14 Nov, 2014

Kartik 30, 1421 Muharram 20, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 220

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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WEEKEND

7 | LONG FORM

11 | OP-ED

12 | SPORT

THE BRASSY ARTS OF DHAMRAI

THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM FROM EXTREME POVERTY

THE OTHER MARTYRS

BFF ACADEMY DREAM NOW A REALITY

Little known but crimes equally grave Khokon Razakar fled to Sweden before the trial of his war crimes started in 2013 n Julfikar Ali Manik He might not be as widely known as some of the other high profile war criminals, but the gravity of the crimes he had committed against humanity in 1971 was not even an ounce lesser.

He is none other than fugitive Zahid Hossain Khokon, now 72, a razakar commander of the Nagarkanda area in Faridpur district, who has been sentenced to death yesterday by International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).

The tribunal tried Khokon, a local leader of anti-liberation party Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971 who later joined the BNP, in absentia as he remained fugitive during the trial and found evidence of Zahid’s active participation in the most heinous of crimes including mass killing, rape, looting, destroying properties and forcing Hindus to become Muslims.

Even a two-year-old was not spared when the war criminal, widely known in his locality as Khokon Razakar for

Harris among 11 newly indicted in SAMS Kibria murder case n Our Correspondent, Habiganj The police have submitted supplementary charge sheet against 35 people including 11 new in former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria murder case.

Of the freshly-indicted accused, three are top BNP leaders including Harris Chowdhury, a former political adviser to Khaleda Zia. The two other BNP leaders are Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury and Sylhet municipality Mayor GK Gaus, also the Habiganj district unit BNP general secretary.

Harris is a charge sheeted accused in Zia Orphanage Trust case and Zia Charitable Trust cases, filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The case has been dealt by the CID since 2005 and pressed two charge sheets. But the aggrieved family of Kibria filed no-confidence petitions against the first charge sheet and also the supplementary charge sheet terming those “incomplete and ill-motivated.”

The CID has also found involvement of 11 operatives of banned Islamist outfit Huji including its chief Mufti Hannan and Maulana Tajuddin, brother of BNP leader Abdus Salam Pintu.

Yesterday, CID’s Assistant Police Superintendent Meherunnesa Khanum  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

his war-time atrocious role, masterminded the indiscriminate killing of Bangalees during the 1971 Liberation War in Nagrakanda of Faridpur.

The tribunal in its verdict said: “It is well proved that Zahid Hossain Khokon substantially contributed to and facilitated mass killing...followed by abduction, confinement, torture and other inhuman acts like plundering and arson.”

The three-member tribunal said that Zahid’s offenses are “particularly shocking to the conscience of mankind.”

“These were not isolated crimes, but a part of an organised and planned attack intended to commit the offences of crimes against humanity,” the verdict said.

The state appointed Md Abdus Shukur Khan, as defence lawyer, who said he had never been able to contact Zahid or his close relatives.

When Zahid fled the country, he was a senior vice-president of the Nagarkanda unit of BNP and the elected mayor of the Nagarkanda municipality.

B1 | Business In %, January to October

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct 7.5 7.44 7.48 7.46 7.48 6.97 7.04 6.91 6.84 6.6

n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia came down heavily on her party policymakers in a meeting last night for failing to materialise the demand for election under non-partisan administration and highlight the current government’s corruption, sources said.

The former premier was particularly harsh with Dhaka city unit BNP convener Mirza Abbas, also a standing committee member, holding him responsible for the party’s recent inertia in the capital.

She even reportedly asked Abbas, who has a lot of influence over the lead-

n Tribune Report

Prime minister’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy has extended full support to the ruling party’s student front Chhatra League, at a time when the organisation has been making headlines for all kinds of wrong reasons, including criminal activities and intimidating people.

Joy, who advises his mother PM Sheikh Hasina on information and communication technology affairs, yesterday told Chhatra League men to “not get involved in any activity that may defame” the ruling party.

He was addressing a meeting

Inflation continued to slide for the third consecutive month in October, thanks to the ongoing falling trend in global food prices and stable food prices in the country.

3 | News

A Judge of the Appellate Division of Supreme Court expressed his serious concern over the rise of militancy in Bangladesh and the involvement of country’s educated young generation with them.

4 | News

Nearly a year after the sensational six murders in the capital’s Gopibagh, investigators have claimed to have found a key lead into the mystery.

It has been more than two years since Ena Properties missed the deadline for constructing the 16-storey city centre on the land of old Rajshahi City Corporation building.

6 | Nation

The authorities concerned claimed that local smugglers have been smuggling hybrid Heera paddy-seed into India for long through different border points of the district.

8 | World

20 years jail in 10 years jail in 5 years jail in Acquittal in

6 1 1 2 1

P3 MONCHO: BRING HIM BACK / FARIDPUR PEOPLE HAPPY An investigation was initiated into his war-time crimes at the end of 2010 and he has been since living in Sweden at his daughter’s house.

Prosecutor Tureen Afroze said: “I

saw Khokon Razakar in Sweden when I went there last December.”

The three-member tribunal comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim, Justice Jahangir Hossain and Anwarul

ers and activists of BNP in the capital, to step down as the chief of the Dhaka city unit if he could not carry out his main duty of forming a full committee.

A member of the BNP standing committee who attended yesterday’s meeting, told the Dhaka Tribune on condition of anonymity that Khaleda lambasted Abbas for failing to organise a rally in the capital on November 8, which the government did not permit.

In reply, Abbas tried to explain the predicament saying: “The government has absolute control over Dhaka. Moreover, there are cases against more or less all the leaders.”

At this point, Khaleda interrupt-

ed him saying: “You failed to organise a rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan.

You even failed to announce any programme protesting this. I do not want to hear any excuses. If you cannot carry out your duty properly, then step down from the position [of Dhaka city unit convener].”

Then another standing committee member said they could call a hartal protesting the government’s decision to not allow the BNP to hold the rally.

Khaleda, who was in a very bad mood, said in reply: “You do not take to the streets after enforcing a hartal.

Moreover, hartal will give the government more opportunity to repress the

I have always been with you, Joy tells BCL

SOURCE: BBS

5 | News

Death in

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

BNP policymakers get a piece of Khaleda’s mind

INSIDE INFLATION 2014

TOTAL CHARGES 11

Haque, unanimously found him guilty beyond reasonable doubt of 10 of the 11 charges brought against him by the prosecution.

Of the 10 charges proved, the tribunal awarded the notorious war criminal death sentence – the highest form of punishment in the country – each for six of the charges.

For the remaining four, the tribunal gave Zahid different terms of rigorous imprisonment ranging from five to 20 years.

Zahid was acquitted from only one of the charges as the judges found him not guilty in that particular criminal incident.

Regarding the process of implementing the sentence, the tribunal said as per the ICT Act, convicted war criminal Zahid alias Khokan Razakar would be be “hanged by the neck till death.”

The tribunal also said all other sentences awarded to him would naturally be merged into a single death sentence.

Ukrainian government forces have no intention of renouncing a ceasefire in the separatist-held east of the country, a military spokesman said on Thursday.

with the Chhatra League at Ganabhaban, the official residence of the prime minister, when he called upon the student leaders to not allow any “criminal activities” on campuses.

On Wednesday, PM Sheikh Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League, tasked two senior leaders to resolve the internal crisis of local unit of Chhatra League that has crippled the Chittagong University.

Earlier this month, Dhaka University authorities temporarily expelled four activists of the Chhatra League for assaulting a renowned

photojournalist and his nieces on the campus.

Last year, several Chhatra League activists were sentenced to death by a trial court in Dhaka for assaulting and killing a tailor named Biswajit in Old Dhaka in 2012.

There are allegations that many Chhatra League leaders from various dormitories of the Dhaka University campus have been involved with mugging and extortion on the campus.

Yesterday’s meeting was divided into two sessions. In the opening session he addressed the leaders  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

party leaders and activists. Hartal will be called when time comes.”

After the Dhaka Metropolitan Police denied granting permission to hold a rally at the Suhrawardy Udyan, the BNP in protest announced countrywide demonstrations. However, no major activities of the party could be seen either in the capital or anywhere else around the country.

During last night’s meeting with the standing committee members of the party, the BNP chief cautioned the leaders reminding them that the government had linked Sylhet city mayor’s name with the killing of former finance  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

Military slammed over land acquisitions n Tribune Report

The national executive director of international anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International, yesterday came down hard on the military for what he called its actions against the public interest.

Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), said the government had been coddling sheep in wolves’ clothing, in reference to its relationship with the armed forces.

Using an expressive Bangla idiom that describes indulging an enemy as “raising a snake on milk and bananas,” Iftekharuzzaman warned against giving in to excessive demands by the military.

“The armed forces, raised up to defend the people, were instead encroaching on people’s land to build up their own infrastructure like cantonments and housing schemes,” he said at a press conference on illegal encroachment of agricultural and forest land.

Iftekharuzzaman said the country had given the military a “lamp of Aladdin,” which he clarified to mean unlimited licence to get whatever it desired.

This should now be stopped, he said.

The TIB executive director said the military was behaving like land grabbers.

The press conference, organised  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

RAB to investigate Sirajganj JMB cases n Mohammad Jamil Khan The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) will now investigate two cases filed against five Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) members, whom they arrested from Shahid M Munshur Ali Rail Station in Sirajganj on October 31 as the Home Ministry has asked the General Railway Police (GRP) to hand over the investigation process of the cases to the elite force.

Five JMB members, including its Coordinator Abdur Nur, were arrested by a team of RAB-12 on October 31 Sirajganj GRP Sub-Inspector Hayder Ali, also investigation officer of the cases, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “I got a letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday to transfer the investigation process to the RAB.” “I have already started closing the investigation process from my side in the two cases and hope that all documents could be handed over to the RAB

within a couple of days,” he said.

Contacted, RAB’s Legal and Media wing Deputy Director Major Rumman Mahmud told the Dhaka Tribune: “Our official will start to investigate the cases on receiving all documents from the present investigation officer.”

Five JMB members, including its Coordinator Abdur Nur, were arrested by a team of RAB-12 on October 31, when they were coming to Dhaka from Chapainawabganj by ‘Dhumketu’, a train.

RAB-22 Assistant Deputy Director Rezaul Karim filed two cases – one under the anti terrorism act and another under explosives substances act – in this regard.

All the five arrested JMB accused have been put on remand in the cases.

They were sent to jail on Wednesday at the end of the interrogations.

Asked, Investigation Officer Hyder Ali, an GRP sub-inspector, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had got some sensational information from the JMB members, including making of explosives in the Sirajganj area, by interrogating them in the cases.

“We would hand over all the information to the RAB as they would now investigate into the cases,” he said. l

News

BNP leaders brief Parliament’s autumn session until Nov 30 country’s political Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmad, authority to bring changes to this end.

They also decided to hold a thanksgiv- Health and Family Welfare Minister situation to foreign n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Parliament started its autumn session ing motion for Speaker Shirin Sharmin Mohammad Nasim, Chief Whip ASM yesterday with an obituary reference Chaudhury for being elected executive Feroz, Whip M Shahabuddin, treasdiplomats and condolence for Sirajganj 3 lawmak- chairperson of the Commonwealth Par- ury bench members Mohibur Rahman liamentary Association and Saber Hos- Manik, Habibe Millat, Nurul Islam Suer Ishaq Hossain Talukder.

Mohammad Al-Masum Molla n The three-time parliamentarian sain Chowdhury for becoming the pres- jan and Selina Begum, and opposition BNP has once again sat with foreign diplomats in Bangladesh, to present its stand about the country’s current political situation.

Ambassadors, chargé d’affaires and representatives of more than 30 countries attended the one-an-a-half hour meeting at a city hotel yesterday, party insiders said. The meeting began at 4:00pm and ended at 5:30pm, they said.

Ambassadors and representatives of United Kingdom, USA, European Union, France, Russia, China, Switzerland, Turkey, Singapore, Japan, Vietnam, Spain, Sweden, Canada, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Nepal and some other countries attended the meeting, they added.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee member Mahbubur Rahman, vice chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, advisers to the BNP chairperson Reaz Rahman and Abdul Awal Mintoo were present in the meeting.

Neither the diplomats nor the BNP leaders briefed the media about the meeting agenda. l

I have always been with you, Joy tells BCL  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

of the organisation in the presence of media. In the second session, he answered questions from the leaders behind closed door where media was not allowed.

According to sources from the closed door meeting, Kazi Enayet, social services secretary of Chhatra League, told Joy: “Once Sheikh Hasina was our guardian. But because of the Election Commission’s compulsions, she has pulled out. We want you [Joy] as our guardian if you agree to be.”

In reply, Joy reportedly said: “I have always been with you. There are legal matters involved. Let me see what I can do.”

In the opening session yesterday, Joy said: “My mother has been teaching me since my childhood to not defame my grandfather [Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman] no matter where I go, whatever I do.

So, I request you to not do anything that tarnishes the historic image of the Chhatra League.”

Joy also said: “I know that when

Awami League is in power, everyone becomes Chhatra League and Awami League for personal gains. On top of it, conspiracies are always there against us.”

He went on to say: “I want all members of the Chhatra League to study attentively to establish themselves, not to extort...There are many ways to earn money by dint of merit and honest work as the Awami League government is taking the country forward.”

More than a hundred leaders of the student body attended the meeting. l

Military slammed over land acquisitions  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

jointly by the Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD), Ain o Shalish Kendra (ASK), Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Nijera Kori, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) at the Dhaka Reporter’s Unity hall in the capital.

According to the statement provided by the organisers, the government would be providing several thousands of acres of agricultural and forest land to the military by evicting the common people.

Some 1788.98 acres of forest land at Ramu in Cox’s Bazar district, 997 acres of land of the indigenous community at Ruma in Bandarban district, and 10,000 acres of agricultural land at Hatia Upazila in Noakhali have been given

to the military.

The military is already taking possession of the land.

In addition, 1408.05 acres of arable land is under process of being allocated to the military in Chatmohor upazila in Pabna, the organisers said.

The organisers said thousands of people had suffered from the government decision, losing their livelihood and habitation in violation of Article 32 of the constitution.

Sultana Kamal, executive director of Ain O Salish Kendra, said the government, in giving in to demands for land from powerful quarters, was contradicting the requirements of democracy.

Rahima Begum, an inhabitant of South Hatia Upazila in Noakhali, said at the press conference that she felt utterly helpless after the military took over her land.

“We have nowhere to go. The gov-

Friday, November 14, 2014

ernment gave us the land to live on two years ago under the “Ashrayon” project and now the military is taking that piece of land away,” she said.

“Civil society is not against the development of the country. We too want to see the modernisation of the military, but not at the expense of anyone’s life or livelihood,” said Iftekharuzzaman.

He said the current situation is the result of not having a defence policy in Bangladesh.

“That is why the country has been giving them [the armed forces] whatever they wish,” he said.

He said it was an undemocratic practice that the national defence budget is never publicly disclosed.

Apart from land encroached upon by the military, the civil society groups mentioned a case of illegal land encroachment, involving influential people, at Gazipur. l

from the Awami League died on October 6. According to practice, all regular activities of the day were adjourned after the condolence motion.

The fourth session started at 4:05pm with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair. Before that the Business Advisory Committee of parliament decided that the session would run until November 30, except Fridays and Saturdays.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition Leader Raushan Ershad attended the committee meeting, which also decided that the speaker would have the

ident of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Attending the condolence discussion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said: “Ishaq is that rare kind of person who never came to me for his own demands; his only concern was the development of his area. “If the country has more of this kind of selfless leaders, community development will be easy.”

Ishaq Hossain Talukder was first elected an MP in 1986 and then in 2008 and 2014.

Deputy Speaker M Fazle Rabbi Miah, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu,

party member Kazi Feroz Rashid joined the obituary reference discussions.

Sources said a total of 10 bills, including two new ones, had so far been submitted at the law section of the Parliament Secretariat for the fourth session of the 10th parliament.

At the outset of the first sitting of the fourth session, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury nominated Habibur Rahman Mollah, Dr Afsarul Amin, Mahmud-us-Samad Chowdhury, Nurul Islam Milon and Begum Aktar Jahan for a five-member chairmen panel. l

17 held with huge Harris among 11 newly indicted anti-govt flyers in Gazipur  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

n Our Correspondent, Gazipur Police in a drive arrested three printing press owners and their 14 personnel along huge quantity of leaflets containing anti-government message and subscription receipts of Islami Chhatra Shibir, youth wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, from Munshipara area in the district town yesterday.

The owners, Shamsul Hoque, Md Mohsin Ahmed and Md Afjal Hossain, own National Printing Press, Nation Printing Press and Afjal Printing Press respectively in the area.

Gazipur SP Md Harun-or-Rashid disclosed the arrest at a press conference held in his office around 5pm, saying that being tipped-off, a team of police conducted the drive in the area and made the arrest.

The leaflets read that the incumbent Awami League government has been violating human rights in the name of war crimes trial and colluding to root out the Shibir activists. l

placed the supplementary charge sheet before the Habiganj Sadar Court of Judge Rokeya Khatun.

Meherunnesa has submitted the charge sheet 23 months after she was given the responsibility. The order follows a no-confidence petition filed by Kibria’s wife on January 5, 2012.

Five people including Kibria were killed in a grenade attack after attending a rally in Boidyer Bazar of Habiganj on January 27, 2005. Sylhet district unit Awami League leader Abdul Mazid Khan MP filed two cases the following day – for murder and use of explosives.

The former minister was critically injured in the attack and died on the way to hospital. The four other deceased were his nephew Shah Manzurul Huda, and Awami League leaders Abdur Rahim, Abul Hossain and Siddique Ali. Over 100 people were injured the grenade attack.

Kibria joined the Awami League in 1994 and became its adviser. He was made finance minister in 1996 and elected a lawmaker in 2001 from Habiganj 3 constituency (Sadar and Lakhai).

The government earlier dismissed the former police super of Habiganj, Emdadul Haque, for diverting the mo-

tive and merit of the case.

In the petition against the second charge sheet in 2011, wife of the former minister Asma Kibria had complained that the names of many bigwigs had been missing.

Then DGFI chief Maj Gen (retd) Sadik Hasan Rumi, several military officers and leaders of the BNP-Jamaat coalition government were involved in the murder, the petition said.

Following filing of the cases, the Home Ministry assigned CID’s Munshi Atiqur Rahman as the investigation officer of the cases.

In April 2005, a government-formed high-powered committee submitted its report accusing 10 people including some grassroots BNP leaders and activists of the murders. The Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal started the trial through framing of charges against the accused.

But following an appeal for further investigation by the complainant, the High Court stayed the proceedings.

A further investigation was launched during the past caretaker government rule. The CID on June 20, 2011 pressed charges against 14 more people, including former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and Harkat-ul-Jihad (Huji) leader Hannan.l

BNP policymakers get a piece of Khaleda’s mind  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

She then rebuked the standing committee members saying: “You all are inactive. You have failed to highlight the government’s corruption before the public.”

At this point, another standing committee member reportedly said they had been talking about the government’s misdeeds and misrules as much as possible.

Clearly, a standing committee member said, the party chief did not think likewise and got furious. “I do not want to listen to all these. I know everything.

When we were in power, the way they highlighted [our failures and corruptions], you are nowhere near doing that.”

She also expressed doubts whether she would find the senior leaders of the party beside her if she eventually took to the streets. Asking her colleagues

to work more sincerely and efficiently towards achieving the political goals of the party, Khaleda said: “I will take to the streets soon and you all will have to follow. I will not tolerate any mistakes in the future.”

Last night’s meeting with the policymakers was part of a series of meetings that the BNP chief had been holding for a few days now in an attempt to device the next course of action.

On November 10 and 11, she sat with the party advisers and vice-chairmen respectively at her Gulshan office.

Standing committee member Moudud Ahmad, who had remained absent in party programmes since the publication of one of his controversial books, was also present in the meeting but remained silent for the most part. l

On May 30, 1971, around 1:30pm, Zahid, along with other Razakar members Atahar and Aynal and Pakistani soldiers, went to the Ishwardi village.

They plundered and torched many houses and shops. When unarmed villagers were trying to escape their wrath, Zahid and his accomplices shot Salam Matubbar, Srimoti Khatun, Lal Miah Matubbar and Mazed Matubbar to death and caused grievous injuries to a little girl named Fulmoti Begum.

On May 31, 1971, around 7:30am, Zahid, along with armed Razakars and Pakistani soldiers, went to the Digholia-Ghoramara Beel, situated at the Shahidnagar Kodalia village, to recover the bodies of dead Pakistani soldiers, who got killed on May 29 in a battle with freedom fighters. They set fire to the houses of Pijiruddin, his brother Afaz and their neighbor Sheikh Sadek, where three people were burnt to death.

Around 10am the same day, Zahid and company went to the Banagram village and plundered and torched many houses. Later, around 11:30am, they went to the Meherdia village and dragged out Achir Uddin Matubbar from the Meherdia Purbo Para Jame Mosque, whom Zahid then shot dead. Later, Safizuddin Matubbar was also killed following which they plundered and torched several houses of the villagers.

On May 31, 1971, around 1:30pm, Zahid, along with armed Razakars and Pakistani soldiers, went to the Goaldi village to exterminate pro-liberation people. Awami League supporters and activists and Hindus were their main targets. At one point, when the unarmed villagers were running to and fro out of fear, Zahid and Pakistani soldiers shot an old man, Rajendra Nath Roy, to death on the jute-field, located in the

south of his house.

When Hannan Munshi, along with his parents, younger brothers and baby sister Bulu Khatun, 2, were trying to escape, Zahid and the Pakistani soldiers killed the baby, who was on her mother’s lap. They also ransacked and set fire to many houses in the village.

On May 31, 1971, around 3:30pm, led by Zahid, a local leader of Jammat-e-Islami and a Razakar, his associate Razakars accompanied by Pakistani soliders, entered the Purapara village and shot Chhoto Khatun alias Noa Chhoto Begum, Shafiuddin Sheikh alias Sheikh Shafi, Manik Sarder, Ratan Sheikh, Jainuddin Matubbar, Abul Barek Mollah and three others to death, then plundered and set fire to many houses.

On June 1,1971, at 6am, Zahid, other Razakars and Pakistani soldiers came to the Baghat and Churiarchar villages.

They looted and set fire to many houses including those of Mini Begum, a supporter of Awami-League, and killed her father Malek Matubbar, brother Mosharrof Matubbar, her paternal and maternal grandmothers, and 10-15 unarmed villagers including Amjad Munshi, Raton Matubbar, Ayub Ali and Monju Rani.

unmarried daughter of late Holdar Dey, who took shelter in the same village, was also raped by other Razakars. Subsequently, raped victims and their family members were deported to India.

minister Shah AMS Kibria.

“The way the government is moving forward, the situation will go out of our control if it continues. So you have to talk now,” she said.

She then said halting anti-government movement after the January 5 election was a mistake because that had given the government chances to gain strength and repress the opposition activists with more vigour.

“Had we not stopped the movement, the government would have had no option but to hold midterm polls,” Khaleda said, adding: “You [policymakers] failed to give me correct advice. Instead you just agreed to whatever I had decided just to save your own backs.

Do not repeat this in future.”

Little known but crimes equally grave  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

Before yesterday’s verdict in Zahid’s case, 11 other verdicts had been delivered by the two tribunals in the same number of war crimes cases. Most of the convicts in those cases have been widely known in the country since 1971, while some were involved in crimes even in independent Bangladesh.

All the convicted war criminals were gradually known to the people because they had either been elevated to the stature of top leaders in political parties, or had been made ministers or given other important government posts by different regimes, or by appearing as presenters in Islamic programmes on television, or by delivering religious sermons.

Accounts of their roles as war criminals are also available in many records related to the 1971 war crimes history.

Zahid on the other hand, was dwarfed as his politics was limited to his locality. As a result, people from other parts of the country were unaware of his Liberation War-time crimes.

The atrocious incidents that Khokon Razakar was charged for by the prosecution, had all taken place between May and August 1971 in Nagarkanda in Faridpur. He was 29-years-old at the time.

The verdict said Zahid had directly participated along with his armed accomplices and Pakistani soldiers in the commission of crimes as an armed member of the Razakar force, an auxiliary of the Pakistan army that wanted to annihilate Bangalees to foil the struggle for freedom and birth of an independent Bangladesh.

The verdict also said the Pakistani occupation army organised Razakar,

al-Badr (auxiliary forces that worked as killing squads) to get pro-Pakistani locals’ support in implementing its atrocious activities in furtherance of organised plans and policies.

The tribunal in its 109-page verdict, of which the judges read out an abridged version from 11am to 12pm yesterday, said: “Zahid alias Khokon Razakar absconded to evade the process of justice although he is the sitting Mayor of the Nagarkanda Municipality.

“It may be presumed that had the accused not been involved in the crime, he would have certainly appeared before the tribunal to face the trial,” said the verdict.

The state-appointed defence counsel expressed dissatisfaction over the verdict, saying Zahid was not involved with the crimes against humanity, would not be able to appeal to the apex court challenging the tribunal verdict if he did not surrender or get arrested.

The verdict said since Zahid is absconding, the sentences of “death” and “rigorous imprisonment” have to be executed either upon his arrest or surrender, whichever came first.

Compared to some of the previous verdict pronouncements by the tribunals, the presence of campaigners, journalists and lawyers was much lighter yesterday.

Interestingly, none of the other convicted war criminals have been given death sentences for nearly as many charges as Khokon has been.

Khokon in Sweden

When contacted over phone, Dr Farhad Ali Khan, public health researcher and scientist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, told the Dhaka Tribune: “I can give you 100% confir-

mation that Khokon Razakar now lives in his daughter’s place at Bredängsvägen in Stockholm. His daughter Shamsunnahar Begum and son-in-law Mohammad Bodiuzzaman Sheikh are both jobholders.”

Farhad, also the vice-president of the Sweden unit of the Awami League, said: “A few months ago, when I visited the house of an expatriate Bangladeshi in Stockholm, Khokon was one of the invitees. We expressed our disappointment over the matter to the host.”

He also said: “To my knowledge, Khokon Razakar is yet to get a Swedish resident permit. But, one of his sons, Khairuzzaman Lincoln, is a Swedish resident who just got his permit. Lincoln has also been recently elected as the general secretary of Sweden unit of Jubo Dal [youth front of the BNP].”

Death on six charges

On May 30, 1971, between 8am and 1pm, Zahid and his associate Razakar members Atahar, Aynal and others, along with Pakistani soldiers, went to the Shahidnagar Kodalia village plundered and set fire to many houses.

Thereafter, they caught 50-60 people from a nearby hideout. Zahid and his accomplices through brush firing shot 16 of them, including women and children. Of them six severely injured and an infant survived. They broke the waist of a teenager named Alauddin Sheikh with a rifle ingot under confinement when he refused to go with the Pakistani soldiers. They also killed Afzal Hossain near the Kodalia Koumia Madrasha and Zahid shot and killed Shukur Sheikh on a jute-field. After their departure, pro-liberation people buried the bodies in three different places.

20-year jail in one charge

On May 27, between 9am and 11am, Zahid, his elder brother Razakar Zafor and other armed Razakars, entered the house of Jogannath Datta at Bonik Para and confined around 16-17 Hindus.

They looted their gold ornaments and cash by threatening to kill them. Zahid destroyed their homestead by setting fire. He also torched a nearby temple.

Around 11am, he raped Radha Rani Datta, wife of Thakur Das Datta, who previously took shelter at Bonik Para.

At the same time, Khuku Rani Datta, an

10-year jail in one charge

Some day between May 16 and 28 and between July 18 and 30 in 1971, Zahid and his armed associates, accompanied by an unknown religious teacher, went to the house of Jibon Das at Jonggurdi-Bagutia village under Nagarkanda Police Station. They forcibly converted Jibon and his four brothers to Muslims.

