25 Nov, 2014

Agrahayan 11, 1421 Safar 1, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 231

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

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B1 | BUSINESS

7 | LONG FORM

11 | OP-ED

12 | SPORT

BANGLADESH SET TO BUY MORE IBRD STAKES

WHAT’S YOUR IDENTITY?

BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS

TIGERS REST AL AMIN AS TEAMS REACH DHAKA

Murder motive woman denies knowing victim

L E A P O F T H E L AW

RAB leaves it to police to probe other motives for Shafiul murder Jamil Khan from n Mohammad Rajshahi and Ashif Islam Shaon in Dhaka The woman, whose husband RAB said killed Rajshahi University (RU) professor Shafiul Islam Lilon for abusing her, claims never to have known or worked with the teacher.

The Rapid Action Battalion’s theory about the motive behind the Shafiul slaying seems undermined by recent statements made by the woman in question and by the comments of co-workers at the university.

“I used to deal with class three and four associate and general staff at Ra-

Reshma says from hideout that she came to know about Shafiul only after media reported on his death jshahi University. I never dealt with teachers’ issues, so how would I come to know Professor AKM Shafiul Islam?”

Nasrin Akther Reshma, officer of the finance and accounts section, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Reshma, wife of RAB’s prime suspect Abdus Samad Pintu, is at the centre of the Rapid Action Battalion’s (RAB) theory about the motive behind Shafiul’s murder.

She went into hiding soon after the arrest of her husband and police have been searching for her since.

Pintu, former vice president of the RU unit of Chhatra Dal and now a leader of the BNP’s youth front, wanted the sociology department professor killed because he allegedly “misbehaved” with

his wife, the RAB theory goes.

RAB made the statement at a media briefing at its headquarters on Sunday after arresting six suspects including Pintu.

RAB said the arrestees confessed that Pintu was the mastermind behind the murder and the other five carried out the killing.

But Reshma, speaking to this correspondent from her place of hiding, said she came to know about Shafiul only after media reported on his death. Her alleged connection to him was a mystery to her, she said.

RAB Legal and Media Wing Director Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan told the Dhaka Tribune last night: “We arrested the perpetrators of the murder and they confessed to us. That is what we shared with the public at our press conference.

“There may be other motives for the murder which may come to light in further investigations, but RAB will not investigate. If there are other motives, the police can find them,” he said.

“The case will got to court according to the law. An investigation officer will be appointed, and he may continue the investigation if he sees fit,” Mufti Mahmud added.

When asked whether Nasrin Akhter Reshma, the wife of RAB’s prime suspect, had been made an accused in the case, the RAB media director said he could not say without checking the case file.

On November 15, unidentified assailants killed Shafiul Islam Lilon while he was returning home from the RU campus.

The Dhaka Tribune reporter visited the finance and accounts section of RU to inquire into allegations of an affair or of abuse involving Shafiul and Reshma. None of the staff said they had ever heard of such a thing.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 3

A policeman, who is supposed to prevent pedestrians from jaywalking, appears to be helping two girls cross over a divider on a busy road in the Sahnir Akhra area in the capital yesterday. More photos on Page 3 MEHEDI HASAN

Latif now more ‘wanted’ than before Al-Masum Molla n Mohammad and Rafe Sadnan Adel

Sacked minister Latif Siddique’s sudden homecoming from Kolkata and immediate disappearance on Sunday night gave rise to daylong drama and confusions yesterday.

Until last night, police said they could not trace Latif, who has arrest warrants in several cases for hurting religious sentiments.

State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Latif could not be arrested without the speaker’s permission because a session of the Jatiya Sangsad was going on and he was still an incumbent lawmaker.

But hours later, JS Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said her permission was not needed for arresting the former minister. She said her permission was required only if Latif, who had

PM: Bring SUST brawlers to book n

VERDICTS FOR MOBARAK

 PAGE 2 COLUMN 6

Death Life

Acquitted

Killing of 33 villagers in Tanmandaiyl Abduction, murder of Abdul Khaleque Abduction, torture of Ashuranjan; capturing Hindu temple Abduction, torture of Khadem Hossain Khan Abduction, torture of Abdul Malek

Our Correspondent, Sylhet

The prime minister has demanded the immediate arrest of participants in a violent clash at Shahjalal University and Science and Technology (SUST) that caused the university to be closed indefinitely.

A bitter internecine battle between factions of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the ruling party’s student body, left one dead and over twenty injured on Thursday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said: “Those who create anarchy on campus, regardless of who they are, must be brought to book. If they had been arrested instantly, without concern for who they were, this criminality could have been brought under control.”

The prime minister issued the directive during a video conference with the Sylhet metropolitan police commissioner yesterday.

When contacted, Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) Commissioner Md Kamrul Ahsan told the Dhaka Tribune: “I apprised her of the latest developments in the incident that 31 Chhatra League activists had been arrested and four cases filed.”

lost his portfolio and Awami League membership but was still an MP, had to be arrested at the parliament premises.

Latif’s lawyer Nurul Islam Sujon’s u-turn regarding his client’s whereabouts also contributed to the deepening confusion.

Yesterday morning, Sujon reportedly said his client had went to the High Court to seek anticipatory bail. Immediately, some of the television channels put that up as a breaking news.

However, as dozens of journalists rushed to the court premises within an hour or so, Sujon took a complete u-turn and claimed: “Nobody named Latif Siddique has contacted me. Nobody has contacted me even on his behalf. I never said he had come to the court.”

Many journalists, who waited until the end of the day at the court premises, did not get to see the former minister either.

Mobarak to hang for 33 murders n Tanim Ahmed and Ahmed Zayeef

It must have been a muggy day on August 22 at Akhaura in 1971. The war was in full swing and the freedom fighters had a formidable presence along the other side of the border in India. The rolling hills of the area were witness to heavy battles during those months.

The village of Tanmandayl, close to the border, was most likely within the Muktibahini artillery range too. Locally known as a collaborator, razakar Mo-

barak Hossain and several accomplices called a meeting that afternoon at the house of one Noor Baksh.

The 130 odd villagers who gathered had little idea what was in store for them. It was all pre-planned, they found out later. The Pakistani Army surrounded them as they gathered at the appointed spot and took them away to the nearby army camp at the bank of Gangasagar lake by boats.

Mobarak and his accomplices swung into action there. They asked the vil-

4 | News

5 | News

lagers if any of their relatives had gone to join the Liberation War. The collaborators selected 26 from Tanmandayl and seven from a neighbouring village.

These 33 were detained at a local jailhouse overnight, while the rest were kept at the camp.

The 33 were taken out the next day and taken back to Gangasagar bank.

The razakars and the Pakistani Army personnel made them dig a ditch.

Those villagers were then executed  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam confirmed that the state had not received any bail prayer.

Many common people also gathered in front of the Annex building of the HC to show their anger at Latif. Several pro-BNP-Jamaat lawyers brought out a procession at the court premises demanding immediate arrest.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akond filed a public interest litigation with the High Court yesterday seeking the court’s directive in arresting Latif in 24 hours.

Earlier yesterday, a Dhaka court directed the OC of the capital’s Ramna police station to arrest Latif in connection with a case filed for hurting religious sentiments. Metropolitan Magistrate Md Atiquer Rahman passed the order following a petition filed by complainant Abed Raja, a pro-BNP lawyer.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

n Tribune Report The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s two leave-to-appeal petitions, clearing the way for continuing trial proceedings in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

The five-member Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Md. Mozammel Hossain, passed the orders.

Khaleda filed one appeal with the apex court in 2011 challening a High Court order that had validated the acceptance of charges against her by a lower court in the case and another on July 26 last year challenging another High Court verdict that also approved her indictment in the same case.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters that after the SC order, there remained no bar to continuing trial proceedings in the case.

Khaleda’s counsel Joynul Abedin told reporters: “The case was filed for politically undermining the Zia family.

We will take next steps about this following Khaleda Zia’s instructions.”

Khaleda has yet another appeal filed with the apex court against a High Court order that upheld a lower court’s charge

2 | News

3 | News

In Bangladesh only 31% of children have birth registration certificates, the lowest compared to other Asian countries, reveals a study.

A platform consisting of the government, civil society and the private sector is badly needed to ensure sustainable development of the readymade garment sector.

The automatic countdown timers introduced lately in the capital are not producing the result they were meant for as traffic police still continue to manoeuvre traffic on roads manually.

9 | World

China has begun generating electricity from Tibet’s biggest ever hydropower project, the latest dam development on Himalayan rivers that prompted concern in neighbouring India.

n Muhammad Zahidul Islam The parliament session yesterday was fraught with tension over sacked minister Abdul Latif Siddique as senior opposition leaders and independent lawmakers demanded his dismissal as MP and immediate arrest.

Latif Siddique had made derogatory comments on Hajj, Ijtema and the PM’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy at a discussion in the USA on September 28.

He was later dropped from the cabinet. The ruling Awami League also cancelled his party membership.

Jatiya Party Secretary General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu initiated the debate on a point of order regarding Latif Siddique’s statements, demanding his immediate arrest.  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

SC clears way for Khaleda trial on graft charges

INSIDE Responding to RAB’s claim about the arrest of Rajshahi University teacher AKM Shafiul Islam killing mastermind, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Shamsuddin yesterday said it would be considered a new clue in the probe.

JS debate over Latif’s arrest

15 | Entertainment

The man may have left the world but the legacy he left behind is eternal. Humayun Ahmed, one of the greatest icons of Bangla literature, is no more but his creation is still prevalent.

framing order against her in Zia Charitable Trust corruption case. The order on the appeal is to be delivered today.

On August 8, 2011, the Anti-Corrruption Commission filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon police station accusing four people, including Khaleda Zia, for abusing power in raising funds for the trust from unknown sources.

An order on another appeal in the Zia Charitable Trust case is expected today The ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on July 3, 2008 accusing Khaleda, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others for misappropriating over Tk2.10 crore, which came as grants from a foreign bank for orphans.

The Dhaka Special Court 3 was supposed to record prosecution witnesses’s statements yesterday in the cases but the court fixed December 1 for it in response to two separate time-petitions filed by the defence counsel. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

RMP commissioner: RAB arrests just a fresh clue Jamil Khan and n Mohammad Sourav Habib, from Rajshahi Responding to RAB’s claim about the arrest of Rajshahi University teacher AKM Shafiul Islam killing mastermind, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Shamsuddin yesterday said it would be considered a new clue in the probe.

“We are not neglecting the RAB statement. We see it as a fresh clue in the entire investigation,” he said.

The RMP commissioner said all the arrestees would be interrogated more thoroughly as more evidence is what the police are trying to gather, said Shamsuddin while addressing a briefing at RMP headquarters.

RAB on Sunday arrested six people and claimed that one of them had masterminded the killing of Shafiul.

“Since the beginning of the probe, police have focused on Shafiul’s personal, professional and social life as well as the possible involvement of any militant outfit in the killing. Those arrested by RAB can be considered suspected killers as we are yet to have any details,” said Shamsuddin.

“Based on information of two witnesses, police have recovered two dresses worn by the killers. Among the six arrestees of Bogra is a machete maker named Sadhon Karmakar,” he said.

The police official said law enforcers were trying to piece together all the clues found so far to find out the killers.

Two men named Shariful Islam and Raihan have been detained in connection with creating the Facebook page “Ansar Al Islam Bangladesh 2” and Shamsuddin said both of them are

Mobarak, a Jamaati expelled from AL n Tribune Report

Mobarak Hossain who has been sentenced to death for war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War in Brahmanbaria was a posted leader of the Awami League for 16 years. Before that he was a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, labelled as a criminal organisation for its role during the war.

According to the verdict delivered yesterday Mobarak was born on January 10, 1950 at Nayadil village of Brahmanbaria. He studied up to grade VIII. His profession is business but he is known as a collaborator in his locality.

“During the Liberation War he was a member of Razakar Bahini and associated with the politics of Jamaat-e-Islami. After the liberation, he became a Rokon of Jamaat-e-Islami at union parishad level and eventually joined the politics of Bangladesh Awami League.”

Md Nowab Mia, president of Awami League’s Mogra union unit in Akhau-

ra of Brahmanbaria, yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune: “Mobarak became the organising secretary of the unit in 1996. He held the post until 2012 when he was expelled from the party as we came to know about his involvement with war crimes during the war.”

But Mobarak claimed in testimony that he still held the post. “My membership has not been cancelled yet. I was never sacked from the party,” he said.

Lawyers who represent Jamaat leaders also stood for Mobarak. After the verdict, they said the defence would appeal against the sentence as the tribunal had “failed to analyse the evidence.”

Our Brahmanbaria correspondent said local people and freedom fighters brought out a procession after the verdict. Some also distributed sweets.

First prosecution witness and freedom fighter Darul Islam said: “We are very happy with the verdict. The people of Akhaura will be free from disgrace through his execution.” l

closely involved with the politics of Jamaat-Shibir.

“We are also trying to find out whether the two have any connection with three previous arrestees - Sagor, Jinnah and Arif – who also belong to Jamaat-Shibir,” he said.

Meanwhile, after the end of the first phase of remand, eight arrestees out of the 11 were remanded for one more day.

Chhatra Dal units of Rajshahi city and Rajshahi University jointly organised a briefing at the city BNP office yesterday evening and demanded fair probe into the case.

Police are also interrogating the former boyfriend of a girl, who was rescued from the house of the slain professor on the day of the incident. The man named Jahangir Hossain works at a private bank in Shirajganj. l

Murder motive woman denies knowing victim  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

According to Pintu’s family and university sources, Reshma and Pintu were married 13 years ago. Her father, Shamsul Alam, is a guard of the physical education department of RU. They live at a house beside the graveyard in the Dasmari neighbourhood of the Dharampur area of Rajshahi city together with their eight-year-old son, sources said.

Deputy Director of Accounts of RU Abdullah Al Ansari, under whose jurisdiction Reshma worked for the last seven years, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday he had never seen Reshma and any university teacher interacting.

“Reshma works with university workers. She has no business with teachers, so why would a teacher meet and talk with her?” Ansari asked.

Ansari, who sits just beside Reshma at work, said she had not even complained to him about her recent troubles.

The Dhaka Tribune also visited the sociology department to ask department members and staff what they thought of the recent claims.

Professor Dr Wardatul Akmam, chairperson of the department, said it was up

Latif now more ‘wanted’ than before  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

Including this one, Latif has a total of seven cases filed against him with the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) of Dhaka and several other cases with other courts in different parts of the country. Most of those courts have issued arrest warrants against the former minister after he had not appeared despite summons.

Since Latif made derogatory remarks on Hajj, Ijtema and PM’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy at a programme in the USA on September 28, radical Islamist groups such as Hefazat-e-Islam and other political parties have been demanding that the government brings him back to the country and puts him on trial.

Yesterday, Hefazat and another Islamist party Islami Oikyo Jote called a nationwide strike for Thursday if he was not arrested by tommrrow.

The Nationalist Democratic Front (NDF), an alliance formed recently by some unknown dissidents of the BNPJamaat-led 20-party combine, went a step further, threatening to enforce hartal today unless Latif was arrested by last night.

Other Islamist units such as the Islami Andolon Bangladesh and Khelafat Mojlish staged protests in Dhaka and Chittagong and threatened to wage tough movement in the same demand.

Latif’s former party colleagues from his hometown Tangail also demanded his immediate arrest and trial. Tangail

district Awami League brought out a procession yesterday in the town.

However, their reaction had been mixed; while some would welcome him if he regained his position in the party, others said the matter should be left to the party high command.

Alamgir Khan, president of Tangail district unit Awami League, said: “It is up to the prime minister...We will welcome whatever decision she makes.”

Sirajul Haque Alamgir, president of Tangail city unit Awami League, said: “We believe that Mr Siddique will return to his post by virtue of his competency. People of Tangail will certainly welcome him.”

Suranjit Sengupta, advisory council member of the Awami League, said: “He was declared unwanted. If he has visa then he can return to the country even if there is arrest warrant against him. Everyone has the right to get justice. The government and the party have done everything required. Now we will have to wait and see what the court does. The government will not give any dictation in this regard.”

The veteran Awami League leader also said: “There is nothing to be worried about Latif Siddique. Law will follow its own course and nothing untoward will happen.”

However, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said Siddique had not been arrested because he had the government’s blessings.

Indian National Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi praises Bangladesh’s progress in countering terrorism and militancy while talking to an AL lawmaker Mohammad Faruk Khan-led delegation at his New Delhi residence yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

“It has become clear that the government strongly supports Siddique’s return to Dhaka. If that was not the case then he would not have been allowed to leave the airport. Why was he not arrested there?” Fakhrul inquired.

HM Ershad, chief of main opposition in parliament Jatiya Party and also a special envoy to the PM, said in a press release yesterday that his party would launch a movement if Latif was not arrested immediately.

He said: “It is not understandable how Latif Siddique got out from the airport although there are arrest warrants against him. Is he above law? We strongly condemn the government’s role.”

Latif had been living in the USA, UK and lastly in India’s Kolkata since he made the derogatory remarks and was subsequently sacked from the cabinet and party. In a sudden move, former Awami League presidium member Latif returned to Dhaka around 8:40pm on Sunday.

Upon his arrival at the Dhaka airport’s VIP lounge he was kept under surveillance of immigration police.

Later, police let him go around 9:30pm.

A number of witnesses said after his arrival at the airport Latif stayed around an hour in the VIP lounge, and then left with help from law enforcers.

Even the journalists, many of whom thronged the airport with cameras, could not notice when and how Latif actually left. l

to law enforcers to frame the case. She said it would not be right to talk about it, when asked about RAB’s theory of the motive for the murder.

The chairperson said the sociology department was like one big family and to the best of her knowledge, nobody had ever threatened Shafiul at his office in the department.

Reshma’s uncle hints Pintu was framed

When asked why law enforcers had arrested Pintu if he was not involved in Shafiul’s murder, one of Reshma’s uncles, a local Awami League leader, hinted that Pintu was framed over a land dispute.

Md Rabbel Hossain, uncle of Reshma and president of ward 30 of Rajshahi city Awami League (AL), said his nephew-inlaw Pintu, his younger brother Alauddin, and Mahfuz and Yeasin Mollah bought 37 kathas of land a year ago, just east of Dasmari graveyard.

Rabbel said they paid taxes on the land for the last nine months, but some months ago, AL leader Salahuddin Raju made false documents and claimed the land as his own.

According to Rabbel, Raju claimed Pintu and the others had no right to the land.

Rabbel claims that Raju, who has good relations with law enforcement officers, used his influence to frame Pintu as a suspect in the Shafiul murder case.

“We even spoke with the officer-incharge at Motihar police station regarding the land problem and a land surveyor examined the land last Friday. Just a day later, on November 22, RAB went to Pintu’s house and took him away,” Rabbel said.

Azimul, the land surveyor of Borbhumi land department office, told the Dhaka Tribune that Alauddin had taken him to a plot of land on Friday.

Azimul said Alauddin had some land documents including the letter of the AC Land in his possession, but the documents were incomplete.

“I suggested he write a letter to the commissioner of land mentioning the existing documents, in order to obtain the other necessary documents and establish ownership of the land,” Azimul said.

Police version

Alamgir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Motihar police station, said he had heard about a land related problem a month ago but said it was a matter for the land

JS debate over Latif’s arrest  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Two independent members also took part in the discussion with a senior treasury bench member, Suranjit Sengupta.

Bablu said: “He [Siddique] irritated the fundamentalists by returning to the country after making derogatory comments on Hajj and Ijtema.”

A right-wing platform, Hefazat-e-Islam has already threatened countrywide general strike if the former post, telecoms and ICT minister is not arrested by tomorrow. The Chittagong-based Islamist outfit will stage demonstrations across the country today.

Another organisation Islami Andolan Bangladesh issued an ultimatum yesterday, demanding Siddique’s arrest for hurting religious sentiments.

Taking part in the discussion, Suranjit’s clarification in parliament ended the debate about Siddique’s parliament membership who has been charged in 22 cases for hurting religious sentiment, and his arrest.

While delivering his speech in an unscheduled debate, Suranjit said the law enforcement agencies did not require prior permission of the speaker to arrest an MP when the House was in session.

Earlier, the speaker had said as much. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said, “There is no legal bar in arresting former minister Abdul Latif Siddique.”

She told reporters in her office: “There is no bar to arrest any MP from anywhere except the parliament parliament premises.”

In this case, there is no need for prior permission of the speaker of the parliament, she said.

SM Abul Kamal Azad, the lone member from the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Front, differed and said the speaker’s permission was obligatory to arrest Siddique.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was not present during the discussion.

“The rule 174 of the Rules of Procedure stipulates that the Speaker’s prior permission is a must for arrest of an MP from the premises of the Jatiya Sangsad. Outside, the law enforcers are free to arrest anyone,” said Suranjit.

He said the law enforcers were under obligation to inform the speaker as soon as they arrest an MP. And the Speaker would then inform the House.

Suranjit said the constitution had not authorised the speaker to strip any MP of membership, referring that the charter had clearly charted out the conditions for which an MP would lose membership.

Independent MPs, Hazi Mohammad Selim and Rustum Ali Farazi, also spoke in the unscheduled discussion, demanding immediate arrest of Siddique. l

around the tribunal was visibly low compared to other judgement days as was the turnout of observers, activists and lawyers.

Considering the “gravity and magnitude of the offences...we unanimously hold that the accused deserves the highest punishment...,” Justice Enayetur said.

The three judges took turns in reading out the judgement as customary at both the war crimes tribunals. Justice Jahangir Hossain read from the verdict: “We are convinced from the evidence both oral and documentary led by the prosecution that accused Mobarak Hossain was a potential member of Razakar Bahini [force].”

Razakar, besides al-Badr and alShams, was a vigilante militia group mostly manned by members and supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami and other

right wing parties that favoured Pakistan over Bangladesh. The Razakar units were notorious for abetting the Pakistani occupation forces across Bangladesh during the Liberation War. The term “razakar” has since become synonymous with “collaborator” in Bengali.

Prosecutor Sahidur Rahman, who had conducted the case, said he was satisfied with the verdict. Asked about the acquittal in three charges, he said: “We proved that Mobarak was indeed a razakar. We are satisfied.”

Sahidur, most of whose cases – Bachchu Razakar, Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan – have been tried in absentia, also noted that Mobarak had been found guilty and sentenced to death.

Mobarak’s counsel Tajul Islam said: “We believe that the tribunal has failed

office. He suggested the disputants settle the issue in the courts.

Salahuddin Raju, who identified himself as businessman of Rajshahi city, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The land in question was first bought by my father in 1972, but was not registered properly because he died in 1973.”

“Some people, including Rabbel, have made false documents and are now claiming the land,” he said.

Md Shamsuddin, commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, Saunday said police were not happy with the RAB investigation’s claims. He said that misbehaviour with a female employee might be one motive, but other compelling aspects of the case had not been sufficiently probed.

Police have said from the outset of the investigation that a feud between Shafiul Islam and his pro-Jamaat colleagues was a motive behind the killing.

On Sunday, police arrested the man believed to be the author of an Islamist website that claimed responsibility for the killing – Shariful Islam, teacher of Mostafizur Cadet Madrasa – and a student of class eight. Both were arrested in Bogra. l

PM: Bring SUST  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

He said: “You have heard what the prime minister had said. It was her direction to us, nothing else.”

The Sylhet divisional commissioner, who arranged the programme at his conference hall, also spoke.

Deputy Inspector General of Police in Sylhet Md Mizanur Rahman and other high officials were also present.

A police official, on condition of anonymity, said a “zero tolerance” policy had been taken regarding the SUST clash. Police were working hard to arrest the culprits.

One university student was killed and 20 injured during a gunfight on Thursday between two BCL factions of SUST in a turf war over establishing supremacy on campus.

The same night, police picked up 31 BCL activists from different areas of Sylhet city. Students who witnessed the gunfight said followers of SUST BCL unit president, who has long been absent from the campus, entered the university around 10:30am.

They vandalised the library, academic buildings, and the Shah Paran Hall.

The clash erupted as students loyal to Anjan Roy, the vice president, arrived at the scene.

The two factions opened fire on each other and detonated handmade bombs, leaving at least 20 injured.

Following the death of a student, the authorities closed the university indefinitely. l

Mobarak to hang for 33 deaths  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

and buried there. The rest were eventually released, but only after torture.

That Mobarak Hossain was sentenced to death yesterday. The war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh found him guilty for killing those 33 unarmed civilians during the war.

Also known as Mobarak Ali, he was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the murder of one Abdul Khaleque, whose daughter had lodged the first complaint against Mobarak in 2009. He was acquitted in three other charges.

It is the 13th case in which the two war tribunals have delivered judgement so far.

The five charges on which Mobarak was indicted on April 13 last year include abduction, confinement and torture. The case was kept for verdict on June 2 this year.

During the trial, 12 prosecution witnesses testified against Mobarak whereas the accused himself and his eldest son Asad Uddin gave depositions as defence witnesses.

The 64-year-old rose to the rank of Rokon, full member, of Jamaat-e-Islami after the war. He later joined the Awami League but was expelled in 2012 as the organising secretary of Mogra union unit under Akhaura upazila.

In his testimony on December 15 last year, Mobarak said he had not acted against the country’s independence.

He claimed that he still held the post of organising secretary. “My membership has not been cancelled yet. I was never sacked from the party,” he said.

While the prosecutors yesterday were “satisfied,” Mobarak’s defence lawyers said they would appeal against the verdict since the tribunal had

“failed to analyse the evidence.”

Gonojagoron Moncho, a platform of activists demanding the highest punishment for war criminals, welcoming the verdict brought out a procession at Shahbagh. Sector Commanders Forum, a platform of freedom fighters who led the 1971 Liberation War, urged a swift execution of the sentence.

Mobarak’s home district Brahmanbaria saw a procession come out on the streets cheering the verdict.

The International Crimes Tribunal 1 in its verdict said: “We have taken due notice of the intrinsic gravity of the said offences of crimes against humanity which are particularly shocking to the conscience of mankind.”

The tribunal began reading out the 92-page verdict soon after it convened at 11:15am amid a comparatively relaxed atmosphere. Security in and

to analyse the evidence presented before it.”

Tajul and his younger brother Tariqul Islam, who represent Mobarak, are also on the defence teams of the top Jamaat leadership accused of war crimes.

He said the prosecution witnesses had contradicted each other. “His crimes were not such that he deserves the death penalty.” Tajul said the defence would appeal this judgement.

Barely 10 minutes away from the tribunal premises, activists of Gonojagoron Moncho welcomed the death penalty with cheers.

Speaking to reporters at the Shahbagh intersection, its spokesperson Imran H Sarker said: “There was an uncertainty that the verdict might be influenced as Mobarak had joined the ruling party after the Liberation War.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

3

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

The recent announcement that jaywalking is a punishable offence seems to have little impact on pedestrians in the capital. A family with baggage and a minor boy, left, dangerously jump over the road divider at Shonir Akhra while students run to cross the road in front of approaching buses although a foot-over bridge lies just behind. The photos were taken yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

Top RSO leaders, Pakistani national remanded n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong The law enforcers have found that an internal feud amongst Global Rohingya Centre (GRC), its sister concern Arakan Rohingya Union (ARU) and Myanmar sectarian outfit Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) resulted in the arrest of five of their top leaders and activists in Chittagong City on Sunday.

