20 Oct, 2014

Kartik 5, 1421 Zilhajjj 24, 1435 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 196

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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B1 | BUSINESS

9 | WORLD

11 | OP-ED

13 | SPORT

‘BANGLADESH TO BECOME POVERTY-FREE BY 2021’

MODI’S BJP MAKES BIG GAINS IN TWO STATE POLLS

WHAT IF OUR STRATEGY FAILS?

JUBAIR BREAKS IN TIGERS’ TEST SQUAD

Militant funding suspected as Tk20cr wired from London A Pakistani sends the money from Barclays Bank to a Janata Bank account of Maizbhandar mosque n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong A Pakistani national has recently deposited about Tk20 crore in an account of Laldighi branch of Janata Bank in Chittagong through the Barclays Bank in London, raising suspicion of funding for Islamist militants.

The account was opened in the name of Maizbhandar Sharif Shah-eJame Mosjid Directors and Development Committee.

However, mosque committee President Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizbhandari, also lawmaker of Chittagong

None has so far been arrested in this connection till the filing of this report 2 constituency (Fatikchhari) and chairman of Bangaldesh Tariqat Federation, alleged that two members of the committee had opened the account forging his and other members’ signatures.

He also claimed that General Secretary SMS Shahjahan Maizbhndari and Chief Treasurer SM Sahidul Alam had opened the account with the Janata Bank Laldighi branch in May this year.

The account was opened with an ill motive to defame the reputation of Maizbhandar Sharif as well as his political ideology. The fund could be used for militant activities, he cautioned.

“We informed law enforcement and intelligence agencies and Janata Bank authorities about the matter soon after the deposit of a cheque of £1.5 million

DB identifies militant leader behind sleeper cells n Mohammad Jamil Khan The Detective Branch of police has claimed that the prime suspect of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider’s murder was also one of the militant leaders who recently directed three JMB sleeper cells to kill two teachers in the capital.

Investigators said Ansarullah Bangla Team leader Redwanul Azad Rana, who hailed from Feni’s Daganbhuiyan upazila and was a charge sheet enlisted accused in blogger Rajib’s murder case, was one of the “senior leaders” who masterminded the plan on attacking the Monipur High School teachers.

“Rana, who instructed to kill blogger Rajib and attack blogger Asif Mohiuddin, also made the plan to attack two teachers of Monipur School”, Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB police, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

He added that two other killings were masterminded by Rana, who was inspired to become a militant after  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

in Barclays Bank’s PLC branch located in Business Centre on 240 White Chapel Road in London, UK, by the unknown Pakistani citizen,” he added.

On May 14, lawmaker Nazibul sent a written complaint to the Chittagong Metropolitan Police commissioner, Rapid Action Battalion 7 commanding officer, director generals of National Security Intelligence (NSI) and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and the chairman and managing director of Janata Bank head office.

The Dhaka Tribune has obtained the copy of the letter which mentions that Shahjahan opened the bank account forging the signatures of the lawmaker and other members of the committee and attempted to bring a large amount of money with ulterior motives.

According to the complaint, Inspector (Investigation) Nezam Uddin of Kotwali police station lodged a case with the then Metropolitan Sessions Judge SM Mujibur Rahman on May 19 seeking investigation into the matter.

Taking the case into cognisance the Chittagong court ordered to seize all the documents of the bank account.

Inspector Nezam said they had already seized the documents, including the Barclays Bank’s £1.5 million cheque as per the court order.

“Police investigation is almost complete. However, this type of case will be looked into by the Anti-Corruption Commission as per the law. So, we should forward the case to the ACC by a day or two,” he said.

Didarul Alam, assistant general manager (foreign section) of Janata Bank’s  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

A Chhatra Dal activist, injured by a crude bomb blast, is being dragged away by one of his associates following an altercation that broke out between supporters of the newly formed Chhatra Dal central committee and the student leaders who were deprived a place in the body. Law enforcers played a silent role when the clash broke out in front of the BNP headquarters in Nayapaltan MEHEDI HASAN

Ruckus at BNP office over JCD committee n Mohammad Al-masum Molla The agitation of the deprived and aggrieved Chhatra Dal leaders turned into a violent clash yesterday leaving a dozen injured and a number of senior leaders assaulted.

The skirmish halted the traffic movement in Nayapaltan area for more than an hour.

Post-deprived JCD leaders padlocked the main gate of the BNP’s central office confining some senior BNP leaders, including party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Jubo Dal President Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Student Affairs

Secretary Sahiduddin Chowhdury Annie and Dhaka city unit BNP Member Secretary Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel were also confined to the party office.

Not only the senior leaders but also the new committee leaders who entered the party office around 6am after they broke open the door put under lock and key on Saturday were also inside the office with senior leaders.

The situation worsened as the deprived leaders adamantly opposed the new committee and demanded expulsion of Annie and former student leader Sulatn Salahuddin Tuku.

Fakhrul then invited their representatives to talk with him just before the Magrib prayer.

Fakhrul and five leaders of JCD dissident group held an hour-long meeting where Annie was not present and the deprived leaders said they got assurance from Fakhrul that their demands will be conveyed to party Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Deprived leader Rakibul Islam Royal said they had postponed their agitation programmes until Monday.

“The acting secretary general told us that our demands will be conveyed to the chairperson and her decision will be informed on Monday,” he said.

Deprived JCD leaders Rakibul Islam Royal, Tariqul Islam Titu, Moshiur Rahman Mishu, Shamsuzzaman Khokan and Rafiqul Islam held meeting

Australian oil and gas exploration company Santos is set to drill a new well in Magnama structure under the shallow Block 16 in the Bay of Bengal for fossil fuels after it activities were for shut down for a year.

4 | News

The High Court is set to hear today the arguments in response to its ruling on distribution of vitamin A capsules among children below five years of age.

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

‘Do not confuse Islam with terrorism’ Ministry moves to bar n war criminals’ clemency Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community not to confuse Islam with terrorism.

She made this comment at the recently concluded Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) held in Milan on October 16-17.

“She made a strong statement on terrorism in ASEM summit and said it is the enemy of development,” Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali quoted Hasina as saying at a press briefing at the ministry yesterday.

Hasina urged the global community not to identify terrorists on the basis of religion or nation, he said.

“The prime minister said terrorism can be curbed by a great deal if global arms trade can be controlled.”

The soil of Bangladesh will not be allowed to use for terrorist activities against any country, Mahmood said quoting the prime minister.

Terrorism has become a burning issue in recent times after the emergence of Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) that has created anarchy in Syria and Iraq.

The global leaders discussed the ISIL issue in the ASEM retreat where

Terrorism can be curbed by a great deal if global arms trade can be controlled

demand for free movement of people between Asia and Europe, Mahmood said.

“When we are talking about connectivity between Asia and Europe we must consider free movement of people from one country to another,” the minister quoted Hasina.

About 10 million Bangladeshis are working abroad and the remittance they send contribute to the economy of the country, Mahmood said.

“Bangladesh is working with Sweden and Switzerland to incorporate migration issue in the post-2015 development agenda.”

n Mohosinul Karim

The minister said Bangladesh is ready to host the 9th Global Forum of Migration and Development (GFMD) next year.

In the forum meeting, over 100 expatriate ministers and about 1,000 foreign experts, academicians and NGO activists will take part.

The prime minister has flagged the

Bangladesh has drawn the attention of global leaders to the danger of climate change and urged them to take the responsibilities to finance and implement different projects, Mahmood said.

Cyclones, floods and tidal surge frequently hit the coastal belt every year and due to rise in the sea level about 30 million people lose their homesteads.

The prime minister also had meetings with German chancellor, prime ministers of Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Greece. l

The Law Ministry has taken an initiative to amend the necessary provisions for barring war criminals from seeking presidential clemency.

Although it was not yet decided on how the bar would be introduced, Law Minister Anisul Haq yesterday said it might be imposed by amending the provision of the constitution or the ICT act.

The minister made the comments to reporters at his office after a faction of Gonojagoron Moncho, led by Imran H Sarker, handed a three-point memorandum to the ministry.

In the memorandum, the Moncho urged the ministry to take quick steps to allow the state to file a review petition against the appeal verdict of war criminal Delawar Hossain Sayedee, amend the constitution to disqualify war criminals from seeking presidential clemency, and amend the ICT act to try Jamaat-e-Islami.

Regarding the issue of clemency, the minister said: “According to the

6 | Nation

12 | Entertainment

14 | Sport

Hasina said Bangladesh opposes all forms of terrorism.

Bangladesh believes in territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Iraq and Syria and wants to see a peaceful solution in those countries, he said.

Earlier, the foreign minister made it clear that Bangladesh would only be engaged in Syria and Iraq crisis if the United Nations takes any humanitarian assistance programme in those countries.

Free movement of people

Climate change

INSIDE 3 | News

with Fakhrul, Rizvi, Alal and Sohel.

Annie was not allowed into the meeting room.

Earlier in the morning, new JCD President Rajib Ahsan and General Secretary Akramul Hasan along with some hundred leaders and activists entered the party and opened the JCD’s central office located on the 3rd floor of the BNP office.

The new committee leaders and activists took position in front of the party office and chanted slogans in support of the new committee and termed the rebels as agents of Awami League.

Around 12pm some hundred deprived JCD leaders and activists led by

5 | News

Dhaka residents have been facing a rise in mosquito numbers for the last few weeks as the two city corporation had failed to take measures in checking mosquito breeding.

7 | Book Review

A mathematician by training, Zia Haider Rahman’s debut novel is a literary masterpiece. It is a deeply unsettling novel where the protagonist’s ‘descent of hope’ reveals our loss of a shared humanity.

Indigenous farmers in the hilly district of Bandarban are passing a busy time harvesting the crop of Jhum cultivation. They are happy for the good yield this year.

The filming of ‘Sweetheart,’ starring Bappy Chowdhury and Bidya Sinha Mim, started following a curtain-raiser at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation yesterday.

Lionel Messi notched his 250th La Liga goal to move one off the all-time league scoring record as leaders Barcelona won 3-0 against Eibar on Saturday.

existing provision, the convicted war criminals may seek presidential mercy.

To me or the people of Bangladesh, it would be disappointing if any president granted mercy to the convicted war criminals.”

Pointing out that Jamaat leaders Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid had secured cabinet seats in the past, the minister cautioned that they could also take the scope of presidential mercy in the future. Such clemency would destroy the target of starting the war crime trials, he added.

“Keeping this in mind, we are thinking to impose bar on seeking clemency for the war criminals by amending the provisions. But we are yet to decide whether the provision of the constitution or the ICT act will be amended. It can be prohibited by amending the provision of both. A proposal for amending the provision to disqualify war criminals from seeking presidential clemency will soon be placed before the policymakers.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, October 20, 2014

Govt allots 3.13 lakh tonnes of rice for MPs, UZ chairmen n Mohosinul Karim The government has allocated 313,543 tonnes of rice under the Food for Works (FFW) and Test Relief (TR) programmes of the disaster management and relief ministry.

The allocations were given as special grants against 277 Members of Parliament (MPs) and 487 upazila (UZ) chairmen across the country.

According to the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry officials and allotment papers, 158,543 tonnes rice were given under FFW programmes to implement small projects on rural infrastructure development.

The rest – 155,000 tonnes rice – were allotted against the TR programme to implement such rural development projects.

According to the allotment paper, signed by the ministry’s Deputy Secretary Salma Jahan, the MPs of general seats each will get 300 tonnes of rice while the women MPs of reserved seats

Couple arrested with fake currencies n Manik Miazee Rapid Action Battalion 2 arrested a couple with huge quantity of fake currencies and materials used for making counterfeit dollars form capital’s Keraniganj yesterday. The arrestee are Shahadat Hossain Dulu, 25, and his wife Parveen Akther, 20, both active members of a syndicate involved with producing counterfeit currency.

The couple who had been involved with the business for long, used to make fake US dollars, Indian Rupees, Bangladeshi notes of Tk1000, Tk500 and Tk100 and fake revenue stamps using modern technology and distribute them countrywide, said Lt Colonel KM Azad of RAB 2, at a press briefing.

The recovered materials include 210 fake notes of Tk1000, 78 notes of Tk500, 18 notes of Indian rupee Rs500, 2,866 notes of US$100, fake passports of USA, Switzerland, UK, and Greece. l

each will get 100 tonnes of rice to implement the development works under the FFW programmes.

Same quantity of rice will be given against the MPs to implement the TR works in their constituencies.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya yesterday asked the divisional commissioners to cooperate on implementing the FFW and TR projects across the country.

The minister, in a meeting with the divisional commissioners held at his ministry yesterday, said, “The projects must be taken and implemented ensuring the standard. The divisional commissioners have to monitor and evaluate the projects properly.

He also informed them that the government has given an allocation of 8,000 tonnes rice against municipalities, 2,000 tonnes rice against the divisional commissioners and 3,200 tonnes rice against the deputy commissioners. Those will also be spent on the rural development. l

CID officials seal off an area by the Padma River where blood-stained dead body of one Liton Miya was seen yesterday. Liton Miya, hailing from Palianpur village of Jhenaidah, came to receive treatment at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital with his aunt on Saturday. Locals spot his body by the river yesterday and informed the law enforcers AZHAR UDDIN

Dhaka seeks consular access to rescued 'Bangladeshis'

35 people rescued from traffickers in Chittagong

n Tribune Report

n FM Mizanur Rahaman

Dhaka has sought consular access to 118 suspected Bangladeshis who were rescued by the Thai authorities this month.

“The Thai authorities have sent us a list of 118 persons who claimed that they are Bangladeshis. We sought consular access for taking their interviews,” Secretary (bilateral) of the Foreign Ministry Mustafa Kamal said at a press briefing yesterday.

If proven, the government would bring them back, he added.

During two operations in jungle this month, the Thai authorities rescued 134 people. Of them, 118 claimed that they were Bangladeshis while 16 to be Myanmar nationals.

From March until October, about 300 Bangladeshis were brought back from Thailand.

The government would also try to bring back 400 more verified Bangladeshis from Thailand by this year. l

Police in separate drives yesterday rescued 35 persons from Chittagong’s Bahaddarhat area and Railway Station area when they were being readied for being trafficked to Malaysia.

Police nabbed one trafficker, Idris, 32, hailing from Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar, said police sources.

Syed Abdur Rauf, officer-in-charge (OC) of Chandgaon police station, confirmed the incident saying all the res-

US visa collection centres opened in Chittagong, Sylhet

Housewife's slaughtered body recovered n Tribune Report Police recovered the slaughtered body of a housewife from her house in the capital's Kadamtoli area last night.

The victim was identified as Anwara Begum, 42. Her body was found at the third floor of a six-storied building around 8pm.

“The house is at Janatabagh's Hazi Alim Uddin road. We rushed there upon receiving information,” said Deputy Commissioner of Wari Zone Mostaque Ahmed Khan.

Husband of the victim Joynal Abedin is a Saudi expatriate. Their only son lives in London. The victim used to live in the house with a female house help. l

n Tribune Report

A man being taken to prison cell inside Ramna police station who was caught by locals in Eskaton for trying to frisk a man in the area posing as a law enforcer RAJIB DHAR

Ruckus at BNP office over JCD committee  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

joint secretary of previous committee Tarikul Islam Titu and incumbent committee leader Riazul Islam Riaz came in front of the office and chanted slogans demanding the cancellation of the new committee.

The supporters loyal to the new committee and the deprived leaders chanted slogans standing next to each others.

At one stage deprived leaders Rakibul Islam Royal, Moshiur Rahman Mishu, Shamsuzaman Khokon, Rafiqul Islam, Rabiul Islam and some others joined the procession brought out by the dissidents.

At 2pm, tension in both the camps ran high and at this point Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel arrived at the spot and tried to bring the situation under control.

Rizvi asked the deprived leaders to leave the place. As the dissidents were leaving the place supporters of the incumbent committee chanted provocative slogans. The situation went out of control as two hand-made bombs were blasted by deprived leaders leading to a clash between the two groups.

The new committee leaders and supporters took shelter inside the party office while the deprived leaders

locked the party office’s main entrance and resorted to vandalism.

At one stage they damaged the mural of party founder late president Ziaur Rahman located at the entrance of the building. They hurled brick chips at the office. Some new committee leaders were also assaulted.

When the handmade bombs went off police were around the building but they played the role of silent spectators.

At least 12 were injured in the clash.

An ambulance rushed to the spot but the deprived leaders prevented the ambulance from carrying the injured leaders. After half an hour they were finally

DB identifies militant leader behind sleeper cells  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

listening to Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) chief Mufti Jasimuddin Rahmani’s instructions during his stay in the capital’s Mohammadpur area.

The information was extracted from Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative Khorshed Alam Rubel, who was arrested in Dhaka last week.

“We have got a list of important persons of state from Rubel, which we are calling a hit list; and we are investigating into such activities,” said Monirul.

Sleepers cells – groups of militants who remain dormant in strategic positions until receiving an order to attack – had also

cuers hailed from Jossore district. said “Acting on tip off, a police team held Idris along with four persons from the Microbus Stand area near one Morium Hotel of Bahaddarhat at around 6:30 pm,” Chandgaon police Sub-Inspector Arifur Rahman.

Later, as per Idris’s confession, police conducted another drive at Chittagong Rail Station area rescued 31 persons who where being trafficking to Malaysia through Chokoria of Cox’s Bazar, he added. l

been used to carry out the murder of six people in Gopibagh and the killing of Channel i Islamic programme presenter Nurul Islam Faruqi, the DB chief added.

Asked about the current location of Rana, the DB official said the police had information that he was trying to reorganise militant activities from a hideout in the country, adding that raids were also being carried out to apprehend Rana.

Revival of Hizb-ut-Tahrir

Inspired by the global militancy scenario, some local outfits including the dormant militant group Hizb-ut-Tahrir

were trying to regroup again, the DB chief said.

The police had already noticed Hizb-ut-Tahrir’s attempt to revive itself during protests in Mohammadpur on Friday, Monirul said, adding that the banned outfit was following strategies like circulating leaflets and protesting after Jumma prayers.

Hizb-ut-Tahrir also had a strong influence in educational institutions and it was believed that a number of teachers and student of different universities were working for the outfit, said the DB joint commissioner.

Following the footsteps of global ter-

US embassy in Dhaka, through its partner Saimon Overseas Ltd, has opened visa collection centres in Sylhet and Chittagong.

Applicants can submit and collect their passports and other documents in conjunction with an application for a US visa at the centres, said a press release of the US embassy.

The applicants would still need to appear for an interview for visa in Dhaka, however, the applicants of Sylhet and Chittagong issued visas can now pick up their passports from the regional centres.

Qualified visa applicants who have been issued visas after 2008 can submit their passports for the interview waiver programme, a service that allows them to renew their visas without an interview. l

allowed to take them to the hospital.

New committee Vice-President Tarekuzzaman Tarek was seen lying on the third floor of the building with his head injured along with some others with injuries either in their legs or hands.

The senior leaders were confined to the office rooms until evening.

After getting assurance from Fakhrul, the deprived leaders left the spot and then the senior leaders started leaving the office one after another.

On Saturday, the deprived leaders also assaulted a leader of the new committee and burnt effigies of the former

student leaders.

Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Tuesday night approved the 201-member new committee.

On Wednesday, the leaders deprived of the posts in the new committee hurled several handmade bombs in front of the BNP’s Nayapaltan office and brought out a procession demanding cancellation of the new committee.

Around 10pm the same day, some other members of Chhatra Dal blasted several crude bombs in front of the Gulshan office of the party chairperson when the Chairperson was still inside the office. l

rorists including the ones in Syria and Iraq, different local militant groups were now forgetting their usual strategies and instead working with each other to carry out subversive activities, Monirul said.

He added that it would not come as a surprise if Hizb-ut-Tahrir – which reportedly has over 10,000 members – was now working jointly with the JMB, the Ansarullah Bangla Team and Harkat-ul-Jihad, as they all shared the same primary goal: joining a jihad to make Bangladesh a shariah-governed state.

Lt Col Abul Kalam Azad, director of intelligence wing of Rapid Action Battalion, told the Dhaka Tribune that

they have information that the Hizb-utTahir was trying to reorganise internally; but had to resort to working in small groups as most of their leaders were now behind bars.

Asked about the steps being taken to address the militancy situation, DB Joint Commissioner Monirul said a proposal had been placed to the authorities concerned a year back for forming a specialised counter-militancy unit of the police. Once the proposed “Police Bureau of Counter-Terrorism” was accepted, a regional intelligence unit could be formed to fight militancy, Monirul added. l

Ministry moves  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

“In a bid to try Jamaat, the draft for amending the International Crimes Tribunal Act - with provision to try organisations involved with crimes against humanity will be tabled at the cabinet on November 3. We have already sent the draft to the Cabinet Division,” Anisul added.

The minister further said there was no option but to amend the ICT act to try Jamaat as an organisation involved in war crimes. In the draft, the ministry proposed inserting the word “organisation” in section 20(2) of the ICT act so that organisations could also be tried along with individuals on war crime charges.

It would also keep the provision for the tribunal to take the offence into cognisance if an organisation was found guilty. The provision for allowing bail for the accused would be included in the law.

The investigation agency on crimes against humanity finalised its report on Jamaat last March, but could not submit it to the tribunal as there was no provision of trying an organisation under the existing act. On May 29, the law minister informed the media of the loopholes in the act, saying the government would have to amend the law if it wanted to try Jamaat.

Claiming that the government was still unaware about the detailed verdict of the Sayedee appeal, the minister said: “We are yet to get the copy of the verdict. No decision can be taken on the issue before getting the full text of the verdict.” l

Militant funding  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

Laldighi Corporate Office in Chittagong city, said they allowed opening the bank account on simple faith, adding that they had suspended the account soon after receiving the complaint.

The investigation officer quoted Shahjahan as saying that he got the link of the fund from the Pakistani national through Assistant Director Abul Kalam Azad of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education.

Azad confirmed Shahjhan that Tk2 crore out of Tk20 crore would be given for the mosque’s development and the rest would go to Azad and his six associates. But Azad told police that he did not know Shahjahan.

None has so far been arrested in this connection. Sources at law enforcement and intelligence agencies said they had been looking into why a Pakistani national sent the cheque of such a large amount of money to the account of the Maizbhandar mosque committee.

MP Nazibul told the Dhaka Tribune that Shahjahan had opened the fake account for militant funding from abroad to inspire fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh. Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandari, who is also the international affairs secretary of Bangladesh Tariqat Federation, said some people and political rivals had been trying to defame the reputation of the Maizbhandar Sharif.

The lawmaker and the Maizbhandar Sharif were always against militancy and fundamentalism, he said.

Syed Osman Quader, senior vice-president of the Maizbhandar mosque committee, said the committee had sat in a meeting with all its members, including the president, and suspended Shahjahan’s membership.

He said Shahjahan initially admitted to his fault to the committee members.

Shahjahan and Azad could not be reached over phone for their comments despite repeated attempts. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Monday, October 20, 2014

FOR OR AGAINST THE LAW?

Cars of RAB officials, parked on the road in front of RAB 3 office, force other vehicles to take wrong side of the road in capital’s Hatkhola

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Santos set to drill new well in Block 16 n Aminur Rahman Rasel Australian oil and gas exploration company Santos is set to drill a new well in Magnama structure under the shallow Block 16 in the Bay of Bengal for fossil fuels after it activities were for shut down for a year.

“Santos submitted a proposal of work programme to drill a well in Magnama with an investment of $4 million,” a general manager of Petrobangla told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

On October 1, 2013, Sangu, the first offshore gas field under the shallow Block 16 operated by Santos, shut down permanently after its reserves ran out fast.

‘Country improves in RMG labour rights, safety’ n Afrose Jahan Chaity The speakers in a programme claimed that Bangladesh has made an improvement in labour rights and safety in the ready-made garment sector.

The statement came from the inauguration programme of a three-day workshop for the newly appointed factory inspectors in the capital yesterday.

German Chargé d’Affaires Dr Ferdinand von Weyhe, who was present there, said: “We need to ensure workers’ safety by implementing a strict, transparent and efficient factory inspection system, to which my country will continue its support. In this regard, a clear signal will come from the follow-up meeting in Brussels.”

State Minister for Ministry of Labour and Employment Md Mujibul Haque who was also present there said the government has already appointed 679 inspectors to ensure sound labour and safety atmosphere for the RMG workers while the figure would be increased in the future. l

Sangu was discovered by British oiland-gas firm Cairn in 1996, who handed over the ownership with assess and liabilities to Dutch company Shell in 1998.

After a steady production of gas for six years from Sangu, Shell gave all of its upstream assets and undertakings back to Cairn Energy in 2004.

On October 2007, Santos acquired a 37.5% interest from Cairn Energy in the Sangu Development Area, and a 50% interest in Block 16 exploration acreage, located in the Bay of Bengal.

In December 2010, Santos acquired the remainder of Cairn’s interests in Bangladesh and became operator of the acreage.

Santos is considering to conduct

3D seismic surveys and drill another exploration well at the Magnama structure in the Bay of Bengal, 60 km (37 miles) south of the port of Chittagong.

The currently mapped mean gas initial in place (GIIP) for Magnama is 1.6 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) with considerable further upside in flank plays (2.1tcf). The water depth of Magnama ranges from onshore Kutubdia Island to 20 meters.

One discovery well was drilled in the Block-16 exploration area in 2007-08 by Santos’ predecessor Cairn Energy, subsequent to which Santos acquired 213 square-kilometres, transition zone and onshore 3D seismic early in 2010.

Interpretation of the survey indi-

cated that the Magnama consists of a number of stacked structural-stereographic reservoirs with at least four zones marginally intersected in the Magnama-1 discovery well.

Santos earlier said it was keen to retain exploration rights over the offshore Magnama structure.

On March 12, 2014, Bangladesh signed a production-sharing contract with a joint venture of Australia-based Santos and Singapore-based Kris Energy to start oil and gas exploration in offshore shallow Block 11 in the Bay of Bengal.

The contract period for the block is eight year, with the first five years for initial exploration and the rest for subsequent exploration. l

VERDICT LEAK

‘SQ Chy’s family was directly involved’ n Udisa Islam Not only copy of the draft verdict, but also every order that the International Crimes Tribunal 1 had passed in the trial against Salauddin Quader Chowdhury were stolen from the computer of the tribunal chairman by Nayan Ali, one of the cleaners, for Tk50,000.

Death row convict Salauddin Quader’s counsels coordinated the whole process upon concern of his family members, says the charge sheet submitted to a Dhaka court last month.

Defence counsel AKM Fakhrul Islam’s assistant Mehedi Hassan contacted one of the employees of the tribunal Faruk Hossain and offered that he would be given Tk50,000 by the family if he could manage documents of the case, it says.

The charge sheet includes statements of Faruk and Nayan. In the beginning, Faruk worked as a coordinator between Nayan and the counsels. Later

Nayan himself started communicating directly with them for more benefits.

The Dhaka Cyber Tribunal on October 13 issued arrest warrants against the fugitive wife and son of the convicted war criminal, and Mehedi. The four others accused in the case are Salauddin Quader’s Manager Mahbubul Ahsan, Fakhrul, Nayan and Faruk.

The court also asked police to submit a report on the execution of the order on October 30.

The charge sheet states that Nayan started giving Mehedi the copy of the draft verdict and every other document of the case since September 28 last year.

Three days later, the tribunal sentenced the BNP leader to death for the crimes against humanity he had committed in Chittagong during the 1971 Liberation War. When Nayan was scared and pleaded to Mehedi that he did not want to steal documents any more, Mehedi had forced

him to continue working for them.

In his statement, Nayan said when he told Mehedi that the files on his pen drive had been password protected, Mehedi replied that they would unlock the files with the help of computer experts.

According to the charge sheet, the accused leaked parts of the draft verdict by uploading it on websites to make the war crimes trial controversial. On the verdict day, Salauddin Quader and his family members also made comments on the trial process and the tribunal.

After the verdict, BNP chief’s Adviser Khandaker Mahbub Hossain threatened to try all the people involved with the trial process if his party came to power.

Detective Branch of Police filed the case on November 5 against Mehedi, Faruk, Nayan and several others unnamed. The law enforcers also raided Fakkrul’s chamber and seized various documents related to the leak. l

ACC seeks 10-day remand for MP Bodi n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday petitioned a Dhaka court, seeking 10 days for interrogating Awami League MP Abdur Rahman Bodi in a case filed on charges of accumulating illegal wealth beyond his known sources of income.

Metropolitan Magistrate Ataul Haque fixed October 26 for a hearing on the petition filed by the anti-graft body’s Deputy Director Manjur Morshed.

On August 21, the ACC filed this case against Bodi with Ramna police.