They also converted four Hindu women to Muslims by forcing them to recite a verse from the holy Qur’an, which the religious teacher administered.

Having experienced these, many Hindus, including those converted, fled to India between July 18 and 30.

In India, they abandoned their Muslim identities and started living like Hindus again.

5-year jail in two charges

Someday between April 28 and May 6, under Zahid’s leadership, Razakars destroyed the houses of Kanai Lal Mondal and others. They threatened to kill or deport many local Hindus unless they converted to Islam. By issuing such threats, Zahid realised Tk5,000 from Kanai Lal Mondal’s family and Tk10,000 from Jibon Das’s family.

On July 1,1971, around 12:30pm, Razakar commander Zahid, along with armed accomplices, went to the Jonggurodi-Bagutia village and apprehended Kanai Lal Mondal from a hideout and shot him with an intention to kill but left him badly injured on the right elbow. The victim was eventually deported to India. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

SC judge concerned over rising militancy n Ahmed Zayeef A Judge of the Appellate Division of Supreme Court expressed his serious concern over the rise of militancy in Bangladesh and the involvement of country’s educated young generation with them.

“Brilliant young people are being brain-washed by militant lunatics who misinterpreting Islam are trying to recruit them in Bangladesh and other countries,” said the judge.

He urged all concerned “to deal with this type of situation dispassionately and without any leniency”.

The concern came from Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury, a member of a four-member bench of the Appellate Division during an appeal hearing challenging a High Court bail to Asif Adnan, son of former HC judge Abdus Salam Mamun.

Asif Adnan was allegedly recruited as an ISIS fighter by a UK citizen of Bangladeshi origin.

After the hearing the bench headed

by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain stayed the HC order that granted bail on November 10 to Asif till Sunday.

The apex court also fixed Sunday for passing further order on the appeal.

Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury said: “My heart bleeds when I see a son of one of my former colleagues is produced before us as the accused in this case. We cannot ignore the question of the security of the state.

Security of the state is the highest law which must be protected and insulated at any cost and every cost.”

When the security of the state is threatened it does not matter whose son or grandson is accused. “We must deal with this type of situation dispassionately and without any leniency.

VVIP and VIPs are on target

Justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury said: “Whenever we open the newspaper in the morning, the main news that attracts our attention is on the conspiracy involving not only people within Bangladesh but also foreigners.”

On Bangladesh, this people (militant) are bent to destroy our country and assassinate our leaders including the prime minister, other VVIPs and VIPs. The latest news on Bardhaman conspiracy and Jawahiris massage are alarming, he said.

Young people are being brain-washed

Justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury said there was a time when brilliant youths used to follow the ideas of Marx, Lenin, Castro, Ho chi Min and Che Guevara but now the same brilliant young people are being brain-washed by militant lunatics who misinterpreting Islam are trying to

recruit brilliant young people in Bangladesh and other countries instigating them to take arms against the state.

It is high time that these elements should be uprooted. Their Ideological mentors are misleading them about Islamic philosophy but unfortunately this young people are falling prey to their traps.

Jawahiri is a lunatic

Terming Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri Justice Shamsuddin termed him lunatic, debased, depraved and debauched who is targeting brilliant people all over the world including Bangladesh. He has sparked a reign of terror in the mind of many statesman all over the world.

“We have seen that many Bangladeshis who went to Afghanistan, on their return had resorted to militancy in Bangladesh,” he observed.

Young educated person are on trap

Justice Shamsuddin Chowdhury also noted that most of the young boys have brilliant academic record. They have been educated from renowned English medium schools and institutions.

“Such institutes as North South University which seems to be a major breeding ground for militants. They are well dressed and clean-shaved, it is impossible to identify them as militant by their look. They speak in English and very smart in their postures.

“Unfortunately their parents do not know what they are doing out of their homes. I feel pity for those parents,” he said.

“If we do not act resolutely and with iron fist now, it may be too late tomorrow. We cannot look at this matter with compassion and mercy irrespective of the identities of such accused,” the justice concluded. l

Court asks police to probe treason plea against Tarique n Our Correspondent, Jessore A Jessore district court yesterday asked police to look into a treason petition filed against BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Abu Ibrahim gave the order after a hearing on the case and asked the Sadar police station OC to submit a probe report on it.

Prosecution lawyer Abdul Kader confirmed this to the Dhaka Tribune.

On November 9, Jessore District Awami League’s Organising Secretary SM Afzal Hossain filed the petition against

Mirza Fakhrul slams Ershad n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla The BNP bashed Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad yesterday for making “derogatory comments” on BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.

“A new freedom fighter has been born in the country. He is Ershad. I do not like to talk much about him as I do not want to give him much importance,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general of the party, said.

Addressing a discussion organised

by Sechchasebak Dal to mark National Revolution and Solidarity Day, Fakhrul said: “Ershad cannot criticise Ziaur Rahman. Ershad became deputy chief of army and then army chief due to the kindness of Ziaur Rahman.”

Branding Ershad as traitor, the BNP spokesperson also said: “People also have questions in their minds about what his role was in the Zia killing.”

Former military ruler Ershad on Wednesday claimed that though Ziaur Rahman was a freedom fighter, he destroyed the spirit of Liberation War after assuming office. Fakhrul called upon Ershad saying: “Please stop and do not embarrass yourself anymore.”

Ershad also said Zia’s wife Khaleda had handed the national flag over to anti-liberation forces.

Quoting the prime minister’s political adviser HT Imam, the BNP leader said: “The country’s constitution says there will be no disparity in employment, but it seems now only Bangladesh Chhatra League activists can get the jobs.

HT Imam said at a seminar on Wednesday Awami League-backed student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League activists needed to simply pass the BCS written test in order to get jobs, and he would see to the rest.

He advised Chhatra League activists to engross themselves in studies, saying: “You need to prepare yourself properly for the written part of the BCS examination, and I will see to the rest.” l

Tarique. The petition quoted Tarique as telling a discussion in London on November 5: “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is the killer of freedom-loving people. He had also taken presidential oath as a Pakistani citizen and so he should be sued for treason.”

It cited that Tarique’s hateful and objectionable statement against Bangabandhu amounts to be punishable as per section 124 (a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The petition also called for the court to issue an arrest warrant against the accused to ensure justice in this regard. l

Wires and pillars of this electric transformer lies dangerously tangled with trees in capital’s Bakshi Bazar area posing high risk of a burst anytime MEHEDI HASAN

SC: Rana Plaza culprits should stay behind bars indefinitely n

Ahmed Zayeef

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday observed that those responsible for the Rana Plaza disaster “should stay behind bars during their natural lives.”

Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury, member of a four-strong bench at the Appellate Division, made the comment during the hearing of a plea regarding the bail of Rakibul Hasan Rasel, an engineer of Savar municipality, in a case filed in connection with the Rana Plaza collapse.

‘The engineers are either completely inefficient or corrupt’ During yesterday’s hearing, Rasel’s counsel Helal Uddin Molla said: “Rana [the building’s owner] is also on bail.

What action has been taken against him?

Is the state appealing against his bail?”

At that time, the court asked the government side about Rana’s bail; but no one replied.

Helal again argued: “According to the section 165 (5) of penal code of CrPC, if the investigation cannot be finished within 180 days the accused is eligible for getting bail.”

However, Justice Shamsuddin Choudhury told the defence “it is not mandatory.”

He added that the collapse of Rana Plaza had not only killed thousands of people, but also damaged the economy and reputation of the country.

Observing that the people responsible for the disaster “do not deserve any compassion,” Justice Shamsuddin said:

“The engineers, who are responsible for planning to construct Rana Plaza as a nine-storey structure instead of five-storey, are either completely inefficient or corrupt.”

They should not be granted bail, he said, adding that the building’s owner Sohel Rana was the main culprit for the disaster. All of them should stay behind bars during their natural lives, Justice Shamsuddin said.

Defence counsel Helal also asked the court: “Rajuk gave the plan violating our [engineers] note. What action has been taken against them?”

Again, the court asked the prosecution about Rana’s condition in the case.

Representing the state, Additional Attorney General Momotaj Uddin Fakir said: “Rana has acquired bail in this case, but he is in prison for other cases.”

Following the arguments, the four-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain, adjourned hearing in the case until November 16.

Later, Helal Uddin Mollah told reporters that his client was arrested on May 29 last year in the case filed under Building Construction Act 1952, and was granted bail by the High Court on July 15 this year.

The chamber judge of the Supreme Court stayed the High Court bail order on July 17 for eight weeks, saying that the stay order will stand vacated if the government does not file a leave to appeal with the Supreme Court after eight weeks, Helal said. The defence counsel added that he brought the issue to the notice of the Supreme Court as the government had filed the leave to appeal 50 days after the expiry of the eightweek deadline. l

Professor Zillur paid last respects n Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique

Eminent educator Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui was laid to rest at Banani graveyard yesterday afternoon after mourners paid tribute to him at the Central Shaheed Minar.

Around 11am, his body was brought to the Shaheed Minar where people from various political, social and cultural organisations had been waiting to pay their last respects.

Mourners gathered around the body and laid floral wreaths as a token of respect.

As one of the country’s prolific intellectuals, Prof Zillur left his contribu-

tions in the fields of literature and culture, and also at the state level.

Delegations of political parties including the Awami League, BNP and Communist Party paid tribute to Zillur.

Officials of different ministries, teachers of universities and members of cultural organisations also paid their respects.

CPB leader Mujahidul Islam Selim said the educator’s ideas would be more meaningful if the youth carried it further.

Ruling party lawmaker Jahangir Kabir Nanok said his death was a great loss.

DU Vice-Chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique said the loss of people like Zillur Rahman would always be

deemed as an untimely demise. “Many a time we met in different occasions.

His mastery was to grasp any situation and deliver his insights in the most precise manner.”

After observing a minute’s silence as respect to the departed, Zillur’s body was taken to the Dhaka University Mosque and then to Gulshan Azad Mosque for namaz-e-janazas after which he was buried at the Banani graveyard.

Earlier, his first janaza took place at Jahangirnagar University premises where he was a vice-chancellor. Students and teachers paid their respects laying floral wreaths. l

3

Friday, November 14, 2014

AMINBAZAR VANDALISM

Court indicts 89 BNP men n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday indicted 89 BNP leaders and activists, including its Joint Secretary General Amanullah Aman, in two cases filed for vandalising and torching vehicles.

A total of 89 BNP leaders and activists, including Aman, International Affairs Secretary Nazim Uddin Alam, former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal president Sultan Salauddin Tuku and its Dhaka district unit President Rezaul Karim Paul, were present at the court as the order was passed.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Nazmul Haque Shyamal of the Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal fixed January 5, 2015 for commencing the trial with depositions of witnesses.

The defence had filed a discharge petition, arguing that its clients had been arrested and implicated in the case to harass them and ruin their political image, but the magistrate rejected it and framed the charges.

All the accused pleaded innocent and sought justice when the prosecution read out the charges in front of them in the two cases.

Sixty-seven of the 89 BNP leaders, including Aman and Nazim, were present in the court during the hearing, while others had sought time through their counsels.

The court, however, rejected their time petitions and issued warrants for their arrest.

Sub-Inspector Abdul Haque Shikdar of Savar Model police station had filed a case in connection with vandalising and torching of vehicles at Aminbazar on December 9, 2012.

Investigation officer SI Md Moniruzzaman submitted the charge sheets against 65 people, including Aman and Nazim, on December 25 that year. l

Khokon Razakar’s brother was also a Razakar commander n Julfikar Ali Manik War criminal Zahid Hossain Khokon alias Khokon Razakar was not the only collaborator from his family; his elder brother was also a part of the Razakar force in Nagarkanda of Faridpur district during the Liberation War. According to the verdict delivered by the first International Crimes Tribunal yesterday, Zahid’s elder brother Zafor was a commander of the infamous Razakar force at Nagarkanda.

At that time, Zahid was a general member of the force, actively associated with many of the atrocities committed by the Pakistani occupation army during the nine-month Liberation War in 1971.

But Zafor got killed in a battle with freedom fighters in May 1971 in their locality. That could not hold Zahid back from committing atrocities in the area and collaborating with the Pakistani occupation army with an aim to break the spirit of the Bangalees.

Zahid not only continued committing crimes against humanity throughout the duration of the war, he also went on to become a commander of the same

Razakar force after his brother’s death.

Stepping into his brother’s shoes, Razakar commander Zahid himself killed many freedom-monger Bangalees, raped women and looted and destroyed properties. He was such

The brothers took Pakistani soldiers to various villages, where they carried out atrocities against pro-independence Bangalees a communal Islamist fanatic that he forced many Hindus to convert to Islam and leave their own land and go to India as refugees.

The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday sentenced Zahid to death in a war crimes case, 43 years after he had committed the crimes.

The verdict said most of the witnesses had testified that Zahid had been a Razakar and his brother Zafor was the commander of the Razakars in Nagar-

Faridpur dwellers happy with Khokon verdict n Our Correspondent, Faridpur Residents in Faridpur yesterday rejoiced at the death sentence awarded to fugitive war criminal MA Zahid Hossain Khokon, infamously known as Khokon Razakar.

Locals distributed sweets and marched through Nagarkanda and Saltha areas soon after the International Crimes Tribunal handed down the verdict.

Chairman of Shahid Nagar upazila Rafiquzzaman Onu said Khokon would always feel proud to identify himself as a Razakar.

“People have breathed a sigh of relief as the verdict has been pronounced,” he said.

Faridpur Muktijoddha Sangsad Commander Abul Fayez Shah Newaz said one of the four notorious men in the district had been condemned to death.

He also called on the government to implement the other verdicts soon.

Acting general secretary of Faridpur district unit of Awami League and freedom fighter Syed Masud Hossain termed Khokon’s verdict “the verdict of people and freedom fighters”.

Sub-sector Commander during the 1971 Liberation War and an accused in the Agartala conspiracy case Nur Mohammad Babul said the verdict had

kanda. After that, Zahid took over the responsibility of commanding the Razakars in Nagarkanda area, said the verdict.

Although throughout the nine months of the war Zahid kept on committing crimes against humanity, the prosecution brought only 11 charges against him which were committed between May and August 1971.

Zahid and his brother Zafor used to guide the Pakistani soldiers to different villages in the area, where together they carried out atrocities on freedom-monger Bangalees and Hindus.

The tribunal found from the depositions of those witnesses, who had come from Faridpur, that the Pakistani occupation army rolled into Faridpur town on April 21, 1971, in furtherance of the “operation search light” executed on March 25, 1971 in Dhaka.

All the atrocities narrated in the charges against Zahid took place since the entry of Pakistani occupation army into Faridpur district and the targets of their horrific atrocious acts were mostly the pro-liberation Bangalees and Hindus, the verdict said. l

Moncho: Execute verdict bringing Khokon back n Arif Ahmed

destigmatized Faridpur.

Upazila Muktijoddha Sangsad Commander Fazlul Haque said the verdict reflected justice and demanded it be executed soon.

Nagarkanda Awami League President Abdul Raihan Mia said the local people were pleased with the death sentence of Khokon. l

Activists of Gonojagoron Moncho have demanded that the government bring back fugitive war criminal MA Zahid Hossain Khokon alias Khokon Razakar and execute the verdict given in a trial against him yesterday.

An International Crimes Tribunal yesterday sentenced Khokon Razakar to death for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

Gonojagoron Moncho expressed satisfaction over the verdict and brought out a victory rally from the Shahbagh intersection in the capital around 12:30pm and paraded surrounding areas of Dhaka University. They had earlier gathered at Shahbagh’s “Projonmo Chattar” in the morning.

Moncho spokesperson Imran H Sarkar said: “We are satisfied with the verdict. We demand that the government bring back Khokon Razakar and execute him soon.”

He also said convicted war criminal Kamaruzzaman should be executed soon. “We are concerned by the law minister’s statement that the execution could be delayed,” Imran said. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Friday, November 14, 2014

Detective Branch finds Ansarullah behind Gopibagh murders

Trainee dies jumping off roof of an NGO in capital

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

A 16-year-old girl yesterday died after allegedly jumping off the rooftop of a four-storey building of an NGO in capital’s Mirpur area on Wednesday.

Identified as Sumi Akter Lipi, the dead was a trainee at an NGO named Samajik Punuruddhar O Shongshodhon Samity that works in collaboration with the Victim Support Centre (VSC) under DMP for rehabilitation and correction of victims.

The incident took place around 8pm on Wednesday. She was immediately taken to DMCH where she died around 2:20am yesterday.

“Sumi, who was lost, was brought here by the VSC officials two-and-ahalf years back,” Nasir Uddin, executive director of the samity, said.

Police could not provide any detail of Sumi. Since then she had been re-

Nearly a year after the sensational six murders in the capital’s Gopibagh, investigators have claimed to have found a key lead into the mystery.

A high official of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP)’s Detective Branch (DB) told the Dhaka Tribune that they had found the involvement of a top leader of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an Islamist militant group.

“We have analysed some encrypted messages found on ABT’s website and blogging site, sent by and received from a secret internet protocol (IP) address. That has led us to Redwanul Azad Rana, operation team leader of ABT, and three of his associates,” the DB official said requesting anonymity.

The official also said Rana, who had been out of the country for a while after the murder, had recently come back and had reportedly been living somewhere in Dhaka.

DB Deputy Commissioner Shaikh Nazmul Alam confirmed the news to the Dhaka Tribune.

He said Rana, along with his associates Nabin, Sayem and Abdullah, staged the sensational Gopibagh killing and had also been planning to kill dozens of bloggers and noted personalities.

On December 21, 2013, six people including Lutfar Rahman Faruq, who called himself a pir or a self-proclaimed Islamic spiritual teacher, his son Sanwar Islam alias Monir, a banker by profession, and followers Mujibur Rahman, Russel, Shahin and Manju were

killed in a house at the RK Mission Road in Gopibagh. Police could not immediately identify the killers.

Rana is a former student of the North South University and a chargesheeted accused in the blogger Rajib Hyder murder case. He is responsible for mobilising the organised “sleeper cells” of the militant outfit as per order from the high command.

A sleeper cell is a group of people who remain dormant and unnoticed in a community until activated by prearranged signals, to perform acts of espionage, sabotage and killing on behalf of militant and terrorist groups.

According to another official involved with DB’s militancy probe: “Basically, three separate units converge for one particular killing mission. At

first, the ‘operation wing’ make a list of targets by analysing news and blogposts. The ‘media wing’ then collect information from the field by continuously following the targets. The operation wing then activate and pass on the information to the sleeper cells.”

The official said they had got the information from two suspected militants in their custody – ABT’s media wing chief Morshed and his associate Wadud Jumman.

DB’s Additional Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam told the Dhaka Tribune: “ABT operatives mainly target people who publicly comment on religion. In the first phase of a killing mission, ABT members gain the target’s confidence and wait for an opportune moment to kill that person.” l

Rivkin optimistic about trades with Bangladesh n Tribune Report US Assistant Secretary of the State for Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin has expressed optimism regarding trade relations with Bangladesh.

He gave his view after a meeting with Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday morning.

“This was my first trip to Bangladesh, and it was a very successful one,” he told reporters. “Our goal is to strengthen, deepen and broaden the tie between the two countries. A centrepiece of that will be the economic relations, and we are continuing to move forward in making that a reality,” he added.

He however refused to take any further questions from the media.

During his short one-day trip, Rivkin also met with BGMEA President Md Atiqul Islam and other solidarity leaders for a breakfast meeting at the ambassador’s house in the morning and discussed trade opportunities, according to Ashique Rushdi, press specialist at the US Embassy Dhaka.

When inquired about the short trip, Ashique said Rivkin was supposed to arrive on November 11, but his trip was cut short because of a delayed flight. l

15 injured in fire in Chittagong n Tribune Report At least 15 persons sustained burn injuries when a fire broke out in the Mohammadia Press Market in Chittagong’s Hazari Lane area on Wednesday night.

The injured include Tulshi Sen, 70, Sawpan Dhar, 32, and Rajib, 35, while identities of the rest could yet to be known immediately. All the injured were admitted to the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

Jasim Uddin, deputy assistant director of the Agrabad Fire Service and Civil Defense, said the fire originated around 10:15pm from a gas cylinder leakage in a gold ornament factory owned by Tulshi Sen on the second floor of the five storey building and soon spread through the whole floor.Three fire fighting units doused the flames after one and half hours of hectic efforts, said Jasim. l

A wrecker is moving away a worn out human haulier that lost control and rolled over on the road in an attempt to overtake vehicles near Malibagh Railway Crossing in the capital yesterday RAJIB DHAR

Manzurul testifies over 2001 attack on CPB rally n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu A Dhaka court yesterday recorded the deposition of Manzurul Ahsan Khan, former president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), in a case filed under the explosives substances act over an attack on the party’s rally at Paltan Maidan in the capital in 2001.

Dhaka’s Metropolitan Session Special Tribunal 4 Judge KM Imrul Kayes fixed November 20 for recording depositions of the remaining witnesses.

Witness Manzurul said in the testimony: “I was presiding over a rally at 3pm in Paltan Maydan [on Janury 20, 2001], when suddenly an arges grenade was exploded in front of the really. Immediately, I went there and saw many of our supporters and activists injured.

Some of them died on the spot.”

“Along with party activists, I took the injured to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared Hemangsu, Majid, Hashem and Mokhter dead.

Another activist Bipprodas died at the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH),” he said.

Around 100 supporters and activ-

ists were injured on that day, Manzurul said.

He said the CPB has been struggling for secularism, humanity, democracy and after all terrorism since its formation. Those who do not are against the party’s such activities had attacked the rally.

After he gave his deposition, the former CPB chief was cross-examined by the defence counsel.

The 2001 attack on the CPB rally left eight people dead and over 50 others injured on January in 2001.

Former CPB president Manzurul Ahsan Khan filed two cases with Motijheel police station in this regard – one filed for the killing and the other under the explosives substances act.

On November 27 last year, Investigation Officer Mrinal Kanti Saha, also an inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), pressed charges before the Court.

On September 4 this year, the court framed charges against 13 leaders and activists of banned Islamist outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (Huji). Mufti Hannan is one of charge-sheeted accused. l

ASK: Make NHRC more effective institution n Tribune Report

Jahangir Mohammad Adel dies

n Tribune Report Jahangir Mohammad Adel, former member of parliament and ex-deputy mayor of Dhaka City Corporation, died on Wednesday, November 12. He was 84 years old.

His namaz-e-janaza will be held today, November 14 after Ju’ma prayers at Tara Mosque in Armanitola of Old Dhaka. Another namaz-e-janaza will be held after Asr prayers at Sobhanbagh Mosque in Dhanmondi.

He will be buried at his family graveyard at Sobhanbagh. l

The government should take concrete measures and sincere efforts to make National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) financially independent and also an internationally acclaimed institution, said speakers.

They also said legal weakness and limitation are the major hurdles to the complete activeness of the commission.

The opinions were expressed in a report sharing and discussion event titled “NHRC: Institutional Commitment Needed” organised by the Ain O Salish Kendra at National Press Club yesterday.

The report is a critical assessment of the performance of the National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh (NHRC) in the protection and promotion of human rights, mainly between January to December 2013 as well as during the first half of 2014.

ASK Executive Director Sultana Kamal at the discussion said: “It is a state apparatus and a statutory body. It should hold more powers.”

Prof Dr Mizanur Rahman, chairman of the NHRC said: “We don’t want to admit the truth that a criminal has his human rights also. In our law it is said that until an accused is proved to be a criminal he/she should not be tortured.”

The report stated that the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Act, 2013 empowers the law enforcers agencies to record conversation, videos, photographs, conversations posted on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Blogs, Emails and to allow this as evidence in court.

It is contrary to the right of the privacy of correspondence and other communication as well as to fundamental rights to the constitution, read the report. “Anti-Corruption Act, 2004 amended by parliament curtailed the commission’s authority to file cases against public servants.”

The report mentioned that the NHRC played an active role during the human rights violation during 2014 and the first half of 2014. In 2014, NHRC for the first time investigated the deaths in “crossfires”. l

BASHUNDHARA DIRECTOR MURDER

HC rejects bail of Tarique’s PS

n Tribune Report The High Court yesterday rejected a bail petition of the personal secretary of BNP leader Tarique Rahman in Tk21 crore bribery case involving the murder of a Bashundhara Group director.

Tarique’s PS Mia Nur Uddin Apu, who had left the country in 2007 and returned this June, was sent to jail on June 18 upon surrendering to a Dhaka court.

The ACC had filed the case with Ramna police station on October 4, 2007, claiming that several people including Tarique Rahman were involved in receiving and giving bribes to ensure that Shafiat Sobhan Sanvir, son of Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar alias Shah Alam, did not have to face the charges of murdering the group’s director Humayun Kabir Sabbir.

The High Court bench of Justice M Moazzam Husain and Justice Md Badruzzaman yesterday heard arguments and then rejected the petition. Apu’s lawyer Sagir Hossain Leon told reporters that other accused in the case except his client were now on bail, so they would file an appeal with the SC against the HC decision. l

ULAB to hold its third convocation

n Tribune Report

The University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) is going to hold its third convocation at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) on Sunday (November 16), says a media release.

The programme is scheduled to start at 10am, where Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid will made the declaration of the opening of the convocation 2014 on behalf of the Chancellor and President Abdul Hamid. l

n Tribune Report

ceiving trainings here, he said.

“Normally, we provide trainings for one and a half years, but since Sumi had no address or guardian, she stayed here longer,” said the director.

Nasir claimed that Sumi had grown a love affair with a construction worker from a site near the NGO building.

“She had planned to elope with the boy on Wednesday with the help of some other trainees,” he said, adding that his organisation had adequate security arrangements.

However, sources in Mirpur police said Sumi fell off the roof while trying to escape from the samity with two other girls aged 13 and 10.

The three had planned to climb down the building with a rope made by joining seven stoles. When Sumi first attempted to climb down, the rope snapped and she fell on the ground. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Friday, November 14, 2014

RAJSHAHI CITY CENTRE

MP’s firm misses construction deadline by 2 years n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi It has been more than two years since Ena Properties, a construction firm owned by Rajshahi 4 constituency lawmaker Engineer Enamul Haque, missed the deadline for constructing the 16-storey city centre on the land of old Rajshahi City Corporation building.

Construction was supposed to be completed by October 10, 2012, and the delay has also stalled renovation of Sonadighi, a well-known pond, promised by former mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton during the 2008 elections.

The renovation included construction of a mosque, a walkway, an amphitheatre and a library beside the pond, and Liton said both the projects would be implemented together.

Of the 16 floors, only eight have so far been constructed and that also has been partially completed.

City corporation officials said tender for constructing the city centre was invited in 2009 and Ena Properties won the deal as it was the only firm that submitted papers. The agreement was that Ena Properties would sell 75% of the shops and residential units, and the remaining 25% would go to the city corporation.

The project was approved at the general meeting of the city corporation on September 16, 2009, and Liton inaugurated the construction on October 10.

3 Udichi activists beaten by BCL men at BAU n BAU Correspondent The activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) beat up three Udichi activists on Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) campus over a trifling matter in the early hours of yesterday.

The injured Udichi men were identified as Al Mujahid Mridul, Polash Chakraborty and Shafayet Hossain.

Mridul is press secretary of BAU Udichi unit and rest two are general members of the same cultural organisation.

Campus sources said some BCL activists, including Musleh Uddin Irfan, Shahed Iqbal, Sheikh Abdullah Al Mamun, Al-Amin, beat up the Udichi men when they had gone to the hall around 12:30am for collecting money for their upcoming biannual convention scheduled to be held on 15 November.

Confessing the allegation, the BCL activists told the Dhaka Tribune that they had beat them men) as they were collecting money without permission of BCL leaders. On information, Acting Proctor of BAU Dr Mohammad Mohiruddin rushed to the hall and settled the matter discussing with hall administration, senior BCL and Udichi leaders. l

After that the contractor suspended the project for a few days and foundation work was later carried out for one and a half years upon resumption.

