11 Sep, 2014

Bhadro 27, 1421 Zilqad 15, 1435 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 160

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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9 | WORLD

11 | OP-ED

13 | SPORT

THAT WARM, FUZZY LOVE

AL QAEDA’S SHADOWY NEW ‘EMIR’ IN SOUTH ASIA HANDED TOUGH JOB

WHOSE BODY IS IT?

AL AMIN REPORTED FOR SUSPECT ACTION

Now ministry orders special plots for 34

Justice Sinha discloses his role in 1971 n Ahmed Zayeef

ing many of the leaders to publicly defy directives by their top leaders.

Party sources told the Dhaka Tribune that at a JaPa Parliamentary Party meeting on Tuesday, Ranga and Tajul criticised Ershad and said they would not follow the party chief’s unilateral decision. Ranga and Tajul made the remarks after Raushan asked the JaPa leaders who were also cabinet members to resign from the government, a

For the first time since independence, a judge on a bench revealed his role and affiliation with the anti-liberation force saying that he had been a member of the infamous Peace Committee during the 1971 Liberation War. Presiding judge of the four-member Appellate Division bench Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, also known as Justice SK Sinha, said how he passed information to the freedom fighters at night. This was made known during the hearing in war criminal Muhammad Kamaruzzaman’s appeal case yesterday.

However no such record is available.

Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, Muslim League and other parties formed a Peace Committee to collaborate with Pakistani occupation forces shortly after the commencement of the war that killed around 30 lakh people and violating over 2.5 lakh women.

According to records, formation of the Peace Committee was initiated in consultation with high officials of Pakistani Army after the launch of the barbaric crackdown on unarmed Bangalees on March 25 night in 1971.

At one point of the 111-minute proceedings, the 14th day of the case, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam argued on charge number one against Kamaruzzaman. Mahbubey said: “The defence questioned how Badiuzzaman, being a freedom fighter, could take shelter in the house of Ahmed Member (fatherin-law of martyred Hasanuzzaman -Badiuzzaman’s brother) who was proven

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Sources say no more allocations are possible as quotas have run out n Omar Faruk The Housing and Public Works Ministry this time has directed Rajuk to allocate plots in Uttara, Purbachal and Jhilmil residential projects for 34 people under a special government quota.

The plots total 156 kathas of land and nearly one-fourth of the 34 are officials of the ministry, including senior assistant secretaries, and personal secretaries to ministers and secretaries, want to own plots in Uttara. There are also a few bureaucrats and politicians.

Article 13/a of the allocation policy has been cited in allocating the plots, but sources at the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) say the quotas have been fulfilled and there is now no scope for further allocations.

A letter containing the names of all the people was sent to Rajuk on July 14.

It was signed by Shyamoli Nabi, senior assistant secretary of administration 6 under the ministry, who herself is taking a plot as well.

The letter urged officials to allocate plots for the people as per the projects and sizes mentioned next to their names.

Eight of them are Housing and

MP Enamul’s PS threatens to kill ACC official n Adil Sakhawat Awami League lawmaker from Rajshahi 4 Enamul Haque’s personal secretary has threatened an Anti-Corruption Commission investigator with death, asking him to not recommend legal action against the MP over accumulation of illegal wealth.

“Kanchan Das threatened to kill me over phone in the morning. He asked me to not recommend filing of any case against the lawmaker against whom an inquiry is under way,” ACC Deputy Commissioner Jatan Kumer Ray told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He filed a general diary with Ramna police in the afternoon seeking security.

The ACC official also claimed that  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Public Works Ministry officials – Joint Secretary SM Arif-Ur-Rahman (five kathas in Uttara), Joint Secretary Md Ahsan Habib Talukder (five kathas in Uttara), Personal Secretary to the minister Faiyez Ahmed (five kathas in Uttara), Deputy Secretary Jillur Rahim Shahriar (three kathas in Uttara), Deputy Secretary Shabiha Pervin (three kathas in Uttara), Deputy Secretary Shaila Farzana (three kathas in Uttara), Senior Assistant Secretary Khondaker Manoar Morshed (three kathas in Uttara) and Shamoly Nabi (three kathas in Uttara).

In the past, government officials and workers were allocated plots in separate categories. However, a separate category in the name of the Housing and Public Works Ministry was created and its officials were allocated plots under special consideration.

The ministry again took the lead this time in terms of allocating plots under special consideration.

Bureaucrats appearing on the list include Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Tariq A Karim (7.5 kathas in Purbachal), Additional Secretary at the Commerce Ministry  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

Nobody obeys anyone in JaPa n Manik Miazee The apparent collapse in Jatiya Party’s chain of command became more visible yesterday when JaPa chief HM Ershad removed two of his senior party leaders from their posts, reportedly because of their criticism of Ershad’s leadership.

Moshiur Rahman Ranga, the state minister for local government, and opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chow-

10 CU teachers injured in bomb attacks Mahmud and FM Mizanur n Tarek Rahaman, Chittagong At least 14 people, including 10 teachers, were injured in a crude bomb attack on two Chittagong University buses in Fatehabad area of the port city’s Hathazari upazila yesterday.

Chittagong University Teachers’ Association (CUTA), Chittagong University Journalists Association and several other organisations of the university condemned the attack, while CUTA activists staged demonstration on the campus in this connection.

Blaming Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami, for the attack, CUTA President Professor Benu Kumar Dey demanded immediate arrest of the culprits and a ban on Jamaat-Shibir politics on the campus.

Sources said Shibir men, under the banner of “common students,” have allegedly been continuing a strike since August 31, demanding the reopening of two CU dormitories – Suhrawardy Hall and Shah Amanat Hall – which are strongholds of Shibir.

Nurul Alam Jewel, a Masters student of public administration department, told the Dhaka Tribune that although the strike was being carried out under the banner of common students, most of the general students did not go to campus since the beginning of the strike.

CU Proctor Siraj-ud-Dowla said:

“The protesters have started carrying out subversive activities, but they are yet to communicate with the university authorities regarding their demands.”

He alleged that Islami Chhatra Shibir men had been continuing their socalled protest programme only to serve their ulterior motives.

Police said the protesters had carried out five crude bomb attacks on CU shuttle trains and two on campus buses in last 11 days. They also vandalised several vehicles during this period.

CUTA blames Shibir for attacking two CU buses, 17 nabbed In the latest incident, witnesses said, a group of 5-8 miscreants hurled at least 10 crude bombs on two CU buses in Fatehabad area around 10am.

CU marketing department’s Professor Mohammed Tayeb Chowdhury, who was travelling in one of the victim buses, said: “Shibir men carried out the attacks while the buses were returning from the city, carrying teachers, staffs and students.”

Suhrawardi Hall Provost Professor Anwar Sayed said the protesters, following the bomb attacks, also vandalised the buses, creating panic among the passengers and locals.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

INSIDE 3 | News

The parliamentary watchdog examining the 16th constitution amendment bill yesterday suggested that the government must not allow MPs to be both complainant and executor.

4 | News

South-East Asian health ministers and policymakers, now in Dhaka for the World Health Organisation South-East Asian region committee meeting, are pondering the most effective ways to record birth and death information.

5 | News

Although understaffed, the CID chemical test laboratories have made significant leaps in recent years with the labs being able to clear off all its backlog of pending tests except for a few handful of cases.

6 | Nation

When the government is thinking of the ecological restoration of four rivers around Dhaka, a river is losing its ecological balance due to a power plant in the eastern Gopalganj district, 210 km off the capital city.

12 | Entertainment

From being the first singer to record a long-play of Nazrul songs to becoming the most prominent torchbearer of Nazrul’s legacy, iconic Firoza Begum’s career is full of remarkable

events. We look back at the career of the singer, who took part in 380 solo musical events around the world.

15 | Sport

The ICC is cautiously optimistic that wearable sensors can provide the technological breakthrough needed to stamp out illegal bowling actions but does not expect them to be ready for trial in matches before mid-2015.

B1 | Business

Finance Minister AMA Muhith stressed the need for formulation of a joint committee consisting of representatives from tax authorities and business to enforce the new VAT law coming into effect on next July 1.

dhury were removed from their Presidium posts in the party.

The latest reshuffle in party ranks came as several other influential senior leaders reportedly continued to defy the decisions made by JaPa Chairman HM Ershad and Opposition Leader Raushan Ershad.

Ershad and Raushan’s difference of opinion on participating in the January 5 national poll reportedly weakened the party’s chain of command, allow-

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Ranga and Tajul look to PM for intervention n Kamran Reza Chowdhury State Minister for LGRD Moshiur Rahman Ranga and Opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury have turned to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, apparently seeking her intervention.

They took the move as Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad yesterday relieved the two presidium members of their positions for opposing him.

Soon after the House went into recess for Magrib prayers, the two Jatiya Party MPs --Moshiur Rahman and Tajul Islam-- rushed to the premier and briefed her on Ershad’s action against them.

The two MPs have sided with opposition leader Rawshan Ershad and took position against Ershad who wanted the Jatiya Party MPs to resign from the cabinet.

At the meeting of the parliamentary party on August 31, Moshiur Rahman verbally attacked Ershad who once called him a son. He instead asked Ershad to resign first.

Besides, the two MPs have been working under the leadership of Rawshan Ershad in the nomination of Kazi Feroz Rashid as the deputy leader of the opposition. But Ershad opposes the nomination.

“He (Ershad) has dropped me and Ranga,” Tajul Islam told the prime minister who was gossiping with the lawmakers hardly 10 metres off the press gallery.

“He has sent the paper on stripping us off the posts. The television channels have been giving scrolls,” Tajul added.

Both of them told the premier that the committees of their districts (Rangpur and Kurigram) had also been dissolved.

Kazi Feroz and Ruhul Amin Howlader joined them and talked to the prime minister, though briefly.

The prime minister gave them a patient hearing, apparently showing some sympathy for them.

The Awami League MPs, who were eager to talk to the prime minister, stood 10 yards away. Chief Whip ASM Feroz and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal MP

HC grants bail to Adflame boss n Tribune Report

The High Court yesterday granted a one-year bail to Adflame Pharmaceutical Limited Director Helena Pasha, who was handed a ten-year jail sentence for producing and distributing adulterated paracetamol.

The division bench of Justice Syed AB Mahmudul Huq and Justice Akram Hossain Chowdhury granted the bail to the 78-year-old on medical grounds.

Helena Pasha is currently admitted to the Coronary Care Unit at the Bangab-

andhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital.

The High Court passed the order after hearing arguments from both Advocate SM Shahjahan, who represented Helena, and Deputy Attorney General Shafiul Bashar Bhandari, who stood for the state.

On July 22, a Dhaka court awarded three Adflame Pharmaceuticals officials 10-years of rigorous imprisonmentfor manufacturing adulterated paracetamol syrup which killed 76 children in the 1990s. l

Shirin Akter accompanied the prime minister.

Ershad and his wife have been in the opposite direction since the announcement of the schedules for the January 5 polls.

Ershad first announced participating in the polls the BNP boycotted. He later made a U-turn, asking the Jatiya Party candidates to withdraw their candidature.

But a section of MPs led by Rawshan Ershad challenged him and contested the polls. The government held Ershad captive in a hospital in the pretext of illness until the election took place.

Ershad was elected MP from the so-called captivity, but the post of the opposition leader went to Rawshan Ershad who would maintain very good relations with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Jatiya Party insiders say Ershad has been trying to establish his grip on the party. As part of his move, he dropped the two from the council of presidium and put pressure on Rawshan Ershad. l

decision that both Ershad and Raushan had agreed on.

Earlier, Ershad had announced that his party leaders would quit the cabinet. Following his announcement, Raushan had repeatedly asked three of JaPa’s cabinet members – one full minister and two state ministers – to step down from the government last week, but none of them paid heed to the request from their top two leaders.

Only a day after their criticism, Ershad relieved Ranga and Tajul from their Presidium duties. The party’s official statement, however, read: “They [Ranga and Tajul] were relieved from the position of Presidium members of JaPa in a bid to accelerate party activities.”

Ranga was also removed from the post of president of JaPa’s Rangpur district and Rangpur City Corporation committees, while Tajul was removed as the president of JaPa’s Kurigram district committee.

This was, however, not the first time the two leaders faced punitive actions from Ershad; they were both expelled by Ershad on two previous occasions but brought back to the party both times.

In his reaction to the decision, Tajul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune: “We will certainly step down from the government. But before that, he [Ershad] has to resign from the prime minister’s special adviser’s post.”

Meanwhile, Moshiur Rahman Ranga said: “As per the party’s article 39 of the

DMP commissioner seeks unconditional apology from the HC n Ahmed Zayeef Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed yesterday sought “unconditional apology” before the High Court on a contempt of court allegation in connection with the renovation of the Azimpur graveyard’s wall.

The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Izarul Haque summoned Benazir along with the DMP deputy commissioner of Lalbagh zone and the Lalbagh police station officer-in-charge on the grounds of contempt of court in a writ relating to the renovation of boundary wall at Azimpur graveyard in the city.

Benazir told the court that the police received 16 letters from the Dhaka South City Corporation, but none of them had any specific date for deploying force to renovate the wall.

Claiming the renovation work had began on September 2 in accordance with the court order, the commissioner also presented several photographs

showing the progress of the work.

Benzir said: “We do not want to blame anybody. The city corporation is our brother organisation. The work will be completed soon. Still, if there is any mistake I offer my unconditional apology.”

The court ordered Benazir to look into the renovation work until it was completed.

Barrister Tanzeeb Ul Alam represented the state, while Mohammad Asad Ullah stood for the petitioner.

Earlier, one Zakir Hossain filed a writ petition challenging the legality of the city corporation’s construction of a road by breaking the wall beside the graveyard. The plaintiff later sought a contempt of court order against authorities concerned after a High Court order on renovating the wall was ignored.

The DMP commissioner was summoned after he failed to comply to a court directive on supplying sufficient manpower to renovate the wall. l

Tributes paid as Firoza laid to rest n Tribune Report

The nation paid tribute to the subcontinent’s legendary singer Firoza Begum for the last time yesterday.

Firoza died at the age of 84 in the capital’s Apollo Hospitals on Tuesday night as she had been suffering from kidney and heart complications.

Her body was brought at around 1:30pm to the Central Shaheed Minar, where thousands gathered to pay their tributes to the legend.

Nobody obeys anyone in Jatiya Party  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Thursday, September 11, 2014

charter, he [Ershad] can do everything except transforming a man into woman and vice versa. But I am not unhappy over his decision.”

When asked about whether he will resign from the party, Ranga said: “I am not a minister of Jatiya Party. So it is my personal decision.”

On the other hand, JaPa sources said some of the Presidium members were encouraged to violate party orders as the party discipline had gradually broken down since the dispute between Raushan and Ershad surrounding the national election.

A party insider, seeking anonymity, said more senior leaders might face the same consequences as Ranga and Tajul if they chose to stay with the govern-

MP Enamul’s man threatens to kill ACC official

Enamul is the owner of Ena Group, which has 10 sister concerns including a real estate company named Ena Properties Ltd. The realtor has finished at least 31 multi-storey building projects and is implementing another 17 projects in Dhaka and abroad.

The probe official would soon submit a report to the commission after adding the statements collected from Enamul.

“His PS called me to know about the update of the allegations against him. When I asked for some more documents regarding the allegations, he asked me to work in favour of the lawmaker and his wife, otherwise I will disappear,” Jatan Kumer said.

Quoting the lawmaker, Kanchan asked the ACC official not to mix up the

Later in the evening, the singer was laid to rest at the capital’s Banani graveyard beside her husband Kamal Dasgupta, At that time, Firoza’s sons Hamin Ahmed and Shafin Ahmed along with other relatives and media personalities were also present.

Hamin urged people to keep her mother in their prayer, adding: “She has struggled to bring the Nazrul music to the world throughout her entire life.”

On behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, tribute was paid to Firoza with flowers.

Besides, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon, Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu, Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, Awami League leaders Mahbubul-Alam Hanif, Jahangir Kabir Nanok, Dipu Moni, BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moin Khan, Rafiqul Haque, educationist Anisuzzaman were also present. l

ment. Claiming that Ershad wanted to reclaim his grip on the party that he had lost after the January 5 polls, the source added that the JaPa chief was trying to compel other leaders to leave the government’s side in an attempt to strengthen his own hold on the party.

Jatiya Party’s top leadership has again been divided over the appointment of Kazi Feroz Rashid as the deputy leader of the opposition.

The latest disagreement occurred on Tuesday when Opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury sent a letter to Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury to convey that the Jatiya Party Parliamentary Party had chosen Kazi Feroz as the

deputy leader of the opposition.

However, only hours after the initial letter, Ershad sent a counter-letter to Shirin Sharmin, opposing Kazi Feroz Rashid’s appointment.

In the letter, Ershad said the appointment of the deputy leader of the opposition was his discretion, not the parliamentary party’s.

A similar disagreement came to light on July 27, when Raushan sent a letter to the speaker seeking nomination of Kazi Feroz Rashid as the deputy leader of the opposition. On the next day, Ershad sent a letter to the speaker opposing Raushan’s proposal.

Centring the issue, Ershad relieved Feroz Rashid from the Dhaka city committee. l

lawmaker’s businesses with his personal issues.

Jatan said: “How I can separate his business firm when it is clearly mentioned in the audit report found from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) that the preparation of the financial statement is the responsibility of the company’s management. It reveals that the incumbent lawmaker’s company earned Tk84 crore net profit but he paid only Tk87 lakh as tax. It is clearly tax evasion.”

Jatan said the investigation into the lawmaker’s wealth was almost complete and it would be submitted to the commission seeking further action.

The ACC has found proof of accumulating illegal wealth worth Tk207 crore by the lawmaker and Tk49 crore by his

wife Tahura Haque, reads the GD. Kanchan told the Dhaka Tribune: “He [Jatan] wanted to understand the [Rajuk’s] audit report as he is not expert on financial documents. But at one stage, he got angry with me as I tried to make him understand that the assets of the company never belongs to the company’s directors assets.

“Then he was furious and told me that he knew better than me and that he was not afraid of anyone.”

The ACC initiated the inquiry on January 22 on charges of amassing illegal wealth. The probe was prompted by his wealth statement, submitted to the Election Commission before the January 5 election, which showed dramatic rise in his wealth. l

Disagreement on Kazi Feroz’s role

the incumbent lawmaker’s men had been trying to convince him to not recommend legal action against him.

Some days ago, they allegedly tried to kidnap him.

The GD reads that high-ups in the government are in the lawmaker’s favour. Now the lawmaker needs the investigation officer’s favour.

When contacted, Kanchan denied the allegation of threatening the ACC official.

Coming out of the ACC office after facing the investigator on September 8, Enamul claimed that the allegations against him were false. “I do not have any wealth beyond what is mentioned in the affidavit I submitted to the Election Commission. All of it is legal. The

statement that I submitted with the Election Commission was authentic. I am sure about it and can challenge the allegations,” he told reporters.

The MP went to the ACC headquarters much earlier than the usual office time, apparently to avoid media.

However, ACC sources say the commission has already found that the lawmaker has accumulated huge amounts of wealth through illegal means.

Enamul’s annual income was Tk20 lakh from his salary and allowances in 2008, which in 2013 reached nearly Tk50 lakh from agriculture, rented properties and other businesses. His wife owned Tk8.34 crore in movable property in 2013, up from Tk2.89 crore in 2008, according to the affidavits.

10 CU teachers

Justice Sinha discloses his role in 1971 as court hears Kamaruzzaman

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to be a member of the Peace Committee.”

At that time, Justice Sinha said: “It may happen. There was a situation during the war when in every family if one was an Awami League supporter, another was pro-Pakistani. I myself was a member of the Peace Committee.”

After saying this, the judge looked at Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah sitting next to him with a smile. “To save life,” Justice Wahhab laughed.

The attorney general then said: “I personally know a Hindu family in Mymensingh that converted to Islam during the Liberation War.” Justice Sinha again said: “I myself worked for the Pakistani army, but at night I passed down information to the freedom fighters.”

Justice Hasan Foez Siddique said: “By enlisting as razakars, many people gave their arms to the freedom fighters.”

Justice Wahhab mentioned: “Justice Krishna Debnath’s fathe too, became a Muslim. It appeared in the newspaper.”

The court broke for lunch at 11am.

The bench started the hearing at 10:07am. Mahbubey continued the argument he started on Tuesday on charge number one.

The court quizzed the AG about Makbul Hossain, from whom prosecution witnesses Fakir Abdul Mannan and Dr Md Hasanuzzaman heard about the incident (Badiuzzaman’s abduction and killing) and why the prosecution had failed to note eyewitness Makbul’s statement.

Justice Sinha said: “We will mention in our judgement that no one works here prosecutors in the war crimes tribunal. If you do not have evidence, how will you give an explanation?”

Justice Wahhab observed: “The way the sixth prosecution witness [Hasanuzzaman] described, it seemed that he witnessed the incident. But in fact, it was hearsay. Is it natural?...”

Justice Sinha said: “Makbul Hossain is the main witness and he is alive. You did not give any explanation as to why you did not put him on the stand. What did your prosecution team do?”

In response, Mahbubey said that the prosecution would not be destroyed by not using Makbul as witness.

On hearing this, a frustrated Justice Sinha said: “I am really shocked to see your condition. Why do you allow such incompetent prosecutors? Bring in some competent persons. You are feeding them well, but they do not work.

Police claim ‘outsiders’ did it

n Mohammad Jamil Khan Despite eyewitness claims that demonstrators responsible for arson and vandalism near Titumir College Monday night were disgruntled Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists, police said they suspected “outsiders” of trying to foment anarchy.

Banani police yesterday filed a case against 150 to 200 unnamed people for the rampage at the college.

“We are investigating the matter and the real perpetrators will be identified irrespective of their political affiliation,” said Officer-in-Charge of Banani police station Bhuiyan Mahbub Hossain.

Dissatisfaction over the naming of the college BCL unit’s new president and secretary by the Chhatra League central committee set off a wave of violence on Monday and Tuesday that saw the destruction of cars and the burning of tires in the Mohakhali area of the capital.

Sumon, a BCL activists and a student of Bangla department, described the mayhem as a protest by BCL activists against the central committee’s decision to name Kazi Mirazul Islam as president and Manik Hossain as secretary of the college unit.

BCL Central Committee Secretary Siddique Nazmul Alam said his committee would stand behind its appointees even if some members were unhappy about it.

He threatened “organisational action” against rampaging BCL activists if they did not stand down, adding that he had called on police to quell the violence.

Academic activities resumed yesterday as students returned to the campus, Titumir College Principal Dilara Hafiz said. l

Now ministry

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Additional Superintendent of Police (North) Mohammad Shahidullah said on information police rushed to the spot and rescued the passengers before sending them to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

CMCH Director Brig Gen Shahidul Goni said all the injured were out of danger.

Meanwhile, sources at the university said teachers’ and staffs’ buses were being escorted by police, since a teachers’ bus was vandalised in the city on September 2. However, there was no police escort yesterday.

When asked why there was no police escort yesterday, CU Vice-Chancellor Professor Anwarul Azim Arif skipped the question.

The VC told the Dhaka Tribune that the law enforcement agencies would find out the people responsible for the attack.

Following yesterday’s attack, police had already nabbed 17 people and recovered five crude bombs, two sacks of sharps weapons, arms and bomb making materials in separate drives in this connection, said Additional Superintendent of Police Shahidullah.l

TITUMIR COLLEGE VIOLENCE

They will just sit idle!”

Mahbubey said that Makbul has changed.

“You should have said he has changed his mind,” Justice Sinha said.

Justice Wahhab said: “Both witnesses mentioned that Makbul witnessed the incident. If Makbul isn’t there, where will you stand??”

Justice Sinha further said that these prosecutors should pay attention here in court as they are paid to do their job.”

The AG said: “Yesterday I requested one of the prosecutors to assist me. He is not here now. My lord, this case was conducted [at the tribunal] by a young lawyer who had no experience. He was recently removed.”

Justice Wahhab said: “I see! He was a junior to former law minister Shafique Shaheb...Those who I have not seen in court all these years, are now prosecutors.”

Justice Sinha told Mahbubey: “Only favouritism will not work...You can take relatives, but you should place competent people in the prosecution.”

During Tuesday’s proceedings, Mahbubey sought adjournment for two days since he was not prepared for the hearing and his assistant was absent. It

irked the bench and Justices Sinha and Justice Wahhab took a swipe at him.

The bench also criticised the International Crimes Tribunal prosecution for their incompetency.

After the lunch break, Justice Wahhab pointed out that all the certified copies of the tribunal carried the Supreme Court monogram.

Justice Sinha said: “The Supreme Court holds its own position. You cannot term the tribunal the Supreme Court by using five judges of the High Court.”

The court on Tuesday also slammed the defence for not submitting the written argument it had asked for earlier.

Kamruzzaman’s counsel SM Shahjahan submitted the document yesterday as per the court’s order.

Justice Wahhab told Shahjahan showing the copy: “Here is your synopsis. You showed the evidence here but not the law points. I have pointed them out.”

Shahjahan said that a submission would be made with the reply.

The attorney general moved on to argue charge number two and continued arguing on the third charge.

At the end of the proceedings at 1pm, the court did not mention when it would resume the hearing. l

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ATM Murtoza Reza Chowdhury (five kathas in Jhilmil), and Managing Director and CEO of Sonali Bank’s main branch in Dhaka Pradip Kumar Dutta (7.5 kathas in Purbachal).

Other names included in the list are Awami League Organising Secretary Sazzad Sakib Badshah (three kathas in Uttara), Begum Afia Khanam Chowdhury (7.5 kathas in Purbachal), Monoranjan Ghoshal (three kathas in Uttara), Azharul Islam (three kathas in Uttara), Gazi Abu Sayeed (three kathas in Uttara), Rasel Ahmed (10 kathas in Purbachal), Sharna Hamid (7.5 kathas in Purbachal), Farida Akter Kawsar (three kathas in Uttara) and former lawmaker Sharif Khashruzzaman (five kathas in Uttara).

The list has six names from Chittagong, the constituency of the Housing and Public Works Minister.

They are Yunus Goni Chowdhury (three kathas in Uttara), Md Mosaddek Hossain (three kathas in Uttara), Md Mir Alam (three kathas in Uttara), Nurul Huda (three kathas in Uttara), Jahangir Kabir Chowdhury (three kathas in Uttara) and Abul Bashar (five kathas in Purbachal).

The letter also contained some names but their details were not mentioned. They are SM Mustafa Rashid (five kathas in Uttara), Md Jamal Ullah (five kathas in Jhilmil), Serniabat Ashik Abdullah (three kathas in Uttara), Sheikh Fazlur Rahman Maruf (7.5 kathas in Purbachal), Sheikh Belal Uddin (7.5 kathas in Purbachal), Nizam Uddin Chowdhury (five kathas in Jhilmil), Absar Uddin Ahmed Khan (five kathas in Uttara) and Serniabat Moin Abdullah (three kathas in Uttara).

A total of 10,911 plots under three residential projects of Rajuk have been allocated till March this year after the Awami League assumed power in 2009. Of those, the Housing and Public Works Ministry allocated 1,283 plots among party men, including ministers, parliamentarians, top government officials and journalists, in the name of reserved quota without arranging any lottery.

One hundred and ten plots in Uttara third phase project, 920 in Purbachal New Town project and 253 in Jhilmil residential project were earlier allocated under the government’s special consideration. Of the 34 plots this time, 23 are in Uttara, eight in Purbachal and three in Jhilmil.

The allocation of plots was discussed at the board meeting of Rajuk when it received the letter from the ministry but no decision was taken. Rajuk highups are now discussing how they can allocate the plots to comply with the ministry’s order.

Rajuk officials said the chairman is busy with his foreign tour scheduled for this week. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

JS body: MPs cannot be both complainant and executor n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

The parliamentary watchdog examining the 16th constitution amendment bill yesterday suggested that the government must not allow MPs to be both complainant and executor while framing the law that would govern investigation into alleged “misconduct and incapacity” of apex court judges.

Before finalising its recommendations on the charter-changing bill, the parliamentary standing committee suggested Law Minister Anisul Huq to enact the law in three months.

The minister agreed with such suggestion of the 10-member watchdog, but turned down the committee’s earlier proposal of holding talks with legal academics, jurists, former judges and other stakeholders before finalisation of the recommendations on the bill.

In its recommendation, the standing committee cut the long preamble of the 16th constitution amendment bill that the law minister tabled in the legislature on Sunday.

