01 Dec, 2014

Agrahayan 17, 1421 Safar 7, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 237

MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

20 pages | Price: Tk12

B1 | BUSINESS

7 | LONG FORM

11 | OP-ED

12 | SPORT

BABY DIAPERS OPEN NEW BUSINESS WINDOW

THE ECONOMY OF HAJJ AND LATIF SIDDIQUE’S REMARKS

SUPERSTITION AIN’T THE WAY

EXPERIMENTAL TIGERS EYE ANOTHER BANGLAWASH

Seven million children still stunted The don of Buthpara Jamil Khan Despite progress undernutrition costs Bangladesh over Tk7,000 crore a year n Mohammad back from Rajshahi

People in the country’s hilly areas and wetlands suffer from the highest level of undernutrition, according to data maps launched yesterday in the capital.

Children under five suffered most from hunger in Sylhet division where 51.3% of children suffered from stunting and 39.5% were underweight.

While Barisal and Khulna divisions had the lowest rates of stunting and underweight as well as the lowest share of the country’s total stunted children.

Undernutrition costs Bangladesh more than Tk7,000cr in lost productivity every year, according to a report.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) launched the first ever upazila level undernutrition maps of Bangladesh at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre where state minister for finance and planning MA Mannan was present.

The maps were prepared on the basis of the Child and Mother Nutrition Survey 2012.

“Usually a lack of food security and awareness, and rising inflation causes the malnutrition problem in Bangladesh,” Dr Md Munirul Islam, a scientist with the Centre for Nutrition and Food Security at ICDDRB, told the Dhaka Tribune.

“But there are multifaceted causes of malnutrition,” the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh scientist said.

UNDERNUTRITION SURVEY SOURCE: BANGLADESH BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Division-wise estimates of prevalence of stunting and underweight in children STUNTING

UNDERWEIGHT 51.3

45.9 39.4 31.0

42.6 33.5

26.1

39.3 37.3

34.9

36.2

39.5 32.1

26.2

Noted artist Qayyum Chowdhury died at the Combined Military Hospital in the capital last night. He was 80.

He had fallen ill at the time of addressing the ongoing Bengal Classical Music Festival at the Army Stadium around 8:40pm. He was immediately rushed to the CMH, the media centre at the festival told the Dhaka Tribune.

In a statement, it said: “The artist was speaking at the opening session of the fourth day of the festival. Suddenly, he fell upon the floor and got hurt behind his head.”

At the CMH, doctors examined his  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

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Underweight

minimum

minimum

Dhaka

Dhaka

22.8

maximum maximum Barisal Chittagong Dhaka Undernutrition puts children at greater risk of dying from common infections, increases the frequency and severity of such infections, and contributes to delayed recovery, he said.

Six to eight hundred thousand Bangladeshi children are vulnerable to dying at any given time due to malnutrition, he added.

Any place that has a 15% undernutrition rate needs immediate intervention in line with international practices, Dr Md Munirul said.

Stunting rates are highest in Bandarban district of Chittagong division, a

n Ashif Islam Shaon

n Tribune Report

Stunting

34.2

Khulna

Rajshahi

Rangpur

Sylhet

hilly area, followed by Cox’s Bazar district in the coastal belt of Chittagong division and Sunamganj district of Sylhet division which largely consists of haor [wetland] areas, the maps showed.

Stunting and underweight rates are lowest in Dhaka district, yet a large number of stunted children reside in the area as the total population of children under five years of age is high in the district.

In the hilly district of Bandardban, the stunting rate is very high, but the total number of stunted children is relatively small.

JMB link in Bardhaman blast confirmed

Artist Qayyum Chowdhury dies

District Level

A Bangladesh delegation comprising high officials of law enforcement and intelligence agencies has come to a concrete conclusion after visiting India that Bangladesh-origin militants were involved in the October 2 Bardhaman blast in West Bengal.

The Indian officials after the blast had claimed that members of banned Islamist group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were involved in the grenade explosion that killed two persons.

Information from different sources and the India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) also mentioned about the JMB’s link.

After the NIA officials’ recent visit to Dhaka, both the countries have decided to work together to fight against militancy in the two neighbouring countries.

Now Bangladesh confirms that some militants in both the countries having strong link among them were behind the blast incident.

A source in the intelligence said after the concrete findings, both Bangladesh and India had alerted their border guards to resist trespassing of militants.

The three-day visit of the Bangla-

desh delegation was aimed at investigating the involvement of JMB men in the blast and also to help the Indian intelligence agencies locate the militants believed to be hiding in India.

“Now we are clear that militants from both the countries were involved in the blast. However, there is no scope to put blame on a single country for the

The Bangladesh team also quizzed Sajid via the NIA officials failure to resist their growth,” Mahfuzur Rahman, an assistant inspector general of police, said after returning home yesterday.

“We have to work together to eliminate them from both the countries as now we have a clear picture,” he added.

Sheikh Rahmatullah Sajid, who was arrested in West Bengal in connection with the blast, is actually Masum, hailing from Narayanganj, the official said.

“Shakil, who died in the incident, has been identified as Shakil Gazi of Tangail.

“JMB’s Bangladeshi militants Salehin, Boma Mizan and Tarikul were also in  PAGE 2 COLUMN 5

47.7

40.9

Bandarban Sunamganj

DT INFOGRAPHICS

n Tribune Report

Thirty-nine out of 64 districts in Bangladesh have stunting rates above 40%, the World Health Organisation critical threshold level for stunting.

And 55 districts are above the WHO critical threshold level for underweight which is 30%.

At the upazila level, 300 out of 544 upazilas have a stunting rate above 40% while 440 upazilas have an underweight rate above 30%.

The upazilas surrounding the divisional cities of Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi have the lowest  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Abdus Samad is a Rajshahi city ward councillor. Apparently he is also a local schoolteacher. But no one recalls seeing him in the last four years. Samad is the chief of Jamaat’s Motihar unit.

The police say he is on the run.

Wanted in at least 25 cases (almost all of them violence on or around Rajshahi University campus), Samad, however, is like a king in Buthpara. They say he stays indoors during the day and comes out only after dark.

That is when he holds court and plans future action of the party and its student wing — Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir.

That is one more reason why strangers are not allowed into Buthpara village after dark, lest they hear something not meant for their ears.

This correspondent went into the village one morning last week only to confirm what he had heard in hushed undertones and whispers.

There is a ritual that vendors follow.

Vegetable growers humbly knock on Samad’s door and make their offering.

Samad’s family gets to have the first pick from every basket that goes to the market.

The Dhaka Tribune has learned that most of Samad’s close associates are from outside Rajshahi. They came from the nearby districts such as Sirajganj, Natore and Bogra and married local girls and settled in Buthpara.

This correspondent managed to contact Samad over phone. “The villagers are living very peacefully. They hardly have a problem. They always

stand beside one another. When there is a problem, we solve it at meetings.”

He said, law enforcers are contacted only if the problem is critical.

Asked what critical means, Samad said: “Things get critical when university students lock into clashes with locals. But we are handling the situation very carefully these days. There has not been a clash for many days now.”

It was in fact through one of these “critical situations” in 1982, that Samad first gained prominence as a Shibir leader. He has never looked back since.

The 2nd part of a Dhaka Tribune report reveals the ‘Jamaat-Shibir Cantonment’ A clash with student wings of the ruling Awami League and some leftist parties left four Shibir activists dead on March 11, 1982. Chhatra League also lost an activist that day.

But Shibir took full advantage of those deaths and got the sympathy of Buthpara locals. Samad was at the forefront of Shibir action during that clash.

On March 17, 1992, Samad led Shibir men killed three cadres of Chhatra League and JaSad Chhatra League on the campus. They also cut the tendons of six other activists of those organisations in the typical method of Shibir execution.

On the same day, four Shibir activists were killed in a bomb blast in Buthpara. Reportedly, they were making  PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

WORLD AIDS DAY 2014

Foreign donors to stop funding for AIDS patients in Bangladesh n Abid Azad A precarious time lies ahead for the country’s HIV-positive and AIDS patients as international donors organisation providing preventive measures for HIV infection, as well as treatment and rehabilitation for HIV-positive and AIDS patients, are pulling out their operations in Bangladesh.

Agencies like USAID and Save the Children have already stopped their operations concerning HIV/AIDS patients, including medical treatment, since the government announced in 2009 that it would provide all necessary treatment

to HIV patients from 2012, to be funded by the World Bank. However, it has yet to put such mechanism in place in the country.

The HIV patients will face serious crisis when the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria stops their project at the end of this year, followed by the Swiss Red Cross which will end their project next year.

Since starting their operation in Bangladesh in 2004, the Global Fund has invested around $131m in Bangladesh to continue HIV prevention and AIDS control efforts. The Swiss Red Cross started their activities in 2000.

Three local NGOs – Ashar Alo Society, Mukto Akash Bangladesh and Confidential Approach to AIDS Prevention (CAAP) – are also currently working for the HIV patients and provide them with free medicine and other necessary treatment. They are funded by the aforementioned donor agencies and will struggle to provide their services when the donors stop their funding here.

As the government has no proper institutional support for these patients, they will have nowhere to go for the free medical treatment, counselling, physical and mental health support  PAGE 2 COLUMN 2

2 Rawshan lauds Hasina in parliament n Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Opposition Leader Rawshan Ershad once again lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in parliament for the latter’s “quality” role in advancing the country “towards prosperity” and her achievements in running the government.

Rawshan first complained that the opposition had been placing suggestions in parliament but the government kept ignoring. But immediately the Jatiya Party leader started praising the prime minister and the government.

“Bangabandhu and Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman brought independence for the country. He was a great leader. Now you [Hasina] will have to lead to bring prosperity for the country in his absence,” Rawshan said amid clapping and thumping of both treasury and opposition MPs. “You are the daughter of Bangabandhu who had dreamt of building a prosperous Bangladesh. Now you have to fulfil Bangabandhu’s dreams and there is no alternative to you for implementing this,” the former first lady said.

Rawshan started by lauding the prime minister for wining the SouthSouth Cooperation Visionary Award, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Awami League lawmaker Saber Hossain Chowdhury for their victory in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Inter Parliamentary Union elections.

She said only the Awami League could lead the country towards prosperity.

She said employment and investment were necessary for the country’s development and stressed the need for decentralisation of the administration to save Dhaka. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

bombs in a house and they exploded accidentally. But Samad exploited the situation to his favour again.

Just three months later that same year, Samad’s underlings killed JaSad leader Mukim in Buthpara. Police said it was Mukim’s “fault” that he had dared to enter Shibir’s den.

In 2001, Samad’s men torched Station Bazar near the university campus spreading a rumour that one of their men was killed. Police said their main aim was to establish control over the market.

A senior official of the Rajshahi Police told the Dhaka Tribune: “All these acts of violence, and many others, were all carried out with the same goal – establishing supremacy. It was after the arson attack on Station Bazar that common people started looking at Buthpara as a scary place.”

All these cases had been followed up with criminal cases but none have progressed to trial.

Samad’s close associate Hafizur, prime accused in the Mohammad Ali murder case filed a few days ago, drinks tea at a stall in Buthpara every morning, locals said. But police say he is absconding.

Iftekharul Alam, Rajshahi’s assistant police commissioner, told the Dhaka

7 million children still stunted  PAGE 1 COLUMN 4

rates of stunting in their respective divisions.

Within Dhaka district, which has the lowest stunting rate in Bangladesh, the stunting rates varies from as low as 28% in the Dakhshinkhan area to as high as 41% in the Keraniganj area.

“The map shows undernutrition or malnutrition rate is high in hilly or wetland terrains due to limited accessibility,” project director Dr Dipankar Roy said.

He said Bangladesh had achieved a millennium development goal (MDG) by reducing the undernutrition rate to 32%.

Least developed countries need to cut the undernutrition rate to 33% by 2015 to achieve the MDGs. World Food Programme country representative Crista Radar said over the past two decades, Bangladesh has made impressive economic and social gains.

However, challenges remain to keep undernutrition levels below the WHO public health critical thresholds.

In the mid 1990s, the malnutrition rate was 70%. In 2011 this was down to 41%, which is a remarkable achievement, she said.

“But seven million children still suffer from stunting in Bangladesh,” she said.

As the causes of undernutrition are manifold, she said, so are the solutions.

There is no one solution, but the solutions are multi-sectoral. l

Monday, December 1, 2014

PM: Why should people pay for Khaleda’s mistake? n Tribune Report Replying to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s remark that there is no elected government and democracy in the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said in parliament that her government is an elected government and multi-party democracy was prevailing in the country.

“What is my cabinet doing? What are parliament members doing? Everyone is doing their jobs – ruling party,

‘The economic condition of the country is not bad. Her economic condition might be bad’ opposition party...There is democracy in the country – multi-party democracy. If one party’s rule is prevailing then how is she [Khaleda] delivering speeches?” Hasina said in her closing speech for the fourth session of the 10th parliament.

“What has happened in Thailand.

The opposition waged a movement and the army took power and said an election would be held soon. Now they are saying election might be held in 2016. Does the BNP leader want such a situation in Bangladesh? Why and who made her boycott the [January 5] election? She made a mistake by boycotting

The don of Buthpara  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

News

Tribune: “We have been following up all those cases. We also conduct regular raids in the area. But all the accused are absconding.”

When pointed out that some of the accused are seen moving about in the area regularly, Iftekhar asked this reporter to help with information.

Awami League supporter Hasan, who was attacked in Buthpara in October, filed a case with the Motihar police station accusing Shibir leader Sajjad and some others.

He alleged that Motihar police station Sub-Inspector Nurul Karim arrested Sajjad but later let him go for a Tk5,000-bribe.

When contacted, Nurul, currently on training as he claimed, told the Dhaka Tribune: “I do not remember anything about that case.”

On Saturday morning last week, this reporter met rickshaw puller Abdur Rashid. The 30-year old said he was originally from Dinajpur district and had been living in Buthpara for 18 years.

A few years ago, Rashid bought a piece of land in Buthpara for Tk90,000 and settled there, marrying a local girl.“It would be hard to find anyone who was born here. Most are outsiders like me who have settled here marrying local girls. Some are day labourers and rickshaw pullers like me

the election. Why would people pay for it?” Hasina said.

The prime minister also said Gen Ziaur Rahman assumed office illegally and formed BNP, so BNP was also illegal.

Referring to her arch rival Khaleda’s statement that Awami League is not a party of freedom fighters, Hasina said: “Then who participated in the Liberation War? Was BNP there at that time?...I will not be surprised if she says one day that [Jamaat leaders and war criminals] Nizami, Kamaruzzaman and Ghulam Azam fought the war.”

Responding to the BNP Chairperson’s claim that they had been waging a movement to restore people’s voting rights, the prime minister said: “She committed murder to snatch people’s voting rights [before January 5 election]. She killed hundreds of people and now she is talking about people’s voting rights.”

Hasina said Khaleda had not been seeing the ongoing development in the country.

“She is habituated to plundering money from orphanages. Now she is skipping court fearing conviction. The economic condition of the country is not bad. Her economic condition might be bad,” the Awami League president said in parliament.

“I must thank the leader of the opposition [Raushan Ershad] for contestig the election. She made the right decision. Her participation has saved democracy,” she said. l

while others are farmers and or grocers or class III university employees,” Rashid said.

Asked how he managed that kind of money for the land, he said the councillor got a loan from an NGO for him.

“Our councillor Abdus Samad is a very nice man. He is our saviour. He arranges everything for us. Whenever we face any problem, we go to him and he solves it.”

He also said: “We hardly ever go to the police if there is a problem. Councillor Samad solves all our problems and everybody obeys him. Why would we spend money by going to the police or the courts?”

Further into the village, there was an old man named Shirajul Islam. The 65-year old was born in the village. He started talking only after this correspondent convinced him that he was a student doing research on the life of the villagers and not a journalist.

“There was no concrete building here before the 1980s. The buildings that you are seeing around were built after 1985. People from outside Rajshahi stood beside us at a time when we had nothing. The university authorities illegally acquired our lands at that time without paying a penny in compensation,” Shirajul said.

A former RU teacher, who has been

Bangladesh Labour Welfare Foundation brings out a rally in the capital yesterday to raise awareness on HIV, in line with the observance of World AIDS Day today NASHIRUL ISLAM

Journalist Zaglul to Top RSO leaders on fresh remand Jamaat-e-Islami leader Salamabe buried today n Our Correspondent, Chittagong Bazar tullah, Bandarban’s Naikkhyangchhari A Chittagong court yesterday granted upazila Awami League leader Shafiuln Tribune Report police three days to interrogate two top lah, Pakistan-origin GRC Vice-PresiSenior journalist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, who was killed in a road accident on Saturday, will be buried at the Azimpur Graveyard today after his daughter Antara Ahmed Chowdhury, who lives in US, comes home.

His son Nabid Ahmed Chowdhury said There will be two namaz-e-janazas for his father – one after Zuhr prayers at Banani mosque and another at the National Press Club.

Meanwhile, police could not find out the bus that hit Zaglul as of yesterday.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority formed a five-member committee yesterday to probe the incident.

The committee headed by BRTA director will submit a report in three working days. l

living in the area for four and a half decades, said Shibir targeted this area because it was very close to the university and a stronghold here would really help them in carrying out their activities on the campus.

“Shibir first tried to get entry into the village in the late 1970s. But it was difficult for them because the left-leaning and progressive student bodies were strong on campus,” he said.

“Things started changing in 1980.

Over the next 10 years, the progressive student groups weakened. That helped Shibir.”

Moreover, he went on, the government regimes of that period were friendly towards Jamaat and Shibit.

“They started their domination here with the help of the administration.

They first announced their strong presence through the killing of Chhatra League leader Mir Mostak Elahi in 1981 on the RU campus,” he said.

“But the biggest help that they got was when the university authorities acquired some land of the village in mid-1980s. That infuriated the villagers and Jamaat-Shibir took advantage.

They gave them financial support and their men married girls from the poor families. Thus they built a strong bonding with the villagers,” the former RU teacher said. l

Foreign donors to stop funding for AIDS patients  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

and other services once the NGOs shut down. The Dhaka Tribune talked to UNAIDS Country Director Leo Kenny, who said: “Bangladesh treats all people who need Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) free of charge. But we are facing a situation where the government has agreed to take over procurement and distribution of ART treatment from the Global Fund.

We are facing procurement delays and this needs to be sorted out immediately.”

Delay in government initiative

Despite the announcement in 2009, it was in 2013 when the National AIDS/ STD Programme (NASP) started working on a project titled “Comprehensive care, support and treatment of PLHIV (people who are living with HIV)” to provide treatment and other services in collaboration with NGOs directly involved with this particular field.

The plan was approved by The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in August last year and by World Bank in October. But the NASP later informed the government that the plan needed to be revised.

“We found that it was not possible to implement the plan with direct collaboration with the NGOs and it required revision,” NASP Line Director Dr Husain Sarwar Khan told the Dhaka Tribune. “It has been delayed due to the whole process of reviewing the plan and other formalities. We hope that the government will implement the plan very soon.”

Gaps and challenges

According to government statistics,

3,241 people have been diagnosed with HIV infection in the country between 1989 and 2013, 1,299 of whom contracted AIDS and 472 died from it. 370 new HIV-positive patients were identified in the country last year.

UNAIDS data says that the estimated new infections have increased by 25% in Bangladesh since 2001 and the reported new infections has increased 1.5 times over the past five years.

The number has been especially increasing in some key population, such as sex workers, people who inject drugs, transgenders, etc.

There are more than 9,000 people in the country living with HIV, two-thirds of whom did not know their status, according to an estimate by the UNAIDS last year. The most updated scenario will be announced today, on the occasion of the World AIDS Day. There have been many challenges regarding the detection and treatment of HIV patients, despite their low number compared to the country’s total population. Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, several HIV/AIDS patients said they preferred going to the NGOs where they can get proper treatment by keeping their identity secret, as well as proper counselling.