In July 2011, Enamul attempted to secure bank loans for the project and even tried to show the property under his ownership by submitting a petition to the city corporation in November.

But it was turned down on the ground of being unlawful.

The firm later started the work again but the progress was slow, resulting in the delay.

However, Executive Director of the firm Mominul Islam said they missed the deadline as Rajshahi Development Authority did not approve the plan on time.

“Construction was estimated to be completed within five years since the time the plan would be approved. It has been two years since we got the approval and still there are three years to complete the project,” explained Mominul.

“Construction is progressing fast and we are now working on the ninth floor. The project, hopefully, will be completed by June next year,” he said.

He also said a number of commercial units would be handed over in March to those who had already paid the money.

Rajshahi City Corporation Chief Engineer Ashraful Haque said the deadline was extended till June next year in response to a petition filed by the contractor. l

Construction works in Rajshahi City Centre building was supposed to complete two years back, but the photo which was snapped recently shows that only eight floors of the 16-storey building have so far been constructed DHAKA TRIBUNE

DU admission seekers continue strike Robbers stab 50-year-old n DU Correspondent

Students demanding that the Dhaka University authorities restore the system allowing admission seekers to sit for tests for the second time continued their hunger strike at the Central Shaheed Minar for the second consecutive day.

Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, many agitating admission seekers said they would continue their movement until their demand was met.

At least seven students fell ill during the hunger strike yesterday. One of them had to be taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital while the others were

given primary treatment.

DU Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said: “There is no scope to change the decision.”

Visiting the Shaheed Minar around 3:30pm yesterday, this correspondent found that some 40 students were chanting slogans and singing songs in support of their demand.

“We have no other way. We will continue our movement as long as we can survive,” said Mohammad Salman Khan, an agitating student who completed his HSC this year form Kabi Nazrul Government College.

Left student organisations Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Samajtantrik

Chhatra Front and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation have extended solidarity with the demonstrating students from the beginning.

Without obtaining necessary permission of the university authorities, some students are holding a programme there, it said. “They are requested to leave the premises,” the press release said.

On October 14, the DU authorities decided not to allow admission seekers to appear in the admission tests for the second time. DU acting proctor Amzad Ali said: “We have already directed them to leave the place but they did not.” l

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:13PM SUN RISES 6:13AM 29 30 30 28 30 30 30 31

20 22 14 14 17 18 16 23

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

32.5ºC Chittagong

16.4ºC Rajshahi

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Jumma Asr Magrib Esha

4:54am 6:11am 11:43am 3:37pm 5:13pm 6:31 pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

A gang of robbers stabbed a 50-year-old woman and took away valuables from a house in Old Kochukhet in the capital yesterday.

The injured is Nasrin Begum, 50, who was admitted to Dhaka Medical college Hospital.

Cutting the iron grills of a balcony, the armed robbers entered the apartment on the ground floor of house 226/2 in the area around 4am.

They beat up Nasrin and stabbed on

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

DRY WEATHER LIKELY

FORECAST FOR TODAY

n Tribune Report

her two hands and shoulder. Keeping her son Kabir Hossain, his two sons and wife, hostage on gun point, they took away Tk2 lakh, ornaments and two mobile phones.

“The seven to eight robbers were masked. They fled after stealing the things within half an hour after,” said police quoting Nasrin.

Kabir’s wife Fatema Rokhsana said they could not scream in fear of losing life. After the robbers left, they called the neighbours who later informed the police. l

40 gold bars seized at Chittagong airport

WEATHER

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

woman in capital

Workers of a garment factory that was recently shut down without prior notice, bring out a rally in front of the National Press Club yesterday demanding reopening of the factory and due wages NASHIRUL ISLAM

CMP gives three-day for removing illegal billboards n CU Correspondent The Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) yesterday gave three-day deadline for removing illegal billboards, placards and posters in the city.

The decision was taken at a meeting held at the conference room of CMP headquarters around 3pm.

At the meeting, the CMP Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandal said CMP yesterday started announcement over loudspeakers in the city to remove the billboards, placards and posters by November 15.

If the billboard owners do not de-

molish the illegal items within the stipulated time, the CMP with assistance of the CCC executive magistrate would conduct drive to demolish the billboards, placards and posters.

At the meeting, CCC’s Revenue Officer Md Samsul Alam said Chittagong city has 6,485 billboards. Of the billboard, 422 are illegal.

Additional Police Commissioner (finance, administration and traffic) AKM Shahidur Rahman, CMP high officials and representative of Chittagong Outdoor Billboard Owners’ Association were present at the meeting among other. l

The Chittagong Customs House authorities at Shah Amanat International Airport yesterday morning seized 40 gold bars from a plane of Bangladesh Biman which arrived in the city from Abu Dhabi.

Assistant Commissioner (AC) Md Shahadat Jamil of Chittagong Customs House told Dhaka Tribune that they had searched the plane of the flight (BG-028), which touched the land of the airport around 6am after boarding off of all the passengers from the plane and found the 40 gold bars around 6:40am.

“The bars were wrapped with black scotch tape and the bars were found under three seats – seat numbers 28A, 28B and 28C – in abandoned condition,” he said, adding that the bars, weighing 4.50 kilograms, worth Tk1.80 crore. The seized bars would

be handed over to Bangladesh Bank while legislative measures would be taken in this connection, added the customs official.

Existing law allows a person to carry highest 200 grammes gold from abroad paying necessary duty at the airport

The seized bars would be handed over to Bangladesh Bank while legislative measures would be taken in this connection while the passenger can bring highest two kilograms of gold by giving early notice to the concerning authorities and paying duty according to a circular of Bangladesh Bank. l

JU teachers demand implementation of full fledged university outline n JU Correspondent The left-leaning teachers of Jahangirnagar University (JU) yesterday demanded implementation of full fledged university outline.

The teachers under the banner of “Shikkhok Moncho” made the demand at a press conference held at new arts faculty building around 2:30pm.

The teachers demanded steps to ensure friendly environment for education on the campus and teachers’ professional privileges.

They also met JU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Farzana Islam and handed over a book regarding full fledged university outline.

The teachers also criticised authorities recent initiative regarding teachers’ recruitment in biochemistry and molecular biology department.

They said the authorities had appointed six teachers against four posts in the department while relatives of some of university’s influential teachers, including former ousted VC Prof Shariff Enamul Kabir, got appointments, source said.

At the press conference, Prof Anu Muhammad said if a teacher was appointed wrongly, the students of many generations would suffer. So, new resolutions over teacher recruitment should be composed in order to appointing capable teachers.

“We have addressed these demands from our responsibilities to country’s people and the university as well. As the university ran by the tax money of mass people, we have some responsibilities to them. We have informed the VC about our demands from these responsibilities,” Prof Anu Muhammad said.

Philosophy department’s Associate Professor and spokesman of “Shikkhok Moncho” Raihan Rhyne, anthropology department’s Associate Professors Saieed Ferdous and Mahmudul Hasan Sumon, Bangla department’s Assistant Professor Himel Barkat and history department’s Assistant Professor Anisa Parveen were present at the press conference. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Friday, November 14, 2014

Hybrid Heera paddy seed smuggled into India Bangladesh has been incurring losses as the country imports the seed variety from China n Our Correspondent, Naogaon The authorities concerned claimed that local smugglers have been smuggling hybrid Heera paddy-seed into India for long through different border points of the district. The points are particularly situated in Porsha, Dhamoirhat and Sapahar upazilas.

Consequently, Bangladesh has been incurring a loss as the country imports

the seed variety from China to meet local demand of the peasant. It was learnt that there is a high demand of Heera variety paddy-seed in India, where its market value is about Tk450 per kg while the figure is Tk250 in the country.

Being allured by high profit, the smuggling rings have been sending the seeds through Uttar Patari, Dakkhin Patari, Jalsuka, Kawavasa, Sundareil, Bamonpara, Rasulpur, Sonadanga, Go-

palpur, Hatshauali, Parashauli, Nitpur, Dojarpal, Adatola, Pagla Dewan, Kharampur Belghoria, Bostabor and Agradigun frontier areas under the upazilas.

Confirming the smuggling, Patnitola 14 BGB Battalion Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Rafiqul Hassan said he has already directed the camp commanders to be more alert against the smuggling, resulting a total of 113 packets of paddy-seed seized in last two days.

Sapahar Agriculture Officer AFM Golam Faruk Hossain said: “I am unaware of the matter although there is locally no demand of the paddy and that is why the paddy smuggling could have happened.”

But he assured of taking necessary steps, including monitoring, to check the smuggling as early as possible, the official continued.

When asked, Soitto Brato Shaha, deputy director of Naogaon Agricul-

ture Expansion Directorate, acknowledged the desperate smuggling of paddy-seed, saying they have earlier directed the shop owners to maintain a log-book for the Heera seed buyers.

In reply to another query, the director said since there is available hybrid seeds in India, they were unaware what is the reason behind this high demand for the seed. Local DC Enamul Hoque said he informally heard of the smuggling. l

Gazipur mayor, 39 others get anticipatory bail n Our Correspondent, Gazipur The High Court yesterday granted four weeks’ anticipatory bail to Mayor of Gazipur City Corporation Prof M Mannan and 39 others in a case filed for creating violence and obstructing police from performing duties.

A high court bench comprising Justice Mahmudul Haque and Justice Akram Hossain gave the bail after a hearing.

47 people, including 17 police officials, were injured in a chase and counter chase between law enforcers and BNP supporters in the district Sub-Inspector of Joydebpur police station Mahmudul Hasan filed the case on Sunday against some 400 BNP leaders, activists including Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) Mayor MA Mannan, on charge of creating violence and obstructing police from performing their duties.

Earlier, 47 people, including 17 police officials, were injured in a chase and counter chase between law enforcers and BNP supporters in the district.

They also locked into a chase and counter chase each other when the police barred the BNP members from bringing out a protest rally around 12:30pm on Sunday. Police detained four people from the spot in this connection. Police also fired 20 rounds of rubber bullets and three rounds of tear shells to bring the situation under control. l

A huge amount of radish have been stockpiled at Bidhirpurhat in Rajshahi. Although farmers of Mohanpur upazila in the district have got good yield of the vegetable, they are deprived of fair prices for lack of proper transportation. Growers now sell one maund radish at Tk100 which is below their production cost. The photo was taken Wednesday AZAHAR UDDIN

Residents of 10 villages suffer in need of a bridge n Our Correspondent, Kurigram Around 30,000 residents of 10 villages under Roumari upazila of Kurigram district are largely suffering for a lack of concrete bridge over the Jinjiram River which is the lifeline of trade and communication in the region.

Although the villagers have built a makeshift bamboo bridge, it is so fragile that it needs to be rebuilt three to four times a year, causing money and labour to the villagers. Moreover, the

NEWS IN BRIEF JSC examinee dies in road crash in Barisal A female candidate of the ongoing junior school certificate examination was killed in a road accident in Boidyapara area of Barisal town yesterday. The victim was Nadira Aktar, 13, daughter of Mustafa Sharif of Karapur area in Barisal Sadar upazila. Anwar Hossain, sub-inspector at Barisal Kotwali Police Station, the accident took place when a truck hit a battery-run auto-rickshaw, injuring Nadira critically around 8:45am. Nadira, a JSC candidate from Sabera Khatun School, was going to attend her examination centre at Karapur School by the auto-rickshaw. She was rushed to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital where doctors declared her dead. The body was sent to the medical college morgue for an autopsy.

– Our Correspondent, Barisal

Two youths shot Two youths were injured in a gunfight with police in the district yesterday. The victims were identified as Mizanur Rahman,27, and Hafizur Rahman,28, of Bahadurpur area. SI Zahurul Haque of Kotwali police station said on a tip-off, police raided a poultry farm behind a school in the town while the miscreants were holding a secret meeting for committing robbery. Sensing the presence of the law enforcers the miscreants fired gunshots at them, triggering a gunfight that left the two injured with bullets.

The police recovered a firearm, bullets and few local weapons from the spot, SI said. On the other hand, the relatives of the two alleged that the police took away the duo forcefully from home.

Later, they could know about the story of shootout.

– Our Correspondent, Jessore

12 rescued while being trafficked to India Members of Border Guard Bangladesh rescued 12 people, including three women, while they were being trafficked to India through Putkhali border point in the district yesterday. Shamsur Rahman, in-charge of Putkhali BGB-23 camp, said a team of the BGB, on a tip-off, conducted a drive in the area in the morning and arrested 12 people while they were being trafficked to India.

Quoting the arrestees, the BGB sources said the human traffickers were sending them to India with promise of lucrative jobs there. However, the traffickers ran away from the spot sensing the presence of the BGB members.

– Our Correspondent, Jessore

Policeman hurt as robbers attack A police official was injured as robbers attacked him at Shibganj upazila of the district on Wednesday night. The victim was identified as Altaf Hossain, sub-inspector of Gomastapur police station.

Gomastapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Firoz Ahmed said Altaf came under attack by a group of miscreants in Puskini area when he was on a regular patrol duty on a motorcycle on the Gomastapur-Choudala Road in the evening. The hoodlums beat Altaf with iron rods and chopped him with sharp weapons, leaving him injured. On information, police first took Altaf to Chapainawabganj Police Hospital and later shifted him to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

– Our Correspondent, Chapainawabganj

rickety bridge is in no way capable of bearing shallow vehicles, let alone goods laden transports.

Abdul Quader, a teacher by profession, said the absence of a concrete bridge over the river has created untold sufferings for the traders and farmers of the villages. In fear of accidents, the farmers cannot carry their produces to the markets during peak seasons, as a result, they do not get the due price.

Moreover, recently one child drowned in the river after falling from

the rickety bridge, he said. Upon a visit to the spot in Charboalmari area of Shoulmari union, it was found that very few people were using the 130 ft long makeshift bridge by risking their lives.

Syed Ali, a trader in the region, said construction of a concrete bridge over the river has been a long standing need of the people of these villages. Every year the LGED officials come to the spot for taking measurements and generate hope among the villagers, however, ultimately the bridge is never constructed.

The sufferers are mainly the residents of Charboalmari, Kolomer Char, Chengtapara, Shutirpar, North Goytapara, Danguapara, Charergram, and Kawarchar – all villages situated by the border.

Liton, a class nine student of Kolomer Char village said: “Many students like me are suffering for a lack of bridge over the river.” Upazila engineer Mobarak Hossain said the project proposal for building a bridge over Jinjiram River in Charboalmari has been placed to the authorities concerned. l

Four varsity students held for abduction n Our Correspondent, Barisal Police arrested four abductors and rescued two from their trap in Barisal yesterday.

According to police sources Shah Imam Hossain, student of Stamford University and son of Emdad Ali Khan from Bilbilash, Shakib Hasan, student of Prime Asia University and son of Latif Matubbar of Bhoripasha, Siam Rajib, student of Barisal Polytechnic Institute and son of Alauddin Mia from Dhuliya under Baufal upazila of Patuakhali and Abid Al Amin, student of Barisal BRTC Driving Training School and son of Abdur Rahman Hawladar from Karnakati of Barisal Sadar upazila contacted with two in Dhaka, named Kabir and Robin, staffs of a video shop on Wednesday for making video of a marriage ceremony at Baufal in Patuakhali.

According to the contact, the two staffs started for the spot by launch with valuable equipments including camera and lights.

After disembarking from the launch at Barisal, the four boarded with the two on a trawler to reach the spot.

The students who played role of abductors took the two in a room at Fahim Hotel in Bandh Road area. They demanded Tk10,00000 as ransom.

They also threatened to kill them if they try to flee.

The video company informed the matter to the police and the law enforcers conducted a drive in the area.

Later, they arrested the four abductors and rescued the two.

Ataur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said the arrested were sent to court after interrogation.

A case was filed. l

Municipality councillor held for yaba trading n Our Correspondent, Tangail A ward councilor of Tangail municipality and his wife were arrested Wednesday night on charge of yaba trading.

Sadar model police station Officer-inCharge Golam Mostofa said police arrested the councilor Momenul Haque Nixon and his wife Liza Akter at night for yaba trading. They had been involved with the business for a long time, he said.

A case was filed. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

7

Friday, November 14, 2014

The fight for freedom from extreme poverty The main constraints acting against the objective of rapidly eradicating extreme poverty are in the realm of the institutional and governance issues that are at the heart of a dysfunctional development process. This is the third part of a four part series PART THREE: UNDERSTANDING THE ENEMIES WITHIN

To get rid of extreme poverty means leaving no one behind – this implies that there can be no category of ‘the undeserving poor’ who are excluded from programmes intended to help them

I

n Colin Risner

n a recent presentation to the Extreme Poverty Research Group (EPRG) I identified the following reasons why, despite the means to achieve this objective being available, it is unlikely that the ambitious objective of rapidly eradicating extreme poverty will be achieved.

The constraints are not essentially to do with cost or technology. Neither do they concern the ever present threat of natural disasters or even

A project focused on the rapid eradication of extreme poverty, that requires effective coordination and pooling of resources behind a common objective, is likely to fall victim to the undermining influence of unnecessary competition of economic slowdown. The main constraints are in my view in the realm of the institutional and governance issues that are at the heart of a dysfunctional development process.

Greed and competition As mentioned in Part One shiree is a “challenge fund.” This essentially means that the mechanism of competition is used to encourage implementing agencies to develop innovative, robust and potentially high impact project proposals and that, after a rigorous independent evaluation process, only the winning proposals receive funding.

In this case intense competition is regarded as a good thing and central to the achievement of results. However there are many instances where competition has negative consequences that impede development.

Especially in the case of donor funded development, of which I am most familiar, the incentives inherent in the current system are to compete not to cooperate. Hence agencies and individuals compete for donor funds and do not willingly share ideas and good practice, government agencies and civil servants compete for the “goodies” that come with projects (ve-

hicles, overseas trips, training) while even donors themselves, while paying lip service to the idea of coordination, are primarily concerned with attribution of results to their own programme and are loathe to share results or influence.

A project such as the rapid eradication of extreme poverty from Bangladesh that is national in scope and requires effective coordination and pooling of resources behind a common objective is likely to fall victim to the undermining influence of this competition.

Those who cannot work out how they will achieve personal gain from the venture or discern how it will add to the prestige and influence of their own organisation, and enhance their career opportunities within that organisation, will tend to undermine the effort or at best will stay “on the fence.”

Given that achieving the ambitious objective requires all major stakeholders with access to power and resources to be not just passive supporters but active participants, partial or lukewarm support will not be enough.

‘Aidland’ dynamics The Paris Declaration of 2005 and subsequent international agreements have enshrined a set of principles regarding aid effectiveness – these include national ownership of development processes, alignment of aid programmes with policy and harmonisation of donor support as well as tackling corruption.

In Bangladesh there are too many vested interests involved in sustaining the current fragmented, endemically corrupt and ineffective development process, and the aid effectiveness agenda, although no doubt talked about, is not implemented.

A project or programme to eradicate extreme poverty will require strong national leadership that will knock the donors and implementing agencies, including many government departments, together into a well coordinated unified whole. The likelihood that this will happen is remote.

Entrenched marginalisation To get rid of extreme poverty means leaving no one behind – this implies that there can be no category of “the

undeserving poor” who are excluded from programmes intended to help them.

This requires a massive change of mindset amongst many of the powerful and the elite who control resources.

Marginal groups that are typically difficult to reach and in any case lack political clout are likely to continue to be excluded and to remain in extreme poverty – hence the eradication objective will not be achieved.

Furthermore, as the marginalised are excluded from projects and benefits, they are not even counted in most monitoring data and hence this extreme poverty remains invisible and untouched.

Cycle of bad governance Most of the successful extreme poverty programmes are funded by donors and implemented by NGOs. Government agencies and elected officials will often lend support in implementation but they do not typically have control over critical decisions such as the selection of beneficiaries or the transfer of resources.

In theory, and according to Paris Declaration principles, it would be better if the government of Bangladesh implemented these programmes and donors simply assisted by providing partial funding support through official channels. This is what happens in many other countries where donor support is provided via mainstream government budgets.

A project to eradicate extreme poverty would require perhaps $3bn of resources over a five year period (in addition to increased sectoral support to services such as health and education as well as enhanced social protection).

This quantum of resources is by no means impossible but would need to be a shared commitment from donors, multilateral financial institutions (eg the World Bank, IMF, ADB) and the government.

Hence there would be no question of bypassing government in the manner of several current exclusively donor funded extreme poverty targeted programmes. In essence, the rapid eradication of extreme poverty requires an equally rapid eradication of corruption and inefficiency in core elements of the public sector – the sec-

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

In essence the rapid eradication of extreme poverty requires an equally rapid eradication of corruption and inefficiency in core elements of the public sector – the second challenge far exceeds the first and makes the poverty reduction objective unrealistic ond challenge far exceeds the first and makes the poverty reduction objective unrealistic.

Unwillingness to admit failure Development projects in Bangladesh never seem to fail, or at least one never hears about the failures! This is strange because from working in the country for nine years, including a few project evaluation missions, I know of many projects that have been badly designed, badly implemented and lacking in any noticeable impact. In fact I would have to admit that several projects I have worked on have failed, for whatever reason, to fully achieve their objectives.

An inability to recognise failure implies an inability to learn. For donor funded projects there seems to be no noticeable relationship between success or failure and the likelihood of replication or of closure.

Hence many awful projects exhibiting low impact for money are continued into a further phase or scaled up because they fit the prevailing donor agenda, while some that are demonstrable successes or which have struggled to become successful after long periods of learning are summarily closed down or totally revamped because the development narrative or fashion has moved on. There are countless critical evaluation reports that have never been released or have been redrafted again and again until the conclusions are totally anodyne.

Furthermore key donor personnel recycle every three or four years, the incomers with a new agenda and priorities have no interest in “digging up past history” while local staff have no incentive in bringing past failure to their attention.

Given the intense competition men-

tioned above the incentive for NGOs and other implementing agencies is to either falsify or sugar coat monitoring results and they have developed many ways of achieving this end. The numerous development projects in the government sector are no better, with evaluation seeming to be an entirely politically driven process.

One may argue that a solution is totally independent evaluation. In my experience, this is not only hugely expensive but no less subject to manipulation, cover up or being pliable to client expectations.

What is needed is not more money spent on evaluation but a culture where honest and transparent evaluation is itself valued, including recognition of both success and failure. This would allow adaptive programming, with frequent and effective adjustment of programme implementation.

The tools to achieve this real time monitoring, and hence real time learning, exist but the development sector is stuck in, or simply prefers, a paradigm of heavily adjusted and selectively revealed monitoring.

Similar issues affect public service provision and this problem would fatally undermine any attempt to achieve the eradication of extreme poverty – that is in reality rather than as a fantasy outcome based on false data.

The above list of constraints to achievement is based on 25 years experience working in development in Bangladesh and elsewhere. If I am proved wrong and these issues do not prevent the realisation of the ambitious policy objective myself, and several million others, will be delighted. l The author has 25 years of experience working in the development sector and he has spent nine years in Bangladesh. He was former CEO of shiree. colinrisner@gmail.com.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Friday, November 14, 2014

Ukraine says it will not abandon ceasefire n Reuters, Kiev Ukrainian government forces have no intention of renouncing a ceasefire in the separatist-held east of the country, a military spokesman said on Thursday.

But he reiterated that a buildup of forces in the regions the separatists control in eastern Ukraine signalled the pro-Russian rebels were planning a new offensive in a conflict that has killed more than 4,000 people.

The two-month-old truce has been violated daily, and increasingly in the past week. Each side has blamed the other for the violations.

“There is no intention of abandoning it (the ceasefire) despite all ... attempts to break these agreements by the Russian side,” Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told a news briefing in the capital Kiev.

Kiev and the West say the separatists have received reinforcements of

equipment and troops from Russia.

Moscow denies accusations by Nato that it has sent in troops and tanks in the past few days and says it wants the ceasefire to work.

In remarks published on Thursday, Ukraine’s representative to the OSCE security and rights body told an Austrian newspaper it was now hardly possible to speak of a ceasefire, citing 2,400 alleged breaches of the truce by rebels.

Lysenko said shelling in residential areas of the separatist-held Luhansk and Donetsk regions had intensified and that there had been no let-up in the flow of equipment to rebels from Russia.

“We can’t predict when (an attack could happen) but we must always be prepared,” he said, adding that reserve army units were being prepared for action in case they were needed.

He said four Ukrainian servicemen had been killed in the past 24 hours. l

A view of a building destroyed as a result of combat and shelling between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia militants in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, photo taken yesterday.

International pressure on Russia was mounting over claims it is sending fresh military hardware into eastern Ukraine which could fuel a return to all-out conflict AFP

MSF centres in Guinea and Liberia to Iraqi PM sacks 26 army test Ebola drugs next month commanders n Reuters, London Clinical trials of three potential Ebola treatments will begin in December in Guinea and Liberia at medical centres run by Medecins Sans Frontieres, the medical charity said on Thursday.

The separate trials, involving up to several hundred patients, are designed to test the drugs brincidofovir, from the US firm Chimerix, and favipiravir, from Japan’s Fujifilm, and to see how well blood plasma taken from Ebola survivors may work in curing those still infected.

Initial results could be available in February 2015, MSF said in a statement.

The studies will not use placebo groups and will involve only Ebola patients who give informed consent. Re-

searchers will monitor the patients and collect data on survival rates and other effects. The trials can be stopped early if a treatment begins to show clear benefits or harm.

Researchers said it may also be possible in coming months to add new experimental drugs to the trials if they become ready for testing.

Annick Antierens, a doctor who coordinates MSF’s investigational partnerships, said the cooperation involved in conducting the trials was unprecedented and “represents hope for patients to finally get a real treatment.”

The West Africa Ebola epidemic has infected more than 13,000 people, the vast majority in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and killed some 5,000 of them, according to World Health Orga-

nization data.

The three trials will be led by different teams: Britain’s University of Oxford will lead one in Liberia, and the Dutch Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research will lead two others in Guinea.

MSF said the trials are designed to minimise disruption to patients and respect internationally-accepted ethical standards with the aim that “sound scientific data will be produced and shared for public good.”

The charity urged drugmakers to scale up production now, to try to ensure no gap between the end of the trials and any large-scale introduction of the medicines if they are found to be safe and effective. l

n Reuters, Baghdad Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi sacked 26 military commanders on Wednesday for corruption and incompetence, in an apparent effort to improve the army’s performance against Islamic State militants.

“The military leadership should have competence, and this is an important thing, as it is not possible for someone who is not efficient to do his work properly,” Abadi said in comments to army officers broadcast on state television.

“The second thing is integrity, as efficiency without integrity produces a vacuum. The third is courage, so that the soldier will fight in a proper way when he sees his commander

n AP, Belgrade, Serbia

Serbian far-right leader Vojislav Seselj is defying a UN war crimes court one day after returning home on provisional release, saying he won’t go back if requested by the judges.

Seselj, accused of recruiting notorious paramilitary forces during the bloody Balkan wars, said at a news conference on Thursday that “I will not go voluntarily. They will have to arrest me.”

Seselj returned home on Wednesday after the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands, released him for medical treatment in Serbia on condition that he doesn’t interfere with victims or witnesses and that he goes back if summoned.

Serbian doctors who visited the 60-year-old say he is suffering from colon cancer that has spread to his liver. l

n Reuters, Paris

France will decide in the coming weeks whether to send fighter jets to Jordan to strike Islamic State militants in Iraq in an effort to increase the number of missions and reduce the cost, the army spokesman and officials said on Thursday.

France was the first country to join the US-led coalition in air strikes on IS insurgents in Iraq, who have also taken control of large parts of neighboring Syria during the course of the threeyear-old civil war there.

“We are thinking about a deployment in Jordan,” Army spokesman Gilles Jaron told reporters, adding that it was being discussed with authorities in Amman.

