28 Oct, 2014

Kartik 13, 1421 Muharram 3, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 204

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

20 pages | Price: Tk12

B1 | BUSINESS

7 | SPECIAL

11 | OP-ED

13 | SPORT

BANGLADESH WINS ITU ELECTION

THE TESTIMONY OF SIXTY

LINE IN THE SAND

EMILY SEALS WIN, SERIES FOR BANGLADESH

UAE labour market not to open now

JU appoints six teachers against four ‘vacant posts’ n Mahadi Al Hasnat

1-1 draw. The match also ended their 18-month winning drought at home.

However, in the Bangladesh Zimbabwe Test, the achievement appeared to be slipping away at one point.

Zimbabwe resumed the day on 5 runs without loss and had no answer to the spinning deliveries of Taijul as they were bundled out for 114 in their second innings within five overs after lunch.

Taijul’s bowling should have heralded a dominant victory, but familiar failings were exposed in the batting

The authorities at the Jahangirnagar University has recently appointed six teachers in a department despite advertising for only four, reinforcing longstanding allegations of nepotism and politicisation in recruitment.

The latest recruitments have sparked protests among teachers and students since the biochemistry and molecular biology department already has 23 teachers against 22 posts. The agitating teachers said the appointments had been made to get more support in the upcoming Syndicate, Senate and dean elections.

The Syndicate meeting held on Saturday night approved the appointments.

However, the vice-chancellor earlier assured teachers opposing the August 27 advertisement that the proposal would not be tabled in the Syndicate, dominated by teachers loyal to the VC. Some of the appointees are close relatives of several influential teachers including former vice-chancellor Prof Dr Shariff Enamul Kabir, sources say.

Prof Shariff, now a member of the Public Service Commission, was forced to step down amid protests by teachers and students in May 2012 after allegations of backing the alleged killers of Zubair Ahmed and irregularities, mainly over recruitment of teachers, mounted against him.

During his three-year tenure, the university recruited over 200 teachers, mostly under political consideration.

Incumbent VC Prof Dr Farzana Islam was elected as the country’s first woman VC in March this year from the panel backed by Prof Shariff ’s aides. Since then, some 40 teachers have been appointed in different departments, most of which were questioned by different quarters.

The newly-appointed teachers are Kazi Russel Uddin, nephew of Prof Shariff and husband of Assistant Proctor Selina Akter; Afroza Parveen, wife of

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Gulf state PM says ‘complexities’ will be discussed in future n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman The UAE remained closed to further recruitment of Bangladeshi workers, but the governments of the two countries agreed to cooperate on a raft of bilateral concerns during the prime minister’s visit to the Gulf state.

Terming Bangladeshi workers very sincere and hard-working, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said there are some “complexities” that could be solved through official-level talks.

The UAE wants Bangladesh on its side while fighting against terrorist movements in the region “When Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina raised the issue at the official meeting, the UAE side said it could be sorted out through bilateral discussions at the official level,” Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune last night.

The UAE prime minister, however, did not elaborate on when or where discussions would take place nor what the time line for discussions might be.

Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates said an agreement on opening up the oil-rich Gulf state’s economy to Bangladeshi labour had not been reached, after an official meeting between the Bangladesh prime minister and her UAE counterpart in Dubai yesterday.

The prime minister left for the UAE on a three-day visit on Saturday at the invitation of Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.

The foreign secretary said UAE authorities had decided to appoint a labour attaché to its embassy in Dhaka.

Three agreements were signed yesterday dealing with security cooperation, the transfer of sentenced persons, and the hand over of a plot of land for the UAE embassy in Dhaka.

Under the security cooperation agreement, different government agencies will share information on various issues, the secretary said.

The Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding with Amala, a UAE-based company, to send domestic workers to the Gulf state.

During the preparation of the draft agreement, Amala verbally expressed a demand for 1,000 housemaids.

The foreign secretary said the recruiting process had been suspended for quite some time but the two countries would now discuss opening up the UAE labour market to Bangladeshi workers, he said.

The Gulf country stopped recruiting Bangladeshis on a mass scale in August 2012 after allegations surfaced that some of them were engaged in criminal activities.

Over a million Bangladeshis work in the UAE, sending home billions of dollars in remittances every year.

Security

Both prime ministers expressed grave concerns over the growth of terrorism  PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim embraces spin sensation Taijul Islam as Bangladesh beats Zimbabwe in the hard fought opening test in Mirpur yesterday. Taijul, who hit the match clinching boundary, was made the man of the match for his spin heroics MUMIT M

A good day at last for Bangladesh in cricket and football n Reazur Rahman Rohan Yesterday marked the end of an 18-month drought of victory in both football and cricket in the country.

In cricket, Taijul Islam’s all-round heroics steered the Bangladesh cricket team to an intense three-wicket win against Zimbabwe on the third day of their first Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

The 22-year-old earned a place in the record books with the best bowling figure in an innings in Bangladesh’s history – 8 for 39 runs – before he showed

DB: JMB sleeper Government cautioned cell behind Faruqi about Hizb-ut Tawhid and Gopibagh In an “urgent and confidential” six murders Islam and n Rabiul letter that the Dhaka Tribune has obMohammad Jamil Khan tained, the Home Ministry on Sunday n Mohammad Jamil Khan Based on an intelligence report, the cautioned the inspector general of Police claim to know who ordered the Gopibagh six murders and slaying of TV presenter Shaikh Nurul Islam Faruqi, after interrogating an Islamist militant arrested while on his way to kill two school teachers.

“Both of the murders were conducted using ‘sleeper cells.’ A former student of North South University (NSU) and leader of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Redwanul Azad Rana, gave the instruction to carry out the killings,” a high official of the Detective Branch of Police (DB), who is coordinating the investigation of the murder, yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune on condition of anonymity.

Detectives believe he also gave the order to have two teachers, of Monipur High School in Dhaka, killed. One of the teachers’ would-be killers, arrested sleeper cell operative, Khorshed Alam Rubel, told police about Rana’s command role in the murders.

Rubel was arrested during a gunfight with law enforcers at the President Zillur Rahman Flyover on October 14.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

Prime Minister’s Office has recently cautioned the Home Ministry that blacklisted militant outfit Hizb-ut Tawhid may try to create chaos by taking advantage of the public sentiment against dismissed minister Latif Siddique, who made controversial comments on Islam.

A state intelligence agency has made the deduction by analysing publicity materials that the outfit has been circulating ahead of the scheduled “all religion conference” in Sunamganj on October 29.

The agency fears that statements issued at that programme may instigate more anger among Muslims in the country and destroy the government’s image.

police and the director general of RAB that the presence of government officials and Awami League leaders in the programme might create “disagreement and division among Muslims.”

The ministry also cautioned about a possible attempt to tarnish the government’s image by cashing in on the discontent that Latif Siddique’s unpleasant remarks on religion had created among pious Muslims.

Sources said a summary of the intelligence report, which the Dhaka Tribune has also obtained, has been recently forwarded to the Ministry by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Photocopies of the Home Ministry  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

INSIDE

8 | World

Tunisia’s Ennahda party, the first Islamist movement to secure power after the ‘Arab Spring’ revolts, conceded defeat in elections that are set to make its main secular rival the strongest force in parliament.

3 | News

Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraf yesterday met parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury to discuss ways to strip former minister Abdul Latif Siddique of his House seat after the ruling party expelled him for derogatory comments on Hajj and the Prophet Muhammad.

12 | Entertainment

Warda Rihab will perform a Manipuri solo dance at a show dedicated to the Indian traditional dance form in the Chayanaut Auditorium today.

4 | News

The government has decided to export 50,000 tonnes of coarse rice to Sri Lanka with setting the export price at $450 per tonne. Food Minister Quamrul Islam, also chairman of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee made the disclosure yesterday after a meeting of the committee held at the ministry’s conference room.

excellent courage to help Mushfiqur Rahim land the win, which broke their 14-match losing streak in all formats of cricket, and 18 months after Bangladesh’s last Test win.

In the other popular sport in the country, the Bangladesh football team rode on the solitary penalty strike from veteran forward Jahid Hasan Emily to beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in their second and final game of the SS Steel Fifa international friendly series in Rajshahi.

The home side in the process clinched the two-match series 1-0 as the first match in Jessore ended in a

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Huji-B chief given monthly sum in jail He even wrote a book from inside high-security jail on target killings, claims DB Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Tazlina Zamila Khan Members of banned Islamist outfit Harkat-ul Jihad Al-Islami Bangladesh (Huji-B) used to hand over a handsome amount of money every month to its chief for his better living inside Kashimpur High Security Jail, detectives say.

Maulana Abu Sayed alias Abu Jafor has been staying in the jail since his arrest in 2009. He is a charge sheeted accused in August 21 grenade attack case.

Despite being in prison, Mufti Jafor gives his party men all kinds of instructions and plans to become the country’s most dreadful militant group.

“We have been sending Tk10,000 every month to our Hujur [Abu Jafor] for foods and other services, so that he can lead a regular and better life there,” Huji-B operation wing chief Maulana Mohammad Rafiq Ahmed told detec-

tives during remand.

Rafiq along with bomb expert Md Umar alias Foyzul alias Roby, and members Md Nadim Ahmed alias Sumon and Md Salahuddin Ahmed were arrested recently by the Detective Branch of Police during a special raid in the capital’s Uttara and Tikatuli, and Narayanganj areas.

A high official of the DB police yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that the money had been handed over to Abu Jafor by Sumon who used to identify himself as his family member.

The official further said Mufti Jafor also wrote a book named “Nirbhoye Hotyar Koushal” from inside the jail giving technical details of conducting murder, way of operating Jihad and targeting people.

Detectives are now looking for the book, a copy of which has already been sent to the USA. “The Huji-B members want its publication not only from

Bangladesh but also from the Middle East,” the official added.

Mufti Jafor holds regular meeting with the members of his organisation while also sends instruction to the followers through mobile phone. The detectives are now trying to detect those number Mufti Jafor used to contact with.

Jahangir Hossain Matubbor, deputy commissioner of DB police, said: “We have learnt about a book written by Mufti Jafor. We are now assessing how he managed paper and pen inside the high security jail.”

Another high official of DB police alleged that Mufti Jafor might bribed some dishonest jail staffs from the money he used to get from outside.

The official said the main plan of the Huji-B chief was to take his outfit to the highest position among all other militant outfits of the country and to head the newly-formed Bangladesh

Jiahdi Group. For this, he instructed the followers to carry out destructive activities across the country to prove their power. As a part of the plan, the Huji-B members with financial support from two people had planned to set up its base at Homra point of Satkhira, the official added.

DB Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that the arrestees had been disclosing much information to the interrogators. “We are analysing everything very carefully,” he added. When contacted, Superintendent of Kashimpur High Security Jail Mizanur Rahman refuted the claims about bribing jail officials.

“So far we know, only his wife and son came to see him in jail in the last few months,” he said while terming it baseless that Mufti Jafor had written a book and sent it outside the jail fending off security arrangements. l

Muhith: AIIB not set up to expand Chinese influence n Tribune Report Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said it was untrue that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) had been set up to expand Chinese influence among Asian countries.

“We had seen the same situation prevail when the World Bank was set up in Washington; some people hinted it was an extension of imperialism of the United States of America,” the finance minister said regarding Bangladesh’s decision to join the new China-led bank.

Muhith made the comments to reporters after meeting with British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development Lynne Featherstone at his secretariat office yesterday.

The minister added: “We have to protect our interest after joining the China-led Asian Infrastructure Invest-

President off to Dubai for Islamic economic summit n UNB

Deposition against Babar deferred again

n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday again deferred the recording of deposition against former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar in a case filed for evading income taxes amounting to Tk2.65 crore.

Judge Md Rezaul Islam of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court 5 deferred the recording of deposition for the second time until November 27 following a time petition filed by the defence counsel.

The defence had prayed for time, saying they had filed a petition with the High Court against charge-framing in the case and the petition is pending for hearing.

Joint Tax Commissioner Syed Zakir Hossain and Additional Assistant Tax Commissioner Md Gulam Mostafa appeared before the court yesterday to submit their deposition in the case.

The court had deferred the previous hearing following a time petition on September 21. On August 6, the court indicted Babar and fixed September 21 for starting the trial of the case filed by the National Board of Revenue.

On February 14, 2010, NBR Deputy Tax Commissioner Syed Zakir Hossain filed the case against Babar for dodging taxes.

According to the case details, Babar, director of Master Electronics Industries, evaded taxes worth Tk26,544,122 against his income of Tk80,680,122 from the firm in 1999-2000 and 2008-2009.

Babar repeatedly provided false information about his real income and expenditure, even though he was an influential person and a leading businessman, the case statement alleged. l

President Abdul Hamid left Dhaka for Dubai yesterday morning to attend the 10th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) summit.

A regular flight of Emirates Airlines carrying the president took off from Shahjalal International Airport at 9:55am.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, the dean of diplomatic corps, the chiefs of three services, principal secretary to the prime minister, United Arab Emirate’s Charge de Affairs in Bangladesh Amer Al Alawi and other high civil and military officials saw him off at the airport.

The WIEF summit will begin today.

President Abdul Hamid will address the summit on the same day. l

A good day  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

A garbage landfill in Buriganga River has grown so thick that it is being used as a parking space for scores of rickshaws in the capital’s Islambagh area

Khaleda asks grassroots leaders to be united n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia has asked the grassroots leaders to shun the path of division and get united for a strong movement.

In a meeting with the elected upazila chairmen and vice-chairmen from the Barisal and Khulna divisions, the former premier told the local leaders: “Those who will work in the [anti-government] movement will get party nomination in the next election. Lobbying will not work. You will have to work for the people and the party.”

Countering Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s comment that BNP had lost ground, she also said the ground under their feet was still solid. “A time will come when we will not need to touch them but people will lynch them.”

The BNP chief also called upon the other political parties to be united to form a national consensus for ousting the government.

Khaleda alleged that militancy flourished in the country whenever Awami League was in power because it patronised militancy.

She also alleged that the rank and file of the ruling party had indulged in corruption for which they would he held accountable one day. Regarding the Padma bridge scam, Khaleda said a trial had been going on in Canada but the ACC had relieved ruling party men from the case.

Regarding the PM’s statement over a dialogue, Khaleda said: “They said ‘no dialogue with killers.’ Who are on your right and left? [JaPa chief] Ershad is a killer and [information minister] Inu is also a killer; these are documented in books.” l

Assistant Proctor Mahmudul Hasan; Mozammel Hossain, nephew of Prof Abdul Mannan Chowdhury of physics department; Subrata Banik; Md Mahfuz Ali Khan; and Dr Mohammad Morshed from Rajshahi University.

To recruit the six, the selection board allegedly discounted two applicants who had secured first class first positions in honours and three having first class second positions. Moreover, four candidates having first class first and three having first class second positions in masters were also left aside.

As many as 35 candidates submitted applications for the four posts. Of them, those who secured first and second positions, as per their academic results, had been issued invitation cards but were not called for viva voce.

The agitating teachers said before and after publishing the advertisement,

the authorities and department Chairman Prof Dr Muhammad Nazibur Rahman had not discussed the matter with the other teachers of the department.

They allege that the authorities intentionally appointed the teachers with a view to taking privilege during the upcoming Syndicate, Senate and dean elections.

A lecturer of the department, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that there were already 23 teachers in the department against 22 posts. At least 17 teachers of the department were against the new appointments.

“The authorities’ decision went absolutely against the interests of the university and the students. It will encourage other departments in this ill-practice,” he said.

Teachers and students protested the new recruitments and expressed

NASHIRUL ISLAM

Government cautioned about Hizb-ut Tawhid  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

letter were also sent to the divisional commissioner of Sylhet and the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Sunamganj district.

Currently, the state minister and the senior and additional secretaries of the Home Ministry are all on a state visit to the UAE. As of 8pm yesterday, none of them could be reached over phone for comments.

However, a senior Home Ministry official told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that letters would be dispatched today asking the police and RAB headquarters to take necessary measures.

Introducing the militant outfit, which may be banned anytime, the intelligence report said: “Hizb-ut Tawhid has been publicising the various aspects of its ideology through countrywide rallies, seminars, documentary screenings and civil society gatherings.”

The report believes that the “all religion conference” at the Shahid Abul

JU appoints six teachers against four ‘vacant posts’  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

ment Bank, because the country badly needs fund for building its huge infrastructures.”

Regarding confrontations between the AIIB and the World Bank, Muhith said: “We will see good cooperation between two multilateral agencies in the course of time.

“Look at the situation when the Asian Development Bank was established in the early sixties, which had to face one kind of struggle because countries who are members of the new bank need to take their parliament’s consent.”

Muhith also said the World Bank was established in 1944, but needed four years before it could disburse loan to its member countries.

On Friday, Bangladesh formally signed a memorandum of understanding with the AIIB to become a part of the bank, which is slated to start operations at the end of 2015. l

discontent after the news spread. ProBNP teachers under the banner of JU Nationalist Teachers’ Forum met with the VC protesting the initiative.

Former general secretary of JU Teachers’ Association Prof Md Sharif Uddin, who teaches mathematics, termed the appointment of two teachers without advertisements “immoral action.”

Although the VC had shown some reasons, “we cannot accept those since there is no logic supporting immoral actions. This tradition will ruin the university in the future.”

When contacted, Prof Farzana said the board had selected “capable candidates” for the posts.

Asked about the recruitment of Prof Shariff ’s nephew Kazi Russel who secured second class fifth position in honours examination, the VC said: “We had a special consideration on this

Hossain Auditorium in Sunamganj is a continuation of that process of publicity. It said the conference was going to be organised by the followers of Hizb-ut Tawhid founder Mohammad Bayezid Khan Ponni.

The agency described the outfit as a “preacher of confusing and orthodox beliefs about Islam.”

According to the report, the conference will be presided over by Md Motaleb Khan, Sunamganj correspondent of daily Desher Patra. The report said Motaleb is the planner and coordinator of all of Hizb-ut Tawhid’s activities in Sunamganj district.

Citing the names of a number of noted local personalities from among Hindus, Muslims and Christians and Awami League leaders, the intelligence agency said their presence at the conference might turn out to be detrimental to the government’s image.

When contacted, Sunamganj district police chief Md Harunur Rashid – a recipient of a copy of the ministry letter –

particular applicant as he is a freedom fighter’s son.”

She said the department chairman had asked the authorities for six to seven teachers. As we advertised for four posts, the selection board later chose to take six promising candidates.”

Left-leaning teachers under the banner of “Shikkhok Moncho” also protested the recruitments saying that the initiative would create obstacles to the academic activities.

Raihan Rhyne, an associate professor of philosophy and spokesman of the platform, said a freedom fighter’s son could get job in the administrative wing of the university. “The quota for freedom fighters should not be considered in the post of teachers.”

He said such a move would put the teaching profession in huge risk and lead the university towards a long-term damage. l

claimed that at present there was no activity of Hizb-ut Tawhid in the district.

“We have information that the followers of Bayezid Khan Ponni are organising a conference; but Ponni has no connection with Hizb-ut Tawhid,” Harunur Rashid said.

Abul Kalam Azad, director of the intelligence wing of RAB, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that they were yet to receive any instruction in this regard.

Intelligence sources have said the government has already been recommended to take steps for banning the activities of Hizb-ut Tawhid.

In October 2009, the Awami League government banned Hizb-ut-Tahrir, a similar Islamist militant outfit. That very year, several outfits including Hizb-ut-Tawhid, Islami Samaj, Ulema Anjuman al Baiyinaat, Islamic Democratic Party, Tawhid Trust, Tamir udDeen and Allahr Dal were blacklisted by the government because of their suspected involvement in militant activities. l

department as he found himself in the middle again, at No 9, striking the winning boundary to overhaul a target of 101.

With only 101 runs to score, the home side faltered at the beginning, losing three wickets without any run on the scorecard – an event that has happened only twice before in Tests. However, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah added 46 to revive the innings before they were reduced to 82 for seven wickets.

Mushfiqur not only kept his head cool, but also ensured that Taijul remained calm as they eventually bagged their first win against an ICC full member in 2014 and also take a 1-0 lead in their three-match Test series. l

UAE labour  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

worldwide, including the rise of Islamic State in the Middle East region.

“In regard to the Middle East, the UAE underscored the need for peace and stability and stressed that security issues should be addressed,” the foreign secretary said.

The UAE wants Bangladesh on its side while fighting against terrorist movements in the region, he said.

Trade and investment Both countries agreed to cooperate with each other in the fields of trade, business and investment.

They highlighted higher education, culture, tourism, the blue economy, energy, especially renewable energy, as new areas of cooperation, the foreign secretary said.

Bangladesh and the UAE would work closely on undertaking different UAE-financed projects, he said. l

DB: JMB sleeper cell  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Rana, from Feni’s Daganbhuiyan upazila, is listed as an accused in the charge sheet of the Blogger Rajib murder case.

Rubel told detectives that Rana, a former Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) leader, had recently joined the JMB. Rana would contact Rubel via a secret IP address but never made contact using a cellphone, police said.

Rubel was also instructed to kill two Monipur High School teachers through a website called “Secure Text.” The site was shut down soon after his arrest, DB officials said.

Rana’s location remains a mystery because the operatives never contacted each other using cellphones, DB sources said.

DB Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman said police had information about the mastermind behind the murders: “The

planner is an expert in computer science and the internet and never contacted anyone using a cellphone.”

“We are hopeful of a break through when we arrest Rana,” ADC Ashiq added.

On August 27, unidentified assailants killed Shaikh Nurul Islam Faruqi, host of TV talks shows “Kafela” and “Shantir Pothe,” at his residence in the capital’s Purbo Rajabazar area.

In a similar incident, assailants killed self-styled pir Lutfur Rahman and five others after entering his rented flat in the Gopibagh area of the capital on December 21, 2013.

Monirul Islam, DB joint commissioner, said the murders appeared to be a religious statement by extremist groups.

“We have get some confirmation from arrested JMB members last month that at least one of their members is involved in the killings,” he said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Ashraf talks to speaker on dropping Latif as MP Sheikh Hasina likely to send letter to Shirin Sharmin today to scrap Latif Siddique’s parliament membership

n Kamran Reza Chowdhury Awami League general secretary, Syed Ashraful Islam, yesterday saw Speaker of Jatiyo Sangsad Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury to discuss ways to strip former minister Abdul Latif Siddique of his parliamentary seat after the party he belonged to expelled him for derogatory comments on Hajj and the Prophet Muhammad.

“I am going to the party office now. If the party leader [Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina] signs the letter, I will send it to the Speaker for necessary action,” Syed Ashraf told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday in reply to a question on whether his party would write to the Speaker to strip Latif Siddique of his membership of parliament.

He said the Speaker had assured him that she would take action in line with the constitution and relevant laws.

Syed Ashraf earlier told a press conference that Latif Siddique would cease to be an MP if he lost his membership of the Awami League.

But precedents in previous parliaments show that two MPs — Abu Hena of the BNP in the 8th parliament and HM Golam Reza of the Jatiya Party in the 9th parliament — were expelled from their respective parties but retained their seats in the house.

Abu Hena was expelled from the party on November 23, 2005. The then speaker Barrister Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar ruled in the House that Abu Hena neither resigned from the BNP nor voted against the party decision, as enshrined in article 70 of the constitution. The ex-speaker declared that he

Mosharraf indicted in defamation suit n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain in a defamation case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ataul Haque accepted the charges before indicting the BNP leader.

The court said the formal trial would begin on January 22 when witnesses would testify.

The prosecution read out the charges and asked Mosharraf whether he was guilty or not. The accused pleaded not guilty and called for justice.

AB Siddique, president of Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, filed the suit with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka on January 20 last year.

According to the case statement, Mosharraf, while addressing a programme outside National Press Club on December 31, 2012, said the government was trying to cling to power through conspiracy and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would have to face the fate of 1975 if the government tried to stay in power by force.

The plaintiff was also present in the court. l

retain his seat as an independent lawmaker until the end of the 8th parliament on October 27, 2006.

Former speaker Abdul Hamid did not strip Golam Reza of his parliamentary membership either, despite his expulsion from the Jatiya Party. Golam retained his seat for the full tenure of the 9th parliament.

On Sunday, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury held a meeting with officials of the parliament secretariat to discuss Latif Siddique’s parliament membership. The officials observed that a decision on his membership in this situation was the prerogative of the Speaker, not the election commission.

How Latif Siddique can lose membership According to Article 66 (2), an MP may cease to be a lawmaker if she or he is disqualified under any law.

The same article stipulates that any dispute regarding whether an elected MP has been disqualified from retaining parliament membership must be settled through the election commission.

The Representation of the People Order, 1972 says an elected MP will have to have membership of a registered political party in order to retain membership.

“I have examined the necessary provisions of the constitution and the relevant laws. I will certainly give my judgement according to the law after the Awami League letter comes,” the Speaker told the Dhaka Tribune.

She said an MP elected on a party ticket was unlikely to become an independent lawmaker. l

Department of Nartcotics Control detained this man yesterday from Dhaka University’s TSC area for selling alchohol in the name of homeopathic medicine

Municipality taxes increase, gazette published n Mohosinul Karim

The Local Government Division has published a gazette notification of new tax schedule for the municipalities, increasing taxes in municipality areas across the country.