Around one and a half months later on October 12, the sitting MP surrendered before a Dhaka court and sought bail, but was refused and sent to jail on that day.

Four days later, another court denied bail to Bodi after a hearing on a petition the defence had filed challenging the bail plea rejection order of the previous court.

According to the First Information Report, he informed the anti-graft body on March 20 that he and his wife

and children’s movable and immovable assets were worth Tk 5.20 crore. But his income tax returns showed that his assets alone were worth Tk 16.06 crore till June 30 last year.

In his wealth statement, Bodi stated that he does import business and that is his lone source of income.

However, when investigators sought the documents over his loss and profits from the business he could not furnish them with any. The anti-graft body alleged that Bodi has hidden assets worth over Tk 10 crore.

In last January, the ACC initiated an inquiry into the corruptions of seven ruling party leaders, ministers and state ministers committed during the immediate past tenure of the Awami League-formed government.

About the investigation into a meteoric rise in his wealth, he said that the allegations against him were baseless.

In February, Bodi challenged the ACC that he would step down as MP if investigators could prove that he had laundered even a single penny abroad or concealed any piece of information about his wealth. l

ACC to file charge sheet against Hall-Mark boss n Tribune Report The Anti-Corruption Commission is set to soon file a charge sheet against HallMark Group Chairman Jasmine Islam for not submitting a wealth statement within the stipulated time as asked by the anti-graft body.

In a meeting yesterday, the commission approved filing of the charge sheet, an ACC official told reporters, adding that the charge sheet would be filed soon.

The ACC on December 12 last year filed a case against Jasmine for

non-submission of her wealth statement within due time.

Earlier on November 13, the commission sent a notice to Jasmine asking her to submit a wealth statement including all her properties and sources of income, within seven working days; however, as the deadline passed, her lawyer requested more time for submitting the wealth statement. The commission extended the deadline by seven more days, which also expired on December 4, according to the case statement. l

Sedition plea against Tarique for Bangabandhu name-calling

Angry parliamentary watchdog suspends meeting for Amu’s consecutive absence

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

n Kamran Reza Chowdhury

A sedition charge petition was filed against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman yesterday for calling Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman “Pakbandhu” (friend of Pakistan) and spreading distorted information about the Liberation War. Bangabandhu Foundation’s President Moshiur Malik filed the petition with Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s (CMM) court under section 123 (A) of the Penal Code.

The petitioner accused Tarique of engaging in a campaign against Bangladesh’s history, its Liberation War and Bangabandhu’s role After hearing the petition, Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Asaduzzaman Nur ordered the Detective Branch of police to submit a probe report on it by October 30.

The court also asked the petitioner to secure permission from the Home Ministry to file the case as it is mandatory for anybody for filing sedition

charges.

According to the petition, Tarique at a discussion on 29 September in London said: “Sheikh Mujib is not Bangabandhu, rather he is Pakbandhu. He cannot be the Father of the Nation, he is a killer.

“Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had considered the Pakistani occupation forces safe instead of hundreds of thousands of his countrymen for him on March 25, 1971.”

In the petition, the petitioner accused Tarique of engaging in a campaign against Bangladesh’s history, its Liberation War and Bangabandhu’s role for making such comments.

On September 8, a defamation charge petition was filed with a Dhaka court against Tarique and BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for making derogatory comments against Bangabandhu and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The court then asked Paltan police to submit a report on the defamation charge today.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique has been in London since September 11, 2008 on medical grounds after securing parole in various cases.

He faces 14 charges, of which four, including the August 21 grenade attack case, are on trial and the rest are stayed. l

The absence of Amir Hossain Amu in three consecutive meetings of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industries Ministry, in violation of rule, angered the watchdog members who yesterday had to suspend the meeting.

The 10-member body in the last three meetings castigated the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation for alleged corruption in the wing under the Industries Ministry.

A high-level bureaucrat of the ministry at the second meeting on July 7 faced verbal attack from committee Chairman Omor Faruk Chowdhury, a former state minister for industries, because of making “outrageous and

objectionable” comments on former industries minister Dilip Barua.

The watchdog’s tough stance on corruption at the BCCI reportedly angered the ministry officials. At the fourth meeting yesterday, only three members turned up. Fatema Tuzzahura was the other MP who attended the meeting with Omor Faruk in the chair. Amu attended the first meeting on May 25.

“The standing committee’s main function is to ensure transparency and accountability of the ministry. What is the meaning of holding meeting if the minister, also a committee member and chief executive, remains absent in three meetings?” Dr Abdur Razzaq, a former minister and committee member, told the Dhaka Tribune after the

meeting at the parliament building.

He said the chairman also agreed with Razzaq, who pointed at the minister’s absence, and suspended the meeting. Razzaq said the committee decided that the minister must be present at the next meeting.

According to the Rules of Procedure of parliament, all members of the parliamentary standing committees must not skip more than two consecutive meetings. The speaker may strip the member, avoiding three consecutive meetings without notice to the chairman, of his membership.

“I had a meeting with the Russian ambassador. And they [the standing committee chairman] contacted me for meetings. I also did not contact them for

meetings,” Amu told the Dhaka Tribune.

The rules of procedure also stipulates that the chairman of the watchdog is the lone authority to convene a meeting.

In most of cases, the standing committee chairmen call meetings with the verbal consent of the ministers to make the meetings meaningful. But unfriendly relations between the chairmen and the ministers very often result in the absence of the ministers.

For instance, the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Ministry in ninth parliament and Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith had bitter relations. Muhith attended a handful of the meetings.

The speaker, however, did not take any measure in this regard. l

PMO report warns of field-level admin collapse n Mohsinul Karim and Rabiul Islam

In the wake of a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) report that the discipline in the field administration may collapse unless deputy commissioners (DCs) and superintendents of police (SPs) work together, the Home Minister yesterday wrote to the Public Administration Ministry and the inspector general of police (IGP) to take measures about this.

“We have issued letters to the Public Administration Ministry and IGP to take steps after receiving a letter along with a report on it,” Mozammel Haque Khan, a senior secretary at the Home Ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday.

Police headquarters would instruct the superintendents of police and the public administration ministry would instruct DCs to narrow gap between them,

and work in a concerted effort, he said.

Preferring not to be quoted, a senior official at the Home Ministry said the PMO sent a letter along with a report to the Home Ministry a few days back, instructing that measures be taken against the possible collapse in the field administration. The official said there is a gap of age between DCs and SPs. Admin cadre officers from 9th to 13th batches have been given posting as DC while officers

of police cadre from 17th to 20th batches have been given posting as SP. Moreover, the DCs still possess the mindset of colonial rule that they are the bosses while SPs have good ties with politicians and so they do not care anybody, he said.

Quoting from the report, he concluded that there is no coordination between DCs and SPs, which may create anarchy in the field administration. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, October 20, 2014

HC to hear Vitamin A capsule ban arguments today n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

Dr Md Shah Newaz, director of Institute of Public Health and Nutrition and member secretary of the seven-member committee, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday he was optimistic about the answer that would be presented today.

“We are expecting that the court will be entirely satisfied with our answer and will withdraw the ban on the distribution programme. The health directorate has been conducting the campaign for 43 years without a single record of fatality,” he said.

During the latest campaign, two types of vitamin A capsules were distributed – 50,000 unit among children aged six to 11 months and 200,000 unit among those aged 12 to 59 months. The capsules were distributed among more

than 2.43 crore children.

“Once the prevalence of night blindness among children was 3.7%. The World Health Organisation says the prevalence, if remains over 1%, will be considered a public health problem.

Now there is a mere 0.4% prevalence and the success is to be attributed to the continuous campaign of vitamin A capsules,” said Shah Newaz.

On August 27, the court also made a ruling asking why the distribution of red and blue Vitamin A capsules should not be declared illegal. The order came in the wake of a report on the distribution of the capsules published in a Bangla daily.

A member of the expert committee told the Dhaka Tribune there was no record of carrying out clinical test of vitamin capsules for children in any country. The head of the committee, he said, had produced written evidence in favour of the claim.

Shah Newaz said it was true but refused to give any further details.

Several members of the committee claimed the capsules distributed among children were safe, and there had been no reports of any problems after the last campaign which took place on April 5. They said the Central Medicine Store Depot (CMSD) purchases the capsules in a process that involves international tender.

The members also said the capsules were tested in a Singapore laboratory which has the World Health Organisation accreditation. Some randomly collected samples were sent by the CMSD for testing and reports were received on January 28 (soft copy) and March 20 (hard copy).

According to health experts, the ban on capsule distribution may lead to health hazards among children as they need regular doses to strengthen their immune system.

Shah Newaz said the next campaign would be run 30 to 45 days after the court withdraws the ban and orders resumption. l

Govt launches rat killing move n Tribune Report

Minister: Piash’s father helped freedom fighters in 1971

Considering rats and mice as one of the most harmful pests in Bangladesh, the government yesterday launched a month-long rat killing move across the country to save food grains.

According to Department of Agriculture Extensions (DAE), these rodents damage around 1.2m to 1.5 tonnes of food grains annually in Bangladesh.

The move will be continued until November 18 which was declared at a programme held at DAE auditorium yesterday.

According to DAE sources, Bangladesh produces around 37.26 million tonnes of food grains, including rice and wheat, which barely meets the local demand.

“The country could easily export food if we could protect the food grains destroyed by rats,” Md Abbas Ali, director general of DAE, said while launching the move.

The director general also said the move to kill rats started a few years ago, which killed about 14 million rodents and saved around 104,550 tonnes of food grains last year. Different types of instruments and chemicals are used in rat killing, said DAE sources.

DAE officials said the government has organised proper training programmes for farmers and students across the country to run the project properly. It also introduced awards to encourage them. l

n Mohosinul Karim

The High Court is set to hear today the arguments in response to its ruling on distribution of vitamin A capsules among children below five years of age.

A seven-member committee, comprised of health experts and headed

by Director General of Drug Administration Major General Jahangir Hossain Mollick, will present arguments seeking the court’s order to resume the distribution.

The High Court in its ruling on August 27 put a ban on distribution of the capsules. The court’s vacation bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Abu Taher Mohammad Saiful Rahman said there should be no further distribution before a clinical test was carried out.

We are expecting that the court will be entirely satisfied with our answer and will withdraw the ban on the distribution programme

4th Shamsunnahar Memorial Debate Festival starts

n Tribune Report

First round of the 4th Shamsunnahar Mahmud Memorial Debate Festival 2014 was held on Friday at Shamsunnahar Hall of Dhaka University (DU).

The Bangla debate in parliamentary format took place with 36 teams from DU, Rajshahi University, Chittagong University, Brac University, and University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, among others.

With thematic sponsor Action Aid, the topics focused on social, economic, and political attitude towards women’s participation in decision making.

Nescafe was beverage partner while ABC Radio and Dhaka tribune were the media partners of the event.

The second round of the competition is scheduled on October 24. l

Law Minister Anisul Huq has said the allegations raised against Piash Karim’s father MA Karim that he was a collaborator during the 1971 Liberation War and committed war crimes are “absolutely false.”

Terming his involvement in the killing of Dhirendranath Datta “mere propaganda,” the minister yesterday also ruled out the accusation that Piash’s family members possessed anti-liberation values.

His comment came at a time when there have been arguments whether Piash Karim had favoured the Jamaat-e-Islami as he spoke against the war crimes trials.

Pro-Awami League organisations, student bodies and cultural platforms also claimed that his father had been the local Peace Committee chairman during the war.

“I am giving my personal opinion on his family members as I know them very well.

“MA Karim, the father of Piash Karim, did not carry out his charges as the Peace Committee chief. Rather he was the founding treasurer of Comilla district unit Awami League,” Anisul told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday at his Secretariat office.

“Although he was compelled to

Workers are seen working without any safety gear at an iron re-rolling factory in the capital’s Dayaganj yesterday

Training for govt officials on public spending to end n Tribune Report A three-year programme that had been arranged for the government officials in 2012 to train up them on the large-scape state expenditure management is going to end this week.

Dhaka and Seoul arranged the programme titled National Development Strategy Planning Programme for Bangladesh Government Officials, which going to end this year.

Through a three-day wrap-up

join the local unit Peace Committee as its chairman only two months before the victory, he did not lead or conduct any act of genocide. He helped many freedom fighters by giving them identity cards during the war,” the minister said.

“Just two months before the victory, the Pakistani Army picked Piash up from in front of their Comilla house and kept him in the Circuit House. Later, MA Karim was forced to sign a bond and join the Peace Committee when he went to the Circuit House for his son’s release.

“But after leaving that place, he never served as the Peace Committee chief, rather continued distributing ID cards among the freedom fighters.”

Anisul said MA Karim had been arrested along with other collaborators after the independence. But he was released unconditionally after only eight days.

MA Rahim, Piash’s paternal uncle, was an establishment secretary after the independence, during the rule of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“I know them very closely as MA Karim was the closest friend of my father as lawyer. Their family is very close to me. His sister Toufiqa Karim is my business partner.

“The issues propagated against

workshop scheduled to be started from today in Lakeshore hotel in the capital, where the speakers would discuss the each year’s action plan implementation progress and the imminent seventh Five Year Plan (2016-20), says a KOICA press release. In the first year of the programme, governance and development planning system were focused while strategy for the establishment and execution of development plan was in the next year and lastly it was on efficient management of public finance. l

MA Karim and Piash are sheer lies and have no basis.”

A professor of Brac University’s economics and social sciences department, Piash died of cardiac arrest on October 13 at the age of 56.

On that day, Mahfuz Ullah, secretary general of Centre for Sustainable Development, announced on behalf of the “citizens” that the body would be taken to the Shaheed Minar on Wednesday for the people to pay respect. The date was later shifted to Friday.

Following the announcement, several groups declared protest programmes to resist the move.

Though initially they had agreed with Mahfuz Ullah’s proposal, Piash’s family members later decided not to do so as the Dhaka University authorities did not give permission to bring his body to the Shaheed Minar.

Asked why he did not make any comment immediately after Piash’s death, the minister said: “The government is not responsible to make it clear because it was not a part of the protest that triggered immediately after the announcement that his body will be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar.

“Piash should have clarified the rumours and criticisms against him in his lifetime.” l

DU VC: No protest can change decision n Arif Ahmed Dhaka University Vice-chancellor AAMA Arefin Siddique made it clear yesterday that the authorities will not change their decision on the admission system in the face of the ongoing protests against it.

“Everyone has the right to stage protest but protests will not influence our decision regarding the admission test,” he said, replying to a reporters’ query as five admission seekers were released on bond hours after they were held while staging protests against the university decision on the campus.

Arefin said: “We have no objection if the admission seekers stage peaceful programmes. But they will not be allowed to protest inside the

university campus area if their protest hampers the academic procedures of the university,”.

“The decision was taken keeping in mind the interest of the students and the country as well. There is no scope to raise questions against the decision as the authority is free to take any decision at any time,” the vice chancellor said.

On October 13, the university decided that students will not be allowed taking admission chance twice, such as only those who pass HSC next year will be able to take DU admission tests under the 201516 academic sessions and those who have passed before cannot.

This triggered anger among students who have failed to qualify for getting admitted into the university

this year, prompting hundreds of them to stage demonstrations on the university campus.

They demonstrated at the TSC area around 9:30am, when police arrested five of them and forced others to leave. Later, they however took position at Aparejeyo Bangla more inside the campus.

Speaking at the rally, protesters announced they would submit a memorandum to the vice-chancellor on 21 October and hold a mass rally on October 25 on the premises of the Central Shaheed Minar.

They added that they would hold their rally on October 25 in presence of students, teachers and guardians if the authority does not its change on the admission test by October 24. l

RAJIB DHAR

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Monday, October 20, 2014

Mosquito manace rises in capital as authorities fail to take early steps

21.25% get pass marks in BU admission tests

Dhaka South City Corporation starts 'Crush Programme' yesterday

Only 21.25% students have achieved pass marks in the Barisal University's Ka, Kha, Ga and Gha units' admission test for the 2014-15 academic session.

The result was published at about 7pm yesterday within 26 hours of the written admission test completed at 5pm on Saturday.

Details of the BU intake-test results available on university websites as ww.barisaluniv.edu.bd and www. Barisaluniv.ac.bd, BU sources said.

A total 28,283 appeared in the written test in three shifts under four groups against 1,525 seats of 18 departments under six faculties on Saturday at 14 centres of Barisal city.

According to the BU sources, a total of 6, 011 got pass mark in the admission test.

The one-hour written test will be

n Abu Hayat Mahmud Residents of the capital have been facing a rise in number of mosquitoes for the last couple of weeks as the two city corporation in Dhaka had failed to take necessary measures in checking mosquito breeding.

Many city dwellers blamed authorities of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) for not taking measures before the mosquito population started breeding in this season, hampering their daily lives and heightening the risk of spreading mosquito-borne diseases.

Parts of the capital most affected by the mosquito menace include Shanir

Sylhet transport workers call off strike n Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Akhra, Jatrabari, Sutrapur, Dholaipar, Dholaikhal, Sadarghat, Lalbagh, Kamrangirchar, Hazaribagh, Kalabagan, Shukrabad, Mirpur, Uttara, Badda, Banashri, Rampura, Moghbazar and Kamlapur among other areas.

Morzina Begum, a resident of Sadarghat area, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “For the last two weeks, the mosquito problem has become unbearable. It is now impossible to sleep at night without mosquito nets.”

She also said she heard that the city corporation had sprayed insecticides in the area recently, but did not witness the activity with her own eyes.

Sheikh Malek, a resident of Badda, said: “The city corporation and Dhaka

Water Supply and Sewerage Authority were not cleaning puddles, canals and drains in the city, which had now become breeding places for mosquitoes.”

However, officials concerned at the DSCC and DNCC claimed that anti-mosquito drives were being conducted routinely during the breeding season, which begins in October-November and continues until January.

Meanwhile, DSCC yesterday inaugurated a week-long anti-mosquito campaign, termed as Crush Programme, across 58 wards under its territory.

The city corporation officials also said the routine anti-mosquito work will also continue alongside the Crush Programme.

They said two types of pesticides – larvicide and adulticide – were being used to control mosquitoes.

Larvicides were being applied between 8am and 11am to halt growth of mosquito larvaes while adulticides were being sprayed between 5pm to 7pm to exterminate adult mosquitoes.

However, the DNCC is yet to start any such campaign against mosquitoes till now.

When contacted, DNCC Chief Health Officer KM Masud Ahsan told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they will also start the Crush Programme immediately, though he was unable to mention a fixed date for starting the anti-mosquito campaign. l

n Our Correspondent, Barisal

Selected candidates lay siege to gas office demanding appointments

ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH

Correspondent, n Our Brahmanbaria

The Sylhet unit of the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Unity Council has withdrawn strike which they enforced to realise five-point demands.

The association decided to withdraw the strike around 6pm yesterday following a meeting with district administration, said Additional Deputy Commissioner AZM Nurul Haque.

Salim Ahmed Falik, chairman of Road Transport Workers’ Unity Council, said: “We have postponed our strike till November 5. If our demands are not met, we will again start strike from November 6.

Transport workers went on an indefinite strike yesterday morning protesting attack on buses and trucks during a clash between auto-rickshaw workers and bus workers on Saturday.

The clash was ensued after a brick chip was hurled at a bus from a procession of CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers in the Kadamtali area of Dakkhin Surma upazila. Around 50 people injured in the clash.

The demands include decreasing corruption at BRTA office, stop harassment of transport workers by police and renovating the Sylhet-Tamabil road. l

Another arrested in Ekram killing case n Our Correspondent, Feni The Detective Branch (DB) of Police arrested an accused in connection with the killing of Feni's Fulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haque Ekram.

The arrestee is Jashim Uddin Noyon, 28, son of Abdul Latif of Biringi area.

Earlier, he was indicted in the case.

District DB police Officer-in-Charge Md Rashed Khan said: “Acting on a tip off, a team of DB police arrested Noyon from Biringi area around 2pm yesterday.

Ekram, who was also president of Fulgazi upazila AL, was shot and burned alive in his car in broad daylight in Feni town on May 20. l

WEATHER

SUNNY MONDAY, OCTOBER 20 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:28PM SUN RISES 5:58AM FORECAST FOR TODAY 32 30 30 31 31 30 31 31

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

22 22 19 20 18 19 20 22

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

33.0ºC Khulna

18.6ºC Rajshahi

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajar Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

4:43am 5:57am 11:43am 3:51pm 5:28pm 6:44 pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

held in MCQ system with 120 marks and a candidate must score minimum 48 marks in order to be eligible for passing intake test.

There are an additional 80 marks reserved for a candidate’s performance in his or her SSC and HSC examinations.

The result of the intake test would be published as soon as possible through the websites and notice board of the university.

The selection would be held on the basis of marks obtained from the MCQ test as well as SSC and HSC results, BU acting register said.

Faisal Mahmud Rumi, public relation officer of the university, said, 7,662 students applied for the 510 seats under ‘Ka’ unit, in the ‘Kha’ unit, 6,530 students will vie for 490 seats, in Ga unit, 9,328 students registered against 300 seats and 8,852 candidates under ‘Gha’ unit applied for the 235 seats.l

Outraged students staged demonstrations in front of the Raju Memorial in Dhaka University yesterday protesting the university authorities’ decision to not allow admission seekers to appear in the university’s admission test more than once DHAKA TRIBUNE

Obaidul: Mirsarai-Cox’s Bazar marine drive to be constructed soon n Our Correspondent, Chittagong Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said the government had planned to construct a marine drive from Mirsarai upazila of Chittagong to Cox’s Bazar.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already given instruction in this regard and we will go for feasibility study of the proposed marine drive road project very soon,” he said.

The minister said this while inaugurating the new taxicabs of Trust Transport Services under Bangladesh Army Welfare Trust supervision at East Bengal Regiment Centre Conference Hall of Chittagong Cantonment.

Addressing the event as chief guest, the minister said 600 taxicabs would be introduced in Dhaka and Chittagong in phases to meet the demand for quality public transport.

Hoping Chittagong region to become a hub for trade and commerce,

the minister also said a new era of development would ensue when the government initiatives, including the tunnel under Karnaphuli River, deep sea port in Sonadia of Cox’s Bazar, and the coal-fired mega power plant in Maheskhali would be implemented.

Prime minister has given instruction in this regard and we will go for feasibility study of the proposed marine drive road project Also present in the event, Major General (Retd) AKM Mujahid Uddin, chairman of Trust Transport Service, hoped that the service would prove to be successful following the army's high standard of discipline, efficiency, and honesty.

“The service has already become

popular in the capital and I hope that it will also be the same in the port city,” said Major General Sabbir Ahmed, general officer commanding (GOC) of 24 Infantry Division of Bangladesh Army.

The taxicab fare for the first two kilometres is Tk85 and Tk34 for every additional kilometre. Tk8.5 will be charged for every two minutes of waiting. The on-call rate for the cabs is Tk20.

The taxi cab service will be tracked from a control room of the Trust Transport Services office located at Chittagong Cantonment.

Former Chittagong City Corporation Mayor ABM Mahiuddin Chowdhury, Chittagong Development Authority Chairman Abdus Salam, Lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman, Chittagong district Superintendent of Police AKM Hafiz Akhter and Chittagong Metropolitan Police (Administration, Traffic and Finance) AKM Shahidur Rahman attended the inaugural programme among others.l

The candidates finally selected for different vacant posts of Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited yesterday gheraoed its main office in Brahmanbaria demanding their appointments immediately.

They also held a protest rally in front of the office at Birasa area in the district town around 7:15am, leading to the closure of Bangladesh Gas Fields School and College for the day.

Protesters Rafiqul Islam, Zubair Ahmed, Saddam Hossain and Hira Lal Debnath who spoke at the rally said they had not been being issued their appointment letters even after their pre-employment medical tests were done long ago.

They added that the authorities were not apparently taking serious note of the High Court order stating that all the finally selected peopple be appointed within six months, as four months had already gone by since the order was issued on June 23.

The written test for the filling-up of 143 posts in four categories was held on April 8, 2011 and then in the same year as many people were finally selected and their pre-medical checks-up were also done.l

Ten held for robbery in capital n Tazlina Zamila Khan Detective Branch (DB) officials arrested four members of a robbers' gang and seized two pistols and seven rounds of bullets from their possession on Saturday.

The arrested are Md Asattar, 45, Md Asattar Dhali alias Rak Hossain, 32, Md Emdad Hossain alias Emdad, 30 and their leader Md Zulhas Akon alias Zulhas, 48.

They were held in a drive led by Deputy Commissioner (east) Jahangir Hossain Matubbor and Additional Deputy Commissioner AHM Abdur Rakib around 10:35pm from Gor-a-Shaheed Mazaar situated in capital's Azimpur area.

The robbers used to loot houses and markets, said DB officials.

Following their statements, a team led by Assistant Police Commissioner of Demra zone Mainul Islam, nabbed another member – Kamal alias Picchi Kamal, 48 – from Mirhazirbagh around 11pm and seized a shotgun from his possession.

Two cases have been filed with Darus Salam police station and Lalbagh police station in these connections.

Meanwhile, locals beat four suspect-

ed robbers in Chawkbazaar area and handed them to police yesterday.

The four were identified as Sumon, 20, Iqbal, 21, Liton, 20, and Shamim, 20.

Chawbazaar police station Officerin-Charge Abdul Aziz said: “One Saiful's mobile was robbed in the area on Saturday. In this connection, Saiful along with his friends beat up the four.”

The arrested received primary medical treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Locals beat Maruf Hossain, 30, at Doinik Bangla Square in Motijheel yesterday for involvement with a mugging.

He was later handed over to police.

Rezaul Islam, who works as an accountant, said: “Three muggers stopped my way to Bangladesh Bank and tried to snatch my bag with Tk85,000 inside. At that moment, locals came to my help and beat them up. While two muggers managed to escape, one was caught and handed to police.”

Motijheel police station Sub-Inspector Helal Uddin said Maruf was sent to DMCH for treatment.l

CU BCL men demand arrest of rivals for attacking dorm n CU Correspondent A group of BCL men in Chittagong University yesterday demanded immediate arrest of the members of its rival group who allegedly carried out the attack on BCL men at Shah Jalal dormitory of Chittagong University on September 28.

The BCL faction also issued an ultimatum that their six-point demands be realised by October 29, or they would wage a tougher movement from October 29.

The demands were made from a press conference held at CU Journalist Association (CUJA) office in CUCSU building around 2:30pm.

CU shuttle train based BCL faction Varsity Express (VX), which follows metropolitan Awami League (AL) pres-

ident ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhruy, organised the press conference.

At the conference, Shuvagota Barua Shuvo, a member of VX group, read out the written speech while Chhatra League leaders and activists were present.

The BCL men alleged that the former joint secretary of CU BCL unit Sumon Mamun and former Human Resource Affair Secretary SM Alauddin have been manipulating the agenda of Jamaat-Shibir at the campus and spreading baseless, fabricated information against rival BCL groups and CU Vice Chancellor Professor Anwarul Azim Arif.

The BCL leaders claimed “Sumon Mamun Group” is not a part of CU BCL unit as they are outsiders to CU BCL unit and were declared unwanted at the campus. l

Pool of admission seekers flow inside the Rajshahi University to sit for the intake examination for academic sessions 2014-15 that started yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Monday, October 20, 2014

Govt land worth Tk50 crore grabbed in Bhaluka

Accused snatched from police custody n Our Correspondent, Munsiganj A group of miscreants forcibly snatched away an accused from police custody after his arrest at Napitbari Tekkamarket in under Munshiganj district, leaving seven policemen injured According to sources, a team of police raided the area and arrested Sayem Mian, 33, an accused in murder cases.

On the way to Sreenagar police station, his accomplices suddenly attacked the police team and snatched the accused with handcuffs, leaving seven policemen injured. l

Houses, shops and temple have been built illegally group of people including Rafiqul Isn Our Correspondent, Mymensingh alam, Pranesh Das, Tipu Das, Nanda Das, A three acre land, worth Tk50 crore belonging to Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Bhaluka of Mymensingh has been allegedly grabbed by a group of goons.

RHD acquired the land from Bishnuram Mandal and Dinbandhu Namodas in 1968 and later in 1972 a gazette was released in this connection Locals alleged that in cooperation with dishonest RHD officials, some local people have built houses, shops and a temple illegally on the land.

According to sources, RHD acquired the land from Bishnuram Mandal and Dinbandhu Namodas in 1968 and later in 1972 a gazette was released in this connection. In 1991, an office was built on it for RHD officials. However, since the office was not very active and there was no boundary wall around it,

Liton and some officials of RHD took control of the land. Initially they built a temple so that no one could evict them and gradually constructed 17-18 houses and rented them out. Some tenants then built big shops along the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.