“It would reduce time in the air between take-off and missions above Iraq,” he said. It currently has nine fighter jets, maritime patrol aircraft, a refueling plane at its base in the United Arab Emirates as part of its “Chammal” Iraq mission, as well as a war ship in the Gulf.

Two French diplomats said putting jets in Jordan would also help reduce costs at a time when the government is under pressure to cut spending and this week was forced to find ways to fill a 600 million euro budget gap in additional costs for overseas military operations. l

Police and firefighters were desperately hunting for a tiger on the loose near Paris Thursday after a local resident spotted the fearsome animal in a car park and sounded the alert, authorities said.

Backed up by a helicopter overhead, firefighters armed with tranquilising guns combed the area in the Seine-et-Marne district near the French capital.

Authorities ordered residents to stay inside and children were kept at school, as several people came forward saying they had seen the tiger on the prowl.

“We have been running after it since this morning, police officers are trying to intercept it,” a police source said. l

Mexico protesters torch state assembly

Serb far right leader defies UN court

France mulls military deployment in Jordan for IS fight

has such qualifications.”

Abadi, who heads a Shi’ite-led government, did not elaborate and officials in his office were not immediately available to comment on which commanders had been removed.

Islamic State militants have taken control of large areas of Iraq in recent months, facing little resistance from the US-trained army. The Sunni Islamists also hold territory in Syria.

Iraq’s most influential Shi’ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, said on Friday corruption in the armed forces had enabled Islamic State to seize large chunks of Iraq, in criticism that added to pressure for reforms. Sistani has become increasingly critical of Iraqi leaders since Islamic State’s advances plunged the country into crisis. l

Police hunt for tiger on the loose near Paris n AFP, Montevrain, France

n Agencies

A probe named Philae is seen after it landed safely on a comet, known as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, in this CIVA handout image released yesterday. The European probe that landed on the comet in a first for space exploration is safely anchored on the surface despite technical problems, pictures beamed half a billion kilometres (300 million miles) back to Earth showed yesterday REUTERS

Demonstrators have set fire to the local legislature building in the capital of the southwestern Mexican state of Guerrero in protests over the apparent killing of 43 students by corrupt police and thugs from drug gangs.

Violent demonstrations have rocked several other states, where protesters blocked an airport and damaged the local office of President Enrique Pena Nieto’s ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters, most wearing masks, rallied in central Chilpancingo, Guerrero’s capital.

The demonstrators, purportedly students and teachers, set fire to the session hall in the empty state assembly building while also torching several cars outside. Firefighters extinguished the blaze.

Moments earlier, protesters torched the education department’s audit office in another part of Chilpancingo.

At least five people were injured in the clashes, local media quoted by the Associated Press news agency reported.

Anger has intensified in Mexico since Attorney General Jesus Murillo said last week that evidence suggests 43 missing trainee teachers were murdered by gangsters, incinerated in a bonfire at a garbage dump and their ashes thrown in a river.

The students were abducted by corrupt police in September, Murillo said.

Hotel booking cancellations The protests have led to mass cancellations this week in the hotels of Acapulco, the famous beach resort, ahead of a long holiday weekend.

On Tuesday, hundreds of protesters scuffled with riot police and burned PRI offices in Chilpancingo .

In neighbouring Michoacan state, which has also been a focal point of drug gang violence, students blocked the main entrance to the state capital’s airport on Wednesday, a state police spokesman said. l

Twelve Turkish released Kerry and Abbas discuss Jerusalem after attack on US sailors n Agencies

n Reuters, Istanbul Twelve Turkish nationalists detained after an attack on US sailors in Istanbul were released on Thursday but could still face charges for causing insult and injury, local media reports said.

The group assaulted the three sailors on a crowded street in Istanbul on Wednesday, shouting “Yankee go home,” throwing paint and trying to pull hoods over their heads, in an assault condemned by the United States.

The group, members of the nationalist Turkish Youth Union (TGB), were told they faced possible charges of insult, injury and breaching laws on public protests in an Istanbul court before being released by the prosecutor, the Dogan News Agency (DHA) said.

The US Embassy described video footage of the attack, posted on the TGB’s website, as appalling. The Pentagon said shore leave had been cancelled for other servicemen from the US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Ross, which was expected to leave Istanbul on Thursday.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack, branding it disrespectful and “impossible to view with tolerance.”

The assault appears to have been inspired by an incident in Iraq in 2003, when US forces detained a Turkish special forces unit, leading its members away for interrogation with hoods over their heads.

Turkey is a key Nato ally in the Middle East but anti-American sentiment runs high. A recent poll showed only 19% of Turks have a favourable view of the United States. l

John Kerry, US secretary of state, has met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan for talks aimed at calming a wave of violence gripping Israel and the occupied territories.

The meeting in Amman came on Thursday, just hours after fresh clashes broke out in East Jerusalem where

Israeli police fired tear gas, percussion bombs and rubber bullets to disperse Palestinian demonstrators.

Months-long unrest in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem has in recent days spread to the occupied West Bank and Arab communities across Israel, raising fears of a new Palestinian uprising.

The meeting between Abbas and Kerry, who arrived in Jordan late on

Wednesday, came a day after Israel approved plans for another 200 settler homes in East Jerusalem, a move sharply criticised by the US. Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territories are considered illegal under international law. Kerry and Abbas embraced and had a brief whispered exchange as they met at the Palestinian leader’s hillside home in Amman. l

Bombs explode near Egyptian, UAE embassies in Tripoli n Reuters, Tripoli Bombs exploded near the Egyptian and United Arab Emirates embassies in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on Thursday though there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage in the atttacks.

The blasts followed a series of car bombs on Wednesday mainly in towns under the control of the internationally recognised government, based in the eastern city of Tobruk, which is facing a challenge from a rival government set up.

Both Egypt and the United Arab Emirates followed other nations in pull-

ing diplomatic staff out of the capital over the summer after armed clashes in Tripoli between armed factions battling for control of the North African state.

A Reuters witness said the Egyptian embassy bomb had slightly damaged buildings and some stores, but it was not clear if the embassy had been hit. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Friday, November 14, 2014

China offers ASEAN friendship as South China Sea tension bubbles n Reuters, Naypyitaw China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang proposed a friendship treaty with Southeast Asian countries on Thursday but reiterated that territorial disputes in the South China Sea should be settled directly between countries involved.

China, Taiwan and four members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have competing claims in the sea where concern is growing of an escalation in disputes even as the claimants work to establish agreements to resolve them.

“China ... stands ready to become the first dialogue partner to sign with ASEAN a treaty of friendship and cooperation,” Li told leaders at an East Asian summit in Myanmar.

The treaty is seen as an attempt by China to dispel any notion it is a threat.

Li said China was willing to sign legal documents with more countries on good-neighborliness and friendship.

Still, he reiterated China’s resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and its position that disputes over the South China Sea should be settled bilaterally rather than collectively or through arbitration.

The Philippines, one of the ASEAN claimants, has irked China by seeking international arbitration over China’s claims to about 90% of the South China Sea. Diplomatic sources from the Philippines reacted coolly to China’s

treaty proposal, saying it lacked substance and was similar to a 2012 proposal made by Manila and ignored by Beijing.

ASEAN leaders hoped to persuade their giant neighbor to take a less bellicose approach to the overlapping claims when they met the Chinese leader behind closed doors on Thursday.

But despite the backroom talk, ASEAN as a group has been reluctant to antagonize China. Its Chairman’s Statement on Thursday showed little change since foreign ministers met in August.

“We remain concerned over the situation in the South China Sea,” the group said without mentioning China.

The Philippines and Vietnam have sought closer US ties to counter what they see as China’s aggression.

In May, China sent an oil drilling rig to waters claimed by Vietnam, sparking deadly anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam.

US President Barack Obama, also in Naypyitaw for the East Asian summit, held his first formal meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dong on Thursday.

“We very much share the belief that it is important for all countries in the region, large and small, to abide by rules based norms in resolving disputes,” Obama said.

On Oct. 2, the United States decided to start easing a nearly four-decade lethal arms embargo on Vietnam. l

Influx of boat people a ‘huge burden for Thailand’ n Reuters, Bangkok Thailand is buckling under the burden of sheltering and feeding hundreds of boat people over the past month, a senior government spokesman said on Thursday, and needs more help from rights groups and non-governmental organizations.

Many of the arrivals are Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority from Myanmar, while others are Bangladeshi.

The arrivals follow reports of a surge in the number of people fleeing Myanmar’s restive Rakhine State where tensions persist between the state’s Muslim and Buddhist communities.

“Taking care of them is a burden for Thailand and we have to use a lot of money to look after them,” Colonel Banpot Phupian, a spokesman for the military’s Internal Security Operations Command, told Reuters.

“The international community is

saying respect their rights but Thailand has to fend for itself and has to arrange food and other basic necessities for these people.”

Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar’s Rakhine State since 2012 when violent clashes with ethnic Rakhine Buddhists killed hundreds and made about 140,000 homeless - most of them Rohingya, described by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

The boats often sail from Myanmar and Bangladesh to Thailand where human trafficking-gangs hold thousands of boat people in jungle camps until relatives pay ransoms to secure their release.

Chris Lewa of The Arakan Project, which plots migration across the Bay of Bengal, said 12,000 Rohingya have boarded boats in northern Rakhine since October 15. l

Pakistan successfully test fires Hatf-VI missile

n Agencies Pakistan on Thursday conducted a successful training launch of intermediate range Shaheen-II (Hatf-VI) ballistic missile, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported.

The successful launch was the culminating point of the Field Training Exercise of Army Strategic Forces Command.

The ISPR further added that the purpose of the launch was to ensure operational readiness of a Strategic Missile Group besides re-validating different design and technical parameters of the weapon system.

Shaheen-II Missile is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 1500 kilometres. l

Barack Obama (L) and Myanmar’s President Thein Sein shake hands before the East Asia Summit at Naypyitaw yesterday

REUTERS

Obama optimistic on change in Myanmar, more work to be done n Reuters, Naypyitaw US President Barack Obama said on Thursday he is optimistic about political change in Myanmar but that more work was needed to push forward with reforms.

Myanmar emerged from international pariah status when a semi-civilian government took power four years ago and initiated a wave of liberal change after nearly half a century of military rule.

But the pace of change has stalled, and Obama said this week the country was “backsliding” on some reforms.

“I’m confident there will be a com-

pletely new day for Myanmar,” Obama told reporters after meeting law makers in the country’s capital, Naypyitaw.

“The work is not done here.”

The substantial power still held by the military, which is handling the transition to democracy, was one of the key questions that needed to be dealt with, Obama said.

The military holds 25% of seats in parliament, giving it veto power over constitutional amendments.

Obama did not say whether he discussed constitutional reform with the members of parliament. Among the group was opposition leader and Nobel

laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is not eligible to become president under the existing constitution.

Obama will meet Suu Kyi again on Friday at her home in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon. She and other politicians made no comment after the meeting.

How to protect minority rights was another key issue in the reforms, Obama said.

The persecuted Muslim Rohingya minority faces a humanitarian crisis in western Rakhine state, and US officials on Thursday called for Myanmar to draft a new plan to allow them to become citizens. l

Rahul Gandhi: India is being run by ‘angry people’ n Agencies Taking on the Narendra Modi government Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Thursday said the country is being run by “angry people.”

“Those who have launched ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ are spreading poison in society,” Rahul said while addressing the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Congress is the only party which could take the country forward through love and brotherhood, he added.

“Whatever this country has done in the last 60-70 years, the basis of all this is nothing but love and brotherhood.

This organisation has been built on that thought,” he said. l

Modi reinforces power after midnight massacre n Reuters, New Delhi

Anil Swarup is just the kind of man Prime Minister Narendra Modi is relying on to fix India - a high-flying civil servant with a taste for complex policy and swift decisions.

Modi has drawn trusted bureaucrats into a tight embrace. Interviews with two dozen sources, including close aides, reveal that key decisions are now thrashed out between his office and civil servants, often at the expense of ministerial authority.

Swarup sees a golden era for those willing to rise to the challenge. In his case that means ending coal shortages that keep much of India in the dark, a top priority for Modi.

In a series of meetings with civil servants, often without the ministers they nominally report to, Modi has urged bold decisions and promised all the help they need.

“He has given a virtual carte blanche. Go and do it,” Swarup told

Reuters. However, he did not say the responsibility handed to him had come at the expense of ministers.

Such moves, along with disciplinary innovations such as finger scanners to track attendance, have helped break a logjam in decision-making that undermined the last government, spawned corruption scandals and soured the investment climate.

Modi’s style also lessens dissent from potential rivals, helping him capture power to a degree not seen since Indira Gandhi ruled India with an iron fist 30 years ago.

Critics call it authoritarian and say he is weakening India’s collegiate cabinet system. Some in government caution that in a country as complex as India, over-centralization can lead to new bottlenecks.

The government denies there is interference in the ministries, saying Modi’s role is to facilitate policy.

“There is one misconception - the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) does not issue direction to the ministries,”

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

The shakeup started as soon as Modi took office six months ago, when he declared “all important policy issues” part of his portfolio. He quickly took control of bureaucratic appointments, cutting ministers out of the loop.

Since September, there have been three major reshuffles in the civil service, all closely overseen by Modi and his core team. Top officials have woken to find themselves thrust into the limelight, or shunted into administrative backwaters.

A cabinet expansion on Sunday and a new finance ministry team advised by leading economist Arvind Subramanian should boost the capacity and intellectual heft of the government.

Yet not everyone is happy with the new order.

Those on the wrong side of reshuffles dub them “midnight massacres” that have slowed policies. Survivors murmur they are scared to take deci-

sions that might anger Modi.

A program to sell stakes in stateowned companies worth $9.5bn has barely started, in part because Modi purged the top team of bureaucrats at the finance ministry before bringing in Subramanian.

Tales of cabinet members’ clipped wings abound.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has been weakened, ministry officials say, since rumors swirled that his son was influence peddling. Modi publicly denied those rumors and backed Singh, but has kept him on the back foot since.

When heavy shelling broke out between home ministry border troops and Pakistani Rangers in October, Singh was hardly consulted.

“The PMO is directly communicating with officers. Rajnath is a mere decorative figure in the ministry,” said one senior home ministry official. Singh ranks second in the government, but has been silent at cabinet meetings, another official said. l

Myanmar shows illusion of diversity at Asia summit n AP, Naypyitaw

Women welcoming world leaders stood in rows, colorfully clad in costumes representing Myanmar’s many ethnic groups, some with their hair tied in high knots or wrapped in red headdresses, others donning horizontally striped longyis and silver coin-studded capes.

But none of the ushers belongs to any of the minority groups they represented.

University students bused here from Yangon, they are ethnic Burman,

the majority people who have dominated Myanmar’s government, military and economy since independence from Britain in 1948.

The nation is sometimes called Burma, a colonial-era name that paid tribute to the elite. It is culturally diverse, with 135 officially recognized ethnic groups making up 40% of its 50 million people, from Kachin and Shan to Mon and Kayan Padaung.

After a half-century of military rule, a new nominally civilian government began transitioning the country to de-

mocracy three years ago, but its efforts to project ethnic unity can falter, or expose the differences instead.

In Naypyitaw, seat of government for the predominantly Buddhist nation, churches are completely absent — despite 80,000 Christians living among the city’s 1.3 million people — and streets and neighborhoods have names based on Buddhist scripture.

There are 58 Christian members of Parliament, but the closest service for them to attend is in an old, rural church 30 kilometers (20 miles) away.

Pastor Tin Maung Aye holds five Masses every Sunday to accommodate his constituents, many of whom are ethnic Karen and Chin who migrated to the area for jobs in construction and hotels.

Naypyitaw was carved from the jungles and purpose-built as the country’s new capital. In 2005, then-dictator Gen. Than Shwe announced an overnight transfer of the government from Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, 320 kilometers (200 miles) away. The city is dotted by impressive stadiums, enormous meeting halls and hundreds of villas for visiting VIPs that seem incongruous in one of the world’s poorest countries.

Ethnic parliamentarians are given stark, barely furnished rooms in government-style barracks

separate from the more luxurious residences of ruling party lawmakers, and they wear traditional attire representing their home communities, bear claws, feathers and all.

When world leaders gathered behind closed doors Thursday to talk

about security threats and economics, 30 young women who had greeted them upon arrival took advantage of downtime to snack and rest in their lounge.

When asked their ethnicity, one-byone each woman said Burmese.

A young woman who wore a long brass neck coil when in the welcoming line was suddenly without her adornment.

Asked where it was, she looked offended: “Oh, that’s fake! Did you think I was really Kayan Padaung?” l

Girls wearing traditional costumes of Myanmar’s ethnic groups are seen before the opening ceremony of the 25th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Naypyitaw on November 12. World leaders will descend on the capital of Myanmar this week, an event unthinkable over almost half a century of military rule, amid concern reforms that opened the country to international engagement have gone into reverse REUTERS

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Friday, November 14, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Tourism with a small footprint

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s the economy develops, Bangladesh’s travel and tourism sector, which is estimated to support over a million jobs, will inevitably grow, as more and more people travel for leisure within our own borders.

It is vital the government pays more attention to the social and environmental impacts of tourism.

With growing prosperity and increasing visitor numbers, we have to ensure tourism develops in a sustainable and viable way.

Unplanned environmentally insensitive development is a serious risk for a country of our small size.

Tourist destinations have to put protecting the environment and history, which draws visitors to them, ahead of short-term gain.

Everyone is aware of the need to protect the unique World Heritage splendor of the Sundarbans. This sensibility needs to be extended to all parts of the country. From simply reducing litter on beaches to protecting rivers and respecting the cultural rights of local people in CHT, there is much to gain from encouraging travelers, from wherever they hail, from putting some of the principles of eco-tourism into practice.

Of course, there is still much to be done in terms of improving amenities for tourists. For instance, the country needs more good value hotels and efficient transport links to reap the benefits of attracting more business travelers and conferences.

Social behaviours which discourage tourists, such as staring at foreigners and harassment of women, also have to be challenged.

We should improve our tourism brand image by making respect for people, places, and the environment an integral part of the sector’s future development.

Put protecting the environment and history ahead of shortterm gain

Keep an eye on the spies

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he government has used provisions of the ICT Act as grounds to request information from Facebook on 17 users in Bangladesh this year.

While this number is far lower than the 4,559 requests the Indian government made during the same time period, it is nonetheless part of the same worrying worldwide trend of intrusive state surveillance of citizens.

The public needs assurance that basic rights to privacy and freedom of expression will not be interfered with by overly broad laws giving state officials permission to seek and store personal data.

We have previously condemned the draconian provisions of the ICT Act, enacted first by BNP in 2006 and amended by AL in 2013, for the unreasonable powers they bestow over citizens.

These do not provide the public with an independent mechanism to arbitrate against abuses of this law, which have and continue to take place.

Other than genuinely pertinent requests relating to important criminal investigations, and in line with legal sufficiency, the law should not permit governments to investigate citizens’ social media use in a democracy.

There must be an open and transparent system in place to ensure the government does not abuse its powers to seek personal data from private companies.

Freedom of thought and expression are fundamental rights guaranteed by our constitution. Protection of privacy and safeguards against abuse of the law by officials must be paramount.

It is overdue for the government to amend the draconian provisions of the ICT Act to ensure it is not further misused. The law needs to be just and proportionate.

Protection of privacy and safeguards against abuse of the law by officials must be paramount

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

Shahjalal Airport one of the worst in Asia November 2

Richard Parker If the first principle of heaven is order, then lack of it is the hallmark of hell. Of all Bangladesh’s afflictions, lack of order reigns supreme. So, to a visiting foreigner, the airport is none but the first glimpse of what the country has to offer in the order, discipline, cleanliness, and allied departments.

Oh, how I cringe when the pollies and the dogooders moan about the image of the country but with complete abandon indulge in breaking order, norms, decency and decorum, the moment they venture out-of-doors.

Sammy Shahjalal Airport one of the worst in Asia?

Obviously, this cannot be true, because only

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 6 represents C so fill C every time the figure 6 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

rajakars and war criminal have been known to criticise anything to do with “Digital” Bangladesh that we keep hearing about, right?

Sue everyone who criticised the airport, and then condemn the methodology as being “biased, ill-motivated, and fabricated.” LOL rezaul karim Let’s not abuse the world “rajakar” anymore. Let’s talk with civility. Truth hurts.

The Turminator Yes, very well, and maybe, but back to the issue, which is the airport: It’s not so bad. Staff have started to empty the urine-soaked paper waste in the baskets perched at nose level in the men’s urinals.

SUDOKU Tarique: Sheikh Mujib should face sedition charge

November 6 NK Yes, I would like to see him come to Bangladesh and file a case against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, if he dares.

Ziaul Ahsan Does it really matter what he says? The government needs to expedite the prosecution of arms hauling for Ulfa and for the grenade attack on a public meeting, for which I believe he deserves strict punishment. Handing him over to the Indian judiciary may be an even better idea.

India, Nepal, Bhutan envoys to make cross-border road trip

November 6 Mula Ram “The team will visit the Bangladesh-India-BhutanNepal border areas as well as land customs stations and immigration posts.”

Very good step for all four countries to show their understanding and cooperation.

1,200 BTCL telephone lines disconnected in Mohammadpur

November 6 Saima Sultana There have been similar problems with TNT lines even in my neighbourhood in Mirpur.

Picture this

November 1 Karl Hungus One of the things holding back Bangladeshi cinema is the distinct lack of variety: They’re either incredibly exploitative and cheap B-movie trash (not even the good kind) or incredibly pompous and pretentious “art films.”

No special security after power outage

November 1 rose The government ought to look into the matter prudently.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

The racist in me

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.

November 1

Hovercraft Not sure the Hindu-Muslim reference in this account is an example of “racism.” It is religious, since both are Bengalis and of the same race. It is communalism.

Ekram Kabir Hovercraft: Thanks for reading the piece. Racism, communalism or discrimination, they all come from the same psychology; therefore, I didn’t care for the dictionary definitions. :) Momoaswan Hits the nail on the head about class differences and snobbery in our country. Looking down on poorer/less educated people is a common trait among middle-class people, even those who claim to have egalitarian views. It is not just bad manners on their part, but also holds back the country.

Mehek This is so sad, yet so true. And the saddest part is that most people do not even acknowledge these acts as racism. To them this is just the norm. They don’t even realise how inhuman they are being by hurting others this way.

Dreampie First step is admitting it. nds “Sometimes, the people around us can demolish our self-esteem through their subconscious acts. Like a teammate of mine who was telling me how he stopped donating blood to the sick who needed it. This mate of mine was once a compassionate blood donor; he loved donating blood.

However, one day, on his friend’s request, he rushed to a hospital to donate blood to a man in illness. The man, in his sickbed, asked his name.

My teammate had a Bengali name, as he was born in a Hindu family. The man refused to take his blood, as he was a Hindu. This incident affected him so much that he stopped donating blood anymore.”

I have never heard of a Hindu in Bangladesh refusing the blood of a Muslim if needed.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Headwear (5) 6 Respectful fear (3) 7 Long for (5) 10 Prise (5) 12 Slightly cold (4) 13 Efface (5) 15 Rancid (4) 16 Early freshness (3) 18 Small child (3) 20 Fork spike (4) 22 Plant (5) 23 Prison room (4) 25 Counterparts (5) 27 Insurgent (5) 28 Morse element (3) 29 Water pitchers (5)

DOWN 1 Cultural presentation (6) 2 Female sheep (3) 3 Return to former habit (6) 4 Unjust rulers (7) 5 In favour of (3) 8 Top airman (3) 9 Not any (4) 11 Time period (3) 14 Ninepin (7) 16 Mock (6) 17 Joints (6) 19 Above (4) 21 Fresh (3) 22 Vestment (3) 24 Zodiac sign (3) 26 And not (3)

Lights out all over Bangladesh November 1

Breadbitten … and then the zombies start to appear.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

Redowan Zakir Breadbitten: Lame joke.

Breadbitten Redowan Zakir: Won’t be very lame when a shambling, reanimated corpse starts munching on you.

CROSSWORD

Anon_lady Breadbitten: Well said, sir. lol

PEANUTS

Shihab Ali Breadbitten: I was preparing for an apocalypse, to be honest.

Anon_lady And is there any possibility that we are getting mighty power back by the end of the day??

Alvi Navid Ornab Is this supposed to be acceptable?

Amit Alvi Navid Ornab: Integration of power grids is a complex job. Somewhere somebody made a mistake.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Friday, November 14, 2014

The ugly is back n Muhammad Zeeshan Mohsen

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BIGSTOCK

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The other martyrs

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n Nadeem Qadir ovember 12: My great mother Hasna Hena Qadir’s 15th death anniversary. Remembering her and visiting her grave not only saddened me, but had me wondering why she had to die so young, why she had to live most of her life struggling in so many ways.

She was only about 30 years old when she became a widow in 1971 after her husband, Lt Col M Abdul Qadir, was killed by the Pakistani occupation army. She was pregnant with her third child and had dreams of how she would welcome the newborn. He was Naweed Qadir, born on April 28, 1971 – just 10 days after Col Qadir was added to the list of martyrs.

Her struggle to safeguard her children began on April 17, 1971.

“Don’t touch my children” she told the Pakistani captain who was trying to take me away hours after arresting my father. The courage and love that sentence carried was just the beginning of her life of unexpected shocks, a life of bringing up her three children almost alone, and ensuring that they had a decent education for a good career.

Hasna Hena was a mother who refused to remarry to ensure a better life for her three children. She trained herself in many ways to find a job to support her family. Living alone in her residence with her three children, as

she would not take anybody’s sympathy, she provided a life just as when Col Qadir was alive.

Once she needed a lot of cash for paying some taxes, and I remember how she went off to Baitul Mukarram market to sell one of her most precious gold chains. I was with her and I promised myself I would make one for her when I grew up. I did present her with something, but it was not as beautiful as the chain she had sold off for us.

her husband, and thus she was not entitled to a plot. Thus, she fought on, but did not bow down.

Despite financial constraints sometimes, she provided her three children with the best education possible in this country. “You study hard and be a good, respected human being, then all my struggles will be meaningful,” she often told her three children.

When she suddenly passed away in 1999, Hasna Hena had accomplished

I think it is time to honour war widows as freedom fighters too. They survived and gave their children the best they could

When many families of martyrs moved from door to door for government assistance, Hasna Hena stood out. She did not beg for anything and had only sought what was legally hers – a piece of land in the Defence Officers’ Housing Society in exchange for the plot lost in Karachi DOHS in Pakistan.

She did not get that, and she did not make a fuss about it. Her crime was that she already owned the house in Dhaka Cantonment left behind by

her duty in this cruel world. All her three children were settled.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the then army chief Gen M Mustafizur Rahman offered condolences on her death. It was a big consolation for me that these dignitaries at least recognised the struggle she went through.

My favourite journalist, Afsan Chowdhury, wrote in the Dhaka Courier after my mother passed away, in its November 19, 1999 issue: “For women

in general, life is tough. For a widow, it is even tougher, but she [Hena] battled on. There is no space for pity or even despair, but the fact is she alone knew how difficult that war was.”

“Many widows also resent the focus on the departed ones, as well as the total neglect of those who are left to struggle with the debris of life left behind. In this age of romanticising and worshipping the dead, the living has almost no place. And war widows have filled such gaps without any protest,” he wrote.

Yes, my mother was a war widow, and a post-independence warrior. In death, she too is a martyr, a shaheed.

There are many like her, who are even worse off, dealing with starvation, and facing a cruel world.

I related these stories to highlight that the government has very rightfully given the honour of freedom fighters to the war women. I congratulate the government for this great gesture. It costs nothing to honour others. It was late, but it was finally done. They can now walk with their heads held high.

I think it is time to honour war widows as freedom fighters too. They survived and gave their children the best they could, who subsequently gave the nation a new generation of citizens who are working for a better Bangladesh. Let this not remain unheard. l

n event deserving condemnation unfolded right at the steps of a venue which millions of Bangladeshis consider to be almost sacred, the Shaheed Minar.

