30 Nov, 2014

Agrahayan 16, 1421 Safar 6, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 233

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

20 pages | Price: Tk12

B4 | BUSINESS

7 | CAREER

11 | OP-ED

12 | SPORT

OIL PLUNGES TO NEW MULTI-YEAR LOWS ON OPEC DECISION

THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL CAREER

THE REAL THREAT OF GLOBAL WARMING

COURAGEOUS JUBAIR DREAMS BIG

Buthpara, a safe haven for Jamaat Rajshahi University is no stranger to Jamaat-Shibir violence; they operate from a sanctuary cultivated for decades people, most of whom have never had n Mohammad Jamil Khan, a decent job, for partaking in violent back from Rajshahi

Buthpara is like any other village of Bangladesh by day. By night, it turns into a guarded bastion, where even law enforcers do not dare to venture.

Sharing a common wall with the Rajshahi University (RU) campus, Buthpara is a safe haven for Jamaat-e-Islami’s student cadres — Islami Chhatra Shibir members.

Rajshahi University has come to be known as a stronghold of Jamaat and Shibir for decades. But nowhere are

The first of a two-part Dhaka Tribune report reveals the ‘JamaatShibir Cantonment’ they more firmly rooted than at Buthpara village. The head of the local Jamaat unit runs the area as if it were his kingdom.

The fact that this used to be an extremely poor community, made it easy for Jamaat-Shibir men to establish a strong following among the people there. The Islamist party, which actively opposed Bangladesh’s liberation in 1971, have made the villagers economically dependent on them.

Members of Jamaat-e-Islami and their student cadres have been giving away money to these poor and illiterate

Egyptian court drops case against Mubarak over 2011 protest deaths n Reuters An Egyptian court has dropped its case against former President Hosni Mubarak over the killing of protesters in the 2011 uprising that ended his 30-year rule and symbolized hopes for a new era of political openness and accountability.

Mubarak, 86, was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for conspiring to murder 239 demonstrators, sowing chaos and creating a security vacuum during the 18-day revolt, but an appeals court ordered a retrial.

His supporters erupted into celebration when the verdicts of that retrial - which also cleared Mubarak’s former interior minister Habib al-Adly and six aides - were read out. The defendants had denied the charges.

Supporters outside court, carrying pictures of the ex-air force officer who dominated the most populous Arab nation for three decades, far outnumbered families of protesters who died in the Tahrir Square revolt that had embodied the hopes of Arab Spring uprisings that spread through the region.

The judge said criminal charges should never have been brought against Mubarak in the case. The decision can be appealed, however, and the former leader was not freed as he is  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

acts on or around the nearby university campus.

Jamaat men and their student cadres had been instrumental in establishing vigilante militia groups during the Liberation War. These militia gangs were responsible for widespread atrocities, amounting to war crimes, across Bangladesh. A number of Jamaat leaders have already been sentenced to death for their part in perpetrating crimes against humanity.

The violent acts around campus are in fact a kind of popular “seasonal job” for many villagers. This “seasonal Shibir crew” is behind every major violent incident at Rajshahi University.

This correspondent spoke to a Shibir cadre who lives in Buthpara and goes to Rajshahi University.

On the evening before any major political demonstration or hartal, senior Jamaat-Shibir leaders hold meetings with the villagers and lay out their plans for the next day, he said. “They inspire us saying we are the protectors of Islam.

And so we can do whatever is needed.”

“The following evening, after the day’s action is over, we are generally paid Tk5,000 for hitting a policeman, Tk500 - Tk1,000 for vandalising a car or a shop and Tk100 or so for setting off crude bombs.”

Rabbel Hossain, president of the local Awami League unit and one of the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Putting commuters’ lives into risk, public buses are dropping off passengers in the middle of a busy road. Such short-sighted act can result into major accident anytime. The photo was taken from the Shahbagh area in the capital yesterday SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

AL units run by RSO-trained Rohingyas n S Bashu Das, Bandarban Banned Myanmarese insurgent group Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) has gradually placed their key figures in the ruling Awami League’s Naikkhyangchhari unit in bordering Bandarban.

Their dominance has risen so high that the different units of the Awami League (AL) including Chhatra League, Jubo League, Sechchasebak League and Krishak League are led by the Rohingyas, who are allegedly involved in anti-state activities, locals and a number

of AL leaders told the Dhaka Tribune.

The RSO, which reportedly has ties with banned militant group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and key BNP-ally Jamaat-e-Islami, recently increased its activities by targeting poor Rohingyas in the remote hilly areas and tactfully providing them with food, shelter and training. Afghan instructors were also reported to have been seen at the RSO camps.

According to credible sources, the RSO started regrouping in June 2012 after sectarian violence erupted in Myanmar’s Arakan province where the

Muslim Rohingya communities have been persecuted in the Buddhist-majority country.

On June 8 the same year, the group declared Arakan as an independent Islamic state during Friday sermons at Kowarbeel Madrasa in Mongdu of Myanmar. Later they beefed up activities in bordering Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar districts to lure the Rohingyas, staying illegally in Bangladesh, to join the outfit.

It is alleged that RSO leaders, among others, were behind the attacks on  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

‘Controversial and unnecessary’ new zebra crossing n Abu Hayat Mahmud

Pedestrians crossing over to the other side of the road by using a zebra crossing, which was non-existent day before yesterday, at Karwan Bazar intersection yesterday. The Dhaka North City Corporation did the job barely 100 feet away from an underpass. It was done without informing the traffic division of the DMP SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Without coordinating with the traffic division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has marked a controversial zebra crossing just north of the Saarc Fountain at Karwan Bazar intersection in the capital.

The new zebra crossing, barely one hundred feet from an underpass, has caused pedestrian traffic to increase at the busy intersection, making it difficult for traffic police to control jaywalkers who tend to cut a diagonal line through traffic, a police official, asking to remain anonymous, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Ironically, before it had been painted, a mobile court under Executive Magistrate Md Sarwar Alam fined around one hundred people for trying to cross the road at the new crossing point.

The new zebra crossing is also the site of a scuffle in which a female jaywalker

earned a month in jail for biting a police officer on the second day of the drive.

DNCC marked the new zebra crossing amid a week-long DMP drive against jaywalking at three key intersections in the capital - Farmgate, Karwan Bazar and Bangla Motor on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue.

Zebra crossings on all of Dhaka city’s roads have been worn down to invisibility because of lack of maintenance, increasing the chances for road accidents and jaywalking.

But Dhaka North and South City Corporation are intent on remarking existing zebra crossings only on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, showing little interest, so far, in other parts of the city.

Terming the new zebra crossing controversial and unnecessary, the DMP official said: “This intersection is much busier than most other intersections in the city. The newly marked zebra crossing is risky.”  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

n Mohammad Jamil Khan

Officials at Rajshahi Metropolitan Police now say that Facebook page “Ansar Al-Islam Bangladesh 2,” members of which claimed to have killed Rajshahi University teacher Prof AKM Shafiul Islam Lilon, made a false announcement.

Police and Rapid Action Battalion

(RAB) have so far shown 17 people arrested for their suspected involvement in the murder.

Six others were detained from Bogra on November 23. Four of them – Amal Chandra Karmakar, Sadhon Chandra Karmakar, Vojon Chandra Sarker and Sudarshan Chandra Karmakar – were machete makers. Police released them

5 | News

8 | World

on Thursday.

The two others were detained for opening the Facebook page that claimed responsibility of the murder within five hours. Shariful Islam, a teacher of Mostafizur Cadet College of Bogra, and Rayhanul Islam Shadhin, 17, a class VIII student of Gokul School, were produced before a court under

section 54. They are Jamaat-Shibir men, police say.

Just a few days earlier, RMP Deputy Commissioner Nahidul Islam agreed with RAB’s findings that Jubo Dal members had been behind the murder.

“Ansar Al-Islam Bangladesh 2 was not involved in the murder. We came to know from Shariful and Rayhan that

14 | Sport

15 | Entertainment

3 | News

PM inaugurated the Bibiyana Gas Field Expansion Project and the newly constructed Bibiyana-Dhanua Gas transmission pipeline, expressing hope that these projects would reduce the gap of gas between demand and supply.

The Unnayan Onneshan (UO) in its Bangladesh Economic update cautions that limited access to available, affordable and reliable sources of energy puts energy security at risk.

Senior journalist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury was killed in a road accident in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area last night. He was 69.

Police said the accident happened around 8:05pm. Zaglul was about to get off a bus at Karwan Bazar intersection.

The bus was heading towards Farmgate from Bangla Motor.

As he was getting off the bus began to move and Zaglul hit his against the closing door and fell on to the road.

Three pedestrians took him to nearby Mohona Clinic. As there was no physician in the emergency unit he was rushed to Comfort Hospital at Green Road where doctors declared him dead around 8:30pm Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamal Datta said Zaglul was supposed attend a talkshow with him at 8:30pm at ATN Bangla.

His body has been kept at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) mortuary.

He leaves behind his wife, one son and one daughter to mourn his death.

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury was the advisor editor of Financial Express until his death. He had been living in the capital’s Banani with family members.

His daughter lives in the US while his son works at a private telecommunication company.

This veteran journalist hailed from Piam village under Madhabpur upazila in Habiganj district. His father Nasiruddin Chowdhury was the law minister of Juktofront government.

Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the sad demise of the noted journalist. l

Shafiul murder: Police term Facebook page claims baseless

INSIDE

4 | News

Journo Zaglul Ahmed Chy dies in road accident n Tribune Report

A memorial to noted personalities Tareque Masud and Mishuk Munier was opened to public at Dhaka University yesterday. It is part of the Road Accident Memorial Installation.

Pressure is building on Venezuela’s government to fully investigate a rising number of deaths at an overcrowded prison, with human rights activists questioning authorities.

Danny Welbeck’s header eased the pressure on Arsene Wenger as Arsenal made it two victories in a week with a 1-0 success at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s name is so synonymous with the Kashmiri folk instrument that even his official website is called santoor.com.

they opened the Facebook page on seeing the news in the media to take the credit as an accomplishment of their organisation,” Alamgir Hossain, officerin-charge of Motihar police station, told the Dhaka Tribune.

A case would be filed against the duo for opening the page, under the  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Demo continues for Khilgaon stalking victim Ritu; key accused gets bail n Tribune Report Despite continual demonstration from Umme Kulsum Ritu’s family members, her classmates and teachers of East Point Education School and College and neighbours in the capital’s Khilgaon area, the main accused of three defendants in the case has secured bail from the High Court.

Hundreds of people including teachers and students staged a demonstration in the national press club area yesterday and formed a human chain protesting bail of the main accused, namely Simul Chandra Mondal, in the case filed with Khilgaon police station.

Ritu killed herself with poison on September 6 being anguished in the face of continuous sexual harassment by a local stalkers named Simul and his friends Rafiq, Jiyad, Billal, Pintu Chandra Mondal, Joygopal Chandra Mondal, alleged Shathi Begum, Ritu’s mother.

“I have filed the case against Simul as well as, his father Ranjan Mondal, mother Maloti Rani Mondal, Pintu, Joygopal.

Ritu’s teachers tried several times to save my daughter from the harassment by making complain to his parents. But they (Simul’s parents) never controlled

their son and they on the contrary assaulted the teachers.” said Shathi.

After the case, Khilgaon police arrested Rafiq, Jiyad and Billal but not the main accused although they were seen in the area always, alleged a neighbour of Ritu named Minara Begum.

When contacted, Khilgaon police station SI and also Investigation Officer of the case Shahjahan said: “We tried our best to arrest the prime accused but they went into hiding.”

Denying the allegation hurled by the neighbour, the officer said: “The criminal accused in the case are identified criminals of this area. After Ritu’s suicide they went into hiding. On November 27 they got bail from the High Court. Before getting bail if we found them, we must arrest them.”

After the bail, the accused have been threatening Ritu’s family members continuously to withdraw the case. Otherwise they will file a false case against them.

Shathi said tear on eyes with feeble voice: “Continuously they threat us to withdraw the case. I and my husband are poor and also work as garment worker. My other son and daughter live in house alone. Now I am tensed with my other children.”

Ritu’s teacher and principal of her

school Jahirul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune: “I wonder how those criminals get bail from the HC after being accused in a case filed for allegedly provoking a minor girl to suicide.”

During the two-hour demonstration, school students, teachers and locals laid siege to the house of the alleged stalker in Nandipara area, also demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits cancelling the bail.

The victim Ritu used to live with her family at Nandipara in Khilgaon.

She was the eldest among three brothers and sisters. Her father Mohammad Ashiq and mother Sathi Akther are garment workers. Like everyday, Ritu’s parents went to work and her grandmother Fatema went to a neighbour’s house after lunch. Getting the chance, prime accused Shimul, along with Joy, stormed into Ritu’s house and tried to abuse her on September 6.

Hearing her screaming, Fatema rushed to the house but the stalkers left the spot promptly. At one stage, Fatema called on Ritu’s Bangla teacher Al-Amin, also their neighbour, for help.

Later, Ritu took poison to kill herself while Al-Amin and Fatema were discussing the possible steps in this regard. l

Nazmul: Nobody matters except Hasina and past BCL bosses n Arif Ahmed

Family members break into tears at a human chain formed by hundreds of locals, teachers and students of East Point Education School and College in the capital’s Khilgaon area yesterday protesting the suicide of a class IX student of the school because of sexual harassment MEHEDI HASAN

Former Jamaat MP Egyptian court drops case against Mubarak over 2011 protest deaths crackdown on Mursi and his Muslim ciary has been procrastinating for four Cairo. They chanted slogans against arrested serving a three-year jail term in a sepa- Brotherhood. Authorities have jailed years so they could clear him after hope Mubarak and against Sisi and Mursi, thousands of Brotherhood supporters had been lost,” the father of Ahmed the two men who have served as presrate embezzlement case. n Asif Islam Shaon Many Egyptians who lived through and sentenced hundreds to death in Khaleefa, 19, who was killed in 2011, ident since him. An eyewitness said,  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

Police yesterday arrested former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shakhawat Hossain in connection with crimes against humanity he had allegedly committed during the 1971 Liberation War. Shakhawat was arrested at a house near Masterkhanpara Mosque area at Uttarkhan of the capital last evening, Uttarkhan police Officer-in-Charge Yunus Ali told the Dhaka Tribune. l

Mubarak’s rule view it as a period of autocracy and crony capitalism and considered it a victory to see him behind bars.

His overthrow led to Egypt’s first free election but the winner, Mohamed Mursi, was ousted last year by then-army chief Abdelfattah al-Sisi, following protests against his rule.

Sisi, who went on to win a presidential election in May, launched a

mass trials that drew international criticism.

By contrast, Mubarak-era figures are slowly being cleared of charges and a series of laws curtailing political freedoms have raised fears among activists that the old leadership was regaining influence. Saturday’s verdict was seen as the latest sign by activists the rights won in 2011 were being eroded.

“This is a political verdict. The judi-

AL units run by RSO-trained Rohingyas  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

Buddhist localities and temples in Ramu in September 2012. The mastermind of the attacks, Naikkhyangchhari Upazila Chairman Tofail Ahmed, also a Jamaat leader, has allegedly been under the shelter of the RSO after the attacks, police said.

RSO operatives engaged in fierce battles with the Myanmarese Lutin Force (riot police) in September last year and May this year in Naikkhyangchhari.

The Rohingya insurgent group reportedly has training camps in the district’s remote areas where many JMB leaders took training. According to the police, the JMB has bought land in Bandarban to set up shelters and train militants.

Locals say RSO operatives have became populous in the district which has accommodated many Rohingyas since the birth of Bangladesh. At that time, the Rohingyas took shelter in the district with the help of Bangalee Muslims, and now they have become top leaders of different political parties including the ruling Awami League.

Sources in Bandarban AL say Naikkhyangchhari union parishad Chair-

man Abu Syed, upazila unit Krishak League President Mostafa Kamal Lalu and its General Secretary Md Iqbal – all Rohingyas – were trained by the RSO. Iqbal, now a fugitive, is a criminal listed by the Home Ministry who was arrested twice in Dhaka and Chittagong with huge quantities of contraband yaba tablets.

Among the other top Rohingya leaders, now leaders of the ruling party, are upazila unit Chhatra League General Secretary Badarullah, upazila unit Sechchasebak League General Secretary Shahnewaz Shanu and its union unit General Secretary Abdur Rahim Monsur, and upazila unit Awami League President Habibullah and Joint General Secretary Abu Taher Bahadur.

When contacted, Mostafa outright rejected any link with the RSO. “Such allegations are raised only to malign our [Rohingyas involved with AL] image.”

RSO’s Shafiullah: Shibir turns AL

Law enforcers on Sunday arrested five people including two top RSO leaders – Salamatullah and Shafiullah – at a hotel in Chittagong city for their alleged in-

Buthpara, a safe haven for Jamaat  PAGE 1 COLUMN 2

few who openly oppose Jamaat, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Every time there is a major political programme, Shibir men turn off the streetlights the night before in order to give the place a scary look so that nobody dares to enter.

They also block the roads with trees so that police vehicles cannot go in either.”

He remembered night before Jamaat leader and war criminal Abdul Quader Molla was sentenced to death. They had major demonstrations planned for the day. Police were conducting drives in the city. “They blocked the roads into Buthpara with trees and the police could not enter.”

Asked how they move around in the area evidently infested with Shibir men and loyalists, Rabbel said: “We [Awami League supporters] never move alone after dark. I always have at least 4-5 people with me.”

Rabbel said: “On the day of Quader Molla’s verdict, some other Awami League supporters and I stayed up the entire night and guarded our houses.”

He alleged that local police get hefty bribes from the Jamaat-Shibir men and turn a blind eye towards the village.

Another Awami League supporter said Shibir men use loudspeakers of the local mosque to gather people if

needed.

He said: “You will not find too many people on the streets at night. But, if someone announces ‘Naraye Takbir’ over the mosque loudspeaker, scores come on the streets ready to do whatever they are told to within a matter of minutes.”

This correspondent was barred by a policeman on duty, when trying to enter Buthpara village on Friday evening.

“Come back tomorrow during the day.

Buthpara is not safe for strangers after dark.”

Contacted, Moktar Alam, a sub-inspector of the Motihar police station, was only sterner in his warning. “The area you want to enter is not safe for outsiders. Most criminals of Shibir in Rajshahi live there. Attacking police vans is common for them,” he said. “If they somehow find out that you are a journalist, you may not be able to come out in one piece.”

Hasan, an Awami League supporter who lives in the nearby West Buthpara village, described his experience to Dhaka Tribune.

He was walking back home around 10:30pm on October 26. He heard a chilling “Naraye Takbir” when he reached the New Buthpara mosque.

There were stabs on his back. The

told Reuters outside the court.

“The verdict hit us like bullets. I consider that my son Ahmed died today.”

A few dozen young people gathered to protest the verdict in the city of Suez, site of the first death of the uprising, but they were quickly dispersed by police, security sources said.

By nightfall, a few hundred demonstrators had gathered in downtown

volvement in militant activities.

Salamatullah is a Jamaat leader who is locally known as a chief organiser of the RSO in Cox’s Bazar, police said, adding that the detainees were distributing money received from two Saudi financiers. He was also involved in the Ramu attacks.

Previously a leader of Jamaat’s student body Islami Chhatra Shibir, Shafi, is now a leader of the AL’s upazila unit.

His father Saleh Ahmed was the founding president of RSO in Naikkhyangchhari upazila.

Shafi contested in the union parishad election in 2001 as a Rohingya. At that time, he led the NGO affairs unit of the RSO. He joined the Awami League in 2010 backed by Bandarban district unit General Secretary Kazi Mujibur Rahman.

He became the member secretary of the upazila unit’s convening committee the following year.

In 2012, Shafi was nominated as the human resources affairs secretary of the upazila unit. He lost the upazila election the same year to Jamaat leader Tofail.

Naikkhyangchhari upazila unit AL’s

Senior Vice-President Abu Taher said: “We know since childhood that they are involved with the RSO. And now they lead the outfit.”

Seeking anonymity, another senior leader of the unit said Shafi presented a district unit leader a car as bribe to strengthen his position in the party.

During Eid-ul-Azha this year, Shafi distributed 200 cows among the Rohingyas living in different upazilas of Bandarban from funds he had received from Turkish sources, sources said.

Regarding the involvement of AL leaders with the RSO, former convener of the AL Naikkhyangchhari upazila unit, Khairul Bashar said: “These people are dangerous for the party, the country’s independence and sovereignty.”

Kazi Mozibur Rahman, AL’s district unit general secretary, said he was unaware of the matter that Awami League leaders had RSO connections. “If we get any specific allegation against anyone, we will expel them from the party.”

The Naikkhyangchhari unit Awami League on Friday formed a human chain in the area demanding Shafi’s immediate release. l

wounds still serve as warning. “They knew I am an Awami League supporter.”

“The Jamaat-Shibir people have their own mosque, which is off limits for the supporters of Awami League or other parties.”

This correspondent went into Buthpara the following morning. There are writings on the walls: “We want punishment for killer Hasina,” says one.

“Everyone says Sayedee is a Razakar, but he is our pride,” says another. “Join Shibir and enrich your lives.” There are many more.

There was an eerie silence even in the middle of the day when villagers go about their business and markets are abuzz.

Suspecting that Jamaat-Shibir men were behind RU Professor Shafiul Islam’s murder, Rajshahi police have conducted several drives in the Buthpara area as it is locally known as “Shibir Cantonment”.

The village got the name because Shibir members usually take shelter here after committing any kind of crime. One such incident dates back to August 2013, when, after stabbing RU unit Chhatra League leader Towhid Al Hossain Tuhin, Shibir criminals fled the campus through the Buthpara gate

on a motorbike.

The police were in hot pursuit, but the young Shibir men literally vanished after going past the Buthpara gate, said Motihar OC Alamgir Hossain remembering his own experience. “When we asked locals, they just denied seeing anyone.”

According to police and locals who live nearby, the houses in Buthpara work as a sanctuary for Jamaat-Shibir criminals.

“The inhabitants of Buthpara are overprotective about them. They would rather die than let police arrest any of them,” said a local living near Buthpara village, strongly requesting anonymity.

“In return, the Shibir leaders and activists are also overprotective about the village. After sunset, they patrol every path of the village. Not even a fly with a different political affiliation can get past them,” said the same man.

Mohammad Shamsuddin, the new Rajshahi police commissioner, told the Dhaka Tribune that he had already learned about some “risky issues and insecurity” centring the RU campus and adjacent areas.

“We have already ordered law enforcers to increase patrolling and keep the area under watch,” he said. l

based on the chants, both Mursi supporters and liberal secular protesters appeared to be present.

Armored vehicles and security personnel blocked their entrance to Tahrir Square, the symbolic heart of the revolt.

Hundreds of people died when security forces clashed with protesters in the weeks before Mubarak was forced from power. l

The general secretary of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) yesterday rubbished the need to pay heed to any opinions other than those of AL chief Sheikh Hasina and former leaders of his organisation.

“Chhatra League is never embarrassed by the remarks of anyone except those of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former BCL leaders,” BCL general secretary Siddiqui Nazmul Alam said at a press conference at Madhu’s canteen on the Dhaka University campus yesterday.

Speaking with this correspondent Nazmul confirmed his statement: “There is no need to care for the advice or direction of anybody regarding our organization except those of Sheikh Hasina and the former leaders of our organisation.”

With regard to Awami League advisory council member Suranjit Sengupta’s recent remarks on the BCL, Nazmul said: “He cannot say anything about us because he does not maintain his own duties properly. So what can he say about us?”

At a programme on November 21, Suranjit cast doubts about the process of forming the BCL central committee and urged the prime minister to form a committee to investigate it.

Claiming Suranjit wished ill of the BCL, Nazmul said: “If he wanted our well being, he would not have commented negatively about us to the media, he would have told us personally.”

Nazmul said: “The prime minister criticises us, but never publicly. How could Suranjit do this?”

The BCL also announced “Clean Campus Save Campus,” a seven-day long programme at the press conference.

“We will start our programme from Dhaka University to build awareness about environmental pollution,” BCL president H M Bodiuzzaman Sohag said, adding that the programme would work to eradicate terrorism on campus.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader is expected to inaugurate the campaign on December 1 at Aparajeyo Bangla on the DU campus. l

‘Controversial and unnecessary’ new zebra crossing  PAGE 1 COLUMN 5

“I think the chances of accidents will rise because of it. Due to the new zebra crossing, pedestrians will not use the existing underpass 100 feet to the north of the intersection,” he explained.

“The zebra crossings were painted very late on Friday night. We were not aware of it until the next morning,” he said.

Despite repeated attempts to contact DNCC Chief Engineer Brigadier General Md Gazi Firoz Rahman yesterday, he remained unavailable for comment.

DMP additional commissioner (traffic) Mili Biswas told reporters on the first day of the anti-jaywalking drive that the repainting of zebra crossings and renovation of footbridges were discussed with city corporation authorities.

Mili mentioned that the existing zebra crossing west of the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel and south of the Saarc Fountain would be repainted,

but did not mention that a new one would be painted to the north of the fountain.

DMP Joint Commissioner (traffic) Mosleh Uddin, who said he had not yet seen the new crossing, told the Dhaka Tribune: “If the city corporation marked it at that point, traffic police will find it difficult to control jaywalking because most pedestrians will cross the road at the zebra crossing and avoid using the underpass.”

Two days after the weekend, two mobile courts will recommence drives against jaywalkers at the Farmgate, Karwan Bazar and Bangla Motor intersections of Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue.

Although the mobile courts did not operate during the last two days, most pedestrians used the footbridges to cross roads. The courts are operating as part of a week-long drive of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police in coordination with the district administration to curb jaywalking. l

Shafiul murder: Police term Facebook page claims baseless  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

Information and Communication Technology Act, said the OC, also investigation officer of the case.

Police are now looking for a Shibir leader, who is a former president of Bogra Azizul Haque College unit and resident of Shibganj area of the district, for directing the duo to open the page.

“We believe that all things will be clear after his arrest,” Alamgir added.

Police claim that Ansar Al-Islam Bangladesh 2 is a wing of Jamaat.

Asked if it was already proved that the Jamaat-Shibir men were not involved in the murder, OC Alamgir avoided giving any direct answer.

About the machete makers, the OC said they were made witnesses in the case and would be brought to the court during the trial proceedings.

Asked why the six detainees were placed before the court four days after detention, the RMP deputy commissioner said: “We brought them from Bogra as witnesses of the case. We just interrogated them. We have the right to do so.”

However, according to the constitution, a person should be produced in

the nearby court within 24 hours after being taken to the law enforcers’ custody.

Since the murder on November 15, the RMP officials were claiming that local Jamaat-Shibir men, militants or professional killers had been behind it. They even arrested 11 active Jamaat-Shibir members. On the other hand, elite force RAB arrested six Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal men and claimed that Shafiul had been killed because of personal conflicts.

Iftekharul Alam, assistant commissioner of the Detective Branch of Police, said: “The investigation is not completed yet. We are analysing the clues. Those responsible for the murder must be brought to book; no matter which group they belong to.”

Four of the 11 Jamaat-Shibir men, who were taken on a two-day remand on Thursday, were sent to jail yesterday after their remand ended.

Iftekhar, also the RMP commissioner’s spokesperson, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had got some sensational information from the four people. “It is not safe to disclose it to media right now,” he added. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Prime minister opens Bibiyana expansion project 1,200mmcf gas to be added to national grid Denying the allegation hurled by n Tribune Report the neighbour, the officer said: “The Despite continual demonstrations from Umme Kulsum Ritu’s family members, her classmates, teachers of East Point Education School and College and neighbours in the capital’s Khilgaon area, the main accused of three defendants in the case has secured bail from High Court.

Hundreds of people including teachers and students staged a demonstration in the national press club area yesterday and formed a human chain protesting bail of the main accused, namely Shimul Chandra Mondal, in the case filed with Khilgaon police station.

Initially, around 300 million cubic feet of gas will be supplied through this pipeline a day Ritu killed herself on September 6 being in anguish in the face of continuous sexual harassment by a local stalker named Shimul and his friends Rafiq, Ziad, Billal, Pintu Chandra Mondal, Joy Gopal Chandra Mondal, alleged Shathi Begum, Ritu’s mother.

“I have filed the case against Shimul as well as his father Ranjan Mondal, mother Maloti Rani Mondal, Pintu, Joygopal. Ritu’s teachers tried several times to save my daughter from the harassment by complaining to his parents. But they (Shimul’s parents) never controlled their son but on the contrary assaulted the teachers,” said Shathi.

After the case was filed, Khilgaon police arrested Rafiq, Jiyad and Billal but not the main accused although they were seen in the area always, alleged Minara Begum , one of Ritu’s neighbours When contacted, Khilgaon police station SI and also Investigation Officer of the case Shahjahan said: “We tried our best to arrest the prime accused but they went into hiding.”

persons accused in the case are identified criminals of this area. After Ritu’s suicide they went into hiding. On November 27 they got bail from the High Court. Before getting bail if we found them, we would have arrested them.”

After getting bail, the accused have been threatening Ritu’s family members continuously to withdraw the case, stating that they will file a false case against them.

A tearful Shathi in a feeble voice said: “They are continuously threatening us to withdraw the case. My husband and I are poor garment workers.

My other daughter and son are alone in the house. I am worried about my other children.”

Ritu’s teacher and principal of her school Jahirul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune: “I wonder how those criminals got bail from HC after being accused in a case filed for allegedly provoking a minor girl to suicide.”

