programme. There were many things

Now we will keep an eye on each of the districts. We will monitor which district is actually doing something for the development of cricket and which is not missing for development in different districts. And starting from grass cutters, we have handed over the required instruments including cricket kits,” he said.

“Today (yesterday) we provided instruments to the officials of 39 districts while 25 districts have already received them earlier. Our basic objective is to make cricket more popular throughout Bangladesh. The more we popularise cricket in the villages and other areas, the more players we will get,” he added. l

BCB president Nazmul Hasan (2R) hands over ground maintenance equipment document to a district official at the SBNS yesterday

COURTESY

30TH NATIONAL AGE-LEVEL SWIMMING AND DIVING COMPETITION

Ariful sets pool on fire as BKSP emerge champion n Shishir Hoque

Seven more national records were set on the third and final day of the Cotton Group 30th National Age-Level Swimming and Diving Competition with BKSP emerging as the champions at the National Swimming Complex at Mirpur yesterday.

Juvenile swimmer Ariful Islam of BKSP bagged three more gold medals on the last day which took his gold tally to an incredible 13. Ariful, placed in the 18-20 age group, has won gold in every event he took part while breaking three national records also in the three-day long meet. No wonder these achievements saw Ariful win the award of the best male swimmer of the tournament.

On the other hand, Marium Khatun of Bogra Swimming Centre became the best female swimmer from the same age group by winning 10 gold and 3 silver medals.

The young lady from Bogra set six national records in three days including one in 200m individual medley yesterday.

Titu Mia, who is also from BKSP, emerged as the next most prolific

swimmer of the meet by winning a total of eight gold and one bronze medal while competing in the age level 15-17.

Meanwhile, BKSP continued their domination on the final day as well and clinched the title with 64 gold medals from 100 events. They also won 57 silver and 48 bronze medals. Bangladesh Ansar became runner-up with 22 gold, 17 silver and bronze medals while

Bogra Swimming Center finished third with 13 gold medals.

The tournament will be remembered for the plethora of records it produced as a total of 21 new national records were set including seven from the 30 events played yesterday. Nayan Ali broke two national records in the 400m freestyle and 200m butterfly event while Himel Mia, Sonia Khatun,

Rasheda Khatun and Jahidul Islam set national records in the 100m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 200m IM event respectively.

Nasim Hossain, Sadi Mohammad Mohsin and Rajib Ahmed broke three records in the spring board diving.

Sports and Youth Minister Biren Sikder distributed prizes among the winners as the chief guest. l

Ariful Islam (C) flung to the pool during the third and final day of the 30th National AgeLevel Swimming and Diving Competition at the National Swimming Complex, Mirpur yesterday MUMIT M

Hockey players’ hostel inaugurated n Shishir Hoque The misery days of the hockey players in the unhygienic hostel has finally come to an end as the newly renovated hostel was inaugurated at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Biren Sikder, along with Nasir A Choudhury, founding managing director and adviser of Green Delta Insurance Company Limited inaugurated the hostel for the national hockey players. The guests then visited the renovated hostel rooms situated in the southern part of the second floor of the stadium.

The renovation work was carried out by the Bangladesh Hockey Federation with the financial assistance from Green Delta who provided Tk5.2m for the modernisation of the hostel rooms.

However, it should be mentioned that the expenses crossed Tk5.7m.

“The Minister and the Green Delta officials expressed their satisfaction while they also assured of providing the extra money spent,” said Rafiul Haque, spokesperson for BHF president Enamul Bari. l

Portuguese superagent Mendes the real transfer winner Former nightclub owner oversees the sale of five high-profile clients for combined fees of £228m

n Telegraph.co.uk They may have signed the world’s most coveted superstars but the great beneficiary of the 2014 transfer window was not Manchester United, Real Madrid or Barcelona.

For that particular accolade you must look no further than Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes, who by overseeing the sale of five high-profile clients – four signed by English clubs – negotiated combined fees of £228 million.

The Premier League has recently started to publish an annual league table of agents’ fees, but regretfully the representatives themselves are never identified. If they itemised the bill, there could only be one name perched at the top.

Mendes – the definition of the phrase ‘superagent’ – is the serial lottery winner from the Gestifute agency.

Radamel Falcao and Ángel di María moved to Manchester United in deals that could eventually top £90 million.

James Rodriguez, the Colombian World Cup star, moved from Monaco to Real Madrid for £63 million in June.

Manchester City signed Eliaquim Mangala from Porto in a deal understood to be worth £43 million. Only Chelsea bucked the trend and managed to strike a bargain deal for a Mendes player, negotiating Diego Costa’s move to Stamford Bridge from Atlético Madrid for £32 million.

Mendes, who lists compatriots Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo among his other significant clients, has consolidated his position as the agent with the most wanted mobile phone number in Europe. Little wonder it is believed he has

Jorge Mendes (C) lists compatriots Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo among his other significant clients

Roman Abramovich and the Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez on speed dial.

While Manchester United fans will applaud Louis van Gaal if he leads an Old Trafford revival, or even executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward for getting the deals done, it may prove to be Mendes who deserves the next statue alongside Sir Alex Ferguson if Falcao and Di María inspire the club back towards a title challenge.

Indeed, survey the map of European football and the spread of his clients

and there could be similar tributes paid to him at Chelsea and Atlético Madrid, while several clubs in Portugal owe their present financial security to him and his associates and their embracing of the third party ownership model outlawed in the Premier League.

Mendes’s impact on English and European clubs has grown from humble beginnings in 1996 when he first moved into player representation having enjoyed various stints as a DJ, video store proprietor and nightclub owner.

His company now has player assets worth billions. The turning point for him was Abramovich’s takeover of Chelsea and the subsequent appointment of Mourinho in 2004, who he had recently started to represent.

Their relationship saw a host of Mendes clients move to Stamford Bridge, but nowadays all those clubs who find themselves in the Champions League, or aspire to be, soon discover without one agent in particular listed at the top of their contacts book it is almost

RADAMEL FALCAO

ÁNGEL DI MARÍA

Monaco to Man Utd on loan

Real Madrid to Man Utd £59.7 million

a waste of time scouting in Portugal and parts of Spain where so many of the most attractive deals filter through him.

Mendes does not so much thrive as the deadlines approach as give the impression the transfer window opens and shuts on his command. He is certainly the agent of the year based on the summer of 2014. Judged purely on the dividends he is making for his company, his players and his shareholders, it is a title he has been defending successfully for the past decade. l

JAMES RODRIGUEZ ELIAQUIM MANGALA Monaco to Real Madrid £63 million

Porto to Man City £43 million

DIEGO COSTA At Madrid to Chelsea £32 million

MENDES IMPACT ON 2014 SUMMER TRANSFER

14

Sport

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Brazil legend Zico to coach in Indian Super League n AFP, New Delhi

REUTERS

Brazilian legend Zico has signed up to coach a team in the Indian Super League, joining other former stars in the new franchise-based venture to be played later this year.

Zico, 61, who played in three World Cups and has coached around the world, will manage the Goa franchise for the 10-week tournament that begins in October.

The tournament has been modelled along the lines of cricket’s cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) and hopes to raise football’s profile in the cricket-mad nation.

Zico, one of Brazil’s great exponents of “the beautiful game” who played in World Cups from 1978 to 1986, signed the contract in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, a statement from Goa franchise said.

“FC Goa is proud to announce that the legendary Brazilian football player Zico has agreed to be the manager of their team that will play in the Indian Super League,” the statement said.

Other former stars who have confirmed their participation as player or coach include Italian great Alessandro Del Piero, France and Juventus striker David Trezeguet, his compatriot Robert Pires, Spaniard Luis Garcia, and England goalkeeper David James. l

competitive encounters for both sides.

Italy face Norway in Oslo next week while the Dutch travel to the Czech Republic in their first Euro 2016 qualifiers.

The match against a Dutch side that reached the semi-finals in Brazil offers the Azzurri the opportunity to reclaim some pride after the morale-shredding ignominy of exiting the World Cup at the group stage.

Conte has vowed to lead the national squad back to what he regards as its rightful position at the top of the global game, despite bemoaning a lack of playing resources he blames on the number of foreign strikers playing in Serie A. Balotelli is suspended for the trip to Norway and Conte has declined to elaborate further on whether that was the main reason for the striker not being included in his first squad.

Other notable absences include injured playmaker Andrea Pirlo, who has hinted he could extend his international career into the Conte era, and defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli. Italian officials are hoping Chiellini will be fit in time to play in Oslo.

Holland are also under new management with the vastly experienced Guus Hiddink having taken over from Louis van Gaal following the latter’s departure for Manchester United on the back of the Oranje’s exhilarating run to the semi-finals in Brazil.

A combination of injury and illness means Hiddink, 67, will begin his second stint as national coach without big names Arjen Robben, Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Rafael van der Vaart. Feyenoord playmaker Jordy Clasie and Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar also miss out. l

(L-R): Spain’s Sergio Ramos, Koke Resurreccion, Santi Cazorla and goalkeeper Iker Casillas embrace during a training session at Soccer City grounds in Las Rozas, near Madrid on Tuesday

New-look Spain set for test against France n AFP, Paris After their abject failure at the World Cup, Spain have a new look as they begin preparations for the defence of the European Championship with a friendly against France on Thursday.

Just over two months on from their group-stage elimination as World Cup holders in Brazil, coach Vicente del Bosque takes a squad that is a mixture of familiar faces and potential stars of the future for the match at the Stade de France, the venue for the Euro 2016 final.

Xavi Hernandez and Xabi Alonso, veterans of the side that won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, have retired from international football, following in the footsteps of David Villa.

Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata were all omitted, while fit-

ness problems of varying degrees have ruled out Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta and Javi Martinez.

Of the new faces, five are uncapped and four are aged 23 or under, including Valencia striker Paco Alcacer. Others, like 28-year-old Atletico Madrid midfielder Raul Garcia, have had to wait a little longer for their opportunity.

They all join 22-year-old Atletico midfielder Koke, who went to the World Cup but is now expected to take on extra responsibility.

“It’s a team for now with a view to two years down the line,” explained del Bosque after unveiling his squad, with the aim of Thursday’s match being to prepare for their opening Euro 2016 qualifying Group C fixture against Macedonia in Valencia on Monday.

“We have come up with a squad that

Beckham ‘sad’ over Welbeck’s United exit n

AFP, London

Former Manchester United midfielder David Beckham told the BBC on Tuesday that he was “sad” to see home-grown striker Danny Welbeck leave the club for their Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Welbeck, 23, was allowed to join Arsenal in a deal reportedly worth £16 million ($26.6 million, 20.2 million euros) on Monday after United agreed to sign Colombia striker Radamel Falcao on a season-long loan from Monaco.

“He (Welbeck) has been there since he was eight. His heart was in Manchester,” said Beckham, who graduated from the United youth team in the mid-1990s before establishing himself at Old Trafford.