The gazette, signed by Local Government Ministry’s Senior Secretary Monzur Hossain, was issued on October 23 as per the provision of Local Government (Municipal) Act, 2009.

Fakhrul: Government bars BNP from reorganising n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The BNP yesterday alleged that the government was obstructing the party’s reorganisation process by arresting the opposition leaders and activists, filing false cases against them and vandalising the party office using its agents.

“The process to reorganise the party is going on as part of intensifying the movement to restore people’s voting rights and democracy in the country.

But the government is arresting our leaders and activists on false cases so that we cannot reorganise the party,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, party’s acting secretary general, said.

Placing wreaths at the grave of BNP founder and late president Ziaur Rahman, the spokesperson of the party said, “The government is using its agents to vandalise the party office and obstruct the reorganisation process

MEHEDI HASAN

of the party. Jubo Dal President Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal was recently arrested on a false case.”

The BNP leader alleged that the government was doing so as the BNP could not launch any movement. “But we want to say clearly that it would not be possible for the government to stop the movement through repression.”

Fakhrul placed wreaths at the Zia’s grave to mark the founding anniversary of Jubo Dal, youth front of the BNP. Hundreds of Jubo Dal leaders and activists also placed wreaths at the grave and offered prayers.

Alal was arrested at his residence along with 60 leaders and activists.

Later, he was placed on a three-day remand.

Fakhrul asked the government to see its face in the mirror. “Alal is a former lawmaker. The government’s fascist image has been exposed through his arrest.” l

According to the new schedule, the taxes on land and buildings in municipality areas might be fixed at up to 7% of the real prices of the properties.

But freedom fighters would enjoy tax exemption for maximum 1,000 square feet of their lands or buildings in the municipality areas.

The municipal authorities would have the authority to impose at least 2% tax on real price of properties for handing over the lands or properties in

the area.

However, the taxes would not be applicable for the lands used for places of worship and government charity organisations.

The trade licence fees increased from existing Tk150 to Tk300.

The authorities concerned would have to pay certain fees for cutting roads for any repair work in municipality areas. The mayors would fix the taxes, considering the damages to be

WAR CRIMES TRIAL

Evidence found against Forkan, 2 others n Udisa Islam The investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal has finalised two probe reports against three war crimes suspects including Forkan Mollik, a razakar commander from Mirzaganj of Patuakhali.

The two other accused are Mahidur Rahman, 84, and Afsar Hossain alias Chhutu, 65, residents of Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj.

Forkan, 62, is now in jail in connection with a war crimes case filed with Mirzaganj police while Mahidur and Afsar in a criminal case filed with Shibganj police station.

The trio had been members of razakar force during the 1971 Liberation War and committed genocide, rape, arson and loot. “Now they are supporters

of the BNP,” Investigation Officer Satyaranjan Roy told reporters at the agency’s Dhanmondi safe home yesterday.

The probe reports would be submitted to the prosecution today, Abdul Hannan Khan, chief coordinator of the agency, said.

Hannan said Forkan had allegedly killed eight people, raped four women, converted nine people of other religions to Islam, deported 13 families, and looted and torched 64 houses during the war.

Satyaranjan said: “We have found proof against Forkan of looting, torture, confinement, killing, mass killing, rape and forced conversion.” He was a Muslim League leader during the war.

The IO said: “We have found 13 Biranganas [rape victims of 1971] in Patuakhali who agreed to appear before the

tribunal to testify against Forkan.”

Hannan said they had got proof against some other collaborators in Patuakhali. “Only at Mirzaganj, at least 700 razakars surrendered after the country’s independence.”

The agency is now investigating 19 more cases against at least 29 perpetrators.

Allegations against Mahidur and Afsar The investigators have brought three charges against Mahidur and Afsar who had been involved in mass killings, looting and arson committed between October and November in 1971.

ZM Altafur Rahman, investigation officer of the case, said these perpetrators had carried out atrocities at Chandsikari, Binodpur and Kobirajtola in Shibganj of Chapainawabganj. l

SC lawyer fined Tk10,000 for distorting info n Tribune Report The High Court yesterday fined Tk10,000 to Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akond for distorting its order on taking steps to prevent Ebola virus spread in the country.

The HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Md Zahangir Hossain passed the order yesterday after hearing arguments from Akond.

Appearing before the bench yesterday, Akond on October 20 claimed

that the court asked the government to monitor all incoming passengers at all international airports and border areas with the help of armed force to detect Ebola virus after hearing of a writ filed by him.

However, on that day, the High Court actually ordered to take a step for screening of air passengers coming from Ebola-affected African countries only.

At the same time, Akond gave distorted information to the media saying the court had directed the government

Meghna Group chair faces ACC interrogation n Tribune Report

Technicians carry out an electronic core penetration test as part of a geographic survey for the proposed metro rail project at the capital’s Agargaon area yesterday RAJIB DHAR

assessed by engineers.

It also keeps a provision of imposing annual taxes for removing waste and using the drainage system.

Taxes, however, would be applicable for the lands of freedom fighters or places of worship and charity public organisations if the lands or buildings are used commercially.

The taxes would not be applicable for Waqf, charity or sports clubs and cultural organisation’s properties. l

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday questioned Meghna Group Chairman Mostafa Kamal, also the managing director at Tanveer Foods Limited, in connection with a tax evasion and money laundering inquiry.

ACC Senior Deputy Director Mir Jainal Abedin Shibly began questioning the businessman at 3.30pm.

The ACC was set to question him on October 23, but Kamal sought more time and appeared in the commission headquarters yesterday.

According to the inquiry, a number of full cream milk powder importers in connivance with some corrupt customs officials has evaded crores of taka in

taxes by under-invoicing import costs.

The allegation also mentions a document prepared by Ecoval Dairy Trade of Australia in July 2011, which mentioned that the Tanvir Food Ltd used under-invoicing and hid $1,310 from each tonne of milk powder when it was being imported from Australia.

After analysing these documents, the ACC has suspected that the government might has lost around Tk1,500 crore in revenue due to under-invoicing. At the same time, the allegations also indicate that the understated amount per tonnes were paid to their Australian counterpart using illegal channels.

The ACC also plans to question Abul Khair Group officials and Arla Foods Bangladesh official in this connection. l

to provide humanitarian aid to United Nation’s health emergency fund and the Ebola affected countries.

The court summoned Akond at 10:30am on October, 22 before the court but Akond did not appear. On that day the court summoned him again to appear before the court yesterday.

After the hearing court fined him 10 thousand taka.

During the hearing, Deputy Attorney General Mokhlesur Rahman were present at the court. l

Two AL leaders murdered in Gazipur, Pabna n Tribune Report Two local leaders of the ruling Awami League were murdered in Gazipur and Pabna yesterday.

In Gazipur, 45-year-old Rabiul Islam, AL general secretary of ward no 8 under Kamdia union,was hacked to death by a gang of assailants when he was returning home in Koilatikar area.

He died later at the Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

In Pabna, some unidentified miscreants on a motorcycle hacked to death Ekbal Sheikh, 45, president of ward no 4 unit AL under Bharara union, in Dublia area in Sadar upazila. He wasdeclared dead later at the district hospital. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Government to export rice to Sri Lanka at $450 per tonne n Rabiul Islam For the first time, the government has decided to export 50,000 tonnes of coarse rice to Sri Lanka with setting the export price at $450 per tonne.

Food Minister Quamrul Islam, also chairman of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC), made the disclosure yesterday after a meeting of the committee held at the ministry’s conference room.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed and Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury were, among others, present.

The food minister said the gov-

ernment had also decided to procure around 300,000 tonnes of rice (Aman) at a cost of Tk32 per kilogram this year.

“We wanted to export rice at a price more than $450 per tonne, but Sri Lanka did not agree on it. We later decided to export rice at the price they offered,” he said, adding that a Sri Lankan team would arrive here within 10-12 days and a contract would be signed in this regard.

“This coarse rice is being sold for Tk30 per kg in local market while Sri Lanka is buying it at a cost of Tk35 per kg,” he added.

The minister informed that 14 lakh tonnes of food grains (rice and wheat) are now in stock, up three lakh tonnes

than last year.

He claimed, “The country under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has become self-sufficient in food.”

Asked why the country imports rice from India even after being self-sufficient in food, the minister said three to four lakh tonnes of fine rice (Bashmoti) are imported for ceremonial purposes.

“You know that we need three to four crore tonnes of rice a year. In comparison with requirement, a small quantity of rice is imported from India,” he clarified.

He said the government would procure rice at a cost of Tk32 per kg while

A long tailback created by motor vehicles clog the Bangla Motor area in the capital yesterday causing much sufferings to the commuters

Mass signature programme begins to protest DU decision

n DU correspondent

Agitated admission seekers of 2014-15 academic sessions at Dhaka University (DU) have decided to submit memorandum to President Abdul Hamid on November 3.

They made the announcement at a press conference held at the Madhur Canteen in DU yesterday.

The students and their guardians inaugurated a mass signature programme yesterday in front of the Raju Memorial sculpture to build consensus over their demand for cancellation of DU’s decision of not allowing second chance to appear in the admission tests.

“We will continue the mass signature programme until November 3 and would submit a memorandum to the president on November 3. We canceled our earlier decision of submitting memorandum on October 28 as he will be abroad then,” said Salman Khan, one of the protesting aspirants and a student of Kabi Nazrul College.

We look forward to gather support of educationalists and intellectuals as well, he said.

On October 14, the DU admission committee decided not to allow any admission seeker to appear in the admission tests more than once. Previously the admission seekers were allowed two chances to attend the DU admission tests. l

MEHEDI HASAN

EC plans NIDs for under-18 citizens n Mohammad Zakaria The Election Commission has planned to provide the under-18year-old citizens with National Identity Cards (NIDs) in the country.

EC Secretary Sirajul Islam said they recently asked the National

Identity Card Wing to prepare and present proposals before them about it. The final decision however would be taken about this after vetting their proposals, he said.

Seeking anonymity, a few NID officials said they were planning to prepare two proposals – one for

collecting information of those who are more than 15 years old and those who participated in Junior School Certificate exams four years ago.

Parliament had passed a law law keeping the provision to provide NIDs to all citizens on October 6 last year. l

Police charge baton in Mymensingh Nursing College female dorms

IPHN to raise awareness through voice messages

n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh

The high officials at the Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN) are searching for a high-profile personality to record a voice message to be disseminated via mobile phone service across the country.

The institute has already signed a Tk1.5-crore deal with mobile operator Teletalk to send voice message.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday, Dr Shah Newaz, director of the IPHN and line director of National Nutrition Survey, said the request to voice the message first went to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“She has given her voice in a public awareness message before but this time she could not accept the offer due to her busy schedule,” he said adding that President Abdul Hamid and Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury were also considered in this regard.

The message is going to address key points in maternal and child healthcare, such as breastfeeding newborn children within an hour of their birth, continuing exclusive breastfeeding to children upto six months of age, providing homemade complementary food, vegetables and fruits besides breastfeeding after six months, ensuring proper nutrition for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, consulting the nearest community clinic and health facilities in case of complications, and more. l

Police charged batons in the female students’ dormitories of Mymensingh Nursing College yesterday leaving at least 10 students injured.

Six of them were admitted to the Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

The college authorities called the police around 4pm as the students did not vacate the halls by 2pm following an order.

Yesterday the Mymensingh Nursing College was closed down for unidentified period amid students’ movements demanding removal of the college’s principal and the hostel keeper.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting called by the college academic council yesterday, said Prin-

cipal of the college Monoara Khatun.

Around 10am students went on a strike demanding removal of Principal Monoara Khatun and hostel keeper Nazmunnahar for their alleged involvement in irregularities in seat allocation in the hostels.

Following their demonstrations on campus, the college authorities announced to close the college and directed the students to vacate the dormitories by 2pm.

The students of the college have been demonstrating in spates for last six months to press home their 13-point demands including removal of the duo for anomalies in hostel seat allocation.

Currently there are around 400 students residing in the two female dormitories of the college. l

Supreme Court Museum inaugurated n Tribune Report The Supreme Court Museum started its journey yesterday in a one-storey building in the administrative area of the Supreme Court yesterday.

Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain inaugurated the museum.

He said: “This museum aims to introduce the new generation with the history and heritage of the country’s judicial system.”

He urged the former judges and their family members to contribute antiques with historical values to the museum.

The museum was inaugurated with some furniture and other objects most of which did not include any label.

In contained some old furniture, dress and other objects used by ancient judges and also some historical documents.

After unveiling the foundation stone, an inauguration programme was held at the SC auditorium in pres-

the production cost was Tk28. Last year, the government procured rice at a cost of Tk30 per kg.

The minister informed that the food procurement drive would start from November 15 and continue till February 28.

The government had set a target of producing around 1.30 crore tonnes of Aman this year. Last year, the government produced 1.30 tonnes of Aman against the target of 1.32 tonnes crore.

While briefing reporters, the food minister said, “We set a target of producing 11 lakh tonnes of Boro. But we have been able to produce 10.61 lakh tonnes.” l

Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain takes a tour of the Supreme Court Museum after inauguration in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR ence of Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Justice

Md Imman Ali, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, and Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury. l

n Moniruzzaman Uzzal

FAKE FF CERTIFICATES

3 secretaries reply to notices n Mohosinul Karim Three out of four senior officials yesterday replied to the show-cause notices issued by the Public Administration Ministry for taking freedom fighter certificates from the Liberation War Affairs Ministry by giving false information.

The three are Health Secretary Neaz Uddin Mia, former liberation war affairs secretary KH Masud Siddiqui, now officer on special duty and its former joint secretary Abul Kashem Talukder (OSD).

Public Service Commission’s Secretary AKM Amir Hossain is yet to submit his reply. He may submit today, the deadline for the submission of the reply.

Taking the decision on the replies of the four officials might be delayed as Senior Secretary of the Public Administration Ministry Kamal Abdul Naser

Chowdhury is now abroad.

“The secretary will attend the office from November 2. The decision will be taken after his return,” an official said, seeking anonymity.

The Public Administration Ministry on October 13 served the show-cause notice on the officials and asked them to reply within 10 working days.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) found the four officials guilty of receiving the freedom fighter certificates apart from former senior secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office Molla Waheduzzaman, now the chairman of the Privatisation Commission.

The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs had already cancelled the certificates of the four officials. It also suspended the certificate of Molla Wahed and allowed him to appeal against the ministry’s decision. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tahrir put up posters in dead of night The banned Islamist outfit is trying to reorganise in Chittagong city Operation) Banaz Kumar Majumdar ac- Siddique and the police dispersed it in various ways secretly. They were n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong knowledged the incident, saying it was and severely beat up the organisa- even luring Rohingyas – with various After a break of several months, activists of the banned outfit Hizb-ut Tahrir have put up posters on the walls at important points in the port city, protesting police action on the organisation’s protest rally in Mohammadpur, Dhaka on October 17.

A number of activists of the illegal outfit, divided into several groups, put up the posters in the dead of night yesterday, taking advantage of poor vigilance by the law enforcement agencies.

No one was reported arrested in this connection.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police’s Additional Commissioner (Crime and

quite impossible to check all sorts of misdeeds as they were struggling with a poor number of forces against the large population in the city.

The commissioner said police were showing zero tolerance to the outfit, as part of which they had arrested two Tahrir activists along with many leaflets on Sunday evening.

The posters were seen on the walls of even media houses as well as on the compartments of Chittagong University shuttle trains.

The posters read the October 17 rally was protesting the controversial remarks by sacked minister Abdul Latif

tion’s Information Affairs Adviser Nafis Salam before arresting him.

It also stated that such type of police action was against the religious sentiment of the Muslims. The outfit demanded immediate release of its leader.

In a poster, the outfit also reproached Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for releasing the former minister from blasphemy charges.

Currently, the banned Islamist organisation has been trying to reorganise in Chittagong city and the hill tracts areas to disseminate their controversial ideologies among the people

facilities – into joining Hizb-ut Tahrir to strengthen activities of the organisation.

Police sources said about 10,000 members of the organisation are working actively across the country and most of them are students.

Law enforcers have arrested 250 activists of the outfit in the district but could not extract any significant information.

On September 24, 2009, the Ministry of Home Affairs banned activities of Hizb-ut Tahrir as its objectives are contrary to the constitution of the country. l

4 die in separate accidents n Tribune Report At least four persons, including a minor girl and a woman, were killed and 10 others were injured in separate accidents in Chittagong city’s Akbarshah, Chandgaon, Sitakunda and Hathazari uapzila yesterday.

The deceased were, Setu Akhter, 3, Abdul Motalib, 60, Sakina Khatun, 60 and Rupon Barua, 40.

Nayek Abdul Bashar of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) Police Outpost said Setu Akter, daughter of Md Sujon, was injured after being fall from a stair of her house while playing in Abbarshah Colony area under Akbarshah police station.

Family members rushed the kid to the CMCH where the on duty doctors declared her dead, said Nayek Bashar.

In another accident, Rupon Barua,

Man kills brother for land n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

WEATHER THUNDERSHOWER WITH RAIN

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:22PM SUN RISES 6:03AM FORECAST FOR TODAY 30 28 29 29 29 28 29 31

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

20 22 18 19 19 19 18 23

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

33.2ºC Cox's Bazar

20.1ºC Chandpur

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

Chittagong

Aspirant students of Chittagong University riding on a shuttle train go to the campus to appear in the admission test for the first year honours courses under Social Science Faculty of the university for the session 2014-15. A total of 30,861 candidates registered their names for the admission test for 877 seats under the unit this year DHAKA TRIBUNE

Five activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, student front of the ruling Awami League, were injured in factional clash took place at Barisal Government Polytechnic Institute yesterday afternoon.

Campus sources said Fahim and Jasim groups of the BCL polytechnic unit had engaged in clash at hostel and campus area of the institute in the morning over a trifle matter. Later, activists of BCL from outside of the campus led by Munna supporting Jasim faction entering inside the campus engaged in clash with Fahim group about 4:40 pm.

Police rushed to the spot controlled the situation and detained one Sohel from the spot. Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said detained Sohel later released after interrogation and negotiation between guardians. l

4:46am 6:01am 11:42am 3:46pm 5:22pm 6:38 pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

a motorbike rider, was killed in a headon collision between an autorickshaw and a motorbike in Hathazari upazila’s Vanga Pul area.

The person was taken to the CMCH where the on duty physicians announced him dead, said Nayek Bashar.

Earlier in Sitakunda upazila Sakina was killed when a Noakhali-bound bus knocked down her on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Sitakunda upazila in the morning, said Sub-Inspector (SI) Rezaul Karim of Sitakunda police station.

At least ten persons were injured as the killer bus plunged into roadside ditch in Dakkhin Bypass area on the highway after over turning on the road while the driver trying to escape the accident, said SI. Meanwhile, Abdul Motalib was critically injured falling off from a tree at Mohora area of Chandgaon area in the city, said police. l

Patenga and Parki sea beaches to be modernised n FM Mizanur Rahaman,

A youth has been hacked to death by his brother at Jafarabad Jolodas Para under Chandanaish upazila in Chittagong yesterday morning, following a feud over land.

The deceased is Jhinuk Jolodas, 21. Jhinuk’s mother and sister also received injuries during the incident.

Badiuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Chandanaish police station, said: “Jhinuk’s elder brother Bitu Jolodas hacked him following a dispute over land, leaving Jhinuk critically injured. Three people, including Jhinuk’s mother and sister also sustained injuries while trying to rescue him.”

“Later, the youth died on his way to hospital. The police have arrested Bitu Jolodas, his wife Aroti Jolodas and one Mithu Jolodas from the spot,” he said.

The dead body was sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy and a case was lodged with Chandanaish police station in this connection, said the SI. l

BCL factional clash at Barisal polytechnic n Our Correspondent, Barisal

5

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Jessore Medical College not shifting soon n Touhid Zaman, Jessore Jessore Medical College is about to complete the construction of its own building but it cannot shift there soon in the absence of an approach road.

The college came into being in 2010. Since its did not have its own building, it started its operations at the 250-bed general hospital. Students and teachers have ever since been suffering from crises of class rooms and others.

The building, of which aboutto-be-complete construction could have been a piece of happy news to the suffering students, failed to lift their spirits as they have learnt that they could not shift there soon as the approach road has not been constructed yet.

Students said they could not study well at the library room because it was very small and students had to sit huddled there.

Besides, there were not enough class rooms here, which is a batch of students had to sit idle a long time when scheduled class-

es of other batches take place.

Assistant Professor of orthopaedics deaprtment Abdur Rouf said they were failing to take adequate number of classes because there not enough class rooms here.

Public Works Department Sub-Divisional Engineer SM Golam Kader told the Dhaka Tribune that the land on which the road was supposed to be constructed falls under the jurisdiction of the deputy commissioner.

That is why, the Health Ministry would not have the road constructed by the public works department because they could have it constructed by the Local Government and Engineering Department free of cost, he said.

Sub-Divisional Engineer Kader however said the approach road could be constructed by the Public Works Department within six months next if the Health Ministry wanted it so, pointing out that the LGED had been failed to have the approach road project for four years. l

ACC to grill 21 Ashuganj fertiliser factory officials n Our Correspondent, Brahmanbaria

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) will tomorrow interrogate 21 people over the alleged corruption and anomalies centring their appointments at Ashuganj Fertiliser and Chemical Company Ltd last year.

The anti-graft body sent a letter to the managing director of the company about this on October 20 saying that they will interrogate the staffs during their spot investigation.

According to the letter, ACC Deputy Director Hrittik Saha and Deputy Assistant Director Mahbubul Alam will arrive at the company at 10am.

Fifty nine persons were appointed against 25 posts in January of last year, when it was alleged thatmassive corruptions and irregularities were committed in the appointments.

Former general manager (Administration) of the company Md Anwar Hossain was then transferred elsewhere after a corruption case was filed with a district court showing him as the main accused. l

SUICIDE FOLLOWING ARBITRATION’S DECISION

Accused still at large n Our Correspondent, Gazipur Family members of Kakoli Akhter alleged that police were trying to save the people who instigated her to commit suicide after she was betrayed by her boyfriend.

The victim Kakoli Akhter, daughter of Abdul Kaium, a resident of Betjuri village under Sripur upazila, Gazipur, took poison when her boyfriend refused to marry her during an arbitration meeting on October 16. Later, she died in the capital on Thursday evening.

Family members said she was in a relationship for two years with Shafiqul Islam, 25, of the same village. With a promise of marriage, they recently got intimate and she became pregnant.

To solve the matter, a meeting was arranged between the families of Shafiq and Kakoli after Eidul-Azha, where Shafiq’s family

showed reluctance to accept Kakoli as well. As Shafiqul refused to marry her, arbitrators then decided that Shafiqul would say that he was repentant for his misdeed and sorry for the wrong doing.

Hearing the arbitration’s decision, Kakoli went to her room and consumed poison.

Afterwards, Kakoli was taken to Sreepur Upazila Health Complex in a critical condition, and later transferred to Fortune Hospital in Uttara, Dhaka. When her condition remained the same, she was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Thursday afternoon, where she later died.

Police filed a case against Shafiqul, his mother Amena Khatun, his uncles Jamal Uddin and Al Akbar on Friday night 30 hours after Kakoli’s death. But, in the case police did not mention that she was pregnant and any name of arbitrators.

Family members of the victim told the Dhaka Tribune that it had been four days since they filed a case, but police could not arrest the culprit yet.

They also alleged that Officerin-Charge of Sripur police station Md Abul Kashem was reluctance to arrest the accused as they were influential people in the locality.

Moreover, no one was assigned to investigate the case till Sunday afternoon, said the family members citing sources at the police station.

Md Abul Kashem said he had filed the case after hearing description of victim’s father. Asked about the progress of the case he said they could not arrest them as they had gone into hiding after death.

Assistant Police Super of Sripur Model police station Akteruzzaman told the Dhaka Tribune that he would look into the matter. l

In a bid to attract tourists, the Chittagong Beach Management Committee has decided to upgrade the Patenga and Parki sea beaches of the port city with modern facilities.

The decision came at the committee’s meeting chaired by Chittagong District Commissioner Mezbah Uddin yesterday.

The new facilities would include Information centres and health centres for the tourists.

The committee also decided to evict illegal and floating structures from the areas to restore the natural beauty.

An executive magistrate will be appointed to ensure security of the tourists and control drug smuggling and unsocial activities on the spots.

Chittagong Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Abul Hossen, Anwara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sheikh Farid Uddin and representatives of police, Bangladesh Coast Guard were present at the meeting. l

6 One to die for killing schoolboy n Our Correspondent, Natore A court in the district yesterday sentenced a man to death for killing a schoolboy in 2006.

The convict was identified as Abdul Majid, a resident of Baro Satoil village in Singra upazila.

According to prosecution, Abdul Majid killed Asif, a Class IX student and son of his neighbour Mainul Islam, by slitting his throat over previous enmity at Budar Bazar in 2006.

A case was filed in this connection Singra police station and Majid was arrested. l

Businessman remains missing for four days n Our Correspondent, Chapainawabganj

A drugstore owner named Tawhidul Islam Tusher, 30, from Dawlatpur Upartola Mohalla in the district town, has remained traceless four days after missing. The victim’s family members filed a general diary with Sadar police station alleging that some of his friends abducted Tusher for money. However, they did not state the names of them.