During the two-hour demonstration, school students, teachers and locals laid siege to the house of the alleged stalker in the Nandipara area, demanding the cancellation of the bail and immediate arrest of the culprits.

The victim Ritu lived with her family at Nandipara in Khilgaon. She was the eldest among three brothers and sisters. Her father Mohammad Ashiq and mother Shathi Akther are garment workers.

Like everyday, Ritu’s parents went to work and her grandmother Fatema went to a neighbour’s house after lunch. Pouncing on the chance, prime accused Shimul, along with Joy, stormed into Ritu’s house and tried to abuse her on September 6.

Hearing her screams, Fatema rushed to the house but the stalkers left the spot promptly. Fatema then called Ritu’s Bangla teacher Al-Amin, also their neighbour, for help.

While Al-Amin and Fatema were discussing the possible safety measures in this regard, Ritu took poison to kill herself. l

News

Hasina: Khaleda Zia wanted to create Thailand-like situation

n UNB Renewing her party’s allegation that Khaleda Zia boycotted the January-5 election sensing defeat, Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the BNP chief had actually wanted to create a Thailand-like situation where martial law was declared amid the opposition’s movement.

“She (Khaleda) had actually wanted to create a situation in the country like the one in Thailand obstructing the January-5 election,”she told a mammoth public rally at Habiganj New Field.

Hasina said the BNP leader had tried to foil the election. “What would have happened had the election been stalled …look at Thailand, martial law has been declared there, and there has been no election schedule.”

The prime minister also said Khaleda Zia did not participate in the election sensing defeat in the election. “But why did you (Khaleda) try to resist people, why did you kill the presiding officer,” she asked.

Chaired by local MP Advocate Abu Jahir, the rally was addressed, among others, by AL advisory council member Suranjit Sengupta, Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, State Minister for Youth and Sports Biren Sikder, former chief whip Abdus Shahid, Biren Sikder and local Awami League leaders.

Describing the positive side of BNP’s polls boycott, Hasina said now there is no incident of badmouthing in Parliament. “BNP didn’t participate in the election…there’s a positive side, too… now we don’t have to hear spiteful and indecent remarks in Parliament.”

Mentioning that parliament is now operating decently and people found back their confidence in it now. “Democracy is running uninterruptedly,” she added.

The prime minister also mentioned that BNP with the help of Jamaat-e-Islami set fire to Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and torched hundreds of copies of the holy Quran.

“They (BNP-Jamaat) do politics using the name of Islam and protecting Islam. What’s their Islam? Is it setting fire to mosque and holy Quran? Let me ask her (Khaleda), your movement is to burn the holy Quran, Is this your way of protecting Islam?” she asked.

Talking about the patronising war criminals by BNP in the past, Hasina said that those who are facing the trial for their alleged involvement in crimes against humanity in 1971 had been patronised by Khaleda Zia. l

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia addresses a rally held on the Comilla Town Hall ground demanding election under a non-party neutral government yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Khaleda says Hasina should have faced corruption cases too Al-Masum Molla n Mohammad from Comilla Striking back against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s remark on facing cases in court, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has asked the Awami League president to face the corruption cases filed against her during the army-backed caretaker government.

“Eight thousand cases were filed against them [Awami League leaders and activists]; 15 against Hasina. Hasina bought Mig 29 [fighter planes]. It was corruption...Hasina might have been convicted in those cases.

“I want to know why you have withdrawn those cases. You should have faced those through a neutral court.

Then [we] will see how courageous you are,” former premier Khaleda said yesterday while addressing a rally at Comilla Town Hall ground.

The BNP chief alleged that Hasina had “compromised” with the Fakhruddin-Moeen Uddin government to “dodge the court and come to power.”

Hasina at a meeting on Friday at Ganabhaban said: “She [Khaleda] terms others corrupt but she herself is living like a fugitive. She is not attending court hearings in the cases filed on charges of misappropriation of funds meant for orphans.”

Khaleda yesterday urged her supporters to prepare for a decisive movement as the ruling Awami League’s fall was “imminent.” She also challenged the government to test its popularity

by holding election under a non-partisan administration.

“Awami League will fall very soon... there is no alternative to wage movement.

You have to accept some pains before the good days come. Let us work together...I will be there on the streets along with you, on the same lines, this time, and will see how the police open fire at you,” she said.

The BNP-led 20-party alliance organised the meeting to drum up public support in favour of mid-term election under a non-partisan government and protesting the “killing, abduction and repression on the opposition leaders and activists.”

Central leaders of the alliance spoke at the meeting chaired by district BNP President Rabeya Chowdhury. Hundreds of archways were erected from the Meghna Bridge to welcome Khaleda in Comilla. However, it is alleged that some of the archways were damaged by miscreants in the Daudkandi area.

The presence of BNP-ally Jamaat-e-Islami supporters at the rally and around the city was noticeable as they were carrying large banners and placards showing the portraits of its leaders convicted for 1971 war crimes.

“We want unity and cooperation of all. Boycott the Awami League. A wind of change has started blowing in the country.” Khaleda claimed that going to power was not a big issue for her. Her major concerns were to “restore democracy, ensure development, creating employment and saving the country and its people.”

Khaleda also branded Hasina’s Polit-

ical Adviser HT Imam as an imam (cleric) whose “only responsibility is to give her bad advice and hatching conspiracy to keep Hasina in power.”

The former premier claimed that the adviser had disclosed the January 5 election “forgery” before the nation.

“After revealing such truth, HT Imam as well as the Awami League should not stay in power.”

‘Police, back off’

Asking the police to stop firing upon her supporters, Khaleda said it would not protect the Awami League government.

Khaleda also urged the UN not to recruit members of Bangladesh Police in its peacekeeping missions. “Stop supplying bullet and tear gas canisters.

Stop training them because they are criminal and killers. They are killing the people of their own country.”

She reiterated her demand of disbanding elite force Rapid Action Battalion – formed during the BNP-Jamaat government, and the immediate arrest of RAB high official Col Zia “to stop killing and abduction.”

Khaleda claimed that the Awami League was a “patron of militancy” and sometimes “staged drama” in the name of arresting militants to “frighten the people, especially the foreigners.”

The three-time former premier in her address also spoke on the government’s development projects terming those meant for “plundering public money.” She claimed that people were becoming unemployed every day. l

Acquaintance suspected in Bhatara minor girl killing

Chinese firm to get the work for Kurigram 30MW solar power plant n Asif Showkat Kallol A Chinese consortium is likely to get the job for building a solar energy-based 30 megawatt power plant in Kurigram as part of the government’s initiative to promote use of renewable energy.

Sources said the proposal for awarding the contract to the ETERN-CCCE (China)-Hareon Consortium will be placed before a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase today, to be chaired

by Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

According to a proposal of the government’s Power Division, the Chinese consortium quoted the lowest tariff rate of $0.17/KWH or Tk13.18/KWH. The other bidders for the tender were Germany-based Beximco-Active Solar consortium and China-based Intraco-Juli Power Consortium. The government’s renewable energy policy says there is a plan to account for 5% of the total power generation using renewable energy sources by 2015 and 10% by 2021.

For this, there is a plan to build six solar park projects with a combined capacity of 152MW power at a cost of Tk4,000 crore. Upon completion, these projects will supply their produce to the national grid. The Chinese consortium will build-own-operate (BOO) the power plant beside the Dhorola River in Kurigram for the next 20 years.

During the period, the Power Development Board (PDB) will spend Tk1,046 crore to purchase electricity generated in the plant and supply it to the national grid.

The five other planned renewable energy-based power plants are the Rangunia 60MW in Chittagong, Sarishabari 3MW in Jamalpur, Irshadi 2MW in Pabna, Aricha 1.5MW in Manikganj, Sirajgang 1MW and Gonggachara 55MW in Rangpur. According PDB’s latest data, a total of 370MW power is now being generated from various renewable energy sources across the country.

This includes 230MW from the Kaptai Hydro Power Station in the hill district of Rangamati. l

3

Sunday, November 30, 2014

n Ashif Islam Shaon

Members of the 13 families who charged expelled minister Adul Latif Siddique for grabbing their lands form a human chain in front of the National Press Club yesterday seeking legal assistance from the Prime Minister MEHEDI HASAN

Investigators are suspecting that Farzana Akhter Liza, who was found dead in a sack floating in a pond in the capital on Tuesday, was raped and killed by someone known to her.

“We suspect that Liza was persuaded by that familiar person to go with him and it happened on the road near a shop where she went to buy a pencil on Monday afternoon. The shop is within 100 yards from her house and in the daytime, the road is used by many people. So, we can rule out that anyone unknown to her had tried to abduct her forcefully,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of the Detective Branch (DB) of police Mahfuzul Islam yesterday.

On Tuesday, the body of the nineyear-old was found in a sack floating in a small pond in Sujantek area of Bhatara, some 400 yards from her house. She was the daughter of Faruk Hossain, a car driver, and studied at a local school.

Police on Thursday arrested Mahbub Hasan Sourav, 19, son of the owner of the victim’s rented house, and he was remanded in custody for three days.

The six-storey building’s watchman Abdus Salam, 52, was also shown arrested yesterday and police petitioned

for a 10-day remand after producing him before a Dhaka court.

On Friday, locals, who believe that Sourav killed Liza and dumped her body with the help of Salam, got into a clash with police at Notun Bazar in the capital as they were prevented from blocking a road as part of the protest demanding immediate arrest of the killer. At least 20 people, including six policemen, were injured in the clash.

“We are considering the suspicion of locals as we carry out the probe. We have visited the place where she was picked up from and also the pond where the body was dumped,” the ADC said.

He said Sourav is an O-level student and is known as a spoilt youth in the locality.

“After talking to over 50 locals and neighbours, our suspicion that Sourav was involved in the crime has got stronger. We have seized his motorcycle which was perhaps used to dump the body. We interrogated him for only a day and we need more time before we reach any conclusion,” said Mahfuzul.

Police, however, found no concrete evidence in Salam’s room, where locals believe the girl was raped and killed.

Mahfuzul said Salam would be quizzed thoroughly for any information about the crime.

“We are trying to find out if Liza was

abducted from the road or went missing after returning home from the shop.

We will talk to her parents who are now in Magura for her burial,” he said.

Hasibul, a maternal uncle of the victim who lives with her family, told the Dhaka Tribune that the family had no enmity with anybody and they were counting on police to bring the killer to book.

Recalling what happened on the day Liza went missing, Hasibul said the girl’s private tutor gave her a writing task but she had lost her pencil and had to go to shop to buy a new one.

“She went out but did not come back in 20 minutes. So, we went to the shop to search for her. The shopkeeper said Liza had bought a pencil from him and headed towards home. Another nearby shopkeeper also said he had seen her on the road but that was it. She just vanished afterwards,” he said.

“I think someone already known to her took her away,” he added.

A general diary was lodged with Bhatara police station after Liza went missing and Hasibul said Sourav’s father Rezaul accompanied him to the police station to file the GD. Liza’s hands were found tied up when locals discovered the body in the sack. The body also contained numerous marks of injury. l

US Asst Secy: Next election depends on ‘people’s decision’ n Syeda Samira Sadeque

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal yesterday said it is up to the people of Bangladesh to decide when the next elections would be held.

“We have continued to advocate on strong and inclusive democracy, and we will continue to work with Bangladesh.

But in terms of elections – it is for the people of Bangladesh to determine the timetable,” she said during a press briefing held at the American Club yesterday.

Biswal was on a three-day visit to

Bangladesh after attending the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit in Kathmundu, which ended on Thursday.

During her trip, Biswal met opposition leader Rowshan Ershad, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, labour leaders and many others.

She however did not answer when asked about her meeting with the opposition leader Rowshan Ershad the day before, when Biswal had apparently inquired about the next elections.

When asked about supposed allegations placed by BNP Chairperson

Khaleda Zia, Biswal said: “Wherever I go, I always meet with the government and with opposition – that is a hallmark of democracies. The discussions that we had focused on the fact that we do believe Bangladesh’s strength as a nation is its democracy and we’re committed to working with and partnering with Bangladesh on that aspect.”

She expressed concerns about extrajudicial killings when asked about the human rights situation in the country, especially with regards to the recent Narayanganj killings.

Biswal spoke little of the political sit-

uation of the country, eleven months since the January 5 elections. She focused instead on her observation of the Saarc summit and the overall progress of the garments industry.

She said the revival of the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) was still subject to review by the US trade representative’s office.

Citing the registration of over 200 unions, inspection of over 2,000 factories, and shutting down of over 30 factories due to unsafe conditions, she said: “These are all very important milestones. But clearly there’s a road ahead

and much hard-work still needs to be done. Legislations that have been passed or amended need to be implemented, and regulations need to be issued.”

Regarding her recent observation of the Saarc summit, Biswal said Bangladesh is a “key point of connectivity” between south Asia and South-East Asia.

“The opportunity for the region as a whole very much depends on the connectivity that is established with and through Bangladesh,” she said.

However, she said more action is needed by the South-Asian member country leaders for better outcome. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Sunday, November 30, 2014

‘Limited access puts energy security at risk’ n UNB The Unnayan Onneshan (UO) in its Bangladesh Economic update cautions that limited access to available, affordable and reliable sources of energy puts energy security at risk.

According to the multidisciplinary think tank, shortage of power supply, depletion of gas reserve and frequent price hikes in energy are not only exerting pressure on current production, but also posing a threat to energy security.

According to the International Energy Agency, energy security is understood as uninterrupted supply of energy from available sources at a reasonable price with even distribution.

Referring to the consumption per capita and supply and demand, the UO states that the per capita energy consumption is very low in the country compared to the neighbouring countries and shortage of energy supply is demonstrated by the large mismatch between demand for supply of energy.

In 2013, the per capita consumption of electricity was 217 kwh in Bangladesh, whereas the per capita consumption in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bhutan was 529.1 kwh, 368.38 kwh, 431.44 kwh, and 1619.48 kwh respectively.

As regards price, the research organisation says that the retail price of electricity in the country has undergone a seven-time hike during the period from 2010 to 2014.

Meanwhile, the Power Development Board has recently proposed an 18.12-percent increase in bulk electricity tariff to be effective from January 2015.

The UO observes that price of power increased by 124.52 percent, 83.67 percent, 75.53 percent, and 71.68 percent in the heavy industries (132 KV), heavy industries (33 KV), medium industries (11 KV), and commercial sector respectively during 2010 - 2014. In case of small industry and agriculture, electricity price has increased by 70.57 percent and 105.18 percent respectively during the same period.

Underscoring the reliable sources of energy in terms of uninterrupted supply and stable price, the think tank states that an energy source is considered reliable if it can be used to generate a consistent electrical output and is available to meet predicted peaks in demand.

Reliability is, however, also related to the price fluctuation.

In May 2014, the maximum generation was 6293 MW against the peak demand of 7050 MW, whereas in September 2013, the maximum generation was 6844 MW against the peak demand of 6700 MW. The load shedding, therefore, was 551 MW and 932 MW in May 2014 and September 2103 respectively.

Increasing gap between installed capacity and maximum generation has been offsetting the possible benefits of increased installed capacity, although both installed capacity and maximum generation of power have been increasing. This gap resulted due mainly to poor productivity in the old power plants, shortage of gas supply and lack of proper maintenance and renovation of the power plants, says the research organisation.

In FY2008-2009, the gap between installed capacity and maximum generation was 1004 megawatts. The gap has nearly doubled within three years and become 2034 megawatts in FY20112012 (16.04 percent increase), 2175 megawatts (33.75 percent increase) in FY2012-2013, and 3271 megawatts (9.86 percent increase) in FY2013-2014 (until March 25, 2014). However, the target of increasing the generation to 8500 MW by 2013 set by the government has not been achieved.

UO further finds that the private sector comprised 49.99 percent of net power generation in FY 2013-14, whereas public sector comprised only 46.56 percent. The rest 3.45 percent of total generation is imported.

Referring to the energy poverty lack of access to modern energy services such as electricity or gas - in the country, the think tank shows that

about 59.204 million people that constitute 38 percent of total population in Bangladesh do not have electricity connection and only 8-10 percent households have access to piped gas.

Petrobangla has recently proposed to raise the prices of natural gas to Tk. 850 and Tk. 1000 for single burner and double burner respectively, whereas the present prices are Tk. 400 and Tk. 450 resulting 112.50 percent and 122.22 percent increase in price respectively. In industry, the proposed price will be increased to Tk. 220 from Tk. 165.91 - a 32.60 percent increase. Gas price will be increased by 102.94 percent to Tk. 240 from Tk. 118.26 in captive power.

System loss in both power and gas reflects the efficiency loss and in FY 2013-14, the transmission and distribution loss in electricity and gas was 13.75 percent and 20 percent respectively, UO finds.

Referring to the tiny contribution of the energy sector to gross domestic product (GDP), UO states that this is a sign of inconsequential development of power and energy infrastructure.

From 1.51 percent in FY 2011-12, the contribution of power and energy to GDP stood at 1.55 percent in FY 201213, which remains the same for FY 2013-14.

The organisation also points out the falling rate of growth in power and gas production. In FY2010- 2011, the rate of growth in power was 15.82 percent which fell to 8.16 percent FY 2013-14; a decrease of 7.66 percentage points within three years. On the other hand, in FY 2011-12, the rate of growth in gas was 7.45 percent which fell to 1.71 percent in FY 2013-14; a 5.74-percentage-point decrease in two years.

Calling for a thorough rexamination of the current energy policies to address the structural bottlenecks, the UO draws attention of the authorities to encourage huge amount of investment in all sources of energy including in renewable resources - solar power, nuclear energy, and hydropower - which are more reliable and sustainable. l

In a protest against the fundamentalist and imperialist forces, Bangladesh Workers’ Party holds a rally in the capital’s Suhrawardy Udyan yesterday RAJIB DHAR

‘Climbing in Chittagong needs patronage’ n CU Correspondent Despite Chittagong being a hilly region, mountaineering will not get popular unless climbers receive patronage here, said organisers of Chittagong’s first climbing club yesterday.

With the aim of popularising mountaineering among local youths, organisers of the club “Vertical Dreams” held a press conference at Chittagong Press Club.

Addressing the conference, President of the club Debashish said the club was formed considering the need of a platform for those who love to climb mountains.

He said: “After forming the club, I

Akhter Ahmed’s 5th death anniv today n Tribune Desk Today is the fifth death anniversary of Akhter Ahmed Khan, former press minister of Bangladesh Embassy in the USA and also a secretary general of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ).

A Milad and Doa Mahfil will be held at Barra in Nawabganj upazila of Dhaka on December 5, where his well-wishers are requested to join to seek for the salvation of the departed soul, says a press release.

Akhter died in 2009 while serving the post of the press minister. l

Listed criminal held n Our Correspondent, Jessore The Rapid Action Battalion on Friday arrested a listed criminal in possession of four firearms and 28 bullets in Jessore.

Criminal Abu Sayeed alias Sayeed Mir’s possession was captured from the airport area, RAB officials told reporters.

Sayeed Mir faces 18 cases, including murders, abductions, extortion. He is jailed for life in a case and for 10 years in another case. l

Bangladesh Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said he wants changes to everything but government in the country.

The condition of the people would not be changed only by bringing change of the government, he said.

Menon, also the minister for civil aviation and tourism, was addressing a meeting at the capital’s Suhrawardi Udyan arranged by the party for pressing a twenty-point demand.

The demands include trial of the war criminals, banning of Jaamat as an organisation of war criminals, restoring the 72’s constitution, and stopping extra judicial killing in the country. l

Chemists, druggists threaten to go on two-day strike

Krishak Samity threatens roadrailway blockade n UNB Bangladesh Krishak Samity yesterday threatened to block road and railway in January next if its 12-point demand, including ensuring fair prices of the produces, is not met.

Samity leaders issued the threat from a human chain programme formed in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the city.

The other demands include procuring produces directly from farmers, establishing government purchase centre at union level, reducing the prices of agricultural inputs and making BADC active.

Speakers at the human chain said the Krishak Samity has long been placing the demands but the government has not paid any heed to this end.

They also alleged that many farmers became mere farm labourers losing their land due to the wrong policy of the government. l

scaled Tharpu Chuli in the Nepali Himalaya range twice. It has an elevation of 5,7oo metres.

“Besides, three other members of the club climbed three peaks and they self-financed the journey.”

Debashis urged big corporations and others to extend financial support to mountaineering.

He pointed out that renowned companies abroad sponsor the sport and bring good repute for the countries they are based in, and said the same thing may happen here if big companies sponsor mountaineering.

Vertical Dreams began its journey on May 29 this year and currently has 30 members. l

Menon seeks changes to all but government n Tribune Report

n Tribune Report Chemists and druggists yesterday threatened to go on strike unless the government stops operations of unregistered medicine companies in the country.

Bangladesh Chemists and Druggists Samiti (BCDS) made the threat at a convention titled “In Protests against Fake and Adulterated Medicines” at Bashundhara Convention Centre 2 in the capital yesterday.

They said they would keep their pharmacies shut from December 16 to 17 if the government does not shut down all illegal medicine companies by December 15.

Around 2000 chemists from all over the country attended the convention yesterday.

BCDS Chairman Sadekur Rahman

Bangladesh Krishok Samity form a human chain the front of the National Press Club yesterday demanding fair price for agricultural produces MEHEDI HASAN

Nazmul Huda again floats new political party n Tribune Report Former minister Nazmul Huda, who was expelled from the BNP, has again launched a new political party, ‘Bangladesh Manabadhikar Party’ or BMP. The declaration came at a press briefing at his Topkhana road office yesterday.

Nazmul had earlier formed a party named Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) and been expelled from his own brain child.

He had also formed a political alliance named Bangladesh National Alliance (BNA). The BMP will use the logo of BNA and its symbol is Golden Fibre.

The BNP-expelled leader said there exist two strong political alliances in the country, while the third alliance is Bangladesh National Alliance.

The newly-formed party will work as the key force of the alliance as the Awami League has been playing its as the key force of 14-Party Alliance and BNP as the key force of 20-Party Alliance, he said.

“I will bring all the human rights movement groups working in the coun-

try under this umbrella,” he added. His wife Sigma Huda heads Bangladesh Manabadhikar Bastabayan Sangstha.

He was asked whether he felt the need of advance election as BNP does, the BMP chief said his party does not feel so.

One of the BNP founders, Nazmul has the record of returning to BNP after having been expelled several times.

The former minister expressed his wish to return to the BNP last year, but he harshly criticised its policy yesterday.

Apparently indicating that the BNP is now following a violent policy, he said: I was with the BNP with my heart and soul when they maintained non-violent policy,”.

In the same breath, he again expressed his soft corner for the BNP, saying: “They are currently going through a perilous condition. The BNP is not on the way to carry out their announced movements.”

Nazmul also claimed that the eligible are refrained from the top positions of BNP, what made him to form this new political party. l

Water-proof cement in Bangladesh n Tribune Report The world’s first water-proof cement “Izonil” and environment friendly as claimed by the owner was launched in Bangladesh yesterday.

Ahmed Amin Group will market the product of Slovakia based Izonil Group across country.

The water-proof cement is made of sand, conventional cement and a certain amount of Izonil admixture that makes the walls, floors and roofs of the buildings more durable by preventing water from entering inside, said Martin Liskovoski, chief executive officer of Izonil group addressing the launching programme in the capital’s Lake Shore Hotel.

The company introduced ‘Izonil Hard’ which usually used as a component of cement mixture which will consist of 14% Izonil Hard and 84% conventional cement to make the plaster harder and extremely water-proof.

About the price, Engineer Harunur Rashid Bhuiyan, vice president of the Ahmed Amin Group said they are trying to fix the price within the people’s purchase limit. l

claimed: There are 62 unregistered medicine companies in the country but the government has failed to take any action against them.”

Director General of the Drug Administration Jahangir Hossain Mollik, who was present at the programme, however said: “If you find any kind of fake drug factory, inform me, I will take action.”

He added that every dispensary should have the list of qualified medicine companies so that people can choose the best for them.

BCDS Convention Committee Convenor Md Abubakar Khan said the factories did not have any licence from the government.

Bangladesh Pharmacist Society Chairman Naser Shahriar Zahedi, among others, was also present at the convention. l

Diarrhoea affects 50 in Natore n Our Correspondent, Natore Diarrhoea has suddenly broken out in Natore district.

Some 50 persons were affected with diarrhoea for two days until Friday in Natore.

The Sadar hospital struggled to accommodate them.

Most of the patients received treatment lying on the floor and so suffered severely for the cold weather.

Residential Medical Officer Abul Kalam Azad said the patients were from Borgachha and Station Bazar areas in the municipality. They might have been affected with this disease after drinking water.

Mayor Sheikh Emdadul Haq Al Mamun said there is no chance of the supply water being polluted as it is drawn from underground directly.

Civil Surgeon Ferdous Nilufer said there were only 16 patients at the hospital until 3pm yesterday. The rest had returned home after receiving treatment.

Replying to a query, she said there are only six beds for diarrhoea patients at the hospital and so the rest of the patients had to take treatment lying on the floor.

“The sample of water will be collected from the affected areas on Sunday and then sent to Dhaka for test. Only then will it be possible to know why diarrhoea spread there,” she added. l

BOU, IUBAT sign MoU on cooperation n Tribune Report Bangladesh Open University (BOU) Registrar Prof Dr Abul Hossain Ahmed Bhuiyan and International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) Prof Registrar Dr MA Hannan Registrar have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral cooperation on the former’s campus recently.

The MoU is particularly aimed to facilitate all exchanges and co-operative initiatives between the two universities in the area of Educational Research Development, Instruction, Community Service Student and Staff exchanges.

BOU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr MA Mannan and IUBAT Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr M Alimullah Miyan were present in the signing programme among others. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Public-private coordination suggested for minimising road crash

BCL to carry out clean and safe campus campaign

n Tribune Report

Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of ruling Awami League, will conduct a seven-day-long campaign titled “Clean Campus and Safe Campus” as part of their programme to create social awareness.

The programme will be carried out from December 1 to December 7 in all educational institutions across the country.

“We will start our campaign from Dhaka University to build awareness among the people about environmental pollution,” said BCL President HM Bodiuzzaman Sohag while he was addressing a press conference held at DU’s Madhur canteen around noon.

Shohag said local Chhatra League activists along with general students will participate in the campaign.

Different government bodies, NGOs and social organisations should make concerted efforts to bring down the number of road accidents in the country, said experts, civil society members and professionals working in a range of fields.

While addressing a discussion, they also emphasised taking creative initiatives to ensure safe journeys.

Trauma Link, a platform comprising the civil society, NGOs, social organisations, and volunteers providing primary healthcare services for those who received injuries in accidents, organised the discussion at the BIUM auditoriam in the capital yesterday.

Bidhan Chandra Paul, vice-president of Trauma Link, was the keynote speaker while John Moujall, an Amer-

ican doctor who sponsored a project of the organisation, and several others addressed the discussion.

“The first project of Trauma Link has already started. It is about providing emergency assistance to anyone facing an accident anywhere between Daudkandi and Potia intersections on Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Anyone can contact us to get help right after an accident,” Bidhan said.

He said Trauma Link volunteers, after receiving an emergency call, will arrange first aid for the victim, contact the fire service, and will also take the person to hospital.

“We have college students working as volunteers,” he added.

Noted columnist Syed Abul Maksud said no effective step had been taken to reduce the prevalence of road crash.

“Officials only focus on those sustaining injuries in accidents while families of the deceased are overlooked,” he said.

The essayist hailed Trauma Link’s activities, terming those important. He said the government, NGOs and other bodies should work together to help road accident victims.

Criticising the ongoing drive of Dhaka Metropolitan Police against jaywalking in the capital, Abul Maksud said even policemen do not duly comply with traffic rules.

“How are pedestrians expected to follow the rules when law enforcers themselves are not doing so?” he questioned.

He, however, urged all to abide by the traffic rules, considering it a responsibility.

Member of the Planning Commis-

sion Dr MA Sattar said Trauma Link’s activities should be turned into a public awareness campaign, and the government as well as NGOs should extend support to the initiative in order to spread it around the country.

He also came up with a number of recommendations to help Trauma Link improve and extend its operations to cover more areas in the country.

Professor Dr Mahbub Alam of the Accident Research Institute at Buet said no initiative in the country achieves sustainable result for the lack of supervision and coordination among the bodies concerned.

He said plans are initiated but are not implemented properly.

The professor also called on all to play a role in making initiatives, like the one taken by Trauma Link, successful. l

n Arif Ahmed

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader is expected to inaugurate the campaign in front of Aparejeyo Bangla on the DU campus on December 1.

Shohag also said the programme will work to eradicate terrorism in the campus premises. “Miscreants who use the name of Chhatra League for their wrong doings must be stopped,” he said.

While answering queries of reporters, Shohag claimed that there was no indifference about the council; rather they were now busy with holding councils in unit level. “Central council will also be held soon,” he added.

On November 13, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina`s Information and Communication Technology Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy had approved the planning of Chhatra League men to carry out the programme. l

Tareque-Mishuk memorial unveiled n DU Correspondent

Three held with 3,800 yaba n FM Mizanur Rahman, Chittagong

A memorial to noted personalities Tareque Masud and Mishuk Munier was opened to public at Dhaka University yesterday. It is part of the Road Accident Memorial Installation.

Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique unveiled the memorial, the white painted art form of the wrecked micro bus with registration number – Dhaka Cha 13-0302.

Tareque, a famed filmmaker, Mishuk, a media personality, and three others died in the afternoon of August 13, 2011, when a bus rammed into their micro-bus from the opposite direction.