The committee chairman, Suranjit Sengupta, told reporters that he was likely to table the committee recommendations today.

“We are not holding talks with the stakeholders on this bill as we have already cut the preamble and other redundant words and reinserted the exact article 96 of the 1972 constitution.

So, there is no need for talks with anyone,” Suranjit told journalists after the meeting at the parliament building.

On Tuesday, the standing committee tasked the law minister to talk to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other senior leaders of the ruling party to decide whether the standing committee would invite different stakeholders to finalise its recommendations on the constitution amendment bill.

Law minister Anisul Huq told journalists that the government was against holding talks with stakeholders on the constitution amendment bill.

“Rather, we will have talks with all stakeholders while enacting the law,” said Anisul.

Meanwhile, speaking on the proposed committee that would investigate charges against judges, Suranjit said: “I think the committee must have representatives from the judiciary, so that we do not become both the complainant and justice.”

Abdul Matin Khasru, a member of the standing committee, told the Dhaka Tribune that the watchdog had strongly suggested that the investigative committee must probe the allegations against the judges impartially.

Referring to Indian cases, the former law minister said a three-member panel of judges investigated the charges against their judges. The legislature would then discuss the panel’s report for either adoption for removal or rejection, he said.

But former home minister and also a committee member, Shahara Khatun, told reporters: “Very often different allegations against the judges and magistrates surface and you [journalists] also write about it in the newspapers. We can investigate the allegations”.

Khasru, however, rejected Shahara’s idea, saying: “Unless we finalise the

modus operandi, we cannot talk about it. But the committee’s strong suggestion is we have to protect the dignity of the Supreme Court, our last resort”.

In line with the suggestion of the Law Commission – the authorised body to suggest the executive on legal reforms – the government decided to restore the original article 96 of the constitution that authorised the legislature to remove Supreme Court judges for “misconduct and incapacity.”

In 1975, the Awami League government curtailed the legislature’s authority over the judiciary and imposed the same to the president. Military ruler Ziaur Rahman in 1978 introduced a new mechanism: the Supreme Judicial Council headed by the chief justice. Two other senior judges are the members of the three-member commission tasked to remove the judges for similar grounds.

If passed, the bill would re-empower the legislature to remove the judges for “misconduct and incapacity,” proved through an investigation of the committee. l

Five get life for murdering Samakal publisher’s brother n Ahmed Zayeef The Supreme Court upheld the life sentence for five people convicted in the murder of Nurul Islam Rifat, younger brother of AK Azad, chairman and chief executive officer of Ha-Meem Group and publisher of the Daily Samakal.

A three-member Appellate Division bench, led by Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, gave the verdict yesterday, sentencing the convicts Abu Raihan Rana, Sarfaraj Ahmed Curzon, Shamsu Habib Bidyut, Rasel Kabir Roman and Manik Ahmed Khan.

However, the bench acquitted one convict, Omar Faruk Rasel, who had been given life in prison in an earlier verdict.

Earlier, the High Court also acquitted another accused in the case, Tajuddin Ahmed Titu, who had been given life-time imprisonment by the trial court. Another accused in the murder case, Md Selim Khan, is still on the run.

Rifat, a student of Tejgaon College, was murdered on Jan 27, 1997. Police found his body on the railway tracks in the capital’s Mohakhali area.

One of his brothers, Md Ismail Hossain, filed a case with Cantonment police station in this regard, and police submitted the charge sheet on Jan 7, 1998 accusing eight people. The court frame the charges on May 7, 2000.

Seven years later, Dhaka Metropolitan Additional Sessions Judge’s Court gave life-time imprisonment to the eight on June 21, 2007.

At yesterday’s hearing, lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain represented Omar Faruk. Deputy Attorney General Md Selim argued for the state, while lawyer Abdul Matin Khasru stood for the petitioner. l

Defense lawyers cross-examined mother of Joj Mia, Jobeda Khatun, at a special court in a makeshift court in front of the Central Jail yesterday at 11:30am on the August 21 grenade attack case.

During the proceedings, tribunal judge Mohammad Shahed Nur Uddin recorded the cross-examination.

The court fixed September 15 and 16 to end the cross-examination and take new witness. Earlier on Monday, the court recorded deposition of Joj Mia’s mother while Joj Mia and his sister were present to deliver their statements.

Joj Mia and his sister’s deposition will be recorded following their mother’s cross examination.

On August 21, 2004, a grenade attack on an Awami League rally in which 24 people were killed and 300 others injured while the then leader of the opposition Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina narrowly survived.

Low-profile criminal Joj Mia confessed before a magistrate on June 26, 2005 that an underworld gang, Seven-Star Group, led by Subrata Bain Shuvro, carried out the grenade attack.

Joj Mia admitted to CID officials that he was one of the attackers and told the magistrate that the 14-member group

BIHARI CAMP SURVIVOR’S DEATH

Bus driver not arrested yet n Mohammad Jamil Khan Five days have passed but police are yet to trace the driver or the bus that killed Yeasin, who lost nine members of his family in a fire that broke out in the Bihari camp in the capital’s Pallabi almost three months ago.

Only Yeasin and his daughter Farzana survived the fire, but the man met a tragic end on Saturday when he was hit by a bus near Purabi Cinema Hall while on his way to buy medicine for his sick daughter Farzana.

For Farzana, the hope of having a good treatment is fading away in the wake of Yeasin’s death. She has taken shelter at a relative’s house in Pallabi.

Yeasin’s cousin Md Alam filed a case with Pallabi police station claiming that the death of Farzana’s father was a premeditated killing and it was not a road accident. He told the Dhaka Tribune that a bus of ATC Paribahan hit Yeasin and he was killed because he was the plaintiff in the Bihari camp fire case.

Police sources said, Altaf Hossain, a leader of Dhaka city Jubo League (north) who lives in Pallabi, is the owner of ATC Paribahan. Investigators also came to know Jubo League men were involved in the fire incident that claimed all those lives.

Altaf told the Dhaka Tribune that someone might have set up the fire incident to frame him.

“I have been in politics for a long time and there are a number of people who are not happy with me,” he said.

“I urged police to find the driver of

the bus that killed Yeasin. Everything will be clear if there is a fair investigation,” he added.

Police have obtained a video clip of the bus crash recorded by two witnesses on the spot. This, police say, will be used as a major clue in the investigation.

On June 14, nine members of Yeasin’s family were killed in a fire at the Bihari camp. Yeasin filed a case following the incident but police have not made any arrest to date. Farzana is now the only survivor of the 11-member family.

“I do not know why the Almighty took away all my family members,” Farzana told the Dhaka Tribune. “I want nothing but punishment for the perpetrator responsible for the death of my family members.”

Requesting anonymity, an official of the Detective Branch of police investigating the case said they have obtained the names of people who might have had a hand in the incident by questioning at least 40 people in Kalshi.

Saiful Islam, additional deputy commissioner of DB police, said a number of accused had been identified and the charge sheet would be submitted shortly.

Md Kamal Hossain, assistant commissioner of police of Pallabi division, said a thorough probe was underway and police were also looking for the driver of the bus that killed Yeasin.

“The real criminals would face action,” he added. l

Khaleda’s graft cases’ hearing deferred n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

The area in Gabtoli where the cattle market is set up every year ahead of Eid-ul-Azha is seen to be in devastating condition. In the picture it can be seen that a few workers are engaged in cleaning the mud and waste MEHEDI HASAN

A Dhaka court yesterday again deferred the trial of two corruption cases filed against nine persons, including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her elder son Tarique Rahman.

Judge Basudev Roy of the Dhaka’s Third Special Judge’s Court deferred the trial in Zia Charitable Trust and Zia Orphanage Trust cases following two adjournment petitions filed by the defence.

Counsel Md Sanaullah Miah said they had earlier submitted four leaveto-appeal petitions to the Supreme Court, challenging the legality of four High Court orders, which are now

pending for hearing.

So, the counsel prayed for an adjournment until the final hearing in the apex court.

On April 23, a High Court bench scrapped two petitions in which the BNP chief had challenged the indictment. On June 19, another High Cout bench rejected two writ petitions filed by Khaleda questioning the legality of appointment of Bashudev Roy as the judge.

Of the nine accused, Khaleda and four others are now on bail. Tarique, the BNP’s senior vice-chairman, is also on bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust case.

His lawyer represented him in his absence. Three other accused remain absconding. l

KILLING, MUGGING USING LUXURY CARS

Detective police arrest one in Uttara girl abduction case n Mohammad Jamil Khan Detectives on the early hours of yesterday arrested a person in connection with the abduction of a girl and murder of a security guard in the capital’s Uttara area in June this year.

“On information, police arrested Mohammad Sohel Rana, 29, on Tuesday late night,” Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Saidur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune.

During interrogation, Sohel, who was picked up from Bhatara area of the capital, told police that their team leader Shafiq alias Apon, along with Shimul, Rony and Al-Amin, used to roam around different areas of the capital in a white Toyota Premio car and looted valuables from people.

On July 3, Rony called Sohel around 9:30pm and asked him to meet in Kuril Flyover area. After arriving at the spot, he found other members of the gang present in their private car.

Joj Mia’s mother testifies in Aug 21 grenade attack case n Tribune Report

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Thursday, September 11, 2014

had met at Robin’s house in Moghbazar several days before the attack.

On instructions from Lutfozzaman Babar, the then home minister, the CID officials cooked up the Joj Mia story to divert the investigation to a different direction.

Further investigations revealed the

attack was not carried out by Joj Mia and the Seven Star Group, rather it was done by the Islamist militant group Huji, influential leaders of the then ruling BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, along with a band of senior officials in the government machinery, including the Home Ministry, police, DGFI, NSI and PMO. l

An official is taking Joj Mia to the special judge court yesterday

NASHIRUL ISLAM

Rana also confessed that another youth tried to create a barricade but he personally attacked him with sharp weapons. The gang then went to Kaliganj of Gazipur with the girl.

“Apon sexually abused the girl there in the car and we all guarded the area,” Sohel told police.

Next day, they entered the capital again early in the morning and left the girl in Uttara, said sources at the DB police.

Rana further said Apon was killed in

a gunfight with DB police in the capital Hatirjheel area on July 17. He and other members of the gang, however, managed to escape.

After the gunfight, DB police recovered one pistol, two rounds of bullets, three rounds of bullet shells, three cell phone sets and the white Toyota Premio car.

“Additional Deputy Commissioner of DB Abdul Ahad and Senior Assistant Police Commissioner SM Nazmul Haque conducted the operation,” added Saidur Rahman. l

Muramoto to build Bangladesh Chancery Complex in Tokyo

Azhar’s defence asked to end legal argument on Sunday

Later, they went to Gulshan and picked up a girl from there. However, they released her after she identified herself as a reporter of a private TV channel.

“After that, they went to Uttara with the intention to mug people. However, they stopped the vehicle after noticing a young girl at Uttara Sector 4 and tried to pick her up in the car forcefully. When locals of the area came to her rescue, Apon fired blank shots at them which killed Mohammad Liakat Hossain Liton, 38, a security guard of a nearby residence.

n Tribune Report The cabinet committee on public purchase has approved the proposal made by the Foreign Ministry for awarding work to Japanese firm Muramoto Corporation to construct a chancery complex in Tokyo.

The approval was given at a meeting of the cabinet committee held at cabinet division yesterday with Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the chair.

After the meeting, Joint Secretary of Cabinet Division Mustafizur Rahman told reporters that Muramoto Corporation would construct the chancery complex at a cost of Tk91.44 crore.

According to the proposal, if the project could be launched four years ago, the complex would have cost the government Tk77.78 crore.

The chancery is a building houses and offices for an official representatives of any foreign country.

The proposal, signed by Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque, says Bangladesh cannot not delay the construction of the complex any longer because Japan is going to host the Olympic Games in 2020. “So, all construction firms of that country will be busy with improving the infrastructures for the mega sporting event.”

The delay was a result of a bureau-

cratic tangle that originated from a confusion over which law to follow in implementing the project. It eventually led to the cancellation of the first tender.

The chancery is a building houses and offices for an official representatives of any foreign country The Bangladesh government – the cabinet committee on public purchase to be specific – wanted to follow its own Public Procurement Act 2006, but Japanese contractors wanted to follow the laws of their country.

The cabinet committee on public purchase also approved the proposal made by the Industries Ministry for importing 3.40 hundred thousand tonnes of fertilisers at a cost of Tk1,057 crore.

Besides, it approved power division’s proposal for repairing two units of 210MW power plant at a cost of Tk99.87 crore.

Max-Renken JV, a Chinese construction firm, got the contract to build 5.2km Muradpur-Lalkhan Bazar Road in the port city at a cost of Tk454.67 crore. l

n Udisa Islam

The International Crimes Tribunal 1 yesterday adjourned the trial of Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam upon a defence plea and asked them to complete the legal arguments in one hour on Sunday.

The defence was supposed to conclude the legal argument part yesterday, but counsel Shishir Monir around 11:45pm pleaded for adjournment saying that he had to appear before the apex court at noon.

Hearing the verbal plea, the tribunal adjourned the trial until Sunday. It also asked the prosecution to submit their rebuttal, if any, after conclusion of the defence argument that day.

Before that, defence counsel Abdus Subhan Tarafder placed arguments on the prosecution’s documents. At that time, the tribunal also made some comments on the investigation process and the prosecution’s scrutiny. The tribunal asked the prosecution to explain these during the rebuttal.

At the tribunal 2, the defence of Jamaat leader Maulana Abdus Subhan concluded the cross-examination of 28th witness Md Fazlul Haque.

Defence counsel Mizanul Islam questioned him for one and a half hours and the tribunal adjourned the trial until September 14. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Thursday, September 11, 2014

Civil registration emphasised at WHO meet n Tribune Report South-East Asian health ministers and policymakers, now in Dhaka for the World Health Organisation South-East Asian region committee meeting, are pondering the most effective ways to record birth and death information.

Top health officials from the 11 member states of the WHO’s South-East Asia region were looking into effective civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems at the 67th session of the regional committee yesterday.

According to the WHO, globally some 7.6 million children under the age of 5 died in 2010, but less than 2.7% of those deaths were medically certified, assigned a cause of death by a health worker, or recorded in an official database.

A lack of reliable data is a major obstacle to effective health planning and management.

Health experts at the meeting said civil registration – the public recording of key life events, such as births, deaths, causes of death, and marriages – and vital statistics – the data that comes from such records – are essential for evaluating health needs and designing effective policies.

The best way for countries to ensure that this data is consistently and continuously recorded is through a national CRVS system—governed by legal mandate and run by the national government with a network of key stakeholders, including government agencies, the national statistics office, the police department and the health sector, the WHO said in a press release yesterday.

“We must make every life count by recording every birth and death.

When each birth is not counted, then the denominator for nearly all health indicators is incorrect. CRVS systems are the only way to obtain continuous, compulsory, and cost effective data on births, deaths, and cause of death,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director for WHO South-East Asia region.

“A strong and reliable CRVS system is an essential tool for national planning across multiple sectors, especially in the health sector,” she said.

It is key to achieving time-bound health targets, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Reliable vital statistics from civil registration systems can provide essential input to 42 of the 60 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) indicators and help countries to achieve their 2015 goals, according to the WHO press release.

WHO and the World Bank, with input from several agencies and countries, have developed the Global CRVS Scaling Up Investment Plan 2015-2024, with the goal of universal civil registration and access to legal proof of registration for all individuals.

To achieve this goal, the WHO South-East Asia region has developed the “Regional Strategy to Strengthen the Role of the Health Sector in Improving CRVS Systems”, which is expected to be endorsed by the regional committee.

Given the multi-sectoral nature of CRVS systems, the regional strategy is a multi-dimensional approach, with focus on such key strategic areas as strengthening the organisational framework of CRVS systems, reinforcing inter-sectoral collaboration, and employing the help of community health workers to boost the completeness of the already existing registries.

While in general, civil registration of births and deaths is conducted to some degree in all countries of the region, greater effort is needed to ensure the completeness of these registers, with particular emphasis on including accurate causes of death. The WHO South-East Asia region with its 11 member states has considerable diversity in terms of population size, geographical distribution, and socio-economic status.

The regional strategy articulates common principles in the development of a CRVS systems, but countries will need to develop country-specific national plans based on their particular needs.

“The improvement of CVRS systems is imperative for sustainable and inclusive development, particularly in the global post-2015 development agenda. It will be central to monitoring the achievement of universal health coverage,” said Singh. l

Construction of a bridge has rendered the Niamatpur-Dhanshuri road unusable in Niamatpur upazila of Naogaon

Anti-Corruption Commission asks LDP chief to submit wealth statement n Adil Sakhawat The Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday served a notice to Col (Retd) Oli Ahmed, chairman of Liberal Democratic Party asking him to submit the statement of his movable and immovable properties to the commission.

ACC Deputy Director Golam Faruk yesterday served the notice to Oli Ahmed, confirmed ACC Public Relation Officer Pranab Kumer Bhattacharya to the Dhaka Tribune.

The commission in its primary investigation found that the LDP chief amassed a huge amount of properties illegally, an ACC official said.

The LDP chief has to submit the statement to the secretary of the commission.

If he fails to submit the statement in time and if he provide wrong information then the commission will take le-

gal action against him, the official said.

Meanwhile, the ACC quizzed Managing Director (MD) of Partex Sugar Mills Shawkat Aziz yesterday for around three hours starting from 2pm.

The anti-graft body questioned him for his alleged involvement in the Tk150 crore embezzlement from Bangabandhu Avenue branch of Sonali Bank through import of unrefined sugar by the Partex Sugar Mill.

ACC Deputy Director Mir Jainul Abedin Shibly conducted the questioning of the MD of Partex Sugar Mills.

After the quizzing session Shawkat Aziz talked to the reporters. He claimed: “The allegation raised against us including my father MA Hashem and my brother Rubel Aziz is not true.”

“I also faced the commission’s query and answered them accordingly.”

Aziz said.

The commission has already questioned some high officials of Sonali Bank and has reviewed documents received from the bank.

Earlier, Partex Group Chairman MA Hashem and his two sons skipped the interrogation of the commission and sought time extension on September 2.

According to the allegation, Sonali Bank former deputy general manager of Bangabandhu Avenue branch Mejbah Uddin (now DGM, international trade finance department), in connivance with some other people allegedly misappropriated Tk150 crore by importing unrefined sugar.

It is alleged that Partex Sugar Mill, a concern of Partex Group, has imported the sugar through opening a LC in the bank but did not deposit any money against the LC even after importing and selling the sugar. l

Ministries receive letters from ACC on 1.31 million Bangladeshis work in KSA: Report freedom fighter certificate forgery n Rabiul Islam The Public Administration Ministry received letters from the Anti-Corruption Commission which asked the ministry to take action against four secretaries and a joint secretary for their involvement in freedom fighters certificate forgery.

Public Administration Affairs Ministry Senior Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury confirmed the receiving of letters to the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday. But he did not make any further comment regarding the issue.

On Monday, the ACC had sent letters to the ministries of liberation affairs and the public administration to take steps against the five persons,

after they were found guilty in ACC investigation.

Out of the five, health secretary, Neaz Uddin Mia, public service commission secretary, AKM Amir Hossain, former liberation war affairs secretary, KH Masud Siddiqui (now an OSD) and former joint secretary of Liberation War Affairs Ministry, Abul Kashem Talukder (currently an OSD) are now in service.

Former senior secretary to the prime minister’s office and existing Privatisation Commission Chairman Molla Waheduzzaman is in his contractual job after completion of his regular service.

On Tuesday, Liberation Affairs Ministry Secretary Mojammel Haque told

the Dhaka Tribune: “We will take action against the officials after examining the report and recommendations of the ACC. But actions will not be taken depending on the exact report of the ACC. We are waiting to get the report and letter.”

The Public Administration Ministry would take action against them only after serving show-cause notices in accordance to the public servants (code of conduct and discipline) rules, officials of the ministries told the Dhaka Tribune.

The government has so far scraped freedom fighters’ certificates of 182 government officials this year, since they were obtained through forgery. l

n Tribune Report

Eight nationalities make up 85.6% of the total number of expatriates in Saudi Arabia, according to an American research website – Bio. The website defines an expatriate as a person who stays for one year or more in a country in which he was not born, reported the Saudi Gazette yesterday.

In a report published, the website estimated the number of expatriates in Saudi Arabia to be 9.06 million people in 2013. It said Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis account for the largest number compared to other nationalities of the world. Egyptians, Yemenis and Sudanese nationals formed the largest number among their Arab counterparts.

The report said Indian nationals form 19.4%, Pakistanis 14.5, Bangladeshis 14.4, Egyptians 14.3, Philippines 11.3, Yemenis 5.07, Indonesians 4.19, Sudanese 2.5, and other nationalities form 15% of the expatriate population.

The report also gave the number of expatriates from each country. The number of Indians were 1.76 million, Pakistan 1.32 million and Bangladesh 1.31 million.

Some of the others were the Philippines were 1.03 million, Sri Lanka 150,000, Indonesia 380,000, Yemen 460,000, Somalia 30,000, Afghanistan 20,000, Nepal 20,000, Thailand 20,000, Kuwait 130,000, Syria 140,000, Jordan 170,000 and Palestine 120,000, the report said. l

Odds of admission to JU 1 in 100 this year n JU Correspondent

Locals capture a python weighing around 27kg in the Kachhemabad area in Barisal’s Gouranadi yesterday

FOCUS BANGLA

Jahangirnagar University (JU) authorities have published the 2014-15 admission test schedule for first year honours aspirants. The admission test under eight units, from September 17 until September 23, will see some 100 admission seekers vie for each first year honours seat at the university, sources said.

The JU deputy registrar [education] and central admission test conduct committee’s secretary, Mohammad Ali, yesterday said they had published the full schedule of the admission test under eight units.

The admission test of A unit, the faculty of mathematical and physical sciences, will begin on September 17.

The exam of D unit, the faculty of life sciences, will be held on September 18. The exams of B unit, the faculty of social sciences, and H unit, the institute of information technology, will be held on September 20.

The exam of E unit, the faculty of business studies, and G unit, the institute of business administration, will take place on September 21.

The admission test of C unit, the faculty of arts and humanities, will take place on September 22, and the exam of F unit, the faculty of law, will be held on September 23.

Each day the admission test will begin at 9am. Further details about the admission test are available on the JU website, sources said.

The central admission committee has fixed the number of seats under six faculties and two institutes of the university for the upcoming admission test of the 2014-15 academic session.

Sources said authorities did not increase the number of seats this year.

The total number of available seats was around two thousand.

Nearly two hundred thousand applicants applied for the honours programmes at JU this year, meaning that one hundred applicants will compete for each available seat, sources added.

The JU deputy registrar confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune: “Around two hundred thousand admission seekers have applied through mobile phone registration for some two thousand seats in the university this year.” l

AZHAR UDDIN

WHO honours PM’s daughter for work on autism n Tribune Report The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday honoured Saima Hossain Putul, daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, for her outstanding contributions to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).

Chair of the national advisory committee on neurodevelopmental disorders and autism under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Saima is one of the first two recipients of the newly instituted Award for Excellence in Public Health.

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director of WHO in the Southeast Asia region who conferred the award to Saima, praised her work for the cause of autism in the region and worldwide.

“Ms Hossain’s work has helped build multidisciplinary/multi-stakeholder partnerships for ASDs and childhood development disorders, which resulted in the adoption of resolutions at the United Nations and the WHO,” she said. l

Columbia Alumni Association’s local office launched n Tribune Report Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) officially launched Columbia Alumni Association: Club of Bangladesh (CAABD) yesterday at the Brac Centre around 7pm yesterday, says a media release.

The event was attended by other Columbia alumni of Bangladesh, noted luminaries of the country, and also Tahsin Anam, president of American Alumni Association as special guest.

The club’s aim to foster and promote the best interests of Columbia University in the city of New York among its alumni and friends in Bangladesh, and to establish an ongoing organisation of alumni dedicated to preserving and furthering the highest intellectual and ethical principals upon which the university was founded and has flourished.

Domna H MacPhee, President of the CAA in a message said: “The university and the CAA are proud to have the CAABD and we look forward to building and even stronger network, engaged community and a better Columbia with you in years to come.” l

Freshmen orientation for fall at BracU

n Tribune Report The orientation programme of newly enrolled undergraduate students for Fall 2014 of Brac University took place recently on the university’s Mohakhali campus, where its Vice Chancellor Professor Syed Saad Andaleeb was present as the chief guest, says a media release.

In his speech, the VC emphasised on team work and cooperation in regular studies of the students. In the event, there was an interactive dialogue session between the concerned personnel and the guardians for better understanding.

Prof Riaz Partha Khan, Dean of Student Affairs Office and Teaching Learning Centre of Brac and Registrar Muhammad Sahool Afzal were present among others. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

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Thursday, September 11, 2014

CID labs clear backlog despite Nahid: I will identify errant private manpower shortage Two laboratories received a total of 15,394 samples from 7,873 cases

n

Moniruzzaman Uzzal

Although understaffed, the CID chemical test laboratories have made significant leaps in recent years with the labs being able to clear off all its backlog of pending tests except for a few handful of cases.

The two labs of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) – one in Dhaka and the other in Chittagong – had 995 samples pending in 2010; but as of August this year, the number has been brought down to only eight. Among the pending reports on human viscera and other substances, the Dhaka lab had only one sample left to test, while seven samples from six cases remained pending at the lab in the port city.

The success was achieved despite a severe shortage of manpower at both the labs. Although there were 18 chemical examiner posts of different ranks sanctioned for the labs, only four officials – two deputy chief chemical examiners and two assistant chemical examiners – were currently working for the CID. The top post of chief chemical examiner has been vacant since 2009.

During the first eight months this year, the existing four officials at the two laboratories received a total of

15,394 samples from 7,873 cases; they managed to test almost all the samples except for only eight samples. Manpower shortage also existed among third and fourth-class employees; of the 47 existing posts, 13 remain vacant.

Admitting that case backlog might have existed at the CID labs in the past, Dilip Kumer Saha, deputy chief chemical examiner of the Dhaka laboratory, told the Dhaka Tribune that the trend had changed completely. No report stayed pending at the CID labs now, except for a few sensitive and controversial cases that needed to be re-checked several times to confirm results, he added.

Despite being understaffed, the test reports were prepared in a short time as per the directive of higher authorities in the CID, Dilip said.

He, however, claimed that there still existed a false perception among the general people that they needed to wait months to get a report from the CID lab. It was also untrue that the forensic doctors’ delayed autopsy reports were caused by the delay in preparing CID’s chemical test reports, Dilip claimed.

Sources at the CID chemical lab said between 2009 and 2013, a total of 37,714 samples were tested at the labs. Most of the samples were viscera and different

types of drugs, while other samples included semen, blood, and acid.

Meanwhile, despite the successful test rates at the CID labs, the victims and their relatives continue to suffer long waits to get justice, allegedly because of dilly-dallying by doctors who are tasked with preparing autopsy reports for the forensic medicine department of medical colleges and district civil surgeon’s offices.

Most doctors reportedly blamed their own delay on the CID labs, claiming that the labs took a long time to handover the chemical test results.

The Dhaka Tribune has learnt that only five doctors alone from the forensic medicine department of Dhaka Medical College had kept more than 500 autopsy reports pending for many months.

When asked about this, Dr Habibuzzaman, head of the forensic department at the DMC, admitted that many autopsy reports are still pending, but claimed that he had been trying to clear the backlog of those reports.

Claiming that the number of pending reports had previously been 500, but had come down recently, Dr Habibuzzaman said at least four official directives have been issued to ensure that the pending reports were completed. l

AK Khandaker faces defamation suit

universities n RU Correspondent

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday alleged that the authorities of “corruption-ridden” private universities were thieves, who were involved in transactions of illegal money at different stages from taking approvals for setting up a university to awarding certificates to students.

He was speaking at a programme in Rajshahi University.

Quoting TIB report on Private University anomalies he said: “Most of my respected teachers and well-wishers blamed me for taking a stance in favour of corrupted private universities.

It was a conscious decision. I took a stance in favour of those thieves for taking actions against them.

“We will take stern action against 12 private universities after the verdict of the court. Steps also would be taken against other illegal private universities,” he said.

Addressing an award giving ceremony at Rajshahi University Senate Bhaban, the minister said they would establish six more universities in the country soon to create more scope for higher stidues.

The minister also criticised the role of teachers of public universities alleg-

n Our Correspondent, Brahmanbaria

ing they are not fulfilling their duties.