Sources said Tusher had been missing since Friday while he was moving towards the town from his shop in Shibganj upazila headquarters for business purpose. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Auto-rickshaw parking causing traffic jam, accidents in Kurigram n Our Correspondent, Kurigram Unauthorised parking of battery-run auto-rickshaws in the district has increasingly become the causes of traffic jams and road accidents.

Miznur Rahman Mintu, officer of the Municipality License Department, said there are more than 2,500 auto-rickshaws plying in the locality violating traffic rules and regulation.

The municipality authorities issued the license for 299 auto-rickshaws.

“The auto-rickshaws are parked at at least 60 points in the district causes of traffic congestion and accidents,” said Mintu.

The important points named Shapla Chattar, Ghospara Intersection, Sadar Hospital Road, Dadamor Intersection, Zia Bazar, Poura Bazar, PTI Gate and

Court experience severe tailback almost every day.

Most of the places where auto-rickshaws are parked are either near educational institutions, hospitals, offices or court area.

As the municipality authorities issued licenses of those auto-rickshaws police can not take legal action, said traffic police officials Police Superintendent Tabarak Ullah said: “Auto-rickshaw drivers do not go by the traffic rules resulting in heavy traffic congestion. Even no legal steps can be taken against them because municipality authorities handle the matter.”

Bus driver Suman said he found it difficult to manoeuvre the bus through auto-rickshaws parked indiscriminately on roads.

“Passengers too haggle with the au-

to-rickshaw drivers standing on the road that can lead to major accidents,” he said.

Recently five people including a bank official have been killed in a road accident on the Kurigram-Rangpur Highway due to rampant parking.

Ashik, a motorcyclist said he could not drive his bike comfortably as the auto-rickshaws are haphazardly parked throughout the town.

According to the traffic police there are only around 299 authorised auto-rickshaws in the city.

“The others are unauthorised. But legally we cannot prevent them from parking the vehicles. We can only ensure they don’t affect the traffic flow,” said a senior traffic police officer.

The district Motor Owners Association Secretary said: “We have to face a lot of difficulties due to the unathorised park-

Police in a drive arrested three members of a gang that forges the documents of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) from the district town and Jhikhargachha upazila early yesterday. They arrested are Pobitra Bishwas Polash, Shakil and Jafor.

Being tipped-off, police arrested the gang’s ringleader Polash from Ghop Jail road area of the town at dead hours and then the duo along with one pistol, 500gm of hemp, a piece of handcuff, a WikiToki and a computer from Krishnanagar area of Jikhargacha upazila as per information extracted from the former.

The local SP Anisur Rahman said they had been on search of the gang for long, with which some BRTA officials from both Dhaka and Jessore offices were involved and necessary action would be taken against them as well. l

Ashwini pineapples poisoned for quick sales n Our Correspondent, Mymensingh Unscrupulous farmers in Mymensingh’s Fulbari upazila are treating Ashwini pineapples with chemicals particularly ethopen, which are harmful for human health.

Sexagenarian hacked to death n Our Correspondent, Jamalpur A sexagenarian man was hacked to death allegedly by his neighbors in Moheshpur Kalibari area in Sadar upazila on yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Tamijuddin Taji, 60. Witnesses said, the victim’s neighbor Saju, 35, hacked him to death around 11am following previous enmity. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Jamalpur General Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Police also arrested Saju in connection with the killing. l

ing of auto-rickshaws in the district.”

“We will go for a vigorous movement if the government does not take proper action against them,” he said.

Auto-rickshaw driver Dulu said they need dedicated parking spaces in all localities where people gather in large numbers.

“We understand that a major part of the road is occupied due to unauthorised parking slowing down the traffic movement. But, unless we are provided designated pick-up points, this cannot be avoided,” he said.

When asked, Mayor Nur Islam Nuru said: “Around 2,500 auto-rickshaws ply in the locality violating traffic rules and regulation and there are 60 unauthorised parking stations in the district.”

“The police should apply traffic rules with strict hand,” he said. l

3 BRTA document forgery gang men held in Jessore n Our Correspondent, Jessore

Ethopen is used for ripening the fruits three days before they are picked from the field

Students of Habiganj Shachindara College form a human yesterday on Habiganj-Nabiganj Highway protesting conspiracy against the college by local influential DHAKA TRIBUNE

According to the district agriculture extension office, the juicy fruits have been grown on around 1300 hectares of land.

Farmers said they could not make profits by selling the fruits during winter and so they were using the chemical for quick ripening and then marketing before the cold season.

Ethopen is used for ripening the fruits three days before they are picked

from the field. Plant growth regulatory chemicals are also being used extensively to increase the size of the fruits.

Farmers Rafiqul Islam, Fazlul Haq, Ayub Ali said they knew such chemicals are very harmful to health but they could do nothing. Small sized fruits would not fetch them a fair price.

Upazila Sanitary Inspector Mahbub Hossain said: “Eating chemicals-treated food is risky and can give rise to cancer and dysfunction of the kidneys and liver.”

Upazila Agriculture Extension Officer Ahsanul Bashar said they had more than once, held workshops and informed farmers why they should avoid using harmful chemicals the fruits, but of no vain.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Banani Biswas admitted treating fruits with chemicals and said they were regularly taking action against this.

She also said that she arrested two farmers and fined them through a mobile court a few days ago. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Special

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

7

The Testimony of Sixty On the 43rd anniversary of the publication we publish why and how it was produced in 1971 and how Senator Edward Kennedy had it adopted by the United States Congress

O

n Julian Francis ctober 21, marked the 43rd anniversary of the publication of the “Testimony of Sixty,” a collection of eye-witness accounts of the tragic situation in Bengal (East and West) at that time, in 1971.

In addition, today marks the 43rd anniversary of the publication in the United States Congressional Record of the “Testimony of Sixty.”

As I am the only person, currently living and working in Bangladesh, who was personally involved, in 1971, with the collection of many of these eye-witness accounts, I thought that you will be interested to learn how and why we decided, in 1971, to publish this document.

In 1971, I had the responsibility of coordinating the relief efforts of OXFAM-UK which was assisting approximately six lac Bangladeshi in many refugee camps in the border areas of Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, West Dinajpur, Barasat, and Bongaon.

As we were unsure how long the tragic situation would last, at any one time we were always planning six months ahead, and in September 1971 we were assessing the future cost of assisting the refugees through the winter which, in many areas, would be severely cold. We needed regular and large sums of money each month.

This campaign meant that the fundraising effort and publicity had to be second to none. To raise funds for a crisis which appeared to be never-ending needed a sustained fundraising strategy using advertisements which would both inform but also shock people into giving.

As the winter of 1971 approached, and with it the need for blankets and warm clothing, OXFAM ran campaigns to “Take a Blanket Off Your Bed,” “Buy a new sweater for Christmas and Throw Your Old Ones to OXFAM,” “You know what a lot of people are praying for this Christmas? A swift and merciful death.”

The British Post Office, at the time, charged nothing for sending blankets and warm clothing by parcel postage if addressed to OXFAM and the Royal Air Force air-freighted the blankets to Kolkata.

For those of us who have forgotten or are too young to remember, there were an estimated 10 million Bangladeshis existing in about 900 refugee camps. The logistics of feeding and caring for such a large number of people even now, after so many years, are difficult to comprehend. How was it done? It was done through the heroism of so many, and these men and women never sought fame or credit but insisted that they were just doing what had to be done. Most of them were refugees themselves.

To those who, in 2014, still question if genocide, by the Pakistan Army and their collaborators, took place, I can only say that on numerous occasions,

In the camps where there was no supplementary support to the aid being given by the Indian government, the situation was much worse over a period of seven months, when I visited the refugees, I saw traumatised families who had witnessed the murder of their loved ones. On my visits to the refugee camps, I became used to seeing dead bodies, mostly children, lines of people queuing up to use latrines and some, with acute diarrhea, not making it in time.

In the camps where there was no supplementary support to the aid being given by the Indian government, the situation was much worse. I saw many refugees dying, mostly the very young and the very old. They did not die in peace or with dignity. They died of hunger, in the mud. They died of cholera and they died of cold.

It was difficult to keep the crisis on the front pages of the world’s newspapers. The news of the genocide of March 25, 1971 put it on the front pages, and with outbreak of cholera in May and June, the humanitarian crisis was front page news once more. Again, when the camps got flooded that year, it was front page news. By September 1971, the British newspapers had headlines of “Carry on dying,” “Can the refugees ever go home?” and “Pakistani famine is worse than Biafra.”

However, OXFAM, at its Oxford based Head Office, decided that it must find a way to shock the world’s leaders to an even greater extent, to make them open their eyes and wake

up. In a surprisingly short space of time eye-witness accounts of the tragedy were collected and published as “The Testimony of Sixty on the Crisis in Bengal.”

This carried statements and articles written by famous persons such as Mother Teresa and Senator Edward Kennedy and well-known journalists such as Anthony Mascarenhas, John Pilger, Nicolas Tomalin, Clare Hollingworth and Martin Woollacott.

I personally collected many of the statements from people in Kolkata and I remember one day sending a telex full of statements which took 75 minutes to send over the wires! Copies of “The Testimony of Sixty” were handed over to many heads of governments and its publication coincided with the opening of that year’s General Assembly of the United Nations where it was distributed to all ambassadors to the UN. The day before the official publication date, October 21, 1971, the British Post Office assisted with telephone directories from all over the UK to pile up 49 million names on the pavement outside an OXFAM shop which was situated at 49, Parliament Street, London. Nine million represented the number of Bangladeshi refugees at that time in India and the other 40 million names represented the number of people displaced inside (then) East Pakistan who were facing extreme hunger.

GENOCIDEBANGLADESH.ORG

‘This stark tragedy is not yet understood by the world. I can tell you that not until you see it first-hand can you begin to understand its immensity. For only by being there can you sense the feelings and understand the plight of the people, and the forces of violence which continue to create refugee and increase the toll of civilian casualties’ – Senator Edward Kennedy, Testimony of Sixty

It is interesting to record that although the USA was firmly supporting Pakistan in 1971, Senator Edward Kennedy, who had visited India and the refugee camps in August 1971, brought “The Testimony of Sixty” to the attention of the US. Senate and it was published in full on October 28, 1971 in the “Congressional Record,” only one week after it was published by OXFAM in UK. Introducing the “Testimony of Sixty” to the United States’ Senate, the Congressional Record states the following: “Mr Kennedy: Mr President, the crisis in East Bengal is a story of human misery on a scale unequaled in modern times. It is a story of systematic terror and military repression, of indiscriminate killing and the killing and dislocation of millions of civilians. It is a story of death and disease, of too little food and water, of fetid refugee camps without hope and a countryside stalked by famine.

And throughout it all the world has barely murmured a word.

Romano Cagnoni gave the use of this photograph for the Testimony of Sixty. He was loath to give others of the medical and horror aspects of suffering. “At least this picture leaves the people with some kind of dignity. Whenever I am in this sort of situation I try not to isolate the person in the photograph.” The photograph should, he says, try to show something of the culture, the sense of community that he thinks is captured here THE TESTIMONY OF SIXTY

Perhaps this is because we are conditioned in the world we have created to accept such suffering and injustice.

To many the plight of the Bengali people is just another link in the chain of war-ravaged populations stretching around the world in recent years.

But perhaps, Mr. President, the public is silent because it does not know.

To bring the facts more forcibly to the public’s attention, the noted British charity, OXFAM, has recently published an impressive brochure entitled ‘The Testimony of 60 on the Crisis in Bengal.’

No one who reads this document can remain unmoved or uninformed as the plight of the Bengali people.

To share this eloquent statement with Members of the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it be printed at this point in the RECORD. There being no objection, the testimony was ordered to be printed in the RECORD.” It is important to place on record that, although the US government supported Pakistan at that time, there was a huge outpouring of generosity and concern by the American people.

In addition, over half a million dollars of medical supplies were donated by American companies for use in the refugee camps, and later, after Liberation, in Bangladesh.

In 2007, the Liberation War Museum brought out an English facsimile edition so that more people could learn more about the history of how this nation was formed and the pain and suffering that was involved, and on December 16, 2009, The Daily Prothom Alo published a Bangla facsimile edition which has reached many more readers.

This, then, is the story of how this

historical document was prepared and why it was prepared. As someone who witnessed the very painful birth of Bangladesh, I am astonished that there are many who deny that genocide took place in Bangladesh in 1971.

I strongly recommend that they read “The Testimony of Sixty” wherein the eye-witness accounts will bring tears to their eyes. l Julian Francis, who was OXFAM’s Special Representative in Kolkata in 1971, was awarded the ‘Friends of Liberation War Honour’ in March 2012 by the Government of Bangladesh.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Tunisian Islamists concede defeat to secular party Compromise and coalition government still likely outcome

Rached Ghannouchi (C), leader of the Tunisian Islamist party Ennahda, gestures with his wife and two daughters at a polling station during an election in Tunisia on October 26. The party yesterday conceded defeat to its secular rival REUTERS

n Reuters, Tunis Tunisia’s Ennahda party, the first Islamist movement to secure power after the 2011 “Arab Spring” revolts, conceded defeat yesterday in elections that are set to make its main secular rival the strongest force in parliament.

Official results from Sunday’s elections - the second parliamentary vote since Tunisians set off uprisings across much of the Arab World by overthrowing autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali were still to be announced.

But a senior official at Ennahda, which ruled in a coalition until it was forced to make way for a caretaker government during a political crisis at the start of this year, acknowledged defeat by the secular Nidaa Tounes party.

“We have accepted this result, and congratulate the winner Nidaa Tounes,” the official, Lotfi Zitoun, told

Reuters. However, he repeated the party’s call for a new coalition including Ennahda. “We are calling once again for the formation of a unity government in the interest of the country.”

Earlier, a party source said preliminary tallies showed the secular party had won 80 seats in the 217-member assembly, ahead of 67 secured by Ennahda.

“According to the preliminary results, we are in the lead and in a comfortable position,” one Nidaa Tounes official said, without confirming figures given by the first source.

One of the most secular Arab countries, Tunisia has been hailed as an example of political compromise after overcoming a crisis between the secular and Islamist movements and approving a new constitution this year that allowed the elections.

Electoral authorities were due to

Tunisian Islamists concede election defeat to secular party n Reuters, Tunis Tunisia’s Ennahda party, the first Islamist movement to secure power after the 2011 “Arab Spring” revolts, conceded defeat yesterday in elections that are set to make its main secular rival the strongest force in parliament.

Official results from Sunday’s elections - the second parliamentary vote since Tunisians set off uprisings across much of the Arab World by overthrowing autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali were still to be announced.

But a senior official at Ennahda, which ruled in a coalition until it was forced to make way for a caretaker government during a political crisis at the start of this year, acknowledged defeat by the secular Nidaa Tounes party.

“We have accepted this result, and congratulate the winner Nidaa Tounes,” the official, Lotfi Zitoun, told Reuters. However, he repeated the party’s call for a new coalition including Ennahda. “We are calling once again for the formation of a unity government in the interest of the country.”

Earlier, a party source said preliminary tallies showed the secular party had won 80 seats in the 217-member assembly, ahead of 67 secured by Ennahda.

One of the most secular Arab countries, Tunisia has been hailed as an example of political compromise after overcoming a crisis between the secular and Islamist movements and approving a new constitution this year that allowed the elections. l

give preliminary results later on Monday, but larger parties had observers at polling stations to oversee the initial counts, allowing them to tally results unofficially.

Ennahda, which espouses a pragmatic form of political Islam, won Tunisia’s first free election in 2011 after Ben Ali fled protests against corruption and repression, and went into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The party formed a coalition government with two secular partners but had to stand aside in the crisis that erupted over the murder of two opposition leaders by Islamist militants.

During campaigning Ennahda cast itself as a party that learned from its mistakes, but Nidaa Tounes appeared to have capitalised on criticism that it had mismanaged the economy and had been lax in tackling hardline Islamists. l

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Suicide bomber kills 27 militiamen in Iraq, all eyes on Kobane

Ukraine leader wins pro-West mandate but wary of Russia n Reuters, Kiev

n Reuters, Baghdad

Pro-Western parties will dominate Ukraine’s parliament after an election handed President Petro Poroshenko a mandate to end a separatist conflict and steer the country further out of Russia’s orbit into Europe’s mainstream.

Poroshenko planned to start coalition talks yesterday after exit polls and partial results showed most of the groups that were holding up democratic and legal reforms demanded by the European Union had been swept out of parliament on Sunday.

He still faces huge problems: Russia is resisting moves by Kiev to one day join the European Union, a ceasefire is barely holding in the east where government forces have been fighting pro-Russian separatists, and the economy is in dire straits.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin can still influence events, not least as the main backer of the rebels in the east and through Moscow’s role as natural gas supplier to Ukraine and the EU. But with his own bloc and a party led by his ally, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, running neck and neck on more than 21% support after more than a quarter of votes on party lists were counted, Poroshenko is assured of dominating parliament.

“The majority of voters were in favour of the political forces that support the president’s peace plan and seek a political solution to the situation in the Donbass,” Poroshenko said soon after polls closed, referring to the region where fighting has been heaviest in the industrialised east.

Final results from voting on party lists and single-seat constituencies will not be known for days. But with a third like-minded party, Selfhelp, on 11% with 38% of votes counted, Poroshenko can forge a strong coalition government.

The 49-year-old confectionery magnate is likely to continue working in close tandem with Yatseniuk, with the latter possibly staying on as prime minister to handle sensitive talks with the West on aid for the war-shattered economy. l

A suicide bomber killed at least 27 Shi’ite militiamen on the outskirts of the Iraqi town of Jurf al-Sakhar yesterday after security forces pushed Islamic State militants out of the area over the weekend, army and police sources said.

The attacker, driving a Humvee vehicle packed with explosives and likely stolen from defeated government troops, also wounded 60 Shi’ite militiamen, who had helped government forces retake the town just south of the capital.

Holding Jurf al-Sakhar is critical for Iraqi security forces who finally managed to drive out the Sunni insurgents after months of fighting.

It could allow Iraqi forces to prevent the Sunni insurgents from edging closer to the capital Baghdad, sever connections to their strongholds in western Anbar province, and stop them infiltrating the mainly Shi’ite Muslim south.

The group has threatened to march on Baghdad, home to special forces and thousands of Shi’ite militias expected to put up fierce resistance if the capital comes under threat.

Gains against Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot made up of Arab and foreign fighters, are often fragile even with the support of US airstrikes on militant targets in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

As Iraqi government soldiers and militias savored their victory and were taking photographs of Islamic State corpses on Sunday, mortar rounds fired

by Islamic State fighters who had fled to orchards to the west rained down on Jurf al-Sakhar.

The blast hit the militiamen, killing dozens and scattering body parts, according to a Reuters witness.

The next significant fighting near Baghdad is expected to take place just to the west in the Sunni heartland Anbar province.

The town of Amriyat al-Falluja has been surrounded by Islamic State militants on three sides for weeks. Secu-

The Israeli government has said that it is advancing construction plans to build about 1,000 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem that Palestinians want to be part of their future state.

A government official said yesterday that plans include building infra-

structure in the occupied West Bank that will be used by Palestinians as well as Israelis. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

Al Jazeera’s Imtiaz Tyab, reporting from West Jerusalem, said that about 600 additional houses will be built in Ramat Shlomo and 400 in Har Homa districts of East Jerusalem.

No letup to the violence

Islamic State kept up the pressure on security forces on Monday, attacking soldiers, policemen and Shi’ite militiamen in the town of al-Mansuriyah, northeast of Baghdad. Six members of the Iraqi security forces were killed, police said.

Kurdish peshmerga fighters also made advances over the weekend against Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate in the heart of the Middle East and is determined to redraw the map of the oil-producing region.

Much attention is focused on the planned deployment of peshmerga to the besieged Syrian border town of Kobane, where fellow Kurds have been fending off an attack by Islamic State for 40 days.

Iraqi Kurdish officials and a member of the Kurdish administration in Syria said the peshmerga had been due to head to Kobane via Turkey on Sunday but their departure had been postponed.

“Until now they have not gone,” said Sinam Mohammed, the Syrian Kurdish administration’s representative in Europe. “They were supposed to go yesterday. They (KRG) says we are ready to send them but I don’t know what happened. I think the problem is Turkey.”

Iraqi Kurdish forces will not engage in ground fighting in the Syrian town of Kobane but provide artillery support for fellow Kurds there, a Kurdish spokesman has said.

Islamic State fighters have been trying to capture Kobane for over a month, pressing on despite US-led air strikes on their positions and the deaths of hundreds of their fighters. l

Human Rights Watch: Nigeria’s Boko Haram forces kidnapped girls into marriage n Agencies Boko Haram has kidnapped more than 500 women and girls in recent years and is increasing the use of abductions, rape, forced labor, and marriage as weapons of war, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.

New York-based HRW criticized the Nigerian government for what it called the “horrific vulnerability” of all females in the northeast, where the extremist group operates. The report, released today, came as 30 more boys and girls in the state of Borno were kidnapped by Boko Haram, allegedly to be used as child soldiers, according to a CNN report.

The Borno abductions are the second mass kidnapping since the government announced Oct. 17 that it was negotiating a cease-fire with Boko Haram that would involve the release of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted last spring in the town of Chibok. Yet just days after the announcement, Boko Haram insurgents took at least 25 women and girls, dashing hopes of a deal with the government. Talks took place secretly in Chad, according to Reuters.

The 63-page report by HRW is based on interviews with 46 victims and witnesses of Boko Haram abductions, including several young women from Chibok who escaped after being grabbed at their dormitory in April. The

Israel plans 1,000 settler homes in Jerusalem

n Agencies

rity officials say government forces are gearing up for an operation designed to break the siege.

Gains in the Islamic State stronghold of Anbar could raise the morale of Iraqi troops after they collapsed in the face of a lighting advance by the insurgents in the north in June.

The Palestinians seek East Jerusalem, home to the city’s most sensitive holy sites for Jews, Muslims and Christians, as their future capital and oppose any Israeli construction there.

Israel has said all of Jerusalem will forever be its capital, citing historical, religious and security reasons. But the international community, including

East Jerusalem, home to sensitive holy sites, has been the scene of violent unrest for months

AFP

the US, does not recognise Israel’s annexation of the eastern sector of the contested city.

The housing announcement could greatly escalate tensions in East Jerusalem, which has been the scene of violent unrest for months.

According to sources, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister, was under pressure by his right-wing coalition partners, who are pressing for the building of the new settlements and have threatened to withdraw their support from his government.

Tensions have been high since June, when the body of three three Israeli teenage settlers were found weeks after they were abducted by unidentified group. Israeli groups retaliated by abducting and killing a Palestinian teenager in East Jerusalem, spurring riots.

The abductions set off a series of events that led to the 50-day Gaza war.

Yair Lapid, Israeli finance minister, of the centrist Yesh Atid party issued a statement late on Sunday night opposing the timing of the housing plan.

“This plan will lead to a serious crisis in Israel-US relations and will harm Israel’s standing in the world,” he said.

The US has condemned similar Israeli construction in the past.

Last week US officials said the Barack Obama administration rejected the Israeli defence minister’s requests to meet several top national security aides. l

incident shocked the world and led to the Bring Back our Girls movement.

Since 2009, Boko Haram has killed more than 7,000 civilians, according to HRW. And the pace has quickened: Some 4,000 of those killings have taken place in the past year, and more than 2,000 resulted from 95 attacks in the first six months of 2014.

Last year, President Goodluck Jonathan declared an emergency in three northeast states. The Nigerian Army went into the main cities with considerable force at the outset of the emergency, but has made little headway against the group’s guerrilla tactics and its ruthless and indiscriminate killing sprees against civilians of every age and stripe

– young students, moderate Muslims, Christians, elderly, and females.

HRW and other watchdogs have previously documented many cases where villagers were warned by Boko Haram insurgents they were coming.

When villagers informed the Army or police, the soldiers or police would often disappear.

Despite the doctrinal incoherency of Boko Haram, whose members range from local thugs and unemployed gang members to madrassa students, it has repeated two clear statements of its intent in the past several years: The first is to create an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria’s northeast. The second is to undermine the existing government. l

Brazil’s Rousseff re-elected by grateful working-class n Reuters, Sao Paulo Despite opposition from nearly half of Brazil’s voters, leftist President Dilma Rousseff won re-election on Sunday and will have another four years to try to revive growth in a once-booming economy gone stagnant.

The 66-year-old Rousseff, who was a Marxist guerrilla in her youth, overcame growing dissatisfaction with the economy, poor public services and corruption to narrowly clinch a second term for herself and the fourth in a row for her Workers’ Party.

After a bitter, unpredictable campaign that pitted poorer Brazilians grateful for government anti-poverty programs against those exasperated with a stalled economy, Rousseff must now seek to continue flagship social services even as she tweaks economic policies to restore growth.

Most investors are skeptical that Rousseff can turn around the slumping economy after four years of ineffective industrial policies. Futures contracts for Brazil’s Bovespa stock index expiring in December fell more than 6% on Monday before the Sao Paulo stock exchange opened, while Bra-

zil’s currency slipped 3% to a nearly six-year low.

Still, Rousseff and aides consistently shrug off market pessimism as little more than tantrums by speculators.