A total of three persons, with possession of 3,800 pieces of yaba tablets, were arrested by the police yesterday from Firingi Bazar and Pahartali areas in Chittagong city.

The arrestees were Safiqul Islam Safi, 25, Md Riaz, 24, from Bhola and Rasheduzzaman Rashed, 30, from Jessore district, said police sources.

Sub-Inspector Sanjay Kumar of Kotwali police station said a patrol police barred a CNG-run autorickshaw on Mariner Road at Firingi Bazar area around 5am. Police seized 800 pieces of yaba from Safiqul and Riaz after searching them.

The duo had collected the yaba tablets from Shah Amanat Bridge area and were carrying the drugs for Bhola, said the SI adding that in primary investigation they admitted that they had been peddling yaba from Chittagong to Bhola for a long time.

Officer-in-Charge KM Azizur Rahman of Pahartali police station said acting on tip-off police conducted another drive and stopped a CNG-run autorickshaw at DT Road area of Pahartali which was carrying Rasheduzzaman Rashed.

Police seized 3,000 pieces of yaba from Rashed’s possession that was kept inside a biscuit’s packet, added the OC. Two separate cases were filed in these connections with Kotwali and Pahartali police stations. l

'The drivers as well as the victims are responsible for the accidents' Tareque Masud Memorial Trust established the sculpture in association with BRAC Bank near Shamsunnahar Hall.

Sculptor Dhali Al Mamun, who survived the same road crash, was the designer and Salauddin Ahmad the engineer of the memorial.

While unveiling the memorial around 4:30pm, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Arefin said:“This sculpture is meant for creating mass awareness about road accidents.”

He urged the students and others to be cautious about the country’s traffic rules and regulations to avoid road accidents.

Mishuk’s wife Munjoli Kazi said the vehicle owners were more responsible than the drivers behind road accidents.

“You (owners) must appoint skilled and efficient drivers with legal processes”.

Film actor Elias Kanchan, also chairman of Nirapad Sarak Chai, said: “The drivers as well as the victims are responsible for the accidents. Everyone has to be aware of road accidents.”

Cultural personality Nasir Uddin Yousuf Bacchu and noted journalist Munni Shaha, among others, were present during the memorial unveiling ceremony. l

WEATHER

DRY WEATHER LIKELY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:10PM SUN RISES 6:24AM FORECAST FOR TODAY 27 29 28 26 28 28 28 28

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

18 18 13 15 14 15 15 19

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

29.5ºC Khulna

11.5ºC Chuadanga

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:04am 6:22am 11:47am 3:34pm 5:10pm 6:30 pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

The memorial built in memory of noted personalities Tareque Masud and Mishuk Munier, which was unveiled at the Dhaka University campus yesterday

MEHEDI HASAN

Dalit, Harijan people demand permanent housing facilities

6th National Undergraduate Mathematics Olympiad begins

n Tribune Report

n Tribune Report

Although the country’s constitution promises equal rights for all citizens, people of the Dalit and Harijan communities have been experiencing immense sufferings to secure shelters or adequate housing facilities in the country, a programme was told.

People of the communities are treated as “untouchables” and are “ostracised” by the society, said speakers at a programme in the capital yesterday.

“We the Harijan people are leading our lives like animals. Because of our cast identity, we are neglected by the society,” said Beli Rani, a member Harijan community in the capital. “In most cases, house owners do not rent their houses out to us. They also neglect us assuming potty- born.” she said.

Beli Rani, 48, a resident of capital’s Gonoktuli areas sweeper colony, was speaking at a public hearing organised by non-government organisations SHAREE and Human Rights Defender Forum at the National Press Club.

Some 600 families are living in the colony, with only 15 square feet spaces for each family, she said.

According to a survey by Bangladesh Harijan Unity Council, there are around

one crore people of the two communities living in deprived and neglected situations in the country.

Of them, some 16 lakh people are from Harijan community, while 86 lakh are from Dalit community. Abu Saleh Mohammad Sayed, member of parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Housing and Public works, attended the programme as the chief guest.

“People of the community complained me that they get only Tk300600 as their monthly salaries. Its really a matter of sorrow that the people are not getting the opportunity to lead a decent life, although our constitution reads every people of this country should get equal opportunity whatever their sex, religion, cast is.”

He suggested the people of the communities to place their demands before prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.

“Government will build up new buildings to ensure housing facilities for the people of the communities,” he said.

Barrister Taposh Kanti Ball, prosecutor of International Crime Tribunal; Shyamol Datta, editor of the daily Bhorer Kagoj; Anik Asad, country director of HEKS Bangladesh; Gul Hossain and Preo Bala Biswas from SHAREE, among others, were present on the occasion. l

Mathematics, also known as the mother of Science, can be used as a key component for interpreting, analysing and solving daily life problems, speakers said at the inauguration of the 6th National Undergraduate Mathematics Olympiad (NUMO) 2014 at the Jagannath University yesterday.

The event was organised by the Department of Mathematics of Jagannath University.

Jagannath University Vice-Chancellor Professor Mizanur Rahman said: “To face the contemporary world equipped with modern technology, mathematical knowledge is indispensable.”

Pragmatic and application oriented

research on mathematics can improve the quality of life in a poverty stricken society like ours, he said.

He added that it was impossible to materialise the vision of “Digital Bangladesh” without the knowledge of maths. Mathematics lies behind every creation of this world.

A total of 135 undergraduate students from 15 universities attended the competition of whom 10 selected students will compete with regional winners in the finale to be held at the Dhaka University on December 12.

Founder Chairman of AF Mujibur Rahman Foundation Dr Mohammad Rezaul Karim was present at the session.

A procession was brought out around 9am on the campus. l

Sylhet Region Math Olympiad held n Our Correspondent, Sylhet Ten out of 71 students from 10 education institutions in the Sylhet region, were selected to participate at the 6th Bangladesh Undergraduate Mathematics Olympiad.

The results were announced at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) yesterday. The Bangladesh Mathematical Society and SUST Mathematics Society organised the olympiad where students from Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Netrokona participated.

SUST Vice-Chancellor Professor Aminul Haque Bhuiyan inaugurated the session while Professor Dr Rashed Talukdar, Sylhet region convenor and chairman of the SUST Mathematics department, among others, addressed the gathering.

The participants took a written test after which the names of the 10 participants who were selected were announced. SUST VC handed awards to the selected participants.

Md Rahad Hossain, a student of SUST, said: “I am delighted. I will try my best to make a position in the finale.”

The final round of the olympiad will be held in Dhaka on December 12. l

Man held with 875 yaba tablets n UNB Customs officials arrested a man along with 875 pieces of yaba tablet at Shahjalal International Airport in the capital yesterday. The arrested was Jahir Uddin, 39, hailing from Laxmipur.

Customs official sources said Jahir Uddin came here for going to Shar-

jah by a flight of Air Arabia which was scheduled to take off around 9:30am.

The customs officials during scanning found an object wrapped with carbon paper in his luggage and recovered 875 pieces of yaba tablet after unfolding it around 7:30am. Juela Khanam, assistant commissioner of customs at the airport, confirmed the incident. l

Students selected from the Sylhet region to participate in the 6th National Undergraduate Math Olympiad, pose with SUST vicechancellor at the end of their written test yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Sunday, November 30, 2014

No headmasters in primary, 20 high schools and five madrasas in Natore

66 vie for a seat at Mawlana Bhashani University n Our Correspondent, Tangail Nearly 66 candidates will compete for each seat at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University as the undergraduate admission tests for academic year 2014-15 began yesterday.

The university has a total of 772 seats in 15 departments under four units but as many as 50,457 students applied this year.

Tests for A and B units were held yesterday while those for C and D units would be held today.

Apart from the university buildings, the tests were held at different educational institutions in the district as a very large number of candidates took the tests.

Police were deployed at the test centres to maintain the law and order.

Vice-chancellor of the university Professor Dr Md Alauddin visited a few test centres in the morning and said tests were held in a peaceful atmosphere. l

Abducted schoolgirl rescued in Benapole n Our Correspondent, Jessore

n Our Correspondent, Natore All the 52 primary schools, 20 high schools and five madrasas in Natore have been run by acting headmasters for at least two years. This has led to a stagnant administration where teachers do not feel accountable and follow the guidance of the headmasters. Such informal approach has resulted in a poor performance of the educational institutions.

Appointment of headmasters in primary schools has long been suspended following a case filed by the assistant teachers. In the high schools and the madrasas, tenure of almost all the managing committees have expired. For the lack of an elected body, the institutions are run by acting headmasters. Some schools’ managing committees also run their institutions because of personal clash with the acting head.

District primary education officer Nafiza Begum said the assistant primary teachers had lodged the case with the High Court seeking direction to

select a head from them. Recently, the court declared in its verdict that 65% posts for headmasters would be filled up promoting the assistant teachers while the government can appoint the rest of 35% by publishing notice.

Maksedul Islam, secondary education officer of Natore district and sadar upazila secondary education officer Shah Alam said there were 20 acting headmasters and five acting superintendents in the district. Out of them seven acting headmasters and two acting superintendents are posted in Baraigram upazila, one acting headmaster and one acting superintendent in Lalpur upazila, five acting headmasters in Gurudaspur upazila, three acting headmasters in sadar upazila, three acting headmasters and one acting super in Bagatipara upazila and one acting headmaster and one acting super are in Singra upazila of the district.

Karim Ali, guardian of a female student of Tegachhi Primary School of Dighapatia union of sadar upazila ex-

pressed concern that due to the lack of headmasters and a coordination among assistant teachers, PSC result of his daughter might not be satisfactory. The school could not complete all the books even after the middle of November.

When contacted, Rafiqul Islam, assistant teacher of the primary school acknowledged the problems and said they were facing a lot of troubles to complete the syllabus for the up coming PSC and school’s final examinations. Almost all the teachers did not want to follow the directions of the acting headmasters.

The concerned guardians and teachers urged the government to fill all the acting heads’ post soon.

“We have already received the direction by the primary education department to select the credible senior assistant teachers to fill the post. So far we have received nominations from seven primary schools of the sadar upazila.

After receiving all the names, we will send it to Dhaka for government ap-

Correspondent, n Our Chapainawabganj

Bangladesh Krishok Samity of Gaibandha district unit form a human chain yesterday in the town demanding their rights DHAKA TRIBUNE

5 hurt over AL factional clash; road blockade A group of local Awmi League blocked the Sherpur- Jhenaigati road yesterday over an attack on the AL office by position-deprived party men in Jhinaigati upazila leaving 5 injured.

Sources said five people, includ-

ing Jhinaigati upazila AL convener, Warez Nayeem, were injured in the attack on Friday night.

Police, quoting locals, said the central committee of AL had announced holding of the party’s upazila council on 4 December.

On information, former Jhinaigati upazila unit Jubo League presi-

NEWS IN BRIEF Old man dies at Tongi Jor Ijtema

An old man who came to the Biswa Ijtema ground in Tongi to attend Jor Ijtema died early yesterday. Shamsul Haque, 70, came from Comilla to attend the congregation. He was sent to Tongi Government Hospital as he suddenly fell ill late on Friday night but doctors declared him dead.

His namaz-e-janaza was held at the Ijtema ground after Fajr prayers. Resident doctor of the hospital Mahbubur Rahman Chowdhury said Shamsul had died before he was brought to hospital. – Our Correspondent, Gazipur

847 bottles of phensidyl seized

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh seized 847 bottles of Indian smuggled phesidyl from two separate places of the district yesterday. BGB sources said, a team of BGB members seized the phensidyl from Akondobaria and Rangiarpota village under Chuadanga Sadar upazila.During the drive, some 345 bottles of phensidyl seized from Akondobaria village and 502 bottles were seized from Rangiarpota village.On information, BGB men rushed to the spot and seized the phensidyl in an abandoned condition. – Our Correspondent, Chuadanga

Thief lynched in Gazipur A thief was lynched at Rainondo village under Kapasia upazila in Gazipur yesterday.

The deceased was identified as

n Our Correspondent, Thakurgaon A security guard was killed in Old Bus Stand area of Sadar upazila yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Akbar Ali, 55, a security guard at Old Bus Stand Bazar and hailed from Teliapara village in the upazila.

Mehedi Hasan, OC said, on information, police recovered the body around 9:30 am and sent it to hospital morgue for an autopsy. l

2 jailed over checking JDC exam papers

n Our Correspondent, Jessore A mobile court jailed a madrasa teacher and a muezzin for three months over the checking of Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) examinations papers at Jhikargachha upazila in Jessore on Friday.

They were Abdul Kader, a teacher of Kariamali Dakhil Madrasa, and Rabiul Islam, muezzin of Navaran Puratan Bazar Jam-e Masjid.

The court, led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Azmul Haq, handed down the punishment orders. l

Mother sues son for care

Police rescued a school girl two days after she was abducted from Boro Achra area of Benapole municipality in Jessore. A young man named Shagor was also arrested by the law enforcers in this connection.

The girl, 14 and a student of class eight, was rescued on Friday night from a house in Terminalpara of Benapole.

Police said, Shagor, 23, used to harass the girl on her way to school everyday. On November 26, he with the help of some miscreants forcefully picked her up while she was going to school.

Later the girl’s father lodged a case with the police.

Apurbo Hasan, officer in-charge of Benapole port police station, acknowledged the incident and said the abductor was sent to jail yesterday morning. l

n Our Correspondent, Sherpur

proval. We hope to declare the names soon,” said the primary education officer Nafiza Begum.

About the acting head of the high school and madrasas, district’s secondary education officer Maksedul said term of almost all the institutions’ managing committees had expired.

The conveners of the committees could not appoint any headmaster in any institutions making way for some committee members to serve as the acting headmaster.

Acting headmaster of Nagar High School Ashraf Ali said the managing committee had promoted one assistant teacher in 2009 after suspending the then headmaster Bipen Bihari Sarker.

However, a new managing committee has been formed recently and may fill up post soon, he added.

“We have already directed the institutions to form the managing committee soon and deploy headmaster instead of the acting post for the betterment of their schools.”

Security guard killed

Abdur Rahman, 25, son of late Kazim Uddin in the area.Locals and police said, Abdur Rahman was fleeing away after stealing a Van rickshaw, bicycle and other goods from a shop and a house of Rainonda village at around 3am.Locals went to the spot and chased after him. At one stage, he was caught and given a good beating by angry mob and injured seriously. On information, police rushed to the spot and rescued him. He was sent to Kapasia Upazila Health Complex where the duty doctor declared him dead. – Our Correspondent, Gazipur

Farmer’s body recovered Police yesterday recovered the body of a farmer from a remote haor area in Ostogram upazila.He was identified as Malek Mia, 52, son of late Kalu Mia of Osmanpur village in Bangalpara union. Police sources said Malek went missing on Friday and his body was found at Kalipur haor area around 11:30am yesterday.

Malek’s son Harun Mia alleged that their neighbour Tobarak Mia had strangled his father to death over a longstanding dispute involving land property. Kamrul Islam, officerin-charge of Ostogram police station, said Malek might have been strangled but it could be confirmed after getting the autopsy report. The body was sent to Kishoreganj Modern Hospital for autopsy, he said, adding that Harun filed a murder case in this connection. – Our Correspondent, Kishoreganj

dent Azad and another leader Taher, who were deprived of positions in the recently declared committee of the party, along with their followers attacked Warez Nayeem and his supporters at AL office in the area at about 8:30 pm, leaving five people, including Warez Nayeem critically injured.

The attackers also ransacked valuables at the office. They declared Warez Nayeem ‘unwanted’ in Jhinaigati.

Of the injured, three people, including Warez Nayeem, were admitted to Sherpur Sadar Hospital.

On information, police rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control. l

A mother yesterday sued her son for not taking care of her in Chapainawabganj.

This is the first time somebody filed such a case with a court in the district.

The case in details is that elderly woman Gulfun Nesa Gulu, wife of late Saidur Rahman, hails from Chouhodditola Moholla in Chapainawabganj municipality.

She was abandoned by her husband when her son Masud Rana was a young child. She brought up her son with much difficulty and married him off to a girl.

Nine years ago, she sent her son abroad on a labour visa. Ever since, he had been taking care of her and his wife and children. After returning home and marrying another girl two months ago, he stopped taking care of them.

On November 22, the elderly woman went to her son and sought financial support from him for her and his son’s first wife and children, but he shouted insults at her and threw her out.

The elderly woman believed that her son had stopped supporting her and her first wife and children after having been provoked by his second wife Duliara.

Under the Parents Care Act 2013, she filed this case with the chief judicial magistrate’s court against five persons, including her son and his second wife, on November 24.

Her lawyer Zakir Hossain said it is the first time somebody lodged such a case under the act passed last year. He hoped that the elderly woman would get justice in the case.

The law has the provision of Tk2 lakh as fine and, in default, six months jail term for violation of the law. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Career

7

Sunday, November 30, 2014

The key to a successful career Navigating the unpredictable waters of networking

E

n SM Tahmid ver since the first few steps of our formal education, our parents and guardians continuously reiterate that in order to succeed in life one ought to work hard for a good result from a reputed institution, and at least study till graduation. We are promised that good grades along with some extra-curricular certificates will ensure a good career in any field that we choose.

However, there is one crucial thing that needs to be added to this—networking.

Getting to know the people in the field of your chosen profession sounds like a natural thing to do, yet most of the young graduates hardly take it seriously. Things are even worse for the introverts, since they do not often communicate with total strangers at all. Without knowing anyone, it is very hard to get hired since most of the time institutions tend to hire the people they know to some extent instead of sifting through the myriad of resumes they receive for just one vacant post. It is human nature to have a proclivity for the people we already know.

So the question arises, how do you get to know the people who matter?

Professional people are almost always busy and it is not easy to approach them cold and further, maintain a good relationship with them.

But, as with most communication needs of our time, the internet has made things easier for us here as well. Following and connecting via the social media is a great platform, but you need to be careful about where do you approach the person in question. Connecting on LinkedIn is a very good strategy, especially since your profile is full of information about your skills. Twitter might also be a more informal approach, but trying to befriend on Facebook might not be a good idea since it is a more personal platform. Emailing might also help.

Although the internet may be an easy way to get in touch with people in the company you are interested in, it is much better if you do it yourself.

Attending various workshops and job fairs is a good way of getting to know who are the people who matter in a particular industry, and perhaps more importantly, you can even approach them quite easily in the interactive sessions.

However, all these will not matter unless you can prove to them that you are someone they want to get in touch with, which means having some

achievements. Extra-curricular activities are a start—being a part of important societies and taking part in campaigns are some of the things that can get you noticed. However, starting something of your own if possible is the best way to get noticed by the professionals.

Entrepreneurs, more than any other professionals or experts, must network pervasively with all sorts of different people. Networking events often bring together entrepreneurs and prospective investors looking for a great pitch, and therefore these occasions serve as excellent platforms for raising investment and increasing the scope of their businesses. Likewise, in these events entrepreneurs can also find companies that actually have a need for the product or service they are delivering, and can thereby take orders. If all of these

Instead of devoting all your time to blindly studying and following steps you have been told will land you that cushy job, take some time to get to know the people who will matter in your career path do not transpire, in these events entrepreneurs can at least find people who are genuinely interested in what they can deliver, and will probably be able to give some great advice for free.

Making new connections is important, but of equal importance is keeping in touch with the people you know already. Keeping up with the university alumni network, old faculty members and former colleagues are all vital to maintaining your network. It is through them that you will learn of new vacancies and they can also provide valuable introductions to others.

After all, approaching a total stranger is a thousand times harder than getting in touch through a mutual friend.

There is one more way of growing your network: internships. We tend to think that internship is something you do towards the end of your education, but nothing could be further from the truth. Try to apply to as many internship programmes as possible because this will make you a former employee

of the institution you intern for and in their time of need, you might be their first choice (provided you performed as expected).

Even if this is not the case, the former co-workers and your in charge officer can provide you with the reference you need for future jobs.

Before we finish, there is one more thing you need to keep in mind—most

of the times, you will need to approach the people you want to network with first. This is where many back away.

People generally have a fear of being rejected. Remember, rejection might take place but at least some of those important people will eventually respond positively for sure. Having some connections is better than none at all.

Having the right connections and

A perfect manager n Ahsan Sajid

A manager in the duration of a workday fulfills ten different roles, according to management expert and professor, Henry Mintzberg. These ten primary roles or behaviours may be used to categorise a manager’s different functions.

You may be a manager at a multinational company, or at a university club, but as a manager, you are possibly in charge of leading your team, resolving conflict, negotiating new directions and representing your team all in the space of an hour.

A manager is constantly switching roles according to the changing circumstances around them. To be a good manager, you need to use an understanding of all these key roles to perform your day-to-day functions.

MINTZBERG'S 10 MANAGERIAL ROLES FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT Figurehead: As a manager, you have social, official and legal responsibilities. You are expected to be a source of inspiration – others look up to you as a person with authority, and as a figurehead Interpersonal

Liaison – Managers must communicate with both internal and external stakeholders. You need to be able to network effectively on behalf of your organisation Monitor – As a manager, you regularly seek out information related to your organisation and industry, looking for relevant changes in the environment and adapting accordingly. You also monitor your team in terms of both their productivity and well-being Informational

Practical application

You can apply Mintzberg’s ten management roles model and better your skills as a manager by using it as a frame of reference. It pays to work on the roles that one fulfills most often as a priority, but you should also work to hone the roles you do not necessarily fulfill every day.

The most effective way to become a better manager using the ten roles is by listing them in order of priority according to your current job and future plans, and working on improving the abilities in each role one by one.

Figurehead: As a figurehead, you represent your team. The obvious areas to start working on in this role are your image and reputation at work. Practice becoming more modest and empathic to others, a role model everyone looks

Disseminator – You must be on the lookout for and be able to communicate potentially useful information to your colleagues and your team Spokesperson – Managers represent and speak for their organisation. In this role you’re responsible for transmitting information about your organisation and its goals to the people outside it

Mintzberg’s ten

Mintzberg published the ten different management roles in his 1990 book Mintzberg on Management: Inside our Strange World of Organizations, which are figurehead, leader, liaison, monitor, disseminator, spokesperson, entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator and negotiator. The ten roles are then subdivided into three categories: interpersonal, informational and decisional.

Leader: You provide leadership for your team, your department or perhaps your entire organisation; it is also where you manage the performance and responsibilities of everyone in the group

Entrepreneur – As a manager, you create and control change within the organisation. This means solving problems, generating new ideas, and implementing them

Decisional

Disturbance handler – When an organisation or team hits an unexpected roadblock, the manager must take charge. You also need to help mediate disputes within it through conflict resolution Resource allocator – As a manager you will constantly determine where organisational resources are best applied.

This involves allocating funding, as well as assigning staff and other organisational resources Negotiator – You may be needed to take part in and direct, important negotiations within your team, department, or organisation

up to and setting an example for everyone by being the kind of worker you want others to be.

Leader: A leadership role is one that a manager plays for the greater part of the day. To be an effective leader, improve your emotional intelligence, be empathic and earn your team’s respect.

Liaison: To liaise effectively between internal and external stakeholders as all managers are wont to do, harness your professional networking skills.

Monitor: To be a good monitor, use fast and effective reading skills, keep up to date with not just industry news but current affairs, and learn to gather and organise information.

Disseminator: A good disseminator is

one with good writing and communication skills, and one with the ability to tailor incoming information according to the need of the people it has to be disbursed among.

Spokesperson: Representing your team is challenging, be it in an internal meeting or in front of the media. Learn to represent your organisation effectively by honing your presentation and public speaking skills and learning better professional networking.

Entrepreneur: To improve your entrepreneurial skills, work on your techniques to manage changes in your team, perfect your ability to solve problems and sharpen your creativity skills.

Disturbance handler: As a disturbance

handler, you are in an internal role where you must manage the emotions of your team, resolve any conflicts and make sure the team is functioning smoothly.

Resource allocator: This is a more technical role where you have to learn to manage a budget, always look for ways to cut costs and get used to constantly prioritising and trimming the fat. As a resource allocator, you have to stretch the resources available to you under trying circumstances.

Negotiator: Some people have bargaining skills regardless of the position they have at work, but a manager must learn to acquire, or polish their bargaining skills because it is mandatory to the role. Learn more about win-win negotiations, and practice role-playing to be on your edge. l

experiences matter the most in today’s careers, often more than educational qualifications. So instead of devoting all your time to blindly studying and following steps you have been told will land you that cushy job, take some time to get to know the people who will matter in your career path. Maintaining a proper relationship with them might be the only thing that will get you to your

targets with ease and haste.

Make networking with different people an important aspect in all parts of your life. If you have not already, start today. It is never too late. l SM Tahmid is an Intern, Content Writing at GradInsights, the career intelligence service of GradConnect. More articles from the team can be found at www.grad-insights.com.

Four time-management mistakes to avoid n Career Desk Common time management mistakes are easily avoidable, and yet we continue to make them because don’t identify them. Once the mistakes have been identified and overcome, we will not only have more time but also have less stress.

Following are a list of suggestions of common mistakes, which we have all been guilty of at some point.

Do not just store it in your head

We have all experience the sense of foreboding that we feel when the idea that we have forgotten something important keeps nagging us at the back of our heads; it is frustrating and gets in the way of critical thinking. It is surprising that more often than not, this feeling arises from not maintaining a to-do list and just storing all our plans in our head. Significant amounts of time may be saved with a simple to-do list, listed according to priority.

Plan a point A to point B

Setting goals is essential to managing your time well; having a goal gives us a destination to work towards and a path to follow. When w e k n o w where we

would like to be at the end of the day, week, or year, we can manage our priorities accordingly and allocate our time and resources more efficiently.

Additionally, having long-term goals helps us realise what is worth spending time on and what is a distraction.

Avoid distractions

We lose a few hours daily to distractions such as emails, Facebook, instant messaging, phone calls, helping out colleagues etc. This clearly prevents us from achieving the ideal workflow – the work we do when we are 100% engaged in a task.

So much as having a chat window open on another tab can distract our mind. To gain control of the day and do our best work, we need to minimise distractions and manage interruptions.

Know the load you can carry

Some of us often enthusiastically take on too much on our plate; this happens more often right after joining a new job. This may come from a desire to impress or an inability to say no to people. Either way, taking on too much can lead to poor performance, stress, and low morale.

Another reason you might have this problem is if you are a micromanager and you insist on controlling every aspect of a project. What usually happens is taking on too much work results in rushed, shoddy work. l

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Death toll in Venezuelan prison overdose up to 35

Venezuela’s prisons are among the world’s most violent, last year, 506 inmates died in the country’s jails

n AP, Venezuela Pressure is building on Venezuela’s government to fully investigate a rising number of deaths at an overcrowded prison, with human rights activists questioning authorities’ claim of a mass drug overdose by dozens of inmates who stormed an infirmary.

After days of conflicting reports from the government and family members, the depth of the tragedy at David Viloria prison in western Venezuela became clearer Friday when authorities confirmed that 35 inmates had died and said 20 of an additional 100 still being treated for intoxication were in comas.

The government has said the troubles at the prison began Monday with a hunger strike for better conditions. A group of violent inmates raided the prison infirmary and then guzzled down a deadly mix of pure alcohol with drugs used to treat diabetes, epilepsy and high blood pressure, officials say.

William Ojeda of the ruling socialist party said Friday after visiting the jail that many of the intoxicated inmates were drug users suffering from with-

Syria says US – led strikes have not weakened IS n Reuters, Beirut Syria’s foreign minister said US-led air strikes had failed to weaken Islamic State it in Syria and the jihadist group would not be tackled unless Turkey was forced to tighten border controls.

A US-led alliance started attacking Islamic State targets in Syria in September as part of a wider effort to destroy the al Qaeda offshoot that has seized large areas of the country and neighbouring Iraq.

“All the indications say that (Islamic State) today, after two months of coalition air strikes, is not weaker,” Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said in an interview with the Beirut-based Al Mayadeen TV broadcast on Friday.

The Syrian government has said it was willing to join the fight against Islamic State, but the United States refuses to deal with President Bashar al-Assad, who it says has lost legitimacy and must leave power.

“If the Security Council and Washington do not force Turkey to control its borders then all of this action will not eliminate (Islamic State),” Moualem said, referring to foreign jihadists who have crossed into Syria from Turkey. l

Pope prays in Istanbul mosque in new outreach n AP, Istanbul His head bowed and hands clasped in front of him, Pope Francis stood Saturday for two minutes of silent prayer facing east inside one of Istanbul’s most important mosques, as he shifted gears toward more religious affairs on the second leg of his three-day visit to mainly Muslim Turkey.

Following in the footsteps of Pope Benedict XVI who visited Turkey in 2006, Francis prayed alongside the Grand Mufti of Istanbul, Rahmi Yaran, who had his palms turned toward the sky in a Muslim prayer, inside the 17th-century Sultan Ahmet mosque.

“May God accept it,” Yaran told the pope at the conclusion of a poignant moment of Christian-Muslim understanding.

The Vatican spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi called it a moment of “silent adoration.” Lombardi, who was standing behind the pope, said Francis told the mufti two times that we must “adore” God and not just praise and glorify him.

It was a remarkably different atmosphere from Francis’ first day in Turkey, when the simple and frugal pope was visibly uncomfortable with the pomp and protocol required of him for the state visit part of his trip. With President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s mega-palace, honor guard and horseback escort now behind him, Francis got down to the business of being pope, showing respect to Muslim leaders, greeting Istanbul’s tiny Catholic community. l

drawal symptoms due to the prison’s strict regimen of abstinence.