He said the teachers and students of public universities have a lot of responsibilities towards the nation because they get financial support from the 16 crore people of Bangladesh.

“We also need basic changes in our education system. Our new education policy 2010 will help to introduce a new education system in Bangladesh,” he said.

Rajshahi University authorities with the assistance of Agrani Bank Ltd gave gold medals and awards to 97 students and 2 researchers.

In the researcher’s category Prof Hasan Azizul Haque, a prominent writer, and Prof Dr M Saidur Rahman of Bangla department of Islamic University were awarded ‘Sarwar Jahan Memorial Award’ and ‘Sarwar Jahan Memorial Research’ respectively.

From the student’s categories, 97 students who have acquired first position in Honours and Masters Courses between 2005 and 2010 under nine faculties of the universities awarded gold medals.

Among others, RU Vice Chancellor Prof Muhammad Mizanuddin, Pro-VC Prof Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan and Managing Director of Agrani Bank Syed Abdul Hamid addressed the programme. l

One dies as wall collapses in Sylhet n Our Correspondent, Sylhet One labourer was killed when a wall of an known at-risk building collapsed in Sheikhghat area of Sylhet city yesterday.

Confirming the incident, ward 12 Councillor Sikandar Ali said several cracks had also developed in that building.

Acting chief engineer Nur Azizur Rahman of Sylhet City Corporation told the Dhaka Tribune that the building named “Rahman Villa” was identified as vulnerable in a recent survey conducted by Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Sust).

Shofikur Rahman, owner of the building, was ordered to demolish the building soon, Azizur Rahman said, adding that the building would be vacated today.

However, Shofikur could not be reached over the phone for his comments in this regard.

Locals alleged that the building, constructed on a weak infrastructure, began to lean dangerously several months ago, but no safety measure was taken in this regard.

Witnesses said a wall of the building collapsed on the city corporation workers who were cleaning the sewerage line next to the building around 2pm.

The accident left Abdul Kadir Jilani, 38, who hailed from Sunamganj’s Dhormopasha upazila, spot dead, while Abdul Muktadir, 50, Manik Mia, 60, and his son Titu Ahmed, 28, were injured in the incident, Kotwali police station OC Asaduzzaman said. l

WEATHER

LIGHT RAIN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 6:07PM SUN RISES 5:44AM FORECAST FOR TODAY 33 31 33 31 32 31 32 31

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

26 26 24 26 24 24 24 25

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

34.4ºC Sylhet

23.5ºC Rangamati

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:28am 5:43am 11:56am 4:23pm 6:08pm 7:24pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

A defamation case was filed yesterday against former Awami League minister AK Khandaker for making derogatory remarks in his new book about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Mujib Bahini.

Former joint secretary M Ishak Bhuiyan filed the case with Brahmanbaria’s Senior Judicial Magistrate’s Court.

The court set September 15 for hearing in the case.

According to the case statement, Air Vice Marshal (retd) Khandaker, the deputy chief of army during the war, in his book “1971: Bhitore Baire” said some members of the Mujib Bahini had led gangs in robbery during the war.

The book also says most members of the guerrilla force were not seen in battles. Ishak was a commander of Mujib Bahini (east zone) during the war.

Soon after it was published by Prothoma publishers on September 2, the book drew massive criticisms mainly because of stating that Bangabandhu in his historic speech of March 7, 1971 had said “Joy Pakistan” and that the Awami League leadership had failed to perform his due role during the war.

During an unscheduled discussion in parliament on September 4, senior MPs of the Awami League and its allies demanded imposing a ban on the book while some asked the government to sue Khandaker. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said: “I was present on the stage [on March 7]. I did not hear such a slogan from Bangabandhu.” l

JU Debate Competition begins today n JU Correspondent

The Sammilito Garments Shramik Federation forms a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday demanding payment of the dues of workers of the Tuba Group MEHEDI HASAN

The 8th Inter Department Debate Competition 2014 begins at Jahangirnagar University today.

Sources from Jahangirnagar University Debate Organisation (JUDO), which organised the programme, said the programme would be inaugurated in front of the Amor Ekushe sculpture at 10am, and after that the organisers would hold a rally on campus. After the rally, there would be a public debate competition, in which students from all the departments would participate.

The inter department debate competition would be held on Friday at the social science faculty building while the final round of the competition and the closing ceremony of the programme would be held at 5pm on Saturday at the university’s Selim Al Deen Muktamancha arena, said the sources.

JUDO General Secretary Riazul Islam Dipu told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that JUDO has organised the debate competition following its tradition to do so in the university.

Students from 32 departments of the university will participate in the competition, he added. l

Women’s economic contribution left unrecognised

Study: 60% urban population concentrated in four cities

n Rabiul Islam

Nearly 60% of urban population is concentrated mainly in four metropolitan cities: Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna while the rest live in 564 urban centers, a researcher said.

Dr M Maksudur Rahman, a faculty at Dhaka University’s Geography and Environment department, presented a paper yesterday at Urban Dialogue 2014 held at Spectra Convention Centre in the capital.

The programme was jointly organised by Habitat for Humanity Bangladesh, Islamic Relief Bangladesh and World Vision Bangladesh.

In the first Urban Dialogue in 2013, researchers said Dhaka alone has more than 40% of the total urban population while Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi together have about 55%.

Dr Maksudur pointed out that marginal people living in urban areas have been suffering from various problems, such as proliferation of slums and squatter settlements, lack of basic service facilities (water and electricity supply, sanitation, fuel for cooking), degradation of urban environmental quality, increase of crime and violence and a rise in various kinds of natural and human-induced hazards.

He said Chittagong City, which is the second largest and the main port city of the country, has not yet experienced a similar level of analytical investigation although the city has a wide range of environmental hazards apart from its hilly and coastal settings.

“Actually, except some, many NGOs

Speakers at a roundtable stated that the huge economic contribution made by women in society who work in the informal employment sector is not recognized as it should be, resulting in status and dignity crisis for them.

They also said recognition must boost the dignity of women in the family as well as in society.

Economists, women and media activists made the observation at the roundtable on highlighting contribution of women to raise their status jointly organised by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and the Daily Star at its conference room in the capital yesterday.

The MJF has been conducting a nationwide campaign “equality through dignity” to change the mindset of the general people.

Executive Director of the MJF Shaheen Anam presented a keynote paper which depicted how women play a significant role in the economic development of the country and how women are subjected to various forms of violence.

Quoting Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the paper reads 87% of women experiences some kind of violence by her spouce while 65% of married women experience physical violence.

According to Mahila Parishad, the national woman’s organisation, some 2,208 women were victims to some

kind of violence between January 1 to June 30, 2014 this year so far.

Recently, a Unicef study revealed that Bangladesh tops the list in abuse of adolescent girls mostly through child marriage.

'Every woman should be recognised and we need to fight cultural stigma and the media can play a vital role in establishing women’s right' Director of news at Channel I Shaikh Shiraj said paddy and rice production from cultivating to marketing are processed in 23 phases and of them, 17 phases are completed by women. However, women are not getting the economic recognition, even though they greatly contribute to food security.

In Rajshahi, a man gets a wage of Tk280 per day while a women gets Tk180 for the same work.

“When I asked the owner, why do you practice such discrimination? The owner replied because she is a woman”, said Shaikh.

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Research Director Fahmida Khatun said unrecognition of woman’s contribution is universal. According to Unicef, wom-

en spend two-third of their time on food production, but their total global income is only 10%.

According to a CPD survey, 50% of women said they wanted to do work in the formal sector so that they get some respect in the family, she said.

CPD Executive Director Mustafizur Rahman said most of the women do informal work and they do not get any honour.

Salma Khan, a member of Women for Women, said Bangladesh has improved in various areas including health, education and reducing child mortality, and most of these are contributed by women.

Executive Director of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association Salma Ali said, “We have to recognise the contribution of female migrant workers, and ensure safe migration”.

Habibunnesa from Nari Paksha said, “Every woman should be recognised and we need to fight cultural stigma and the media can play a vital role in establishing women’s right.

Baishakhi TV CEO Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul said the politicians should come forward to recognise the contributions of women to the national economy.

Speaking as chief guest Women and Children Affairs Secretary Tariqul Islam said, “We want to recognise the contributions of women. Statistics Division has been working to assess the contribution of women to the GDP, he said. l

n Abid Azad

have not been properly working and there has been no co-ordination among the NGOs, government and other institution in this regard,” he said Speakers at the dialogue said the government should focus on the welfare of the urban marginalised people while preparing the Urban Development Policy.

They also noted that the condition of the poor and marginalised people, which makes up around 26% of the total population are living in urban areas, were currently in a very vulnerable position.

They said with increasing population, urban poverty along with other shortages in housing, health, education, sanitation and nutrition problems had created a negative impact on almost every sphere of urban livelihood.

Besides, water, air and sound pollution along with waste management, load-shedding continues to be serious problems in urban areas, they added.

Leaders from various forums, national and international NGOs shared their experiences while discussions were held on Housing for Urban Slums and Urban Resilience and Development planning, which included Urban governance, WASH and DRR, Climate Change, and Advocacy on Gender on the basis of Child Rights, Child Development and Child Protection.

Besides, National Housing Authority Chairman Shahid Ullah Khandakar and World Vision National Director Jan De Waal were also present at the program. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Gopalganj lifeline Madhumati under threat The river is losing its ecological balance due to a power plant n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj When the government is thinking of the ecological restoration of four rivers around Dhaka, a river is losing its ecological balance due to a power plant in the eastern Gopalganj district, 210 km off the capital city.

Locals say the furnace oil-based 100MW Peaking Power Plant that came into operation on December 31, 2011, is causing a huge disaster to the Madhumati by dumping its furnace oil and burnt Mobil through drains into the river, the lifeline of at least 10 villages in the district.

The fishes and other aquatic lives have come under threat in the river.

Water hyacinths are visibly dying day by day. Public sufferings have also cropped up as they are no more being able to use its water, they say, adding that even birds are not seen in the river now as in the past.

After using the polluted water, many people have suffered from skin diseases, dysentery and intestinal and many others problems and so they have stopped using it, they add.

However, the people living along the river have become helpless as most tube-wells water carry arsenic, a toxic element, and so have been struggling to collect water for their daily use for a few years.

A former Union Parishad member has told the Dhaka Tribune that it is difficult for them to live along the river because of such pollution in the river water nowadays.

Haridashpur Union Parishad’s former Ward No 9 member Abdul Kuddus Sheikh lamentably says: Deputy Commissioner Md Khalilur Rahman and the energy secretary have visited here after hearing of the river pollution. Still, furnace oil and burnt Mobil are dumped

Revolutionary Bagha Jatin remembered n Tribune Report 'Bagha Jatin Theatre ' and 'Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee' Kushtia distrct unit jointly organised a discussion on the premises of Koya College yesterday to remember revolutionary Bhagha Jatin.

Among others, freedom fighter Abdur Rouf, Nirmul Committe leader Shahriar Kabir, Prof Muntasir Mamun, Mohammad Selim, Begum Saleha Akter and Ziaul Islam discussed on various sides of the revolutionary.

Jatindranath Mukherjee, fondly remembered as Bagha Jatin, one of the chief Bangalee revolutionaries fighting against British rule in India, took a heroic death on September 10, 1915.

It is an irony of history that he is little known though there is no dearth of well documented historical records on him.

Born in 1879 in a village called Koya in Kushtia district of undivided Bengal (presently Bangladesh), Jatin joined the Central College in Calcutta in 1895 after completion of school education.

From a very young age, Bagha Jatin became the leader of the Yugantar political party in Bengal. In a heroic battle fought between the revolutionaries and the British police constitutes a few other revolutionaries died on the bank of the river Buribalam near Balasore.

Bagha Jatin along with a few others, being seriously injured, was arrested by the police and died. l

One gets death sentence n Tribute Report A court here yesterday sentenced a young man to death and another to life term imprisonment for killing a fish trader in 2009. The condemned convict was identified as Mansur Ali, 30, son of late Kalachand of Raghabaria village in Ullapara upazila while the lifer as Shahidul, 32, son of Abdul Majid of Dariapur Khapara village in Shahjadpur upazila. The court also fined them TK 20,000 each.

According to the prosecution, Abdul Kuddus Bepari, 45, of Dariapur village in Shahjadpur upazila went missing on November 4, 2009. l

Husband-wife electrocuted n Our Correspondent, Tangail A man and his wife have been electrocuted at Charhamjani village of Kalihati upaizla in Tangail. The deceased are, Foyej Uddin Mandol, 70, and his wife Sahara Khatun, 60, of the same area. l

Pamri pest outbreak in aman paddy in Jhalokati n Our Correspondent, Jhalokati Widespread Rice hispa locally known as Pamri poka attacks have been reported from four upazilas of the district on the eve of aman season.

The attack appeared when the farmers were struggling to cope with the loss caused by excess rain and repeated inundation of aman seedbeds by tidal water this year.

Consequently, the farmers may not get the targeted quantity of aman paddy from 45,000 hectors of land of the upazilas this season.l

Pro-BNP lawyers protest judges' impeachment bill n Our Correspondent, Magura The members of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum of Magura district unit staged a human chain at Magura district Judge court premises, protesting Judge impeachment bill on yesterday.

They also held a discussion meeting at the same venue around 1:30pm.

Advocate Mokaddesh Hossen and advocate Rokonujjaman, among others, spoke in the meeting. l Furnace oil from the 100MW Peaking Power Plant mixes with the water of Madhumati in Gopalganj into the river whenever it rains.”

Many pieces of land have reportedly lost fertility because of using the polluted river water for irrigation.

Farmer Ranan Mandal, who lives at Sadar upazila’s Haridashpur village, says: “Paddy does not grow on the land now as before because of using the polluted water for irrigating the crop land.”

Agriculture experts suggest that this

water should not be used for irrigation.

Deputy Director at the District Department of Agriculture Extension Atul Krishna Mallik says: “Farmers should not use water from this river for irrigation because it will reduce their land fertility and thus crop output.”

Medical Officer Dr Humayun Kabir Himu, who is attached to the district’s civil surgeon office, says: “The river water has become so much polluted

that nobody should use it because it may cause skin diseases, cholera, dysentery, intestinal problems and even damage liver.”

There are many instances of such diseases and problems among people living along the Madhumati river. They have also said that they have suffered from such diseases and problems after using the polluted water from the river.

Manager Himangshupati Biswas, of

Drug barons desperate in Narsingdi despite stern vigilance Correspondent, n Our Narsingdi Having all-out move against the drug trading by the local administration, the cartel of drug traders has not retreating or giving up their business, resulting it was spreading in remote areas of six upazilas of the district.

While visiting, the correspondent found that various types of drugs, including hemp, heroin, phensidyl and liquor, have flooded in the district while the drug traders not only were selling those in the district also they were pushing those to the capital as well as the other districts.

Basically, the drugs are smuggled into the country from India via Brahmanbaria, from where those are send elsewhere in the country by road and rail routes as well as particularly by the river route.

Sources said Rangamatia, Brahmandi, Chinispur, Daspara, Dattapara, Baniachal, Kauriapara, Goradia, Hajipur, Boiakur, Bilasdi, Velanagar

areas under the district town and Madabdi of sadar upazila are known as biggest spot for drug trading.

Besides, Gorasal Silpasahar, Khalisar Tek, Miapara, Charpara, Kortetoil, Bangalpara and Doladia areas of Polas upazila; Chandanbari, gotasia, Panchkandi and Chalakchar areas of Manohardi upazila; Belab upazila sadar; Shibpur upazila bus stand; Totatoli and Polastali areas of Raipur upazila are also identified as hot drug spots.

Locals opined that the young generation has been vastly prey to the drug that causing different sorts of crimes in the district as well.

Sources at superintendent of police office said a total of 270 cases were launched against the district’s drug traders in six police stations until May this year.

According to local Narcotics Control Department, there are more than 100 hot spots for drug trading, where they conducted 180 drives and arrested 74 people for the time being as well as they filed 72 cases in this connection.

Locals alleged that the narcotics control department has been turning blind eyes to the incessant trading despite flooding drugs in the district.

Denying the allegation, Narsingdi Narcotics Control Department Inspector Abu Reza Mehedi told the Dhaka Tribune that they were trying best to check the trade with their limited logistics support and they arrest at least 15 drugs peddlers in each month.

Having sound communication facilities in the district, the drug trading has been spreading rapidly there, the inspector continued.

About recent breakout of yaba trading, Abu Reza said some influential people have been involved in it and that was why the locals get fear to give information to them in this regard.

Narsingdi Additional Superintendent of Police (crime) Shahnewaz Khaled claimed of lessening the drugs trading a little bit than before any time because of their continual drives. l

NEWS IN BRIEF Five female swindlers arrested Police arrested five women allegedly belonging to a swindler gang inDablu Market area in Benapole on Tuesday night.

The arrestees were identified as Meherun Nesa, 25, wife of Faruk Hossain, a resident of Fultola village of Noapara, Asma Khatun, 22,wife of Hira Sarder, a resident of Mirzaganj upazila of Patuakhali district, Salma, 45, wife of Abul Hossain, a resident of Bakerganj, Meherun, 23, wife of Monzel Hossain, a resident of Mokendupur area of Jessore, and Amena Khatun, 48, wife of Shamsur Ali of Railpotty area. Apurba Hasan, officer-in-charge of Benapole port police station, said the five women belonging to a gang had long been involved in cheating people out of money. The also stole products entering different shops in the guise of customers. Police arrested them from the area following allegations from the victim traders. A case was filed in this connection with Benapole Port Police Station.

– Our Correspondent, Jessore

Nine arrested in Chuadanga Police arrested seven people, including woman, from different areas of the district in separate drives yesterday. On the other hand, police and members of Border Guard Bangladesh arrested another two along with drugs and 60 bottles of Phensidyl. The arrested people are-Abdus Salam, Mobarak Hossain, Korbani Ali, Hayat Ali, Nayeb Ali, Nasir Uddin, Monwar Hossain, Parvin Khatun and Jamshed Ali. Police and BGB members led by OC Maniruzzaman conducted a drive at village Belgachi in Alamdanga upazila and Parvin and Jamshed with drugs and Phensidyl. In another drive, acting on a tip-off BGB members arrested seven others from villages Singnagar, Goalpara, Madhabkhali in Jibannagar upazila.

– Our Correspondent,Chuadanga

Two siblings get two years in jail for violence Two sons of Khalilur Rahman at Baniacho village of Shaharasti upazilla, Jewel Mridha, 25 and Babu Mridha, 23 were sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment along with Tk1,000 fine or non-rigorous imprisonment in default

by Speedy Trial Tribunal ‘s judge Mashrur Salekin yesterday.

According to case statement, on a daylong hartal declared

by Jamat-Shibir on December 4, 2012, in front of Mrdiha Bari in Shahrasti upazilla on Chandpur-Comilla highway an auto-rickshaw owned by Md Jamaluddin of Durgabari in Jagatpur union in Kachua village was vandalised along with other vehicles. After the incident, police arrested two Shibir activits Babu Mridha and Jewel Mridha. On the same day, auto-rickshaw driver Jamaluddin filed a case through Speedy Trial Law with the police at Shahrasti police station. The court declared the verdict after proper investigation. State prosecution was conducted by Chandpur judge court’s Public Prosecutor Advovate Reza Pahlobhi Majid and Lawyer Advocate Saleh and Advocate Md Shahjahan defended the convicts.

– Our Correspondent, Chandpur

Lighting kills 2 siblings Two brothers were killed and four others injured in separate lighting strike at Narayanpur and Bhandara villages in Ranisankail upazila yesterday. Deceased Sumon Roy, 7, and Sonatan Roy, 5, were the sons of Sudharam. Local people said thunderbolt struck Sudharam’s house, leaving Sumon and Sonatan dead on the spot and injured their mother. On other hand, three others were injured as thunderbolt struck them at Bhandara village at the same time.

– Our Correspondent, Thakurgaon

DHAKA TRIBUNE

the power plant, however denied the allegation and said furnace oil used to be dumped into the river in the past.

Now it is being dumped into a pond beside the plant, The digging of that plant is still underway.

However, some furnace oil spill into the river while loading it onto the plant from the furnace oil barge. This oil is seen floating in the river. But it does not much pollute water in the river.” l

One dies in Sylhet wall collapse n Our Correspondent, Sylhet A man was killed and three others were injured when the wall of an old building collapsed on them at West Sheikhghat area in Sylhet town yesterday.

The deceased Abdul Quader Zilani, 38, had been working as a cleaner of Sylhet City Corporation. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Juris

Equality in the eye of the law?

Gender discrimination and gender inequality in the Penal Code of 1860

De-novo investigation during criminal trials Can a trial court (not being a court of cognizance) make an order for de-novo further investigation at the trial stage of criminal cases for ensuring justice? the same may be granted after anan Mohammad Nayeem Firoz lysing the materials on record with

I

n our evidence-based adjudication regime the judges of criminal courts often hear from the prosecution the prayer for ordering further investigation after the criminal trial commences while trying criminal litigation. In the present context where credibility and impartiality of the investigating agencies are predominantly questioned, it is naturally sought by the victims of criminal offences for the proper adjudication of their cases.

While praying so, they also urge that proper adjudication will not be possible if the existing investigation report is taken into consideration.

This matter may be decided in the exercise of judicial discretion of the court. Essentially the prayers for denovo investigation reveal, inter alia, the following arguments:

Of neutrality of the investigation officer

BIGSTOCK

A

n Barrister Farzana Hussain rticle 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that, “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.” In simpler words, the law must treat everyone equally regardless of their race, gender, gender identity, national origin, colour, ethnicity, religion, disability, or other characteristics, without privilege, discrimination, or bias.

Is legal egalitarianism or legal equality a myth or a fact?

At the least, gender inequality is very much present in our justice system. It’s high time to unveil the true nature of gender equality in the context of Penal Code of 1860.

Gender discrimination or gender inequality or sexism refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. Sexist attitudes may stem from traditional stereotypes of gender roles and may also include the belief that a person of a certain sex is intrinsically superior to another.

The provisions of the Penal Code relating to sexuality, procreation and marriage are the areas which are most affected by the private-public dichotomy and the resultant discriminatory application of law to men and women.

For this article, gender equality would be questioned in the context of three important yet mostly unnoticed sections of the Penal Code: Sections 8, 497 and 377.

In section 8 of the Penal Code, the general explanations mention that the pronoun “he” and its derivatives are used for any person whether male or female. However, section 10 declares that the word “man” denotes a male human being of any age and “woman” denotes a female human being of any age.

So, “he” does not only mean male,

it may mean female. Again, “he” includes “she” but “she” does not include “he.” On top of this, Usage of “he” or “man” in a section, therefore, determines whether it is applicable to both the male and female, or it applies to either male or female. “He” refers to both male and female whereas, “man” refers to only male, not female, which is discriminatory. Section 8 may be amended as the pronoun “he” and its derivatives are used for male and the pronoun “she” and its derivatives are used for female. Otherwise, a common word “person” can be used referring to both male and female.

Section 497 of the Penal Code deals

Firstly, “Without the consent of that man” indicates that wives are treated as property to their husbands.

Adultery is considered as a crime against the husband, whereas the wife is portrayed as victim. Even if a man is having an affair with a married woman, it will not be treated as a crime under this section, if the husband of the woman concerned, consents to it or if the affair is carried out with his connivance.

And secondly, women cannot file a case of adultery against their husbands under this section, even if he is having an extra-marital affair with a married woman. Whereas, husbands

Centuries long distinction between what constitutes the notion of ‘men’ as opposed to ‘women’ is brought to an acid test in recent time with adultery and its consequence.

This section states that, “whoever has sexual intercourse with … the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man … shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both. In such case the wife shall not be punishable as an abettor.”

Hence, a case of adultery cannot be filed against a woman even if she gets involved in an extra-marital relation.

A case under this section can only be filed against the male with whom she enters into such a relationship regardless of his marital status. Though the men’s rights activists like to portray this as pro-women and anti-men provision in the Penal Code, however, section 497 “is not” in favour of women at all.

Primarily, this section was enacted solely and exclusively to protect the rights of the husbands.

can, with the help of this section, prosecute his wife’s lover and can also file for a divorce from his wife on the ground of adultery.

In Britain and many other countries, adultery has already been decriminalised and can only be used as a ground of divorce under family law.

We may follow their footstep and make adultery, only an available ground for divorce, both to husband and wife.

Finally, section 377 of the Penal code enunciates unnatural offences.

This section narrates, “whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.”

Thus, section 377, introduced during the British rule of India, criminalises sexual activities “against the order of

nature,” arguably including consensual same-sex acts. Though ostensibly applicable to heterosexuals and homosexuals, Section 377 acted as a complete prohibition on the consensual penetrative sexual acts engaged in by homosexual men, thereby criminalising their sexual expression and identity.

We must not forget, the question of the rights of sexual minorities is central to the question of human rights. The right to equality and non-discrimination guarantee provided by the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Human Rights treaties, applies to all people, regardless of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity or “other status.”

The constitution of Bangladesh, as originally drafted, also clearly protects the rights of equality and non-discrimination. But sexual orientation is not an enumerated ground of prohibited discrimination under our constitution.

As a consequence, this section of Penal Code prevails today.

However, the Government of Bangladesh has recently taken a landmark decision to recognise rights of intersex people known as “Hijras” and approved them as third gender along with male and female. So, it may be the right time to think out of the box with regard to reframing section 377 of the Penal Code of Bangladesh.

On a concluding note, centuries long distinction between what constitutes the notion of “men” as opposed to “women” is brought to an acid test in recent time. We ought to rethink if we have to reimagine gender as a negotiable term whose meaning is relative and situational rather than constant and neutral in the socio-legal context.

This is how we all, I repeat, “all” will be equal in the eye of law, not only in phrases but also in reality. l Barrister Farzana Hussain is a Senior Lecturer at Northern University, Bangladesh and Advocate, Dhaka Judges’ Court.

JURIS QUOTE The essence of tyranny is not iron law. It is capricious law.

Christopher Hitchens

English-born American author, journalist and literary critic April 13, 1949 – December 15, 2011

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Thursday, September 11, 2014

It is argued that after lodging the FIR or complaint in relation to the allegations of the case, the investigation officer of concerned police station or any other inquiry officer investigate or inquire into the matter and submit police report or inquiry report against some of the accused persons whose names were mentioned in the FIR/complaint, intentionally keeping few major legal lacunae in the report being biased by some other accused persons.

Of legality of the investigative process The second argument is that the investigation officer did not conduct the investigation properly. Though in course of the investigation all the witnesses mentioned the involve-

paramount concentration. In addition to these it is argued that de-novo investigation may be ordered since there is no legal bar to send back any criminal case for de-novo investigation amid criminal trial. Relevantly, in this context a case decided by our highest court can be referred which was reported in 48 DLR at page 158.

In this reported case their lordship were pleased to held that before conclusion of the trial the investigation officer may send further report if new and important evidences are available which may be considered during the trial. In fact, this decision has a strong support for sending the case for further investigation in the middle of the trial.

Another landmark case decided by our Apex Court in the same issue can also be referred which was reported in 18 BLD at page 102. In the said case, it is found that when a death reference was pending before the honorable High Court Division, a further investigation was ordained.

It was held in that case that after examination of several witnesses, if it transpires that some persons actually involved in the offence have been left out, the court, if it considers

For the purpose of a comprehensive further investigation of any case the trial court may order that such investigation shall be conducted by a competent person

BIGSTOCK

ment of all the accused persons in the alleged occurrence, the investigation officer mechanically investigate the matter, and did not send them up in the inquiry report though they were directly involved with the occurrence. Consequently, the report remains in the centre of suspicion in the eye of law.

Of credibility of the questioned investigation report Another important argument is that the investigation officer submitted investigation report against few of the accused persons mentioned in the FIR or complaint, praying for release of the other vital accused persons for whom he was biased. In course of the trial the witnesses in their respective testimony clearly mentioned the name and credible information regarding the involvement of all the accused persons whose names were mentioned in the FIR/complaint.

Of impunity illegally made to the real criminals One of the most important arguments is that the total drift of investigation was designed to save few accused persons who actually committed the alleged offences.

Therefore, a fair trial cannot be held on such an incomplete and unacceptable investigative procedure. As a result the case should be sent back for further investigation for bringing the real accused persons under law.

The cases with similar questions can be ordained for further investigation for avoiding miscarriage of Justice. If such prayer has legal strength to be considered positively

that holding of further investigation is necessary, may pass an order for further investigation.