Concrete reason behind the dispute is yet unknown, but police suspect that it might have been caused due to feud over financial issues, sources in the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) said.

Police said they would be clear about the intention of the five after an in-depth investigation.

Meanwhile, a Chittagong court yesterday granted police five-day remand for the two RSO top leaders, a Pakistani national who is also the GRC vice-president and two others.

Fifth Metropolitan Magistrate Ahmed Sayeed passed the order in the afternoon when the five arrestees were produced before the court. Police sought 15-day remand under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The five were produced before the court after initial interrogation.

CMP’s Detective Branch (DB) nabbed RSO top leaders Salamatullah and Shafiullah, also an Awami League leader from Naikkhyangchhari in Bandarban; Pakistani national Mohammad

Alam; Saudi Arabia expatriate Abdul Majid, who is a Rohingya of Ukhiya upazila in Cox’s Bazar; and Hefazat-e-Islam madrasa’s teacher Mohammad Amin.

They were detained from three rooms of Hotel Lords Inn around 1pm on suspicion of connection with militant activities. Later, they were interrogated by a Joint Interrogation Cell of the CMP at the DB office, DB Additional Deputy Commissioner Hasan Chowdhury said.

During interrogation, police found some sensitive information, DB Deputy Commissioner Kushum Dewan, who led the interrogation team, said. The official did not disclose the information for the sake of investigation.

“They did not give any concrete information while also providing misleading information. So we sought their remand,” he said; adding that the law enforcers were verifying identities of the detainees.

On the matter, no CMP official said anything on record mentioning that the incident was a serious matter for national security.

However, several high officials of the CMP, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that the RSO’s Bangladesh wing might have broken into several factions.

“We heard that two Saudi nationals funded for the GRC while the five gathered in the hotel on Saturday night to

distribute the money. It was supposed to be donated for mosques, madrasas and other facilities for Rohingyas. They thought that their rival factions might inform the detectives fearing to be deprived of the fund,” an official said asking not to be named.

Shafiullah contested in the last upazila parishad election with the ruling party’s support at Naikkhyangchhari.

He is the human resource affairs secretary of the upazila unit Awami League.

He works for a faction of the RSO. Local sources said his father Saleh Ahmed had also been involved with RSO-related activities in the past.

Salamat is locally known as a chief organiser of the RSO in Cox’s Bazar.

Majid confessed to police that his parents were of Rohingya origin. His passport showed that he was born in Makkah of Saudi Arabia. He visited Thailand, India, Qatar, Bahrain and Turkey in the last one year.

Mohammad Alam, son of one Md Yasin of Karachi, runs the Netherlands-based GRC. According to his passport, he arrived in Dhaka on Friday from Jeddah. He earlier came to Bangladesh on March 20 and left after four days. On both occasions, he collected Bangladeshi visa from Jeddah.

CMP Additional Commissioner (crime and operation) Banaz Kumar Majumder said everything would be clear after the interrogation ended. l

Government audits reveal irregularities involving Tk6,196cr n

Adil Sakhawat

Seventeen audit reports covering FY2007-11 revealed irregularities concerning approximately Tk6,196cr of public money at different ministries and public sector banks, the nation’s top auditor announced yesterday.

State-owned banks (SOBs) accounted for the greatest amount of irregularities, by sector, involving Tk3,063cr, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of Bangladesh Masud Ahmed said.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) topped the list of single entities, by amount, of public money involved in irregularities.

According to the audit report, BTRC licensing certificate irregularities involved Tk2,628cr between FY2001-10.

BTRC provided Warid International a licence to enter the telecoms market without upholding the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act 2010, according to the report.

Similarly, the regulatory commission did not take action against illegal VOIP businesses, the report added.

The audit reports show that irregularities at the SOBs and 22 commercial banks regulated by Bangladesh Bank, most of which have weak internal control systems, involved the approval of loans in violation of Bangladesh Bank

regulations and lending requirements.

The CAG urged the approval of the draft of an audit act which had been proposed to the government two years ago.

He said: “Audit activities are still being conducted according to the regulations laid down by the Enam Committee in 1983.”

Comptroller and Auditor General Masud was speaking at the first ever presentation of audit reports at a press conference at the CAG office in the capital’s Kakrail area.

The office of the CAG submitted the audit reports to the president in June this year. They were presented to parliament in September.

At the press briefing, the CAG said the audit of the income and expenditure of Tk134,907cr of the revenue budget, and Tk65,145cr fixed for the development budget in FY2013-14, had already been completed.

The CAG, when asked about transparency during audits, replied that “zero tolerance” is shown towards allegations of impropriety and that such cases are dealt with according to bureaucratic procedures.

He referred to a recent incident of bribe-taking by auditors from a bank during an audit in Naryanganj in March this year. The office of the CAG had taken action against them, he said. l

Tribunal slams television stations n Tribune Report The International Crimes Tribunal 1 yesterday expressed strong reservations about journalistic practices of the television stations.

On Sunday, the tribunal put Mobarak Hossain’s case on its list of cases to be dealt with as the particular item was awaiting verdict. Mobarak’s case only stated “for order” next to it.

A number of television channels put it on their tickers and flashed “breaking news” saying that the tribunal would give its verdict on Mobarak Hossain yesterday.

In the beginning of the proceedings, tribunal Chairman Justice Enayetur Rahim said: “Some may have extraordinary powers of perception and know beforehand what the order is going to be. But it would be desirable that the media reports the exact state of affairs at the tribunal.”

He said such reporting, even before the tribunal had given the order, undermined the proceedings.

Justice Enayetur urged journalists to be more “responsible” in reporting the proceedings.

Justice Jahangir Hossain, a co-judge at the tribunal, said: “What if we gave an order saying we would give the judgement on the 30th instead of today? What would happen then?”

The tribunal chairman said he did not want to dwell on the matter further and moved on to deliver the judgement. l

Tribunal accepts war crime charges against two n Tribune Report

HC: Purchase accurate formalin kits in 2 months

31% child births registered in Bangladesh

n Tribune Report

International Crimes Tribunal 2 yesterday accepted charges against alleged Razakars Mahidur Rahman and Afsar Hossain for crimes committed against humanity during the Liberation War. The tribunal led by Justice Obaidul Hassan fixed December 1 to begin further hearing on indictment.

According to the prosecution, Mahidur Rahman, 84, of Dadanchak village and Afsar Hossain alias Chutu, 65, of Satrosia village – both supporters of the BNP – were charged with mass killing, arson, looting, abduction, torture, confinement and murder in Chapainawabganj as members of the Razakar force in 1971.

The two were arrested in connection with a criminal case filed with Shibganj police station in the northern district on September 16. Later, they were shown arrested in a war crimes case. l

The High Court yesterday ordered the government to buy accurate formaldehyde meters, a kit used for detecting formalin levels in food items, within two months.

The court also ordered the authorities concerned to submit a compliance report within three months regarding the steps taken in buying the formalin testing kit.

An HC bench comprising of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice Md Khasruzzaman passed the order following a hearing on a writ petition filed by the president and secretary of Fruit Importers Association.

The HC also ordered the health secretary, food secretary and home secretary to form a committee on selecting an accurate device within seven days and asked to submit a report in this regard.

The expert body has to have repre-

In Bangladesh only 31% of children have birth registration certificates, the lowest compared to other Asian countries, reveals a study.

Conducted by the World Vision, the study says more than 135 million children aged below five in Asia do not have birth certificates at all. Besides, nearly two out of every three births are not registered in Asia.

Only three Asian countries – Japan, Thailand and South Korea – register every single child while 41% children are registered in India, 72% in Myanmar and 42% in Nepal.

The percentage of birth registration was found to be over 90% in three countries – Vietnam (95%), Sri Lanka (97%) and Mongolia (99%).

Ministers from more than 40 countries in the region are scheduled to ink an agreement on acquiring birth certificates at the Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics. The fiveday conference that started in Bangkok yesterday will end on November 28.

Chief Executive of World Vision Australia Tim Costello said an estimated 250 to 500 million people around the world remain legally invisible due to a lack of documentation.

“This is also a key reason why too many people do not have their names on the list of many essential government services, including education, health and protection. We envision a universal, free and legal identity system to make sure that all newborns have legal documents proving their identities,” he said.

sentatives from Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSTI) and Directorate of Consumers Rights and Food and Nutrition Science department of Dhaka University, the order stated. In a separate order, the Finance Ministry was asked to allocate necessary funds for buying the formalin testing machine.

The orders came after two government organisations – BCSIR and BSTI – submitted separate reports stating that the currently used formalin testing device, Formaldehyde Meter Z-300, was not appropriate for testing fruits. The reports were submitted on September 23 and on November 12 by organisations respectively. On July 21, an HC bench of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice Md Habibul Gani ordered the government to conduct laboratory tests to clarify the claims of faulty device. l

PM flies to Nepal today to attend Saarc meet n BSS Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave Dhaka today for Kathmandu to attend the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit.

The two-day Saarc Summit begins at the City Hall (Rashtriya Sabha Griha), Bhrikuti Mandap in Kathmandu on November 26.

Foreign Ministry sources said a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines car-

rying the prime minister and members of her entourage is scheduled to depart Shahjalal International Airport at 3pm.

The flight is expected to land at Tribhuban International Airport in Kathmandu at 4:15pm (Nepal Standard Time).

Sheikh Hasina is expected to hold meetings with Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Afghan President Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. The prime minister is sched-

uled to return home at 12:05pm on November 28.

Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said the meeting of eight South Asian nations is expected to ink Saarc Motor Vehicles Agreement for the Regulation of Passenger and Cargo Vehicular Traffic amongst Saarc member states, Saarc Regional Railways Agreement, and Saarc Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity). l

n Tribune Report

‘An estimated 250 to 500 million people around the world remain legally invisible due to a lack of documentation. This is also a key reason why too many people do not have their names on the list of many essential government services, including education, health and protection’ The study says children without birth certificates are less likely to get medical treatment when they are ill, and are also in greater risk of being traf-

ficked and working in unsafe environments.

Usually, children from the poorest households have been found to be less likely to have birth certificates, which makes it harder for them to get legal protection and enrol in school.

Advocacy Director of World Vision Bangladesh Chandan Z Gomez told the Dhaka Tribune that the percentage of birth registration in Bangladesh is very low despite the fact that this is necessary and mandatory.

“At the conference, Saarc member countries will reach an agreement to digitise birth registration while ensuring registration of every children. They will fix a target to accomplish the goal by 2024,” he said.

The Bangladeshi delegation that attended the conference includes Suraiya Begum, secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division under the Ministry of Planning, Md Nazrul Islam, secretary-in-charge (coordination and reforms) of the Cabinet Division, Golam Mostafa Kamal, director general of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Md Aminul Bar Chowdhury, joint secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division, Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman, deputy secretary of the Law d Justice Division under the Ministry of Law, Md Azimuddin Biswas, director of the Prime Minister’s Office, AKM Ashraful Haque, director of the MSVSB project under Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, and Md Mohasin Ali, director (operations) of the National Identity Registration Wing under the Election Commission Secretariat. l

4 Discontent prevails among leaders over Kushtia AL council n Our Correspondent, Kushtia Some senior leaders of the ruling Awami League have allegedly been fed up due to not getting invitation to much-awaited Kushtia district unit AL council going to be held today after a gap of ten years.

It was learnt that AL lawmaker Abdur Rauf from Kushtia 4 constituency, Daulatpur upazila unit AL President and also former MP Afaz Uddin and district unit AL Senior Vice-President and also Kushtia Sadar Municipality Mayor Anwar Ali were not invited to the programme where AL General Secretary and LGRD Minister Sayed Ashraful Islam was supposed to attend as the chief guest.

When asked, MP Abdur Rauf acknowledged the matter, saying: “Some leaders have been running the party at their will. There are only two MPs in the district from my party. I have not been invited to the council and its consequence will not be good.”

When contacted, Afaz Uddin echoed the voice of Rauf, telling that they have made allegation in this regard to the high-ups of the party.

On the contrary, Kushtia unit General Secretary Asgar Ali denied the matter of not sending invitation card to the aforesaid leaders. l

Youth from Nilphamari wins Plan International Global Award n Our Correspondent, Nilphamari A 19-year-old Bangladeshi youth has won the Plan International Global Award 2014 for his contribution in raising awareness on education.

The awardee is Keshab Roy, son of Ajindra Barman, hailing from Kaimari village under Joldhaka upazila of Nilphamari district.

Plan Germany, through the regional office of Nilphamari, informed Keshab on Friday.

From Bangladesh, Keshab has been chosen as a volunteer for Plan International among volunteers of 70 other countries.

Keshab is the president of Rangdhanu Shishu Forum (RSF), a Kaimari union based child rights organisation formed and patronised by Plan International Bangladesh.

He has been working for raising awareness on education and ill effects of child marriage in the union.

Last year, Keshab won the Youth Courage Award introduced by the United Nations for roles in promoting education. l

Sweden to help in health, environment sectors

n Tribune Report Visiting Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Isabella Lovin has said her country will help Bangladesh in improving its governance and health care system, and facing the challenges of climate change.

She said this during a meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam at his office at the Secretariat in the capital yesterday.

In the meeting, Shahriar said Sweden can import various products, including jute, medicine, agricultural goods, small ships, leather goods, from Bangladesh.

Swedish investors can also invest in sectors such as electricity, gas and oil generation, infrastructure, textile and other fields in the country. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

TI founder in Dhaka over RMG labour standards n Tribune Report A platform consisting of the government, civil society and the private sector is badly needed to ensure sustainable development of the readymade garment sector, Peter Eigen, founder chairman of Transparency International (TI), yesterday said.

Eigen was speaking at the “Meet the Media” programme of the Garment Industries Transparency Initiative (GITI), organised by the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) at its office in the capital.

Terming the proposed platform “the magical triangle,” Eigen, who served as TI chairman from 1993 to 2005, said the platform brought together all of the related stakeholders – the government, civil society, buyers, manufacturers and labourers.

The government alone cannot ensure the proper and sustainable development of the sector, he said.

Around 4 million female workers are involved in the RMG sector which is considered Bangladesh’s highest export earner.

The collapse of Rana Plaza on April 24, 2012 killed over 1,135 workers and injured at least 2,500.

Calling the incident the result of poor governance, he said GITI had to be formed to avoid such disasters in future.

The TI has begun discussions among stakeholders to form GITI in Bangladesh.

Eigen said the proposed platform initially would be formed in Bangladesh and Myanmar by next year. Later

Peter Eigen, founder chairman of Transparency International (TI), speaking at the “Meet the Media” programme of the Garment Industries Transparency Initiative (GITI), organised by TIB at its office in the capital yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN Cambodia, Vietnam and other readymade garment manufacturing countries would be added to GITI. Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB, said the founder chairman had been in the country for the last four days to discuss the proposed platform with stakeholders.

Expressing the need for such bodies,

he cited the example of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, formed for the mining industries in Africa and other mining countries to develop sustainable practices.

The objectives of the proposed GITI are to promote transparency, to create better awareness of violations of labour standards, and to identify potential for

improvement in the national context.

GITI aims to promote International Labour Organisation’s core labour standards that include freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, as well as the right to a living wage, humane working hours and a safe and healthy working environment. l

Diagnostic centre giving Oishee denied bail n fake reports busted Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

n Ashif Islam Shaon A mobile court aided by Rapid Action Battalion, busted a diagnostic centre in the capital which had been running pathological tests without proper equipment and producing fake results.

The court conducted the raid at National Diagnostic Complex and Specialist Consultation Centre in Mohammadpur yesterday, sentencing its owner Md Abdul Baki Bokul, 40, and its lone technician Md Saimon Ali, 22, to a year in prison. The court also fined Bokul Tk2 lakh and Saimon Tk1 lakh.

Lab technicians are supposed to run the tests under the supervision of doctors, who are supposed to examine the reports before issuing them Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, AHM Anwar Pasha, executive magistrate at RAB, said the mobile court conducted the raid along with a RAB 2 team at the diagnostic centre, located near the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, around 11:30am.

During the raid, the court found that the centre was conducting fake tests as well as faking doctors’ signatures. It also had no certified technician to operate its only x-ray machine.

The court talked to a patient named Parvin Akhter, 25, who had just received her test reports, at the cost of Tk1,500, during the drive. Though the diagnostic centre prepared her reports on several blood tests, the court found that its microscope was broken, it had no blood cell counter, and without making any slides of blood they have prepared her test results.

Saimon, one of the convicted frauds, said their microscope went out of commission a month ago, and since then they had been preparing test results based on assumption. Based on these reports, doctors prescribed medication to the patients.

The staff collected blood, urine and other samples from the patients, and later dumped them in the waste bin, the executive magistrate quoted Saimon.

“In his confession before the court, Saimon said they used to call the system ‘bucket test.’ It cost them no money,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

The two convicted also used the fake signature and seal of a doctor named Saiful Islam, whose identity – and existence – had yet to be confirmed when this report was filed.

According to the law, lab technicians are supposed to run the tests under the supervision of doctors, who are supposed to examine the reports before issuing them.

The court caught the centre’s owner Bokul when he was operating the x-ray machine. He had no training on how to operate the machine, which itself had a clearance certificate out of date.

The court asked the convicted to immediately shut down the facility, the executive magistrate told the Dhaka Tribune.

Maj Salauddin Ahmed, an RAB official, said some brokers lured patients from government hospitals to the diagnostic centre with the promise of hassle-free and low-cost service, earning over 50% commission from the tests.

Quoting Bokul, the RAB official said there are more than 1,000 active who collect patients, mostly coming from rural areas, from government hospitals and direct them toward some diagnostic centres involved in malpractice, earning themselves a handsome amount of money. l

A Dhaka court yesterday rejected a bail petition of Oishee Rahman in a case filed against her on charges of murdering her father Mahfuzur Rahman, a Special Branch inspector, and her mother Swapna Rahman last year.

Judge ABM Sajedur Rahman of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal 3 passed the order after hearing the petition filed by defence counsel Prokash Ranjan Biswas.

The court also fixed November 30 for hearing on fresh charges framing against three accused – Oishee and her friends Mizanur Rahman Rony, Asaduzzaman Jony – in the case, Special Public Prosecutor Mahabubur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

On November 12, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judges’ Court shifted the

case to the speedy trial tribunal as per a home ministry’s order to dispose of the case quickly.

On August 16 last year, the couple were found murdered at Chamelibagh residence in the capital. They had lived in the rented house with their two children— Oishee and Oihee, 7, and their housemaid Sumi. DB Inspector Abul Khair Matubbar, also the investigation officer of the case, pressed two separate charge sheets with Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka on March 9 this year.

According to the charge sheets, Oishee is the lone accused in the killing. Jony instigated the incident and Rony gave her shelter after the murder.

Oishee, Jony and Rony are now in jail while Sumi has been freed on bail. Her trial is going on in a Dhaka juvenile court as Sumi is now under 18-year-old. l

DU teacher’s daughter dies falling down a lift shaft n Tribune Report A Dhaka University teacher’s daughter allegedly fell down an empty lift shaft at a residential building in the capital’s Lalbagh area and died yesterday evening.

The deceased, Nazat Fayeda Satta,18, was the daughter of Md Mujibul Haque and Mehejabin Haque. Mehejabin is an associate professor at the psychology department in Dhaka University.

Nazat completed her higher secondary education from Dhaka City College this year and was preparing to appear in university entrance tests. The family lives in the university staff quarters at Fuller Road.

Mujibul, the victim’s father, told the Dhaka Tribune: “She went to her friend’s home at China Bhaban in Lalbagh. It is a six-storey building and the lift has not been installed yet.”

Nazat allegedly fell down the lift shaft and sustained critical injuries.

She was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where the doctors on duty pronounced her dead around 6:20pm.

When this report was filed, the family had submitted an application to acquire the dead body without a post-mortem, sources at the DMCH said.

Sub-Inspector Uday Kumar Mondol of Lalbagh police station told the Dhaka Tribune: “We heard about the incident, but we do not have sufficient information on it yet.” l

Rupali Bank forms probe body over journo assault n Tribune Report The state-owned Rupali Bank has formed an inquiry committee over the incident of assaulting a journalist allegedly by some Collective Bargaining Association (CBA) leaders.

The committee will investigate the occurrence and submit a report to the board of directors, says a press release issued by the bank yesterday.

On November 20, some CBA leaders beat up Tofail Ahmed, senior reporter of the daily Bartoman, and then confined him to the bank’s headquarters being enraged a report on their activities. In the incident, he filed a GD with Motijheel police station.

On the other hand, some 25 journalists met Rupali Bank Managing Director Farid Uddin demanding necessary action over the occurrence. l

Guests listening to a victim at a seminar arranged by the Khan Foundation on prevention of human trafficking at the capital’s Westin Hotel yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

‘Create comprehensive database on Societies are less open today border areas to tackle women trafficking’ n Tribune Report In the technology-driven world, rationality without ethics has created a situation where societies are less-open today.

With an increasing demand of technology-driven efficiency in the business, so-called “inefficient” forms of government—like democracy—are often suspended or eroded, said noted Canadian essayist and novelist John Ralston Saul.

“If we look at the history, we might find that there is no clear ethical advantage in technology,” he said.

Saul was speaking at a programme on “Technology and the Rise of Authoritarianism” organised by the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh at its Dhanmondi Campus on Sunday.

In a wide-ranging speach that was both spontaneous and erudite, Saul outlined the interplay between authoritarian and democratic views of the world.

The same technology which may be used in health care to protect life, can also take away many lives, he said adding that corporations and governments often use the excuse of “overall progress” to trample basic human rights.

Dr Kazi Anis Ahmed, vice president of ULAB Board of Trustees, delivered the opening speech and introduced Saul to the audience at the programme.

ULAB Pro-vice Chancellor Professor HM Jahirul Haque, Registrar Lt Col (Retd) Md Foyzul Islam faculty members, and students, among others, attended the programme. l

n Tribune Report Speakers recommended creating a localised comprehensive database for specific border areas in order to stop women trafficking at a seminar in a city hotel yesterday.

Organised by Khan Foundation, an NGO, at Hotel Westin in the capital, the seminar was titled “Fighting trafficking and violence against women and children: Overcoming road bumps in Khan Foundation’s journey.”

At the event, speakers suggested creating an extensive local database comprising information on all kinds of migration statistics, including internal and external migration, arranged in panel data style to carry out the follow-up of cases regarding women and

children trafficking.

Moreover, the government needs to add specific clauses to the constitution, implement the existing laws and raise awareness to put an end to human trafficking of Bangladeshi citizens, they said.

Addressing the event as chief guest, Ambassador of Netherlands to Bangladesh Gerben Sjoerd de Jong said: “Netherlands always emphasises on human rights issue in its foreign policy.

For this, in Bangladesh we emphasised on LGBT rights, labour unrest and improvement of labour conditions, and women’s rights, most importantly.

“While working on Tazreen Garments issue, we have seen that we need to provide attention to some specific issues as well as in general. However, we

need to be attentive in the same way regarding women and children trafficking, both in general and specifically,” he said.

The Dutch ambassador also suggested creating a national action to combat trafficking and violence against women and children.

Presided over by Rokhsana Khondker, executive director of Khan Foundation, the seminar was also attended

by Leo Kenny, country director of UNAIDS Bangladesh, Dr Ehsanur Rahman, executive director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, and Abdul Moyeen Khan, a BNP standing committee member, as well as university teachers, lawyers, NGO activists, government representatives, and members of the foundation’s citizen watch groups in 17 districts. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

New traffic control timers proving useless Authorities blame erratic traffic on excessive vehicles in the unplanned city n Abu Hayat Mahmud

President Abdul Hamid inaugurated the newly-constructed Jessore District Freedom Fighters’ Complex yesterday.

The president while inaugurating the complex said ‚’Freedom fighters are best children of the nation. I am also a freedom fightter. So ingauguarting the complex for freedom fighters I am feeling happy.”

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haq, local lawmaker Advocate Monirul Islam and government officials were present at the inauguration ceremony. The president exchanged views with local freedom fighters after inaugurating the complex.

Public Works Ministry has constructed the two-storey complex at a cost of Tk1.42 crore.

Earlier, the president arrived in the district to attend the Signal Commanding Officers’ Conference and Reunion 2014 to be held today. l

The automatic countdown timers introduced lately in the capital are not producing the result they were meant for as traffic police still continue to manoeuvre traffic on roads manually.

The timers were installed at 70 busy intersections and have been effective since November 9, but traffic police at these points hardly act in line with those as well as the traffic lights.

For example, they do not let vehicles proceed even if the signal is green.

As a result, long queues of vehicles waiting to cross an intersection is still commonplace on Dhaka roads.

'Roads in Dhaka are narrow in comparison to those of planned cities but the number of vehicles is considerably high'

Telecommunication disrupted as BTCL building catches fire

Traffic police officials blame the excessive number of vehicles in the capital for their inability to follow the digitised controlling system.

Besides, the traffic lights remain turned off and countdown timers do not work sometimes, forcing them to manually control the flow of vehicles.

The opposite of this is also not rare.

At 12:30pm yesterday, traffic lights and the timers were working fine at the Elephant Road intersection but on-duty traffic policemen were still seen indicating motorists to drive or stop using their hands.

Sergeant Touhidul at the intersection defended the manual controlling, saying the police know better how to do it.

All the traffic lights and countdown

The automatic countdown timer set up recently as well as the traffic lights are seen out of operation at the Purana Paltan intersection of the capital yesterday

Transport strike hits Jessore n Our Correspondent, Jessore

Two assistant proctors of Two bodies recovered SUST resign over BCL clash in capital

Loading and unloading operations at the Noapara Port in Jessore remain suspended as workers observed a strike yesterday, protesting the killing of their leader, Mollah Oliar Rahman.

On Sunday, Oliar, general secretary of Shramajibi Somonnoy Parishad, and joint general secretary of Abhaynagar upazila unit of Awami League, was shot dead by some unidentified miscreants near his house in the upazila.

Oilar was also a councilor of Ward No 7 of Naoapara Municipality and a correspondent of daily Janmabhumi published from Khulna.

The aggrieved workers wore black badges and refrained from taking part in any activities at the port. They also held a rally at Nurbabh in Jessore city protesting the murder.

Meanwhile, workers of small vehicles, including battery-run three wheelers, also extended their support to the protest. The Naoapara Press Club and the Naoapara Municipality have announced a three day mourning programme. l

n Our Correspondent, Sylhet

Correspondent, n Our Brahmanbaria

timers were installed by the two city corporations of Dhaka. These solar-powered devices were installed under Dhaka South City Corporation’s Clean Air and Sustainable Environment (CASE) project at a cost of around Tk16 crore, with assistance from the World Bank.

Of the 70 timers, 30 were installed

Two assistant proctors of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) resigned over the factional clash between the two the Bangladesh Chhatra League groups that left a student dead.

Campus sources said assistant proctors – Niloy Chandra Sarkar and Abu Awal Mohammad Shoyeb – submitted their resignation letters to Proctor Himadri Shekhor Ray on Sunday night.

Proctor Himadri Shekhor, however, told the Dhaka Tribune that the two proctors in their resignation letters mentioned that they had quit over personal grounds.

“The final decision in this regard will be taken after the Vice-Chancellor of the university Professor Dr Aminul Haque Bhuiyan returns home from India on November 26.”

in areas under the jurisdiction of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and the remaining 40 in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) areas, said city corporation officials.