Prisoner rights activists have been skeptical of the official version. They say that as deplorable as Venezuela’s jails are no inmates would voluntarily end their lives or poison themselves as a form of protest.

The lack of information and access to the prison has added to the mystery, with family members wondering whether loved ones could have been poisoned to restore order.

“Counting the deaths now requires going to the morgue” because government information is so incomplete, said Ligia Bolivar, a human rights expert at Andres Bello Catholic University in Caracas.

President Nicolas Maduro has yet to comment on the incident in frequent television appearances this week even as calls for a thorough investigation have come from Roman Catholic Church leaders in Venezuela and from the United Nations human rights agency.

On Thursday, police arrested the jail’s warden, Julio Cesar Perez, who is expected to be charged in connection with the deaths.

The government says the situation

at the prison is under control after it called in the National Guard and transferred hundreds of inmates to other facilities. All prisoners’ rights are being respected, said Ojeda, who is president of a congressional committee that oversees the penitentiary system.

Venezuela’s prisons are among the world’s most violent.

Overall, the country’s 32 correction facilities are the fifth most-crowded in the world, housing almost three times their intended capacity, according to the London-based International Centre for Prison Studies. The prison population has doubled since 2008 as a result of rampant crime and stiffer mandatory sentences.

The David Viloria prison is named for a guard who was one of 58 people killed at the facility last year during the second-deadliest prison riot in Venezuela’s history. The facility, previously called La Uribana, was built to hold no more than 850 inmates but was believed to be holding around 3,000 when the latest disturbances broke out Last year, 506 inmates died in the country’s jails, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons, a nongovernmental watchdog group. l

Relative of inmates gather waiting for information outside the David Viloria prison in Barquisimeto, Venezuela

AP

Demonstrations return to Ferguson IS group attacks Kobane n from Turkey AP, Ferguson, Mo

Disrupting commerce, transit and traffic became focal points for demonstrators across the country days after the announcement that a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri declined to indict the police officer who fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown.

As Small Business Saturday approached, numerous storefronts in the Ferguson area had their windows covered with plywood with messages painted across many of them letting neighbors know that the shops are still open.

Demonstrators temporarily shut down

three large malls in suburban St. Louis on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, and then marched in front of the Ferguson police department to protest the grand jury’s decision.

Several stores lowered their security doors or locked entrances as at least 200 protesters sprawled onto the floor while chanting, “Stop shopping and join the movement,” at the Galleria mall in Richmond Heights a few miles south of Ferguson, Missouri, where Officer Darren Wilson fatally shot Brown, who was unarmed, in August.

The action prompted authorities to close the mall for about an hour Friday

afternoon, while a similar protest of about 50 people had the same effect at West County Mall in nearby Des Peres.

And several dozen demonstrators led to a temporary closure of the Chesterfield Mall.

Later Friday night, a group of about 100 protesters marched down West Florissant Avenue Florissant in front of the city’s police and fire departments chanting, blocking traffic and stopping in front of some businesses.

“I served my country. I spent four years in the Army, and I feel like that’s not what I served my country for,” said Ebonie Tyse, 26. l

Up to 13,000 victims in UK modern slavery n AP, London Up to 13,000 people in Britain are victims of trafficking, sexual exploitation or other forms of modern slavery, a government report said Saturday, putting the figure at four times the previous estimate.

The Home Office figures — the first official estimate of the scale of the problem in Britain — included women and girls forced into prostitution or sexually exploited for profit, domestic servants working for little or no pay, and laborers forced to work in farms, factories and fishing boats.

“The first step to eradicating the scourge of modern slavery is acknowledging and confronting its existence,” said Home Secretary Theresa May. “The estimated scale of the problem in modern Britain is shocking and these new figures starkly reinforce the case for urgent action.”

The report, published as part of the British government’s strategy to tackle trafficking and modern slavery, aimed to calculate what it called the “dark figure” of unreported victims not included by the National Crime Agency, which had put the number of victims in 2013 to 2,744.

Authorities say the number of reported cases is on the rise in recent years, but the true scale of the problem is difficult to pin down because victims are controlled, hidden, or fear reporting to police. Many the victims are brought in by traffickers from countries including Romania, Poland, Albania and Nigeria, but officials stress that vulnerable British adults and children are also being systematically preyed upon by traffickers. The National Crime Agency estimates that Britain was the third-mostcommon country of origin for victims identified last year. l

n AP, Beirut The Islamic State group launched an attack Saturday on the Syrian border town of Kobane from Turkey — a first in the ongoing siege, a Kurdish official and activists said.

The assault began with a suicide attack by a bomber in an armored vehicle on the border crossing between Kobane and Turkey, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Nawaf Khalil, a spokesman for Syria’s powerful Kurdish Democratic Union Party.

The Islamic State group “used to attack the town from three sides,” Khalil said. “Today, they are attacking from four sides.”

Turkey, while previously backing the Syrian rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad in that country’s civil war, has been hesitant to aid the Kobane fight over its own fears about stoking Kurdish ambitions for an independent state. Ankara had no immediate comment Saturday about Islamic State group fighters launching the assault from Turkish soil.

Associated Press journalists saw thick black smoke rise over Kobane amid the attack. The sound of heavy

Energy revolution spells doom for German village n AP, Germany

Five days a week, a giant machine eats its way through soil at the Jaenschwalde open-cast mine in eastern Germany, exposing the brown coal buried beneath.

Lignite, as this form of compressed peat is known, is becoming an increasingly important part of Germany’s effort to phase out nuclear energy. It’s also the reason why Atterwasch, a village that survived the Thirty Years’ War, a Soviet onslaught at the end of World War II and four hard decades of communist rule is slated to be razed.

The village, with its volunteer fire station and old brownstone church, is to make way for a strip mine in the next decade. Dozens of other villages have fallen victim to the same fate, as coal once again becomes king.

The plan has many of Atterwasch’s 250 inhabitants up in arms.

“This is an ancient village,” said long-time resident Monika Schulz-Hoepfner. Historical records first mention Atterwasch in 1294, and the house that she and her husband raised their three children in was built in 1740.

Environmentalists, meanwhile, point out that Germany’s hunger for lignite flies in the face of its green credentials.

“Germany has a coal problem,” said Regina Guenther, Director Climate and Energy at WWF Germany. “Despite the expansion of renewable energy the carbon emissions are rising because the dirtiest coal power plants are running at full steam.”

The low cost of coal-based energy means that the cleaner, but more ex-

pensive, gas power plants are not running at full capacity, she said.

Vattenfall, one of Europe’s biggest energy companies, says the five open cast lignite mines and three lignite power stations it operates in the Lusatia region a couple of hours drive southeast of Berlin provide over 33 000 jobs. Anti-mine campaigners put the figure much lower, but still conceded that the jobs run into the thousands, in an area with high unemployment.

At least as important as the jobs is the energy that comes from the 60 million tons of lignite mined there each

year. That’s because Germany’s ambitious plan to shut down all its nuclear reactors by 2022 and dramatically ramp up the use of renewable sources — known as the “energy switchover” — requires coal as a stopgap.

“Lignite is part of the energy switchover because it offers a bridge to the time when, as is the goal in Germany, 80 or more percent of energy is generated by renewable means,” said Thoralf Schirmer, a spokesperson for Vattenfall.

Even after 2050, when all nuclear plants have been closed for 28 years

and renewable sources should be highly developed, there will be a role for lignite, he said.

“If you have little wind or sun available,” he said, “then you have to rely on one of the remaining conventional energy sources.”

Last year, about a quarter of the German gross electricity production came from lignite, according to the German Federal Statistics Office. More than a third of the lignite — up to 10 percent of Germany’s total energy supply — comes from the region around Atterwasch. l

Vattenfall spokesperson Thoralf Schirmer walks in front of a bucket-wheel excavator after an AP interview at the Vattenfall lignite opencast mine in Jaenschwalde, eastern Germany AP

gunfire echoed through the surrounding hills as armored vehicles took up positions on the border. The Observatory said heavy fighting also took place southwest of the town where the Islamic State group brought in tanks to reinforce their fighters.

The Islamic State group began its Kobane offensive in mid-September, capturing parts of the town as well as dozens of nearby villages. The town later became the focus of airstrikes by the US-led coalition against the militants.

Kurdish fighters slowly have been advancing in Kobane since late October, when dozens of Iraqi peshmerga fighters joined fellow Syrian Kurds in the battles. The fighting has killed hundreds of fighters on both sides over the past two months.

The Observatory said Saturday the latest fighting killed at least eight Kurdish fighters and 17 jihadis.

The Islamic State group has declared a self-styled Islamic caliphate in areas under its control in Iraq and Syria, governing it according to its violent interpretation of Shariah law. The group has carried out mass killings targeting government security forces, ethnic minorities and others against it. l

Wife awarded $530m in record British divorce n AFP, London The estranged wife of a London financier was awarded £337m ($530m, 425m euros) on Thursday in one of the biggest divorce settlements seen in a British court.

Details of the payment to US-born Jamie Cooper-Hohn, 49, emerged after a draft judgement was given to lawyers ahead of a final ruling.

Cooper-Hohn’s lawyers were reported to be considering an appeal to get an ever bigger payout.

Cooper-Hohn had separated from hedge fund manager Chris Hohn, 48, after being married for 15 years and the two had fought over assets worth over £700m.

Hohn had offered his wife a quarter of the fortune, but she argued that their wealth was the result of a partnership.

The two, who met while studying at Harvard University and have four children, founded charity the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation to help the poor in developing countries.

The son of a legal secretary and a car mechanic, Hohn was reported to have given away almost £1bn between 2006 and 2011.

He was knighted this year for services to philanthropy and international development.

“Over the long term I am an unbelievable money-maker,” Hohn told the court, but adding that he did not “really care about money” and that it did not bring happiness. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

9

Sunday, November 30, 2014

15 killed in China ‘terrorist attack’

Some Uighurs in the north west Chinese region are hostile to Beijing’s leadership

n AFP Fifteen people have been killed and 14 others wounded in a “terrorist attack” in China’s mostly Muslim Xinjiang region, the official Chinese news agency said Saturday.

A group of “terrorists” launched an attack on civilians Friday in Shache county, leaving four people dead and 14 wounded. Eleven “terrorists” were also shot dead during the violence, according to CCTV, China’s state broadcaster.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua confirmed the death toll, citing a statement from local authorities.

At around 1.30pm (0530 GMT) on Friday men armed with knives threw explosive devices and attacked crowds on commercial street, Xinhua reported.

Eleven of the attackers were killed by police who were patrolling in the area. Explosives, knives and axes were seized at the scene.

The wounded were evacuated and taken to hospital, the news agency said.

Situated 200 kilometres from the regional capital of Kashgar, the district of Shache – or Yarkand in the Uighur language – was the scene of violent clashes in July, shortly before the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Police officers then killed dozens of attackers “who were attacking civilians and vehicles,” according to state media.

The fresh unrest underscores the deterioration of the situation in Xinjiang, where Beijing has launched a severe crackdown in recent months with dozens of executions officially announced

and hundreds of arrests, followed by speedy mass trials and the public exhibition of so-called “terrorists.”

Friday’s attack comes five days after students of the imprisoned Uighur intellectual Ilham Tohti were brought before a Chinese court in a secret trial, accused – like their professor – of “separatism.”

A Chinese judge Friday rejected Tohti’s appeal against the life sentence imposed in September.

Tohti, a respected economist, is considered a moderate voice who had long denounced the repression of Uighurs in Xinjiang, without demanding complete independence for the region.

Experts say that the extremely severe verdict suggests that it is unlikely that tensions will ease in Xinjiang, a vast region where violence and repression by security forces have left hundreds dead since last summer.

Xinjiang is frequently hit by unrest sparked by fierce tensions between China’s ethnic Han majority and the Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighurs, with authorities regularly blaming Uighur militants for the violence.

Some Uighurs in the north west Chinese region are hostile to Beijing’s leadership.

They say they are victims of discrimination and left out of the benefits of development in Xinjiang, which has seen an influx of Han Chinese moving in from elsewhere in the country.

Experts and human rights activists say that repressive policies regarding religion and culture adopted by Beijing have fuelled conflict in the region. l

Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou casts his votes in the local elections including Taipei mayor in Taipei, yesterday

AP

Taiwan PM quits after election losses n AP, Taiwan

Taiwan’s pro-China ruling Nationalist Party suffered worse-than-expected losses in local island-wide elections Saturday, dealing a stiff blow to a president who has staked his reputation on closer ties with Beijing, and leading the premier to resign.

The Nationalists lost eight city and county elections, including in longtime strongholds Taipei, the capital, and the major central city of Taichung.

Pre-election polls had forecast defeats only in Taipei, Taichung and Keelung.

The heavy losses point to an electorate that is souring on President Ma Ying-jeou’s forging of closer ties with mainland China, and will make it tougher for the Nationalists to hold onto the presidency in 2016.

Premier Jiang Yi-huah — the head of the Cabinet — resigned Saturday night after the defeats, while Ma, who is also Nationalist Party chairman, said he would make changes.

“I must express apologies to the Nationalist Party and its supporters for making everyone disappointed,” Ma told a news conference. “I’ve received the message people have sent via these elections. It’s my responsibility and I will quickly offer a party reform plan to address everyone’s demands. I won’t avoid responsibility.”

The election losses could jeopardize six years of landmark talks with China that have led to 21 agreements, helping to lift Taiwan’s half-trillion-dollar economy,

while raising Beijing’s hopes for political reunification. Beijing has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, but since taking office in 2008, Ma has set aside the old disputes to ease tensions through talks.

Taiwanese have been watching closely as Beijing takes a hard-line stance on demands for democratic rule in Hong Kong, a semiautonomous Chinese city that has been gripped by more two months of pro-democracy protests. l

‘India wary of assertive China, intrusive Pakistan’ n Agencies

Narendra Modi favours Street clashes erupt as Hong Kong privatisation of railway police crack down on protesters

With the strategic gravity shifting from west to east, especially to Asia and Asia Pacific, “India faces security challenges in the region due to an assertive China and an intrusive Pakistan,” the IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, said yesterday.

“The situation is not good for the environment, as peaceful rise of China remains a distant dream. An assertive China is investing heavily in developing military power, especially aerospace power, laying claims on international waters, island territories and air space over South China Sea and East China Sea,” Raha said during the Eighth Annual Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Memorial Lecture.

Noting that the situation in South Asia spawning Afghanistan and Pakistan was going to be delicate, especially after the withdrawal of the US-led allied forces, the chief of air staff said Pakistan was the fountainhead of terrorism, encouraging terrorist activities despite being a part of the global war on terror.

“Withdrawal of American and western forces from Afghanistan will create a very delicate situation for India in terms of some conventional threats to us. Similarly, the IS (Islamic State) gaining strength in West Asia poses another challenge for us to deal with proper planning and induction of forces, especially aerospace power,” he said.

Raha said China was developing capabilities to fight major conflicts over the next 35 years, as mentioned by a security analyst in Hong Kong in an article recently.

“By 2050, China wants to annex Taiwan, occupy the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, annex South Tibet and Arunachal from India, get hold of Senkaku Islands of Japan and recover lost territories in Russia and Mangolia,” Raha said.

Claiming that India had no territorial ambition except to recover the land lost due to historical reasons, the Indian Air Force chief said with a hostile border left behind as a legacy of the British rule, the situation in the neighbourhood, specially on the western border, was vulnerable.

“Our aim is not to occupy but deter our enemy from waging war against us with striking capability to penetrate into the enemy’s territory with air power and expose the vulnerability of the adversary,” he said.

Khatre was the chief of air staff in 1984-85 and chairman of the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., which makes military aircraft for the IAF. The day-long event was organised by the Air Force Association of Karnataka branch in association with the Aeronautical Society of India and HAL. l

Meghalaya yesterday came on the country’s rail map more than six decades after Independence, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off the first train to the northeastern state and favouring privatisation of railway stations.

“Railway facilities are the same as they were 100 years back ... Privatise the railway stations and modernise them,” he said after flagging off the first train linking Meghalaya.

“I will make it in 10-12 places. Stations should be better than airports as most travellers are poor people.

We can easily have trains running below and commercial properties above (floor),” Modi reasoned.

At a time when real estate is very expensive, railways should leverage its properties by allowing private parties to build luxury hotels, restaurants and other facilities, he added.

He said once this exercise is completed in these places, the government will carry out modernisation of stations across the country.

The Prime Minister yesterday inaugurated the Mendipathar-Guwahati

n Agencies

passenger train and laid the foundation stone of broad gauge conversion of Bhairabi-Sairang line in Mizoram.

Modi said the Indian Railways have the potential to become the backbone of the country’s economic activity.

“We will not be happy in just adding one coach or upgrading one station. We want both horizontal and vertical development of the railways. It can become the engine of Indian economy,” he added.

The government has already allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment to completely modernise the railway transportation in the country, he said.

Modi said the government has decided to open four railway universities in the four corners of the country where all aspects of railway service will be taught.

He said railway can be a mode of eco-friendly mass transportation, which will be India’s contribution to contain global warming.

Talking about connectivity to northeast, Modi said: “Infrastructure is the most important factor to develop northeast. If we want to develop India, we have to develop northeast.” l

n Reuters, Hong Kong Thousands of pro-democracy activists clashed with police in running scuffles in the gritty district of Mong Kok early yesterday in a bid to reclaim part of one of the largest and most volatile protest sites in Hong Kong.

After hours of tense face-offs, with police showing relative restraint at first, hundreds of riot police baton-charged the crowds with shields, pepper spraying and wrestling a string of protesters to the ground in chaotic scenes.

Several bands comprised of hundreds of protesters, some of whom pelted police with eggs and bottled water, retreated but regrouped swiftly in other spots, stoked on rather than cowed by the clampdown.

Many rushed to lay fresh barricades across roads amid a wail of sirens and loud chants for “real full democracy.”

The fresh tensions will be a setback for authorities who have struggled for months to find a resolution to the most serious governance crisis to be faced in the former British col-

ony since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

The protests have simmered for three consecutive nights in Mong Kok since police staged a swift and surprisingly smooth clearance of the area’s protest encampment on Wednesday, arresting more than a hundred people including key student leaders Joshua Wong and Lester Shum.

Amnesty International on Friday, however, warned the police against the use of excessive force after Wong and Shum both said they were beaten during their arrests. Several reporters were also roughed up, prompting the Hong Kong Journalists Association to lodge a formal complaint and plan a protest.

“Is there a need to really use so much force to beat us,” said Wong Ching-san, a young protester wearing a black jacket and flip flops. “We’re not trying to cause violence but when they attack us we fight back.”

A pro-democracy lawmaker on the ground during the chaos in Mong Kok, Leung Yiu-chung, was scathing at the lack of restraint and violence displayed

by some frontline officers.

“Some of them were deliberately inciting people,” he said.

Friday marks two months since police first fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators from the main protest site in the Admiralty district next to government offices in the heart of the Asian financial centre.

The protests, which have lasted well beyond many people’s expectations, drew more than 100,000 on to the streets of Hong Kong at the peak.

While numbers have dwindled, they have swelled to several thousand at weekends and at key moments given a deep-rooted frustration at China and Hong Kong’s refusal to in any way offer to meet their democratic demands.

A police spokesman said on Friday officers were worried about reports of excessive force and they would investigate.

Lined with jewellery and electronics shops, and grimy tenement blocks, bustling Mong Kok has been a key battleground for protesters and mobs intent on disbanding them. l

Taliban fighters raid Kabul guesthouse n Agencies

Volunteers of National Service Scheme (NSS) pose with HIV/AIDS awareness messages on their faces during a face painting competition ahead of the World AIDS Day in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh yesterday. World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 every year REUTERS

Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen have attacked a foreign guesthouse near parliament in the Afghan capital, the latest assault targeting foreigners as Nato troops withdraw from the country, witnesses and police said.

Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Kabul, said the Taliban has confirmed carrying out Saturday’s raid. The government’s passport office and offices of non-government organisations located nearby also came under attack.

Stratford said the attack was on going and one of the attackers was still inside the compound.

Witnesses also told Al Jazeera that they heard explosions and gunfire, but there was not immediate information about casualties.

Police and intelligence officers have surrounded the scene of the attack, a guesthouse home to Europeans working for the Afghan government, witness Samir Noorzai told AP news agency.

The Taliban have waged a series of large-scale attacks in Kabul and across the country in recent days.

Earlier on Saturday, Taliban fighters also launched a separate attack in a major Afghan camp in southern Helmand province that killed eight soldiers and 26 fighters.

The base was once known as Camp Bastion until the British handed it over last month. Camp Bastion also once held Camp Leatherneck, a US Marine base in the volatile southern province.

“The Taliban has vowed to continue to step up their attacks on both foreign targets and the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in the wake of the approval of the security agreement,” Al Jazeera’s Stratford said.

Under the agreement, recently approved by Afghanistan’s upper house, foreign troops will remain in the country to fight the Taliban and train the Afghan army.

Also on Saturday, suicide bombers attacked another military base in the Snagin district, killing five soldiers and wounding seven.

The 13-year Nato combat mission finishes at the end of this year, to be replaced by a 12,500-personnel follow-up mission to support the Afghan army and police who are now responsible for defeating the Taliban. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Sunday, November 30, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Answer the real question, minister

T

he education minister has floated the idea of blocking mobile phones and social media networks such as Facebook as a way to stop cheating in exams by blocking the advance dissemination of questions.

If this was merely a catchy way to grab headlines and demonstrate the earnestness of the government in clamping down on exam cheats, it might have been tolerable.

However, the minister, who has formed a 25-member committee headed by an additional secretary to supervise public examinations, has reportedly asked the BTCL to determine if this proposal could actually be implemented legally.

This is an appalling waste of time and effort, as the idea is clearly both objectionable and unworkable.

It should go without saying that if sealed exam papers are being copied and stolen, then the priority has to be for the ministry and law enforcers to catch the culprits responsible and to implement more watertight security measures.

The very idea that blocking phone networks and Facebook might be an appropriate way to stop exam cheats is so outlandish that it raises doubts about the quality of the advice that the minister is receiving. It ignores the fact that stolen questions can be photocopied and that other even more technologically connected countries manage to keep papers secure perfectly well.

It is inconceivable that gross interference in basic means of communications would not do more harm than good, even if it were practical.

By espousing such a bad idea, the minister only gives comfort to perpetrators. F for fail, try again.

If exam papers are being stolen, the priority has to be improving security measures. F for fail, try again

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

US should set up tariffs for RMG standards fund November 16

Momoaswan “The commerce minister has rightly criticised the US ambassador in Dhaka this week for saying Bangladesh pays zero tariffs for RMG export to the US market. From his remarks, it appears the envoy was noting that it was buyers and their customers in the US who ultimately pay this money, so arguably the dispute was only semantic.”

I’m amazed the ambassador said what he said.

He should have heard of the tariffs for standards idea by now. If he meant to say American policy is not to listen to the idea, then the WTO should be asked in.

Lalon Shah Momoaswan: I have a great deal of respect for Ambassador Mozena as a person, but I suspect he is saying what he is saying wearing his official hat. And on that he seems to be playing with words, because it does not matter who exactly pays the tariff.

World’s largest selfie taken in Bangladesh

Jaywalking drive can only go so far

T

Educating vehicle users and owners needs to be the top priority

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.

November 25

he ongoing police campaign against jaywalking is reportedly encouraging more pedestrians to use designated crossings and footbridges.

However, there are obvious limits to how much further benefit can be derived from this process.

Jaywalking is a symptom of the city’s highly dysfunctional traffic system, not the cause. Even if 100% of the public were now to desist from jaywalking in the future, our roads would still be congested.

It is the acceptance that bad and reckless driving is normal on the country’s roads which makes it hard for authorities to manage traffic properly.

Studies show that bad drivers, not pedestrians are the main reason for the many thousands of avoidable accidents and fatalities seen on the country’s roads every year.

It is willfully naive to suggest as some authorities have claimed, that this high profile drive against jaywalking will make much difference to improving public safety.

Millions of people on foot still have to be able to safely use designated traffic crossings at intersections and traffic lights, but are routinely prevented from doing so by the antisocial behaviour of many drivers who habitually breach traffic rules.

Pedestrians are left to take unnecessary daily risks simply to get across roads where they should have right of way.

Clearly much action needs to be taken to improve public transport to get our cities moving. However, if we are to make any meaningful difference to reducing accidents and congestion, educating vehicle users and owners needs to be the top priority, not scapegoating pedestrians.

The end result is that our exports are suffering, and ditto for the millions of factory workers, the bulk of them women. Governments are fickle, they come and go, but the friendship between our nations is a separate thing. It is, therefore, not very prudent for the US to slap a discriminatory tariff on an aspiring nation, because the current government of Bangladesh is not exactly to her liking (I ascribe this to the latter, because the factory owners lifted their games in the workplace health and safety area).

People have long memories – the hurt caused by the US administration during and in the immediate aftermath of our war of liberation is still fresh in our minds. But we are a pragmatic, forward-looking people, and today both of our people can marvel at the healthy depth and breadth of our bilateral relationship. In this spirit, the US should lift the GSP suspension without further delay.

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 7 represents K so fill K every time the figure 7 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.

PR Crazy #Bangladesh #selfie #record Ehtesham Sazzad Yep, the largest ever selfie in the record books !

Neon Saidi Why are people so silly!?! They really have nothing better to do!

Roberta Charlton And it will win a second record for easiest to beat record ever. A footballer with a 16MP could beat this at any Premier League match.

Dr Ahsan Habib All these useless wastage of resources for silly records. The one on the top of the list is our government’s madness to arrange the highest number of people to sing our national anthem.

DU Chhatra League must be brought under control November 13

Snr Citizen “The reputation of the ruling party is at stake. BCL has been given too many free passes already.”

The DU admin and DU VC seem to be thoroughly blinded and politicised, and ready to please the regime. In doing so, education and the much-needed conducive environment are the last things on their minds. My feeling sorry is too weak and shameful a statement for the destruction of DU.

True lies of climate change November 15

mahmudul karim Bangladeshis do not care about climate change, and all that you guys are doing is copying the Western world. You want to have food in your bellies and want to live like human beings. Do you not see that people in Dhaka sleep at night on the footpaths? Why don’t you write about that?

You are saying that climate change is a complex phenomenon, then how do you suggest we, who are obtuse, break the code? While writing, if you cannot put yourself in the shoes of the reader, than you have failed to reach your reader.

Dreampie mahmudul karim: Actually, a lot of Bangladeshis care about climate change since most of us are aware of the fact that our country is one of the most vulnerable to its effects.

Meeting our potential November 15

nina malik What world do you live in? Only Bangladeshi guys do not help their wives with any chores. A couple of months ago, when the Japanese PM was in BD, do you know what his wife said as soon as she stepped out of the airport?? She said her husband, the PM himself, helps with a lot of the kitchen and household duties, like throwing out the trash, washing dishes, and doing laundry etc.

Why don’t you Bangladeshi guys learn from the Japanese? Some of you still want to live like feudal lords, and want the wife to do everything without any help from you. Get off your lazy bottoms and start helping. How about starting to slim down and work on your own health first. And then there are those of you who still want Aishwarya Rai as your wife? Dream on, for she is taken.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Dry, of champagne (3) 3 Of a metre (6) 8 Summit (4) 9 Old cloth measure (3) 10 Easy to understand (6) 11 Call for help (6) 14 Brilliance of success (5) 17 Woo (5) 20 Vent (6) 24 Decisive stage (6) 26 Large cask (3) 27 Prophet (4) 28 Worried (coll) (6) 29 Opener (3)

DOWN 1 Long, detailed story (4) 2 Fish (4) 3 Table-shaped hill (4) 4 Banishment (5) 5 Drive back (5) 6 Unwell (3) 7 Split (5) 12 Mild explosion (3) 13 Self (3) 15 Incision (3) 16 Monkey (3) 17 Religious denominations (5) 18 Sheeplike (5) 19 Clamour (5) 21 Employed (4) 22 Bird (4) 23 Neat (4) 25 Groove (3)

Families demand illegal migrants’ return

CALVIN AND HOBBES

November 24

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

PEANUTS

Sayeeda Ahmad There are a great number of such stories of many other families who are facing similar heartbreaks, of not seeing their families for years; of brothers, fathers, sons, and husbands who are unable to come back to Bangladesh. It’s heartbreaking for sure, but beyond that, when’s it going to stop? Makes me lose faith altogether in humanity, that we are so cruel and so power-hungry that we can expect only to use and be used, and thrown away when needed.

CROSSWORD

Do not enter November 13

Zero-Agenda Segregation is a time-honoured tradition among us Bangladeshis … but it doesn’t have to be.

31 foreigners held in city November 14

rose The law enforcement agencies did the right thing by discovering those foreign nationals

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Sunday, November 30, 2014

The real threat of global warming

M

n Zeeshan Hasan

any people have a false perception of an ongoing “debate” regarding the dangers of global warming and climate change. In particular, elected politicians intent on avoiding unpopular carbon taxes and higher fuel prices continue to assert that the relevant scientific issues are doubtful.

Unfortunately, until now, the non-scientist public has been deceived by a large number of books and newspaper articles by misinformed “sceptics” of climate science who themselves have no understanding of the science involved.

Fortunately, a glimpse into the real world of climate science is available through Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast (Wiley, 2007) by David Archer, an ocean chemistry professor at the University of Chicago. Archer’s book is an introductory climate science text which aims to make the basics of climate science comprehensible to anyone with a high school background in science.

time; however, heat loss into space has been reduced significantly by humans over the last century. Atmospheric “greenhouse gases” such as carbon dioxide have the property of absorbing the infrared radiation which carries heat from the Earth into space, and thus reduce the cooling of the Earth. This effect of carbon dioxide is called the greenhouse effect; it was discovered over a century ago and is undisputed.