Undoubtedly these two decisions lend a robust support for sending back a case for further investigation after commencement of the trial to bring the real accused under the law.

Thus, there is legal scope before the trial court. Since commencement of trial of a case is not a bar for sending back any criminal case for further investigation, proper adjudication of the case and the legal necessity to bring the real accused persons can be ensured by such an order. Taking into account the above grounds the trial court (not being a cognizancetaking court) even may consider the prayer of the petition of de-novo further investigation in the light of the settled principle as enunciated in the decisions of our Apex Court.

In any given criminal proceeding if it is evident that the incumbent investigation report on which a trial shall follow is not free from legal vices and the same is, in the opinion of the trial court, suffering from legal infirmity, the report cannot be accepted for the sake of equitable justice. For the purpose of a comprehensive further investigation of any case the trial court may order that such investigation shall be conducted by a competent officer of police or by any other competent person whom the court may deem eligible.

It is now settled that in any ongoing criminal trial, the trial court may ordain for a thorough and comprehensive investigation in respect of the material fact and circumstances of any case to ensure fair trial. l Mohammad Nayeem Firoz is a Senior Assistant Judge, Chittagong.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Ukraine promises ‘special status’ for east, but no territorial concessions

If Scotland independence recognised, Crimea wants the same n AFP, Moscow 70% of Russian troops in Ukraine have left the country, Poroshenko said Crimea’s Kremlin-loyal leader yesterday said that if the world recognises an independent Scotland, then it should also offer similar recognition to the Black Sea peninsula which has joined Russia.

Acting regional head Sergei Aksyonov said that the West would have “no other option” but to back Crimea’s move to break away from Ukraine, if it also accepts a Scottish vote to split from the United Kingdom.

The Scottish referendum on whether to break from its 300-year-old union is being held on September 18, with polls showing both sides in a dead heat.

Crimea split from Ukraine and joined Russia after a disputed referendum in March.

“If in any country the majority of the population (of a region) take a decision about their independent statehood then I personally support this,” Aksyonov was quoted as saying by Russia’s Interfax news agency.

“The people living in a particular place better understand the processes that are happening there and it is their right to take such a decision,” he said.

The Kremlin annexed Crimea from Ukraine after deploying troops to take over the region and steer through the referendum, in which a large majority voted to join Russia.

Moscow argues it had acted to defend the rights of the region’s Russian-speaking population following the ouster of Ukraine’s Kremlin-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych.

But the international community has refused to recognise the annexation of Crimea, with only a handful of Kremlin allies accepting the move. l

n Agencies Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko promised yesterday to propose a bill granting “special status” to rebellious regions in eastern Ukraine, in a bid to boost support for Kiev amid a shaky cease-fire, The Christian Science Monitor reported.

But Poroshenko said that the east would remain part of Ukraine, underscoring his unwillingness to consider calls from Moscow and pro-Russian rebels for federalization. Kiev has long argued such a move would give the eastern region near complete autonomy and propel it toward secession.

“Ukraine will not make any concessions on issues of its territorial integrity,” Poroshenko said in remarks during a nationally televised Cabinet meeting addressing the conflict that’s so far killed over 3,000, according to the Associated Press.

The president also said that 70% of Russian troops in Ukraine have left the country, something he said “strengthens our hope” for peace prospects, Reuters reports. Russia denies sending troops into Ukraine, a claim that Kiev and its Western supporters strongly dispute.

But Poroshenko also noted that “the cease-fire was not proving easy to maintain because ‘terrorists’ were constantly trying to provoke Kiev’s forces.”

The Ukrainian leader’s speech comes as he faces mounting pressure in western Ukraine to prove that he did not negotiate away Ukraine’s territorial integrity during cease-fire talks last week, The Wall Street Journal reports.

n Reuters, Baghdad US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Baghdad yesterday, beginning a tour of the Middle East to build military, political and financial support to defeat Islamic State militants controlling parts of Iraq and Syria.

Kerry said he was impressed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s plans to rebuild the Iraqi military and push broad political reforms.

Abadi formed a new, more inclusive, Iraqi government on Monday in a move Washington said was vital before there could be further US action to help push back the militants who took over large parts of northern Iraq this year.

Kerry told Abadi he was “encouraged” by his plans for “reconstituting” the military and “your commitment to broad reforms that are necessary in Iraq to bring every segment of Iraqi society to the table.”

Abadi appealed to the international community to help Iraq fight Islamic State, urging them “to act immediately

Russia successfully tests nuclear missile, more planned

n Reuters, Moscow

Russia carried out a successful test of its new Bulava intercontinental nuclear missile on Wednesday and will perform two more test launches in October and November, the head of its naval forces said. The armed forces have boosted their military training and test drills since the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which Russia considers in its traditional sphere of influence.

The 12-meter long Bulava, or mace, has undergone numerous tests, some successful, and can deliver an impact of up to 100 times the atomic blast that devastated Hiroshima in 1945. Naval Commander-in-Chief Admiral Viktor Chirkov said the test launch had been carried out from the White Sea and that the test missile had hit its target in Russia’s far east. “In October and November of this year, the naval fleet will carry out two more launches with two rocket cruisers equipped with ballistic missiles,” Interfax quoted Chirkov as saying. l

Syrian Islamist group names new leader after blast

n Reuters, Beirut A picture taken on September 9 shows a Ukrainian tank destroyed by shelling from pro-Russian militants in the eastern Ukrainian region of Lugansk. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko promised yesterday to propose a bill granting ‘special status’ to rebellious regions in eastern Ukraine, in a bid to boost support for Kiev amid a shaky cease-fire AFP It also comes as European Union officials met in Brussels yesterday to discuss a second set of sanctions against Russia that were to be announced earlier this week but were delayed to “assess the viability of a truce in Ukraine without risking further trade retaliation by Russia,” Bloomberg notes.

Poroshenko gave few details as to

Kerry in Iraq backs government, to build support against Islamic State to stop the spread of this cancer.”

“Of course our role is to defend our country, but the international community is responsible for protecting Iraq and protecting Iraqis and the whole region,” Abadi said.

Kerry’s tour will include Saudi Arabia and probably other Arab capitals.

Last week nine countries, most of them in Europe, were named as the core group of a coalition US President Barack Obama says will degrade and destroy Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate in land it took over and executed many prisoners, including two American journalists who were beheaded.

Two days after Iraq formed a new government, Kerry arrived in Baghdad to “take it to the next level,” as a senior US official put it, and find a way to defeat Islamic State.

Abadi faces multiple crises from the need to pull Sunni Muslims back from armed revolt to persuading minority Kurds not to break away and convincing Abadi’s own majority Shi’ites he can protect them from Sunni hardliners.

NEWS BITES

Kerry highlighted Abadi’s readiness “to move forward rapidly on the oil agreements necessary for the Kurds, (and) on the representation of Sunnis in government and participation.”

His visit comes hours before a speech in which Obama will try to rally Americans behind another war in a region he has long sought to leave, backed by what Washington hopes will be a coalition of Nato and Gulf Arab allies committed to a campaign that could stretch beyond the end of Obama’s term in 2016.

“We’re now at the stage of beginning to build a broad-based coalition,” a senior US State Department official said.

“There is, of course, military support, and that’s everything from logistics and intelligence and airlifts and all the things it takes to conduct an effective military campaign.”

Unlike his predecessor, Abadi enjoys the support of nearly all of Iraq’s major political groups, and the two most influential outside powers, Iran and the United States. l

what “special status” in the east would entail, but said it would be largely along the lines of the 12-point plan agreed to on Friday. But rebel leaders quickly pushed back.

A senior leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said that his group was not backing down from its demand for full independence

from Kiev. The Christian Science Monitor reported from Kiev Tuesday that the cease-fire, while officially holding for now, is not expected to last long.

Poroshenko also said yesterday that rebels have released 700 Ukrainian prisoners, a number the rebels also took issue with, The Wall Street Journal reports. l

Palestinian salary dispute puts Gaza peace at risk n Reuters, Gaza/Jerusalem Tensions between Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian parties, are close to a breaking point over the non-payment of salaries to Gaza’s public sector workers, raising the risk of a return to conflict in the territory, officials say.

The ceasefire struck last month to end Israel’s war with Hamas included stipulations that the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, should take over civil administration in Gaza from Hamas, an Islamist movement.

Hamas thought that would mean its 40,000 employees in Gaza, who have not been paid for months and are growing restive, would be taken care of via the Palestinian Authority payroll, which already supports 90,000 public sector workers in the West Bank and a further 70,000 in Gaza, all linked to Fatah.

Not only can the Palestinian Authority not afford to pay all those extra workers, but international donors who support

the PA budget, including the European Union, first want a thorough audit of workers and cutbacks to the bloated payroll, which costs more than $2 billion a year. Paying the Hamas salaries as well would add a further $420 million.

Equally, Fatah is unwilling to give any support to Hamas until the movement stops running what Abbas has described as a “shadow government” in Gaza and fully commits to a unity government deal that the two parties agreed last April.

“If Hamas won’t accept a Palestinian state with one government, one law and one gun, then there won’t be any partnership between us,” Abbas said last week. “This is our condition, and we won’t back away from it.”

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said there was no desire to return to conflict and that efforts were being made to meet with Fatah officials to reconcile differences. Memories of 2007, when Hamas openly fought Fatah in the streets of Gaza before seizing full control of the territory, remain fresh. l

The new head of the Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham, once one of the strongest militias in the Syrian civil war, has urged fellow insurgents to fight on after a blast on Tuesday wiped out its senior leadership. In a video on YouTube, Ahrar al-Sham said Hashem al-Sheikh, also known as “Abu Jaber,” had been named its new leader and Abu Saleh Tahan its new military chief. Another video showed a man identified as Abu Jaber exhorting his men to fight on.

The explosion in northwestern Syria killed at least 12 including Ahrar al-Sham’s former leader Hassan Aboud, said the group which is part of the Islamic Front alliance fighting both the Syrian army and the now dominant Islamic State movement. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group monitoring the conflict, said the blast killed 28 of Ahrar al-Sham’s commanders, dealing a major blow to the organisation. l

Israeli troops kill Palestinian during West Bank raid

n Reuters, Ramallah

Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian yesterday during a raid on a West Bank refugee camp, Palestinian medics and the Israeli military said.

The soldiers, seeking to detain a Hamas militant, were confronted by around 50 Palestinians who hurled stones, petrol bombs and burning tires at them, an Israeli military spokeswoman said.

Israel and Hamas, the Islamist militant group which dominates Gaza, fought a seven-week war in July and August. The medics named the dead man as 22-year-old Issa al Qitri, and said he had been shot in the heart in al-Amari camp near the city of Ramallah.

The Israeli military spokeswoman said he was shot while trying to throw an explosive device at the soldiers. l

Archaeologists discover huge Stonehenge ‘sibling’ in UK n Agencies

Stonehenge located in Wiltshire, England, about 2 miles west of Amesbury and 8 miles north of Salisbury

INTERNET

Archaeologists have discovered that Stonehenge had a huge stone sibling just two miles to the north-east, The Independent reported.

Using powerful ground-penetrating radar, which can ‘X-ray’ archaeological sites to a depth of up to four metres, investigators from Birmingham and Bradford universities and from the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute in Vienna have discovered a 330-metre long line of more than 50 massive stones, buried under part of the bank of Britain’s largest pre-historic henge.

“Up till now, we had absolutely no idea that the stones were there,” said the co-director of the investigation Professor Vince Gaffney of Birmingham University. The geophysical evidence suggests that each buried stone is roughly three metres long and 1.5 metres wide and is positioned horizontally, not vertically, in its earthen matrix.

However, it’s conceivable that they originally stood vertically in the ground like other standing stones in Britain. It is thought that they were probably brought to the site shortly before 2500 BC.

They seem to have formed the southern arm of a c-shaped ritual ‘enclosure’, the rest of which was made up of an artificially scarped natural elevation in the ground. The c-shaped enclosure – more than 330 metres wide and over 400 metres long – faced directly towards the River Avon. The monument was later converted from a c-shaped to a roughly circular enclosure, now known as Durrington Walls – Britain’s largest pre-historic henge, roughly 12 times the size of Stonehenge itself.

As a religious complex, it would almost certainly have had a deeply spiritual and ritual connection with the river. But precisely why is a complete mystery, although it is possible that that particular stretch of water was regarded as a deity.

The discovery of the buried stones is part of a much wider archaeological investigation into Stonehenge’s sacred landscape.

A two-part special BBC Two documentary (Operation Stonehenge: What Lies Beneath), being shown this Thursday evening and next Thursday, is set to reveal the details of many of the investigation’s new discoveries. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Philippines plans to give Muslims autonomous zone

Nawaz Sharif’s ouster could trigger US sanction against Pakistan The aim is to end a four-decade rebellion killing 150,000 people n Agencies

n

AP, Manila

The president of the overwhelmingly Catholic Philippines proposed yesterday to give Muslims in the south the ability to run their own government under their own flag, part of a peace plan aimed at ending a four-decade rebellion that has killed 150,000 people.

The draft law submitted by President Benigno Aquino III to Congress fleshes out a peace deal signed in March by the country’s largest Muslim insurgent group, the 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The autonomous region in the southern island of Mindanao, to be called Bangsamoro, would get its own 60-member parliament that would wield exclusive power over such areas as agriculture, trade, tourism and education.

Under the proposal, Islamic Shariah law would apply to Muslims in the region, but the country’s justice system would continue to apply to non-Muslims. The Moro group has renounced the terrorist acts of extremist groups, including the Islamic State, which seeks to impose a harsh version of Shariah law in areas under its control in Syria and Iraq.

But at least three smaller Muslim rebel groups in the southern Philippines oppose the autonomy deal and have vowed to continue fighting for a

separate Muslim homeland.

The autonomous zone, which generally covers five provinces, would replace an existing one, seen as a dismal failure. The new plan grants much more autonomy to the region, and Aquino’s government also has promised to pour 17 billion pesos ($389 million) in special development funds over the next five years into the region, which has been stunted economically by the long-drawn conflict.

Under the proposal, Islamic Shariah law would apply to Muslims in the region, but the country’s justice system would continue to apply to non-Muslims The new region will also get larger revenue shares, including 75% of national taxes, fees and charges collected by the government in Bangsamoro. The current Muslim region gets 70% of those taxes.

The rebels have been fighting since the 1970s for Muslim self-rule in Mindanao in an insurrection that has

killed about 150,000 combatants and civilians. The United States and other Western governments have backed the autonomy deal partly to prevent the insurgency from breeding extremists who could threaten their countries.

The peace accord and the draft law came after 13 years of tough negotiations. “This is the farthest distance we have reached in our peace journey with the MILF,” presidential adviser Teresita Deles said in a statement. “Every word, line, and provision shall be subjected to the sunshine of democratic debate, where all voices will be heard, with our constitution as the guiding light.”

The Moro rebel group’s transformation has reaped praise amid worldwide alarm over the rise of the Islamic State group, which has been condemned for acts of brutality, including mass killings and beheadings. The United Nations office in the Philippines praised the development as a “critical milestone” and “a crucial achievement in ensuring lasting peace and sustainable development in Mindanao and in the wider Philippines.”

The broader autonomy given to the Muslim rebels mirrors the enhanced power, larger resources and other concessions granted by neighboring Indonesia to Muslim separatist rebels in its Aceh province under a 2005 peace deal.

That peace pact has held. l

Filipino Muslims affix their signatures on a mock covenant during a rally near the Presidential Palace in support of the Bangsamoro Basic Law draft that was formally submitted by Philippine President Benigno Aquino III to both houses of Congress yesterday AP

NEWS BITES

Amit Shah booked for Muzaffarnagar hate speech

n Agencies

BJP President Amit Shah was yesterday charged for violating the model code of conduct by delivering an “objectionable” speech during campaigns for the Lok Sabha elections in India’s Uttar Pradesh, PTI reported. The chargesheet was filed against 49-year-old Shah in a Muzaffarnagar court for allegedly seeking votes on the grounds of religion, race, caste and community.

The deputy SP of New Mandi circle here, Yogender Singh, said the chargesheet has been filed under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 123-3 of Representation of People Act. l

Japan’s nuclear regulator has given its formal safety sign-off for two reactors at a nuclear plant in the south of the country to restart, BBC reported. The Sendai plant secured preliminary approval for the restart in July and has now completed a public consultation period.

The regulator says the reactors have met new standards introduced after the Fukushima disaster. These are the first two reactors to secure this permission. Now the Sendai plant, in southern Kyushu, must obtain restart approval from local authorities, who are reported to back the move.

n Agencies Sonia Gandhi’s controversial son-in-law Rober Vadra may finally lose his exalted exempt-from-frisking-at-airports status, according to media reports. Indian Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju recently held a meeting with the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) officials and told them to tone down the existing list of people exempt from security checks at airports. “The minister has asked BCAS to have a list that is purely on the basis of requirement and remove names that enjoyed this privilege for ‘ornamental’ reasons. Vadra’s name may be struck off this list now,” said a senior official. l

Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri

Al Qaeda’s shadowy new ‘emir’ in South Asia handed tough job n Reuters, Multan, Pakistan Pakistani militant Asim Umar has been handed a very tough job.

Thrust into the limelight after being named leader of al Qaeda’s newly created South Asian wing, he has been entrusted with reviving the network’s fortunes at a time when Islamic State is generating grisly headlines and luring recruits.

Little is known about the man whose thinking was shaped in radicalised seminaries and madrassas of Pakistan and who will now spearhead al Qaeda’s activities from Afghanistan to Myanmar.

In a video address aired last week, the group’s chief, Ayman al-Zawahri, named him as the “emir” of a new branch of the network that masterminded the 2001 attacks on the United States.

Interviews with militant and intelligence sources reveal that Umar, thought to be in his mid-forties, has a reputation as an Islamist ideologue rather than a fighter, and is known in South and Central Asian Islamist circles as an intellectual and excellent orator.

One jihadist source in Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas on the Afghan border who knew Umar personally said that Zawahri first caught sight of his talents around the time of the death of Osama bin Laden in a secret US raid in 2011.

“After the killing of Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda’s new chief al-Zawahri started the reorganisation of al Qaeda, with its main focus on South Asia,” the source said.

“Al Qaeda started recruiting and training fighters in Afghanistan and now Maulana Asim Umar has been appointed as South Asia chief. ... He has strong connections with Islamic seminaries in Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Illustrating Umar’s close ties to the top al Qaeda command, the source said it was Umar who facilitated bin Laden’s move to a safehouse in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, where he lived undetected for years before US forces finally detected him.

Competing movements Zawahri’s announcement was widely interpreted as an attempt to seize back the initiative from militant group Islamic State, which has swept across swathes of Syria and Iraq.

That movement has galvanised young followers around the world, using brutal methods including crucifixions and beheadings, some of which have been filmed in propaganda videos.

In contrast, Zawahri delivered his latest message via a lengthy speech directed at the camera. Al Qaeda does have close ties to the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, meaning it has a deep presence in South Asia.

Observers say it may seek to broaden that reach as most of the US-led foreign forces in Afghanistan prepare to leave at the end of the year, freeing up fighters to move elsewhere. But until now there has been no evidence that the group has a presence in India, home to around 175 million Muslims.

Islamic State, meanwhile, has begun to make inroads into the region - its supporters have been spotted distributing leaflets in the Pakistani city of Peshawar and its flags have been seen fluttering at anti-India rallies in Indian-held Kashmir.

Deep convictions Sources familiar with Umar speak of a man with deep Islamist convictions who has written at least four books promoting jihad. One of the books, about US private security firm Blackwater, is titled “The Army of Anti-Christ.” He has had his eyes on the Indian subcontinent for many years, issuing a number of video appeals to Kashmiri Muslims to join militant battlefields and fight “infidels.”

In one video released in June last year, Umar reminded his viewers of India’s past glories under the Islamic Mughal empire, which ruled parts of India for centuries.

Umar first appeared on the global jihadist radar when he studied at Jamia Uloom-e-Islamia, a Pakistani seminary in the teeming port city of Karachi. l

Japan nuclear regulator Final Afghan election results likely backs reactor restart next week, deal or no deal

n Agencies

Robert Vadra may lose airport privilege

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s ouster through illegal means could trigger another round of democracy-related US sanctions against Pakistan, according to a report.

A congressional report titled ‘Pakistan Political Unrest’ warns that “any overt military ouster” of Sharif “could trigger another round of democracy-related US sanctions on foreign assistance to Pakistan,” the Dawn said yesterday.

This could put “an indefinite halt to what has been one of the highest-priority American aid programmes since 9/11.”

The report also warns that the ongoing political crisis could impact Pakistan’s relations with India by increasing the powerful army’s influence in foreign policies, the paper said.

The “Army’s more openly direct control of Pakistan’s foreign and security policies may, over time, shift Pakistan’s approach towards Afghanistan further into a policy framework that seeks to counter Indian influence there,” warns the report prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

The report notes that while the Sharif government does not face an imminent ouster, “many observers see the current unrest weakening Sharif.”

It also represents “a setback to democratisation in a country that has suffered three outright military coups in its 67 years of independence.”

The report informs US lawmakers that despite the protest, Pakistan is unlikely to change its foreign or security policies that are of interest to the United States.

“Whether Sharif sought out or merely acceded to the army’s late August intervention as a facilitator between the government and the protesters, most analysts contend that because he has not demonstrated civilian control over domestic security he will be left in a weakened state,” the report says.

CRS warns that the army’s involvement could have negative implications for US efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s democratic governance institutions as well.

“Observers doubt, however, that the army would seek to take direct control of the government, not least as it is embroiled in offensive operations against Islamist militants in western tribal areas,” the report says. The army, however, might welcome “a soft coup in which popular support for the civilian government is reduced such that the army can take full control of foreign and security policies.”

The report came in the wake of nearly a month-long protest by Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan and Awami Tehreek head Tahir-ul Qadri demanding Sharif’s ouster.

Khan wants Sharif’s ouster over alleged rigging in last year’s poll which his party lost, while Qadri wants to bring a revolution in the country. l

It must also pass on-site operational inspections, Kyodo news agency said, with a restart unlikely before December. All Japan’s 48 reactors are currently stopped, but PM Shinzo Abe has been pushing for restarts where possible.

The Japanese public turned against nuclear power after the meltdowns at the Fukushima plant in 2011.

Before the incident, which was caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami, nuclear plants supplied about 30% of Japan’s power.

But since then the plants have been closed, either for scheduled maintenance or because of safety fears, and have not been restarted. l

n Reuters, Kabul Final results in Afghanistan’s disputed presidential vote are expected to be released next week, and an election official said yesterday that a winner would be announced whether or not the two rival candidates forge a promised power-sharing deal.

Declaring a victor before a negotiated settlement could mark a new, dangerous phase of the crisis surrounding the vote to succeed President Hamid Karzai, even as most foreign troops prepare to withdraw by the end of the year.

Two months of tension over the fraud-tainted election have already

marred the smooth transition that the US-led military force had hoped would mark its exit 13 years after the invasion to oust the Taliban’s radical Islamist regime. Continued instability would provide new openings for the Taliban insurgency against the newly trained Afghan security forces.

Former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani was declared the winner in preliminary results of the June 14 run-off with 56% of the vote. His rival, ex-Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, has charged massive fraud and said he would reject the results if an ongoing audit does not throw out enough ballots to make him president.

Both candidates have pledged to form a unity government and abide by the final results of a UN-monitored recount and fraud audit. But talks about power sharing have broken down.

Final results have been delayed several weeks, forcing Karzai to stay in office past this month’s scheduled inauguration of a new leader.

Sareer Ahmad Barmak, a member of the Independent Election Commission, said the final results would likely be released next week, though he could not give a specific date. “We need two to three days for the technical issues of the vote and then the final result will be ready to be announced,” Barmak said. l

Rescuers evacuate thousands in Indian Kashmir as floods recede

China defends land reclamation move

n Reuters, New Delhi

n Agencies

Flood waters started receding in Indian Kashmir yesterday, giving rescue teams a chance to reach tens of thousands of villagers stranded by the heaviest rainfall in half a century.

Floods and landslides triggered by days of rain in the disputed Himalayan region have killed at least 450 people in India and Pakistan and cut off more than one million people from basic services.

“Finally the flood water levels are receding. Now our teams will be able to

enter some of the villages that are totally submerged. Our boats are ready,” R.K. Khan, a police official in the region’s summer capital, Srinagar, told Reuters.

The swollen Jhelum river flooded large parts of the city of nearly one million people, snapping communication lines as desperate families were forced to huddle on rooftops of houses and mosques for survival. “There are some villages where everything has been swept away. People are extremely angry, frustrated and exhausted,” said Khan, who manages the state’s emergency control room.

State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vowed to restore emergency services.

The Indian army has evacuated 76,000 people from their homes, mosques and government buildings. The death toll from the flooding in Jammu and Kashmir, the country’s northernmost state, reached 220 by Wednesday.

The flooding is the first major humanitarian emergency under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and also comes at a difficult time for Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has faced weeks of street protests. l

China said yesterday its land reclamation work in the South China Sea is “totally justifiable” as it has “sovereignty” over the area, BBC reported. The country’s foreign affairs ministry spokesman Hua Chunying was responding to a BBC report which documented China’s construction work in disputed waters.

The Philippines has accused China of illegal building in the area. China is locked in a dispute with several countries over maritime claims in the South

China Sea. The BBC report by Rupert Wingfield-Hayes said China was building new islands on five different reefs.

He and his team documented Chinese work to dredge tonnes of rock and sand from the sea floor to pump into Johnson South reef in the Spratly islands, which are also claimed by Manila.

At a daily press briefing on Tuesday, Hua was asked by reporters why China was reclaiming land. She responded: “We have answered this question many times before, and I suppose you must be fully aware of China’s position.” l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Thursday, September 11, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Address the causes of suicide

I

t is shocking to learn that, on average, 28 people commit suicide in Bangladesh each day.

These figures from police statistics do not include cases which go unreported, so there is reason to fear that the underlying problems may be worse.

As the majority of suicide victims are young women, more attention should be given to the widely known but often ignored factors which drive women in this group to this fateful course.

While family issues, exam pressures, and relationship problems are factors in suicides among men also, it is clear that women face additional pressures in our society. Physical and sexual assaults, such as rape, harassment, and domestic violence are common reasons behind suicide cases involving many women and young girls.

Harassment, oppression, and social negligence towards women are a terrible scourge. Failure to talk about and address these issues only makes them worse. We should be ashamed that this allows stresses to increase on vulnerable age groups and has clearly been a factor in many recent cases where victims of stalking and abuse have been driven to taking their lives.

The government needs to establish and implement coordinated plans to reduce the number of suicide cases in our country.

While there is a place for improving the availability of counseling services and considering measures to limit access to known methods and to the means of committing suicide, it is far more urgent to address the societal factors which drive the suicide rate in our country.

The government must give more priority to prevention.

Young women are particularly susceptible.

Address societal pressures to prevent suicides

Increase green financing

W

e welcome Bangladesh Bank’s setting of new targets for banks and financial institutions to increase financing of environmentally-friendly projects.

The new target of 5% for all financing from January 2016 builds on the policy guidelines for green banking issued in February 2011.

It applies to 47 green products recognised by the central bank. These include schemes to encourage solar panels, bio-gas and industrial effluent treatment plants, solar-driven cold storage, bio-energy driven power generation, hybrid cook stove assembly plants, LED and tube bulb assembly, compost and power generation from municipal waste, and recyclable non-oven polypropylene yarn.

The target sends an important helpful signal of the importance of green financing to the economy.

New finance to help reduce pollution and increase renewable power generation is an urgent priority.

Schemes such as these are vital if the country is to control the growth in greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to climate change.

They are also important in underpinning the government’s plan to meet 5% of the total demand for electricity from green energy by 2015 and 10% by 2020.

Lifting more people out of poverty in a sustainable manner is the best way to both increase the country’s ability to withstand the negative impacts of climate change and improve self-reliance.

Sustainability needs to be a central component of future economic growth and energy security. It makes sense to review and improve targets which place improving it at the heart of the country’s financial system.

Sustainability needs to be a central component of future economic growth

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

PM: Broadcast policy formulated to ensure responsibility of media September 4

16 Core Rajakars On August 15, 1943, Hitler said: “The newlyintroduced German broadcasting policy has been formulated to ensure independence of German citizens from the West.”

On September 3, 1970, Yahya said: “The National Broadcasting Policy will introduce responsible and honest journalism.”