Besides, the DSCC allocated TK2 crore in the current fiscal year, up from Tk1.6 crore of FY2013-14, for operation

Sources of the campus seeking anonymity said they had resigned as the BCL central committee was blaming university’s proctorial body for the clash.

Proctor Himadri Shekhor Ray may resign from his post soon, said the sources.

Earlier, Sumon Das, 22, an activist of the BCL was killed and 17 others were injured in a factional clash of the ruling party’s student wing over establishing supremacy on the campus on Thursday morning.

Later, the university authority announced closure of the university for sine die. A three-member probe committee, headed by SUST Prof Ilias Uddin, has been formed to investigate the incident. The probe committee was asked to submit its report within seven working days.

Police so far picked 27 BCL activists up from different areas of Sylhet city. l

and maintenance of traffic lights while the DNCC set aside TK9 crore in the current fiscal year, up from Tk4 crore.

DMP Joint Commissioner (traffic) Moslem Uddin told the Dhaka Tribune that traffic police have been instructed to control traffic according to the automatic devices.

n Tribune Report Police recovered two bodies from different parts of the capital yesterday.

One of the victims was identified as Md Rajib,23, a resident of Kuchibagan of Postogola in Shyampur. While, the identity of other victim could not be known immediately.

A friend of Rajib made a phone call asking him to go to a place in Easter Housing area around 1:00am, said Rajib’s wife Sheuli.

“One of his friend named Roni was present there. I do not know whether there was any conflict between Roni and my husband,” said Sheuli.

Rajib used to work in a wire making factory, she said adding: “My husband used to work as a source of the police.”

Critically injured Rajib was rushed to the Dhaka Medical Collage Hospi-

DRY WEATHER LIKELY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:11PM SUN RISES 6:20AM 28 29 27 28 28 28 30 29

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

18 18 12 13 13 15 14 20

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

30.1ºC Teknaf

11.3ºC Rajshahi

Source: Accuweather/UNB

Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:01am 6:19am 11:45am 3:35pm 5:11pm 6:30 pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

“Roads in Dhaka are narrow in comparison to those of planned cities but the number of vehicles is considerably high. This is also true if we consider the number of people who are living in Dhaka. This is a key reason why it is very difficult to control traffic on Dhaka roads,” he added. l

tal where doctors declared him dead around 2:15am.

Shyampur Police Station Sub-Inspector Ali Akbar said: “Several marks of injuries were found in the body.”

“Primarily, we are suspecting that Rajib was killed following previous enmity with his friends. But the reason behind murder could be known after getting postmortem report.”

Meanwhile, a slaughtered body of a man aged about 35 was recovered from a hotel in the capital’s Farmgate area on Sunday night.

Police said they recovered the body from a room on the fourth floor of New Anon Hotel around 8:15am.

Sher-e-Bangla Police Station Officer-in-charge Gonesh Gopal Bishwas said: “The body was recovered from the floor. But the identity of the victim could not be known yet.” l

n Our Correspondent, Barisal

In a bid to ensure safe movement of pedestrians law enforcers have evicted hawkers from most of the footover bridges across the capital. The photo was taken from the capital’s Kamalapur area yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

PSC examinee found dead four days after going missing n Our Correspondent, Savar

PRAYER TIMES

ABU HAYAT MAHMUD

A fire broke out at Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Ltd (BTCL) building in Bhadughor area in Brahmanbaria, disrupting the telecommunication and internet connections.

Deputy Assistant Engineer of the BTCL said the fire had broken out from the microwave room on the ground floor of the building because of short circuit. Machines and cables worth crores have been burned in the fire.

“Some 4,000 telecommunication and internet connections have been disrupted for the fire,” he said.

Fire Service Station Officer Md Wahiullah said: “Fire ranger went to the spot around 7am and brought the blaze under control after a frantic effort of 40 minutes.” He said the loss caused by the fire could go up to Tk1 crore. l

College student killed in road accident in Chittagong n Tribune Report A college student was killed in a road accident in Chittagong’s Jamal Khan area yesterday. The dead is Md Sagor, 25, a student of Hazi Mohammad Mohsin College in Chittagong.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Pankaj Barua of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) police outpost said a human haulier ran over Sagor in front of the Ideal School and College in Jamal Khan area at 12noon.

Critically injured, the student was admitted to CMCH where he died around 5:30pm. l

Students of Barisal Health Technology Institute block road for 10-point demands

WEATHER

FORECAST FOR TODAY

President opens Jessore freedom fighters’ complex n Our Correspondent, Jessore

A primary education terminal examinee was found dead yesterday after he had gone missing for four days at Dhamrai upazila in Dhaka on Thursday.

Ten-year-old Asif Dewan of Pathantola village was supposed to sit for the ongoing exams from Pathantola Government Primary School.

His father Saiful Islam told the Dhaka Tribune that his son had not re-

turned home since he went to collect his admit card on Thursday.

He said they searched him high and low but found nowhere and filed general diary with the local police station.

Yesterday, locals found the body of Asif in a paddy field in the locality. On information, police went there and recovered the body.

Two other persons were found dead in the same upazila yesterday.

The body of 20-year-old Sonia

Akhter was recovered from a bamboo bush behind her home at Amrail village in the upazila’s Amta Union Parishad and that of the yet-to-be-identified young man from a swamp at the upazila’s Dautia area.

Dhamrai police station Officer-inCharge Firoz Talukder told the Dhaka Tribune that they had recovered all three dead bodies and sent those to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

Three separate cases were also filed. l

Students of Barisal Health Technology Institute yesterday blocking road in the city formed a human chain and held demonstration to press home their 10-point demand, including giving second-class gazetted status to diploma holder technologists and pharmacists.

The Bangladesh Diploma Medical Technology and Pharmacy Students Association has organised rally in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall.

Later, police removed them from road to resume traffic on busy working hours and allowed to form human chain on a roadside.

They also handed over a memorandum to the deputy commissioner.

Leaders of Bangladesh Diploma Medical Technology and Pharmacy Students’ Association – Chandan Adhikari, Sumon Bishwas, Nirjhar Mandal, Swapan Kumar Pal, Sajal Pal, Sanjib Majumdar, Golam Murshed, Arka Pal, Shekhar Mandal addressed the programme.

Their 10-point demands included formation of diploma medical education board, creating posts as per directions of World Health Organisation

in public health service providing institutes, giving second-class gazetted status to diploma holder technologists and pharmacists, introducing degree and masters courses for them giving first-class gazetted status in public service, creating new directorates for

Police dispersed them from road to resume traffic on busy working hours and allowed to form human chain on a roadside the medical technologists and pharmacists, giving promotions in service by creating carrier panel, registration for private practices for dental and physiotherapy diploma holders, compulsory appointments of technologists and pharmacists at all private and non-government health service providing organisations under specified rules and regulations.

Speakers at the rally leaders cautioned that if their demands would not the fulfilled soon, then they will start heard movement for that. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Fund crisis compels 120 Protibha schools of Magura to close n Our Correspondent, Magura

Besides, teachers of the school are also being jobless when those will stop its activities from next year because of appearing the project of 13 lakh monthly to end.

It was learnt that Non-government organisation named “Jagaroniy Chakra Foundation” with the financial support from the USAID, Bangladesh had launched the four-year pre-primary education project at the 120 public primary schools Sadar and Mohammadpur upazila in 2010. The main motto of the project is to minimise the drop out of the primary students in the district, which was vastly known as Protibha school that enrols 30 children for one year.

In the meantime, the schools have gained outstanding popularity among the locals as teaching method here is not traditional while no book is used in the process. Rather, different elements such as games and sports considered inter-

esting to the children are used to teach them any topic. On the other hand, in case of any drop out, the teachers appointed locally motivate the guardians to send their children to school.

One guardian namely Nitay Roy from Vabonpara village in Mohammadpur upazila said: “My daughter is now five years old and I am thinking of sending her to local Protibha school. But recently I have heard that the schools will be closed from coming year and certainly not only my daughter also local children will be deprived from the basic education.”

Another guardian named Abdul Mozid from village Sotofalia in Sadar Magura sadar upazilla told, my daughter goes to local Protibha school.. I never force her to go to school. He goes there willingly.

Moreover he feels interested in going to school as teaching method in the schools is easy and attractive. Abdul Mozid added, if my daughter fails to go to schools someday the teacher visits my house and ask me about the reason of her absence.

Such cordiality of teacher is encouraging for me as well as my daughter.

On contact, Md Shahin Mreedha team leader of Protibha school program told, a total of 3600 children are receiving education in 120 Protibha schools of the district. On the other hand about 4500 children of the district are getting prepared to be admitted in the schools from coming year. But want of financial support is one and only impediment here. Financial Support of 12 lakhs and 96 thousand per month can raise a new hope for Protibha schools. But who is there to extend his helping hand?

He already contacted with the local education primary school, who informed them to pay heed to it.

Sadar upazila chairman md nazim uddin said they received a letter in this regard and the matter will be placed in the upcoming regular meeting. l

Contraband worth Tk1.20 crore seized n Our Correspondent, Jessore

Mother and son killed over sex business

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh seized 39,000 pieces of Senegra tablets and 692 bottles of contraband phensidyl worth Tk 1.20 crore from Daulatpur border point here on Sunday night.

BGB battalion-23 commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Rahim said, on a tip-off, a team BGB conducted a drive in the border area and seized 39,000 pieces of Senegra tablets (sex stimulating tablets) and 692 bottles of Phensidyl.

The smugglers fled the scene after sensing the presence of the BGB team. l

n Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Some 120 Protibha schools deal with the pre-primary school students to prevent the drop out rate in the district have appeared on the verge of closure as those financier United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bangladesh is going to stop financing From January next year as per project deadline.

Consequently, an apprehension of deprivation from one year of basic education has been looming over a total of 3,600 students of the schools.

The main motto of the project is to minimise the drop out of the primary students in the district

A woman and her son were hacked to death over sex business at Deolia village in Bagmara upazila yesterday.

The deceased were identified as Akhlima Begum, 45, wife of former UP member late Mojibur, and their son Jahidur Rahmna Jahid, 25, a college student.

Sources said local people found the lying bodies in their house in the morning and informed police.

Police said, they might have been

Sammilito Medical Technology Sangram Parishad brings out a procession in Rajshahi town yesterday demanding measures to fulfill its 10-point demands

AZAHAR UDDIN

Indiscriminate catching reducing snail count n Our Correspondent, Gopalganj Uncontrolled and large scale catching of snails is posing a threat to the species in Gopalganj. About five thousand people of the five upazilas of the district are earning their livelihood by catching snails.

Snails caught in the district have a great demand among the shrimp hatcheries in Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, and Barisal.

According to the Fisheries and Livestock Department, shrimp farming has picked up over the last few years in the south-western region of the country.

And snail-meat helps rapid growth of shrimps. That is why demand of snails has also gone up.

killed by stabbing at first and later they were hacked.

The sources said Akhlima used to run sex-business in a rented house and several times she was arrested for this.

Shahina, the daughter of the deceased also said her mother might have been killed over the business.

Alamgir Kabir, superintendent of police said Akhlima used to run the business in the area. Earlier, a mobile court also sent her to jail for two months for running the business in the locality. l

Snails are usually found in plenty in freshwater bodies. People from low income group collect snails all day long from Gopalganj sadar, Kotalipara, Tungipara, Maksudpur and Kashi-

Experts suggest commercial farming to meet increasing demand ani areas of the district. Then they are sold for Tk250-300 per maund at major markets of Kotalipara. Snails from this district are then distributed to Khulna and Bagerhat where they are sold for a higher price.

Police injured while trying to arrest criminal Correspondent, n Our Gazipur A police officer was injured critically as the criminals attacked him yesterday while the law enforcers went to Azugir Chala area in Sreepur upazila of the district to arrest two listed criminals.

Mohsinul Kader, officerin-charge of Sreepour model police station said a team of police went to the area to arrest Afsaruddin,60, and his son Sohel Rana,34, accused in a case.

At one stage, the law enforcers arrested Sohel. But after while, the people of the house surrounded the police personnel and at one stage Sohel hit SI Shahjahan leaving him critically injured. The people also swooped on the police with local weapons and snatched away Sohel.

On information, locals went to the spot and rescued the members of law enforcers. The police officer was admitted to Sreepur Health Complex from where he was sent to Rajarbag Police Hospital.

The house members went into hiding after the incident, said the OC. l

UP member jailed for leaking PSC question paper Correspondent, n Our Tangail A mobile court yesterday jailed an Union Parishad member for two years on charges of hand-writting and photocopying a question paper, which partially matches with that of Bangla under Primary Education Terminal Examinations at Basail upazila in Tangail.

The convict was identified as Harun, a member of Kanchanpur Union Parishad, who runs three coaching centres in the area. l

Shantiram Roy, a snail collector from Kandi village of Kotalipara said numbers of snails were reducing day by day. Nowadays a whole day collection of snails amounts to two-hour labour previously.

Businessman Kamal Hossain said snails available nowadays did not even meet one percent of the total demand.

Hence they are having to collect snails from farther regions with increased transportation expense.

Underscoring the ecological importance of snails, Tungipara agriculture officer Horolal Madhu said snails help increase the fertility of arable land by eating up the dangerous elements. Besides, during the dry season decomposing snails add to the fertility. But with

the snail number fast reducing farmers are having to spend more in producing crops by using various chemical fertilizers.

“Snails are cheaper than fish feed in the market. Besides, they are also a better food for shrimps. Hence there is a huge demand. But such indiscriminate catching is also hurting the species to the extent that they are not being able to reproduce and multiply,” said Assistant Director of Faridpur Fisheries Development Project Narayan Chandra Das. He suggested private initiative to commercial farming of snails. “Besides, the government ban on collecting snails must be implemented strictly and punishment for offenders should be clearly laid out,” he added. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

7

What’s your identity?

There are uncomfortable questions on the other side of ‘Madras.’ They are intimately tied to the identity questions that plague the peoples of the subcontinent, down to this day

I

n Garga Chatterjee

f you have not watched the Youtube video Enna Da Rascalas: South of India, you should. It is a crisply made catchy-tune video made by a talented group of artists calling themselves the Culture Machine and Stray Factory. It has gone “viral,” logging more than 1.2 million hits in seven days.

It humorously aims to inform people about the different peoples of “South of India” and their distinct cultures, lifestyles and other attributes.

“There’s no Madrasi, we are all padosi (neighbours)” was the main message.

Using the tune of “We didn’t start the

What is the fundamental difference between the constructs ‘Madras’ and ‘India’? fire,” it does a better job in showcasing the foods and old monuments of “South of India” among other things than the sarkari “Incredible India!” tourism promotion campaigns.

I must confess, “Madrasi” is a word which I use with fellow Bangalis. “Madrasi” is a word that I grew up with in Bengal. Actually, in Bangla, we say “Madraji” rather than “Madrasi.” The word has long been used in popular literature – long before the first Hindi language film was made. It has not been used as a derogatory term. I did not grow up in the upper Gangetic plains of the subcontinent. I am told that “up there,” it is often mixed with a derogatory mindset.

The stereotypical ‘Madraji’ in the eyes of Bengal is a being whose shape is determined by the specific encounter of the Dravidian linguistic nationalities with Bengal, largely during the colonial period

The poster of this Bollywood hit shows clearly how ‘Madrasis’ are perceived

“Madraji” is a Bangla word that I have used to internally communicate with fellow Bangalis to signal a concept that we commonly understand.

While it is a catch-all term for peoples of the Dravidian linguistic nationalities of the subcontinent, the word was not used to obfuscate differences. In fact, the actually existing differences between the peoples of the Dravidian linguistic nationalities were of marginal importance.

What was important was the “Madrajis” we interacted with in Bengal and the concept of the “Madraji” that we made based on those interactions.

The “Madraji” held a certain location in Bengal’s cosmos – the coordinates being a distantly related and highly refracted form of the actual, refracted by a Bangali metropolitan lens.

How did the “Madrasi” come about in Bengal? The stereotypical “Madraji” in the eyes of Bengal is a being whose shape is determined by the specific encounter of the Dravidian linguistic nationalities with Bengal, largely during the colonial period. Large parts of peninsular South Asia, spanning over multiple Dravidian homelands, were part of the Madras presidency.

Concepts like “Madras” (to mean a large geography and its peoples) developed during this time, primarily due to the arbitrary administrative nomenclature of the colonial masters.

Another concept, which gained similar currency during this time, was “India.”

The made-up “Madras” is now nowhere to be found, with the reorganisation of states on linguistic basis and finally, the renaming of the name-giving city. “India” has variously fragmented into a sacrosanct concept (in the Indian Union), a conspiring powerful enemy (in Pakistan), a domineering “friend” (in Bangladesh), an important neighbour (in Myanmar) and so on.

This kind of identity creation has a predictable past in many erstwhile colonial areas. Circulation of professionals and labourers to newer colonial urban centres of the subcontinent created the “Madrasi” and the “Indian.” Given the unequal emphasis that the Indian Union gives to its different constituent nationalities (its “soul” clearly not located south of the Vindhyas even if its revenue producers are), it always falls on certain people to do the job of explaining themselves to others.

Stereotypes are a fact of life but event after event in the Indian Union’s dil (heart) called Delhi shows that not all stereotypes are harmless. What is worse than stereotypes is trying to undo the stereotypes by gently appealing to those who came up with the negative stereotypes. Nothing shows

REUTERS

the existing power differences within the Indian Union more clearly.

Those doing the self-explaining are predictable peoples – Nagas, Manipuris, Mizos, Kannadigas, Tamils, etc.

The audience is common – the urban people from the “soul” country. The “soul” people can carry on without having to explain themselves. That is a privilege the non-soul people of the subcontinent don’t have. They have to carry name-tags like diverse exotic plants in a herbarium with an imperial curator.

The “soul” people are the “mainstream,” the template, the obvious “Indians” – the knowledge of their nuance being expected from non-soul people, with Bollywood helping along.

We must also remember that for the many poor and rural people in the subcontinent, there is no “Madrasi” or “Bangali.” They may be from “soul” country but are not “soul” people because their sense of self-hood often does not depend on encounters with distant aliens. They have not been fully incorporated into the language of public political correctness and pan-India consumer literacy.

From the viewpoint of the 1947 “other” of the Indian Union – namely West Pakistan and East Bengal – the

What is worse than stereotypes is trying to undo the stereotypes by gently appealing to those who came up with the negative stereotypes. Nothing shows the existing power differences within the Indian Union more clearly

quote Shibli Nomani, the famous 19th century Islamic scholar from Azamgarh, who writes as a matter-of-fact, “I am going back to Hindustan from Bombay.” So, even these areas were not Hindustan.

The definition of “Hindustan” has not been constant and the term has been expanded and used to suit the divisive political or ideological needs of subcontinental Hindu-Muslim rivalry, especially from 1940 onwards. In Bengal, we have another term called “Hindustani” and it is clearly “not us.”

So Bengal was and is not Hindustan ei-

The made-up ‘Madras’ is now nowhere to be found, with the reorganisation of states on linguistic basis and finally, the renaming of the name-giving city

Indian Union represented Hindustan.

The twinned words Hindustan-Pakistan gained currency in the run-up to partition and have not disappeared from public discourse. But what is Hindustan given that the term predates 1947? That it is the not the same as the British empire in South Asia is clear. The noted editor of the Karachi-based Urdu quarterly Aaj, the brilliant Ajmal Kamal, has explained with ample references the limited nature of the concept of Hindustan.

In a talk at Delhi, he says, “When someone used to travel from here to the Punjab, it was said that this person is Hindustani. So clearly, Punjab was not part of Hindustan.” He goes on to

ther, though in the warped ideological lens of some in East Bengal and many in Pakistan, West Bengal is very much in Hindustan.

In today’s atmosphere in the Indian Union, it is increasingly hard to equate Hindustani with “not us,” given how the mythic Hindustan has come to become synonymous with “India” in extremely powerful circles that shape public discourse and imagination. When someone says, we are all “Hindustanis,” there is a smothering of identities for unholier motives, quite different from the “Madrasi.”

Many made-up identities are those that are handed down from the point of view of outsiders. Many from

outside the subcontinent also operate with a conception of a creature called “Indian.” If I say to them, “There’s no indian, we are all padosee,” am I completely wrong?

What then is the fundamental difference between the constructs “Madras” and “India”? If they are both mythical, as in do not correspond to some specific actual, can we say that it is a myth supported by an army that ensures its survival and even flourishing to the point of becoming an actual?

There are uncomfortable questions on the other side of “Madras.” They are intimately tied to the identity questions that plague the peoples of the subcontinent, down to this day.

“Bangali” and “Bangladeshi” are also terms that need unpacking, whether some like it or not. The same logic holds. l Garga Chatterjee is a freelance contributor.

He can be followed on twitter @gargac.

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Hagel resigns as US defense secretary n

Reuters, Washington

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has resigned, the first major cabinet change after Obama’s Democrats were routed in mid-term elections three weeks ago.

Obama was to announce Hagel’s resignation at a White House event at 11:10 a.m. (1610 GMT) on Monday.

Hagel, who had struggled to improve his ties with Congress after a contentious 2013 confirmation hearing, submitted his resignation letter after lengthy discussions with Obama that began in October, officials said.

“A successor will be named in short order, but Secretary Hagel will remain

as Defense Secretary until his replacement is confirmed by the United States Senate,” a senior Obama administration official said.

Hagel had raised questions about Obama’s strategy toward Syria in a two-page internal policy memo he wrote that leaked. In it, he warned that Obama’s policy was in jeopardy due to its failure to clarify its intentions toward Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Obama has insisted that the United States can go after Islamic State militants without addressing Assad, who the United States would like to leave power.

Officials said Obama wanted fresh leadership during the final two years

of his administration.

“What I can tell you is there are no policy differences in the background of this decision,” a senior US defense official said.

“The secretary is not resigning in protest and he’s not being ‘fired’,” the official said.

Top potential candidates to replace Hagel include Michele Flournoy, a former under secretary of defense, and Ashton Carter, a former deputy secretary of defense, who were rumored to be contenders for Hagel’s job before he was named.

Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island, is another possible contender. l

German expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s ‘Alpsonntag-Szene am Brunnen’ (Sunday in the Alps-Scene at the Well) is seen hanging from the wall in the Bern Art Museum in the Swiss capital of Bern REUTERS

Gurlitt’s hoard: prestigious works of shady provenance n AFP The Bern Art Museum has agreed to accept artworks from a billion-euro collection from the late Cornelius Gurlitt, a recluse whose trove included masterpieces looted from their Jewish owners by the Nazis. The Bern Art Museum discovered in May it had been named sole heir of Gurlitt, the recluse who secretly kept the collection of more than 1,200 artworks hidden for decades until tax inspectors stumbled upon them on a visit to his Munich apartment in 2012 The trove of more than 1,500 artworks bequeathed by Cornelius Gurlitt, the son of a Nazi-era art dealer, to Switzerland’s Museum of Fine Arts includes “Nazi loot” and art denounced by Adolf Hitler as “degenerate.”

Much research still lies ahead into the provenance of some of the collection, whose acceptance by the Bern-based mu-

seum was announced at a highly-anticipated press conference in Berlin on Monday.

But provenance work by a German government-appointed task force has already established that three works were stolen by the Nazis and are to be returned “immediately” to the rightful owners’ heirs.

They are: - “Two Riders on the Beach,” painted by Max Liebermann in 1901, which the task force said was seized from industrialist and avid art collector David Friedmann “as a consequence of the Nazi persecution of Jewish citizens.”

- “Seated Woman” by Henri Matisse dating from 1924 which was determined to have been looted by the Nazis from Paris-based Jewish art dealer Paul Rosenberg, whose heirs include French journalist Anne Sinclair, the former wife of ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

- “Playing the Piano,” a drawing by

Germany’s Carl Spitzweg, to be returned to the heirs of music publisher Henri Hinrichsen, who was murdered at Auschwitz in 1942.

‘Degenerate’ art Nobody knows the exact value of the collection that tax officials stumbled across in Gurlitt’s Munich flat during a routine investigation in 2012 but some have suggested it could be in the hundreds of millions of euros.

Some of the pieces were unknown; others were feared missing for good.

The stash included works by some of the most prestigious names in art history, such as Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Cezanne, Rodin, Dix, Pissarro, Holbein, Gauguin, Chagall, Delacroix, Degas and Munch.

Nearly 300 other works were later also recovered from his property in Salzburg, Austria. l

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Iran atom talks set to resume next month after missing deadline n Reuters, Ienna Iran and six world powers are expected to break off negotiations on Monday and meet again next month after missing a deadline to clinch a final deal to resolve their 12-year standoff over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, diplomatic sources said.

Details about the resumption of negotiations were still being worked out, though one source said on condition of anonymity that Iran could not expect any new sanctions relief for the time being. Possible venues could include Vienna and Oman, one of the sources said, though nothing had been decided.

“Given progress made this weekend, talks headed to likely extension with experts and negotiating teams reconvening in December at a yet-tobe-determined location,” a Western diplomat said in an email. The diplomat declined to be identified.

The deadline for a deal, agreed in July when the two sides missed an earlier target date, was Monday.

“Some progress has been made,” said another diplomat involved in the talks. “But we need to discuss some issues with our capitals. We will meet again before the new year. This is an ongoing process.”

The talks in Vienna aim for a deal that could transform the Middle East, open the door to ending economic sanctions

on Iran and start to bring a nation of 76 million people in from the cold after decades of hostility with the West.

Iran cuts uranium gas stockpile under interim nuclear deal-IAEA Iran has reduced its stockpile of low-enriched uranium gas and taken other action to comply with the terms of last year’s interim nuclear agreement with world powers, a UN nuclear agency report showed on Monday.

The cost of failure could be high.

Iran’s regional foes Israel and Saudi Arabia are watching the Vienna talks nervously. Both fear a weak deal that fails to curtail Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, while a collapse of the negotiations would encourage Iran to become a threshold nuclear weapon state, something Israel has said it would never allow.

Some Iranian media have also reported on the possibility of an extension of the negotiations. Sources close to the talks told Reuters a formal extension of an interim deal agreed a year ago in Geneva was being discussed though it was unclear how long the negotiations would be prolonged.

A formal extension of the negotia-

Women are not equal to men, Turkish President Erdogan says n AFP Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday declared that women are not equal to men and launched a bitter attack against feminists in Turkey, claiming they reject the concept of motherhood.

Speaking at a summit in Istanbul on justice for women, the devoutly Muslim president said that biological differences between women and men meant they cannot serve the same functions in life.

“Our religion (Islam) has defined a position for women (in society): motherhood,” Erdogan told an audience of Turkish women including his own daughter Sumeyye.

“Some people can understand this, while others can’t. You cannot explain this to feminists because they don’t accept the concept of motherhood.”

He recalled, “I would kiss my mother’s feet because they smelled of paradise. She would glance coyly and cry sometimes.

“Motherhood is something else.” He went on to say that women and men

cannot be treated equally “because it is against human nature.”

“Their characters, habits and physiques are different ... You cannot place a mother breastfeeding her baby on an equal footing with men.

“You cannot get women to do every kind of work men can do, as in Communist regimes.

“You cannot tell them to go out and dig the soil. This is against their delicate nature.”