In addition patients and NGO officials alike claimed that the government had not created a friendly environment for HIV/AIDS patients in government and private hospitals, and the patients have to suffer fear, social stigma and discrimination.

Leo Kenny said: “The main reason people do not access testing is stigma

and discrimination, so we need to address this. Repealing the punitive laws and policies will be a big step in the right direction.

“There are important capacities which need to be built especially at a district and upazila level. Bangladesh has good guidelines and algorithms for prevention, treatment care and support, but for them to be fully implemented major capacity building needs to ensue.”

Amitabh Sharma, the newly-appointed country representative of Swiss Red Cross in Bangladesh, said the main challenge is the lack of institutional support and a strong institutional structure from the government.

“It is high time that the government should take the leading position. We do not lead; we can only provide support.

We, the donors, can never be the substitute to the government,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.

Habiba Akhter, executive director at Ashar Alo Society, said: “The government should bring all vulnerable people under the HIV identification process, otherwise there is no guarantee to prevent further infection.

“We only find HIV patients when they become weak and are continuously suffering from diseases and infections. To bring these people under the identification process, a fair and supportive environment should be ensured at all levels of society.

“The sooner people come to test for HIV infection, the sooner they can get treated in case of infection,” she told the Dhaka Tribune. l

leaders of banned Myanmar sectarian outfit Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), the vice-president of Global Rohingya Centre (GRC) and another for suspected militant activities.

Metropolitan Magistrate Faridul Alam ordered the remand for Cox’s

dent Mohammad Alam and Saudi Arabia-origin Rohingya Abdul Majid.

The other arrestee, Hefazat-e-Islam’s Mohammad Amin, was placed on a twoday remand due to his old age, CMP Assistant Commissioner (prosecution) Nirmulendu Bikash Chakrabarty said. l

Artist Qayyum Chowdhury dies  PAGE 1 COLUMN 1

condition and Qayyum was put on life support. Around 9pm, the doctors announced his demise.

Around 10pm his body was brought to the Square Hospital.

As the news of his death spread, people – particularly from the cultural arena – his family members, colleagues and students thronged the hospital.

Cultural Minister Asaduzzaman Noor announced that his body would be kept in front of the graphic design department of Dhaka University’s fine arts institute from 10am to 11am today.

Before his namaz-e-janaza at the Dhaka University central mosque and then burial at the family graveyard at Azimpur, his body would be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar until 1pm for people to pay their last respect.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock at the news of Qayyum’s death. They prayed for the eternal peace of his soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members and admirers.

In a condolence message, the president said the nation has lost an illustrated son of the soil.

In her message, the prime minister said the nation would always remember the artist’s role in the struggle for freedom of the Bangali nation and every democratic movement.

Fellow artist Rafiqun Nabi said the void created by Qayyum’s death would be felt immediately as “there is no-

where that is not linked to him.”

Qayyum’s long time colleague Sheikh Afzal Hossain said: “We listened to music together just a day ago...As an artist, he was unique. He used the traditional motifs in the modern art, which was his speciality.”

Qayyum Chowdhury was born on March 9, 1934 in Feni.

After passing Matriculation from Mymensingh City Collegiate School, he studied at the Dhaka Art Institute. He was a student of the second batch of the institute.

His teachers Zainul Abedin, Quamrul Hassan and Saifuddin Ahmed had great influence on him.

He joined the institute as a teacher in 1957 but left in 1960. He rejoined the art institute – then renamed as Government Art College of Dhaka – in 1965 as a lecturer in the commercial art department.

He retired from the Institute of Fine Art (later renamed) in 1994. But, he continued teaching there until 2002.

He had participated many national and international exhibitions including All Pakistan Art Exhibition, the National Art Exhibition, the Asian Biennials.

Throughout his career, his major exhibitions abroad include Washington, Tehran, Delhi, Germany, Sao Paulo, Fukuoka, Beijing, Harare and Moscow among many.

Qayyum Chowdhury was recipient Independence Award, the Shilpakala Academy Award, the Ekushey Padak, among the many awards he received for his works at home and abroad. l

JMB link in Bardhaman blast  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

volved in the blast along with its members of the West Bengal unit. Indian madrasa teacher, 32-year-old Maulana Yusuf Sheikh, provided shelter to the Bangladeshi militants,” Mahfuz said.

Some Bangladeshi JMB members who took part in the prison van attack in Trishal early this year were also involved in the Bardhaman blast.

During the visit, the Bangladesh delegation also quizzed Sajid via the NIA officials. Sajid admitted that they had a strong network in north-eastern Indian state of Assam.

“We asked him some other questions which are confidential,” the official said while refusing to disclose the information.

Apart from the NIA, the visiting team also met with a police commissioner and an IG-ranked official of India.

The team will inform the Bangladesh Home Ministry about their findings soon.

On February 23, JMB operatives mounted an operation and snatched Salahuddin alias Salehin Sani alias Sajeeb, Zahidul Islam alias “Boma” Mizan and Rakib Hasan from police custody in an attack on a prison van in Trishal, Mymensingh when they were being transported out of Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur. Salehin and Mizan managed to escape.

The JMB men killed a police constable during the attack. Rakib was re-arrested and killed in a “gunfight” with the police the next day.

The Detective Branch of Police claimed that an Indian citizen had been involved in the operation. The accused was in-charge of arrangements to send the snatched JMB leaders to India.

On the other hand, two suspected militants died in the bomb blast of October 2 at a house in Bardhaman. The

house was reportedly turned into a factory by the JMB to make Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

The NIA is investigating jihadist networks following the bomb blast.

During interrogation by the Indian law enforcers, Sajid said he and his wife Fatima had been training people at the Shimulia madrasa, teaching them jihadi doctrine and getting them ready to take part in terrorist attacks.

Sajid also paid Indian Rs8.75 lakh to another accused, Kausar – a Bangladeshi national, to purchase land for a madrasa in Bardhaman.

During the investigation, India came to know that the JMB men had strong links with Rohingyas. This came to light after they arrested Myanmar national named Khaleed alias Khalid Mohammed of the banned Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) from Hyderabad in connection with the Bardhaman blast.

Khaleed reportedly ran terror camps on Myanmar-Bangladesh border and also had links with Tehrik-e-Taliban of Pakistan.

The NIA felt the need to investigate in Bangladesh and a four-member team came to Dhaka on November 17. Bangladesh law enforcers and the NIA then exchanged lists of terrorists, militants and fugitives who are hiding in the two countries.

Then the Bangladeshi team went to India as a follow-up. The delegation include DMP Joint Commissioner Md Monirul Islam, Special Branch Additional DIG GM Azizur Rahman, National Security Intelligence Director Col Abu Hena Mostofa, RAB’s Lt Col Mohammed Abul Kalam Azad, Police Headquarters AIG Mahfuzur Rahman, Crime Investigation Department Special Superintendent Md Ashraful Islam and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence’s Maj Mohammad Atiqur Rahman. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

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Monday, December 1, 2014

RAILWAY RECRUITMENT SCAM

Mridha’s name not in two more ACC charge sheets n Tarek Mahmud, Chittagong The name of suspended general manager (east zone) Yusuf Ali Mridha of Bangladesh Railway was not mentioned in two charge sheets submitted yesterday in the cases lodged by the ACC over irregularities in recruitment as his involvement could not be proved, officials say.

Anti-Corruption Commission Assistant Director SM Rashedur Reza submitted the charge sheets before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Judge Moshiur Rahman.

“As the investigation officer did not find any involvement of Mridha in the cases, his name was not mentioned in the charge sheets,” he said.

ACC Assistant Director SM Rashedur Reza on September 13, 2012 lodged a case with Kotwali police accusing 34

persons including Mridha, former senior welfare officer Golam Kibria and former additional chief mechanical engineer Hafizur Rahman in connection with the irregularities in recruitment for the assistant loco master post.

The investigation officer submitted the charge sheet accusing 32 persons including Kibria. Of them, 30 are on the run.

On April 17 last year, ACC Assistant Director Kamruzzaman filed another case with the same police Station accusing 32 persons including Mridha and Kibria in connection with the irregularities in recruitment for code inspector (grade I).

Railway sources said the east zone had issued seven advertisements in October and November of 2010 to fill up 3,419 vacant posts under 38 categories.

A total 14 cases were lodged in the last two years regarding irregularities in the

recruitment for different posts in the east zone.

With the latest two, the ACC has submitted eight charge sheets.

Mridha’s name was not mentioned in four cases, lodged in connection with irregularities in recruitment of goods assistant, record keeper, assistant loco master and code inspector (grade I).

Border Guard Bangladesh personnel seized Tk70 lakh from a microbus of sacked APS Omar Faruk of then railways minister Suranjit Sengupta on April 9, 2012. Mridha and railway’s security commandant (Dhaka divisional) Enamul Haque were also in the car.

Suranjit resigned following the incident while his APS, Mridha and Enamul were also suspended. After that, the ACC started investigation into the recruitment irregularities. l

In protest against the death of a fellow student in a road accident, agitated students of the Islamic University set fire to a bus on campus in Kushtia yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Islamic University closed sine die

WAR CRIMES Khaleda files another petition as Ex-Jamaat MP, another n Tribune Desk last one rejected The Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia sent to jail was shut down yesterday for an n Tribune Report was the in-charge of Hisladanga razaindefinite period as the students went n Tribune Report kar camp in Keshabpur. berserk following the death of a fellow The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday dismissed a leave-toappeal petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case, clearing the last obstacle to proceed with the case.

A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain dismissed the petition, which was lodged against a High Court order that upheld her indictment in the case by a special court.

On November 23, the apex court dismissed two other leave-to-appeal petitions regarding the acceptance of charges and indictment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

However, the former premier yesterday filed another petition – this time seeking transfer of the two cases filed against her and others from the Special Judge’s Court 3.

Khurshid Alam Khan, counsel of the Anti-Corruption Commission, told the Dhaka Tribune: “With the dismissal order, there is no legal bar to proceed with the trials. There was actually no bar. But the trial court adjourned the proceedings showing respect to the Supreme Court as it was holding hearing on the leave-to-appeal petition.”

The new petition was filed with the High Court bench of Justice Syed AB Mahmudul Huq and Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury, AKM Ehsanur Rahman, counsel of Khaleda, told the Dhaka Tribune.

On this, ACC lawyer Khurshid said: “They are filing petitions one after another only to delay the trials.”

Because of her absence and submission of time petitions, case proceedings were deferred 41 times in the orphanage trust case and 11 times in the other.

In both the cases, the special court of Judge Basudev Roy framed the charges against Khaleda, her elder son Tarique Rahman and others on March 19. l

The International Crimes Tribunal 1 yesterday sent to jail former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shakhawat Hossain and BNP supporter Shamsuddin Ahmed in war crimes cases.

Shakhawat, 70, a former MP of Jessore 6 (Keshabpur) constituency, went into hiding for months. Law enforcers arrested him on Saturday at a house in Masterpara of Uttarkhan.

Yesterday when police produced him before the court, the Jamaat leader said: “None of my relatives know about my arrest. I am sick. I took cancer treatment from abroad. I am also having dietary problem. Recently I had to undergo surgery on my right eye.”

Justice Enayetur Rahim, chairman of the tribunal, then instructed prosecutor Sultan Mahmud Simon to let his relatives know about the arrest and provide him medicine.

Shakhawat said: “I was a parliament member. [Please] provide me division in jail.”

The judge then said the jail authorities would on the matter according to rules.

An investigation team has found that Shakhawat had been involved in a number of allegations of murder, mass killing and other crimes during the 1971 Liberation War. The probe against him began on April 1, 2012. “The report, which is now half done, will be submitted to the prosecution once it is done,” Abdur Razzaque Khan, investigation officer of the case, said.

The tribunal yesterday gave them one month to submit a progress report on the investigation.

According to the prosecution, Shakhawat was a central committee member of Islami Chhatra Sangha, then student body of Jamaat-e-Islami.

He later joined the razakar force and

Mayhem in Narayanganj over Jubo League man’s death n Our Correspondent, Narsingdi Tension erupted in Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj yesterday after a fierce clash between two local groups of Awami League and the BNP left a Jubo League man dead.

Amzad Hossain, 45, was shot and hacked with sharp weapons while another 15 people, mostly Jubo League and Awami League activists, also received bullet injuries. They were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and several local hospitals.

The clash led to a tailback on Dhaka-Sylhet highway as traffic flow was disrupted for nearly two hours. Several vehicles were vandalised during the clash while local Awami League activists torched the houses of two BNP men.

Police detained 10 people in connection with the clash, and additional law enforcers were deployed.

The clash in Pachrukhi area broke out between supporters of Jubo Dal leader Nazrul Islam Azad and local lawmaker Nazrul Islam Babu when BNP men destroyed a festoon containing Babu’s picture.

The rival groups attacked each other with sharp weapons, firearms and lances, and panic soon spread in the area as they got into an intense gun battle.

Khodeja Begum, wife of BNP activist Abdur Kadir who got his house burned down, told reporters a group of Awami

League men attacked the house in the presence of police.

“They vandalised our house and later torched it. We hid in the room of a nearby house,” she said.

Joint General Secretary of Araihazar upazila unit of Jubo League Md Bakir Bhuiyan said Amzad hailed from Pachrukhi area but lived with his family in Jamtala area of Narayanganj for reasons related to his profession.

“He was attacked while heading towards the highway from Pachrukhi Bazar around 9:30pm. He was hacked several times and was shot in the leg.

He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital but doctors declared him dead,” said Bakir.

Nazrul Islam Babu, lawmaker of Narayanganj 2 constituency, described Amzad as a harmless and placid man.

He told reporters the people in the upazila live in peace but a gang of killers is trying to cause chaos.

Narayanganj Police Superintendent Khandakar Mahid Uddin, UNO Md Shamsul Haque and Upazila Assistant Commissioner (land) Md Shariful Haque visited the scene of confrontation.

Inspector of Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost Mozammel Haque said Amzad was brought to the hospital around 12:30pm. “There were bullet injuries in his leg. He was also hacked with sharp weapons.”

No case was filed. l

After the independence, Shakhawat went into hiding and emerged in 1986 as a local leader of Jamaat. He contested in the 1991 parliamentary election with Jamaat nomination from Jessore 6 and elected an MP. Later, he joined the BNP and became a lawmaker again in the short-lived parliament formed through the February 15, 1996 election. When BNP and Jamaat formed an alliance before the 2001 election, he failed to secure nomination and contested in the poll as an independent candidate.

He was expelled from the BNP for violating party discipline and then joined Jatiya Party.

On October 29, the tribunal issued an arrest warrant against Shakhawat.

In another case, the same tribunal sent war crimes suspect Shamsuddin Ahmed to prison after the police had produced him before the court.

Shamsuddin, 60, lawyer at a Kishoreganj court, was arrested on Thursday for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity.

The probe agency on November 25 submitted a probe report to the prosecution against Shamsuddin and his brother Nasir Uddin Ahmed.

According to the report, Shamsuddin and Nasir joined the razakar force in 1971 and committed crimes including mass killings, murder, loot, confinement and torture in Karimganj of Kishoreganj.

When police produced Shamsuddin before the court, he claimed: “I was implicated in a false case. I was born on December 1, 1958 and aged only 12 years during the war.”

Md Ataur Rahman, investigation officer of the case, said: “Shamsuddin Ahmed was in Kishoreganj jail and shifted to Dhaka yesterday.” l

Charge framing against Latif Siddique on Dec 7 n Court Correspondent A Dhaka court yesterday fixed December 7 for framing charges against sacked minister Abdul Latif Siddique in a case filed over his remarks on Hajj and Tabligh Jamaat.

Metropolitan Magistrate Muhammad Ashaduzzaman Nur set the date and directed the prison authorities to produce the former telecommunications minister before it on that day.

The court also granted complainant ANM Abed Raja’s petition for not hearing any petition of the defence in his absence.

On November 25, Latif was sent to jail by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Atiqur Rahman when police produced him before the court following his surrender at Dhanmondi police station.

Later, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Bikash Kumar Saha transferred the case to the court of Magistrate Asaduzzaman Nur for trial.

Latif has been shown arrested in three of the seven cases filed in Dhaka.

Pro-BNP lawyer Abed Raja, former president of Dhaka Metropolitan Bar Association, filed the case on October 2.

On October 28, the court issued a warrant for Latif’s arrest as he did not appear in the court.

Latif returned home on November 23. He is facing over a dozen other cases filed with different police stations. l

student in a road accident.

The authorities took the decision at an emergency meeting of the IU syndicate.

The male students of the university was asked to vacate their halls by 6pm yesterday while the female ones by 10am today.

Earlier, the students went on the

rampage, torching 13 vehicles and vandalising 22 others on the campus following the death of Titu, a 3rd year student of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Department.

He was killed when a bus rented by the university authorities knocked down him at the campus around noon.

The aggrieved students also vandalised the Academic, Faculty, Science and TSC buildings at the time.

Upon information, police rushed in, charged baton on the agitating students and lobbed teargas shells to

War criminal Mir Quasem files appeal n Tribune Report Jamaat-e-Islami’s key financier Mir Quasem Ali, who was sentenced to death for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, has appealed with the Supreme Court against the verdict.

These appeals are generally taken up by an Appellate Division bench, headed by the chief justice.

His lawyer Shishir Monir filed the petition yesterday seeking acquittal from the charges. The defence has sought to argue on 181 points in its 150page petition. They also submitted related documents regarding the case.

After filling of the petition, the counsel told reporters: “We hope to get justice at the apex court.”

A commander of para militia force al-Badr during the war, Mir Quasem was awarded capital punishment by the International Crimes Tribunal 2 on November 3.

“The al-Badr camp at Daleem Hotel [in Andorkilla area] was a ‘criminal enterprise’ of which accused Mir Quasem

Ali was a ‘boss,’” says the verdict. “Mir Quasem Ali had been in steering and guiding position of al-Badr force headquartered at Daleem Hotel which was a ‘death-factory’ indeed.”

Just after completion of delivering the verdict, Mir Quasem stood up shouting: “False incidents, false witnesses, dictated verdict. Truth will win, lies will be defeated...soon, soon.”

The tribunal handed down death penalty in two charges for killing seven people, including one Jasimuddin, after abduction. He was awarded a total of 72-year imprisonment on other charges of abduction, conspiracy and planning. Four charges were not proved.

Mir Quasem joined Islami Chhatra Sangha, then student wing of Jamaat, in 1967 while studying at Chittagong Collegiate School. He later became its Chittagong City unit general secretary.

He played an important role in forming al-Badr Bahini that orchestrated systematic killing of freedom fighters and intellectuals. l

disperse them.

The students also hurled brick chips at police prompting the law enforcers to fire 150 rubber bullets leaving 20 students injured, including six with bullets.

The students hit by bullets were taken to a local hospital.

Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of the university Professor Abdul Hakim Sarker expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Titu.

In a condolence message, he said the untimely death of Titu was not desirable. l

GOLD SMUGGLING CASE

Biman officials, three others denied bail n Tribune Report

A Dhaka court yesterday again denied bail to six people, including three high officials of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, in a case filed over gold smuggling.

Acting Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayes passed the order after a hearing on the bail petitions.

The accused are Emdad Hossain, deputy general manager (flight scheduling); Capt Abu Md Aslam Shahid, chief of planning and scheduling; Tozammel Hossain, manager (scheduling); and cabin crew Majharul Afsar Russell.

The two other accused are Mahmudul Haque Palash, contractor of the airlines; and Mohammad Harunur Rashid, owner of Farhan Money Exchange.

The accused gave confessional statements before the court.

On November 12, Afsar was arrested in connection with a gold haul. On November 19, DB police arrested the others.

This is the first time the law enforcers have arrested senior officials of the national flag carrier on such charges. l

4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

DHAKA-CHITTAGONG 4-LANE HIGHWAY

Indian firm’s contract extended for 2 years n Tribune Report The cabinet committee on public purchase yesterday approved the extension of an Indian joint venture’s contract for the construction of the Daudkandi-Chittagong portion of the four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong Highway for two years.