On February 14, 1979, Saddam Hussein said: “The broadcast policy has been formulated to ensure responsibility of Arab media.”

Arms, ammo recovered again in Habiganj September 3

Al-Qaeda launches Indian wing, threatens Bangladesh September 4

Road accident memorial unveiled on Dhaka University campus

Farhan Ahmed What’s the hand supposed to mean?

CALVIN AND HOBBES

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.

Energy revolution now September 3

CROSSWORD

Breadbitten Someone’s been listening to a lot of John Butler Trio it seems.

US offers ship to Bangladesh September 3

September 3

Murad H Kazi Nice sculpture.

SUDOKU

Osmania Supervillains never learn; they always reveal their plans in advance. :-)

Anon “The drive to recover the arms and ammunition will continue.”

Must be a clue of something more serious to come.

Akhlak Ahmed Rubab I don’t believe this arms and ammo rescue dive.

This is also a preset drama, like crossfire and judicial killings. And this drama is being staged to retrieve the image of this force.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

On July 27, 1985, Muammar Khaddafi said: “The National Broadcasting Policy will bring freedom of speech.”

On April 9, 2004, Hafiz al Asad said: “The National Broadcasting Policy will eliminate terrorism.”

On September 3, 1970, Sheikh Hasina said: “A broadcast policy is formulated to ensure responsibility of the media.”

I rest my case.

BB “Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has announced the formation of a wing of the militant group in India and its neighbourhood. In his video message, Zawahiri pledged renewed loyalty to Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar.”

Meanwhile, Bangladesh STILL doesn’t have a McDee’s.

Shammi Huda “So far the RAB personnel have recovered 11,000 arms and around 100,000 rounds of ammunition.”

These Sylhetis are revolting! :-p

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 14 represents K so fill K every time the figure 14 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

ACROSS 1 Visible traces (5) 6 Top card (3) 7 Two from one birth (5) 10 Raised platform (5) 12 Regrets (4) 13 Sifting implement (5) 15 Wicked giant (4) 16 Rounded vase (3) 18 Cricket score (3) 20 Extremities (4) 22 Farewell! (5) 23 Maori charm (4) 25 Durable fabric (5) 27 Speed and rhythm (5) 28 Favourite (3) 29 Unpleasant (5)

DOWN 1 Teacher (6) 2 Perform (3) 3 Sanity (6) 4 Directed a course (7) 5 Wildebeest (3) 8 Choler (3) 9 Prophet (4) 11 Band’s engagement (3) 14 Deer’s meat (7) 16 Takes unjustly (6) 17 Advanced age (6) 19 Single entity (4) 21 Scottish river (3) 22 Goal (3) 24 Opener (3) 26 Obtain (3)

Hopeful “Following a joint visual inspection in Hawaii, the United States Coast Guard Ship Rush is expected to be officially transferred to the Bangladesh Navy this spring.”

We need 100+ aircraft carriers by the end of 2015.

Ariful competes in 100m butterfly September 3

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

PEANUTS

SM “BKSP’s Ariful Islam participates in the 100m butterfly event in the 30th National Age-Level Swimming and Diving Competition at the National Swimming Complex, Mirpur yesterday.

Ariful clinched gold in the event along with nine other gold medals in the competition.”

Congratulations! His eyes are so confident.

Annoyed by off-hour work emails? They may soon be illegal in Germany September 3 Sheikh Jinat Mahmid This should be applied in Bangladesh too.

‘Govt to change Grameen Bank electoral process’

September 3 Sajid Hasan Shuvo The earlier change in the Education Loan Codes frustrated me. And now this?

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Thursday, September 11, 2014

What citizens can do n Panuel Rozario Prince

I

BIGSTOCK

Whose body is it?

I

n Swatil Binte Mahmud

stared at my open laptop for two hours until I started writing this sentence. I did not know where to start and where to end, the same way my mind cannot single out the exact moment when men started having a right over women’s bodies. Neither do I know how this will reach its end, which leads me to the quintessential question – is it ever going to end?

Being a girl, I was always told to cover up my body by society, teachers, family, newspapers, media, and friends, and soon it felt like even the walls around me wanted my body buried. It made me feel that the Tk1 coin stuck in the bottom of my wallet had more freedom than my own body.

I was expected to keep my body locked away in a closet and only keep the key for that one man who I was “destined” to be with. As if I was only “given” this body to give it to a man, wrapped like a present.

As I grew older and stronger, I fought for my body’s rights. This battle of my body against men, or should I say the battle of men against my body, is still going on. I fight every time I decide to wear my orna on my neck instead of my chest, when I wear the tightly fitted t-shirt instead of the loose-fitting kameez, when I decide to not wear a tank-top with a dress that perfectly complements my form, and when I wear red lipstick because it matches my dress and not because I

T

H

want to give out a sexual invitation. I fight till I go to sleep at night, and start again when I wake up every day.

On a particular Sunday, I woke up and found out about how a celebrity’s naked photos are now all over the internet. Even before reading about the incident, I knew that the celebrity was going to be a woman. How did I know?

I knew this because only a woman’s body can make such big news which spreads like wildfire overnight.

house, and with her own camera.

Does anyone blame that 14-year-old who recently realised he likes breasts and downloaded that celebrity’s photos? Or that 26-year-old who found the naked pictures and decided to share it with his friends, and later masturbated behind a locked door?

No. No one gets blamed, except the girl whose pictures are now saved in these men’s computers, and whose photos were spread without her con-

No matter how many pictures you leak, steal, and share, I will always be a woman who knows how to fight for herself

Was it because our bodies are given a huge amount of respect and such a violation of privacy was a crime? No. It spread like wildfire only because she is a woman, and pictures of her body, particularly the parts she did not want on the internet, were on the internet.

We have come to a point where a war breaking out in two countries makes less news than a woman’s naked pictures uploaded without her knowledge. She gets blamed, humiliated, and is expected to agree that she committed a “crime” by taking pictures of her own body, in her own

I

sent. Why? Because she is a woman, and those men have more rights over her body than she does. Before I knew it, I found men – men that I knew – sharing her photos on social networking sites. Their entire conversation will leave you contemplating whether they own that celebrity’s body.

They are sharing her photos as if it is a new game or some new gaming equipment. They do not think even for a moment that what was done to her is wrong, and it should not be encouraged. They did not show the respect that this woman and her body deserve,

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and has rights over. Want to know what’s the worst part? These men and every other man all around the world who shared her pictures think what they did is acceptable.

It took me a day to decide whether I should fight for what’s right and what’s wrong – mostly because I did not know how to fight this battle. At first, I thought this was not my battle to fight. But, then I realised it was always going to be another woman’s battle in this country or other, and her pictures will be treated worse than a doormat by men.

Then it dawned on me, and I thought that one day it might even be me. And will there be someone out there who will fight for me, and at times without even knowing me? The answer should be yes, we have to fight for each other and change the way our bodies are perceived and treated.

The answer to the question that I asked myself at the beginning of this had was within me all along. I am the end to men thinking they have a right over my body. I am the big “no” that says no to rape, molestation, and sexual harassment. I am a woman, my body is mine, and it is always going to be that way. No matter how many pictures you leak, steal, and share, I will always be a woman who knows how to fight for herself, and her body, every day when she wakes up, and every night when she goes to bed. l

t is evident that climate change will not just jeopardise the environment in which we live, rather its impact will be observed in the overall activity of human society. Nevertheless, the most vulnerable and marginalised sections will experience the severest impact. Hence, these specific sections of population are in need of adaptation strategies in face of the change in climate patterns and resulting environmental problems.

Unfortunately, the poorest of the vulnerable countries will be the worst victims and the overall burden of adverse impacts of climate change will be disproportionate on the poor communities.

Bangladesh is already recognised as one of the most vulnerable countries existing under the threat of climate change. Bangladesh often experiences natural hazards; and most of the water-related hazards will be exacerbated alarmingly if climate change occurs in future.

Although the geophysical aspects of vulnerability to climate change for Bangladesh is better understood, there have only been a few studies which portray the vulnerabilities of the social and economic sectors to climate change.

The common hypothesis indicates that the anticipated geophysical implications of climate change would be disproportionate for the women and disadvantaged groups. Since climate change-induced risks are disproportionately borne by the socioeconomically and physically disadvantaged; and the women constitute a large percentage of the world’s poorest people, women will be most affected by these changes.

It is generally recognised that women living in poverty carry a disproportionate burden of climate change impacts, and because of their greater dependency on local natural resources, their domestic burdens will be increased.

Additionally, the response and coping abilities of men and women to such crisis situations vary to a large extent for status, roles, and positions in society; and gender-based inequalities imply that girls and women are

typically at higher risk than boys and men. So, it is essential to integrate gender sensitivity into all mechanisms, policies and measures, and tools and guidelines within the climate debate and adaptation process.

Many environmental problems and development constraints could easily be avoided if the population growth rate is made slower and the population size was smaller. Sturdy attempts to promote women empowerment, upgrade social conditions, and ensure reproductive health rights would help reduce fertility rates and accelerate stability of the population. Therefore, addressing the unmet needs for family planning services will help curtail overall pressures on environmental resources.

Ironically, there still has been no study on family planning needs in the population and climate change hotspots in Bangladesh. Policymakers need to be continuously fed with evidence-based studies to bring in a shift in the current policy landscape of the country, and integrate reproductive health rights and family planning into adaptation programs and development plans.

NGOs, civil society organisations (CSOs), and academia should come forward with more evidence on how women’s reproductive health will be affected by climate change and what may prevent their access to reproductive health service facilities in the future.

Likewise, the gender-specific health impact of climate change on adolescents needs to be identified, along with recommended programs to implement.

Advocacy, NGOs, CSOs, and academia are likely to play a major role in selecting adaptation options for Bangladesh, showing the importance of gender sensitivity, reproductive health rights, and family planning needs.

Engagement of these groups is essential, it can offer new opportunities for collaboration, widen the scope of interventions, and increase the potential for citizen’s engagement. From a broader perspective, such work by non-state actors could also contribute to a societal transition through positive feedback. l Panuel Rozario Prince is Senior Assistant Coordinator, Eminence.

Swatil Binte Mahmud is a freelance contributor.

D

NASHIRUL ISLAM

E

Y

E

Digging into the right pockets n Mamun Rashid

A

s an emerging economy worth $137bn showing massive improvements in purchasing power, and growing at a rate of more than 6% for almost a decade, Bangladesh should focus more on both corporate and individual taxation.

However, between them, individual taxation should arrest more attention because the rate of corporatisation is pretty slow in Bangladesh.

As we lag behind in ensuring good governance and global management practices in the Bangladeshi corporations, a huge portion of the tax does not get deposited to the government’s exchequer. A large portion of high net worth individuals somehow remains out of the taxation process.

A preliminary survey done by a leading bank in North America contemplating launching consumer banking in Bangladesh revealed that though the per capita income of Bangladesh in 2002 was around $450, per capita incomes of Dhaka and Chittagong were almost $2,000 and $1,600 respectively.

The survey also revealed that almost 1.5 million people in Dhaka earn more than $15,000 per year, while more than half a million people in Chittagong earn more than $12,000 per year.

So, if we consider people with similar incomes in places other than Dhaka and Chittagong, it can be said that the per capita income of 3 million people in Bangladesh is above $12,000, which is almost equivalent to the per capita income of Dubai!

We are possibly hoodwinked by the myth that people of Bangladesh are poor and cannot pay taxes. When we talk about the per capita income of $1,190, we have to understand that this counts the incomes of people who earn no more than $40 a month as well as the multi-millionaires.

The former makes up about 25% of the total population while the latter includes more than 50,000 people.

There are even individuals who have more than $30m, and their number is also increasing. These figures should paint a rosy picture in terms of the government’s revenue-earning potential, but that is not happening. Many individuals pass on all their expenses to the company account to show their incomes as much lower.

Corporate tax rates should be lowered, because in most of the countries, corporate tax rates are lower than individual tax rates. This helps new corporate houses emerge. Likewise, a high corporate tax rate is demotivating to the corporations who try to ensure

good governance.

On the individual level, people should be motivated to bring themselves under the tax net, even if their taxable income is small; everyone should have TIN numbers whether they pay taxes or not.

Our government should focus more on broadening the tax net and bringing more people under the tax bracket.

However, I think the individual tax rate should be a bit lower, and some respite should be given to the new entrepreneurs. In the past, people could establish a bank with Tk10cr only, and they were not required to submit any tax returns. With the present taxation structure, how can we expect different professionals in various countries to come back to run entrepreneurial ventures in Bangladesh?

In the context of Bangladesh, the ideal corporate tax rate should be around 30%. But lowering tax rates all of a sudden may reduce tax collection.

Hence, NBR should come up with stringent measures like hefty penalties for hiding profits or wealth concentration.

Ensuring good governance, accountability, non-interference from the political hierarchy should be ensured before we try to lower the tax rates.

We should look at Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines,

who have shown remarkable progress in revenue collection and ensuring more transparency in revenue management. We should also make sure our accountants and internal auditors are doing their jobs in an ethical manner.

We should look at Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, who have shown progress

There should be no bar between listed companies and non-listed companies when talking about corporate taxation because a preliminary review by NBR revealed that the tax advantage for listed companies did not help Dhaka and Chittagong bourses in seeing more companies being listed.

This means there are other barriers which make it challenging for companies to list themselves in the stock exchanges. But I support the tax rebate

for the listed companies who are giving good dividends, because this will encourage the other companies to share more profits with the public.

CSR activities are another area where tax exemptions are provided.

Though I support tax exemption facilities for CSR activities, I do have serious reservations about what are reported as CSR activities. I feel that in a poor country like Bangladesh, more money should flow to the protection of the disabled community to develop a proper and effective curriculum for special children.

We need development in fields like scientific and agricultural research, education, and rural health infrastructure. CSR money should be channelled to these sectors. NBR must crosscheck where the CSR investments are going and impact studies should be done at frequent intervals by an independent agency.

There is also a serious need for audit firms to be disciplined. Since charted accountants in every country play a significant role in ensuring corporate governance, their roles should be properly recognised.

Automation of the NBR is crucial.

It will not only help in reaching out to the target market but will also assist in determining the target market and

linking bank accounts of the tax payers to the NBR database. It will reduce corruption to a great extent.

Political governance is another factor which needs attention. We can never ensure adequate tax collection unless tax evaders are punished. We saw the highest ever tax collection in the years 2007 and 2008. This was because at that time, people knew they could not escape taxes. This is the single most important message that should be given to the people.

I am very happy to see that Bangladesh Bank, while processing applications for establishing financial institutions, have embedded the submission of certified IT 10B copies as a requirement. This could have been done long ago. Thus, good governance and no encouragement to tax evaders are extremely important.

Moreover, all those tax-free cars for the members of the parliament are unacceptable and I would like to congratulate the five or six good ministers who have not enjoyed this benefit. If the public representatives are allowed to evade taxes, then how can we ensure collection of taxes from young professionals? l Mamun Rashid is a business professor and financial sector entrepreneur.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Firoza Begum’s career in events Demise of Firoza Begum: Artists mourn on social media Meeting with Nazrul

She met with poet Kazi Nazrul Islam at the age of 10. Her maternal uncle carried her to a meeting of honourable persons where she sang and after the event the uncle asked “Do you know, before whom you performed today?” She replied “How would I know. I met with the people for the first time.” The uncle said, “The man with the long cap and long hair who asked you to sit beside him was no other than Kazi Nazrul Islam.” Kazi Nazrul praised her singing and later she learned directly from him.

First recording with HMV

In 1942 her first record, a compilation of Islamic songs including the song “Morur Buke Jibondhara Ke Bohalo,” was released under the supervision of Chitto Roy with the famous gramophone company label HMV. The recordist in the studio was an English and although she was a little scared during the recording, after the release, the record sold like hot cake.

First Nazrul record

Recording companies of the time were not interested to produce a record of Nazrul songs. But her strong decision to continue her musical career only with Nazrul songs succeeded in bending the famous record label like MVH. In 1949, they expressed their eagerness to release a record of Nazrul Sangeet with her popular track “Gagone Gahone Sondhyatara” placed in.

n Entertainment Desk

Getting married to Kamal Dasgupta

From being the first singer to record a long-play of Nazrul songs to becoming the most prominent torchbearer of Nazrul’s legacy, iconic Firoza Begum’s career is full of remarkable events. We look back at the career of the singer, who took part in 380 solo musical events around the world.

Debut recording for All India Radio

Firoza Begum first sang in a juvenile programme titled “Shishumahal” for All India Radio while she was only in the sixth grade.

Despite the denial and hindrances from her family, in 1956, Firoza married Kamal Dasgupta, a legendary singer, composer and lyricist and kept their vows till the death of Kamal in 1974.

First Nazrul song long-play

The first long-play record of Nazrul song was released with her magical voice. In 1961, two songs “Mor Ghum Ghore” and “Nirojone Sokhi” were rendered in the first ever long-play Nazrul song record.

Nazrul Institute and her legacy

Former president Ziaur Rahman once asked her about her requirements. Without thinking of her comfort she expressed her interest to establish an institute on Nazrul by the initiative of the government. She even suggested a place for the institute. But later, during Ershad’s tenure, the government rooted out the singer from the Kabobhabon and established the Nazrul Institute there.

The government did not even invite her in the inaugural ceremony of the institute.

The 1979, the Independence Award winning singer felt that all the national media, including Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television, should introduce a programme on Nazrul songs as mandatory; though her wish has not yet seen the light of fruition. l

n

After the news of legendary Nazrul-singer Firoza Begum’s tragic passing broke, musicians and singers quickly took to social media to mourn her and express condolences to her family. Below is a compilation of some of the Facebook reactions.

I feel like one without shadow, insubstantial. I am reminded of my father who, when he passed away, had still a lot to give us but couldn’t, because of time. The demise of Firoza Begum created a vacuum in the industry that cannot be filled up easily. I feel utterly saddened. She gave us a lot, I don’t know if we’ll be able to recognise her contribution to music properly. To honour an artist is to honour the nation.

Anushka Sharma plays quite an important role in “PK” which has a double side. The actress was spotted sporting a different hairdo for the film will be essaying the role of a journalist who loves writing on unusual subjects. The story starts off with Anushka being in Bruges to complete her course in journalism.

Sushant Singh Rajput plays her boyfriend and the two are in love but Anushka cannot marry him because of a number of obstacles in her way. Her love for ‘unusual news’ brings her to India where she meets PK aka Aamir Khan. PK belongs to a different world and has landed up on Earth to find God! PK asks her a number of questions, which she has no answer to. Anushka and Aamir then embark on a journey together in search of all the answers which eventually transforms into a spiritual odyssey. l

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

Zombieland Star Movies 8pm

My deepest condolences to her illustrious sons and my dear buddies, Hamin Ahmed and Shafin Ahmed, for their great loss. May Allah grant her heaven which she so richly deserves. Ameen

RIP the great artist Firoza Begum.

We, the nation will miss the most prominent torchbearer of Nazrul’s legacy. Salute to Firoza Begum. May peace be upon her.

A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, and a gun-toting tough guy trying to find the Last Twinkie and a pair of sisters trying to get to an amusement park join forces to travel across a zombie-filled America.

A Civil Action HBO Hits 6:35pm

The legend, Firoza Begum is no more. May her soul rest in peace. Ameen.

Rest in peace, Firoza Begum. Your contribution to Bangla music will be cherished.

album. Let’s try to figure out why we wanted to be in a band, the relationships around the band, our friendships,

our lovers, our family. The whole album is first journeys — first journeys geographically, spiritually, sexually. And

n Entertainment Desk n Entertainment Desk

HBO 11:45pm

n Entertainment Desk

Entertainment Desk

U2 surprised the world by unveiling a brand new album at the launch of the new iPhone 6 and iWatch on September 9 in California. Titled “Songs of Innocence,” it is the band’s first album since 2009’s “No Line On The Horizon.”

The album is available through Apple alone until October 13.

This marks what Apple calls the “biggest album release ever,” with copies distributed to over half a billion iTunes accounts. The album contains 11 new tracks and is already in iTunes customers’ libraries, and only needs to be tapped to be downloaded.

Speaking to Rolling Stone about the surprise release, Bono commented: “We wanted to make a very personal

Star Trek Into Darkness

Hrithik Roshan, one of the hottest men in India and powerhouse performer had garnered unprecedented attention from his female fans ever since he made his big Bollywood debut. Several blockbusters later, the superstar’s fan following is only growing by day by day.

Hrithik’s fanaticism seems to have hit an all new level after he became single once again following the divorce with ex-wife Suzenne this year. These days he has been flooded with explicit and obscene mails from his female fans, expressing their love for him.

Says a source, “The mails have overwhelmed Hrithik and left him slightly embarrassed especially since they have been quite explicit and forward ...While he is used to receiving thousands of fan mail which have been all praise for his work but now he has been receiving hundreds of love letters from his female fans.” l

The families of children who died sue two companies for dumping toxic waste: a tort so expensive to prove, the case could bankrupt their lawyer.

that’s hard. But we went there.”

It features a tribute to The Clash, “This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now,” as well as “Iris (Hold Me Close),” a song about Bono’s mother, who died when he was 14, while “Raised by Wolves” is about a car bombing in Dublin.

“Songs of Innocence” was recorded with producers Danger Mouse, Flood, Paul Epworth and Ryan Tedder.

Bono also said: “It has a lyrical cohesion that I think is unique amongst U2 albums. I don’t want it to be a concept album, but the songs come from a place. Edge laughed and said this is our Quadrophenia. We could be so lucky.”

In February, the band debuted their comeback single “Invisible” during an advert at the Super Bowl, allowing fans to download it for free on iTunes. l

Andorra have scored their first competitive goal in 1463 days against Wales on Tuesday, since last scoring in Sept 2010 v Rep of Ireland

Sport

14 Willian strike

gives Brazil victory over Ecuador

Al Amin reported for suspect action n Minhaz Uddin Khan National pacer Al-Amin Hossain has been reported with a suspected bowling action after Bangladesh’s first Test against West Indies at St Vincent ended on Tuesday. Al-Amin is the second Bangladesh bowler to be reported in the last 18 days as off-spinner Sohag Gazi was also reported on August 24 and had to cut short his Caribbean tour.

The match officials’ report of the game was handed over to Bangladesh team manager Habibul Bashar after the Test. The report cited concerns about the legality of the 24-year old’s bowling action.

The pacer has been asked by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to undergo testing within 21 days and he is allowed to continue bowling in international cricket until the results of the tests are known.

The incident also meant that the national selection panel will be forced to think of the squad for the Asian Games 2014 as Al-Amin’s chances for appearing in the event for Bangladesh now appears slim. Gazi getting reported was a simple task to deal with for the selectors as the spinner was replaced by all-rounder Shakib al Hasan in the Asiad squad. But given that another paceman Taskin Ahmed is also suffer-

13

ing from injury, the job will be tough for the selectors to find a replacement for Al-Amin.

Al-Amin is the sixth bowler - and the first one who is not an off-spinner - to be reported by the ICC’s match officials since July this year. In the last few months, Sri Lanka off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, Zimbabwe’s Prosper Ut-

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Al-Amin is the sixth bowler - and the first one who is not an off-spinner - to be reported by the ICC’s match officials since July this year seya and Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal were also reported. Senanayake, Williamson and Ajmal were subsequently banned from bowling after testing.

The issue of suspect bowling actions had come up during the ICC cricket committee meeting in June, where there was a general consensus among members that the methods used to detect illegal actions were imperfect.

It had recommended changes to help match officials get more support from biomechanists in order to identify illegal actions with “more confidence”. l

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Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim raises his bat after reaching his 100 as Al Amin Hossain (L) looks on against the West Indies on the final day of the first Test match at St Vincent on Tuesday WICB

47

15 Players’ chief

sorry for Ali comments

No. of times Bangladesh have been asked to follow-on in Tests.

They have lost on all occasions, but this was only the third time they scored enough in their 2nd inns to make the opposition bat.

For West Indies, this was the first time since 1995 that they managed to win a Test after asking the opposition to follow-on.

Runs scored by Kraigg Brathwaite in West Indies’ 1st inns - his highest score in Tests.

His double-hundred is the 14th score of 200 or more by a WI opener in Tests and the first such score since Gayle’s 333 against Sri Lanka, 2010.

Brathwaite has hit two 100s and one 50 in six innings and aggregates 433 runs at an average of 108.25 in 2014.

Runs scored by Mushfiqur Rahim in Bangladesh’s 2nd inns was the 18th instance of a captain scoring a 100 after following on. Mushfiqur is only the third wicketkeeper-captain to achieve this after England’s Alec Stewart, against South Africa in 1998, and South Africa’s Percy Sherwell, against England in 1907.

No. of times Shiv Chanderpaul has remained unbeaten in an inns in Tests. He has now gone past Steve Waugh as the recognised batsman to have remained not out on most occasions in Tests.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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15 Ferrari head

pushed out after 23 years

157

No. of matches played by Chanderpaul - he has gone past Border to become the left-handed batsman with most Test caps.

5

No. of catches taken by Darren Bravo in Bangladesh’s first innings - he becomes only the eighth fielder to take five catches in an innings.

6

No. of Bangladesh bowlers to take five-fors on debut. All of the last-four such instances for Bangladesh have come against West Indies.

6

No. of times a Test featured wicketkeeper-captains on both sides. The last time this happened was in a two-Test series in 2002, involving the same teams, when Khaled Mashud captained Bangladesh and Ridley Jacobs captained WI.

3

No. of century partnerships WIs’ first-four wickets put together in their first inns of the Test - only the sixth such occasion for WI.

53

53 Runs scored by Tamim Iqbal in Bangladesh’s 2nd inns. This was Tamim’s second fifty in 21 int’l innings this year.

He has hit 350 runs at an avg of 17.50 in 2014. Among 28 openers who have batted in at least 10 innings in 2014, Tamim’s average is the lowest.

WIvBD, 1st TEST IN NUMBERS

Did you know?

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Meshu ruled out as Bangladesh U-23 suffer defeat

Zim A in town

n Shishir Hoque

A20-member Zimbabwe A squad led by Vusi Sibanda arrived in Dhaka yesterday to take part in two four-dayers and three one-day matches.

Alongside Sibanda, nine more international cricketers will feature for the second-string Zimbabwe side against their Bangladesh counterparts.

The Zimbabwe A side will leave for Cox’s Bazar today to play the first fourday match starting from September 14 at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium.

The second four-dayer will be held at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah from September 21. Fatullah will also host the three one-dayers beginning from September 27 with the third and final match scheduled to be played on October 1. l

With just a few days remaining till the kickoff of the men’s football competition in the 17th Asian Games, the Bangladesh Under-23 team fell to a 4-2 defeat against a higher-ranked Vietnam U-23 side in a practice match at the Incheon Munhak Stadium yesterday.

More than the defeat itself, the absence of veteran defender Atiqur Rahman Meshu in the practice match due to injury was a source of worry for Bangladesh. Meshu tore the ligaments in his left leg while challenging striker Jewel Rana during a training session on Tuesday and Bangladesh’s campaign got off on the wrong foot even before the Asiad got underway as the centreback was later ruled out of the tournament.

Team manager Amirul Islam Babu confirmed Meshu’s non-participation in the competition, scheduled to begin on Sunday. “Immediately after the injury, Meshu was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors said he had no chance whatsoever of being fit during the tournament. He will fly back to the country within a day or two,” Babu told Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday.

In the absence of Meshu, Bangladesh conceded two goals without reply in the first half. Bangladesh’s best moment in the game came when they scored two goals to reduce the margin from 3-0 to 3-2 although Vietnam soon grabbed the fourth goal to ensure victory. Forwards Wahed Ahmed and Toklis Ahmed were the goalscorers for

Bangladesh.

Denmark-born Bangladeshi expatriate Jamal Bhuiyan made the starting eleven and partnered skipper Mamunul Islam in central midfield. Rana started upfront with Wahed and Toklis on the bench.

Vietnam, ranked 139th in the world rankings and positioned 31 places higher than Bangladesh, went ahead in the 18th minute before doubling their lead from the penalty spot seven minutes later. After shipping two early goals, Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif bolstered his defence by sending on Tapu Barman in place of Yousuf Sifat.

Later on in the game, Mohammedan striker Wahed replaced defender Kesto Kumar in the 46th minute and that is

when the tide started swinging in favour of Bangladesh. Immediately after his inception, Wahed kept on pressurising the opposition backline while Hemanta Vincent Biswas squandered a golden opportunity in the 52nd minute. And against the run of play, Vietnam extended their lead to 3-0 in the 63rd minute.