There is allegation that the executive engineer of RHD Shamim Al Mamun did nothing more than just writing to the district commissioner to evict the illegal settlers.

When contacted, leader of the land-grabbing group Rafiqul Islam asked the Dhaka Tribune not to write about his involvement in this regard.

He claimed that RHD, for the work of Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, just rented the land from the owners; it never acquired the land.

Meanwhile, RHD official Ashraf Haq said, a group of miscreants had forcefully taken possession of the land. Another official ABM Saddam said that a letter had been sent to the district commissioner to appoint a magistrate for the eviction drive.

UNO of Bhaluka Kamrul Hasan said they would take action once RHD provided them with the list of the grabbers. l

Indigenous farmers busy harvesting Jhum paddy at Rwangchhari upazila in Bandarban

Jhum cultivation in Bandarban yields good harvest n Our Correspondent, Bandarban

Indigenous farmers in the hilly district of Bandarban are passing a busy time harvesting the crop of Jhum cultivation. They are happy for the good yield this year.

Local sources said, the favourable weather for Jhum cultivation has resulted in the high yield. Harvesting started in mid-September in Rowangchhari, Naikkhyangchhari, Ali Kadam and four other districts of Bandarban and it is still going on in some areas.

According to Bandarban agriculture department, 13 thousand metric tonnes

4 killed in different palces n Tribune Report

At least four people were killed in Gazipur, Rajshahi and Dhaka districts yesterday.

Our Gazipur correspondent reports: A person has hacked his wife to death at Mogorkhal area under Gazipur City Corporation.

The deceased is Sharifa Begum Shumi, 20.

Police arrested killer Newaz Sharif, 35, in this connection.

Quoting the locals, Jaydebpur police station Sub-Inspector Moniruzzaman said: “Newaz Sharif hacked his wife Shumi with a sharp weapon at one stage of altercation over a family feud, leaving her dead on the spot around 5am on Sunday.”

Hearing screamings, locals went to the spot and caught Sharif red handed while he tried to flee and handed him over to the police, he said.

On information, police recovered the body and sent it for autopsy to Gazipur Sadar Hospital around 10am.

On the other hand, a man was killed and 3 others were injured in a clash between two groups over carrom plying at Shailadi village under Kaligonj upazila in the district.

The deceased was identified as Tofiz Uddin Fakir,45, son of late Aktor Fakir in the area.

Sub-Inspector of Kaligonj police station Dulal Chokrabarti said, two groups of youths locked into an altercation over the game around 7.30 pm.

At one stage, a clash was occured between the groups, leaving Tofiz dead on the spot.

Additional superintendent of Gazipur police Golam Azad Khan said, The body of

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Tofiz Uddin was sent to Gazipur sader hospital morgue for autopsy.

In Manikganj, an ill-fated parents were killed by their deranged son at Niltek village under Shayesta union of Singair upazila of the distric.

The killer son was also killed by the angry people of the area.

Police sources said mentally imbalanced Saidur, 26, chopped his parents Mohoruddin Pramanik, 52 and Sufia Khatun, 43, with sharp weapon at about 9.30 am at their house of the village. Both of them died on the spot.

Being informed, the villagers chased the killer son and beaten him to death. Officerin-charge of Singair Police Station Soiduzzaman confirmed the incident.

The bodies were sent to Manikganj Sadar Hospital morgue.

Rajshahi correspondent said a youth was killed who went missing.

The body of a man was found on the bank of the Padma River at Srirampur.

The deceased was identified as Liton Ali, 35, son of Abdul Hamid, a resident of Poilanto village in Mahishpur upazila of Jhenidah district.

Mehedi Hasan, officer-in-charge of Rajpara Police Station, said Liton went to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) on Saturday for treatment of his mother -in-law. He went missing since he went out of the hospital to visit Rajshahi city on the day.

Local people found the body of Liton lying on the river bank around 8am and informed police.

Later, police recovered the body which bore several injury marks and sent it to RMCH morgue for autopsy.

A case was filed in this connection. l

of rice is expected to be produced this year surpassing all the previous records.

Jhoom farmer Mong Thwai Marma of Jamchhari area of Rwangchhari said, their yearly demand for food had been met because of the good harvest in a five acre land.

Apart from rice, various vegetables, maize, and spices are also produced through Jhoom cultivation.

Ranglai Mro of Chimbuk said, “We also reaped a good benefit by cultivating marfa along with rice this year.”

Ever year, indigenous farmers prepare the slopes of hills for Jhoom cul-

NEWS IN BRIEF Listed criminal arrested in Ashulia Police arrested notorious criminal Tajibur Sardar from Tajpur area in Ashulia yesterday. There are 24 cases against him in police stations of Savar, Ashulia, Dhamrai and Joydebpur. Police sources said Tajibur is an inhabitant of Tajpur and he has committed numerous crimes in Savar, Ashulia and Joydebpur area. He was arrested and jailed several times. Recently Tajibur raped a woman and tried to kill his cousin Siraj, who filed cases against Tajibur.

When two warrants were issued against him, police conducted a drive in Tajpur and arrested Tajibur yesterday morning. Officer-in Charge of Ashulia police station Ajharul Islam said Tajibur was accused in 24 cases regarding murder, robbery, felony, arms recovery, violence against women and drug dealing against Tajibur.

– Our Correspondent, Savar

PCJSS man held with firearm, bullets Police arrested a Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) activist along with a firearm and some bullets from Baillachhari under Guimara police station area yesterday. The arrested was identified as Kishor Tripura 30, son of Dhirendra Kumar Tripura of Nandra Doyal Karbari Para. Assistant Superintendent of Police (Ramgarh circle) Mohammad Shahjahan said acting on a tip- off, a team of Guimara Police Station raided Baillachhari area and arrested Kishor alongwith a foreign made pistol and five bullets. During the primary interrogation, Kishor confessed that as an active member of PCJSS he had engaged in collecting toll, ASP Mohammad Shahjahan said. A case was filed with the respective police station.

– Our Correspondent, Khagrachhari

Transport workers block Gaibandha-Palashbari road Palashabari Motor Sramik Union blocked the Gaibandha-Palashbari road for half an hour yesterday demanding withdrawal of the allegations of extortion recently made against its leaders. General Secretary of the union Golam Sarwar Biplob said Gaibandha District Motor Sramik Union had recently issued a letter to the Gaibandha district administration alleging that the leaders of Palashabari Motor Sramik Union realised extortion money at the bus terminals. The leaders hold protest processions on the road demanding withdrawal of a restriction imposed on movements of buses of the Palashabari Motor Sramik Union on the Sundarganj route and stop extortion at the Gaibandha District Bus Terminal.

The programme resulted into long tailbacks on both sides of the road where hundreds of vehicles remained stranded. Around 1pm they cleared the road after local administrative officials and police went to the spot and assured them of addressing the issues upon discussion, said Palashbari police station Officer-in-Charge Mojibur Rahman.

– Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

3 held with phensidyl Police arrested three drug peddlers yesterday with 98 bottles of phynsidyl from of Baliadangi police station road under the upazila in Thakurgoan. The arrested wee identified as Alam, 21, of Ratnai Maradhar village, Dudu Miah, 24, of Jaunia village and Shahadat of Dhantala village under the upazila. Baliadangi police station Officer-in-Charge Aminul Islam said: “Acting on a tip-off, the police arrested the drug dealers while they were returning to Baliadangi town from India carrying the phynsidyl inside a television around 10pm.” They were about to send those smuggled drugs to Dhaka, he added.

– Our Correspondent, Thakurgaon

Two arrested with bombs Police arrested two alleged ‘robbers’ along with 10 bombs, a machete and a knife at Mohammadpur village in Gangni upazila on Saturday midnight. The arrested were dentified as Kuddus Ali, 45, and Akber Ali, 52. Meherpur additional SP Ajbahar Sheikh said, acting on a tip-off, a police team raided the area at night when a gang of robbers were taking preparation to commit robbery. They arrested two with bombs and local arms. Other robbers of the gang managed to flee.

– Our Correspondent, Meherpur

tivation by slashing and burning the forest.

Though such an agricultural practice has drastic impact on ecosystem, it is a primary food source for the majority of people of the hill tracts.

District agriculture training officer Altaf Hossain said, “Favourable weather, timely rain, fertilization and clearing of weed were the main reasons for the good harvest. Jhoom cultivation has contributed significantly to the food security of the area.”

Photo caption – Indigenous farmers busy harvesting Jhoom rice in Rwanchhari upazila of Bandarban. l

MBUST exams postponed n Our Correspondent, Tangail All exams to be held yesterday at Maulana Bhasani University of Science and Technology (MBUST) were postponed following a clash between two groups of Chaatra League activists in Tangail on Saturday night. University sources said, the clash ensued over establishing supremacy in the university campus between Mosharaf-Monir group and Sumon-Soton group.

The clash ensued when they attack on Sumon-Soton group in Freedom fighter Abdul Mannan Hall, leaving at least 10 injured from both groups.

A motor cycle was also set on fire by Mosharaf group in front of Mukta Mancha. Shamsul Alam assistant Director (Public relation) of the university said, a meeting was held with the heads of all faculties and the declaration came out to postpon the examinations of all faculties. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Book Review

Monday, October 20, 2014

In the Light of What We Know: A novel that defines our times

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n Lamia Karim mathematician by training, Zia Haider Rahman’s debut novel is a literary masterpiece. It is a deeply unsettling novel where the protagonist’s “descent of hope” reveals our loss of a shared humanity.

The novel is a magisterial sweep of the landscape of the 21st century that is characterised by war, migration, and rootlessness.

Rahman grapples with the age-old question of knowledge of do we know what we know by offering Godel’s Incompleteness Theorem. Unfortunately, pure mathematics fails to not only give us answers to life’s complex questions; it also fails to give answers to its own questions.

In the Light of What We Know is a deeply postcolonial novel about the ambivalences of globalisation, excessive greed, military power, and our capacity to dehumanise the other.

It has been compared to Naipaul’s “A House for Mr. Biswas” and to Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” novels that have distilled feelings that have defined an age.

The New Yorker’s literary critic James Wood, who is very parsimonious with his praise, has written a 4,000-word tribute calling it “dazzling.” What are we to do in a world that is so bewilderingly full of promise and of senseless hatred? How do we navigate between truth and falsity, between knowing and not knowing, between human arrogance and its terrible consequences? How do we remain human in this world of “unbearable inconsistencies, in a world where black is white and white is black, and there is no way to tell them apart (552). “…that understanding is not what this life has given us, that answers can only beget questions, that honesty commands a declaration not of faith but of ignorance, and that the only

The novel weaves together an abundance of issues – race, class, belonging, loss, immigration, Englishness, the 2008 financial crisis, the war in Bangladesh in 1971, the US war in Afghanistan in 2002

mission available to us, one laid to our charge if any hand was in it, is to unfold the questions, to take to the river knowing not if it runs to the sea, and accept our place as servants of life” (553).

With over 500 pages of such dense writing, the novel is not an easy read.

Sometimes the author’s many segues and philosophical excursions tax one’s concentration. Yet the novel weaves together an abundance of issues – race, class, belonging, loss, immigration, Englishness, the 2008 financial crisis, the war in Bangladesh in 1971, the US war in Afghanistan in 2002. It is dotted with copious footnotes. There are so many thoughts entangled here that make it impossible for any one to do justice to them all. I leave that to future generations of English literature PhD students.

At the outset, it should be noted that Rahman engages with a range of western thinkers from Godel to Einstein to Coleridge and many more.

Each chapter begins with three to four epigraphs from writers and philosophers who have shaped the intellec-

tual tradition in the west. While one could argue that Rahman has engaged only with western thinkers, one cannot ignore the fact that is his training.

But one should recall that Rahman is writing when postcolonial studies are firmly entrenched in college curricula.

While Said is mentioned a couple of times, and Tagore once, there is an

as he pieces together the puzzle that is his friend’s life: “Can it really be true that everything that was to follow might have been averted by one kind remark from an immigration officer?’

How many have witnessed the harsh cruelty of the unblinking immigration officer standing behind the little cubicle? And herein lies the pathos echoed

The novel is a magisterial sweep of the landscape of the 21st century that is characterised by war, migration, and rootlessness

odd absence of thinkers from the east.

One fails to understand why that is the case. Simply put, there are many postcolonial thinkers who write in English or who have been translated.

Educated at Balliol College (Oxford), and then Cambridge, Munich and Yale, Rahman has been to the best of the best. Perhaps postcolonial studies are not that popular in these schools.

Rahman was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Born in rural Sylhet, Bangladesh, he went to England soon after 1971. His father worked as a bus conductor and then as a waiter, while his mother was a seamstress.

They lived in the projects of London.

As he says in the Guernica interview: “We moved to the UK where I grew up in poverty, in some of the worst conditions in a developed economy, before moving to the projects – heaven – and I went to unremarkable schools before going to university.”

Growing up as a working-class Bangladeshi immigrant in London in the 70s and 80s was not easy but he made it to Balliol College, the most prestigious of Oxford’s colleges. He later became a human rights lawyer. Not surprising then that justice and fairness are compelling motifs in the novel.

Why does the curiosity of a child born into the lowest classes have to overcome everything put in his or her way to mute that curiosity, when a child born to parents with access to the advantages of life will have his meager curiosity kindled and nurtured? The unfairness is horrifying when it is properly understood as unfairness meted out on children, on infants, on babies (Rahman interviewed by Jonathan Lee, July 15, 2014, Guernica) In the Light of What We Know is a story of two South Asian male friends living in London. We know the name of only one of them (Zafar), while the other is a nameless Pakistani who narrates the story from notebooks given to him by Zafar. One day after the financial crisis in 2008, a disheveled Zafar shows up at his friend’s doorstep in Kensington.

The two friends meet after many years. They had first met at Oxford as students of mathematics. Zafar is by far the sharper of the two. They mirror each other. Zafar is from Bangladesh and working-class; his friend is from a Pakistani family of privilege. The friend’s father was a Princeton and Oxford professor, his mother a psychotherapist, and the parents rubbed shoulders with the likes of Hamid Karzai.

We know less of Zafar’s background. His relationship with his immigrant parents is one of shame and loss. But there is another life that Zafar has left behind “in a corner of that corner of the world” known as Sylhet. It is this riveting subtext that is only alluded to in the novel but never narrated. Zafar has a compulsion to narrate this story (hence the reference to Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner) but it eludes speech because it is history’s unspeakable horror.

The foreshadowing of the longings that define an immigrant’s life is set early in the novel. Standing below the Statue of Liberty, Zafar says to his friend: “If an immigration officer at Heathrow had ever said ‘Welcome home’ to me, I would have given my life for England, for my country, there and then. I could kill for an England like that.” As the narrator later remarks

so many years ago by EM Forester in A Passage to India “no, not yet,” and “no not there.” What happens to this generation caught in limbo?

In today’s world, education is the pathway to upper classness but for the Zafars of this world that journey is covered in landmines. To belong to this new class is to break with one’s past.

So, his parents come to visit him at Oxford only once, and that too to help him move out of his dorm at 7:30 in the morning before anyone is astir (5).

In his effort to be English, Zafar says “please and thank you” to the Bangladeshi woman who raised him. “I had turned the web of duties that bound a family together, into the mere exchange of favors, thank you and please standing for reciprocation” (157).

In his later years, Zafar had “little to do with them” and the most time he spent was during one month when they needed help with their mortgage. “Once three years went without contact” (481). Through all this, there is tremendous rootlessness in Zafar’s life. He wants to belong, but his relationship with his white English girlfriend too is doomed.

In England, class has hardened along racial lines as the children of working-class South Asian immigrants have begun to make it into Eton, Harrow, Oxford, Cambridge. But getting admission to these colleges does not mean being accepted by English society. Zafar’s very upper-class girlfriend Emily Hampton-Wyvern never introduces him to her friends, and the only time he asked her to marry him “She let out a small little laugh, a perfectly formed ladylike laugh. Just enough.

And I said nothing more” (381).

One could almost liken her to Daisy Buchanan of the Great Gatsby. At the Hampton-Wyvern’s home, Emily’s mother Penelope Hampton-Wyvern offers Zafar a Bath Oliver with his afternoon tea. He confuses the name of the biscuit with taking a bath. These are small matters but they show the class distance between Zafar and Emily. Zafar astutely ponders to what extent are the Hampton-Wyverns equally trapped by their class position.

Zafar’s Emily is one such person who is imbued with a secular missionary zeal to bring change, but you could probably substitute Afghanistan for some other godforsaken third word country, and it would not matter to the Emilys of this world.

In The Light of What We Know is not your usual novel, it is not a page-turner. It is not filled with colorful characters that draw you into the turmoil of their lives. It is a story constructed on multiple sub-plots, and the narrative breaks at many points, like a meandering river, drifting off in a new direction to eventually return to the main theme.

The compulsion to tell another story, a more hidden story, is the story of the story. There is a lot going on in the novel but the most compelling part is the subtext about Zafar’s birth. There are hints throughout that there is a mystery to his relationship with Bangladesh that cannot be fully revealed (51, 53, 73-88).

It is only at the end that we find out that a woman raped by the Pakistani military in 1971 possibly conceived Zafar. He was adopted and taken out

At the end, one has no answer to the devil inside: our human capacity to dehumanise another. At its end, one is profoundly shaken to the core

In Penelope Hampton-Wyvern’s living room every item “spoke of an observance of a written rule.” Being upper class meant that one’s “preferences are so obviously conditioned by” one’s “social milieu” (239).

The novel is a constant reminder of the hubris of thinking that we know when we do not know. People in Afghanistan may not want us to bring progress and democracy, especially from do-gooder INGO consultants who could barely find Kabul on a map six months prior to their Afghan assignment.

of the country by his relatives. At the age of twelve years he returns to that small corner of that world, and spends four of the best years with a woman who loved him.

As the narrator continues: “And though I have no hard ground on which to base my speculation, the thought pleases me that at some time in those years he disappeared, my friend might have paid a visit to that area of the world, to the place he had been the happiest, as he once said, with the woman who had loved him (552).”

We know nothing of his time in

Bangladesh. We know nothing of the woman who gave birth to him. But as the subtext is revealed we understand better the relationship between the protagonist Zafar and his alter ego, the nameless Pakistani. There is a debt between Zafar and his friend who stands in for Pakistan, and who is compelled to narrate Zafar’s story in fragments. Perhaps that story can only be narrated when the people of Bangladesh and Pakistan can embrace the history of 1971 in all its horror and consequences.

In writing this subterranean text of those children born in 1971 to women who had been raped, Rahman has opened a deep wound in these two nations’ psyches. Pakistan has never acknowledged the rapes and the children that were born of this violence in 1971.

Bangladesh has failed to address the welfare of these women or the children, nor embraced them with love and respect. Nor has the state conducted a systematic accounting of the rapes during 1971 (see War, Women and The Making of Bangladesh: Remembering 1971, Yasmin Saikia, Duke University Press 2011).

What has the Bangladeshi nation done for the children of 1971? Have we, the people of Bangladesh, ever said, “Come back and let us embrace you with love?” Can we not open our hearts to these children who are now adults in their early 40s?

The tour de force that is In The Light of What Know takes one on a mesmerising journey through the world of science, mathematics and great philosophical debates, yet at the end, one has no answer to the devil inside: our human capacity to dehumanise another. At its end, one is profoundly shaken to the core.

Rahman is the author that I have been waiting for, one who will put the story of Bangladeshis on the global literary map. I hope that the poets and writers of Bangladesh will invite Zia Haider Rahman to visit his country to speak about his debut novel that has shaken the literary world. And to Rahman for writing this thought-provoking book for a not so brave or caring world – ten thousand salaams! l Lamia Karim is associate professor of anthropology, University of Oregon-Eugene, USA. This article was first published in alalodulal.org.

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Monday, October 20, 2014

US hospitals gird for Ebola panic as flu season looms

Ebola symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea and general weakness “I think there will be an increase of n Reuters, New York people who want to get checked out A young woman complaining of abdominal pain and nausea who had traveled to Africa arrived at a Long Island hospital fearful that she had contracted Ebola. She did not have the virus, but the pregnancy test was positive.

The woman had been to South Africa, more than 3,400 miles (5,400 km) from the three West African countries enduring the worst Ebola outbreak on record, and the trip ended six weeks prior, or twice the potential incubation period for Ebola infection.

“It tells you how ready for panic we can get ourselves,” said Dr. Bruce Hirsch, an infectious diseases specialist at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York. “There’s a lot of anxiety and the answer to anxiety is information and training.”

The woman’s fear was emblematic of panic across the country since Liberian traveler Thomas Eric Duncan became the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States on Sept. 30.

Two of the nurses who treated him at a Dallas, Texas hospital have since become infected, and several hundred more potential contacts, both direct and indirect, have been tracked.

Already dozens of false Ebola scares have been reported by hospitals even though the virus is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected person and the virus is not airborne.

With the annual flu season looming, hospitals and doctors are preparing themselves for emergency rooms that may become flooded with patients who

Blast kills six security forces in Egypt’s Sinai n Reuters, Cairo At least six Egyptian security force personnel were killed by a remotely detonated roadside bomb in the Sinai Peninsula yesterday, medical and security sources said.

The bomb exploded as a patrol responsible for protecting a natural gas pipeline passed by, the sources said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The blast occurred southwest of provincial capital Al-Arish where two policemen were killed when their patrol car was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade three days ago.

Security forces face a jihadist insurgency that has killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen since the army toppled President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood last year after mass protests against his rule.

Most attacks occur in the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip, as well as near Egypt’s Suez Canal.

Security officials say Sinai-based militants are inspired by Islamic State, the al Qaeda offshoot that controls parts of Iraq and Syria and wants to redraw the map of the Middle East.

A senior commander from Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, Egypt’s deadliest jihadist group, has told Reuters that Islamic State has provided instructions on how to operate more effectively. l

just because of the fear factor, especially if we start to see more of a spread of Ebola,” Davis said.

Influenza’s toll

fear Ebola but instead have influenza, which can cause similar symptoms in the early stages such as fever and body aches.

But fear often trumps common sense, even though people should be far more worried about the flu given the toll it is known to take every year, doctors said.

“You’re far more likely to die at this point from not receiving a flu shot,” said Dr. Sampson Davis, an emergency med-

icine physician at Meadowlands Hospital Center in Secaucus, New Jersey.

The severity of the flu season, which varies from year to year, and any spread of Ebola in the United States, will be critical factors in how strained hospital resources may become. And while there are tests for influenza and screening protocols being put in place for Ebola, hospitals could also face patients with all sorts of ailments looking to allay misplaced fears.

Flu season typically begins in November and peaks in January or February.

More than 200,000 people are hospitalized on average for flu-related complications each year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Annual US flu deaths have ranged as low as 3,000 and as high as 49,000.

Doctors and public health officials interviewed by Reuters said many hospitals are implementing protocols that limit Ebola testing to people who had direct contact with the disease, such as a healthcare worker, and recent travelers to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Fears that Ebola may spread in the United States intensified when it became public this week that the second Dallas-based nurse confirmed with Ebola had traveled on two domestic commercial flights days before she was diagnosed. US health officials insist the likelihood of an outbreak here remains low.

“Outside of West Africa you are just not at risk,” said Paul Biddinger, head of emergency preparedness at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Travel screening “is by far and away the most important part of our frontline intervention.”

Ebola symptoms that mirror flu include fever, muscle aches, nausea and general weakness. l

Fiercest fighting in days hits Kobane n Reuters, Urfa, Turkey The fiercest fighting in days shook the Syrian border town of Kobane overnight when Islamic State fighters attacked Kurdish forces with mortars and car bombs, sources in the town and a monitoring group said on Sunday.

Islamic State, which controls much of Syria and Iraq, fired 44 mortars at Kurdish parts of the town on Saturday, some of which fell inside nearby Turkey, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

It said four more were fired on Sunday.

The month-long battle for Kobane has ebbed and flowed. A week ago, Kurds warned the town would fall imminently and the US-led coalition stepped up air strikes on Islamic State, which wants to take Kobane to consolidate its position in northern Syria.

The coalition has been bombing Islamic State targets in Iraq since August and extended the campaign to Syria in September after Islamic State, a group that espouses a rigid interpretation of Islam and initially focused on fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, made huge territorial gains.

Raids on Islamic State around Kobane have been stepped up, with the fate of the town seen as an important test for US President Barack Obama’s campaign against the Islamists.

Nato member Turkey, whose forces are ranged along the border overlooking Kobani, is a reluctant member of the coalition, insisting the allies should also confront Assad to end a civil war that has killed close to 200,000 people since March 2011.

“We had the most intense clashes of days, perhaps a week last night. (Islamic State) attacked from three different sides including the municipality build-

Division in church as bishops scrap welcome to gays n Vatican City Catholic bishops scrapped their landmark welcome to gays on Saturday, showing deep divisions at the end of a two-week meeting sought by Pope Francis to chart a more merciful approach to ministering to Catholic families.

The bishops failed to approve even a watered-down section on ministering to homosexuals that stripped away the welcoming tone of acceptance contained in a draft document earlier in the week.

The revised paragraph had said “people with homosexual tendencies must be welcomed with respect and delicacy.” But the paragraph failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to pass.

Two other paragraphs concerning the other hot-button issue at the synod of bishops — whether divorced and civilly remarried Catholics can receive Communion — also failed to pass.

“Personally I would have been very worried and saddened if there hadn’t been these ...animated discussions... or if everyone had been in agreement or silent in a false and acquiescent peace,” Francis told the synod hall after the vote.

The outcome showed a deeply divided church on some of the most pressing issues facing Catholic families.

It appeared that the 118-62 vote on the gay section might have been a protest by progressive bishops who refused to back the watered-down wording. The original draft had said gays had gifts to offer the church and their partnerships, while morally problematic, provided gay couples with “pre-

The statue of St. Peter’s is back dropped by prelates waiting for the start of the beatification ceremony of Pope Paul VI and a mass for the closing of of a two-week synod on family issues celebrated by Pope Francis, in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican AP cious” support.

New Ways Ministry, a Catholic gay rights group, said it was “very disappointing” that the final report had backtracked from the welcoming words contained in the draft. Nevertheless, it said the synod’s process “and openness to discussion provides hope for further development down the road, partic-

ularly at next year’s synod, where the makeup of the participants will be larger and more diverse, including many more pastorally-oriented bishops.”

The draft had been written by a Francis appointee, Monsignor Bruno Forte, a theologian known for pushing the pastoral envelope on ministering to people in “irregular” unions. The draft was

supposed to have been a synopsis of the bishops’ interventions, but many conservatives complained that it reflected a minority and overly progressive view.

Francis insisted in the name of transparency that the full document — including the paragraphs that failed to pass — be published along with the voting tally. l

ing side and the market place,” said Abdulrahman Gok, a journalist in Kobani.

A fighter from the female units of the main Syrian Kurdish militia in Kobane, YPG, said Kurdish fighters were able to detonate the car bombs before they reached their targets.

“Last night there were clashes all across Kobane ... this morning the clashes are still ongoing,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Turkey has refused to rearm beleaguered Kurdish fighters, who complain they are at huge disadvantage in the face of Islamic State’s weaponry The Observatory said 70 Islamic State fighters had been killed in the past two days, according to sources at the hospital in the nearby town of Tel Abyab, where Islamic State bodies are taken. Reuters cannot independently confirm the reports due to security restrictions.

The Observatory said some Syrian Arab fighters from the Revolutionaries of Raqqa Brigade, which are fighting alongside Kurdish fighters, had executed two Islamic State captives. “One was a child of around 15 years old. They shot them in the head,” he said.

Islamic State have also used executions throughout their campaigns in Syria and Iraq, killing hundreds of their enemies and civilians who are opposed to their cause, according to Islamic State videos and statements. l

Mass jail break as DR Congo violence worsens n Agencies Armed men have raided a jail in the town of Butembo in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, releasing all 370 prisoners, military sources told Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb, reporting from east DR Congo, said the Congolese army and the town’s mayor confirmed the raid, but that there were conflicting reports as to who was responsible for the incident late on Saturday night.

The North Kivu province of eastern DR Congo has been hit by gruesome violence over the last 10 days, with officials and local rights groups saying that about 80 people have been killed.

The blame for many of the attacks has been levelled at the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a secretive Ugandan rebel group hiding out in the neighbouring country. It has terrorised the area for much of the last two decades.

On Thursday, about 26 people were slaughtered with machetes in Beni, while 50 km away in Eringeti, another 24 people, mostly women and children, were killed when militia entered the town and used machetes, axes and hoes to kill them.