“I am sure he is obviously sad to leave Manchester United. Arsenal have a very good, young, talented English player, but to see him leave Manchester United, as a Manchester United fan,

is obviously sad.”

However, England manager Roy Hodgson welcomed the move.

“The biggest bonus is for Danny Welbeck,” Hodgson told a press conference ahead of England’s friendly game with Norway on Wednesday.

“When you are a player of his calibre and find yourself at United with competition for places, you don’t always get the starts you would like.

“He is going to a club where he will hopefully get more starts and playing time. So I am pleased for Danny and I think Arsenal have signed a good player.

“My job is with England and the players I choose. I don’t wish to make any suggestions about what clubs do with their players. But I cannot deny the more players play and the more experience they get, especially at Champions League level, the better it is for me at international level.” l

TOP

is a consequence of our bad performance, (but) the World Cup has not left any effects nor do I think we need to change our way of acting in the future.”

In contrast to Spain, France came

FIXTURES Sweden Bosnia Croatia Belgium Italy France

v v v v v v

Estonia Liechtenstein Cyprus Australia Netherlands Spain

out of the World Cup with their reputation greatly enhanced, a narrow quarter-final defeat to eventual winners Germany coming after some impressive performances in the group stage.

Coach Didier Deschamps is now em-

barking on a two-year run of friendlies before France hosts Euro 2016, where they will be expected to feature prominently with a squad that is a healthy mix of youth and experience.

Indeed, Deschamps only made three changes to his World Cup squad for the game and Sunday’s friendly against Serbia in Belgrade, with one the return of fit-again Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda in place of the retired Mickael Landreau.

Italy’s bid to rebuild after a humiliating World Cup faces its first test on Thursday in the shape of a Dutch squad also embarking on a new era.

With new coach Antonio Conte having eschewed the services of Liverpool recruit Mario Balotelli, Italy will be at far from full strength for a friendly at Bari that will serve as a warm-up to tricky

‘Spurs would have been easy option’ n AFP, London Louis van Gaal says he has no regrets about becoming Manchester United manager and claims that if he had wanted an easy life, he would have gone to Tottenham Hotspur.

Van Gaal rejected an offer from Spurs to succeed David Moyes at United, but he has had a difficult start at Old Trafford. United are without a win after three league games and were humiliated 4-0 by third-tier Milton Keynes Dons in the League Cup. But with the club having lavished around £150 million on new players, including Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao, the Dutchman says that he is ready for the challenges ahead.

“No, I don’t regret taking this job,” he told Wednesday’s edition of the Daily Mirror newspaper.

“Yes, it is a massive job I have taken on at Manchester United. I realise that. And the situation is not worse than I thought - I knew what I would find on my plate.

“I could have opted for an easier job. If I had gone to Tottenham, the job would not have been as enormous as here at United. I could have easily gone to Spurs. But I chose the biggest challenge of all the jobs in football. And I really wanted to join the number one club in the country, not Tottenham.

“Financially, Tottenham was kind of as attractive as Man United. But, in my eyes, Man United is still the number one club in England. Tottenham really is not.”

Van Gaal has been quick to assert his authority at United, introducing a new 3-4-1-2 playing system and allowing players such as Danny Welbeck, Shinji Kagawa, Nani, Javier Hernandez and Tom Cleverley to leave.

Early indications suggest it will take time for his new-look side to gel, but having endured a similarly slow start to his ultimately successful spell at Bayern Munich, he is confident the club will stand by him. l

6 LA LIGA SIGNINGS OF THE TRANSFER WINDOW

Torres not making any promises n AFP, Rome Fernando Torres is refusing to make any promises he might regret to the fans at his new club Serie A side AC Milan but he said on Tuesday he hopes they will see the clinical goalscorer of old.

The 30-year-old - scorer of 38 goals in his 116 appearances for Spain - has been given a chance to reinvigorate his career after an underwhelming spell at English Premier League side Chelsea, where he scored just 45 times in 172 appearances after his then British record £50 million (63m euros, $82.9m) move in January 2011 from Liverpool.

“I believe it doesn’t serve any purpose to make promises (to the fans), I hope that they will see the goalscorer that I always was,” he said at his first press conference since he sealed his two season loan.

“I promise that I will always give my maximum.” l

James Rodriguez

Toni Kroos

Antoine Griezmann

(Liverpool to Barcelona)

(Monaco to Real Madrid)

(Bayern Munich to Real Madrid)

(Real Sociedad to Atletico Madrid)

(Sevilla to Barcelona)

(Manchester City to Valencia)

Suarez’s latest indiscretion at the World Cup earned him a four-month playing ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini, but that didn’t dissuade Barca from spending a reported 95 million euros (£75 million, $127 million) on the Premier League Player of the Year last season.

The Uruguayan won’t be able to make his competitive debut until October, but could prove a decisive figure in the title race alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar in a sensational looking front three.

If Barca opted for the World Cup’s bad boy, Real splashed out on the golden boy from Brazil by sealing the signature of the tournament’s top scorer in Colombian James Rodriguez. Given Real’s abundance of creative talent, Rodriguez may struggle to hold down a place in the playmaking role where he excelled in Brazil. However, coach Carlo Ancelotti has already hailed his willingness to adapt to a role on the left side of midfield to help feed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema.

Another star from the World Cup, Kroos patrolled the midfield as Germany were crowned world champions for a fourth time.

Supreme in possession, Kroos also offers a goal threat as he showed in scoring twice in the 7-1 World Cup semi-final thrashing of Brazil and is seen as the long-term successor to Xabi Alonso in the Real midfield.

Despite breaking the Barca and Real hegemony to win La Liga for the first time in 18 years last season, keeping up with the Jameses is a bit tricky for Atletico given the financial gulf between them and Spain’s traditional top two. Indeed they have lost many of their title-winning side to Chelsea.

However, they will be hopeful that Frenchman Griezmann can better the 16 La Liga goals he struck for Real Sociedad last season after sealing a 30 million euro move to the Spanish capital.

Rakitic was arguably the outstanding midfielder in La Liga last season and Barcelona beat off reported interest from Real and Atletico to seal his signature as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas.

The demands on the Croatian will be high as he is expected to oust Barca’s most decorated player of all time in Xavi Hernandez for a place in Luis Enrique’s starting line-up and he should add some athleticism to a midfield that has been worn down by their success over the past six seasons.

The pick of the business done by those outside the top three was Valencia’s last minute deal to sign Spanish international striker Alvaro Negredo on loan from English champions Manchester City.

‘Los Che’ have endured a couple of years in the doldrums due to financial troubles, but backed by new owner Peter Lim have splashed the cash with the aim of getting back into the Champions League next season.

Luis Suarez

Ivan Rakitic

Alvaro Negredo

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Thursday, September 4, 2014

15

QUICK BYTES

Hamstrung Clarke doubtful for Pak series Australia captain Michael Clarke is doubtful for next month’s series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates after scans confirmed an injury to his left hamstring. The 33-year-old strained his hamstring in training before the one-day international (ODI) tri-series against Zimbabwe and South Africa in Harare following a long break from the game and missed the first two matches.

He returned to the team during Australia’s humiliating three-wicket loss to Zimbabwe but aggravated the injury and was ruled out of the rest of the tournament. Clarke returned to Sydney on Tuesday and later had a scan. “Michael Clarke had an MRI scan on returning from Zimbabwe that has confirmed a left hamstring muscle injury,” Cricket Australia physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said.

–Reuters

Aston Villa sign Cleverley on loan Aston Villa have signed Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley on a season-long loan after squeezing through a deal after the close of the transfer window, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. Agreement was reached for the 25-year-old, who has played 13 times for England, late on transfer deadline day on Monday but the move hung in the balance as Villa were made to wait for the league’s approval after the close of the window.

Cleverley, who came through United’s academy system and has made 79 appearances for the 20-times English champions, made the move away from Old Trafford after finding playing opportunities limited under new manager Louis Van Gaal. His departure follows the high-profile deadline-day exits of Javier Hernandez, who joined Real Madrid on a season-long loan, and Danny Welbeck, who signed for Arsenal in a deal reported to be worth 16 million pounds ($26.4 million).

–Reuters

Financial Fair Play ‘unfair’: PSG president Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told AFP on Tuesday that Financial Fair Play is “unfair” after a summer in which the French champions were hit with sanctions for breaching UEFA’s regulations. “For me, FFP is unfair. It stops new investors from coming into football,” said AlKhelaifi, who became PSG president after Qatar Sports Investments bought the French capital club in 2011. QSI sanctioned the spending of huge sums in the transfer market in their first three summers at the Parc des Princes in a bid to turn the club into one of Europe’s biggest, culminating in the 64 million-euro (£51m, $84m) recruitment of Edinson Cavani from Napoli in July 2013. But in May PSG, along with Premier League champions Manchester City, were slapped with a fine of 60 million euros for breaching FFP regulations, namely accruing losses in excess of the 45-million-euro limit over the course of the past two seasons. The French champions also agreed not to increase their wage bill for the next two campaigns and to “significantly limit spending” in the transfer market while curbing losses to no more than 30 million euros next year.

–AFP

Farhad Reza anticipates a ball coming his way during a fielding session of the Bangladesh A team at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday

Federer, Monfils to clash in semis n AFP, New York Five-time champion Roger Federer set-up a US Open quarter-final blockbuster against eccentric French star Gael Monfils on Tuesday as the hugely-hyped new generation once again flopped.

Second seed Federer reached his 10th US Open quarter-final in the last 11 years with a comfortable 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut while Monfils, the 20th seed, reached his second New York last-eight stunning seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 Federer, the 17-time major winner, leads Monfils 7-2 in career meetings, including their most recent clash in Cincinnati last month.

Federer was barely troubled by Bautista Agut, the 17th seed who was trying to make a Grand Slam quarter-final

for the first time.

He broke in the third and fifth games for a 4-1 lead and despite surrendering one of the breaks in the eighth game, two successive aces sealed the opening set and there was no looking back for the 33-year-old.

Crowd favourite Monfils overcame a dramatic loss of composure in the second set to reach his second US Open quarter-final, four years after his first.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Dimitrov, 23, was hoping to reach his third quarter-final at the majors this year but despite occasional breath-taking shot-making, he was undone by 38 unforced errors.

Monfils, who hasn’t dropped a set at the tournament, raced through the first set on the back of a break for a 6-5 lead.

The Frenchman was another break to the good at 4-2 in the second before he got embroiled in a brief war of words over distractions on the court.

Still seething, the Parisian surren-

DAY’S WATCH Ten Cricket 1:30PM Tri-Nation ODI Series Zimbabwe v South Africa Ten Sports 9:00PM, 6:00PM US Open 2014 Doubles/Men’s QFs Sony Six 12:45AM Fifa International Friendly France v Spain

dered a break point by not returning the ball in the eighth game.