Since the industrial revolution, humans have been continuously burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas, and thus adding huge amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

This has resulted in an increase of the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere from 320 parts per million in 1960 to about 400 parts per million today, or about 20%. This additional carbon dioxide functions like a blanket or greenhouse around the planet, slowing down loss of heat into space.

If the same amount of solar heat comes into the Earth, while simultaneously heat loss from the Earth to space is reduced by additional carbon dioxide, then the Earth has to get warmer.

Continuing our current policies of exploiting all fossil fuels available will literally ensure the end of the Earth as we know it

The basic science of how carbon dioxide emissions raise global temperatures is outlined by Archer. On the one hand, the Earth is constantly being heated by sunlight. On the other hand, the Earth is also cooled by loss of heat into space as infrared radiation.

These two continuous mechanisms of heat gain and heat loss by the Earth result in a thermal equilibrium at the average global temperatures which we experience.

Heat gain from the sun is relatively constant, varying only slowly over

At a higher temperature, the Earth’s heat loss by radiation into space increases, because hotter objects lose more heat through infrared radiation than cooler ones; and the planet once more reaches a stable temperature.

A good analogy to the above is a pot of food simmering on an oven above a low flame; putting the lid on the pot does not change heat gain from the oven, but reduces heat loss through evaporation from the open pot and thus makes the food cook at a higher temperature. Our carbon dioxide emis-

BIGSTOCK

sions are effectively putting a lid on the earth, making heat from the sun “cook” the planet at a higher temperature.

The question is whether a hotter, stable temperature of the globe would be one capable of sustaining human life as we know it. Climate scientists have evidence from ancient ocean sediments that increasing the level of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere can cause temperatures to rise. Such an event took place 55 million years ago, when thousands of billions of tons of greenhouses gases were released into the atmosphere (probably because of a peak in volcanic activity). This event is known as the Permian Eocene

Walk the walk n Saleh Md Arman

O

n Novermber 22, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed announced stern actions against pedestrians who crossed the roads without using an underpass or foot over-bridge.

The DMP planned to place a mobile court, which ranges from the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel junction to the Farmgate police box, for seven days starting from November 25. In this regard, the DMP has been engaging in an awareness campaign. If a jaywalker crosses that zone by not opting for an underpass and/or foot over-bridge he/she will eventually be penalised and will be have to serve a jail term of six months, along with paying a fine of Tk200.

To be honest, it is a pragmatic step towards prohibiting passersby from crossing busy roads by taking enormous risks. Now, it is crucial to find out the exact factors which trigger them to act in this way. In my opinion, there are several possible causes which can lead to such actions.

The first factor is that foot over-bridges are not always available.

Additionally, only a few underpasses are available throughout our cities, which is well below the required number.

The second factor is that people are reluctant about climbing the steps of a

foot over-bridge, which are at a height of almost 30 feet from our roads. The height is okay, as it takes into consideration the numerous double-decker buses and cargo-haulers which ply our roads and streets; but people, especially kids and seniors, face difficulties in walking up to that height.

The third factor is that the underpasses and foot over-bridges are often occupied by miscreants and junkies.

For this specific reason, people tend to opt out of these means, especially after dusk.

To persuade jaywalkers into using foot over-bridges and underpasses, a two-fold method of motivation is required. One positive way of motivation can include the construction of more underpasses and foot over-bridges on the busier parts of our cities, installing more escalators (like the Banani overbridge) and making sure over-bridges and underpasses are free from the clutches of muggers and dope-heads.

These could provide some much needed motivation into getting rid of people’s habits of crossing roads through moving vehicles. The negative method of motivation is of course by way of punishment and penalties. A jail provision is supererogatory, but it gets people scared, which ultimately prevents them from obeying the rules of traffic willingly.

Apart from the provision of jail-

Thermal Maximum (PETM). During the PETM, global average temperature rose by about 5 degrees celsius and 90% of life on the planet perished.

Such an increase in global average temperature today would have terrible consequences, rendering much of tropical and sub-tropical Asia, Africa, Central America, and southern Europe too hot and dry for agriculture. The consequences would be famine on a scale never seen before, and billions of deaths.

Dangerous global heating events like the PETM may seem distant and irrelevant. But as a comparison, burning all the world’s known reserves of coal would release about 5,000 billion

tons of carbon dioxide, comparable to the surge in greenhouse gases which caused the PETM. Our current course is to exploit not only existing coal reserves but also oil and gas. So it is entirely within our power to destroy our planet.

Continuing our current policies of exploiting all fossil fuels available will literally ensure the end of the Earth as we know it. The only way to stop it is to keep fossil fuels in the ground and switch to solar, wind, or nuclear power, none of which emit carbon dioxide. This will require worldwide imposition of carbon taxes to raise fuel prices and make investment in

alternative energy feasible.

The leaders of all countries need to make some hard decisions, which they have failed to do in 20 years of climate negotiations. They will only do so now if the public demands it of them.

The public needs to make their voices heard. l Zeeshan Hasan is a director of Kazi Farms Group (www.kazifarms.com), Dhaka Tribune, and Sysnova IT (www.sysnova.com), which provides technical support for open source software. His other writings on global warming and climate change can be found at his blog, www.goodbyebangladesh.blogspot. com.

Bad education time and a fine, the DMP can borrow certain ideas from the army, who employed the “murga” punishment, or ear-holding punishment (which usually consists of doing 20 squats), for violating traffic rules, during the army-led regime.

The ideal combination of both positive and negative methods of motivating jaywalkers into using foot-overbridges and underpasses will most definitely improve our traffic-control systems.

Finally, people should be aware that they should extend their hands to the authorities concerned in order to maintain proper traffic rules in our cities. People from all sectors should be invested in developing our traffic infrastructure.

The DMP commissioner has urged corporate houses to contribute financially in constructing more underpasses and installing escalators into foot over-bridges. Additionally, a group of law enforcers should be made available in the foot over-bridges and underpasses in order to ensure the safety of people from any unwanted incidents. An all-out effort is the demand of the day in ensuring proper and well-planned traffic management in the urban areas of Bangladesh. l Saleh Md Arman is an independent researcher.

MEHEDI HASAN

n Fahmida Zaman

I

once dreamed about and took pride in being a student of the University of Dhaka, an institution that contributed to the language movement, the liberation war, and the democracy movement of the country. However, reading the claims of a certain party of “owning” the campus, I can’t help but worry about my younger sister as she prepares to start her dream journey in the university which was once known as “Oxford of the East.”

Having drastically different experiences in my own universities, both in Bangladesh and the US, I asked a professor in Bangladesh about the differences between “student politics” in Bangladesh and abroad. He said: “What students in Bangladesh are involved in, what is known as student politics, was never the real student politics.”

Moreover, he stated: “The political student body should be involved in that institution’s activities, and they should bargain with the (university) authority to protect the students’ interests. But unfortunately, our student politics is nothing but an extension of national politics. They are not student politics at all.”

So I did my own research about such a student body, popularly known as student government or union.

Cambridge University Students’ Union “represents all 22,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Cambridge; works by bringing together students from all colleges and departments to campaign for positive change.”

The Associated Students of Stanford University “works to represent the interests, needs, and perspectives of Stanford students at every level of decision-making within the university.”

The Asian University for Women Student Government “represents and acts on behalf of the AUW student body to build a better community by creating a bridge of collaboration between the university administration and the student body, ensuring transparency and effectiveness of policies, and advocating for student voices.”

In contrast, the student political bodies in public universities in Bangladesh do not serve the interests of the students at all. The top three student political groups of Bangladesh are the student wings of the Awami League, BNP, and Jamaat-e-Islami. Thus, students who are involved in politics in public higher education institutions primarily serve the interests of Bangladesh’s national political parties. These parties have been involved in extensive instances of violence frequently throughout large public intuitions.

Today’s student-run politics are dominated by outside forces that do not speak for the students’ benefit at all

A piece in The Daily Star by a professor stated: “Since independence, only the University of Dhaka has seen an average of two students murdered every year, prompting suggestions to de-link ‘student politics’ from national politics.”

A group of Chhatra League men wrongly identified a 24-year-old tailor named Biswajit Das to be an opposition activist, and beat him to death in 2012. It was reported that the very same day that the Biswajit murder verdict was given, students of the same political affiliation had beaten up a non-political student at Dhaka University, suspecting he was from the opposition.

Moreover, it is now common for institutes of higher education to be closed during strikes caused by student politics. In any academic year, a minimum of 20 days is usually lost due to student political unrest.

The aforementioned incidents are just a glimpse of how out of control our student politics is. Would banning

student politics rid universities in Bangladesh of this situation?

Many tend to suggest so. But what do we ban? These student political groups are not formal bodies of the institutions. Moreover, there is no legal ground to ban student politics because it is one’s political right, given by the constitution, to be able to engage in politics as they wish. Instead, we need to have fundamental changes regarding our own mechanisms for nurturing young politicians. And this has to be multi-dimensional.

Cutting ties with national parties and institutionally encouraging students to form student bodies that serve the interests of the students are the two most significant steps that need to be taken by the institutions and political parties.

Additionally, educational institutions should be held responsible for strictly enforcing academic rules and regulations regarding class attendance, examinations, and participation in other academic or extra-curricular activities.

At the same time, the national political parties must resist recruiting students in educational institutions and putting students’ lives in jeopardy in order to serve the parties’ interests.

If students are practicing leadership through different activities and finishing up their formal education in a timely manner, they will automatically be ready to take on leadership positions outside the campus.

Students of Bangladesh have played an important role in the severest moments of national interest and democratisation, such as the language movement in 1952, the liberation war in 1971, and the democracy movement in 1990. Yet, today’s student-run politics within universities or such institutions are dominated by outside forces that do not speak for the students’ benefit at all.

I am proud that my sister is going to go the most prestigious university in the country. But I pray for her and the thousands of others like her, so that their dreams are not smashed by and inhuman political interests. l Fahmida Zaman is a freelance contributor.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Sunday, November 30, 2014

13 McCullum,

Williamson lead run-feast

14 Welbeck sinks

Albion to ease pressure

14 Real Madrid hit out

at Platini for Ballon d’Or comments

Sport

Did you know?

Wilfried Bony has scored more goals (18) than any other player in the Premier League so far in 2014

Malaysian Gobinathan new hockey coach n Raihan Mahmood In an extraordinary turn of events the Bangladesh Hockey Federation yesterday confirmed appointing former Malaysian assistant coach K Gobinathan as the chief coach for Bangladesh in the Hockey World League Round Two in Singapore on Jan 17-25.

The appointment of Gobinathan, who will arrive at the capital today, means Mamunur Rashid, who was named as the national coach just couple days back, will work as the Malaysian’s deputy for two months until the end of the international tournament.

“I was approached and agreed to coach Bangladesh for two months for the World League. This will be a good opportunity for me to further my coaching career,” Gobinathan, who has assisted K Dharmaraj in many tournaments, was quoted at a Malaysian hockey website.

The BHF earlier failed to land a foreign coach after several attempts were made following the departure of Pakistani Naveed Alam who ended his 15-month stint on September 30 on

Indo-BD Bangla Games next year n Raihan Mahmood The upcoming edition of the Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games will commence on April 2 next year in Dhaka. The date was finalised yesterday in a joint meeting between the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) and the Bengal Olympic Association at BOA house. The last edition of the bilateral games was held in 2010.

This time there will be 10 disciplines as usual – athletics, shooting, swimming, volleyball, boxing, badminton, kabaddi, football, weightlifting and gymnastics. Among the 11 disciplines, football will only feature the women.

The games conclude on April 12.

Bengal Olympic Association president Ajit Bannerjee welcomed the initiative. “The games was disrupted in the past few years but we are eager to revive the process. We are happy to see that the date has been finalised. The games of friendship between two neighbouring countries should be undisrupted.”

BOA deputy secterary general Ashikur Rahman Miku, treasurer Kazi Raziv Uddin Ahmed Chapal and other officials were also present on the occasion.

Bangladesh clinched 27 gold, 31 silver and 24 bronze medals in the third Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games four years ago in Kolkata. Hosts West Bengal had topped the medal-list with 34 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals in the fourday event. Back then there were 10 disciplines – athletics, badminton, basketball, football, judo, kho kho, swimming, shooting, gymnastics and kabaddi.

In the first edition of the Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games in Kolkata in 2007, Bangladesh garnered 30 gold, 34 silver and 18 bronze medals from eight disciplines. In the second edition of the event in Dhaka six years ago, Bangladesh secured 45 gold, 29 silver and 18 bronze medals from nine disciplines.l

the back of a poor result in the Asian Games. The federation was linked with Indian Ajay Bansal for more than a month while they also were in talks with an Argentine coach for the Hockey World League.

The competing teams of the Hockey World League round 2 are Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Bangladesh, Oman, Ukraine and Poland.

Meanwhile the Men’s Junior AHF Cup comprising hosts Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Oman, Sri Lanka and Thailand starts at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium today.

Sri Lanka will take on Chinese Taipei in the opening match of the eight-day event. In a press conference held at the Bangladesh Olympic Association’s Dutch-Bangla Bank auditorium yesterday, BHF unveiled Islami Bank Bangladesh as the official sponsor of the tournament who agreed to pay Tk5m.

Khwaja Rahmatullah, the general secretary of the federation, expressed his desire to see the team do well and said, “We hope that our hockey team will emerge champions in this event and qualify for the final round of the U-21 Asian Cup that will be held in Malaysia next year, from that tournament the top four teams will qualify for the U-21 Hockey World Cup 2016 in India and we hope to qualify for that as well.”

Meanwhile, head coach of the U-21s Rashid said he worked on the set pieces, quick links between the defence and the midfield and the penalty corners and expects for a positive outcome.

“The overall team work is the motto of the team, we don’t rely on individuals, we will rely on the teamwork,” said the former national defender who also said that Oman and Sri Lanka will be a barrier to his aspirations.

Skipper Sarwar Hossain echoed his mentor and said, “We want to show the true teamwork based in hockey, we have practised hard to top the group and we are ready to put our best.” l

Bangladesh leg-spinner Jubair Hossain celebrates one of his two wickets against Zimbabwe in the fourth ODI in Mirpur last Friday

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Courageous Jubair dreams big n Mazhar Uddin Following an impressive debut in the Test matches, Bangladesh’s first specialist leg-spinner Jubair Hossain proved his mettle once again, this time in the limited-over format. Having taken 11 wickets in three Tests against Zimbabwe, the 19-year old picked up two more on his ODI debut against the Southern African nation in the fourth match last Friday.

On his ODI debut, Jubair scalped 2/42 from his six overs and even though he proved to be expensive, he clean bowled Timycen Maruma for six. Later on he took the important scalp of Sol-

omon Mire just when the Zimbabwean batsman alongside Brendan Taylor were threatening to run away with the game with a 106-run stand for the fourth wicket chasing 257.

Jubair’s dismissal of Maruma earlier was a thing of beauty. The cricketer from Jamalpur outfoxed the Zimbabwean No 3 with a classical leg-spinner’s delivery that went on to crash the timber.

“I was glad to break the big partnership and I felt great despite giving away some runs. I managed to break the important partnership. I have done my part which was to give a breakthrough for my side and I will always try to do

the same thing. My job is to give less runs and keep putting pressure on the opponent with my deliveries,” said an elated Jubair yesterday.

The youngster was smashed around for 13 runs in his opening over in 50over cricket. Jubair, however, credited his senior teammates for giving him confidence that enabled him to come back to the game.

“When the Zimbabwean batsmen were attacking me, the senior cricketers advised me to remain cool and told me to bowl as I usually do in the Dhaka [Premier Division Cricket] League. Actually, I was a bit nervous after watching the huge crowd but later it was all

good,” he added.

And with the 2015 ICC World Cup knocking at the door, the juvenile spinner is eyeing a place in the Tigers’ squad for the global showpiece event in Australia-New Zealand.

“It is always a dream for a cricketer to play in the World Cup and I am no exception. My job is to play well for my country and if the selectors think I am able enough to play in the World Cup only then can I play. But I will only prepare myself for the mega event after the ongoing series finishes. I will try to give my best in the premier league ahead of the World Cup,” said Jubair yesterday. l

Soumya added to roster for fifth ODI

Rony, Darboe send Sheikh Jamal to King’s Cup final

n Minhaz Uddin Khan

n Shishir Hoque

The Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday announced a 14-member squad for the fifth and final ODI against Zimbabwe scheduled for tomorrow in Mirpur.

Seamer-allrounder Soumya Sarker is the only addition to the previous 13man squad.

Ever since the Tigers secured the series in the third ODI last Wednesday,

5TH ODI SQUAD Mashrafe bin Mortaza (captain), Shakib al Hasan (vice-captain), Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Imrul Kayes, Rubel Hossain, Jubair Hossain, Abul Hasan, Taijul Islam, Soumya Sarker

the national selection panel has been looking to experiment keeping the 2015 ICC World Cup in mind. Having previously tinkered with the batting order, the selectors are now mulling playing a pacer-allrounder as the conditions and pitches in Australia and New Zealand, co-hosts of the World Cup, will largely favour the express fast bowlers.

That is why Soumya comes in to the equation. Abul Hasan, another seamer-allrounder, played the fourth ODI last Friday and the selectors are now thinking about playing Soumya in the fifth ODI tomorrow.

National selector and former captain Habibul Bashar confirmed the development saying they are trying new things ahead of the global showpiece event next year down under.

“We are looking for a pacer-allrounder that is why we are trying out Soumya. These are just try-outs to be honest. Inclusion in this series does not necessarily mean that they have sealed a spot in the World Cup squad,” Bashar told Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Soumya’s inclusion, however, has thrown up a few questions. In his last seven domestic games, Soumya has only bowled in four and picked up just one wicket. While, with the bat, he has hardly impressed scoring 169 runs.

On top of that, many consider Ziaur Rahman and Farhad Reza to be better equipped than Soumya. Ziaur has bowled in all of his last six domestic games and took eight wickets in the process while Farhad has scalped four in as many games.

Only time will tell if Soumya justifies his inclusion, if he is indeed picked in the XI. And if he fails in his endeavour, Ziaur and Farhad will be patiently waiting in the wings. l

Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club’s never-say-die attitude powered them to the King’s Cup final as the Bangladesh giants sealed a dramatic late win to knock defending champions Manang Marshyangdi Club out of the tournament in Thimphu, Bhutan yesterday.

The Bangladesh Premier Football League champions came back from a goal down to go 2-1 up with national striker Shakhawat Hossain Rony and Gambian midfielder Landing Darboe scoring timely goals to upset the Nepal A-Division League champions.

Jamal toiled hard against Manang, who took the lead just before the hour mark, and the hard work eventually paid off as national striker Rony handed the Bangladesh outfit a lifeline in the dying minutes of the first semifinal to take the game to extra period at Changlimithang Stadium.

The result ensured Sheikh Jamal their third final in as many international tournaments they have participated in. In 2011 they lifted the Safal Pokhara Cup in Nepal while earlier this year they finished runners up against Kolkata Mohammedan SC in the historical IFA Shield in India. Jamal will face the winners of the second semifinal to be played between Indian giants FC Pune and Mohun Bagan today.

Jamal made a bright start having created five scoring chances in the opening quarter of the game, but could not find the back of the net as either the shots were saved or were off target.

Vaniel Sirin, who was handed a place in the starting XI for the first time at the expense of Wedson Anselme, dazzled past the Manang defence and the goalkeeper but his strike went inch-

Sk Jamal midfielder Landing Darboe (R) races forward to grab possession against Manang Marshyangdi in the King’s Cup semifinal in Thimphu, Bhutan yesterday GOALNEPAL.COM es wide while Darboe followed with a long distance shot that flew inches over the crosspiece.

Sirin’s on target long range shot was easily gripped by Bishal Shrestha in the 40th minute. Emeka Darlington had a weak strike inside the box that made no impact while Nasir Uddin’s open header that went wide summed up Jamal’s domination in the first half.

However, against the run of play Manang made the Bangladeshis pay for their profligacy as Cedric Aba tapped home the lead in the 55th minute from

Anil Gurung’s rebounder off Hemel.

The Nepalese were almost sneaking away with the solitary goal but Rony pushed the game towards extra time as he equalised in the 85th minute following a counter-attack.

An upbeat Jamal made the most of their momentum as Darboe slotted home the decider in the first minute of the 30-minute extra time. The Bangladesh giants, however, received a setback in the final minute of the game as Sohel Rana was sent off for his second yellow card in the game. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

QUICK BYTES

Roy Keane leaves Aston Villa post Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has left his role as assistant manager of Aston Villa with immediate effect, he announced in a statement released by the club on Friday. The 43-year-old is also currently employed as the assistant to Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill and he explained that juggling the two roles was proving too difficult. “Ultimately, my roles with Villa and Ireland and combining my commitment to these have become too much,” said Keane, who was employed by Villa in July to provide assistance to manager Paul Lambert.

“It isn’t fair to either Villa or Ireland, so I’ve made this decision. I’d like to thank Paul for giving me a great opportunity to come to a brilliant football club. “I’ve really enjoyed my experiences at Villa and I wish the management team, the players, the supporters and the club nothing but the best going forward.”

Keane’s announcement follows a period when the outspoken former midfielder has regularly appeared in the news headlines. He released an explosive autobiography in October and was reportedly involved in an altercation with a member of the public outside the Ireland team hotel earlier this month.

–AFP

McIlroy implodes in Australian Open World number one Rory McIlroy imploded at the Australian Open on Saturday and lies six shots off leaders Jordan Spieth, Brett Rumford and Greg Chalmers going into the final round. US Masters runner-up Spieth (67-72-69) joined Rumford (70-6969) and overnight leader Chalmers (71-66-71) in front at five-under par as The Australian course bared its teeth in windy conditions. Only eight players were under par after 54 holes in the tournament on a challenging day around the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout. World number three Adam Scott was well placed to go after his second national open title, lurking one shot behind the leaders with Rod Pampling after a two-under 69 to be on four-under for the championship. But McIlroy dropped six shots off the pace after a horror round of five-over 76 and has it all to do to defend his Australian Open crown in Sunday’s final round.

“The course is on a razor’s edge as they are trying to create a golf course that’s as unplayable as they can get it without it being so and it’s right on that point,” Rumford said.

–AFP

DAY’S WATCH

Sport

McCullum, Williamson lead Kiwis run-feast n AFP, Sharjah

Brendon McCullum smashed a double-hundred but Kane Williamson missed his by eight runs as New Zealand posted their highest total against Pakistan in the third Test in Sharjah on Saturday.

McCullum hit 188-ball 202 while Williamson made 192 as New Zealand closed the third day at 637-8 with a world record of 19 sixes to pulversie a hapless Pakistan.

That gave New Zealand a mammoth lead of 286 runs over Pakistan’s first innings total of 351, setting them up strongly for a series-levelling win.

Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Abu Dhabi by 248 runs and drawing the second in Dubai.

New Zealand surpassed Australia’s record of 17 sixes in a Test innings against Zimbabwe at Perth in 2003.

This also becomes the highest total by New Zealand against Pakistan, beating the 563 they made at Hobart in 2003.

Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson and Tim Southee all made 50 each to enjoy a dominating day for their team.

In the morning McCullum became one of only four batsmen to score three double-hundreds in a year.

The New Zealand skipper also created a new second-wicket record for New Zealand in all Test cricket of 297 with Williamson.

McCullum jumped out of his

crease to hit Shah over the stadium roof at long-on for his 11th six to complete his double-hundred off just 186 deliveries.

Michael Clarke (four scores of over 200 in 2012) Ricky Ponting (three in 2003) and Don Bradman (three in 1930) - all from Australia - are the only other players to have achieved the feat. l

SCORECARD, DAY 3 Pakistan 1st innings 351 (Hafeez 197; M Craig 7-94) New Zealand 1st innings (Overnight 249-1) T. Latham c Ahmed b Rahat B. McCullum b Shah K. Williamson c Younis b Rahat R. Taylor c Younis b Shah C. Anderson c Shah b Rahat D. Vettori lbw b Rahat BJ Watling lbw b Hafeez M. Craig not out T. Southee c Talha b Shah Extras: (b2, lb7, nb6, w8) Total: (for 8 wkts; 130 overs)

13 202 192 50 50 15 8 34 50 23 637

Fall of wicket 1-51 (Latham), 2-348 (McCullum), 3-464 (Taylor), 4-488 (Williamson), 5-528 (Vettori), 6-537 (Anderson), 7-546 (Watling), 8-637 (Southee) Bowling Talha 22-2-136-0 (6nb, 1w), Rahat 250-89-4 (2w), Babar 23-1-135-0, Shah 38-4-169-3, Hafeez 20-2-91-1 (5w), Ali 2-0-8-0

New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson goes for a pull as Pakistan wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed and teammate Younis Khan look on during the third day of their third and final Test at the Sharjah cricket stadium in Sharjah yesterday AFP

wants Hughes funeral set for Wednesday, Pietersen Cook to resign as ODI skipper 1st Test against India postponed n AFP, London

n Reuters, Sydney Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes will be buried in his home town on Wednesday, Cricket Australia said on Saturday, forcing the indefinite postponement of the Test match against India which was scheduled to begin the following day.

Hughes, 25, died on Thursday as the result of a catastrophic injury he sustained when struck on the head by a ball during a domestic match, triggering a wave of mourning in Australia and around the world.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said it would have been unreasonable to expect the players to get the four-Test series underway

less than 24 hours after Hughes was laid to rest in Macksville, New South Wales.

“Their welfare is our absolute priority. They are grieving and to expect that they could play a high-pressured, fiveday Test match the following day is out of the question,” he said in a statement.

“We appreciate the incredible understanding and support of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It has been nothing short of outstanding during these difficult times.”

Ticket sales for the match at the Gabba in Brisbane had been suspended and a new date would be set after consultation with the BCCI, broadcasters and stadium officials, Sutherland added.

Australia captain Michael Clarke

earlier gave a graphic illustration of the raw emotions of the players when he broke down repeatedly while paying tribute to his friend.

Battling to hold back tears, he read out a statement on behalf of the players at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where Hughes suffered his fatal injury on Tuesday.

Tributes continued to flood in from around the world for Hughes and an indication of how deeply his death has affected his fellow professionals came in Sharjah, where Pakistan are hosting New Zealand in a Test.

The second Test had been postponed for a day after Hughes died and there was no celebration of wickets or centuries when it resumed on Friday.

12:00PM Pakistan v New Zealand 3rd Test, Day 4

Star Sports 2

n AFP, Colombo

Spanish La Liga 5:00PM Atletico Madrid v Deportivo 10:00PM Sevilla v Granada 12:00AM Cordoba v Villarreal 2:00AM Valencia v Barcelona 7:30PM Indian Super League Kerala v Chennai

Star Sports 4 English Premier League 7:30PM Southampton v Man City 10:00PM Tottenham v Everton

Star Sports 1 11:00PM Juventus v Torino 1:45AM Roma v Inter Milan

Sony Six Ram Slam T20 1:45PM Dolphins v Lions 05:45PM Warriors v Titans 09:45PM Knights v Cape Cobras

Ten Action French Ligue 1 10:00PM Evian Thonon v De Guingamp 2:00AM Saint-Etienne v Olympic Lyon

Neo Prime German Bundesliga 8:30PM Wolfsburg v Moenchengladbach 10:30PM Eintracht Frankfurt v Dortmund

“The game was irrelevant at that stage, that was just a natural reaction by a group of people whose mind was elsewhere,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson told reporters in Sharjah.

“We didn’t bowl any bouncers and that was to show respect.”

Back in Australia, Hughes was not forgotten as Saturday morning cricket was played across the country in blazing sunshine, as it has been for more than a century. Cricket Australia has encouraged teams at all levels to remember Hughes and both the score he had accumulated when the fatal blow struck him, 63 not out, and his Test number, 408, were much in evidence on pitches around the country.l

Exiled England star Kevin Pietersen has called for Alastair Cook to resign as captain of his country’s one-day side after Saturday’s thrashing against Sri Lanka.

Pietersen was dropped from the squad by the England and Wales Cricket board in February and the controversial batsman subsequently released an autobiography claiming the England dressing room had been beset by a bullying culture.

He tweeted: “Dear Alastair, if you care about England’s chances this winter, pls resign and just concentrate on Test cricket...#getHalesin” Cook managed only 22 runs before being bowled by Tillakaratne Dilshan.l

Dominant Sri Lanka crush England

Ten Cricket

Italian Serie A

13

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Maria Sharapova (R) and Andy Murray of the Manila Mavericks hit a return to Kristina Mladenovic and Nenad Zimonjic of the UAE Royals during their mixed doubles match in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) competition in Manila on Friday REUTERS

‘Our dressing room will never be the same’ n Cricinfo Australia’s distraught captain Michael Clarke has spoken about Phillip Hughes on behalf of the national team, revealing that his No. 64 ODI shirt will be retired out of respect for their departed friend and teammate.

Clarke spoke for around two and a half minutes, promising “I’ll do my best” and fighting back tears with almost every sentence. During these moments it was difficult to imagine the Australian team turning out for a Test match in Brisbane as soon as Thursday next week - Clarke’s predecessor Ricky Ponting has stated he does not think they can.

“Words cannot express how we feel as a team right now. To Greg, Virginia, Jason and Megan, we share in the deep pain that you’re feeling,” Clarke said.