The added cost for the project being carried out by the Indian joint venture DevConsultants Ltd now stood at Tk18.94 crore, said Cabinet Division Joint Secretary Mostafizur Rahman after a meeting of the committee.

According to DevConsultants’ revised proposal, at least 51.47% physi-

cal progress has been achieved in constructing 10 packages of the road and 59.2% progress in constructing two bridges.

Two months ago, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader had said the “top priority” project had to face cancellation of tender twice and changes of project director on 11 occasions. The project, however, would still be completed within the government’s tenure.

The duration of the four-lane project has been extended several times, which Obaidul said the project had required. Asked about awarding the job without a tender, Obaidul then said the work on carrying out the remaining

Bail of SQ Chy’s counsel rejected n Tribune Report A Dhaka court yesterday rejected the bail plea of barrister AKM Fakhrul Islam, counsel of convicted war criminal Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, in a case filed for leaking draft verdict in the war crimes case against the BNP leader.

Dhaka’s Cyber Tribunal Judge KM Shamsul Alam also fixed January 11 for submission of arrest warrant execution report on fugitive accused Mehedi Hasan, Fakhrul’s junior counsel.

ABM Khairul Islam Liton, a counsel of Fakhrul, filed the bail petition and another for re-investigating the

case. But the court rejected the appeals after hearing.

Two other accused – SQ Chowdhury’s wife Farhat Quader Chowdhury and son Humam Quader Chowdhury – were present before the court during the hearing.

Fakhrul, SQ Chowdhury’s Manager Mahbubul Ahsan, tribunal’s office assistant Faruk Hossain and janitor Nayan Ali are now in jail.

Charge sheet in the case was pressed on August 28

by DB Inspector Mohammad Shahjahan, also investigation officer of the case.

The case was filed with Shahbagh police under the Information and Communication Technology Act. l

Reckless bus drivers kill two in the capital n Tribune Report

Two people, including a private university student, were killed in road accidents in Dhaka city yesterday.

The victims were Md Mozammel Hossain Kanchan, 25, a BBA graduate from Islamic University of Chittagong in Dhaka, and Hridoy Khan, 18, a helper in a BRTC bus.

Kanchan died when two city buses – Dibanishi Paribahan and Falgun Paribahan – tried to overtake one another, and the victim fell down

in between the buses when he was crossing the road.

Locals rushed Kanchan to the Dhaka Medical Collage Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Shahjahanpur Police Station Sub-Inspector Khoda Newaz said they detained the buses.

Hridoy was killed as a bus ran him over when he was crossing the road in Kallyanpur bus station area 7:30am.

Mirpur police recovered the body and sent it to the Dhaka Medical Collage morgue. l

Public health conference held at AIUB n Tribune Report A two-day conference for young public health professionals ended at the American International University Bangladesh yesterday.

Arranged by the AIUB public health department, the conference was inaugurated

by University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Dr AK Azad Chowdhury.The key note speech was delivered by Dr Mushtaque R Chowdhury, vice-chairman of Brac.

Renowned national public health professionals and students from different public and private institutions attended the different plena-

ry sessions on issues related to public health problems and prospects in Bangladesh.

Prof Chowdhury highlighted the importance of quality education at the secondary and higher education level and said private universities must maintain quality education, with emphasis on public health issues.

Special guest Prof Dr Shamsul Alam focused on the health policy where the government promises to ensure universal health coverage through sequencing the implementation of the social health protection scheme in the five-year plan of Bangladesh. l

Scholasticans attend UN mock conference n Tribune Desk Seven students of Scholastica, a private English medium school in Dhaka, recently attended a United Nations mock conference in India.

Along with a teacher, the students from classes XI and XII of the institution’s Senior Section represented Bangla-

desh in the conference titled “Vivek High School Model United Nation Conference 2014” held in Chandigarh on November 17-20, said a press release.

More than 1,000 high school students from over 15 countries in the world represented their assigned countries at the conference. l

construction had been given to an eligible firm.

In a meeting of the parliamentary watchdog concerned in September, he said his ministry would do everything possible to finish the project early. He had also previously told parliament that the project would end by December this year.

Officials at the Roads and Highways Department told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that disorganised management and tender process had delayed the project worth Tk3,200 crore by at least four years while revisions of the project had also increased the cost by Tk1,000 crore. l

Monday, December 1, 2014

Experts for emphasising climate change losses at COP20 n Tribune Report Speakers yesterday urged the government to underline at the Conference of Parties 20 (COP20) in Peru both economic and non-economic losses and damage the country has been facing due to the adverse effects of climate change.

Addressing a roundtable in the capital, they said the government should create a national database of the impact of global warming in the country.

Meanwhile, at a human chain programme, the Transparency International Bangladesh said fairness and accountability should be ensured on the Global Climate Change funds as well as its expenditure.

COP20 begins today in Lima, the capital of Peru, and will end on December 12.

At the roundtable jointly organised

by Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and Christian Aid, UK, BCAS Executive Director Dr Atiq Rahman said salinity has already resulted in big economic losses in the agricul-

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries in terms of the changing patterns of climate change ture and water sectors and non-economic damage such as changing ecosystem because of saline water could not be measured in terms of money.

Referring to a study conducted in Satkhira, Md Golam Rabbani, a BCAS fellow, said farmers of four villages there had incurred losses of $1.9m in

rice production because of salinity in three years after Cyclone Aila in 2009.

According to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the 2013 World Bank report, Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries in terms of the changing patterns of climate change, as the impacts include irregular rainfall, higher frequency of cyclone and flood, drought, salinity and the rise in sea levels.

The TIB organised the human chain in the TSC area of Dhaka University yesterday morning.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman alleged that the developed countries, which are responsible for climate change, had only 8% contribution per year to the $100 billion fund they promised. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Monday, December 1, 2014

DRIVE AGAINST JAYWALKING

Panthapath footpath recovered from vendors n Abu Hayat Mahmud Inspired by the success of the anti-jaywalking drive at Farmgate, Karwan Bazar and Bangla Motor intersections, a mobile court yesterday conducted a drive to recover footpaths from illegal vendors between Karwan Bazar and Panthapath intersection to make way for pedestrians.

The mobile court led by Executive Magistrate Md Sarwar Alam conducted the eviction drive to free the pavements on both sides of the road. With the help of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), it demolished all the tea stalls and other makeshift structures. It also fined a road-side food vendor near Bashundhara shopping mall.

Youth dies in mob beating in Jessore n Our Correspondent, Jessore Bamboo structures lie on the central reservation in between the Karwan Bazar and Panthapath intersections in the capital, after a mobile court yesterday demolished tea stalls and other makeshift structures illegally erected on it ABU HAYAT MAHMUD itor jaywalking on those points.

Talking about the recently painted controversial zebra-crossing on northern side of the SAARC Fountain at Karwan Bazar intersection, Sarwar Alam said: “Women and some pedestrians said they avoided the nearby under-

pass at night in fear of muggers. That is why the new zebra-crossing has been painted. But, I want to assure all that the security of the underpass is okay and everyone can use it 24 hours without any anxiety.”

Meanwhile, the movement of pe-

Oishee, two others indicted again

BCL men vandalise Agoiljhara UNO office n Our Correspondent, Barisal n Tribune Report Activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, students’ front of the ruling Awami League, yesterday vandalised the office of Agoiljhara upazila nirbahi officer.

Locals said day labour Nazrul Sanyamat, son of Hasem Sanymat at Goila village, was caught by locals and later on handed over to police as he had been involved in drug peddling. Later, police handed him over to a mobile court formed by UNO Devi Chanda.

Then, upazila unit BCL President Kamruzzaman Serniabad Azad came to the UNO office around 1pm and put pressure on the UNO for releasing him.

However, the UNO rejecting the request of BCL leader asked police to lodge regular case against the arrestee.

Then, the BCL leader left the UNO office and later on told his followers that the UNO had misbehaved with him.

Then, BCL activists holding agitation procession attacked the UNO office with brick bats at about 4:30pm.

The BCL men also demanded removal of UNO within next 24-hour alleging that he was involved in corruption. l

WEATHER

DRY WEATHER LIKELY MONDAY, DECEMBER 1 DHAKA TODAY TOMORROW SUN SETS 5:10PM SUN RISES 6:25AM FORECAST FOR TODAY 28 28 28 27 28 28 29 28

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

19 19 15 15 15 15 16 19

YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW

30.0ºC Teknaf

11.8ºC Jessore and Ishwardi

Source: Accuweather/UNB

PRAYER TIMES Fajr Sunrise Zohr Asr Magrib Esha

5:05am 6:23am 11:47am 3:34pm 5:10pm 6:30 pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Three held with hemp, liquor in Chittagong n Our Correspondent, Chittagong Police in separate drives nabbed three people with 20 kilogrammes of hemp and two liters of contraband liquor in Chittagong yesterday. The arrestees are Titu Das, Alauddin and Belal.

On a tip-off, Bakalia police nabbed Titu with two liters of liquor from Chaktai area in the port city around 10:30am.

A mobile court led by Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Ashraful Alam sent Titu to jail for two months after he was produced before it around 3:30pm, police said.

Meanwhile, Bhujpur police nabbed Alauddin and Belal with the hemp when they were carrying the drugs item by private care to Chittagong around 11:00am.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (Hathazari circle) AFM Nizam Uddin said they were conducting drives with the duo to nab their other cohorts. A case would be lodged against them in this connection, he said. l

The movement of pedestrians at the three intersections was more or less disciplined yesterday, on the sixth day of the drive This same court conducted a drive at Farmgate area on last Thursday. However, those evicted from Ananda Cinema Hall to Tejgaon had started to re-occupy the space yesterday, as found by this correspondent.

Magistrate Sarwar Alam told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have conducted the eviction drive to facilitate unobstructed movement for the pedestrians so that they walk off the road.”

He further added that though the week-long drive against jaywalkers would end today, traffic police and additional police would continue to mon-

5

A Dhaka court yesterday again framed charges against Oishee Rahman and two of her friends in the case filed for killing her parents – Special Branch (SB) Inspector Mahfuzur Rahman and his wife Swapna Rahman.

Two other indicted accused are Oishee’s friends Mizanur Rahman Rony, 25, and Mahfuzur Rahman Jony, 27.

Judge ABM Sajedur Rahman of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal 3 framed the charge. The court also set December 4 to testify prosecution witnesses.

Earlier on May 6, Md Jahrul Haque of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions’ Judge indicted Oishee, Jony and Rony in the case.

On November 12, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions’ Judges Court shifted the case to the speedy trial tribunal as per a decision of Home Affairs Ministry.

Earlier on October 21, the home affairs ministry issued a gazette notification about transfer of the case for its quick disposal.

The court has already recorded dep-

ositions of 19 out of 57 witnesses in the case since the trial of the case started on July 8.

DB Inspector Abul Khair Matubbar, also the investigation officer of the case, pressed two separate charge sheets with Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka on March 9.

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

On August 16, the decomposing bodies of the couple were recovered from their Chamelibagh residence in the capital.

The couple had lived in the rented house with their two children — Oishee and Oihee, 7, and their housemaid Sumi.

Twenty-two hours later, Oishee showed up at Paltan police station. Later, detective police arrested her boyfriend Rony, Jony and domestic aid Sumi.

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

destrians at the three intersections was more or less disciplined yesterday, on the sixth day of the drive. DMP Joint Commissioner (traffic) Mosleh Uddin informed that the two mobile courts fined 83 people Tk20,600 at the three intersections for jaywalking and for

driving on the wrong side of the road.

The DMP started the anti-jaywalking drive on last Tuesday with two mobile courts conducted by Executive Magistrate Md Sarwar Alam and Abdul Kuddus between Farmgate police box and Hotel Ruposhi Bangla intersection. l

3 RU teachers face the music n RU Correspondent Authority of Rajshahi University has taken disciplinary actions against three teachers on various charges.

Of the teachers, associate professor of Music department Krishnapad Mandal has been prohibited from taking part in any kinds of administrative and examination-related activities for about 10 years as forgery allegation brought out against him had been proved.

The decision was taken in a syndicate meeting held on Saturday night with RU Vice-Chancellor Professor Mizanuddin in the chair, RU Registrar Professor Entajul Haque said.

The university authority has formed a probe committee following Dr Ashit Ray, another associate professor of Music department, has submitted complaint against him.

“As Krishnapad Mandal has been found guilty by the probe body, syndicate has taken decision against him,” said Entajul.

The promotion of Krishnapad Mandal would be stayed for the term and he would not be the supervisor of any researcher, he added.

“As Krishnapad Mandal in his recently published book copied few parts from my Phd research papers without taking permission and not mentioning reference, I registered a complaint to the university authorities recently,” Dr Ashit Ray said.

On contacted, Krishnapad Mandal declined to make any comment over the issue. He said the decision of the syndicate yet to come to his hand.

Besides, the syndicate also suspended a lecturer of Accounting and Information system department Mamun Hossain as he has lost examination papers.

The syndicates also gave a showcause notice to Dr Muhammad Abdul Mazed Chowdhury, professor of Accounting and Information System department as he allegedly took bribe from a candidate in the name of giving job, confirmed registrar Entajul Haque.

“Two separate probe body have been formed to investigate into the allegations brought out against Mamun and Mazed,” said registrar Entajul Haque.

Mamun and Mazed also did not respond when they were contacted for their comments over phone. l

A youth died in mob beating in Shatmail Bazar area of Jessore yesterday.

The dead is Babu, 32, son of Liakat Ali of Naodaga village.

Kotwali police station Sub-Inspector Zahurul Alam said Babu was a suspect in an attempt to murder case of Awami League Jessore sadar upazila unit Joint Secretary Fariduzzaman.

On Saturday around 8pm, locals beat up Babu as he went to the market area.

Later he succumbed to his injuries in the Jessore 250 Bed General Hospital.

Awami League leader Fariduzzaman was injured after being shot by terrorists on November 20 while returning to his house in Churamonkati area in the upazila. l

Clash over harvest leaves 17 injured n Our Correspondent, Chittagong At least 17 persons were injured during a clash that ensued between two groups of villagers in Banshkhali upazila of Chittagong yesterday. Of them, two sustained bullet injuries.

Chittagong Police Assistant Superintendent (Satkania circle) AKM Emran Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune that two groups of villagers in Dongra village of the upazila locked into a clash with firearms and lethal weapons around 10:30am.

They engaged in the clash following a feud over harvesting crops from a disputed land.

Police went to the spot and brought the situation under control after an hour. Legal action would be taken in this connection, he said.

Additional police forces had been deployed as tension still prevails in the area, said locals.

The injured were admitted to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital. l

Diarrhoea turns alarming in Natore, Chapainawabganj n Tribune Report The number of diarrhoea affected patients in Natore has reached 66 with the 16 newly affected people.

As patients have been blaming stinky water supplied by Natore municipality for the outbreak of the water-related disease, district civil surgeon office has sent water sample to the capital for test early yesterday, said our Natore correspondent.

Dr Abul Kalam Azad, residential medical officer of sadar hospital, said at least 66 patients had been admitted to the hospital in the last 72 hours.

Civil Surgeon Ferdous Nilufar said Sanitary Inspector Bazlul Huda had collected water sample from Borgachha area under Natore municipality around 10am.

She expressed hope that they would get the test result within the 15 days.

After getting the report, they would take necessary steps in this regard.

Residential Medical Officer Abul Kalam Azad said most 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, however, said there was no chance of the supply water being polluted as it is drawn from underground directly.

Our Chapainawabganj correspondent adds: diarrhoea has taken an alarming turn in Chapainawabganj with infection of several hundreds of people.

According to district civil surgeon office, about 700 hundreds people affected with diarrhoea had been admitted to Chapainawabganj Sadar Hospital in last month.

The sources said about 40 to 50 patients were coming to the hospital everyday and the number is increasing day by day.

Sadar hospital authority said the staff and physicians of the hospital were struggling to give medicine and accommodation facilities to the huge people with their limited supports.

Shafiqul Islam, residential medical officer of the hospital, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday that 36 diarrhea patients had admitted to the hospital from Saturday morning to Sunday evening.

Pediatric doctor of the hospital Dr Abul Kashem said on the advent of winter people especially children are affected with cold-related and diarrhoea. l

Bangladesh Nurses Oikya Parishad stages demonstrations to press home their eight-point demands in front of the National Press Club yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

Ferry services on Kawrakandi route resume n Tribune Report Ferry services disrupted owing to dense fog on the Simulia-Kawrakandi route of the Padma rive has resumed after a gap of around six hours yesterday.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Simulia Ghat Deputy General Manager (commerce) Chandra Shekhar confirmed it, saying the disruption happened around

2:30am and the normalcy returned there at about 8:30pm.

Due to the dense fog, four ferries left from both ghats had been forced to anchor on the middle point of the river and there were about 500 hundred vehicles got stuck on both sides because of the disruption, creating immense suffering to the commuters.

On the other hand, at least eight people including woman were injured

as two speed boats mistakenly collided head on amid dense fog on the Mawa-Kawrakandi route under Shibchar upazila of Madaripur.

Of them, two people were admitted to Shibchar Pachor Royal Hospital.

Confirming the incident, Shibchar police station OC Abdus Sattar said although most of the passengers managed to swim ashore after the accident, they kept continued a search drive on the river. l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Nation

Monday, December 1, 2014

Digital exchange not operational in six years after inauguration n Our Correspondent, Chandpur Since its long six years of establishment, the digital exchange of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) in Kachua upazila of Chandpur has not yet come into operation. Existence of no cable network is cited as the main reason along with lack of manpower and necessary equipment. As a result, hundreds of people of the upazila are devoid of affordable modern day communication services.

During the 2008-2009 fiscal, BTCL constructed the digital exchange office at Sachar of Kachua spending about one crore Taka. The aim was to provide affordable phone call and internet services for the people of the upazila.

However, because of years of non-operation the office building has now turned into a den for drug addicts and miscreants. The newly built building is falling apart due to no maintenance.

Its equipment are also at risk of getting

damaged and stolen.

Traders at Sachar bazar said, the area was a business hub of upazila with branches of several private banks, government offices and various companies.

However, the business has been suffering as there is no land phone facility.

Businessman Abul Hasnat said: “Telecommunication is a prerequisite of the digital age. Mobile call rate is higher than that of the government.

Everyday I spend about Tk300 for mobile calls. If I could use the landline, the cost would have been much lower.”

Local people also expressed frustration over wasting government resources. “People are gradually turning towards online activities. Banks are also offering online service. If the digital exchange was operational, we could make overseas calls for a cheap rate,” they said.

Deputy Assistant Engineer Mohd Shajahan, the person in charge of the Sachar digital exchange, told the Dhaka

Tribune that he had been maintaining the equipment hoping that the centre would be inaugurated soon. “But now it’s not sure when it will be operational. Many of the equipment are getting damaged for not being in use,” he added. When asked why the centre was not inaugurated, he said it was a matter of the senior administration.

The digital exchange falls under the purview of the district Assistant Engineer Telecoms Azharul Hasan. When contacted, he said he did not know anything about the digital exchange since he had been newly appointed.

However, Comilla Divisional Engineer Abdullah Patwari said: “There is no cable network of BTCL here. And that is the reason why the digital exchange could not be operational. Without cable network, the exchange cannot provide any service.”

He could not answer when, and if it all, the digital exchange would be functional. l

3 to die for Newly married housewife abducting and killing schoolboy killed for dowry family members often tortured Rekha n Our Correspondent, Narsinghdi n Our Correspondent, Jessore for dowry.

A court yesterday sentenced three men to death for abduction and killing a schoolboy in Sadar upazila four years ago. The convicts are Monir Hossain and Alamgir Hossain of Brahmanbarhia, and Shambhu Shil of Narayanganj.