But he bounced back in impressive style, saving two set points in the tiebreak before winning four points in a row to open a two sets to love lead.

Dimitrov, who had never won a match in New York on his three previous visits, was facing having to come back from two sets to love down for the first time in his career.

He then added to the drama, albeit unintentionally, when he had to leave the court to replace his shoes which came apart early in the third set.

But his luck didn’t change and his campaign was over when he served up his fourth double fault of the tie.

Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych reached the quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Austria’s Dominic Thiem.

Berdych, a semi-finalist in 2012, saved seven break points in the first set against the 20-year-old Austrian, but it was plain sailing after that mini-scare

as he wrapped up victory in just 98 minutes.

He will next tackle Croatia’s Marin Cilic for a place in the semi-finals after the 14th seeded Croatian reached his third US Open quarter-final with a 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over France’s Gilles Simon.

Cilic, also a quarter-finalist in 2009 and 2012, hit 23 aces, 70 winners and committed 76 unforced errors in the four hour 13 minute clash.

His victory comes 12 months after he was forced to miss the tournament as he sat out a doping ban.

Berdych has a 5-3 career lead over Cilic but the Croatian won their most recent meeting in straights sets in the Wimbledon third round.

The quarter-finals in the top half of the draw take place Wednesday with world number one Novak Djokovic taking on fellow former champion Andy Murray and Australian Open winner Stan Wawrinka facing Kei Nishikori of Japan.l

Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts after winning the first set against Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain on Tuesday AFP

Wozniacki wallops Errani to reach last-4 n Reuters, New York

England’s Bell suffers broken toe England batsman Ian Bell sustained a “small fracture” in his big left toe on Tuesday, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced. Bell was hit on his toe batting against throw-downs before the fourth one-day international against India at his Edgbaston home ground on Tuesday. The Warwickshire shot-maker was replaced at No 3 by Gary Ballance, and subsequent X-rays confirmed the break. Bell’s injury will be assessed before the fifth and final match of the series at Headingley on Friday.

–AFP

MUMIT M

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark hits autographed tennis balls into the crowd after defeating Sara Errani of Italy in their women’s quarter-finals singles match at the 2014 US Open tennis tournament in New York on Tuesday REUTERS

Caroline Wozniacki used her aggressive groundstroke game to near perfection on Tuesday and pummeled Italy’s Sara Errani 6-0 6-1 to reach the semi-finals of the U.S. Open.

The 10th seed reached the last four at a grand slam for the first time since 2011 by beating Errani at her own strategy, engaging in long baseline rallies but using superior power to open the court and find lanes for winners.

Dane Wozniacki walloped winners of all varieties, belting 26 of them to just 12 for her Italian opponent, who looked dazed and confused at times on court.

The match ended when an Errani forehand hit the net tape and flopped back on her own side of the net and the strains of “Sweet Caroline” began

to serenade Wozniacki over the loudspeaker.

“It’s been a pretty up and down year for me,” said Wozniacki, whose twoyear relationship with world number one golfer Rory McIlroy ended this year just days after their wedding invitations were sent out.

“To be here in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open once again is an incredible feeling. Definitely, hard work pays off.

I’m here and I’m so happy.”

The match began inauspiciously for Wozniacki, who struggled with the warm winds that blew through the stadium.

She hit an ugly double fault on her second serve of the opening game and had to fend off four break points to hold serve.

“Love-40 isn’t really a good start, but it was really windy and it just took

me a few serves to kind of get into the rhythm and figure out where to throw the ball and what to aim for,” she said.

Wozniacki did not take long to adjust and ended up winning 57 points to a mere 26 for the overmatched Errani.

Errani, accustomed to keeping the ball in play long enough to profit from an unforced error, tried to force the action by approaching the net, but Wozniacki whistled winners over her, past her and occasionally right at her.

Errani came to net 20 times and won only half those points.

“She is much stronger than me physically. I think that was the most important difference today,” said the 13th seed. “She don’t miss a ball.

“I tried to change my game in the second set and come more to the net. I was trying but was difficult.” l

Cook vows to carry on to World Cup ‘No change no WC chance’ n AFP, Birmingham

England captain Alastair Cook insisted he still wanted to lead the side at the World Cup despite conceding the team’s chances of triumphing at next year’s tournament were “far-fetched” following another mauling by India.

The reigning world champions inflicted a humiliating nine-wicket defeat upon England in the fourth one-day international at Edgbaston on Tuesday to take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the fivematch series. India dismissed England for just 206, a total that owed much to number seven Moeen Ali’s 67.

They then coasted to victory with more than 19 overs to spare after Ajinkya Rahane, whose 106 was his maiden ODI century, and Shikhar Dhawan (97

not out) put on 183 for the first wicket.

Defeat saw England suffer a fifth loss in their last six ODI series.

Cook, asked if he would be England’s captain at the World Cup, replied: “If I’m allowed to be, yes.

“I don’t have a say on selection, but I’ve captained for three-and-a-half years with the goal to try to win the World Cup in Australia.

He added: “I know that seems a bit far-fetched at the moment when we’re losing games of cricket, but there are a lot of really good players in that changing room.

“If we can improve at the rate we need to improve, we’ve got a chance.”

England, beaten heavily for the third match in a row, will try to avoid further embarrassment in the series fi-

nale at Headingley on Friday.

“Maybe for a few of these guys, it’s the first time it’s happened that we’ve lost as badly as this and it’s a true test of character for the whole team, really,” Cook said.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has criticised the team’s “old-fashioned” approach to one-day cricket. But Cook said the problem was more fundamental than that.

“I don’t think it’s been our mind-set really,” he said. “I think it’s been our lack of execution of fairly basic skills at the moment with our batting.”

One explanation often advanced for England’s poor record in 50-over cricket is that everyone involved in the English game puts so much more emphasis on Test cricket. l

n AFP, Birmingham England exile Kevin Pietersen said Tuesday changes had to made to the one-day side if they were to be competitive at next year’s World Cup. Pietersen took to Twitter after England’s humiliating nine-wicket defeat,

with nearly 20 overs to spare, by India in the fourth ODI at Edgbaston on Tuesday gave the world champions an unassailable 3-0 lead with one to play.

England coach Peter Moores has labelled the tem as “unfancied” to triumph in Australia-New Zealand while skipper Alastair Cook said the notion of the team lifting the trophy for the first time in the tournament’s 40-year history was “far-fetched”.

Although Pietersen did not indicate who should be dropped, he said a shakeup was required before the World Cup. “So let’s pick the same team for SL and for the tri-series IN AUS & WC in Aus and lose,” Pietersen told his Twitter followers.

“Then change after that! I cannot believe it!,” he added. l

16

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Thursday, September 4, 2014

SHIFTING OF MUHAMMED’S TOMB

Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat to lay siege to Saudi embassy n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong Members of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat in Chittagong yesterday threatened to lay siege to the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Dhaka on Sunday protesting the alleged initiative to shift the tomb of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) to anonymous site.

The Islamic organisation made the announcement at a press conference held at Chittagong Press Club in the afternoon where Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat Member Secretary Advocate Mosaheb Uddin Bakhtiar read out a written statement.

He said: “We will lay siege to the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday, protesting the decision of destroying the tomb of the Prophet and removal of his body to another location.”

At the press conference, the speakers said Saudi government’s plan would create division among the Muslim world and the proposal to destroy the tomb is an attack on religious sentiment.

Many militant organisations are conducting their misdeeds across the world by the patronisation of Wahabi ideologists who are also tried to do such job influencing Saudi government,” said Advocate Mosaheb, adding that they will also hold protest rally, bring out protest procession and form human chain protesting the plan of Saudi government in the port city.

He also demanded clarification within 48 hours from the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka on a reported proposal to destroy the tomb of Prophet Mohammad and bury his remains in an unknown grave.

The Ahle Sunnat leader also called

upon all imams and khatibs of all mosques to protest the proposal of the Saudi government in khutba (sermons) during Jumma prayers on Fridays.

After the press briefing, a procession was brought out from the press club premises which ended in Laldighi Ground area after parading some city roads.

MA Matin, chief coordinator of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat Central Coordinating Committee, and Peyarul Islam, chairman of Gausia Committee Bangladesh, were present at the press conference.

According to a report carried out by The Independent, a UK-based newspaper, on September 2, Saudi Arabia is all set to demolish three of the world’s oldest mosques, including Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)’s tomb, in order to expand the second holiest site of Muslims, Masjid an-Nabawi.

The report titled “Saudis risk new Muslim division with proposal to move Mohamed’s tomb”, written by Andrew Johnson of The Independent, said construction work on the Masjid an-Nabawi in Madina, where the Prophet Mohammed is buried, is due to start next month.

Under the proposed plans the site will be developed to include a mosque with a capacity for 1.6m worshipers.

The plans, brought to light by another Saudi academic who has exposed and criticised the destruction of holy places and artefacts in Mecca – the holiest site in the Muslim world – call for the destruction of chambers around the Prophet’s grave which are particularly venerated by Shia Muslims, said the report. l

Awami League leader shot dead in Rajshahi n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi A local Awami League leader was allegedly shot dead by unidentified assailants in Charghat upazila of Rajshahi on Tuesday night.

The deceased was identified as Lavlu Sarkar, 40, a member of Charghat Upazila Awami League, and son of late Wazed Ali of Baduria village in the upazila.

The police rescued and took him to the upazila health complex where the attending doctors declared him dead.

Later, his body was sent to the hospital morgue for autopsy.

The police first presumed that he was injured in a road accident and later took him to the hospital. But the au-

topsy report showed that he was shot dead.

Abdul Momin, cousin of the deceased, said the incident took place around 9:00 pm when Lavlu was going to Baneshwar by his motorcycle.

Locals found Lavlu lying on Charghat-Baneshwar Road and informed the police of the incident. Later, patrol police took him to upazila health complex where the doctors declared him dead.

The officer-in-charge of Charghat model police station said initially, they thought it to be a road accident, but the postmortem report showed that he was killed by miscreants.

The police are investigating the matter, the OC added. l

This part of the embankment in Hazaribagh is being used as a dumping ground of cattle wastes polluting the environment. The photo was taken yesterday

Kamaruzzaman’s appeal hearing continues n Ahmed Zayeef The Supreme Court yesterday continued the hearing on the appeal filed by Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Muhammad Kamaruzzaman challenging the death penalty given to him for committing crimes against humanity during the liberation war.

During the proceedings, Kamaruzzaman’s lawyer SM Shahjahan placed arguments before the Appellate Division of the SC in which he said his client was not involved in any mass killing at Sohagpur in Sherpur during the country’s Liberation War. According to the charge, on July 25, 1971, Kamaruzzaman advised members of Al-Badr and Razakar forces to commit a large-scale massacre in association with Pakistani troops in Sohagpur village of Nalitabari upazila in Sherpur.

Collaborators murdered 164 unarmed civilians, 44 of whom have been named and raped many women. The murders were so brutal that later on Sohagpur became known as Bidhoba Palli (village of widows).