“Apart from when he was at home on

the farm with his beloved cattle, Hughesy was at his happiest playing cricket for his country with his mates. Things were all put into perspective when Hughesy said ‘where else would you

rather be boys, but playing cricket for your country’.

“We’re going to miss that cheeky grin and that twinkle in his eye. He epitomised what the baggy green is about and what it means to us all. the world lost one of its great blokes this

week, and we are all poorer for it. Our promise to Hughesy’s family is that we will do everything we can to honour his memory. Last night I asked Cricket Australia if Hughesy’s Australian one day international shirt No. 64, could be retired, to which they agreed. That means so much.

“His legacy of trying to improve each and every day will drive us for the rest of our lives. We’d like to thank everyone both here and overseas for the touching tributes to Hughesy in recent days. Our dressing room will never be the same. We loved him and always will. Rest in peace, Bruzzy.”

Clarke paused longest before uttering the words “our dressing room will never be the same”. Knowing this, Ponting has expressed his belief that the first Test against India should not go ahead as scheduled.l

Hosts Sri Lanka outplayed woeful England by eight wickets in the second one-day international in Colombo on Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in the seven-match series.

Unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis grabbed three for 33 as England were skittled for 185 in 43 overs after electing to bat in a match reduced to 45-overs-aside because of bad weather.

The veteran duo of Kumar Sangakkara (67 not out) and Mahela Jayawardene (77 not out) then put on 149 for the unbroken third wicket as Sri Lanka romped home with 10.4 overs to spare at the Premadasa stadium.

Sri Lanka had won the first game by 25 runs at the same venue on Wednesday. The third match will be played in Hambantota on December 3.

Both teams wore black arm-bands and observed a minute’s silence before the start to mourn Australian batsman Phil Hughes, who died in Sydney on Thursday of head injuries sustained by a rising ball.

Bats and caps were displayed outside the dressing rooms as a mark of respect and flags flew at half-mast over the stadium.

Ravi Bopara top-scored with 51 and Joe Root made 42, but just eight boundaries were hit in the entire England innings as none of the other batsmen settled in. Root appeared in good form when he was trapped leg-before by Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews after Eoin Morgan fell to Thisara Perera for 17.

Bopara was dismissed in the 42nd over, caught at mid-wicket off Mendis, as he attempted to push the scoring in the company of tailenders.

Sri Lanka lost both openers, Dilshan and Kusal Perera, by the eighth over with the total at 37 before Sangakkara and Jayawardene steadied the innings for the hosts. Left-handed Sangakkara smashed eight boundaries, including

the winning hit off Harry Gurney over the bowler’s head. Jayawardene hit eight fours and a six.

The series is a build-up to the World Cup that will be played in Australia and New Zealand in February-March. l

ENGvSL, 2ND ODI England A. Cook c K. Perera b Dilshan 22 M. Ali b Dilshan 2 I. Bell c T. Perera b Herath 11 J. Root lbw b Mathews 42 E. Morgan c Thirimanne b T. Perera 17 R. Bopara c Mathews b A. Mendis 51 J. Buttler b Prasad 7 C. Woakes st Sangakkara b A. Mendis 15 J. Tredwell not out 9 S. Finn b A. Mendis 0 H. Gurney b Prasad 1 Extras: (lb3, w3, nb2) 8 Total (all out, 43 overs) 185 Fall of wickets 1-7 (Ali), 2-36 (Bell), 3-37 (Cook), 4-75 (Morgan), 5-117 (Root), 6-132 (Buttler), 7-173 (Woakes), 8-180 (Bopara), 9-180 (Finn), 10-185 (Gurney).

Bowling Mathews 6-0-23-1 (w2), Dilshan 9-032-2, Herath 9-0-40-1, A. Mendis 7-133-3 (w1), T. Perera 3-0-16-1, J. Mendis 5-0-22-0 (nb1), Prasad 4-0-16-2 (nb1).

Sri Lanka T. Dilshan c Woakes b Ali 26 K. Perera c Bopara b Finn 9 K. Sangakkara not out 67 M. Jayawardene not out 77 Extras: (lb3, w4) 7 Total (for 2 wickets, 34.2 overs) 186 Fall of wickets 1-27 (K. Perera), 2-37 (Dilshan).

Bowling Finn 6-1-35-1 (w1), Woakes 5-0-23-0, Ali 7-0-38-1 (w2), Gurney 5.2-0-32-0 (w1), Tredwell 9-0-47-0, Bopara 2-0-8-0 Sri Lanka won by eight wickets; lead 2-0 in seven-match series.

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Pele responding to care, still on dialysis: hospital n AFP, Sao Paulo

Hull City’s Allan McGregor saves a header from Manchester United’s Netherlands striker Robin van Persie during their English Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester yesterday

Gunners, Reds back to winning ways

REUTERS

Southampton face City in top-four audition

Van Persie scores as United cruise past Hull, QPR and Hammers post wins and giving the Gunners only their fifth Welbeck won it on the hour when he season as the hosts cruised to a 3-0 win n AFP, London n AFP, London league win of the season. met Santi Cazorla’s cross with a power- over Hull at Old Trafford.

Danny Welbeck returned from injury to maintain Arsenal’s recent revival as the England striker sealed a 1-0 win at West Bromwich Albion, while struggling Liverpool got back on track with a 1-0 victory over Stoke on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal had been under pressure after successive Premier League defeats condemned them to their worst start for 30 years, but a midweek victory over Borussia Dortmund, which booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League, had lifted spirits at the north London club.

Welbeck missed that win due to hamstring and knee problems, but he was back at the Hawthorns to net his sixth goal for Arsenal, ending a run of six club matches without a goal for the former Manchester United forward

RESULTS

Burnley

1-1

Danny Ings 87-P

Liverpool

Aston Villa Joe Cole 38

1-0

Stoke City

3-0

Hull City

Glen Johnson 85

Man United

Smalling 16, Rooney 42, van Persie 66

3-2

QPR Wes Morgan 37og, Leroy Fer 45, Charlie Austin 73

Swansea City

Cambiasso 4, Jeffrey Schlupp 67

1-1

Wilfried Bony 15

West Ham

Leicester City

Crystal Palace Mile Jedinak 25-P

1-0

Newcastle

Aaron Cresswell 56

West Brom

0-1

Arsenal Danny Welbeck 60

ful close-range header that Ben Foster could only help into the net.

Liverpool ended their three-match losing streak as Glen Johnson’s late goal clinched a hard-fought success against Stoke at Anfield.

Reds captain Steven Gerrard was dropped to the bench on the 16th anniversary of his Liverpool debut and Brendan Rodgers’ side were lacklustre without him.

Stoke’s Bojan Krkic hit the woodwork in the second half, but Liverpool improved after Gerrard came on for the final 16 minutes and England right-back Johnson popped up with the winner in the 85th minute after Rickie Lambert’s header had hit the bar.

Robin van Persie scored only his fourth goal for Manchester United this

United’s injury problems continued early in the first half when Argentina midfielder Angel di Maria was forced to come off.

But Louis van Gaal’s side took the lead in the 16th minute as video technology showed Chris Smalling’s scrambled effort had crossed the line to give the much-maligned defender his first goal since December 2013.

West Ham leapfrogged Newcastle into fifth place with a 1-0 win at Upton Park.

Newcastle had climbed into the top five on the back of five successive league victories, but they fell behind in the 56th minute when Hammers left-back Aaron Cresswell turned in Cheikhou Kouyate’s miscued shot. l

Southampton’s nascent quest for Champions League qualification faces an acid test over the next 10 days, beginning with Sunday’s visit of Premier League champions Manchester City.

The south-coast club have belied pre-season fears of a relegation bat-

PREMIER LEAGUE Southampton v Man City Tottenham v Everton tle following the sales of several key players by making their best start to a Premier League season and soaring to second place in the table.

Ronald Koeman’s side have won eight of their last 10 matches, only dropping points in a 1-0 defeat at Tot-

Robben goal helps Bayern storm 10 points clear n Reuters, Berlin Bayern Munich scraped past Hertha Berlin 1-0 courtesy of an Arjen Robben goal to stretch their lead at the top of

BUNDESLIGA

Schalke 04

4-1

Huntelaar 9, 25, 61, Barnetta 54

Bayer Leverkusen

5-1

Bellarabi 26, 90+1, Calhanoglu 61, Drmic 79, 88

Augsburg

Mainz 05 Okazaki 44

3-1

Cologne Lehmann 4-P

Hamburg

Halil Altintop 50, Van der Vaart 45+1 Bobadilla 62, Verhaegh 70-P

Hertha Berlin

0-1

Bayern Munich Robben 27

Werder Bremen

4-0

Paderborn

Junuzovic 10, Selke 48, Bartels 50, Aycicek 80

the table to 10 points and extend their unbeaten Bundesliga run to 16 games over two seasons.

The champions never hit top form but hardly needed to against a toothless Hertha who rarely ventured out of their half.

Dutchman Robben fired the ball in from 18 metres after a first-half flick from Thomas Mueller as the Bavarians cruised to their 10th win in 13 league matches to bounce back from the midweek Champions League defeat at Manchester City.

Fellow Champions League combatants Bayer Leverkusen crushed Cologne 5-1 in the Rhine derby to join Wolfsburg on 23 points.

Schalke 04 bounced back from their 5-0 Champions League demolition

by Chelsea on Tuesday, winning 4-1 against Mainz 05 with a hat-trick from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. l

Champions Juventus host Torino in the ‘Derby della Mole’ on Sunday looking to reinforce their lead over title rivals Roma, who host Inter Milan in what will be Roberto Mancini’s second game in charge of the Nerazzurri.

Following a morale-boosting Champions League win over Malmo, Juventus returned to Turin on a high on Thursday with renewed hope of qualifying for the last 16 of the competition for the first time in two years.

Having won all five home games in Serie A this season, Massimiliano Allegri’s side are expected to claim three points against a Torino side that was whistled off the pitch at the Stadio Olimpico following a 1-0 home defeat to Sassuolo last week.

Indeed Torino’s last victory over the Bianconeri goes back to the 1994-95 season, when they beat their city rivals home (3-2) and away (2-1), and they last

SERIE A Cagliari Cesena Empoli Milan Palermo Juventus Roma

v v v v v v v

Fiorentina Genoa Atalanta Udinese Parma Torino Inter

hit the back of the Juventus net in February 2002 when the sides drew 2-2.

Since then Juventus have won 12 and drawn four Turin derbies and are likely to again deploy the 4-3-1-2 formation

tenham Hotspur and last Monday’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.

Boasting a defence that has conceded just six goals in 12 games -- five fewer than any other team -- they have emerged as the closest rivals to leaders Chelsea, who have a six-point advantage over Koeman’s men.

But City are only two points back in third place and with Southampton scheduled to visit Arsenal on Wednesday before hosting Manchester United on December 8, their top-four credentials face a thorough examination.

“On Sunday we are playing against one of the teams that can win the title and we know that we have to play better than we did last Monday against Aston Villa,” Koeman told his pre-match press conference. “But Southampton is not an easy team to play against and we will show that again.” l

Real Madrid hit out at Platini for Ballon d’Or comments n AFP, Madrid

Schalke’s Netherlands forward Klaas Jan Huntelaar (R) celebrates after scoring the opening goal during their German Bundesliga match against FSV Mainz 05 in Gelsenkirchen yesterday AP

Juve set for Turin derby, Roma host Inter Barca target Valencia scalp n AFP, Milan

Hospitalized Brazilian football legend Pele is doing better and responding to antibiotics, but still receiving an intensive kidney treatment for a urinary infection, the hospital treating him said Friday.

The 74-year-old star is “in improving clinical condition and continues receiving treatment in the intensive care unit,” said the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, in its second update of the day.

“He continues receiving kidney support treatment,” it said.

Pele has been undergoing hemodialysis, a procedure that involves filtering a patient’s blood through an artificial kidney that cleans it before returning it to the body.

“The only bacteria identified so far is responding to the antibiotics being used. No systematic infection has been identified,” said the hospital, adding that he was “lucid” and breathing and eating on his own.

Pele, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.

He was admitted to hospital Monday, diagnosed with a urinary infection and given intravenous antibiotics.

On Thursday, the hospital said he had been placed in intensive care after his condition became “clinically unstable,” causing widespread alarm. But Pele insisted on social media that he was fine and had simply been moved to another room for more privacy. l

that outclassed Lazio 3-0 away last week.

Defender Simone Padoin, sent off for the final 20 minutes in Rome, sits out a one-match ban for Sunday allowing Patrice Evra to return to the fray.

Central defender Leonardo Bonucci has applauded the move away from a 3-5-2 tactical system which he believes has allowed Juve to spread their wings in Europe.

Roma will host Inter without Vasilis Torosidis (calf), who has joined a casualty list already missing fellow defenders Maicon, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Leandro Castan.

Rudi Garcia’s side could welcome back Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman, who came on as a late substitute away to CSKA Moscow in midweek but copped some of the blame for the Russians’ last-gasp leveller.l

n AFP, Madrid A Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona vanquished some early season doubts with back-to-back thrashings of Sevilla and APOEL Nicosia in the past week thanks to two hat-tricks from the Argentine as he became the all-time leading scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League.

Luis Enrique’s men are expected to face a tougher test on Sunday, though, when they travel to a Valencia side that are unbeaten at home so far this season.

Messi’s treble in Nicosia on Tuesday overshadowed Luis Suarez’s first goal for the club in a comfortable 4-0 win as the Catalans remained on the tails of Paris Saint-Germain for top spot in Group F. Enrique was delighted with his side’s display in the Cypriot capital, claiming

this was the Barca side he “wanted to see for the rest of the season.”

The former Spanish international will also have the luxury of recalling Claudio Bravo, Sergio Busquets and Neymar to his starting line-up as they

LA LIGA Atletico Madrid Sevilla Cordoba Valencia

v v v v

Deportivo Granada Villarreal Barcelona

were rested in midweek in preparation for the trip to Mestalla.

Valencia’s title aspirations have faltered in recent weeks as they were beaten 2-1 by local rivals Levante last weekend and held to a 0-0 draw by Athletic Bilbao last time out at home.l

Real Madrid on Friday released a statement expressing their “surprise” at UEFA president Michel Platini after he suggested that a member of Germany’s World Cup-winning team should win this year’s Ballon d’Or. Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or for world player of the year in 2013 and has been widely tipped to retain the title for this year after his prolific record in front of goal helped Madrid win the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. However, the 29-year-old forward had a disappointing World Cup with Portugal as his country were eliminated in the group stage.

In a statement, Madrid expressed “surprise” at (Platini’s) repeated remarks regarding his personal preferences for who should win the Ballon d’Or, especially when he is at the head of the leading body in European football, where we understand that strict neutrality should always prevail.

“Secondly, the Ballon d’Or is an individual prize and not a collective one that is given every year to the best player in the world and we believe that, to maintain its prestige, those who vote should take into account only the individual professional merits of the players.

“And finally, we believe without doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo has had the best year of his professional career from an individual point of view, as well as winning the Champions League, the Golden Boot, setting the record for the leading scorer in a Champions League season, winning the Copa del Rey and being top scorer in the Spanish league.”

They added that he would be “deserving more than ever of winning the Ballon d’Or.” On Wednesday, Madrid-based sports daily AS reported Platini as saying that a German should win the prize.l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Performing today

B E N G A L C L A S S I C A L M U S I C F E S T I VA L 2 0 1 4

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, flute

Chaurasia is an internationally renowned exponent of the bansuri, or bamboo flute. By age 15, he was studying classical vocal music, but changed his focus to the flute after hearing a recital by Pandit Bholanath. He has become one of India’s most respected classical musicians, earning several prestigious awards like the Sangeet Natak Academy Award, the Padma Vibhushan and the National Eminence.

Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan, sarod Indian vocalist Manjusha Patil-Kulkarni takes the stage last night on the third day of the festival at Army Stadium

KHAN HASAN MD RAFI

PANDIT SHIVKUMAR SHARMA: What’s happening here is historic n Rumana Habib

historic thing happening here.

I haven’t seen this number of listeners: such appreciative listeners and such a large number of young listeners. This is an answer to people who ask: What is the future of Indian classical music?

When I meet people here, they are so loving, so kind and so hungry for cultural activities. There are those who think classical music may be lost. But when I come and play here, I don’t feel that at all.

Does the audience’s response influence your performance?

C

redited with bringing the santoor to the world stage, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s name is so synonymous with the Kashmiri folk instrument that even his official website is called santoor. com.

The virtuoso is in Dhaka for the Bengal Classical Music Festival, where he performed last night, and heard his son and disciple Rahul Sharma perform the night before.

He granted us this interview yesterday afternoon the same way he does everything: graciously. He removed his shoes before sitting down to discuss his art, which he considers holy, and began humbly: “I’m very happy to be here playing for such a wonderful audience.”

That’s lovely. How does Bengal’s audience compare to others?

I have been performing for more than 60 years, on five continents, and have been coming to Bangladesh for more than 10 years.

Then this was started by Mr Abul Khair, and I’ve come all three years that the festival has been held.

The way this festival is organised – the venue they have selected, the kind of audience, and the number of people who come and stay all night – this in itself is a

Of course if the audience is receptive, that inspires me. But also, I don’t change my music according to the audience.

I play music the way I enjoy it, that way that gives me peace, happiness and bliss. I am there to share that bliss with my listeners. I am very grateful to the Almighty and my guru that people have accepted the way I play, and connect with my music.

When you play, you seem to become one with your instrument.

For me, music is like prayer. It’s elevating my soul. I am not thinking at that point I am there to entertain 40,000 people. If the audience also connects with my music, with their own point of view, they will experience something different.

How do you get to that place? I’ve read that you meditate before you go on.

I do. That is how I have been taught music.

My guru was my father, who was a versatile musician, and a very spiritual person.

He taught me from childhood that music and spirituality are two sides of the same coin. They are not separate.

I was born and brought up in Jammu and Kashmir, and I am also very influenced by nature.

Have you had a chance to visit the Bangladesh countryside? We’re known for our beautiful rivers.

I have not been beyond Dhaka, but I would

15

Sunday, November 30, 2014

love to see Brahmanbaria, where Ustad Ali Akbar is from. He is one of the all-time greats of music and sarod. He and Baba Allauddin Khan are from Bangladesh. I’d love to go to the places they are from.

You know, the santoor and water have some connection. Many people say it sounds like flowing water.

And you brought the santoor into Indian classical music.

Still in their 30s, these brothers are considered two of the finest sarod players today. Disciples of their father Amjad Ali Khan, they represent the seventh generation of a musical lineage known as the Senia Bangash School. Amaan and Ayaan have been per-

forming with their father since the early 1980s. The trio’s album Moksha was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2005, and the brothers’ 2006 album Truth received a letter of appreciation from the Indian president. Their list of accomplishments also includes performing at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in the US.

Kaushiki Chakrabarty, vocalist

Daughter of vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty (who played at the festival on Thursday), Kaushiki was initiated into vocal music by her mother ChandanaChakrabarty, but was later groomed by her father and guru.

Her performances have fetched her many awards including: the Jadu Bhatta Award, the BBC award, the Sangeet Natak Academy Award, and the Mirchi Music Award for best female vocalist and album of the year in 2012.

Also performing (in order of appearance):

Amit Chowdhury, Bharatnatyam dance l Swarup Hossain, tabla l Sameehan Kashalkar, vocalist l Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, sarod l Ganesh Rajagopalan, violin l Pandit Bhawani Shankar, pakhawaj

S E C O N D D AY ’ S P E R F O R M A N C E S

Another way to say it is: It was divine power. And that power chose me as a medium to get it done through me. I’m just a servant of that power.

How do you maintain your spirituality amid celebrity?

After each concert I play, people may come up and praise me sky-high, but I’m always thinking about where I could have done something better. That is the real me.

Do you know what raga you’re playing tonight?

I enjoy not planning. It depends, who’s playing before me, and which raga that person sings. If I am playing solo, I might have some selections already in mind.

Sometimes the raga is in my mind but the composition is not. When I sit in the car going towards the venue, some idea comes to mind, some new phrases or compositions, and I try it out while performing. It’s very risky, but it’s coming from somewhere else, so that is how I try it.

What would you like your audience to know?

There is no need to understand Indian classical music. People think unless you understand it, you cannot enjoy it.

Music is a universal language. Music brings people closer. Music is one way of creating friendship, peace, love and harmony.

I am so blessed. Again I would like to thank the Bengal Foundation and Mr Abul Khair. That is what they are bringing here.

And I salute them. l

Clockwise from top left: Guru Karaikudi Mani and his fellow percussionists enchant the crowd with their rendition of Carnatic music, while Rahul Sharma performs unique compositions on the santoor, and brothers Pandit Rajan Sharma and Pundit Sajan Mishra perform bilambit, tarana and drut khayal within a raga bhairav

n Hasan Mansoor Chatak With glitz and glamour, the fifth edition of the much anticipated fashion show Pond’s Presents The Lustrous Runway, finally arrived, and enchanted audiences at Radisson Water Garden Hotel on Friday.

This time the event featured seven prominent designers and fashion houses, both local and international, whose products were unique and diverse.

Shishir Al Hasan, the wife of the world’s number one all-rounder cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, dazzled the audience along with Bollywood diva Malaika Arora Khan by walking on the ramp.

The fashion line-up showcased at the country’s most illustrious fashion extravaganza, and included Sarah Karim, Purvi Doshi and Nawshion Khair.

Eminent Indian designer Purvi

Doshi’s new designs were basically a fusion of the richness and softness of Indian and western, while Sarah Karim highlighted the essence of the Mughal era by blending it with contemporary looks and designs, presented by the brand Esque. Winter attire by Nawshion Khair blended jute and cotton, presented by the brand Paera, which was a treat for the eyes.

A number of glamorous models, including Bangladeshi supermodel Emi, captivated the audience with exotic make-up and vibrant attire.

Kaaruj Bangladesh, Studio Omana, Sasha Exclusives, Nova Genuine Swarovski, Nuzat Nawar and Kimaya Design Studio presented collections of bags, jewellery and clothing.

Ponds was the title sponsor Co-sponsors were MasterCard, Gitanjali Lifestyle, Jet Airways, Oriental Real Estate Limited and BMW. l

Benny Dayal comes to Dhaka n Entertainment Desk Famous for the song “Badtameez Dil,” Indian singer Benny Dayal will perform live in Dhaka on December 18 at the Grand Ballroom of Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel. Originally from Kerala, Benny has worked as a playback singer with many noted composers including AR Rahman.

His popularity has grown steadily in the last few years with Bollywood hits like “Tarkeebein” (Band Baaja Baarat), “Daru Desi” (Cocktail), “Disco Deewane” (Student of the Year) and “Lat Lag Gayi” (Race 2). The segment will start at 7pm and will be followed by a fashion show. Tickets are available at Tk3,000 and Tk5,000 at Gitanjali Jewellers, Nando’s and BRAC Bank in the capital until December 14. l

PHOTOS: MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

THE LUSTROUS RUNWAY enchants fashion lovers once again

Malaika Arora Khan

Shishir Al Hasan

Emi

Exhibition

Life is Here

By Kanak Chanpa Chakma Time: 12pm – 8pm, Bengal Art Lounge

Film

German Movie Night The Edge of Heaven Time: 6pm – 8pm Goethe Institut Bangladesh Interstellar, Gone Girl, Annabelle Onek Sadher Moyna, Into The Storm Blockbuster Cinemas, Jamuna Future Park

The Classical Music Academy gives an orchestra performance at the 13th Annual Asian Spinal Cord Network Conference, held recently at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed MD FAHIM KAMAL

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Sunday, November 30, 2014

CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS PEACE ACCORD

PCJSS warns of movement from May 1 next year

The non-cooperative movement could be violent. It depends on the situation, says Santu Larma some anti-agreement initiatives and by have recently increased their activities n Ahmed Zayeef enacting laws which are adversarial to to foil the accord. They are attacking The Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS - Santu Larma faction) has threatened to launch a non-cooperation movement from May 1, next year, if the government fails to take effective steps to implement the CHT Peace Accord 1997 by this time.

PCJSS Chairman Jyotirindria Bodhipriya Larma, known as Santu Larma, came up with the warning while addressing a press conference at a hotel in the capital yesterday.

The press conference was organised to mark the 17th anniversary of the CHT peace accord, which was signed on December 2, 1997.

Reading out a six page keynote paper, Santu Larma said the government was not taking proper initiative to implement the accord.

“We have decided to launch a non-cooperative movement against the government from May 1, 2015, if it fails to take concrete steps to ensure the full implementation of the CHT Peace Accord 1997 within April 30,

PCJSS Chairman Santu Larma addresses a press conference to mark the 17th anniversary of the CHT peace accord at a hotel in the capital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU 2015,” he said.

Terming the government’s claims regarding its success in implementing the clauses of the peace accord as a lie, he said: “The government’s claims over

the success of implementing the deal is nothing but a sheer lie. It is giving false and confusing statements on the issue.”

He claimed that the government was violating the agreement by taking

the indigenous communities.

“Violating the agreement, the government amended three hill tracts district parishad law; enacted hill tracts development board law and also took initiative to establish a science and technology university as well as medical college in Rangamati upon their one sided decision,” Santu Larma said.

“Many administrators and ministers, including the Prime Minister, have been saying that some 48 clauses of total 72 of the peace accord have been implemented. Fifteen clauses have partly been implemented and nine clauses are on the way to be implemented, which are also not true,” he claimed.

The PCJSS chairman said: “The main issues of the accord have not been implemented.” Some two-third of total clauses in the accord are still unimplemented, he claimed.

The overall situation of the hill tracts are very poor as the accord have not been implemented fully, he said.

Santu Larma said: “Militant groups

indigenous people one after another.”

“The incidents of grabbing lands of the indigenous people (Jumma) and evicting them from their lands are increasing day by day,” he claimed.

The PCJSS leader said: “A lots of indigenous family either have been forced to take shelter in new place or they are facing warning of eviction.”

“The main target the attacks is to uproot the indigenous people, and converting the non-Muslim dominated hill tracts into a Muslim dominated area,” he claimed.

Replying to a question, he said: “The non-cooperative movement could be violent. It depends on the situation.”

Pankaj Bhattacharya, president of Oikko Nap; Ushaton Talukder, parliament member and vice president of PCJSS; Noman Ahmed Khan, executive director of IEED; Robindronath Soren, president of Jatiyo Adibashi Porishod; and Advocate Nilufar Banu, a human rights activist, also were also present on the occasion. l

Lives and livelihoods at risk on railway tracks

Man arrested who sacrificed daughter Adil Sakhawat n for treasure Jurain Rail Gate is as prone to accidents as ever despite a directive from the n Our Correspondent, Natore prime minister on October 23 to clear Police yesterday arrested the father who killed his three-month-old daughter for a hidden treasure.

Nazmul Islam, a carpenter by profession was arrested from a private clinic of Pabna-Hemayetpur area early Saturday and was taken under Baraigram police custody.

Monirul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Baraigram police station said on secret information, a team of Baraigram police led by Sub-Inspector Sukomol made a raid at Surma clinic of Hemayetpur at 3am.

A fake spiritual leader instigated him to sacrifice the daughter for hidden treasure At one stage of searching, police arrested Nazmul, who was under treatment at the clinic.

Police will send him before the court today, the police official said.

“The investigation is underway and police are trying to identify the members of the fake spiritual gang,”Nazmul killed his three-month-old daughter and tore up a copy of Qur’an while performing a ritual in order to get “treasures” at Baraigram upazila in Natore on Friday.

The deceased, Nusrat Rukaiya, was drowned in a pond as per the instruction of a fake spiritual leader.

Monjuwara, Nusrat’s mother, said her husband, Nazmul Islam, was a carpenter by profession.

Recently, he started following a fake spiritual leader, who instigated him to sacrifice their daughter for hidden treasure.

Afterwards, Monjuwara lodged a case at the police station against her husband. l

railway corridors of illegal squatters.

The railway corridor in the Jurain area of the capital is illegally occupied by shops and hawkers, but the trackside entrepreneurs say they have a right to run their businesses there because they have leased the land from the Bangladesh Railway.

Director General (DG) of Bangladesh Railway Tafazzal Hossain said people were always trying to claim ownership of government-owned land to run their businesses.

A prominent signboard that reads, “Land Leased from Bangladesh Railway,” greets visitors to Jurain Rail Gate New Supermarket and Jurain Rail Gate Bazar, two marketplaces located on either side of the tracks.

Not too far away, a large, official signboard, in Bangla, reads: “A minimum of 20 feet of land must be kept free of establishments on either side of the railway track. In this space no marketplace, temporary shop, slum or hawker is allowed. If any is found, it will be punishable under section 112, 124, 125, 126, 127 of the Railway Act.” It goes on to offer this warning: “If any accident occurs because of an illegal establishment, the responsibility will lie with the transgressor and under section 131 of Act, the transgressor will be arrested without an arrest warrant.”

In the shadow of this stern warning, some 500 vendors hawk their wares on the track’s access paths.

The modus operandi for the hawkers and their customers is to run to safety when the signalman’s whistle warns of an oncoming train and then carry on with business when the danger has passed.

But running for cover is a risky business practice. On September 11 an accident at Karwan Bazar left four people including two women dead and several injured. After the incident at Karwan

A train rumbles down the tracks between vegetable stalls and grocery shops that carry out a brisk trade in the off-limits area inside the railway corridor in the Jurain area of the capital. The picture was taken yesterday RAJIB DHAR Bazar, hawkers quit the tracks for a week as railway authorities began an eviction drive.