“The Congolese military said the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) were responsible for the jailbreak but the mayor of the town says the attack on the prison was conducted by ordinary bandits,” Al Jazeera’s Webb said. l

Half-mumbled prayers and friction at Jerusalem’s holiest site n Reuters, Jerusalem

An Israeli woman (C) and a Palestinian woman gesture at one another during a protest by Palestinian women against Jewish visitors to the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in this Oct 14 file photo REUTERS

Israeli and Palestinian police kept a tight watch over the al-Aqsa mosque compound yesterday amid high tension between Muslims and Jewish visitors to the holy site and calls from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to defend it by “all means.”

Clashes have flared repeatedly in the past few weeks as increasing numbers of Jews have visited the sacred area during the Jewish holidays, angering Palestinians who see this as part of an Israeli agenda to alter a long-preserved status quo.

The ornate marble and stone compound, known as Noble Sanctuary to Muslims and Temple Mount to Jews, is the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest in Judaism. It contains the 8th century al-Aqsa mosque and the golden Dome of the Rock, where the Prophet Mohammad is said to

have ascended to heaven.

While the site is ultimately administered by Jordanian religious authorities, Israeli and Palestinian police secure it. Non-Muslims are allowed to visit under close monitoring but are not allowed to pray, a prohibition at the heart of the tensions.

Shortly after dawn on Sunday, a group of 10 Orthodox Jews gathered among dozens of foreign tourists to visit the site situated on a plateau above the Western Wall, where the second Jewish temple stood before it was destroyed in 70 AD. Under the wary gaze of police, the group was escorted around the compound, sometimes appearing to mumble prayers under their breath as they walked. Any overt praying or efforts to lower themselves to the ground were quickly stopped by police.

As they passed in front of al-Aqsa mosque, where clashes erupted be-

tween Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters last week, a crowd of Muslim women, their heads and faces covered, chanted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is Greater”) and the Palestinian police urged the Orthodox Jews to keep moving along.

“This is a provocation,” said Samy Hashlamon, a Palestinian man sitting nearby under the shade of some cypress trees.

“They are trying to confuse us and make us nervous, but this whole area belongs to Muslims.”

On a flight of steps leading up to the octagonal Dome of the Rock, which sits in the middle of the 37-acre (15-hectare) tree-lined compound, someone had spray-painted an equals sign between the Jewish Star of David and a Nazi swastika.

It was removed by police within minutes, but not before the Jewish visitors had seen and photographed it. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

China says it’s hard to resume cyber security talks with US

Jayalalitha: 193 died due to my present situation n Agencies Former Tamil Nadu chief minister, who is out on bail after being convicted in a corruption case, yesterday claimed 193 people had died in the state because of her “present situation” which she compared to “swimming in a sea of inferno.”

Putting up a brave front, Jayalalithaa assured party workers that she will come out of the present case as she had successfully faced many challenges.

In her first statement after walking out of the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison at Bangalore on Saturday, the former chief minister said she had been facing challenges in her life for long.

“I have successfully come out of them. With your love and the grand support of the people of Tamil Nadu by my side, I am not going to be cowed down or lose heart,” said Jayalalithaa, who was sentenced to four years in prison in the Rs. 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case.

“My public life amounts to swimming in a sea of inferno,” the 66-yearold leader said.

Recalling that her mentor and party founder MG Ramachandran had secured an assurance from her that she will dedicate herself in leading AIADMK, she said she was living by that promise.

The welfare of AIADMK and its workers, particularly the well-being of people of Tamil Nadu, were her prime goals and she continued to walk this path unmindful of the “challenges, grief and pain” she could face in this process, as “God has given me the maturity to take such pains in my stride.”

Jayalalithaa claimed 193 persons had died due to her “present situation,” and expressed concern over three other persons attempting suicide. The party released the list of the 193 deceased persons, saying 139 of them died of heart attack while the rest ended their lives.

Expressing her sympathies with the families of the deceased, she announced a relief of Rs. three lakh to each of them even as she said the party will provide Rs. 50,000 each for the three persons towards medical treatment.

She urged supporters not to take any such extreme steps and also thanked all those who had prayed for her release.

After the Supreme Court granted her bail in the case, Jayalalithaa was released on bail on Saturday, arriving to a grand homecoming with scores of supporters turning up to welcome her despite heavy rain. l

9

Monday, October 20, 2014

n Reuters, Beijing

Supporters of BJP celebrate as early results indicated the party leading in the Maharashtra state Assembly elections in Mumbai

Resuming cyber security cooperation between China and the United States would be difficult because of “mistaken US practices,” China’s top diplomat told US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Cyber security is an irritant to bilateral ties. On Wednesday, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation said hackers it believed were backed by the Chinese government had launched more attacks on US companies, a charge China rejected as unfounded.

In May, the United States charged five Chinese military officers with hacking American firms, prompting China to shut down a bilateral working group on cyber security.

AP

Modi’s BJP makes big gains in two state polls

US and China look to manage differences, cooperate against threats

Maharashtra and Haryana were both bastions of Congress n Reuters, Boston casting Minister Prakash Javadekar. market forces greater sway as it seeks America and China’s top diplomats n Agencies “People want a leader who can deliver, to attract energy investment, boost stressed the need to manage differencIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party made big gains in two state elections, partial results showed yesterday, in an endorsement that will encourage him to step up the pace of economic reforms.

As of 8pm local time, Modi’s BJP won or was leading in 122 of 288 seats in Maharashtra, where it polled 26.6% of votes. That more than doubled its seat count in the western state that is home to Mumbai, the financial capital, but fell short of an outright majority.

The BJP won 47 of 90 seats in Haryana – with a vote share of 33.6% – enough to rule alone. The party’s showing was just down from the May general election, when it won India’s first parliamentary majority in 30 years.

The 64-year-old Modi, a gifted stump orator, hit the campaign trail hard and will be able to reap capital from the victories, although the BJP did not achieve its ambition to rule Maharashtra alone. “There is a Modi wave,” said Information and Broad-

people want a leader who is honest.”

Both states, which voted on Wednesday, were bastions of the Congress party that has long dominated Indian politics. As in the general election, Congress was decimated, and risks sliding into oblivion under mother-son duo Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.

“Today is likely to be both a BJP win and a funeral of a 150-year-old party,” said investment manager and columnist Surjit Bhalla, referring to the party founded in 1885 and led by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty for four generations.

Reform boost

Modi had already seized on exit polls giving the BJP a clear lead to shake up his economic team, replacing the top civil servant at the finance ministry and hiring US-based economist Arvind Subramanian as his chief economic adviser.

His government on Saturday scrapped diesel price controls and raised the cost of natural gas, giving

Yang Jiechi, a state councillor overseeing foreign affairs, told Kerry in Boston the United States “should take positive action to create necessary conditions for bilateral cyber security dialogue and cooperation to resume,” according to a statement seen on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website on Sunday.

“Due to mistaken US practices, it is difficult at this juncture to resume Sino-US cyber security dialogue and cooperation,” Yang was quoted as saying. The statement did not elaborate.

Former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden has said the US National Security Agency hacked into official network infrastructure at universities in China and Hong Kong. l

competition and cut subsidy costs.

Senior government officials say Modi may soon beef up the cabinet he formed at the end of May, to ease pressure on heavyweights like Arun Jaitley, who holds both the finance and defence portfolios.

Jaitley, recovering from a recent stomach operation, has his work cut out to draft an annual budget by February to encourage business investment and revive Asia’s third largest economy from a prolonged slowdown.

State elections determine seat shares in the upper house of parliament, where the BJP and its allies lack a majority. The BJP hopes for gains in a clutch of state polls until 2017 to get the majority it needs to pass some legislation.

If final results show the BJP short of a majority in Maharashtra, it would probably team up with the regional Shiv Sena party, which is still part of its national coalition. The two parties fell out during the state campaign. Final results were due later on Sunday. l

es and cooperate against global threats including Islamic State and Ebola, as they sought to warm the mood between their countries ahead of a summit next month.

“There are many areas that the United States and China are cooperating on, even as we have some differences that we try to manage effectively,” US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters in Boston on Saturday before a second day of talks with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi. He listed areas of cooperation ranging from Afghanistan, the North Korea nuclear situation, Iran, climate change and counterterrorism, including the effort against Islamic State.

Yang said the aim of his visit was to prepare the way for a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama in Beijing on Nov. 12 after a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

“We believe that we should continue to work together to deepen our mutual trust and to put our efforts into major

areas of cooperation, while on the basis of mutual respect we can properly handle any kind of difference between us,” Yang said. Shared concern about Islamic State offers a rare convergence of security interests for Beijing and Washington, and a break from their more typical enmity on sensitive geopolitical issues, notably the South China Sea and matters such as cyber spying.

Kerry hosted a dinner for Yang at his Boston townhouse on Friday. A senior State Department official said after Saturday’s talks that Kerry had raised all areas of US concern about China, including human rights, Hong Kong, the South China Sea and cyber spying.

The official said the exchanges had been “candid” and went beyond a restatement of rhetorical positions. He stressed that the talks had been consultations rather than negotiations aimed at achieving concrete outcomes and the results would therefore be “incremental.”

Nevertheless, the official said, the talks had been “an extremely substantive and productive encounter” and the informal atmosphere had broken with a tradition of heavily structured dialogue between the two countries. l

Hopes fade for 40 missing after Nepal blizzard n Reuters, Kathmandu Hopes faded yesterday for survivors of one of Nepal’s worst mountain disasters as villagers joined an intensive search by troops and government officials for as many as 40 people missing after an unseasonal blizzard killed 39.

More than 500 people have been rescued from a route popular with foreign adventure tourists that circles Annapurna, the world’s tenth-tallest peak. The survivors included 230 foreigners.

Rescuers turned to villagers familiar with the rugged, snow-clad terrain to help look for stranded trekkers. The snow and avalanches were triggered by the tail end of a cyclone, which hit neighbouring India last weekend.

“We are not clear where the missing people are and whether they are safe or not safe,” Yadav Koirala, the chief of Nepal’s disaster management authority, told Reuters in Kathmandu, the capital.

“We can only hope and pray that they are not dead.”

Since Wednesday, rescue teams have recovered 30 bodies and identified nine more from the air.

“The snow is very thick and the rescue teams are finding it difficult to pull the nine bodies out,” said K.P. Sharma, an administrator in Dolpa, a district of glaciers and ravines.

Army helicopters searched for survivors on parts of the trail at an altitude of more than 5,000 metres (16,400 feet). Soldiers fanned out through some of the most treacherous terrain, where helicopters cannot land.

The dead include Canadian, Indian, Israeli, Japanese, Nepalese, Polish and Slovak trekkers. Survivors said many victims perished trying to descend from the trail’s highest pass in freezing, whiteout conditions.

The incident was Nepal’s second major mountain disaster this year.

Sixteen guides died in an avalanche in April on Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. l

Rival Koreas exchange gunfire across border n

Reuters, Seoul

North and South Korea exchanged gunfire yesterday when the North’s soldiers approached the military border and did not retreat after the South fired warning shots, the South Korean Defence Ministry said. The North’s soldiers fired back in an exchange of gunfire that lasted about 10 minutes but the situation did not escalate, a ministry official said.

“There were no casualties or property damage,” the official said.

The incident was the latest in a series of confrontations in recent weeks between the rival Koreas, that remain technically at war, and follows an urgent meeting between senior military officials on Wednesday to discuss how to ease tensions.

The North’s soldiers on Saturday approached the so-called Military Demarcation Line that separates the countries but retreated after the South fired warning shots, the official added.

Earlier this month, the two sides exchanged fire after a North Korean patrol boat crossed a sea border that the North has long disputed in an area where naval clashes have in the past killed scores of sailors on both sides. They also traded machinegun fire after southern activists released anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border by balloon on Oct. 10. The two Koreas are expected to hold a high-level meeting soon and the recent actions by the heavily militarised North are seen by experts as posturing to seek advantage in often intricate dealings with the wealthy South. l

Protesters guard makeshift barricades at a pro-democracy protest encampment in the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong early Sunday

AP

Hong Kong clashes erupt despite imminent talks n Reuters, Hong Kong

Violent clashes erupted in Hong Kong early yesterday for a second night, deepening a sense of impasse between a government with limited options and a pro-democracy movement increasingly willing to confront police.

The worst political crisis in Hong Kong since Britain handed the free-wheeling capitalist city back to China in 1997 entered its fourth week with no sign of a resolution despite talks scheduled for two hours on Tuesday between the government and student protest leaders.

Beijing has signalled through Hong Kong’s leaders that it is not willing to reverse a decision in August that effectively denies the financial hub the full democracy the protesters are demanding.

“Unless there is some kind of break-

through in two hours of talks on Tuesday, I’m worried we will see the standoff worsen and get violent,” Sonny Lo, a professor at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, told Reuters.

“We could be entering a new and much more problematic stage. I hope the government has worked out some compromises, because things could get very difficult now.”

Hong Kong’s 28,000 strong police have been struggling to contain a youth-led movement that has shown little sign of waning after three weeks of standoffs.

Demonstrators in the Mong Kok district launched a fresh assault early on Sunday, putting on helmets and goggles before surging forward to grab a line of metal barricades hemming them into a section of road.

Hundreds of police officers hit out at a wall of umbrellas that protesters

raised to fend off police pepper spray.

Protesters screamed and hurled insults and violent scuffles erupted before police surged forward with riot shields, forcing the protesters back.

“Black Police! Black Police!” protesters shouted.

One activist in a white T-shirt and goggles was hit with a flurry of baton blows, leaving him bleeding from a gash in the head. Several protesters were taken away.

Senior policeman at the scene Paul Renouf said 400 to 500 officers were deployed to force the crowds about 20 metres back from their original position near an intersection.

Dozens of people were reportedly injured in the two nights of clashes, including 22 police officers. Four people were arrested early on Sunday, police said.

The clashes came hours after Hong

Kong’s pro-Beijing leader Leung Chunying called for the talks on Tuesday.

They will be broadcast live.

The protesters, led by a restive generation of students, have been demanding China’s Communist Party rulers live up to constitutional promises to grant full democracy to the former British trading outpost.

Hong Kong is ruled under a “one country, two systems” formula that allows it wide-ranging autonomy and freedoms and specifies universal suffrage for Hong Kong as an eventual goal.

But Beijing is wary about copycat demands for reform on the mainland and it ruled on Aug. 31 it would screen candidates who want to run for the city’s chief executive in 2017. Democracy activists said that rendered the universal suffrage concept meaningless.

They are demanding free elections. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Monday, October 20, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

The public needs an independent ombudsman

C

alls for compensation and the investigation and punishment of any wrongdoing by public officials have rightly been made, following the final dropping of charges against Limon Hossain.

The 19-year-old had been wrongfully charged with various offences by authorities after mistakenly being shot by law enforcers three years ago, in an incident which caused him to lose a leg.

It is right that inquiries be made into the apparent coverup and persecution which took place against this individual.

The broader question to ask is whether the current legal mechanisms available to the public are sufficient to protect citizens’ rights. The courts provide extensive external mechanisms which can be used to ensure police accountability.

Criminal prosecutions can be launched in lower courts against abuse of power and brutality by police, and the higher judiciary has authority to rule on writ petitions and public interest litigations.

However, the public still needs more effective advocacy and representation available to ensure that all cases of wrongdoing are properly heard and brought before the courts.

While the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh, established under the law in 2009 as a national advocacy institution for human rights promotion and protection, has significant powers, its size and funding limit its effectiveness.

The constitution provides for an effective ombudsman to represent the public. With so many ongoing instances of alleged brutality and wrongful killing by law enforcers, the public still needs a more powerful, independent commission to investigate complaints against law enforcers and to provide legal support to individuals bringing cases.

Citizens need help to ensure all cases of wrongdoing are properly heard

Thank you for listening

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

Zubair’s death: Murky depths of Abuubaida Kadir October 12

Yusuf This man has lived in Uttara for 10 years. He is active among the youths; he plays with them, trains them in soccer/swimming, and only after the tragic death of a young man, the dark part of his character comes out.

Fishy, no? If it was on Facebook, it should have been public knowledge, at least in the circle he was active in, isn’t that so? There should have been uproar, and the youths should have boycotted him. That’s clearly not the case. He remains popular in the English-medium youth circles. And now he’s the devil himself.

An investigation of this man should be more critical, more questioning. What has been reported here is the popular version. And truth is anything but popular. anonymous Yusuf: Would you come forward if you had been molested by him, and let the whole world know and live with the tag? No? As I suspected.

This man has proven to be of questionable character, so stop defending him.

Yusuf anonymous: Wasn’t defending, actually; just

Bring sexuality out in the open October 13

The decision to limit the sites for sacrifice is important to maintain public hygiene

Adnan Qader “It’s time to talk about it openly because otherwise, miscommunication, and in certain cases indoctrination, can happen.”

Good read.

Izlal Moin Husain As much as I enjoy this author’s op-ed articles (I sincerely do), with this one though he went from nowhere to nothing.

HRW: Don’t lower marriage age October 13 Nazmul Khair I don’t think so. Nowadays everything and everyone is so fast, especially boys and girls from the age of 12. They seem to almost know everything about married life.

We need to carry out an awareness program which may help everybody understand what are the disadvantages of early marriage are.

Shaila Khaled “‘Setting the age of marriage for girls in Bangladesh at 16 would be a terrible step in the wrong direction,’ said Liesl Gerntholtz, women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch.”

I totally agree. Absolutely no to this idea!

CALVIN AND HOBBES

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

asked for more responsibility. The trial should be done in court, after a proper investigation, not by you or me. And of course any “accused” is “innocent until proven guilty.”

Kas Yusuf: Not a fishy case at all. Simply a case of denial amongst those who should have known better … parents, teachers, and the children themselves. We must watch out for predators and report anything suspicious.

There may be many more Kadirs out there.

Let them be identified. And what exactly are you insinuating? The text messages to young boys clearly point in one direction! If you have more information, you should come forward as well.

Yusuf Kas: What text messages are you talking about?

Dhaka Tribune has seen only screenshots of FB conversations, not text messages sent from Kadir’s mobile.

The text message claim was made by our police. Well, with all due respect to them, I don’t trust them an iota, do you? I am in no way saying that Kadir is innocent; I was just asking for a bit more in terms of investigation.

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

Police: Zubair was murdered October 12

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e welcome the decision announced by the two Dhaka city corporations to limit the slaughter of sacrificial animals to specially designated spaces and city corporation slaughterhouses, from next Eid-ul-Azha.

This move pays heed to the many concerns expressed by the public about the current system for qurbani sacrifice.

Every year, the festival sees animals needlessly obstructing public highways, and sacrifices being performed near private homes and on major thoroughfares and public spaces. Smells and health hazards linger for days as animal waste and blood pollute city streets and playgrounds.

The decision to limit the sites for sacrifice is important to maintain public hygiene.

As well as cutting clean-up costs, it should also benefit the public by ensuring a safer, more convenient system for sacrifices.

The animals themselves can also be monitored and cared for more effectively by properly-trained professionals, in keeping with the Islamic values and ideals that are meant to underpin the ritual.

Officials claim that simplifying the system into custom-made slaughterhouses should allow the slaughtering and processing of each animal to take 15 to 20 minutes. This should be a great boon for everyone.

However, it is vital that authorities ensure that city-owned abattoirs and other designated sites are fully refurbished and in good condition for this task.

This means planning now to invest in improvements and new equipment, in order to ensure an easy-to-use system for the public from next year.

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 18 represents W so fill W every time the figure 18 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

CROSSWORD DragonWarrior The boy was young; may the Almighty Allah bless his soul.

I hope the coach gets what’s coming to him if he really did murder Zubair.

Shahriar Rahman This is horrible, especially since this could have been easily avoided if the child could go to his parents and expose this paedophile. But alas, we choose to be so repressed regarding these things that paedophiles continue to abuse children. the truth Shahriar Rahman: Zubair was not a child. He was an adolescent. People who go after children are paedophiles. Kadir is no pedophile if he goes after young teens.

ACROSS 1 Spirit (3) 3 Constraint (6) 8 Wading bird (4) 9 Present (3) 10 Steal livestock (6) 11 Dry inflammable matter (6) 14 Danger (5) 17 Bury (5) 20 Worshipped (6) 24 Chant (6) 26 Briny (3) 27 Microbe (4) 28 Aided ((6) 29 Female swan (3)

DOWN 1 Floating structure (4) 2 Bearing (4) 3 Dreadful (4) 4 Take unjustly (5) 5 Go in (5) 6 Sun personified (3) 7 Bulge out (5) 12 Tavern (3) 13 Female deer (3) 15 Self (3) 16 Frozen treat (3) 17 Citizens of Eire (5) 18 Whole slam (5) 19 Scope (5) 21 Exploit (4) 22 Slope between levels (4) 23 Daybreak (4) 25 Born (3)

Georgian Dias This is so wrong. This guy needs to be taught a lesson. He should be given the most horrible and worst kind of punishment. According to me he deserves to be beaten up in public … by the students.

Nazia Georgian Dias: Umm, he was a soccer coach.

Tigers begin camp for Zim series October 14

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

Rashik Riz Stop calling them Tigers if they don’t play like tigers. This team needs some sincere, passionate players, unlike Shakib, Tamim, Mahmudullah, etc.

PEANUTS

CROSSWORD

Democracy: The only answer October 12 Laguna Vaza Everyone deserves democracy. Everyone deserves to have their voices heard.

Platform to resist taking Pias’s body to Shaheed Minar October 14

SK We are a society where anyone who presents a perspective is immediately tagged.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Monday, October 20, 2014

Nourishing the world n

José Graziano da Silva

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We cannot address militancy with a one-dimensional approach

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

What if our strategy fails?

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n Khawaza Main Uddin he economics and social chemistry of militancy are being studied in the West.

But Western governments are acting otherwise, pursuing a one-dimensional policy of attacking the militants militarily to uproot them from Earth forever. Dhaka today follows suit, at least avowedly, barring any research, correct reasoning, and serious thinking about militancy. Rather over-enthusiastically, the authorities assign law enforcers to sell the term as many times as possible to draw political dividends.

Once condemned for his undiplomatic and aggressive moves, George W Bush is instead being followed in dealing with non-state “jihadists” and, of late, multi-national operatives of Islamic State. In Bangladesh, the rulers have adhered to Bush’s philosophy: You’re either with me or against me. Bush had at least tried to give an explanation about “terrorist upsurge,” presenting poverty as a key reason. We now know he was wrong. It is Western research that confirmed most of the jihadists were bright graduates and successful professionals, especially engineers.

So, blaming the “poor” students at a Chittagong madrasa for transnational Islamist militancy has in fact been a bankrupt policy. Even if you unfairly suspect them, you’d find that poverty has constrained their capacity and courage to issue a formidable threat, let alone act independently on the big international scene. Look at Hefazat-e-Islam, a coalition of madrasa-educated groups, which could not dare to regroup after

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the crackdown on its gathering in Motijheel in May 2013. Cadres of IS have been indoctrinated in such a manner that they are ready to sacrifice their lives for a cause they think is righteous.

President Barack Obama’s initial hesitation in launching airstrikes on IS militants indicated Washington’s unwillingness to engage in long-term wars anymore, after Bush’s twin setbacks in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why then, have the Western leaders preferred airstrikes on IS strongholds in complex civil war-torn areas in Syria and Iraq? Because of their geopolitical and economic interests and the business interests of the war industry.

In Bangladesh, the rulers have adhered to Bush’s philosophy: You’re either with me or against me

However, the West has managed to justify the war, even if not to everyone or all the time, on the plea of perceptible threats – be it Osama bin Laden, or oppressive regimes. While Washington maintains a position that best serves American interests, Dhaka has proven how to secure only the regime's interests by capitalising on the militancy issue. There are seasons of raids, arrests, police remands,

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recovery of jihadi books, and forced statements, in a self-proclaimed war against invisible enemies in a peaceful country.

Thus, the actual state of militancy had never been dug out. Though Shaikh Abdur Rahman and his followers were caught and executed for a series of bombings, not much was said about their rise, training, funding, and national and international connections.

So far, no big chunk of money, owned or transacted by fanatic forces, has been detected.

A misplaced state policy devoid of proper investigation of potential threats of militancy may invite a situation where it will be impossible to address the issue. What the incumbents are doing is harassing political rivals and appeasing foreign governments by imitating their policies, considering militancy as a law and order issue.

The West has overlooked the frustration and anger among the Muslims due to a double standard: Condemning killings by namesake Muslims but virtually supporting the Israeli killing of Palestinians in Gaza. Such insurgencies involve costs for those who are the combatants and the innocents in the crossfire, apart from the insurgents themselves and their patrons. The United States paid some price for its global role in terms of security alerts and military operations. Pakistan has to pay a much higher price for its strategic location and for the complicity of elements within that country.

India is another country which has been exposed to militant threats and economic costs and this depends on how New Delhi treats Muslims at home and whether it pursues perceived anti-Islamic policies like

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developing closer ties with Israel.

Dhaka has overplayed the issue to score internationally for the survival of the regime. In the process, the administration has missed out on some of the most serious, far-reaching issues relating to a probable rise of radical politics. We are yet to look for answers to a few important questions: Has the fear of militancy given secular and moderate forces the divine right to commit corruption and deny the democratic aspirations of the people?

Where have the university graduates gone (in terms of political allegiance) after the degradation of student politics, associated with major political parties since the mid-1990s?

What will be the rules of the game in politics, should the currently excluded forces of the society, such as madrasa-educated people and economically-deprived groups, manage to assert their positions?

Is the most probable reaction to global trends from the people who belong to different schools of thought within Islam one of peace or violence?

How will the governments and presently-dominant groups in Muslim societies sustain in the current mode of governance characterised by exclusionist politics, reign of terror, and the absence of accommodative dialogue?

As the Internet has made it easier to be indoctrinated with radical views, and as the state too has strengthened its coercive surveillance over individuals, where will people with free-thinking, revolutionary, or even terrorist attitudes take shelter? l Khawaza Main Uddin is Executive Editor at ICE Business Times.

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he fight against hunger forges ahead around the world, but with about 805 million people who still do not have enough to eat, a lot more still needs to be done. 63 developing countries – including Bangladesh – have already reached the Millennium Development Goal hunger target of halving the proportion of chronic undernourishment by 2015. What their stories tell us is that to win the war against hunger, we need political commitment, a holistic approach, social participation, and family farming.

Throughout the world, family farmers play a crucial socio-economic, environmental, and cultural role which, amid serious challenges, needs to be cherished and strengthened through innovation. Recognising this, the United Nations designated 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming.

The theme of this year’s World Food Day also celebrated the contribution family farmers make to food security and sustainable development: They feed the world and care for the Earth.

The facts presented in FAO’s annual State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report clearly justify the emphasis being placed on family farming. Around 500 million of the world’s 570 million farms are run by families. They are the main caretakers of our natural resources. As a sector, they form the world’s largest employer, supply more than 80% of the world’s food in terms of value, and are often the main producers of fresh fruit, vegetables, and dairy and poultry products. In Bangladesh, it is estimated that 48% of the workforce are engaged in some form of agriculture, while the average landholding size is under 1 hectare.

However, over the last few decades, profound changes have happened in the way food is produced, traded, and consumed. Agricultural productivity has dramatically increased, thanks to scientific and technological progress.

A growing and increasingly urbanised world population is relying on food produced by a much smaller percentage of farmers compared to that of the post-Second World War period. The marketplace for agriculture and food products has become globalised. The diets of the vast majority of the people in the world rely on just four commodities.

Family farming needs to adjust in ways that can respond to these changing conditions, and ensure a supply of healthy and nutritious food.

Innovation is key to making this happen: Family farmers need to innovate in the approaches they use, governments need to innovate in the specific policies they implement to support family farming, producers’ organisations need to innovate to respond better to the needs of family farmers, and research and extension institutions need to innovate by shifting from a research-driven process predominantly based on technology transfer from research to farmers, to an approach that enables and rewards innovation by family farmers themselves.

Additionally, in all its forms, innovation needs to be inclusive, involving family farmers in the generation,

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sharing and use of knowledge so that they have ownership of the process, taking on board both the benefits and the risks, and making sure that it truly responds to the local context.

Clearly, family farmers need to produce enough food not just for themselves, but also for people in rural areas not involved in farming or city dwellers. They also need to generate income – money to buy inputs such as seeds and fertilisers, but also to guarantee decent livelihoods including paying for their children’s education and other needs.

To win the war against hunger, we need family farming

When family farmers are stronger, it is a win-win situation: More food available locally translates into more food security and into the possibility of producing and buying food for and in local markets. In turn, this means fresher and healthier meals that respect local culture and values local foods, contributes to better nutrition, and makes more money flow in local economies, helping them flourish. The list of potential benefits does not stop there and includes, for instance, the possibility of linking local production to school meals, and the opportunity to stimulate industries that can support the flourishing production.