Erdogan was apparently referring to the practice during and after World War II for women in Communist states like the USSR to do heavy manual work in factories or in roles such as tram drivers.

The Islamic-rooted government of Erdogan has long been accused by critics of seeking to erode the country’s secular principles and limiting the civil liberties of women.

Erdogan has also drawn the ire of feminist groups for declaring that every woman in Turkey should have three children and with proposals to limit abortion rights and the morning-after pill. l

Computer spying malware uncovered with ‘stealth’ features n Reuters An advanced malicious software application has been uncovered that since 2008 was used to spy on private companies, governments, research institutes and individuals in 10 countries, antivirus software maker Symantec Corp said in a report on Sunday.

The Mountain View, California-based maker of Norton antivirus products said its research showed that a “nation state” was likely the developer of the malware called Regin, or Backdoor.Regin, but Symantec did not identify any countries or victims.

Symantec said Regin’s design “makes it highly suited for persistent, long-term surveillance operations against targets,” and was withdrawn in 2011 but resurfaced from 2013 onward.

The malware uses several “stealth” features “and even when its presence is detected, it is very difficult to ascertain what it is doing,” according to Symantec. It said “many components of Regin remain undiscovered and additional functionality and versions may exist.”

Almost half of all infections occurred at addresses of Internet service providers, the report said. It said the targets were customers of the companies rather than the companies themselves. About 28% of targets were in telecoms while other victims were in

the energy, airline, hospitality and research sectors, Symantec said.

Symantec described the malware as having five stages, each “hidden and encrypted, with the exception of the first stage.” It said “each individual stage provides little information on the complete package. Only by acquiring all five stages is it possible to analyze and understand the threat.”

Regin also uses what is called a modular approach that allows it to load custom features tailored to targets, the same method applied in other malware, such as Flamer and Weevil (The Mask), the antivirus company said.

Some of its features were also similar to Duqu malware, uncovered in September 2011 and related to a computer worm called Stuxnet, discovered the previous year.

Cybersecurity is a sensitive topic for businesses in the United States, where there have been several breaches of major companies and customer information. The US government and private cyber intelligence firms have said they suspect state-backed hackers in China or Russia may be responsible.

Symantec said Russia and Saudi Arabia accounted for about half of the confirmed infections of the Regin malware and the other countries were Mexico, Ireland, India, Iran, Afghanistan, Belgium, Austria and Pakistan. l

tions would likely require new commitments on both sides – additional limited sanctions relief for Iran and new commitments on curbing nuclear work.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif were meeting with counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China in what could be the final session of the current round.

It became increasingly clear during a week of intensive negotiations between that what officials close to the talks have been predicting privately for weeks will likely be correct: barring a last-minute decision by Iran to compromise, a final deal is still too far off to hammer out by the deadline later on Monday.

If the two sides reach a deal after a one-month adjournment, it would still be before the upcoming change in US Congress, where hardline Republicans will dominate both houses in January. Hawkish US lawmakers have threatened to push for new sanctions on Iran if there is no concrete progress in the talks.

Some Western officials have described two possible options for a likely rollover. Under one scenario, described as the “stop the clock option,” the talks would simply break off and experts would reconvene in a few weeks. l

Tamir Rice: US police kill boy, 12, carrying replica gun

n BBC

A 12-year-old boy has died after being shot by police in the US city of Cleveland, after carrying what turned out to be a replica gun in a playground.

Police say an officer fired two shots at Tamir Rice after he failed to obey an order to raise his hands.

He did not make any verbal threats nor point the gun towards the officers.

A lawyer representing his family said it would be carrying out its own investigation into what happened.

The incident comes as a grand jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri, will decide imminently whether to indict a police officer in the fatal shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager.

His shooting in August in Ferguson sparked days of violent protests in the town, prompting a heavy police crackdown.

The boy was shot on Saturday afternoon and died in hospital early on Sunday morning.

Cleveland deputy police chief Ed Tomba said the boy shot twice after pulling the gun from the waistband of his trousers.

An audio recording of the 911 emergency call made by the man who reported the incident reveals that on two occasions he said that the pistol was “probably a fake” and on another occasion that the person holding it “was probably a juvenile.” l

‘UK faces biggest threat to its security since 9/11’ n Reuters

Workers repair a gas pipeline damaged during shelling between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukrainian village Krasnyi Pakhar, in the Donetsk region on Sunday AFP

Uncertainty fuels speculation on Ferguson decision n AP, Ferguson, Mo The final weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday passed without a grand jury decision on whether to indict a Ferguson police officer, fueling new speculation about the timing as protesters demand justice for Michael Brown.

After meeting Friday but apparently

not reaching a decision, the grand jury was widely expected to reconvene on Monday to consider possible charges against Darren Wilson, the white suburban St. Louis officer who fatally shot the black 18-year-old after a confrontation in August. There was no official confirmation about when the grand jury would meet again.

Protesting on Sunday night, Reggie Cunningham said he doubted Wilson will be indicted and it seemed authorities were delaying an announcement “to spin this in the most positive way possible.”

“The more that they drag this out, the angrier people are going to be,” said Cunningham, 30, of St. Louis. l

Britain faces a bigger threat to its security from terrorism than at any time before or since the Sept. 11 2001 attacks on the United States, Home Secretary Theresa May said on Monday.

The government will introduce new counter-terrorism legislation on Wednesday to tackle a range of threats, May said, particularly from Britons who have returned from fighting in Syria and Iraq alongside Islamist militants.

“When the security and intelligence agencies tell us that the threat we face is now more dangerous than at any time before or since 9/11 we should take notice,” she told an audience in London.

May said that since 52 people were killed when four young Britons carried out suicide bombings in London in 2005, around 40 terrorist plots had been disrupted.

These included attempts to conduct Mumbai-style gun attacks on British streets, a plot to blow up the London Stock Exchange, plans to bring down airliners and conspiracies to murder a British ambassador and military servicemen.

“Almost all of these attacks have been prevented,” said May. “But as the IRA once boasted, the terrorists only have to be lucky once.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

China seizes 31 trafficking suspects holding Myanmar women n Reuters, Beijing Chinese authorities in the northern region of Inner Mongolia arrested 31 people on suspicion of trafficking women because they had held 14 people, 11 of them from Myanmar, state media said yesterday.

Five of the non-Chinese victims were younger than 18 and were handed to Myanmar police after a threemonth investigation into the gang, which ensnared the women by offering them tours and jobs, the official Xinhua news agency said.

The victims were then sold as wives in rural China for as little as 50,000 yuan ($8,142).

China’s gender imbalance, the result of its one-child policy and illicit abortion of girl babies because of a traditional preference for boys, has led to a huge surplus of single men. The latest census showed 118 newborn males for every 100 females.

In September, state media reported that Chinese police would clamp down on websites that sell group tours to enable men to meet “foreign brides” in Southeast Asian countries, as the practice leads to human trafficking and prostitution. Last year, a US State Department report cited Russia and China as being among the world’s worst offenders in fighting forced labor and sex trafficking. l

China blasts US comments on island project as ‘irresponsible’ n AFP Beijing on Monday dismissed as “irresponsible” US criticism of its construction of an artificial island reportedly large enough for an airstrip in a disputed section of the South China Sea. The statement by China’s foreign ministry came after a US military spokesman urged Beijing to stop what it described as a vast land reclamation project on the Spratly Islands.

Days after the report, US military spokesman Jeffrey Pool called on China and other governments to cease such construction The island chain, which the Chinese call Nansha, is also claimed in whole or part by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Brunei.

“External forces have no right to make irresponsible remarks,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing when asked about Washington’s comments.

“The construction activities China is undertaking are for the improvement of the working and living conditions of the island-stationed personnel, so that they can better fulfil their international obligations and responsibilities in search and rescue,” she added.

A report last week by IHS Jane’s Defence revealed new details of a land reclamation project China is under-

taking on Fiery Cross Reef, known as Yongshu in Chinese.

Beijing claims nearly all of the resource-rich South China Sea, while Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have their own claims, several of them also building structures on reefs or occupying islands.

According to the IHS Jane’s Defence report the artificial island is 3,000 metres (9,842 feet) long and 200-300 metres wide, one of several reclamation projects being pursued by China in the region but apparently the first that could accommodate an airstrip.

A harbour has been dug out on the east side of the reef that appears large enough for tankers and naval warships, it said.

Days after the report, US military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Pool called on China and other governments to cease such construction.

Outspoken People’s Liberation Army Major General Luo Yuan also defended the project, which he called “completely legitimate and justifiable” in an interview with the state-run Global Times newspaper.

“The US is obviously biased considering that the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam have already set up military facilities,” Luo was quoted as saying.

In a separate editorial the newspaper contended that China was building on the reef “mainly to improve the living standards of the reef-stationed soldiers.”

“China’s construction on the Yongshu Reef will not be affected by US words,” the paper wrote.

It added: “The Yongshu Reef is becoming a big island, which shows China’s prominent construction capabilities.” l

This picture taken on Sunday shows the Zangmu Hydropower Station in Gyaca county in Lhoka, or Shannan prefecture, southwest China’s Tibet region. China has begun generating electricity from Tibet’s biggest ever hydropower project, state-run media reported, the latest dam development on Himalayan rivers that has prompted concern in India AFP

Tibetan mega-dam begins operation n AFP China has begun generating electricity from Tibet’s biggest ever hydropower project, state-run media reported, the latest dam development on Himalayan rivers that has prompted concern in neighbouring India.

The first generating unit of the 9.6 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) Zangmu Hydropower Station, which stands more than 3,300 metres above sea level, went into operation on Sunday, China’s official Xinhua news agency said.

The dam on the Yarlung Zangbo

Assam: Explosive recovered ahead of Modi meeting n Agencies The Assam police have recovered around 10kg explosive which was suspected to be used to carry out a strike in an ‘important official meeting’ there next week which was to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Hindustan Times reported.

The operations was carried out just a few hours back on Monday.

“In an operation carried out by the Assam police on the information provided by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), 10kg explosive has been recovered from a train at Rangia junction. Rangia is just 50 kms away from Guwahati. The person who was carrying the explosive could not be apprehended,” said a highly placed counter terror source on the condition of annoymity.

On November 29 and 30, the annual directors general of police conference is taking place in Guwahati. It will be addressed by the Modi and and home minister Rajnath Singh. l

Buddhist monks and activists stand near lighted candles as they protest against a Myanmar army artillery attack on a Kaichin Independence Army (KIA) training center, in Yangon yesterday. Twenty-three cadets were killed on Wednesday when a shell hit the training center on the outskirts of Laisa, the KIA capital on the border with China in Kachin State REUTERS

river – known as the Brahmaputra in India, where it is a major waterway – will be 116 metres (381 feet) high when completed next year, according to reports.

It will have a total generating capacity of 510,000 kilowatts, Xinhua said, making it the largest dam ever built on the Tibetan plateau.

“The hydropower station will solve Tibet’s power shortage, especially in the winter,” Xinhua quoted an official from the Tibet Electric Power Co. as saying.

India has previously expressed concern about damming the Brahmaputra,

one of the largest Himalayan rivers and a lifeline to some of India’s remote, farm-dependent northeastern states.

India’s foreign ministry last year urged China “to ensure that the interests of downstream states are not harmed by any activities in upstream areas” of the river, after state media reports that China planned several more dams there.

Foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said Monday that New Delhi had been aware the dam was “coming up.”

“The Chinese have told us that it should no implication for us,” he said.

Atleast 47 dead in Nepal bus crash n Agencies The death toll from a bus crash in western Nepal has risen to 47, making it one of the country’s deadliest road accidents in years, police said.

Emergency workers pulled the bodies of 44 victims from the wreckage of the overcrowded bus over the weekend after it plunged into the deep Bheri river in mountainous Jajarkot district on Thursday.

The bodies of three other victims had earlier been found, and police said rescuers were still searching for more victims in the deep, fast-flowing river, 400km west of the capital, Kathmandu.

According to local news website Nepal News, around 32 bodies have been identified, while the remaining 15 are yet to be identified.

Deadly crashes are relatively common in the Himalayan nation because of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

“The confirmed death toll so far is 47,” said Jajarkot police chief Dinesh Raj Mainali.

“We have recovered all the bodies that were trapped inside the bus wreckage. Now we are searching for any bodies that may be outside the bus.”

Police believe the accident happened when the bus driver saw a tractor approaching from the opposite direction and swerved to avoid it, sending the vehicle off the narrow road, Mainali said.

There were only 45 people on the official passenger list, but police believe the driver stopped along the route to pick up extra travellers without registering them.

“There are 42 seats inside the bus so it was somewhat overloaded,” Mainali said.

Ten injured passengers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment after the bus plunged into the river. l

Chinese dam construction has been blamed for reduced flow and sudden flooding on the Mekong river which flows into Southeast Asia, claims Beijing has denied.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters, “the hydropower stations China builds will not affect the flood prevention and ecological system of downstream areas.”

Chinese media showed photographs of the Tibetan dam – a large concrete structure that did not appear to have flooded an area significantly wider than the river’s original span. l

India names special envoy for China border talks n Reuters, New Delhi India on Monday named its powerful national security adviser as a special envoy on China, opening the way for resumption of talks on the disputed border, where tensions have risen in recent months over border patrols and stiffer defences.

Ajit Doval, a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will lead the negotiations with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi to try and reach a settlement on dispute over the 3,500-km (2,175-mile) border that has clouded rapidly expanding commercial links.

In September, the two armies were locked in a faceoff in the Ladakh sector in the western Himalayas just as Chinese President Xi Jinping was visiting India for the first summit talks with Modi.

Both leaders vowed to work together to resolve the border row that has defied a solution even after 17 rounds of high level talks over the last decade and negotiations even earlier between the diplomats of the two countries. l

‘Afghan women excluded from peace talks’

6.7m Pakistanis used drugs in 2013 n Agencies

n Reuters, Kabul

Around six per cent Pakistanis — 6.7 million people aged between 15 and 64 years —used drugs over the past 12 months, reports Dawn.

The Drug Use in Pakistan 2013 Survey Report released here on Saturday said that 4.25m people were thought to be drug dependent but treatment and specialist interventions were in short supply.

The treatment was available to less than 30,000 drug users during the period under review, the report said, adding that not all structured treatment was free of charge.

The survey on the prevalence and patterns of drug use among the population aged 15 to 64 aims to inform the government, civil society and private-sector organisations so that they could develop and implement effective prevention, treatment and care services in the country.

Balochistan Health Minister Rehmat Saleh Baloch launched the report prepared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Division, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

The report says that in a country where almost a quarter of the population is estimated to be living on less than $1.25 a day, the barriers preventing access to structured treatment are exceptionally high. l

Afghan women are excluded from efforts to negotiate peace with the Taliban and hard-won rights could be bargained away unless more is done to include them in the process, aid agency Oxfam said in a report on Monday.

In 23 rounds of peace talks tracked by Oxfam since 2005, not one Afghan woman participated in discussions between the Taliban and international negotiators.

In talks between the Taliban and the government, only one Afghan woman was present on two occasions, Oxfam said.

“Negotiations and peace talks to date have taken place predominantly behind closed doors and without Afghan women’s knowledge, input or involvement,” the report said.

Under the hardline, Islamist Taliban government ousted by US-led forces in 2001, women were banned from education, employment and public life.

Significant gains made over more than a decade of foreign intervention are now at risk or have already been rolled back, Oxfam said, and the dialogue so far had missed the opportunity to stress the importance of protecting women’s rights.

“It is clear that women’s rights have been a low priority,” the report said.

Just nine of 70 members of the Afghan

High Peace Council are women, and their role is largely symbolic, according to Oxfam, which advocates a 30% minimum threshold for female inclusion.

The Taliban said on Sunday it was in favour of including women in both the talks and any future government, but only once all foreign troops had left Afghanistan. Under the current plan, US and other foreign forces will stay on throughout 2016.

“If invasion is over and Afghans have a chance to build their own system, then each and every individual, man and woman, in this country can play a role in it,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters.

While Afghans and foreign donors alike are optimistic that new president Ashraf Ghani will do more to protect women’s rights, there has been little obvious improvement so far.

Women made up only a small fraction of delegations accompanying Ghani on his first foreign trips to regional powers China and Pakistan, described as part of his effort to revive peace talks with the Taliban.

“Afghans should not have to worry that the world will forget promises made to Afghan women and allow women’s rights to be negotiated away,” Oxfam country director John Watt said in the report. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Ensure accountability for Tazreen

I

t is scandalous that two years on from the Tazreen factory fire which claimed 112 lives and injured hundreds of workers, that many victims remain uncompensated and there has been little progress in holding the negligence of the factory’s owners to account.

While some payments have been made via brands, government, and the BGMEA, many victims and families have not received the level of compensation to which they are entitled.

Extensive delays in finalising charge sheets in the criminal actions which have been filed mean it is still unclear as to what extent the law may be used to hold the factory’s owners to account. There are also grave questions to be asked about the way in which the managing director, Delowar Hossain was able to successfully lobby for bail earlier this year, in ways which created or contributed to serious labour unrest at other factories.

Regardless of this, it is imperative that the government and BGMEA act quickly to ensure victims and their families are properly rehabilitated. Hundreds of workers have been left struggling with no means available to bear essential treatment expenses. There is no reason why they should not be fully compensated.

As custodians of the country’s most important industry, it is a moral imperative upon the government and BGMEA, to ensure factory owners cannot evade their responsibility to compensate workers. It is in the industry’s long-term interest to implement tougher insurance requirements. This would both ensure funds are more readily available when they are needed, and create more incentive for regulations to be properly enforced and accidents prevented.

It is in the industry’s long term interest

Bus lanes are more important than VIPs

I

t is high time for ministers and high ranking public officials to change their expectation that they can always travel through traffic unimpeded.

We have editorialised before on the double standard which allows VIP cars to break traffic rules and add to the congestion endured by ordinary citizens. It is not acceptable for MPs and officials tasked with improving life for the public to exacerbate the already poor traffic situation on a daily basis for their own benefit.

By shielding them further from the reality of daily congestion, routine police escorts make it less likely that they will do anything meaningful to improve Dhaka’s dysfunctional traffic system.

Congestion costs Dhaka’s economy over Tk200bn every year.

Reducing it by investing in modern, safer, accessible buses will more than pay for itself by speeding up traffic flows for everyone.

Evidence from large cities around the world makes clear that the most cost-effective way available to reduce gridlock is to improve the quality and efficiency of bus services so that commuters are tempted out of cars. The BRTC and government must urgently improve our public transport situation.

Only 5% of Dhaka’s population has access to private cars, but they take up over half of its scarce road space. One properly functioning bus route can easily remove 30 cars off the road. We should invest in better buses and give them priority on major thoroughfares by introducing and enforcing public transport only bus lanes.

Senior public officials should show a lead by giving priority to the needs of the many over the comfort of the few.

Give priority to the needs of the many over the comfort of the few

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

Aren’t we gullible?

November 11 though, I have to wonder why fairies. How on earth did the Cottingley pictures make history – were it not for Conan Doyle, they were a three day wonder.

Pretentious posturing I can ignore, but moral equivalence between fraudulent photos and the very real liberation which the fall of the Wall brought to East Europeans is despicable. I’m sure the world would be better if it was more multilaterally run, but if you want the Soviet Union back you really are away with the fairies.

Ibrahim I don’t know if it is so wrong to want to believe in Jishan a better future, but it is true that by believing that Puppetsocks I8: I don’t think anyone here has future is already here, we are stuck in a world of suggested that they want the Soviet Union back. fairy tales rather than of a Utopian reality.

My reading – and I could be wrong – is that we believe the fall of the Berlin Wall signalled not just Madiha the liberation of East Europe but also the end of I really liked this piece. It’s nice to see a variety in Cold War politics. Any thorough look at US and the way the writer approaches his themes. I’ve Russian foreign policy vis-a-vis each other would seen a lot of writing on the Berlin Wall over the break that illusion. Hence, fairy tales to help years, but nothing that comes at the topic this children sleep at night. Again, just my reading, but way. The fact that people from the developing I’d say just as valid as yours. world are happy to buy into the US rhetoric of the world being one ever since 1990 is further proof ER that we like to believe in misplaced hope rather Fairies are basically fairy tales for children, they than face the reality that we are no better off now don’t exist in reality. (in terms of political stability and equality) than we were then.

Waqar ER: Not exactly sure what you’re trying to get Puppetsocks I8 across, but fairies were never just for fairy tales.

Madiha: Great, we’re not supposed to believe And fairy tales do not equal Disney. in fairies, but you know the author thinks it’s a “fact that people from the developing world are Breadbitten happy to buy into US rhetoric,” even though it Waqar: Why you gotta trample all over the nice takes a whole lot of inference to see that in the lady’s/gentleman’s naivete like that? actual article. (And er, its clearly not true given the antipathy shown the US from Latin America to Thievin’ Stealberg the Mideast ...)

The first photoshop.

Assuming that was the writers intention

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 1 represents V so fill V every time the figure 1 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

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

CROSSWORD Joy: BNP is a party of collaborators November 14

Anon Big surprise to see Joy trying to ally BNP with war criminals. #sarcasm

SC warns Bodi, upholds bail November 11

Dr Ahsan Habib Is Bodi getting different treatment from courts compared to the treatment of BNP leaders or common citizens?

Arrest the bigots, not the victim November 11 ffaisal “It is unacceptable that perpetrators of communal unrest roam free.”

We fully share the view expressed in the editorial; indeed this misuse of the law by the bigots must stop. The police must be educated and the flawed laws need to be amended to protect the citizens who express their views for a healthy society free from bigotry.

Vikram Khan Shows who is actually in power in Bangladesh!

DU authorities helpless against Chhatra League

Hasan Ali indicted for war crimes rose Now it is time for Hasan Ali to face the court charges since he committed crimes against humanity.

RS The university authorities did the right thing by suspending four students for their unruly act.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

DOWN 1 Counterfeit (5) 2 Girl’s name (3) 3 Conclusive (5) 4 United (3) 5 Remainder (4) 6 Burden (4) 7 Obstruct (6) 8 Look narrowly (4) 14 Liable (3) 16 Mental acuteness (6) 17 Finish (3) 19 Fixed residences (5) 20 Musical sounds (5) 21 Stiff hair (4) 22 Song for two (4) 23 Back of the neck (4) 26 Loud noise (3) 27 Frozen treat (3)

November 11

Mr Bunchy Pants Maybe this incident will be the straw-that-brokethe-camel’s-back regarding the tightening of BCL’s leash by the government?

November 11

ACROSS 1 In advance (6) 6 Pouring edge (3) 9 Sheeplike (5) 10 Eternal city (4) 11 Inherited character units (5) 12 Copy (3) 13 Merchant (6) 15 Auction (4) 18 That time (4) 21 Unexpectedly (6) 24 Flightless bird (3) 25 Let in (5) 28 Swarm (4) 29 Portion (5) 30 Insect (3) 31 One’s right wits (6)

All those years ago November 10

blainewarner “When I say Dhaka went under water, I mean the city literally was like a scene from the film Water-world.”

I love Towheed Feroze’s nostalgia for the eighties. Wonderful piece!

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

Let the bird stay free November 11

PEANUTS

Dreampie Some wise advice here.

“Cricket in Bangladesh truly transcends all forms of logic and reason.”

This is a common phenomenon in a lot of sporting teams to be frank: Spot someone promising, pad the hell out of his/her ego, watch them fall, rinse and repeat.

CROSSWORD

An eye for an eye November 15

Nazmul Khair The people who are opposed to “eye for an eye” – I want to see when their loved one is killed or harmed. What justice will they then seek?

Ex-MP son arrested for wife’s death November 15

Shamima Shereen Azizee Very very very sad, simply stunned!!!

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

11

Too used to violence n Md Mizanur Rahman

R

ecently, during a discussion on war crimes trials and the subsequent hartals, some of my colleagues urged for more capital punishment, therefore more hartals, and more holidays. They were not concerned about who was given a death sentence, or why. Their main concern was enjoying a holiday!

Hundreds have died in political violence, but many people don’t feel outraged

The UN sails in choppy waters

BIGSTOCK

Blessed are the peacemakers

F

n Aaqib Md Shatil

rom October 16 to October 28 of 1962, the whole of mankind was pushed to the brink of an abyss, as the two most powerful nations of those days, the United States and Soviet Union, were engaged in a confrontation, gearing up the possibilities of a nuclear war.

The crisis that is popularly known as the Cuban missile crisis ended successfully, assuring peace all over the world as the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove its missiles from Cuba in lieu of a rock-solid guarantee from the US that they would never invade Cuba. President John F Kennedy also secretly agreed to remove their missiles from Turkey.

The Cuban missile crisis was a remarkable diplomatic success, as the two superpowers avoided the most catastrophic war in the history of mankind, without firing a single shot.

The crisis depicted how crucial the role of diplomats could be. The need of peacemakers during decisive negotiations was felt on October 28, 1962.

Many do not even know the United Nations played a significant role in pacifying the two nations when they came too close to a nuclear war. The then Secretary General of United Nations U Thant is widely credited for having defused the Cuban missile crisis by interceding between Kennedy and Khrushchev.

Amid widespread criticism, the UN has ensured its impact on many international crises from behind the scene. Shashi Tharoor, an Indian diplomat who served as an under-

secretary general of United Nations pointed it out in his address on UN day, 2012. He said: “Dag Hammarskjöld once described the United Nations as an adventure, a new ‘Santa Maria,’ to use the name of Christopher Columbus’s ship, battling its way through storms and uncharted waters to a new world. But, as he explained, on the shore there were always people who blamed the storm on the ship, rather than on the weather. Five decades later, the metaphor sadly still holds true. The UN continues to sail in uncharted waters, but it is blamed for the squalls that assail it.”

Bangladesh is lagging behind due to the blunders committed by our inefficient diplomats

It is not entirely true that the UN is blamed unreasonably. In many cases, it has failed to play a pivotal role to fulfill the demand of time. For example, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, the organisation could not make any significant step to save our people.

In Bosnia, UN peacekeepers were equally liable for the massacre of Srebrenica and the annihilation of at least 8,000 people. In addition to these,

the insignificant role of the UN during the Iraq War and the massacre at Gaza strip made it clear as a bell that there is still a long way to go.

Holding Model United Nations conferences is considered as one of the best initiatives to make the UN more effective and vibrant. Model United Nations or MUN is an educational simulation and academic competition in which students learns about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. MUN involves and teaches research, public speaking, debating, and writing skills, in addition to critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership abilities.

The concept of MUN is very simple.

In an MUN, replicating the procedures of UN, delegates from different countries are allocated with their countries and committees. The delegates represent their previously allocated countries and lock themselves in a healthy debate.

MUN conferences around the globe are aimed to produce efficient future diplomats who can successfully tackle future problems of their country in the international arena with proficiency, building some highly skilled peacemakers.

In Bangladesh, activities related to the MUN conference started in 2002 when a number of selected delegates engaged in a debate on the role of their countries on combating terrorism worldwide. Since then, many MUN conferences have been held till date.

One of the most prominent organisations to organise MUN conferences in Bangladesh is Dhaka University Model United Nations Association – DUMUNA. DUMUNA has been

credited for holding the largest MUN conference of the country since 2011.