As her camp celebrated victory late on Sunday, longtime foreign policy advisor Marco Aurelio Garcia told reporters that investors should relax and “take tranquilizers.”

Speaking to a relieved crowd of supporters in Brasilia, the capital, Rousseff acknowledged the close race and the call for change expressed by many voters.

“I know that I am being sent back to the presidency to make the big changes that Brazilian society demands,” she said after winning the runoff election with 51.6% support.

Her slim, three-point margin over centrist candidate Aecio Neves came largely thanks to gains against inequality and poverty since the Workers’ Party first came to power in 2003.

Using the fruits of a commodity-fueled economic boom in the last decade, Brazil’s government expanded welfare programs that helped lift more than 40 million people from poverty despite the current economic woes. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Last international forces airlifted from key base in Afghanistan Withdrawal operation passed off peacefully as part of a planned drawdown and Afghan security forces are near n Reuters, Afghanistan all-time highs this year, with hundreds A fleet of planes and helicopters airlifted the last US and British forces from a key base in southern Afghanistan yesterday, a day after the international coalition closed the massive facility and handed it over to the Afghan military.

The troops’ withdrawal and base closure in the province of Helmand is one of the largest operations in the winding down of the international combat mission in Afghanistan, 13 years after the toppling of the radical, Islamist Taliban regime.

Monday’s withdrawal operation passed off peacefully as part of a planned drawdown, though there was a sense of deja vu among some soldiers.

“It was surreal,” said Marine communications officer Captain Anthony Nguyen, 33, of Houston, Texas.

“We’re not refugees or anything, but it kind of reminding me of scenes of Vietnam, of people running to the helicopters ... just this mad dash to the aircraft,” added Nguyen, who is Vietnamese-American.

The Nato-led international force is now shifting to a reduced role of support as Afghanistan’s newly trained army and police take over the fight against a resurgent Taliban.

Casualties among both civilians

killed and wounded each month in the conflict.

The withdrawal of the remaining US and British troops from the combined base of Camp Leatherneck and Camp Bastion was carried out over 24 hours of near-continuous flights back and forth between Helmand and Kandahar Air Field, the aviation hub for southern Afghanistan.

For the Marines’ HMH 366 Hammerheads helicopter squadron, which flew on the final wave of the airlift Monday, there was a sense of pride in that the same unit also participated in the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq.

“It’s definitely a sense of history,” said Staff Sergeant Ryan Hoover, of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Going home

For the US Marines and British forces leaving Helmand, the airlift was the first stop on the way home - all of them will be flown out of Afghanistan by the end of the year, and some within days.

“It’s been a long time away - I’m looking forward to getting back to normal life ... kiss the wife and kiss the kids,” said Major Raymond Mitchell, a Marine from Rocky Mountain, North Carolina, who deployed

British troops prepare to depart upon the end of operations for US Marines and British combat troops in Helmand REUTERS to Afghanistan in January.

Helmand was a major focus of a 2010 troops surge to wrest control back from the Taliban. At its height, the Nato-led force had some 140,000 military personnel from nearly 50 nations.

Camp Bastion and Camp Leatherneck alone once had some 40,000 military personnel and civilian contractors as the regional headquarters for the US-led international military coalition.

The Marine Expeditionary Force-Afghanistan is the last Marines unit in the country, while the British forces at Helmand were the Britain’s final combat troops.

By Jan. 1, there will be only 12,500 foreign forces in the country - 9,800 of them Americans - to advise and train the Afghan security forces that have been built up almost from scratch in recent years. l

9

Indian tribes people duped into leaving forest homes for tigers n Reuters, Bhubaneswar, India Hundreds of tribal people in eastern India have been duped out of their ancestral forest homes by authorities in a bid to conserve the country’s endangered tiger population, the rights group Survival International said yesterday.

Ninety-four families, mostly from the Khadia and Ho tribes, have been relocated from their homes deep inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha state, and another 124 families are due to be resettled in the coming months.

The London-based charity said there was no evidence that tribes people were causing harm to wildlife, and said many of them desperately wanted to stay in the reserve’s forests where their families have lived for generations.

Members of the Munda tribe living in what is designated as a “core area” of the reserve met with officials from India’s Forest Department in September, Survival International said, having received assurances their rights would be respected.

“But the villagers reported to Survival International ... that they felt ‘threatened’ and ‘cheated’ into signing an eviction document drawn up by the foresters,” the group said, adding that many tribes people did not understand the document, as it was in the Oriya

language which they could not read.

The statement added that some 32 families from the Khadia tribe who were relocated in December 2013 did not have proper housing or access to forest produce which they rely on for their livelihoods, and were instead dependent on government handouts.

Local authorities denied the accusation, saying resettlement had been voluntary and that land, financial compensation and other benefits have been provided to affected communities in the reserve, which is home to 25 tigers.

“The allegation is absolutely false.

Nobody can evict people forcibly.

We have offered compensation and a host of facilities. People are coming on their own to our office and expressing their willingness to be relocated,” Anup Nayak, director of Similipal Tiger Reserve, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“For the conservation of tigers, the core area is to be inviolate. The core area is absolutely necessary for wildlife and for the survival of tigers.”

Despite a slew of “pro-poor” policies, India’s economic boom has largely bypassed India’s tribes, who make up more than 8% of its 1.2 billion population, living in remote villages and eking out a living from farming, cattle rearing and collecting and selling fruit and leaves from the forests. l

At least seven killed in attack on Afghanistan court

BJP to contest all 87 seats in Jammu & Kashmir, no pre-poll alliance

n Reuters, Kunduz

n Agencies

At least seven people were killed in Afghanistan yesterday when a group of Taliban militants attacked a court in the northern city of Kunduz, officials and police said.

Kunduz has long been a relatively peaceful city compared to other Afghan towns but in recent months the Taliban have been gaining ground across the province, taking advantage of a security gap left by the withdraw-

Japanese in North Korea for talks on abductions n AP, Pyongyang, North Korea A high-ranking Japanese delegation arrived in Pyongyang yesterday to assess the progress of a North Korean investigation into the fates of Japanese citizens who were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and ‘80s.

The abduction issue has long been a major obstacle in the frosty ties between North Korea and Japan, which have no formal diplomatic relations.

The delegation, led by Junichi Ihara, head of the Asia and Oceania affairs bureau at Japan’s Foreign Ministry, is to stay in North Korea for four days. Officials are to discuss the issue on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In what was seen as a significant breakthrough after years of stalemate, North Korea agreed in May to launch a new probe into the abductions. In exchange, Japan agreed to ease some unilateral sanctions on North Korea, though it continues to enforce sanctions backed by the United Nations over North Korea’s nuclear and longrange missile programs.

After initial optimism in Japan, progress in North Korea’s re-investigation has been slower than Tokyo had hoped.

In September, Ihara and his North Korean counterpart, Song Il Ho, held a meeting in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang. Japan was hoping then to receive a preliminary report on the investigation, but none was presented.

In 2002, North Korea admitted it kidnapped 13 Japanese citizens to train spies in Japanese language and culture.

Five were allowed to return to Japan the same year but North Korea said others had died or never entered the North. Japan believes hundreds more may have been abducted and some may still be alive.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the delegation is being sent to convey that the resolution of the issue is a high priority for Japan. He has promised not to relent until all of the abductees are returned to Japan or accounted for.

That could prove to be a very complicated and sensitive matter. l

ing Nato-led forces.

A suicide bomber detonated his car loaded with explosives at the main gate of an appeals court and three more fighters entered the building, engaging in a protracted gun battle with security forces, one local official said.

Sayed Sarwar Hussaini, a spokesman for the Kunduz police chief, said seven people had been killed and 10 wounded in the attack. “Six prosecutors and a policeman were killed and nine prosecutors and a policeman

were wounded,” Hussaini said.

“Now the fight is over. One Taliban fighter detonated his car loaded with explosives and three were killed by security forces.”

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack.

It was not immediately clear why the Taliban had targeted the appeals court.

The atmosphere is tense in Afghanistan as foreign troops leave the country after more than a decade of fighting against the Taliban. l

Ruling out any pre-poll alliance in Jammu & Kashmir, India’s ruling party BJP yesterday said it will contest in all the 87 constituencies in the upcoming assembly elections.

“We won’t be entering into any prepoll alliance with any political party as we are considering to field our candidates on all the 87 assembly constituencies in the state,” BJP MP and party in charge for Jammu & Kashmir Avi-

nash Rai Khanna told PTI. He said the party would soon come out with its first list of candidates, as the Election Commission has announced the dates for the elections.

“Focus would be on the candidates who are capable to win, those who have a clean image and who can deliver. The party’s election committee will hold a meeting today to decide the names of the candidates,” he said.

Exuding confidence that BJP would replicate its recent performance in

Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir, Khanna said the party will win more than 44 seats.

“We will go beyond 44 seats and form the next government in Jammu & Kashmir,” said Khanna, who presided over a function at party office here.

The BJP leader said the party wants to strengthen democracy in the state and its main poll plank would be to provide corruption free governance to the people. l

T H A I L A N D’ S F E S T I VA L O F L A N T E R N S

Clockwise from top left: Young Buddhist monks hold candles during the festival of Yee Peng in the northern capital of Chiang Mai on October 25. People release floating lanterns during the festival. A Buddhist monk prepares candles for the main event of the Yee Peng festival at a temple. Buddhist monks prepare candles for the main event of the festival at their temple REUTERS

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Give the ACC more power

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unday’s acquittal of all the seven accused in the Padma Bridge Project corruption case has been expected ever since the Anti Corruption Commission submitted its final report on September 14, stating that it had insufficient evidence to prove that a conspiracy to obtain bribes had taken place.

Questions have been raised about the extent to which the ACC was able to interview suspects and use reports provided by the external panel of experts convened by the World Bank.

With three of the seven accused still facing trial on the matter in a Canadian court, debate will continue about the effectiveness of the ACC in following up the accusations which caused the World Bank to cancel its $1.2 billion funding for the project.

This case reiterates the importance of giving the ACC more authority, as the World Bank’s withdrawal led to a delay in this important project and cast a shadow over relations.

We believe there are two essential steps which the government must take to give the ACC the authority it needs to do its job effectively.

Firstly, it should be freed from political pressures. Dropping the change made last year making it mandatory for the ACC to obtain government approval for filing cases against judges, magistrates, and public servants is vital.

Secondly, the government should act on the recommendation made by the ACC itself and supported by Transparency International that its powers should be independently set out under the constitution.

Acting quickly to empower the ACC is imperative to reduce the stigma of corruption that holds the country back.

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

Getting on the list

The Padma Bridge case reiterates the need to empower the ACC

October 18

Snr Citizen “Every year, the university ranking is announced, and every year, frustration grips us as none of our universities get a place among the top 500.”

This is because our priorities are wrong!

We have never paid any grave importance to education, and how, in the medium-term and long-term, it can help boost our economy and

October 17

W

e welcome the announcement that Dubai Port World, one of the world’s largest marine terminal operators, has responded positively to Bangladesh’s request to conduct a feasibility study on constructing a deep sea port at Paira, Patuakhali.

Last year’s political unrest was a factor delaying talks by this company and others, including the Rotterdam Port Authority, on the government’s plans for a port at Sonadia.

If the study goes ahead, its boost for efforts to construct a new deep sea port in Bangladesh will be the most important outcome from the prime minister’s three-day visit to the UAE. The Dubai-based DP World which is majority-owned on behalf of the UAE government, is responsible for operating and developing many of the world’s busiest ports. Its expertise and interest is highly welcome.

Bangladesh sorely needs new deep sea port facilities to develop the economy.

Increasing the capacity and efficiency of our ports is essential to sustain competitiveness. It should be a national priority to build a new deep sea port to meet the growing needs of our own exporters.

It is also imperative if we are to take advantage of initiatives to improve regional connectivity such as BIMSTEC and the BCIM corridor.

As things stand, competitor nations, notably Myanmar and Sri Lanka, are pushing ahead much faster with efforts to develop their own port facilities. Bangladesh needs to catch up quickly to take better advantage of our key location between the markets of South and South East Asia.

DP World’s interest is welcome as a new deep sea port is a national priority

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

society. And not even being on the subcontinent list has made us cry or try harder to be on it.

In fact, monetary allocation for R&D and other areas of scholarship has dwindled in the recent past. The recruitment of teachers, VCs, and student politics has, over the decades, created wholesale disturbance in academic pursuits. So, we shall never be on the list. It will remain a mirage for Bangladeshi universities.

De-politicisation and meritocracy, along with higher budgetary allocation, are the only recipe to be on the “list.” ekram kabir You should write more of these than directing a newsroom. Your newsroom actions won’t remain when you’re not here, but your writings would.

Have a great one, my friend.

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.

Gay and (un)married

Progress on deep sea port essential

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 3 represents Y so fill Y every time the figure 3 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.

Zeba Bushra It saddens me deeply to see how homophobic most Bangladeshis are.

Bangladesh Against Homophobia How do lesbian women in Bangladesh deal with the pressure to get married?

Hasan Ul Mokaddes I believe we have come a long way from being termed as brown people, and given a second-class buggy on the trains. We have established the right to education for both boys and girls. We are at the frontier of women’s empowerment; our own prime minister is a testimony to this. So why do we think it is okay and acceptable to deny basic rights to people, especially the right to live and be happy? How long will we pretend to be ignorant, knowing everything?

I know most people who read this comment will disagree with me but I couldn’t care less! I am straight and I believe that if I can express my love to a person (in my case, a lady) and can be with her, it should be applicable to one and all! It is 2014, and there are other things that society should be concerned with, other than a person’s sexual orientation.

I’ve been asked if my son comes home one day and tells me he is gay, what would I reply? Well here is the answer: “I love him regardless. I would take a bullet for him any day, and would bring the world at his feet if it makes him happy. So his being gay is nothing compared to that!”

To sum it up, I believe it is high time that we educate ourselves and be more accepting! I support #equality, I believe #loveislove, I support #humanity. We don’t need an incident like #tombridegroom to make us realise the value of love, but we do need people like Shane Britney Crone (#shanebitneycrone) in our society.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Dreams that keep us awake October 18

Mahmudul Hoque Khan Dulal Nice write up. It helps us to be optimistic about the future of Bangladesh. Really, we are going to be a middle-income nation very shortly under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. And, at the same time, the businesspeople who are working hard to make Bangladesh a leading nation in the world. Thanks to the author of this write-up, and expect more articles like this in the days to come. rose It is indeed good news to know that Bangladeshi entrepreneurs are really making relentless efforts to do well in their businesses, and also spending sleepless nights, and this truly shows how patriotic they are in reality.

Evil People Politics Bangladeshi entrepreneurs are slowly transforming our country for the better.

Farewell to an inspiration October 18

vhs “Brac University lost one of their foremost champions with the passing away of Prof Karim.”

Excellent remembrance piece. May he RIP.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Strong and healthy (6) 4 Mineral spring (3) 7 Bury (5) 8 Kind (6) 11 Drink (3) 12 Of the ear (4) 13 Pastry item (4) 15 Hooked claw (5) 16 Roofing items (5) 20 Require (4) 23 Lofty (4) 24 Ventilate (3) 25 Wise utterance (6) 26 Dialect (5) 27 Was ahead (3) 28 Lace hole (6)

DOWN 1 Mechanical man (5) 2 Mythical animal (7) 3 Pale colour (4) 4 Main actor (4) 5 Raw hide (4) 6 Land measure (3) 9 Greek letter (3) 10 No score (3) 14 Stir violently (7) 17 Resinous substance (3) 18 Old cloth measure (3) 19 Frozen shower (5) 20 Broad (4) 21 Dry (4) 22 Large volume (4) 24 Afflict (3)

Mahboob Hossain Excellent ! Every sentence is very true. I am a faculty of the Microbiology programme. Still, I often attended his classes, and each class enriched me to such an extent as if I read 10 books in an hour. He had God-gifted talent. May Allah bless him with Jannat.

Justice for Zubair requires respect for due process

October 18 Raisa Faiz Let’s hope the killer gets punished for the sins he committed.

SR Let us hope and pray that Zubair gets proper justice, and the investigation of this case is done thoroughly and sincerely.

Piash’s family: Shaheed Minar was not our choice

PEANUTS

October 19 Hasina Azam “As there have been people doing politics over his body, Piash’s family firmly decided not to take him to the Shaheed Minar.”

I totally agree and support the decision of the family. The past is haunting us. He was an outspoken and courageous man and if we believe in freedom of speech, he is not guilty of a crime. May Allah rest his soul in peace.

‘Jamaat building militant network in South Asia’

October 19 Jisan It’s impossible unless Shahriar Kabir himself is now running Jamaat as its new Ameer. All Jamaat leaders are either in the dock or on the run while activists are inactive. So it might be Mr Kabir himself. No kidding.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Ready for data n Alyson Hayes

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n August 29, 2014, the United Nations issued a press release informing the appointment of the Independent Expert Advisory Group on the data revolution for sustainable development. According to the press release, these advisory group members will guide the secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, for closing data gaps and strengthening national statistical capacities.

There are many familiar technology-based trends in development, some formal and some informal

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Line in the sand

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n Ikhtisad Ahmed uman beings have an unwavering fondness for all things free. Businesses big and small, and the advertising industry, have used this to their benefit for decades.

This proclivity has been extended by the species to build an existence that relies heavily on freedom.

Inherent to the very being of humans, freedom is an inalienable existential right and universal moral obligation. Yet, there is evidently a school of thought that asserts that there are certain freedoms that people cannot handle, cannot be trusted with.

The chief victims of this ploy, identified as culprits that have no place in civilised societies, are the freedoms of speech, thought, and expression. It is expected that autocratic tendencies of governments may lead them to make and impose this baseless, unlawful claim.

For members of the populace from whom freedoms are wrestled away to put forward nonsensical arguments condescendingly to endorse this view, however, is preposterous. For anyone to suggest that he or she knows better than others, and therefore wishes to regulate speech and thought according to his or her own beliefs is a level of arrogance that has no place in the civilised world.

Freedoms of speech, thought, and expression do not promulgate lacks of respect and sensitivity. Making that correlation is an unforgivable error of

judgement on part of whosoever uses that stance to justify containment of these rights.

Freedoms cannot be conditional, for then they are not freedoms at all. Countries and people either have them or they do not. In the event of the latter – and an argument can certainly be made that the legal instruments that enshrine these rights across the globe favour this – it is the duty of conscientious citizens to fight for them, not defend the indefensible, for that contributes to the paving of the road to revisionism, extremism, and authoritarianism.

The solution lies not in putting constraints on thoughts, beliefs, and speech, for that entails arbitrary lines that can be shifted to suppress necessary dissent and oppress the populace, but in intelligent, coherent and articulate rebuttals. Said lines are seldom moved to be more accommodating or tolerant, because the very reason for setting restrictions is to command and control, not promote freedom.

The world may have been a better place if everyone was respectful to a fault, if everyone agreed and lived in harmony to the end of days. This

Freedoms of speech, thought, and expression do not promulgate lacks of respect and sensitivity.

Making that correlation is an unforgivable error

If everyone has a right to believe in what he or she pleases, everyone equally has a right not to believe in that of which he or she opts out.

Exercising this right, particularly fulfilling the latter crucial element of it, is a prima facie denouncement of the rejected beliefs, and, by virtue, implied criticisms of them. At times the criticism can be expressed, and a small minority amongst this can range from vulgar to insensitive and offensive.

world, however, is beautifully imperfect. Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawking cohabit with the Westboro Baptist Church and the Islamic State, and Salman Rushdie still breathes.

Who does more damage to faith is a discussion that the believers prefer not to have, the same believers who all too easily forget that their higher powers do not need to be defended by mere mortals, but their righteousness can cause greater damage to mankind by

calling for the imposition of limits.

Criminalising freedom of thought, speech, and expression, and responding to disagreements with pretentious condemnation and violent acts that are criminal, are tantamount to juvenile delinquency that forsakes millennia of societal and anthropological development and evolution. Respecting all human beings, contrary to selective respect, demands a de facto respect of alternative faiths and perspectives.

Homo sapiens are said to be capable of logic and reason. It behoves them, therefore, not to irrationally refuse that which makes them human.

The world went through a long, bloody struggle to overcome the Dark Ages. It would be foolishly masochistic to usher them in again by criminalising or restricting speech, thought, and enlightenment. Civilisation cannot be said to have progressed if the intolerantly barbaric nature of man is excused and exalted, rather than being curbed and corrected.

Big Brother is not needed. Graciously allowing Messrs Dawkins, Hawking, and Rushdie to express themselves is a small price to pay for the people to be free. In so being, they can be expected to exercise the greatest freedoms of them all: Free choice and freewill.

Someone is sure to decree those being beyond the ability of man to handle soon enough. l Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer. He can be contacted on Twitter via @ Ikhtisad.

As we near the end of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) era, we see that identifying progress and assessing further needs rely on information.

It is this data that will allow for adequate tracking, monitoring, and implementation of the goals for development. Data will provide evidence-based outlook for planning, revision, and action. Information is intrinsically linked to empowerment.

Data is the foundation for informed decision making at all levels – grassroots to policy level.

It is apparent in the 15 years of MDGs that monitoring and tracking achievement has been burdened by a lack of information and knowledge.

This lack of information and knowledge is a result of insufficient indicators, inadequate methodologies, and limited data sharing and storing strategies.

The data revolution is, in fact, a true revolution. It is a transformative people-driven upheaval of traditional practices for rapid change. It is the critical need for creating momentum for the next development era movement.

There are many familiar technology-based trends in development, some formal and some informal, that source and share data, information and communication technology for development, mobile technology for development, innovative uses of geographic information system (GIS), social media campaigns and hacktivism, and more.

The challenge lies in the effective collection, use, dissemination, and validation of data for real progress and real support for sustainable development initiatives.

The MDGs were directed towards the global community to galvanise and motivate positive change in various social sectors including health, education, gender equity, and food security. It was expected that developing countries would, and do, struggle in these areas. However, the MDGs also shed light on an unexpected disparity between developed and developing countries. Data and information is

insufficient for adequate use for monitoring, implementation, and policy development or reform.

In response, the United Nations is developing a strategy to combat this data scarcity and gaps in data and information. They are promoting implementation and improvement of national-level statistical systems by increasing capacity, funding, and multilateral buy-in. Notably, the UN has also shared the importance of civil society engagement in this revolution for ensuring inclusive and rights-based approaches.

On World Development Information Day, we reflected on the achievements and progress that this developing country has made to improve information and communication for development and the anticipated engagement in the data revolution. As a nation, Bangladesh is proactive in this revolution. With the establishment of the access to information program, the prime minister’s office, and the promotion of the Digital Bangladesh campaign, Bangladesh has committed to improved use of technology and information for national development.

Moreover, the Centre for Policy Dialogue has identified core strategies for participation in the data revolution and mainstreaming national information and knowledge management through data generation. Basic statistical concepts of availability, reliability, and accessibility are key pillars to the data revolution for Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics has been tasked with the challenge for identifying the type of data to be generated for the post-2015 development goals.

It is this key assignment that will shape the ability for goal monitoring and national progress. But, it should not be the sole responsibility of this public agency. Participation in the data revolution and identifying indicators for assessing development goal progress must be a collaborative initiative, with participation from all sectors.

The data revolution is, in fact, a true revolution. It is a transformative peopledriven upheaval

Bangladesh, as a nation, is ready to move into the post-2015 era and has made the commitment to increase the information and knowledge capacities for improved development efforts.

Through guided and deliberate data management, evidence-based actions can be applied for the improvement of the population and result in sustainable social development. l Alyson Hayes is Associate Coordinator, Eminence Associates for Social Development, and Conference Organiser, Bangladesh Summit on Sustainable Development.

For a medieval republic n Fahmida Zaman

I

f you are a politically aware citizen of the world, there are so many issues for you to be concerned about, from IS to Palestine, Kobani to Hong Kong, Obama to Putin. Yet, there is one more that I would like to point out, an issue much closer to home. Perhaps you were apprehensive once, yet have forgotten all about it.

The rise of Hefazat-e-Islam last year shocked you, me, and the moderate middle class Muslims of Bangladesh, as this previously little-known organisation threatened to take over Dhaka and turn our country into a medieval Islamic republic. Their 13-point demand included the enactment of an anti-blasphemy law with provision for the death penalty, exemplary punishment for all bloggers and others who “insult Islam,” the cancellation of the country’s women development policy, a ban on erecting sculptures in public places, and a ban on the mixing of men and women in public.

Yes, the issue was quite imperative until another “important” one took over. But this is why I would like you to take this more seriously; the rise of Hefazat has put some of Bangladesh’s unresolved issues right in our faces,

each one of them vital. Very few of them have seen any positive changes, if not been made worse.

Firstly, the majority participants of Hefazat’s activists are from madrasas, particularly from a Qawmi madrasa background. According to many

Hefazat’s rise and growth was sudden, but not unforeseen

scholars, this medium of education is significantly different from the mainstream Bengali and English ones.

Moreover, the lack of recognition of their degrees from the state makes it harder for students coming from a Qawmi background to ensure social and economic security.

This results in rejection from better employment opportunities and the state’s negligence towards groups that

are already economically marginalised. This disadvantaged education system, and the negligence of the state, may therefore have provided Hefazat with the motivation to express their frustration, anger, and discontent through mobilisation.