These efforts lead to sustainable territorial rural development, something that everyone – farmers, communities, and governments – should invest in. When we combine productive support to social protection and other public support such as better access to health facilities and schools, we can create a truly virtuous sustainable development cycle.

In the joint effort to promote environmentally-sustainable and socially-inclusive economic growth, women and the youth deserve special attention. Women play a crucial yet not always duly recognised role throughout the food system – from producing and marketing food to ensuring adequate nutrition in families. At the same time, we need to stem the exodus of the rural youth, who often are forced to look elsewhere when wishing to improve their lives. We need to create the conditions for the youth to view a life in rural areas as a future of opportunities – this includes training programs that can allow them tap into their entrepreneurial potential.

As we rapidly approach the deadline of the Millennium Development Goals, we are also working together to forge the sustainable, hunger-free future we want. Family farmers are the key to delivering this. l José Graziano da Silva is Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

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Orange dreams fade to black n Towheed Feroze

S

o, like countless times before, when foreign coaches for the national football team had to end their period amidst inauspicious circumstances, the reign of the Dutch mentors have finally seen the curtains.

The head coach De Kruif, and his assistant Koster, have been terminated. And, prior to the practice matches with Sri Lanka coming up, Bangladesh is under the charge of local coach Saiful Bari Titu.

I know our local football is hardly followed by young fans, but for those of us who had witnessed the golden period of Bangladeshi football with the crown of South Asia either on us or on India, it’s difficult to absorb so many debacles facing this sport.

The first question may be: Who will replace the foreigners?

I say, forget bringing coaches from outside because South Asian football, combined with uneven fields, monsoon-dependent conditions, and an array of imponderables is partially, if not totally, unknown to European mentors. Unless of course, that coach

had spent a considerable amount of time in the region.

Bringing a brand new face, no matter how high his credentials are, to the region, means putting him within an unfamiliar footballing culture. I am not an expert, but after following what the Dutch duo have said from time-to-time about the Bangladeshi national team, it becomes clear that under their helm, more confusion has taken hold instead of any tangible progress.

Let’s start with the SAFF Football in Nepal. We heard that the coach began to instill the Dutch style in the game, meaning teaching the players new tactics and starting from the basics. Some local coaches slated this unreservedly on the rationale that the Bangladeshi team already has a style – we need to perfect the existing game instead of rejecting it. As usual, no one listened.

Then, right before the match with Nepal in SAFF, the coach, while addressing the press, instead of spurring on Bangladesh, spoke meekly about winning chances, giving more credit to the Nepal side. Never have I ever come across such abject pre-match capitulation.

Bangladesh has been playing the regional meet since it started in 1984 and in every pre-match session, the coach always vowed to fight, never giving up before the game started. In the game that followed, Bangladesh played poorly, looking like a club team being taught the sport.

From rampant wrong passes to losing stamina halfway through, it didn’t look like a team that had undergone two months’ training, supported by a physio and a goal-keeping trainer.

Worse was about to come when they lost to Pakistan, coming back from the tournament with one miserable point from a game drawn with India. Don’t have to say, the goal against India was a lucky one, going inside the net from a deflection.

The point here is, after such a catastrophe, the BFF did not sack the coaches. They wanted to give them more time. For what, we don’t know.

In the friendlies the team did better, drawing with Malaysia and then with India in Goa. However, one-off sparkles can never lift a side from the gutters.

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) can now say that, with the

termination of the Dutchmen, they have shown their tough stance though we need to know why these two were hired in the first place, reportedly for a combined expenditure of 20,000 euros per month at that.

The baseline remains: This Dutch experiment has exploded on our faces

We also find that, during their tenure, they spent a considerable amount of time outside the country. Why was such a lax attitude taken towards them? The grapevine has it that the appointment of the two was linked to lobbying from certain quarters.

Let’s not make the water dirtier than it is now. The baseline remains: This Dutch experiment has exploded

on our faces.

More vulgar was the regular coverage given by sports pages about the grievances of the coaches relating to transport, accommodation, and so on and so forth. We do not know whether the BFF honoured the conditions stated in the contract or not, but it would have been better if all the details were made clear to the press from day one.

Time and again we hear that the federation is cash-strapped and therefore cannot hold international meets.

If that is so, then paying astronomical amounts to foreign coaches was absurd in the first place. Was there a rat in this whole negotiation?

Now that the two are sacked, the most practical thing would be to keep Titu in charge of the footballers for some time to see how a local coach performs.

Foreigners, apart from Samir Shakeer, Otto Pfister, and George Kottan, could not do much for our football, so let’s stop putting our boys under a new set of guidelines. Maruf, Titu, Manik, and other local coaches know the players and understand the regional equations of the game. Why not give them a chance?

As it is, we have hit rock-bottom in the game, so side-stepping a rushed approach for foreigners may be prudent. Sometimes I feel that bringing someone from another country is more about filling the top space of the sports pages. The initial hype leading to the actual hiring, and ending with pompous declarations by the coach and other officials make fodder for at least 15 different reports. No doubt that they build up (hollow) anticipation to inexorably end with a loud humiliating crash.

We hear, as we have been hearing for about a decade, that there will be an international tournament in December. If by some miracle there is, then instead of scrambling for another mentor, let a local coach deal with the team.

At least, if we fail, the silverlining would be that a lot of money got saved. In case of success, the local coaches will stand vindicated to prove that, for regaining regional supremacy, our own expertise is enough. l Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Monday, October 20, 2014

SPORSHIA’s

‘boring’ self

n Entertainment Desk Orchita Sporshia is very busy playing roles on television. She’s playinf the youngest daughter of a family in Ali Fida Karim’s series “Family Pack,” which is aired on NTV every Monday and Tuesday.

About her experience of switching characters she said: “I would be bored to portray my own character on screen. When a character is provided to me that differs with me in many ways, then I really enjoy playing the character.” “I feel good when I get chance to portray a character which contains acting aspects,” she added.

The story of “Family Pack” revolves around seven siblings with a nosy father playing the villain in their lives. The siblings are always queasy about their father’s activities, while their mother is disturbed by the twists and turns of their shared life. Suddenly, the father declares that he will marry them all off within three moths.

The youngest member of the family is Purni, played by Sporshia, a careless type girl who lives in her own

PANTHA KANAI in playback

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n Shadma Malik After a hiatus of two years, Pantha Kanai will be seen lending his voice to the title song of a film to be directed by Saif Chandan. “It wasn’t a planned thing,” the singer said. “It happened all on a sudden.”

“The lyric of the song was written by Sudip Kumar San while the tune and music arrangements were done by Ahmed Humayun,” Pantha said.

The film – “Target” – stars Anisur Rahman Milon opposite model-turned-actress Airin. Its script was written by Ayan Chowdhury.

Before, Pantha Kanai sang a song for Ruhul Amin’s yet-unreleased flick “Hasan Raja,” which stars Mithun Chakraborty, Raima Sen and Arman Parvez Murad in leading roles.

Pantha, whose debut album was launched in 2001, played drums for noted bands such as Nagar Baul and Souls before he moved to Arnob and Friends. Currently, he is working on his fourth album. l

KAREENA KAPOOR to

play a Brahmin girl in Bajrangi Bhaijaan

n Entertainment Desk Kareena Kapoor Khan who is gearing up for Kabir Khan’s “Bajrangi Bhaijaan,” disclosed that she will be playing a Brahmin girl in the film. Once again the actress will be seen in ethnic wear, but, as she revealed with a difference.

“I think my fans prefer me in Indian clothes, but this time my look will definitely be something different because a new stylist from Kabir Khan’s team is on board. It will be interesting to work with someone younger who will come up with newer and fresher ideas,” said Kareena Kapoor. The actress also stated that her character will be very different from what she has played before.

“But it’s not a conscious decision to do something different. It’s a long career, and sometimes you end up repeating your roles. Like I have played a prostitute twice, in “Chameli,” and “Talash.” It’s fine if a role is repeated as long as I like it.” Bajrangi Bhaijaan is produced by Kabir Khan under Kabir Khan Productions and Salman Khan’s production house, Salman Khan Ventures. The film will release on Eid in 2015. l

MIM and BAPPY’s Sweetheart begins shooting

KHAN HASAN MD RAFI

SHUVO KHAN

world and beyond her world everything seems fun to her.

About her role in the serial Sporshia said: “Every member of the family represents an unusual individual – these characters make this serial interesting. Its a fantastic story. We have a lot of fun while shooting, and Tozo bhai is an extraordinary director.”

She has wrapped up her other projects except “Family Pack,” and now she is taking a pause to prepare herself for next months shooting of the second season of “Ujan Ganger Naiya,” a BBC Media Action produced family drama. About acting in the drama she said “Though ‘Ujan Ganger Naiya’ is a drama serial, but the treatment, and effort the team invests makes it feel like we are acting in a cinema. The team researches and rehearses before the shooting, and acting in it has been an exquisite experience for me.”

Recently, she has acted in another family drama “Bindu Bisorgo,” directeed by Animesh Aich, which will be aired shortly. In the drama she plays a calm, generous, and responsible girl who holds the family together and her primal object of life is to take care of the family.

About acting in film, the 24 year old actor said: “I think acting in cinemas is a big thing. I need time to prepare myself for this. I will definitely act in cinemas, and when I will start acting in cinemas, I will drop small screen acting.” l

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Kung Fu Panda 2 Zee Studio, 9:30pm

In the Valley of Peace, Po Ping is revelling in his fulfilled dreams as he serves as the fabled Dragon Warrior protecting his home with his heroes now his closest friends.

The Adventures of Tintin Star Movies, 11:58pm

n Entertainment Desk

The filming of “Sweetheart,” starring Bappy Chowdhury and Bidya Sinha Mim, started following a curtain-raiser at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) yesterday.

The first part of the movie was shot at a royal palace in the capital. According to insiders, a significant part of the movie will be shot in London, Malaysia and Nepal.

“Sweetheart,” a directorial venture of Wazed Wazed Ali Sumon, stars Diti and Probir Mitra alongside Bappy and Mim, as well as Riaz in a special role. It has a love triangle as its central theme. l

Having bought a model ship, the Unicorn, for a pound off a market stall Tintin is initially puzzled that the sinister Mr. Sakharine should be so eager to buy it from him.

JULIA ROBERTS honoured with Humanitarian Award n Entertainment Desk Julia Roberts was recently honoured with Humanitarian Award along with her husband Danny Moder in Los Angeles on Friday.

The couple, married since 2002, was handed the prize by bosses at the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) at their annual Respect Awards at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Roberts and Moder were recognised for their work on “The Normal Heart,” a 2014 TV movie which depicts the rise in the HIV/AIDs crisis in the 1980s.

Roberts starred in the drama and

Moder worked behind the scenes as a cinematographer.

Bosses at GLSEN, an organisation championing safe educational environments for all schoolchildren, said, “They bring a sense of stewardship, responsibility and consciousness to their humanitarian efforts and serve as wonderful role models.”

“Dancing With The Stars” professional Derek Hough was handed the Inspiration Award for his “efforts to fight bullying”.

“The Big Bang Theory’s” Jim Parsons, Glee creator Ryan Murphy, and Rose McGowan also attended the event. l

GAME OF THRONES 5 to have flashback

n Entertainment Desk

“Game of Thrones” upcoming fifth season will feature the show’s first ever flashback sequence.

The first scene of the season’s opening episode will offer a glimpse of the past.

The show has avoided using flashback sequences in its four previous seasons, but

showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss confirmed the plans during a recent Q&A with film students in Spain.

“By making the first season, we set a rule - no prophecies, dreams or flashbacks. We failed the first two and this season the third. So yes, this season will finally have flashbacks,” the duo said.

The cast and crew of HBO’s fantasy drama are filming scenes for the fifth season in Seville and Osuna, as well locations in Northern Ireland and Croatia. It has also been announced that “Thor: The Dark World” actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje will star in the upcoming season as an original character called Malko. “Game of Thrones” will return to HBO and Sky Atlantic in 2015. l

JENA MALONE to play female Robin in a Batman movie n Entertainment Desk The Zack Snyder film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” may have a female Robin played by Jena Molone as Batman’s sidekick.

The 29-year-old actress, who has played roles in movies like “The Hunger Games” and “Into The Wild,” will reportedly feature as the red-haired Carrie Kelly, who is the successor to a vigilante Robin Jason Todd. Speculation arose when Jena was spotted hanging around the sets in a new red hairdo. Also, a local radio station spoke to a source on set while a scene involving Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) and LexLuthor (Jesse Eisenberg) was being filmed this week at Michigan State University. Alluding the film’s top secret script, the source said, “I’ve learned that the character of Robin is now female.” l

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Jubair breaks in Tigers’ Test squad Shahadat returns to Test fold after 19 months, Shakib and Marshal also named in 14-man squad last month where he bagged 11 wickets ing and that is why Jubair is in the squad. n Minhaz Uddin Khan for Bangladesh A and the raw experi- He is a bright young prospect and if he is

Jubair Hossain Likhon

19-year-old leg-spinner Jubair Hossain Likhon was the big surprise in the 14-member Test squad for the upcoming home series against Zimbabwe named by the Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday.

Prime all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, whose six-month ban was reduced to three and ended in September, returned to the fold along with Marshal Ayub in place of Anamul Haque and Nasir Hossain who lost place due to poor form.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Shahadat Hossain also received a call after 19 months in the expense of Robiul Islam while another pacer Al Amin Hossain, who is yet to undergo a test for his suspected illegal bowling action, was retained in the squad. Imrul Kayes was the other name missing from the Test squad that played in West Indies.

Al Amin flew to Chennai yesterday to undergo his test and for the next 15 days until the result comes out he will be eligible to play.

Jubair attracted national head coach Chandika Hathurusingha in the nets during a national camp couple months ago and was immediately put in to effect. He was picked to play Zimbabwe A

ence seemed exactly what Hathurusingha was looking for. Moreover, Sohag Gazi’s absence from the line-up mainly opened the doors for Jubair who became the first genuine leg spinner to be considered in the Tigers squad.

SQUAD Mushfiqur Rahim (Captain), Tamim Iqbal (Vice Captain), Shakib al Hasan, Shamsur Rahman, Mominul Hoque, Rubel Hossain, Shuvagata Hom, Mahmudullah, Shafiul Islam, Jubair Hossain, Shahadat Hossain, Marshal Ayub, Al Amin Hossain, Taijul Islam “I am really excited. I know I am the first pure leg spinner to be named for Bangladesh and the responsibility is big,” said the young Jubair, who played just two first-class matches till date, to Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday. “I feel confident and I hope I will be able to give my best if I am given a chance to play.”

Chief of the national selection panel, Faruk Ahmed, explained, “With Gazi not available due to suspension we felt we needed a bit of variation in our bowl-

to play then it is always good to start at home. He has the talent in a difficult art and gives the side an interesting option despite being inexperienced.”

“The spin bowling department is always important on our pitches and apart from the leg-spinner we have two specialist left-arm spinners and the offbreaks of Shuvagata (Hom) and Mahmudullah,” he added.

Faruk termed Shahadat as someone who “adds valuable experience” to the side and said they were impressed with the fitness of the 28-year-old quickie who last played in March 2013 away in Sri Lanka.

“We (selectors) are impressed by the work he has put in on his fitness and bowling during the last few months. He looks motivated and hungry,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nasir’s way out of the squad was all but confirmed after he was named in the BCB XI for a tour to Kolkata couple days ago. Faruk said it was the team combination added with the right-handed batsman’s lack of consistency that resulted in the decision.

The first Test will begin on October 25 at the SBNS.l

Shahadat Hossain (L) and Shakib al Hasan

DHAKA TRIBUNE

13

15 Smog hits

Beijing Marathon

DRS to be used in Zimbabwe Tests n Mazhar Uddin

For the very first time in a home series, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will introduce the Decision Review System (DRS) through the upcoming three-match Test series between the hosts and Zimbabwe. The system, however, will not be in place for the five-match ODI series.

BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury confirmed yesterday that the DRS will be used in the forthcoming Test series against Zimbabwe. “We are introducing DRS for the first time in a home series.

The BCB is doing it for entirely cricketing reasons,” Nizamuddin told ESPNcricinfo.

It was learned that the BCB will provide the expenses of the DRS and not Gazi TV. Gazi TV is the official broadcasting TV rights-holder after the local satellite channel won the bid in May this year.

The total usage of the system will cost the BCB around $100,000 with available features like Hawkeye, Ultra-Motion and Super-Zoom camera.

However, the DRS will not be used in the five-match ODI series.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib first raised the issue of using the DRS during their series against England in 2010.

Earlier this year, Bangladesh also encountered a similar situation in their home Test series against Sri Lanka.l

De Kruif defends long vacations n Shishir Hoque

Ace Bangladesh Under-16 winger Sanjida Akhter (L) attempts a shot during their AFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2015 Qualifier against India at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday MUMIT M

Shabby refereeing costs Bangladesh n

Raihan Mahmood

A 10-player Bangladesh side put up a spirited show despite going down 1-2 at the hands of the highest ranked India in their AFC Under-16 Women’s Championship Qualifiers Group B encounter at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Hurt with the 2-1 loss against Iran in their opener, India appeared in an attacking mood from the very beginning but the Bangladeshi girls, buoyed by the wins against Jordan and UAE, arrived stronger than their opponent’s anticipation.

The hosts even drew first blood in the match that progressed on with the inconsistent refereeing of Australian referee Katherine Margaret. Countering continuous attacks added with the lack of experience eventually took the toll on the Bangladesh side whose fighting spirit saw the approximately 6,000 fans at the stadium give them a standing ovation while the referee was also booed.

Defender Masura Parvin’s sending off was the turning point in the game as Bangladesh played the last 26 minutes with 10 players and conceded the extra goal from the consequential free kick coming after Parvin’s dismissal.

Sanjida set the tone after convert-

ing from the penalty spot in the 20th minute after forward Krishna Rani was brought down by Indian defender Amrita Kumari.

However, the happiness was shortlived as Roja Devi equalised after nine minutes following the controversial penalty decision from Katherine.

In the 64th minute a high-foot clearance from Parvin just outside the box also hit the face of India’s Premi as Katherine showed no hesitation in sending her for the long walk. However, replays showed that the incident was completely accidental and the straight red was too harsh which also cost the hosts for the second time in the match.

From the resulting free kick Kashmina curved the ball from the edge of the box as Bangladesh goalkeeper Ayesha tried to push it over the bar, but a silly error saw the ball land in front of an unmarked Roja who made no mistake from handshaking distance.

Bangladesh face Iran in their last match while India will take on Jordan in their third match.

Earlier on the day, Jordan thrashed UAE 8-1 at the same venue. UAE posed no threat for the superior skilled Jordanians who were determined to shrug off the memory of the 0-1 loss to Bangladesh.

UAE earlier lost to Iran and Bangladesh by 9-0 and 6-0 goals respectively.l

Bangladesh’s Dutch head coach Lodewijk de Kruif wants to continue his work with the national side and defended himself from accusations thrown at him by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). Criticised for spending most of his working days on vacation, De Kruif, following his arrival in Dhaka yesterday morning, instead said he was not provided enough programmes by the BFF. De Kruif’s tenure as the national team head coach, however, is coming to a closure as the BFF has already begun the official procedure of sacking the Dutchman, starting with the showcause letter which was handed to the coach as soon as he landed in the capital.

In the show-cause letter the BFF provided four points justifying their decision and asked the Dutch head coach to explain within 48 hours why they should not terminate De Kruif’s contract.

The BFF mentioned that the coach enjoyed a total of 224 days leave whereas he was only eligible to spend 30 days per year on vacation according to his

contract. Football’s governing body in the country also cited that he had a lack of commitment and dedication towards his job. The federation also noted that De Kruif tarnished their image by making disparaging comments against them on social media as well as to the media.

De Kruif, however, was not aware of the fact that the BFF has decided in principle to sack him and only came to know about the remarks of federation president Kazi Salahuddin regarding him when he arrived in the country yesterday. The 45-year old Dutch coach blamed the BFF for not providing him sufficient work during his 15-month stay as the Bangladesh head coach.

“It’s not my choice that I spent seven and a half months out of 15 months in my country. It’s on the contract of BFF because they have to arrange programmes. They have to arrange work for me,” De Kruif told the media yesterday.

“When there is no programme they can’t offer me anything. So it was difficult to work as I didn’t have anything to do. They were responsible for my programme. I work for them. I don’t agree with him (Salahuddin) if he said that,”

he added.

When queried to describe if he thought he was successful during his 15-month reign, De Kruif said, “I think so. We have some success with Under-16, 19, 23 and with the national team. The last success was in South Korea where they have a result over there after 28 years.” De Kruif was alluding to the 1-0 win over Afghanistan in their opening game of the recently concluded 17th Asian Games men’s football competition which was Bangladesh’s first win in the Asiad after 28 years.

“When you look at the development of the players and team there are young guys who got into the national/senior team,” he said.

The Dutch coach concluded by saying he is still hopeful of staying with the national team. “We have two games to go against Sri Lanka and I’m happy to be here to work with the guys. I have regular contact with my players. They call me everyday. I know also they are happy with me. I would like to continue to work with them,” he added.

Bangladesh’s next international assignment is two friendlies against Sri Lanka scheduled for October 24 and 27 in Jessore and Rajshahi respectively. l

Masura red card a bit harsh: Choton Alert Brendan Taylor eyes big of Zimbabwe where we feel a lot com- ing the first Test in Chittagong. I think n Raihan Mahmood n Mazhar Uddin fortable. It is a big challenge what lies Enamul [Haque Jr] bowled really well Bangladesh Under-16 women’s football coach Golam Rabbani Choton termed the sending off of defender Masura Parvin a bit too harsh after his team went down to a 2-1 defeat against India in the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2015 Qualifiers at Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Choton said the red card of Masura ruined the balance of the crucial tie.

“Masura was targeting the ball and her left foot was in the line of the ball.

Unfortunately it hit the opponent. I thought it would be a yellow card as cautioning the player for the first offence is the custom. Playing nearly half an hour with ten players against a strong team like India is more than a tough job,” said Choton.

His counterpart Maymol Rocky declined to comment upon the refereeing. “I won’t comment on it.

What I want to say is I felt very scared to see the Bangladesh team in their first match and I asked my players to fire on all cylinders against Bangladesh,” said Maymol.

With only the Group B winners progressing to the final round, Bangladesh now find themselves in the midst of a complicated equation.

If Bangladesh are to make it to the final round, they need to win against Iran in their final qualifier by a big margin and hope India and Jordan draw their encounter. l

2005 was the last time Zimbabwe played a full series on Bangladesh soil and after nine years and a lot of ups and downs here they are again to play three Tests and five ODIs. The visitors will play a three-day warm-up against the BCB XI at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium (KSOS) in Fatullah starting today and trained at the ground yesterday.

Their sole aim is to clinch an away win and skipper Brendan Taylor is well aware of the challenge they have to face from the hosts at their own backyard.

“Our team target is to win away from home. We have failed to do that in the past. It is nice to finally play out

ahead of us. We know how threatening Bangladesh can be at home. They have some wonderful players. We are looking forward to that challenge. It is going to be tough but we have prepared really well. We are looking forward to what lies ahead,” said Taylor.

The last time Zimbabwe toured in 2005, Taylor was only 19 and in his second Test series for Zimbabwe, they had to leave with a bitter result having lost the two-match series 1-0. But Taylor, now the captain of the side at the age of 28, believes a lot has changed since then and they are also well prepared for the challenge.

“It is a tough one. I remember los-

The Zimbabwean cricketers share a light moment during training at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium at Fatullah yesterday COURTESY

to take ten wickets. He made it very difficult for us. We came back stronger in the Dhaka Test where we drew the game. I think they have lost a lot of their players but they have produced some fantastic younger players coming through the ranks,” he said.

That year also ended Zimbabwe’s participation in the longer version as they imposed self exile from the format. They returned to Test cricket in 2011 with a 1-0 home win over the Tigers. Meanwhile, many Zimbabwean cricketers have featured in the domestic leagues in Bangladesh over the past couple of years including the wicketkeeper-batsman himself, which makes Taylor more confident in facing the fire from the hosts.

“I don’t think we are worrying too much about their past form. We know how powerful they can be in Bangladesh especially in one-day cricket. So hopefully in the Test matches we can put some pressure and it will be entertaining for everyone,” he added.

Bangladesh will do anything to secure the home series against Zimbabwe – an opponent compared with equal strength if not more. Therefore as a strategy the Bangladesh selectors did not name any spinner in the BCB XI line-up and though there was no official comment on the issue, it could easily be guessed that the selection panel don’t want the Zimbabweans to settle in playing spin. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Monday, October 20, 2014

Atletico win, Messi nears scoring record n Reuters, Barcelona A first half Tiago header set up Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Espanyol as they seek to get back on track following a stuttering start to the season.

The Portuguese leapt well and steered a cross from Gabi into the top corner before the break and mid-way through the second half substitute Mario Suarez knocked the ball home from close range to seal the win.

Atletico move up to fourth in the table with 17 points from eight games while Espanyol, who struggled against the home side’s physical play, are down at 11th on nine points.

Valencia are ahead of Atletico on goal difference and later take on Deportivo la Coruna while Sevilla, a point behind, are away at Elche.

Leaders Barcelona beat Eibar 3-0 on Saturday and Real Madrid swept aside Levante 5-0 as the pair warmed up for the El Clasico next weekend.

Lionel Messi notched his 250th La Liga goal to move one off the all-time

league scoring record as leaders Barcelona won 3-0 against Eibar on Saturday ahead of next weekend’s Clasico with Real Madrid.

Barca needed Xavi to come to the rescue on the hour to finally break the resistance of a resolute Eibar side who are enjoying their first season in the top flight.

Neymar quickly added to the lead and then combined with Messi for the Argentine, who this week celebrated 10 years since his Barca debut, to reach a quarter-century of La Liga goals. l

RESULTS Atletico Madrid

2-0

Espanyol

Tiago 43, Mario Suarez 72

On Saturday Athletic Bilbao

1-1

Aduriz 6-pen

Barcelona

Celta Vigo Nolito 72

3-0

Eibar

1-2

Malaga

Xavi 60, Neymar 71, Messi 73

Cordoba Ghilas 90+4

Samuel 22, Amrabat 31-P

Atletico Madrid’s Raul Garcia (R) kicks the ball near Espanyol’s Javier Lopez during their Spanish La Liga match at Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid yesterday

Four goals in last seven minutes as Liverpool beat QPR n Reuters, London Liverpool scored a stunning 3-2 win over Queens Park Rangers with four of the five goals coming in the last seven minutes capping an astonishing finale to their Premier League match at Loftus Road on Sunday.

Liverpool needed the help of two own goals for the win that lifted them to fifth in the table and left QPR bottom after a mesmerising finish.

Liverpool's winning goal came in the fifth minute of added time after Steven Caulker scored Rangers' second own goal with virtually the last kick of the game.

Richard Dunne scored the first own goal to put Liverpool 1-0 ahead in the 67th minute before Eduardo Vargas

equalised for QPR after 87 minutes with a close-range shot.

But Liverpool, who will need to show a marked improvement when they play European champions Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, went 2-1 ahead with 15 seconds of normal time remaining when Philippe Coutinho scored with a curling shot that took a deflection.

Rangers were still not finished as Vargas headed them level at 2-2 in the second minute of stoppage time.

With time almost up, one final Liverpool counter-attack in the 95th minute ended with Caulker putting through his own goal to give Liverpool all three points.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports: "QPR certainly didn't deserve to lose. I thought we were very,

very lucky to get the win.

"We showed tremendous character and were a little bit better in the second half but QPR definitely deserved something from the game."

QPR, with only one league win all season, dominated the first half and had three good chances to score before the break with Bobby Zamora causing endless problems among the nervy Liverpool defence.

Fer's first chance came after 28 minutes when Zamora squared for the Dutchman who ran on to the ball only to fire a rising shot against the bar.

Six minutes later Fer headed another Zamora cross against the bar and although Sandro went close to forcing the ball home from the follow-up, Glen Johnson cleared off the line. l

Liverpool players celebrate after scoring the third goal against Queens Park Rangers during their English Premier League match at Loftus Road in London yesterday AFP

REUTERS

Van Gaal eager for first away success at West Brom

Schalke’s Di Matteo enjoys winning start n AFP, Berlin

n AFP, Manchester

Roberto di Matteo enjoyed a winning start as Schalke 04 coach on Saturday as his Royal Blues earned a 2-0 victory at home to Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga.

Netherlands striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar gave Schalke the lead against Hertha in Gelsenkirchen with a long-range header on 19 minutes before Germany midfielder Julian Draxler grabbed their second with a well-taken goal on 65 minutes.