Toklis then came off the bench two minutes later replacing Rana and the attacking duo of Wahed and Toklis made all the difference between the two sides in the rest of the game.

Wahed pulled one back in the 70th minute slotting home a pass from Sohel Rana. In the meantime goalkeeper Russel Mahmud Liton produced a superb save three minutes later to rescue Bangladesh from further peril.

Toklis displayed great skill and technique to reduce the margin scoring with a solo effort in the 75th minute but Vietnam’s two-goal cushion was restored again in the 90th minute.

“It’s just a friendly match. Bangladesh tried to perform well and I think the players played well but it was bad luck that we lost the game,” said De Kruif after the game.

“We couldn’t perform as expected.

The defence line was weaker and not upto the mark after the absence of Meshu due to injury,” added Kruif.

Meanwhile, Babu informed that the Bangladesh Football Federation is looking to arrange another friendly for the national side ahead of their opening group stage game against Afghanistan at the same venue on Monday. l

n Tribune Desk

Final day of appeal hearing today n Minhaz Uddin Khan

State Minister for Youth and Sports Biren Sikder (C) speaks during the view exchange programme with the editors of the print and electronic media houses at the National Sports Council yesterday COURTESY

Sports Minister hails media for teamwork n Raihan Mahmood State Minister for Youth and Sports Biren Sikder emphasised upon the teamwork in the endeavour of lifting the standard of Bangladesh sports and termed the media as the most important part of the team.

In a view exchange programme with the editors of the print and electronic media houses at the National Sports Council yesterday, the minister urged the sports editors to work together for the betterment of the sports arena.

“I may say sorry to host the meeting after about seven months of taking responsibility, but there were a lot of sports events and it was a busy sched-

ule. Today (yesterday) I want to hear from you, I am not here to tell anything,” said Biren.

The minister said teamwork is the keyword in the sports field and media has always been the most associated part. “The media scrutinise the events actively, it lights the success and points out the failures, the constructive criticisms are always helpful,” he added.

Sports editors of almost all renowned print and electronic media were present in the programme and shared their views. Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy, sports secretary Nur Mohammed and National Sports Council secretary Shibnath Roy were also present on the occasion. l

The final hearing of the appeals of BCB/ Acsu versus former national skipper Mohammad Ashraful will resume on the last day of the four-day-long hearing today. It was due to the pros and cons statements that the arguments of his hearing procedure could not be completed yesterday.

Apart from Ashraful, hearings of Dhaka Gladiators managing director Shihab Chowdhury, cricketers Mahbubul Alam, Mosharraf Hossain, Mohammad Rafique, English all-rounder Darren Stevens will also be held today.

Meanwhile, hearing of Sri Lanka cricketer Kaushal Lokuarachchi was

Platini slams Fifa over discrimination tolerance n Reuters, Rome Uefa president Michel Platini had a dig at soccer’s world governing body Fifa on Wednesday, saying it had failed to show zero tolerance towards discrimination at the World Cup. “It’s all well and good to create committees and task forces but you will get nowhere without infrastructure and... rules,” Platini said as he opened an anti-discrimination conference in Rome.

“Uefa put up a system that is a complex monitoring system of all high risk matches so that, unlike the World Cup in Brazil, zero tolerance is really put into practice.” l

terminated yesterday following the cricketer and his appointed lawyer Dinal Philips being absent for the hearing session. However, it was informed by the BCB Disciplinary Panel of the Bangladesh Cricket Board that the Lankan cricketer has sent a written statement to the chairman of the panel, former justice Mohammad Abdur Rashid, regarding his absence.

The tribunal handed down Lokuarachchi an 18-month ban for failing to report the fixing approach to him made by a team official.

Both respondent and complainant have presented their respective statements, arguments, supporting documents and evidence against the

decision of the anti-corruption tribunal sponsored by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Ashraful.

“It has been told in law that one will

Apart from Ashraful, hearings of Shihab Chowdhury, Mahbubul Alam, Mosharraf Hossain, Mohammad Rafique and Darren Stevens will also be held today be suspended for the maximum five years owing to an offence,” said Barrister Khaled Hamid Chowdhury, Ashra-

ful’s lawyer, after the end of the third day’s hearing.

“But our client has been barred for five years along with a three-year suspended sentence with a fine of Tk1m.

We have presented our statement before the panel chairman to reconsider his sanctions as he has been cooperating with the ICC, Acsu and Tribunal from the very beginning of the event.

Along with that, we tried to notice through our statements so that there is any clause or scope to reconsider his sanction,” Khaled added.

“The arguments and considerations for and against his sanctions will continue tomorrow (today),” informed the Barrister. l

Zakir Hasan (L) and Faisal Imran of BKSP run for a single during their 1st Division Twenty20 match against CCS at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium yesterday.

CCS batted first and scored 95-9 as BKSP rode on Zakir’s 46 and Faisal’s 37 to win the match by eight wickets MUMIT M

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Dutch, Bosnia lose opening Euro qualifiers Brilliant Bale saves Wales, Conte begins Italian job with win n Agencies The Netherlands had a disappointing start to qualifying for the European Championship, and fellow World Cup team Bosnia-Herzegovina lost to Cyprus in Tuesday’s biggest surprise.

Wales narrowly avoided a similar stumble at tiny Andorra, while Italy had a comfortable victory in Antonio Conte’s first competitive game in charge.

Czech Republic 2-1 Holland

Holland’s post Louis Van Gaal era got off to the worst possible start as returning boss Guus Hiddink watched his side lose to the hard working Czech Republic. The Dutch looked all set to leave Prague with at least a point when Stefan De Vrij cancelled out Borek Dockal’s excellent first half strike. But despite several chances to win it, Holland fell to a last minute sucker-punch as Vaclav Pilar netted the winner for a jubilant Czech faithful after Janmaat’s terrible header bounced back off the post. It’s certainly not an ideal start for Hiddink, although Iceland’s victory against fellow group front-runners Turkey will be the one crumb of comfort on a forgettable night for the Dutch.

RESULTS Kazakhstan Czech Republic Dockal 22, Pilar 90+1

Iceland

0-0 2-1

Netherlands

3-0

Turkey

Latvia de Vrij 55

Böðvarsson 18, Sigurdsson 76, Sigthórsson 77

Andorra Lima 6-P

Bosnia Ibisevic 6

Azerbaijan Nazarov 54

Croatia

1-2 1-2

Wales Bale 22, 81

Cyprus Christofi 45+3, 73

1-2

Bulgaria

2-0

Malta

0-2

Italy

Micanski 14, V Hristov 87

Modric 46, Kramaric 81

Norway

Zaza 16, Bonucci 62

Kazakhstan 0-0 Latvia

It was honours even at the Astana Arena as Kazakhstan failed to make the most of their dominance against a stubborn Latvian team. The home side controlled the game for long periods, without creating too much in the way of opportunities and wasting the frugal one’s that they did. In fact, Latvia had the two best chances of the night but Gabovs shot tamely at Sidelnikov after being played through on goal and star striker Rudnevs struck the bar with a swerving effort. Both sides will be content with the draw, although they may well be slightly aggrieved that neither team could nick all three points.

hadn’t scored in 19 games across four years. They also had the unenviable task of stopping the player that has

commanded the world’s biggest ever transfer fee, Gareth Bale. So imagine the surprise when the 199th ranked side opened the scoring from Lima’s 6th minute penalty. That sparked Wales into life and inevitably Bale was the man to drag them level, glancing Ben Davies’ superb cross into the bottom right corner. However, the Welsh toiled in the second half and were made to rely on Bale to spare their blushes, as he smashed in a trademark dipping free-kick with just minutes remaining.

Andorra racked up seven bookings throughout the match and Welsh boss Chris Coleman will be relieved to have secured a win against the physical amateurs.

Azerbaijan 1-2 Bulgaria

Bulgaria left it late to snatch all three points from Azerbaijan to give them a spring board in Group H. Experienced striker Illyan Mitsanki opened the scoring for the Bulgarians, latching onto a perfectly weighted through-ball to slot underneath the on rushing Arhayev after 15 minutes. They seemed in control, until Dimitrij Nazarov tried his luck from all of 35 yards and caught Goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov off guard as his shot bounced into the net. However, a defensive lapse from a late Bulgarian corner ultimately cost Azerbaijan dear, with the ball evading everyone to find Ventsislav Hristov completely unmarked at the back post, leaving the simple task of heading home the 87th minute winner.

Croatia 2-0 Malta Wales forward Gareth Bale celebrates after scoring a goal against Andorra on Tuesday AFP

Iceland 3-0 Turkey

The performance of the night belonged to the tricky Icelandic side as they swept past Turkey to top Group A. Jon Bodvarsson took advantage of some sloppy goalkeeping from Onur Kivrak to head Iceland intvo an 18th minute lead and their chances of victory were greatly enhanced when Omer Toprak picked up a second yellow after the break for Turkey. It was an advantage that Iceland took with aplomb, with Swansea star Gylfi Sigurdsson continuing his fine form by curling in a fortunate second goal. Ajax forward Kolbeinn Sigthorsson cracked home a third just two minutes later to wrap up an impressive win for the Group outsiders.

Croatia edged out Malta in Zagreb, but they may rue not adding more goals to the score line. Already heavy favourites, the Croatians were given a

Dark horses Wales avoided a humiliating defeat as they fought back to beat part-timers Andorra, by the skin of their teeth. The tiny team from the Alps have only ever tasted victory once competitively (way back in 2004) and before this meeting they

Israel P-P Belgium

Game postponed due to security concerns. Re-arranged for 31st March 2015.

AFP, London

Brazil beat Ecuador 1-0 in an international friendly in New Jersey on Tuesday with a first half goal from Willian enough to give coach Dunga his second successive victory.

The win came four days after Brazil beat Colombia and the win over a spritely Ecuador side delighted the new manager.

“There weren’t any negative points,” he told reporters. “You have to take positives from the negatives. You learn, you evolve. So for me it was all positive.”

Bobby Charlton believes new Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has “the world at his feet”, insisting the club have got “nothing to worry about” despite a shaky start to the new Premier League season.

United are still waiting for their first league win since van Gaal, fresh from leading his native Netherlands to third place at the World Cup, took over from the sacked David Moyes, the faltering English giants having lost to Swansea on the opening day and been held to draws by both Sunderland and Burnley.

Meanwhile the Dutchman also suf-

United announce record revenue n AFP, London

Brazil’s Willian (R) scores past Ecuador’s Dominguez (L) during their Gillette Brasil Global Tour USA 2014 (GBGT) match at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey on Tuesday AFP

New manager Antonio Conte eased some of the World Cup disappointment by leading Italy to a commanding victory away at Norway. Simone Zaza rifled in his first goal for the Azzuri midway through the first half and Leonardo Bonucci headed the second from Pasqual’s pin point cross to put the game beyond Norway’s reach. Italy were comfortable for most of this game and are huge favourites to secure top spot in Group H. l

Cyprus sprung a shock in Bosnia, defeating the World Cup entrants with a terrific display. Such a result seemed a mere dream when Stuttgart’s Vedad Ibisevic powered his header into the top corner with just 5 minutes on the clock. But Cyprus hung in, and Demetris Christofi out jumped Asmir Begovic to scramble an equaliser on the stroke of half time. With a point to cling onto, Cyprus used the counter attack to pinch an unlikely winner as Christofi obliterated the defence to race clear and curl past a hapless Begovic. Bosnia had a golden opportunity to snatch a point right at the death, but Miralem Pjanic’s penalty was brilliantly saved

by Antonis Georgallides to preserve the win.

Italy’s Leonardo Bonucci (L) celebrates scoring with his teammate Davide Astori (R) during their Uefa Euro 2016 Group H qualifying match against Norway in Oslo on Tuesday AFP

Willian strike gives Brazil LVG has ‘world at his feet’: Charlton n victory over Ecuador n Reuters

Norway 0-2 Italy

Bosnia Herzegovina 1-2 Cyprus

Andorra 1-2 Wales

Brazil’s winner came on the halfhour from a well-rehearsed free kick.

Oscar hit a short pass to Neymar who lifted a curled pass over the defence to Willian, who slipped it into the net with the outside of his right foot.

Ecuador almost equalised six minutes later but Enner Valencia’s right foot shot hit the base of the post after beating goalkeeper Jefferson.

The West Ham United striker also had a looping header cleared off the line by Filipe Luis 16 minutes into the second half as Ecuador enjoyed their best spell of the game.l

massive boost when Maltese defender Steven Borg received a straight red for an altercation with Mario Mandzukic.

Despite being down to 10 men, Malta held firm until immediately after half time when Luka Modric watched his 30 yard strike fizzle into the bottom corner as Croatia grabbed their much needed goal. They eventually made the most of their numerical advantage with Andrej Kramaric rolling in the second, ten minutes from time.

Despite their on-pitch travails last season, Manchester United on Wednesday announced a 19 percent rise in annual revenue to a record £433.2 million ($698.8 million, 539.6 million euros).

United floundered in their first season after the retirement of long-serving manager Alex Ferguson, finishing seventh in the Premier League and sacking his successor, David Moyes, but they continued to thrive commercially.

The club reported a 49 percent increase in sponsorship revenue - helped by a blockbuster £750 million 10-year deal with Adidas - and recorded a profit of £23.9 million. l

fered the embarrassment of seeing United knocked out of the English League Cup following a 4-0 defeat by third-tier Milton Keynes Dons.

But Charlton, a record goal-scorer for both United and England, was confident the Old Trafford club would return to form under van Gaal’s guidance.

“We’ve got nothing to worry about.

He’s got the world at his feet, the new manager,” Charlton, speaking at Soccerex in Manchester as an ambassador for landmine charity Find a Better Way, was quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News.

“What we need to do now is put the players in the right places and the ball

in the right place. But that’s harder than it sounds.

Charlton, a key member of the England team that won the World Cup in 1966, was also a central figure when, two years later, United became the first English club to win the European Cup under the guidance of celebrated manager Matt Busby. And Charlton, in his role as a board member, also worked closely with Alex Ferguson when he too was winning numerous trophies as manager of United.

Asked to compare van Gaal, known for not suffering fools gladly, with Busby, Charlton replied: “Matt Busby never threatened you. He asked you nicely. Our new manager is not quite like that.”l

Chelsea’s new signings give Hazard creative freedom n Reuters Eden Hazard expects to enjoy playing with greater freedom and less pressure on his shoulders this season as Premier League leaders Chelsea demonstrate their strength in depth by challenging for four trophies, including the Champions League.

Hazard, who flickered without dazzling for Belgium at the World Cup finals, has been impressed by how quickly Chelsea’s new arrivals have settled in at Stamford Bridge and praised Spain duo striker Diego Costa and midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

“Last season, I scored a lot of goals and maybe this season I can make a lot more passes forward because Costa is one of the best and he can score,” said Hazard. “It’s my job to score, but it’s also my job to make assists as well.”

“The new players have settled in very good. I enjoy playing with the best players in the squad and I’m very happy,” he was quoted.

“Last season we played good but we didn’t win any trophies so we want more. We can win four trophies and I hope we can compete in the Premier League and Champions League for a long time throughout the year. l

America’s Guarani Indians ‘invented football’ n AFP, Asuncion South America’s Guarani people played a football-like game two centuries before the modern sport emerged, the Paraguayan government says in a new documentary based on Jesuit texts.

The film, “The Guarani Invented Football,” retraces Catholic missionaries’ 17th-century descriptions of an indigenous game played with a rubbery inflatable ball that players had to control with their feet. But despite its title, the film stops short of claiming the Guarani invented modern association football, a sport that grew out of various games dating back to ancient times that was first codified into a widely used rulebook in 19th-century England.

“We’re not here looking to stake a claim on behalf of the Guarani,” Paraguayan Culture Minister Mabel Causarano told AFP. “We just want to highlight a curious historical fact, which is that they were already playing a ball game with their feet when the Jesuits arrived shortly after 1600.”

When the first Europeans arrived in South America, the Guarani inhabited a territory that stretched across parts of present-day Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. While their hold on the region was greatly diminished by colonization, they remain an important presence in Paraguay, where Guarani is an official language alongside Spanish and is spoken by about 95% of the population. l

Conte, Hiddink suffer contrasting Euro qualifier fortunes n AFP, Paris Antonio Conte and Guus Hiddink experienced contrasting fortunes in their first competitive games in charge of Italy and the Netherlands in their respective Euro 2016 qualifiers on Tuesday.

Simone Zaza and Leonardo Bonucci were on target to give Italy a 2-0 win in Norway and make it a dream start for Conte, who replaced Cesare Prandelli after he resigned following the Azzurri’s first-round exit at the World Cup. The result in Group H also saw the Italians extend their impressive unbeaten record in qualifying to 41 games, stretching back eight years.

Italy, showing six changes from the side that lost to Uruguay to bow out of the World Cup, have made a promising start under former Juventus coach Conte having also beaten the Dutch 2-0 in a friendly last week.

Meanwhile, a late goal from Vaclav Pilar saw Hiddink’s Netherlands slip to a 2-1 defeat to the Czech Republic in Prague.

That meant it was a disappointing start to his second spell in charge of the national side for Hiddink, who filled the vacancy left by Louis van Gaal after he led the Oranje to third place at the World Cup. “I was raging with anger. I needed to

calm down,” Hiddink said after arriving more than half-an-hour late for an interview with Dutch public broadcaster NOS. “You can’t lose like this in the last second. That’s why I’ve stayed away a bit longer,” a clearly annoyed Hiddink said.

“Surely you can go home with a 1-1 score? That’s fine. But we stupidly gave it away. I’m seething with anger again,” he said.

Turkey’s coach Fatih Terim may be nicknamed the ‘Emperor’ but his players did not play like Empire builders as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat away to Iceland, who continue to progress after losing out to a World Cup finals place in the play-offs. l

Czech Republic’s midfielder Vaclav Pilar (R) celebrates after scoring during their Uefa Euro 2016 Group A qualifying match against Netherlands in Prague on Tuesday AFP

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Nishikori loses US Open, wins $940,000 bonus n AFP, Tokyo

QUICK BYTES

‘Up to 80 countries a year hit by fixing’ Between 60 and 80 countries have reported allegations of match-fixing for each of the last three years, the head of the Interpol-FIFA initiative set up to fight the crime said on Wednesday. John Abbott, who is also leading Interpol’s and FIFA’s fight against irregular betting, told delegates at the Soccerex Global Convention that far tougher legislation is needed worldwide to fight the crime.

“It is a global problem and it is showing no signs of abating. “Match-fixing itself is not new, a Liverpool-Manchester United game was fixed in the early years of the 20th century, but the really big change is that professional criminals have got involved for fraud purposes. “We have evidence of organised crime groups in China, Russia, the Balkans, the United States and Italy making substantial money. Abbott claimed billions of dollars were involved, adding: “Sports governing bodies and football associations need to get real about prevention.

–Reuters

PGA’s Finchem copes with no Tiger US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem pondered the post-Tiger Woods era and lower television viewership on Tuesday ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship. Finchem said that young rising stars such as world number one Rory McIlroy would help the tour transition into the time when Woods, a 14-time major winner who missed most of this season due to injury, no longer draws large numbers of non-golf fans to the sport. “With Tiger being injured more often the last three or four years, I’m getting the question again the other way: When Tiger’s gone, how do you manage the sport?” Finchem said.

“Well, fans like golf. They like to watch golf. They like to watch some players more than others. And I think Tiger’s got a long shelf life in terms of being a contributor because people like watching him play golf regardless of the records.

–AFP

Barca’s Mathieu sidelined by injury Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu has a right ankle problem and missed training on Wednesday, as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Thomas Vermaelen continued their recuperation from injury, the La Liga club said. Barca did not specify whether France international Mathieu, who joined Barca from Valencia in the close season and started their opening two La Liga games, would be fit for Saturday’s match at home to Athletic Bilbao.

Forward Messi, midfielder Iniesta and defender Vermaelen, who are recovering from minor niggles, took part in some of Wednesday’s session, the club said on their Twitter feed (@FCBarcelona_es).

Under new coach Luis Enrique, Barca are looking to improve on last season’s second-place finish in Spain’s top flight and are the only side to have won their opening two games.

–Reuters

Marin Cilic of Croatia, the 2014 US Open Men’s Single champion, poses with his trophy at the Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center in New York on Tuesday. Cilic hailed his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open as a “miracle”, 12 months after the towering Croatian was forced to watch the tournament from home over a controversial doping ban AFP

Swedish FA reports fixing suspicions The Swedish FA (SvFF) has reported suspected match-fixing to the police surrounding the possible payment of bribes to fix the outcome of a second-tier game between Jonkoping Sodra and Syrianska in August. “The SvFF is of the opinion that there is reason to believe that bribery may have been committed in connection with the match,” the Swedish FA said in a statement. “The FA sees that no further investigative action by the association can determine if the crime was committed, and the hope is that a preliminary investigation (including the actions the police may take) can clear this up.” Several bookmakers stopped taking bets on the game as odds tumbled following a flurry of wagers that there would be more than 3.5 goals in the game, which finished 4-0 to Jonkoping.

–Reuters

Japanese tennis sensation Kei Nishikori may have lost the US Open final, but he has won a $940,000 special bonus from a sponsor delighted about seeing its brand splashed across screens worldwide.

Fast Retailing and its charismatic President Tadashi Yanai will each give 50 million yen to the 24-yearold tournament runner-up, who lost in straight sets to Croatian giant Marin Cilic.

The casual-clothing firm, which operates the Uniqlo brand, saw a run on shirts worn by Japan’s best male tennis star during the tournament at Flushing Meadows, which feature the cheapchic brand’s logo.

The firm wanted to congratulate the athlete and celebrate his achievement, and to reward him for boosting both Uniqlo’s brand image and the morale of its workers, a company spokesman said.

“We wanted to celebrate his historic achievement,” he said.

The bonus “was also meant to show our continued support as he aims to be the world’s number one,” he said.

The bonus comes on top of a runner-up’s purse of $1.45 million. l

No quick tech fix for problem bowlers: ICC n Reuters, Melbourne The ICC is cautiously optimistic that wearable sensors can provide the technological breakthrough needed to stamp out illegal bowling actions but does not expect them to be ready for trial in matches before mid-2015.

Geoff Allardice, the International Cricket Council’s general manager of cricket, told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday that there has been lots of progress in using the technology but stumbling blocks remain to deploying it in matches.

The ICC on Tuesday banned off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan’s most prolific test wicket-taker among active players, after biomechanic tests found all his deliveries broke the limit for straightening of the elbow joint.

The latest in a string of suspensions for internationals over their bowling actions, Ajmal’s ban has fanned fears that ‘chucking’ is rife at the highest level of the game but it has also been applauded as a timely crackdown on a highly contentious and often elusive problem.

Where umpires have often been reluctant to report their suspicions to match officials, the ICC hopes technology can eliminate subjectivity from the equation, making violations clear-cut through measured, real-time data.

The ICC has been working with Australian researchers to develop wearable “inertial” sensors that can measure bowlers’ actions against the permissible limit for over two years.

The programme has reached key milestones and is now in its third and final phase but challenges remain, believes Allardice.

“There’s a fair bit of work to do before we’re going to be able to use them in a match setting,” he said.

“This next stage is probably going to take 18 months to two years. You wouldn’t expect it to be trialled in a match setting until mid-2015 at the earliest.

“But the science is encouraging.”

The sensors, which are attached to the bowler’s upper arm and forearm have reached the point where they can successfully detect the moment when

a ball is released in a delivery.

While that much is already useful in analysis, the sensors still lack the capability to measure the arm’s straightness during the bowling arc, a key to determining the fine line between a legal action and chucking.

“At this stage we’re looking to automatically detect the position of the arm at the release with some software that is receiving the signals from the sensors... and how to capture that without any (competing) information,” said Allardice, a former first-class batsman and senior manager at Australia’s cricket board.

The mounting of the sensors also has yet to be perfected so the data cannot be compromised to an intolerable extent.

“If you’re in a match situation, the mounting of the sensors of the arm has to be so that they don’t shift position.

If they do, then the calibration is disturbed,” added the Australian.

The sensors have already been tested on youth cricketers, with players at the Under-19 World Cup in Dubai providing data during net sessions.l

Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (R) receives an award during a ceremony at a local cricket stadium in Faisalabad on Tuesday. Top-ranked Pakistani off-spinner Ajmal was suspended indefinitely from international cricket for an illegal bowling action but vowed to return in time for next year’s World Cup AFP

Players’ chief sorry for Ali comments Ferrari head Montezemolo n AFP, LONDON

The head of England’s Professional Cricketers’ Association apologised after suggesting Moeen Ali should take it as a “positive” that he was booed by large sections of the crowd during England’s three-run Twenty20 win over India at Birmingham’s Edgbaston ground on Sunday.

Ali’s father, Munir Ali, is convinced his Birmingham-born son was targeted because of his Muslim faith and Pakistani heritage, with police treating it as a “non-crime hate related incident” after a complaint from a spectator.

But Porter, the chief executive of England’s Professional Cricketers Association, initially responded Tuesday by saying: “His dad offered his view sincerely and I hope it doesn’t stoke the fire because he was just standing up for his boy.

“There is an element of taking it as

QPR given financial fair play warning Premier League Queens Park Rangers have been told they risk being refused entry back into the second-tier English Championship if they refuse to pay an anticipated fine for breaching financial fair play rules. Some estimates put a potential fine at as much as £40 million ($64 million, 50 million euros) but the situation for west London side QPR, owned by Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes, could be even worse if they are relegated from the Premier League according to Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey.

QPR have been reported to have had losses of around £60m last season, when they were promoted from the Championship and that would incur a Football League fine of £40m for breaching financial fair play rules designed to prevent clubs spending more than they earn.

–AFP

15

a compliment. You are more likely to boo someone when you think they are someone to be feared.

“Take it as a positive, you’d rather be booed than ignored.”

But Porter subsequently admitted he had erred in his choice of words, telling the Daily Telegraph: “I made a mistake by suggesting racism does not matter and I do condemn it unreservedly.

“I started by saying that in the interview but I also tried to play down the situation because Moeen does not want it to become a major issue. But in trying to play it down I succeeded in doing the reverse and I am sorry.

“It is very important that I make it clear that racist behaviour is condemned unequivocally and I am happy to say that.” I want to make it clear I believe racist attitudes and behaviour are unacceptable, at any level, in professional cricket, or in any walk of life. l

pushed out after 23 years n AFP, Rome Ferrari, a byword for flashy sports cars, hit rough ground Wednesday with the shock announcement that its president of 23 years, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, has been pushed out after a boardroom split. Just days after saying he wanted to stay, Montezemolo - who has been dogged by six years of Formula One racing failure - announced he will be stepping down on October 13.

The top job at the Italian Ferrari luxury sports car company will be taken over by the head of parent group Fiat, Sergio Marchionne.

A press conference held by Montezemolo and Marchionne was announced for Wednesday afternoon.

Ferrari is the biggest and most glam-

ourous name in Formula One racing, competing on the Grand Prix circuit with huge success since it started in 1950, and the team’s logo of a black stallion against a red background is instantly recognised by motorsport fans around the world.

But the brand’s poor performance over the past six years, combined with recent clashes in strategy between Montezemolo and Fiat, had led racing watchers to tip his likely exit.

“Our desire to see Ferrari express its full potential on the track led to certain mutual misunderstandings that were voiced publicly this weekend,” Marchionne said in a statement Wednesday.

“I want to personally thank Luca for everything he has done for Fiat, for Ferrari, and for myself,” he said. l

Fifa medical officer wants strict rules on concussion n Reuters, Manchester Referees will be instructed to stop a match immediately for three minutes when a player is suspected of being concussed, if a proposal from FIFA’s chief medical officer is accepted.

Michel D’Hooghe, the chairman of FIFA’s medical committee and a UEFA executive committee member, told delegates at the Soccerex Global Convention on Tuesday that he will put his proposal before the European governing body at their executive committee meeting on Sept.18 and to FIFA’s executive on Sept.25.

Although cases of concussion are relatively rare in soccer, D’Hooghe said there were five suspected cases at the Brazil World Cup. There have also been some high profile incidents that have raised

concerns at FIFA such as when France international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was concussed playing for his club Tottenham Hotspur against Everton last year.

“If there is a suspected concussion we will ask the referee to stop the game for three minutes. The referee will only allow the player to continue playing with the green light of the team doctor - nobody else,” the Belgian said.