This is one of the two charges for which the International Crimes Tribunal-2 has sentenced Kamaruzzaman to death.

A four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Justice Sunrendra Kumar Sinha fixed today for resuming the further hearing on the appeal. l

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Dhaka, Delhi agree on Nur and Chetia n Rabiul Islam The Indian government has agreed to hand over Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the Narayanganj seven-murder case, to the Bangladesh authority, said Senior Home Secretary Md Mozammel Haque Khan.

“We are also positive in returning the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) General Secretary Anup Chetia to India,” he said while talking about the outcome of 15th home secretary-level talks between Bangladesh and India at a city hotel yesterday.

The two sides had raised no objection, but repatriation has to be done as per the process, he said, adding that every case has to be considered individually, but “it is not an exchange”.

The secretary, however, said it was difficult to say about a specific time for handover of the two persons.

Narayanganj City Corporation panel mayor Nazrul Islam and six others were abducted on April 27 this year. Later, their bodies were recovered from the Shitalakkha River on April 30. Nur Hossain was made prime accused in the murder case.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh had sent an extradition request to the Indian authorities to bring back Nur Hossain, who is currently in a jail there.

The home secretary said Nur Hossain has to be brought back home and brought to book in the sensational murder case.

“India raised the issue of Anup Chetia and we are positive in handing him over to the Indian authorities,” he told reporters.

Police arrested Anup Chetia at a house in the capital’s Mohammadpur in 1997. He was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in three cases filed for possessing arms and fake passport and intrusion illegally.

India positive to bring down border killings to zero, while Bangladesh ready to hand over Anup Chetia Even though his jail term ended on February 25 in 2007, he is still languishing in jail.

The Bangladesh government is set to hand over Anup Chetia to the Indian authorities in exchange for the repatriation of Nur Hossain, according to a recent report of Anandabazar Patrika, an Indian Bangla daily.

About the secretary-level talks Mozammel Haque said, “We have held a fruitful discussion on the ratification of Land Boundary Agreement. The Indian

side assured us that it would be placed at Rajya Sabha, the upper house in Indian parliament. And the long pending issue would be settled very soon.”

Bangladesh and India signed LBA in 1974. Although Bangladesh ratified it, India is yet to do so.

Mozammel, who led a 13-member delegation at the meeting said, “We have strongly pointed out the border killings and the Indian side has shown their willingness to bring down it to zero level.”

The Indian Border Security Force claimed that they fired to defend themselves, the secretary quoted Indian officials as saying. They also claimed that the killings along the border had come down.

The secretary said both the sides agreed to hand over detained people to the respective authorities.

He said a memorandum of understanding on tackling human trafficking, rescuing victims, repatriation and rehabilitation had not been signed as it has to be approved by the Indian cabinet. Bangladesh had already approved signing the MoU. The three-day 15th home secretary-level meeting concludes today (Thursday). Indian Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami is leading a 12-member team. l

JS gets 1st female whip Reza n Kamran Chowdhury The government has appointed a new whip to parliament raising the number of whips of the current 10th Jatiya Sangsad to seven.

The parliament secretariat has already published a gazette confirming the appointment of Mahbub Ara Begum Gini (Gaibandha-2) as the seventh whip who would enjoy the status of a state minister.

She will also enjoy fulltime chauffeur-driven vehicle, seven personal staff, housing and other state facilities as enjoyed by the state ministers.

President Abdul Hamid Tuesday night signed the letter on her appointment.

The newly appointed whip is a distant granddaughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s husband Wazed Mia. Atiur Rahman Atik, Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Iqbalur Rahim, Shahbuddin Ahmed and Solaiman Haque Joarder and Mahbub Ara will work under the leadership of Chief Whip ASM Feroz to maintain the discipline in

the House.

Whips are considered very important in the administration of the assembly as the Leader of the House or her deputy passes the instructions through the whips. And any kind of miscommunication by whips can cause trouble in the House.

For instance, the ruling Awami League MPs in the last 9th parliament demonstrated furious reaction as the state minister for law Quamrul Islam requested an MP Benazir Ahmed to withdraw his proposal for trying those blocking the ongoing trial of the war criminals.

According to the parliamentary practices, the private-member resolution on any urgent issue is discussed in the House followed by a statement by the minister concerned.

In consultation with the leader of the house and prime minister, the whips pass on the instruction whether any private member would be accepted. If not, the whips ask the MPs concerned to withdraw the proposals. l

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Poor private investment impedes sixth Five-Year Plan targets

GDP growth falls short of target though revenue-GDP ratio, remittance, forex reserve and exports increase to the past days,” he said. n Tribune Report He said: “30 years ago I had seen Lower private investment and employment generation along with impact of slow economic recovery in USA and EU from the financial crisis are the headwinds for achieving the targets Bangladesh set in its 6th fiveyear plan.

The observation came at a meeting on the mid-term review of 6th Five-Year Plan arranged by the General Economic Division of the Planning Commission, at NEC Conference Room yesterday.

The government has started to implement the 6th five-year plan from the financial year of 2010-11.

Presided over by the Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, the meeting was also attended by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan, economists, high government officials and researchers.

Member of GED, Prof Shamsul Alam, presented a review on the progress of the ongoing 6th Five-Year Plan.

He said although the GDP growth and the investment have fallen short of target at the sixth five-year plan, the revenue-GDP ratio, remittance, foreign exchange reserve and export earnings have increased.

“Sluggish private investment might be a concern. As a result, the target of average GDP growth at 7% might not be achieved in the Plan,” he added.

Shamsul said low pace of employment generation and export diversifications are the challenges for the development of the country.

He suggested strengthening local government with necessary legal

Finance Minister AMA Muhith addresses a review meeting on sixth Five-Year Plan organised by General Economic Division at NEC Conference Room in the capital yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE framework, civil service reforms, quick reform of the commercial banks to reduce the NPL, modern tax measures and also strengthening the Anti-Corruption Commission.

Commenting on the progress of the Plan, the finance minister said poverty reduction in Bangladesh was really fantastic as its income inequality had not risen over the period.

“I think we need to boost the national protection (social safety-net) for the vulnerable groups. If it is done correctly, the poverty reduction will get a new momentum,” he said.

The GED member, however, expressed his dissatisfaction over the slow employment growth.

The minister was also critical of the

present method of the employment calculation, terming the process not a better one.

Muhith was upbeat about the increasing public investment although he was dissatisfied about the institutional reform of the public sector.

“Public service reforms are yet to be done and it will not happen in near future. It will take more time,” he said, expressing dissatisfaction over the present bureaucratic tangle on the reform pace.

Centre for Policy Dialogue Executive Director Mustafizur Rahman said there are many achievements during the last three-year period of the sixth five-year plan.

He, however, criticised the misuse

ADB: 34.4% of GDP investment needed to reach growth target INVESTMENT NEED FOR ATTAINING HIGHER AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH Current investment

34.3%

is required to achieve FY2015 budget target growth of

7.3%

28.7% of GDP Investment needs to rise to

37.6% of GDP if 8% GDP

growth is to be attained for faster poverty reduction

n Tribune Report Bangladesh requires increasing private investment to attain higher and sustainable economic growth, said Asian Development Bank yesterday.

Investment should rise 37.6% of gross domestic product from the current 28.7% if 8% GDP growth is targeted, said the lender in its quarterly economic update on Bangladesh.

The Manila-based anti-poverty bank blamed lower than expected level of investment as principal reason for growth deficit in Bangladesh.

In the budget this fiscal, the government has set 7.3% growth target.

ADB said to achieve the target, the country will need to increase total investment to 34.3% of GDP, around 6 percentage points higher than the current level (28.7%).

For faster poverty reduction, it suggested Bangladesh needs to lift its annual GDP growth rate to about 8% in the medium term. But it needs more investment.

From FY2011 to FY2014, the Bangladesh economy grew at an average annual 6.3% rate compared with 7.1% average growth targeted for the first four years of the Sixth Five-Year Plan from FY2011 to FY2015.

GDP growth in FY2014 is provisionally estimated by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) at 6.1%, slightly up from 6.0% in FY2013.

“Higher growth in exports contrib-

Bangladesh’s GDP growth during the past two decades was mainly driven by capital stock growth, while the output gap between actual output and estimated potential output remained small uted to the higher GDP growth,” the bank said adding that public investment also rose offsetting the decline in private investment.

It said growth in private consumption was lower than in FY2013.

A decline in remittances, low private credit growth and weaker consumer confidence ahead of January 2014 elections contributed to lower growth in private consumption, it said.

The ADB said although public investment as a percentage of GDP rose in recent years, the quality of investment also needs to improve.

ADB study findings suggested Bangladesh’s GDP growth during the past two decades was mainly driven by capital stock growth, while the output gap between actual output and estimated potential output remained small.

“This implies further acceleration in GDP growth will require expansion of

the economy’s productive capacity by raising capital stock, improving labour skills, and lifting total factor productivity growth through deepening policy and institutional reforms.”

On cost of doing business it said Bangladesh needs to make major progress in cutting the costs of doing business.

“Strong efforts are needed in the areas of enhancing access to electricity and credit, reducing the burden of paying taxes, registering property and enforcing contracts, improving the trading environment, improving law and order, and strengthening public sector management,” it said.

To increase the economy’s external competitiveness, the bank said Bangladesh needs to raise the overall quality of the country’s infrastructure, including roads, ports, railways, electricity supply, and water supply and sanitation.

At 9.6% of GDP in FY2014, Bangladesh’s tax–GDP ratio is low compared with other countries in South Asia, and also lower than that of developing countries, it said.

The lender praised Bangladesh for “some progress in reforming tax systems,” with advice for further reforms to simplify tax laws and collection procedures.

ADB put emphasis on public-private partnerships (PPP), saying large financing for infrastructural investment, significant private sector participation including through PPP will be needed.

It also said financial soundness indicators for the banking system show slightly better performance as the ratio of gross nonperforming loans (NPLs) to indicators slightly improved.

Total loans in the banking system fell to 10.5% at the end of March 2014 from 11.9% at the end of March 2013.

Earnings from remittance inflows declined by 8.5% in the first half of FY2014, but rose by 5.6% in the second half.

Given the trends during the second half of FY2014, remittance inflows are likely to grow in FY2015, the bank said.

ADB also termed the country’s macroeconomic management prudent.

It said a cautious monetary policy together with a supportive fiscal policy contributed to slowing down inflation, with a more rapid deceleration in nonfood inflation. l

of the public funds.

“Public investment is going up. But the government is failing to invest the public money at an affordable cost, he said, adding that the Padma Bridge project cost was Tk10,000 crore initially which has now dubbled up to Tk26,000 crore.”

Muhith: Banks deal with NPL really bad

The finance minister said the rising non-performing loan (NPL) in the commercial banks is really a big challenge for the economy as the commercial banks fail to mange it.