According to the prosecution, the convicts abducted Madhabdi SP Institution‘s grade-VIII student Shohagh on Feb 20, 2010 and demanded Tk2 million in ransom from his father. They killed Shohagh as the ransom was not paid within their given deadline. l

A young housewife was beaten to death allegedly by her husband and in-laws over a dowry-related feud at Kharki in Jessore district yesterday.

The deceased was identified as Rekha, 15, wife of Jahirul Islam. She was also the student of Tnagra Tila High School.

Locals said, Jahir had married Rekha, daughter of Abdus Salam of Jalkar village in Monirampur upazila on 19 November.

After their marriage, Jahir and his

Rekha’s father alleged Jahir and his family members beat up his daughter mercilessly in the dead of night, leaving her critically injured.

Later, she was sent to Jessore Hospital where doctors declared her dead.

SI Hemaet of Kotawali police station said police had arrested Manjurul and Monowar, brothers of Jahir.

OC Enamul Haque said everything could be said after getting autopsy report. l

Patients of Dadpur Union Health and Family Planning Welfare Centre in Noakhali are compelled to use a narrow pathway made of bamboo for lack of a bridge or road. The photo was taken yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Long Form

7

Monday, December 1, 2014

The economy of Hajj and Latif Siddique’s remarks

The Abraj Al Bait Towers being constructed on the site of the demolished Ottoman-era Ajyad Fortress, and towering over the Masjid al-Haram

S

n Zahid Newaz Khan

Arabian Gazette

acked minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui’s language was harsh. His statement is not acceptable to Muslims.

Although most of them just shrugged off as they believe there is a final judgment day, a section of people are out to take his head – if not today, obviously tomorrow or day after tomorrow.

The way Latif Siddiqui expressed his observations on Hajj economy was objectionable. But, discussions on economy of Hajj, one of the five pillars of the Islam, is nothing new.

The Hajj economy was portrayed in media time and again. It wasn’t just the western world that came up with such discussions. Even the Arab media wrote on the economy of Hajj. Bangladeshi media also did not lag behind.

Mentioning that Hajj is obligatory for Muslims who can afford, the Arabian Gazette wrote: “The word ‘afford’ is of prime importance – because the annual pilgrimage is of considerable expense. On average, it costs $6,000 (£3,700) for an individual to make the annual pilgrimage.”

“This means that the millions who come to Saudi Arabia each year contribute millions of dollars to the Saudi economy,” said the Arabian Gazette.

With the number of people coming to Mecca to perform Hajj increasing by the year, it said: “The high number of travelers have contributed to the development of the religious tourism industry within Saudi Arabia, which makes up to 3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).”

Revenues from Hajj and Umrah services in 2012 were recorded at more than SR 62 billion ($16.5 billion), up 10 percent from the 2011 figures.

“While most of the influx of capital is witnessed by Mecca and Medina, the benefits are also reaped by support services catering to the comfort and needs of those travelling for their Hajj and Umrah,” observed the Arabian Gazette.

‘The level of pampering offered by some of the hotels may jar with the ethos of sacrifice, simplicity and humility of Hajj but it is not a contradiction felt by the customers snapping up royal suites at $5,880 a night, eating gelato or milling around hangarlike lobbies of polished marble in their Hajj clothing of bedsheets, towels or burqas’

The BBC The BBC a few years back reported on Hajj saying “the annual occasion has become a lucrative business in recent years, proving a great financial asset to the economy of the oil-rich kingdom (Saudi Arabia).”

“Many pilgrims, however, struggle to reconcile their spiritual needs with their wallets,” it said citing experiences of pilgrims.

According to BBC, “the millions who come to Mecca every year bring billions of dollars to the Saudi economy … restaurants, travel agents, airlines and mobile phone companies all earn big bucks during the Hajj, and the government benefits in the form of taxes.”

The BBC quoted the Chamber of Commerce in Mecca that the 10-day event generated some $10bn (£6.2bn).

Its report said that the private sector maximises its returns during Hajj, with investment in real estate an attractive proposition ahead of the pilgrimage.

“The highest rents in Saudi Arabia are found in the holy city of Mecca, the birthplace of Islam,” said the report from few years back adding

“Owners of hotels close to the main mosque ask for $700 a night, blaming the skyrocketing prices of land for the sharp rise in rates.”

“I have been investing in this sector for 35 years. I remember when I first sold a metre of land in Mecca for just 15 rials ($3), now it has reached 80,000 rials ($22,000),” the BBC quoted Mohamed Saed al-Jahni, one of Mecca’s real estate tycoons.

It said: “Super-tall buildings are filling the Mecca skyline at an unstoppable pace. The ancient city’s centuries-old sites are giving way to glitzy luxury hotels, which are not affordable for many pilgrims.”

The BBC had another report with the headline “Is Mecca looking like Manhattan?” and it said: “Mecca is also now being compared to Manhattan with the pace of high-rise buildings that are dotting the skyline.”

“Luxury hotels are being built by the local authority to provide accommodation for the rich visitors that come to the city,” said the report mentioning that some Saudi archaeologists are angry that historical sites and buildings are being destroyed to make way for them.

According to the BBC, “Selling Mecca souvenirs is another very lucrative business during the Hajj … there are no official estimates for this profitable trade, but it is believed to bring hundreds of millions of dollars every year.”

Although those are called “blessed souvenirs,” BBC said: “The price of Mecca souvenirs is often eye-wateringly high and most of the products like prayer mats and beads are not made in the city, but rather in China.”

According to the Guardian, “Business reports conclude that Saudi tourism, especially the religious variety, is recession proof. The government’s commission for tourism and antiquities said revenue from tourism this year would reach $17.6bn, then almost double again by 2015. Business Monitor International forecasts there will be 319,000 rooms, up from 218,000 in 2009 in Saudi Arabia.”

It said: “All around the Grand Mosque and the Ka’bah, which are overshadowed by cranes and skyscrapers, construction continues at a frenzied pace. Mountains have been razed to make way for towers.... The mountains of Mecca – Omar, Kaabah, Khandama – will no longer exist. The Shamiya district has all but disappeared. From the terrace of al-Bait to street level there is a stench of machine oil and cement that mingles with the more familiar odours of Hajj – sweat, hardship and flipflops.”

Dhaka Tribune Not only the foreign media, at least one local newspaper wrote on the economic aspects of Hajj. The Dhaka Tribune in an article said: “In Bangladesh, a lot of people feel compelled to

WIKIMEDIA

Revenues from Hajj and Umrah services in 2012 were recorded at more than SR 62 billion ($16.5 billion), up 10 percent from the 2011 figures

go for performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Why? There are many social pressures that at first influence and later on force people to perform pilgrimage. There is this ‘Haji’ title-seeking competition – whoever goes to perform Hajj is later on called a Haji. Haji is a very respectable title for anyone in the community.”

“Then there is peer pressure. When someone from a similar social status goes for pilgrimage, other members psychologically feel that it is necessary for them to go as well. There are even incidences when people come and ask them to prepare for their Hajj, saying that it is high time they did it,” it said.

The article before Hajj in 2014 mentioned “a total of 101,758 Bangladeshi Hajis are expected to perform Hajj this year as the Saudi Arabian authorities

allowed Bangladesh to send pilgrims equivalent to this number.”

“If we calculate the total number then we will see that this year people of Bangladesh are going to spend over Tk1,605 crore or Tk3,009 crore or somewhere in between. In 2014, we have an approximately Tk61,346 crore budget deficit,” said the Tribune article.

May be the style of expression is different. But, what Latif Siddiqui said had been told by many people and the media before. Many of the reporters and writers are also Muslims.

Will all of them be brought under trial as in the case of Latif Siddiqui, whose head is now wanted by some people? l Zahid Newaz Khan is the news editor of Channel I.

The Guardian You can also go through the report of the Guardian with the headline “Mecca makeover: how the hajj has become big business for Saudi Arabia”.

Giving many examples, the respected world media said: “The level of pampering offered by some of the hotels – Asprey toiletries, 24-hour butler service, $270 chocolate selections – may jar with the ethos of sacrifice, simplicity and humility of Hajj but it is not a contradiction felt by the customers snapping up royal suites at $5,880 a night, eating gelato or milling around hangar-like lobbies of polished marble in their Hajj clothing of bedsheets, towels or burqas.”

Latif Siddique being taken to jail

SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

8

DHAKA TRIBUNE

World

Monday, December 1, 2014

Ferguson officer who shot Michael Brown resigns n AP, Ferguson, Mo

Cairo University students shout slogans against the government and light a flare after the verdict of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s trial, at the university’s campus in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo yesterday REUTERS

The Ferguson police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown has resigned, his attorney said Saturday, nearly four months after the confrontation between the white officer and unarmed black 18-year-old that ignited protests in the St. Louis suburb and across the nation.

Darren Wilson resigned effective immediately, said his attorney, Neil Bruntrager. He declined further immediate comment. Wilson had been on administrative leave since the Aug. 9 shooting, which promoted several days of tense and at times violent protests.

The Brown family attorney, Benjamin Crump, didn’t immediately return phone and email messages from The Associated Press.

Wilson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he was stepping down out of

his “own free will” after the police department told him it had received threats of violence if he remained an employee.

“I’m not willing to let someone else get hurt because of me,” said Wilson, who had been with the department for less than three years.

Some witnesses have said Brown had his hands up when Wilson shot him. Wilson told a grand jury that reviewed the case that he feared for his life when Brown hit him and reached for his gun.

The grand jury spent more than three months reviewing evidence before announcing Monday that it wouldn’t indict Wilson. The announcement ignited violent protests that resulted in at least a dozen commercial buildings destroyed by fire. Several other large but peaceful protests have since been held in Ferguson and across the country. l

Mubarak verdict fuels protests, mockery in Egypt

US-led strikes hit Islamic State ‘capital’

n Reuters, Cairo

A wave of US-led air strikes have struck at least 30 targets around the Syrian city of Raqa, the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic State group, a monitor said yesterday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes took place before midnight Saturday and hit 30 targets on the northern outskirts of Raqa.

They also hit Division 17, a Syrian army base the jihadist group captured earlier this year.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the strikes had caused casualties but there was no immediate toll.

“The strikes hit IS positions, and there are certainly casualties among their forces,” he said.

The waves of hits was one of the larger actions carried out by the coalition, Abdel Rahman added.

Protests erupted at universities across Egypt yesterday, condemning a court decision to drop criminal charges against Hosni Mubarak, the president whose ouster in the 2011 uprising raised hopes of a new era of political openness.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Cairo University, waving pictures of Mubarak behind bars and demanding the “fall of the regime,” the rallying cry of the Arab Spring uprisings that shook governments from Tunisia to the Gulf in 2011.

Police stood ready at the gates to bar students that sought to take their demonstration into the streets.

An Egyptian court on Saturday dropped its case against Mubarak over

the killing of protesters in the 2011 uprising that ended his 30-year rule.

The ruling was seen by activists as the latest sign that the rights won during the revolt are being eroded.

Two people were killed and nine were wounded on Saturday evening, when security forces fired tear gas and birdshot to disperse about 1,000 protesters who attempted to enter Tahrir Square – the symbolic heart of the revolt that ousted Mubarak.

Security forces closed a Cairo metro station, the state news agency said, an apparent effort to prevent gatherings downtown.

Clashes also erupted at Zagazig University in the Nile Delta, and the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper said 11 students were detained after setting

fire to a building.

Many Egyptians who lived through the rule of former airforce officer Mubarak view it as a period of autocracy and crony capitalism.

His overthrow led to Egypt’s first free election. But the winner, Mohamed Mursi, was ousted last year by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, another military officer who won a presidential vote in May. Egyptian authorities have since jailed Mursi and thousands of his Muslim Brotherhood supporters, sentencing hundreds to death in mass trials that drew international criticism.

By contrast, Mubarak-era figures have been released and new laws curtailing political freedoms have raised fears among activists that the old leadership is back. l

n AFP

“We can’t say it’s the largest set of raids they have carried out, but it’s been a long time since we’ve seen this number of targets hit,” he said.

The US-led coalition began carrying out air strikes against the Islamic State group on September 23.

The strikes have killed at least 963 people, including 838 IS jihadists and 72 members of Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front.

Another 52 civilians have also been killed, along with one Islamist rebel, according to the Observatory.

Syria’s regime has also continued to hit IS in Raqa, though its raids have regularly killed large numbers of civilians.

The Observatory said regime planes carried out one strike in Raqa on Saturday that killed at least seven civilians.

Regime raids on Raqa killed at least 95 people, over half of them civilians, the monitoring group said. l

French floods force more than 1,500 from homes n AFP

Colombia rebels free captured general n Agencies Colombia’s main rebel group has freed army General Ruben Dario Alzate, who was captured two weeks ago.

President Juan Manuel Santos tweeted the general and his two companions had been released by the FARC to the ICRC and representatives of Cuba and Norway and they were in good condition.

Officials are waiting for weather conditions to improve to fly them back from the location of the release.

Santos had suspended two-year-old talks with the rebels after the general, a captain and an attorney were seized in western Colombia on November 16.

The release of the general should revive peace talks between the rebels and Colombia’s government that are being held in Cuba.

Alzate was the first general to be taken by the rebel group in a half-century of fighting. l

IS jihadists sustain heavy losses in Kobane n AFP Jihadists from the Islamic State group battling for control of the Syrian border town Kobane have suffered some of their heaviest losses yet in 24 hours of clashes and US-led strikes.

At least 50 jihadists were killed in the embattled town, in suicide bomb attacks, clashes with Kobane’s Kurdish defenders and the air strikes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said yesterday.

The Britain-based monitor also reported that the US-led coalition battling the IS group hit at least 30 targets in and around Raqa, the jihadists’ de facto capital.

There were no immediate details of a toll in the Raqa strikes, which the Observatory said was one of the larger waves of raids by the coalition since it began its campaign in Syria in September. l

Swiss voters ‘reject immigration cap’ n Agencies

The worst flooding in southern France for more than a decade has forced more than 1,500 people to evacuate their homes, officials said yesterday.

“Between 800 and 1,000 people” were evacuating mid-Sunday from homes along the banks of the Agly river in the Pyrenees-Orientales region, the government office there said.

The flooding was considered already more serious than deadly overflows in 1999 and “we are evacuating residents within 200 meters (yards) of either side of the river,” the government said.

Another 391 people had already left their homes in Canet, Argeles-sur-Mer and Barcares, on the Mediterranean coast.

“I’m 42 and I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Kristel Gregori, who lives in Argeles, near the Massane, a stream which often dries up, but has turned into a 20-metre wide deluge inundating dozens of parked cars.

The river Berre had also flooded, reaching heights a metre above the level seen in flooding in 1999 that left 35 people dead and one missing in the region. About 250 people evacuated from Sigean, located in an area of low-lying land and lagoons just south of Narbonne. Southern France has been hit by weeks of successive storms and flooding. l

A photo shows the swollen river La Berre in the flooded city of Portel-des-Corbieres, southern France, following heavy rains yesterday

Bombings kill 7 in Baghdad n AP, Baghdad

‘Kurdish deal with Turkey within reach’

Iraqi officials say two separate bombings have killed seven people in the capital Baghdad.

Police officials say a bomb exploded yesterday near a small restaurant, killing four people and wounding nine others in northwestern Baghdad. A separate bomb blast near a wholesale fruit and grocery market killed three people and wounded 12 others in a southern Baghdad suburb. Medical officials confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Iraq sees near-daily bombings and other attacks mainly targeting Shiite neighborhoods, security forces and Sunnis allied with the government. l

n Reuters A settlement to end a three-decade insurgency by Kurdish militants in Turkey could be reached within months if the government puts in place legal guarantees for Kurdish rights, a jailed militant leader was quoted as saying yesterday.

The siege by Islamic State militants of the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani on the Turkish border has risked derailing Turkey’s fragile peace process with its own Kurds, who have accused Ankara of failing to protect their ethnic kin.

Around 40 people were killed when thousands of Kurds took to the streets in October, mostly in Turkey’s predom-

inantly Kurdish southeast, to demonstrate against what they saw as Ankara’s refusal to intervene in Kobani.

Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, nonetheless said agreement could be found within 4 to 5 months if Turkey showed it was serious, according to the pro-Kurdish HDP party, which visited him on his island prison.

“If all sides execute the process correctly, seriously and decisively, in maximum 4-5 months a major democratic solution can be achieved,” the HDP quoted Ocalan as saying in a statement, but warned that failure would deepen regional chaos. l

AFP

A clear majority of Swiss voters have in a referendum decided against drastically limiting immigration to the country.

According to initial projections, 74% of those participating in Sunday’s referendum voted “no” on limiting net immigration to fewer than 17,000 people a year.

The measure was one of three issues voters had to decide on, including bids to scrap special tax breaks for rich foreigners living but not working in Switzerland, and on forcing the central bank to increase its gold reserves, all of which were rejected according to the early results.

Those in favour of limiting immigration had argued that a curb would ease pressure on the country’s economy and environment. Those opposed said the curb would be bad for economy.

Just under one quarter of Switzerland’s eight million people were born abroad which, together with Australia, is the highest percentage in the world.

In order to gain access to the EU single market, Switzerland signed the bilateral Free Movement of Persons Agreement, opening its borders to EU migration.

While some local businesses complain that they would not be able to maintain their workforce if immigration was capped, Ecopop, the initiative behind the proposal, claim the cap is necessary to protect the ecology and quality of life in the country. l

Arab-Jewish school, symbol of Jerusalem co-existence, torched n Reuters Suspected Jewish extremists set fire to a classroom in an Arab-Jewish school in Jerusalem, police said yesterday, targeting a symbol of co-existence in a city on edge over a recent surge in violence.

The premises were empty late on Saturday when assailants torched a classroom used by first-graders at the Hand in Hand school, where Palestinian and Israeli children study together in Hebrew and Arabic.

“Death to Arabs” had been scrawled on a schoolyard wall.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld

said the slogan pointed to “nationalist motives,” a reference to suspected farright Jewish attackers.

More than 600 pupils attend Hand in Hand. From pre-school to high school, its student population is divided equally between Jews and Arabs.

There are four other such schools in the Hand to Hand network in Israel.

The smell of smoke still lingered in the air when children came to school yesterday, the first day of the working week in Israel. A police forensic team worked in the burnt classroom where charred books were scattered on the floor.

Tearful mothers dropped off their

children and about 150 people held a protest outside against the violence.

“We’re supporting each other, this just makes us stronger,” said Mimi Fkia, an Arab kindergarten teacher, as Vida, her Israeli counterpart, embraced her.

Violence in Jerusalem and other areas of Israel and the Palestinian Territories has surged in the past few months.

In July, a Palestinian youth was burned to death by Jewish attackers, allegedly in revenge for the killing of three Israeli teens by Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank in June. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Kabul police chief resigns after spate of attacks n Reuters

The police chief of Afghanistan’s capital quit yesterday, his spokesman said, following a third deadly Taliban attack in 10 days on foreign guest houses in Kabul.

Also yesterday, the charity whose guest house was targeted in the latest attack said three of its aid workers were killed by insurgents who used guns and explosives. Earlier, Kabul police said one foreigner and other Afghan died.

The statement on the website of the US-based Partnership in Academics and Development (PAD) did not give the nationalities of the three. A Western security official said they were South Africans.

Meanwhile, Kabul’s police spokesman declined to comment on the reason for the chief’s resignation.

“We can only confirm... he will not

continue his job as police chief anymore,” Hashmat Stanekzai said.

The Taliban and its militant allies have increased pressure on Kabul, which has seen a spike in deadly attacks on military and civilian targets.

Over the past 10 days, three compounds used by foreign organizations have been hit by armed attackers. In separate attacks in Kabul, two American soldiers, two British embassy workers and dozens of Afghan civilians have died.

The Taliban said on Saturday it had attacked the foreign guesthouse because it was a center of Christian faith.

This was the second time this year the Taliban targeted a group that it said had links to Christianity.

PAD, which supports education in Afghanistan, said it would continue its activities despite the attack.