It is a symbol of respect towards what others hold in high regards – in our case, our cherished language, and the sons who did not even flinch for once in the face of death in securing our future.

Dhaka University, the premier education institution of the country, like other renowned universities across the country, is now under the clutches of ruthless and shameless terrorists.

What once used to be a centre of knowledge and excellence has now been reduced to a mere den full of political thugs who are there, not to partake in constructive intellectual discussions, but to engage in multiple forms of criminality – defalcation, murder, robbery, and all kinds of ills that a civilised society abhors – all at the cost of those who defy all odds to study at this historical institution, and at the same time risk being painted by the same brush as the patent evil of the moment, the Chhatra League.

As if the hijacking of billboards and other such advertising platforms to find a way into the headlines wasn’t enough, the BCL, on November 10, thwarted a peaceful march led by a handful of the eminent citizens that we have left, who were protesting the heinous assault on three individuals, including a woman within the Shahidullah Hall precinct, on November 5.

The only fault of the victims was that they thought they were living in a free country, and that the Dhaka University fields belonged to the public, who had the legitimate right to access, enjoy, and appreciate the place, however and whenever they willed.

As if the political excesses and the egregious behaviour exhibited by the BCL were not well-known already, this time they had the audacity to assume

Nadeem Qadir, a senior journalist, is a UNCA Dag Hammarskjold Scholar in journalism.

the role of the moral police, attacking visitors at their whim, for what they considered immoral acts.

Similar to everything we are being dispossessed of – democracy, property, and other fundamental rights – the monstrous league has successfully devoured the sanctity of the Shaheed Minar. Brandishing sandals in their hands, they have successfully desecrated the most cherished symbol of Bangladesh’s existence.

This madness needs to end. If this is the quality of students, then the future of this country seems terribly grim

The incumbent government and its leadership are firmly in bed with its chosen cohorts, the BCL. Why else has the prime minister turned a regular blind eye to their excesses?

These sordid events have established one thing beyond any reasonable doubt – that student politics in our country suffers from a pathological antipathy to anything civil. This madness needs to end. If this is the quality of students that our premier educational institution produces, then the future of this country seems terribly grim.

A nation cannot survive for long on false pretences and the promises of their political leaders alone. The longevity of a nation depends on the quality of its human resources, and with the kind of student politics we have had in the past 20 years there are more than enough reasons to confine these students to classrooms now, particularly after their unforgiveable hijacking of the Shaheed Minar. l Muhammad Zeeshan Mohsen is a barrister.

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

An eye for an eye

BIGSTOCK

n Nizam Ahmad

C

apital punishment as beheading or death by hanging, in the 21st century, is an unkind form of punishment. In the new millennium, the taking of lives of some Razakars (the state accused 1971 war criminals) should close and a general pardon

after trials should be pursued.

This is also for reasons that the Awami League government and their ICT (the war tribunal) has irretrievably divided the country, made politics violent, and turned Jamaat-e-Islami into a rising political power. Political Islam by Jamaat could well dominate our politics and our society for years

to come, unless liberal and plural democracy, limited government, and a free economy, coupled with a tolerant political setting that upholds property rights and individual rights as liberty, are noticeably in place for all Bangladeshi individuals to recognise, value, and experience.

These essentials of a modern,

secular, and liberal society must be completed by our secular political parties like the AL or the BNP before the political Islamists succeed to govern the country. The political Islamists would never back liberal secularism, which is obviously not their vote bank, and if modern democracy is truly in place, the upsurge of Islamic parties that is visible now will begin to lose ground.

The secular parties are on the wane and their blind belief that hanging the Razakars would resuscitate their worth is a misguided conception.

While conferring on current affairs in Bangladesh a knowledgeable friend in the USA notes how he “despises the ICT for being a panel of persecution rather than prosecution. He wants to see justice rather than vengeance.”

The current government’s attack on Razakars in the name of law has ruined the liberal, secular, and democratic aspirations of the people. The hanging is demanded by well-known groups but at the cost of the AL, who should ideally uphold the rights of all, including the rights of the “defeated forces.” Those who demand hanging should form their own political party and then independently chase their cruel agenda, but only after the secular democrats introduce independent and

fair trial courts.

In the 1980s this AL had partnered a political movement with Jamaat and the BNP for liberal and secular democracy but it never happened, nor was it ever put to practice. All political parties have failed to provide Rule of Law, which should have been the fundamental goal of all elected governments, but such an important aspect of our lives has been thrown into the gutter.

the minority – the individual being the tiniest minority.

Jamaat cannot impose their laws that curb or reduce minority rights and liberty by sheer majority vote or will. The AL or BNP cannot either, in a true democracy. We seek modern civil laws that protect individual choice and freedom that our conjured democratic parties are impotent to institute.

We urge the AL government to vacate state persecution of “defeated

We seek modern civil laws that protect individual choice and freedom that our conjured democratic parties are impotent to institute

Today, in the new millennium, we for one refuse to live under Sharia law unless it is by individual choice and not by state compulsion that Jamaat could impose on the basis of their majority in the house. But, certainly democracy is not “majority rule” but a rule that maintains and defends the rights of

forces” – as it labels the Razakars – and in its place inaugurate a state of Rule of Law that is fundamental for liberal, plural, and secular democracy that nurture individual autonomy. l Nizam Ahmad is a freelance contributor. He writes from London.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Friday, November 14, 2014

14 Ruthless Rohit

13 The day belonged

scores 264 against Sri Lanka

to both hosts and visitors: Raqibul

SCORECARD, DAY 2 Bangladesh 1st innings (Overnight 303-2) Tamim c H. Masakadza b Raza 109 Imrul c sub (Sibanda) b Masakadza 130 Mominul c Taylor b Panyangara 48 Mahmudullah lbw b S. Masakadza 16 Shakib c Ervine b Raza 71 Mushfiqur b H. Masakadza 15 Shuvagata run out 35 Taijul c Mutumbami b S. Masakadza 1 Shafiul Islam c Ervine b Raza 10 Rubel Hossain not out 45 Jubair Hossain b Panyangara 5 Extras (b2, lb10, w6) 18 Total (all out, 153.4 overs) 503 Fall of wickets 1-224 (Tamim), 2-272 (Imrul), 3-312 (Mominul), 4-339 (Mahmudullah), 5-378 (Rahim), 6-428 (Shakib), 7-429 (Taijul), 8-451 (Shafiul), 9-452 (Shuvagata), 10-503 (Jubair) Bowling Panyangara 20.4-2-70-2, Chigumbura 14-4-40-0 (w4) S. Masakadza 25-5-772(w2), M’shangwe 47-5-149-0, Raza 36-2-123-3, Chari 2-0-9-0, H. Masakadza 9-1-23-2 Zimbabwe 1st innings: S Raza not out B Chari c Rahim b Rubel H Masakadza not out Extras (b6, lb1, nb1) Total (for one wicket, 26 overs)

54 0 51 8 113

Fall of wicket 1-9 (Chari) Bowling Shafiul 5-1-20-0 (nb1), Rubel 5-1-27-1, Taijul 9-0-31-0, Shakib 5-2-16-0, Jubair 1-0-11-0, Shuvagata 1-0-1-0 Zimbabwe trail by 390 runs with nine wickets in hand

14 Qatar, Russia

cleared as Fifa rules out re-votes

Sport

Zimbabwe fight back after Tigers go beyond 500 n Mazhar Uddin from Chittagong Sikandar Raza and Hamilton Masakadza showed great urgency in their batting as Zimbabwe put on 113 for one in reply to Bangladesh’s massive 503 in the first innings to keep the third Test still alive in Chittagong.

The visitors resumed the second day with the hosts looking to build on their 303 for two, but the Zimbabweans came down hard to pick up the remaining eight wickets at the expense of 200 runs. Though Tigers paceman Rubel Hossain had Brian Chari caught behind for a duck in the second over, Zimbabwe counter attacked with Sikandar (54) and Hamilton (51) to tilt the game’s fate.

The right-handed duo, carrying vast experience of playing in Bangladesh, added 104 runs and reached their respective half centuries before the day ended. Sikandar was the dominant in the partnership having struck nine fours in his 65-ball knock. Zimbabwe trail by 390 runs and given the look of the wicket it won’t be surprising if they match the home side in putting up a big total.

n Raihan Mahmood from Sylhet Bangladesh Football Federation’s (BFF) dream of setting up a football academy was turned into a reality with the inauguration ceremony at Sylhet BKSP yesterday.

It was a high-profile ceremony indeed as no less than five ministers and a number of Ministers of Parliament were present on the podium to see the academy coming to life. The National Sports Council had earlier signed the Memorandum of Understanding and handed over the academy to BFF on December 2011.

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith inaugurated the academy as the chief guest. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, State Minister for Finance Abdul Mannan, State Minister for Youth and Sports Biren Sikder and Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy were present on the occasion. BFF senior vice president Abdus Salam Murshedy and vice presidents Kazi Nabil Ahmed and Badal Roy were also present.

BFF president Kazi Salahuddin started the proceedings with an emotional speech.

“Football is the eighth largest economy in the world and 209 countries compete in order to attain higher standards. BFF does not possess the financial ability to run the development projects. We need Tk40m annually to run the academy. We have no budget. I urge the government and all the other concerned authorities to assist football,” urged Salahuddin.

“You cannot proceed if you do not have a vision. In 1969, Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman called for independence and within two years the country was independent. In a country of 160m people why cannot we go ahead when the other countries with less population are surging forward? With 16m people the Netherlands has a turnout of $1bn from football. I am confident that the assist programme will not be a long-term one. Within four or five years we can pay it back,” said Salahuddin.

Joy thought Salahuddin’s appeal carries logic. “For the development of football, BFF needs the patronisation of the government and we, from the sports ministry, assure that the swimming pool and the gymnasium will be made in due course of time,” said Joy. Tofail on the other hand requested the Finance Minister to respond to the urge of BFF. “If the football team bring laurels it

consequentially enhances the country’s image. I have every belief that football can go higher and government can help the cause.

I recommend that BFF get an incentive of Tk200m for the development of the game so that BFF can expand the game across the country,” said the Commerce Minister.

The Finance Minister agreed to respond positively. “Football is the most popular game of the country and it was revealed during the past few months. Salahuddin sought the BKSP field from me about five years ago. I instantly agreed. Now with the inauguration I feel very happy. BFF has asked me to assist them. I cannot assure that we will provide it fully but I can assure that this academy is not only BFF’s concern. It is a national concern and the government will provide the best possible support,” said Muhith. l

Fifa promises artificial turf Fifa, the ruling body of world football, declared yesterday that they would set up an artificial turf in the newly-built BFF Academy.

Shaji Prabhakaran, the Fifa development officer of the region assured their continuous support towards Bangladesh. “It is a historical day for Bangladesh football, thanks to the Bangladesh government for stepping ahead as regards to the academy. By helping football the government is actually helping the nation,” said Shaji.

n Mazhar Uddin from Chittagong With Zimbabwe trailing by 390 runs in the first innings following the conclusion of the second day’s play of the third and final Test against Bangladesh at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday, paceman Rubel Hossain believes the hosts are in a better position than the visitors.

Replying to Bangladesh’s first innings score of 503, Zimbabwe were batting on 113 runs for the loss of Brian Chari’s wicket.

“Actually we are in a very good position. We have a good score. On this wicket there will be runs early. Tomorrow (today) morning we have to take wickets. The main thing is that we have to be patient. Getting wickets here is tough, so we have to be patient,” said Rubel at the post-day conference yesterday.

Rubel was an unlikely hero with the bat as the No 10 batsman smashed a quickfire unbeaten 45 off 44 balls.

With Bangladesh on 452/9, Rubel, alongside Jubair Hossain (five) added 51 runs for the last wicket to help prolong the hosts’ tally past the 500-run mark.

The right-arm paceman struck four magnificent sixes and informed that for him, batting at the middle is fun.

“Batting is fun, it has always been good fun. The last wicket I played a few shots, I timed it well, so I felt really good. Never thought I could bat like that, it was a good wicket so it worked,” he said. l

Bangladesh batsman Rubel Hossain hoicks one over the deep square-leg boundary fence during the second day’s play of the third and final Test against Zimbabwe in Chittagong yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

BFF Academy dream now a reality

The turf will be worth Tk120m and Shaji said the process will start in May next year subject to a fruitful terms and conditional agreement with the government.

“We are happy to see the academy running and it is tough to run all the training activities without an artificial turf. We believe that with the installation of an artificial turf the players will get the opportunity of improved and advanced training,” concluded the Fifa development officer. l

Rohit Sharma has become the first player to hit two double centuries in ODIs

We are ahead of visitors: Rubel

Earlier, Mominul Haque added just four runs to his overnight 44 as he was dismissed by Tinashe Panyangara, preventing him from scoring his 11th fifty in 12 Tests. Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim also returned for scores in the teens before Shakib al Hasan reconstructed the innings with a 50-run partnership with Shuvagata Hom (35).

Shakib was timing the ball exquisitely and looked well set for another hundred in the series before he became restless against Sikandar and after several misconnections he eventually paid the price on 71.

Zimbabwe did well to restrict the hosts to 452 for nine and was looking for a quick wrap up but coming in at No 10 Rubel Hossain had other ideas.

Rubel clobbered four sixes and two fours to make 45 from 44 balls that not only entertained the crowd at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, but also took Bangladesh past the 500run mark. l

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith (3L) hands over a crest to Bangladesh Football Federation president Kazi Salahuddin (2R) during the inauguration ceremony of the BFF Academy in Sylhet yesterday COURTESY

Did you know?

DPL second round takes place today n Tribune Desk

Sikandar Raza sees result in their favour

Three matches of the second round of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPL) 2014-15 season will be held today. Defending champions Legends of Rupganj will face Partex Sports Club at Fatullah’s Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.

Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club will lock horns with Abahani Limited at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium while the third game of the day between Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Limited and Kalabagan Krira Chakra will be held at BKSP 3.

Legends of Rupganj, Prime Doleshwar, Victoria SC, Abahani Ltd, Partex SC and Brothers Union are the six teams who won their first round games and bagged two points in the process. l

n Mazhar Uddin from Chittagong Zimbabwe are playing to win the game and a result is visible in the eye of the visiting batsman Sikandar Raza. The 28-year-old Pakistan-born batsman led the visitors’ reply to the home side’s massive 503 and remained unbeaten on 54 at stumps on day two.

Zimbabwe trail by 390 runs as they will begin the third day today with 113 for one and Sikandar said, “I do see a result in this game, it has to go our way. We are definitely playing to win this game.”

“For that to happen we have to bat out of our socks. Hopefully as the days go on and the ball starts to creep low then you never know. Coming into today (yesterday) they were 303 for 2 and

no one would have thought they would have been 500 or something all out,” said Sikandar, who will resume batting alongside Hamilton Masakadza on 51.

A draw is most likely on the cards, but one cannot also take Sikandar’s comment likely after all he had the best possible look at the wicket from a player’s point of view.

The witty off-spinner bagged three wickets before scoring quickly with the bat.

“As the sun beats on the surface and as the players run on the tracks there will definitely be a few cracks and some are actually creeping low and some are bouncing low, so yes I expect it (pitch) to play slightly different,” explained Sikandar who hailed Bangladesh’s batting but also credited his team for toiling hard on the humid day. l

3RD SAFF WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP

Bangladesh women make flying start n Shishir Hoque

Krishna Rani Sarkar struck a hattrick on debut as the Bangladesh women’s football team made a flying start in the 3rd SAFF Women’s Championship thrashing Afghanistan 6-1 after coming from behind at Jinnah Football Stadium in Islamabad, Pakistan yesterday.

Following an impressive display in the AFC Under-16 Women’s Championship 2015 Qualifiers in Dhaka last month, Krishna did not have to wait long as she became one of six players from the U-16 women’s team to get a call-up to the senior team.

The juvenile forward did not take long as well to prove her worth in national colours by hitting a treble on her debut yesterday.

Alongside Krishna’s hattrick, Maynu Marma, Munmun Akter and prolific striker Sabina Khatun netted one apiece to give Bangladesh a well-deserved victory.

Bangladesh fell behind in the 23rd minute when Marjan scored the opener for Afghanistan. Maynu, however, equalised in the 34th minute before Krishna netted her first to give her side the lead.

Two minutes into the second half it was Krishna again who found the back of the net while Sabina extended it in the 62nd minute. Krishna completed her hattrick seven minutes later before Munmun completed the rout five minutes into stoppage time.

Norio Tsukitate, the Japanese head coach of the Bangladesh women’s football team, expressed his satisfaction with the result and the performance while Afghanistan coach Nematullah Ghulam Muhiuddin praised Bangladesh as one of the strongest sides of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh will face

their toughest test when they take on two-time champions India in their next Group A match tomorrow before facing Maldives this Monday.

Bangladesh’s highest achievement in the Saff Championship came in the tournament’s first edition in 2010. Bangladesh had hosted the tournament and bowed out in the last four. l

Bangladesh forward Maynu Marma (R) skips past an Afghanistan player during their opening game of the Saff Women’s Championship 2014 in Islamabad yesterday COURTESY

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

QUICK BYTES

SCORECARD, DAY 5 Pakistan 1st innings 566 for 3 decl (A. Shehzad 176, Misbahul-Haq 102no, Y. Khan 100no, M. Hafeez 96, A. Ali 87)

Abahani top of Khulna Premier Div Football League

New Zealand 1st innings 262 (T. Latham 103; R. Ali 4-22) Pakistan 2nd innings 175 for 2 decl (M. Hafeez 101no)

Abahani Krira Chakra moved to the top of the Sheikh Kamal Nitol-Tata Khulna Premier Division Football League points table after beating Brothers Union 3-0 at Khulna Stadium on Wednesday. Abahani have now earned nine points from four matches and took a one-point lead over reigning champions Young Boys. Mohammedan Sporting Club and Town Club are joint second with eight points each having played the same number of matches.

–Tribune Desk

New Zealand 2nd innings (Overnight: 174-8; Target: 480 runs) T Latham c Shah b Babar 20 B McCullum lbw b Shah 39 K Williamson st S. Ahmed b Hafeez 23 R Taylor lbw b Shah 8 C Anderson lbw b I. Khan 23 J Neesham c S. Ahmed b R. Ali 0 B Watling b R. Ali 0 M Craig b Shah 28 T Southee b Babar 5 I Sodhi lbw b I. Khan 63 T Boult not out 19 Extras (b-1 lb-2) 3 Total (all out, 70.3 overs) 231

Raonic withdraws from ATP Tour finals, replaced by Ferrer Canada’s Milos Raonic has withdrawn from the ATP Tour Finals in London due to injury and been replaced by Spain’s David Ferrer. The 23-year-old lost his first two round-robin matches at the season-ending tournament to Roger Federer and Andy Murray. “I am sad to announce that I have to withdraw from the rest of this competition, due to a low grade tear in my quad. It was a hard decision,” Raonic said on Twitter. “You, the fans deserve a great show, and I wouldn’t step out if I couldn’t. I am sorry for the fans. I will do everything to be here next year.” Raonic, the first Canadian singles player to qualify for the showpiece event, has been replaced

by Ferrer and the Spaniard will play Japan’s Kei Nishikori later on Thursday.

–Reuters

Windies stars handed SA tour deadline West Indies named a full-strength squad to tackle South Africa on Wednesday but gave players a November 18 deadline to sign contracts after the last tour of India was abandoned over a pay dispute. The 15-man Test squad will be skippered by Denesh Ramdin and is due to play three Tests in December and January before three Twenty20 internationals and five one-dayers. “All players selected have been notified of their selection and that their selection is contingent upon their signing of the match tour contract which was sent to each player selected on Tuesday, November 11,” said a West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) statement.

“The deadline for the return of signed match your contracts to the WICB is 5pm (ECT), Tuesday, November 18.” The West Indies team quit India four matches into a five-game one-day series in October after a pay dispute between players and the board, with a Twenty20 international and three Tests to play.

–AFP

Australia win earns Pakistan bonus Pakistan’s cricket board on Thursday announced a team bonus worth nearly $150,000 to reward the side for their first series win over Australia in 20 years. Pakistan routed Australia 2-0 in their “home” series in the United Arab Emirates last week to lift themselves to number three in the world Test rankings. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said cash awards would be given to the players to recognise the win and individual performances. “Chairman of the PCB Shaharyar Khan has approved bonus and performance incentives totalling 14.75 million rupees ($147,500) to the triumphant Pakistan squad and team management and support staff that beat Australia,” said a PCB release.

Pakistan backed up the win over Australia with a thumping 248-run victory against New Zealand in the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH BTV, Gazi TV 9:30AM Bangladesh v Zimbabwe 3rd Test, Day 3

Sony Six 5:30PM World Kabaddi League Ludhiana: 39 9:45PM Ram Slam T20 Lions v Cape Cobras

Ten Sports 7:30PM Barclays ATP finals Men’s Round Robin, Day 6

Star Sports 2 9:15AM Australia v South Africa 1st ODI 7:30PM Indian Super League Kolkata v Chennai

13

Friday, November 14, 2014

Pakistani cricket captain Misbah-ul Haq (R) leaves the ground with Younis Khan after beating New Zealand at the end of the fifth and final day of their first Test at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Pakistan beat New Zealand in the first Test by 248 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series AFP

The day belonged to both hosts and visitors: Raqibul n Minhaz Uddin Khan Raqibul Hasan, Bangladesh’s first cricket captain, thinks that the ongoing Test between the hosts and Zimbabwe is evenly poised and the third day today will be pivotal for the result.

Bangladesh registered a mammoth first innings total – 503 – on a placid Chittagong wicket before the visitors fought neck-and-neck managing 113 for 1 at stumps on the second day.

“I think the day (yesterday) belonged to both the sides,” Raqibul told Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

“Bangladesh were successful in posting a huge score of 500 plus runs thanks to the tail enders of the team.

Rubel [Hossain] was brilliant with the bat on the day by adding some quick runs on the board before the innings ended.

“However at the same time the Zim-

babwe bowlers were also decent in their job picking three wickets in the first session to wrap up the Bangladesh innings. Later they came in hard to reply with the bat and scored 113 losing only one wicket. Both Hamilton Masakadza and Sikandar Raza kept their cool and were positive,” said the 61-year old.

The Tigers, having won the first two

Tests, are eyeing a 3-0 series sweep which they have never achieved. However, the experienced former cricketer turned match referee was precise in explaining the factors that are crucial at any Test match.

“The third day of the match is the deciding day of any Test between any sides. At the end of this day (today) we will get to know which way the match is heading actually.

“Cricket is a game of uncertainty; the spinners are yet to get proper help from the wicket. Wicket is still good for batting, may be not like Khulna. So if Zimbabwe bat till the end with wickets to spare, they would probably cross 350 runs – if that happens, I think the game will be a draw and then again you have other possibilities too. Time is a factor so we will have to wait and see what happens at the end of day three,” Raqibul concluded. l

Misbah proud as Pakistan’s best ever Test captain n AFP, Abu Dhabi Misbah-ul Haq said he felt proud to become his country’s most successful captain, four years after he was handed the job in the post spot-fixing scandal which left Pakistan cricket in tatters.

The 40-year-old achieved his 15th Test win when Pakistan routed New Zealand by 248 runs in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Misbah bettered his illustrious countrymen Imran Khan (14 wins in 48 Tests as captain) and Javed Miandad (14 wins in 35 Tests).

A humble Misbah said he felt proud to be the best.

“It sounds great and thanks to Almighty and you can see the names Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and I am at the top,” said Misbah who captained for the 33rd time since taking over in October 2010.

“I can’t feel better on this record but I think they were better than me before and will remain better always.”

BFF Academy in Sylhet not in tip-top shape n Raihan Mahmood Although Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin thought the BFF Academy in Sylhet is 70 percent complete, the real scenario is worse than the claimed ratio.

The Sylhet BKSP, situated at Khadimnagar around 11 kilometres away from the city heart, possesses a four-story building for the trainees, a four-story administration building and a four-story staff building. There are two fields in the academy with one ready while the other is not quite prepared. The big gymnasium currently has a number of training equipments that are used by the Bangladesh Army. The swimming pool has never been used after its construction five years ago.

The rooms of the trainees possess minimum furnitures with two low-quality Otobi steel beds that are more appropriate in hospitals while

Johnson, Steyn face off in battle n AFP, Perth Lethal fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Dale Steyn will spearhead the attacks as Australia and South Africa renew hostilities in a five-match one-day series opening in Perth on Friday.

Johnson and Steyn are world cricket’s most lethal speedsters and will look to create mayhem on an expected lively WACA pitch in the first of two ODIs in the Western Australia capital.

The series comes just three months before the ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with the Proteas looking for another psychological edge over the Australians after beating them twice in Zimbabwe in August-September.l

the Partical board-made wardrobes did not look very solid. There are also two chairs and a table in each room.

BFF, however, is yet to chalk out any formula regarding the trainees’ education. “Education remains the most important part of the academy. Without education the player is not complete.

We have a Bangladesh Army-run school and college nearby and we will be trying to admit the trainees in those institutions. We will seek support from the education ministry and the Bangladesh Army authority,” said Zobair Nipu, the technical director of the academy.

Nipu also revealed the module of training. “I visited the Bayer Leverkusen Academy in Germany, the Patiala Football Academy and one academy in Japan. I have all the programmes in the computer. The four coaches - Razzak, Roxy, Jilani and Rahel - will train the boys as per the programmes. I will supervise it and it is definitely scientific,” said Nipu. l

For 15 minutes Novak Djokovic appeared to have a fight on his hands at the ATP World Tour Finals on Wednesday, then the Serb dialled up his A game and tore Stanislas Wawrinka to pieces.

Such was the perfection of his tennis for most of a 6-3 6-0 thrashing it is hard to argue against him crowning his year as world number one and with a hattrick of titles at the ATP’s year-ending showpiece.

The 27-year-old has conceded only five games so far at the cavernous O2 Arena yet the arithmetic of round-robin tennis means the seven-times grand slam champion is still not definitely assured of a semi-final spot.

Even more bizarrely, U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, crushed 6-3 6-1

Misbah said when he looks back at the bad times of his captaincy the achievement feels even greater.

“When I look back today it’s a big happiness because when I started this journey it was tough, when I was captain it was uncertain, I was not even in the team and it was a do-or-die situation and suddenly I was the captain,” said Misbah.

Pakistan had to start afresh after a spot-fixing scandal which resulted in bans on then Test captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.

“When I look back the way I performed and the way the team responded it is incredible, youngsters or seniors, everyone, gave his best and that’s why we deserved the results and all the players deserve credit for this,” said Misbah.

The win against New Zealand is Pakistan’s third in a row after last week’s 2-0 white-wash of Australia, their first series win over them in 20 years.

Misbah said the key to his success was he never lost hope. l

MSC, Titas joint top of Walton Chess League n Tribune Desk

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates winning against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland at the ATP World Tour finals at the O2 Arena in London on Wednesday REUTERS

Unstoppable Djoker eyes golden finale n Reuters, London

Fall of wickets 1-57 T. Latham,2-61 B. McCullum,3-69 R. Taylor,4-111 K. Williamson,5-112 J. Neesham,6-112 B. Watling,7-121 C. Anderson,8-138 T. Southee,9-177 M. Craig,10-231 I. Sodhi Bowling R. Ali 11-1-48-2, I. Khan 10.3-1-37-2, Z. Babar 24-6-48-2, Y. Shah 18 - 1 - 74 - 3, M. Hafeez 7-0-21-1 Pakistan won by 248 runs

by Czech Tomas Berdych in the day’s earlier Group A match could conceivably scrape through despite two heavy losses.

Just like his tennis Djokovic, who faces Berdych on Friday, cut straight through a question about whether or not he gets bogged down with the various scenarios.