This year, the organisation is going to organise the third session of the conference, the DUNMUN 2014 under the theme “Empowering Youth for Sustainable Development”.

DUNMUN 2014 is expecting more than 500 delegates from around the world. The organisers have already received more than 2,500 applications from aspiring youths who want to take part in this largest youth conference of the country. The prime goal of DUNMUN is to make the youths of the nation aware of world politics, as well as to let them learn the diplomatic skills through a discussion on contemporary issues.

Nevertheless, DUNMUN is committed to providing a platform to the youths of the nation to express their thoughts and show their leadership quality. Through the continuous dialogues between the delegates, they will acquire the necessary skills to develop themselves as peacemakers.

Bangladesh is lagging behind due to the blunders committed by our inefficient diplomats. Moreover, Bangladesh hardly has any impact in the decision-making level of UN after the resignation of Ameerah Haq from the post of under-secretary general last July. The practice of MUN can be beneficial for Bangladesh from both aspects. Bangladesh will surely find some great peacemakers in the coming days, if the MUN conference is held on a regular basis. l Aaqib Md Shatil is a blogger, and a Director of Dhaka University National Model United Nations 2014.

Similarly, there are people who are careless about the casualties of fire outbreaks in garment factories, road accidents, hartals, and so on, which routinely claim hundreds of lives in Bangladesh. Does their conscience not bother them when faced with such human deaths?

While seeking for the answer, I recalled the term “collective unconscious,” coined by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. He defined collective unconscious as the innate disposition to experience. It represents basic human behaviour and situations. To him, it “belongs to the class of ideas that people at first find strange, but soon come to possess and use as familiar conceptions.”

How did this originate? Jung asserts: “It seems to me that their origins can only be explained from assuming them to be deposits of the constantly repeated experiences of humanity.

One of the commonest, and at the same time most impressive experiences, is the apparent movement of the sun every day.”

In line with Jung’s theory, I observe that we Bangladeshis, in our collective unconscious, are getting nonchalant to the events happening around us.

Gradually, the sense of humanity is decaying from our national imagination.

We are becoming narrowly self-centred; we don’t hesitate to gratify our desires, even by means of the life of a fellow human being.

Why is this national transformation happening? The repeated incidences of atrocity, persecution, and other catastrophic events appear shocking to us initially, but gradually become banal. We see everything, but remain motionless, collectively unconscious.

It has two major appalling consequences on our social landscape. First, the culture of protest against oppressions is diminishing, and therefore the number of persecutions is alarmingly rising. For example, hundreds have died in political violence last year, but many people don’t feel outraged because they were “political activists.”

But, in reality, they were real people with real connections, and their deaths

were felt, and had impacts on certain people. We have noticed indignation among people initially when a college student, Limon, was maimed by RAB, or when journalists Sagar and Runi were brutality killed. But that did not persist for long. After these incidents, so many other killings, disappearances, and mass deaths took place, but people were silent.

Nevertheless, in the history of Bangladesh, particularly since 1947, we have noticed the culture of immense protests to safeguard humanity, and to preserve our rights. How many people were killed in 1952 or 1991?

Was the death toll more than that of 2013? No, but today, we are silent and “unconscious” to the deaths.

Children subconsciously legitimise these immoral practices and gradually adopt them as their cultural belongings. In this respect, I remember an experience of philosopher Tariq Ramadan, which he has shared in a lecture recently.

He narrated that while teaching in a secondary school in Geneva, he had a student who loved conflict, and expressed his feelings through violence.

Once Ramadan was called from his house and on his arrival, Ramadan found that the student brutally beat his mother.

He was shocked, and when searched for the reason behind this, he discovered that beatings were a common practice in that student’s family. The student’s father would often beat them. Ramadan explained that frequent experiences of violence made his student’s actions justified to him, and therefore he found beating his mother natural.

I fear that frequent incidents of violence and persecution might establish them as a justified means for children in Bangladesh. They might regard violence as morally legitimate. The day might not be far when a child would say after killing another: “I have done nothing wrong!”

Humanity is decaying from our national imagination

Therefore, to escape the situation, we have to develop a culture of empathy. We have to develop the art of compassion in our national imagination. In Buddhist tradition, it is maintained that compassion starts from the self. We ourselves have to generate compassion, and teach our children to do the same. l Md Mizanur Rahman teaches at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalgonj.

Another Bangladesh paradox? n William B Milam

I

wrote almost a year ago in another Pakistani journal about what I like to call “The Bangladesh paradox.”

The paradox is that, in traditional development theory, Bangladesh should have become, over the past 25 years, a modernised democracy, knocking on the door of entry into the middle income category of developing countries.

Its economy has grown for most of the last two decades around 5-6 % per year, and its social development indices have improved rapidly, and now are generally better than most other South Asian countries except Sri Lanka.

Instead, over those same two decades, Bangladesh has regressed along the democracy/authoritarian axis no matter which of the two major parties was in power (backward in my lexicon means toward authoritarianism, although current Bangladeshi political leaders might define it the other way round).

This regression toward authoritarian governance has accelerated since January this year when a one-party election brought a one-party government to power. This government seems to be following the script laid out in the authoritarian playbook by closing the political space for any kind

of opposition to be viable in the future.

Closing political space usually entails increasing abuse of human rights, and guess what – extra-judicial deaths, disappearances, and harassment of opposition figures are on the rise in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is, in fact, a contradiction to the widely-held modernisation theory of political and economic development, although not the only such contradiction by any means. China is, perhaps a more prominent example.

This theory has held for much of the last 50-60 years that political development inevitably follows economic and social development; countries will modernise socially and politically as they grow economically – the faster the economic growth, the faster the political and social modernisation.

Democracy is, under this theory, the ultimate result of constant economic growth and social development.

Underpinning this theory is the notion that economic growth and social development bring forth a middle class that will become larger and more assertive about its interests, and will push to protect those interests through democratisation.

The “Why Nations Fail” school of political development twists this theory somewhat by arguing that the middle class and other vested interests have gained power because they are

connected with the growth of the economy, and they gain entry into the political and economic institutions to keep them from rocking the boat.

Their motivation for insisting on entry is, of course, to get a larger piece of the pie. But, their ability to assert their interests in these institutions leads to a spreading of the wealth and consensual politics, ultimately to modernisation and, maybe, democracy.

Where is the transformational leader and party with the strength and knowhow to turn things around?

As institutions become more inclusive of vested interests in the country, and thus are strengthened, consensual politics and democracy can take root. In Bangladesh, however, these institutions were never inclusive. But, with different leadership over the two decades, they could have become so.

Alas, they are now being pillaged and reduced by the governing party.

Why have I begun this article with very oversimplified versions of two different, if related, theories of political development? Because I was struck last week by another paradox involving Bangladesh. President Obama was in Myanmar lecturing the Burmese on their failure to keep up the pace they began with a few years ago in their democratisation process as well as an increase in human rights abuses (mostly involving minorities like the Rohingyas).

At the same time, sub-cabinet level US officials in Washington were conducting a “partnership dialogue” with a visiting delegation from Myanmar’s next-door neighbour Bangladesh.

Nowhere in the joint statement that was issued from that dialogue is there any reference to US concerns (and I know the US has them) about the regressions from democratic governance and rising human rights violations in Bangladesh.

I wonder if the government officials in Myanmar are as puzzled by this as I am. Did we raise democracy and human rights issues with the Bangladeshi delegation sotto voce (in the corridors or in lower level unrecorded meetings)? And if so, does the fact that the president raised these issues publicly from the podium in Myanmar while we whispered them to Bangladeshis in Washington mean anything in our

relations with or interests in the two nations?

Or, is it just an ordinary glitch in communication and coordination in the US government? Why is the slippage in the democratisation process (but evidently not a backward slide) in Myanmar, a country which has just entered into that process after decades of authoritarian rule, more important than a serious backward slide in Bangladesh, which has supposedly been working on democracy for 25 years?

Is Bangladesh lost to democracy anyway, so there is no reason to bother and ruffle feathers when it is a lost cause? And if so, what happened to the notion that the wider spread democracy is, the better our national security interests are served?

Well, for Pakistan, these conundrums must seem even more distant politically than Bangladesh and Myanmar are geographically. Perhaps some Pakistanis wish their country had the same problems as Bangladesh. After all, democratic vital signs are very weak in Pakistan.

By vital signs I meant the fundamental bases of real democracy – a literate polity, inclusive institutions that check and balance the tendency of political parties to go too far, a healthy public, and more. Almost all the social development indicators of Pakistan lag even behind some of the poorest

countries of the world.

The formal economy stagnates, partially because neither major party can find the will or the courage to undertake structural reforms that would be the foundation of an economic revival.

The informal economy at least keeps many Bangladeshis alive, but robs the government of needed revenue.

It has always seemed to me that the fundamental questions about Pakistan’s national security revolve around these issues. A society weakened by a largely illiterate population, a fragile and highly skewed economy, an inability to pay its own way in the world and a reliance on moral hazard (someone else picking up the tab), and a very divided polity which includes thousands (maybe millions) of militant extremists that regard the state as illegitimate, if not apostate, is in serious trouble.

Is it a lost cause? Hardly. But the climb back up the slope to a viable state and nation is getting more difficult every day. Where is the transformational leader and party with the strength and knowhow to turn things around and begin that climb? l William B Milam is a Senior Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC and a former US diplomat who was Ambassador to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Chief of Mission in Liberia. This article was first published in The Friday Times.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Tuesday, November 25, 2014

13 Federer legend

grows with Davis Cup win

14 Milan derby ends

all square on Mancini return

14 Hamilton wins

Abu Dhabi GP, claims world title

Sport

Did you know?

Liverpool have conceded an average of 1.5 goals per game this season in the PL (18 in 12 games), their worst ever rate

5 in 5 for Rupganj, Kalabagan CA win nail biter in DPL n Mazhar Uddin Jahurul Islam’s 95 guided Legends of Rupganj to their fifth consecutive victory in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) as they beat Victoria Sporting Club by seven wickets yesterday. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Kalabagan Cricket Academy also claimed full three points from their respective matches on the day.

Legends of Rupganj v Victoria Sporting Club, BKSP-3 National discard Jahurul missed a glorious opportunity to register his first hundred in the season, but his 127ball 95, that included nine fours, was enough to see Rupganj cruise to their target of 192. their foreign recruit Ashar Zaidi was unbeaten on 44 as the league toppers landed their fifth win on a trot.

Earlier, fast bowler Mohammad Shahid bagged four wickets to restrict Victoria to 191/7 in their 50 overs. Victoria skipper Nadif Chowdhury scored highest 57 while coming down the order Enamul Haque Jr blasted 42 from just 13 balls.

Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club v Brothers Union, BKSP-4 The Dhanmondi based club registered a comfortable seven wickets win over Brothers Union as the latter managed to post a mediocre 219/8 in their allotted overs. Opener Yasir Ali made the highest 36 as left-arm spinner Saju Datta picked up four wickets along with Nahidul Islam taking two.

In reply, Sheikh Jamal opener Maishukur Rahman smashed 87 off 131 balls while skipper Shahriar Nafees scored an unbeaten 75 to help reach the Dhanmondi outfit to their target in 48.4 overs.

Kalabagan CA v Prime Doleshwar SC, Fatullah Former Bangladesh captain and wicket-keeper Khaled Masud Pilot once again appeared as the lucky charm for

Kalabagan CA as the coach-cum-player’s presence in the playing XI saw them bag their second win in a row.

Their dramatic run produced yet another close encounter this time against Prime Doleshwar as the title contenders went down by four runs chasing a modest 208.

BRIEF SCORES Legends of Rupganj v Victoria SC Victoria 191/7 in 50 overs Nadif Chowdhury 57, Enamul Haque Jr 42* Mohammad Shahid 4/30 Legends of Rupganj 192/3 in 46.1 overs Jahurul Islam 95, Ashar Zaidi 44* Rupganj won by 7 wickets Sheikh Jamal v Brothers Union Brothers Union 219/8 in 50 overs Yasir Ali 36, Rumman Ahmed 34 Saju Datta 4/40 Sheikh Jamal 221/3 in 48.4 overs Jahurul Islam 95, Shahriar Nafees 75* Sheikh Jamal won by 7 wickets Kalabagan CA v Prime Doleshwar Kalabagan CA 208/10 in 49.4 overs Irfan Shukkur 72 Elias Sunny 4/36, Habibur Rahman 3/51 Prime Doleshwar 204/7 in 50 overs Mehedi Maruf 42, Jubair Ahmed 41 Mehedy Hasan 2/27 Kalabagan CA won by 4 runs Doleshwar lost seven wickets to make 204 in 50 overs in the face of some tight bowling and fielding from Kalabagan.

Opening batsman Mehedi Maruf scored highest 42 for Doleshwar while Mehedy Hasan took 2/27 from nine overs for Kalabagan.

Earlier, despite a 95-run opening stand Kalabagan managed only 208 before getting bowled out. Irfan Shukkur made 75 but had no real contributions from his teammates. Left-arm spinner Elias Sunny picked four wickets while Habibur Rahman took three wickets for Doleshwar. l

Bangladesh cricketers Anamul Haque, Al-Amin and Imrul Kayes arrive at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday

Tigers rest Al Amin as teams reach Dhaka n Mazhar Uddin

Bangladesh and Zimbabwe teams returned to Dhaka yesterday afternoon and are scheduled to train at the Shere-Bangla National stadium today ahead of their series decider on Wednesday.

The Tigers, who tasted sour defeat one after another for the first 10 months

of the year, staged great character and fighting mentality to humble the visitors so far in the home series as they return from Chittagong in a chirpy mood.

Bangladesh Cricket Board also announced the squad for the third day-night affair at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium and the only name missing was of pacer Al Amin Hossain.

The unchanged Bangladesh team are eager to secure the five match one-day series and look forward to continue their winning streak which will also give them the space to test some other players in the last two ODIs. The Tigers won last Test of the threematch series scheduled in Chittagong to complete their first ever longer

DHAKA TRIBUNE

version whitewash at home while they outplayed Zimbabwe in the two limited over games to leave the port city on a happy note.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe are keen to change their fate and end their tour with some positives as their skipper Elton Chigumbura said they will “bounce back in Dhaka.” l

Abahani face uphill task in King’s Cup City face KO, Di Matteo up n Shishir Hoque

MSC appoint Joshi as coach

Abahani Limited face an uphill task to move to the semifinals of the King’s Cup as they take on I-League’s Pune FC in their last group match at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan at 3pm BST today.

The Sky Blues will take the field with very little chance of progressing further as they not only need to win, but win with a difference of five goals

and that result is very unlikely against the Indian top side.

With three wins out of three Pune already booked their ticket for the last-four as Group A champions while Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC), who came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Abahani, thrashed Ugyen Academy 5-1 yesterday which made things complicated for the Bangladesh giants.

MMC, the Nepal A-Division League

champions, have seven points from four matches while Abahani have only four.

The four-time professional league champions Abahani began their campaign with a 2-1 win over Assam Electric before losing their second match against a lower ranked Bhutan Ugyan Academy.

They blew up an easy win against MMC which eventually will be costing them heavily. l

n Raihan Mahmood Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club Ltd named their former winger Kazi Jashimuddin Ahmed Joshi as the coach for the upcoming season while former midfielder Abdul Qayum Sentu be his assistant for the traditional Black and White outfit.

Mohammedan’s appointed Portuguese coach Jose Rui Capela Batista last year following the short stints from Saiful Bari Titu and Jewel Rana and the club finished 4th in the point table of the Nitol-Tata Premier Football League last season.

Joshi, a brilliant left winger in his prime time, was the assistant to Hasnuzzaman Bablu back in 1999 when Mohammedan won the premier league title. He was also the in charge of the team in 2005 before guiding Biyani Bazar in the professional league in 200910 season. He guided the U-16 and U-18 team of Dhaka Mohammedan to the titles in the last two seasons.

Joshi looked forward to the challenge and said, “I will not comment on the team, what I can say Mohammedan is a traditional crowd puller and I will try to play good football, its a big challenge for me but I am confident that I will be able to inspire the team.” l

against Chelsea old boys n AFP, Paris Manchester City welcome Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday needing a win to stay in contention for a last-16 place.

In Germany, Chelsea go to Schalke, managed by Roberto Di Matteo who was in charge of Chelsea when they won the Champions League in 2012.

CSKA Moscow (RUS) v Roma (ITA)

A win for the Russians, behind closed doors as they serve a spectator ban, will put them in pole position to qualify for the knockout round behind group winners Bayern Munich. CSKA will be buoyed by their 2-1 win at Manchester City last time out and will be desperate to avenge a 5-1 loss to Roma in their tournament opener.

Roma, like CSKA on four points after four games, will secure qualification if they win and City fail to defeat Bayern.

The Italians warmed-up for the trip to Moscow with a come-from-behind 2-1 win against Atalanta while Russian champions CSKA have lost their last two domestic games. Roma are missing on-loan defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa who has a thigh injury.

Man City (ENG) v Bayern Munich (GER)

Bayern Munich players joke with Franck Ribery (2nd R, front) during a training session in Munich yesterday. Bayern Munich faces the squad of Manchester City in their Group E Champions League match in Manchester today REUTERS

English Premier League champions City, with just two points from four games, will be eliminated if they lose while a draw will keep their hopes alive only if there is also a draw in Moscow.

Only two teams have taken two points or fewer from their opening four group games and still managed to progress from this stage of the Champions League -- Lokomotiv

Moscow (2002/03, 1 point) and Porto (2004/05, 2 points).

Apoel Nicosia (CYP) v Barcelona (ESP)

Apoel have enjoyed mixing it with the big boys in Group F, even though they have little to show for their efforts beyond a single point and just one goal, along with three 1-0 defeats.

Despite being in the middle of a 13-match unbeaten league run, even home advantage in Cyprus can afford them little hope of overcoming the might of Barcelona, who are already assured of their place in the last 16, while all eyes will be on Lionel Messi as he aims for a record-breaking 72nd Champions League goal.

Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Ajax (NED)

This is a fixture which has anti-climax written all over it, with Paris SaintGermain already assured of a place in the last 16 and Ajax eliminated without having won a single match.

PSG are 31 matches unbeaten at home in UEFA competition, dating back to November 2006 and will be expecting to improve on the 1-1 draw in Amsterdam in their opening group match.

Schalke (GER) v Chelsea (ENG)

Schalke coach Roberto Di Matteo faces the Chelsea team he guided to their first ever Champions League crown in 2012.

Since taking over at the VeltinsArena, the former Italian midfielder has lifted the club up to sixth in the Bundesliga following a 3-2 weekend victory over second-placed Wolfsburg.

Chelsea are riding high at the top of the Premier League and unbeaten in all competitions as Jose Mourinho looks to guarantee qualification and win the group with one match to play. l

Sport

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Clarke to miss vital India Test lead-up game

QUICK BYTES

No date for Schumi’s recovery: manager Michael Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm said Sunday there is still no clear time-frame for the Formula One legend’s full recovery. “That is not possible to say in this situation,” Kehm told German broadcaster RTL. “Michael is making progress appropriate to the severity of his situation, but it will be a difficult and long process.” Schumacher suffered severe head injuries while ski-ing with his family last December in the French Alps, leaving him in a coma for six months.

But he has been recovering at his home in Gland, Switzerland since June. Kehm again stressed that Schumacher’s family are grateful for the constant flood of well wishes from fans of the seven-time world champion. “I can only say again that the family is very happy and touched by the sympathetic messages,” said Kehm. “I believe that positive energy does them good. We appreciate the condolences from around the world.”

–AFP

n AFP, Sydney Injured Australian skipper Michael Clarke said Monday he will miss a vital lead-up game, raising fresh doubts about his chances of playing in next month’s first Test against India.

Clarke, who was named in a 12-man squad Monday subject to a fitness test on his left hamstring, was selected to play for a Cricket Australia XI against the tourists in Adelaide on Friday.

Clarke later confirmed that he will not be playing in that match, placing his position in the Test squad in doubt.

“I’ve been pulled out of, or passed unfit to play the game in Adelaide,” Clarke told reporters in Sydney.

“The medical team in the Australian cricket team have ruled me out of that game.I would hope with my experience that the selectors, my team-mates, Cricket Australia, will all respect my opinion,” he said.

Clarke has been struggling to avoid missing his first home Test match after injuring the hamstring in the recent oneday series against South Africa in Perth.

He also continues to undergo daily treatment for an ongoing back condition. l

United‘s Falcao back in training Manchester United forward Radamel Falcao is back in training after overcoming a niggling calf problem, the 28-year-old confirmed on Twitter on Sunday. Falcao, on loan at Old Trafford from Ligue 1 side Monaco, has not featured since a 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion on Oct. 20.

On Thursday, manager Louis van Gaal announced Falcao could be out for a further two weeks after suffering a “new injury” but the forward could now feature in next weekend’s game against Hull City. “Back to training 100 percent and ready to help the team in the next games,” said the Colombian, who has scored once in four matches for the club. United climbed to fourth in the Premier League after beating Arsenal 2-1 away on Saturday.

–Reuters

Alonso overcome by emotion on Ferrari farewell

Fernando Alonso conceded that the emotional strain of his final race for Ferrari took its toll on him before he even started Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in which he finished ninth.

The result, in a race that carried double points for the first time, not only cost Ferrari a chance to claim third place in the championship ahead of Williams, but also demoted the two-time champion Spaniard sixth in the drivers’ standings. Ferrari also completed a winless season, their first since 1993.

“It was emotional. The worst moment was on the grid, when I jumped in the car, we fired up the engine, and the mechanics stayed there with the blankets for the last minute, with 20 seconds to go,” said Alonso.

–AFP

Revolution and Galaxy gain advantage in MLS Jermaine Jones grabbed an 85th minute winner as the New England Revolution beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in the first leg of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference final on Sunday. The pair will meet again on Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts to decide who will meet the Seattle Sounders or the LA Galaxy in the MLS Cup on Dec. 7. The Galaxy beat Seattle 1-0 in their first-leg at the StubHub Center -- Marcelo Sarvas’ 52nd minute goal separating the teams. The Revolution, who had never previously won at Red Bull Arena, took the lead in the 17th minute when Teal Bunbury cut in from the right flank and superbly curled the ball past New York keeper Luis Robles.

The Red Bulls were back on level terms 10 minutes later with Peguy Luyindula’s shot, at the second attempt, coming out off the bar and Bradley Wright-Phillips heading in his 31st goal of the season.

English striker Wright-Phillips missed a good opportunity just before the break when he could not keep down a header from close range after nice work from Thierry Henry.

–Reuters

SQUAD

A picture shows the frontpages of Swiss newspapers in Lausanne yesterday. Roger Federer gave Switzerland and himself a first Davis Cup title in Lille, pounding Richard Gasquet of France in straight sets to ensure the winning point AFP

Michael Clarke (capt), Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, David Warner, Shane Watson.

Federer legend grows with Davis Cup win n AFP, Lille

It’s taken him 16 years as a pro, but Roger Federer finally has won all there is to win in tennis -- well almost.

All four Grand Slam titles -- a record 17 in total -- six ATP year-end titles, 23 Masters Series, Olympic gold and now the Davis Cup for Switzerland.

The Olympic title of course was in the doubles with Stan Wawrinka in Beijing in 2008 and he has yet to match great rival Rafael Nadal and Andre Agassi as the only men to have won all four Grand Slam titles, Olympic singles gold and the Davis Cup during the course of their careers.

But still – it’s an astonishing record for a player many consider to be the greatest of all time. The Davis Cup win was arguably the hardest of them all for Federer to win, involving as it does other players and doubles action.

Asked to compare his feelings in winning Wimbledon for the first time

in 2003 and what he felt on Sunday after supplying the point Switzerland needed to win the Davis Cup final over France he replied: “You can’t compare.

“When I won Wimbledon, it was a total shock, honestly. Davis Cup is something that I knew was possible at some stage in my career.

“Of course, there was the pressure of being able to manage all this and make everyone happy with all the support we had for the team and everything. So it is a totally different feeling.

“Also I was not alone on the court.

This changes totally everything.”

Federer’s first tournament as a professional was in the Swiss ski resort of Gstaad in 1998, where he lost in the round of 32.

Although rated as one of best juniors in the world, there was no real hint at that time what tennis was about to witness as he entered the professional sphere. It wasn’t until he defeated Pete Sampras at Wimbledon in a fourth

round match in five sets in 2001 that his true potential became clearer to see.

Still, he struggled to make much headway in the Grand Slam events and question marks were raised when he lost miserably to Luis Horna in the first round of the French Open in 2003.

Federer came up alongside a generation of young champions who achieved immediate success, like Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick and Marat Safin. While his contemporaries were shooting up the rankings and winning Grand Slam titles, he struggled to break through.

“I don’t want to say I was frustrated, but I didn’t understand why it wasn’t happening for me,” Federer said last year. “I was far enough behind that I was, ‘OK, let’s push myself a little more’.”

A month after his Paris flop, that change of attitude reaped immediate dividends as Federer produced a majestic display over the Wimbledon fortnight, defeating Mark Philippoussis in straight sets in the final.

The Federer era had begun in earnest and he dominated tennis over the next four years winning 10 Grand Slam titles. On two occasions – in 2004 and 2007 – he won three out of four. By that time Spanish claycourt king Rafael Nadal had come along to become the player Federer has always seen as his greatest rival.

Nadal ruled at Roland Garros and it took his shock defeat at the hands of Robin Soderling in 2009 to clear the way for Federer to finally win the French Open, thus completing the Grand Slam set.

By that time he had won Olympic gold with Wawrinka in 2008 and by Wimbledon 2012 he had taken his haul of Grand Slam titles to an all-time best of 17.

Still the Davis Cup remained out of his grasp and, at 33, time was clearly running out when he and Wawrinka decided, after the latter won the Australian Open at the start of the year, that they would commit totally to playing

the Davis Cup this year. They swept past a Novak Djokovic-less Serbia in the first round, edged a nervy outing against Kazakhstan in the quarter-finals and comfortably saw off Italy in the semis.

France away in the final was a different prospect, however, with players of the calibre of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils on the other side of the net.

A fractious match against Wawrinka in the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals when the two argued and Federer damaged his back did not help.

But all that was swept aside in Lille as Switzerland became just the 14th country to win the Davis Cup. “For me personally, obviously I’m unbelievably happy because I’ve been playing in this competition for probably almost 15 years now,” he said.

“At the end of the day I wanted it more for the guys and for (coach) Severin (Luthi) and Stan, the staff and everybody involved. This is one for the boys.” l

Marseille return to top with victory n Reuters

Late goals from Andre-Pierre Gignac and Michy Batshuayi helped Olympique de Marseille return to the top of Ligue 1 with an entertaining 3-1 victory against Girondins Bordeaux on Sunday.

Gignac’s glancing header in the 85th minute and Batshuayi’s simple finish after 89 minutes rescued all three points after Marseille’s Mario Lemina had equalised Thomas Toure’s opening goal for the visitors.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Nantes climbed above Bordeaux into fourth despite being held to a goalless draw at home to sixth- placed St Etienne while Montpellier climbed to ninth after a 2-0 win at home to Toulouse.

Marseille’s win left them one point

ahead of Paris St Germain after the champions won 3-2 at Metz on Friday and four points ahead of Olympique Lyon who drew 0-0 at Bastia on Saturday.