Secondly, Hefazat rose to its current position when Bangladesh was suffering from a lack of an institutionalised political system, where the ruling party could manipulate state institutions in line with their interests.

For example, according to a 2013 study, along with the constitution – which has been modified 15 times in 42 years – other institutions also went through extensive distortion and degeneration.

Thirdly, there is the dreadful relationship between our two major political parties, because of which, and a lack of trust between them, the main parties have appeared as elite allies of Islamists. For example, despite AL and BNP acting like enemies, they both need the support of Islamists to secure parliamentary dominance. Moreover, the ruling parties in Bangladesh have usually unleashed violence against the opposition.

For example, consecutive party governments have controlled the

administration, the judicial system, and law enforcement agencies with their party loyalists. When in office, both parties have marginalised and harassed the opposition.

Fourthly, there was the manipulation of religion. Religion has been historically manipulated since our very independence, which has incited instability in politics, and has provided Islamist groups with the prospect to emerge as prominent alternatives.

They have failed to provide moral leadership, and have left space within the ideological spectrum, paving the way for Hefazat to emerge in the social and political arena. They have provided Islamist groups with significant political opportunities to mobilise, as well as challenge the social and political order.

Finally, we have seen the rise of ultraconservative groups around the world. The recent rise of ultraconservative Islamist groups, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, has caught the attention of many observers. In countries like Egypt, Tunisia, and Kuwait, ultraconservative groups have gained significant traction and influence.

Following the rise and growth of these ultraconservative groups, Hefaz-

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

at has been provided with yet another incentive to mobilise people in order to “save Islam” from “anti-Islamic” forces.

Hefazat’s rise and growth was sudden, but not unforeseen. The hostile relationship between our two main political parties had long ago left the ideological spectrum available for Islamist political parties such as Hefazat-e-Islam to take advantage of.

As the institutional weaknesses of the state prevail, and gain national and international political opportunities,

groups like Hefazat may re-emerge, with even more power.

As a politically aware person, you know that Hefazat is not just a domestic issue for Bangladesh, rather it is a part of the global phenomenon; and unless our political leaders come to their senses, Bangladesh’s weak institutions and acrimonious political culture combined with political opportunities will reinforce the forceful materialisation of alternative ideologies. l Fahmida Zaman is a freelance contributor.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

WARDA RIHAB on incarnations of Lord Krishna

n Hasan Mansoor Chatak Warda Rihab will perform a Manipuri solo dance at a show dedicated to the Indian traditional dance form in the Chayanaut Auditorium today.

The event, evocatively titled “Nupur Beje Jai,” will also feature several other performers from Dhaka and Sylhet. It will be organised by Sadhona.

Warda will perform a 25-minute-long dance piece titled Dashavatar, re-enacting the mythical incarnations of Lord Krishna who appeared on the earth in ten different forms to save it from being destroyed.

The forms include matsya (fish), kurma (turtle), varaha (wild boar), narashima (half man and half lion), vaman (dwarf), parshuram (man

with an axe), ram (rational man with a bow and arrow), balaram (man with a plough), buddha (enlightened man) and kalki (young man on a horse with a dagger who is yet to appear).

These eventually reflect the evolutionary nature of mankind.

While talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Warda said: “A performer needs to acquire adequate skills to perform this classical piece. I prepared myself for this through long hours of rehearsal.”

The two-time gold medallist from the Rabindra Bharati University further said: “Manipuri dance is part of my life, my career and obsession.”

Warda is currently involved with Chayanaut as a dance trainer as well as with the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre. l

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

MILON with hands full of films

n Hasan Mansoor Chatak

Anisur Rahaman Milon, who is passing a busy time after his leap from television to celluloid, has paired up with Moushumi for a film titled “Ratrir Jatri” – days before his flick “Onek Sadher Moyna” hits the cinemas on November 7.

Though the two actors had worked in a telefilm called “Love Bird” before, this will mark their first pairing on the big screen. About his experience of working with Moushumi, Milon said: “Definitely, I was excited. I was enthralled by her on-screen chemistry with Salman Shah. She is such a nice person, and I’m looking forward to working with her.”

The film “Ratrir Jatri” centres around a woman who sets out on a journey one night. Her past life, including her struggles and escapades with her romantic interest, are shown through flashbacks. The shooting of the film will start sometime in the

next month.

“Onek Sadher Moina” is a remake of “Moynamoti,” a 1969 film starring Kabori and Razzak. The modern version, which only borrowed its theme from the original, depicts a love triangle and stars Mahiya Mahi and Bappy along with Milon. It was directed by Zakir Hossain Raju.

Milon said his character in the remake is striking in that he had to play two “antithetic” roles in it. In the first part of the movie, he plays a docile village boy, while in the second, he is a completely changed person.

With nine films in hands, four of

which awaiting release including “Onek Sadher Moyna,” “Bhalobasa Simahin,” “Prem Korbo Tomar Sathe” and five in production including “One Way,” “Target,” “Blackmail,” “Ratrir Jatri” and “Friendship” – Milon says he wants to establish himself as an “actor-hero” capable of playing diverse roles in mainstream films.

The actor will fly to Nepal with the “Blackmail” team on the first week of November to shoot for two songs. In the film, he will be seem as a boxer along with Bobby and Moushumi Hamid.

About the film, Milon said, “The story of this film is a contemporary one.” l

How to Train Your Dragon Zee Studio, 11:40pm

Ages ago, the young Viking Hiccup lived in a village on the island of Berk. Now the town faces a problem of dragons coming and destroying their town.

The Gods Must Be Crazy Star Movies, 7:30pm

A man from the Sho tribe in the Kalahari Desert comes across a coke bottle that appears to fall from the sky.

Exhibition

Stones

By Hamiduzzaman Khan Time: 11pm to 8pm Gallery Kaya, House 20, Road 16, Sector 4

The Big Bang Theory s7 Zee Cafe, 11:30pm

Film

Annabelle Kistimaat , Amra Korbo Joy Into The Storm Hercules 3D Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3D, Valkyrie Most Welcome 2’ Blockbuster Cinemas Jamuna Future Park

Leonard and Sheldon are brilliant physicists. But none of that genius helps them interact with people, especially women.

New TV series Tin Goyenda begins today n Entertainment Desk A television serial based on “Tin Goyenda” – the popular juvenile detective series books of Sheba Prokashoni – is set to begin on Maasranga TV starting today.

Featuring three friends, Kishore Pasha, Musa Aman and Robin Milford, who form a teenage detective team, the serial will be telecast at 8pm every Tuesday and Wednesday.

The key three roles will be played by Ayan, Kabya, and Badhon, who were selected from more than 3,000 teens auditioned. The top ten performers in the selection

round were shortlisted for a grooming session.

The novels were adapted for television by Mazaharul haque Pintu. Abul Hossain Khokon directed the serial which was filmed in various locations in Cox’s Bazaar and Bandarban.

“Tin Goyenda,” as the name suggests, is the tale of three teenage detectives based in Rocky Beach, a small coastal town of California, USA. It is actually the Bengali translation of the famous English series “The Three Investigators” by Robert Arthur.

Rakib Hassan started this famous series and later Shamsuddin Nawab took over from him. l

A scene from the series ‘Tin Goyenda’

Welcome Back Kotter actress Marcia Strassman dies

n Entertainment Desk US actress Marcia Strassman, best known for her roles in 1970s sitcom “Welcome Back Kotter” and 1989 film “Honey I Shrunk the Kids,” has died aged 66.

Strassman, who played Julie, the wife of Gabe Kaplan’s character in “Welcome Back Kotter,” had been battling breast cancer for seven years.

Her sister Julie said she died at home in Sherman Oaks, California, on Friday.

Singer and actress Cher paid tribute to Strassman, her “funny, talented friend.” Strassman began acting as a teen in New York and in 1966 replaced Liza Minnelli in the off-Broadway musical “Best Foot Forward.”

She moved to Hollywood at 18 and her five-decade career encompassed numerous film and TV roles including nurse Margie Cutler on the first series of “Mash.”

She found fame with “Welcome Back Kotter,” which also gave a big break to fellow cast member John Travolta.

She also starred alongside Rick Moranis in “Honey I Shrunk The Kids” and the sequel “Honey I Blew Up The Kid.” l

CAMERON DIAZ planning her wedding

‘It’s like Ocean’s Eleven meets The Full Monty’

n Entertainment Desk

SHAH RUKH KHAN talks about Happy New Year n Entertainment Desk

Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz has reportedly asked her boyfriend Benji Madden’s sister-in-law, Nicole Richie, to help her plan her wedding.

The 42-year-old “Other Woman” actress, who recently sparked rumours she is engaged to former Good Charlotte rocker after being spotted showing off a new diamond ring at various events in Los Angeles, has turned to his stylist sister-in-law for advice, reported OK! Magazine. “Cam has never been a big fan of weddings, so she has no idea where to start,” a source said.

Diaz and Richie, who have been friends for years, have been scouting Napa Valley in northern California for the perfect venue, as she hopes to tie the knot next spring. Richie, 33, who is married to Benji’s twin brother Joel Madden, approves of the couple’s relationship and was the one who got them together. l

Shah Rukh Khan’s “Happy New Year” has shattered the records of Aamir Khan’s “Dhoom 3” at the Indian box office.

The musical heist drama directed by Farah Khan became the fastest film to earn Rs108.86 crore in just three days of its release while “Dhoom 3” had earned Rs107.61 crore in its opening weekend.

About the dance based film, SRK said: “I haven’t worked for a film about dance other than ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai,’ but it was interesting to add the heist angle. It’s like Ocean’s Eleven meets The Full Monty. As a producer, making difficult films is my thing, so I did it.”

The Bollywood superstar has been working relentlessly for the few weeks to promote the “Happy New Year” whichalso features Deepika Padukone as the leading lady. SRK said: “I’m the happiest while working. We have been travelling like crazy for ‘Happy New Year’; some days, I don’t even know which city I’m in or where I am going next. I’ve decided this is the best way to be. I don’t need to know much. I just want to be on the set and act. That’s my job.”

He recently agreed to do Maneesh Sharma’s “Fan” because he wanted to do a cosy film which is intense yet commercially viable.

“As an actor, I feel that having done a big film, ‘Happy New Year,’ I wanted to do a cosy film which is intense and yet commercially viable. Maneesh came out of the

blue and he reminded me of a subject he had narrated eight years ago.” Shah Rukh also said that he is not sure if “Fan” will become a blockbuster hit but he would be happy to do the film.

“I don’t know whether the film (Fan) will do Rs 200 crores business or not, but I have to be in a similar state of mind as the director who wants to cast me.” l

Theatre production Johny Got His Gun, adapted from American novelist and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo’s novel with the same title, was staged at the EMK Centre on Sunday evening. A production of Stage One Dhaka, the play is directed by Dominic Gomes KHAN HASAN MD RAFI

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Sport

Only two other left-arm spinners have better figures than Taijul Islam in Tests. Rangana Herath and Johnny Briggs have returned figures of 9 for 127 and 8 for 11, making Taijul’s performance the third-best by a left-arm spinner in a Test innings

BD v ZIM, DAY 3 Zimbabwe 1st innings 240 (Sikandar Raza 51; Shakib Al Hasan 6-59) Bangladesh 1st innings 254 (Mominul Haque 53, M. Mahmudullah 63, Mushfiqur Rahim 64; T. Panyangara 5-59)

Zimbabwe 2nd innings:

Break 14-match losing streak to take 1-0 lead in the series Resuming the third day’s play on five without loss, n Bangladesh required early breakthroughs and Taijul pro-

MUMIT M

Taylor proud of the effort n Mazhar Uddin Zimbabwe skipper Brendan Taylor was not upset or sad over the narrow three-wicket defeat in their first Test, but hailed his team’s fighting spirit against the home side in Mirpur yesterday. The visitors, despite setting a small target of 101 for Bangladesh, literally pulled a rabbit out of the hat before the heroics from Taijul Islam saved the blushes for the hosts.

Taylor, unbeaten on 45, admitted they batted poorly and felt they were around 50 runs short in their second innings.

“We have been saying 150 would have been very interesting. But at the end of the day, we batted badly and did not deserve to win the game,” said the 28-year-old.

“Losing the match always hurts.

We can be proud of the way we fought and tried to defend 100 runs but being bowled out for 114, that’s what hurts the most. We were very disappointing.

The way we got out, we didn’t really show any fight. At the end of the day, if we are not going to put runs on the board and put a prize on our wickets, we are not going to win too many games,” Taylor added. l

vided just that as the left-arm spinner dismissed both the Zimbabwe openers – Vusi Sibanda (14) and Regis Chakabva (10).

The lad from Natore continued his demolition act throughout Zimbabwe’s second innings, maintaining a tight line and accuracy and picking up wickets just when the opposition batsmen were settling in. Zimbabwe never recovered from the carnage caused by Taijul as a hapless Brendan Taylor was unbeaten at the end on 45. The Zimbabwean skipper was the only batsman who put up any sort of assistance.

Prior to the start of the first of three Test matches between the two teams, Taylor had said Bangladesh’s spin attack would be the main threat. His worst nightmare was realised as the Bangladesh spinners accounted for 18 of the 20 wickets.

However, with 17 wickets falling on the third day, the chase was never going to be easy for the home side. And they began their reply in the worst manner possible. The top-order – Tamim Iqbal, Shamsur Rahman and Mominul Haque – perished without troubling the scorers. This was only the third instance in the 137-year of Test history that the top-order departed without a single run on the board.

The fourth-wicket pair of Shakib al Hasan (15) and Mahmudullah (28), however, calmed things down adding 46 runs. The duo though were living dangerously as both were dropped by John Nyumbu.

Bangladesh were soon in trouble, reeling at 62/6 after Shakib, Mahmudullah and Shuvagata Hom (nought) made their way to the dressing room.

Alongside paceman Shahadat Hossain (11) and Taijul, Mushfiq ensured that there was to be no more jitters as Bangladesh took a 1-0 lead going into the second Test in Khulna starting from November 3. l

All-round Taijul stays modest n Mazhar Uddin Alongside Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim, the record-breaking Taijul Islam guided the struggling Tigers to only their fifth win in Test matches as they registered a narrow three-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the third day of the first Test at Mirpur yesterday.

Mushfiq was undefeated on 23 while the youngster was unbeaten on 15 as the hosts stuttered before eventually chasing down their target of 101 in the post-tea session. The winning runs came from Taijul’s willow, a pull shot finding the square-leg boundary.

Taijul had a day to remember as his record haul of 8/39, the best bowling figure in an innings by a Bangladeshi bowler and also the third best bowling figure by a left-arm spinner, helped to dismiss Zimbabwe in their second innings for a paltry 114 thus paving the way for the Tigers’ first Test win in 18 months. This was also the second best bowling figure in a Test match by a Bangladeshi bowler, just behind Enamul Haque Jr’s 12-wicket haul against the same opponents nearly a decade ago.

Typically a shy person, the 22-year old cricketer from Natore was not quite

over the moon in the post-day press conference although he had every right to be given his heroics.

“For me, winning for the team felt really good,” quipped Taijul. “Obviously it feels really good. I could not do well in the last innings. I thought a lot about it and I thought that I had to do well because there is a lot of fight in this team,” he added.

Though the bowling-friendly pitch played a vital role behind his success, Taijul informed that no matter what the wicket’s condition is, he always look to bowl in the right areas.

“No matter what kind of a wicket I am bowling on, I have to bowl in the right ar-

eas which is my main goal,” he said.

Taijul surpassed the previous best bowling figure belonging to Shakib al Hasan who took 7/36 against New Zealand back in 2008. The youngster stated that he only came to know about the record later.

Tigers skipper Mushfiq also praised Taijul’s all-round performance.

“The way Taijul has been working in the last four months, his hunger and eagerness, these are the reasons behind his success and that is why he deserves this. The support which Shakib, Jubair [Hossain] and Shahadat [Hossain] gave him also mattered. That made it easier for him,” said Mushfiq. l

BEST BOWLING FIGURE IN AN INNINGS FOR BANGLADESH

Player Figure Taijul Islam 8/39 Shakib al Hasan 7/36 Enamul Haque Jr 7/95 Shahadat Hossain 6/27 Enamul Haque Jr 6/45 Shakib al Hasan 6/59 Robiul Islam 6/71 Sohag Gazi 6/74 Mohammad Rafique 6/77 Sohag Gazi 6/77

Opponent Zimbabwe New Zealand Zimbabwe South Africa Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Zimbabwe West Indies South Africa New Zealand

13

Did you know?

Record-breaking Taijul saves Tigers Hosts Bangladesh, who only boasted a slender 14-run first innings lead that was later frittered down to nine by Zimbabwe following the conclusion of the second day’s play, could not have asked for a better start in the third day of the first Test at Mirpur yesterday.

The home side, riding high on the heroic efforts of young 22-year old spinner Taijul Islam, restricted the visitors to 114-all out giving Bangladesh an uncomplicated target of 101 runs.

The Bangladesh batsmen, however, made a meal of the relatively easy target as they found themselves stuttering at 82/7, still 19 runs shy of victory with three wickets in hand.

Taijul (15 not out) though came up trumps once again as he, alongside skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (23 not out), guided the Tigers to a rare three-wicket win, their first Test triumph in 18 months. The winning runs – a boundary through the square-leg region – came off Taijul’s bat who earlier recorded the best bowling figure in an innings by a Bangladeshi bowler. The crowd at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium started celebrating but the Bangladesh players though will be more relieved than joyous as they broke the 14-match losing streak across all formats of cricket.

Several more feats were created and broken on an eventful day for Bangladesh cricket. Through this victory, Bangladesh registered their first Test win at home after almost a decade. Other than two victories over Nepal and Afghanistan in the fifth edition of the ICC World Twenty20 earlier this year, this was only Bangladesh’s third win in 2014 across all the three formats. Most of the plaudits will no doubt be reserved for Taijul who took 8/39 to skittle Zimbabwe out in their second innings for a lowly 114.

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Venue SBNS ZACS BNS SBNS MAAS SBNS Harare SBNS SBNS ZACS

Year 2014 2008 2005 2008 2005 2014 2013 2012 2003 2013

V. Sibanda c Rahim b Taijul 14 R. Chakabva c Shamsur b Taijul 10 H. Masakadza b Shahadat 5 S. Raza c Shakib b Taijul 25 B. Taylor not out 45 E. Chigumbura c Shuvagata b Taijul 0 C. Ervine lbw b Taijul 10 J. Nyumbu c Rahim b Shakib 1 T. Panyangara c Shamsur b Taijul 0 T. Chatara lbw b Taijul 4 T. Kamungozi c Rahim b Taijul 0 Extras 0

Total (all out; 35.5 overs)

114

Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Sibanda), 2-24 (Masakadza), 3-53(Raza), 4-58 (Chakabva), 5-58 (Chigumbura), 6-92 (Ervine), 7-93 (Nyumbu), 8-104 (Panyangara), 9-114 (Chatara), 10-114 (Kamungozi) Bowling: Shahadat 8-2-25-1, Shakib 10-244-1, Taijul 16.5-7-39-8, Jubair 1-0-6-0.

Bangladesh 2nd innings: Tamim Iqbal c Taylor b Chigumbura 0 Shamsur Rahman b Panyangara 0 Mominul Haque c and b Chigumbura 0 M. Mahmudullah b Chigumbura 28 Shakib Al Hasan c Nyumbu b Chatara 15 Mushfiqur Rahim not out 23 Shuvagata Hom c Chakabva b Chigumbura 0 Shahadat Hossain c Taylor b Panyangara 11 Taijul Islam not out 15 Extras (b4, w5) 9

Total (for seven wickets; 33.3 overs) 101 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Tamim), 2-0 (Shamsur), 0-3 (Mominul), 4-46 (Shakib), 5-62 (Mahmudullah), 6-62 (Shuvagata), 7-82 (Shahadat) Bowling: Chigumbura 10.3-4-21-4, Panyangara 8-2-30-2, Chatara 8-2-34-1 (w5), Kamungozi 5-1-7-0, Raza 1-0-1-0, Nyumbu 1-0-4-0 Bangladesh won by three wickets.

Toss: Zimbabwe Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), S. Ravi (IND) TV umpire: Billy Bowden (NZL) Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

Don’t make Taijul feel like a big player: Mushfiqur n Minhaz Uddin Khan The result was all that mattered to Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim as he kept the three-wicket win ahead of their disastrous effort to chase the mediocre target set by Zimbabwe in Mirpur yesterday.

“If you see this from both aspects, I think this Test match win is a big deal because for a team like us, we don’t get too many wins,” said Mushfiqur at the post-match conference before adding, “We lost a number of matches this year despite going so close. So we are happy that we managed to hold the nerve in this match, right till the end. We wanted to win and overcome and that has happened.

The 26-year-old, however, looked at their scary time as a positive and said, “In the end a win is a win and we feel confident. Had we won this game easily then there would have been a number of areas regarding which we would have forgotten about. So at least now we know that we have a number of areas to work on.”

The Bangladesh captain expressed

his faith in Taijul Islam, the hero behind their win, and urged the media not to take the 22-year-old to seventh heaven as he still has a long way to go.

“Many cricketers have performed like this in the past and he (Taijul) will perform like this in the future as well.

I have one request for you all as the Bangladesh captain that when a young cricketer performs this way, please don’t do anything that makes him think that he is a big player and thinks big of himself. This is a normal thing, because he gets paid and so do I and it is our job,” said Mushfiqur.

Prior to the game, Mushfiqur had stated taking 20 Zimbabwean wickets will be key to a win and though his demands were met, he wasn’t happy about the batting effort they have been putting in.

“No doubt batting is a point we are concerned of. We were saying that we needed 20 wickets to win a Test, but I think what was more important for us was to put the runs on the board. The partnership in the top order is very important, hopefully it will take place in the next match,” he said. l

Emily seals win, series for Bangladesh n Shishir Hoque from Rajshahi

Hemanta Vincent Biswas (2L), the Bangladesh midfielder invades the Sri Lankan territory in the second match of the SS Steel Fifa International Friendly at Rajshahi yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

The Bangladesh football team gave the country double cause for celebration as following the cricket team’s Test victory after 18 months, the footballers also bagged their first home win after the same duration as they defeated Sri Lanka 1-0 at the Muktijuddho Smrity Stadium in Rajshahi yesterday.

Experienced forward Jahid Hasan Emily struck the all-important goal from the spot in the second and final game as the hosts claimed the SS Steel Fifa international friendly series after the first game in Jessore ended in a 1-1 draw.

The last time Bangladesh won an international game was back in March, 2013 against the Northern Mariana Islands. Thanks to Emily who scored his 18th international goal in his 55th match,

the hosts recorded a much-awaited victory in front of a jam-packed crowd of nearly 30,000. The stadium in the north-western region of the country has a capacity of around 20,000 and the spectators in the overcrowded venue barely settled on their seats as Emily gave Bangladesh the lead in just the third minute.

The Lankans had no reply to the hosts’ dominative display as the fans present in the venue, hosting its first international game after 22 years, went home content after witnessing an impressive performance from the home side.

Bangladesh coach Saiful Bari Titu replaced Mithun Chowdhury and Ariful from their previous XI and put in expatriate footballer Jamal Bhuiyan and Sohel Rana, but the best player on the pitch was without any

doubt right winger Zahid Hossain who entertained the crowd with his wide array of skills and created a couple of chances.

It took Emily less than a minute to register his first shot on target but his header following a Mamunul corner was cleared by Sri Lanka defender Kumara at the goal-line.

A minute later, Roshan brought down skipper Mamunul Islam as Emily sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to get the early lead.

The hosts’ rhythm though was slightly disrupted when talismanic midfielder Mamunul was substituted due to a back muscle injury.

Emily had two glorious opportunities to double the lead 10 minutes into the second half, but the score remained unchanged which was enough reasons for a wild celebration. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Nikola erupts like a volcano, Titu hails his charges n Shishir Hoque from Rajshahi Sri Lanka head coach Nikola Kavazovic erupted like a volcano during the postmatch conference following their 1-0 defeat in the second Fifa international friendly to hosts Bangladesh in Rajshahi yesterday.

The Serbian’s one minute and 45 seconds stay at the press conference started with good wishes for the Bangladesh side and the warm welcome for their team before Kavazovic burst in emotions and said, “It’s my message to all boys and girls in the world, they should stop playing football because in football, there are many corrupted evil, bad people and if they continue to play football, they will suffer in prime, like my kids.”

“So my message will be to stop to play football tomorrow immediately.

Kids, go and play some other sports where you are depending your own destiny. Because in football, bad and evil and ugly and stupid people are deciding your destiny and you cannot do anything,” he continued, It was assumed that a controversial decision from the match referee was the reason behind the fuming Sri Lankan coach. In the 27th minute of the game, Bangladesh goalkeeper Rasel

Mahmud brought down the opponent captain Sanjeewa just outside the box which looked like a straight red card, but the referee only cautioned Rasel.

The journalists present did not get any opportunity to ask any further questions as Kavazovic left immediately. The Sri Lanka manager EB Anthony, however, apologised for his coach’s speech and said the coach was “upset” after the loss and thus exploded in anger.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Saiful Bari Titu was a pleased coach and was happy with the “entertaining” performance that his charges staged. He refused to comment on his counterpart and rather credited his players for the result.