The group could not be reached immediately for comment. l

Xi Jinping broadens diplomatic focus n Reuters China’s President Xi Jinping ratcheted down Beijing’s heated rhetoric and called on the government to expand its foreign policy agenda through cooperation and diplomacy.

China should “promote peaceful resolution of differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, and oppose the willful use of threat of force,” Xi said in a major policy address this weekend, according to a report by the official Xinhua News Agency late on Saturday.

“We have advocated the building of a new type of international relations underpinned by win-win cooperation,” Xi told a meeting of top leaders convened by the Communist Party to discuss foreign policy. China championed “a new vision featuring common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.”

Xi’s remarks are the latest indication that China is adopting more conciliatory foreign policy tactics and addressing fears its economic growth will inevitably spawn a more muscular

diplomatic and military approach.

Earlier this month, China attempted to mollify relations with Vietnam, the Philippines and the US during the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which was hosted in Beijing.

China also has promised more than $120bn since May to Africa, Southeast Asia and Central Asia, including a $40-billion New Silk Road fund and a $50-billion Beijing-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

“We should increase China’s soft power, give a good Chinese narrative, and better communicate China’s message to the world,” Xi said.

China also should “firmly uphold” its “territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interest and national unity,” Xi said.

Beijing in recent months has adopted an activist approach to securing its claims to areas of the South China Sea. Last week, China’s foreign ministry hit back at “irresponsible remarks” from the United States, which has called on Beijing to stop a land reclamation project in the disputed Spratly Islands. l

World

Monday, December 1, 2014

‘Saradha scam money used to fund Burdwan blast’ n Agencies BJP president Amit Shah yesterday questioned the role of TMC government in Saradha chit fund scam and asked why chief minister Mamata Banerjee is protecting those accused in the ponzi scheme.

Shah, who was addressing a large rally outside Victoria Hall in Kolkata, said, “TMC MPs protest against black money in Parliament, I want to ask Didi whether Saradha chit fund money is black or white?”

Attacking the Mamata government relentlessly on the Saradha scam, Shah added, “Didi says CBI has framed TMC leaders, I challenge her to say that those interrogated by CBI are innocent.”

Shah asked if Mamata has any responsibility towards the poor depositors whose money was lost in the chit fund scam. “It is clear that Trinamool leaders are involved in the chit fund scam.”

“Why did you close down the Shyamal Sen commission? You are now trying to save those who were involved in chit fund scam,” Shah said.

Amit Shah continued his attack on the Mamata government and accused them of trying to shield the terrorists involved in the Burdwan blast. “TMC leaders are involved in this blast” “Saradha chit fund’s money was used in this blast, CBI is investigating this matter,” Shah said.

Accusing the Mamata government of protecting illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, Shah said, “The people of West Bengal have elected you CM, not the infiltrators from Bangladesh. Stop giving them protection.”

The BJP president said that the

Indian national president of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Amit Shah greets party activists as he arrives for a party meeting in Kolkata yesterday. BJP activists attended a rally called by the state BJP unit to discuss various issues AFP government has failed the people of Bengal, “People had voted for the Trinamool Congress with a lot of hope. But after 3 years, Bengal is still the same,” Shah said.

Exhorting Narendra Modi’s call for a “Trinamool-free Bengal,” Shah said that the countdown for the exit

Japan again delays launch of asteroid probe n AFP Japan yesterday delayed the launch of a space probe designed to mine an asteroid for a second time due to bad weather.

The blast-off of Hayabusa2 was now pushed back by two days to 1:22 pm (0422 GMT) on Wednesday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said.

The agency said it decided on the second postponement due to fears of strong winds, and warned that the launch could be delayed further depending on the weather.

JAXA had originally planned to launch Hayabusa2 yesterday, but delayed it to Monday due to a forecast of thick cloud and then announced the latest postponement. l

of the Mamata Banerjee government has begun.

Amit Shah said that the people of Bengal need a strong leadership and urged them to support BJP and turn Bengal into the no. 1 state of the country.

“If you want to bring development

Taiwan president’s party post at risk n Reuters, Taipei

Pressure is building for Taiwan’s president to step down as chief of the island’s China-friendly ruling party after an unprecedented election battering by the opposition threw into doubt efforts to build closer ties with the giant neighbor.

With presidential elections due within two years, President Ma Yingjeou is unlikely to be able to push forward stalled trade talks with China, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province to be taken back by force, if necessary.

Giving up the party chairman’s role as a gesture to take responsibility for the election losses, as some within the party are demanding, does not require Ma to relinquish the presidency, how-

ever. Ma is serving his second, and final, four-year term as president, which ends in 2016.

The beating Ma’s Kuomintang (KMT) party took at Saturday’s local elections shows that its strategy built with Beijing, to pull the island closer using economic ties, is failing, said Nicholas Consonery, of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group.

“It is quite negative for Taiwan-China relations,” said Consonery, a director of the US-based body, referring to the election result, which prompted the resignation of the premier.

Within hours of the poll results, barbed wire was hastily run atop the metal gates protecting the Kuomintang’s headquarters in the capital, Taipei, as a smattering of protesters gathered outside, shouting

“Ma, step down!”

Inside, Ma bowed deeply before cameras and apologized for the loss.

The protest petered out quickly, but the negative sentiment has been growing for some time.

In March, thousands of young Taiwanese occupied parliament in a demonstration, dubbed the Sunflower movement, against a planned trade pact calling for closer ties with Beijing.

China is Taiwan’s largest trading partner, and has preferred to deal with the party of Chiang Kai-shek that retreated to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war in 1949.

The alternative is the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which advocates independence for Taiwan. l

to West Bengal, you must completely uproot TMC in the upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls,” he said.

Amit Shah’s much-hyped rally was finally given a green signal by the Calcutta HC on Friday after going through hurdles from the Kolkata Municipal Commission and the fire department. l

UP: Bride’s family hacks couple to death for marrying outside religion n Agencies Two months after a young couple got married secretly, the boy was chased down a street and his throat slit by the girl’s brother on Saturday in a UP village barely 75km from Delhi. His bride met the same fate when she rushed to his rescue.

Neighbours Sonu Kumar and Danista, both around 20, eloped Friday night after a panchayat in Fatehpur village, close to Ghaziabad, ordered them to separate. The girl’s family was against the union on grounds of religion. Sonu claimed the two had had a court marriage two months ago. l

Thai prince revokes wife’s royally-assigned family name

Bahrain: 14 Shiite candidates win seats n AP, Bahrain Fourteen Shiite candidates have won seats in Bahraini parliamentary elections that were boycotted by the country’s Shiite-dominated opposition.

Among the winners in the election results released Sunday were three women. The results follow runoff elections Saturday for the 40-seat lower house of parliament in the tiny Gulf island nation.

The elections were the country’s first full parliamentary elections since widespread Arab Spring-inspired protests led by the country’s Shiite majority erupted in February 2011.

Bahrain is a Sunni Muslim-ruled Western ally that hosts the US Navy’s 5th Fleet and is part of the US-led coalition striking the Islamic State group.

It continues to face street clashes and other low-level unrest as Shiites press for greater political freedoms. l

9

n Reuters

King Bhumibol Adulyadej with his son and heir, Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, and Queen Sirikit

AFP

Thailand’s crown prince has revoked the royally-assigned family name of his wife, following the arrest of several of her relatives in a high-profile corruption case.

News about the monarchy is heavily filtered by the palace, and under the lèse-majesté laws, the world’s harshest, anything deemed an insult or a threat to the monarchy is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

The office of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, 62, issued a statement on Friday ordering the Interior Ministry to strip the family of Princess Srirasmi, 42, of the royal-appointed surname Akharaphongpreecha.

“Individuals using the royal-appointed last name must change back to their old family name,” the office said

in the statement.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is the first in line for the Thai throne. His father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is widely revered by Thais, is 86.

The Thai monarchy can bestow honorary names to families in return for service under a 1915 law.

Three people with the Akharaphongpreecha name were among 19 arrested in a crackdown on alleged police corruption this month in raids that netted tens of millions of dollars in assets.

Among those arrested was Police Lieutenant General Pongpat Chayaphan, a former head of Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau. Pongpat and several others were also charged for allegedly citing the monarchy for personal benefit. l

Myanmar’s Rohingya face hunger and death on brutal sea exodus n AFP Bibijan Rahimullah stepped aboard a small boat in Myanmar in October for what she was told would be a week-long journey to Malaysia to escape violence and discrimination afflicting her Rohingya ethnic group.

Instead, she and her three young children endured a harrowing, month-long odyssey by sea and land, packed “like sardines” on a series of vessels and watched several fellow migrants die or be beaten to death, their bodies tossed into the sea like garbage.

“I didn’t expect the tragedy we faced on the way to come here. If I had known, I would never have come. I would rather die in my home,” said Bibijan, 27, during an interview in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur.

Muslim Rohingya – labelled by the United Nations as one of the world’s most persecuted minorities – have for years braved the dangerous passage down the Andaman Sea and Thai coast to Malaysia.

They flee discrimination and repression in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, where authorities view the roughly 1.3 million Rohingya as foreigners, denying most of them citizenship and placing restrictions on their movement, marriages and economic opportunities.

But the flow has accelerated into a growing exodus two years after deadly clashes erupted between Buddhists and Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, activists said.

Chris Lewa of Rohingya rights group Arakan Project, which monitors departures, said an estimated 19,000 have fled since early October.

The exodus comes partly as conditions deteriorate in squalid Rakhine camps where roughly 140,000 people, mostly Rohingya, live after being displaced by the violence.

Increasing numbers of women and children are risking a journey previously taken mostly by men, activist said.

Bibijan, her five-year-old son and daughters aged two and three, left their home in northwestern Rakhine to join her husband, who fled to Malaysia two years earlier.

She paid people-smugglers $2,500, some of it borrowed.

A small boat packed with dozens of people took them down a river to a ship anchored at sea, where they waited several days in cramped conditions as hundreds were brought aboard, leaving space only to sit.

“It was very crowded. People became like fish, like sardines,” said Bibijan.

Wracked by sea-sickness, she would pass out between bouts of vomiting.

Women were fed twice daily, a meagre meal of rice and three dried chillies, and some water. Men ate once, or not at all. “(The men) became very weak. When they asked for more food, they were beaten with rifle butts and iron rods,” Bibijan said, her big, fearful black eyes peering out under a black Muslim headscarf as her

children clung to her.

About a dozen people died at sea, some beaten to death by smugglers, others succumbing to hunger, dehydration or illness, said Bibijan, who saw corpses thrown overboard.

Activists said larger ships were being used to accommodate growing numbers, and accuse authorities in Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand of looking the other way or profiting from the illegal people-smuggling.

Once, Myanmar authorities boarded, shining torch lights into the faces of Bibijan’s terrified family. They let the boat proceed.

Rohingya activists allege a coordinated campaign to chase the group from Myanmar.

“They want to drive all the Rohingya out of the country,” said Saifullah Muhammad, a Rohingya activist in Kuala Lumpur, adding that Rohingya smugglers were aggressively soliciting new passengers in a drive for profit.

The United Nations in November passed a resolution urging Myanmar to allow equal access to citizenship for Rohingya.

But President Thein Sein last week dismissed the allegations that Rohingya were fleeing abuses as “media exaggeration.”

Near the Thai coast, Bibijan’s cohort was shifted to another vessel and forced to wait at sea for a number of days as still more human cargo was brought in, including Rohingya and migrants from impoverished Bangladesh.

After nearly a month at sea, they finally set foot in Thailand, walking through jungle for several hours to a makeshift camp where discipline was enforced with beatings.

“They didn’t do anything to us. But we heard women are being harassed. I myself saw (women being taken away). They use women like slaves. At night they are taken one by one (and abused). We were scared,” Bibijan said. l

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Monday, December 1, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Live music matters

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

T

he success and popularity of the Bengal Foundation Classical Music Festival at the Bangladesh Army Stadium this week, is great proof of how widely music is appreciated in our country.

Its high profile provides a sharp reminder of how sorely the country lacks venues exclusively designed and built for live musical performances.

Music is a significant part of many peoples’ daily and family lives. It is enjoyed and experienced across all walks of life, from a rickshaw puller’s humming of a tune to their passengers’ sporting of headphones during their daily commute.

It is a matter of great regret that so little is being done to cultivate venues for live performances. Existing venues often charge hefty entry fees which exclude most citizens and do little to encourage fresh talents.

Performers and audiences alike need more accessible platforms and encouragement to allow musicians to develop and thrive.

The government should facilitate the development of new spaces for live music performances, from amphitheatres to small-scale music clubs.

It should also promote the virtues of music to children by introducing comprehensive music classes in all public schools. These should not be limited to singing lessons but also include options for learning different instruments.

As the most organic form of art, music strikes many chords and is important for our cultural industries. The popularity of music festivals shows that we have the audience available. We need more initiative and imagination to nurture our talents, both old and new.

www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

Develop new talent and bigger audiences for musicians

Educate to protect

B

angladesh has been fortunate in being able to maintain a relatively low prevalence of HIV infection.

Awareness and health education programs under the National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Program have played a key role in preventing HIV from spreading within most-at-risk populations.

By discouraging the use of shared needles among addicts and highlighting the importance of safe sexual practices, this is believed to have kept the total number of infected individuals under 15,000.

It is important to keep up these efforts in order to strive towards the World Aids Day target of ensuring no new patients are infected. As a nation that still spends far below the World Health Organisation target of 5% of GDP on the health sector, we cannot afford to see past successes squandered by ignorance or unwillingness to face the facts about serious health risks.

With our young population and growing trade and migration, health professionals need to keep renewing efforts with educational, community, and religious organisations to improve education on health issues.

In the last 40 years, Bangladesh has been relatively successful in increasing life expectancy and ensuring high rates of immunisation and treatment coverage. With a the essential drugs policy helping to create a thriving and efficient pharmaceutical industry, there is much sound progress to build on.

However, the government cannot afford to be complacent. The country faces both the healthcare challenges of poverty, such as malnutrition and an obesity epidemic caused by growing wealth.

Prevention is always preferable and cheaper. We must continue to improve education about all types of health risks.

Improve education on health issues, prevention is always preferable

Us and them November 16

stay scared and cocooned in our houses and cars, living a good life, and not changing a thing.

I may be too pessimistic but I don’t see a road map for change any time soon. But this is a good discussion to start, hope it’s not finished here.

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 14 represents T so fill T every time the figure 14 appears.

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

Some letters of the alphabet may not be used.

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

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Rubaiya Rahat: We can start by not using words like “class.”

Seira An excellent read. With thinking like this, can we hope to bridge this gap?

Anan Meem This is beautiful!

Rahat But which side makes the change? Do the lower classes try to come up or do we go down?

Personally, I agree wholeheartedly with the writer but I’m sceptical of the steps forward. I see no real reason for the privileged to come down from their high ladder, except for some feel-good philanthropy or volunteerism. I don’t see the rich opting to take public transport, or live in less privileged zip codes, or give up their generator, their elevator, or worse of all their maids! And who would want to? How many times have I heard my friends say, “the world is so small,” when we run into a friend-of-a-friendwho-also-studied-with-my-cousin at a random event? I’ve wondered, do they even realise how small *their* world is? That the elite bubble we move in, of privileged people in privileged schools in privileged neighbourhoods going out to a privileged café for a frappé in their private privileged cars, is less than 1% of our country?

We are the super rich, similar to foreigners of international NGOs discussing poverty-alleviation and women empowerment over shrimp cocktails from our vantage point in 5-star hotels. Except we do it on an English newspaper that is pretty much exclusively read online. We don’t know reality.

We’re foreigners in our own land, and more importantly we don’t want to. We would rather

PM orders quick action against campus culprits November 24

PR Yet another time, the Awami League leader expresses frustration over Chhatra League activities, publicly, for a mysterious reason.

Rahat Rubaiya: But it IS “class.” Ignoring it or using euphemisms will not change the fact that this is what it is: The system of ordering a society in which people are divided into sets based on perceived *social* or economic status. It’s more than simply rich and poor. Because, unlike much of the Western world, there are barriers and strict divisions in our system; in terms of education (private vs public vs uneducated), employment (skilled office-goers vs factory workers vs those who work for us, our maids and drivers), marriage (it’s unlikely you will even consider marrying those from a lower class), language (fluent English vs Bangla) and any kind of social event (Hay Festival vs local mela, and even if we go to the same cricket matches, we try to avoid the cheaper seats).

I’m not saying social stratification is a good thing. But it is there. And I do believe if we are to discuss the issue, we should use the terminology that is most applicable. If you don’t agree maybe you could suggest something else?

Also, I merely used the language the writer used. She said “privileged class” a few times.

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.

Mo In my infrequent visits to Bangladesh, I have noticed similar observations made by the author and I think it is high time we discuss the inequality.

Al Mahmood Mind boggling! I love how you presented it like a case. I second the fact that our own selfish attitudes, tastes, choices, just because we are capable of doing so, brought us down to this situation. I am looking forward to reading your future writings. Cheers.

Celebrating the power of tolerance November 16

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Pretended (4) 4 That time (4) 8 Mingle (3) 9 Drink (4) 10 Golf club (4) 11 Multitude (5) 12 Flying toy (4) 14 Spoil (3) 15 Mineral spring (3) 17 Plant juice (3) 19 Fate (3) 21 Burden (4) 23 Bring into line (5) 26 Part of a church (4) 27 Flank (4) 28 Lubricant (3) 29 Slender support (4) 30 Yield (4)

DOWN 1 Moves (6) 2 In a frenzy (4) 3 Musical note (5) 4 Numeral (3) 5 Employs (5) 6 Finish (3) 7 Born (3) 11 Bird (5) 13 Hooked claw (5) 16 Stick (6) 18 Company of lions (5) 20 Garment (5) 22 Auction (4) 23 Donkey (3) 24 Ignited (3) 25 Precious stone (3)

Evil People Politics Tolerance is something we should all try and practice in our everyday lives.

RS Yes, tolerance is indeed needed in every society.

Policeman aids jaywalkers!

CALVIN AND HOBBES

November 25

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

PEANUTS

Ashraful Islam Siam “A policeman, who is supposed to prevent pedestrians from jaywalking, appears to be helping two girls cross over a divider on a busy road in the Sahnir Akhra area in the capital.”

If there is no foot over-bridge, will people cross the road by flying?!

CROSSWORD

Su Per Mind At least the policeman is true, and is doing his job.

Sheikh Jinat Mahmid I don’t think the police officer is guilty. At least he was helping to keep them safe.

Abdul Moonim Biswas I would like to know the reason behind him helping the girls.

Ashiq Rahman Be careful! And please don’t do this again. I used to cross the road this way before, many times. Never again will I do so.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

11

Monday, December 1, 2014

A social kind of business n Mamun Rashid

M

Towheed Feroze is a journalist currently working in the development sector.

y well-wishers in the cabinet, as well as senior bureaucrats, often tell me that I should not have been so vocal in my support of Professor Muhammad Yunus.

A distinguished adviser to the honourable prime minister felt that unbiased and professional studies undertaken in our universities would obviously reveal the inefficacy of microfinance as a sustainable tool for the eradication of poverty. If necessary, he was ready to manage some funding too.

I was unsure when I was invited to attend the 6th Global Social Business Summit being held in Mexico City. I was only able to make a decision at the last moment, hence everything was jeopardised regarding travel and accommodations.

It was a cumbersome journey from Dhaka to Mexico City, beginning at the earliest hours and ending in the wee hours of the night.

When I arrived the next morning, on November 27, the only word I could utter was “wow.” 750 people, social entrepreneurs to be precise, who believe in the philosophy of “social business” as a modern tool for creating synergy at the bottom of the pyramid, assembled in Mexico City’s Expo Bancomer, to listen to, review, and possibly reiterate the social business model as an efficient tool for employment-generation for innovative and creative people.

Young, energetic, and creative people from 60 countries had assembled to vow to take the world forward, turn the youths not into job-seekers, but job-givers.