“Commercial banks’ performance in dealing with NPL is really bad. The culture of non-repayment of the credit has also risen in recent years compared

that some borrowers were not repaying their loans to the lender in time. Now, this culture is being practiced to a large extent. I think the non-repayment culture was a baby 30 years ago which has now grown into a adult.”

The finance minister has sought suggestions from the attended economists and experts on how the NPL could be reduced.

Mustafizur Rahman said the NPL in Bangladesh has crossed 10% of the total outstanding credit which is highest in this region.

Citing example of India, he said their NPL is only 2% of the total outstanding loans of the commercial banks.

The CPD official said the spread between the bank credit and the deposit is still high (more than 5%) which is also backfiring the economy.

He added that the lack of governance in the financial sector is boosting the NPL which is also affecting the spread.

If the governance was established, the “Hall-mark scam” could not emerge in the country.

“If a businessman borrows at 12-14 percent rate from the bank he needs to realise how much profit does he make?” he questioned. Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman said they were not in a comfortable position on the increased NPL at the banks.

“But the NPL has jumped to 10.39% from 8% a year ago due to newly introduced 90 days calculation method.”

“We had enhanced our supervision on the commercial banks to reduce the NPL,” he said. l

Remittance drops by 22% n Tribune Report

Inflow of remittance fell by 22% to $1.1bn in August from $1.48bn in the previous month.

In July, the remittance was the highest so far this year due to celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr in the month.

The amount was 19.69% higher than that in July last year. During the month, the remittance inflow was $1.2bn.

The total remittance of first eight months of the current year increased by 7.6% to $10bn compared to $9.29bn in the same period last year.

A fall in dollar rate discouraged the expatriates to send remittance home, said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank.

The increasing inflow of foreign loans and lack of investment opportunity causing depreciation of exchange rate, though the central bank is buying dollar to keep the rate stable, he said.

Exchange rate came down as dollar is now available in the market, said Executive Director Mahfuzur Rahman.

The central bank, however, is buying dollar to support exporter temporally but ultimately the rate will come down soon due to increasing inflow of foreign fund, he said.

“We will not support the exporters for long time. They have to prepare themselves to accept the change in dollar rate,” he said.

In the foreign exchange market, Taka was appreciated to Tk77.4 against dollar in August from Tk77.6 in the previous month, according to Bangladesh Bank data.

In August, the country received remittance $379.62m through the state-owned banks, $15.88m through specialised banks, $750.73m through private commercial banks and $1383m through foreign banks.

As the manpower export to Middle Eastern countries dropped, it adversely affected the remittance inflow, said a senior executive of Bangladesh Bank. l

Revenue from DSE zooms up

State banks ignore risk monitoring of assets

The government’s total revenue earnings from Dhaka Stock Exchange rose more than 200% month-on-month in August due mainly to higher turnover.

A total of revenue earnings stood at Tk20.2 crore in August, a jump of 206% over the month of July when it was Tk6.6 core, according to the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE).

The higher turnover in the last month compared to the previous month was behind the reason for increasing revenue income form the stock trading, said a DSE official.

During the period, the government has earned Tk12.7 crore in taxes, an increase of over 202% from Tk4.2 crore in July, the DSE data shows.

The DSE, on behalf of the government, collects the tax as brokerage commission at 0.05% and deposits the amount to the state coffer. l

n Asif Showkat Kallol

n Tribune Report

Bank of England set to hold rates at record low 0.50% n London, AFP The Bank of England is set to keep interest rates at a record-low 0.50% this week, as it eyes slowing inflation before next year’s election, analysts say.

Both Britain and the separate eurozone are worried about unduly low inflation, but this is a much bigger problem in the single currency area where growth is far less buoyant.

The upshot is an overall climate of talk that monetary conditions in Britain could be tightened next year, while in the eurozone they may soon be eased.

The Bank of England’s rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which concludes its two-day September meeting on Thursday, is likely to leave its quantitative easing (QE) cash stimulus at £375 billion ($622 billion, 473 billion euros).

The MPC was divided in August for the first time in more than three years, with two policymakers breaking ranks to call for a quarter-point rise from 0.50 percent -- where rates have stood since March 2009. l

The government has identified 21 reasons for the deterioration of financial conditions of the state-owned commercial Banks (SOCBs) over the last couple of years.

Of the 21, the board of directors of the state-owned banks, who are entrusted with the task of monitoring their banks’ risk to assets and liabilities, are not performing their prime duty.

Besides, they hardly contribute to any policy formulation process for easing the liquidity risk of their respective banks.

The financial condition of the stateowned banks, specially Sonali and BASIC, are sliding due to the biggest Hallmark scam of Tk3,500 crore and Tk4,500 crore irregularities in BASIC by its former chairman Abdul Hye Bacchu, said an official of the Bank and Financial Institutions Division (BFID).

The BFID and Bangladesh Bank have recently identified the sources of irregularities and possible corruption threat in the banking sector after evaluating their probe reports over the last seven years.

Later, a report styled “Asset quality and liquidity risk management of banks” was placed before Finance Minister AMA Muhith for his directives.

The finance minister, has, however, asked the authorities concerned to scrutinise the findings.

An official dealing with asset quality and liquidity risk management under the ministry said the main focus will be on measuring the strength of SOCBs’ performance and financial position and to increase their operational independence to safeguard the banking system and minimise fiscal risks.

The state-owned commercial banks’ capital fell by around 9% in June and stood at Tk9,250 crore mainly due to a rise in default loans.

State-owned specialised banks, except Bangladesh Development Bank, had no capital at the end of June, rather they had

negative capital, which rose by around Tk600 crore in three months to stand at Tk4,338 crore.

According to central bank statistics, the capital position deteriorated mainly in Sonali, Rupali, BASIC, Bangladesh Krishi and Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Banks.

Regarding asset quality, Bangladesh Bank has traced a huge loan amount in the accounts book’s without any proper addresses.

The report also said the management of the state-owned banks provide a huge sum of loan to the clients without any analysis on the financial risk of the bank in the last the couple of years.

Management of the state-owned banks did not follow any comprehensive credit policy, which was approved by the board of directors of the bank.

In many cases, management of the state bank’s gave cash to the new clients under temporary overdraft when they got loans. The loan proposals are being approved and loan payback time has also been extended without seeing loan defaulters business experiences.

The board of directors is approving the loan proposals ignoring the negative opinions by the head office credit committee and the CIB report as well.

The management of the stateowned bank do not pay any heed to the credit policy prepared in consultation with Bangladesh Bank.

The management of the banks are re-scheduling loan along with the additional dues without any transaction with the bank. They are not also complying with the central bank directives on classified and non-classified loans.

In case of liquidity risk management, the state-owned banks have no effective liquidity contingency plan. l

B2

DSEX hits four months high n Tribune Report

Turnover (Million Taka)

With massive levels of volume, indexes were somewhat stable in a positive manner, creating less diversion through volatility The Dhaka Stock Exchange benchmark index, DSEX, rose 30 points or 0.7% to 4,632, which is the highest since April 27 this year.

The Shariah index, DSES, was marginally up 3 points or 0.4% to 1,087. The comprising blue chips DS30 closed at 1,758 with a rise of 12 points or 0.7%.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, gained 55 points to 8,730.

DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSER Closing (% Change)

Libra Infusions-A Reliance1 M.F.-A BD Fixed Income MF-A Global Heavy Chemicals-N BSC-A GlaxoSK (BD) -A ICB AMCL 2nd NRB -A Rangpur Foundry -A ICB AMCL IslamicMF-A Keya Cosmetics -A

-3.67 -2.74 -2.74 -2.74 -2.73 -2.48 -2.47 -2.45 -2.42 -2.36

CSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

NLI 1st M F-A 6th ICB M F-A EBL First M F-A Global Heavy Chemicals-N FAS Fin. & Inv. Ltd-B ICB Sonali Bank 1 MF-A Eastland Insur -A BSC-A IBBLMPB-A Takaful Islami Insu-A

-6.41 -5.45 -5.26 -3.40 -3.13 -2.90 -2.82 -2.73 -2.37 -2.22

4632.46274

(+) 0.65%

1758.07099

(+) 0.69%

14364.88020

(+) 0.81%

11550.97850

(+) 0.47%

8730.35520

(+) 0.64%

Average (% Change) -3.48 -3.01 -4.11 -1.54 -0.62 -2.46 -1.36 -2.28 -1.75 -0.91 Average (% Change) -3.47 -6.42 -6.14 -1.63 -1.27 -2.75 -3.34 -1.23 -2.37 -0.38

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 393.33 7.08 7.00 43.37 620.54 1456.36 7.97 99.67 16.30 25.14

ClosingAvg. 7.50 51.47 5.35 43.44 15.50 6.72 34.18 617.97 947.00 26.40

Closing 393.50 7.10 7.10 42.60 613.75 1455.90 7.90 99.60 16.10 24.80

Closing

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 269.16 202.64 115.35 655.22 396.66 650.20 3.07 623.24 776.48 95.98 85.53 44.70 51.55 326.41 189.64 101.94 110.96 285.34 172.82 348.55 1.11

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

DHIGH 400.10 7.50 7.20 44.40 637.75 1467.00 8.20 100.50 16.70 26.00

DHIGH

7.30 52.00 5.40 42.60 15.50 6.70 34.40 613.80 947.00 26.40

7.60 52.00 5.50 45.80 15.50 6.80 34.40 628.30 960.50 26.40

131,834

Traded Issues

299

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

209

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

84

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,442.06

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.60

CSE key features September 3-2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

418.50

Turnover (Volume)

13,861,509

Number of Contract

17,837

Traded Issues

223

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

163

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

55

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,362.53

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.64

Turnover in Million

DLOW 391.60 6.90 7.10 42.30 611.00 1452.00 7.90 93.00 16.00 23.00

0.472 1.844 0.014 22.944 74.921 2.403 3.935 2.494 0.921 38.478

Turnover in Million

DLOW 7.30 50.70 5.20 42.50 15.50 6.70 33.20 611.00 933.50 26.40

0.011 0.149 0.761 2.693 0.016 0.074 0.025 7.051 0.009 0.013

% change 4.89 3.68 2.09 11.90 7.20 11.81 0.06 11.32 14.10 1.55 0.81 0.94 5.93 3.44 1.85 2.01 5.18 3.14 6.33 0.02

Million Taka 27.92 15.64 7.99 38.80 26.12 29.48 56.37 43.94 24.40 5.63 12.96 4.60 18.81 30.77 3.46 3.34 21.41 27.13 40.63 0.01

CSE

% change 6.35 3.56 1.82 8.83 5.94 6.71 0.00 12.83 10.00 5.55 1.28 2.95 1.05 4.28 7.00 0.79 0.76 4.87 6.17 9.25 0.00

Million Taka 297.07 218.28 123.34 694.02 422.78 679.68 3.07 679.61 820.42 120.38 91.16 57.66 56.15 345.22 220.40 105.40 114.30 306.75 199.95 389.18 1.12