However, he also said, “Coaches are never satisfied (with the result). I would have been happier had the result been 2-0 or 3-0, but I respect the effort of the players.”

“We didn’t get as many open scoring chances as we got in Jessore. The goal came from a penalty, one of Emily’s headers went just wide off the target.

Sohel’s kick was blocked. We played according to plans, the end result, the goals were not many,” he added.

He hailed his winger Zahid and striker Emily and at the same time expressed of grooming more strikers for the future. l

A big section of crowd watch the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka match while many witness from the adjacent rooftop at Rajshahi’s Muktijuddho Smrity Stadium yesterday

Van Gaal unhappy with ‘stupid’ Van Persie n AFP, Manchester Louis van Gaal labelled compatriot Robin van Persie “stupid” after his celebrations in scoring a dramatic late equaliser for Manchester United in their 1-1 draw at home to Premier League leaders Chelsea saw the experienced Dutch striker booked.

Van Gaal looked on course to fall to a defeat against Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who worked under him for three years at Barcelona, until van Persie struck in the 94th minute at Old Trafford on Sunday.

But while van Gaal was obviously relieved to have secured what he felt was a deserved point, he was not so impressed with his star forward’s response in celebrating the dramatic goal.

“You have seen a stupid reaction after the goal,” said van Gaal. “You can be excited but you don’t have to pull your shirt off. Then you have a yellow card, that is not so smart. But yes, we deserved a point. Mourinho knows that also.

“I said to the boys, it wasn’t our best performance and that’s a pity because in

these moments you have to show yourself against the better teams,” the veteran Dutch manager added of a result that left his side 10 points behind Chelsea.

Van Persie was one of nine players booked during the match, a surprisingly high figure given the non-violent nature of the contest, to go with Branislav Ivanovic’s red card, for a second yellow, after his foul on Angel di Maria led to the free-kick that presented van Persie with his chance to equalise.

And the performance of referee Phil Dowd certainly irritated Mourinho, although the Chelsea manager was careful not to make direct criticism for fear of falling foul of Football Association disciplinary procedures.

“I did five interviews and in all five, the first question was my comments on the referee,” he explained. “I told them, my comment is that when five ask me the same thing, I don’t need to answer.

“I prefer not to speak about the (Ivanovic) second yellow card because if I have to speak about the second yellow card then I have to start in the first half,” the Portuguese manager added.

“I have to go through many things that happened in the first half -- the penalty on Ivanovic, the accumulation of yellow cards, the fouls he (Dowd) was not giving, the throw-ins just in front of me and he and the linesman kept giving them in the other direction.

“Chelsea was fantastic and even in these circumstances then even more credit for my players. The result is not the result we came for. We came to win and we showed that from the first minute.

The performance is always fantastic, the result not so good, but acceptable,” said Mourinho, whose team now lead second-placed Southampton by four points.

United will not have long to rest on their laurels with a visit to Eastlands for the Manchester derby against reigning English champions City next weekend and van Gaal does not know how his team will respond to a creditable performance against Chelsea.

“You cannot predict,” he said. “But I am a crazy coach and I said to the players after the match, normally you have to play your best against the best teams but we did not do that today. l

Bayern drop points at plucky Gladbach n AFP, Berlin

South Africa captain Meyiwa shot dead

Leaders Bayern Munich dropped their first Bundesliga points for over a month after being held to a goalless draw at second-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach in Sunday’s high-tempo clash.

Gladbach threatened to inflict a first defeat of the season on Pep Guardiola’s Bavarians despite less than 30 percent possession.

The hosts’ tactics were to soak up Bayern’s pressure and hit the league leaders on the counter in an intense game and it nearly paid off.

Earlier, VfL Wolfsburg moved up to third after inflicting Mainz’s first defeat of the season on their guests with a 3-0 win.

Goals by Naldo, Ivan Perisic and Daniel Caliguri gave the hosts the three points. l

n AFP, Johannesburg

BUNDESLIGA VfL Wolfsburg

3-0

Mainz 05

0-0

Bayern Munich

Naldo 15, Perisic 59, Caligiuri 87

M’gladbach

South Africa and Orlando Pirates captain and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was shot dead late Sunday near Johannesburg, a police spokesman told AFP, with club officials describing his slaying as a “loss to the nation”.

Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale said Meyiwa, 27, was gunned down at a house in Vosloorus, a township about 30 kilometres south of the city, and declared dead on admission to hospital.

Police later said there were seven people inside the house, including Meyiwa, when two suspects entered and another remained outside.

Makgale said that the motive behind the attack remained unclear The incident happened at around 2000 SA time (1800 GMT) in Vosloorus township, added police who did not comment on some media reports that the shooting was sparked by a row over a mobile phone.

Lyon end Marseille win streak n AFP, Paris

Olympique Lyon midfielder Yoann Gourcuff (R) shoots to score against Olympique Marseille during their French Ligue 1 match at the Gerland stadium in Lyon on Sunday REUTERS

LIGUE 1

Lyon snapped Marseille’s eight-game winning streak on Sunday thanks to a second half goal from Yoann Gourcuff which threw the Ligue 1 title race wide open.

The hard-fought 1-0 win at the Stade Gerland was harsh on Marcelo Bielsa’s men, who dominated for large periods of the second half but were caught out by a counter-attack with 25 minutes left.

Marseille saw their lead at the top reduced to four points over defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, who brushed aside Bordeaux 3-0 on Saturday, while Lyon move ahead of Saint-Etienne into third on goal difference with both sides five points adrift.

Nantes are alone in fifth, and six back, after the Canaries won 2-0 at second-from-bottom Evian on Saturday.

The last time Marseille reached eight victories in a row, it was Lyon

Rennes

2-0

Lille

Habibou 46, Doucoure 54

Saint-Etienne

1-0

Metz

2-7

Nice

Gradel 74

Guingamp Beauvue 8, Schwartz 70

Lyon

Carlos Eduardo 12, 26, 43, 50, 64, Plea 45+1, Bautheac 72

1-0

Marseille

Gourcuff 65

who broke their streak back in 1998.

Gourcuff scored the crucial goal on 65 minutes, against the run of the play, when Lyon completely split open the Marseille rearguard. Alexandre Lacazette picked up the ball on the left flank and found Gourcuff in acres of space just outside the box and the former Bordeaux playmaker was able to tee up his shot before firing past Steve Mandanda into the roof of the goal. l

SHISHIR HOQUE

Senzo Meyiwa Pirates, one of the most popular and successful South African football clubs, also confirmed that the player had been killed. “@Orlando_Pirates family has learned with sadness of the untimely death of our number 1 keeper & captain Senzo Meyiwa,” the club tweeted. l

Mystery over Villa’s Australian stint n AFP, Sydney Spanish star David Villa is leaving Australia this week just four matches into an expected 10-game loan stint with Melbourne City.

While the club has not revealed the reasons for Villa’s early departure back to New York City, a combination of football, family and marketing reasons are thought to be behind his exit.

Villa’s family has been settling in the United States while he plays in Melbourne. New York City FC, who like Melbourne City are owned by English champions Manchester City, are meanwhile expecting him to fulfil promotional obligations before the start in March of the US Major League Soccer season.

John Aloisi, who preceded John van`t Schip as coach of Melbourne City, said the reasons for the World Cup winner’s departure remained unclear. l

Sevilla go top, Atletico win Hat-trick for Higuain, stormy win for Inter n AFP, Madrid

Sevilla moved joint top of La Liga alongside Barcelona as two late goals from Denis Suarez and Carlos Bacca gave them a 2-1 win over Villarreal on Sunday.

Champions Atletico Madrid also moved to within two pointes of the leaders as they were 1-0 victors at 10man Getafe thanks to Mario Mandzukic’s first-half goal.

Villarreal seemed set to take all three points when substitute Luciano Vietto clipped home Cani’s pass to open the scoring 11 minutes from time.

However, Suarez slotted home a loose ball inside the area two minutes from time and Bacca converted from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time after Giovani Dos Santos had up-

ended Benoit Tremoulinas.

Atletico made it three wins and three clean sheets in a week as they won a bad-tempered Madrid derby at Getafe.

The visitors were the better side in the opening 45 minutes but had been largely restricted to shots from distance as Vicente Guaita saved from Antoine Griezmann and Raul Garcia. l

LA LIGA Malaga

4-0

Rayo Vallecano

Samuel 6 Darder 21, Juanmi 45, Amrabat 49-P

Espanyol

0-0

Deportivo

2-1

Villarreal

Sevilla Suarez 88, Bacca 93-P

Getafe

0-1

Vietto 79

Atletico Madrid Mandzukic 40

n Reuters, Milan

Gonzalo Higuain burst into life by scoring a hat-trick in the final half hour, his first league goals of the season, to help Rafael Benitez’s erratic Napoli thrash Verona 6-2 in Serie A on Sunday.

Troubled Inter Milan scrambled a 1-0 win at Cesena thanks to a controversial first-half penalty and sending-off and leaders Juventus put their European problems behind them with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to a tame Palermo.

Elsewhere, thirty-seven-year old Antonio Di Natale scored his fifth goal of the season, an exquisite curled effort, and Cyril Thereau was also on target in Udinese’s 2-0 home win over Atalanta which left them joint third with Sampdoria on 16 points.

Chile forward Mauricio Pinilla missed

a second-half penalty but then scored an 84th-minute winner as Genoa beat Chievo 2-1, handing the home team’s new coach Rolando Maran a losing start.

Ex-Germany forward Miroslav Klose gave Lazio a 2-1 win over Torino in Rome, his first goal of the season, and Fernando Torres started on the bench,

SERIE A Cesena

0-1

coming on in the 80th minute, in AC Milan’s 1-1 draw at home to Fiorentina.

Seventh-placed Napoli could not have made a worse start when Emil Hallfredsson volleyed Verona ahead in the first minute but Napoli responded well, took

control and were rewarded when Marek Hamsik equalised just before halftime.

The Slovakian pounced again to give Napoli a 57th-minute lead and, although Nicolas Lopez levelled, it was the cue for Higuain to spring into action. l

Inter Milan Icardi 32-pen

Lazio

2-1

Biglia 15, Klose 60

Napoli

Torino Farnerud 53

6-2

Verona

Hamsik 44, 58, Higuain 68, 84, 90+1-pen, Callejon 76

Halfredsson 1, Lopez 66

1-1

Fiorentina

AC Milan De Jong 25

Ilicic 64

Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain celebrates his third goal against Verona on Sunday

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

BHF clears Rana, Bansal set to be new coach

Anamul in, Al Amin out for 2nd Test n Tribune Desk

n Raihan Mahmood

Top-order batsman Anamul Haque Bijoy was included while paceman Al Amin Hossain was omitted from the Bangladesh squad announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday for the second Test against Zimbabwe scheduled for November 3 in Khulna.

Squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain, wk),Tamim Iqbal (vice captain), Shakib al Hasan, Shamsur Rahman, Mominul Haque, Rubel Hossain, Shuvagata Hom, Mahmudullah, Shafiul Islam, Jubair Hossain, Shahadat Hossain, Marshal Ayub, Taijul Islam, Anamul Haque. l

BD v ZIM, 1ST TEST

IN NUMBERS

8/39

Taijul Islam’s figures during Zimbabwe’s second innings, the best ever for a Bangladesh bowler in Tests. The previous record, which stood for six years, was held by Shakib Al Hasan, who had taken 7 for 36 against New Zealand in Chittagong.

1

Number of international games that Bangladesh have won against any Full Member in 2014. Their only other victories in 2014 have come in T20Is against Nepal and Afghanistan.

6

2 Number of years since the top three batsmen have all scored ducks in a Test innings. Tamim Iqbal, Shamsur Rahman and Mominul Haque scored ducks during Bangladesh’s second innings. The only other teams to have suffered this fate are Australia and India, in 1888 and 1952 respectively.

5

Number of times that a team has lost three wickets without scoring a run in a Test innings. Apart from Bangladesh today, India, Pakistan, Australia and Zimbabwe have also found themselves in such a situation.

2

Number of left-arm spinners who have better figures than Taijul Islam in Tests. Rangana Herath and Johnny Briggs have returned figures of 9 for 127 and 8 for 11, making Taijul’s performance the third-best by a left-arm spinner in a Test innings.

4

Number of wickets taken by Elton Chigumbura during the fourth innings. His figures of 4 for 21 are the second-best by a pacer in the fourth innings of a Test in Bangladesh. Only Tino Best has taken five wickets.

17

Number of wickets to fall on the third day - seven Bangladesh wickets and ten Zimbabwe wickets. The most wickets to fall in a single day during a Test match played in Bangladesh is 18 - on the third day of the Test between South Africa and Bangladesh, at Dhaka, in 2003.

2

Number of Tests Bangladesh have won in the last five years, the fewest for any team. Bangladesh have played 25 Tests in this period.

Zimbabwe, who have won the next fewest, have won three of their 12 Tests in this period.

16

Number of wickets taken

by Bangladesh’s left-arm spinners - seven by Shakib and nine

by Taijul. This is the second-most wickets taken by left-arm spinners from one team in a Test. The most wickets by left-arm spin is 17, by England, against India, in 1934.

3

Number of wickets by which Bangladesh won. This is the joint-smallest margin of victory, in terms of wickets, for a Test match in Bangladesh. Bangladesh have previously lost at home to New Zealand and Australia by three wickets.

Switzerland tennis player Roger Federer poses together with the tournament’s ball boys and girls as they eat pizza, after he won his final match against Belgium’s David Goffin at the Swiss Indoors ATP tennis tournament in Basel on Sunday REUTERS

Federer targets number one spot n AFP, Paris Roger Federer is taking his battle with Novak Djokovic for the world number one spot down to the wire as he arrives at the Paris Masters, which begins on Monday as the hottest player on Tour.

While the fight for the top place going to the final tournaments of the season, there is also a sub-plot set to unravel with the newly refurbished Bercy Arena set to determine the final eight places for London.

The Swiss 17-time Grand Slam winner won his 82nd career tournament and sixth title at Basel on Sunday, extending his winning streak to 12 matches and record for the year to a Tour best of 66 wins against 10 defeats.

Djokovic has been absent in recent weeks after his wife gave birth to their first child, a boy named Stefan last week, while his lead over Federer has

been slashed to fewer than 500 points with 2,500 up for grabs at Paris and the season-ending World Tour Finals in London.

On top of that, the 33-year-old can also pick up further points when he plays the Davis Cup final for Switzerland against France which begins on November 21 in Lille.

“It would be very special to reclaim number one,” said Federer.

“World No. 1 is what it’s all about in our game and with the year I have had and the amount of finals I have played, the level of tennis I have played, I am pleased to see that I have a shot.

“But having a shot and being there are two separate things. I am sure that Novak is going to come in very motivated, just after having become a father. I am very happy for him. There are clearly interesting weeks ahead.”

World number three Rafael Nadal is

out for the season as he gets set to have an appendix operation while Swiss number two Stan Wawrinka is guaranteed his place in London and Croat Marin Cilic, ranked seven, qualifies automatically as US Open champion.

British two-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray has also hit top form coming to Paris and outlasted Spaniard Tommy Robredo on Sunday, saving five match points on the way to his third win of the season in 3 hours 20 minutes, the longest ATP final of the year.

The victory for the 27-year-old Scot was his 20th match in five weeks, but lifted him into fifth in the race to London, ahead of Japan’s Kei Nishikori, Czech Republic’s Thomas Berdych and David Ferrer of Spain.

Canada’s Milos Raonic, a beaten quarter-finalist against rising Belgian star David Goffin at Basel, and the player Federer defeated in straight sets in

the final, needs a strong showing coming in at ten, while Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov is also in the running, starting the week at number 11.

Federer has had a superb season and will now be looking to get his extended family installed in the French capital as well as recovering from his efforts in Basel where he won a sixth title.

“That’s actually the goal for the next day or two,” said the father of two sets of twins. “It’s not a small job,” said Federer who has won three of his past four tournaments.

“I’m looking forward to Paris, I enjoy playing there,” added 2011 winner Federer who lost a year ago to Djokovic in the semi-finals.

“I played well last year so let’s see how it’s gonna go. I play probably on Wednesday (after a bye). I might be a little tired but there’s still an opportunity to recover once we get in the city. l

The Bangladesh Hockey Federation withdrew the suspension of midfielder Quamruzzaman Rana in a governing body meeting yesterday. The meeting also decided to appoint Indian coach Ajay Kumar Bansal as the new Bangladesh coach for three months provided he accepts all the terms and conditions.

The hockey federation last year in November suspended Russel Mahmud Jimmy, Zahid Hossain and Imran Hasan Pintu from the national side for three years and banned the trio from hockey activities for two seasons. Rana was suspended for two years from the national team and banned from the local arena for a season. All the four players appealed to the federatiom for clemency and the federation responded by withdrawing their bans gradually. Rana was the first player to see his ban withdrawn.

Hockey federation general secretary Khwaja Rahamatullah confirmed the development. “We accepted the working committee’s recommendation,” said Rahamatullah. As far as Bansal is concerned, Rahmatullah said the Indian coach’s first assignment will be the World Hockey League Round 2.

It is mentionable that Bansal last year asked for a salary worth $3500 per month when the federation was looking for a coach.

Bansal guided the Indian youth team to the Junior Asia Cup title in 2008 and was at the helm of the national team during the 2008 Azlan Shah Cup where India finished runners-up. Many of the current Indian hockey players including Dilip Tirkey and Deepak Thakur are his disciples. He also won the title of the Premier Hockey League with Orissa Steelers. l

Rain ends NZ-SA third ODI n AFP, Hamilton

The third one-day international between New Zealand and South Africa was abandoned on Monday after heavy rain forced the players from the field.

South Africa, batting first, were 157-3 in the 31st over when the rain began in Hamilton and the match was officially called off three hours later with no sign of the weather clearing. Quinton de Kock was not out 80 with captain AB de Villiers on 33 while Matt Henry took two for 40 off eight overs for New Zealand. l

Pakistan defeat puts fire Murray outlasts Robredo in tense in Australian bellies final to win Valencia title n Reuters Australia captain Michael Clarke said his team would be fired up by defeat in the first test against Pakistan but clearly needed to improve in all facets of the game to square the series later this week.

The defeat by 221 runs in Dubai on Sunday was Australia’s second in five tests this year, a run which included the last victory in their 5-0 home Ashes triumph and their 2-1 series win in South Africa.

“Any time we lose a game it breeds fire in your belly, you don’t like losing,” Clarke told reporters in Dubai.

“Australians in general don’t like losing so we’ve got a couple of days to prepare as well as we can and we’ll look forward to that second test match.

“Pakistan deserve a lot of credit for the way they played over the full five days. But we know we can play a lot better and we look forward to showing that in the second test match.”

Clarke said he had been proud of the defiance Steve Smith (55) and Mitchell Johnson (61) showed on the final day, which Australia started on 59 for four

chasing 438 for an improbable victory.

“I’m obviously very disappointed with the result but really impressed by the way Steve Smith and Mitchell Johnson in particular showed a lot of grit today,” he added.

“They fought their backsides off and that’s part of the Australian way, I guess, we weren’t going to turn up here and throw our wickets away. We were going to fight really hard and I think those two played really well in tough conditions.”

That said, Clarke was clear that a big improvement was required if Australia were to get back to winning ways in the second test, which starts in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

“We were outplayed in all three facets of the game, our fielding wasn’t as good as it needs to be,” he said.

“I think we’ve got to keep trying to find a way to take wickets, keep looking at footage of Pakistan players.

“I think we can know their players a little bit better. But it’s about execution, it doesn’t matter how much information you have, if you don’t execute, you are not going to get the rewards.” l

n AFP, Valencia Andy Murray saved five match points to win his third title in the past month by beating Tommy Robredo 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (10/8) in a marathon Valencia Open final on Sunday.

Murray had also saved five match points to beat Robredo in the final in Shenzhen last month, but appeared to be suffering from the exertions of playing his 20th match in 28 days when he dropped the first set.

However, the Scot somehow ground out the victory as he saved match points in both tie-breaks in the second and third sets to seal his 31st career title in the longest ATP final of the year after three hours and 19 minutes.

Victory is also a huge boost to Murray’s hopes of making the ATP World Tour finals as he moves up to fifth in the Race to London standings with just the Paris Masters next week to come.

“Unbelievable match, (he’s a) great fighter,” said an exhausted Murray.

“He’s 32 now and in unbelievable shape, he’s still improving. I don’t know what else to say, but I have a lot

British’s Andy Murray celebrates spraying champagne after beating Spain’s Tommy Robredo at the ATP Valencia tennis Open on Sunday AFP of respect for you and I’m sorry about today.”

Robredo, meanwhile, paid tribute to Murray’s never say die attitude.

“He is so tough, he has more lives than a cat. Players like him don’t gift you anything, to beat them you have to play a spectacular match,” said the

world number 21. Robredo seemed on course for his first title in 15 months as he broke a seemingly shattered Murray twice to take the first set.

Murray responded by breaking at the start of the second, but Robredo broke back to level at 4-4 and take it into a tie-break. l

EWU Intra Soccer final today n Tribune Desk

5

Number of double-wicket maidens bowled by Zimbabwe bowlers in 2013 and 2014, in eight Tests. Elton Chigumbura bowled one today, dismissing Mahmudullah and Shuvagata Hom. From 2001 to 2012 Zimbabwe played 39 Tests, and their bowlers only bowled four double-wicket maidens in that period.

DAY’S WATCH Star Sports 2 7:30PM Indian Super League Chennai v Mumbai 1:45AM Italian Serie A Sassuolo v Empoli

15

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Channel 24 exult with the Pepsi-Dru Cricket title with ICC President AHM Mustafa Kamal after beating Jamuna TV yesterday COURTESY

The quarter-final line-up of the East West University Intra Soccer Championship was sealed yesterday. Department of Social Relations, Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, Department of Pharmacy, Department of Economics, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, MBA and two teams from the Department of Business Administration confirmed their progress in the nine-a-side tournament at the Army Museum Field in Bijoy Sharani.

Hat-trick hero Joy Clive of Department of Business Administration was the stand out performer on the penultimate day that saw 24 goals scored from seven matches. l

An action from the match between ECE and Dept of Pharmacy in the EWU Intra Soccer Championship at the Army Museum Field yesterday COURTESY

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

‘Restraining child marriage still a challenge’ Draft of law to restrain child marriage to be finalised soon, state minister says n Abid Azad A 13-year-old girl from Char Kharua village in Lalmonirhat, a northern Bangladesh district, came to attend the Bangladesh Girl Summit 2014 in the capital yesterday, where she recounted her bitter experience of being forced to marry.

Sharing her story during a session of life story telling at the event, she said she was forced to sign a paper by Abdur Rahim, a 35-year-old man.

“He threatened to harm my family if I refused,” she said.

Later, she learnt that it was a marriage contract, and after a month she was freed from the marriage with the help a local journalist and police.

“I want to continue my education and become a lawyer, so that I can help people and also prevent child marriage,” she said while addressing the event.

“Child marriage is still a big challenge for our country, as different statistics indicate. Most importantly, child marriage is one of the barriers against women empowerment,” said Meher Afroz Chumki, state minister for women and children affairs, while addressing the summit as chief guest.

According to data on child marriage collected by Brac, Bangladesh has the highest rate of child marriage in South Asia at 65% and ranks fourth in the world for the prevalence of the practice.

“Here, we all know about the ill effects of child marriage, but the message has yet to reach everyone in the country,” she said.

The state minister also said the draft of Child Marriage Restraint Act 2014 was soon to be finalised.

“As per the new law, adult persons, both male or female, who will marry a minor boy or girl, the persons who will register child marriage, the parents or

Guests and speakers at the closing ceremony of Bangladesh Girl Summit 2014 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital yesterday guardians who will force their children or fail to prevent child marriage, and the officials who will issue false certificates will be brought to justice,” she said.

Any kinds of affidavits to prove the age would not be acceptable for marriage registration, she added.

“The act will not only ensure punishment, but will help us take all necessary steps to prevent child marriage,” she said.

Lynne Featherstone, MP, UK parliamentary under secretary of state for

international development and special guest at the event, said: “Many people affected by child, early and forced marriage, by domestic violence, sexual violence and other forms of violence, stay silent about what is happening to them out of fear or shame.”

To the victims of such violence, she said: “You do not deserve this, you are not to blame, and you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

She further said: “Actions must speak louder than words. Our commitments to eliminate child marriage and

all forms of violence must become a reality, in Bangladesh, in the UK and in all other countries.

“The future is not fixed. Together, if we raise our voices loud enough, we can build a better world for girls and a better world for everyone.” she said.

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson of Brac, said: “Many female children drop out of secondary and higher secondary education due to child marriage. In many countries, people still believe that women are burden on their families. We need to come out

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

of such mindsets.”

The day-long event, organised by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Brac and the UKAID, was also adressed by Hasina Newaaz, senior vice-president of Bangladesh Women Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Milee Biswas, deputy inspector general of Bangladesh Police, Golam Sarwar, editor of the Daily Samakal, and Ayesha Khanam, president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, all of whom declared their pledge against child marriage in the country. l

Muhith: Landlord rules relaxed under political pressure n Tribune Report Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the government had relaxed the houserent collection guidelines because of political pressure, relieving landlords of added book-keeping requirements.