Banamex (the local subsidiary of Citigroup), Cemex (a leading cement company), the economy minister of Mexico, finance secretary of Mexico City, CEO of Danone from France, Germany's Grameen Creative Lab, many vice chancellors and professors from Canada, Australia, Germany, and Scotland who have been housed in either the Yunus Center or its Social Business Lab, and of course many vibrant, forward-looking young men and women all vowed to make this world more liveable, tolerant, and wealthy with distributive justice through their innovation and creativity.

Hans Reitz, Enrique Rocha Jacob, Alejandro Peñaloza Garza, Nathalie von Siemens, Kerry Kennedy, and many other famous individuals who were already known for championing Yunus’s “social business” model, expressed their commitment in taking this forward.

Social Business is an emerging concept that Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus developed, telling us that “job” is to be a right for the youth in this world. Professor Yunus came up with this tool to have “unemployment be unemployed” in this world.

He believes the corporate bigwigs should come forward to allocate a small portion of their created wealth or profit for being invested for the creation of socially responsible

shape while civil rights are at their worst.

A nation which had paid such a high price for its independence in 1971, is losing hope of building a pluralist democratic country, thanks to a horribly unsophisticated leadership.

intellectuals with allegiance to the AL, are waiting for improvement or changes that they assume will take place automatically.

They are perhaps unwilling to play a critical role. Presumably, as wellwishers of the regime should have

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Superstition ain't the way

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n Towheed Feroze

angladesh wants to be a mid-income state within seven years with strides in technology and progressive thinking, yet we still find news about people, driven by blind trust in so-called spiritual men, carrying out the most heinous of crimes.

Shockingly, one Nazmul Islam in Natore, a carpenter by trade and also the devotee of a so-called spiritual man, followed the instructions of the latter and went through a ritual that involved the drowning and killing of his three-year-old daughter plus the tearing of the Qu'ran. Reportedly, all this was done in order to get his hands on some hidden treasure.

Naturally, the news of the whole event leaves us shell-shocked, but this is not the first time people have carried out unpardonable acts upon the order of religious gurus and faqirs (wandering ascetics) in order to achieve material bliss of some sort.

The case of Nazmul actually opens up murkier layers within society, where logic/rationality and compassion become secondary to avarice – unquestionably, the picture is a sad indictment to a toxic philosophy based fully on greed.

Not too long ago, there was another similar episode where a woman killed her child because she allegedly was ordered to do so by some divine apparition. When asked by the police, the woman simply replied that in her dream, the holy man had expressed concern over her daughter, whom he believed would grow up to create great harm to mankind and, therefore, the best course was to strangulate her to death.

Thinking of similar events, I find

that we have had at least one macabre incident of infant killing associated with a spiritual guru every other year.

If some poor soul was not killed then, in the name of discipline, children have regularly been subjected to inhumane torture. The disconcerting thing is, investigations of such crimes have always revealed that the main mastermind behind the abominable treatments was a person claiming to possess supernatural powers.

Now, setting aside the indoctrination of the common man, there is another issue – the desperation of someone to acquire wealth, whatever the cost. This killing of a baby girl for some ethereal road map to seek out hidden treasure is but a reflection of the festering scourge of rapacity on which our current credo seems to be based. Money at all costs.

Just digressing a bit here. A relative of mine recently found himself impli-

The demands made by such shamans (or charlatans) take diabolical turns in the rural areas, where superstition runs deep

To be honest, in Bangladesh, the religion sub-culture is a formidable force.

In the main cities, a large number of educated people are avowed disciples of some holy man, and their trust in their spiritual leader is such that, in his name, they are capable of doing almost anything.

That means crossing the moral line is hardly ever an issue. All scruples are set aside because some baba or pir has asked for five goats to be slaughtered at first daybreak, followed by two days of fasting.

The demands made by such shamans (or charlatans) take diabolical turns in the rural areas, where superstition runs deep. Here, rituals mean going to the extremes, which our Nazmul did.

cated in a fabricated court case and, trying to come out of it, has learnt one valuable lesson – unless one can bribe the right amount, there’s no way to get out of a legal web. Wherever he went, the message was simple – give money, otherwise rot in hell. They do say, when in Rome ...

When social thinking revolves around one thing only, irrespective of its provenance, there’s bound to be exploitation to the limit. Of course, Nazmul needs to be punished, but the main instigator is the spiritual leader who had slowly poisoned the mind of another.

The problem is, in rural Bangladesh, there are countless such holy men going around with the false appearance of austerity and an expert tongue.

They recite lines after lines from the holy books when needed, swiftly change their label from a devout Salafi to the vocal proponent of liberal Sufi creed, and in the midst of humanists, shed all faith based beliefs to emerge as the die-hard exponent of pacifism and harmonious co-existence.

Some of them have an extensive quackery as their side business, handing out so-called medicine made from recipes attained through dreams.

So, when sleeping, they get ideas for certain elixirs to treat everything from the common cold to cancer, while one of their major operations is dealing with rural women allegedly possessed by evil spirits.

The most common treatment is known to all – tie up the woman and beat her up so that the spirit possessing her leaves. They assert it is exorcism, I say it’s sadomasochism carried out with a distorted religious rationale.

Rural communities often seem impervious to reasoning, which is again due to keeping religion suspended in parochial understanding dating to days long gone. For the time being, we lament the unfortunate death of the baby and demand punishment for the demon of a father.

But the core problem will live on.

People will still head for the strategically placed forest refuge of the semi-naked faqir and, overawed by the swirl of smoke emanating from a wooden bowl and the hypnotic chanting, lose the power to think.

Remember what Votaire said: “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” l

enterprises which can generate employment for the enterprising and creative youth, and let them enjoy the success of their creative thinking through the entrepreneurship route.

The world seems to be rising again with the help of social business, creativity, and innovation

At the end of the day, the bigwigs can take away their equity invested in the new business, but not the profit or the dividend. The profit or dividend will be recycled to create more businesses, more enterprises, more young entrepreneurs, and most importantly, more employment.

The summit demonstrated the many successes of this model through the youths in Columbia, Haiti, Paraguay, Malaysia, Germany, Kenya, and Bangladesh. In the focus group discussions, we got to hear from the youths in Russia, Egypt, Malaysia, and many other countries opting for the social business route to foster youth entrepreneurship.

Though, for obvious reasons, I was part asleep and part awake, I watched, with much amazement, the musical show which was put on by the team from Paraguay, playing with recycled orchestra instruments made out of garbage. When the young anchor was telling the crowd “the world sends us garbage, we give them music,” I was left near speechless.

The summit did talk a lot about regenerating social GDP, provoking required changes in the community, social cooperatives, sharing the power of ideas, seed-funding start-ups, and most importantly, about how “failure is a great teacher.”

Kerry Kennedy reminded us that “social business is not a transaction, it’s a transformation.” We had reasons to be enthralled when we got to hear about Canada’s McGill University offering a minor in “social business” at the undergraduate level, which too came up due to pressure from their students and researchers.

The world seems to be rising again with the help of social business, creativity, and innovation in order to make it a better place for our children. And bear in mind that it is our Muhammad Yunus who is making this happen.

The world is listening no more.

We are increasingly getting engaged in this drive towards a better future for all, especially the disadvantaged community. l Mamun Rashid is a business profesor and financial sector entrepreneur. He writes from Mexico City.

Are you too a beneficiary? n Khawaza Main Uddin

I

n an all-pervasive autocratic and corrupt system of governance, rulers bear certain qualities that are well-publicised to create an inflated image of their paramount leader.

“Gratitude” is an attribute which goes well, in a particular sense, with the protagonists of the Awami League regime. Those who have been benefitted during Premier Sheikh Hasina’s reign are thankfully singing her favourite songs.

So, whoever Hasina has bought or hired – as she said in parliament that all AL leaders, except herself, could be purchased – have not yet betrayed her to political risks, at least during this stint of the post-January 5 period, despite the stigma that comes with a lack of legitimacy.

The beneficiaries can’t afford to identify themselves as ungrateful either. They are rather vocal enough to give proof of the fact that whoever speaks loudly for her obviously got something from her government – be it a cabinet portfolio, a licence, a bank, a lucrative appointment, a prized posting, a piece of land in

Dhaka, a clearance certificate for talkshows, access to the administrative hierarchy, the right to plunder national resources, or immunity from criminal jurisdiction.

But it’s not understandable why some of the Awami intellectuals who are not party to the process of taking “halua-ruti” (undue benefits) overtly or covertly support immoral activities and positions taken by the government’s men.

Their only liability is: They belong to the Awami “gharana” (school of thought) in the highly divided society.

Is that the reason behind their silence on the corruption, extortion, bribery, violence, and excesses committed by others, even if their own moral positions get weakened?

There are two other gharanas, although those belonging to the political line of BNP are their immediate and formidable enemies. The third stream, which is a combination of left, right, and non-conformist intellectuals, is actually negligible to the AL camp.

However, the two other groups are advantageous at the moment, given the moral collapse of the Awami intellectuals after the January elections

and the day-to-day performance of the regime. In political debates – on TV, seminars, or newspaper pages – they are the obvious losers, both in argumentation and in popular rating.

Why don’t they show some selfrespect by distancing themselves from the evil designs of retaining power?

Abolishing the caretaker government system leading to a one-sided ballot was a decision made by the premier and AL chief alone. Party leaders, let alone intellectuals, had no say at all, and they don’t have any voice today in setting the political course.

The intellectuals too see what is happening, and can judge the fairness in most steps taken by the AL administration. Let’s not embarrass them by mentioning the big scams, but just a look at petty crimes and corruption being indulged everyday explains enough.

A man of conscience, even in the AL fold, can’t make a long enough list of righteous deeds committed by the government of these “like-minded” people. Education, public health, urbanisation, business and economy, administration, police, parliament, and politics – nothing is in proper

It’s not understandable why some of the Awami intellectuals support immoral activities and positions taken by the government’s men

Who is this country meant for – criminals or gentlemen? The former dominate almost all sectors, and the latter stay silent inside their living rooms.

Thus, corrupt people are out to replace the innocent ones from a civilised society once and for all by uprooting its norms and values.

Still, the gentlemen, including the

done, they haven’t conveyed their concerns to the top leadership.

It’s not difficult to read probable arguments in favour of such inaction – the premier, already accustomed to making crucial decisions unilaterally, would not welcome any advice from the Awami intellectuals.

That indicates a lack of relevance

of conscientious men and women to the ruling party, so the intellectuals have no political space to act there.

Critics would question why they are with political masters who neglect intellectual minds.

If they are really not part of the corrupt governance, they are free to point out the mistakes of the regime to have their conscience remain clear.

They have the option to propose a national dialogue to resolve not only the political crisis, but also diverse issues that have implications for future generations. They should spell out their thoughts even if Sheikh Hasina and her sycophants don’t listen to them.

The intellectuals can no longer be termed as conscientious people unless they are true to and are guided by their conscience in carrying out the historic responsibility bestowed upon them.

Their collaboration with the corrupt and isolated regime may eventually brand them as culprits in history, as has happened in many countries around the world. l Khawaza Main Uddin is Executive Editor at ICE Business Times.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Monday, December 1, 2014

13 Kiwis level

series despite Shafiq ton

14 10-man City

gun down Southampton

14 Atletico win,

Real set club winning record

Sport

Did you know?

Brendon McCullum has scored 969 Test runs in 2014, the most by a New Zealander in a calendar year

Experimental Tigers eye another Banglawash n Minhaz Uddin Khan

Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque (L) grapples Mominul Haque’s arm while playing football at SBNS yesterday

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Given their miserable form in the first 10 months of this year, Bangladesh could not have possibly thought that they would get to experiment against Zimbabwe in the ODI-leg of their ongoing bilateral series. However, the Tigers’ remarkable run of results in the 45-day long series at home against the Southern African nation has made it possible.

The hosts have won one match after another, be it Tests or ODIs, and having already clinched the one-day series in the third match last Wednesday, a window of opportunity opened up for the Tigers to tinker with their playing XI against their demoralised opponents.

And when the two teams take on each other in the fifth and final ODI today at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, the Tigers would like to end their bilateral series on a winning note, whichever side they choose to draft together.

There is also the small matter of a series sweep hanging in the balance with Bangladesh leading 4-0 going into the last ODI today.

Experimenting with the playing XI after winning a particular series is not

new in the cricketing arena. However, keeping next year’s ICC World Cup in consideration, the issue of experimentation has turned into an important one as this is the Tigers’ last series before the global showpiece event down under.

Both the home side and the visitors will be looking to test their bench strength.

Uncapped seamer-allrounder Soumya Sarker is being touted to replace Sabbir Rahman while another uncapped cricketer, Taijul Islam, might

PROBABLE XIs

Soumya Sarker (L) shakes hands with national selector Habibul Bashar yesterday

Bangladesh Open Chinese Taipei comeback thwarts International Badminton Sri Lanka in AHF Junior hockey n begins tomorrow Raihan Mahmood

n

Shishir Hoque

In the presence of top-ranked shuttlers from Asia alongside Croatia and Syria, the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh Open International Badminton Challenge 2014 will get underway at Shaheed Suhrawardi Indoor Stadium in Mirpur tomorrow.

The number of participants has decreased from 92 to 78 from the previous edition. The five-day long event will be graced by 46 male and 32 female participants from 11 countries. The participating countries are - Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Nepal, Maldives, Croatia, Syria, Turkey, Sri Lanka and hosts Bangladesh. The tournament will conclude on December 6.

A press conference was held yesterday at Bangladesh Olympic Association where the details of the event were revealed.

The event will have five categories - men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Yonex, a world renowned name in badminton and sports accessories, has stepped up once again as the title sponsor of the event. There are nine other

co-sponsors including Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Roxy Paints Limited, Exim Bank Limited and Qubee among others. The budget of the tournament is approximately Tk47,76,500 while the total prize money is Tk12,00,000.

Bangladesh Badminton Federation general secretary Jubaidur Rahman Rana termed the event as one of the biggest in the country and believes

Top-ranked Asian countries will take part, like Malaysia. So, Bangladesh’s chances are very slim Bangladesh will benefit from it. “There are top-ranked Asian countries taking part in the event like Malaysia. So, Bangladesh’s chances are very slim.

However, the players can boost their rankings by playing this international tournament.”

Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy will inaugurate the event as the chief guest.l

Chinese Taipei staged a remarkable comeback to begin their Men’s AHF Junior Cup hockey with a thrilling 4-3 win over Sri Lanka at Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Even though they fell behind twice, the Taipei players displayed superb temperament to eventually unsettle the Lankans.

Sri Lanka took the lead in the ninth minute after Buddika Peris powered his way through the right flank and paved the way for Kasun Ubesiri to flick the ball into the back of the net.

Taipei though equalised in the 18th minute off a combined attack. Chen Ming ran down the left flank and passed the ball to Wu Po who thumped it past Lankan goalkeeper Ruksan Chamalka.

The islanders, however, restored their lead in the 28th minute when Tanweer Hallaj flicked a Peris angular ball into the Taipei post.

Taipei bounced back to equalise again in the 40th minute and this time it came from a clinical Po finish from their third penalty corner.

Skipper Lu Yu put Chinese Taipei ahead in the 51st minute from their fourth penalty corner after Ming’s

Gobinathan looks up to challenges n Raihan Mahmood

Bangladesh’s new hockey coach, former Malaysian defender Gobinathan Krishnamurti, is looking forward to coping with the challenge and is determined to excel in the new frontier of his career.

The new head coach arrived in Dhaka yesterday and headed straight to the premier hockey venue of the country. There, the Malaysian coach showed considerable patience while facing the media. The hockey federation initially kept his arrival as a secret. Therefore, the curiosity of the media personnel knew no boundaries upon meeting the 37-year old.

Gobinathan said he is excited with the upcoming challenges. “Hockey is not

Bangladesh’s new hockey coach Gobinathan Krishnamurti (L) in conversation with Bangladesh Hockey Federation vice president Abdus Sadeque yesterday COURTESY

new to me. I am not thinking about the complexity. I want to enjoy the new challenge and Bangladesh has talents. I just want to form a team that will play to win.”

Gobinathan played for Malaysia from 1997 to 2004 and started his coaching career from 2007. He was the head coach of the Malaysia Under-18 team and was also the assistant coach of the national side on two occasions. He has won the Johor Cup with the Malaysian U-21 team and took the national U-18 side to two runners-up finishes in the Asian U-18 hockey.

The coach said he will encounter no problems acclimatising to his new role as he already has a good idea on Bangladesh hockey. “I played against Bangladesh and have some idea. I saw the Bangladesh-Ma-

laysia match in the Asian Games. Bangladesh fought well but lost in the last quarter of the match. Therein lies the problem.

Modern hockey is all about keeping the same tempo. If you lose the tempo you suffer. I will have to work on it.”

Prior to arriving in Bangladesh, Gobinathan was in the Netherlands and the Malaysian coach informed that he was interested about the vacant post the moment he knew the hockey federation was looking for a new coach.

“I was in Amsterdam, Holland when I heard the news. I felt interested and thought that I would take the challenge. Overall, I like to take challenges and hockey coaching in not new to me.”

Gobinathan admitted that at the moment European hockey is in a very strong position. “Modern hockey means power and speed. The level of skill is not very much required in it.

Europe has blended it perfectly. I think Asian hockey can develop if they have the right strategy and play more against the stronger teams.”

The Malaysian coach revealed his coaching motto. “I will tell my players to be winners. Winning matters. It does not matter how you win but you win and you get recognised.” l

push and Ching Hsu’s stop. Lu’s direct hit gave Ruksan no chance whatsoever.

Hsu scored Taipei’s fourth in the 54th minute from a reverse hit off an angular Hunag Yi pass. Three minutes before the finish, Lankan captain Shahid Kuthupdeen reduced the margin

make it into the playing XI at the expense of either Abul Hasan or Rubel Hossain.

Zimbabwe on the other hand will be eyeing a consolation win to round off their disappointing tour. Solomon Mire’s consistent performances with both bat and ball have given the visitors a right good lift.

Alongside the new kid in the block, Zimbabwe will also look towards some of their veteran campaigners – skipper Elton Chigumbura, Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza et al – for inspiration.l

from a penalty corner.

Taipei coach Ling Ming Hsian lamented that his charges initially failed to adjust with the pitch that appeared a bit slow.

Sri Lankan skipper Shahid on the other hand termed tiredness as the cause of their downfall. l

Sri Lanka (L) and Chinese Taipei in action during the Men’s AHF Junior Cup hockey at Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium yesterday DHAKA TRIBUNE

Bangladesh Mashrafe bin Mortaza (C), Shakib al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim (WK), Sabbir Rahman/Soumya Sarker, Rubel Hossain, Abul Hasan/Taijul Islam, Jubair Hossain Zimbabawe Elton Chigumbura (C), Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Timycen Maruma/Sikandar Raza, Brendan Taylor, Regis Chakabva/Craig Ervine, Peter Moor, Solomon Mire, Tendai Chatara, Neville Madziva, Tafadzwa Kamungozi

Badal seeks answer over ‘unfair’ justice n Tribune Desk Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League champions Legends of Rupganj have officially protested at conspiracies against the side in the ongoing season of the premier 50-over tournament of the country.

Rupganj owner Lutfur Rahman Badal in a letter to the Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan complained that a “group” within cricket’s governing body in the country is working to tarnish the image of his team and is continuously being uncooperative.

Rupganj, who are currently second on the points table with 10 points from seven matches, questioned the quality of the umpires officiating matches in the tournament. Badal claimed the umpires “particularly” officiating matches of his team often give “unfair” decisions that are affecting the results.

Complaints against the cricket operations committee of the board was another issue Badal highlighted in his long list of conspiracies against his team Rupganj.