The result lifts Schalke up to eighth from 11th in the Bundesliga.

“The atmosphere was great, the game wasn’t spectacular, but it was important for us to get 3 points,” said Di Matteo. l

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal believes his team’s away form is better than their record suggests as they look for a first win on the road at West Bromwich Albion on Monday.

United have taken just two points from their opening three Premier League games away from Old Trafford this season and threw away a two-goal lead to lose 5-3 at Leicester on their last trip almost a month ago.

But Van Gaal, whose side have recovered from a poor start to the season to climb to fifth place in the table ahead of Sunday’s matches, claims the points they have amassed on their travels are not a true reflection of the way they have performed.

United have also dropped points away from home this season at Sunderland and Burnley, and may not find it straight-forward at the Hawthorns, even though Albion are in sight of the relegation zone. The Midlands club beat Burnley 4-0 in their most recent home game and their only defeat in four matches was a 2-1 loss at Liverpool just before the international break.

United have been helped lately by an easing of their injury problems.

After missing up to 10 players at various stages in the early weeks of the season, only Valencia (hamstring), Jonny Evans (ankle), Paddy McNair (hamstring) and Jesse Lingard (knee) are unavailable for Monday’s match, along with captain Wayne Rooney, who will be serving the second of a three-match ban.l

Schweinsteiger back in training n AFP, Berlin

Monaco, St Etienne climb points table in Ligue 1

Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, who hasn’t played since the World Cup final, has returned to training with his Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, the league leaders announced on Saturday.

Bayern’s 6-0 win over Werder Bremen kept them four points clear at the top of the league at the Allianz Arena, but on other side of Munich, Schweinsteiger went through half an hour of individual training on Saturday morning for the first time this season.

The 30-year-old last played in the World Cup final in July when Germany lifted their fourth title after a 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina in Rio de Janeiro.

Schweinsteiger, who has been suffering from a knee injury, was named as Germany’s captain after Philipp Lahm retired in the wake of the World Cup triumph.

No date has been given as to when Schweinsteiger will play again for Bayern or Germany again with the national side. l

n AFP, Paris Monaco continued their mini-revival, and set down a marker for their midweek Champions League home tie against Benfica with a 2-0 victory over

RESULTS Lorient

0-1

Saint-Etienne Lemoine 87

Lille

1-2

Mavuba 79

Metz Monaco

Guingamp Beauvue 45+1, Schwartz 57

0-0

Rennes

2-0

Evian

Moutinho 2-P, Ferreira-Carrasco 70

Nice

0-1

Bastia Ayite 51

Nantes Audel 13

1-1

Reims Diego Rigonato 58

RESULTS Schalke 04

2-0

Hertha Berlin

Huntelaar 19, Draxler 65

Evian in Ligue 1 action on Saturday.

Under-pressure Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim looked on as last season’s runners-up picked up a fourth win in ten matches to move within three points of the top three.

Saint-Etienne now trail third placed Bordeaux only on goal difference after they edged Lorient 1-0 in the afternoon fixture.

Portuguese international midfielder Joao Moutinho slotted home for Monaco from the penalty spot in just the second minute as the 2013 French Cup finalists fell behind early on.

Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco then tapped home from close range after Evian’s Danish goalkeeper Jesper Hansen inexplicably allowed Ricardo Carvalho’s innocent lob to bounce over his head.

Elsewhere, ten-man Guingamp ended their four game losing streak with a desperate 2-1 victory at Lille. l

Aguero gets Pellegrini’s Juve lose points as Roma close in n Ballon d’Or backing AFP, Milan

n

AFP, Manchester

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes Sergio Aguero must be a candidate for the FIFA Ballon d’Or world player of the year award if he can stay fit.

The Argentina striker, 26, scored all four goals, converting two of his three penalties, as Premier League champions City beat Tottenham 4-1 at Eastlands on Saturday to remain five points behind leaders Chelsea.

It also saw him become City’s alltime top-scorer in the Premier League with 61 goals in 95 appearances since his £38 million ($61 million, 48 million euros) move from Atletico Madrid in 2011.

The forward was hampered by a series of injuries last season that contributed to him only starting 20 of City’s 38

league games.

Pellegrini thinks that if Aguero can remain at peak condition he has a good chance of being named as the best footballer in the world.

“I’m not talking because he scored four goals (against Tottenham),” Pellegrini explained.

“I don’t expect him to score four in every game. I’ve known him for a lot of years, I know his career in Argentina, Spain and here in England and that’s why I said he’s one of the most important strikers in the world,” the Chilean added.

“When he is 100 percent fit he will demonstrate everything. He is one of the top three or four strikers in the world. “It wasn’t easy for him last year with so many injuries but now he is working very well.”l

Leaders Juventus saw their 13-game winning streak come to an end in a 1-1 draw away to rock-bottom Sassuolo on Saturday as title rivals Roma closed to within one point of the Serie A lead.

Francesco Totti inspired Roma to a 3-0 win over Chievo earlier in the day to give Rudi Garcia’s side a boost ahead of a more formidable challenge against Champions League Group E rivals Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Juventus were largely expected to account for Sassuolo but after Paul Pogba levelled Simone Zaza’s 13th minute strike six minutes later Massimiliano Allegri’s visitors struggled to find a way through a determined home defence.

Juve remain top of the pile but four

days ahead of visiting Champions League Group A rivals Olympiakos, the Italian champions have dropped their first points of the season. Chievo had scored just once on six previous visits to the Stadio Olimpico and barely mustered a shot on goal all night as Roma, who dropped their first points of the sea-

RESULTS Roma

3-0

Chievo

1-1

Juventus

Destro 4, Ljajic 25, Totti 33-P

Sassuolo Zaza 13

Pogba 19

son two weeks ago in a bad-tempered 3-2 loss away to Juventus, went about their business with consummate ease.

Chievo defender Dario Danielli, who gave away the foul that led to Totti’s first-half spot-kick, compared this

Giallorossi side to the one that Totti inspired to the scudetto in 2001.

Garcia -- who rested Ivorian striker Gervinho with a view to Tuesday’s clash -- admitted facing Bayern would be an altogether different affair.

Roma took the lead after only four minutes when Mattia Destro dived to head Miralem Pjanic’s corner past Francesco Bardi and Adem Ljajic doubled the hosts’ lead in fine style on 26 minutes after some good work by Totti.

The 38-year-old collected a throw-in in midfield, turned and delivered a pinpoint pass for Ljajic to cut inside and beat his marker before beating Bardi with a fine strike inside the keeper’s far post.

Roma wrapped up the points in the 32nd minute when Totti slammed a spot-kick past Bardi after Daniele De Rossi had been hauled down on the edge of the six-yard box by Dainelli as the pair tangled at a corner. l

AS Roma forward Francesco Totti (L) celebrates with teammates after scoring during the Italian Serie A match against Chievo on Saturday AFP

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

15

Monday, October 20, 2014

QUICK BYTES

Eden Gardens memorial shifted to Jadavpur Ground The SK Acharya Memorial Trophy 2014, a 50-over tournament organised by the West Bengal Cricket Association (CAB) to commemorate 150 years of Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata has been postponed and will now see a shift in venues. The organisers had to change the venue from Eden Gardens to Jadavpur University Second Campus Ground. CAB had to defer the tournament and shift the venue due to a one-day international between hosts India and Sri Lanka scheduled by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on November 1 at the Eden Gardens.

The tournament will now begin on October 26 instead of October 25.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board XI, led by wicket-keeper-batsman Anamul Haque, will begin their campaign against Mumbai on October 27. The final of the tournament will be held on November 2.

–Minhaz Uddin Khan

Hafeez unconcerned over bowling action

Pakistan allrounder Mohammad Hafeez said Sunday he was confident about his bowling action despite being reported during an Indian domestic league game last month. The 34-year-old is likely to open the batting with Ahmed Shehzad in the first of two Tests against Australia starting in Dubai from Wednesday. But in the absence of ace spinner Saeed Ajmal, who was suspended for an illegal bowling action last month, Hafeez will be required to serve as a fifth bowler.

Hafeez said his bowling action worries were behind him. “Nothing is on my mind over my bowling action,” Hafeez told reporters after his team’s practice.

“When I was warned over my action (in India) I bowled in the next game and there were no problems and I have also reviewed my action in the national academy in Lahore with Saqlain and as per the rules its cleared.”

–AFP

Delhi Dynamos FC forward Alessandro Del Piero (C) in action during the Indian Super League (ISL) match against Atletico de Kolkata at The Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata yesterday. The match ended 1-1

Strong start of ISL with Fifa endorsement n Reuters, New Delhi The jury is still out on whether the Indian Super League (ISL) can wake the world’s second most populous nation from its football slumber but the first week of the eight-team competition has at least made people sit up and take notice.

Some 70,000 fans thronged the Salt Lake Stadium in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata for last Sunday’s spectacular opening ceremony and the social media has been abuzz with discussions about the league with celebrity owners, experienced foreign managers and a sprinkling of high-profile players.

Not a bad start in a cricket-obsessed country of 1.2 billion, which ranks an embarrassing 158th and was described

as football’s “sleeping giant” by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was at hand to watch Alessandro Del Piero’s Delhi franchise play out a goalless draw against David Trezeguet’s Pune on Tuesday and he liked the level of enthusiasm.

“What was nice last night is the sound, it was amazing,” Valcke later said of his experience at the capital’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. “(I witnessed) How strong was the support of the fans in the stadium, how they supported the teams, how they supported whenever there was a change of player, how they supported Del Piero when he came in.

“That’s football. That’s when you

China’s Li rules out retirement U-turn Chinese star Li Na ruled out a return to tennis Sunday despite quitting the sport just months after winning her second Grand Slam title. Li, speaking to reporters in Singapore one month after her shock retirement, said she was now busy making up for lost time with her family. “Of course I’m not going to come back to tennis. I’m already 32, at the beginning of (next) year I’m going to turn 33,” she said ahead of the WTA Finals. “I think I have to take care of my family right now because I’ve lost 32 years.”

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 1 12:40 AM Spanish La Liga Real Sociedad v Getafe CF

Star Sports 2 12:40 AM Italian Serie A Genoa v Empoli

Star Sports 4 English Premier League 12:50 AM West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United

Ten Sports 10:30 PM ATP Masters Series Swiss Indoors Basel Day 1

feel yes, football has its place in India.

Yesterday you saw a culture of football here.”

The first week of the tournament has also seen packed stadiums at other venues and the trend is expected to continue after the West Indies cricket team abruptly called off their tour of India on Friday following their internal dispute.

“It’s not a question of competing with cricket but I think India is big enough to have a second sport and football is strong enough to become the second sport in India,” Valcke said.

Bankrolled by India’s Reliance Industries, Rupert Murdoch’s Star India and sports management group IMG, the ISL has welcomed former cricket greats Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav

Ganguly, as well as current captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, among the team owners.

The league’s strong start has fuelled fears that it might eclipse the national league but the All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel assured I-League will remain the country’s only league.

“I-League is the league of India.

This (ISL) is a tournament which brings more attention and extra popularity, it’s like a booster dose,” Patel said.

“I can assure you that a number of ISL clubs would also like to progress into I-League eventually. I think it’s a good beginning.”

Co-owned by La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, the Kolkata team, with

Spaniard Luis Garcia as their marquee player, currently top the table having won both their games so far.

The demand for ISL tickets is in stark contrast to the I-League and Arthur Papas, deputy coach of the Goa franchise, had no hesitation in admitting it having been involved in both.

“I’ve been in this country for two and a half years playing in national leagues and I-League, but I haven’t felt this sense of excitement about a competition before,” said the Australian who coaches Dempo in the I-League.

“That’s probably what is lacking at the I-League... A packed stadium will improve the product you see on TV all around the world, not just in India,” he added. l

Taufeeq Umar recalled for Australia Tests

Serena slams ‘racist’ slur from Russian boss World number one Serena Williams lashed out at “sexist” and racist” comments from the head of Russian tennis Sunday after he jokingly called her and her sister Venus the “Williams brothers”. Williams applauded swift action from the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), which fined Russian federation chief Shamil Tarpischev $25,000 and banned him from tennis for a year.

“Well I think the WTA did a really great job in taking initiative and immediately taking actions,” Williams told reporters ahead of the WTA Finals in Singapore.

“His comments, I thought, were very insensitive, I thought they were extremely sexist as well as racist at the same time, and I thought they were in a way bullying. “I just wasn’t very happy with his comments and I think a lot of people are unhappy as well.”

Tarpischev, a vastly experienced coach and administrator, has apologised for the comment which he made on a Russian chat show and which drew a furious reaction when translated into English.

–AFP

AFP

n AFP, Karachi

Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova holds her trophy after defeating Romania’s IrinaCamelia Begu in the women’s singles finals at the Kremlin cup tennis tournament in Moscow yesterday REUTERS

Pakistan recalled experienced opener Taufeeq Umar on Saturday for the first Test of the two-match series against Australia starting next week.

The 33-year-old, who played the last of his 43 Tests in Sri Lanka two years ago, is one of the four openers in the 16-man squad with fit-again Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shahzad likely to get into the final eleven for the first Test starting in Dubai from October 22.

Pakistan, who announced a preliminary 19-man squad on Wednesday, are in a fix to find a suitable replacement for ace spinner Saeed Ajmal who was last month suspended because of an illegal bowling action.

The 37-year-old spinner’s action was

reported in the Galle Test in Sri Lanka in Pakistan’s last Test series in August this year.

Pakistani selectors have named

SQUAD Misbah-ul Haq (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Shan Masood, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Talha, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan, Ehsan Adil, Sarfraz Ahmed, Zulfiqar Babar, Yasir Shah. leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who is yet to play a Test, and left-armer Zulfiqar Babar who made his Test debut last year.

Shah finished with 48 wickets in the

Proteas seek World Cup edge in New Zealand n AFP, Wellington South Africa opens a one-day series against New Zealand on Tuesday looking to strike a psychological blow against the Black Caps ahead of the Cricket World Cup early next year.

The three-match series, which begins in the North Island’s picturesque Mount Maunganui, will also give the Proteas a chance to familiarise themselves with local conditions in preparation for the World Cup pool matches they will play at New Zealand venues.

On paper, the series should be a mis-match, with South Africa ranked the world’s second best ODI team, just behind Australia, while New Zealand languish at seventh.

In addition, the Proteas have three

batsmen in the ICC’s top 10 (AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock), and two of the world’s best-ranked bowlers (Dale Steyn and Ryan McLaren).

New Zealand, meanwhile, have just one player ranked among the ODI elite in batsman Ross Taylor, and he will miss the series with a calf strain.

But the Blacks Caps frequently punch above their weight in the 50over format, including eliminating the Proteas at the quarter-final stage of the last World Cup in 2011 and claiming a first-ever ODI series win on South African soil last year.

Captain de Villiers said the tourists would not underestimate New Zealand, either in the upcoming series or the World Cup, when he believes home advantage means Brendon McCullum’s men will

rank among the tournament favourites.

“I wouldn’t call them dark horses, I’d say one of the favourites,” he said.

“They’re always a very competitive ODI team. Playing on their home grounds in their country, they’ll be even more competitive.”

The World Cup is a glaring omission from South Africa’s trophy cabinet and de Villiers said the New Zealand series, and an ODI series in Australia next month, provided the chance to sharpen his team’s skills for the tournament, particularly in the field.

“It’s turning games around, doing special stuff that I see other teams do,” he said. “I don’t believe we are in the top two fielding teams in the world and you need that in a World Cup.” De Villiers said the New Zealand and

n

Home hero Roger Federer and ailing Rafael Nadal will be working to completely different agendas when the Swiss Indoors begins on Monday.

The event, which Basel-born Federer has won five times, marks the penultimate week of the points race to the World Tour Finals in London, beginning in just over three weeks.

The 33-year-old Federer is among those already qualified, along with Novak Djokovic, Nadal, Australian Open winner Stan Wawrinka and US Open champion Marin Cilic. Federer, who has played the last eight finals at the St

Jakobshalle -- he stands 37-3 at home -looks to close in on the year-end number one ranking held by Djokovic.

Nadal, meanwhile, will be desperately seeking some reassurance. The ninetime French Open winner has not played in Federer’s backyard for a decade and missed last year with fatigue after signing a three-year appearance fee contract in 2012 which he has yet to start honouring.

Even with an appendix which will require surgery in the coming weeks, the 28-year-old Spaniard looks determined to at least make an attempt at an appearance for Swiss fans as he searches for his first win in the city after losses in 2003 and 2004.l

Cilic qualifies for ATP Tour Finals n Reuters, Moscow U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic has booked his place in the elite eight-player ATP World Tour Finals in November.

The 26-year-old Croatian is sixth in the standings and now guaranteed a spot at the prestigious tournament from Nov. 9-16 courtesy of his grand slam victory at Flushing Meadows.

One place in the tour finals is reserved for a major winner who is outside of the top seven in the race standings.

The only scenario that could have led to Cilic missing out would have been if he dropped outside the top eight and Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka ended up eighth, which now cannot happen. l

Smog hits Beijing Marathon

Federer, Nadal tackle two extremes in Basel AFP, Basel

Australia series would also give selectors an opportunity to assess fringe players and allow the Proteas to send a message to two sides he sees as World Cup threats.

“Mentally and physically, it would be a really good way for us to get on top of them before the World Cup starts,” he said.

New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne will join Taylor on the sick list for the series, while batsman Kane Williamson will miss the first match and then undergo a fitness test.

The Black Caps have called in Dean Brownlie and Tom Latham to bolster their depleted batting stocks.

They also welcome veteran spinner Dan Vettori back into the 14-man squad after a long stint on the sidelines injured, although it is not yet clear whether he will play. l

last Pakistan season.

Also included in the team are uncapped 27-year-old paceman Imran Khan - a prolific wicket taker at domestic level.

Left-arm paceman Rahat Ali, Mohammad Talha and Ehsan Adil - all of whom have played Tests before - are the other fast bowlers in the squad in the absence of frontline bowlers Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz who are nursing knee injuries.

Veteran batsman Younis Khan and Azhar Ali also joined the squad after not getting the nod for the 3-0 defeat in the one-day series.

Pakistan also lost the only Twenty20 in Dubai before the one-days.

The second Test will be played in Abu Dhabi from October 30. l

n AFP, Beijing

A runner wears a mask as he takes part in the 34th Beijing International Marathon which began at Tiananmen Square in Beijing yesterday AFP

Thousands of runners battled thick smog at the Beijing Marathon on Sunday, with some athletes donning masks as air pollution soared to 16 times the maximum recommended level.

Organisers rejected calls to postpone the race despite the soupy white haze over the Chinese capital, but said they had laid on extra medical staff to treat injuries among the more than 25,000 registered runners.

The level of small pollutant particles known as PM2.5, which can embed themselves deep in the lungs, reached more than 400 micrograms per cubic metre in parts of Beijing as the racers lined up.

The World Health Organization’s

recommended daily maximum average exposure is 25. The US embassy in Beijing described the air on Sunday as “hazardous”.

“When I looked at the state of the mask after 10 kilometres, I decided enough was enough,” said British runner Chas Pope, 39, after dropping out of the race.

Many top long-distance athletes stayed away from the race, which was won by Ethiopia’s Girmay Birhanu Gebru in two hours, 10 minutes and 42 seconds. His compatriot Fatuma Sado Dergo was the fastest woman with a time of 2:30:03.

At the finish line, athletes tried not to let worries about air quality take the shine off their pride in their performance.l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Monday, October 20, 2014

The little locomotive that couldn’t Bangladesh Railway’s Demu passenger trains causing state coffers to bleed n Kamran Reza Chowdhury The high-tech multi-fuel train system acquired by Bangladesh Railway a year ago, amid much fanfare over modernising the country’s rolling stock and cutting commuter service costs, has turned out to be a lemon.

Bangladesh Railway’s decision to procure the modern-looking Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit (Demu) passenger trains, hyped to raise passenger volumes and lower transit times, has succeeded at doing neither.

The costly trains, which add to economic losses at the loss-making public railway company, offer little advantage in travel times and are notoriously uncomfortable to travel in – and that is when they are running.

In practice, Demu trains carry just one-fourth of the number of passengers that conventional second class trains carry on the Dhaka-Narayanganj and Dhaka-Joydebpur routes. Both the conventional trains and the Demu units take the same amount of time on the Dhaka-Narayanganj route.

Owing to frequent operational problems, BR operates Demu at off-peak hours – 5:40am, 1:40pm and 10:05pm.

Contrast the reality of its performance with the excessively optimistic statements made about the Demu system when the ministry was mulling the Tk460 crore purchase.

The railway ministry rolled out efforts to procure 20 sets of Demu trains in 2011. Each Demu set consists of one dedicated passenger compartment sandwiched between two engines-cum-compartments. A much-touted advantage of the Demu was that it could go in any direction because it is fitted with engines on both sides.

Bangladesh Railway justified the Tk460 crore procurement, saying the trains would carry huge numbers of passengers to and from the capital’s suburbs such as Narayanganj and Joydebpur.

It further said Demus would reduce operating times because the trains do not require time to change the direction of the engines in the way that conventional trains do.

Syed Zahurul Islam, railway director (traffic), told the Dhaka Tribune: “The maximum capacity of one Demu train is 600 passengers. Since the trains run at off-peak hours, the number of

Brahmanbaria

An eighth-grader in the district has received serious injuries in his left eye after a teacher hurled a pen at him during an examination.

Golam Rabbi, 14, son of Rafiqul Islam in Shimrailkandi, studies at Niaz Mohammad High School.

The incident happened on Saturday and Subrata Chandra Sarker, the teacher who threw the pen, fled soon after.

Rabbi was taken to Brahmanbaria Eye Hospital for treatment.

A number of students said Subrata threw the pen targeting two students who were talking to each other in the exam hall.

The object, however, missed the target and hit Rabbi in his left eye instead, causing him to scream in pain. Subrata handed Rabbi a Tk100 note before leaving the room and told him to buy medicine. He then fled and still remains missing.

Doctors described the condition of the eye as critical, said Rabbi’s family.

Headmaster of the school Md Shahidul Islam said steps would be taken in this connection. l

A Demu (Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit) passenger train lies out of operation in the loco shade of Kamalapur Railway Station. Although Bangladesh Railway authorities launched the costly trains to raise passenger volumes and lower transit times, most of the time they remain inoperative adding to the economic loss of the country SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN passengers on the Demu on the Dhaka-Narayanganj service is low.”

BR’s 13 pairs of conventional trains each carry at least 1,200 passengers during rush hour on one-way trips from Dhaka to Narayanganj. That is twice the Demu’s theoretical maximum, but actual passenger numbers are well below full capacity.

“A conventional train on the Dhaka-Narayanganj service, under private management, carries at least 1,200 passengers. It can bear a huge load as you see during the Eid and Ijtema seasons,” Mahbubur Rahman, divisional commercial officer (Dhaka), told the Dhaka Tribune.

Stock broker Khalilur Rahman, who thinks the Demu was a poor bet, told the Dhaka Tribune: “I once boarded a Demu at Narayanganj bound for Kamalapur, but midway I had to find a bus to get to Dhaka because the train developed engine trouble near Chashara. My boss was pretty upset at me for being late.”

He said compartments on conventional trains were dirty, but at least

they got travellers to their destination on time.

Railway officials involved in the operation of Demus say the train faces mid-journey interruptions at least twice a week.

“Many commuters, especially students from Narayanganj, hope for quick service on the sleek trains. When it breaks down, the angry passengers attack the on-duty staff,” an operator told the Dhaka Tribune.

Conventional trains versus Demu

Demus offer commuters no appreciable advantage.

Take the claim that Demus save time, for instance. The first Demu starts at 5:40am from Kamalapur and reaches Narayanganj at 6:20am, a 40-minute journey, according to the current 50th timetable of the BR. The same train starts at 6:35am and returns to Kamalapur at 7:15am (40 minutes) after taking a 15-minute break.

A conventional train (no 218) starts from Dhaka at 9:20am and reaches

Narayanganj at 10:05am taking forty-five minutes one-way, says the timetable. The same train (no 217) starts for Dhaka at 10:20am and reaches Kamalapur at 11:00am, changing the direction of the engine during a 15-minute stay at the station.

In other words, the two services take the same amount of time, give or take five minutes. But the conventional train is more dependable.

A closer look at the proposition that the purchase of Demus has made train travel more comfortable and convenient for passengers, reveals that too is a hollow claim.

For example, the made-in-China Demu has narrow ventilator-type windows that let precious little air into the cabins. When the train runs, the heat in the cabin rises dramatically, making it nearly unbearable for passengers. On sunny days, the trains are like moving furnaces.

On the day Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Demu, April 24, 2013, many passengers fell sick due

to the intense heat inside the compartment. Many people fainted.

To make matters worse, Demu trains do not have hand rails on the doorframe for passengers to grab as they get on or off the train. Since the difference in height between the train floor and the station platform is around three feet, it is very difficult to get into or out of the trains, especially for the elderly, women and infants.

Nur Ahmed, divisional superintendent engineer in charge of the railway’s Syedpur workshop, told the Dhaka Tribune that the metre gauge second-class passenger carriages – the conventional trains used on the Narayanganj-Kamalapur service – cost around Tk4 crore each.

“This means the BR could have procured at least six traditional coaches with the money spent on one Demu train,” Quazi Asadullah, a retired additional director general of the BR, told the Dhaka Tribune.

He said Demu trains were not fit for Bangladeshi conditions. l

Survey: 70% disabled people are uneducated

Three illegal arms traders arrested in capital

n Tribune report

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Approximately 10% Bangladeshis have some form of disability, with most of them remaining illiterate and unemployed, a survey has found.

Conducted by the Physically Challenged Development Foundation (PDF), the survey titled “Census of the differently-abled: Exploring students with disabilities in the context of public universities,” also found that 70% of the disabled people were uneducated.

The survey – conducted on 160 participants from seven private institutions – found that students with disabilities had less access to health facilities, while wrong treatment during early stages of life had led to the disabilities of some of the students or had caused their conditions to deteriorate.

The survey also found that diseases had caused the disabilities of around 47% of the participating students, 37% were disabled since birth, 7% were disable because of wrong treatment and 13% because of accident.

At the university-level, the disabled students faced challenges including the lack of accessible transport system or reading materials like Braille books, and had to face troubles regarding Srutilekhok (persons who assisted the visually-impaired to write in exams).

Teachers were also involved in teasing the disabled students, the survey found.

Of the participants, 94 said they were not satisfied with the quota system for the disabled people and 112 thought that girls with disabilities faced more problems than a boy. At the universities, there was also no special canteen, bathroom, or health facilities for the disabled people.

The census found that 18% of the disabled students targeted jobs under the BCS exams, 23% preferred other government jobs, 14% went for NGO jobs, 17% chose the business sector, 11% picked teaching, and 4% selected law as their professions.

The study mentioned mobility as one of the major limitations for the vis-

ually-impaired workers to be involved in a job.

Around 85% of the disabled students were motivated by their mothers, 9% by family members, 4% by teachers and 1% by others.

The survey also mentioned that female students became victims of sexual harassment and molestation on the road or in public places, as well as being teased for their disabilities.

The census also recommended special initiatives for the disabled students including providing notes and books in Braille, recruiting Srutilekhok, arranging wheelchairs and special rickshaws, introducing separate computer rooms with recorders, and providing special counselling by psychiatric and primary health caregivers.

Recommendations were also made to directly recruit the disabled people in some government jobs, to establish a Disabled Youth Leadership Training & Rehabilitation Centre, and to develop a national plan of action for students with disabilities. l

Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested three arms dealers from the capital’s Darus Salam area early yesterday.

The arrestees were Md Moniruzzaman alias Shimul, 39, Kamal Hossain, 36, and Ruhul Amin, 30.

A car, five foreign pistols, eight magazines and two rounds of bullets were also recovered from their possession.

The arrestees, during primary interrogation, confessed to their involvement in illegal arms trading, said Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB police, while addressing a briefing at DMP Media Centre.

A major portion of illegal arms shipment goes to the hands of expelled political leaders who later use them in political clashes to establish supremacy in their areas, said DB officials.

“Criminals divided into at least 15 groups are involved in the illegal arms trading. They bring the arms from neighbouring India through different porous border points of the country evading the

eyes of law enforcers,” said Monirul.

He said they had extracted the information from the three arms dealers.

The DB chief said one of the arrested, Shimu, brought five pistols through the Chapainawabganj border and was supposed to hand them over to some Kamal and Ruhul in Kallyanpur.

Political activists, leaders, local goons and professional killers are mostly the buyers of those illegal arms, the joint commissioner said.