“They [political people] unitedly opposed my earlier stance. So I have shifted a little from my stance; but I will definitely implement the provision from next year,” the minister told reporters yesterday at his secretariat office after a meeting with British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development Lynne Featherstone.

Featherstone arrived in Dhaka yesterday on a three-day visit.

Muhith said the British official emphasised expanding the tax net; but it did not mean the UK would reduce aid to Bangladesh.

“A survey on the taxpayers across the country is already complete and it shows that the number has come down from 2 million to 1.3 million. As a result, the revenue-GDP ratio may be significantly less than the previous year,” the minister said.

Featherstone said: “Without money, the government will not be able to support people in different sectors such as education, health and other services and the country’s development. As a result, the number of the taxpayers in country must be increased to raise government income.”

On July 22, the National Board of Revenue issued guidelines making it mandatory for householders, including individuals, companies, firms or other organisations, to maintain a register and a separate bank account for house rent collection.

With effect from July 1, the measure was supposed to apply to house-owners having monthly aggregate income above Tk25,000 from house rents. l

Man critically injured after ex-wife pours hot water on him

Confusion over child disappearance n Tazlina Zamila Khan n Manik Miazee A woman allegedly poured boiled waThe grandmother of a 13-year-old boy facing ransom demands for him is not sure whether he had been abducted or had gone missing.

Sufia Begum, Biplob’s grandmother, said Biplop had gone missing from Dhaka Medical College and Hospital on October 23.

On October 24, Sufia filed a general diary with Shahbagh police station.

“For the last two days, I have been receiving anonymous calls, with the caller asking for a ransom of Tk20,000 for my grandson’s release,” she said.

Sub-Inspector of Shahbagh police station Anwarul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune he was not aware of Sufia getting calls to pay ransom.

“She only filed a general diary, claiming that her grandson was missing. The information was sent to every police station across the country,” he added. l

ter on her former husband’s body while he was asleep in bed early yesterday.

The victim was Moktar Hossain, 38, who lives with his two children – Ratri and Bijoy - at Rupnagar in Mirpur of the capital.

Moktar, a garment waste trader who hails from Narayanganj, rented the drawing room of the flat to another family, who first heard his screams.

He was taken to the burn unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Mysterious entry to flat

The victim’s brother Amir Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune Josna, who Moktar divorced 10 years ago in the wake of family conflicts, often visits her former husband and get into quarrels.

“My brother did not like Josna’s visits and told her many times not to come but she kept doing so,” said Amir.

“Josna came to the house around 10pm on Sunday and asked my brother to let her stay the night with the children. However, my brother did not let her in and slammed the door in her face,” he said.

It was not clear how Josna got in but Amir claimed the 30-year-old woman poured boiling water on Moktar when he was in deep sleep around 5:30am yesterday and left the scene at once.

Moktar’s son Bijoy said Josna stayed with him at night but could not say who allowed her inside.

45% burnt

Moktar sustained severe burn injuries in the upper part of his body and also in the face.

Partha Shankar Paul, resident doctor of the DMCH burn unit, said his condition was critical.

“Around 45% of the body was burnt badly. His eyes are also in serious condition,” he said.

Murder threats

Amir told the Dhaka Tribune that Josna threatened four days ago that she would kill Moktar within the next five days.

“She demanded Tk5 lakh from my brother many times but he refused to pay. She also got into disputes with my brother on the road many times in the past,” he said.

Moktar’s sister Shahida said Josna pulled the collar of her brother in broad daylight on the street five months ago.

“She said many times that she would keep visiting my brother to see the children until she was paid a large sum,” she added.

Officer-in-Charge of Rupnagar police station Shikdar Mohammad Shamim Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune a case was lodged against Josna.

“We sent a team to the hospital to collect all the necessary information.

We are also trying to detain the accused but she is on the run,” added Shamim. l

Moktar Hossain receives treatment at the Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Prototype paper test can detect Ebola strains n BBC A DNA-programmed blotting paper could soon be giving doctors a simple disease test that will reveal an infection in 30 minutes for just a few pence.

Researchers have proved the technique works by developing a prototype Ebola test in just 12 hours, and using just $20 of materials.

The smart diagnostics use a soup of biological ingredients including the genetic material RNA. The researchers say this can be freeze-dried and preserved on ordinary paper.

Team leader Jim Collins, who has joint appointments at Boston and Harvard Universities, says the biological powder can be reactivated by simply adding water, like living powdered soup.

“We were surprised at how well these materials worked after being freeze dried,” he told the BBC. “Once they’re rehydrated, these biological circuits function in these small paper disks as if they were inside a living cell.”

The genetic test kit gives a simple colour output, turning the paper from yellow to purple, with the change visible within half an hour. By changing the input trigger, variants of the test could be used to reveal antibiotic resistance genes in bacterial infections or biomarkers of other disease conditions.

Their Ebola test is not suitable for use in the epidemic areas at the moment, Collins emphasises, but it would be simple to devise one that is.

The arrays of programmed paper dots would be easy to mass produce.

Lingchong You envisions an “entire fabrication process carried out by computer-aided circuit design, robotics-mediated assembly of circuits, and printing onto paper.”

And price is not the only consideration. Collins points out the freeze-dried circuits are stable at room temperature. In large parts of the world where electricity is unreliable, or there are no refrigerators, this would be a particular advantage. l

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B3 Sri Lanka businessmen keen to invest in Bangladesh

12 LDCs begin talks on fund deficit in Dhaka today n Tribune Report Twelve least developed countries (LDCs) will start a three-day regional meeting in Dhaka from today to recommend a strategy to deal with fund deficit.

Proper utilisation and mobilisation of financial resources both from domestic and foreign countries, and source of funding will come up for discussion.

Some 55 policymakers and senior officials from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Solomon Islands, Timore-leste (East Timor), Tuvalu and Vanuatu and relevant stakeholders will participate in the meeting titled “Financing Graduation Gaps of the Asia-Pacific Least Development Countries.”

Finance minister AMA Muhith is expected to inaugurate the meeting at Sonargoan Hotel, jointly arranged by Economic Relations Division (ERD), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).

“The meeting will find out a strategy on estimating and identifying financial resources, concrete technical assistance and financing requirements,” said ERD Secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin while briefing about details of the meeting to the press at the ERD yesterday.

He said it will discuss on setting a criteria for graduation including the review and reporting process conducted

by Committee for Development Policy of the UNDESA, identifying the concrete measures and institutional mechanisms for proper utilisation of the resources and recommend key policy measures to support resource mobilisation.  B3 COLUMN 6

B4 Rousseff will struggle to

restore Brazil’s economic good times

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Bangladesh wins ITU election Palak: The victory will help the country attract investment

Massive reshuffle in field level tax offices n Tribune Report The National Board of Revenue yesterday brought about a massive change to its income tax field offices across the country in a bid to bring administrative dynamism for achieving its revenue target set for the current fiscal year.

In separate three orders, the board has transferred 27 of its officials, including promoting three from additional tax commissioners to tax commissioners, officials said.

Of those officials transfered, twenty four were commissioners of different field

State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak (third from right) and delegate members pose with V sign for photograph after winning International Telecommunication council election in Busan, South Korea yesterday

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Bangladesh has retained membership of International Telecommunication Union council in an election held in Busan, South Korea yesterday.

The country secured 115 votes and appeared seventh in 13 seats of Asia and Australasia region, State Minister for ICT Zunaid

Ahmed Palak told the Dhaka Tribune from Busan.

From the region, China won the highest number of votes (142), followed by South Korea (140), Japan (139), Indonesia (121), Kuwait (121), United Arab Emirates (120), Australia (116), Bangladesh (115), Saudi Arabia (115), Philippines (115), India (108), Thailand (103) and Pakistan (101).

ITU, a specialised agency of the United Nations, has 193 member states and out of them 167 voted to elect the 48-member council for a four-year term.

The council works to formulate policy and regulation on global telecommunication sector.

Zunaid Ahmed Palak is leading a 50-member delegation to Busan.  B3 COLUMN 5

offices and three additional commissioners of income tax administration, according to the orders signed by the NBR second secretary (tax administration 1) Selina Khatun.

An NBR high official said the change in revenue administration was a part of regular process to bring newness to administration to boost revenue collection.

“The NBR does not want tax officials to work in a same office for long period and so many of them were transferred so that they can make plans for new sectors for  B3 COLUMN 5

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stocks recover after 3-day losses

DSE key features October 27, 2014

n Tribune Report

Number of Contract

non-banking financial institution 1.3%, cement 0.5% and textile 0.4%.

Pharmaceuticals and, food and allied also edged up.

Shahjibazar Power Company Ltd (SPCL) was the biggest gainer, posting a rise of 10% after the company saying Petromax Refinery, a subsidiary of SPCL, has decided to purchase a tanker vessel at a cost of Tk8 crore from Masum Trade International to meet the requirement of floating stock and distribution of finished oil.

Of the total cost, 70% or Tk5.6 crore will be financed by the Islami Bank and the rest Tk2.4 crore by the company’s own source.

The SPCL resumed its share trading last week after remaining suspended for more than two months because of unusual price rise of the stock.

Lanka Bangla Securities said the strength that has emerged on Motijheel Street partly reflected a positive reaction to earnings news from sector-specific stocks.

Bank and power stocks rose after DSE reported third quarter results that embedded expectations and issued above consensus revenue guidance for the fourth quarter, it said.

Out of 303 issues traded, 184 gained, 86 declined and 33 remained unchanged.

Grameenphone Ltd topped the liquidity chart with turnover worth over Tk39 crore.

It was followed by Mobil Jamuna Limited Bangladesh, Square Pharmaceuticals, BRAC Bank and Lafarge Surma Cement and Khulna Power Company Limited. l

Stocks turned around with initial volatility yesterday, breaking their three-day losing streak.

The market opened in red but started picking up from mid-session, pulling up by mainly telecommunication and financial stocks ahead of their third quarter earnings results.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange benchmark index, DSEX, has gained 45 points or 0.8% to close at 5,157, hitting highest 5,168 in the final minutes and lowest 5,098 in the morning.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, settled at 9,675 with a rally of 104 points The Shariah DSES index rose marginally 8 points or 0.7% to 1,213. The DS30 index comprising blue chip issues was up 20 points or 1% to 1,946.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange Selective Category Index, CSCX, settled at 9,675 with a rally of 104 points.

Trading activities, however, remained bearish as DSE turnover in value stood at Tk500 crore, down 4.6% over the previous session’s value. Telecommunication sector gained highest more than 2%, followed by bank that rallied 1.4%,

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)

First Lease- A Eastern InsurA Modern Dyeing -Z Daffodil Computers -Z Libra Infusions-A United Insur -A Aziz PipesZ ICB AMCL 1st NRB -A Miracle Industries -B Pragati Gen. I -A

-7.51 -4.81 -4.65 -3.57 -3.53 -3.49 -3.42 -3.28 -3.18 -2.93

CSE LOSER Company Eastern InsurA First Lease- A 7th ICB M F-A Safko Spinning-A Apex Foods -A Daffodil Computers -Z Rahima Food -Z Prime Bank 1st MF-A DBH 1st MF-A Apex Footwear-A

Closing (% Change) -9.69 -8.26 -7.37 -7.25 -5.11 -4.83 -4.65 -4.00 -4.00 -3.73

5157.24311

(+) 0.89%

1946.52365

(+) 1.02%

15884.10590

(+) 0.66%

13146.65710

(+) 0.42%

9675.71710

(+) 0.63%

Average (% Change) -8.41 -2.14 -5.03 -4.61 -3.53 -3.43 -3.54 -3.44 -3.83 -2.89 Average (% Change) -9.69 -8.27 -7.37 -7.25 -4.26 -4.83 -4.22 -3.21 -1.81 -3.73

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 19.92 37.50 80.00 13.67 410.00 35.99 14.17 23.60 15.33 43.00

ClosingAvg. 35.40 19.97 88.00 25.60 100.20 13.80 47.41 4.83 4.89 496.00

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 525.15 396.19 35.70 454.96 116.95 1122.24 1.73 300.83 645.12 50.57 99.75 103.47 51.97 303.62 31.55 29.57 124.79 418.95 86.09 149.87 1.46

DHIGH

19.70 37.60 80.00 13.50 410.20 36.00 14.10 23.60 15.20 43.00

Closing

21.00 38.90 80.10 14.00 412.00 36.10 14.50 23.60 17.00 43.20

DHIGH

35.40 20.00 88.00 25.60 100.20 13.80 47.20 4.80 4.80 496.00

35.40 20.50 88.00 25.60 100.20 13.80 48.50 4.90 5.00 496.00

Company

5,050.52 100,921,013 96,239

Traded Issues

304

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

111

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

190

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,761.88

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

33.48

CSE key features October 27, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

341.17

Turnover (Volume)

8,498,107

Number of Contract

11,900

Traded Issues

219

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

62

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

152

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

5

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,661.06

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

32.26

Turnover in Million

DLOW 19.50 36.30 79.90 13.30 409.60 35.90 14.00 23.60 14.00 40.00

Latest EPS

18.022 0.030 0.040 0.916 0.492 1.472 0.085 0.012 1.801 0.172

1.27 2.42 1.56 0.68 4.20 2.91 -0.37 4.57 0.24 2.44

Turnover in Million

DLOW 35.40 19.70 88.00 25.60 100.20 13.80 47.10 4.80 4.80 496.00

% change 10.40 7.84 0.71 9.01 2.32 22.22 0.03 5.96 12.77 1.97 2.05 1.03 6.01 0.62 0.59 2.47 8.30 1.70 2.97 0.03

Million Taka 30.16 16.36 1.12 37.79 13.11 78.63 33.81 36.94 21.58 11.07 16.85 4.03 23.09 8.53 1.26 3.01 18.21 14.07 24.53 0.00

CSE

% change 7.65 4.15 0.28 9.59 3.33 19.95 0.00 8.58 9.37 5.48 2.81 4.27 1.02 5.86 2.16 0.32 0.76 4.62 3.57 6.22 0.00

Latest EPS

0.014 0.615 0.044 0.102 0.005 0.083 0.166 0.010 0.029 0.198

Million Taka 555.30 412.56 36.83 492.76 130.06 1200.87 1.73 334.64 682.05 72.15 110.81 120.32 56.00 326.71 40.08 30.83 127.80 437.15 100.16 174.40 1.46

Shahjibazar Power-N Zeal Bangla Sugar -Z Progressive Life-A Quasem Drycells -A Alltex Industries -Z Beacon Pharma Ltd.-Z BD. Autocars -Z Islamic Finance-A Khulna Printing-N Bangladesh Lamps -A

Closing (% Change) 9.97 6.67 6.33 6.32 5.88 5.84 5.83 5.42 5.36 5.21

CSE GAINER

2.42 1.27 12.01 1.06 3.64 0.68 -1.01 0.73 0.56 20.48

Latest PE 15.7 15.5 51.3 20.1 97.6 12.4 -ve 5.2 63.9 17.6

Total

Company Popular Life Insu. -A Quasem Drycells -A Alltex Industries -Z Beacon Pharma Ltd.-Z Aziz PipesZ ICB AMCL 2nd NRB -A Envoy Textiles Ltd-N Bangladesh Lamps -A GSP Finance-A BSRM Steels-A

Closing (% Change) 66.59 7.26 7.23 7.19 5.63 5.62 5.57 4.03 3.98 3.97

Average (% Change) 9.97 6.67 5.06 5.89 8.70 3.79 5.41 1.65 0.11 3.21 Average (% Change) 66.59 8.26 8.96 1.90 5.63 5.62 2.75 4.56 2.74 1.54

ClosingAvg. 157.70 8.00 104.56 46.37 9.00 14.52 25.33 20.94 26.97 129.12

ClosingAvg. 229.90 47.32 9.00 14.46 15.00 9.40 57.44 129.66 23.23 103.79

Closing 157.70 8.00 105.80 47.10 9.00 14.50 25.40 21.40 27.50 129.30

Closing 229.90 47.30 8.90 14.90 15.00 9.40 58.80 129.00 23.50 104.70

DHIGH 157.70 8.00 108.00 48.00 9.30 15.00 26.00 21.70 27.80 132.70

DHIGH 229.90 48.50 9.10 15.20 15.00 9.40 59.00 134.00 23.50 105.00

DLOW 157.70 8.00 102.20 44.30 8.70 12.40 24.00 18.40 26.10 118.00

DLOW 229.90 45.00 8.50 13.30 15.00 9.40 56.60 126.00 22.00 100.00

Turnover in Million 9.147 0.001 2.614 50.215 6.555 11.014 0.038 34.863 50.206 12.412

Turnover in Million 0.115 1.065 1.346 2.862 0.011 0.009 0.770 0.454 0.070 7.679

Latest EPS 3.00 -30.63 2.30 1.55 -1.24 0.04 0.08 1.21 1.31 1.13

Latest EPS 4.13 1.55 -1.24 0.04 -0.37 1.40 2.04 1.13 1.56 4.80

Latest PE 52.6 -ve 45.5 29.9 -ve 363.0 316.6 17.3 20.6 114.3

Latest PE 55.7 30.5 -ve 361.5 -ve 6.7 28.2 114.7 14.9 21.6

News, analysis and recent disclosers PTL: 15% stock, AGM: 07.12.2014, Record Date: 09.11.2014. EPS of Tk. 2.23, NAV per share of Tk. 23.15.

MIRACLEIND: 5% stock, AGM: 20.12.2014, Record Date: 16.11.2014. EPS of Tk. 0.24, NAV per share of Tk. 14.65.

SPCL: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of Petromax Refinery Ltd., (a subsidiary of Shahjibazar Power Co. Ltd.) has decided by a resolution that, a Tanker Vessel (Name: M.T SEA WORLD-2, Registration No. C-1765) at the cost of Tk. 8.00 crore from Masum Trade International, 19, Strand Road, Bangla Bazar (SRB), Chittagong shall be purchased to meet the requirement of floating stock and distribution of finished oil.

Of the total cost 70% amounting to Tk. 5.60 crore only shall be financed from Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd. and the rest of the amount Tk. 2.40 crore only shall be financed from the Company's own source.

Unaudited Financials: MERCANBANK: (Q3): NPAT= Tk. 943.23 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 1.28 as against Tk. 791.95 million and Tk. 1.07 respectively.

SPPCL: (Q3): NPAT= Tk. 524.64 million with EPS of Tk. 3.45 as against Tk. 513.49 million and Tk. 3.38 respectively.

MJLBD: (Q3): NPAT= Tk. 913.50 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 3.83.

SUMITPOWER: (Q3): NPAT= Tk. 1,614.84 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 2.37 as against Tk. 1,591.32 million and Tk. 2.34 respectively.

BATASHOE: (Q3): NPAT= Tk. 543.43 million with EPS of Tk. 39.72 as against Tk. 541.14 million and Tk. 39.56 respectively.

FLEASEINT: (Q3): NPAT= Tk. 105.15 million with EPS of Tk. 0.95 as against Tk. 155.64 million and Tk. 1.41 (restated) respectively.

NLI1STMF: (Q1): NP= Tk. 26.91 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.53 as against Tk. 12.08 million and Tk. 0.24 respectively.

SEBL1STMF: (Q1): NP= Tk. 34.40 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.34 as against Tk. 20.48 million and Tk. 0.21 respectively.

FAREASTLIF: (H/Y): Increase in life insurance fund of Tk. 914.80 million with total life insurance fund of Tk. 26,162.83 million as against Tk. 837.25 million and Tk. 21,641.47 million respectively for the same period of the previous year.

IPO Subscription: 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. Record 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 FUWANGCER: 10% stock, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record Date: 10.11.2014.

MODERNDYE: 8% cash, AGM: 11.12.2014, Record Date: 13.11.2014.

FEKDIL: 5% cash and 15% stock, AGM: 29.11.2014, Record Date: 06.11.2014.

ANLIMAYARN: 10% cash, AGM: 23.12.2014, Record Date: 10.11.2014.

MICEMENT: 30% cash, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record Date: 13.11.2014.

ZAHINTEX: 10% stock, AGM: 29.12.2014, Record Date: 05.11.2014.

HAKKANIPUL: 5% cash dividend on other than Sponsors share (Public share) and 3% on Sponsors share, AGM: 07.12.2014, Record Date: 10.11.2014.

TITASGAS: 38% cash, AGM: 23.12.2014, Record Date: 06.11.2014.

STANCERAM: 10% cash dividend for the Public Shareholders only, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record Date: 05.11.2014.

Latest PE 14.6 15.7 7.3 24.2 27.5 20.3 -ve 6.6 8.7 24.2

The strength that has emerged on Motijheel Street partly reflected a positive reaction to earnings news from sector-specific stocks

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

DSE GAINER

Turnover (Million Taka) Turnover (Volume)

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company

% change 10.20 7.58 0.68 9.05 2.39 22.06 0.03 6.15 12.53 1.33 2.04 2.21 1.03 6.00 0.74 0.57 2.35 8.03 1.84 3.20 0.03

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

Grameenphone-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Square Pharma -A Brac Bank -A LafargeS Cement-Z Khulna Power-A Titas Gas TDCLA Jamuna Oil -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Summit Power -A

HeidelbergCement -A IDLC Finance -A Ratanpur Steel -N S Purbanchol Power-N Apex Footwear-A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company MJL BD Ltd.-A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A LafargeS Cement-Z Grameenphone-A Khulna Power-A Square Pharma -A SAIF Powertec-N BSRM Steels-A The Peninsula CTG.-N Ratanpur Steel -N

Titas Gas TDCLA Summit Power -A ACI Formulations-A Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A UNITED AIR-A

VolumeShares 1,023,281 1,871,903 957,441 4,446,026 1,104,000 2,116,011 1,518,671 525,723 3,051,453 2,560,690

Value in Million 391.95 272.95 266.68 154.20 139.98 135.52 133.02 132.59 120.86 109.78

% of TotalTurnover 7.76 5.40 5.28 3.05 2.77 2.68 2.63 2.63 2.39 2.17

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

210,450 1,382,701 1,173,200 1,383,033 147,800

171,281 554,672 137,000 36,000 185,454 30,053 126,600 73,990 240,400 87,600

74,755 149,630 37,350 248,000 580,440

107.88 106.17 91.88 76.00 73.60

25.07 22.04 17.38 13.81 11.85 8.35 8.16 7.68 7.58 6.85

6.59 6.40 6.20 5.99 5.82

2.14 2.10 1.82 1.50 1.46

7.52 6.61 5.22 4.14 3.55 2.50 2.45 2.30 2.27 2.05

1.98 1.92 1.86 1.80 1.75

ClosingP 385.70 146.90 280.20 34.90 128.90 63.70 87.10 253.20 40.50 42.80

517.20 77.60 78.10 55.10 490.50

ClosingP

146.10 40.60 129.30 385.90 63.70 278.10 63.90 104.70 31.40 78.10

87.70 42.80 164.80 24.40 10.00

Change % 2.12 -1.34 1.19 3.25 0.94 -2.75 -1.69 0.32 3.32 -0.70

-0.92 0.39 -1.14 2.23 -2.54

Change %

-2.01 2.78 1.02 2.36 -2.90 1.16 -0.16 3.97 -0.32 -0.64

-2.01 -0.47 -1.20 0.00 0.00

ClosingY 377.70 148.90 276.90 33.80 127.70 65.50 88.60 252.40 39.20 43.10

522.00 77.30 79.00 53.90 503.30

ClosingY

149.10 39.50 128.00 377.00 65.60 274.90 64.00 100.70 31.50 78.60

89.50 43.00 166.80 24.40 10.00

DHIGH 389.00 150.00 282.00 35.30 130.80 66.40 88.80 260.00 40.80 43.20

DLOW 360.00 134.20 253.00 30.50 125.20 59.00 80.00 240.00 35.30 39.00

519.90 78.20 79.50 57.80 508.00

505.00 71.00 77.30 49.00 486.10

DHIGH

DLOW

151.00 41.00 129.90 387.00 66.30 279.50 65.80 105.00 31.90 79.80

89.50 43.10 171.00 24.60 10.20

143.70 37.00 125.00 380.00 62.10 274.50 63.50 100.00 31.20 75.20

87.00 40.00 163.40 23.80 9.90

AvgPrice 383.04 145.81 278.53 34.68 126.79 64.04 87.59 252.20 39.61 42.87

512.62 76.79 78.31 54.95 497.97

AvgPrice

146.36 39.73 126.89 383.73 63.88 277.69 64.42 103.79 31.54 78.15

88.18 42.76 166.11 24.15 10.03

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

Sri Lanka businessmen keen to invest in Bangladesh n Tribune Report Sri Lankan businessmen are keen to invest in printed packaging products, RMG accessories, IT, education, food processing and electric cables sectors of Bangladesh.

They expressed the interest at two separate Business Match-Making sessions held with the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Dhaka Chamber of commerce and Industry (DCCI) in the capital yesterday.

A 12-member delegation under the leadership of acting High Commissioner of SriLanka A G Abeysekra met FBCCI leaders and DCCI leaders along with Bangladeshi businessmen to share business ideas of their respective sectors.

A G Abeysekra said: “A good number of investors are willing to invest in Bangladesh especially in RMG accessories, education, IT, electric cables and food processing.”

It would not only help develop trade and investment in Bangladesh but also address the bilateral issues, said Abeysekra.