World number four Wawrinka has been up and down since winning his first grand slam title in Melbourne, but he was flying at the start on Wednesday.

Striking the ball with ferocious power he broke Djokovic’s opening service game and then held for a 2-0 lead.

The backlash was lethal, however.

Djokovic began exploring the corners with his surgical groundstrokes and Wawrinka was overwhelmed as he lost 20 out of 23 points in a five-game

swing that snatched the match away.

Wawrinka held serve at 2-5 but Djokovic took the opening set in the next game and romped through the second set in 24 minutes, ending it when he drove a forehand down the line.

With eight matches down and seven remaining, the sell-out O2 crowds are yet to see a singles match go the distance.

Berdych’s defeat of Cilic was equally emphatic, although the Croatian debutant looks spent, having managed six games so far.

Cilic never looked comfortable from the moment he dropped serve in the first game and although he did have two break points to get back to 4-4 in the first set, Berdych held firm and went on to dominate the rest of the match.l

Mohammedan Sporting Club and Titas Club registered their second consecutive victory in the Walton Home Appliance Premier Division Chess League.

Both top the table after winning their respective 2nd round matches at the media centre of Bangladesh Olympic Association yesterday.

Grandmasters Mekheil Mchedlishvili, Merab Gagunashvili, Ziaur Rahman and International Master Abu Sufian Shakil of Mohammedan defeated Mohammed Alamgir Hossain, Dewan Mohammed Riad, Mohammad Ibarahim Hossain and Abu Hanif of Sreejan Chess respectively.

In the day’s other matches, Titas Club beat Bangladesh Navy (Junior) by 2.5-1.5 points, Leonine Chess Club drew with Sultana Kamal Smriti Pathagar by 2-2 points and Pritam-Prism Chess Club Narayanganj drew with Fire Services & Civil Defence Sports Club by 2-2 points. l

Hafeez reported for illegal action: ICC

n AFP, Abu Dhabi Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has been reported with a suspected illegal bowling action during the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said Thursday.

Hafeez’s bowling action will now be scrutinised further under the ICC process relating to suspected illegal bowling actions reported in Tests, one-day matches and Twenty20s.

As per the ICC rules on dealing with the suspect action, Hafeez is required to undergo testing within 21 days, and, during this period, Hafeez is permitted to continue bowling in international cricket until the results of the testing are known. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Friday, November 14, 2014

Ruthless Rohit scores 264

264

n Agencies

ROHIT SHARMA

Indian batsman, Rohit Sharma, known for his unruffled elegance went onto break the world record for the highest individual score in ODIs set by Virender Sehwag by making 264 in the 4th ODI against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

HIGHEST ODI SCORES Player Rohit Sharma (IND) Virender Sehwag (IND) Rohit Sharma (IND) Sachin Tendulkar (IND) Charles Coventry (ZIM) Saeed Anwar (PAK)

Runs 264

Ibra back on shortlist for best goal award

n

1s 68

Runs Balls Opp Ground Year 264 173 SL Kolkata 2014 219 149 WI Indore 2011 209 158 AUS Bangalore 2013 200* 147 SA Gwalior 2010 194* 156 BAN Bulawayo 2009 194 146 IND Chennai 1997

2s 5

3s 0

4s 33

6s 9

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has once again made the shortlist of for FIFA’s goal of the year award, giving him a chance to retain the trophy he won last year.

The shortlist featured three goals from the World Cup, including James Rodriguez’s astonishing dipping volley for Colombia against Uruguay, and was dominated by acrobatic volleys and longrange shots. The other World Cup goals were Tim Cahill’s thunderous first-time volley for Australia against Netherlands and Robin van Persie’s header from the edge of the penalty area which set the Dutch on the way to a 5-1 win over Spain.

The other candidates included an overhead kick by Diego Costa for Atletico Madrid, an astounding turn and chip

by Cruz Azul’s Marco Fabian, an acrobatic scissors-kick by Camilo Sanvezzo in an MLS game for Vancouver Whitecaps and a looping volley by Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Hisato Sato in the J-League.

Swiss midfielder Pajtim Kasami made the shortlist with an angled volley for Fulham against Crystal Palace, which was likened to Marco van Basten’s effort for the Netherlands in the Euro 1988 final.l

MS DHONI Very well batted Rohit. thats Rohit for everyone,sheer talent.Enjoy and Witness the class in action.

VVS LAXMAN Wow !! What a special knock from a special player.

Congrats @ImRo45 on an outstanding knock. Keep it up buddy @BCCI #IndvsSL

MICHAEL VAUGHAN So @ImRo45 has now scored 2 double ODI tons.... I couldn’t even get 1 ton.... #Useless

RUSSEL ARNOLD Stand up for @ImRo45 !!!!

Salute you for the highest score in ODI’s !!!

GLENN MAXWELL Rohit Sharma... That is class!! #wellplayed #onlyplayerwith2ODIdoubles @ ImRo45

AZHAR MAHMOOD Incredible innings and record by @ImRo45 ! Wow ! well done boy! Many congrats on your achievement

BRENDAN TAYLOR Trying to get 10 wickets in the subcontinent is quite humbling. #BanvZim Then see on cricinfo Rohit has gone ballistic.Incredible! #IndvsSL

HARSHA BHOGLE Damn @ImRo45, slip into a studio for a recording and he sets a world record!

ANIL KUMBLE First target for SL 265.... then 405 @bcci

Qatar, Russia cleared as Messi, Neymar shine as Dutch slump Fifa rules out re-votes n AFP, Paris

Reuters, Zurich

The previous record was set by Sehwag, who had accrued 219 against the West Indies in Indore in 2011. Rohit also became the first cricketer to register two double hundreds in ODI cricket.

He also became the second batsman after Surrey’s Alastair Brown to score 250 in limited overs cricket. Brown had played a crunching innings of 268 for Surrey against Glamorgan at The Oval in C & G Trophy in 2002. It has to be said though, Brown’s power-packed knock was assisted by a 55-yard boundary on one side of the ground By scoring 264, he also broke the record set by Shikhar Dhawan for the highest individual score by an Indian in limited overs cricket. Dhawan had scored 248 against South Africa ‘A’ at Pretoria in 2013.

By sending the ball scurrying to the boundary boards on 33 occasions, Rohit also broke the record for essaying most number of fours in a single innings.

“I’m not really tired. I was ready to bat another 50 overs,” said Rohit. “Once I got to 50, I knew I had to convert because it was a good batting wicket.

“We wanted to get a big score and that made me stay there as long as possible. Kolkata is a very special ground to me, I made my first-class debut and Test debut here. I also got an IPL hundred here, so it’s very special.”

Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar previously held the record. Both of them had thumped 25 boundaries when they made a double hundred. Incidentally, when Rohit composed his first double ton against Australia at Bangalore, he broke the record for most number of sixes in an innings by clouting 16 sixes.

Rohit Sharma scored 186 runs in fours and sixes alone, making it the most by a player in an ODI innings.

Even if women’s ODIs are considered for statistical purposes, this is the highest individual score. Belinda Clark, known for her sumptuous footwork against spinners had made 229 not out against Denmark in the 1997 World Cup in Mumbai. l

TWITTER REACTION

n AFP, Paris Football’s world governing body FIFA has cleared Qatar and Russia of corruption and ruled out a re-vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments despite widespread allegations of wrongdoing.

An exhaustive report by the FIFA ethics committee admitted that even though there had been a series of worrying episodes in the bidding for the 2022 tournament, as well as the 2018 World Cup in Russia, there was not enough evidence to justify reopening the process.

“The report identified certain occurrences that were suited to impair the integrity of the 2018/2022 World Cups bidding process,” said the 42-page report released by Hans Joachim Eckert, the chairman of the committee’s adjudicatory chamber. “.. the occurrences at issue were, in the chairman’s assessment, only of very limited scope.

“In particular, the effects of these occurrences on the bidding process as a whole were far from reaching any threshold that would require returning to the bidding process, let alone reopening it.

“The assessment of the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cups bidding process is therefore closed for the FIFA ethics committee.”

Qatar welcomed the decision saying they had been “confident” they won the bid with a “clean” record ahead of rivals Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

The report also said that in Australia’s bid for 2022 “there are certain indications of potentially problematic conduct of specific individuals in the light of relevant FIFA Ethics rules.”

Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary-general of the Qatar 2022 organising committee, told AFP: “We were confident that any impartial investigation was to show that our record was clean and contains no irregularities.”

The report also found no evidence of misconduct related to the Russian bid for 2018, but added that not all records had been available to the investigation.

The computers used at the time by the Russia Bid Committee had been leased and then returned to their owner and destroyed, meaning access to emails was not available. l

Barcelona teammates Neymar and Lionel Messi were both on target as Brazil and Argentina claimed international friendly wins Wednesday but struggling Netherlands slumped to another defeat.

In Istanbul, Brazil defeated Turkey 4-0 as coach Dunga celebrated a fifth successive win since taking the hotseat following his country’s traumatic World Cup. The match, played out in front of a packed Sukru Saracoglu, also saw Turkey suffer a sixth match without a victory.

Neymar opened the scoring after 19 minutes when he picked up a cross from Fernandinho before dribbling the ball into the area and stabbing it past a static Suleyman Demirel in the Turkish goal.

Five minutes later it was 2-0 when defender Suat Kaya put through his own goal under pressure from Luiz Adriano who was trying to reach a cross from Danilo.

Willian steered in the third just before the interval after a Neymar cross was not cleared with the Barcelona star adding his second on the hour mark after a neat one-two with Willian.

“I think I’m in the best form of my career though I can’t be satisfied. I shall

keep on working hard to get even better, to keep on helping Barcelona and the Brazilian national side,” Neymar told Globo TV. Carlos Tevez ended his three-year international exile as World Cup runners-up Argentina came from behind to beat a second-string Croatia 2-1 in London.

RESULTS Netherlands

2-3

Sneijder 49, Blind 74

Argentina

2-1

Croatia

Ansaldi 49, Messi 57-P

Turkey

Mexico Vela 8, 62, Javier Hernandez 69 Sharbini 11

0-4

Brazil

Neymar 20, 60, Kaya 24-og, Willian 44

Belgium Lombaerts 10, Origi 62, Lukaku 73

3-1

Iceland Finnbogason 13

Tevez last played for Argentina at the 2011 Copa America, having been frozen out by former coach Alejandro Sabella, but he made his comeback at the home of his old club West Ham after being recalled by new coach Gerardo Martino.

The Juventus striker came on as a substitute for Sergio Aguero, who can-

celled out Anas Sharbini’s early opener for Croatia with a fortuitous equaliser before Lionel Messi scored the winner with a 57th-minute penalty.

Argentina have now won three and lost one of their four friendly games since their 1-0 loss to Germany in the World Cup final.

It was a first defeat in five games for Croatia, who have won their first four Euro 2016 qualifiers, but defeat was mitigated by the fact coach Niko Kovac had left his entire first XI back in Zagreb to prepare for Sunday’s encounter with Group H rivals Italy in Milan.

Messi’s goal was the 45th of his international career.

“Our goals were really nice goals and they came after mounting pressure,” said Martino. “We still have to improve a lot, but there were some positive things.”

In Amsterdam, the Netherlands lost 3-2 to Mexico, four days out from a crucial Euro 2016 clash against Latvia which could lead to the resignation of coach Guus Hiddink should the Dutch lose again.

Wednesday’s loss, which saw Carlos Vela score twice for Mexico in his first appearance in three years, was Holland’s fourth in five games since the World Cup. l

Germany out to revive Euro campaign against Gibraltar n AFP, Berlin World champions Germany are chasing a big win over minnows Gibraltar in Nuremberg on Friday as they bid to turn around the rocky start to their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

Germany were brought crashing down to earth following their Brazil 2014 triumph by slumping to a 2-0 defeat to Poland, then conceded a last-minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Ireland last month to leave them third in Group D.

FIXTURES Georgia Germany Scotland Hungary Romania Greece Portugal Serbia

v v v v v v v v

Poland Gibraltar Ireland Finland North Ireland Faroe Islands Armenia Denmark

The Germans lag three points behind the Poles and Irish in the table and a big win is expected by the hosts against Gibraltar before the world champions’ friendly against Spain in Vigo next Tuesday.

Poland and Ireland have already both posted 7-0 wins over the group’s bottom side Gibraltar in their qualifiers and the hosts need a similarly big score at Nuremberg’s Grundig Stadium to boost their goal difference. Germany are missing injured midfielders Marco Reus, Julian Draxler and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, but the world champions want to make sure of the win.

Even with key players injured, and Loew looking to rebuild his defence after the retirements of Philipp Lahm and Per Mertesacker, tiny Gibraltar, who have lost all three games so far, should not present any problems.

Gibraltar, who have a tiny pool of amateur players, only played their first international in September after finally being accepted as a Uefa member. l

Brazil’s Danilo (R), Luiz Adriano (C) and Neymar celebrate after Turkey scored an own goal during a friendly football match at Fenerbahce stadium in Istanbul on Wednesday AFP

Argentina’s Lionel Messi (C) celebrates his goal against Croatia with Sergio Aguero (L) and Di Maria during their int’l friendly match at Upton Park in London on Wednesday REUTERS

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Friday, November 14, 2014

HUMAYUN’s fictional character personified on HIMU DAY n Entertainment Desk As November 13, birthday of eminent literatteur Humayun Ahmed, is declared as Himu Day, hundreds of youth gathered to personify the most celebrated fictional character created by the writer on the Channel i premises yesterday.

At the Humayun Mela, organised

by the channel to mark the 66th birth anniversary of the author, the bare-footed youths in yellow punjabis wandered around aimlessly at the stalls in the fair to reflect the spirit of the fictional character they bear within. Prominent cultural personalities were present on the occasion, including the writer’s widow Meher Afroz Shaon.

Another attraction of the fair was the publication of an anthology containing 10 Himu novels.

It was the third time the channel organised the fair, with the first being held in 2012.

The colourful event also featured music, dance, children art competition and display of Humayun’s diverse works. l

15

The Bourne Supremacy Movies Now, 9:30pm

Marie is taken captive by the United States government in an attempt to turn David Webb back into his former self, the mythical Jason Bourne.

Hotel Transylvania

Star Movies, 1:30pm

ANKUSH-MAHI together in Indo-Bangla joint venture

Dracula’s resort where monsters and their families can live it up and are free to be the monsters without humans to bother them.

n Entertainment Desk

HBO Defined, 10:30pm Every year the evil Capitol of the

West Bengal actor Ankush Hazra and Bangladeshi actor Mahiya Mahi will soon appear in a romantic comedy titled “Romeo vs Juliet.” An India-Bangladesh joint production, Ankush will be playing the character of Romeo, while Mahi will play Juliet.

Shooting for the film, which was done in Bangladesh and England, is nearly finished. Ankush is now in Dhaka and will set off for Kolkata on Friday.

The film has been co-directed by Indian director Ashok Pati and his Bangladeshi counterpart Abdul Aziz. “Romeo vs Juliet” has been produced jointly by Jaaz Multimedia and SK Movies. The film is expected to be released early next year.

Director Ashok Pati’s previous work with Bangladesh was “Ami Sudhu Cheyechhi Tomay” with Ankush in the lead. The film faced legal challenge, with a letter issued to stop its screening in Bangladesh, claiming that it is an allout Indian film. l

The Hunger Games

Meher Afroz Shaon, the writer’s widow, addresses on the occassion to the crowd who were gathered to personify the fictional character KHAN HASAN MD RAFI

MAQSOOD O DHAKA, SHIRONAMHIN and others to perform at charity concert

ROBIN WRIGHT calls off engagement

n Entertainment Desk

n Entertainment Desk

Maqsood O Dhaka, Shironamhin, Nemesis and Chirkut, four popular bands in the country, and Abstraction, a band rising to popularity, are set to perform at a charity concert for cancer patient Asad. The concert will held at the RAOWA Club in the capital’s Mohakhali DOHS area

at 4-10pm today.

Organised by Aeysha Memorial Specialised Hospital, the concert has been arranged to raise fund for the treatment of 27-year-old Asad who is suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Tickets for the show will be available at the venue. One can also buy the tickets at www.etunes.com.bd. l

nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete.

Robin Wright is said to have ended her engagement with Ben Foster.

The 48-year-old actress began dating actor Ben Foster in February 2012 and in January of this year the couple announced their plans to wed.

However, their busy lifestyles reportedly got in the way of things, with Robin eventually ending the relationship. It was over the summer when Robin is said to have had enough of trying to juggle her career and personal life. She was busy working on the third series of Netflix show “House of Cards” in Baltimore, then jetting to Los Angeles to spend time with her kids Dylan, 23, and Hopper Jack, 21, who she has with ex-husband Sean Penn.

During this time 34-year-old Ben was in London, UK, working on theatre production A Streetcar Named Desire opposite Gillian Anderson and Vanessa Kirby, with the show coming to an end in September. To add to their problems, the 14-year age gap was also reportedly an issue.

The pair got to know each other on the set of their 2011 film “Rampart.” It would have been the third time Robin walked down the aisle, following her marriages to Sean and also Dane Witherspoon. l

EMINEM wants to punch LANA DEL REY n Entertainment Desk Eminem has name dropped Lana Del Rey in a new freestyle rap, stating that he would punch the singer.

The rap was included in a new cypher to support the release of Shady Records’ greatest hits compilation Shady XV, reported Digital Spy. The lyrics read, “I’ll punch Lana Del Rey right in the face twice, like Ray Rice

in broad daylight in the plain sight of the elevator surveillance/’Til her head is banging on the railing, then celebrate with the Ravens.”

The 42-year-old rapper’s reference to Janay Rice relates to her assault by ex-fiance Ray Rice.

CCTV of the incident was released at the time, resulting in his indefinite suspension from American football by the NFL. l

Exhibition

Solo Art Exhibition

By Syed Hasan Mahmud Bengal Galllery of Fine Arts

Theatre

Drishtipaat Theatre Festival Time:6:30pm – 8:30pm

Shilpakala Academy, Shegunbagicha

Film

Pipra Bidda How to Train Your Dragon 2 Guardians of the Galaxy Million Dollar Arm, Tarzan Star Cineplex, Bashundhara City

KANGANA to play Haryavani athlete n Entertainment Desk Kangana Ranuat has always challenged her acting skills by playing unconventional roles. And the actress will be putting her talent to test once again- this time for the sequel of her earlier hit ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ titled ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’, playing an Haryanavi athlete.

Unwilling to divulge more information director Aanand L Rai says, “Also, with Kangana’s double role this time round the plot is going complex, funnier and twisted.” l

Theatre troupe Prangone Mor stages Rokto Korobi, one of their acclaimed production based on Rabindranath Tagore’s play, at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy yesterday as part of Natyajatrar Tirish Bochhor, a theatre fest marking the 30th founding anniversary of theatre group Drishtipat

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sleuths concerned over rise in number of female militants

Back Page

Friday, November 14, 2014

AMBULANCE IN CRITICAL CONDITION

Five JMB men sent to jail; confess to planning attacks in border areas Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Tazlina Zamila Khan The trend towards using female operatives in the Islamist militant outfit in the country is alarmingly growing.

The militant outfits are using their female members as a distraction technique to pull the wool over the eyes of law enforcers.

Such tendency is largely adopted by the banned organisation Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). This phenomenon also abounds in West Bengal of India.

The technique is known amongst the militant outfits as couple module.

The JMB planned to set up their den in West Bengal by using this technique.

In such module the members of a militant organisation make a pair with one female and one male identifying themselves as husband and wife, said a high official of the Detective Branch of Police yesterday.

Arrested JMB member Sujana in Bardhaman blast case is one of the members of such couple module. His husband is none other than Dr Shanur Alam, the most wanted militant activist on the list of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India, said the official.

Brig General M Shakhawat Hossain, a security analyst, said this is not something new in Islamist militant organisations. At least 30-40% such activists could be found in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a now defunct organisation based in northern Sri Lanka.

The LTTE launched a secessionist nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil people.

“Recently, we have found the trend growing in Bangladesh. Here in our country female operatives are mainly motivated and indoctrinated by their husbands or brothers involved in militancy.”

The trend first came to the notice of law enforcers after the series bomb blast across the country on August 17, 2005.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel arrested then JMB ameer Abdur Rahman, Siddkul Islam Bangla Bhi and

other militants with their wives.

Since then hundreds of women have been arrested by RAB and police who are either wives or sisters or daughters of leaders of militant outfits. Some female members even hold major posts in the organisation, says officials in the RAB and police.

Female operatives are chosen as they are more trustworthy than male ones. The latest report of Indian media says investigators are facing difficulties in extracting information from Bardhaman blast arrestee Sujana Begum.

But it was much easier in case of her male colleague and prime suspect Shaikh Rahmatullah, Indian investigators said.

Investigators found Shakil and Hasem living with their wives Rajia and Amina in the house where the blast took place in West Bengal on October 2.

Another militant Nasirullah set up a den in Beldanga area of Murshidabad with his two wives –Fatem and Manzila.

The NIA investigating the West Bengal blast also found involvement of another 13 couples, according to reports of Indian media.

In 2009, the RAB arrested Boma Mizan and his wife Lota from Shewrapara area of Dhaka with huge explosives.

The RAB men had to make the arrest after almost four hours as Boma Mizan’s wife continued to hurl bombs from inside the house.

Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the DB police, told the Dhaka Tribune, female operatives are mainly found in the JMB and Huji-B in Bangladesh.

These organisations use women to carry arms and bombs as it is easy for them to dodge law enforcers, says the DB chief.

Meanwhile, the five JMB members including Chief Coordinator Abdun Nur arrested by RAB officials from Shirajganj on October 31 were sent to jail yesterday.

Hayder Ali, sub-inspector of Shirajganj Government Railway Police Station, said the arrestees told them that they were planning to resort to destructive activities in bordering areas in Sirajganj as such places have lax security. l

Three men pushing a broken down ambulance of Dhaka Medical College Hospital inside hospital premises yesterday. The hospital authorities are allegedly transforming low-cost and unfit vehicles into ambulances which turn out to be unreliable in times of emergency MEHEDI HASAN

Ex-MP’s daughter-in-law dies under mysterious circumstances n Mohammad Jamil Khan The daughter-in-law of a former lawmaker died yesterday under mysterious circumstances, with the ex-MP’s family claiming that it was suicide while the family of the deceased claimed that the girl was strangled.

Twenty-four-year-old Dr Shamaruf Mahzabin Kona, the daughter-in-law of former Jessore 5 constituency lawmaker Khan Tipu Sultan, was allegedly found hanging in the bathroom of her in-law’s Dhanmondi house in the afternoon.

Kona’s mother-in-law Jesmin Ara Begum, who is also a doctor at the city’s Holy Family Hospital, said Kona went out in the morning and returned home around noon and locked her bedroom from the inside. When Kona did not respond to the domestic help’s calls for lunch, the door was broken and Kona’s body was found hanging in the washroom.

“She hanged herself with her scarf from the washroom window,” claimed the mother-in-law. Later, Jesmin rushed her to the Central Hospital where doctors declared her dead at around 3:30pm.

However, Kazi Firozur Rahman, un-

cle of the deceased, claimed that Kona’s in-laws were staging a drama after killing her. Claiming that Kona’s knees were touching the floor when she was found in the washroom, he also pointed out that it was not possible for a person’s leg to be touching the ground if they had committed suicide by hanging. The family would discuss whether a case would be filed, the uncle said.

Kona’s father Nurul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that her daughter often complained to him about her in-laws barring her from sitting for the BCS exams and opposing her decision to study for an FCPS degree. Nurul added that he spoke to Kona for around half an hour in the morning yesterday, when Kona also expressed discontent about how her in-laws treated her.

The death of Kona - who had earned an MBBS degree from the Holy Family Hospital - was a planned murder by Tipu Sultan, the father claimed.

Abu Bakkar Siddique, officer-incharge at Dhanmondi police station, said: “In primary examination, we found only a black spot on Kona’s throat and no other injury mark. How-

ever, we have sent her body to the Dhaka Medical College for autopsy.”

The OC added that Kona’s husband – Humayun Sultan – was called to the police station for interrogation where he told the police that he had a fight with Kona on Wednesday night centring an anonymous phone call. Humayun, however, told the police that the couple had put an end to the matter the same night.

Asked about the incident, Humayun refused to elaborate on the issue to the Dhaka Tribune, saying he had submitted a written statement to the police.

Asked about the incident, Abdul Baten, deputy commissioner of police of Ramna division, refused to comment before getting the autopsy report. Without terming the death a suicide or a murder, Baten said investigation was under way.

Meanwhile, commenting on the death of her daughter-in-law, Tipu Sultan said he was outside the house the entire day and was notified about Kona’s death over phone.

Asked about his son’s possible involvement in the death, Tipu said if his son was found guilty he would have no objection to see him being tried. l

Experts concerned as diabetes prevalence rises in the country n Abid Azad

On the eve of World Diabetes Day, to be observed today, experts warned that an undisciplined lifestyle and changes in dietary habits were leading to an alarming increase in the number of diabetes patients in Bangladesh.

Observances to be held today, November 14, will focus on the theme of “Healthy Living and Diabetes for 20142016,” and will include a rally, discussion groups and other events.

“Diabetes is becoming an epidemic here. Developing countries like Bangladesh are especially vulnerable because of rapid changes in food habits and lifestyle, with the youth especially vulnerable to the disease,” Professor AK Azad Khan, president of the Bangladesh Diabetic Association (BADAS), told the Dhaka Tribune.

Experts said they were deeply concerned with the increasing rate at which people in Bangladesh were developing the illness, in light of an International Diabetes Federation projection on the future diabetes status of the country.

They said the country lacks sufficient means to bring diabetes under control.

Dr Tanjina Hossain, endocrinologist and diabetologist at BIRDEM hospital in Dhaka said: “The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) projected that 13% of the total population would be diabetic by 2030. The figure is alarming and we are neither ready nor able to fight against it at the moment.”

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) estimates the country’s total population at 157,432,941. BADAS says there are 6 million diabetics in the country with around180,000 new patients joining their ranks every year.

The IDF believes a further 2 million diabetic patients are undiagnosed and unidentified, Tanjina said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 347 million people

abetic levels, according to the WHO. Women with gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and at delivery.

They are also at increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the future.

Tanjina told the Dhaka Tribune: “The number of patients with gestational diabetes has increased alarmingly rapidly... Although 70% of gestational diabetics return to normal blood glucose levels after giving birth, they remain at risk for full-blown Type 2 diabetes,” she added.

Challenges and Prevention

Tired of waiting in a queue at the capital’s Birdem Hospital yesterday, this elderly woman rests her head on the iron railings worldwide have diabetes. The disease is predicted to become the 7th leading cause of death in the world by 2030.

In its Diabetes Atlas Sixth Edition, 2013 the IDF estimated that 592 million people would be living with diabetes in 2035.

The WHO said diabetes was the direct cause of 1.5 million deaths in 2012.

It said 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, adding that diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, amputation and kidney failure.

Cardiovascular disease is responsible for between 50% and 80% of deaths in people with diabetes.

Types and causes of diabetes

About 90% of patients in Bangladesh live with Type 2 diabetes, while the rest have Type 1 and gestational diabetes, said Tanjina.

Type 1 diabetes, previously known

as insulin-dependent, juvenile or childhood-onset diabetes, is characterised by deficient insulin production and requires daily administration of insulin. The cause of Type 1 diabetes is unknown and is not preventable with the current state of medical knowledge, according to the WHO. Type 2 diabetes, formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes, results from the body’s ineffective use of insulin. Type 2 diabetics comprise 90% of people with diabetes around the world, largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity.

“In western countries, the trend is that people become diabetic patients in their later years, but in our country, many young people are becoming diabetics,” Tanjina said.

She said: “People, especially younger, urban people, aged between 30 and

MEHEDI HASAN

40 years, who exercise little and do not make healthy food choices are vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes.”