The Rupganj owner in the letter said his player - seamer-allrounder Abul Hasan was not allowed to play a game as he was called up for the national team, whereas spinner Taijul Islam, who got the national call-up along with Hasan on the same day, was allowed to play a game for his Premier League side Prime Bank. Badal asked for an explanation on the issue. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

QUICK BYTES

Israeli umpire dies after being hit by ball An umpire and former captain of Israel’s national cricket team died Saturday after being hit by a ball, just two days after the death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes due to a freak head injury left the sports world reeling. The Israel cricket association said Hillel Oscar died after being hit by a ball which had just been struck by a batsman. Oscar, 55, was officiating in a match in the southern port city of Ashdod. ICA chief Naor Gudker told AFP Saturday’s game was the last in the national league season. “We’re simply in shock,” he said from the hospital where Oscar was pronounced dead. “He was an international umpire. He officiated in European championships, he officiated in games in Israel: his future was ahead of him,” Gudker said. “He was a player for the national Israeli team and he was captain of the national team.” Police said they were investigating his death.

–AFP

Sport

Hamilton believes they can end with a win, Mashrafe hints changes in the side n Mazhar Uddin

Banned Saudi player wins AFC award

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Deportivo fan killed in clash A Deportivo La Coruna supporter has died after he was injured when dozens of rival fans clashed near the stadium before the club’s La Liga match at Atletico Madrid on Sunday. The 43-year-old Depor fan, who was not identified by name, had to be fished out of the freezing Manzanares river near Atletico’s Calderon stadium and suffered cardiac arrest, hypothermia and head injuries, emergency services said. Hospital sources later said he had died shortly after 2 pm local time (1300 GMT) after failing to respond to efforts to revive him. Eleven other people were treated for mostly minor injuries, including one female police officer with a fractured hand. Twenty people were taken into custody and a total of 100 troublemakers had been identified, police said on their Twitter feed (@policia).

–Reuters

Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor (L) observes the determination in Sikandar Raza’s eyes during a practice session in Mirpur yesterday

n Mazhar Uddin High flying Legends of Rupganj slumped to their second consecutive defeat in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League after losing to Kalabagan Cricket Academy yesterday. Prime Bank jumped to the top of the points table after registering a comfortable win over Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club. Meanwhile, Prime Doleshwar enjoyed their fourth win of this campaign beating Mohammedan.

Legend Pele’s renal support removed

Paceman Umar Gul and batsman Younis Khan returned to Pakistan’s squads for next month’s Twenty20 and oneday series against New Zealand in United Arab Emirates, officials said Sunday.

The 30-year-old Gul had his career derailed by a knee operation last year and in his return early this year he failed to impresss.

Pakistan’s chief selector Moin Khan said Gul and Riaz’s return will bolster the squad for the two Twenty20 matches in Dubai on December 4 and 5.

The Twenty20 will be followed by five one-day internationals.

“Gul and Riaz are making comebacks from injury to make the pace attack more potent and I hope the squad will do well considering next year’s World Cup,” Khan said in a Pakistan Cricket Board release. Also returning to the one-day team is 37-year-old Younis who amassed 468 runs in the 2-0 win over Australia last month.

That came on the back of his controversial axing from the three-match oneday series against Australia in which Pa-

DAY’S WATCH BTV, Gazi TV 12:30PM Bangladesh v Zimbabwe 5th ODI

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Star Sports 1 2:00AM Italian Serie A Sampdoria v NApoli

Sony Six 08:29 AM NBA: Regular Season LA Lakers v Toronto

Bangladesh are in a position to tinker with the playing XI in the last of the five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe today and home side skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza admitted the fact and hinted a few changes in the line-up.

One could not even think of such a situation two months back as the Tigers suffered one defeat after another in the first 10 months of this year, but having shown a great amount of maturity and consistency against Zimbabwe throughout the series has actually given them the luxury to experiment keeping the World Cup in mind.

The hosts will take the field in Mirpur today looking to hand the visitors their fifth defeat in the limited overs format and Mashrafe believes making a few changes will not affect their target.

“There were changes in the previous match. It will only affect our performance when we think about it.

But we are bringing in capable players and they know their responsibilities so I am hoping for good things,” said Mashrafe during the pre-match conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.

However, the 31-year-old also admitted that it is difficult to judge a player from one or two games and the team think-tank is also not throwing away a player on the basis of his performance in the little opportunities they get.

The ‘Narail Express’ also did not forget to mention the opportunity to im-

Prime Bank climb to top, Rupganj lose again

Saudi striker Nasser Al Shamrani, who faces an eight-game ban for spitting and head butting an opponent in the final of the Asian Champions League earlier this month, was controversially named AFC Player of the Year on Sunday. Al Shamrani pipped Qatari playmaker Khalfan Ibrahim and United Arab Emirates defender Ismail Ahmed to the prize after scoring 10 goals in the AFC Champions League campaign this term.

However, the prizegiving came just hours after Yemen’s Hamid Al Shaibani, deputy chairman of the Asian Football Confederation’s disciplinary committee, revealed the striker would be banned for eight games to the waslnews media portal. The report said the ban, the least he could have received after being found guilty, is only for matches in the AFC Champions League, meaning he will be free to represent his country at the Asian Cup in January and his club Al Hilal in domestic competition.

–Reuters

Brazilian soccer legend Pele’s health continued to improve on Sunday, with doctors removing renal support temporarily to assess the evolution of a urinary tract infection. The 74-year-old three-time World Cup champion was put on kidney support treatment last week. In a statement, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein said the treatment would be suspended until Monday, when doctors would decide whether or not to reinstate it. The statement said that Pele, who is often called the greatest soccer player in history, was “lucid, talking”, and that his respiratory and blood readings were stable. Pele underwent surgery just over two weeks ago to remove kidney stones.

–Reuters

13

Monday, December 1, 2014

Rupganj v Kalabagan CA, BKSP 4

Rupganj, batting first, were bundled out for a paltry 194 with skipper Jahurul Islam scoring the highest 58 fol-

lowed by their foreign recruit Ashar Zaidi’s 55.

Mohammad Sharif was the pick of the bowlers for Kalabagan.

The right-arm medium pacer bagged 4 for 46 and was ably supported by leftarm spinner Bishwanath Haldar who took 3 for 35.

Openers Irfan Shukkur and Imtiaz Hossain’s half centuries made the chase easy for Kalabagan although they won it in the last over with seven wickets to spare.

Irfan made 80 off 121 balls with eight fours while Imtiaz departed for 64.

Sheikh Jamal DC v Prime Bank, BKSP 3

National fast bowler Taskin Ahmed,

Gul, Younis return in limited-over squad n AFP, Sharjah

kistan were white-washed last month.

Another paceman Wahab Riaz is also in both the squads after suffering a knee injury in the one-day series against Australia while opener Ahmed Shehzad returns after suffering a head injury in the first Test against New Zealand.

New Zealand beat Pakistan by an innings and 80 runs to level the three-match Test series in Sharjah on Sunday.l

who returned to cricket through this match after his long injury layoff, was the pick of the bowlers for Prime Bank who rode on the youngster’s 3 for 26 to restrict Jamal to just 205.

Opening batsman Myshukur Rahman, who initially left the field retired hurt on 17, remained unbeaten on 50 while Arafat Sunny also smashed a half century for Jamal.

Chasing the small target of 206, Prime Bank openers Shadman Islam (69) and Saikat Ali (68) ensured that they would reach the target without any trouble.

The win took Prime Bank to the top of the table with 12 points from seven matches.

Mohammedan v Doleshwar, Fatullah

Doleshwar clinched their fourth win of the league by successfully defending their 216/8 by 32 runs.

Mehedi Maruf scored the highest 56 off 68 balls with three fours and two sixes while English cricketer Dawid Malan made 45 for the batting side as Afghan leg-spinner Rahmat Shah bagged three wickets for Mohammedan.

In reply, Mohammedan kept losing wickets at regular intervals as Mohammad Mithun’s 48 was the highest in their 184. After scoring a handy 45 with the bat, Malan picked up 3 for 22 from his six overs with the ball while Delwar Hossain and Habibur Rahman took two wickets each for Doleshwar. l

n AFP, Sharjah New Zealand completed an innings and 80-run win over Pakistan in the third and final Test in Sharjah on Sunday, to level the three-match series 1-1.

Seamer Trent Boult took 4-38 and Mark Craig 3-109 which overshadowed Asad Shafiq’s career-best 137 as Pakistan were dismissed for 259 in their second innings in the fading light at Sharjah stadium.

The win was more praiseworthy in a week when New Zealand were left

grieving after Australian batsman Phillip Hughes’s tragic death on Thursday, the day when both teams abandoned second day’s play.

New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum admitted it was tough to play.

“It was definitely, really tough circumstances to play the Test,” said McCullum. “Our thoughts were elsewhere. Proud of the guys for sticking together.”

Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul Haq conceded the tragic news affected his team.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum (C), his Pakistani counterpart Misbah-ul-Haq (R) and officials hold the Test series trophy during a ceremony in Sharjah yesterday AFP

Spectacular Spieth wins Australian Open n Reuters, Sydney Rising American talent Jordan Spieth shot the round of his life for an eightunder-par 63 as his rivals laboured in the Sydney wind to claim his second professional title by six strokes at the Australian Open on Sunday.

The Texan, who shared second place on his U.S. Masters debut in April, fired eight birdies in a flawless final round to secure the Stonehaven Cup at 13-under 271 for the tournament at The Australian Golf Club.

The A$1.25 million ($1.06 million) tournament had been billed as a duel

BRIEF SCORES Rupganj v Kalabagan CA Rupganj 194 allout in 50 overs Jahurul 58, Zaidi 55; Sharif 4/46, Bishwanath 3/35 Kalabagan CA 195/7 in 49.1 overs Shukkur 80, Imtiaz 64; Shahid 2/31 Kalabagan CA won by three wickets

Sheikh Jamal v Prime Bank Sheikh Jamal 205 allout in 50 overs Myshukur 50*, Arafat 50; Taskin 3/26 Prime Bank 206/2 in 47.5 overs Shadman 69, Saikat 68 (retired hurt) Prime Bank won by eight wickets

Mohammedan v Prime Doleshwar Prime Doleshwar 216/8 in 50 overs Mehedi 56, Malan 45; Rahmat 3/38 Mohammedan 184 all out in 48.1 overs Mithun 48; Malan 3/22 Prime Doleshwar won by 32 runs

Kiwis level series despite Shafiq ton

PAKISTAN SQUADS

T20 Shahid Afridi (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Irfan, Owais Zia, Raza Hasan, Saad Nasim, Sarfraz Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz ODI Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Bilawal Bhatti, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Younis Khan, Zulfiqar Babar.

prove and said, “We have won games, so we have been consistent in that area.

But performance-wise, it has not happened. We have to improve in those areas. We are focusing on it in training.

We cannot collapse again, because it makes life difficult for us. We have to keep improving in those areas.”

Injury has been the biggest hurdle for the veteran fast bowler over the years and Mashrafe admitted of facing some difficulties while playing the fourth ODI. “If I am performing I should play all ODIs and T20s since I don’t play Test matches. It wouldn’t be an honest decision not to play ODIs if I am not fit. The last match was tough for me as there was just a day’s gap before the game.

After playing that game, I got a bit more confidence,” he added.

On the other hand, Zimbabwe are eyeing their only win in their 45-day stay in Bangladesh and according to Hamilton Masakadza they will take the positives from the last two games where they showed glimpses of a fightback.

“Yeah I think so, I think we got a few games where we have been really in.

We were outplayed in a couple of the games but in the other two we came up with something. We didn’t pull it through in the end. I think, yeah, the boys still have it in them,” said Masakadza.

The 31-year-old opening batsman informed that it requires a collective performance from both the batting and bowling department to clinch their first win of the dismal tour. l

between world number one Rory McIlroy and number three Adam Scott but 21-year-old Spieth stole the show with his stunning final round.

The world number 14 was the youngest Australian Open champion since Aaron Baddeley won his second title as a teenager in 2000 and the first American since Brad Faxon in 1993, when Spieth was just a few months old.

Australian Rod Pampling hit a 68 for second place, a shot better than compatriot Brad Rumford (70) in third with another local Greg Chalmers (71) in fourth on five-under. All three secured berths at next year’s British

Open at St Andrews.

Scott (71) was fifth on four under, while defending champion McIlroy, whose victory at the Royal Sydney last year provided a springboard for his stellar 2014, finished 15 shots off the pace in a share of 15th after a 72.

Starting the day in a three-way tie for the lead at five-under, Spieth quickly eased ahead of his rivals with his first birdie at the third.

After parring the fourth, he really put his foot on the gas and drained birdie putts of 10, five and 15 feet on the next three holes to open up a gap of four shots over the field. l

“After starting very well during the first day, whatever happened in the second day that was really difficult to concentrate. I was struggling to concentrate, it was really difficult to bat on and carry on.” l

PAKvNZ, DAY 4 Pakistan 1st innings 351 (Hafeez 197; M. Craig 7-94) New Zealand 1st innings (Overnight 637-8) 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 c and b Hafeez T. Southee c Talha b Shah I. Sodhi c Younis b Shah T. Boult not out Extras: (b2, lb7, nb6, w8) Total: (all out; 143.1 overs)

13 202 192 50 50 15 8 65 50 22 0 23 690

Bowling Talha 22-2-136-0 (6nb, 1w), Rahat 292-99-4 (2w), Babar 23-1-135-0, Shah 44.1-4-193-4, Hafeez 23-2-110-2 (5w), Ali 2-0-8-0 Pakistan 2nd innings Mohammad Hafeez c and b Craig 24 Shan Masood c Southee b Boult 4 Azhar Ali b Boult 6 Younis Khan lbw b Boult 0 Misbah-ul Haq c Watling b Craig 12 Asad Shafiq c Craig b Boult 137 Sarfraz Ahmed c Taylor b Sodhi 37 Yasir Shah lbw b Sodhi 10 Mohammad Talha lbw b Vettori 19 Rahat Ali c McCullum b Craig 6 Zulfiqar Babar not out 0 Extras: (lb2, 1nb, w1) 4 Total: (all out; 63.3 overs) 259 Bowling Boult 15-6-38-4, Southee 11-3-20-0 (1w), Craig 20.3-2-109-3, Vettori 5-2-80, Sodhi 12-0-82-2 New Zealand won by an innings and 80 runs, level series 1-1

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Monday, December 1, 2014

10-man City gun down Saints n Reuters, London

Manchester City’s Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure (2L) celebrates his goal with teammate Stevan Jovetic (L) of Montenegro during their English Premier League match against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, southern England yesterday REUTERS

Champions Manchester City climbed up to second in the Premier League table with an emphatic 3-0 victory over high-flying Southampton at St Mary’s on Sunday.

City felt they should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on Sergio Aguero in a goalless first half, but Yaya Toure put them in front at the start of the second period.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men when Eliaquim Mangala was sent off for a second bookable offence with 15 minutes remaining, but substitute Frank Lampard eased City’s nerves with a clinical strike before Gael Clichy added a third late on. Victory for City moved them above Southampton with 27 points from 13 games, while Southampton are a point behind.

City had the better of the early exchanges and were denied a clear penalty when Jose Fonte’s hefty challenge wiped Aguero out in the box. Incredibly the Argentine, making his 100th Premier League appearance, was booked for diving.

Southampton resisted the City pressure and the visitors had Joe Hart to thank for keeping the scores level when the England goalkeeper kept out Graziano Pelle’s miss-hit shot before de-

nying Steven Davis from the follow up.

Back came City once again though, and Stevan Jovetic fired a shot past Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster, only for defender Toby Alderweireld to clear the ball off the line.

Ivorian midfielder Toure, so often City’s go-to man on their way to the title last season, put his side in front after 51 minutes when his low shot from the edge of the area flicked off Saints de-

EPL

Southampton

0-3

On Saturday Sunderland

0-0

Wenger plays down fan protest n AFP, West Bromwich

Liverpool cannot keep relying on Gerrard only, says Rodgers

n AFP, Sunderland

Arsene Wenger insists he will ignore the critics after Arsenal fans again called for the Gunners’ boss to quit following Saturday’s 1-0 win at West Bromwich Albion.

Wenger has had to endure numerous demands for his resignation over the last two seasons as frustration mounts over his failure to lead Arsenal to a serious challenge for the Premier League title.

“I don’t comment on that. Do I need to say it again? I don’t comment on your question. The only thing we can do is let people talk. We live in a society of total opinion but we live off not what we say but what we do, and what we do is on the pitch,” Wenger said. l

n Reuters, London

Jose Mourinho admitted Chelsea suffered from a Champions League hangover as they were forced to settle for a point at Sunderland.

The Premier League leaders stretched their advantage at the top to seven points thanks to an uncompromising 0-0 draw at the Stadium of light, a 20th game unbeaten to start the season.

Mourinho sent out an unchanged line-up less than four days after the 5-0 romp at German side Schalke guaranteed their place in the knockout stages of European football’s top club competition.

But the Chelsea manager saw his side fade visibly in the final quarter of

Liverpool can no longer count on 34-year-old captain Steven Gerrard playing in every game, said manager Brendan Rodgers after the 1-0 win over Stoke City on Saturday.

The Anfield club marked the 16th anniversary of Gerrard’s debut by dropping the midfielder to the bench on the day they celebrated his achievements with a special commemorative programme.

“I told him yesterday he wasn’t playing, it was just to give him a rest,” Rodgers told Sky Sports television after 11thplaced Liverpool ended a run of three straight Premier League defeats.

“The reality is at this level with how

competitive the squad is, we can’t just be relying on Steven in every single game. We have lots of games in a short period of days so we’ve just made a few changes to freshen up the team.

“Steven has been a fantastic player and still is but at this stage of his career he can’t play every game. Steven is an incredible and absolutely phenomenal player and believe it or not an even better man,” added Rodgers.

“I wasn’t actually aware it was the 16th anniversary of his debut until I walked into the dressing room and saw the programme.”

One club man Gerrard, who has lifted one Champions League title, two FA Cups and three League Cups with

Chelsea

fender Alderweireld and past Forster.

When French defender Mangala received a second yellow for a foul on Shane Long it seemed Southampton had a lifeline but that was snatched away when Lampard ghosted through into space and buried his shot low into the corner after being picked out by James Milner.

Clichy hammered the final nail into Southampton’s coffin when he turned the ball home in the 88th minute.

It was Southampton’s first home defeat of the season and City’s first away win at the Saints since 2003. l

Mourinho laments Champions League fatigue their first of eight games in a hectic 34day period leading into 2015 that will play a big part in shaping the destiny of their season.

“Sunderland’s players will have watched our game on Tuesday at their homes, and they will have gone to bed at 11pm,” said Mourinho.

“We arrived at home from our game at 5am on Wednesday, and that’s something I don’t forget, so for this reason I praise my guys. They deserve their Christmas party, that’s for sure.

“We’re not happy with a point, but we have to be mature enough to realise that in this league, every match is difficult. I have no negative words for my players, because they tried everything.l

Man City

Toure 51, Lampard 80, Clichy 88

Liverpool, is still revered by the fans and his introduction in the 75th minute ignited the crowd and provided the momentum for a late push that yielded Glen Johnson’s winner.

The former England skipper was replaced as Liverpool captain by Jordan Henderson on Saturday and earlier this month the 24-year-old said his team mate was “the biggest influence on his career”.

“I watched him when I was younger and then to go and play and train with him every day was massive for me, and still is now,” Henderson explained.

Emre Can, a close-season recruit from Bayer Leverkusen, said: “He is the greatest captain the club have ever had, it’s as simple as that”. l

Atletico win, Real set club record with 16th consecutive victory n Reuters, Madrid Atletico Madrid climbed above Barcelona into second in La Liga when Saul Niguez and Arda Turan fired the champions to a 2-0 win at home to Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.

The match at the Calderon was overshadowed by a street battle between dozens of rival fans a few hours before kickoff in which emergency services said one Deportivo supporter had been critically injured.

Saul put Atletico ahead two minutes before halftime and Arda made it 2-0 10 minutes into the second half to lift Diego Simeone’s side to 29 points from 13 matches, four behind leaders Real Madrid.