“We have come to know that most of the buyers are political leaders or activists and our investigation is underway to verify their claims.”

A case was filed with Darus Salam police station under the arms act against the three.

Meanwhile, Golam Rasul, sub-inspector of DB police and investigation officer of the case placed the arrestees before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate seeking a seven-day remand.

After the hearing Metropolitan Magistrate Sabrina Ali granted them a three-day remand each. l

State minister: 1 in 4 lives below poverty line

Rule issued on Indian TV channels n Adil Sakhawat n Tribune Report One in every four people is living beA High Court bench yesterday asked the government why operations of three Indian TV channels should not be stopped.

The bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice M Ashraful Kalam passed the order on a writ petition by Supreme Court lawyer Shaheen Ara Laily seeking directives to stop the operation of Star Jalsa, Star Plus and Zee Bangla.

The court made the secretaries of information and home ministries, BTRC chairman, DG of BTV, the IGP, and the channels’ distributor Dg Jadu Broadband Limited respondents and directed them to reply within four weeks. l

Student’s eye damaged as teacher hurls pen n Our Correspondent,

low the poverty line which was three in every four after the 1971 War of Liberation, State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan said yesterday.

He also said the government is working to eradicate poverty from the country by the end of this decade.

The minister was addressing a seminar styled “From extreme poverty to human dignity” in the capital, which was arranged by NETZ Bangladesh to share the outcomes of a project involving poverty reduction. The project was supported by the European Union and was carried out in India alongside Bangladesh.

“Anyone from outside the country can work here for our development but there are rules that have to be followed,” Mannan said.

A study of the project conducted by agricultural economist Jahangir Alam illustrated that the ultra-poor families and indigenous communities living in remote areas were the main beneficiaries of the project.

Rezina Murmu, who came from Dinajpur to share her story, said the women benefitting from the project lived like slaves a few years back.

“Once we were included in the project, it impacted our lives to a great degree. Women in our locality can now support their families and send chil-

dren to school, something they never dreamt of,” she said.

“Many men in our locality are drug addicts who have unhealthy relationship with their wives. Many of the wives are members of the project. Last month we teamed up to vandalise the place where the men take liquor,” said Rezina, who is also an indigenous leader in her area.

All the beneficiaries of the project are now self-reliant in their families, said Doly Chisim who came from Mymensingh, adding that they live with dignity.

Sociologist Khondoker Shakhawat Ali told the seminar that reducing poverty is still a very challenging task.

“The post-2015 development agen-

da is a big challenge and NGOs need to strengthen the relationship between the micro and macro levels. The success stories related to the project we heard today is at the micro level but the picture of the whole country shows as many as 26 million people are still living under the extreme poverty threshold,” he said.

Dr Koushik Brahmachari, associate professor of Bidhan Chandra Agricultural University in India, said: “The project should cover more and more areas.”

Speakers at the seminar also prioritised action in coastal and border areas.

They said working with the indigenous people was needed to reduce the poverty level to zero. l

National Professor Salahuddin Ahmed dies n Tribune Report Eminent historian and National Professor Dr Salahuddin Ahmed passed away, at the age of 90, yesterday morning.

He breathed his last around 6am at his Banani residence.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited late Professor’s residence this morning and spent sometimes there. The premier prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family members.

President Abdul Hamid also expressed deep shock at the death of Professor Salahuddin Ahmed.

“The nation has lost an illustrious historian,” said the President in a condolence message. The loss caused by his death is irreparable, he added.

Professor Salahuddin was one of the leading proponents and theorists of the four basic ideals on which Bangladesh was established, said Bangla Academy director general Shamsuzzaman Khan.

Throughout the life, he upheld secularism as the core of the state that was liberated through the bloody war of 1971, Shamsuzzaman said.

“He would be remembered as one of the very few historians in South Asia whose work has enriched the study of history not only of this region, but also of the world,” the Bangla Academy DG said.

He also said because of his involvement with MN Roy’s Radical Humanist Party, Salahuddin had led a life of revolutionary humanist. Shamsuzzaman also mentioned Salahuddin’s role as the chief adviser in publishing Bangabandhu’s autobiography.

The Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Professor Dr Farzana Islam yesterday expressed deep shock at the death of Professor Salahuddin who was former JU history department teacher .

“Jahangirnagar University family is deeply shocked at the death of this great historian who devoted himself discovering the truth all over his life,” said JU vice chancellor.

Professor Rafique Ullah Khan of Bangla department in Dhaka University said one would find an unusual integrity and consistency in Prof Salauddin’s works.

Professor Rafique also said many historians seemed confused about the way they should judge the history or look at times like 1947 and 1975. Many would be seen grappling with the right approach, but this widely renowned Bengali historian [Salahuddin Ahmed] had took just and right approach in these situations.

Dr Salahuddin was awarded with Ekushey Padak and Bangladesh Sadhinota Padak (Independence Day Award).

Born in 1922 in Faridpur. His teaching career began in 1948 when he joined the Jagannath College as a lecturer.

Subsequently he served as lecturer, reader and professor of history at the Rajshahi University, and later as history professor at the Jahangirnagar and Dhaka Universities. He was a Unesco cultural fellow at Japan’s Kyoto University and visiting lecturer at the Universities of Pennsylvania and Chicago. l

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B3 BoE’s Haldane: Markets may have over-reacted to slowdown

B4 Getting used to the ‘new mediocre’

Online tax returns may begin in 2016

Everything like submission of tax returns, calculation, payments will be under single online platform tal, Export Promotion Bureau, office of n Tribune Report Chief Controller of Import & Exports, The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is expected to introduce income tax returns submission, processing, and payment online by the first of January 2016 to facilitate taxpayers, offering them smooth services.

Under the ‘Strengthening Governance Management Project’, the board is set to introduce online filing and digitisation of tax returns and establishment of taxpayers information and services for the income tax administration with an aim to enhance transparency and accountability in tax filing by implementing good governance through ICT to increase tax revenues.

“The taxpayers will have different services online by January 1, 2016.

However, it could be introduced even

by September next year if the board do not face any problems during piloting the project,” NBR chairman Md Ghulam Hussain told the reporters yesterday.

The board will start piloting the project within next eight or nine months at a suitable places as like as Dhaka, Chittagong and other divisional headquarters, he added.

“As it will take 18 months to accomplish the whole task, we are expecting that we would be able to conclude the work by December next year whereas the piloting would be done in the next eight or nine months. There will be piloting for two or three months where correction and adjustments will be made, if needed,” he said.

The taxpayers will be able to submit their income tax returns online and all other processes including assessment of returns, tax calculation, payment, audit, providing tax clearance certificates will be done online under the system.

The NBR chairman came up with the disclosure at a briefing after inaugurating integrated income tax administration system at the NBR headquarters. Vietnamese firm FPT Information System Corporation was awarded the contract for implementing the project.

Annual Development Bank is assisting and financing the project.

The project will be implemented at a cost of Tk78.98 crore, of which the government will provide Tk12.68 crore and the ADB will fund the remaining Tk66.3 crore. The NBR evaluation committee selected Vietnamese firm FRT Information System Corporation for Tk51.31 crore.

A major portion of the project’s allocation Tk24.90 crore will be spent for buying three pieces of software. Another Tk19.05 crore has been allocated for buying the hardware for the whole system and Tk8.28 crore for procuring hardware for regional data entry and information centre.

The Vietnamese firm has got the contract as a package work for software customisation where it will use off the shelf software and that will be customised as per NBR need. The Vietnamese team will work with consultation of a NBR team, consisting by a group of NBR officials led by an NBR member.

The new system will have interface with commerce ministry’s trade por-

Bangladesh Bank and other institutions.

There will be some manual system at the early stage for a shortest period but the full system will be automated as soon as possible, the chairman said.

The system will have interfaces with National ID project, customs, value added tax, Bangladesh Bank, other banks, insurances, treasury system, and standard interface with third party applications.

Once the online system is up, taxpayers will be able to access all services related to income tax by registering themselves on the project’s website.

Through the project taxpayers under a total of 649 circle offices, including 11 survey circles, will be connected online and the circle offices will share information with each other to ease the process.

Presently, the online tax return submission system is in place covering tax zone 8 of Dhaka and about 23,000 taxpayers under the zone are submitting their tax returns online.

In 2009, the NBR first launched the e-filing for large taxpayers unit. Later the facility was extended to tax zone-8 in Dhaka.

NBR plans to collect withholding tax:

NBR chairman Hussain said that the board needs to collect more withholding tax to manage money for the country’s development.

“In the United States, they collect around 96% withholding tax whereas it is only 52% in Bangladesh. We have plans to manage more withholding tax in future,” he said.

The electronic tax deduction at source (eTDS) will be made to increase the tax net. “Under the eTDS project, the tax net will be increased. There are some loopholes from government side in collecting the tax as the government do not collect the tax, rather the service or product provider pays the tax, and they do not pay the tax on due time,” he said.

To avoid situation, the board will introduce eTDS system where electronic data and trade data will be saved automatically and the revenue collection will be made instantly.

Potential taxpayers

“I think there should be 60 lakh taxpayers in Bangladesh. However we have information of only 18 lakh taxpayers, whereas the rest 42 lakh is still absent,” Hussain said.

He, however, hoped that the board would be able to bring 20 lakh to 25 lakh more people under the tax net in next five years to double the tax collection.

“If we can bring 20 to 25 lakh people more in five years as per our plan, the tax should be doubled. Now, the income tax target is Tk57500 crore for the current fiscal, which should also be doubled by two years as the economy have that potential,” the chairman opined.

According to the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2014, prepared by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (Escap) of the United Nations, less than 1% population pay tax in Bangladesh. l

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Muhith: Bangladesh to become poverty-free by 2021 n Tribune Report Finance Minister AMA Muhith has categorically claimed that Bangladesh will be able to eradicate poverty within 2021 as various poverty alleviation programmes undertaken by both government and non-government organisations are being implemented successfully across the country.

“Microcredit programs are also playing a pivotal role in country’s socio economic development,” said finance minister yesterday while addressing a national micro-credit convention titled “Towards Poverty Alleviation and Social Development: The Role of MFIs” held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.

Speaking as chief guest at the concluding ceremony, finance minister Muhith said: “Microcredit is also playing a key role in the improvement of the country’s socio-economic condition.”

Referring to the four crore countrymen living below the poverty line, out of which two crore live below extreme poverty, the finance minister also made it clear that these people must be made financially solvent to free the country from the curse of poverty.

More people would be encouraged to begin their own business, providing them with an adequate capital as well as an environment congenial for doing business, he added.

“The microcredit organisations are playing a great role here although the rate of interest is a bit high in the country. Small traders will be benefited if the rate can be reduced. That is the area where we need to put more focus” said Muhith.

Economic Division under Planning Commission in its latest poverty reduction data revealed that the percentage of country’s poverty level declined to 25% in 2014 while it was 31.5% in 2010. In 1992,

Finance Minister AMA Muhith speaks at a micrrocredit convention in the city yesterday Bangladesh poverty rate was 56.7%.

World Bank in its report also showed that the poverty rate declined by 6% in the last four years because of raising wage rate in Bangladesh.

Addressing the convention, Palli Karma -Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Chairman Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said: “Only money won’t be able to remove poverty from the country while microcredit programs are also plagued with host of problems.”

He also said, “What needs to be done is to spot those shortcomings and we also need to ensure that every one is receiving the benefits of such programmes”.

Being special guest Sarah Cooke, country representative of DFID, Bang-

ladesh said, “We have been running a poverty alleviation program during the last couple of years with the help of PKSF and additional 1000 additional loans were disbursed since then.”

“Our credit programs design development of the livelihood of the beneficiaries with the involvement of technologies along with the market linkages,” she also said. Sarah Cooke also wondered how a woman in Kurimgram district changed her life style radically with the credit from PKSF-selected NGOs. The conference was also addressed, among others, by executive vice chairman of Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA) Khandaker Muzahrul Haque, executive director of Institute of Mi-

Bangladesh show in KL on Nov 14 n Tribune Report

Muhith praises Yunus for microcredit initiative

A three-day expo – “Showcase Bangladesh 2014” – will be held in Malaysia on November 14 to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and to display Bangladeshi products to global consumers.

The thee-day event will continue from November 14 to 16 in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Syed Nurul Islam, president of the showcase committee, made the announcement at a media briefing at a city hotel yesterday. The show is aimed at promoting Bangladeshi products in Malaysia as well as in the world, he said, adding that especial efforts would be made to draw Malaysian investment to Bangladesh.

About 70 organisations are expected to participate in the expo and 50 of them have already registered, said Nurul.

Minister of International Trade and Industry of the government of Malaysia Mustapa bin Mohamed is scheduled to inaugurate the fair while commerce minister and foreign minister of the Government of Bangladesh are likely to attend the inaugural ceremony.

Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) in association with Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia, Malaysia South-South Association and Malaysia External Trade Development Cooperation will arrange the exhibition. l

n Tribune Report Finance Minister AMA Muhith has lauded Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus for his initiatives to address the default loan culture of microcredit organisations across the country during 1980s.

Our poverty reduction programmes have made a good progress as a total of 3.30 of 4 crore poor people are getting microcredit facilities over the last couple of years Microcredit institutions were really coming out of default loans after Yunus’s initiatives, but the culture of default loan is now prevailing in the country’s commercial banks which is above 11%, he said.

The finance minister was addressing a national convention on microcredit titled “Towards poverty alleviation and social development: The role of

MFIs” at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.

Muhith said the country’s microcredit culture started 150 years back in the region, but took a long time to get an institutional shape.

Dr Akter Hamid Khan initiated the microcredit programmes that were running three to four sub-divisions while Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman advocated for such programmes immediately after liberation, he said.

The minister said there were a lot of loan defaulters in the microcredit institutions across the country during 1971 to 1980.

While Professor Yunus came in with his Grameenbank idea, it suggested that the poor could also pay back their loan and later other microcredit lenders followed suit, he further said .

“Our poverty reduction programmes have made a good progress as a total of 3.30 of 4 crore poor people are getting microcredit facilities over the last couple of years,” Muhith said.

The finance minister added that there are 3,000 microcredit institutions across the country, but only 700 of them are registered.

“We have been running grant programmes for local NGOs over the last 17 years,” he pointed out. l

Fire sprinklers needed in 450 RMG factories n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Roughly 450 RMG factories of the country producing clothes for the American and EU retailers will need to install sprinklers for fire safety.

While Accord says 350-400 factories used by its signatory brands should install the system, Alliance cites an approximate number of 85 units used by its signatories to introduce the fire safety device.

“As per the findings of inspection, 350-400 factories will need to install sprinklers system,” said Brad Loewen, the Accord’s chief safety inspector.

The factories housed in the buildings taller than seven floors will need to install sprinklers, but the quantity of sprinklers depends on the size, structural design and ceiling of the factories, he clarified.

Alliance managing director M Rabin said: “Approximately 85 factories (used by Alliance signatories) will need to instal sprinklers.”

The EU retailers’ Accord completed initial inspections of 1,106 factories by the end of September, from where its signatory brands source products.

The north American buyers’ Alliance inspected 587 RMG units.

Besides, more than 500 factories have finalised corrective action plans as prescribed by the Accord, said Rob Wayss, executive director of the initiative.

“It’s a requirement for the factories, and if they do not meet the requirement, the signatory brands would not source products from the factories,” he warned.

“I think most of the remediation works will be completed in one and a half years,” Rob Wayss said.

A factory will have to install sprinkler system, if its height is over 75 feet or the space of each floor is over 22,000 square feet and the building is over threefloor high, said BGMEA vice president Shahidullah Azim quoting from National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

He said the installation will require Tk150 for 1 square foot and in this calculation a medium-size factory will need at least Tk1 crore for this work.

The factory owners would install sprinklers if they are required by the NFPA rules, Azim added.

He said they held a meeting with the Accord on Saturday to decide the next course of action as the first-phase inspection is over. The meeting also discussed about funding.

BGMEA leader said it was de-

cided that the Accord would give a format on fire safety equipment on the basis of the corrective action plans to the factories to get funding from buyers for remediation works.

Then the factory owners will place three supporting documents from three suppliers of fire equipment on the requirements and the prices. Then the brands will provide fund, Azim said.

After the inspection of Accord, the review panel recommended immediate evacuation and suspending production at 17 factories found structurally flawed.

According to an estimate of BGMEA, the country’s RMG sector needs to spend over Tk2,410 crore for importing fire equipment – sprinklers and fire-rated doors – to comply with fire safety conditions set by the two retailers’ platforms. l

NASHIRUL ISLAM

crofinance Professor M A Baqui Khalily, and PKSF Managing Director Md Abdul Karim.

A two-day conference on the role of microcredit organisations in social development and poverty elimination kicked off in the capital on Saturday.

Institute of Microfinance, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation and the Microcredit Regulatory Authority jointly organised the conference.

Ten sessions on a wide range of microcredits were arranged for Sunday at the conference. These sessions were attended by Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu and former governor of Bangladesh Bank Mohammad Farashuddin. l

Orion’s rejoinder and our reply Orion Group has issued a rejoinder contradicting some information of our report titled “Rupali Bank capital at stake for lending beyond capacity” published in the business page on October 16.

The group, a local business conglomerate having investment in energy, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, textiles and agro products, said Rupali Bank sanctioned Tk945.87 crore in favour of Orion Power Khulna Limited (OPKL) for its 630MW supercritical coal-based power project. “It is not true that Rupali Bank sanctioned Tk1,706 crore. Moreover, the amount is approved only and no disbursement has been made as yet. The disbursement will be made over 3 years.”

They also said: OPKL duly obtained NOC from Bangladesh Bank and single borrower exposure limit is not applicable in power sector. “The bank approved the fund through syndication arrangement to be participated by syndication members which is in process.” Moreover, they said the project is guaranteed by the government in terms of receivables. “Hence no risk factor is involved.”

“Rupali Bank also financed another power project of Orion where 60% of the debt has already been re-paid to the bank in due time,” Orion said.

Our reply

The report was based on Bangladesh Bank findings where it said the loan exposure to a certain business group and that too beyond the bank’s capacity poses serious risk. Our focus of the report was that if a bank provides loan to a business group far higher than its capital base may put the bank in serious trouble if the business group faces any financial losses.

We quoted the figure from the Bangladesh Bank report where it said the outstanding balance of funded amount to Orion as of June 30,2014 is Tk1,705 crore.

Our report mentioned that the loan was approved as there was no limit mentioned for financing power sector projects. The Bangladesh Bank report also mentioned that the large loan monitoring section of the central bank has not issued any NOC despite the balance of approved loans up to Tk916 crore as of June 2014 crossed the single borrower exposure limit.

Our report mentioned in accordance with the BB report that it was not clear to the BB authorities why the loan was approved without going through a formal syndication process.

Our report quoted a central bank executive who thinks this type of loan is a kind of very risky. l

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stocks tumble on profit booking

DSE key features October 19, 2014

n Tribune Report

Number of Contract

and massive selling pressure turned all the sectors red, with miscellaneous dropping most 2.6% and nonlife insurance 2.5%.

Banking sector lost 2.4%, followed by cement 2%, fuel and power 1.9% and telco 1.5%.

Lanka Bangla Securities said after having sharp gain in preceding six weeks, consolidation continued around 5,300 in last few days, while 109 points of correction spooked the market.

The first session of the bull-run appeared to be over, and seemed like benchmark index was topping out at current level, it said.

IDLC Investments said downbeat accelerated and slumped market. As a result, DSEX broke through 5,200mark, it said.

Since prime and blue chip index added 906.9 and 372.2 points respectively in last two months rally, investors rather thinking of pursuing safe strategy and chasing out on the fear of massive correction, it said.

Zenith Investments said stocks went for another pullback, reacting to investors’ expectation that market was now ready for some correction.

It said the melting down of the index did not come much of a surprise, nor does it seem to thwart the inflow of money in capital market for the upcoming days.

The state-owned fuel oil distribution company Jamuna Oil topped the liquidity chart accumulating a total turnover of almost Tk37 crore.

It was followed by Square Pharmaceuticals, Titas Gas, Mobil Jamuna Limited Bangladesh, Grameenphone, Delta Life Insurance and DESCO. l

Stocks fell sharply yesterday as late massive profit booking sale off cut early gains.

The market began on positive note in the morning but failed to sustain, as profit booking took place mainly on bank, insurance and miscellaneous stocks.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange benchmark index, DSEX, closed at 5,176, slumping over 109 points or 2%, which is biggest single-day fall in more than eight months.

stocks went for another pullback, reacting to investors’ expectation that market was now ready for some correction The other two indices – DSES and DS30 – were also down by over 2% each to close at 1,217 and 1,954 respectively.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, lost 194 points to 9,714.

Trading activities also declined substantially as the DSE turnover came down to Tk700 crore-mark after more than three weeks. It stood at Tk687 crore, a sharp fall of 15.6% over the previous session.

Share prices fell across the board, as out of 302 issues traded, 54 advanced, 233 declined and 15 remained unchanged.

The market level negative tone

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

EBL NRB M.F.-A Fareast Islami Life -A DESCO Ltd. -A Prime Insur -A BGIC -A Paramount Insur-A Intl. Leasing-B SonarBangla Insu. -A City G Insu.-A Federal Insu.-A

-9.33 -7.60 -7.06 -6.14 -5.95 -5.56 -5.52 -5.37 -5.31 -5.24

CSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

Central Insur -A Asia Pasific Insu. -A Prime Insur -A SonarBangla Insu. -A NLI 1st M F-A Takaful Islami Insu-A Phoenix Insur -A Fareast Islami Life -A LR Global BD MF1-A Intl. Leasing-B

-9.90 -9.80 -9.70 -8.61 -8.54 -7.67 -7.50 -7.34 -6.45 -6.10

5176.75111

(-) 2.06%

1954.14936

(-) 2.18%

15990.26440

(-) 1.96%

13205.14030

(-) 2.12%

9717.42490

(-) 1.96%

Average (% Change) -9.33 -5.29 -1.03 -6.36 -4.34 -4.03 -4.02 -2.90 -4.50 -5.00 Average (% Change) -9.90 -9.80 -7.88 -7.92 -7.93 -7.00 -7.33 -4.85 -6.45 -4.23

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 6.80 89.05 72.91 21.66 24.23 19.05 15.74 19.78 21.67 20.16

ClosingAvg. 27.30 23.00 21.50 19.06 7.55 30.69 37.07 88.57 5.80 15.83

Closing

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 654.11 417.89 92.37 851.70 184.11 1529.69 2.23 472.80 770.78 18.55 100.41 53.68 78.66 298.39 53.25 61.57 576.41 245.14 169.37 241.27 0.22

DHIGH

6.80 87.50 71.10 21.40 23.70 18.70 15.40 19.40 21.40 19.90

Closing

7.80 94.70 78.90 22.30 26.00 20.10 16.40 21.00 22.50 22.00

DHIGH

27.30 23.00 21.40 19.10 7.50 30.10 37.00 87.10 5.80 15.40

27.30 23.00 21.60 19.20 7.80 30.10 37.10 90.00 5.80 16.50

Company

6,872.57 150,061,935 133,626

Traded Issues

302

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

69

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

232

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

1

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,735.87

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

33.16

CSE key features October 19, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

454.02

Turnover (Volume)

12,471,253

Number of Contract

16,647

Traded Issues

230

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

45

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

182

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,643.17

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

32.04

Turnover in Million

DLOW 6.80 85.30 69.00 21.30 23.70 18.50 15.20 19.00 20.40 19.80

Latest EPS

0.147 9.772 151.179 1.841 2.692 1.804 14.222 2.615 5.088 5.985

0.85 4.60 1.94 1.28 2.94 1.18 -0.78 1.74 2.04 1.16

Turnover in Million

DLOW 27.30 23.00 21.40 19.00 7.50 30.00 37.00 87.10 5.80 15.00

% change 9.52 6.08 1.34 12.39 2.68 22.26 0.03 6.88 11.22 1.46 0.78 1.14 4.34 0.77 0.90 8.39 3.57 2.46 3.51 0.00

Million Taka 41.08 23.33 4.23 56.44 14.87 63.69 54.98 44.40 7.64 9.19 6.01 9.99 26.50 5.45 3.67 10.46 27.98 23.78 36.53 0.02

CSE

% change 8.74 4.96 0.90 12.00 3.16 13.54 0.00 11.69 9.44 1.63 1.95 1.28 2.13 5.64 1.16 0.78 2.22 5.95 5.06 7.77 0.00

Latest EPS

0.278 0.023 0.022 0.048 0.083 0.039 0.052 0.396 0.020 2.968

Million Taka 695.19 441.22 96.60 908.13 198.97 1593.38 2.23 527.77 815.18 26.19 109.59 59.69 88.66 324.88 58.70 65.24 586.86 273.13 193.14 277.80 0.23

Popular Life Insu. -A FAS Fin. & Inv. Ltd-B Alltex Industries -Z Progressive Life-A National Polymer -A Libra Infusions-A ACI ZERO Bond-A Anwar Galvanizing-B Eastern Cables-A 4th ICB M F-A

Closing (% Change) 8.05 7.78 6.10 5.71 4.94 4.65 3.49 3.18 3.04 2.68

CSE GAINER

3.14 2.26 1.28 1.74 1.41 1.50 4.30 4.60 0.64 -0.78

Latest PE 8.0 19.4 37.6 16.9 8.2 16.1 -ve 11.4 10.6 17.4

Total

Company PragatiLife Insu. -Z Rangpur Foundry -A FAS Fin. & Inv. Ltd-B Alltex Industries -Z Marico BD Ltd-A MutualTrust Bank-A Eastern Cables-A Prime Islami Life -A Standard Insurance-A Shahjibazar Power-N

Closing (% Change) 10.92 9.85 9.58 8.64 6.24 5.85 5.25 3.48 3.45 2.84

Average (% Change) 4.39 2.02 10.36 5.63 3.38 4.82 5.71 2.33 4.00 2.68 Average (% Change) 8.03 9.87 2.80 10.17 6.24 5.50 6.09 3.46 3.45 2.22

ClosingAvg. 211.00 17.20 8.95 98.00 59.30 435.00 1,057.14 28.96 138.99 210.50

ClosingAvg. 96.50 116.00 17.99 8.88 1179.25 18.04 140.28 86.20 30.00 682.96

Closing 214.70 18.00 8.70 98.20 59.50 434.30 1,067.00 29.20 139.00 210.50

Closing 96.50 116.00 18.30 8.80 1179.30 18.10 140.30 86.20 30.00 689.00

DHIGH

DLOW

247.00 18.30 9.00 100.90 60.20 434.90 1,080.00 29.50 145.00 210.50

200.00 15.90 8.60 96.00 51.50 434.00 1,030.00 28.00 133.90 210.50

DHIGH

DLOW

96.50 116.00 18.30 8.90 1179.30 18.20 145.00 86.20 30.00 700.00

96.50 116.00 16.10 7.90 1179.00 17.80 130.00 86.20 30.00 677.00

Turnover in Million 364.728 15.247 9.358 0.196 11.813 0.261 0.037 2.621 7.325 0.084

Turnover in Million 0.048 0.058 1.416 1.500 0.354 0.187 0.772 0.004 0.015 2.049

Latest EPS 4.13 0.52 -1.24 2.30 2.11 4.20 0.00 0.27 2.03 23.11

Latest EPS 2.38 3.20 0.52 -1.24 59.28 2.40 2.03 4.95 3.00 3.00

Latest PE 51.1 33.1 -ve 42.6 28.1 103.6 107.3 68.5 9.1

Latest PE 40.5 36.3 34.6 -ve 19.9 7.5 69.1 17.4 10.0 227.7

News, analysis and recent disclosers From TradeServers: FUWANGFOOD: The Board of Directors has recommended 10% stock dividend for the year ended on June 30, 2014.

Date of AGM: 28.12.2014, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: Factory Premises at Bokran Monipur, Hotapara, Gazipur. Record date: 16.11.2014. The Company has also reported net profit after tax of Tk. 59.69 million, EPS of Tk. 0.91, NAV per share of Tk. 13.27 and NOCFPS of Tk. 0.54 for the year ended on June 30, 2014 as against Tk. 61.72 million, Tk. 0.94, Tk. 13.51 and Tk. 0.98 respectively for the year ended on June 30, 2013.

POPULARLIF: The Board of Directors has recommended 40% Stock dividend for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

Date of AGM: 18.12.2014, Time: 11:30 AM, Venue: Hotel Purbani International Ltd., 1 Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000. Record Date: 28.10.2014. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 4.13, NAV per share of Tk. 814.20 and NOCFPS of Tk. 79.34 for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

CVOPRL: The Company has informed that National Board of Revenue (NBR) vide its letter dated 15.10.2014 has approved the Company for enjoying Tax Holiday for five years from 2nd April 2014 to 1st April 2019. NBR has also issued a certificate dated 16.10.2014 in the Company's favour not to deduct any

advance Income Tax on the saleable value against supply of refinery products manufactured in the Company's factory.