“People who are over-weight and lead stressful lives are also vulnerable to the disease,” she added.

“Mental depression, believed to be suffered by a large number of diabetics, remains undiagnosed. Complications of the disease are as much as four times greater among depressed patients than those who are not depressed,” Professor Norman Sartorius, president of the Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programmes and former director of the WHO Division of Mental Health, told the Dhaka Tribune.

A form of the disease that affects women who are pregnant is gestational diabetes. It is characterised by hyperglycaemia with blood glucose values above normal but below diagnostic di-

Developing countries like Bangladesh, undergoing rapid changes in diet, lifestyle and food quality, are at high risk for an upsurge in diabetes.

There is no cure for diabetes, but it can be managed with insulin, medicine and lifestyle changes, she said.

“Urbanisation is not a problem per se, but becomes a problem when people do not find the time or space for regular physical exercise,” said Professor Azad Khan said.

Experts say the country lacks sufficient measures to fight against diabetes because there is a lack of high quality hospitals, physicians, logistic support and public awareness.

“Without a big change, we will not be able handle the growing numbers of diabetes patients, including those with cardiovascular, kidney and eye complications,” said Tanjina.

“Insulin is life for Type 1 diabetes patients. Providing insulin to Type 1 diabetics is a responsibility of the government, akin to preserving the patients’ right to life,” Azad told the Dhaka Tribune.

According to BADAS, BIRDEM buys Tk60 crore worth of insulin annually, some of which is provided for free or at subsidised rates to low-income patients. l

Girl sexually assaulted at school n FM Mizanur Rahaman A primary school teacher has allegedly sexually assaulted a Primary School Certificate (PSC) candidate in Hathazari upazila of Chittagong.

The accused, Abdul Halim, is an assistant teacher of Hathazari Model Government Primary School who was awarded as the “best teacher” of the upazila this year.

Quoting the student’s father, Hathazari Upazila Education Officer (UEO) Md Abdul Hamid said the teacher had sexually assaulted the 12-year-old girl inside a classroom before classes began on November 5. The girl went there to receive private tuitions, he said.

“First the girl told her classmates about the incident and later told her parents. Her father placed a written complaint against the teacher in my office yesterday,” said the UEO. After getting the complaint, the accused teacher was temporarily suspended from the school, added the UEO. Ismail Hossain, officer-in-charge of Hathazari police station told the Dhaka Tribune that the victim’s father lodged the complaint with Hathazari police station on Wednesday night following which they had started investigation. l

‘Birdem treating more diabetic minors every day’ n Abid Azad One or two new diabetic patients aged below 18 are admitted to the Birdem Hospital every day, Dr Samin Taiyeb, additional coordinator of the Changing Diabetes in Children Programme (CDIC) at the Birdem Hospital, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

She said there are 2,000 non-adult diabetic patients in the capital at present and the number is growing every year.

“In 2008, only 112 children had diabetes but the number rose to 319 last year. The figure will be higher at the end of this year,” she said.

The physician said there are 600 children in Faridpur and Chittagong who are diabetic patients.

According to the World Health Organisation, Type 1 diabetes is characterised by deficiency in insulin production and requires daily administration of insulin.

CDIC educator Jahura Khanam told the Dhaka Tribune children were frightened when they first came to the hospital accompanied by their parents but much of their fear was gone when they received proper counselling and other services.

“We have physicians, diabetic educators, psychologists and nutritionists to deliver reliable service to non-adult diabetic patients and their parents. Besides, the service is free,” she said.

“Children who have the disease under control need to have insulin injected in their bodies two times a day but there should be an extra dose for others,” she added.

Jahura said parents, instead of being scared about their children contracting diabetes, should become more aware about the health condition and food habit of the patients. l

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B3 IMF’s Lagarde sees jobs shortfall in G20 growth target

B4 Saudi oil minister denies crude price war

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Inflation dips lowest level in two years Good boro harvest and undisrupted domestic supply also contribute to taming prices n Kayes Sohel Inflation continued to slide for the third consecutive month in October, thanks to the ongoing falling trend in global food prices and stable food prices in the country.

The month-to-month inflation eased up to 6.6% last month, decelerating from 6.84% a month earlier, according to the data of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) released yesterday. The October reading is the lowest in two years since November 2012 when it was 6.55%.

Planning Minister Mustafa Kamal said the October reading was in line with our expectation of around 6% inflation in the wake of the ongoing falling trend in commodity prices globally.

“By the year end, we foresee the inflation will come down further,” he told reporters in the capital yesterday.

He said weak consumption of the world’s two economic giants China and India also pushed the food prices down, which also helped cool down the prices here.

After struggling with higher inflation over the past few years, India succeeded in bringing down prices in recent months due to the weakening demand amid a slowdown in its economy.

A nearly 25% drop in global crude oil prices since the beginning of the year has helped cool down the local fuel oil prices too. Despite the downward trend seen in overall inflation, non-food inflation was marginally up to 5.74% in

INFLATION 2014 In %, January to October

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct 7.5 7.44 7.48 7.46 7.48 6.97 7.04 6.91 6.84 6.6 SOURCE: BBS October from 5.63% recorded in the previous month, according to the BBS. “This is the impact of higher festival expenditure,” said BBS Director General Golam Mostafa Kamal. Food inflation in October dropped slightly to 7.16% from 7.63% in September.

As contacted Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of Policy Research In-

stitute, said: “Food inflation declines mainly due to good boro harvest and undisrupted transportation, and also falling commodity prices in the international market.”

He said due to strong local currency against the greenback, inflation eased in neighbouring country India, and realistic monetary policy continued to

cushion the country’s inflation.

Bangladesh Bank, in its policy statement (July-December) observed that the persisting inflationary pressures over the past few months with the risks ahead related to the inflation outlook imply that achieving the FY15 inflation target of 6.5% would be challenging.

“As such Bangladesh Bank has de-

Accord: Get prior approval to install fire safety systems in RMG units The Accord on Fire and Building Safety has asked the RMG factory owners to get prior approval from it on the design of the fire alarms, sprinkler systems and auto-hydrant before installing the systems in their factories.

“If the installation work is done without reviewed designs, the system might not be recognised by the Accord,’ the retailers’ platform, categorically said in a statement posted on its official website on Tuesday.

The Accord completed inspection of 1,106 RMG units and found less than 2% factories flawed in all three areas like fire, electrical and structural safety.

Following the recommendation of the Accord’s engineers, the review panel has closed 18 factories.

According to a rough estimate of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), installment of fire safety equipment at the RMG factories may cost over Tk2,400 crore.

Based on the inspecting findings, the Accord suggested for detailed Engineering Assessment (DEA), setting up fire rated doors, sprinklers systems and auto-hydrant to ensure workplace safety for the RMG workers.

Meanwhile, the Accord outlined standard for appointing consulting firms to do detailed engineering assessment (DEA). As per the standard, the firm must have the experience for more than five years in the relevant field and engineers concerned will have to have

n Asif Showkat Kallol

the experience of more than 10 years.

Though the Accord did not provide any lists of the consulting firms to conduct DEA as yet, it said the final DEA report must be approved by the Accord and no retrofitting work should be started without prior approval from the retailers group.

The Accord, however, provided a list mentioning the name of 55 companies to source fire equipments with a note that the list is neither an endorsement nor an approval by the Accord.

‘The list of suppliers we have compiled to help factories to source fire equipment is based on the information provided by the suppliers. We do not make any quality check during the process of enlistment,’ the Accord said.

As per the remediation guidance of Accord, fire door should be certified by UL, FM, Intertek and Warrington and

The government has submitted a progress report on labour rights situation in Bangladesh to the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

Commerce ministry sent the report to the US authorities yesterday, said officials. Earlier, the USTR asked Bangladesh to inform about what it has done to improve labour standards in the country on the basis of 16 action plans.

Recently, American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO) made new allegation of labour rights violation in Bangladesh and demanded the USTR not to restore GSP facility.

AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States, said Bangladeshi telecom sector was also violating labour rights. The allegation was forwarded to Bangladesh authorities by the USTR through email in mid-October.

USTR sought explanation in this regard from the Bangladesh government and asked to let it know within November 15. Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque said Bangladesh sent labour standard report on Thursday in response to the USTR letter.

He said there would be no hearing on restoration of GSP facility in the US market. The USTR will review the matter at end of this month or beginning of next month, he said.

A commerce ministry official said they presented the latest situation of 16 action plans. l

Jubok seeks Tk1,000cr ‘incentive loan’ to pay back clients

Atiur wins GUSI Peace Prize International 2014 n Tribune Report n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman has been awarded GUSI Peace Prize International 2014 for his work in the field of economics focusing on the welfare of poor people, said a press release of the central bank yesterday.

The governor will receive the award on November 26, 2014 at a ceremony in Manila, Philippines, where 14 other eminent personalities from Austria, China, Congo, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Nepal, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland and Saudi Arabia will also receive award for their exemplary contributions toward peace and welfare in their respective fields, according to the release.

Founder and Secretary General of Development Organization of the Rural Poor (DORP), AHM Nouman, won the Gusi Peace Prize International Award in 2013 for his contribution to poverty alleviation and humanitarianism from Bangladesh.

The Gusi Peace Prize foundation has termed Atiur Rahman “the Poor Man’s Economist” in the award citation.

Dr Atiur Rahman is the recipient of a number of other international awards including the Indira Ghandhi Gold Plaque.

GUSI Peace foundation introduced the peace award in the name of Javier Gusi who was a participant of Guerrilla war against Japan in the second world war. The peace award is given away in November every year. l

cided to keep policy rates unchanged.”

BBS data also showed that inflation rate in October was 6.79% in urban area, which was 7.02% in September and in rural areas, it declined to 6.49% from 6.75% during the period. The national wage index rate witnessed a 10.7% growth in October, marginally down from 10.77% in September. l

Progress report on labour standards sent to USTR n Tribune Report

manufactured by an authorised fire door manufacturing facility.

If any factory installed non-certified doors, which fell short of the standard set by the Accord, won’t be accepted and the factory would again have to be replaced by actual certified fire doors, the platform said.

There is no authorised manufacturer of certified fire doors and no authorised Bangladesh-based certifying agency of fire doors or fire door manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh, the Accord stated.

The buyers platform also also suggested to remove all collapsible gates from the doorways and stairways permanently and to equip fire doors with security hardware and locks which permit locking from the outside where the door can still be opened from the inside. l

Jubo Karmasangsthan Society has sought Tk1,000 crore as an “incentive loan” from the government to pay back its clients’ deposit within six months, said an official source.

Executive director of the now-defunct organisation, Hossain Al Masum, yesterday sent a letter to Finance Minister AMA Muhith, seeking the loan facility from the government.

Hossain Al Masum and eight other top officials of Jubo Karmasangsthan Society (Jubok) are now on the run as the Anti-Corruption Commission filed cases against them on June 15 this year in connection with irregularities.

Now, Jubok authorities say all activities of Jubok were stopped by the directives of “Hawa Bhaban” during the BNP-led government in 2006, an official source said with reference to the letter.

The letter claimed that Jubok loan proposal reveals that it had a good example of social business which started 17 years ago.

Jubok will give its assets to the government as loan guarantee and it wants to pay back to the clients’ money within three-four months, according to the letter.

The letter also said the first Farasuddin Jubok Commission explained that the amount of assets belonging to

Jubok were higher than its liabilities and clients’ money.

Jubok had assets worth Tk2,880 crore, the first commission had reported.

But later the second Jubok Commission ran counter to the report and stopped transfer of Jubok assets and share to the public.

On June 15, Sub-Inspector Amirul Islam filed the case with Paltan model police station against Jubok chairman Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, executive director Hossain Al Masum and directors Md Muniruddin, Syed Rashidul Huda Chowdhury, Rahima Khatun, Tahmina Sultana, Mahmuda Begum Mina and Habibullah Miah.

The ACC said the investigation into the Jubok case has delayed because the commission is dealing with a huge number of cases.

Former Jubok Commission chairman Rafiqul Islam said a criminal case was filed against Jubok members as per recommendations of the second commission committee.

Another major suggestion was made to appoint an administrator to protect the assets of Jubok, he added.

The activities of Jubok were suspended and bank accounts frozen in 2006 on charges of illegal banking.

Jubok took deposits worth around Tk3,000 crore from thousands of its members, offering hefty returns. l

Three-day international power expo kicks off in capital n Tribune Report

A three-day long 13th Power Bangladesh International Expo began at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka yesterday.

Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury inaugurated the event which aims to encourage use of alternative power sources including renewable energy.

Conference and Exhibition Management Services (CEMS), Bangladesh has organised the expo in association with CEMS USA. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said the event will help bring world technology in power sector to the country.

While speaking as chief guest, he also said such exhibition will improve understanding and relation between public and private sectors in the field of power and energy.

CEMS, Bangladesh managing director Meherun N Islam presided over the inaugural function.

FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed and American Chamber of Com-

merce in Bangladesh president Aftab ul Islam, among others, also addressed the function.

Some other exhibitions are also being held concurrently at the venue, which include 8th Solar Bangladesh International Expo, 17th Con-Expo 2014 and 11th RE Power Bangladesh International Expo.

The participants from over 11 countries are displaying their products in the event.

Both local and foreign visitors are going to the expo to get familiar with Bangladesh’s power and energy sector and also to see investment climate in the country.

Bangladeshi government is encouraging foreign investments in the sector.

The expo will remain open for the visitors from 10.30am to 7.30pm every day. Registration is required to get an access. The expo will conlude on Saturday.

CEMS-Global’s power series of exhibitions are the only international exhibitions focusing on the sector in South and SouthEast Asian region. These are held annually in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. l

A foreign visitor looks at a solar-powered bulb displayed at a three-day International Power Expo that began in Bangabandhu International Conference Centre yesterday RAJIB DHAR

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stocks back in red with volatility

DSE key features November 13, 2014

n Tribune Report

Number of Contract

Among the major sectoral move, IT sector advanced by 4.5%. Ceramic and textile closed edged higher.

IDLC Investments said while market struggled to remain positive, waves of sale pressure beat it down, causing to close flat. Alongside, volatility was prominent, like previous three sessions as investors continued, preferring micro cap scrips, it said.

Lanka Bangla Securities said market took some corrections as index yielded to profit booking pressure. “Earnings upgrade continued to support the market, whereas profit taking on engineering, cement, pharma, and telco stocks discouraged the positive vibe of early session.”

Zenith Investments said after two days of hike index again lost its strength and slid back to negativity.

This week market has highlighted the desperate attempt of main index to stay above 5,000 points, it said.

However, the total turnover volume was much lower than the previous session, indicating less participation of investors in the last day of the week.

The market breadth also remained negative as out of 297 issues traded, 152 advanced, 108 112 declined and 33 remained unchanged.

State-owned petroleum distribution company Jamuna Oil was the most traded issue with shares worth more than Tk33 crore changing hands.

It was followed by Western Marine Shipyard, Beximco Ltd, Aamra Technologies, Olympic Industries and Barakatullah Electro Dynamics Ltd. l

Stocks fell again with volatility yesterday, after a two-day sharp rally.

The market opened higher in the morning but failed to sustain, as investors went for sale-off for quick profits.

The benchmark DSEX rose 21 points or 0.5% to close at 4,984, chipping away from 90 gained in the previous two sessions.

'Earnings upgrade continued to support the market, whereas profit taking on engineering, cement, pharma, and telco stocks discouraged the positive vibe of early session' The Shariah index DSES was slightly down 5 points or 0.5% to 1,174.

The comprising blue chips DS30 dropped nearly 11 points or 0.6% to 1,860.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, closed at 9,371, shedding 43 points.

Trading activities also declined sharply at DSE as turnover stood at Tk694 crore, a drop of of 18% over the previous session.

Hefty profit booking took place on engineering, cement and telecommunication that shed 1.7%, 1.3% and 1.2% respectively.

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSER Company Beacon Pharma Ltd.-Z SAIF Powertec-N Beximco Syn.-Z Jute SpinnersA WesternMarine -N National Tea -A Hakkani P& Paper -B BSRM Steels-A ICB AMCL 1st NRB -A Al-Haj Textile -A

Closing (% Change) -10.00 -8.28 -6.92 -5.50 -5.22 -4.70 -4.59 -4.17 -3.77 -3.75

CSE LOSER Company

Closing (% Change)

Beacon Pharma Ltd.-Z NLI 1st M F-A SAIF Powertec-N WesternMarine -N AIBL 1st Is. M. F.-A Provati Insur.-A Shinepukur Cera-Z H.R. Textile -A Hakkani P& Paper -B Midas Financing-Z

-8.81 -8.54 -7.75 -5.59 -5.56 -4.67 -4.61 -4.41 -4.26 -3.62

ANALYST

4984.46023

(-) 0.42%

1860.15487

(-) 0.58%

15378.78860

(-) 0.54%

12486.51710

(-) 0.66%

9371.12180

(-) 0.46%

Average (% Change) -8.95 -3.61 -3.46 -4.79 -5.94 -4.70 -6.95 -0.96 -3.77 -0.48 Average (% Change) -8.86 -8.09 -2.80 -6.04 -4.25 -4.48 -3.89 -4.37 -4.78 -3.99

ClosingAvg. 14.95 87.84 12.27 48.46 74.72 710.00 27.33 100.43 23.00 103.39

ClosingAvg. 14.91 7.50 88.31 74.49 5.18 20.24 14.59 28.21 26.70 13.25

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

DHIGH

14.40 84.20 12.10 48.10 72.70 710.00 27.00 98.80 23.00 102.60

Closing

16.00 93.40 13.00 51.00 78.90 710.00 27.90 104.90 23.20 107.00

DHIGH

14.50 7.50 84.50 72.60 5.10 20.40 14.50 28.20 27.00 13.30

16.20 7.50 95.00 78.00 5.20 20.40 15.00 29.00 28.20 13.80

DSE GAINER Company

6,945.73

Turnover (Volume)

152,814,224 139,932

Traded Issues

297

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

142

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

149

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,662.76

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

32.28

CSE key features November 13, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

503.09

Turnover (Volume)

12,723,206

Number of Contract

18,287

Traded Issues

226

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

101

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

121

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

4

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,558.06

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.01

Turnover in Million

DLOW 14.40 82.70 11.80 47.00 72.50 710.00 26.60 98.10 22.90 98.10

36.822 167.778 0.953 0.063 319.122 0.036 1.749 36.298 0.161 17.349

Turnover in Million

DLOW 14.40 7.50 83.20 72.20 5.10 19.30 14.20 28.00 26.10 12.70

4.242 0.005 21.494 49.320 0.062 0.273 0.080 0.159 0.200 0.040

DSE Million Taka 343.32 226.63 51.65 1186.19 477.64 1111.95 21.52 553.95 1179.70 93.51 285.23 27.03 109.04 114.14 339.17 33.12 126.54 207.92 114.69 342.74 0.08

% change 4.94 3.26 0.74 17.08 6.88 16.01 0.31 7.98 16.98 4.11 0.39 1.57 1.64 4.88 0.48 1.82 2.99 1.65 4.93 0.00

Million Taka 19.73 14.81 2.32 104.09 27.22 60.90 63.11 69.91 25.86 27.48 16.33 10.42 10.10 34.42 1.06 2.20 13.57 15.61 39.75 0.06

CSE

% change 3.53 2.65 0.42 18.62 4.87 10.90 0.00 11.29 12.51 4.63 4.92 2.92 1.86 1.81 6.16 0.19 0.39 2.43 2.79 7.11 0.01

Million Taka 363.05 241.45 53.97 1290.28 504.87 1172.85 21.52 617.06 1249.61 119.37 312.71 43.35 119.46 124.23 373.59 34.18 128.73 221.50 130.29 382.49 0.14

Pharma Aids A Alltex Industries -Z Tallu Spinning -Z Deshbandhu Polymer-A Aziz PipesZ Northern Jute -Z Shahjibazar Power-N Kohinoor Chem -A Safko Spinning-A BD. Autocars -Z

Closing (% Change) 16.37 10.00 9.80 9.71 9.26 8.82 8.75 8.50 8.36 8.26

CSE GAINER

Latest EPS 0.08 2.00 0.08 -43.64 2.32 -6.49 0.64 3.88 3.24 1.04

Latest EPS 0.08 2.12 2.00 2.32 -0.08 1.97 0.39 1.75 0.64 -6.16

Latest PE 186.9 43.9 153.4 -ve 32.2 -ve 42.7 25.9 7.1 99.4

Total

Company Alltex Industries -Z Deshbandhu Polymer-A Safko Spinning-A Wata Chemicals -A National Polymer -A Shahjibazar Power-N Sinobangla Indu.-A Mozaffar H.Spinning-A Aziz PipesZ Apex Foods -A

Closing (% Change) 10.00 9.62 9.51 9.41 8.72 8.72 7.27 6.67 6.29 6.12

Average (% Change) 5.96 8.57 0.77 5.86 7.70 8.82 9.29 7.99 8.10 6.19 Average (% Change) 8.60 7.31 9.25 8.18 9.16 5.20 7.12 5.06 8.64 5.81

ClosingAvg. 208.01 21.42 15.70 22.59 17.62 216.00 263.60 442.39 30.96 23.17

ClosingAvg. 21.47 22.75 31.07 220.25 83.79 598.15 35.34 23.67 18.60 104.02

Closing 221.80 22.00 16.80 22.60 17.70 216.00 263.60 447.00 31.10 23.60

Closing 22.00 22.80 31.10 221.00 83.50 260.70 35.40 24.00 18.60 104.00

DHIGH 229.00 22.00 16.80 22.60 17.80 216.00 263.60 448.00 31.50 23.90

DHIGH 22.00 22.80 31.20 221.00 84.40 260.70 36.10 24.40 19.20 105.00

DLOW 188.00 20.00 14.40 22.60 16.80 216.00 263.60 410.00 29.00 21.80

DLOW 20.10 18.80 30.90 219.00 81.90 260.00 34.40 20.90 16.00 102.50

Turnover in Million 101.881 57.160 11.257 22.688 0.727 0.086 54.723 5.878 32.785 0.263

Turnover in Million 9.491 4.453 0.311 0.176 2.690 6.520 2.226 7.745 0.158 0.088

Latest EPS 5.58 2.56 1.51 1.52 -0.37 1.69 3.71 9.37 1.24 0.20

Latest EPS 2.56 1.52 1.24 5.37 2.76 3.71 1.21 2.10 -0.37 3.64

Latest PE 37.3 8.4 10.4 14.9 -ve 127.8 71.1 47.2 25.0 115.9

Latest PE 8.4 15.0 25.1 41.0 30.4 161.2 29.2 11.3 -ve 28.6

News, analysis and recent disclosers Unaudited Financials: PHARMAID: 25% cash dividend, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record Date: 02.12.2014.

NPAT= Tk. 17.39 Million, EPS of Tk. 5.58, NAV per share of Tk. 31.76.

SAVAREFR: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. -0.15 million with EPS of Tk. -0.11 as against Tk. 0.15 million and Tk. 0.10 respectively.

KPPL: (Q1): NPAT=Tk. 33.81 million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.74 ( restated 0.65) as against Tk. 23.91 million and Tk. 0.91 (0.72) respectively.

NPOLYMAR: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 9.998 million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.82 ( restated 0.69) as against Tk. 6.899 million and Tk. 0.56 (0.48) respectively.

AL-HAJTEX: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 3.95 million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.31 ( restated 0.26) as against Tk. 8.24 million and Tk. 0.65 (0.54) respectively.

DESHBANDHU: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 21.32 million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.42 ( restated 0.38) as against Tk. 6.56 million and Tk. 0.13 (0.12) respectively.

BEACONPHAR: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 5.64 million with EPS of Tk. 0.02 as against Tk. 4.75 million and Tk. 0.02 respectively ICBSONALI1: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 25.71 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.26 as against Tk. 56.99 million and Tk. 0.57 respectively.

IFILISLMF1: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 37.88 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.38 as against Tk. 32.67 million and Tk. 0.33 respectively PF1STMF: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 12.89 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.21 as against Tk. 13.46 million and Tk. 0.22 respectively ICB3RDNRB: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 14.36 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.14 as against Tk. 14.89 million and Tk. 0.15 respectively PRIME1ICBA: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 23.31 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.23 as against Tk. 19.29 million and Tk. 0.19 respectively ICBEPMF1S1: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 15.30 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.20 as against Tk. 12.23 million and Tk. 0.16 respectively ICBAMCL2ND: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 8.94 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.18 as against Tk. 12.89 million and Tk. 0.26 respectively ICB2NDNRB: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 30.26 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.30 as against Tk. 49.63 million and Tk. 0.50 respectively ICB1STNRB: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 8.13 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.81 as against Tk. 16.15 million and Tk. 1.61 respectively ICBISLAMIC: (Q1): NPAT= Tk. 6.89 million with earnings per unit of Tk. 0.69

as against Tk. 10.45 million and Tk. 1.04 respectively KPCL: With reference to the Company's earlier news (news disseminated by DSE on November 05, 2014) the company has further informed that the Board of Directors has decided to hold an EGM on December 17, 2014 at 11:00 AM at Trust Milonayaton, 545 Old Airport Road, Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka to pass the following resolution as special resolution with such modification, if any, as the EGM may decide: "Resolved that Draft Scheme of Amalgamation of Khanjahan Ali Power Company Ltd. & Khulna Power Company Unit II Ltd. (Transferor Companies) with Khulna Power Company Ltd. (Transferee Company) be and is hereby approved and subject to sanction of the Scheme by the Hon'ble High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in accordance with the provisions of Section 228 and 229 of the Companies Act, 1994 and approval of the same Scheme by the Members of Khanjahan Ali Power Company Ltd. and Khulna Power Company Unit II Ltd. in the similar manner, let Khanjahan Ali Power Company Ltd. and Khulna Power Company Unit II Ltd. be amalgamated with Khulna Power Company Ltd. in terms of the Scheme. Record date for EGM: 24.11.2014.