D’Hooghe told reporters that as this proposal does not constitute a change in the laws of the game, but just in the rules of competition, it could come into force as early as Oct. 1.

If approved, it would apply initially to matches in World Cup qualifying games, European Championship qualifiers, Champions League and Europa League matches, but not at the domestic level. l

State Minister for Youth and Sports Biren Sikder (C) inaugurates the Dhaka Reporters Unity annual sports day at the organisation’s office yesterday COURTESY

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Thursday, September 11, 2014

TUG OF WAR In almost all inter-district bus terminals passengers fall victim to harassment at the hands of bus staff who compete with each other to drag them into their buses. The pictures taken at the Sayedabad Bus Terminal yesterday show how people are manhandled by the bus staff. Sometimes staff are even locked in scuffle with each other leading to chaos in the terminal SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Sinohydro gets river training job of Padma bridge n Tribune Report The government has decided to award the river training work of the muchtalked-about Padma bridge project to Sinohydro Corporation Ltd, a Chinese company.

The cabinet committee on public purchase took the decision at a meeting held yesterday with Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the chair.

“The committee has approved the proposal, put forward by the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, for river training work,” the finance minister told the

Dhaka Tribune after the meeting.

River training work would not start soon as the bridge division have to go through different procedures, he said, adding that work would start after the government signs a contract in this regard.

About the allegation of blacklisting Sinohydro by the World Bank, the minister said, “There is no allegation against the Chinese company. We have not found any written allegation against this company on the World Bank’s website.”

Not only the Chinese company but

also the government agency was responsible for delay in constructing the Dhaka– Chittagong four-lane highway, he added.

Sinohydro was the lowest bidder which offered to carry out the job at Tk8,707 crore. Of the total, 70.30% would come as foreign exchange.

After the meeting, Joint Secretary of Cabinet Division Mustafizur Rahman told reporters that Sinohydro offered Tk8,707 crore which was 9.97% lower compared to projected cost.

Two other foreign firms --Jan De N.V from Belgium and South Korean firm Hyundai Engineering and Construc-

tion Company Ltd --also took part in the tender, he said, adding that Jan De N.V made a bid of Tk16,438 crore while Hyundai Tk12,122 crore, 25.33% higher compared to estimated price of Tk9,672 crore.

Sources said despite its poor performance in another projects, recommendation was made in favour of the Chinese company.

The bridge authority had already completed the selection of companies for construction of main bridge, two approach roads and development of a service area. l

SB man held with illegal firearm n Mohammad Jamil Khan RAB members yesterday arrested a sub-inspector (SI) of the Special Branch (SB) of police and three others, and seized an illegal firearm from his possession from Uttara in the capital.

“The SI was identified as Mohammad Asaduzzaman. The three others were Saiful Islam, 30, Mahmudul Hasan, 24, and Moshiur Rahman, 26,” Lt Col Tuhin Mohammad Masud, commanding officer of RAB 1, said.

On receiving intelligence, RAB officials arrested them from an under-construction building in Sector 6 of Uttara around 2.30pm, said Lt Col Tuhin.

He said RAB officials seized a foreign 9mm pistol, one magazine, three bullets and a motorcycle from Asaduzzaman.

Investigators discovered that Asaduzzaman is an SB officer assigned to

Ozone layer recovers 90% in three decades

Barkat asks Muhith to apologise for 'false statements' on Janata Bank

n Abu Bakar Siddique

n Tribune Report

The Earth’s depleted ozone layer has recovered by more than 90% in the past three decades, according to a report of the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organisation.

The report styled “Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion 2014” says international action against ozone-depleting substances such as the greenhouse gas has played an important role in healing the protective layer of gas in a significant pace compared to its condition in the 1980s.

In 1987, the ozone-depleting substances contributed about 10 gigatonnes CO2-equivalent emissions a year.

The report thanks the Montreal Protocol, which was adopted in 1987 and played the crucial role in reducing these emissions.

The present decrease rate is about five times larger than the annual emissions reduction target for the first commitment period of 2008-2012 fixed in the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, the report published yesterday says.

The stratospheric ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun.

“There are positive indications that the ozone layer is on track to recovery towards the middle of the century. The Montreal Protocol – one of the world’s most successful environmental treaties – has protected the stratospheric ozone layer and avoided enhanced UV radiation reaching the earth’s surface,” said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner while releasing the report.

Without the Montreal Protocol and associated agreements, atmospheric

levels of ozone depleting substances could have increased tenfold by 2050, he said.

According to global models, the Protocol will have prevented 2 million cases of skin cancer annually by 2030, averted damage to human eyes and immune systems, and protected wildlife and agriculture, according to the UNEP. “The phase-out of ozone depleting substances has had a positive spin-off for the global climate because many of these substances are also potent greenhouse gases,” it says.

“However, the assessment report cautions that the rapid increase in certain substitutes, which are themselves also potent greenhouse gases, has the potential to undermine these gains. The assessment also notes that there are possible approaches to avoiding the harmful climate effects of these substitutes.”

Citing an example, the report says hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) do not harm the ozone layer, but many of them are potent greenhouse gases.

They currently contribute about 0.5 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions per year. These emissions are growing at a rate of about 7% a year. Left unabated, they can be expected to contribute very significantly to climate change in the next decades.

In addition, the report says the state of the ozone layer in the second half of the 21st century will largely depend on concentrations of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide – the three main long-lived greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Overall, CO2 and methane tend to increase global ozone levels. By contrast, nitrous oxide, a by-product of food production, is both a powerful greenhouse gas and an ozone depleting gas, and is likely to become more important in future ozone depletion. l

Former Janata Bank chairman Abul Barkat yesterday asked Finance Minister AMA Muhith to apologise for making false statements on the bank's financial status despite knowing the real picture.

He also demanded the formation of a government inquiry committee, including three members nominated by the minister and two nominated by himself, to find out the truth behind the allegations from both sides.

Barkat raised his demands while addressing a launching ceremony of a book, highlighting Janata Bank's CSR activities in the last five years, at the National Press Club in the capital.

Earlier on Tuesday, the finance minister claimed that when the Al-led government came to power in 2009, Janata Bank was in good shape. However, he also claimed that the financial condition of the bank had deteriorated over the years and the amount of the bank's default loans had been increasing.

“The Board of Directors of the bank has to also take responsibility for the degradation of the financial indicators

of the bank,” Muhith told the media at his Secretariat office.

In reply to the minister's remarks, Barkat presented some key indicators including paid-up capital, deposit growth and net profit during the ceremony.

“As these indicators are positive, there is no scope to state that the bank has degraded. As the bank's financial status had not been degraded, so there is no question of taking this responsibility by the board,” he added.

Claiming that the finance minister had provided false information about the bank, Barkat also asked Muhit to apologise for making such claims.

In reply to the finance minister's claim that Janata Bank had been using its CSR funds unevenly, Barkat claimed: “The bank has been using its CSR fund with 100% transparency.”

On August 28 this year, the finance ministry's banking division issued a notice forbidding Janata, Agrani, Rupali and Bangladesh Development Bank to halt CSR activities until further instructions.

Barakat also alleged that the minister had always patronised rent seeking individuals and the influential from his

home town. “I have been appointed at Janata Bank as per the decision of the prime minister, so who is the finance minister to say whether I will stay or not,” he added.

Muhith earlier said the government will not extend Barkat's term after it expires. Barkat's term expired on Monday.

“I will not continue in this post even if I am appointed again. But, I request the finance minister not to harass the officials of the bank in my absence,” Barkat added.

He warned that if the officials are harassed, he will take to the streets.

Terming Muhith as an “intellectual fraud,” Barkat alleged that all the proposals Muhit gave me were unjust, unfair and harmful for the country.

Giving an example, he claimed that the minister was lobbying for a private television company asking Janata Bank to give a bank guarantee of Tk40 crore for opening LC (letter of credit).

“I opposed the move as the company was non-viable. However, I had to allow it due to his [Muhit's] lobbying.

In the end, the bank lost the money,” he said. l

Swechchhashebak League leader gunned down in capital n Abid Azad Unidentified miscreants yesterday gunned down Shyampur union Sechchasebak League President Md Riazul Karim Lalu, 42, in the capital.

Lalu was a resident of the capital’s Kadamtali area and owned a shop

named “AL Modina Enterprise” on the commissioner road in Jurain.

Talking to Dhaka Tribune, Lalu’s brother Nizam said: “He was at his office when some 3-4 men shot him from window, leaving him critically injured.”

He was rushed to the Dhaka Medi-

cal Collage and Hospital around 7pm where –on duty doctors declared him dead an hour later.

Kodomtoli police station Sub Inspector Mohammad Jahangir Hossain Khan confirmed the killing to Dhaka Tribune and said: “Police is now looking into the incident.” l

the Uttara area of the capital. Asaduzzaman is reportedly involved in the area’s Chhatra League politics.

The three other arrestees, also from Uttara, studied at Uttara College. They are all involved in illegal arms dealing, according to RAB officials.

Col Ziaul Ahsan, additional director general of RAB, said his officials set up a sting operation by posing as arms buyers. RAB officials then caught them in the act of illegally trying to sell the weapon, he said. Mahbubur Rahman, additional superintendent of police SB, said he was aware of the matter.

“Actually we are not sure about what happened here and we are trying to understand the incident,” Mahbubur said.

As of the filing of this report at 10pm, the arrestee was in RAB custody at its Uttara office and no case had been filed in this regard. l

Beware of fake online advertisements n Moniruzzaman Uzzal A group of people has allegedly been posting fake advertisements on Bikroy. com, one of the popular online marketplaces in the country. A recent survey conducted by the website revealed that around 66% of over 200,000 posted advertisements were genuine.

Eshita Sharmin, marketing manager of the website, disclosed the information at a view exchange programme with the members of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh at a city hotel yesterday.

She said the programme was arranged to create mass awareness in this regard and to inform people how Bikroy.com was tackling the situation.

The marketing manager expressed concerns that most of the fake advertisers offer their products at a lower price than usual, adding that in many cases fake sellers had been allegedly hijacking the buyers after calling them to an unknown or remote area.

She urged the visitors of the website to remain alert in this regard. The website has formed an investigation team that has already removed more than 750 fake advertisements in August.

“We want to do everything possible to minimise fraudulent advertisements on our site,” Eshita said.

The survey on randomly selected 500 advertisements found that only 330 were genuine, while some of the advertisers did not respond when the posted numbers were dialled.

Bikroy.com Managing Director Martin Malmstrom was also present at yesterday’s programme. He said: “In order to sell the product fast, pick the right price, use a good picture, and provide a clear title and description that is relevant to buyers.” l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

B3

Carmakers shouldn’t scare off drivers with new features

B4 Apple charts new course with large iPhones, smartwatch

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Bangladesh woos CTO members to contest ITU poll n Muhammad Zahidul Islam The government has sought support from the member countries of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO) for contesting the upcoming council election of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) scheduled in November in South Korea.

Ahead of the election, Bangladesh started campaign a couple of months back and hosted the 54th forum meeting of CTO that concluded in a city hotel yesterday.

“We talked with the representatives from the CTO member countries for the ITU council membership election.

We have also received some positive response,” Sunil Kanti Bose, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), told a concluding press conference of the CTO forum.

He said the forum meeting was held to boost campaign for the ITU council membership election, and so far Bangladesh is successful about it.

The election for ITU council membership is scheduled in November when 13 council members will be elected from Asia and Pacific.

A total of 17 countries including Bangladesh have filed their candidature from Asia and Pacific, and the last date of declaring candidature is 15 September, the BTRC chairman said.

In 2010, Bangladesh was elected for the same post with neighboring countries India, but Pakistan and Sri Lanka lost in the race.

All these countries have also declared their candidacies.

Not only Bangladesh, Nigeria and other African countries are also campaigning for them, Sunil added.

The telecom regulator also said the CTO forum was the biggest telecom event so far hosted by Bangladesh.

“It will improve our reputation and

make us more familiar in the telecom arena.” Bangladesh received a number of directives including how to improve the cyber security and next generation technological, the BTRC chair said.

Asked if there was any initiative from Bangladesh to resolve disputes with some CTO countries about launching satellite, Sunil said there is no such discussion yet.

“We are approaching towards a different strategy to resolve the satellite disputes,” he said.

In reply to a question, he stated that the government should release the long-term evaluation spectrum immediately for better internet service for people.

“As a forum member we support all our fellow member countries for ITU council election,” CTO Secretary General Tim Unwin said in reply to a question.

He admitted that Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in telecom and ICT area.

“We will be happy to lend any kind of support to Bangladesh to take it to the next level.”

In the three-day-long CTO forum, there were nine panel discussions, 21 presentations and one workshop which were all attended by telecom and financial experts from commonwealth countries.

The speakers discussed the availability and affordability of broadband, next generation mobile technologies, cloud computing and cloud-based outsourcing, mobile financial system etc.

A two-day CTO council meeting is to be held on September 11 and 12 when the member countries will elect the next CTO chairman.

Earlier in the morning, there were three sessions that focused empowering women through ICT and accessibility for people with disabilities and integrating ICT into education. l

Finance Minister AMA Muhith smiles while Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed looks on at a seminar on implementation of new VAT law in Dhaka yesterday

Muhith for NBR-FBCCI joint committee to implement new VAT law n Tribune Report Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday stressed the need for formulation of a joint committee consisting of representatives from tax authorities and business to enforce the new VAT law that will come into effect on next July 1.

He proposed that a committee consisting of representatives from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) could resolve confusions and help implement the new Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act 2012.

The minister made the proposal in the wake of a huge criticism from the business community, which has long been lobbying the government highups to scrap the new VAT act. They argue the law was formulated ignoring their views and opinions, and it would

affect the business if implemented.

Muhith made the proposal at a seminar on implementation of the new VAT act in the capital.

“There were many discussions on the new VAT act earlier, but after so many meetings, you (businesses) are now saying that it was not a good act.

How is this?” Muhith posed a question.

He said the government might formulate a committee with the NBR-FBCCI representatives and can take suggestions to develop the act.

“This act will surely exist, but we will consider the suggestions from the committee members,” he said.

The apex trade body, FBCCI, has long been arguing that the businesses are in favour of reforming the current VAT Act 1991, incorporating some provisions of the new law rather than implementing a new act.

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed

however said the new VAT act might harm the growing businesses.

“Businesses are expediting the economy of the country and they might have some grievance against the law, but we think the new law is a good one,” he said. He also said the government has to consider the situation of growing businesses.

“The big businesses and industrialists might get help from the new act.

We should form a committee before enactment of the act,” he opined.

As the government made plans to implement the act, the businesses are now going against the act.

A major portion of businessmen are against the new act as the new VAT act will have no provisions for package VAT or truncated value-based VAT system.

FBCCI chairman Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed said there is an anger among businessmen as the new act does not

have any option for paying package VAT. Akram said: “Considering the reality and the need for increasing revenues, we are ready to pay not only 15% tax, but also 40% to 50% if needed.”

“With the new act, registered VAT payers have to pay 15% VAT on the total sales which has turned the VAT into excise duties, which is not affordable for any businesses,” he said.

He also proposed to form a high-powered expert committee consisting of private sector experts nominated by the FBCCI to properly reform the new VAT act.

Presided over by NBR Chairman Md Ghulam Hussain, the programme was also attended by Food Minister Quamrul Islam, Prime Minister’s Finance Adviser Moshiur Rahman, NBR VAT member Barrister Jahangir Hossain and other high officials. l

50% Alliance-signatory RMG units complete remediation

GB board polls to be delayed by 6 months n Asif Showkat Kallol The election to nine borrower directors of Grameen Bank board is likely to be delayed further by six more months due to procedural complexities that would take time to solve.

As the central bank has recently declined to hold the polls of its 12-member board within the stipulated timeframe that expires on October 5 this year, the government needs to bring some changes in the bank rules.

“We have no other option but to extend the deadline for holding the polls,” M Aslam Alam, secretary to the Bank and Financial Institutions Division, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He said a chairman would be selected for leading the election commission for electing nine female borrower-directors of the bank. Last week, the government also decided to amend GB rules again as the central bank has declined to hold polls for picking new board members.

Quoting the central Bank, Finance Minister AMA Muhith, however, explained that being a regulatory body Bangladesh Bank (BB) expressed its unwillingness to hold the polls as it had feared that it would create a conflict of interest.

Regarding the issue of amending the Grameen Bank (Election of Directors) Rules 2014, the minister said: "We will have to write something else in place of Bangladesh Bank in the rules." l

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

n Tribune Report

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed speaks at a meeting on non-tariff measures at MCCI in Dhaka yesterday

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Tofail urges India to remove NTBs n Tribune Report

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed urged India to remove non-tariff barriers for an expanded regional trade as Bangladesh has started opening up its market to the neighbours.

He referred to the talks on establishing economic corridor between Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar to support his call to a “friendly neighbour.”

The minister described Bangladesh's participation in corridor talks as a positive gesture towards an open

market for a vibrant and bustling regional trade.

Tofail Ahmed was speaking as the chief guest at a report launching ceremony at the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry conference room in Dhaka yesterday.

MCCI, Export Promotion Bureau, SME Foundation and the country's apex trade body FBCCI jointly organised the event to launch the study report on “non-tariff measures (NTMs) in South Asia: assessment and analysis.”

FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin

Ahmad also addressed the function, also attended by senior government officials of different SAARC countries and a number of leading business figures.

MCCI President Rokia Afzal Rahman moderated the event.

In their address, the speakers said different countries take non-tariff measures to prevent their local industries, but many of such measures eventually appear as barriers to entry of other countries' products, creating an uneven situation particularly in regional trade.  B3 COLUMN 6

Half the apparel factories having agreements with Alliance for ensuring Bangladesh workers’ safety have completed remediation.

Mishah Rabin, Managing Director of Alliance came up with the disclosure at a press briefing in the capital yesterday.

He apprised the media of the progress of inspection launched last year to improve workers' safety in the RMG factories of Bangladesh.

“The Alliance has completed 100% inspection of its 587 RMG units from where its signatories brand source products while it has found that 50% RMG units completed remediation, said Rabin. Rabin, however, said that Alliance inspection found faults in 45 categories of the inspected factories.

The Alliance had submitted a list of 16 factories to the Expert Review Panel, of which 5 are fully closed, 9 are partially closed while the rest are not suggested for closure as yet, said Rabin.

In response to the workers' leaders request, the Alliance also increased its compensation package to fourth months instead of two months to be paid by the owner on a 50% basis, said Rabin.

The Alliance had paid nearly 1000 workers, who were displaced due to factory remediation Replying to a question, Rabin said: “The Alliance will focus heavily on remediation efforts to bring all factories into compliance with strict safety

standards in the coming years.''

“Apart from its funds worth US$100mn, the platform of the North American buyers has also created a $20mn low-cost fund to provide financial support to the factory owners, who are unable to pay for remediation work especially the small and medium,” said Ian Spaulding, senior advisor to Alliance.

‘The Alliance will focus heavily on remediation efforts to bring all factories into compliance with strict safety standards in the coming years’ The Alliance trained 1.1 million workers in basic fire safety of which 97.8% can correctly identify what to do in case of fire.

The Alliance conducted a comprehensive baseline survey and findings showed workers, who could correctly identify what to do in case of a fire, increased from 39% to 98%, and those who could correctly identify the five most common fire hazards increased from 2% to 51% following the basic fire safety training.

The Alliance, a plat form of 26 brands and retailers, had committed to improve safety standard, including fire, electrical and structural safety after the collapse of Rana Plaza, which killed 1,135 workers and injured over 2,500 last year. l

BB gets international award for promotion of mobile banking n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank has been awarded Alliance for Financial Inclusion Policy Award for its role to promote mobile banking services in the event of the 2014 AFI Global Policy Forum held on September 9 at Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobaggo.

The Alliance for Financial Inclu-

sion (AFI) is an international organisation of central banks and other financial regulators working for greater financial inclusion. The revelation came at a press conference Bangladesh Bank (BB) hosted at its headquarters on celebration of receiving the international award.

The BB has received this prestigious international award in rec-

ognition of its innovative policies impacting greater financial inclusion through mobile financial services, said Deputy Governor Abul Quasem.

He said the central bank took necessary initiatives in early 2010 to provide such banking facilities for the unbanked population living in rural, urban and remote areas.

Along with different banks in

Bangladesh, a few reputed Foreign Direct Investors (FDI) such as the IFC of World Bank Group and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have already invested in the emerging mobile banking industry, Quasem added.

Mobile Financial Services (MFS) have already been very popular, providing services at low cost for the masses of Bangladesh. Bangla-

desh Bank has permitted 28 banks to operate mobile banking activities.

More than 17.6 million people have so far opened accounts to get the banking facilities.

The banks are offering such services to their clients through their nominated agents. The average daily transaction though mobile banking now stands at about Tk3.65bn. l

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

DSEX climbs to 20-week high

DSE key features September 10, 2014

DSE GAINER

Turnover (Million Taka)

n Tribune Report

Traded Issues

303

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

154

ACI Formulations-A Bangladesh Lamps -A Agni Systems -A Rahima Food -Z In Tech Online -A Central Pharm-A Fu-wang Ceramic-A Bangas -A BDCOM Online-A 3rd ICB M F-A

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

145

Stocks continued to rally for the second straight session yesterday with benchmark index climbing to almost 20-week high.

The market opened higher in the morning, buoyed by buying spree particularity on small cap and some selective large-cap issues but lose some points amid profit taking on banks and telecommunications.

After rising more than 45 points in early trade, the Dhaka Stock Ex-

Investors’ sustaining preference to blue chip stocks aided DS30 to record at historical highest of 1,777 since January 2014 change benchmark index, DSEX, fell 15 points or 0.4% before closing at 4,663 – highest since April 27.

The Shariah index, DSES, was marginally up 4 points or 0.5% to 1,095. The comprising blue chips DS30 closed at 1,777 with a rise of 13 points or 0.8%.

6,368.84

Turnover (Volume)

137,775,913

Number of Contract

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, gained 33 points to 8,749.

Activities increased significantly at the DSE as turnover increased by 21.9% to Tk640 crore.

After a little correction, some small cap stocks gained substantially. Among the major sectors, IT sector was the largest gainer with 4.7% rise, followed by financial institutions 2.9%, cement 1.3%, pharma 0.6%, and fuel and power 0.5%.

Among negative performers, banks, non-life insurance and telecommunication edged lower.

Lanka Bangla Securities said market rejuvenated with renewed position on stocks as investors got bullish aiming for higher target.

After a short pit stop, the bull has hit on the months high in benchmark index.

IDLC Investments said investors’ focus on micro cap and selective large cap stocks assisted the bourse to end in positive territory.

Investors’ sustaining preference to blue chip stocks aided DS30 to record at historical highest of 1,777 since January 2014.

Beximco Ltd was the most traded stocks with shares worth nearly Tk27 crore changing hands, followed by Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd Bangladesh, Mobil Jamuna Limited, ACI Ltd, Shurwid, Singer Bangladesh and Renata Bangladesh. l

131,949

DSE Broad Index :

4663.13846

(+) 0.34%

▲

DSE - 30 Index :

1777.25839

(+) 0.79%

▲

14419.58030

(+) 0.45%

CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSER Company ICB -A Meghna Con. Milk -B Meghna PET Ind. -Z BD Fixed Income MF-A United Insur -A Khulna Printing-N Hwa Well Textiles-N NCCBL Mutual Fund-1-A 7th ICB M F-A PrimeFin. 1st MF-A

Closing (% Change) -18.93 -8.89 -6.56 -5.48 -5.22 -4.20 -4.09 -3.64 -3.41 -3.28

CSE LOSER Company ICB -A Hwa Well Textiles-N Apex Tannery -A FAS Fin. & Inv. Ltd-B IDLC Finance -A MeghnaCement -A Hakkani P& Paper -B ICB Sonali Bank 1 MF-A Mozaffar H.Spinning-N R. N. Spinning-Z

Closing (% Change) -20.00 -4.28 -3.57 -3.23 -3.12 -2.97 -2.96 -2.90 -2.80 -2.70

11559.67790

(+) 0.15%

8749.45160

(+) 0.38%

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,484.52

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.12

CSE key features September 10, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

591.94

Turnover (Volume)

13,012,294

Average (% Change) -17.87 -9.97 -7.93 -4.50 -5.20 0.21 -4.52 -2.73 -11.46 -1.62 Average (% Change) -20.00 -5.31 -0.92 -2.97 -1.06 -2.79 -2.70 -3.35 -2.11 -2.08

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 1400.75 8.22 5.69 7.00 32.26 32.88 49.82 5.35 85.00 18.21

Closing 1400.75 8.20 5.70 6.90 32.70 31.90 49.20 5.30 85.00 17.70

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 292.46 296.30 82.26 1010.12 331.36 651.42 1.61 644.92 1331.66 91.57 73.04 59.79 63.77 374.98 185.05 88.60 58.88 240.62 108.94 381.04 0.46

Traded Issues

227

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

116

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

101 10

▲ ▲

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,390.49

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

28.98

DHIGH 1400.75 8.50 5.90 7.00 35.00 34.10 52.00 5.50 85.00 18.90

Turnover in Million

DLOW 1400.75 8.10 5.70 6.90 32.30 31.50 49.00 5.30 85.00 17.70

Closing

DHIGH

DLOW

1,400.00 49.54 148.59 15.01 62.64 124.22 26.27 6.64 31.52 25.39

1,400.00 49.20 146.00 15.00 62.20 124.00 26.20 6.70 31.20 25.20

1,400.00 51.20 151.00 15.10 64.10 125.50 26.70 6.80 32.00 25.60

1,400.00 49.10 146.00 15.00 58.00 123.80 25.50 6.60 31.00 25.20

Latest EPS

5.813 0.263 0.037 0.021 0.054 90.889 39.903 2.157 0.170 23.659

Turnover in Million

ClosingAvg.

53.53 -4.85 -1.33 0.81 2.84 1.31 2.99 0.46 12.01 1.30

Latest EPS

0.350 1.982 1.100 0.053 1.218 0.075 0.171 0.110 1.119 0.654

53.53 2.99 5.51 0.52 3.04 9.10 0.28 1.60 2.27 2.74

Latest PE 26.2 -ve -ve 8.6 11.4 25.1 16.7 11.6 7.1 14.0

% change 4.59 4.65 1.29 15.86 5.20 10.23 0.03 10.13 20.91 1.15 0.94 1.00 5.89 2.91 1.39 0.92 3.78 1.71 5.98 0.01

Million Taka 28.37 15.01 4.68 87.84 147.34 166.80 200.01 51.44 277.58 2.67 269.02 7.96 23.61 24.01 5.22 2.63 25.39 20.95 39.43 0.38

CSE

% change 2.03 1.07 0.33 6.27 10.52 11.91 0.00 14.28 3.67 19.82 0.19 19.21 0.57 1.69 1.71 0.37 0.19 1.81 1.50 2.82 0.03

Company Bangladesh Lamps -A In Tech Online -A ACI Formulations-A Agni Systems -A Central Pharm-A Rahima Food -Z Wata Chemicals -A Shahjibazar Power-N Islami Ins.BD-A Rangpur Foundry -A

10.00 10.00 9.92 9.74 9.33 9.29 8.63 7.46 7.37 6.97

Average (% Change) 9.59 10.23 9.92 7.12 7.12 9.24 6.33 7.61 5.99 6.97

From TradeServers:

124.05 120.21 33.33 44.13 16.43 40.34 17.90 518.17 26.61 202.22

ClosingAvg. 121.70 16.38 123.00 33.40 40.46 44.70 243.54 764.23 23.02 105.90

Closing 124.60 123.60 33.70 44.20 16.40 40.80 18.20 531.20 26.50 202.20

Closing 122.10 16.50 123.00 33.80 41.00 44.70 245.50 767.30 23.30 105.90

DHIGH 124.60 123.60 33.70 44.30 16.60 41.30 18.40 534.20 27.10 205.00

DHIGH 122.10 16.50 123.00 33.80 41.20 44.90 245.70 767.30 23.30 105.90

11.72/17.66.

AIMS1STMF: The Fund has informed that it has credited the reinvestment units for the year ended on June 30, 2014 to the respective unit holders' BO Accounts on September 10, 2014.

IPO Subscription: Hamid Fabrics Limited subscription date 28 September to 02 October 2014, NRB upto 11 October 2014. @ taka 35, face value taka 10 and market lot 100.