LIGUE 1 Marseille

3-1

Lemina 60, Gignac 85, Batshuayi 89

Bordeaux Toure 55

Nantes

0-0

Saint-Etienne

Montpellier

2-0

Toulouse

Mounier 37, S. Camara 87

In a goalless but pulsating first half at the Stade Velodrome, both sides created chances with Marseille’s in-form forward Gignac and attacking midfield-

er Florian Thauvin causing the visiting defence numerous problems.

The hosts had won their previous five home league games and continued to pile on the pressure after halftime but were stunned when Toure slotted home in the 55th minute after being afforded too much space in the box.

Marseille’s Abdelaziz Barrada had a goal ruled out for offside before they finally scored the goal their play warranted when Lemina headed home to restore parity in the 60th minute.

Bordeaux could have taken the lead but for wasteful finishing from Toure and Wahbi Khazri and just as a draw beckoned, Gignac nodded home his 11th league goal of the season and Batshuayi’s goal sealed a 10th league victory in 14 matches this season. l

Hiroki Wateneb, the Japanese baseball trainer demonstrates a skill to a trainee of the Dhaka Commerce College in Mirpur yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

McIlroy eyes green jacket after stellar 2014 n Reuters, Dubai

DAY’S WATCH UEFA Champions League

Ten Action 11:00PM CSKA Moscow v. Roma 1:00AM Manchester City v Bayern

Ten Sports 11:00PM Bate v Porto 1:00AM Schalke v Chelsea

Ten HD 1:00AM APOEL v Barcelona

13

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland poses with the European tour championship trophy after the final round of the golf DP World Tour Championship on Sunday AFP

As he picked up the European money list trophy for the second time in three seasons on Sunday, Rory McIlroy had two words to say when asked for his goals for 2015: “Green Jacket”.

To golfers, that phrase means one thing -- winning the U.S. Masters, the only major championship to elude the Northern Irishman.

“It’s not something I thought possible, I will work hard and make sure I’m ready for that,” McIlroy told reporters after tying for second at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, the European Tour season-ender.

Winning in Augusta will be tough -no European has done it since Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999 -- yet world number one McIlroy is well equipped to end the drought after a season in which he

claimed a maiden British Open title, a second U.S. PGA crown and two other European Tour victories.

“In terms of ball striking, I’ve driven it better, which is a huge part of my game,” McIlroy told reporters.

“When I drive it well I can give myself shorter irons into greens and more opportunities for birdies. My mid-range putting has been very good this year.”

“I used to be uncomfortable. There’s added scrutiny and there’s added criticism,” said McIlroy. “But I learned to deal with it. It’s just part of the title. I want to keep it for as long as I possibly can.”

McIlroy’s 2014 resurgence happened despite off-course dramas. He split up with his fiancee, tennis player Caroline Wozniacki, and is involved in a legal dispute with his former agents which led him to miss some tournaments. l

Baseball training course initiated at Commerce College n Raihan Mahmood A month long baseball training course organised by the Bangladesh BaseballSoftball Association was inaugurated at the Dhaka Commerce College in Mirpur yesterday.

Japanese trainer Hiroki Wateneb introduced the game to the trainees as around hundred students including a good number of girls also attended the programme.

Professor Abu Sayeed, the principal inaugurated the programme as the chief guest.

Aminul Islam Liton, the general secretary of baseball association, convener of college’s sports committee, assistant professor Hasan ur Rashid, college teachers Waliullah and Faiz Ahmed also spoke on the occasion. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Milan derby ends all square on Mancini return n Reuters, Milan Roberto Mancini’s return to the Inter Milan bench after a six-year gap ended in a 1-1 draw against old rivals AC Milan in Serie A on Sunday.

Napoli coach Rafael Benitez was fuming after his side squandered a 2-0 lead in a 3-3 draw with Cagliari while Torino missed their fifth consecutive penalty on their way to a 1-0 home defeat by Sassuolo.

Thirty-seven-year-old Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale scored his 200th Serie A goal in his 400th appearance and hapless Parma lost again.

Milan scored with their first shot on target when Jeremy Menez sidefooted the ball past Samir Handanovic on the volley in the 23rd minute.

Joel Obi levelled with a low shot from the edge of the area in the 61st minute following a poor clearance by Cristian Zapata before Stephan El Shaarawy hit the bar for Milan and Mauro Icardi for Inter in a frantic final 20 minutes between the two fallen giants.

Gonzalo Higuain, with his seventh goal in the last five league games, and Gokhan Inler put third-placed Napoli 2-0 ahead in less than half an hour but Victor Ibarbo pulled one back with some delightful footwork and Diego Farias equalised two minutes after halftime.

In an open second half, with Cagliari coach Zdenek Zeman throwing caution to the wind in his inimitable style, Jonathan De Guzman put Napoli back in front with a looping header but the Sardinians grabbed a deserved point when Farias turned in Ibarbo’s cross.

“I’m certainly not happy to see these presents after so much work. We had the game in our hands and we gave it away,”

Benitez told reporters after his side lost ground on leading pair Juventus and AS Roma, who both won on Saturday.

Di Natale became only the seventh player to reach the 200 goal mark although it was not enough for Udinese who were held 1-1 by Chievo.

Hapless Cesena substitute Constantin Nica came off the bench and scored an own goal with his first touch of the game as he diverted a cross into the net to gift fourth-placed Sampdoria a 1-1 draw.

The Sea Horses had taken the lead when Stefano Lucchini scrambled home against his former club from Franco Brienza’s free kick.

Bottom club Parma, beaten 7-0 by Juventus in their last game, went down 2-0 at home to Empoli.

Torino were jeered off after Juan Sanchez Mino saw his penalty saved by Andrea Consigli on the half hour and Antonio Floro Flores headed Sassuolo’s late winner from a corner. l

SERIE A Torino

0-1

Sassuolo Floro Flores 87

Udinese

1-1

Di Natale 45+1

Parma

Chievo Radovanovic 74

0-2

Empoli

Vecino 45+1, Tavano 56

Cesena

1-1

Lucchini 60

Sampdoria Nica 77-og

Verona

1-2

Lopez 39

Rodriguez 16, Cuadrado 62

Napoli

3-3

Higuain 11, Inler 30, De Guzman 62

AC Milan

Fiorentina Cagliari Ibarbo 38, Farias 47, 68

1-1

Menez 23

Inter Milan Obi 61

Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini waves to photographers before the start of their Italian Serie A match against AC Milan at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Sunday

Liverpool misery goes on, Spurs win n Reuters, London

Crystal Palace heaped more misery on a mentally frail Liverpool when they came from behind to win 3-1 in the Premier League on Sunday, six months after effectively ending the northern club’s title hopes when they drew 3-3.

Liverpool finished second last season but, like Tottenham Hotspur who came back to win 2-1 at Hull City late on, they have started this term poorly and are looking to climb out of mid-table and back up the standings.

While Spurs moved from 12th to 10th, Liverpool dropped a place to 12th after again losing at Palace, where their hopes of winning the title were so spectacularly dashed last May when they let slip a 3-0 lead as Palace fought back to level.

This time they wasted a lead they took in the second minute when Rickie Lambert scored his first goal for the club following his move from Southampton in the close season.

EPL Crystal Palace

3-1

Gayle 17, Ledley 78, Jedinak 81

Hull Livermore 8

Liverpool Lambert 2

1-2

Tottenham Kane 61, Eriksen 90

Instead of building on it, they crashed to a third successive league defeat as Palace ended a run of five league games without a win.

Goals from Dwight Gayle after 17 minutes, then Joe Ledley and a superb curling free kick from skipper Mile Je-

dinak in the last 12 minutes, gave Palace the points which lifted them out of the bottom three and up to 15th on 12 points -- two behind Liverpool.

If Palace gave a Neil Warnock-like performance then Spurs gave a typical Spurs performance, especially in the first half when they flattered to deceive and Hull looked the better side.

But Spurs ended the happier despite having to wait until the 90th minute for Christian Eriksen’s winner against the home side, who had three former Spurs players -- Michael Dawson, Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore -- in their starting lineup.

Inevitably, it was one of them who scored against his old club with Livermore cracking home from outside the box after eight minutes. l

REUTERS

Struggling Hamburg win to escape bottom three n AFP, Berlin

Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen celebrates scoring the winner during their EPL match against Hull City in Hull on Sunday REUTERS

Hamburg escaped the Bundesliga’s bottom three on Sunday with a 2-0 win at home to 10-man Werder Bremen, which pushed Borussia Dortmund back into the relegation places.

Latvia striker Artjoms Rudnevs was Hamburg’s hero as he netted his first goal of the season on 84 minutes after coming off the bench to put the hosts ahead.

Bremen goalkeeper Raphael Wolf then pushed the ball into his own net in the third minute of stoppage time.

“That was three important points for us,” said Hamburg coach Joe Zinnbauer.

Bremen finished with 10 men after

captain Clemens Fritz was sent off for a second yellow card on 90 minutes, while the result left Bremen 17th after the 101st north German derby.

The victory, only Hamburg’s third of the season, lifts then up to 15th and drops last season’s runners-up Dortmund down into 16th following their 2-2 draw against Paderborn on Saturday after throwing away a two-goal lead. l

BUNDESLIGA Hamburg

2-0

Werder Bremen

Rudnevs 84, Wolf 90+3-og

VfB Stuttgart

0-1

Augsburg Verhaegh 72-P

Valencia stunned after derby defeat

Real Madrid to play exhibition matches n Reuters, Madrid in Melbourne Valencia lost ground on La Liga’s pacen Reuters, Melbourne setters when they slipped to a surprise

Argentina’s former player Claudio Caniggia (R) greets Brazil’s former player Athirson before their international masters friendly match in Natal on Sunday REUTERS

European champions Real Madrid will play exhibition matches with an English Premier League side and a Serie A club at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground next year, organisers said on Monday.

The teams will play each other in three fixtures at the 100,000-seat MCG from July 18-24 as part of the International Champions Cup, a series of pre-season matches involving top European clubs, Victoria state sports minister Damien Drum told reporters.

The other teams will be named in coming weeks. l

2-1 reverse at mid-table city rivals Levante on Sunday.

Victor Casadesus nodded Levante in front in the 58th minute at their Ciutat de Valencia stadium before Dani Parejo levelled in the 74th when he was sent clear by Alvaro Negredo.

Substitute Jose Luis Morales struck the winner for the home side moments later when he ran at the visiting defence and curled a superb shot into the top corner. Negredo, who is on loan at Valencia from Manchester City, had a chance to equalise again eight minutes from time but sent his header straight

at keeper Diego Marino.

“Derby days are always special days

LA LIGA Rayo Vallecano

1-0

Celta Vigo

2-1

Valencia

Bueno 20

Levante

Casadesus 57, Morales 74

Elche

2-2

Lomban 63-pen, Jonathas 75

Villarreal Gaspar 38, Moreno 43

Parejo 73

Cordoba Fidel 12, Cartabia 60

2-1

Getafe Lacen 61

and we had to work hard to get the three points,” Morales said in an interview with Spanish television.

“Protecting our top-flight status will

happen in home matches and above all with the support of our fans. It could be the best goal I have scored in my career.”

Real Madrid lead on 30 points after Saturday’s 4-0 stroll at La Liga debutants Eibar, with a Cristiano Ronaldo double taking the Portugal forward’s tally for the season to 20 goals in 11 appearances.

Barcelona are two points behind their arch rivals in second thanks to Saturday’s 5-1 drubbing of fifth-placed Sevilla, which was decorated by Lionel Messi netting a hat-trick to set an alltime La Liga record of 253 goals.

Levante’s victory lifted them out of the relegation zone to 13th place on 12 points, two points behind Rayo Vallecano, who won 1-0 at home to Celta Vigo in Sunday’s early kickoff. l

Arab footballers Hamilton wins Abu Dhabi beat Jewish rivals in tense grudge match GP, claims world title Rosberg finished 14th, lapped by n AFP, Abu Dhabi Hamilton and bitterly disappointed. n AFP, Sakhnin As Hamilton roared his delight – Lewis Hamilton clinched his second Under the eyes of hundreds of police and private security guards the Israeli premier league’s only Arab club beat mainly-Jewish rivals Beitar Jerusalem 1-0 on Sunday.

Despite on-pitch brawling between Beitar and Bnei Sakhnin players in the seventh minute of extra time, police reported only minor incidents off the field.

Police originally banned the game from being held in the Arab town of Sakhnin due to safety concerns after a series of deadly attacks in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

There is a history of racist violence by some Beitar supporters who have clashed with Sakhnin fans in the past.

But on Friday they rescinded the ban, saying that security had been “significantly” improved at Bnei’s Doha Stadium, which was built with millions of dollars in donations from Qatar. l

drivers’ world championship and became the first British multiple champion for 46 years when he won Sunday’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The 29-year-old Englishman, who took his first title in 2008 with McLaren, won not only the 55-laps race, but also his private duel with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, who suffered prolonged problems with his car after making a poor start from pole position.

Having started from the prime spot on the grid for the 11th time this year, Rosberg was comprehensively outpaced immediately as Hamilton surged clear to control the race with a welljudged and dominant performance.

Hamilton’s victory was his 11th of the season and the 33rd of his record-breaking career and secured a record 16th victory of the season for the Mercedes team.

“Whoooah world champion – Oh my God, cannot believe it – thanks everyone” – Prince Harry responded on team radio. “Thank you very much Lewis for not letting the British public down, you are a legend.”

Hamilton became the fourth British driver to win more than one championship, joining Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark and Graham Hill, the last man to succeed in 1968.

Daniel Ricciardo was fourth for Red Bull ahead of Briton Jenson Button in what may be his last race with McLaren, Nico Hulkenberg and his Force India team-mate Sergio Perez.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel finished eighth in his final race with Red Bull, one position ahead of the man he replaces at Ferrari next season, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari. l

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (C) of Britain celebrates with his teammates on the pit lane after winning the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Sunday AP

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

15

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

NICOLE KIDMAN loves playing the bad girl

The Core

Zee Studio, 9:35pm

n Entertainment Desk Nicole Kidman has admitted that she is always happy to play the villain. At the premiere of “Paddington” in central London, the 47-year-old Australian beauty, who plays a sinister taxidermist in the film, said as a child too she loved the wicked witch in “The Wizard Of Oz,” so it was obvious that she grew up to be the one who loved playing the bad girl, Sky News reported.

Regarding the film’s PG certificate, which means some scenes may be unsuitable for young children under the age of eight, the actress, who has two children with husband Keith Urban, in addition to having two with Tom Cruise, said that though she had not seen the film, she would be bringing her kids to see it.

The film, which has been directed by Paul King, sees Paddington bear sent from the jungle and smuggled on a boat to England. l

The only way to save Earth from catastrophe is to drill down to the core and set it spinning again.

127 Hours

Star Movies, 11:58pm

Reminiscing HUMAYUN AHMED n Mou Mehzabien Boishakhi

A man may leave the world but the legacy he leaves behind is eternal. Humayun Ahmed, one of the greatest literary canons of Bangla literature, is no more among us but his creation is still prevalent.

The truth was evident at the exhibition organised on the 66th birth anniversary of the author.

Many of his works, along with rare photographs, manuscripts, paintings and memorabilia, borrowed from his relatives friends and well-wishers, are on display at the Nalinikanta Bhattasali Au-

ditorium of the National Museum.

The paintings, mainly done in watercolour, depict natural scenes of wide rivers, open sky and beautiful trees. The eye-arresting paintings unfurl another side of Humayun Ahmed, as an accomplished painter, to the visitors.

The hand written manuscripts of “Megher Upor Bari,” “Payer Tolay Khorom” and other books expose a rather personal side of the writer, bringing him closer to his readers.

However, the images of Humayun Ahmed are the main attraction of the exhibition. Those rare photos show glimpses of the family life of the author.

Humayun Ahmed has been captured with his mother Ayesha Fayez, his brothers, Mohammad Zafar Iqbal and Ashan Habib, and also with his children in the photographs. Besides, the images show leisurely moments that he spent in painting, reading books and travelling.

Personal belongings of Humayun Ahmed including the chair he used to sit on while shooting films, sunglasses, wrist watches, hats, mufflers and many more are also on display at the exhibition.

The exhibition, which began on November 13 will continue until November 26. l

A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.

Maverick

HBO Defined, 5:55pm

Bret Maverick, needing money for a poker tournament, faces various comic mishaps and challenges, including a charming woman thief.

JACQUELINE to act opposite John and Varun n Entertainment Desk Though Jacqueline Fernandez is very excited about doing Hollywood films, the actress seems to have no interest in ditching her Bollywood career. Obviously, after her much popular “Kick” with Salman Khan turned out to be the blockbuster of 2014, Jacqueline seems to be on a roll signing films. The actress next will be directed by Rohit Dhawan.

Rohit Dhawan, who is currently helming a two hero project, has decided to rope in Jacqueline Fernandez for his upcoming film. The untitled film has John Abraham and Rohit’s brother Varun Dhawan in the lead.

While this will be the first time that Varun will be acting with John and Jacqueline, John and the Sri Lankan beauty have prior to this done films like “Race 2” and “Housefull 2.”

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film in question will go on floor in April 2015. Currently, the actors are busy with their respective projects.

While John Abraham is juggling to find time between his acting career and production, Varun Dhawan is busy with other films which includes “Badlapur” and “ABCD 2.” The actor has also signed the Bollywood remake of “The Fault In Our Stars” alongside Deepika Padukone. John Abraham will next be seen in “Welcome Back” along with Shruti Haasan and Nishikant Kamat’s “Rocky Handsome.” Apart from that he will also be producing “Agra Ka Daabra,” “1911” and “Satra Ko Shaadi Hai.” l

Jazz concert by a German group in the capital Band Thaerichen’s Tentett to perform today

n Entertainment Desk A leading German band Thaerichen’s Tentett will present a colourful mix of jazzy sounds with unforeseen and unpredictable elements at the main auditorium of Shilpakala Academy today at 7:30pm.

The band is celebrating their fifteenth anniversary with a maiden tour in Bangladesh and India.

The musical director, Nicolai Thaer-

ichen, founded the band in 1999 with the lead singer Michael Schiefel. This ten-piece-band performs Nicolai’s original compositions, mostly songs set on poems by artists like Dorothy Parker, Lord Byron, Thomas Hardy and Ronald D Laing.

Since its formation, ‘the creme of Berlin’s young Jazz scene’ Thaerichen has published four CD’s. Their début Lady Moon (2001) was labelled ‘excellent’ by Jazzthing. They have so far

released five records and received rave reviews.

The band’s performances are characterized by felicitous compositions, polished arrangements and humorous compositions. Speaking about vocalist Michael Schiefel, German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said: “Germany has perhaps never had such a jazz singer.”

The concert, organised by Goethe Institut Bangladesh, is free for all. l

KATY PERRY, ONE DIRECTION win at 2014 American Music Awards One Direction dominated the fan-voted 2014 American Music Awards, which aired live Sunday night on ABC. Katy Perry also won three awards – Favorite Female Pop/Rock Artist, Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist and Single of the Year for “Dark Horse” – but two of those awards were not presented on camera, and Katy was not in the house to accept. She sent an acceptance video from Australia, where she’s currently on tour.

The five Brits performed on the show and took home three trophies, including the most prestigious one, Artist of the Year. Pronouncing the award “so, so cool,” Liam Payne said, “It’s amazing, because we worked so hard on these last two albums...we spent a lot of time writing the music and really going down and trying our hardest to really improve and make the music better and better.”

The group, whose new album “Four” just came out and has already hit #1 on the British charts, also won for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo or Group, and for Favorite Pop/Rock Album, for their previous release, “Midnight Memories.”

Beyonce, who was also not present, won two awards, as did Iggy Azalea, who was. l

The cast and crew of ‘Dolls House 2: Shat-ti Tarar Timir’, a new daily soap, were present at its premier at a restaurant in the capital on Sunday. The drama starring popular actors Subarna Mostafa, Moutushi Biswas, Sanjida Preeti, Mousumi Hamid, Swarna, and Intekhab Dinar will be aired on ATN Bangla every Saturday to Tuesday at 10:55pm KHAN HASAN MD RAFI

RITA ORA: Fifty Shades of Grey role has opened a lot of doors Singer Rita Ora may soon be enjoying a successful career as a movie star, and she thanks to her role in “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

Speaking to the OK! magazine, Ora said the huge controversy and interest surrounding the film has been nothing but good for her acting ambitions. “Everyone is going to have his or her own opinions,” she said.

“But for me this was such a great cameo to be involved in, and even though I’m only in it for a little bit, it’s opened the door to a lot of movie things that I haven’t actually announced yet,” she added.

Ora will play Mia, the adopted sister of Christian Grey played by Jamie Dornan, in the highly antici-

pated adaptation of EL James’ worldwide bestseller. Ora, who is a judge on the UK version of “The Voice,” said her role on “Fifty Shades” made her want to act more. “I have the bug, for real. ‘Fifty Shades’ was a moment of cameo and a really good wake-up call. It was nice to be a part of it and it opened a lot of doors.”

Her role in “Fifty Shades” would not be the first time she has appeared on the big screen, previously she starred in little seen British gangster flick “Spivs” from 2004 as well in last year’s “Fast 6” which was predominantly shot in Ora’s native London.

“Fifty Shades,” though, is a whole new level of notoriety. “Fifty Shades is going to make a lot of waves, I’ll tell you that much. It’s going to be awesome.” l

Exhibition

Life is Here

By Kanak Chanpa Chakma Time: 12pm – 8pm, Bengal Art Lounge Group Art Exhibition: Artworks by 40 Eminent Artists Time: 3:00pm – 8:30pm Bishwo Shahitto Kendro Art Gallery

Film

Interstellar, Gone Girl, Annabelle Onek Sadher Moyna The Maze Runner Into The Storm Blockbuster Cinemas Jamuna Future Park Roar Shopno Je Tui Dracula Untold Planes : Fire & Rescue(3D) Pipra Bidda Star Cineplex, Level 8, Bashundhara City

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

New committee to recommend better use of agri-subsidy

Back Page

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

N O S TA L G I A , N O W

The eight-member committee asked to submit a report in a month’s time of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Chemin Asif Showkat Kallol cal Industries Corporation (BCIC).

Having failed to pull down crop harvesting cost despite reducing fertiliser prices several times, the government has formed a specialised committee tasked with recommending better ways to use agricultural subsidy.

Global lender International Monetary Fund (IMF), who is providing Bangladesh $1m in several tranches under its Extended Credit Facility (ECF), also wants transparency in the agricultural subsidy distribution.

A major portion of the government agricultural subsidy goes to the fertiliser importers so that they can sell the inputs at prices lower than their import prices.

However, questions have been raised in recent times regarding how the importers have been using the subsidy. There are allegations that some importers have been misappropriating the money given to them using the letters or credit (L/Cs).

A Finance Ministry official told the Dhaka Tribune recently: “Over the last couple of years, the Agriculture Ministry has reduced input costs several times by giving more subsidies. But that has not had any visible impact on the cost of harvesting crops. So, we need to know why the higher subsidy has failed to reduce harvesting costs.”

Sheikh Badrul Alam, deputy head of the Fertiliser Management and Monitoring wing under the Agriculture Ministry, has recently issued a circular announcing the formation of the committee.

The eight-member committee, headed by an additional secretary of the Agriculture Ministry, has been asked to submit a report to the minister in one month so that a new policy could be made.

The other members of committee are the chairman of Bangladesh Fertiliser Association (BFA), joint secretaries of the Finance Division and the Agriculture Ministry, and representatives of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), the Foreign Monetary Policy Department

According to the Finance Division, during the 2013-14 fiscal year, the Agriculture Ministry used up Tk6,116 crore out of the total Tk9,000 crore allocated for subsidy.

In September 2013, the price of urea was reduced by Tk4 per kg and re-fixed the procurement price of the BCIC at Tk14,000 per tonne.

However, in the first three months of the ongoing 2014-15 fiscal year, the allocation has remained the same but only Tk1,083 crore have been disbursed.

A total of 5,300 members of the BFA distribute non-urea fertiliser across the country. They enjoy nearly 50% subsidy on the prices quoted in the L/Cs while importing the inputs, especially from the former Soviet countries.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury has recently told Dhaka Tribune: “We are trying to continue reducing the price of agricultural inputs with transparency. That will definitely have a positive impact on the cost of harvesting crops.

Farmers’ interests should come ahead of the donors’ advices.”

On October 30, with an aim to encourage the use of non-urea fertilisers, the Agriculture Ministry slashed the price of dominium phosphate (DAP) at the retail level by Tk2. From November 1, DAP is being sold at Tk25 per kilogram at the retail level instead of the previous Tk27. Since then, dealers have been purchasing the substance from the importers at Tk23.

The government estimates that the demand for chemical fertiliser will be 5.03 million tonnes in the ongoing 2014-15 fiscal year, up against a current reserve of 1.33 million tonnes.

According to the Industries Ministry, around Tk900 crore is drained out of the country every year for importing fertiliser at Tk38,589/tonne, although the locally produced inputs are far cheaper – around Tk14,000 per tonne. The government has to cover up for the gap by giving heavy subsidy to the importers. l

Tazreen fire victims demand compensation n Tribune Report

Tazreen fire: They still suffer, unnoticed

Ready made garment workers and labour leaders yesterday demanded that proper compensation be paid soon to the victims of Tazreen Fashion fire incident.

They made the demand at a rally in front of the National Press Club organised to mark the second anniversary of the devastating fire which killed 112 workers and injured over 200 people.

On November 24, 2012, the fire broke out at a factory of Tazreen Fashions in Savar, on the outskirt of the capital.

Family members of the victims and injured workers attended the rally.

‘The victims and their family members have not got their compensation as per the laws’ The compensation should be provided in line with the convention 121 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the RMG workers’ leaders said.

“Two years have passed since the deadly fire at the Tazreen Fashion. But the victims and their family members have not got their compensation as per the laws,” said Nazma Akter, president of Sammilito Garments Sramik Federation (SGSF). The injured workers are unable to bear the expenses of their treatment. They are facing difficulties to lead their lives, she said.

Demanding arrest of Delowar, the owner of Tazreen Fashion, Bangladesh National Garment Workers Employees League (BNGWEL) President Sirajul Islam Rony said if the culprit go unpunished it will encourage others to do the same offense.

He urged the government to take initiatives to ensure safe workplace for RMG workers so that not a single worker has to die in factory disaster. l

A rare sight where a postman is taking out letters from a post box. The very few post boxes still standing by the roadside in Dhaka have become archaic due to lack of use. The photo was taken from in front of the DIG Prison Bas Bhaban in the capital yesterday AZAHAR UDDIN

WB report: High emission can worsen disasters n Tribune Report

A new study report on global warming warns that countries like Bangladesh are going to face more negative impacts of climate change including more severe droughts, sea-level rise and increasing risk of food and water security, if the current trends of carbon emission continues.

The research report states that without combined action, the planet would continue to warm and extreme weather events that today occur once in hundreds of years could become the “new climate normal,” causing increased risks and instability.

Mexico and Sub-Saharan African countries like Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia would also face similar consequences.

The report titled “4 Degrees Turn Down the Heat: Confronting the New Climate Normal” prepared by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics for the World Bank Group was released on Sunday.

It says Bangladesh is among the coun-

tries having the risks of increase in poverty headcount rate and risks of chronic poverty in different warming scenarios.