Latest PE 186.4 3.5 44.2 32.1 -ve 10.3 37.4 16.1 41.7 -ve

While market struggled to remain positive, waves of sale pressure beat it down, causing to close flat. Alongside, volatility was prominent, like previous three sessions as investors continued, preferring micro cap scrips, it said

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Turnover (Million Taka)

Friday, November 14, 2014

% change 4.84 3.22 0.72 17.19 6.73 15.63 0.29 8.22 16.65 1.59 4.17 0.58 1.59 1.66 4.98 0.46 1.72 2.95 1.74 5.10 0.00

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Jamuna Oil -A WesternMarine -N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A aamra technologies-A Olympic Ind. -A Barakatullah E. D.-A Ratanpur Steel -N SAIF Powertec-N Beximco Pharma -A Orion Infusions -A

MJL BD Ltd.-A Keya Cosmetics -A Fu-Wang Food A Active Fine Chem.-A

CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company WesternMarine -N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A SAIF Powertec-N aamra technologies-A Orion Infusions -A Ratanpur Steel -N The Peninsula CTG.-N Khulna Printing-N BD Submarine Cable-A Keya Cosmetics -A

RAK Ceramics-A Active Fine Chem.-A Jamuna Oil -A Alltex Industries -Z UNITED AIR-A

VolumeShares 1,289,486 4,271,000 5,752,667 5,391,170 664,912 4,761,065 2,302,200 1,910,000 2,365,850 1,973,200

Value in Million 328.96 319.12 235.37 217.06 189.26 181.17 170.85 167.78 151.30 142.88

% of TotalTurnover 4.74 4.59 3.39 3.13 2.72 2.61 2.46 2.42 2.18 2.06

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

943,096 4,371,789 4,503,804 1,478,568

662,100 847,473 243,400 435,085 190,000 183,000 339,600 324,000 76,674 349,850

156,436 135,834 39,750 442,000 926,288

129.48 126.90 111.75 110.23

49.32 34.74 21.49 17.57 13.76 13.64 11.54 10.55 10.35 10.19

10.14 10.12 10.07 9.49 9.07

1.86 1.83 1.61 1.59

9.95 7.01 4.34 3.55 2.78 2.75 2.33 2.13 2.09 2.06

2.05 2.04 2.03 1.92 1.53

ClosingP 254.30 72.70 39.70 39.80 286.90 37.80 72.00 84.20 62.60 73.40

135.30 28.80 25.20 75.90

ClosingP

72.60 39.90 84.50 40.00 73.70 71.90 33.50 32.20 134.10 29.10

63.70 75.20 253.70 22.00 9.90

Change % 0.55 -5.22 -1.49 3.92 1.45 0.00 -2.70 -8.28 -2.03 5.76

-3.15 -0.35 4.13 4.98

Change %

-5.59 -0.99 -7.75 4.99 5.89 -3.36 -1.47 0.63 1.51 -0.68

0.47 4.30 1.08 10.00 3.13

ClosingY 252.90 76.70 40.30 38.30 282.80 37.80 74.00 91.80 63.90 69.40

139.70 28.90 24.20 72.30

ClosingY

76.90 40.30 91.60 38.10 69.60 74.40 34.00 32.00 132.10 29.30

63.40 72.10 251.00 20.00 9.60

DHIGH 259.50 78.90 42.50 42.00 289.70 38.90 77.50 93.40 65.90 75.80

142.50 30.30 25.80 76.60

DHIGH

78.00 42.30 95.00 41.90 76.50 77.70 35.20 33.30 138.70 30.40

65.90 76.00 257.00 22.00 9.90

DLOW 250.00 72.50 39.50 38.30 278.20 37.50 71.50 82.70 62.30 68.30

134.90 28.30 24.00 72.90

DLOW

72.20 39.60 83.20 38.20 69.50 71.10 33.40 31.70 130.00 28.30

63.50 73.00 250.00 20.10 10.00

AvgPrice 255.11 74.72 40.91 40.26 284.64 38.05 74.21 87.84 63.95 72.41

137.29 29.03 24.81 74.55

AvgPrice

74.49 40.99 88.31 40.39 72.45 74.56 33.99 32.58 134.95 29.12

64.83 74.50 253.33 21.47 9.79

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

IMF’s Lagarde sees jobs shortfall in G20 growth target n AFP International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has backed the G20’s pledge to raise economic output by 2% in the next five years, but warned it will not create all the jobs needed.

Speaking to the Australian Financial Review from Washington before heading to Brisbane for this weekend’s meeting of the world’s 20 biggest economies, Lagarde said focusing on growth was the right strategy.

Host Australia has pushed for members to commit to reforms, including cutting red tape and encouraging private infrastructure investment, in a bid to boost the group’s economic output

by US$2tn.

“Moving the needle up two points over five years is certainly an improvement,” the former French finance minister said in comments published Thursday.

“Is it going to be sufficient to deliver all the jobs that are needed? No. But it’s certainly a step in the right direction if it is implemented.”

In a report ahead of the summit, the IMF said the world economy faced stiff headwinds from sluggish growth in Europe and Japan and a slowdown in emerging economies.

It trimmed its growth forecast for the year to 3.3%, from 3.4%, citing geopolitical tensions and volatility in financial markets, and urged advanced economies to tackle high unemployment by spending more to generate jobs.

“The recovery is under way but is uneven, fragile and with downside

Yen weak in Asia on Japan sales tax hike speculation n AFP, Tokyo

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde speaks during a conference risks on the horizon,” Lagarde told the financial daily newspaper.

On the upside, the Washingtonbased body said a nearly 20% fall in oil prices since September would, if sustained, aid growth.

Lagarde said she had a “strong confidence” a deal on the 2% goal would be reached this weekend and praised the

government of Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott for focusing the G20 agenda.

“I think the Australians have done something to be satisfied and proud of because there are deliverables and they are passing the baton to Turkey with a bunch of good things done,” she said.

“Early on they identified the agen-

B3

Friday, November 14, 2014

REUTERS

da, they were very focused and did not try to cover the entire planet of issues.

They managed to pull off the growth agenda.”

US President Barack Obama, China counterpart Xi Jinping and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the leaders to be hosted by Abbott in Brisbane for the two-day summit. l

The yen struggled in Asian trade yesterday amid speculation that Tokyo will delay a sales tax hike planned for next year, while the pound lost more ground after the Bank of England cut its growth and inflation forecasts.

In Tokyo, the greenback rose to 115.69 yen, against 115.52 yen in New York, while the euro also climbed to 143.93 yen against 143.70 yen.

The European single currency rose to $1.2443 against $1.2438.

The yen has been under pressure after it tumbled to a seven-year low on the dollar Wednesday owing to speculation that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will delay a sales tax hike scheduled for late 2015.

The rumours come after an April levy hike hit a tentative recovery by slamming the brakes on consumer spending and now threatens to send the economy into recession. Third quarter economic growth figures are due Monday.

Major Japanese media have reported that Abe may call a snap election next month if he decides to put off the sales tax hike.

Traders were now focusing on a slate of Chinese monthly economic figures due Thursday.

In other deals, the pound fell again in the wake of the Bank of England’s move to trim Britain’s economic growth and inflation forecasts, indicating a long wait for a rise in interest rates.

The pound slipped to $1.5771 against $1.5781 in New York.

“A spectre is haunting Europe - the spectre of economic stagnation, with growth disappointing again and confidence falling back,” BoE Governor Mark Carney told a press conference.

Gross domestic product is now forecast to expand 2.9% next year, down from a previous estimate of 3%, the bank said, citing economic strains in the neighbouring eurozone.

US, British and Swiss regulators announced Wednesday that they were slapping $4.2bn in fines on six of the world’s largest banks for manipulation of the foreign exchange market.

The hefty penalties follow a worldwide probe into the scandal over the $5.3tn per-day forex market, around 40% of which takes place in the British capital.

Fines were imposed on British banks HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland; US peers Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase, as well as Swiss lender UBS. The dollar was mostly weaker against other Asia-Pacific currencies.

It eased to Sg$1.2924 from Sg$1.2928 on Wednesday, to 1,097.21 South Korean won from 1,099.54 won, to 32.82 Thai baht from 32.86 baht, to Tw$30.59 from Tw$30.64 and to 44.87 Philippine pesos from 44.94 pesos.

The dollar strengthened to 12,210.00 Indonesian rupiah from 12,193.00 rupiah, while it was flat at 61.54 Indian rupees. The Australian dollar rose to 87.00 US cents from 86.73 cents while the Chinese yuan was unchanged at 18.89 yen. l

GE says infrastructure demand to boost Oil prices extend losses in Asia n orders for developing markets AFP, Singapore

Oil prices fell further in Asia yesterday on a stronger greenback and expectations that the OPEC cartel is unlikely to cut production levels to counter a global supply glut, analysts said.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for December delivery fell 15 cents to $77.03 while Brent crude was down 37 cents at $80.01 in latemorning trade.

WTI fell 76 cents in New York Wednesday to close at a three-year low, while Brent dived $1.29 and is sitting at levels last seen in 2010.

n Reuters, New York General Electric Co expects developing markets to be a “huge engine” of growth due to demand for the company’s products that provide infrastructure in these countries, GE’s top international executive said on Wednesday.

GE, which is increasingly focused on industrial products such as jet engines, power turbines and oil and gas equipment, should see double-digit percentage increases in orders in developing countries for the “foreseeable future,” said John Rice, vice chairman and president of GE’s global growth organization.

“We should continue to grow at double-digit rates in those growth markets, even with a global economy that’s kind of inching along,” Rice said in an interview at GE’s New York offices.

“We think that there is still a significant pent-up demand for infrastructure.”

Rice pointed to near-term opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa, where infrastructure needs are great, and in India, “where we have played beneath our weight over the last 20 years.”

India’s new government and GE’s pending acquisition of power assets of France’s Alstom, which has a significant presence in the country, “gives us a completely different game today,” Rice said.

GE is shifting more toward industrial operations while shrinking its finance business and shedding non-core units such as appliances. Rice, a 36-year GE veteran, said in the past investors would question why the company was

tion of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reducing output to stem a global glut, in part caused by a flood of US “tight oil” extracted from shale.

OPEC’s next meeting is set for November 27 in Vienna.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s oil minister rejected talk that the country was leading a price war in global crude markets as prices tumble.

“Talk of a price war is a sign of misunderstanding - deliberate or otherwise - and has no basis in reality,” Ali Al-Naimi told a conference in Acapulco, according to the text of his speech. l

Reuters poll: Japan firms overwhelmingly want Abe to delay tax hike n Reuters, Tokyo John Rice speaks during the Reuters Manufacturing and Transportation Summit in Chicago REUTERS in businesses such as plastics or media.

“When we talk about a focus on infrastructure and that being the predominant thing that we do, they can see that,” Rice said. “They have more clarity than they’ve had in our 130-year history.”

The $16.9bn Alstom deal stands to give a major boost to GE’s aims as an infrastructure company, but to keep building that focus, “I don’t think it’s a lot of M&A,” Rice said.

“We’re going to look for selective

opportunities in our other businesses, and oil & gas is a place where we’ve said we would spend more, but it will be on a selective basis.”

Despite the size of the Alstom deal, GE shares are little changed since terms were finalized in late June.

“When you look at Alstom, it’s big, the operating performance hasn’t been great,” Rice said. “I think people hang on a little too much to that and not focus on what we can do with assets that may be underperforming.” l

German inflation stuck at 0.8% for fourth month in a row n AFP, Frankfurt Inflation in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, remained at the low level of 0.8% for the fourth month in a row in October, final data showed yesterday.

Confirming an earlier flash estimate, the federal statistics office Destatis calculated that German inflation stood at just 0.8 percent year-on-year last month, unchanged since July.

The last time inflation in Germany fell below 0.8% was in February 2010.

Using the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) - the yardstick used by the European Central Bank - inflation in Germany was even lower at 0.7% in October, way under the ECB’s annual inflation target of just below 2%.

The chronically low level of inflation across the 18-nation eurozone has fuelled concern the region could slip into deflation - a sustained and widespread drop in prices that hampers economic activity and threatens job losses. l

“The appreciation of the US dollar against major currencies and an increase in supply from US tight oil are applying pressure on benchmark prices,” said Sanjeev Gupta, head of the Asia-Pacific oil and gas practice at business consultancy EY. The US dollar bought 115.74 yen in Asian trade Thursday, compared with 115.52 yen in New York on Wednesday.

A stronger greenback makes dollarpriced oil expensive for buyers using weaker currencies, denting demand and pushing prices lower.

Dealers remain pessimistic over the possibility of the 12-nation Organiza-

China to invest $36m at Mongla EPZ n Tribune Business Desk Chinese company, Hua Xin Industrial Co Ltd has announced to invest $36m to establish a textile (jute, cotton) and jute based furniture manufacturing industry at Mongla Export Processing Zone.

This fully foreign owned company will produce 15,000 tons of jute yarn annually while 6 million square metres

of jute & cotton cloth and 10,750 sets of jute based furniture.

A total of 1755 Bangladeshi nationals are expected to get employment opportunity in this company.

An agreement has recently been signed in this regard where Sayed Nurul Islam, member (investment promotion) of BEPZA and Lu Zhenyu, MD of Hua Xin Industrial Co Ltd have singed on behalf of their organisations. l

Japanese companies overwhelmingly want Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to delay or scrap a planned tax increase, a Reuters poll shows, highlighting concerns that it could derail a fragile economic recovery.

As expectations grow that Abe will soon announce he is putting off the unpopular measure, the Reuters Corporate Survey found that nearly three in four big companies think the economy is too weak to weather the increase as scheduled in October 2015.

The government raised the national sales tax to 8% from 5% in April, the first of a two-stage plan that would raise it to 10% next October in a bid to rein in massive public debt.

The April hike pushed Japan into its worst decline since the global financial crisis in the second quarter. Abe has said he will look at third quarter GDP, due out Monday, before deciding whether to proceed with the planned October 2015 tax increase.

Some Japanese media say Abe will postpone the hike and call a general election in an effort to lock in his grip on power. The economy likely grew at an annualized 2.1% rate in the third quarter, a relatively feeble rebound the from the 7.1% April-June plunge, a Reuters poll of economists showed last week.

“It’s highly risky to force through a tax hike in a situation where consumption has not recovered as expected,” said a manufacturing executive in the Reuters survey. “It’s desirable to delay it.”

The maker of Subaru cars warned that the tax hike would harm a faltering economy.

“Everyone is saying things, including cars, are not selling. I am very worried about the sales tax hike next October,” Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd CEO Yasuyuki Yoshinaga told Reuters in an interview this week.

The Reuters poll of 486 large manufacturers and non-manufacturers, conducted between Oct 27 and Nov 10 by

People wearing hard hats inspect a building site from a walkway at the Shiodome business district in Tokyo REUTERS Nikkei Research, does not fully reflect the Bank of Japan’s Oct 31 monetary easing, which stunned markets, pushing up Tokyo shares and weakening the yen.

Increasingly wary

Of the 250 firms answering questions on the sales tax, 72% said the world’s third-biggest economy cannot cope with the planned tax hike next year, while 28% said it can.

Japanese firms have become increasingly wary about the planned sales tax hike in recent months, following a run of soft economic indicators that highlighted a bigger-than-expected hit from April’s increase.

One third of companies said they want the government to put off the tax hike by up to a year, a quarter called for a delay by a year-and-a-half or more and 10% want the idea scrapped.

“The priority should be put on ending deflation,” said an executive at a service company. Companies participate in the monthly survey anonymously.

“A tax hike must wait until prices and wages pick up to an extent that people can actually feel inflation, oth-

erwise the economy could falter.”

Highlighting their scepticism about higher inflation and durable growth, only 16% expect to raise prices of their goods and services next year, 28% plan not to raise prices and 57% remain undecided.

“Abenomics” seeks to pull Japan out of 15 years of deflation and tepid growth by spurring a self-sustaining cycle of rising profits, prices and wages.

But in the survey only 2% said they can raise wages next year more than this year, 31% expect wage hikes in line with this year, 11% see smaller pay rises next year and 14% say they cannot raise wages at all.

Last month’s survey found that 20% of firms thought the economy was ready for another tax hike, 33% said it could not weather a hike and the rest declined to say either way.

Separately, the Reuters Tankan found Japanese manufacturers grew more confident for the first time in three months but expect conditions to worsen again in coming months, while sentiment among service companies slid for a second month to its lowest in a year, as retailers continued to feel the pain from the sales tax hike. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Friday, November 14, 2014

Saudi oil minister denies crude price war n AFP, Mexico City Saudi Arabia’s oil minister on Wednesday rejected talk that the country was leading a price war in global oil markets as crude prices continue to sink.

“Talk of a price war is a sign of misunderstanding - deliberate or otherwise - and has no basis in reality,” Ali Al-Naimi told a conference in Acapulco, according to the text of his speech.

Naimi called recent talk of a change in the country’s strategy, in particular its cutting prices of Saudi oil to the US market, “a great deal of wild and inaccurate conjecture.”

“Saudi oil policy has remained constant for the past few decades, and it has not changed today,” he said.

“We do not seek to politicize oil, nor do we collude against anybody. For us, it is a question of supply and demand.

It is purely business.”

Last week Riyadh sent global oil prices tumbling when it cut its prices for crude for the US market while raising them for Asia, the country’s major outlet.

Analysts guessed that the country wanted to strengthen its market share in the United States against a flood of

domestic oil from shale deposits.

Some speculated as well that the Saudis aimed to drive down the price of crude to a point where shale production was not economically viable, forcing US producers to curb output.

The US shale oil boom has driven domestic production to record levels, nearly matching Saudi output and reducing the Middle East oil giant’s longstanding power as the global swing producer which can determine the direction of crude prices.

Combined with slower growth in the global economy, the surge in US output especially has contributed to an oil glut and a plunge in prices, hitting hard the incomes of oil exporters.

The price for benchmark Brent crude has sunk from over $112 a barrel in June to below $83 Tuesday.

Markets were clearly not convinced on Wednesday, with Brent falling further to below the $82 line. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate meanwhile fell 0.8% to $77.30 a barrel, compared to the June high of $103.66.

Naimi stressed the need for a continued dialogue between the Saudi-led OPEC cartel, which produces about one-third of the world’s crude, and other producers as well as consumers.

China industrial output growth slows in October n AFP, Beijing Growth in China’s industrial production, which measures output at factories, workshops and mines in the world’s second-largest economy, slipped to 7.7% year-on-year in October, the government announced yesterday.

The figure was down from 8% in September, and also below market expectations of 8%. Retail sales, a key indicator of consumer spending, increased 11.5% in October, the National Bureau of Statistics said, slowing from September’s 11.6% gain.

And fixed asset investment, a measure of government spending on infrastructure, expanded 15.9% on-year in the first 10 months, compared with the gain of 16.1% over the first nine months.

The median forecasts in surveys of 11 economists by the Wall Street Journal had been for retail sales to go up 11.6%, and fixed asset investment to rise 16%.

China is a key driver of global expansion, but its growth is slowing.

Nomura economists said the figures came despite further policy easing, suggesting that “headwinds from the property market correction, severe overcapacity in many upstream industries and an overleveraged corporate sector are very strong”.

They added: “The efficacy of policy easing may have lessened”.

Growth risks

China’s economy expanded 7.3% in the third quarter, lower than the 7.5% in the previous three months and the slowest since 2009 at the height of the global financial crisis.

On Monday the NBS said that Chinese inflation was unchanged at a near five-year low of 1.6% in October, and analysts warned of deflationary risks.

Thursday’s data also comes after mixed readings earlier this month on China’s manufacturing sector.

British bank HSBC’s closely watched final purchasing managers’ index (PMI) survey for October picked up to a threemonth high of 50.4.

But China’s official PMI announced by the NBS came in at 50.8 last month, lower than the 51.1 recorded in September and the weakest in five months.

The indexes track activity in factories and workshops and are considered key indicators of the health of China’s economy. China’s leaders say they are satisfied with slowing growth as part of a general rebalancing of the economy to a model in which consumer spending is the main driver, so long as job creation remains sufficient. l

“We want stable oil markets and steady prices, because this is good for

producers, consumers and investors, and also helps long-term global eco-

nomic growth, especially developing nations,” he said. l

Saudi oil minister denies crude price war

REUTERS

US: world cannot afford European economic ‘lost decade’ n AFP, Washington The United States warned Wednesday that the global economy cannot endure a “European lost decade,” criticizing “status quo policies” in the eurozone ahead of the G20 summit this week.

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said in a speech that monetary easing by the European Central Bank is not enough to avoid a deeper slump across Europe.

And he said that other countries should not rely on the US economy to prop up global growth.

“The world cannot afford a European lost decade,” Lew said, according to the text of his speech at the World Affairs Council in Seattle.

“The ECB has taken forceful steps to support the economy through accommodative monetary policy.”

“But as recent economic performance suggests, this alone has not proven sufficient to restore healthy growth. Resolute action by national authorities and other European bodies is needed to reduce the risk that the region could fall into a deeper slump.”

Underscoring a growing worry that the global economy is turning downward, Lew added that other countries are relying too much on the United

States to prop up global growth.

“The world fundamentally needs more demand,” he said.

“The global economy cannot prosper broadly relying on the United States to be the importer of first and last resort,” he said.

“Nor can it rely on the United States to grow fast enough to make up for weak growth in major world economies.”

“The world is stronger if we all take steps to bolster domestic demand.”

Lew’s comments came ahead of the annual meeting of leaders of the G20 group of economic powers in Brisbane, Australia this weekend.

Sluggish global growth and backsliding by the eurozone economy are expected to be key topics in the summit.

Lew emphasized the need for more fiscal efforts - elevated government spending and other approaches - in the United States and elsewhere to strengthen growth.

“By using fiscal space where available to make critical investments in people and infrastructure ... policymakers can put their respective economies on the right track and contribute to shared global prosperity.”

Lew applauded Japan’s combination of monetary and fiscal stimulus in

its efforts to fire up growth after more than a decade of stagnation.

But he added that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe needs to follow through on the third thrust of its “three arrows” policy - structural reforms - to make sure that the gains from central bank stimulus and government spending are not lost.

“The test will be whether the third arrow is sufficient to transform Japan’s economy, and the jury is still out,” he said.

Lew held out the US recovery from the 2008-2009 Great Recession as an example for Washington’s main G20 partners.

“Over the past four and a half years, the private sector has created more than ten and a half million new jobs, the longest stretch of private sector job growth in our nation’s history,” he said.

“In fact, we have created more jobs since the pre-crisis peak than Europe and Japan combined.”

But he also said that the United States itself needs to do more to strengthen economic momentum, citing President Barack Obama’s proposals for immigration and tax reforms, a higher minimum wage, and more spending on infrastructure. l

YouTube debuts subscription music service n AFP, San Francisco

A customer speaks to the owner of a silver and jewellery shop on the occasion of Dhanteras, a Hindu festival associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, at a market in Mumbai REUTERS

World Gold Council: India overtakes China n Reuters, London Global gold demand fell to its lowest in nearly five years in the third quarter as Chinese buying slid by a third, the World Gold Council said yesterday, putting it back behind India as the world’s biggest gold consumer.

Total gold demand fell 2% to 929 tonnes in the third quarter, the data, prepared in conjunction with GFMS analysts at Thomson Reuters, showed.

That is the lowest since the last three months of 2009.

Last year’s number one consumer China saw a 39% drop in jewellery consumption as well as a 30% fall in bar and coin investment. Combined demand fell 37%.

India once again took over as the world’s biggest gold consumer, buying 225.1 tonnes of gold jewellery, coins

and bars last quarter, compared to 182.7 tonnes in China.

India, which lost its crown as the leading gold buyer to China in 2011, saw a 60 percent surge in jewellery demand in the third quarter.

“Our forecast for the full year is the same for both India and China.

We expect demand in both to come in at between 850-950 tonnes,” Alistair Hewitt, head of market intelligence at the World Gold Council, said. “Both remain very positive pillars of gold demand.”

Demand for gold snowballed in the wake of the financial crisis that followed the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, as investors sought the metal as a portfolio diversifier and safe store of value.

It peaked in 2011 at 4,702 tonnes, but had fallen to 4,080 tonnes by last year.

Prices XAU=, which crashed 28 percent last year, have fallen another 3.3% in 2014. This year the WGC expects gold demand to stabilise.

“We expect gold demand to be largely similar to last year, at between 4,000-4,100 tonnes,” said Hewitt.

The third quarter marked the seventh consecutive quarter of outflows from exchange-traded funds. Holdings of the vehicles, which issue securities backed by physical gold, fell 41.3 tonnes last quarter, the data showed.

Global demand for gold jewellery, the biggest single area of consumption, fell 4% to 534 tonnes.

Among supply sources, mine production rose 1% to 812 tonnes, while scrap supply fell 25% to 250.5 tonnes.

Year to date, 2014 has seen the lowest level of recycling since 2007, the WGC said. l

YouTube on Wednesday introduced a long-rumored subscription music video service with ad-free access to tunes in a challenge to Spotify, Pandora, Apple and others.

YouTube Music Key launched in a test, or beta, mode, in Britain, Spain, Italy, Finland, Portugal, Ireland, and the United States with free trial periods, and introductory monthly fees of $7.99.

“Thanks to your music videos, remixes, covers and more, you’ve made YouTube the biggest music service on the planet,” the Google-owned YouTube music team said in a blog post.

YouTube Music Key is designed to let users listen to music without ads; to keep playing music videos even if device screens are locked or other applications are in use, and to play music even when not connected to the Internet.

Subscriptions to the new YouTube Music Key will come with access to Google Play Music service for mobile devices.

The service is being launched first with invitations sent to big music fans, then will be made available worldwide, according to Google, which bought the video sharing platform in eight years ago in a deal valued at $1.65bn.

Getting labels on board

YouTube recently inked a deal with a group of independent record labels as part of the behind-the-scenes work to provide content for Music Key. YouTube struck an agreement with Europe-based rights agency Merlin after months of negotiations, the Financial Times said Wednesday in a report citing sources familiar with the matter.

Record labels representing 95% of the music industry have already signed up

to the new terms but Merlin, which represents more than 20,000 labels from 39 countries, had been holding out.

Contacted by AFP, Merlin declined to comment. Google also declined to comment on the report, but said that “hundreds of major and independent labels” have partnered with YouTube as it expands into a subscription service.

The California-based Internet titan echoed an earlier statement that hopes YouTube will serve as “a global platform for fans and artists to connect, and as a revenue source for the music industry.”

YouTube earlier this year threatened to block the videos of artists like Adele and Arctic Monkeys on its free site if they did not sign up to terms of the subscription service. YouTube is the world’s biggest online source of free streaming music and the site has about a billion users a month.

Industry tracker eMarketer expects YouTube to rake in about $7.2bn in ad revenue this year, up from $5.6bn in 2013. More than half the money taken in this year will go to YouTube content partners, with the Google-owned service keeping about $3.24bn, according to eMarketer. Online radio continues to gain popularity in the United States, with adults here spending an average of 39 minutes daily listening to it, the industry-tracker said. l

DILBERT

IMF: Low oil prices to boost growth n AFP, Washington The fall in oil prices to their lowest levels in more than three years should give a boost to the sagging world economy, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.

In a report to the G20 group of leading industrial powers ahead of the leaders’ summit in Brisbane this weekend, the IMF said the world economy still faces stiff headwinds from a number of areas, particularly sluggish growth in Europe.

But after a nearly 20% fall in prices since September, the Fund said, “all else equal, the recent appreciable fall in oil prices, if sustained, will boost growth.”

The report stuck to the IMF’s 3.3% pace of world growth for this year, and 3.8% next year, citing weakness in the eurozone, more threats from geopolitical tensions and potential sharp corrections and volatility in financial markets.

It also noted that lower oil price is a double-edged sword, hurting countries dependent on crude exports which are already experiencing slower growth, especially Russia.

“Downside risks continue to be associated with geopolitical tensions, further corrections in financial markets, low inflation in some advanced economies, low potential growth globally, and secular stagnation in advanced economies, and US monetary policy normalization,” the report said.

On Wednesday, US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew raised pressure on Europe’s leaders ahead of the summit, criticizing “status quo policies” and warning that “the world cannot afford a European lost decade.”

The world cannot “rely on the United States to grow fast enough to make up for weak growth in major world economies,” he said in a speech. l

German ‘wise men’ say investment not unduly weak n AFP, Berlin Germany’s so-called “Five Wise Men”, a panel of independent economic advisors, said Wednesday that the German economy - Europe’s biggest - is not suffering from an undue weakness in investment.

And the panel, which actually comprises four men and one woman, warned that the European Central Bank’s artillery of anti-deflation measures could harbour dangers.

“The cloudier outlook for the German economy has led to lively debate about a perceived weakness in investment,” the experts wrote in their new annual report.

Faced with slowing growth in Germany, traditionally Europe’s economic powerhouse, some of its neighbours and a range of international think-tanks have suggested that Berlin should open its purse strings and ramp up investment to kick-start recovery.

In response, finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble recently pledged to funnel 10bn euros ($13bn) of public money into infrastructure, research and education by 2018.

“There are indeed some indications of weakness in public investment,” the sages wrote in their report.

However, they urged the German government not to abandon its target of a balanced budget next year, arguing that its fiscal credibility is at stake.

The government “should not use the room it has within the framework of the debt ceiling because the credibility of its fiscal rules is not yet secured,” the report said.

The favourable budget situation was partly due to unusual circumstances, such as low interest rates and high employment. Instead of expanding investment, Berlin should “re-prioritise” its budget, they argued.

At the same time, there was “no evidence of a pathological weakness in private investment,” the report added.

“Instead, the government should improve the conditions for private investment and innovation.”

The panel also downgraded its growth forecasts for this year and next year, saying it now expected growth of 1.2% in 2014 and 1% in 2015. l