In Tech Online -A ISN Ltd. -Z Wata Chemicals -A Northern G Insur-A Renwick Jajneswar-A Legacy Footwear -A CVO PetroChem RL-A Prime Insur -A Hakkani P& Paper -B Nitol Insurance -A

Closing (% Change) 10.00 8.82 8.72 8.64 8.63 7.80 7.48 7.30 6.79 6.74

CSE GAINER

Latest EPS 4.20 1.38 0.81 2.44 23.48 68.16 1.40 3.20 2.33 1.93

Latest EPS 1.41 6.47 0.65 2.44 0.52 1.60 3.86 23.48 0.00 1.50

Latest PE 93.7 5.1 8.6 17.8 26.4 21.4 5.7 31.1 7.0 13.0

Company In Tech Online -A ISN Ltd. -Z Northern G Insur-A Legacy Footwear -A Shahjibazar Power-N JMI Syringes MDL-A Rupali InsurA Orion Infusions -A Fareast Islami Life -A Grameen M F One-A

9.87 9.71 9.63 8.27 7.77 7.58 6.38 6.36 6.26 5.96

Average (% Change) 10.21 8.35 6.89 6.13 6.83 5.21 6.26 4.70 7.09 5.41

ClosingAvg. 16.27 10.90 242.50 32.24 267.06 29.65 591.44 18.96 28.07 27.96

ClosingAvg. 16.52 11.16 32.56 29.80 594.93 171.90 24.97 49.44 87.27 31.74

Closing 16.50 11.10 245.60 32.70 270.50 30.40 603.30 19.10 28.30 28.50

Closing 16.70 11.30 33.00 30.10 595.00 176.00 25.00 50.20 86.60 32.00

DHIGH 16.50 11.20 245.60 33.00 270.70 30.80 603.30 19.30 28.70 28.90

DHIGH 16.70 11.30 33.10 30.50 598.00 176.00 25.00 51.60 88.50 32.10

DLOW 14.00 10.20 215.00 27.10 256.00 26.00 555.00 16.50 26.70 24.50

DLOW 15.30 9.50 31.40 28.00 575.00 169.00 24.70 48.00 85.60 31.10

Turnover in Million 23.235 1.422 13.701 12.526 4.273 15.573 19.964 3.273 2.021 5.636

Turnover in Million 4.089 0.169 0.114 5.183 4.165 0.860 0.157 5.685 0.369 1.603

Latest EPS -0.88 0.20 6.20 4.14 3.92 0.28 -3.16 1.28 0.28 2.58

Latest EPS -0.88 0.20 4.14 0.28 3.04 4.50 2.72 4.81 4.60 3.40

Latest PE -ve 54.5 39.1 7.8 68.1 105.9 -ve 14.8 100.3 10.8

Latest PE -ve 55.8 7.9 106.4 195.7 38.2 9.2 10.3 19.0 9.3

News, analysis and recent disclosers IPO Shares Credited Shurwid Industries Ltd.: All concerned are hereby informed that the IPO shares of Shurwid Industries Ltd. have been credited through CDBL to the respective BO A/Cs on 2 September 2014 except 254 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 FARCHEM: 20% stock, AGM: 09.10.2014,

Record date: 11.09.2014.

SAIHAMCOT: 10% cash, AGM: 23.10.2014, Record date: 17.09.2014.

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: 1JANATAMF: 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.

SANDHANINS: 25.50% stock, EGM and AGM: 06.09.2014, Record Date for EGM and AGM: 16.07.2014.

SALVOCHEM: 10% stock, AGM: 27.08.2014, Record date: 25.06.2014.

5.3 8.0 8.2 17.8 29.8 4.2 8.9 26.3 17.6

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company

Total

Closing (% Change)

Average (% Change) 9.86 6.13 6.64 6.79 7.43 4.88 6.40 5.69 5.25 7.79

Latest PE

The market moved up by almost 47 points in the first 15 minutes of trade and remained upbeat for the rest of the session riding on mainly financial sectors

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

143,316,956

Number of Contract

Weekly capital market highlights

Company

5,506.52

Turnover (Volume)

Thursday, September 4, 2014

DSE GAINER

DSE key features September 3-2014

Trading activities, however, still remained sluggish as turnover at DSE stood at Tk550-crore mark from previous session’s Tk551 crore.

Banks – the market bellwether – gained more than 1% after remaining under pressure for long.

Non-life insurance performed well rising over 3% with four stocks emerging at top ten gainers’ list.

Non-banking financial institutions rose 0.5%.

The other major sectors - telecommunication, pharmaceuticals, power and food and allied - declined. IDLC Investments said gaining tone in equity market sustained, with investors’ focus on micro cap stocks.

Besides, some large cap stocks assisted the extension of previous session’s positivity at the opening hour.

Zenith Investments said market once again snared rock solid gains from early morning, as almost all the stocks were subject to substantial buy pressures.

With massive levels of volume, indexes were somewhat stable in a positive manner, creating less diversion through volatility, it said.

Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd Bangladesh was the most traded stocks with shares worth nearly Tk26 crore changing hands followed by Grameenphone, Beximco Limited, Beximco Pharma, Mobil Jamuna Limited Bangladesh and Summit Power. l

Stocks continued to rally for the third straight session yesterday with benchmark index DSEX hitting fourmonth high.

The market moved up by almost 47 points in the first 15 minutes of trade and remained upbeat for the rest of the session riding on mainly financial sectors.

Company

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

% change 5.00 3.67 2.07 11.67 7.11 11.43 0.05 11.43 13.80 2.02 1.53 0.97 0.94 5.81 3.71 1.77 1.92 5.16 3.36 6.55 0.02

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

LafargeS Cement-Z Grameenphone-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Beximco Pharma -A MJL BD Ltd.-A Summit Power -A Bengal Windsor-A BSRM Steels-A UNITED AIR-A Square Pharma -A

Rangpur Dairy-N Khulna Printing-N Golden Son -A Agni Systems -A Titas Gas TDCLA

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BEXIMCO Ltd. -A UNITED AIR-A Khulna Printing-N FarEast Knitting -N LafargeS Cement-Z Grameenphone-A BD Submarine Cable-A Square Pharma -A R. N. Spinning-Z BSC-A

Appollo Ispat CL -N Rangpur Dairy-N Beximco Pharma -A National Bank - A aamra technologies-A

VolumeShares 2,187,000 684,319 5,309,244 2,954,003 1,245,349 3,352,356 2,161,296 1,156,829 8,280,654 427,135

Value in Million 258.90 234.10 228.42 169.16 140.47 139.36 121.27 111.05 108.94 102.45

% of TotalTurnover 4.70 4.25 4.15 3.07 2.55 2.53 2.20 2.02 1.98 1.86

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

4,520,787 2,865,500 1,885,424 2,592,837 1,018,970

713,228 1,620,198 498,000 417,600 115,500 33,400 69,911 32,150 280,000 11,410

233,400 296,850 111,723 551,754 161,250

102.13 93.96 91.46 83.67 82.48

30.62 21.20 16.39 16.31 13.63 11.42 9.99 7.72 7.64 7.05

6.91 6.69 6.40 6.10 6.04

1.85 1.71 1.66 1.52 1.50

7.71 5.34 4.13 4.11 3.43 2.88 2.52 1.95 1.92 1.78

1.74 1.69 1.61 1.54 1.52

ClosingP 119.10 337.90 42.40 56.00 111.40 40.80 56.40 96.60 12.90 237.60

22.20 33.10 48.10 31.70 80.50

ClosingP

42.40 12.90 33.30 39.50 118.70 337.80 143.60 238.90 27.00 613.80

29.50 22.10 56.10 11.10 37.00

Change % 3.84 -0.30 0.47 -1.06 0.36 -0.49 4.06 1.79 0.78 -0.17

3.26 2.48 0.00 -0.63 -0.62

Change %

0.47 0.78 3.10 3.40 3.31 -0.24 1.48 0.46 4.25 -2.73

-0.67 3.27 -1.06 0.91 -2.12

ClosingY 114.70 338.90 42.20 56.60 111.00 41.00 54.20 94.90 12.80 238.00

21.50 32.30 48.10 31.90 81.00

ClosingY

42.20 12.80 32.30 38.20 114.90 338.60 141.50 237.80 25.90 631.00

29.70 21.40 56.70 11.00 37.80

DHIGH

DLOW

119.90 346.00 44.00 58.40 115.00 45.00 57.00 97.20 13.80 250.00

116.90 330.00 38.00 51.00 100.00 37.50 51.00 90.00 11.60 218.00

DHIGH

DLOW

43.60 13.30 34.00 40.60 119.70 347.00 144.30 242.00 28.00 628.30

42.00 12.80 31.90 37.50 116.50 337.00 141.30 236.30 26.40 611.00

23.50 34.00 51.00 35.00 84.00

30.50 23.30 58.20 11.20 38.50

19.40 31.80 43.50 29.00 75.00

29.40 21.70 55.60 10.90 36.70

AvgPrice 118.38 342.09 43.02 57.27 112.79 41.57 56.11 96.00 13.16 239.86

22.59 32.79 48.51 32.27 80.94

AvgPrice

42.93 13.09 32.90 39.06 117.99 341.86 142.93 240.25 27.28 617.97

29.59 22.54 57.29 11.06 37.46

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Australia to sign civil nuclear deal to sell uranium to India n Reuters, Sydney Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott said yesterday he hoped to sign a deal this week to sell uranium to India for peaceful power generation, but halted uranium exports to Russia over Moscow’s role in Ukraine.

Work on an India-Australia agreement has been underway since Australia, which has 40 percent of the world’s known uranium reserves, lifted a longstanding ban on selling uranium to energy-starved India in 2012.

Nuclear-armed India and Australia have been working on a safeguards agreement since then to ensure any uranium exports from Australia are used purely for peaceful purposes.

There will be no uranium sales to Russia until further notice and Australia has no intention of selling uranium to a country which is so obviously in breach of international law as Russia currently is “I am hoping to sign a nuclear cooperation agreement that will enable uranium sales by Australia to India,” Abbott, who will visit this week, told parliament in Canberra.

India faces chronic shortages of electricity, and a quarter of its billion-plus population has no little or no access to power. Two thirds of India’s power supplies come from burning coal, and it is keen to shift the balance towards nuclear over the next few years.

Canberra had previously refused to sell nuclear material to India because it had not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Asked what steps had been taken to ensure there were appropriate safeguards, Trade Minister Andrew Robb said the government had “satisfied ourselves that the steps are in place”.

B3

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Yen weakens in Asia as BoJ starts policy meeting n AFP, Tokyo The yen extended its slide in Asia yesterday as the dollar won support from upbeat US manufacturing data and the Bank of Japan kicked off a two-day policy meeting.