GRAMEENS2: The Fund has informed that it has credited the reinvestment units for the year ended on June 30, 2014 to the respective unit holders' BO Accounts on September 10, 2014.

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.

GRAMEEN1: The Fund has informed that it has credited the reinvestment units for the year ended on June 30, 2014 to the respective unit holders' BO Accounts on September 10, 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.

CENTRALPHL: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on September 15, 2014 at 3:30 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on June 30, 2014.

DESHBANDHU: 10% stock, EGM & AGM: 19.10.2014, Record date for AGM & EGM: 21.09.2014.

Diluted Net Asset Value (NAV) (after reinvestment adjustment) cost price basis/ current (09-Sep) market price (TK.): AIMS1STMF 26.18/34.79, GRAMEEN1 16.79/28.17 and GRAMEENS2

DLOW 108.00 110.00 27.70 41.90 13.60 36.00 15.60 485.00 22.50 195.00

DLOW 118.00 14.00 123.00 28.00 38.80 43.00 236.10 749.00 22.90 105.90

Turnover in Million 81.304 13.604 93.366 5.031 16.584 152.415 44.813 97.514 6.479 0.182

Turnover in Million 1.071 1.700 2.451 5.056 9.064 1.095 0.438 8.636 0.058 0.053

Latest EPS

Latest PE

3.36 1.12 1.27 -1.01 -0.88 2.09 0.49 5.87 1.43 22.19

36.9 107.3 26.2 -ve -ve 19.3 36.5 88.3 18.6 9.1

Latest EPS

Latest PE

1.12 -0.88 3.36 1.27 2.09 -1.01 6.20 3.04 1.70 3.20

108.7 -ve 36.6 26.3 19.4 -ve 39.3 251.4 13.5 33.1

Dividend/AGM

SINGERBD: 160% interim cash, Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 17.09.2014.

MHSML: 25% stock, AGM: 30.10.2014, Record date: 25.09.2014.

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.

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 APEXSPINN: 20% cash, AGM: 28.09.2014, Record date: 07.08.2014.

26.2 16.6 27.0 28.9 20.6 13.7 93.8 4.2 13.9 9.3

Company

Total

Closing (% Change)

ClosingAvg.

News, analysis and recent disclosers

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS

Million Taka 320.83 311.32 86.94 1097.96 478.70 818.22 1.61 844.93 1383.10 369.15 75.71 328.82 71.73 398.59 209.06 93.82 61.50 266.01 129.89 420.47 0.84

9.97 9.96 9.77 9.68 8.61 8.51 7.69 6.95 6.43 6.42

Average (% Change) 9.62 7.35 7.00 8.77 9.90 6.86 3.71 3.41 5.72 6.43

Latest PE

Negative performers, banks, non-life insurance and telecommunication edged lower

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

16,978

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

▲

Closing (% Change)

CSE GAINER

Number of Contract

Weekly capital market highlights

Company

Thursday, September 11, 2014

% change 4.13 4.01 1.12 14.13 6.16 10.53 0.02 10.88 17.80 4.75 0.97 4.23 0.92 5.13 2.69 1.21 0.79 3.42 1.67 5.41 0.01

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

BEXIMCO Ltd. -A MJL BD Ltd.-A LafargeS Cement-Z ACI Limited- A Shurwid Ind. -N Singer BD -A Renata Ltd. -A Grameenphone-A Square Pharma -A Beximco Pharma -A

Central Pharm-A BSRM Steels-A Bangas -A Agni Systems -A Khulna Printing-N

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Shurwid Ind. -N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Singer BD -A Tung Hai Knitting -N Grameenphone-A UNITED AIR-A LafargeS Cement-Z Khulna Printing-N FarEast Knitting -N Central Pharm-A

UCBL - A Shahjibazar Power-N BD Submarine Cable-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Appollo Ispat CL -N

VolumeShares 6,481,884 1,985,983 1,842,500 603,426 4,124,000 857,190 197,050 547,200 675,594 2,794,385

Value in Million 270.05 229.19 228.81 228.42 212.98 203.25 193.54 185.97 157.39 154.89

% of TotalTurnover 4.24 3.60 3.59 3.59 3.34 3.19 3.04 2.92 2.47 2.43

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

3,777,950 1,557,253 188,189 2,801,288 2,764,000

637,000 785,355 93,147 763,500 50,200 1,158,565 101,500 363,500 250,400 224,000

333,239 11,300 58,380 70,914 280,000

152.42 146.64 97.51 93.37 90.89

33.18 32.74 22.17 20.56 17.03 14.64 12.62 11.91 10.07 9.06

8.66 8.64 8.35 8.16 7.96

2.39 2.30 1.53 1.47 1.43

7.23 7.13 4.83 4.48 3.71 3.19 2.75 2.59 2.19 1.97

1.89 1.88 1.82 1.78 1.73

ClosingP 41.80 115.90 123.60 384.50 52.60 234.90 998.70 338.00 232.40 55.20

40.80 93.50 531.20 33.70 31.90

ClosingP

52.50 41.80 235.60 26.30 337.20 12.50 123.20 31.90 39.80 41.00

26.10 767.30 142.10 115.90 28.40

Change % 4.24 3.11 2.40 5.46 -1.87 -2.49 3.36 -0.27 -0.81 3.37

8.51 0.00 6.95 9.77 -4.20

Change %

1.35 3.72 -3.20 -1.50 -0.12 1.63 1.73 -4.20 -1.97 9.33

1.95 7.46 -2.40 3.30 -1.05

ClosingY 40.10 112.40 120.70 364.60 53.60 240.90 966.20 338.90 234.30 53.40

37.60 93.50 496.70 30.70 33.30

ClosingY

51.80 40.30 243.40 26.70 337.60 12.30 121.10 33.30 40.60 37.50

25.60 714.00 145.60 112.20 28.70

DHIGH

DLOW

43.00 116.70 125.20 389.00 56.00 241.30 1020.00 342.10 235.70 56.70

36.10 101.20 122.80 332.70 48.00 220.00 920.00 335.40 220.00 48.10

41.30 96.30 534.20 33.70 34.10

36.00 91.00 485.00 27.70 31.50

DHIGH

DLOW

55.90 44.20 264.00 27.80 342.20 12.90 125.90 34.00 41.40 41.20

47.30 37.00 223.00 26.20 336.00 11.80 122.60 31.60 39.50 38.80

26.30 767.30 146.00 116.50 28.90

24.00 749.00 140.00 101.00 28.20

AvgPrice 41.66 115.40 124.19 378.54 51.64 237.11 982.18 339.86 232.97 55.43

40.34 94.17 518.17 33.33 32.88

AvgPrice

52.09 41.68 238.00 26.93 339.33 12.63 124.31 32.76 40.22 40.46

25.98 764.23 143.08 115.07 28.45

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Carmakers shouldn’t scare off drivers with new features n Reuters, Detroit Ford Motor Co Executive Chairman Bill Ford said new technologies that allow cars to talk to each other and drive themselves may scare some people, so the industry will need to allow consumers to opt out of such features.

"A lot of this really cool technology ... kind of freaks some people out," he said on Monday at an "intelligent transportation" conference here.

"Some people hear 'autonomous driving,' and say 'Oh my God, I never want to get into that vehicle,'" he added, referring to self-driving technology.

"Other people say, 'I don’t want my car talking to other cars. That's terrible.'

We have to do this thoughtfully."

Ford said privacy issues will be important as connected and self-driving vehicles are developed to reduce traffic deaths and congestion. "We believe, at Ford, that opting in is important so people do have that comfort.”

Automakers are racing to develop such features as cars that apply brakes automatically when they sense an impending collision or slow down because a vehicle ahead on the highway has warned that traffic has stopped.

In addition, Internet search company Google Inc is developing the technology for a completely driverless car.

General Motors Co said on Sunday that it will introduce a car in 2016 that communicates with other vehicles and will also introduce a vehicle that incorporates semi-automated hands-free

driving technology.

Bill Ford told the audience he saw an accident on Sunday in which a man who was texting while driving hit a tree. Some features will help avoid that situation, but most automakers have said a vehicle like Google's driverless car remains far off in the future.

"Right now, you have to have eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and it’s going to be that way for a while," Ford said. "Even as we start putting in a lot of these features that will assist you, the driver still has to be vigilant and in control."

When the industry evolves to the point where Google's planned technology is feasible, it will not seem a big deal because these new features will have been added gradually over time, he said.

But the technologies are coming as world population grows and more people move to cities, Ford said. "You cannot shove two cars in every garage in Mumbai. In fact, it’s preposterous."

The ultimate vision is all forms of transportation on a single network communicating with each other, he said. The industry has to collaborate to make it work, however, as you cannot have Ford vehicles talking only with other Fords.

He also said he thinks electricpowered cars are "probably the way to go,” but an over-reliance on coal-fired plants to power pure electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles is not the ideal solution. l

A sensor is seen spinning atop a Google self-driving vehicle before a presentation at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California

REUTERS

Tech giants bet on 'smart home' revolution Rocket Internet joins rush

Tofail urges India

n AFP, Berlin

NTMs have, therefore, remained a concern for both exporters and importers in developing countries.

Executive Director of South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (Sanem) Dr Selim Raihan, one of three authors of the report, made a slide show presentation on the report.

In his speech, Tofail recounted several agreements signed with India during his previous term as commerce minister to remove trade barriers. “But they were not fully implemented.”

He quoted an Indian leader at that time who said: “It’s not we who run the country, it is the patriotic bureaucrats that do the job. We take decisions and the bureaucrats implement them.”

Tofail Ahmed said there is no doubt that trade barriers still exist in South Asia, which are killing trade potentials in the region. “The current trade flow is nothing significant compared to potentials,” he said.

On Japan, the minister said the leading Japanese firms have expressed their interest to invest in Bangladesh.

“The government is ready to facilitate the investment.” The business leaders lamented that their business is being impeded by non-tariff measures.

The report explored how NTMs are becoming barriers for trade. The researchers talked to several public and private organisations, government offices, research organisations and trade bodies.

Four SAARC countries including Bangladesh have opened specialised desks to regularly monitor NTMs and others are expected to replicate such desks. l

It's long been the stuff of science fiction, but tech giants hope the "smart home", where gadgets talk to each other and the fridge orders the milk, will soon become reality.

The futuristic vision of wireless domestic bliss that puts people and their smartphones or tablets at the centre of an "Internet of Things" is a key theme at this year's IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin.

Industry titans such as Google, Samsung and Apple have been battling for an early lead in the race to create the Internet-connected household, a market they expect to grow into the next multi-billion-dollar tech revolution.

The smart home is heading "towards a mass-market reality", said Lisa Arrowsmith of market research firm IHS. The new driving force, she said, is "the rise of the smartphone and its role as a common user interface to allow remote and in-home control of devices such as thermostats, smart plugs or security systems".

Talk of creating the "automated home" has been around since at least the 1980s, but was hobbled by technical hurdles, from tangled cables to costly interfaces and compatibility problems between appliance manufacturers.

Now the dream is back with a vengeance as companies foresee a world of synced devices, where motorists remotely switch on the heating as they drive home, and holidaymakers watch over their houses from the beach with

security camera footage.

At the IFA in Berlin, South Korea's Samsung presented its 2020 vision of the "house of the future", replete with a hologram chef who gives step-by-step cooking instructions, and digital sports coaches that keep an eye on your morning workout.

"For many it's still just a vision, but change is coming and it's coming fast," promised Samsung Electronics co-CEO Boo-Keun "BK" Yoon.

'The rise of the smartphone and its role as a common user interface to allow remote and in-home control of devices such as thermostats, smart plugs or security systems' "Just remember how quickly, in just a few years, smartphones and tablets have changed our lives."

'Internet of Things'

To add innovation muscle to its smart home push, Samsung in August bought the US start-up SmartThings, which is developing apps to link up electric devices and household appliances, for a reported 200m dollars (155m euros).

The move came after Google in January paid a jaw-dropping 3.2bn dollars for Nest Labs, which makes fire alarms

CTO (Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation) Forum 2014 has recently been held in Dhaka, where Ericsson Bangladesh was a part of the networked society. Al Batuni Sayed Ahmed, vice president at Ericsson Bangladesh Ltd and Emanuel Viklund, vice president at Business Unit Support Solutions of Ericsson have spoken at the event among others

Jamuna Bank Limited has recently organised a daylong conference named BAMLCO 2014, on prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing in Dhaka. The bank’s managing director and CEO Shafiqul Alam inaugurated the conference as chief guest

and sophisticated thermostats that save energy and can detect whether people are at home or out.

"The Internet of Things is the breakthrough that was needed to make the smart home possible," said Annette Zimmermann of IT research and advisory company Gartner Research.

Last year some 17 million home automation devices were sold, according to analysts at ABI Research, which predicts their number will top half a billion units by 2018.

Big industry players are now battling to establish the dominant platform for the intelligent home.

Among them is Microsoft, which has already entered living rooms with its Xbox game console that can sense movement and speech via its Kinect system and is designed as a hub for online activity.

Apple recently presented the HomeKit, a platform to connect compatible devices and a space where software developers can create the necessary applications.

"Competition is fierce because the market is wide open," said Julien De Preaumont, marketing director of Withings, a pioneer in France that makes Internet-connected bathroom scales, home surveillance systems and other devices.

"Consumers are adopting new products, and it is their practices which will determine the future."

Electronics makers must still overcome consumer scepticism and convince people to part ways with their dumb toaster and dishwasher to embrace a life of total connectivity. l

of e-commerce listings n Reuters, Berlin German venture capital group Rocket Internet, which has launched dozens of online start-ups in recent years, announced plans yesterday to raise about 750m euros ($970m) by listing a stake as it rides a wave of e-commerce flotations.

The announcement comes just a week after Zalando, Europe's biggest online fashion player that Rocket helped launch, also announced its intention to float, meaning the two companies will be competing for investors at the same time.

The Berlin-based group said in a statement the offer would consist solely of new shares, proceeds of which it would use to finance growth through launching new businesses and providing more capital to its existing companies.

A flurry of e-commerce flotations is expected to be capped this month by China's Alibaba, whose initial public offering is expected to be the biggest ever technology listing, surpassing Facebook Inc's $16bn listing in 2012.

Rocket Internet is bidding to create the largest internet empire outside the United States and China. It wants to replicate the success of Amazon. com Inc and Alibaba in markets the US and Chinese e-commerce groups have yet to dominate, such as Africa, Latin America, Russia and other parts of Asia.

Founded in 2007 by brothers Oli-

ver, Alexander and Marc Samwer, Rocket is active in more than 100 countries, making revenue of $1bn in 2013 via e-commerce and online marketplaces for everything from taxis to meal deliveries.

The Rocket and Zalando listings are the biggest technology offerings in Germany since the bursting of the dot-com bubble more than a decade ago and the Rocket flotation would be the biggest in Europe since Russia's Yandex in 2011.

Rocket Internet is expected to appeal more to technology or emerging market funds, and Zalando to those looking for exposure to booming ecommerce in Europe. Zalando hopes to raise more than 500m euros by listing a stake of between 10 and 11%.

Rocket said it planned to apply for its shares to be listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange via the "entry standard" - which requires less detailed financial information of listed companies than the "general" or "prime" standard that Rocket said it hoped to move to within the next 18 to 24 months.

Rocket has only released limited financial details so far. Its top 10 ecommerce ventures - including fashion sites like Lamoda in Russia and Dafiti in Brazil, plus online furniture stores Home24 and Westwing - together made sales of 743 million euros in 2013 and had an operating loss of 431.6 million, according to figures from major Swedish investor AB Kinnevik. l

 B1 COLUMN 4

General manager, Bishnu Pada Saha, and Sadril Ahmed, deputy director of debt management department of Bangladesh Bank along with Ashim Kumar Saha, head of treasury at NCC Bank Ltd have recently met the officials of Directorate General of Debt Management under Ministry of Finance, Indonesia at Jakarta, as a part of ADB’s efforts to reform Bangladesh’s primary dealer system

Skaikh Abdul Aziz, managing director and CEO of Uttara Bank Limited has recently addressed at a daylong programme on prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing in Mymensingh

Mercantile Bank Limited (MBL) and SSL Wireless have recently signed an agreement at the bank’s head office on providing MYCash account holder a facility to purchase goods from SSL Wireless affiliated different e-commerce websites. The bank’s deputy managing director, Md Quamrul Islam Chowdhury and Sayeeful Islam, MD of SSL Wireless have signed the agreement

The inaugural of Omera Fuels Limited’s tank terminal with a storage capacity of 70,000 metric tons has recently been inaugurated by Nasrul Hamid, State Minister, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. Chairperson of East Coast Group, Azam J Chowdhury and Asif Malik, MD of Omera Fuels Limited, a sister concern of MJL Bangladesh Ltd were also present at the ceremony

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Apple charts new course with large iPhones, smartwatch n AFP, San Francisco Apple moved to recapture its role as a tech trend-setter on Tuesday with its highly anticipated first smartwatch and two large-screen versions of the iPhone.

With the debuts of Apple Watch and iPhone 6 models stretched to fit a hot "phablet" trend, the California company delivered what rumors had predicted leading up to the event.

The Apple Watch, a sleek wrist device that links to the iPhone, "will redefine what people expect from this category," chief executive Tim Cook said at a carefully staged presentation in Apple's hometown Cupertino, California.

Market tracker IHS saw Apple as aiming to reset the wearable computing market the way it transformed the world of smartphones with the release of the iPhone.

"But moving into a new category is a bold, expensive and risky effort," IHS said in an initial analysis of the Apple announcements.

Despite an array of smartwatch releases, no one seems to have found the key to the market, according to analyst Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies.

Syncing Apple Watch capabilities to iPhones also means that the overall cost of strapping one on could near $1,000, Kay noted.

"I'm not getting the impression that Apple has nailed the category," Kay told AFP. The latest Apple announcement failed to move Wall Street, with stock in the computer titan closing down by 0.4% and slipping a touch further in after-market trades.

'Welcome to the party'

The iPhone 6 models boost screen sizes in what some see as the company catching up to a "phablet" trend combining features of smartphones and tablets.

"Bigger screen. Better performance.

Elegant design. Welcome to the party #iPhone 6," Taiwan-based smartphone rival HTC said in a message fired Apple's way on Twitter.

Apple's main rival Samsung has long had a range of larger handsets and has tried to market a smartwatch of its own.

LG recently released a large-screen flagship G3 model with cameras tricked out to delight selfie-loving smartphone users.

The iPhone 6 will have a screen of 4.7 inches and the 6-Plus will be 5.5 inches, allowing Apple to adapt to consumers' apparent preference for bigger displays.

The new iPhone 6 will start at the same price of existing iPhones at $199 for US customers while the iPhone 6 Plus will be at $299 with a two-year contract.

'We invented intimate ways to connect and communicate directly from your wrist; it works seamlessly with iPhone and it is also a comprehensive health and fitness device' Apple said the devices would be available in at least 115 countries by the end of the year and that it will begin taking orders for iPhone 6 models on Friday.

Paying with a tap

Apple also added a mobile wallet, which Cook said would replace an "antiquated payment process" with a new system that allows consumers to touch their phones to retail terminals to pay.

The new payment system will be built into the new iPhones and the upgraded Apple's operating system called iOS 8. Cook introduced Apple Watch with the "one more thing" introduction that was a trademark of iconic Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

"It is the next chapter in Apple's story," Cook said of the company's first new product category since the death of Jobs in 2011.

"We invented intimate ways to connect and communicate directly from your wrist; it works seamlessly with iPhone and it is also a comprehensive

Apple gives NFC chip technology a prized seal of approval n Reuters, San Francisco Apple Inc's long-awaited launch of tapto-pay technology in its new iPhones and smartwatch may be the seal of approval that near-field communication technology needs to become as commonplace as wifi, Bluetooth and GPS. Called NFC, the technology lets smartphones communicate wirelessly with other devices such as point-of-sale terminals by holding them together. While proponents have argued for years that it is ideal for secure payment systems that could eventually replace credit cards, none have taken off.

At a gala event on Tuesday, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook uncorked Apple's attempt at mobile payments, called Apple Pay, using NFC chips built into the company's two new iPhones and Apple Watch.

NXP Semiconductors NV's dominates the market for NFC chips with Broadcom Corp accounting for much of the remainder. Chipmakers including Qualcomm, MediaTek Inc and Marvell Technology Group Ltd have their own NFC offerings and will have a chance to stake out more significant market share if Apple sets off an explosion in mobile payments.

Samsung, Motorola and other manufacturers already include NFC in many Android smartphones, and some mobile-payment inroads have been made in Asia. But with major payment systems like Google's Wallet failing to catch on, the technology has remained far from standard in handsets. Now, trend-setter Apple's adoption of NFC looks likely to provide the technology the long-needed respect it needs.

"Apple not supporting it always called some people to question its viability,� said James Anderson, senior vice president of mobile and emerging payments at MasterCard, which supports Apple Pay. "All those questions have gone away now. I expect NFC will be the predominant technology for point-of-sale payments between a smart device and a merchant terminal.�

Manufacturers included NFC chips in about 300 million smartphones last year, equivalent to around a third of all smartphones shipped. The number of NFC-enabled phones this year is expected to keep growing and reach around 550 million devices, helped by Apple's devices and an expanding number of Android gadgets, Gartner analyst Mark Hung estimates.

As well as phones, NFC technology is being built into point-of-sale devices, video game consoles and medical tools.

Shipments of NFC chips are expected to reach 1.64 billion units in 2018, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli.

NXP's stock surged 16% in the past month as investors bet the Dutch company's chips would be used by Apple. NXP, which declined to comment, already supplies sensor coprocessors for the iPhone.

Selling NFC and related security chips for the iPhone could mean an extra $230m in revenue for NXP next year, according to Pacific Crest analyst John Vinh.

Need for chips to secure data The use of NFC for mobile payments also opens the door to selling more "secure element" chips used to safeguard vital credentials like account numbers.

"For there to be a full payment solution there needs to be not only an NFC radio but also a secure element chip, which obviously increases the dollar content opportunity for chipmakers like NXP, but also provides a more robust and secure solutions for the mobile payments industry," Vinh said. Chipmakers ST Microelectronics and Infineon Technologies have a strong presence in secure element components and have plenty of scalability should the technology take off, said IHS iSuppli analyst Don Tait.

NXP had a 59% share of the NFC chip market last year, but rivals are ramping up their own offerings. Broadcom has a third of the market and is integrating NFC features onto "combo" chips already packed with wifi, Bluetooth and GPS. l

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during an Apple special event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday in Cupertino, California. Apple unveiled the Apple Watch wearable tech and two new iPhones, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus AFP health and fitness device."

Apple watch will start at $349 when it is released early next year, according to Cook. The smartwatch will work with iPhone 5 and newer models.

But some analysts said the delayed rollout could be a problem for Apple.

With no Apple Watch on shelves for the Christmas shopping season, people hankering for a smartwatches may turn to those offered by Samsung, Motorola or other Apple rivals, reasoned analyst

Rob Enderle of Enderle Group in Silicon Valley. "Once Apple announces something, people want it; and there lies the danger," Enderle said.

"People don't leave IOUs under the tree for Christmas."

Consumers typically have less cash to spend on accessories like Apple Watch after the holidays.

While Apple Watch has touchscreen capabilities, many controls were designed into a "digital crown" button

so fingers do not block screens.

Sensors can detect a wearer's pulse, and the device syncs with locationsensing features in iPhones to provide a "comprehensive picture of activity" and help work toward fitness goals.

Applications for the watch include map software that guides the wearer to destinations with gentle "taps" on the wrist.

Apple showed off programs for checking into American Airlines flights,

Moody's negative on Brazil in new blow to Rousseff n AFP, Rio De Janeiro Ratings agency Moody's lowered its outlook for Brazil Tuesday, in the latest blow to President Dilma Rousseff's economic record, just weeks before voters decide if she will be re-elected.

Moody's dropped its outlook for the world's seventh largest economy from stable to negative just over a week after Brazil was declared in recession.

Now, as the country prepares to go to the polls on October 5, the US-based agency warned that "sustained low growth and worsening debt metrics" could see Brazil's credit rating cut.

Observers like financial analyst Felipe Queiroz said the downgrade reflects the failure of Brazil's macroeconomic policies.

"Inflation is high, growth low and there are no expectations of an improvement," Queiroz told AFP. "There is also 'creative' accounting, with transfers of state firms' balance sheets to the public sphere to give a rosier picture."

Marked deterioration

Moody's cited sustained poor growth, forecasting "little sign of a return to potential in the near term," coupled with

"a marked deterioration in investor sentiment." The agency nonetheless confirmed a Baa2 government bond rating for Latin America's largest economy.

And it noted Brazil's "continued resilience to external financial shocks given its international reserve buffers" and its "large and diversified economy."

The finance ministry shrugged off the outlook downgrade, insisting that in the second half of the year the problems assailing a country with "a solid economy" would recede amid "a gradual recovery" through 2015.

But social democratic opposition candidate Aecio Neves, trailing a distant third in the polls, said in a statement that Moody's move shows that Brazil's economic and social gains are being put at risk by wrong economic policy decisions."

Following Moody's decision the Sao Paulo stock market ended the day at 58,676 points, having shed 0.87%.

Rousseff is battling to see off environmentalist rival Marina Silva, who polls show is on course to narrowly beat her in a October 26 run-off. Silva, an activist turned senator, would be Brazil's first black president.

A Tuesday poll showed a virtual dead heat, accounting for poll margins

of error.

Rio University economist Margarida Gutierrez said: "There is a deterioration in macroeconomic fundamentals.

"Inflation is rising, there is no growth, the external deficit can only grow and public accounts are in a mess" to the degree that "nobody knows the size of the public deficit," he told AFP. Moody's forecast that GDP will this year grow by less than 1%, its lowest advance since 2009, and will fall short of 2% in 2015.

Having endured four straight years of faltering growth, Brazil is now barely set to grow at all this year, with the country's Central Bank citing a rate of just 0.48%.

The government has itself had to halve an initial projection of 1.8%, blaming the global economic crisis.

GDP had by contrast soared 7.5% in 2010.

Moody's suggested falling investment was due to "perception about the interventionist approach of the current administration," leaving confidence indicators stuck at record lows.

Another negative factor is upward pressure on prices, with the inflation rate hovering around the 6.5% ceiling of the official target range. l

DILBERT

The new Mercedes-AMG-GT sports car is presented by German Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg during a presentation event at German car manufacturer Mercedes-AMG GmbH facilities in Affalterbach near Stuttgart on Tuesday AFP

unlocking Starwood hotel room doors, and even controlling home lighting or temperature.

Forrester analyst Frank Gillett believed Apple appeared poised to revitalize wearable computing but that it could take longer to catch on than the iPhone or the iPad. "Because so many others have hit this so hard, it is not going to be the runaway like the iPhone or the iPad," Gillett said. l

BOJ's Iwata upbeat on economy, unfazed by post tax hike slump n Reuters, Kanazawa Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Kikuo Iwata yesterday reiterated policymakers' conviction that the economy can recover from a deep slump, saying that households and companies will boost spending as the pain from an April sales tax hike eases.

Iwata acknowledged that weak exports and the rising burden on households from the tax hike were among risks to the outlook, but said a pick-up in global demand and wages will keep the world's third-largest economy on track for a moderate recovery.

"The recovery in consumption has been patchy ... But taken together, it is gradually recovering. It's not as if household spending is headed for a deep dive," he told a news conference after meeting business leaders in Kanazawa, a city in Ishikawa prefecture in central Japan.

"We're on track to meeting our price target," he said, suggesting that he saw no need to expand monetary stimulus any time soon to ease the pain from the tax hike.

Japan's economy shrank an annualized 7.1% in April-June from the previous quarter, the biggest contraction since the global financial crisis in 2009, due to the hit from the sales tax hike in April.

That has heightened doubts in markets that the BOJ can accelerate consumer inflation, now around 1.3%, toward its 2% target next year.

However, Iwata countered the view that wage rises have been slow despite the BOJ's massive monetary stimulus, saying that it takes time for companies - long used to deflation and hesitant to increase wages - to consider raising base salary.

He also disagreed with many analysts that consumer inflation will slow as the boost from the weak yen begins to fade, saying that there was no strong historical co-relation between the yen and price moves.

A weak yen may briefly push up prices by boosting import costs but that alone cannot accelerate inflation in the long run as households, hit by higher prices of imported goods, will withhold spending on other items, Iwata said.

As demand weakens for these goods, firms will be forced to cut prices, he added. l