Affected social groups where hunger is expected to become prevalent are urban poor groups and urban wage labourers, residents of informal settlements and dwellers in rural hotspots.

It would have impact on food prices related to effects on productivity, employment and wages related to agriculture productivity in countries like Bangladesh, the report says.

The warming would cause reduction in availability of clean water supply and sanitation, while worsening flooding, drought, salt water intrusion, increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, and population pressure, displacement and urbanisation in countries like Bangladesh.

Earlier, the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s fifth assessment report on climate change suggested that the governments have to mainstream climate adaptation action into the national development planning, early warning systems and integrated

water resources management, to face the challenge.

Dr Atiq Rahman, executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), said Bangladesh had enough policy and documentation on how to take the adaptive measures but “there is lack of proper planning on the development initiatives.”

He suggested that the government consider the vulnerabilities like flood, cyclone and drought while taking development projects, otherwise the sectors like agriculture will be affected seriously which could damage the total food production in the country.

Bangladesh formulated a policy named Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) in 2009 which directs the detailed plan for all sectors including agriculture, food security and water to reduce the risk of climate change.

Under the policy, the government has formed two funds – Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF) with its own resources and Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BBCRF) with the

n Nadim Hossain, Savar

When the devastating fire broke out and spread quickly, they found the exit door locked – due to negligence of the factory officials. But desperateness to remain alive was so high among them that they did not hesitate to jump off the building’s windows.

Hence, they escaped death – from suffocation inside the readymade garment factory building – at the cost of different organs including eyes, hands and legs, and a trauma that haunts them until date.

Over 200 workers, mostly women, sustained injuries in the fire at Tazreen Fashions under Tuba Group at Nishchintapur of Ashulia on November 24, 2012 when at least 111 were killed – the deadliest factory fire incident in the country.

They only received primary treatment, and left in the sea since then, even though they were supposed to get necessary treatment at free of cost.

In the meantime, because of not getting any compensation from the government or the garment owners’ association BGMEA, their sufferings have doubled.

As the mindset of the authorities has not changed and many injured workers lost the ability to join factory work again, the subsequent miseries have not stopped.

Now they are unable to contribute anything in the family expenses whereas earlier they had been the only bread-earners. Financial constraints have also interrupted education of their children and siblings.

On the second anniversary of the fateful incident, several former Tazreen workers shared their experiences with the Dhaka Tribune about the incident and the ordeals they have been facing since then.

Rupa Akter, 20, from Gopalganj was forced to find a job after her father had passed away 10 years back when the mother was unable to feed her two daughters and a son from her little earnings as a domestic help.

Survivors, labour leaders and relatives of the Tazreen Fire victims pray at the Jurain graveyard where the unidentified victims of the tragedy were laid to rest two years ago RAJIB DHAR Working as a sewing operator, she was assisting the family well until the fire incident. On that day, she jumped off a window on the third floor of the building along with several other coworkers, and sustained severe injuries to the chest and right leg.

Locals took her to a hospital. After several days she was taken to Gopalganj and admitted to another hospital.

Rupa told the Dhaka Tribune that since then she had got no financial support from the government or the BGMEA. Even though the government had declared to provide free treatment for the injured, she did not get the opportunity.

Her family had to sell their last piece of land for treatment. Now she has also been refused a job since she lost a leg.

Later she took a small job at a local grocery shop.

Her mother has been the only earning member of the family since the fire incident which also forced her to discontinue the son’s education to save some money to buy foods and medicine first.

Sewing operator Sabina Khatun, 26, who used to work on the fifth floor of the factory, jumped off a window on the third floor, and her chest and waist bones fractured.

Her treatment cost was met with the money collected from selling land.

She is among the unfortunate injured workers who have been denied financial assistance, compensation and free medical treatment.

For this, she has now become de-

pendent on others’ kindness while her son and daughter’s education stopped.

Sathi, Laily and Muktabanu shared similar shocking experiences claiming that they had not got any financial assistance since the fire incident.

Shahnaz Begum, 40, worked at Tazreen Fashions as an operator in the finishing section. She also jumped off a window when smoke spread on her floor. But on the ground, an iron rod pierced her eye and right leg damaged.

She took primary treatment with the Tk1 lakh assistance given by the BGMEA, but had to stop seeing doctor due to lack of money. As the husband also abandoned her, Shahnaz had to send her son and daughter to village home where her sister now looks after them. l

contribution of development partners.

Regarding the risk of flood for damaging agriculture sector, the government has been working to create linkage between disaster and agriculture which would reduce the risk of crops damaging, said Mohammad Abdul Wazed, director general of the Department of Disaster Management.

The Planning Commission has directed the ministries to focus disaster issue while taking development projects which would reduce the risk of vulnerability.

However, Wazed said the country should not be worried about the risk of disasters like cyclone and flood in terms of rescue and rehabilitation as “there is adequate knowledge.”

He also said the government had already incorporated the issue in the Sixth Five Year Plan with an aim to managing negative impacts of disasters.

Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, executive director of Centre for Global Changes (CGC), said the government should also allocate more funds for research purpose to develop climate resilient crop varieties. l

Modi’s wife enquires about security cover n Tribune Desk Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wife Jashodaben yesterday filed an RTI (right to information) application with Mehsana police to seek clarity on security cover given to her at present and wanted to know what she is entitled to, reports PTI. Mehsana Superintendent of Police(SP) JR Mothalia said that Jashodaben wants to know what are her rights as PM’s wife as far as the security aspect is concerned.

“Today, she came to our office and filed an RTI to know about her rights as PM’s wife with regard to security cover.

We will give our written reply to her in stipulated time,” said Mothalia.

Jashodaben lives with her brother Ashok Modi at Unjha town of Mehsana district. After Modi was sworn-in as PM, Mehasana police has given her security.

“We have deployed ten of our policemen, including armed guards, for her security. They work in two shifts, five each in one shift,” said Police Inspector of Mehsana Special Operations Group(SOG) JS Chavda.

In her application, Jashodaben sought several documents from the police department related to her security cover given as per the protocol, including the certified copy of actual order passed by government about providing security.

She also wanted to know the laws and related provisions in Indian Constitution about security cover given to a PM’s wife.

She asked the government to explain the definition of protocol and sought details about what is included under it and what other benefits she is entitled for as per that protocol.

She also expressed unhappiness about the current security set-up, where her guards travel in government vehicles while she has to travel in public transport.

Jashodaben noted that late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was killed by her own bodyguards and that she felt scared of her guards. l

Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Shukrabad, Dhaka 1207.

Phone: 9132093-94, Advertising: 9132155, Circulation: 9132282, Fax: News-9132192, e-mail: news@dhakatribune.com, info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

B3 China ready to cut

rates again on fears of deflation

B4 Oil price seen falling to

$60 if OPEC does not cut output

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Bangladesh set to buy more IBRD stakes It’s a part of preparation to be eligible for borrowing from the hard-term window as the country will lose eligibility to get soft IDA credit if it becomes middle-income one n Kayes Sohel The government is set to buy more stakes in the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to make its footing strong and pave the way for ensuring credit after graduating to middle-income country, sources said.

IBRD, one of the five arms of the World Bank, lends the middle-income countries to develop infrastructure and support other development activities by raising most of its funds in the world’s financial markets.

“The prime minister has already given consent to the plan of raising the stake by purchasing additional 1,364 shares worth $9.87m,” said a high official at the Economic Relations Division (ERD).

Currently, Bangladesh holds 4,854 shares, which accounts for nearly 0.37% of the IBRD’s total stake.

He said now, the government is preparing to hand over money through a formal agreement to be made soon.

Recently, the World Bank’s hardterm lending arm has decided to raise its capital base by proportionately selling 484,102 shares to its 188-member countries in line with the reform plan of the World Bank Group.

Bangladesh is expected to become a middle income nation by 2021 and will lose its eligibility to receive soft-loan support from the international lender.

“At that time, the country will need to get financial support from the IBRD too,” said another ERD official.

Bangladesh is one of the biggest borrowing countries of the World Bank Group, as it takes credit worth nearly $1.2bn every year. Presently, as the low-income country, it borrows from the International Development Association (IDA), the soft lending arm of the World Bank Group.

The scam–hit Basic Bank could not trace yet its 14 clients who owe Tk563 crore to the bank.

The bank did not follow regulations like Know-Your-Customer (KYC) before issuing loans either.

Managing Director Khondokar Md Iqbal revealed the misdeeds allegedly conducted by the previous management at a meeting of fifth parliamentary standing committee on Finance Ministry last week.

Basic Bank Chairman Abdur Razzak presided over the meeting.

According to a meeting source, the bank’s financial condition deteriorated during a period between 2010 and middle of 2013.

Massive irregularities took place in distributing loans among a number of little-known clients, it said. A total loan of Tk4,236 crore was disbursed among 335 clients.

Of them, the incumbent management has failed to trace 14 default borrowers so far.

“We have found some trace of only four of the 14 default loan customers,” a meeting source quoted Iqbal to have told the meeting.

“The then situation was such that people were collecting money and putting them into sacks at night,” the MD was quoted as saying.

A view of an underconstruction flyover in Dhaka. Bangladesh needs to spend $100bn by 2020 to improve its infrastructure to meet the country’s development goals The IBRD’s service charge is comparatively higher than the IDA as it lends at the market rate to the borrowing countries.

Established in 1945 as the original institution of the World Bank Group, IBRD is structured like a cooperative that is owned and operated for the benefit of its members.

The income that IBRD has generated over the years has allowed it to fund

Alliance to train RMG security on fire safety n Tribune Report The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a platform of the North American retailers, has launched a programme styled “Training of the Trainers (ToTs)” by providing fire safety training to the factory security guards.

The initiative has been undertaken to protect the life of RMG workers through safety evacuation and to support emergency evacuation.

The critical need for training came on the spotlight following fire incident at Tazreen Fashions that killed 112 workers as the ill-fated workers were unable to escape from the disastrous fire due to the locked exit doors, said Ian Spaulding, chief executive officer of Alliance at a media briefing held at his office in the city yesterday.

“Security guards can play a leadership role in ensuring safe evacuation during a fire incident by clearing pathways and exits, supporting fire brigades and assisting with worker evacuation process,” said Ellen Tauscher,

14 Basic Bank borrowers disappear with Tk563cr n Asif Showkat Kallol

independent chair of the Alliance.

“This training will empower factory guards with knowledge and skills that can ultimately save lives.”

Managing Director of Alliance M Rabin said, “There will have no collapsible gate in the RMG factories as through the remediation it would be replaced by fire rated doors by 2015.”

A security guard has to keep in mind three things prevention, protection and evacuation, said workplace fire safety expert David Gold, who designed the training curriculum.

Security guards need to be knowledgeable, skilled and confident in case of fire. The main task of a security guard is to ensure safe evacuation of workers instead of locking the fire exits, hearing the fire alarm, he added.

“I am delighted to know about these new safety trainings and practices,” said Sabina, a survivor of the Tazreen fire.

She, however, urged the factory owners and guards not to lock exit doors at any cost during any fire incident.  B3 COLUMN 1

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

formed by the BRICS nations to spread up scopes for the poor and middle income countries, to get more funds for developing their infrastructure and cutting poverty.

Bangladesh needs to spend $100bn by 2020, which is more than 10% of its gross domestic product, to improve its infrastructure to serve its growing population, according to the World Bank Report released in April this year. l

development activities and to ensure its financial strength, which enables it to lend at low cost and offer clients good lending terms.

The IBRD’s annual funding volume varies from year to year and it is currently around $10bn-$15bn.

The five largest of IBRD’s 188 shareholders are the United States (with 15.02% of the total voting power), Japan (8.13%), China (5.25%), Germany

(4.56%), and France and the United Kingdom (with 4.06% each).

Besides IBRD, Bangladesh has already decided to join the $100bn Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a new lender initiated by the world’s second largest economy, China, to create opportunity to get financial support for its infrastructure development, It also plans to join another proposed global lending institution,

Muhith: Issuance of sovereign bond not now n Tribune Report

C&A Foundation keen to contribute more for Tazreen victims

Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the government has not decided yet to issue sovereign bond to collect fund from global market and would think about it next year.

“The government may think about issuing sovereign bond next year,” he told journalists, after a meeting with a visiting team of US-based leading global financial services firm and bank JPMorgan Chase & Co, headed by Madhad Kallyan.

The government had taken a plan to issue the bond to collect fund for financing construction of infrastructure in the country.

The team informed the minister about the interest of sovereign bond which is now ranging between 4% and 5%, observing that Bangladesh would not get big financial benefit from issuing the bond in the international market.

“We do not want big fund for construction of infrastructure projects as the government has now a good reserve of foreign exchange,” said the minister. l

Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur to sign tourism cooperation deal n Tribune Report The government is going to sign a contract with Malaysia to boost bilateral cooperation in tourism and hospitality sectors.

The deal will be signed in the first week of next month during the upcoming visit

by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Malaysia.

After the cabinet meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan yesterday informed the reporters that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will sign an agreement on tourism during her planned visit to Malaysia in the first week of next month.

Presided over by the PM, the cabinet meeting also approved a Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation in the field of tourism between the two governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia. Civil aviation and tourism ministry placed the draft MoU before the cabinet meeting held at the secretariat in the capital.

The MoU will initially be signed for five years, which can be extended for another five years only if both side agree while the contract could also be scraped with a six-month prior-notice, said the Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan. l

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

In addition to its prior commitment, the C&A Foundation has expressed its willingness to contribute more fund to compensate to the Tazreen victims fairly and fully.

C&A, an international Dutch chain of fashion retail clothing stores, with its European head offices in Vilvoorde, Belgium, and Düsseldorf, Germany, has retail stores in many European and Latin-American countries.

After two years of Tazreen Fashion fire incident, an agreement has been reached between IndustriALL Global Union and their local affiliates, the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and C&A Foundation on a system for delivering compensation to the victims of the tragedy, said CCC in a statement yesterday.

The pledge came after the tripartite consensus on the principles for an agreement to compensate the Tazreen victims following recent negotiations facilitated by the ILO. The final details of the pledge will

be worked out and made public once the cost of the package has been finalised, said the statement.

The C&A has agreed to provide more funds to compensate the victims of Tazreen Fashion, Roy Ramesh Chandra, secretary general of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council told the Dhaka Tribune.

“We are urging all the brands that sourced from Tazreen Fashions to pay into the fund to compensate as per the ILO convention,” he said.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to announce CCC and IndustriALL have reached an outline agreement with C&A on the principles of a compensation process and pledged to contribute a significant amount towards full and fair compensation for Tazreen victims, in addition to those funds that have already been committed,” said Ineke Zeldenrust of CCC. The system will be based on the system already developed for the Rana Plaza victims, which covers compensation for loss of income, provision of independent medical assessments and ongoing treatment, he said. l

‘We have found some trace of only four of the 14 default loan customers’ The managing director also hinted that former chairman of the bank in collusion with the then board of directors gave loan to the 335 clients without proper documents, added the source.

Bank and Financial Institutions Division Secretary Dr Aslam Alam told the Dhaka Tribune the percentage of default loans of the scam-hit Basic Bank is gradually rising in line with the continued investigation on its loan distribution.

He added that now the default loan was 54% of the total loan disbursed by the bank.

“We have already deployed audit firms to find out the default loan of more than Tk1crore given to the clients between 2010 and 2013.”

The parliamentary standing committee has decided to form a separate branch to dispose of loan dispute cases of BASIC and Sonali Bank.

It has also decided to ask the Anti-Corruption Commission to take tough action against the guilty board members, chairman and MD and other staff of the bank.

The government in last July dissolved the infamous board of BASIC Bank over its role in financial irregularities that cost the state-run lender Tk4,500 crore in the last four years.

The seven-member board of BASIC (Bangladesh Small Industries and Commerce) Bank had been dismissed on the basis of the investigation report of the central bank.

Later, Bank and Financial Institutions Division appointed new chairman and MD for the bank. l

B2

Stocks post steep losses n Tribune Report

Turnover (Million Taka)

Stocks moved to the downside adding to the losses posted in the previous session Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, closed at 9,009 with a fall of 129 points. Trading activities remained sluggish as turnover at DSE stood at Tk350 crore, slightly up 1.7% lower over previous session’s value.

Among the large cap sectors only food and allied witnessed marginal gains of 0.2%, after heavy correction in the previous session.

All other major sectors closed lower with market bellwether telecommunication experiencing a sharp decline of 3.7%, dragged down by the Grameenphone, the country’s top mobile phone operator.

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSER Closing (% Change)

Emerald Oil Ind. -N Shahjibazar Power-N Pharma Aids A Midas Financing-Z Wata Chemicals -A LafargeS Cement-Z Apex SpinningA GSP Finance-A National Housing Fin.-B Stylecraft -A

-10.51 -8.73 -6.85 -6.76 -6.42 -6.04 -5.98 -5.86 -5.84 -5.74

CSE LOSER Company Prime Islami Life -A Emerald Oil Ind. -N Mithun Knitting -A GSP Finance-A Takaful Islami Insu-A ICB -A Samata LeatheR -Z Anwar Galvanizing-B 6th ICB M F-A Malek Spinning-A

Closing (% Change) -21.04 -9.07 -8.97 -7.77 -7.69 -7.50 -6.76 -6.30 -6.27 -6.15

4768.90172

(-) 1.43%

1753.05211

(-) 1.80%

14714.29960

(-) 1.64%

12127.68050

(-) 1.30%

9009.23240

(-) 1.42%

Average (% Change) -8.04 -8.73 -3.96 -6.98 -6.27 -3.99 -0.93 -5.43 -4.31 -5.74 Average (% Change) -20.08 -7.67 -8.08 -5.58 -2.82 -6.53 -6.86 -4.99 -6.36 -5.73

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 40.63 235.10 276.02 13.87 223.35 108.20 73.66 28.21 29.78 845.00

ClosingAvg. 68.30 40.58 71.00 27.94 26.53 1,426.30 19.28 35.07 55.25 18.41

Closing

Bank NBFI Investment Engineering Food & Allied Fuel & Power Jute Textile Pharma & Chemical Paper & Packaging Service Leather Ceramic Cement Information Technology General Insurance Life Insurance Telecom Travel & Leisure Miscellaneous Debenture

DSE Million Taka 287.62 152.74 32.90 458.45 115.37 567.48 33.28 232.38 685.50 33.35 84.20 15.98 26.50 232.87 21.41 49.26 39.73 183.71 43.29 251.60 0.17

DHIGH

40.00 235.10 269.20 13.80 218.80 105.70 72.30 27.30 29.00 845.00

Closing 68.30 40.10 71.00 27.30 25.20 1,411.50 19.30 34.20 55.30 18.30

42.40 235.10 305.00 14.10 240.00 112.10 77.50 30.00 32.00 850.00

DHIGH 68.30 42.00 71.00 28.80 27.40 1,430.00 20.00 35.50 55.30 18.70

77,245,364

Number of Contract

82,977

Traded Issues

303

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

49

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

247

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

7

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,530.57

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.67

CSE key features November 24, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

268.30

Turnover (Volume)

7,156,100

Number of Contract

11,274

Traded Issues

218

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

28

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

181

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

8

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,451.43

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.71

Turnover in Million

DLOW 39.80 235.10 266.10 13.80 216.20 104.40 71.80 26.30 28.70 840.00

Latest EPS

13.265 0.470 54.018 0.116 7.380 192.117 11.446 25.172 7.320 0.169

2.56 9.00 9.88 -7.00 5.37 2.43 0.86 1.59 1.88 44.98

Turnover in Million

DLOW 68.30 40.00 71.00 26.80 25.20 1,411.50 18.70 34.20 55.20 18.20

% change 8.11 4.31 0.93 12.92 3.25 16.00 0.94 6.55 19.32 2.37 0.45 0.75 6.56 0.60 1.39 1.12 5.18 1.22 7.09 0.00

Million Taka 17.81 8.12 2.11 43.16 7.00 28.73 29.19 39.95 10.72 9.89 6.40 3.87 15.08 1.55 0.50 1.85 10.99 7.05 42.02 0.00

CSE

% change 6.23 2.84 0.74 15.09 2.45 10.05 0.00 10.21 13.97 3.75 3.46 2.24 1.35 5.27 0.54 0.17 0.65 3.84 2.47 14.69 0.00

Latest EPS

0.003 0.873 0.014 0.196 0.040 0.357 0.087 0.053 0.011 0.363

Million Taka 305.43 160.85 35.01 501.61 122.37 596.20 33.28 261.57 725.44 44.06 94.09 22.38 30.37 247.95 22.95 49.76 41.58 194.70 50.35 293.61 0.17

Alltex Industries -Z ICB AMCL 1st NRB -A Monno Stafllers -A SAIF Powertec-N Kohinoor Chem -A GeminiSeaFood-Z Progressive Life-A Beximco Pharma -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Envoy Textiles Ltd-N

Closing (% Change) 8.09 5.88 5.02 4.85 4.11 3.59 2.79 2.48 2.33 2.25

CSE GAINER

4.95 2.56 3.40 1.59 1.43 85.47 0.05 0.84 16.44 1.84

Latest PE 15.9 26.1 27.9 -ve 41.6 44.5 85.7 17.7 15.8 18.8

Total

Company Alltex Industries -Z Aziz PipesZ Nitol Insurance -A SAIF Powertec-N SonarBangla Insu. -A Provati Insur.-A Beximco Pharma -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A ISN Ltd. -Z Power Grid Co. -A

Closing (% Change) 9.83 6.79 5.08 4.89 3.83 2.50 2.48 2.07 1.90 1.74

Average (% Change) 6.42 5.88 4.19 0.79 3.99 5.03 2.94 2.45 1.49 0.67 Average (% Change) 5.95 6.79 5.08 1.41 5.15 1.95 2.02 1.65 0.29 1.79

ClosingAvg.

Closing

18.73 23.40 308.74 70.55 433.00 205.31 95.91 62.61 39.45 53.83

ClosingAvg.

18.70 23.40 313.60 71.30 433.40 202.10 95.80 62.10 39.50 54.50

Closing

18.88 17.30 31.00 70.50 19.00 20.36 62.61 39.39 10.53 40.86

19.00 17.30 31.00 70.80 19.00 20.50 62.10 39.40 10.70 40.90

DHIGH 19.00 23.40 315.60 72.30 433.90 210.50 97.10 64.10 40.30 55.80

DHIGH 19.00 17.30 31.00 72.40 19.00 21.00 64.20 40.20 10.70 41.30

DLOW 17.30 23.40 290.00 67.10 433.00 195.00 93.50 55.00 35.00 49.00

DLOW 17.80 17.30 31.00 67.50 19.00 19.90 61.70 38.50 10.50 40.50

Turnover in Million 11.603 0.023 2.331 44.703 0.433 0.735 1.103 154.633 116.369 15.830

Turnover in Million 1.274 0.006 0.031 7.797 0.019 0.151 8.465 19.126 0.037 0.266

Latest EPS 3.28 3.24 1.17 2.36 10.40 1.39 2.30 4.19 1.01 2.21

Latest EPS 3.28 -0.37 2.79 2.36 1.77 1.97 4.19 1.01 0.13 1.04

Latest PE 5.7 7.2 263.9 29.9 41.6 147.7 41.7 14.9 39.1 24.4

Latest PE 5.8 -ve 11.1 29.9 10.7 10.3 14.9 39.0 81.0 39.3

News, analysis and recent disclosures ICB: The Board of Directors has recommended 45% cash dividend (i.e. Tk. 45.00 per share of Tk. 100.00 each) for the year ended on June 30, 2014. Date of AGM: 20.12.2014, Time: 10:30 AM, Venue: "Jalshaghar", Hotel Purbani International Ltd., 1 Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000. Record Date: 03.12.2014. The Corporation has reported consolidated net profit after tax of Tk. 3,605.80 million, consolidated EPS of Tk. 85.47, consolidated NAV per share of Tk. 730.76 and consolidated NOCFPS of Tk. 323.34 for the year ended on June 30, 2014 as against Tk. 3,288.60 million, Tk. 77.95, Tk. 607.74 and Tk. 368.92 respectively for the year ended on June 30, 2013. The Corporation has also reported net profit after tax of Tk. 3,105.10 million, EPS of Tk. 73.60, NAV per share of Tk. 614.97 and NOCFPS of Tk. 288.15 for the year ended on June 30, 2014 as against Tk. 2,479.10 million, Tk. 58.76, Tk. 500.63 and Tk. 360.79 respectively for the year ended on June 30, 2013.

IPO Subscription: C & A Textiles Limited subscription date 09 to 13 November 2014, NRB upto 22 November 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. IFAD Autos Limited subscription date 23 to 27 November 2014, NRB upto 06 December 2014. @ taka 30, face value taka

10 and market lot 200.

Right Share: ICB: Subscription period for rights issue will be from 07.12.2014 to 30.12.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 09.09.2014. BIFC: subscription period for rights issue of the Company will be from 09.11.2014 to 30.11.2014. Record Date for entitlement of rights share: 19.10.2014. FIRSTSBANK Subscription period for rights issue will be from 07.12.2014 to 28.12.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 20.11.2014.

Dividend/AGM BATBC: 100% interim cash dividend, Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 03.12.2014.

BENGALWTL: 23% cash, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record Date: 02.12.2014.

MPETROLEUM: 95% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 16.01.2015, Record date: 04.12.2014.

ENVOYTEX: 12% cash and 3% stock dividend, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record date: 02.12.2014.

AFTABAUTO: 17% cash, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record date: 30.11.2014.

JAMUNAOIL: 90% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 07.02.2015, Record date: 11.12.2014.

GEMINISEA: 7.50% cash, AGM: 22.12.2014, Record Date: 08.12.2014.

KBPPWBIL: 10% stock, AGM: 29.12.2014, Record Date: 08.12.2014.

RAHIMAFOOD: No dividend, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record Date: 04.12.2014.

DACCADYE: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 12.12.2014, Record date: 25.11.2014.

ORIONINFU: 15% cash dividend, AGM: 18.12.2014, Record date: 25.11.2014.

KOHINOOR: 25% stock dividend, AGM: 18.12.2014, Record date: 25.11.2014.

LRGLOBMF1: 5% cash dividend, Record date: 25.11.2014. Earnings per unit of Tk. 0.69.

PHARMAID: 25% cash, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record Date: 02.12.2014.

TALLUSPIN: No dividend, AGM: 23.12.2014, Record Date: 01.12.2014.

MITHUNKNIT: 20% stock, AGM: 23.12.2014, Record date: 20.11.2014.

WMSHIPYARD: 5% cash dividend to the general shareholders only, and 10% stock dividend to all the shareholders, AGM: 21.12.2014, Record date: 20.11.2014.

PRIMELIFE: 10% cash and 15% stock dividend, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record Date: 20.11.2014.

OLYMPIC: 20% cash and 35% stock, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record Date: 27.11.2014.

PADMAOIL: 100% cash, AGM: 14.02.2015, Record date: 22.12.2014.

EASTRNLUB: 30% cash, AGM: 17.01.2015, Record Date: 25.11.2014.

ATLASBANG: 35% cash, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record date: 27.11.2014.