But they are back in force and their businesses are in full swing.

On September 13 railway authorities drove hawkers from the railway corridor at Jurain Rail Gate, but three days later influential local leaders and market committee leaders told the evicted hawkers it was okay to return.

“All the hawkers are back on the railway tracks running their risky businesses like before,” said shop owner Amzad Hossain who has owned a shop in the Jurain Rail Gate New Super Market for the last 15 years.

A customer named Iqbal Hossain, who came to the bazar to buy vegeta-

bles and fruits, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The hawkers run their businesses in a very risky manner. The railway authorities should evict them permanently and give them a safe space elsewhere.”

The presidents of the cooperative societies of the two marketplaces, Abdur Rahim and Solaiman Hossain, both said they had leased their respective plots of land for commercial use from Bangladesh Railway in 1979.

When asked whether it is legal to do business within 20 feet of the railway tracks, something which is clearly prohibited on the official signboard, neither offered any answer.

Solaiman said hawkers increased the chance of accidents, not shops in the markets. He demanded hawkers be

evicted from the tracks and rehabilitated in other places.

When asked about claims that the land alongside the Jurain railway track was leased out, the Bangladesh Railway DG said: “It is true that Bangladesh Railway leased out the land commercially but it never gave permission to use the land within 20 feet of the tracks.”

“We will drive illegal establishments off the Jurain railway track just as similar drives are being conducted on the Dhaka – Narayanganj line,” the DG said.

“First, we will look into the claims of the market committee presidents. Shops on land that was leased from Bangladesh Railway will not be destroyed. But I say again: No establishment can remain within 20 feet of the railway tracks.” l

Nigeria unrest: President Jonathan condemns mosque attack n BBC The president of Nigeria has vowed “to leave no stone unturned” in tracking down the perpetrators of a mosque attack that killed at least 81 people.

Goodluck Jonathan urged the nation “to confront the common enemy” after the gun and bomb attack during Friday’s prayers in the northern city of Kano.

Hundreds of people were injured in an attack which officials say bears the hallmarks of Boko Haram militant group.

No-one has so far said that they carried out Friday’s assault.

Kano’s Central Mosque, where the attack took place, is where the influential Muslim leader, the emir of Kano, usually leads prayers.

He recently called for people to arm themselves against Boko Haram, so it is possible that this attack was in response to that call, says the BBC’s Will Ross in Abuja.

Boko Haram, a Sunni Islamist group, has been waging an insurgency in Nigeria since 2009 and has killed more than 2,000 people this year, human rights groups say.

‘Helter-skelter’

President Jonathan ordered the country’s security services “to launch a full-scale investigation and to leave no stone unturned until all agents of terror undermining the right of every citizen to life and dignity are tracked down and brought to justice”.

He said Nigerians should “remain united to confront the common enemy”.

The government, he said, would “continue to take every step to put an end to the reprehensible acts.”

Reuters news agency counted 81 bodies in two separate mortuaries following the attack on the Central Mosque.

An AFP reporter at counted 92 bodies at the Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital mortuary alone. Most victims were men or boys with blast injuries and severe burns.

Three bomb explosions were reported in and around the mosque. The attackers also shot at worshippers.

Some reports say the first bomb was hidden in a car which was driven straight into the worshippers.

One eyewitness told the BBC’s Focus on Africa: “The imam was about to start prayer when he saw somebody in a car trying to force himself into the mosque. But when people stopped him, he detonated the explosions. People started running helter-skelter.”

Several men then opened fire on the crowd, killing more people. Three of the gunmen were caught and killed on the spot, the BBC’s Will Ross reports.

BBC Hausa editor Mansur Liman said one witness at a local hospital had described the scenes there as being the most horrible he had ever seen.

Boko Haram carries out almost daily attacks mostly in the north-east of the country. Also on Friday, the security forces said they had foiled an attempt to attack worshippers in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, defusing six bombs planted in a mosque and a nearby market.

The militants were also behind the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno state this year, an act that sparked international outrage. l

Rokeya: An inspiration for the disabled

Capsized trawler traced, 26 missing

Abu Bakar n Mohammad Siddique

n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong

Born with a hand completely numb she has never submitted herself to the wheel of fate, rather accepted her physical disability as a bliss and went on with life.

Not only has she fought tooth and nail to overcome ordeals in her life, she has also stood by those like her, who are unable to face life’s hurdles by themselves.

Undaunted, Rokeya Begum defied her physical hurdle. She passed SSC examination in 1993 from Baghata Noor Aftab Adarsha Bidyapeeth and HSC in 1995 from Narsingndi Mohila College, now Narsingdi Sarkari Mohila College.

“After that I have had to do nothing for the next five years. My parents became worried. They married me off for which they had to spend over Tk2,00,000. I was married to a small businessman from a neighbouring village,” she described.

But within a very short time his business suffered a huge loss. “My family came to his rescue and gave him money to go abroad.

He took the money and never came back.”

Rokey felt broken but has never conceded defeat. She joined a non-govern-

ment organisation –Spandan Pratibandhi Unnoyan Sangstha – that opened a branch at her village Baghata in Narsingdi.

The organisation works for the disabled, she said boasting that it is she who now leads the organisation in her locality.

“It was a great pleasure that they handed me the responsibility,” she says.

According to Rokeya Begum, the rights of physically challenged are being violated all over the country. She said they were trying to build resistance against the human rights violation.

“We enlist the cases of the victims and then provide support with the help of the local government. The funds we get from

the government is insufficient.”

The biggest challenge is to enrol persons with physical disabilities in schools, to get them working opportunities and bring them into the development process, she said.

To this end “we arrange training sessions so that they can be prepared themselves for the job market. We recommend them for certain jobs”. The organisation also holds seminars and do advocacies at the national level so that the windows of opportunities for the disabled open up.

There was a time when the school authorities used to refuse taking the disabled but with the passage of time “we have managed to persuade them into enrolling the disabled to the mainstream education”.

Through the years of her involvement and activities, Rokeya has achieved a lead role at national level by working for disabled people, She is now a councillor of National Grassroots Disability Organisation and later became the vice-president of National Council of Disabled Women.

Her connectivity with people earned her a reputation among people which made her an elected Local Government (Union Porishad) member of Shilmandi Union Porishad of Narsingdi district. l

The Bangladesh Navy yesterday morning traced the capsized trawler, FV Bandhan, after about 31 hours of the incident while as many as 26 members of the trawler crew still remain missing.

Family members of the missing members were found waiting at the AK Khan Ghat on the bank of Karnaphuli to get information about their near and dear ones, at least the dead bodies.

They were seen holding ID cards and photographs of their missing relatives.

Navy and ISPR officials told the Dhaka Tribune that they had traced the trawler using side-scan sonar machine about 52km northwest off the coast of the Saint Martin’s Island around 10:45am.

Divers of Navy joined the rescue operation while BNS Shaikat, a rescue vessel, equipped with modern rescue gear, went to the spot to salvage the sunken vessel, said Navy officials.

Salvage operation was called off around 11pm due to bad weather.

Besides this, navy ships BNS Samudro Joy, BNS Adamya, BNS Atondra, a maritime patrol aircraft and a helicopter are continuing their efforts since the incident

took place around 3:15am on Friday, the Navy media cell in Chittagong said. Bangladesh Coast Guard rescue vessel CGS Tanvir was assisting the Navy team.

FV Bandhan, owned by Bengal Fisheries Limited – a joint venture of AK Khan Group and Japan’s Maruha Nichiro Corporation, turned turtle about 30 nautical miles northwest off the Saint Martin’s Island with 29 crewmen on board.

It was hit by Singapore-bound merchant vessel Bashundhara 8, leaving a one dead and 26 missing. Two crewmen were found alive.

The deceased is Nasir Uddin, 40, while the rescued are Junior Officer Sazib Hossain, 25, and crew Lovelu, 30.

The body of Nasir was taken to Chittagong Medical College morgue. The two others were taken to private clinics for treatment at the company’s cost.

Sazib said: “My vessel was catching shrimps in the fishing zone in the Bay. I was on duty at the time of the incident when most of the crew members were asleep. Suddenly I noticed another vessel heading towards mine. Joined by other fishermen on the trawler I signalled the merchant vessel to change course, but got no response.”

The clash left him unconscious. “I discovered myself in another trawler of our company, FV Joauthaudyam, by which we reached the city,” he said.

Blaming negligence of Bashundhara 8 for the incident, Lovelu said the other crew mmbers of the vessel could have been rescued, if the merchant vessel had not fled.

He said: “I was awake when the incident took place. I just ended talking to my family over the phone around 3am on Friday. I saw a bright light of another vessel...Nasir and I jumped into the sea while the trawler capsized completely within 10-20 minutes with all the other members asleep.

“Nasir was sleeping when I called him; so he could not swim properly. I helped him but he died within 30 minutes of swimming. But I did not leave him. I, holding Nasir’s head, tried to remain afloat holding a bamboo. We were picked up by a wooden boat Shatabdi around 5am. Later, we were handed over to FV Joauthaudyam.”

FV Bandhan, one of four fishing vessels of the company, left the port on November 19. FV Joauthaudyam was few miles away from the spot. 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 India eases gold import rule in surprise move

B4 Oil plunges to new

multi-year lows on OPEC decision

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

Tk260 a day housing loan plan on cards Study: Most city dwellers The housing minister spoke of the 20-year financing programme for the low income group

n Tribune Report The government is planning to create long-term funding options for making housing facilities affordable for the lower income group of people.

“The daily payment to own an apartment under the arrangement would be Tk260 for a period of 20 years,” Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain said yesterday.

He said the government is also planning to establish new township in rural areas so the people are discouraged to come to the cities, urging all not to destroy agriculture lands for the sake of urbanisation.

The minister was speaking at a seminar on “Housing for Public Welfare” arranged by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) in the city yesterday.

He said building and high rise apartments are being built haphazardly in the city for lack of foresight among the urban planners.

Putting importance on adopting long-term development plan for making the city beautiful and livable, he said: “We should map out a plan for urbanisation like USA, UK and France which has made plan for 600 years.”

Mentioning the double-digit interest rate of housing loans in the country, he said almost all the countries in the world offer 3% interest rate in housing sector.

“It might not always be easy for low and mid-income group of people of the country to access to loan as conditions in most cases not possible to meet.

They are not loan defaulters like big business groups such as Hallmark, Bismillah, Jubok and Destiny, as they pay back loans in due time.”

The minister called upon the banks

n Tribune Report

An aerial view of Dhaka’s housing facility, which is considered to be expensive to lower interest rate on housing finance with easy conditions so the poor people could have a roof over their head.

He urged the real estate developers to keep the size of flats within 1,200 square feet to bring it within the purchasing capacity of low and mid-income group of people.

DCCI President Mohammad Shahjahan Khan, chairing the seminar, said around 4.2 crore people lives in the cities

as per 2011 population census and population growth in the urban areas is 5%.

“In line with this fact, civic facilities and infrastructure are not being constructed, making the cities unlivable,” he said.

Housing problems have increased manifold for the rapid growth of our population. He informed that contribution of the housing sector to the GDP is 12-15%.

Government urged to adopt CSR law

International infotech conference in December n Tribune Report n Tribune Report A two-day international conference on computer and information technology will be held on December 22 and 23.

Daffodil International University will organise the event on its Ashulia campus, to be attended by experts from 14 countries, the university authority said at a press conference yesterday.

It will be the 17th ICCIT summit and experts from the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, India, Fezi, China, Malaysia and Sri Lanka have already confirmed their attendance.

State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak is expected to present as chief guest in the opening ceremony.

The participants from 28 countries have already submitted a total of 337 research papers, but select 100 of them will be presented in the event, along with four keynote papers.

Robi’s MD and CEO Supun Weerasinghe said they are very excited to partner 17th conference to promote innovation and talent, which is “crucial to the telecommunication industry and national development.”

DIU chairman M Sabur Khan, vice chancellor Prof M Lutfar Rahman, and pro-vice chancellor Prof Md Golam Rahman, among others, were present. l

do not afford to buy apartments

The government has been urged to adopt a policy on corporate social responsibility (CSR) to ensure participation of all sectors, including bank and financial institutions, and widen coverage of the service.

Speakers at an international conference in Dhaka yesterday said the CSR should be backed by legislation to ensure participation of all organisations in the society.

The observation came at the 3rd Social Responsibility Asia (SR Asia) International Conference on Responsible Business Conduct in Poverty Alleviation and Financial Inclusion through Green Banking and CSR held yesterday at Bangladesh Bank Training Academy in the capital.

SR Asia in association with CIRDAP and GIZ organised the two-day conference, inaugurated by Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman.

SR Asia International Director Birendra Raturi cited India’s role in promoting the CSR activities.

He said India has already CSR laws and total annual financing for CSR activities is around Tk40,000 crore.

Some 7.5 crore poor people opened bank accounts in last four months after

the new Modi government took power, he said, adding that of the bank clients, 75% opened accounts with zero amount and 25% opened with deposits.

Mahfuzul observed that Bangladesh Bank has CSR guideline which is only for banks and financial institutions, but there are many sectors where the government has to come up with a policy to involve them in CSR activities.

He suggested the government to compel the organisations by law to finance CSR. Governor Atiur Rahman said the Ministry of Planning already started formulating a CSR policy as it is holding discussion with the central bank in this regard.

Bangladesh Bank is also trying to find a strategy on CSR financing based on its existing guidelines, he said.

“We are going to bring change to monetary policy by increasing financing for productive sectors as well as agriculture sector and green product.

The central bank is also going to build a green factory by its own financing within a couple of months, which will supply only green products, said Atiur.

“Why will not bank and financial institutions respond to people’s call when they get deposits from people?” the governor posed a question. l

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

He urged the government to take necessary steps for gas, water connection and electricity supply as well as financial assistance and easing approval procedures for this industry.

Professor of North South University and economist Dr Nurul Amin, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank Md Abul Quasem and Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Engr GM Jainal Abedin Bhuiya also spoke. l

Over 56% dwellers in Dhaka and Chittagong cities cannot afford to buy flats, finds a survey.

Lamudi.com.bd, an online marketplace of houses, conducted the study on 1,200 flat buyers or renters and 300 real estate firms both of the cities of the country.

The survey findings were revealed yesterday at “Lamudi Real Estate Summit 2014,” organised jointly by Lamudi and Cityscape, a real estate company.

The summit was to discuss how real estate has changed over last one year in the emerging markets like Bangladesh and look 2015.

The survey showed those who have affordability purchase flats for different reasons. Most of them buy to be socially secured. Their percentage is 73.

There were 8.1% respondents who buy flats only because they can afford it while 13.5% answered they bought flats as they had financial supports from family or friends. There were 5.4% who purchased for other reasons.

Property market of Bangladesh contributes 15% to GDP, Lamudi said.

In the survey, 45% participants showed positive attitude to the Bangladesh property market, 45% were neutral and 10% expressed concerns for future.

The report said 9.4% would not buy flats despite affordability as they are concerned about fraudulence, 12.5% are decided not to buy for no cited reason and 21% have other different reasons to avoid buying.

In the survey, 72% respondents said they regularly browse internet to buy

or rent a house while 18% do that infrequently and 10% rarely.

Security matters come first in choosing flats to buy or rent, then proximity to family and friends, local environment and climate, lifestyle and cultural matters.

“We are working here together to grow the sector. 70% growth (in the sector) is expected from in emerging market,” said Rajesh Grover, co-founder and managing director of Lamudi Bangladesh.

He said outlook of Bangladesh’s real estate sector is positive as the country experiences a rapid urbanisation.

Rajesh laid emphasis on knowledge on the future of real estate in the emerging markets. “We need to have knowledge about not only current but future clients also.”

Aftab Mahmud Khurshid, chief marketing officer of Super Star Group, said: “In a broader sense the property sector in Bangladesh needs positive brand image, nurturing the corporate culture and property management services for non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs).”

Challenges for customers of real estate sector are credibility, mis-selling and misrepresentation, which need to be addressed properly, he said.

He urged the developers to provide best services to the customers and make a brand value through introduction of after-sale services for customers.

Abu Sayeed M Ahmed, president of Institute of Architect Bangladesh, emphasised the need to transform Dhaka into an environment-friendly city. “We still have opportunity to do that.” l

Separate pay scales for BB, state banks likely from July next n Asif Showkat Kallol Separate pay scales for the employees of Bangladesh Bank and the four stateowned commercial banks (SOCBs) are expected to be implemented from the beginning of the next fiscal year.

A high official of the Bank and Financial Institutions Division said, “We will examine the facilities which are supposed to be incorporated by the national pay commission under the eighth national pay scale for the government staffs.’’

“Banking division will re-adjust the salary structure of the separate pay scales before executing it in July in the next fiscal,” said an official.

Attending the recently held fifth meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on ministry of finance, “We have already recommended executing a separate pay scale for the central bank and four other state- owned banks,” Abdul Razzaque, chairman of the standing committee on finance ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

The separate pay scale for staffs of the state banks is needed for their competitiveness against the private commercial banks, despite announcement of the new national pay scale expected

to be implemented also from July next fiscal year, he added.

Meanwhile, after a meeting with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Vice President Wencai Zhang, Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Wednesday last had reaffirmed that the pay scale for the government staff would come into effect from July 1 next year.

Although the Pay and Services Commission is scheduled to submit its final report to the government by December 15, it is set to hand over the report on December 10 this year.

Upon receiving the report, a secretarylevel committee will then review the proposed recommendations and place it in the cabinet meeting, he added.

Separate pay scale for BB and the four state-owned banks are yet to be executed because of legal complexities.

However, the central bank and the state-owned banks had already secured the separate pay-scale clearance from the law and parliamentary affair ministry in the first week of March this year.

On 24 November, the government constituted the eighth pay and service commission to formulate a new pay structure for public servants. Mohammad Farashuddin, former Bangladesh Bank governor, led the 17-member

commission. The committee comprised of three full-time members, 12 part-timers and a member secretary.

Bangladesh Bank and the four stateowned banks have a total of 61,000 staffs. Bangladesh Bank has 4,958 staffs while Sonali Bank 23,363, Janata Bank 15,146, Agrani Bank 13,558 and Rupali Bank 4,293.

‘Banking division will re-adjust the salary structure of the separate pay scales before executing it in July in the next fiscal’ Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed the recommendations of the secretaries’ committee on separate pay scale on November 12 last year. Under the new 11-grade pay scale, which will replace the existing 20-grade pay structure, the basic salary for those in the lowest grade will be Tk6,000 and for the highest grade will be Tk55,000. l

Regent airline to fly 13 more international routes n Tribune Report A private airline operator, Regent Airways, will incorporate five aircraft in its its fleet and introduce flights to 13 more international routes in upcoming two years.

“We have plan to invest Tk800 crore in extending our services,” said Mashruf Habib, managing director of the airways, while addressing a press conference on the occasion of 4th founding anniversary of the company at a city hotel yesterday.

Sam Issac, chief adviser, Erfhan Haque, head of sales and Shuvra Kanti Sen Sarma, deputy general manager (Sales and Marketing) were, among others, present at the programme.

Three Boeing 737-800, each having 166 seats, and two Boeing 767-200, each having 265 seats, would be incorporated in the fleet of the airways, which would increase its seat capacity by 93% while the number of flights of the operator

would reach 700 in a month.

The company will introduce flights to new routes, including Nepal, Doha, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, the officials said, adding that it was highly likely about introduction of flight on Dhaka-Nepal-Dhaka route by next month.

The company, which initiated its journey on November 10, 2010, has offered a special discount on ticket price to passengers of six international routes, marking Regent’s 4th founding anniversary.

Tickets for Dhaka-Singapore-Dhaka route will be priced at Tk23,444, Dhaka-Bangkok-Dhaka at Tk16,444, Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur-Dhaka at Tk18,444, Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka at 7,444, Chittagong-Bangkok-Chittagong at Tk17,444 and Chittagong-Kolkata-Chittagong at Tk9,444 under the offer.

Passengers will have to collect tickets

by December 10 and use them by October 25, 2015 to avail themselves of the offer. l

Regent Airways Managing Director Mashruf Habib addresses a press conference at a Chittagong hotel yesterday marking the airline’s 4th founding anniversary. The company’s Chief Adviser Sam Issac and Head of Sales Erfhan Haque are also seen on the photo DHAKA TRIBUNE

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stocks under selling pressure for 4th week

DSE key features November 23-27, 2014

DSE GAINERS

Turnover (Million Taka)

Traded Issues

316

n Tribune Report

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

52

R. N. Spinning-Z Midas Financing-Z Monno Stafllers -A Alltex Industries -Z Fareast Finance-Z 1st ICB M F -A SummitAlliancePort.-A United Insur -A Keya Cosmetics -A 3rd ICB M F-A

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

256

Stocks remained under selling pressure for the fourth consecutive week with both index and turnover falling to their lowest in recent months.

Dealers said investors, even institutional and big individual players, stayed on the sidelines in fear of further losses and also ahead of year-end closing when institutions realigned their portfolios.

In the past week that ended Thursday, the benchmark index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, closed at 4,772, plunging 127 points or 2.6%.

The comprising blue chips DS30 index lost 54 points or 3% to 1,761.

The DSE Shariah Index fell 39 points or 3.4% to 1,106.

The port city bourse Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also saw steep decline with its Selective Categories Index, CSCX, was down 301 points or 3% to settle at 8,952.

The market’s participation dropped sharply and the week’s total turnover plummeted to Tk163 crore against previous week’s Tk313 crore.

The weeks’ daily average turnover was Tk325 crore, registering a decline of 48% over the previous week’s average of Tk627 crore.

Investors gave concentration on mainly stocks like pharma, power and engineering hat that accounted for 16.6% of the week’s total and 14.9% of the week’s daily average turnover.

IDLC Investments said investors tried to save whatever little gain

DSE LOSERS Company Mithun Knitting -A WesternMarine -N Kohinoor Chem -A National Tubes -A Prime Islami Life -A Khulna Printing-N Shurwid Ind. -N Shahjibazar Power-N Khan Brothers-N LR Global BD MF1-A

Closing (% change) -23.72 -21.91 -21.56 -20.71 -20.45 -19.31 -18.16 -17.65 -17.18 -15.79

CSE LOSERS Company Mithun Knitting -A Prime Islami Life -A WesternMarine -N Khulna Printing-N Shurwid Ind. -N Dacca Dyeing-A Khan Brothers-N Usmania Glass -A LR Global BD MF1-A Emerald Oil Ind. -N

Closing (% change) -25.69 -24.86 -22.25 -18.62 -17.72 -17.03 -16.21 -15.73 -12.73 -12.47

4772.55574

(-) 2.59%

1760.89915

(-) 2.96%

14657.5500

(-) 3.20%

12093.7601

(-) 2.47%

8952.6280

(-) 3.26%

Average (% change) -23.72 -23.12 -22.34 -20.87 -20.37 -20.29 -18.08 -8.51 -16.49 -16.46 Average (% change) -23.65 -23.93 -23.11 -19.61 -17.59 -16.71 -15.71 -17.29 -13.51 -11.95

ANALYST

Closing average 70.46 57.88 350.49 113.74 67.78 23.69 33.98 258.19 49.95 4.77

Closing average 70.43 65.01 57.77 23.70 34.11 15.20 50.11 118.56 4.80 38.70

Weekly 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 1461.37 946.03 147.14 2426.85 556.32 2625.58 96.02 1312.24 2720.55 130.29 528.43 76.90 102.33 815.27 106.27 127.14 209.27 521.29 214.43 1146.20 3.22

Weekly high 79.90 70.40 433.90 133.50 74.10 30.00 37.30 276.00 60.00 5.70

Weekly high

69.70 65.00 58.00 23.60 33.90 15.10 49.10 120.00 4.80 38.60

78.00 68.30 70.50 28.50 37.80 17.70 60.10 132.00 5.40 42.00

390,468

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,522.36

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.57

CSE key features November 23-27, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

1,293.50

Turnover (Volume)

37,172,345

Number of Contract

53,554

Traded Issues

253

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

32

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

217

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

3

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,419.83

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.33

Turnover in million

69.00 56.50 320.10 112.00 66.00 23.00 33.70 214.60 48.30 4.70

Weekly low

15.489 723.870 5.095 31.430 2.731 123.656 79.791 121.581 501.365 14.195

Turnover in million

69.00 65.00 56.40 22.90 33.70 15.00 48.50 116.40 4.80 38.60

18.14 12.23 11.02 10.05 8.53 7.52 6.80 6.40 5.82 5.18

CSE GAINERS

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

Weekly low

Closing (% change)

Latest EPS 3.40 1.80 10.40 1.24 4.95 2.60 0.76 9.00 1.36 0.69

Latest EPS

0.647 0.026 116.740 15.599 14.262 5.615 88.059 0.895 2.337 1.848

3.40 4.95 1.80 2.60 0.76 1.04 1.36 0.52 0.69 2.56

Latest PE 20.7 32.2 33.7 91.7 13.7 9.1 44.7 28.7 36.7 6.9

Latest PE 20.7 13.1 32.1 9.1 44.9 14.6 36.8 228.0 7.0 15.1

Company R. N. Spinning-Z Alltex Industries -Z Midas Financing-Z Fareast Finance-Z SummitAlliancePort.-A Prime Insur -A Keya Cosmetics -A Nitol Insurance -A GSP Finance-A UCBL - A

Closing (% change) 17.65 12.11 9.63 7.69 7.61 7.50 5.45 4.46 3.74 2.84

Average (% change) 19.54 11.75 11.87 8.07 8.40 7.53 5.17 6.48 4.97 4.78 Average (% change) 18.30 9.94 9.63 8.06 3.64 7.50 4.92 4.63 4.60 3.10

Closing average 28.45 15.60 334.05 21.15 14.06 1,027.69 68.17 36.67 28.75 237.50

Closing average 28.18 21.23 14.80 13.95 68.02 21.50 28.79 32.80 30.47 28.92

Weekly closing 28.00 15.60 330.40 20.80 14.00 1,027.60 69.10 36.60 29.10 237.60

Weekly closing 28.00 21.30 14.80 14.00 69.30 21.50 29.00 32.80 30.50 29.00

Weekly high 30.80 16.00 342.00 22.10 14.50 1,040.00 69.70 40.00 29.50 238.00

Weekly high 30.50 22.40 14.80 14.70 69.50 21.50 29.30 32.80 31.40 29.30

Weekly low 22.00 13.10 286.10 17.20 12.90 951.00 58.00 33.00 25.00 226.00

Weekly low 24.00 17.20 14.80 12.70 60.00 21.50 25.00 29.50 26.80 26.00

Turnover in million 253.106 1.222 17.211 61.676 30.079 2.545 210.762 0.628 376.879 1.597

Turnover in million 40.041 8.097 0.007 5.166 21.778 0.005 20.619 0.487 4.110 17.468

Latest EPS

Latest PE

2.19 -7.00 1.17 3.28 1.08 45.56 0.88 2.91 1.93 65.28

13.0 -ve 285.5 6.4 13.0 22.6 77.5 12.6 14.9 3.6

Latest EPS

Latest PE

2.19 3.28 -7.00 1.08 0.88 1.81 1.93 2.79 1.59 3.77

12.9 6.5 -ve 12.9 77.3 11.9 14.9 11.8 19.2 7.7

News, analysis and recent disclosers AGM/Dividend

BATBC: The Board of Directors of the Company has declared 100% (i.e. Tk. 10.00 per share of Tk. 10.00 each) interim cash dividend for the year ending on 31st December 2014. Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 03.12.2014.

BENGALWTL: The Board of Directors has recommended 23% cash dividend (except Sponsor Directors) for the year ended on June 30, 2014. The Sponsors Directors hold 64.90%, i.e. 4,90,66,560 shares of the Company and Public shareholders will get cash dividend of Tk. 6,10,26,912.

Date of AGM: 28.12.2014, Time: 11:00 AM, Venue: Bengal Multimedia Studio, 95/A, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208. Record Date: 02.12.2014. The Company has also reported EPS of Tk. 3.05, NAV per share of Tk. 26.89 and NOCFPS of Tk. 2.14 for the year ended on June 30, 2014 as against Tk. 3.16, Tk. 26.24 and Tk. 0.494 respectively for the year ended on June 30, 2013.

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.

BATASHOE: The Company has declared 175% interim cash dividend for the year ending on December 31, 2014 after considering the performance of the Company from January 01, 2014 to September 30, 2014 and the retained earnings up to December 31, 2013. Record Date for entitlement of interim dividend: 04.12.2014.

same period of the previous year. However, considering proposed bonus share @ 10% for the year 2014, restated basic EPS will be 0.45 as on 30.09.2014 and Tk. 0.43 as on 30.09.2013.

MPETROLEUM: (Q1): As per un-audited quarterly accounts for the 1st quarter ended on 30th September 2014 (July'14 to Sep'14), the Company has reported net profit after tax of Tk. 634.16 million with basic EPS of Tk. 6.45 as against Tk. 616.74 million and Tk. 6.27 respectively for the same period of the previous year. However, considering proposed bonus share @ 10% for the year 2014, restated basic EPS will be Tk. 5.86 as on 30.09.2014 and Tk. 5.70 as on 30.09.2013.

Audited/unaudited Financial Reports:

ACTIVEFINE: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to purchase a land measuring area of 26.51 decimals at Shoilmary, Botiaghata, Khulna, total value amounting to Tk. 26,51,000/- excluding registration and other related expenses.