In midday Tokyo trade, the greenback bought 105.18 yen, from 105.1 yen in New York and below the 105-yen level in Tokyo earlier Tuesday.

The euro rose to $1.3134 and 138.16 yen against $1.3132 and 138.02 yen in US trade, as investors turn their focus to Thursday’s European Central Bank (ECB) meeting.

On Tuesday, the Institute for Supply Management said activity in the US manufacturing sector picked up pace in August to its best level since August 2011.

The figures were the latest to suggest that the world’s number one economy was cementing a recovery, with investors now turning to the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book regional economies report as well as US jobs data on Friday.

“The US dollar has been doing some

heavy lifting ... amid a stronger-thenexpected US ISM Manufacturing report for August signalling manufacturing is doing its piece to further fire up the US economy though the second half of this year,” National Australia Bank said.

Traders were also keeping an eye on a Bank of Japan policy meeting that wraps up Thursday, on the back of growing speculation that weakness in the world’s number three economy would force Japan’s central bankers to unleash further stimulus measures.

Japan and the eurozone have both recorded poor economic data recently, boosting expectations of further monetary easing which would tend to weaken their respective currencies.

The euro has been sinking for two months straight against the greenback as worries returned of recession and deflation in the eurozone.

At the same time the Fed is being urged in some quarters to raise interest rates - which would lift the dollar - as the economy shows regular signs of getting back on track. l

Oil prices rebound in Asia Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott delivers his keynote speech during the B20 Summit in Sydney “The negotiations and work that’s gone on between authorities in India and Australia have gone on for some years to develop a bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement which meets the international requirements and we are satisfied, our officials are satisfied, that all the requirements have been met,” Robb told ABC radio.

Meanwhile, Australia imposed a ban on uranium sales to Russia, two days after Canberra unveiled fresh sanctions against Russia over what Prime Minister Tony Abbott called its “bullying” of neighbouring Ukraine.

Russia is accused of backing proRussian insurgent groups battling the government in Kiev.

“There will be no uranium sales to Russia until further notice and Australia has no intention of selling uranium to a country which is so obviously in breach of international law as Russia currently is,” Abbot told parliament.

Australia and Russia signed a bilateral agreement in 2007 enabling urani-

Modhumoti Bank Limited has recently formed its risk management committee, headed by industrialist Mostafa Kamal, chairperson and managing director of renowned Meghna Group of Industries.

Mohammad Ali Talukder, chairperson of Pretty Group, Md Didarul Alam, MP (Chittagong-4) and the bank’s directors are the ones who were elected as members of the committee.

Golam Hafiz Ahmed, managing director and CEO of NCC Bank Ltd attended, as chief guest, the opening ceremony of a workshop on environmental risk management and green banking for the bank’s credit officers

NRB Commercial Bank Limited and CNS (Computer Network System) has recently signed an agreement at the bank’s head office on receiving fees from the customers of CNS at all its branches. The bank’s managing director, Dewan Mujibur Rahman and Md Ikram Iqbal, director of CNS have signed the agreement

Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited has recently organised a workshop on prevention of money laundering and combating terrorist financing at Agrabad in Chittagong. The bank’s managing director and CEO, Abu Sadek Md Sohel inaugurated the workshop as chief guest

um exports. Only a small trial shipment of less than a hundred tonnes uranium has been shipped to Russia.

Us precedent

Australia’s decision to overturn it longstanding ban on uranium sales to India followed a landmark US agreement to support the civil nuclear programme in India, seen by Washington as an economic and geopolitical counterweight to China.

Washington signed the deal with New Delhi in 2008 allowing India to import US nuclear fuel and technology without giving up its military nuclear programme. India is seeking a similar agreement with Japan. Critics accused the United States of undermining the global non-proliferation regime.

India has refused to sign the nuclear NPT, arguing it is discriminatory and flawed in allowing only countries which had tested nuclear weapons before 1967 to legally possess them.

Pakistan, Israel and North Korea

REUTERS

are the only other non-signatories to the treaty which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons as well as foster peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

India’s status as a nuclear power features highly among new Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s priorities.

India operates 20 mostly small reactors at six sites with a capacity of 4,780 MW, or 2% of its total power capacity, according to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited. The government hopes to increase its nuclear capacity to 63,000 MW by 2032 by adding nearly 30 reactors - at an estimated cost of $85bn.

Australia, which has no nuclear power plants of its own, is one of the world’s top exporters of uranium, mining 7,529 tonnes of uranium in fiscal 2011/12, worth A$782 million, according to government figures.

Abbott is visiting India and Malaysia as he seeks to deepen trade and personal ties in Asia ahead of the Group of 20 Leaders Summit scheduled to take place in Brisbane in November. l

n AFP, Singapore Oil prices rebounded on bargain-hunting in Asia yesterday after falling to multi-month lows owing to a surge in the US dollar and weak global manufacturing data, analysts said.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for October delivery rose 38 cents to $93.26 while Brent crude for October gained 42 cents to $100.76 in afternoon trade.

WTI fell $3.08 to $92.88 in New York trade, its lowest level since January, while Brent sank $2.45 in London to $100.34. It had fallen to as low as $100.17, its lowest level since May 2013.

“The oil market is recovering after the surge in the US dollar put a downspin on commodity prices, including crude oil,” David Lennox, resource analyst at Fat Prophets in Sydney, told AFP. The US dollar bought 105.20 yen in Asia Wednesday, compared with 104.06 yen on Friday before the long weekend in the United States. US markets were shut on Monday for the Labor Day public holiday.

A stronger greenback makes dollarpriced oil and commodities more expensive for buyers using weaker currencies, denting demand and pushing prices lower.

Lennox said oil prices were also under pressure after weak Chinese and European manufacturing data this week raised concerns about a slowdown in global energy demand.

Investors will next be scrutinising the latest official US petroleum stockpiles report for trading cues, he added.

The US Energy Information Administration will release the report a day later than usual on Thursday instead of Wednesday due to the public holiday on Monday.

“The Labor Day holiday marked the end of the US driving season, and investors will be looking at the latest stockpiles report to give a wrap-up on what the season looked like this year,” Lennox said.

US gasoline demand typically spikes during the summer months when Americans traditionally take to the roads for their holidays. l

Carmudi users to get ‘special privilege’ on IDLC car loans n Tribune Business Desk Carmudi, a fast growing online car classified, in association with IDLC has offered an exclusive car loan for its users.

They are expected to enjoy “special processing fee” and “no application fee” while availing consumer car loan from IDLC. The offer will be valid for a limited period starting from this month, said a press release yesterday.

At present, IDLC charges application fee of Tk575 and processing fee of 0.75% of amount applied for by a borrower who sought the loan through renowned car outlets. The processing fee is 1.5% for customers who come through less prominent vendors, said an executive of IDLC. Ashiqur Rahman, country manager of Carmudi Bangladesh, said: “We are delighted to launch such a joint campaign.

Similar privilege offers for Carmudi users will continue to come in future.”

Irteza A. Khan, general manager and head of consumer division of IDLC Finance Limited, said: “Now the Carmudi users will enjoy even special privilege under this joint campaign in addition to our proven expertise, competitive interest rates, fees and fastest processing time in car loan.” l

Google working on super-fast ‘quantum’ computer chip

n AFP, San Francisco

Google on Tuesday said it is working on a super-fast “quantum” computer chip as part a vision to one day have machines think like humans.

The Internet titan added renowned researcher John Martinis and his team at the University of California, Santa Barbara, to the Quantum Artificial Intelligence team at Google, according to director of engineering Hartmut Neven.

The new hires are part of a “hardware initiative” to design and build chips operating on sub-atomic levels in ways making them exponentially faster than processors currently used in computers. l

Newly manufactured Ford Fiesta cars are seen on the deck of the car transport ship ''Tossa'' as it travels along the Rhine

REUTERS

Weak investment, trade drive second quarter contraction in German economy n Reuters, Berlin Weak investment spending and slow trade led Germany to contract for the first time in over a year in the second quarter, data showed, suggesting Europe’s largest economy is running out of steam just as the impact of the crisis in Ukraine starts to bite.

Germany’s Federal Statistics Office confirmed on Monday an earlier estimate showing a 0.2% contraction in seasonally-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) on the quarter.

The disappointing performance of an economy once considered the last bastion of growth in a sickly euro zone echoed the region’s second and third largest economies, France and Italy, which respectively stagnated and fell back into recession over the same period.

“The second-quarter contraction

was a reaction to the strong first quarter so I think we’ll return to moderate positive growth in the third ... but there’s no shortage of uncertainty factors at the moment,” said Thilo Heidrich, an economist at Postbank, referring to the standoff between Moscow and the West over Ukraine and the crisis in Iraq.

Gross capital investment in Germany fell by 2.3% and construction investment dropped by 4.2%, in part due to a mild winter, which boosted building activity in the first quarter.

Heidrich said a 0.4% drop in plant and equipment spending could be partly due to the Ukraine crisis and sanctions against Russia.

Foreign trade, traditionally the driver of German economic growth, subtracted 0.2 percentage points from growth while private consumption and inventories made a positive contribution.

“The domestic economy will be

responsible for growth this year and it’s possible that exports will suffer a bit more due to the Ukraine crisis and trade sanctions,” said Heidrich.

The finance ministry has partly blamed the second-quarter contraction on the Ukraine crisis and sanctions against Russia.

Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel has said GDP will probably increase in the remainder of 2014.

But some economists expect the second-quarter weakness to carry through into the third quarter, with the Ifo institute estimating growth will be “close to zero” in the third quarter while the DIW institute has warned of the danger of recession.

Recent data has been mixed, with business and investor morale souring while industrial orders have tumbled and joblessness has risen. Exports and output have, however, risen modestly. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Corruption costs poor countries $1tn a year n AFP, Paris Corruption, fraud and money-laundering cost poor countries a total of $1tn a year, the anti-poverty organisation ONE said in a study released yesterday.

The group, founded by U2 rock group singer Bono, said the misuse of funds resulted in $38-64bn a year in uncollected taxes alone.

This in turn cost 3.6 million lives a year that could be saved if the missing money were wisely invested, non-government organisation ONE estimated.

“It is nothing short of a trilliondollar scandal,” said the report, recommending action on four fronts.

The study was published before finance ministers from the G20 group of leading countries meet in Australia on September 20 and 21.

To put the $1tn (750bn euros) in perspective, ONE said that it was equivalent to the annual profits all the 86 biggest publicly quoted companies in the world.

It blamed the loss on “a web of corrupt activity that involves shady deals for natural resources, the use of anonymous shell companies, money-laundering and illegal tax evasion.”

“Massive sums are being taken out of developing countries’ own budgets and economies, preventing them from financing their own fight against extreme poverty, disease, and hunger,” the study said.

If policies were put in place to com-

bat corruption by means of financial secrecy, deals on natural resources and money-laundering, the cost of corruption could be reduced “dramatically”, the report said.