He also urged the Bangladeshi private sector entrepreneurs to export more pharmaceutical products to Sri Lankan market and also to invest in pharmaceutical sector in Sri Lanka.

On the other hand, FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed urged the Sri Lankan investors to invest in textile, leather, food, chemical, light engineer-

B3

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Constancio: ECB worried about euro zone’s lack of real growth n Reuters, Frankfurt The European Central Bank is concerned about a lack of real growth in the euro zone economy, ECB Vice President Vitor Constancio said on Sunday.

“We are worried that there is not enough real growth and as a result there is a big slack in the economy,” he told reporters after the ECB published

the results of its health check of the euro zone’s 130 biggest banks.

Banks with a capital shortfall will have to say within two weeks how they intend to close the gap and will then be given up to nine months to do so.

Daniele Nouy, the head of the new banking watchdog at the ECB, said the banks’ shortfalls would be fixed within the timeframe specified. l

Bangladesh wins ITU election  B1 COLUMN 4

Sri Lankan trade delegation at a business match-making session in Dhaka yesterday, organsied by Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry. FBCCI president Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed (third from left) chaired the event DHAKA TRIBUNE ing, ceramics, electronics, footwear and steel sector in Bangladesh as the government has offered all kind of facilities for attracting foreign direct investment.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has undertaken several fast track projects to attract FDI and Bangladesh with its eight Export Processing Zones (EPZs) is trying hard to establish five Special Economic Zones under PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) initiative to promote foreign investment.

“We want to be competitive instead

of competitors and would like to grow up reciprocally,” said Akram.

DCCI President Mohammad Shahjahan Khan urged Sri Lankan businessmen to import more products including pharmaceuticals, jute gods, and handicrafts and to provide duty-free access.

He also stressed on the development of sea port connectivity between the two countries as Bangladesh is currently handling around 12% of its transshipment cargo through Colombo deep sea port.

In the fiscal year 2013-14, Bangla-

desh exported products worth around US$27m while imported products of over $66m.

Currently, 44 Sri Lankan companies are doing business in Bangladesh with an investment of $300m, while 6 Bangladeshi companies are doing business in Sri Lanka with an investment of $20m.

Chandani Ratnayake, deputy director of Sri Lankan Export Development Board, presented a power-point presentation on trade and investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. l

“We have taken the election as our challenge and the victory is an international recognition of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s vision of Digital Bangladesh,” he said.

Members of Parliament, senior government officials and senior executives from mobile phone operators in Bangladesh attended a campaign last week in favour of the election.

In the ITU election manifesto and position paper, Bangladesh announced its commitment to play a positive role in formulating rules and regulations for global telecommunication sector.

It also vowed to expand internet facility to 70% and broadband connection to 35% of the population by 2018.

Bangladesh recently won the ITU’s WSIS award and the WITSA award for bringing technology to the people’s doorsteps. In 1973 the country was given primary membership of the ITU.

It will help attract investment

As Bangladesh retained membership of the International Telecommunication Union council, it reflected the continuous support for Bangladesh’s efforts to

build a digitally developed nation, said State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak.

He said the win has opened window to work together with the digitally developed nations like Chian, Japan and South Korea on a same platform as they are also ITU council members.

“We can brand ‘digital Bangladesh’ globally with the victory, which can help the country attract foreign investment,” Palak told the Dhaka Tribune over phone from Busan yesterday.

He said the last week campaign helped Bangladesh get 115 votes. “When we arrived in Busan on 19 October, there were supports from only 47 countries.

But we finally received 115 votes.”

About the campaign, he said they arranged a “Bangladesh Night” where delegates from more than 50 countries were present. ITU Secretary General Dr Hamadoun Touré also joined the event.

Bangladesh’s achievements in the telecommunication sector played a significant role in the win, said the state minister. “After winning the (ITU) election, it will now be easier to launch our own satellite with the help of the global organisation,” he said. l

Samsung scales down LED lighting Euro rises on relief over ECB health test n as outlook dims AFP, Tokyo

n Reuters, Seoul Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said yesterday that it will cease its light emitting diode (LED) lighting business outside of South Korea, scaling back what was identified as a key growth business just four years ago.

The pullback comes on the heels of Dutch rival Philips’ recent decision to spin off its century-old lighting business. Price wars have slashed profitability to levels deemed too unattractive in the long run, despite an LED boom that has upended the global incandescent lighting industry.

Analysts say Samsung Electronics’ retreat reflects the growing competition from Chinese manufacturers even as demand for LED lighting remains strong. LED lamps last 10 times longer than fluorescent bulbs and 100 times longer than traditional incandescent tungsten filament bulbs.

“It appears that Samsung decided to fold the business because price competition was so fierce and there was not a lot of room for growth going forward,” said Seoul-based IM Investment analyst Lee Min-hee.

Philips said in September that it will

spin off its lighting business to expand its higher-margin healthcare and consumer divisions. Two month earlier, Germany’s Osram Licht AG, which also makes LED lights, announced a costcutting plan that included nearly 8,000 job cuts.

A spokeswoman at Samsung Electronics said revenue contribution from the business was small but did not comment on specifics, including how much Samsung had invested.

“We will remain active in the LED industry through our LED component business,” Samsung Electronics said in an emailed statement, adding that it will focus on areas such as backlighting for displays of consumer products like televisions.

Samsung’s decision also underscores the challenges faced by the company and the wider Samsung Group in nurturing new growth drivers.

Samsung Electronics is battling falling profits in its smartphone business, the world’s largest, and group patriarch Lee Kun-hee has been hospitalized since a May heart attack.

In 2010, Samsung Group identified LED, rechargeable cells for hybrid electric cars, solar cells, medical de-

vices and biopharmaceuticals as new growth drivers for the conglomerate and tipped them to generate 50 trillion won ($47.5bn) in annual revenues by 2020 for its affiliates.

But the conglomerate has yet gain traction in most of these businesses.

Though Samsung SDI Co Ltd is supplying German premium automaker BMW with electric vehicle battery cells, other businesses have yet to show significant revenue growth.

Search for growth

Identifying and developing new growth drivers will be a key test for Jay Y Lee when he takes the reins at the group from his father.

Some media reports have speculated that Samsung may also pull back from the solar business. A Samsung SDI spokesman said the firm continues research and development in the sector, but analysts say the recent decline in oil prices and the entry of Chinese players have hurt the outlook.

“These moves also give us a small glimpse of Jay Y. Lee’s management style, with him now at the helm for five months,” said Park Ju-gun, head of corporate watchdog CEO Score. l

The euro firmed against other major currencies in Asia yesterday after the European Central Bank gave a large majority of banks in the region a clean bill of health.

The common currency rose to $1.2704 and 137.14 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade from $1.2666 and 136.97 yen in New York Friday afternoon.

The dollar slipped against the yen ahead of the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting starting on Tuesday.

The dollar was at 107.94 yen from 108.14 yen in US trade Friday afternoon.

In the most in-depth and stringent audit of eurozone banks ever undertaken -- aimed at preventing a repeat of the crisis that nearly led to the euro’s collapse -- the ECB said Sunday it found that 25 out of a total 130 banks had a combined capital shortfall of 25bn euros ($31bn) at the end of 2013.

It was “positive” that the capital shortage was within expectations and all major banks cleared the stress tests, said Junichi Makino, chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities.

“Risks that the European crisis will occur again are extremely low,” he said in a note, adding the ECB has been supplying ample funds.

The Bank of Japan policymakers are to meet on Friday but Nomura Securi-

A machine counts and sorts out euro notes at the Belgian Central Bank in Brussels REUTERS ties expects the bank to hold off further easing measures, said Yujiro Goto, senior forex strategist at Nomura.

“Economic data released since the previous meeting have been mixed, and we doubt the BoJ will rush into additional easing at this point,” he said in a note.

Japanese consumer spending has been slack since the government raised the sales tax in April.

Public broadcaster NHK reported Monday that the BoJ is expected to lower its growth forecast for the current fiscal year to March due to a dull

recovery in personal consumption as well as a slow recovery in exports.

Releasing a twice-a-year outlook report on prices and economic growth to be released after Friday’s policy meeting, the bank is expected to lower its growth estimate from 1% to somewhere above 0.5%, it said.

The dollar was lower against other Asia-Pacific currencies.

It edged down to 32.38 Thai baht from 32.41 baht on Friday, to Sg$1.2746 from Sg$1.2762 and to Tw$30.38 from Tw$30.40. l

Massive reshuffle in field level  B1 COLUMN 6

Mithun Knitting and Dyeing Limited recently held an extra ordinary general meeting at Kaltapara Bazar, Gouripur in Mymensingh. The meeting was presided over by the company’s managing director Md Mahbub-Ul Haque

New postings are as follows:

GD Assist Limited, a subsidiary of Green Delta Insurance, recently signed a deal with KPJ Healthcare Berhad, the leading healthcare provider in Malaysia, on being KPJ healthcare’s agent in Bangladesh. Farzana Chowdhury, director of GD Assist, and Rafeah Ariffin, senior general manager of KPJ, signed the deal in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

NCC Bank’s training institute recently organised a two-week training on branch management for its mid-level officers. The bank’s chairperson Md Nurun Newaz Salim inaugurated the training as chief guest

United Commercial Bank Limited recently opened its 141st branch at Ullapara in Sirajganj.

The bank’s director Md Jahangir Alam Khan inaugurated the branch

revenue collection to achieve target for FY14-15,” said the official.

Recently, the post of two taxmen fell vacant in NBR as the two retired.

Following their retirement, the NBR made a shuffle in the income tax administration to fill up the vacant posts.

The NBR is set to collect Tk1,49,720 crore as revenue in the current fiscal year, while its income tax wings have to collect Tk57,500crore as tax.

Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited recently held 206th board meeting at its boardroom. The meeting was presided over by the bank’s chairperson AK Azad

Chinmoy Prashun Biswash (Central Tax Survey Circle), M Nurul Alam (Large Taxpayers Unit), Begum Rawshan Ara Akhter (Tax Appeal Circle 1, Dhaka), Kazi Emdadul Haque (Tax Appeal Circle 2, Dhaka), M Dabir Uddin (current charge, Tax Zone 2, Chittagong), AK Borhan Uddin (Barishal Tax Zone), Apurba Kanti Das (Chittagong Tax Circle 1), Mahbub Hossain (Gazipur Tax Zone), Prashanta Kumer Roy (current charge, Tax Appeal Zone, Khulna), M Selim Afzal (Tax Circle 13, Dhaka), M Nazrul Islam (Tax Circle 4, Chittagong), Begum Shahin Akhter (Tax Circle 9, Dhaka), M Golam Mostafa (current charge, Tax Cirlce 12, Dhaka), Praddyut Kumer Sarker (current charge, Tax Circle 3, Chittagong), Romendra Chandra Boshak (Tax Circle 2, Dhaka), Sanjit Kumer Bishwash (member, Tax Appellate Tribunal, Dhaka), Syed M Mahbubur Rahman (member of Tax Appellate Tribunal, Dhaka), Kanon Kumer Roy (Tax Circle 7, Dhaka), Radhesyam Ray

(Khulna Tax Zone), M Alamgir Hossain (member of Tax Appellate Tribunal, Dhaka), Mohammad Golam Nabi (member of Tax Appellate Tribunal, Dhaka), M Belal Uddin (Director General at Central Intelligence Cell), Shoyeb Ahmed (current charge Tax Appeal Zone, Chittagong), and Madhab Chandra Dash (member at Chittagong Bench of Tax Appellate Tribunal, Dhaka).

The NBR promoted three additional tax commissioners as tax commissioners (current charge). Their new postings are - M Abdul Baten (member of Chittagong Bench at Tax Appelate Tribunal, Dhaka), Mahmudur Rahman (Sylhet Taz Zone), and M Motaher Hossain (Comilla Taz Zone). l

12 LDCs begin talks  B1 COLUMN 1

On behalf of Bangladesh, Mejbahuddin will led the 31-memebr delegation comprising representatives from different ministries and divisions having functional relevance with the LDC issues.

Besides the official delegates, policy makers and senior government officials, experts and think tanks from Bangladesh and other LDCs and also from UNESCAP, UNDESA and other UN offices, agencies and organisations will participate in the meeting.

The meeting has been divided in seven working sessions each having a specific topic. l

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Rousseff will struggle to restore Brazil’s economic good times n Reuters, Brasilia

President Dilma Rousseff narrowly won re-election by spending heavily and promising to extend the fight against poverty but she will need to restore order to public finances in her second term to get Brazil’s stalled economy back in gear.

Rousseff edged out opposition candidate Aecio Neves in Sunday’s election runoff, helped by strong support from the poor despite her struggles to tame high inflation, attract investment and revive an economy in its fourth year of lackluster growth.

With the bruising re-election campaign behind her, Rousseff now faces the daunting task of returning the shine to an economy that was once a Wall Street darling but has been hit by policy missteps and global economic headwinds that hurt demand for Brazilian exports.

To do so, she needs to move swiftly to staunch the bleeding in Brazil’s fiscal accounts, which has added pressure to inflation and eroded investor confidence in Latin America’s largest economy. Failure to clean up public finances could lead to a credit rating downgrade next year.

Rousseff struck a conciliatory tone in her victory speech on Sunday night, pledging to work with political adversaries and business leaders alike to usher in a new era of economic growth.

“We’re going to give new impetus to all sectors of the economy, especially industry,” she said. “I want a partnership with all sectors, both productive and financial, to take on the challenges ahead.”

She also extended an olive branch to investors worried about Brazil’s deteriorating finances, saying she was committed to fiscal discipline and to keeping inflation in check.

But the jury is out on whether Rousseff, a leftist who believes in stateled economic growth, is committed enough to fiscal discipline to take on politically difficult tax and pension reforms or cut spending on popular welfare programs.

“Everything will hinge on fiscal policy, but there is not much scope to make a very drastic adjustment in the short term given the rigidity of the budget,” said Otaviano Canuto, a World Bank official who some government officials say is a contender to be finance minister in Rousseff ’s new term.

About 90 percent of Brazil’s budget spending is mandated by law, meaning the government does not have much wiggle room to significantly cut expenditures without reducing public invest-

Brazil's President and Workers' Party presidential candidate Rousseff celebrates after the disclosure of election results, in Brasilia REUTERS

ment or social programs.

“Any fiscal action should be accompanied by some medium- to long-term framework to reinforce confidence,” added Canuto, who declined to comment on the finance ministry speculation. Brazil’s budget deficit has widened sharply under Rousseff, who increased public spending and granted dozens of tax cuts to struggling industries to bolster the economy.

Despite those measures, industrial output failed to pick up and her government was harshly criticized for using fiscal maneuvers to artificially increase public savings.

The budget hole disguised by those “fiscal tricks,” which include delaying payments from social programs and dipping into Brazil’s sovereign wealth fund, could be as large as 2% of gross domestic product, BNP Paribas estimated in a recent research report.

‘Ideological baggage’

Rousseff ’s headaches won’t be limited to the fiscal realm. After keeping fuel and electricity rates artificially low in recent years to help keep contain inflation, the president is under pressure to finally let those prices rise.

An increase would be good news for state-run oil company Petrobras and power distributors, but it would also complicate Rousseff ’s anti-inflation efforts and could end up eroding her pop-

Xiaomi to set up India customer data centre to deflect privacy concerns n Reuters, Mumbai Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Inc said yesterday it plans to set up a data centre in India next year to store local user data, as the fast-growing company seeks to deflect concerns about privacy that could hamper its efforts to expand overseas.

Indian media reported last week that the country’s air force had issued alerts to its personnel and their families against using Xiaomi phones on security concerns The move by privately owned Xiaomi comes after it said last week it was migrating some data on non-Chinese customers away from its servers in Beijing due to performance and privacy considerations.

Xiaomi, whose low-priced but feature-rich smartphones have made it the biggest smartphone vendor in Chi-

DILBERT

na, entered India this year with plans to invest heavily to secure rapid growth in the world’s third-largest smartphone market.

It sells its phones in India via Flipkart.com, the country’s biggest online retailer, and said last month it planned to sell 100,000 phones a week in the country in October.

On Monday, Xiaomi said it had been moving Indian users’ data from its Beijing data centre to data centres of Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing platform of the online retailer Amazon. com Inc, in Singapore and the United States since early 2014. It said that process would be completed by the end of the year.

Xiaomi has faced several privacy controversies, including accusations from international security researchers and a government agency in Taiwan that it funnels unauthorized user data back to its servers in Beijing. Indian media reported last week that the country’s air force had issued alerts to its personnel and their families against using Xiaomi phones on security concerns.

The Chinese company said yesterday it was attempting to contact Indian authorities for more details on local media reports, adding that it did not collect user data without permission. l

ularity with working-class Brazilians.

A slump in commodity prices due to a slow global economy and higher U.S. interest rates could also weigh on efforts to boost the pace of economic growth.

Investors are far from convinced that Rousseff will act decisively to tackle Brazil’s many economic challenges head on in her second term, which starts on New Year’s Day. Still, some hold out hope that the threat of a credit downgrade could force Rousseff to take a more marketfriendly tack.

Local stock and currency markets slumped whenever Rousseff advanced in opinion polls during the campaign, and could be headed for another selloff on Monday.

“She didn’t make any changes during her first term so I don’t think she will change her ways in a second term,” said Raul Velloso, a Brasilia-based economic consultant. “She has heavy ideological baggage and that won’t change overnight.”

Although Rousseff has promised to replace widely-criticized Finance Minister Guido Mantega, markets remain skeptical that she will change course drastically and be less interventionist.

Local businesses have long lobbied for bold reforms to cut Brazil’s red tape, simplify its Byzantine tax code and overhaul a pension system that is piling pressure on public finances.

Rousseff agrees that many of those reforms are needed, but so far has shown little desire to engage in the political give-and-take required to push initiatives through Congress.

Even with a clear majority in Congress, Rousseff has struggled to pass legislation to unify minor taxes and slightly lower the pension burden. An even more fragmented Congress in a second term will further complicate any efforts to lower the staggering cost of doing business in Brazil.

Brazilian companies on average spend 2,600 hours a year calculating what they owe in taxes, according to the World Bank’s annual Doing Business study, which compares business practices around the world. That is almost 15 times the amount of time needed to do taxes in the United States.

Mexico and Colombia, which have embarked on more ambitious reforms to open their economies, are growing at a rate more than two times that of Brazil.

The Brazilian economy is expected to barely grow at all this year and expand just 1% in 2015 - a far cry from the 7.5% growth rate in 2010, just before Rousseff took office.

“I don’t think Brazil can afford to stay far away from the global trend for reforms” said Jorge Mariscal, chief investment officer for emerging markets at UBS Wealth Management, which oversees about $1tn in investments. l

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Europe’s bank test celebrations mask mounting challenges n Reuters, Frankfurt

Investors were spared immediate pain on Sunday after the European Central Bank’s landmark banking health check did not force massive capital hikes amongst the euro zone’s top lenders.

But the sector’s long-term attractiveness has been damaged by revelations of extra non-performing loans and hidden losses that will dent future profits.

The ECB said on Sunday the region’s 130 most important lenders were just 25bn euros (31.69bn US dollar) short of capital at the end of last year, based on an assessment of how accurately they had valued their assets and whether they could withstand another three years of crisis.

The amount of new money needed falls to less than 7bn euros after factoring in developments in 2014, well shy of the 50bn euros of extra cash investors surveyed by Goldman Sachs in August were expecting. That means existing investors will only be asked for a fraction of the demand they expected in order to maintain their shareholdings.

But, those who read the details of the ECB’s proclamation on the health of the euro zone banking sector would have seen more ominous signs too, as the ECB pointed to the amount of work that remains to be done to restore the region’s lenders.

Challenges ahead

The review said an extra 136bn euros of loans should be classed as non-performing - increasing the tally of nonperforming loans by 18% - and that an extra 47.5bn euros of losses should be taken to reflect assets’ true value.

“Banks face a significant challenge as the sector remains chronically unprofitable and must address their 879bn euros exposure to non-performing loans as this will tie-up significant amounts of capital,” accountancy firm KPMG noted.

Others took a bleaker view. “Onefifth of European banks are at risk of insolvency,” said Jan Dehn, head of research at Ashmore, referencing the fact that one-fifth of banks fell shy of the ECB’s pass mark at the end of last year.

He added that the ECB’s efforts to boost the euro zone’s sluggish growth through pumping money into the economy would not work if banks were too poorly capitalised to lend.

After the ECB adjusted banks’ capital ratios to reflect supervisors’ assessments of banks’ asset values, 31 had core capital below the 10% mark viewed by investors as a safety threshold, while a further 28 had ratios just 1

percentage point above. “(The results were) positive for equity, fundamentally disappointing on credit due to limited capital raising,” Societe Generale strategist Kit Juckes noted.

Banks need to lend more to boost their earnings, since they profit from the difference between the ultra-low rate they can borrow money at and the higher rate they charge to customers. Lending can also boost economic growth, which helps banks.

Analysts from Citi remarked that the scale of the asset quality review adjustments “matter in terms of future potential regulatory constraints”. Banks with big hits to capital ratios as a result of the ECB’s adjustments will have less capacity to expand, lend more, or pay dividends.

We were positively surprised at the severity of the asset quality review, the scale of the additional nonperforming loans for example Others found a silver lining in the bad news delivered by the ECB. “We were positively surprised at the severity of the asset quality review, the scale of the additional non-performing loans for example,” said Roberto Henriques European credit analyst at JPMorgan.

“That additional information showed that they are going to be much more stringent.”

Several also welcomed the fact that investors at least now had transparent figures they could rely on. “This should ease any concerns about more skeletons the banks’ closets,” said Geir Lode, head of Hermes Global Equities. “(It’s) positive for the markets.”

That extra information gives investors some protection if the ECB’s relatively modest capital demand proves not to be the final word in how much the banks really need. “Everyone will be looking hard to decide whether the ... is too little to shore up the banks that are at risk,” said Salman Ahmed, global fixed income strategist at Lombard Odier Investment Managers.

“The good news is that the review process is fully transparent. Investors have been handed plenty of data on the banks’ assets and are now in a position to judge for themselves.” l

Subsidy shake-up to undercut Asian diesel demand n Reuters, Singapore A recovery in Asia’s diesel demand growth is likely to be pushed back as governments of major oil consumers in the region take advantage of a tumble in oil prices to cut fuel subsidies and bolster their budgets.

A prolonged period of weak demand is expected to reduce margins for refineries that produce the transport and industrial fuel, traders and analysts said. The Asian gasoil margin is already set for its worst quarter in OctoberDecember since late 2010, according to Reuters data, hurt by slower economic growth and a supply glut from new refining capacity.

“Diesel demand will continue to be weak in 2015 and we see a slight rebound in 2016 overall in Asia, but we are not positive on diesel growth next year and price deregulation is not going to improve matters,” said Sri Paravaikkarasu, an analyst at energy consultancy FGE. India’s government removed diesel price controls this month, following a 25% fall in global oil prices since June, while Indonesia’s new President Joko Widodo plans to order the steepest rise in subsidised fuel prices in nine years.

Cutting subsidies would normally increase prices, lowering demand. Given current low prices, cutting subsidies may not have immediate impact on demand - Indian diesel prices will actually be about 6% lower - but demand could turn south once oil prices rise, analysts said.

Indonesia is Asia’s third-largest importer of diesel, while India is one of the region’s top diesel exporters.

Indonesia price hike

Widodo aims to raise the gasoline price in Indonesia by 46%, and diesel by 55% in a move that will save the government nearly $13bn a year, an adviser told Reuters.

Diesel demand has been falling in

Cars are seen at a parking lot in Gurgaon Indonesia since the country first hiked diesel prices by more than 20% in 2013, and has been hurt also by a mining slowdown and the mandated use of biodiesel.

Although Widodo’s minority coalition may face some difficulties on subsidies, sentiment will be affected by the proposal, JBC Energy said in a market note.

“The news will certainly prolong the current weakness in the middle distillates market for much longer, even if Indian price cuts boost short-term consumer sentiment and the Indonesian government fails to raise domestic prices,” it said.

Indonesia’s diesel demand is expected at about 270,000 bpd in 2014, according to JBC Energy, and about half

REUTERS

of that is currently subsidised.

Diesel demand in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy is expected to decline by 3.5% in 2015 and 3.3% in 2016, after falling 6.9% this year, FGE’s Sri said.

Despite moves to further raise prices, full deregulation may not happen in Indonesia until 2020, said Sushant Gupta, an analyst at energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.

He estimated full deregulation would cut road demand for diesel and gasoline by 70,000 barrels per day (bpd).

India demand cuts

In India, where diesel use makes up nearly half of fuel consumption, about 40,000 to 50,000 bpd of diesel demand growth has been cut since September,

2012, Gupta said. The growth rate for diesel vehicles had slowed because diesel’s price advantage over gasoline had narrowed, he said.

Since late 2012, India has implemented various reforms to its fuel subsidy programme, including allowing oil companies to increase diesel prices incrementally and withdrawing subsidies on diesel sold in bulk.

India’s diesel demand could still grow by 2.4 to 2.8% next year from 1.1 to 1.5% growth this year as Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks to boost the manufacturing sector to generate growth and jobs, analysts said.

However, this was still well down on growth of more than 8% as recently as 2012. l