Latest PE 13.8 15.9 20.9 17.6 18.6 16.7 385.6 41.8 3.4 10.0

Panic driven selling spree pulled down the market for the third consecutive session, which took another big toll of 69 points in DSEX

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Company

3,547.77

Turnover (Volume)

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

DSE GAINER

DSE key features November 24, 2014

Non-banking financial institutions also posted sizable loss of over 2%, power 1.9%, pharmaceuticals 1.6% and banks 0.6%.

Scrip wise movements were also focal point as 86 out of 302 traded scrips lost more than 2% of their respective price.

IDLC Investments said panic driven selling spree pulled down the market for the third consecutive session, which took another big toll of 69 points in DSEX. Apparently, it said, investors focused mostly on selling to minimise further loss in their portfolio as market continued moving toward bearish zone.

A total plunge of 565 points within last 30 sessions was well enough to shed off the recent rally. Throughout the session, investors were searching for comfort zone, according to the IDLC. Lately, activity got sluggish with average turnover of last two sessions was at Tk350 crore level, a decrease of 43.9% from the average turnover of last week, it said.

Lanka Bangla Securities said stocks moved to the downside adding to the losses posted in the previous session. Across all the sectors, small, mid and Large-cap stocks saw the sell-off throughout the session, but large caps took the hit most, it said.

Lafarge Surma Cement topped the list of turnover leaders with shares worth Tk19 crore changing hands, followed by Square Pharmaceuticals, Grameenphone, Beximco Pharma, Jamuna Oil, Beximco Ltd and Bangladesh Electrode Dynamics Ltd. l

Stocks witnessed sharp fall yesterday, extending their losing streak for the third consecutive session.

The market opened red and the negative sentiment continued as days passed.

The benchmark DSEX lost 69 points or 0.6% to close at 4,899, pulled down by all sectors, particularly large ones.

The Shariah index DSES dropped 23 points or 2% to 1,110. The comprising blue chips DS30 ended at 1,753, shedding 32 points or 1.8%.

Company

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company

% change 7.97 4.20 0.91 13.08 3.19 15.55 0.87 6.82 18.92 1.15 2.45 0.58 0.79 6.47 0.60 1.30 1.08 5.08 1.31 7.66 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

LafargeS Cement-Z Square Pharma -A Grameenphone-A Beximco Pharma -A Jamuna Oil -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Barakatullah E. D.-A Khan Brothers-N WesternMarine -N Meghna Petroleum -A

MJL BD Ltd.-A Titas Gas TDCLA JMI Syringes MDL-A Pharma Aids A Argon Denims Limited-A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company Khan Brothers-N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A WesternMarine -N LafargeS Cement-Z Grameenphone-A MJL BD Ltd.-A Square Pharma -A Beximco Pharma -A SAIF Powertec-N Argon Denims Limited-A

Khulna Printing-N The Peninsula CTG.-N Appollo Ispat CL -N Dacca Dyeing-A Keya Cosmetics -A

VolumeShares 1,775,500 673,151 527,800 2,469,738 479,984 2,949,496 3,044,781 1,892,500 1,421,500 238,536

Value in Million 192.12 170.11 168.47 154.63 121.29 116.37 112.27 101.08 91.52 59.92

% of TotalTurnover 5.42 4.79 4.75 4.36 3.42 3.28 3.16 2.85 2.58 1.69

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

441,822 684,382 264,500 195,700 1,085,388

375,000 485,541 292,900 116,000 28,800 67,137 34,178 135,199 110,600 105,083

163,500 129,400 176,800 219,000 135,500

56.23 55.13 54.97 54.02 48.81

20.01 19.13 18.81 12.62 9.17 8.69 8.64 8.46 7.80 4.71

4.44 3.91 3.82 3.73 3.73

1.59 1.55 1.55 1.52 1.38

7.54 7.21 7.09 4.76 3.45 3.27 3.26 3.19 2.94 1.77

1.67 1.47 1.44 1.41 1.41

ClosingP 105.70 251.20 316.70 62.10 250.30 39.50 36.80 53.50 63.90 251.10

125.30 80.40 205.10 269.20 44.60

ClosingP

53.60 39.40 63.70 106.50 315.80 125.90 251.80 62.10 70.80 44.40

26.90 30.10 21.30 17.10 27.20

Change % -6.04 -2.52 -3.71 2.48 -2.80 2.33 -2.13 1.33 -1.39 -1.41

-3.32 -0.86 -5.35 -6.85 1.13

Change %

2.10 2.07 -2.45 -5.92 -4.22 -2.10 -2.37 2.48 4.89 0.91

-0.37 -1.31 -2.74 0.59 -2.16

ClosingY 112.50 257.70 328.90 60.60 257.50 38.60 37.60 52.80 64.80 254.70

129.60 81.10 216.70 289.00 44.10

ClosingY

52.50 38.60 65.30 113.20 329.70 128.60 257.90 60.60 67.50 44.00

27.00 30.50 21.90 17.00 27.80

DHIGH 112.10 260.00 328.10 64.10 258.00 40.30 38.00 55.90 66.30 255.00

130.50 81.40 222.70 305.00 48.00

DLOW 104.40 236.00 315.20 55.00 240.00 35.00 34.00 51.10 62.70 233.00

116.70 77.00 198.00 266.10 40.00

DHIGH

DLOW

55.70 40.20 66.00 111.70 327.00 131.70 258.00 64.20 72.40 45.80

50.10 38.50 62.70 106.00 313.10 125.30 250.00 61.70 67.50 43.40

27.90 30.80 21.90 17.70 28.00

26.60 30.00 21.30 16.90 27.10

AvgPrice 108.20 252.71 319.20 62.61 252.69 39.45 36.87 53.41 64.38 251.19

127.28 80.55 207.82 276.02 44.97

AvgPrice

53.37 39.39 64.24 108.82 318.27 129.37 252.87 62.61 70.50 44.80

27.16 30.23 21.59 17.05 27.53

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

China ready to cut rates again on fears of deflation n Reuters, Beijing China’s leadership and central bank are ready to cut interest rates again and also loosen lending restrictions, concerned that falling prices could trigger a surge in debt defaults, business failures and job losses, said sources involved in policy-making.

Friday’s surprise cut in rates, the first in more than two years, reflects a change of course by Beijing and the central bank, which had persisted with modest stimulus measures before finally deciding last week that a bold monetary policy step was required to stabilize the world’s second-largest economy.

Economic growth has slowed to 7.3% in the third quarter and policymakers feared it was on the verge of dipping below 7% - a rate not seen since the global financial crisis. Producer prices, charged at the factory gate, have been falling for almost three years, piling pressure on manufacturers, and consumer inflation is also weak. “Top leaders have changed their views,” said a senior economist at a government think-tank involved in internal policy discussions.

The economist, who declined to be named, said the People’s Bank of China had shifted its focus toward broad-based stimulus and were open to more rate cuts as well as a cut to the banking industry’s reserve requirement ratio (RRR), which effectively restricts the amount of capital available to fund loans.

China cut the RRR for some banks this year but has not announced a banking-wide reduction in the ratio since May 2012.

“Further interest rate cuts should be in the pipeline as we have entered into a rate-cut cycle and RRR cuts are also likely,” the think-tank’s economist said.

Friday’s move, which cut one-year benchmark lending rates by 40 basis points to 5.6 percent, also arose from concerns that local governments are struggling to manage high debt burdens amidst reforms to their funding arrangements, the sources said.

Alliance to train  B1 COLUMN 2

The course materials have been designed in line with the NFPA Standard for Security Services in Fire Loss Prevention and are currently being accredited through the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

The safety training programme will be implemented through a third-party trainers and security guard company, who has been specially qualified will conduct the training.

Elite Force, Security Link, G4S, Securex and Shohag Security service will be included in the training process.

To complement the security guard training, factory managers will also participate in shorter sessions to build awareness and support for the role of security guards in protecting workers.

Meanwhile, the Alliance is organizing the 2nd Expo on Building and Fire Safety, on December 7-9 to connect RMG factory owners with vendors of life-saving equipments like fire doors, sprinkler systems and fire alarms necessary for factory remediation. l

“The rate cut helped boost confidence in next year’s growth outlook,” said Li, who was among economists who discussed policy issues with Premier Li Keqiang at a recent cabinet session.

Government think-tanks, which make policy proposals, have urged Beijing to cut its economic growth target next year, probably to around 7%, from around 7.5% this year.

The leadership is due to map out economic and reform plans for 2015 at a work conference next month, including economic targets which will be unveiled in parliament next March.

Worries over employment

A vegetable vendor holds a stack of Chinese yuan banknotes at a morning market in Shenyang The cut helped send Asian shares broadly higher on Monday. The CSI300 Index of the largest companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen opened up 1.2% at its highest level since June 2013, while the Shanghai Composite Index opened up 0.8%.

Top Chinese leaders had been resisting a rate cut, fearing it could fuel debt and property bubbles and dent their reformist credentials, but were even-

tually swayed by signs of deteriorating growth as the property sector cooled.

Until then, they had persisted with targeted policy steps, such as cuts in reserve ratios for selected banks and liquidity injections into the banking system. But these failed to bring down borrowing costs for the corporate sector. “Increasing liquidity by the central bank has failed to lower borrowing costs for the real economy,” said a for-

mer central bank researcher who now works for the government.

“Employment still holds up, but corporate profits have been squeezed as producer price deflation bites, and it’s unreasonable for banks to have hefty profits.”

Calls for bolder action

Many Chinese economists had been calling for bolder policy actions, as re-

REUTERS

cent data showed the economy losing more steam in the fourth quarter and consumer price inflation falling. Fullyear growth is on track to undershoot the government’s 7.5% target and mark the weakest expansion in 24 years.

“GDP growth is near 7% which is at a dangerous level given it could still go even lower due to structural reforms,” said Li Xunlei, chief economist at Haitong Securities.

China’s leaders also worried that a sharp economic slowdown could hurt employment and undermine public support for reforms.

“Employment still holds up now, but it will definitely be affected if growth slows further,” said Yin Zhongli, senior economist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a top government think-tank.

The central bank does not have the final word on adjusting interest rates or the value of the yuan. The basic course of monetary and currency policy is set by the State Council, China’s cabinet, or by the Communist Party’s ruling Politburo.

Beijing wants to push some painful reforms next year, including fiscal reforms to deal with a mountain of local government debt, and the risk of pushing local governments into defaults could be offset by lower interest rates. Some policy insiders said the rate cut was also influenced by talks at this month’s summit of the G20 group of nations, which pledged to boost flagging global growth.

China, which will host the G20 summit in 2016, is keen to maintain its influence as a major driver of global growth. “China is keen to play a bigger role within G20 and it needs to maintain relatively fast economic growth,” said Zhao Xijun, an influential economist at Renmin University. l

Robi net profit falls 9% Euro struggles in Asia on ECB n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

The net profit of mobile phone operator, Robi, fell by 9% in the third quarter of the current year in comparison with the same quarter last year.

The company reported that its net profit stood at Tk130 crore.

At the same time, its gross revenue also fell 1% in comparison with the previous quarter.

The second largest operator in terms of revenues, Robi, revealed its financial disclosures to the journalists at a press conference yesterday.

The cellphone company said the negative profit trend was due to amortisation of debt arising from large capital investment to support the third generation (3G) business, licence acquisition and the country-wide rapid network roll-out.

About the revenue fall, it said despite strong growth in subscribers, quarter to quarter revenues decreased marginally by 1% to Tk1,210 crore mainly due to lower voice revenues

whilst data revenues recorded a growth of 31% driven by an increased adoption of Robi data services.

“We are not disappointed about the balance shit though our revenues declined,” Supun Weerasinghe, managing director and chief executive officer of Robi said, replying to a question.

Robi, however, said its third quarter earning is 14.6% higher compared to the preceding quarter this year due to income from data business through 3G. The CEO said: “We see a good growth in data services since the beginning of the year as we have expanded our 3.5G network across the country.”

The company is investing significantly towards expanding its 3.5G network across the country and to boost growth in data usage, he added.

“Given the slow growth in voice revenues, imposition of an additional surcharge on customer talk time may further hinder voice revenue growth.”

Weerasinghe said recently the operator has covered all 64 districts across the country with its 3G network. l

chief’s comments n AFP, Singapore

The euro struggled in Asian trade yesterday after being hammered late last week in response to comments from the European Central Bank (ECB) chief hinting at further stimulus measures to fend off deflation.

The single currency was at 146.19 yen in afternoon trading, slightly up from the 145.91 yen recorded in late London trade Friday but well off the 147.81 yen in Asia earlier that day.

It also tumbled to $1.2398 from $1.2405 in London and was sharply down from $1.2553 Friday in Tokyo.

The dollar bought 117.91 yen against 117.63 yen late Friday.

“Inflation remains the key variable for the euro,” banking group ANZ said in a note, adding that “there is little expectation in a change to deflationary pressures that will cap the topside” of the currency.

ECB head Mario Draghi on Friday said at a banking congress that the central bank “will use all means available to us, within our mandate, to return inflation towards our objective - and without any undue delay”.

Among the measures being considered are the large-scale purchase of government bonds - known as quantitative easing - similar to that undertaken by the Bank of Japan and recently wound down by the US Federal Reserve.

The ECB is struggling to fight off deflation in the currency bloc, with inflation currently at just 0.4%, well below the bank’s target of 2%.

Singapore’s United Overseas Bank (UOB) said it expects the euro to weaken further.

“The unexpected sharp drop last Friday indicates that a temporary top is in place... the immediate pressure is

on the downside and the current weakness could extend towards the strong support at 1.2290 before a rebound can be expected,” it said.

ANZ also said the recession in Japan and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s call for a snap election would keep the yen under pressure, having already fallen to a more than seven-year low against the dollar.

The dollar eased against most AsiaPacific currencies.

It fell to 44.94 Philippine pesos from 45.06 on Friday, to 32.786 Thai baht from 32.79, to 12,125 Indonesian rupiah from 12,138.90, to 61.7337 Indian rupee from 61.84, to 1,113.16 South Korean won from 1,113.76 and to Tw$30.9140 from Tw$30.92.

The greenback advanced to Sg$1.2995 from Sg$1.2988.

The Australian dollar gained at 86.87 US cents from 86.15 and the Chinese yuan fell to 19.2164 yen from 19.25. l

Modhumoti Bank Limited has recently held the 20th meeting of its executive committee.

The meeting was presided over by the committee’s chairperson, Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh BBS Cables Ltd has recently held the 3rd dealer conference in Dhaka. The company’s MD, Engr Abu Noman Howlader was present at the conference among others Bangladesh Brand Forum in partnership with a research company, Millward Brown Bangladesh has recently held 6th Best Brand Award Bangladesh 2014 at a hotel in Dhaka

SM Spinning Mills Limited, a sister concern of SM Group of Companies has recently taken an initiative to produce yarn using most advanced ring spinning technology. Eastern Bank Ltd was the mandated lead arranger and agent, jointly with BRAC Bank Limited for a syndication loan of $34.28m. The group’s MD, Syed AK Anwaruzzaman was present on the occasion

Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd has recently held its annual sales and marketing conference at a hotel in Cox’s Bazar. The chairperson of Square Group, Samuel S Chowdhury was present on the occasion

Marcel has recently opened its exclusive showroom at Dayarampur Bazar, Bagatipara in Notore. The company’s brand ambassador, film actor, Amin Khan has inaugurated the showroom

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Oil price seen falling to $60 if OPEC does not cut output n Reuters, London Oil prices could plunge to $60 a barrel if OPEC does not agree a significant output cut when it meets in Vienna this week, market players say.

Brent crude futures have fallen 34% since June to touch a four-year low of $76.76 a barrel on Nov 14, and could tumble further if OPEC does not agree to cut at least 1 million barrels per day (bpd), commodity fund managers say.

“The market would question the credibility of OPEC and its influence on global oil markets if there was no cut,” said Daniel Bathe, of Lupus alpha Commodity Invest Fund.

That could send Brent down to around $60, Bathe said.

“Herding behaviour and a shift to net negative speculative positions should accelerate the price plunge,” he added.

Fund managers are divided over whether OPEC will reach an agreement on cutting output. Bathe put the likelihood at no more than 50%.

The oil price has been falling since the summer due to abundant supply - partly from US shale oil - and low demand growth, particularly in Europe and Asia.

As a result, some investors believe

a small cut - of around 500,000 bpd would not be enough to calm the markets. Doug King, chief investment officer of RCMA Capital, sees Brent falling to $70, even with a cut of 1 million bpd.

If OPEC fails to agree a cut, prices will drop “further and quite quickly”, with US crude possibly sliding to $60, he said. US crude closed at $76.51 on Friday, with Brent just above $80.

'Oil war'

With member states struggling to balance budgets, many OPEC countries will be pushing for an output cut.

“Prices below $80 are putting significant strain on the cartel’s weakest members such as Venezuela,” said Nicolas Robin, a commodities fund manager at Threadneedle.

He said a bigger cut - of 1 million bpd or more - was an “outlier scenario”, but such a move would rapidly push prices above $85.

“A move higher would likely be accelerated by the lack of liquidity owing to the US (Thanksgiving) holiday next week,” Robin added.

Doug Hepworth of Gresham Investment Management said: “A surprise significant cut, say of 2 million bpd, is

France, Germany to present joint economic reform paper n AFP, Berlin

Germany and France are set to present a joint economic reform paper Thursday that proposes Paris would freeze wages and Berlin would hike public investment, a news report said.

Paris stressed that the proposals to be presented to both countries’ economy ministers Thursday is not government policy but merely “a report by two economists”.

Under the proposals, France would make its labour rules, including the 35-hour week, more flexible in many sectors and seek to freeze wages for three years to make companies more competitive, reported Der Spiegel news weekly on Sunday.

Germany would also double its infrastructure spending to 20bn euros ($25bn) by 2018, and the fast-ageing country would reform immigration rules and do more to get women into the workforce, according to the Spiegel report.

The road map plan for Europe’s two

biggest economies will be presented Thursday in Paris to German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

It is based on a government-commissioned study by Henrik Enderlein, head of the Jacques Delors Institute in Berlin, and Jean Pisani-Ferry, chief economic strategist of French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, said Der Spiegel.

A spokeswoman for the French economy ministry told AFP on Sunday that the plan does not represent proposals by the French and German governments but is “a report by two economists”.

“This report is not finalised so it cannot be commented on at this stage,” she added.

The proposals in the paper would represent a compromise between Berlin, which has long preached fiscal discipline in the crisis-hit EU, and Paris, which is grappling with high unemployment and a ballooning budget deficit and has been urging more stimulus spending. l

needed to push prices back up to $80.

And that would have to be accompanied by some new-found discipline in the non-Saudi members.”

The market has been awash with conspiracy theories as to why Saudi Arabia has not already intervened. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman hinted at “a global oil war under way pitting the United States and Saudi Arabia on one side against Russia and Iran on the other.”

Tom Nelson, of Investec Global Energy Fund, said Saudi Arabia had allowed the price to fall to incentivise the smaller OPEC producers, which often rely on the biggest producer to intervene, to join Riyadh in cutting output.

“They (the Saudis) want to cut but they don’t want to cut alone,” Nelson said, adding that a cut of between 1 million and 1.5 million bpd should be sufficient to balance the market.

“The market really wants to see that OPEC is still functioning ... if there is a small cut, with an accompanying statement of coherence from OPEC that presents a united front, and talks about seeing demand recovery, and some moderation of supply growth, then Brent could move up to $80-$90.” l

Pump Jacks are seen at sunrise near Bakersfield, California

US fund boards go on high alert around bond liquidity n Reuters, New York US fund firms are taking extra measures to make sure they don’t get stuck holding hard-to-sell bonds in the event that fixed income markets see a massive race to the exits when interest rates start to rise.

Over the past few months a growing number of asset managers, including Neuberger Berman, Natixis Global Management and T Rowe Price have been testing their funds against various market scenarios, building cushions of cash, shorter-duration bonds and other liquid securities, and regularly discussing risks with their boards.

The concern is this: As the Federal Reserve begins to raise rates, which many expect will begin to happen next year, investors will rush to sell bonds as their value drops in a rising interest rate environment. Historically Wall Street banks have been the buyers of these bonds, but regulations and capital requirements imposed since the financial crisis have forced these firms to slash their inventories.

“I look around and ask ‘at the end of the day how easy would it be to sell what I own?’, and the answer is it is much more challenging,” said Jason

The logo of French bank Natixis is seen outside one of their offices in Paris Brady, a fixed income portfolio manager at Sante Fe, New Mexico-based Thornburg Investment Management, which has $70bn in assets under management, $17bn of which is in fixed income.

Wall Street’s biggest banks don’t believe the Fed will raise rates until the middle of next year at the earliest. In a survey taken in early October, 14 of the 19 primary dealers, or the banks that deal directly with the Fed, said they expect the first rate hike by June 2015, with borrowing costs rising to 1 percent at the end of that year.

But fund managers say they are al-

Russia to lose some $40bn a year due to sanctions n AFP, Moscow

A member of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) walks under the solar panels at the roof deck of a mall in Manila on November 24, 2014. The 5,760 solar panels have been installed on the roof deck of the multi-level carpark of SM City mall. Renewable energy resources like solar energy operate with zero carbon dioxide emissions can help mitigate climate change and promote cleaner air AFP

Global stocks grind higher after central bank stimulus signals n Reuters, London World stock markets ground their way higher yesterday after a frenetic round of activity at central banks in Asia and Europe showed they are willing to do more to support economic growth and higher inflation.

European shares, which had their best day in a month on Friday after the People’s Bank of China cut interest rates, edged higher still on Monday after sources told Reuters at the weekend Beijing was ready to ease policy further to head off slowing inflation.

European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi also looked to be clearing the way for the full-scale government bond buying widely hoped for by financial market investors but opposed by Ger-

many’s Bundesbank.

Germany’s influential Ifo survey gave a more upbeat vision of business sentiment than some other data in the past month, boding better for growth but potentially complicating the policy picture.

Jean-Louis Cussac, the head of Paris-based firm Perceval Finance, said the market was currently driven by central banks.

“Fund managers have not been selling equities during the recent pullbacks because of the ‘ECB put’: if the situation worsens, the central bank is ready to take further steps,” he said.

“The market remains volatile, and investors should be cautious.”

Shares in Shanghai hit three-year highs as the prospect of further policy

REUTERS

stimulus in China and Europe whetted risk appetite globally. The euro steadied after nearing 28-month lows.

The Shanghai Composite Index rose almost 2% more on Monday, while MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan jumped 1.1%. Tokyo was closed for a holiday.

“China’s rate cut adds to the determination of global policy makers to avoid deflation and support growth,” said Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy at fund manager AMP Capital in Sydney.

“While U.S. quantitative easing may have ended, it’s being replaced by QE in Japan and Europe and rate cuts in China,” he added. “This in turn augurs well for shares and other growth assets.” l

Russia is set to lose around $40bn (32bn euros) per year due to Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Monday.

“We are losing around $40bn per year due to geopolitical sanctions and we are losing some $90 to $100bn per year due to oil prices falling 30%,” Siluanov said in a speech at an economic forum in Moscow, quoted by RIA Novosti news agency.

Sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States on Russia’s economy, which is largely dependent on exports of raw materials, block its access to international capital markets and also to technology.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday accused the West of attempting to achieve “regime change” in Russia through sanctions that aim to destroy the economy and rouse public protests.

President Vladimir Putin suggested Sunday that Russia could experience “catastrophic consequences” from sanctions, the falling oil price and the plunging ruble, while arguing that these would have knock-on effects for other countries.

“The modern world is interdependent. It’s far from guaranteed that sanctions, the steep fall in oil prices and the loss of value of the national currency will lead to negative results or catastrophic consequences only for us,” Putin warned in an interview with TASS news agency.

Putin denied he has financial links to the Russian officials and businessmen from his inner circle who are targeted by Western sanctions blacklists.

He said to impose sanctions on those individuals in an attempt to get to him was an approach based on a “false premise.”

Putin suggested that falling oil prices were due to “targeted steps by our partners on the world energy market.” l

REUTERS

ready seeing signs of it getting harder to buy and sell bonds.

Many managers were spooked in mid-October, when the yield on 10-year Treasury notes fell quickly to 1.865 percent, their lowest level since May 2013.

“When all of a sudden the most liquid market out there isn’t liquid, it’s worrisome,” Brady said.

Buffers

Thornburg and T. Rowe are among a number of firms that have increased their allocations to cash to provide their portfolios with a buffer in the

case of a liquidity crunch. Thornburg’s $1.3bn Strategic Income Fund has increased its allocation to cash to 13% from 10% last year and has also increased its holdings in shorter-duration bonds and high grade investment debt, Brady said.

T Rowe’s High Yield Fund has 3% in cash, up from 1% a year ago, said Mark Vaselkiv, manager of the fund.

Instead of cash, Natixis has built up a reserve of as much as 20 %in some of its mutual funds in higher quality, non-US securities, such as bonds denominated in Australian and Canadian dollars, said David Lafferty, chief market strategist at Natixis. As of September 30, Natixis had $894.3bn in assets under management and its subsidiary, Boston-based Loomis Sayles & Co, had $223.2bn.

Firms, like New York-based Voya Investment Management, which uses third party managers to subadvise its funds, now give high-yield bond managers up to three days notice before it makes big redemptions out of those funds to make sure they can get the money in an orderly and timely fashion, said Paul Zemsky, CIO of multiasset strategies at Voya, speaking on Tuesday at the Reuters Global Investment Outlook Summit in New York. l

German business confidence stabilises in November n AFP, Frankfurt Business confidence in Germany appears to be stabilising after long months of decline, with the Ifo business climate index rising in November for the first time in seven months, data showed on Monday.

In an encouraging sign for Europe’s biggest economy, and therefore the eurozone as a whole, the closely watched barometer beat expectations and rose to 104.7 points in November from 103.2 points in October, the Ifo think-tank said in a statement.

“The downturn in the German economy has ground to a halt for the moment at least,” Ifo chief Hans-Werner Sinn said in a statement. Ifo calculates its headline index on the basis of companies’ assessments of current business and the outlook for the next six months.

“Assessments of the current business situation are slightly more favourable than last month,” Sinn said.

“Expectations with regard to the months ahead are also brighter.”

The sub-index measuring current business rose to 110.0 points from 108.4 points last month, while the outlook sub-index increased by 1.4 points to 99.7 points.

Analysts were encouraged by the turnaround in the index, especially after investor sentiment in Germany rose for the first time this year in November.

DILBERT

“After a six-month slide, German business confidence staged a strong rebound in November, illustrating that any swan songs on the eurozone’s biggest economy came too early,” said ING DiBa economist Carsten Brzeski.

“In our view, the Ifo index is currently the best single leading indicator for the German economy. Therefore, today’s Ifo reading gives clear comfort for our view of an accelerating economy in the final quarter of the year,” he said.

Uncertainty still high Capital Economics economist Jennifer McKeown said the rise in the Ifo index “is a relief after falls in other survey indicators, but it still points to only slow growth.”

“The fall in the euro and easing concerns over geo-political factors are starting to have some positive effects,” she said, but noted that the November increase only reversed the fall seen in the previous month.

“In all, the survey provides tentative evidence that the recovery should slowly resume after the stagnation around the middle of the year. But with growth too slow to generate inflation or provide a boost to the rest of the eurozone, policymakers will remain under pressure to offer more support,” McKeown said.

Postbank economist Thilo Heidrich was also cautious. l