The head of ONE in France, Friederike Roeder, said that the untapped funds could be “invested in health care, food security and essential infrastructure, and thereby save millions of lives.”

The organisation listed four fronts

where it said action could be taken.

First, G20 leaders who will meet in Brisbane, Australia, in November, should ensure that the ownership of companies and trusts be made public to prevent them from being used to launder funds for the benefit of anonymous criminals and corrupt individuals, ONE said.

It also argued that natural resources companies should be forced to publish

full details of their activities to discourage the theft of resources from poor populations.

Exchanges of tax information should be automatic, to enable developing countries to collect taxes due.

Governments should also be obliged to publish full and open accounts so that citizens could hold them accountable for money received and how it is spent, the report said. l

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Fall in exports slows Australian growth n AFP, Sydney Australia’s economy lost pace in the second quarter of 2014 after a sharp fall in exports saw growth expand by just 0.5% following a strong start to the year, data showed yesterday.

Annual growth was 3.1%, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics said, compared with a year-on-year expansion of 3.5% in the first-quarter.

Growth came in at to 1.1% in the three months to March. Analysts had expected a slightly softer reading of 0.4% for the second-quarter to take growth for the year-to-date to 3%.

“Overall, these are pleasing figures but we are not complacent,” Treasurer Joe Hockey said.

“The unemployment rate is still too high. We’ve got to get economic growth above trend in order to start to bring the unemployment rate down.”

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens said in a speech following the data release that the first and second-quarter readings together “suggest a picture of moderate growth”.

He said more recent figures showed business conditions improving “a little” and consumer confidence recovering “a fair bit”.

“Looking ahead, ideally, the nonmining part of the economy would see a further pick-up to grow a bit abovetrend for a while... we may not be quite there yet, but we are I think slowly building a foundation for better performance,” Stevens added.

The Australian dollar broadly looked through the data, edging up slightly but staying below 93 US cents.

The slower growth rate was mostly

driven by a fall in net exports, which declined by a seasonally adjusted 0.9 percentage points in the three months to June. Australia’s key commodity exports, particularly iron ore, have also been hit by a sharp fall in prices this year.

Inventories supported growth in the quarter, adding 0.9 percentage points, while final consumption contributed 0.3 percentage points.

The weaker figures had been flagged by the Reserve Bank, which on Tuesday kept interest rates at a record low of 2.5% for its 12th straight meeting.

The central bank has sought to maintain an accommodative monetary policy as the country moves away from a mining investment boom that has helped the economy avoid recession for more than two decades.

While the housing sector has grown strongly in the low interest-rate environment, the labour market has been showing mixed signs of recovery.

The unemployment rate spiked to a 12-year high of 6.4% in July, while other indicators pointed to a turnaround in companies’ hiring intentions.

Economists said the GDP figures showed the transition towards non-resources-led growth was taking place, although the shift remained “tentative”.

“The drag from the wind-down in mining investment still has a long way to run and is likely to be much sharper over coming quarters as large-scale LNG projects approach completion,” ANZ senior economist Felicity Emmett said.

“Moreover, the non-mining recovery remains tentative with the structural weight of the falling terms of trade and lower public spending likely to weigh on growth for some time.” l

Google’s Android One adds to Samsung’s worries

Apple says its systems not to blame for celebrity photo breach

n Reuters, Mumbai

n Reuters, San Francisco

Google Inc’s partnership with three Indian phone makers is set to rev up fast-growing demand for lower priced smartphones, and spell more trouble for Samsung Electronics which is rapidly losing share in emerging markets.

Micromax Infomatics Ltd, Karbonn Mobiles and Spice Group are the first phone manufacturers to sign up for Google’s Android One initiative, which provides specifications for key hardware parts. Some of the new phones are due to hit the market this month.

The aim is a vast improvement in quality that would lead to a surge in demand for low-end Android phones.

Currently many cheap emerging market smartphones run different and somewhat customised versions of the Android operating system, which along with the many variations in hardware make apps on those phones prone to glitches.

While Google plans to push Android One globally, India, the world’s thirdbiggest and fastest growing smartphone market, offers fertile ground for immediate results. Many Indians are buying a smartphone for the first time and a strong reception for Android One could promote common standards and consolidation in a market where more than 80 smartphone companies operate.

But any boom for higher-quality low-cost smartphones in India and other price conscious markets has the potential to exert intense pricing pressure on Samsung. The South Korean firm uses a customised version of the Android operating system but focuses on higher-margin offerings like its Galaxy S series.

“A major threat for Samsung is that Android One will accelerate the race to the bottom on smartphone pricing,” said Neil Mawston, a UK-based analyst at Strategy Analytics.

“Android One now makes Google a foe, not just a friend, for Samsung.”

A major strategy rethink for low to mid-tier products is now in order for the world’s biggest phone maker and top seller in India, analysts say, particularly as Samsung is also losing share to Apple Inc at the higher-end.

The week before a crucial launch of its new iPhone, Apple Inc said intimate photos of celebrities including Oscarwinner Jennifer Lawrence were leaked online through the apparent hacking of individual iCloud accounts.

Apple rushed to restore confidence in its systems’ security, saying the celebrity photo scandal that also ensnared swimsuit model Kate Upton, actress Kirsten Dunst and possibly dozens more was the result of targeted attacks on accounts storing personal data and not a direct breach of Apple systems.

“We have discovered that certain celebrity accounts were compromised by a very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions, a practice that has become all too common on the Internet,” Apple said in a statement.

“None of the cases we have investigated has resulted from any breach in any of Apple’s systems including iCloud or Find My iPhone.”

The celebrity hacking that came to light over the long Labor Day weekend nevertheless ranks among the highestprofile public fiascos for Apple in recent years.

Apple’s iCloud service allows users to store photos and other content and access it from any Apple device. Security in the cloud has been a paramount concern in past years, but that has not stopped the rapid adoption of services that offer reams of storage and man-

Gains for google

For Google, a strong uptake of Android One smartphones should increase access to the Internet and Google’s suite

DILBERT

Android mascots are lined up in the demonstration area at the Google I/O Developers Conference in the Moscone Center in San Francisco REUTERS of products.

Analysts and industry sources also note the potential for Google to expand revenue in ways more favorable to itself than in the past, as Android One phones won’t come with the heavy customisation that Samsung and other phone makers using the Android operating system provide.

That will mean more default settings for Google products and less competition from rival search engines and other app stores.

For the Indian phone manufacturers, they are banking on Android One to be the weapon that helps them grab further share as well as providing a launch pad for more exports.

Karbonn hopes the programme will expand its overseas revenue to near 20% in the next two years, from 5-7% now. It is looking to export to markets such as Europe, South Africa and Russia, Chairman Sudhir Hasija told Reuters.

PRICING PRESSURE Samsung still leads India’s smartphone market - a segment expected to propel the country’s annual cellphone shipment revenues to as much as $20bn by 2017, up from more than $14bn this year, according to Counterpoint Research.

But its grip is looking shakier. Its second-quarter smartphone market share tumbled to 25.3% from 33.3% in the first quarter, while No 2 maker Micromax jumped to 19.1% from 16.7%.

Karbonn has 5.9%.

How much immediate pressure

Samsung will come under will depend on prices.

Announcing Android One phones in June, Google touted pricing under $100 (6,000 rupees) but local media, citing industry sources, have said that may be too ambitious and the phones could be priced between 7,000 and 10,000 rupees.

Karbonn, Micromax and Google declined to comment on the reports.

Spice did not respond to a request for comment.

While Samsung does sell cheaply priced phones in India, its marketing is focused on high-end products around 40,000 rupees. One of its most popular models sells for about 20,500 rupees.

Samsung declined to provide its average selling price for smartphones in India.

Competition is coming not only from local players using Android One. Mozilla announced this month a lowcost smartphone in India based on its Firefox operating system and priced at just $33.

How Samsung responds to Android One in India is set to have big ramifications for other markets.

In China too, for example, Samsung has rapidly lost share, falling to rank No 2 in the second quarter behind Xiaomi Inc, a firm which did not even place in the top five in the same period a year ago.

One key factor for Samsung to consider is whether it could and should adopt Android One for its cheaper phones.

“Samsung needs to figure out whether it’s going to stay in (the) market at the lower end and come lower or whether it’s going to maybe focus on higher level segments,” said Rachel Lashford, a Singapore-based analyst at tech research firm Canalys.

Samsung declined to comment on its strategy in India and other emerging markets. It said in a July earnings call it plans to revamp its mid-to-low-tier lineup with more aggressive pricing and a focus on a smaller set of products. l

agement of data and content off smartphones and computers.

Regardless of how the leaking of nude celebrity photos actually happened, the timing could not have been worse for Apple as it prepares to launch a new iPhone next week.

It also underscored the longer-term risks for mobile users as smartphones increasingly become the repository for far more sensitive healthcare, banking and personal data.

“Every great innovation is convenient but also a big opportunity for the bad guys in the world,” said Marc Maiffret at security firm BeyondTrust.

Cybersecurity experts say the perpetrators possibly gleaned the celebrities’ email addresses and mounted a longterm phishing attempt - a relatively straightforward attack through which hackers gain access to users’ accounts by getting them to click on a compromised URL or Internet link.

The photos were posted on imagesharing forum 4Chan, prompting Lawrence’s representatives to describe their release as a “flagrant violation of privacy” and contact law enforcement authorities.

A wake-up call to all

That the hacking could hit Lawrence, who is one of the biggest names in Hollywood, the star of the hugely popular “Hunger Games” films and the best actress Oscar winner, came as a wakeup call to both the famous and nonfamous.

“This feels like a brute-force attack

and someone’s using bad passwords,” said Michael Fertik, chief executive of online image manager Reputation. com. “If you must take a nude photo use a non-obvious password.”

Hackers use so-called brute-force software to cycle through large numbers of possible passwords during login attempts.

Fertike said hacked celebrities would likely have to live with the leaked photos remaining outside their management for the foreseeable future.

The FBI said it is addressing the celebrity photo hacking, but added that any further comment “would be inappropriate at this time.”

Apart from any criminal charges that might be pursued under federal or state hacking laws, Lawrence and the other celebrities could bring civil lawsuits against the alleged hacker or hackers and those who shared the photos.

“The way the celebrities were treating the photos, I don’t think there’s any doubt that the law will treat them as being private and the distribution of the photos was a violation of privacy,” said Evan Brown, a technology and intellectual property attorney at InfoLawGroup in Chicago.

In 2012, a Florida man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for hacking into online accounts of more than 50 people in the entertainment industry.

He gained access to nude photos of actress Scarlett Johansson, who tearfully said she was “humiliated and embarrassed” in a video statement to the court. l

An elderly man looks at a convertible Lamborghini in a car park in Beijing on September 2, 2014. China has enjoyed a decades-long economic boom, but at the same time inequality has widened, and a small elite have become extremely wealthy AFP