TUNGHAI: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on October 20, 2014 at 3:00 PM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on December 31, 2013.

HAKKANIPUL: As per Regulation 30 of DSE Listing Regulations, the Company has informed that a meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on October 25, 2014 at 10:00 AM to consider, among others, audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended on June 30, 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. National Feed Mill Limited subscription date 26 -30 October 2014, NRB upto 08 November 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500.

Right Share: MIDASFIN: Subscription period for rights issue will be from 01.09.2014 to 30.09.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 03.08.2014.

ICB: Subscription period for rights issue will be from 07.12.2014 to 30.12.2014. Re-

cord date for entitlement of rights share: 09.09.2014. BIFC: subscription period for rights issue of the Company will be from 09.11.2014 to 30.11.2014. Record Date for entitlement of rights share: 19.10.2014.

Dividend/AGM AL-HAJTEX: 20% stock, AGM: 20.12.2014, Record Date: 05.11.2014.

DESCO: 5% cash & 10% stock, Record Date: 13.11.2014.

APOLOISPAT: 15% stock, Date of AGM: 21.12.2014, Record Date: 21.10.2014.

QSMDRYCELL: 5% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 27.11.2014, Record Date: 20.10.2014.

PENINSULA: 10% cash, AGM: 13.11.2014, Record Date: 15.10.2014.

FAREASTLIF: 40% cash, AGM: 03.11.2014, Record date: 16.10.2014.

UNITEDAIR: 10% stock, Record date: 20.10.2014.

EHL: 15% cash & 5% stock, AGM: 30.10.2014, Record Date: 02.10.2014.

BANGAS: 50% stock, AGM: 21.10.2014, Record date: 30.09.2014.

BDBUILDING: 5% cash & 20% stock, AGM: 23.10.2014, Record date: 30.09.2014.

MATINSPINN: 25% cash, AGM: 30.10.2014, Record date: 02.10.2014.

CENTRALPHL: 5% cash and 15% stock, AGM & EGM: 23.10.2014, Record date for AGM & EGM: 29.09.2014.

Latest PE 8.7 10.2 16.8 11.0 5.4 20.5 8.6 19.3 9.1 -ve

After having sharp gain in preceding six weeks, consolidation continued around 5,300 in last few days, while 109 points of correction spooked the market

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

DSE GAINER

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume)

Monday, October 20, 2014

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company

% change 9.47 6.01 1.32 12.37 2.71 21.70 0.03 7.19 11.10 0.36 1.49 0.81 1.21 4.42 0.80 0.89 7.99 3.72 2.63 3.78 0.00

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

Jamuna Oil -A Popular Life Insu. -A Square Pharma -A Titas Gas TDCLA MJL BD Ltd.-A Grameenphone-A Delta Life Insu. -A DESCO Ltd. -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Singer BD -A

LafargeS Cement-Z Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A IDLC Finance -A City Bank - A Padma Oil Co. -A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A Grameenphone-A Square Pharma -A LafargeS Cement-Z The Peninsula CTG.-N Singer BD -A DESCO Ltd. -A Jamuna Oil -A UNITED AIR-A

BSRM Steels-A Delta Life Insu. -A RAK Ceramics-A BD Submarine Cable-A Golden Son -A

VolumeShares 1,418,274 1,728,556 932,570 2,672,921 1,385,258 532,800 840,461 2,073,399 3,579,482 505,647

Value in Million 367.17 364.73 257.04 256.36 210.22 199.75 164.33 151.18 148.79 128.71

% of TotalTurnover 5.34 5.31 3.74 3.73 3.06 2.91 2.39 2.20 2.17 1.87

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

956,000 4,626,000 1,632,099 5,035,923 307,639

669,315 773,000 54,200 57,165 98,500 385,200 49,150 137,372 39,120 845,207

85,670 46,325 137,188 50,200 135,307

128.07 126.16 124.17 112.79 106.15

27.86 21.09 20.58 15.72 13.21 12.90 12.56 10.34 10.10 9.37

9.17 9.08 8.64 7.41 6.97

1.86 1.84 1.81 1.64 1.54

6.17 4.67 4.55 3.48 2.92 2.86 2.78 2.29 2.24 2.07

2.03 2.01 1.91 1.64 1.54

ClosingP 254.40 214.70 272.70 94.20 148.90 371.80 191.70 71.10 40.70 249.20

133.30 26.80 75.10 22.20 340.60

ClosingP

40.80 27.00 372.00 272.70 133.90 32.80 249.30 71.10 255.00 11.10

106.30 192.70 61.80 146.60 51.10

Change % 0.71 8.05 -2.47 -1.36 -3.50 -1.59 -4.44 -7.06 -4.68 -0.56

-1.91 1.13 -2.97 -0.89 -0.21

Change %

-4.67 2.27 -1.87 -2.15 -1.90 -0.91 0.12 -7.18 1.67 0.91

-2.66 -4.41 -4.78 -0.14 -1.92

ClosingY 252.60 198.70 279.60 95.50 154.30 377.80 200.60 76.50 42.70 250.60

135.90 26.50 77.40 22.40 341.30

ClosingY

42.80 26.40 379.10 278.70 136.50 33.10 249.00 76.60 250.80 11.00

109.20 201.60 64.90 146.80 52.10

DHIGH

DLOW

263.00 247.00 285.00 97.50 160.10 379.80 203.00 78.90 44.90 260.50

231.00 200.00 256.00 86.00 140.00 371.00 185.00 69.00 38.50 230.00

DHIGH

DLOW

43.10 27.80 384.90 280.90 137.00 34.20 263.40 79.90 262.50 11.20

40.50 26.80 371.00 271.00 133.00 32.60 245.40 71.00 251.00 9.90

136.30 27.90 78.50 23.00 349.60

108.50 205.00 65.00 149.20 52.10

133.00 26.80 70.00 20.20 315.00

105.50 190.40 61.50 146.00 50.90

AvgPrice 258.89 211.00 275.63 95.91 151.75 374.91 195.52 72.91 41.57 254.54

133.96 27.27 76.08 22.40 345.05

AvgPrice

41.63 27.29 379.68 274.98 134.12 33.49 255.62 75.25 258.28 11.08

107.07 195.93 63.00 147.52 51.48

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Monday, October 20, 2014

BoE’s Haldane: Markets may have over-reacted to slowdown n Reuters, London Investors may have over-reacted to signs of economic slowdown, although they have been right to price in weaker global growth prospects, the Bank of England’s chief economist said in a yesterday newspaper interview.

“What we have seen over the past week is financial markets catching up with the data,” Andrew Haldane told Britain’s Observer newspaper.

“Possibly over-reacting to the data but certainly catching up, because I think there has been a drip, drip, drip – globally I mean – of slightly below-par news for several months.”

In a wild week for international markets prompted by fears about a recession in Europe and weaker growth globally, some readings of British government debt prices at one point implied markets expected no interest rate hike by the Bank of England at all next year.

That represented a sharp change from some recent expectations that key rates would start to rise from their record low of 0.5%, possibly in November.

Markets ended the week pointing to a rate hike around mid-2015 after Haldane said in a speech on Friday that kind of timing might not be a bad bet, given the slower growth outlook.

Haldane, who became the BoE’s chief economist in June, also told the Observer that the Bank needed to improve its economic forecasting after it had proved over-optimistic about how quickly Britain would recover from the financial crisis.

“We can’t afford not to have the best model that economists can develop

Facebook unveils ‘safety check’ for disaster efforts n AFP, Washington Facebook has unveiled a “safety check” tool to allow users to alert friends and family about their status in emergencies, a system developed after the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami.

“We want to provide a helpful tool that people can use when major disasters strike, so we’ve created “safety check” - a simple and easy way to say you’re safe and check on others,” a Facebook blog post said late Wednesday.

Facebook said it began working on the system after the Japan disaster: “During that crisis, we saw how people used technology and social media to stay connected with those they cared about,” the statement said.

The new tool expands on its “disaster message board” used in Japan.

In “safety check,” users in areas affected by a disaster will get a notification asking “Are you OK?” Users can select to click “I’m safe” and status updates will be sent to friends. Facebook will use a user’s smartphone location to determine if someone is affected by a catastrophe, while allowing people to correct any location mistakes.

“Unfortunately, these kinds of disasters happen all too frequently,” Facebook said.

“Each time, we see people, relief organizations and first responders turn to Facebook in the aftermath of a major natural disaster.”

Facebook said the tool will be available globally on Android, iOS, feature phones and desktop. l

A taxi stops in front of the columns of the Bank of England in the city of London and we are going to do that. It will happen,” he told the newspaper, saying he wanted a “more granular” way of economic forecasting that is less reliant on averages and looks more at different sectors and income groups.

That kind of system would help the BoE as it considers using tools other than interest rates to manage Britain’s economy. He said policymakers needed to have a better grasp of changes in the global economy too. “The absence

of that global financial weather map has never been more harmful.”

Another BoE policymaker sounded a gloomy note about the chances of Britain’s economy recovering fully from the financial crisis in the next few years.

Martin Weale, one of two members of the nine-strong Monetary Policy Committee to have voted for a rate increase in August and September, said in another newspaper interview that he feared productivity may not reach

REUTERS

pre-crisis growth rates.

“I started off thinking we will start to make up that lost ground, that had been the previous experience. I now think that, over the timescale that’s material to our decision-making, we won’t,” Weale said in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday. “(That) does mean that, in the long run, living standards aren’t going to grow as much as perhaps people have become used to,” he said. l

B3

At least 113 staffers at US Fed earn more than Yellen n Reuters, Washington The top 113 earners among staff at the Federal Reserve’s Washington headquarters make an average of $246,506 per year, excluding bonuses and other benefits - more than Fed Chair Janet Yellen and nearly double the normal top government rate.

Yellen, whose salary is set by Congress, earns $201,700 a year.

The details on Fed pay were provided to Reuters in response to a Freedom of Information Act request for data on all employees of the US central bank’s board whose salaries outstrip $130,810, which is the top of the government’s pay scale in most areas.

However, the central bank only provided salaries for staff who make at least $225,000 a year, with some exceptions. It is the first time the list has been made public.

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have sponsored a bill that would require the Fed to divulge that information publicly.

Supporters of the Fed say the world’s leading central bank needs top talent, and note that its expenses are not covered by taxpayers, but by the income it earns on securities it holds. Critics, however, think the Fed has too much discretion.

“It certainly bolsters the case for more oversight,” said Maggie Seidel, a spokeswoman for New Jersey Republican Scott Garrett, a co-sponsor of the bill.

As of July 31, the Fed’s inspector general led the list with an annual salary of $312,000, followed by the central bank’s four division directors, its general counsel and its chief operating officer, who each earn a base of $265,000.

Despite the relatively high pay of senior managers at the Fed board, the average salary of all its staffers was $121,279, excluding benefits, a figure that lags behind other financial regulators. To see graphic click here link.reuters.com/zus23w At the Securities and Exchange Commission, the average salary was $157,946 in 2013, while at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation it was about $130,000. The average at the Commodities Futures Trading Commission was $146,323.

'In the private sector, every business has incentives to keep costs down. In government, you have to overcome the issue that there is no natural need to keep costs down' Former Senator Ted Kaufman said it was important for the central bank to hire and retain talented staff who could fetch more in the private sector.

Managing directors at large investment banks, for example, usually earn a salary around $250,000 and pull in bonuses that in good times can be double or triple that amount.

Nevertheless, the Delaware Democrat said tracking the Fed’s costs was a legitimate concern.

“In the private sector, every business has incentives to keep costs down.

In government, you have to overcome the issue that there is no natural need to keep costs down,” Kaufman said. l

Cos look for more fairness as China eyes legal reforms at key meeting n Reuters, Beijing China is set to unveil key legal reforms this week that will try to limit the influence local officials have on court cases, a move being closely watched by company executives who hope it will make the legal system more impartial.

The announcement is expected at the end of an Oct 20-23 meeting of the ruling Communist Party elite, which has made the “rule of law” the theme of the gathering. The meeting, called a plenum, comes at a time when slowing economic growth in the world’s second-largest economy is raising the prospect of more commercial disputes.

The business community, in particular Chinese private firms and foreign investors, have long complained about the difficulty of getting a fair hearing in court because judges usually answer to local governments and party organs, which often have their own interests to protect.

Chinese media has recently carried reports on local companies suing each other when a dispute arises, with the parties lodging separate cases in courts in their home provinces, which then inevitably find for the home firm.

In April, Knowles Corp, a New Yorklisted maker of advanced micro-acoustic products, said its lawyers had been blocked by a provincial court from attending a patent infringement case involving Chinese group GoerTek. Ahead of the plenum, a meeting of the roughly 370-member Central Committee that usually takes place annually, state media has noted that the key goals are to temper the influence of local governments in courts and to make judges more professional and not tools of the party.

This would involve “reforming the

judicial system to prevent local officials from interfering in court decisions”, a source with knowledge of the plenum agenda told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

However, while the party may be seeking to limit the influence of officials on courts, there is no suggestion China is about to set up an independent judiciary, and for sensitive cases, such as high-level corruption or for prominent dissidents, the party will remain firmly in charge.

While the legal reforms are also aimed at quelling some of the roots of China’s growing unrest by giving people a sense of fairness in the justice system, there is a strong economic rationale for the measures.

Writing in the party’s official People’s Daily newspaper last Wednesday, Li Shuguang, a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, said there could be no economic growth without a sound legal system.

“Protecting intellectual property and contracts are the preconditions for economic development and growth,” Li wrote, adding that the current system was “not working properly” as it gave the government too much scope to abuse its power.

“For healthy future economic growth, the rule of law will play an even more important role in China’s market economy.” When drawing up contracts, many foreign companies seek to include clauses to enable arbitration in places such as Hong Kong in the event of a dispute.

Scepticism about changes

At the party’s last plenum in November, President Xi Jinping announced ambitious economic reforms that signalled

Buildings are pictured in Beijing's central business district a shift in China’s economy from infrastructure- and export-fuelled growth towards a slower, more balanced and sustained expansion.

The government has since carried out a handful of economic reforms, although some critics argue that implementation has not been fast enough.

“They have recognised that without improved rule of law, economic reforms they want to deliver will not succeed,” said a Beijing-based European envoy.

James Zimmerman, managing part-

ner of the Beijing office of law firm Sheppard Mullin and a former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce China, said removing the influence of the party on court cases was vital.

“We are already seeing a vast improvement in the quality of the written opinions and decisions. But they need the political monkey off their back in order to do their jobs professionally, independently and with transparency,” he said.

“Can we anticipate real change?

REUTERS

Probably not. I say this because the party is unlikely to let go of the courts and lawyers. The messages are conflicting as to how far they will go with reform.”

The president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, Joerg Wuttke, added it was vital that companies could challenge the rulings of regulators in court.

None of the recent barrage of antitrust cases against foreign companies operating in China are known to have been challenged in local courts. l

The 2030 Water Resources Group, a partnership of public, private and civil society organisations has recently held a high level dialogue at a city hotel in Dhaka NCC Bank Ltd has recently held a board meeting at its head office in Dhaka. The bank’s chairperson, Md Nurun Newaz Salim presided over the meeting

First Security Islami Bank Ltd has recently opened its new branch in Natore. The bank’s managing director, AAM Zakaria inaugurated the new branch

Union Bank Ltd has recently opened a branch in Comilla. District Commissioner of Comilla, Md Hasanuzzaman kollol inaugurated the branch at the presence of the bank’s deputy managing director, Syed Abdullah Mohammed Saleh

BASIC Bank Limited has recently held a conference for its branch managers at its head office. The bank’s chairperson Alauddin A Majid was present at the conference as chief guest

Dettol Bangladesh has recently participated in the global Handwashing Day by going to schools and educating children on the importance of washing hands

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Monday, October 20, 2014

Getting used to the ‘new mediocre’ n Reuters, London Evaporating inflation and slowing growth have put financial markets into such a spin that they could inflict further damage on the world economy.

Until a dramatic selloff, exuberant markets had raced well ahead of the economies that underpin them, partly because the US Federal Reserve and other central banks flooded the financial system with new money.

With the Fed set to turn off its money taps at the end of this month, investors appear to have woken up to poor growth prospects in much of the world, something International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has termed a “new mediocre”.

It’s not all doom and gloom. The outlook for the world’s largest economy has not suddenly taken a turn for the worse. And a 25% plunge in the price of oil since June should put more money in the pockets of companies and households.

“U.S. momentum has softened a little but we expect growth to remain solidly above trend. At the same time, the drop in oil prices is as much a reflection of supply as demand factors,” economists at Goldman Sachs said in a note.

“For consumers in the largest economies, it should provide meaningful relief, offsetting the pressure from tighter financial conditions and weaker global demand.”

Fears are centered on recession and even deflation in the euro zone and the extent of China’s slowdown.

When the world financial crisis raged from 2007-2009, China’s resilience was one of the major silver linings. It may not be this time.

Chinese third-quarter gross domestic product numbers due on Tuesday are forecast to show growth at its weakest pace in more than five years, at 7.2% year-on-year.

Beijing is expected to roll out a stream of stimulus measures in coming months, though most economists believe it will hold off on an interest rate cut unless conditions deteriorate sharply.

Pressure on germany

A poor run of economic data suggests Germany will flirt with recession in the third quarter, having contracted by 0.2% in the second.

Flash October purchasing manag-

A worker operates at a construction site on the 68th storey of a building in Shenyang, Liaoning province ers indices for the United States, euro zone, Germany and France - due on Thursday - will give a first glimpse of the state of their economies heading into the last quarter of the year.

Britain won’t escape the impact of the euro zone’s malaise but is in much healthier shape. Third-quarter GDP data on Friday are forecast to show growth of 0.7% in July to September.

The International Monetary Fund, United States, G20 and European Central Bank have pressured Berlin to increase public spending to lift its own economy and help its peers in the currency area.

But the German government, the only one in the euro zone with the re-

sources to spend more and the heft for it to make a difference, is committed to a balanced budget with no net new borrowing in 2015.

The argument will doubtless be reprised at an EU leaders summit in Brussels late next week.

France and Italy are pressing for more leeway on debt targets to buy time to push through much-needed structural economic reforms but are likely to have their 2015 budgets rejected by Brussels, leading to a scramble to broker a face-saving deal.

The German and French economy ministers have asked experts in Berlin and Paris to come up with reform recommendations for their countries in an

apparent attempt to avert a full-blown clash over economic policy.

The hope is that a renewed French and Italian commitment to economic reforms will persuade Germany to loosen its purse strings and the ECB to act more forcefully, even crossing its Rubicon and printing money.

The ECB has denied there is any “grand bargain” in the offing and officials admit that whatever transpires - the aim is that a deal will be done in time for a December summit - may fall short of what is required.

“We now see sovereign QE as unavoidable next year,” said Ruben Segura-Cayuela, economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, referring to

REUTERS

quantitative easing, or asset purchases with new money.

“In a central scenario of a weak economic recovery, where the fiscal stance does not ease meaningfully, and an inflation profile that surprises the ECB on the downside, we believe the central bank will be forced to do more than it has done so far.”

The euro zone’s most pressing problem is Greece, where borrowing costs have rocketed way above the level that would allow Athens to quit the bailout program hated by its people and return to financing itself on the markets.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras insists Athens will press ahead with plans to wean itself off EU and IMF aid. l

Sigve’s rule #7: Everyone’s Yellen: Economic inequality in US is greatly concerning important n Tribune Business Desk In business, there is no such thing as individual achievement. Yes, you can have star performers at the top, but do not for one second believe that there aren’t any star performers at the ground level. They are just as important as you.

Being a leader can be lonely. It can be stressful. It almost inevitably involves increased responsibility, late evenings, and sleepless nights. How many and how often is up to you. Being a leader can also be a tremendous ego booster. People look at you for guidance and advice. When great performance is celebrated, leaders are the ones that receive the biggest bonuses and the grandest praise.

In Scandinavia, creative geniuses and entrepreneurs have always had a hard time because of the “Law of Jante,” a set of rules existing in the literary world of Aksel Sandemose, a Danish-Norwegian author. In the little village of Jante, the inhabitants are extremely conservative.

They resist change to the extent that they actively try to block anyone trying to improve their lot in life or to get ahead. The main rule of the Law of Jante is this: “You shall not believe that you are better than us.” So in Jante, nothing ever got better, and nobody ever succeeded.

The Law of Jante has significant downsides, and generations of Scandinavians have strived to get rid of the jealousy and confront the lack of support to people who dare to work hard and dream big.

But it also describes the egalitarian nature of Scandinavian culture. It is a reminder that, regardless of what you achieve in life, you must nurture your humility and your respect for others. As a leader, you do not count more than the others. We are all part of the team, we just play different roles.

Star performers who rise up the ranks turn into something else. They think that their new title requires them to act, dress, or speak differently. Some get corner offices, travel on business class, and enjoy other perks. They think that since they hold a high position, they have become more important than their peers and colleagues. They start issuing orders, insulate themselves from colleagues and from the nitty-gritty of everyday business. They

become bosses, not leaders. Doing so, they defy the very qualities that got them promoted in the first place.

I have emphasised the importance of attitude and will over skills and education.

Skills can be taught, but attitude is difficult to change. You cannot teach people to be passionate, they have to find that passion themselves. The attitude I am talking about is not only about being aggressive and passionate about winning, it’s about treating people with respect, it’s about motivating colleagues and peers to go the extra mile for the team. You do not do that by being an assertive boss, but by being an inspiring leader.

In Thailand we have 1,400 call centre agents responding to calls from dtac customers. In front of them at the call centre they have a mirror, and they are encouraged to smile as they answer the phone call. Why? Because a smiling face will inevitably sound more positive to the ears of our customers. For a company like ours, selling connectivity, signals up in the air that nobody can see – our call centre agents and everyone else servicing our customers are the faces, voices, and the hands of our brand. We are measured by how well they do their job.

If the CEO is not at work for a day, our call centre agents still answer the phone, our retail executives are still bringing in sales and recharges, our offices and stores are still clean and tidy – because all of our people are doing their part. The CEO is important, but without the others she is not more than her own work capacity.

People doing those front-end, customer-facing, both visible and nonvisible jobs across all our Asian markets are playing key roles in bringing affordable mobile and internet connectivity to many people. Engineers in Myanmar setting up a pioneering mobile network in an unconnected country, school outreach teams in Bangladesh running quiz competitions to make students aware of the internet, retail executives working beats to maximise sales in smalltown India, canvas teams in Pakistan making sure our advertising and our posters get the most prominence in their area – they are all crucial elements of our business. If you as a leader fail to recognise that, you are on the path towards vanity and failure. l

n Reuters, Boston Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said on Friday the growth of economic inequality in the United States “greatly” concerned her, and suggested in a detailed speech on the politically charged issue that Americans should ask whether it was compatible with their values.

With global financial markets rebounding from days of frenzied selling, Yellen did not comment on the volatility or on monetary policy. Instead she focused on the gulf between rich and poor that has only grown wider over the last several decades and, she said, through the US economic recovery.

The data-heavy speech amounted to a broad social critique and treatise that supported government interventions to help boost Americans at the bottom of the economic ladder. It continued Yellen’s focus as head of the US central bank on the trials of the unemployed and underemployed, a concern that has delayed an interest-rate rise in the wake of the recession.

“The extent of and continuing increase in inequality in the United States greatly concern me,” Yellen told a conference on the topic at the Boston branch of the central bank.

“It is no secret that the past few decades of widening inequality can be summed up as significant income and wealth gains for those at the very top and stagnant living standards for the majority,” she told economists, professors and community workers.

“I think it is appropriate to ask whether this trend is compatible with values rooted in our nation’s history, among them the high value Americans have traditionally placed on equality of opportunity.”

Income disparity between the richest Americans and the rest has risen since the 2007-2009 recession. An extensive Fed study published last month suggests wealth and income is concentrated not just within the top 1 percent, as some analyses have suggested, but actually among a slightly broader slice of the ultra-rich: the top 3 percent.

From 2010 to 2013, all of the income growth was concentrated among the

S Korea cuts interest rate for second time in three months n AFP, Seoul South Korea’s central bank cut interest rates for the second time in three months recently and lowered its economic growth estimate for 2014 to reflect sluggish markets at home and abroad.

The Bank of Korea (BOK), which has come under government pressure to help inject some pace into the country’s slow economic recovery, cut its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 2%.

It followed a similar cut in August that ended a 15-month interest rate freeze.

BOK Governor Lee Ju-Yeol said the bank had also revised its economic growth estimate for 2014 from 3.8% to 3.5%.

The outlook for 2015 was trimmed from 4% to 3.9%.

The 2% rate matches a record low last seen from February 2009 through June 2010, when Asia’s fourth-largest economy was seeking to recover from the global financial crisis.

The stock market saw little to cheer with the main KOSPI index slightly down as of midday.

In a statement announcing the rate cut, the bank cited lingering concerns over the global economic outlook, with the trend towards recovery in the US offset by sluggish growth in the eurozone.

It also noted worrying volatility in the domestic financial markets where stock prices have fallen significantly of late, coupled with a rapid depreciation of the previously strong Korean won.

South Korea unveiled a 41tn won ($40bn) stimulus package in July, when Finance Minister Choi Kyung-Hwan warned of a risk of recession after the economy grew at its slowest rate for more than a year in the second quarter.

The stimulus includes 11.7tn won in expanded fiscal spending and 29tn won in extra financing support.

The lion’s share will be spent in the remainder of this year, with 3tn won earmarked for the beginning of 2015.

Gareth Leather, Asia economist at consultancy Capital Economics, said a further cut was unlikely.

“A combination of stronger demand from the US, low interest rates and an increase in government spending, should help to drive a decent recovery over the next year or so,” Leather said in an analyst note.

He cited concerns that low interest rates could have a damaging impact on household debt levels in South Korea, which are already among the highest in Asia.

“Lower borrowing costs could encourage households to take on more debt, further heightening risks in the financial sector,” Leather said. l

IMF says Singapore’s foreign worker curbs could hurt competitiveness, growth

n Reuters, Singapore

United States Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Economic Conference on Inequality of Economic Opportunity in Boston REUTERS top earners with the top 3% of US families accounting for some 30 percent of all income. The disparity was even greater by wealth, the study found, with the 3% holding 54.4% of all net worth in 2013.

Nudging lawmakers

Yellen, who has given major speeches on inequality for some two decades and on Thursday toured a hard-hit neighborhood of Boston, acknowledged that a rebound in house prices over the last two years has restored much wealth to those at the bottom.

But she cited several troubling contributors to a lack of equality of opportunity, including the expensive cost of higher education faced by the young.

The slowdown in business formation may depress productivity and further threaten economic opportunity, she said.

Heading into unfamiliar territory for a Fed chair, Yellen compared school funding in the United States with that of other countries, including approaches to those in lower-income neighborhoods. She also analyzed the role large inheritances play in “the fairly limited intergenerational mobility.”

By some estimates, she said, “income and wealth inequality are near their highest levels in the past hundred years, much higher than the average

during that time span and probably higher than for much of American history before then.” Yellen, who did not take questions, said she aimed to provide a factual basis for further discussion and she sat in the audience to hear research on race and economic inequality.

“This seems like a pretty deep dive into some pretty specific policy issues,” unusual terrain for a Fed chair, said Josh Bivens, research director for the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank that has focused on employment and inequality issues. “As a diagnosis there is a pretty convincing case for what we can do to increase economic mobility.”

Yellen did not comment on the economic outlook after a sharp global stock market selloff that led investors to reappraise the Fed’s likely policy path, and that led Fed officials to open a debate over their next steps. l

DILBERT

Singapore’s plans to cut reliance on foreign workers could reduce its competitiveness and growth potential while keeping core inflation elevated, the International Monetary Fund said in a report on Saturday.

The IMF said Singapore’s plans to restructure its economy by trying to boost productivity and curb use of cheap foreign labour could eventually set the stage for a long period of sustainable growth.

“However, productivity improvements might take some time to materialize and may not fully offset the effects of declining labour force growth,” the fund said in its annual review of economic developments and policies in the country.

Singapore’s measures have led to a tight labour market and wage growth that have helped fuel core inflation.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore this week maintained its stance of allowing a gradual appreciation of the currency to try and keep core price pressures in check.

The Fund said Singapore’s strong external trade position - its current account surplus was 18.3 percent of GDP in 2013 - seemed to be stronger than fundamentals justify and the government needed to keep up efforts to boost consumption. l