RAHIMAFOOD: (Q1): As per un-audited quarterly accounts for the 1st quarter ended on 30th September 2014 (July'14 to Sep'14), the Company has reported net profit/(loss) after tax of Tk. (2.08) million with EPS of Tk. (0.10) as against Tk. (4.81) million and Tk. (0.24) respectively for the same period of the previous year. Accumulated profit/(loss) of the Company was Tk. (139.59) million as on 30.09.2014.

WMSHIPYARD: (Q1): As per un-audited quarterly accounts for the 1st quarter ended on 30th September 2014 (July'14 to Sep'14), the Company has reported net profit after tax of Tk. 54.19 million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.49 as against Tk. 32.75 million and Tk. 0.51 respectively for the

Fixed Assets/Right/Investment:

Credit Rating:

RAHIMTEXT: Credit Rating Information and Services Limited (CRISL) has rated the Company as "A" in the long term and "ST-3" in the short term along with a stable outlook based on audited financial statements of the Company up to June 30, 2014, unaudited financials up to September 30, 2014 and other relevant quantitative as well as qualitative information up to the date of rating declaration.

The market’s participation dropped sharply and the week’s total turnover plummeted to Tk163 crore against previous week’s Tk313 crore

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

70.10 58.10 351.80 113.70 67.70 23.40 33.80 232.40 48.70 4.80

Weekly closing

374,147,168

Number of Contract

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index :

16,273.14

Turnover (Volume)

they had in the last rally and in the process further pulled down the index.

It said fresh fund injection almost came to a halt as investors fear further correction. The benchmark index broke 4,800 points support level as frustrated investors tried to escape the downfall, it said.

LankaBangla Securities said the benchmark index observed another week of correction as investors seem to be acting cautiously.

The steep decline in turnover last week showed lack of investors’ participation at this price level, it said, adding that market needs some consolidation at this level for reversal.

The next support level for the market is around 4,700-level.

All the major sectors yield negative returns last week, except food and allied, which witnessed marginal appreciation of 0.22%.

Fuel and power registered the week’s highest losses, shedding 7%, followed by telecommunication at 6%.

Non-banks, pharmaceuticals and banks also lost almost 4%, 2.6% and 0.8% respectively.

Losers took a strong lead over the gainers as out of 316 issues traded, 244 declined, 48 advanced and 24 remained unchanged on the DSE. Western Marine Shipyard dominated the week’s top turnover chart, with shares worth Tk72 crore changing hands followed by Jamuna Oil, Lafarge Surma Cement, Beximco Pharma and Khan Brokers PP Woven Bag. l

Company

Sunday, November 30, 2014

% change 8.98 5.81 0.90 14.91 3.42 16.13 0.59 8.06 16.72 0.80 3.25 0.47 0.63 5.01 0.65 0.78 1.29 3.20 1.32 7.04 0.02

Million Taka 92.58 45.61 19.85 242.34 37.63 151.52 0.00 166.23 155.31 55.23 54.12 41.67 14.30 60.46 9.09 4.28 7.86 40.13 38.29 169.67 2.49

CSE

% change 6.57 3.24 1.41 17.20 2.67 10.76 0.00 11.80 11.03 3.92 3.84 2.96 1.01 4.29 0.65 0.30 0.56 2.85 2.72 12.05 0.18

Million Taka 1553.96 991.64 166.99 2669.19 593.95 2777.10 96.02 1478.47 2875.87 185.51 582.55 118.57 116.63 875.73 115.35 131.42 217.13 561.43 252.71 1315.87 5.71

Total

% change 8.79 5.61 0.94 15.10 3.36 15.71 0.54 8.36 16.26 1.05 3.29 0.67 0.66 4.95 0.65 0.74 1.23 3.18 1.43 7.44 0.03

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company WesternMarine -N Jamuna Oil -A LafargeS Cement-Z Beximco Pharma -A Khan Brothers-N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Grameenphone-A Square Pharma -A Keya Cosmetics -A Barakatullah E. D.-A CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company WesternMarine -N Khan Brothers-N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A LafargeS Cement-Z R. N. Spinning-Z SAIF Powertec-N Grameenphone-A Square Pharma -A Jamuna Oil -A MJL BD Ltd.-A

Volume shares 11,500,500 2,399,086 4,817,000 8,297,167 9,282,000 12,551,151 1,470,608 1,731,693 13,401,243 9,588,896

Volume shares 1,857,400 1,633,500 1,772,525 438,000 1,458,750 423,000 91,800 90,813 88,848 176,122

Value in million 723.87 608.65 532.37 518.47 501.37 498.78 468.84 439.26 376.88 355.18

Value in million 116.74 88.06 70.27 48.76 40.04 30.53 29.70 23.02 22.29 22.28

% of total turnover 4.45 3.74 3.27 3.19 3.08 3.07 2.88 2.70 2.32 2.18

% of total turnover 9.16 6.91 5.51 3.83 3.14 2.40 2.33 1.81 1.75 1.75

Weekly closing 58.10 249.30 109.50 61.90 48.70 39.90 313.00 250.90 29.10 35.30

Weekly closing 58.00 49.10 39.90 109.70 28.00 71.70 312.70 251.30 249.50 120.60

Price change -21.91 -5.28 -4.70 0.00 -17.18 2.57 -6.29 -3.57 5.82 -10.18

Weekly opening 74.40 263.20 114.90 61.90 58.80 38.90 334.00 260.20 27.50 39.30

Weekly high 70.40 265.70 119.00 65.00 60.00 41.10 340.00 262.00 29.50 40.20

Weekly low 56.50 235.00 104.40 55.00 48.30 35.00 310.00 230.00 25.00 32.80

Weekly average 57.88 248.88 110.14 62.29 49.95 39.84 313.35 251.59 28.75 35.34

Price change -22.25 -16.21 2.05 -4.53 17.65 -0.55 -6.35 -3.64 -5.28 -8.84

Weekly opening 74.60 58.60 39.10 114.90 23.80 72.10 333.90 260.80 263.40 132.30

Weekly high 70.50 60.10 40.90 120.00 30.50 77.80 339.00 260.00 263.00 132.00

Weekly low 56.40 48.50 37.50 106.00 24.00 67.10 312.00 250.00 240.00 112.60

Weekly average 57.77 50.11 39.77 109.97 28.18 71.22 313.67 251.37 246.00 121.56

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Sunday, November 30, 2014

India eases gold import rule in surprise move

Despite OPEC blow, Venezuela says to push until oil at $100

n Reuters, Mumbai

n Reuters

India has scrapped a rule mandating traders to export 20% of all gold imported into the country, in a surprise move that could cut smuggling and raise legal shipments into the world’s second-biggest consumer of the metal after China.

Along with a record duty of 10%, India introduced the so-called 80:20 import rule tying imports to exports of jewellery last year to bring down inbound shipments and narrow the current account deficit that had hit a record.

“It has been decided by the Government of India to withdraw the 20:80 scheme and restrictions placed on import of gold,” the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Friday, without giving a reason for the change in the rule.

Only days ago there were talks between officials of the Mumbai-based central bank and the finance ministry in New Delhi to bring back curbs on some trading houses following a surge in imports over the past few months.

Traders said before the decision on Friday that India’s gold imports could climb to around 100 tonnes for a third straight month in November as dealers bought heavily on fears of curbs on overseas purchases, especially as the wedding season picks up.

But the government’s latest move came as a surprise even to some officials.

A policymaker associated with India’s gold import policy said the government instructed the RBI at 1830 local time on Friday to urgently change the rule. A notification was posted on the central bank’s website two hours later.

Venezuela will keep campaigning until oil prices rebound to $100 per barrel, president Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday night after OPEC refused to cut output as the cash-strapped South American country had aggressively pushed for.

Saudi Arabia blocked calls from poorer members of the OPEC oil exporter group for production cuts to arrest a slide in global prices, sending benchmark crude plunging to a fresh four-year low of around $71.25.

The decision is a blow to Venezuela’s flailing economy, widely believed to be in recession, and also highlights the country’s diminished influence in OPEC, which it helped found.

But Maduro said the country with the world’s largest crude reserves is undeterred.

“We didn’t achieve it for now, but we will and we will keep trying until oil prices are where they’re meant to be, around $100 per barrel,” he said at a military event, estimating the oil price slump had curbed Venezuela’s revenues by up to 40%.

To be sure, the country has an upward battle to win over the wealthy Gulf states that have made clear they are ready to ride out the weak prices.

The prospect of continued low oil prices, however, is disastrous for Venezuela, which is grappling to pay debt arrears to private companies ranging from airlines to oil partners, finance expensive social programs, and make major bond payments.

Earlier on Thursday, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister and top OPEC rep-

Gold biscuits are seen in this picture illustration taken inside a jewellery showroom in Mumbai “We were not informed about the reason for scrapping this rule. The restrictions on who all can import who can’t are still valid,” said the policymaker, declining to be named as he is not authorised to talk to media.

The rule change, however, was a relief to jewellers facing difficulties in sourcing gold during the key festival and wedding season that started in Oc-

tober.

Bachhraj Bamalwa, director of the All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation, said the 80:20 rule was not only encouraging smuggling but was also misused by many traders.

From getting human mules to swallow nuggets to hiding gold bars in dead cows, smugglers had raised their activity since the middle of last year after

REUTERS

the import curbs.

Following the disbanding of the 80:20 rule, the government may place a monthly or yearly quota for traders, said Sudheesh Nambiath, a senior analyst at consultancy Thomson Reuters GFMS. “Quota is a more logical and simple way of monitoring and limiting gold imports,” Nambiath said. l

resentative Rafael Ramirez vowed to maintain contact with OPEC and nonOPEC countries to monitor markets.

“We have agreed to work toward (price) stability and work to maintain contact with non-OPEC countries, which is very important,” he said in an interview with Latin American regional television station Telesur from Vienna,

'We didn’t achieve it for now, but we will and we will keep trying until oil prices are where they’re meant to be around $100 per barrel'

referring to conversations with oil producers Mexico and Russia that are not part of the group.

But Ramirez’s comments were a far cry from the interview he gave Telesur earlier this month from Iran, one of several stops on his unsuccessful global tour to shore up support for an OPEC cut.

Then, a confident-looking Ramirez, until September the country’s oil minister and head of state oil company PDVSA, told Venezuelans a consensus for an output cut was in the works.

“The issue isn’t even the reduction but rather how much,” he had said. l

Philippine economic growth slows in third quarter

Yen weakens in Asia after poor Japan data

n AFP, Manila

n AFP, Tokyo

Typhoon damage and falling public spending slowed the Philippines’ previously red-hot economy to its weakest pace in nearly three years with growth expanding 5.3% in the third quarter, officials said Thursday.

Fierce winds and destructive floods generated by typhoons led to a 2.7% year-on-year contraction in farm output, Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

“Given this quarter’s performance ... even meeting the low end of the target growth rate for the year could pose a big challenge,” he told a news conference.

Economic output had expanded by a red-hot 7% in the same quarter last year, before Super Typhoon Haiyan,

the strongest cyclone to ever hit land and the deadliest in the Philippines’ recorded history, caused huge problems.

Even then, gross domestic product (GDP) growth rose 6% in the first half of 2014, making the Philippines one of Asia’s top performers.

This also gave the government optimism that it would achieve its full 2014 GDP growth target of 6.5-7.5%.

However, he said typhoon damage and weaker performances in other key sectors since then meant the economy only grew 5.3% in the past quarter and 5.8% through the first nine months of the year.

Interim deputy chief statistician Romeo Recide said the third-quarter growth was the lowest since the last quarter of 2011 when it hit 3.8%.

Lacklustre Japan data paints gloomy picture for Abenomics n AFP, Tokyo Japan released a string of lacklustre economic data Friday, with inflation hitting its lowest level in a year, dealing another blow to Tokyo’s attempts to conquer years of falling prices and tepid growth.

The figures come after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called a snap election for next month and delayed a sales tax hike after a previous levy increase hammered spending and pushed the world’s number three economy into recession.

Japanese consumer inflation came in at 2.9% in October compared with a year earlier, official data showed, matching market forecasts but slowing from 3% in September.

Prices mainly rose largely because Tokyo raised the sales tax from 5% to 8% on April 1.

Adjusted for the hike, nationwide core inflation rate came in at 0.9%, against 1% in the previous month and its lowest level since October 2013.

The weak reading makes the Bank of Japan’s 2% inflation target - which it initially aimed to hit next year - look increasingly out of reach.

The BoJ shocked markets last month by saying it would expand its assetbuying stimulus programme to about 80 trillion yen ($676bn) annually, as part of Tokyo’s bid to overcome deflation and kickstart the economy.

“Even despite the BoJ’s surprise

move, we maintain our view that there is a very long way to go before achieving the +2% target,” Credit Agricole said.

The yen weakened further after the reading with the dollar at 118.21 yen against 117.74 yen in London on Thursday.

Also Friday, figures showed factory production in October edged up a better-than-expected 0.2% on-month, the second straight increase, as exports improved.

“It is a positive set of data that hints at hopes for future recovery in production,” SMBC Nikko Securities said in a note.

Mixed picture

Separate figures showed the country’s unemployment rate slipped to 3.5% from 3.6%, while retail sales rose 1.4% in October. However, household spending fell 4% on-year, the seventh successive decline.

“Although real GDP growth continued to be negative into July-September and Japan was in technical recession, demand for labour among firms is still robust likely thanks to the waning impact of (the) consumption tax hike,” said Marcel Thieliant from Capital Economics.

But “despite the tight labour market, inflation continues to moderate...

Price pressure should moderate further in the near-term, as the recent plunge in crude oil prices has yet to be reflected in the cost of energy imports,” he added. l

Typhoon Rammasun left 111 people dead or missing, caused a million people to flee their homes and left millions of others without power for several days across the country’s economic heartland in mid-July. Balisacan said bad weather typical during the season also had a huge impact on farm output.

Apart from agriculture, Balisacan said government consumption and public construction activities slowed as President Benigno Aquino’s government adjusted to “new spending protocols”, some imposed to fight corruption.

He also cited the “lingering negative impact” of Haiyan, as well as delays in the layout of the government’s massive post-typhoon reconstruction programme across the devastated central Philippines. l

The yen weakened in Asia on Friday after a slate of tepid Japanese data that has dealt another blow to the government’s plans to end years of deflation.

In Tokyo, the greenback rose to 118.31 yen from 117.74 yen in London, while the euro strengthened to 147.25 yen from 146.88 yen in European trade.

US markets were closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The European single currency slipped to $1.2446 from $1.2474 on speculation over fresh easing moves by the European Central Bank (ECB).

Japan published lacklustre economic data Friday with October inflation hitting a more than one-year low and household spending falling again.

The weak consumer price reading makes the Bank of Japan’s 2% inflation target - which it initially aimed to hit in 2015 - look increasingly out of reach.

The BoJ shocked markets last month by saying it would expand its asset-buying stimulus programme to about 80 trillion yen annually, in a bid to overcome years of deflation and kickstart the economy.

“Even despite the BoJ’s surprise move, we maintain our view that there is a very long way to go before achieving the +2% target,” Credit Agricole said.

The euro was mixed after dipping Thursday on signals by a senior European Central Bank official that it could begin major purchases of government bonds of eurozone countries as it tries to kickstart the sluggish economy.

The ECB’s deputy president Vitor Constancio signalled Wednesday it could begin purchasing government bonds as soon as next year.

Meanwhile European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi called for an “adjustment of wages” in the eurozone to strengthen the viability of the single currency.

Cutting wages has been a key element in the international bailouts of eurozone members, as lowering salaries is one of the only options to increase competitiveness left open to euro countries as they can no longer devalue their currencies.

“Disappointing inflation data from Germany and Spain do not bode well for today’s eurozone inflation figure,” Credit Agricole said. l

Brazil exits recession with Q3 growth of 0.1% n AFP Brazil’s economy exited recession with growth of 0.1% in the third quarter, the government said Friday, a tepid result that is nevertheless welcome news for struggling President Dilma Rousseff.

The data came a day after Rousseff, who has battled to reignite growth in the world’s seventh-largest economy, named a new economic team featuring market-friendly bank executive Joaquim Levy as finance minister.

The finance ministry welcomed the news, underlining that the industrial sector had posted growth of 1.7%.

“The economy has begun the process of returning to growth, albeit at a still-modest pace,” it said.

The services sector has also started to expand again, said the government statistics institute.

However, compared with the same period last year, GDP was still down 0.2% in the third quarter. Brazil’s economy contracted by 0.2% in the first quarter and 0.6 percent in the second, officially entering recession.

The malaise forced Rousseff onto the defensive as she waged a hardfought re-election battle last month.

Fending off opponents’ attacks of her economic record with promises to take a new policy direction, she narrowly won a new four-year term, which starts in January.

The president is deeply unpopular with the business community and markets, not least owing to heavy government intervention in economic policy.

Her government is also mired in a huge corruption scandal at state-owned oil giant Petrobras, which has already led to the arrests of a clutch of top busi-

A man works on the assembly line of the new 208 model at Peugeot's factory in Porto Real, 140kms south of Rio de Janeiro, Brazi nessmen amid claims that dozens of politicians, chiefly Rousseff allies, received massive kickbacks on contracts.

Levy’s appointment as finance minister was a clear effort to woo back the confidence of the financial community.

Nicknamed “Scissorhands” for his steely budgetary management, he was previously chief executive officer of Bradesco Asset Management (Bram), part of Brazil’s second-largest private bank.

Rousseff also named former deputy finance minister Nelson Barbosa

as planning minister. Central bank chief Alexandre Tombini kept his post through the shake-up.

Levy, 53, a University of Chicagotrained economist, vowed Thursday to rein in the government’s books, while Tombini vowed to tackle inflation, which is stubbornly hovering above the official target ceiling of 6.5%.

‘Wait and see’

Analysts downplayed the significance of Friday’s growth figure, saying any

AFP

real change in direction would depend on the new economic team.

“This figure is practically flat. We can’t say it’s recovering, but we also can’t say it’s falling,” said Leandro Martins, a consultant at Walpires Corretora in Sao Paulo.

“We have to wait and see what the new economic team is going to do going forward,” he added.

Alex Agostini, chief economist at Austin Rating, said the data showed the “fragility” of the Brazilian economy. l

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Oil dips to new multi-year lows on OPEC decision n AFP, New York Global oil prices plunged Friday to new multi-year lows after the OPEC oil-producing cartel decided to maintain crude output in an oversupplied market.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in January closed at $66.15 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, down $7.54 from the closing price Wednesday. It was the lowest WTI close since September 2009.

The NYMEX was closed Thursday for a holiday.

As the New York market closed in an abbreviated session Friday, in London, Brent oil for January delivery sank below $70 for the first time in four and a half years, to $69.78 a barrel. Brent settled at $70.15 a barrel, down $2.43 from Thursday’s close.

The selloffs came after the 12-nation Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) opted Thursday to maintain its collective output ceiling at 30 million barrels per day, where it has stood for three years, sending prices plunging.

OPEC refused to cut production despite oversupply that has sent prices tumbling by more than a third since June, with analysts warning of further falls to come.

“OPEC confirmed what many market participants had expected by leaving their official production quota unchanged,” said Sucden analyst Kash Kamal.

“Many investors had hoped for some positive steps forward as the global supply glut continues to exert considerable downward pressure on futures prices,” he added.

At Thursday’s OPEC gathering in Vienna, the cartel came under pressure from its poorer members, including Venezuela and Ecuador, to trim production as tumbling prices were eating into revenues and raising fears over their economies.

However, the group’s powerful Gulf members led by kingpin Saudi Arabia resisted the calls to turn down the taps unless they are guaranteed market share, particularly in the United States, where shale gas has contributed to the global supply glut.

Another member, Kuwait, sup-

Pump Jacks are seen at sunrise near Bakersfield, California ported the move with the country’s oil minister Ali Omair saying: “We decided that price will adjust itself based on supply and demand and that OPEC is supposed to safeguard its market share in order not to lose its clients.”

He suggested the United States should also bear responsibility and lower its own output of shale oil.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared Thursday that he would keep pushing OPEC to slash output.

The oil market has plunged in recent months, depressed by plentiful supplies, the stronger dollar and demand fears in a weakening global economy.

“OPEC’s decision to keep output is the main reason for prices to drop quite rapidly,” said Daniel Ang, an investment analyst with Phillip Futures in Singapore.

“Prices are likely to be going down for the rest of the year,” he told AFP. Ang, who closely tracks the oil market, said he expects WTI to end 2014 in the “low 60s” and Brent in the “mid-60s”.

OPEC attacking US shale?

This week’s OPEC decision was meanwhile perceived by some analysts as an attack on the booming US shale energy sector.

Reuters “OPEC is dominated by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, who also have the highest tolerance for low oil prices due to the economies of scale generated by their huge super fields,” said analyst Nick Campbell at consultancy Inspired Energy.

“Therefore, in order to combat low demand and a new supply threat - both mainly in the United States - the trick is to drop your price.”

Technological innovations have unlocked shale resources in North America and raised daily US oil output by more than 40 percent since 2006, but at a production cost which can be three

ECB’s Draghi warns Eurozone inflation returns to 5-year low countries to reform ity, have prompted the ECB to take un- Dombrovskis, the European Commisn AFP precedented action in recent months. sion’s vice president for the euro, told Reuters, Madrid n The new decrease in inflation puts a press conference “the recovery is still Inflation in the eurozone returned to a Failure to reform and shield weaker members threatens to divide the euro zone, the head of the European Central Bank warned on Thursday, amid fresh signs the currency bloc’s economy is losing speed.

Delivering a blunt message to political leaders, Mario Draghi urged the 18 countries that share the single currency to consider ways to support struggling members, warning of the perils should fears that some might quit the euro be revived.

“Lack of structural reforms raises the specter of permanent economic divergence between members,” Draghi told an audience at the University of Helsinki, choosing unusually frank language.

“And insofar as this threatens the essential cohesion of the Union, this has potentially damaging consequences for all.” l

five-year low, official data showed on Friday, raising pressure on the European Central Bank to unveil even more steps to fight the threat of deflation.

The official data also showed that unemployment remained steady at 11.5% in October, unchanged amid a stagnating European economy.

The latest figures from Eurostat came days after European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker revealed a huge 315bn euro investment plan to “kickstart” the economy.

Eurostat, the European Union’s data agency, reported that inflation fell to 0.3% in November, from 0.4% the previous month, far off the European Central Bank’s target of just under two percent.

Growing concerns about exceptionally low price rises in the 18-country eurozone, which could augur a long period of low growth and falling prosper-

added pressure on ECB chairman Mario Draghi to take even further steps to revive the economy.

The ECB is due to hold its monthly meeting next week when it could announce quantitative easing measures - a large-scale sovereign bond purchase scheme - a step that has not been taken until now. Berenberg Bank economist Christian Schulz said the ECB will have to lower its inflation forecast of 1.1% for next year.

“A firm statement of intent, potentially even action in the form of adding corporate bonds to the asset purchase targets, is likely at the meeting next week,” Schulz said. “And as everything is on the table, even sovereign bond purchases are possible early 2015,” he added.

Recovery ‘still fragile’

Reacting to the latest figures, Valdis

fragile.”

He added: “Unemployment is still persistently high.”

But at 11.5% the eurozone unemployment rate was still lower than the 11.9% registered in October last year, according to Eurostat.

Germany and Austria registered the lowest unemployment rates at 4.9% and 5.1% in October, with Spain the highest at 24 percent.

Greece registered a rate of 25.9% in August, when the last figures were available. In the 28 European Union member states, unemployment stood at 10% in October this year, unchanged from September.

Eurostat estimated that in October 2014, 24.413 million people were unemployed in the 28 EU member states, including 18.395 million in the 18-country eurozone. l

India growth slows less than feared n Reuters, New Delhi

A slowdown in India’s economy in the last quarter will increase calls for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step up reforms but was less severe than feared, giving the Reserve Bank ammunition to resist government pressure to cut interest rates.

Gross domestic product expanded 5.3% in the July-September quarter from a year earlier, as a manufacturing slump took the bounce out of Asia’s third-largest economy. Growth in the previous quarter was at a 2-1/2 year high of 5.7%.

Thanks to growth in services and stronger-than-expected farming after a bad monsoon, the reading was higher than predicted by economists polled

by Reuters, who on average forecast growth of 5.1%.

“Now the onus is on the government to boost growth by reviving the investment climate and get reforms moving,” said Shivom Chakrabarti, Senior Economist with HDFC bank. “That will have a more pronounced impact on growth in the next fiscal year.”

Worried by the growth performance, and encouraged by low oil prices and falling inflation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will reiterate his request that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan cut interest rates

or four times that of extracting Middle Eastern oil.

“US shale producers costs are estimated to be much higher than most OPEC producers and, therefore, by pushing the oil price lower they are hoping to drive the higher cost current producing wells to the margin and, more importantly, stop new sites developing,” added Campbell.

US oil output is soaring thanks to shale energy, which involves blasting a high-pressure blend of water, sand and chemicals deep underground in order to release hydrocarbons trapped between layers of rock. l

n AFP Inflation in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, slowed to its lowest level in nearly five years in November, data showed Thursday, turning up the heat on the European Central Bank to take more action to ward off deflation.

In a preliminary flash estimate, the federal statistics office Destatis calculated that German inflation stood at just 0.6% year-on-year this month, down from 0.8% in October.

The last time inflation in Germany was lower than 0.6% was in February 2010.

The flash estimate is based on consumer price data for six key German states. Final data on the basis of all 16 German states are scheduled to be released on December 11.

Using the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) - the yardstick used by the European Central Bank - inflation in Germany was even lower at 0.5% in November, way under the ECB’s annual inflation target of just below 2%.

The chronically low level of inflation across the 18-nation eurozone has fuelled concern the region could slip into deflation - a sustained and widespread drop in prices that hampers economic activity and threatens job losses.

While falling prices may sound good for consumers, deflation can trigger a vicious spiral where businesses and households delay purchases, throttling demand and causing companies to lay off workers.

Such concerns persuaded the ECB to cut interest rates to a new all-time low and roll out other anti-deflation measures such as a series of asset purchase programmes to inject cash into the economy.

The new data will turn up the pressure on the ECB to do more, possibly at its next monthly policy meeting on December 5, analysts said.

ING DiBa economist Carsten Brzeski said the German inflation data would

DILBERT when the central bank holds it policy review on Dec 2, ministry officials have told Reuters.

Rajan can be expected to argue that with the slowdown not as severe as some forecast, inflation concerns carry

more weight.

“If it was a very, very low number, there would have been pressure on the governor to act immediately. The better than expected overall GDP growth gives him that cushion” to wait, said

REUTERS

Upasna Bhardwaj, Economist at ING Vysya Bank.

Economists polled by Reuters said a cut was unlikely, although markets have priced in a 25 basis point cut in the repo rate to 7.75%. l

Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) cut its credit rating on Standard Chartered for the first time in 20 years on Friday, citing the “tough period” the Asia-focused bank was going through and its weaker credit-worthiness.

S&P cut its long-term issuer credit rating on Standard Chartered Plc to ‘A’ from ‘A+’, with a negative outlook - a move that could make it more expensive for the bank to borrow money.

It was S&P’s first downgrade since it assigned Standard Chartered a rating in 1994, which was followed by upgrades in 1995, 2006 and 2011.

It said the bank “is going through a tough period of late” after years of solid growth and strong financial performance.

“We lowered the ratings because we consider the Standard Chartered group’s creditworthiness to have weakened when compared with its peers,” said S&P credit analyst Joseph Leung.

At 1330 GMT (8.30 am ET), Standard Chartered shares were down 0.2% at 938.12 pence, in line with Britain’s benchmark FTSE-100 index.

The bank has said it expects a second successive fall in annual profits this year, halting a decade of record earnings. Last month it issued its third profit warning of the year after a jump in losses from bad debts.

Its problems have raised the heat on Chief Executive Peter Sands, who has set out a plan to cut costs and restructure the business to kick-start growth.

S&P said it lowered the bank’s risk position assessment to ‘adequate’ from ‘strong’.

“This reflects our view that the group is no longer materially less exposed to unexpected losses than peers,” it said.

S&P said weaknesses at the bank included its complex operations and the concentration of loans in single borrowers.

It said the bank was well funded and liquid, however, and was diversified by region and asset class, and that asset quality should “remain steady at worst” in 2015 versus 2014. l

German inflation hits five-year low

More ECB action

Sun rays beam through two under construction residential buildings in Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi

StanChart faces first S&P downgrade in 20 years n Reuters, London

prompt the ECB to downgrade its eurozone-wide inflation forecasts, heralding possible further action next year.

“With lower inflation projections, one of the two lights needed to start quantitative easing could already be lit green next week,” he said.

Quantitative easing or QE is the purchase of sovereign bonds to stimulate the economy, a policy so far pursued by other central banks around the world, but which the ECB has so far shied away from.

Such concerns persuaded the ECB to cut interest rates to a new all-time low and roll out other antideflation measures such as a series of asset purchase programmes to inject cash into the economy In the clearest signal yet on the possible timing of such a programme, the ECB’s deputy president Vitor Constancio said on Wednesday that the central bank would be able to gauge early next year whether it needs to start buying sovereign bonds.

BayernLB economist Stefan Kipar felt that “while the pressure on the ECB to ease its monetary policy still further has abated somewhat on the economic side as a result of improved sentiment indicators, it remains high on the inflation side.”

The publication on Friday of eurozone inflation would be key here, Kipar said.

Commerzbank economist Marco Wagner said that “owing to the low inflation pressure in Germany, eurozone consumer prices are likely to have increased by a mere 0.2%. We expect the ECB to start broad-based government bond purchases soon.” l