Real Madrid secured a club record 16th straight victory when Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale struck in a laboured 2-1 win at Malaga on Saturday

Beckham and son unhurt in car crash n Reuters Retired English soccer star David Beckham and his teenage son Brooklyn were involved in a car crash outside Arsenal’s training ground in Hertfordshire, north of London, but did not suffer any injuries, according to a source close to Beckham.

“David and Brooklyn did not suffer any injuries and as I understand it both passengers in the other vehicle were unharmed. David and Brooklyn were shaken by the accident but thankfully OK,” added the source, who declined to be named.

The Telegraph newspaper said Beckham, 39, the former England captain, was picking up his 15-year-old son when his Audi RS6 was involved in a collision with another car but were saved by the deployment of the car’s airbags.

Brooklyn, who plays for Arsenal under-16s, had just finished a match against Brighton’s under-16s, the Telegraph said in its online edition. l

LA LIGA

Atletico Madrid

2-0

Deportivo

1-2

Athletic Bilbao

Saul 42, Turan 55

On Saturday Getafe Lafita 90+1

Espanyol

San Jose 36, Benat 90

2-1

Caicedo 19, Sergio Garcia 35

Malaga

1-2

Santa Cruz 90+2

Celta Vigo

Levante Morales 12

Real Madrid Benzema 18, Bale 83

0-1

Eibar Del Moral 30

that put them five points clear of second-placed Barcelona in La Liga.

Benzema diverted a Cristiano Ronaldo centre past goalkeeper Carlos Kameni in the 18th minute at the Rosaleda and Bale finished off a swift break, in

which Ronaldo was also involved, seven minutes from time.

Former Malaga midfielder Isco was dismissed in the 86th minute and the hosts pulled a goal back in stoppage time when Roque Santa Cruz nodded past Iker Casillas. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have won all their games since a 2-1 league defeat at home to champions Atletico Madrid in September.

“It’s always a very tough match here,” Real full back Marcelo told Spanish television.

“We managed to beat the record but with a lot of work and commitment from the team,” added the Brazil international. “Our main objective is to carry on winning each game.”

Isco’s return to his home city ended badly when he received a second yellow card although he was given a rousing ovation by the Malaga fans as he trudged off the pitch.l

Real Madrid’s French striker Karim Benzema (4L) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against Malaga during their La Liga match at La Rosaleda stadium in Malaga, southern Spain on Saturday REUTERS

Zlatan penalty enough for PSG n AFP, Paris

Ibrahimovic reacts after scoring against Nice during their Ligue1 match on Saturday

Paris Saint-Germain kept the pressure on Marseille at the top of Ligue 1 with a 1-0 win against Nice at the Parc des Princes on Saturday thanks to an early Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty.

The Swede’s second goal in as many games and sixth in Ligue 1 this season may have been the only goal of the match, but the defending champions could, and should, have won by a greater margin against limited mid-table opponents.

Nevertheless, Laurent Blanc’s side remain unbeaten this season and have now recorded nine consecutive victories in all competitions, with this latest triumph allowing them to close the gap on Marseille back to one point following OM’s 2-0 defeat of Nantes on Friday night.

PSG welcomed back captain Thiago Silva and Thiago Motta after both had missed the midweek Champions League game against Ajax, and while

Nice might have opened the scoring inside seven minutes when Alassane Plea tested Salvatore Sirigu with a low shot, the home side came flying out of the blocks. l

LIGUE 1

PSG

1-0

Nice

Ibrahimovic 15-P

Reims

2-1

Ngog 10, Moukandjo 85

Caen

1-1

Duhamel 40

Lens

Bastia Modesto 41

Montpellier Hilton 17

2-0

Metz

2-0

Monaco

El Jadeyaoui 65, Bourigeaud 79

Rennes Abdennour 10-og, Toivonen 19

Toulouse Hamed Doumbia 23, Pesic 70

2-3

Lorient Guerreiro 55, Jeannot 57, J Ayew 60-P

Davies double kills Henry’s MLS dream n Reuters Charlie Davies scored twice as the New England Revolution reached the MLS Cup, the league’s title game, after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls gave them a 4-3 aggregate win in the Eastern Conference final.

The Revolution will face the winner of the Western Conference in the final.

The L.A. Galaxy hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg when they travel to Seattle on Sunday.

For France’s Thierry Henry, it was likely his final game for the Red Bulls and possibly of his career - the 37-yearold’s contract concludes at the end of the season and he has given no indication he will extend it.

Henry had hoped to bow out by delivering New York’s first MLS title but, without suspended top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips, they fell just short in a

pulsating encounter.

New York, who lost 2-1 at home in the first leg, took the lead in the 26th minute when Henry floated the ball in and Australian forward Tim Cahill poked home, taking advantage of hesitation from Revolution defender Jose Goncalves.

A 41st minute Davies header from a Chris Tierney cross levelled the scores on the day and restored New England’s aggregate advantage.

But the Red Bulls fought back through a 52nd minute goal when Peguy Luyindula drove home a loose ball from a muffed clearance by New England defender Andrew Farrell to level the aggregate score and raise the prospect of extra-time.

With 20 minutes left New England delighted the 32,698 crowd as Tierney picked out Davies again with a fine cross and the American striker powered in a header.l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Monday, December 1, 2014

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

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, sarod

Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan on the sarod take the stage last night on the fouth day of the festival at Army Stadium

KHAN HASAN MD RAFI

AMIT CHOWDHURY: Learning from living legends n Mona Mehzabin Baishakhi

Young yet talented Bangladeshi dancer Amit Chowdhury mesmerised audiences with his Bharatnatyam presentation in

last night’s show, on the fourth day of the ongoing Bengal Classical Music Festival at Army Stadium.

Amit Chowdhury shared his thoughts about preparing for the performance in an interview with the Dhaka Tribune.

“The feeling is a blend of thrill, nervousness and honour. I am nervous because I am performing for many classical maestros in the audience. Still, I am enjoying the nervousness and taking great preparations,” Amit said.

“Every dancer must have expertise in one or more forms of classical dance, and I chose Bharatnatyam because of my passion for that genre,” said the artist.

He was given the Sringer Moni title at the 49th Kal Ke Kalakar dance festival of Mumbai for his stunning performance.

Amit Chowdhury is a choreographer for Shadhona, a leading dance organisation of the country. He is also lecturer at Shanto Mariam University and a guest teacher at Dhaka University.

He started dancing from a very early age and took his primary lessons from Rajdwip Banarjee, Guru Runu Biswas and

15

Amjad Ali Khan represents the sixth generation of a musical lineage known as the Senia Bangash School of music.

With his father as his guru, Amjad was seven when he gave his first recital of the sarod and 12 when he performed his first concert. He became a nationally known celebrity in India within three years of that concert. In addition to his extensive international collaborations, he has received many awards over the course of his distinguished career, including Padma Vibhushan, India’s highest civilian honour. His sons Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan (who performed at the festival last night) are also well known names in the music scene.

Vishal Krishna, dance

Chittagong Shilpakala Academy. He went on to obtain a BA and MA in Bharatnatyam from Rabindrabharati University in India.

Amit Chowdhury was fortunate to have the support of his family. “Many dancers have to struggle,” he said, “but I am grateful to my family that with their continuous support, I was able to overcome many obstacles with ease.”

Regarding the present state of classical dance in Bangladesh, he said: “There are numerous talented classical artists.

But there is a common tendency among dancers to start making money through stage shows and choreography work after they attain popularity, and they lose practice dancing. This should not the way.

Achieving ultimate excellence in dancing requires continuous practice.”

He also emphasised the importance of organising large festivals to promote classical dance in the country.

“The Bengal Classical Music Festival is a praiseworthy attempt to popularise classical music and dance. By watching performances of living legends, local artists are learning a lot,” said Amit. l

Born in 1991 to a family of famous musicians, he is the 11th generation of a line of dancers in the Banaras tradition. Krishna received his first training at age 3 from his grandmother Dr Sitara Devi, and later from Pandit Ravi Shankar Mishra. He also received training under his father Mohan Krishna, a celebrated Kathak dancer. Vishal has performed all over India and received the Shringar Mani Award.

M Moniruzzaman, flute

Monir is one of the leading flutists of Bangladesh. A staff artist of Shilpakala Academy, he has mastered several wind instruments including banshi, silver flute, saxophone, supra-saxophone, recorder and the Chinese flute. He studied under his father, renowned flutist Ustad Abdur Rahman, for 17 years. His three solo albums all have different themes. Shomokal fuses different ragas, Egaro has instrumental versions of eleven popular patriotic songs, and Destination features Sufism based folk music.

Vidushi Kishori Amonkar, vocalist

Kishori has received many awards, including two of India’s top civilian honours: the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.

She sings in the classical genre khyal and the light classical genres thumri and bhajan. She trained under her mother, the classical singer Mogubai Kurdikar, and later with Anjanibai Malpekar. In 2010 she became a fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, a lifetime appointment held by just a few dozen individuals. She was also awarded the first Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.

Also performing: Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande,

vocalist l Pandit Uday Bhawalkar, vocal dhrupad

T H I R D D AY ’ S P E R F O R M A N C E S

Instruments of beauty: Sarod Hear Ustad Amjad Ali Khan play the instrument of his ancestors tions to the sarod, resulting in the instrun Entertainment Desk ment we now know today.

Next to the sitar, the sarod is the most well-known Indian stringed instrument of classical northern Indian music.

Sarod means “beautiful sound” or “melody” in Farsi, and is thought to have have descended from the Afghan rubab.

Among the many conflicting histories about this instrument, one attributes its invention to Mohammad Hashmi Khan Bangash (an ancestor of sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, who is performing at BCMF tonight).

A musician and horse trader, Hashmi

came to India with the Afghan rubab in the mid-18th century, and became a court musician to the maharajah of Rewa (now in Madhya Pradesh).

In the 20th century, Bangladeshi legend Allauddin Khan, also known as Ravi Shankar’s guru, made some further modifica-

The sarod is a member of the lute family. The slightly waisted wooden body is most often made of teak, which gives a full, rich tonal quality. It has a goatskin belly, and is played with a peak made of coconut shell.

About 100cm long, the broad neck has a fretless fingerboard covered in metal to accommodate characteristic sliding pitches. It has four to six main melodic strings, two drone strings and two chikari strings.

The lowest string is made from bronze and creates a deep, powerful sound. l

Clockwise from top: Indian volcaist Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar performs bilambit, khayal and tarana during a raga lalit; Pandit Shivkumar Sharma on santoor begins in a tempo set to a rhythmic cycle of ten beats known as jhaptaal; followed by a performance of adha taal and teentaal KHAN HASAN MD RAFI

ELVIS PRESLEY’s unhealthy habits caused singer’s untimely death n Entertainment Desk Elvis Presley’s substance abuse was the reason behind singer’s untimely passing.

A leading pathologist revealed in Channel 5 show “Autopsy: The Last Hours Of Elvis” that the singer was so overweight and unfit his death – at the age of 42 in 1977 – was inevitable and he drank a litre of spirits a day and took up to nine prescription drugs, the Daily Express reported.

BOBBY in villainous role n Entertainment Desk Dhallywood beauty queen Bobby will have a different look in the silver screen in her upcoming film “One Way.” In the film, she will share the screen with actors Anisur Rahman Milon and Symon Sadik. Directed by Iftekhar Chowdhury, the “Rajotto” star will a

play negative character named Ivy, who is a daughter of a godfather.

The Dhallywood star bagged some action numbers this year. In an upcoming project “Action Jasmine,” she will appear as a police officer.

The actress is enthusiastic about her upcoming films and believes that these roles will speed up her career. l

British forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd asserted that the singer’s heart and liver were twice normal size and his hair would have been “snow white” had he not dyed it. Shepherd added that Presley was not in good shape and weighed 100kg.

Elvis was found face down in the bathroom of his mansion at Graceland in Tennessee after he collapsed and fell at about 7am while his fiancee and staff slept. l

RAIMA SEN embraces Children of War in Dhaka n Entertainment Desk

Indian film actress Raima Sen will visit Bangladesh for the premier show of the re-release of “Children of War: Nine Months to Freedom” on December 12.

Based on the Liberation War of Bangladesh, the much talked-about Indian film had its international release in Bangladesh and India on May 16.

Raima is the female protagonist in the film.

The film, directed by Mrityunjay Devvrat, reveals the pains and pangs of the people, particularly women, revolving around the war of 1971. l

16

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Metro Rail Bill 2014 placed in JS

Back Page

Monday, December 1, 2014

Modi: Indo-Bangla land swap deal to help Assam n Tribune Report

TRADITION ALMOST LOST

The land swap deal between Bangladesh and India will benefit Assam, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

The Indian prime minister made the statement yesterday at a gathering of BJP workers in Guwahati of Assam, the northeast state of India, the Times of India reported.

Addressing the issue of safety in Assam, Modi said: “I am aware of the problems of Assam and there will be no compromise on safety.”

The prime minister also said he would use the deal to stop illegal infiltration into Assam from Bangladesh.

“I know the sentiments of the people of Assam. I assure you that I am going to use the proposed land swap deal for the benefit of Assam.”

Modi sought people’s consent for a Bangladesh-India land swap deal, saying: “It may seem a loss for Assam, but I will make such arrangements that it benefits Assam in the long run.” l

The government’s priority project will be a public-private partnership in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, n Muhammad Zahidul Islam Manikganj, Gazipur and Narsingdi disThe minister for road transport and bridges placed the Metro Rail Bill, 2014 before parliament yesterday in a bid to provide an effective counter measure to Dhaka’s dire and increasingly demoralising traffic problem.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader placed the bill in the house seeking to give a legal framework to the proposed Metro Rail Project, including its construction, operation and regulations.

The proposed law has kept a provision for the constructing and operation of the metro rail on a public-private partnership basis.

The bill was sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Road Transport and Bridges ministry for scrutiny.

In its statement of objectives, the bill reads: “The government has taken initiative to build mass rapid transit (MRT) for easing traffic jam and rendering the fast and improved mass transport service in Dhaka city. A specific law is needed for construction, operation and maintenance of the country’s first metro rail.”

Initially, the bill will be effective

PSC examinee’s marriage rituals thwarted n Our Correspondent, Comilla A 13-year-old girl was rescued from a forced marriage in Daudkandi upazila of Comilla yesterday.

Anjana Rani Sarker, student of CCDA Government Primary School and an examinee of the ongoing PSC exam, was barred from attending her Mathematics exam yesterday for her marriage rituals.

Informed by a teacher of the school, Executive Magistrate SM Habibul Hasan, along with Rural Development Officer Tipu Sultan and Executive Director of Bangladesh Friendship Foundation SM Mizan, went to Anjana’s place to stop the ritual. They brought Anjana to the exam centre for the exam.

Anjana said her parents did not let her attend the exam as the groom’s relatives had come to bless her at her house yesterday.

Magistrate Habibul issued a letter of undertaking to Anjana’s parents ensuring that she will not be married off until she reaches the age of 18. l

tricts.

The government will include other districts in the list by issuing gazette notifications.

The bill proposes a Tk1cr fine and 10 years’ imprisonment for operating the metro rail without a license or for illegally handing over a license to operate it.

The bill provides for five years’ imprisonment or a Tk50,000 fine for creating obstructions in the running of the metro rail.

Users without valid tickets may be fined up to 10 times the ticket price or face six months in prison, according to provisions in the bill.

Passenger fares will be fixed by government directive from time to time.

A seven-member committee will be in charge of determining fares.

Separate committees will be in charge of issuing metro rail licenses and determining fares.

The executive director of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority will be the head of the committee for issuing licenses.

On November 10, cabinet approved the draft of the Metro Rail Bill, 2014. l

WORLD AIDS DAY 2014

‘I am HIV positive, please accept me’ n Abid Azad Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Bangladeshi HIV positive baby, who has now grown into adulthood, dreams of the day she can show her face and say her name in dignity.

“I am HIV positive. Please accept me,” an 18 year-old teenage girl from Chittagong said to this reporter.

She shared her story and her hopes with the Dhaka Tribune on Saturday morning, two days ahead of World AIDS Day. Alo – not her real name – passed her Higher Secondary Certificate exam this year from the Arts group and is now waiting to start her tertiary level education.

She was infected with HIV in the womb.

Her father, who infected her mother, died from AIDS in 2002 when she was 6.

As far as she can remember, her father died from a severe sickness. No one then knew that he had AIDS. “We learned that my father was HIV positive when my mother fell severely ill

Ashraf: Destiny stole Tk1,448 crore n Muhammad Zahidul Islam The Destiny Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd has embezzled around Tk1,448.78 crore from the country’s common people, said LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam at parliament yesterday.

During the question-answer session at parliament, the minister also said apart from Destiny, there were 13 other cooperative companies which had similarly stolen funds from people.

128 cooperatives have been set up in two upazilas in Lakshmipur, from which 30,435 people enjoy benefits Among these companies, the Popular Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd had defrauded around Tk 7.6 crore, Agrani Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd stole more than Tk 5.73 crore, and Maxim Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd embezzled more than Tk 1 crore, the minister said.

The other companies that the minister mentioned are: Gosail Danga Phutonto Koli Multi-purpose Society Ltd, Jagroto Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd, Chittagong Newspaper Hawkers Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd, Dobhashi Bazar Businessmen Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd, Chamuduria Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd, Rupali

In the modern world where all sorts of kitchen paraphernalia are readily available to aid cooking, the age-old ‘shil-paata,’ used to grind and paste spices, is on the verge of extinction. Here, two stone-cutters are busy making shil-paata, trying to keep the tradition alive

Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd, Shaharasti Youth Development Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd, Faridganj Prodeep Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd, Fareast Islami Savings and Credit Cooperative Society Ltd, and al-Insaf Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Ltd. Claiming these companies had tarnished the reputation of the country’s cooperative arena, the minister said steps were being taken against the staff and officials concerned for negligence of duty.

He also said the government is implementing its “One House One Farm (Ekti Bari Ekti Khamar)” project at ward level across the country, aiming to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development by providing capital formation assistance to poor farming families and sharpening their skills to form associations.

In response to a question by treasury bench member M Abdullah, he said 40,527 farms were being set up across the country.

“The Prime Minister is committed to set up the ‘Ekti Bari, Ekti Khamar project’ across the country to alleviate poverty,” he said.

In this regard, a total of 128 cooperative associations have been set up at Ramgati and Komolnagar upazilas in Lakshmipur district, from which 30,435 people are enjoying benefits, he said.

“The government floated a fund of around Tk4.67 crore for the residents of the two upazilas, and 1,366 small farms have been set up using around Tk1.35 crore,” he said. l

the year after he died. We took my mother to many hospitals. Later we found out that she had AIDS too,” Alo said.

In 2003, Alo lost her mother and she, together with her two elder sisters, were asked to be tested for HIV. The test revealed that Alo was HIV positive but her two sisters were not. Since then, Alo has been taking anti-retroviral medicines twice a day, everyday.

“I did not know anything about HIV at the time. But I can remember that my bitter life started with that test result.

“Even my two sisters did not keep me with them on the bed. They placed me on the floor while they slept on the bed,” Alo recalled as tears filled her eyes.

“I can still remember that my utensils, clothes and other personal belongings were a different colour so as to be easily recognisable,” she said.

“Everyone told me to stay away because I had a disease that could kill them.

“I cried by myself. I have learnt how to cry alone and how to remain alone,” she

said, her voice growing heavy.

Her family told her she had a disease that could kill them, without a care for the fact that the disease could kill her.

After slow exposure to the facts about HIV/AIDS, her sisters and relatives came to understand that it is not a contagious disease in the typical sense. They now understand how it is transmitted.

Alo herself says she now understands that she need not bear any stigma for her HIV positive status.

Alo has hidden her HIV status all of these years. Her sisters, all that survives of her nuclear family, and a handful of relatives know her condition.

To the rest of the world, this part of her is invisible, she says, because of intolerance.

She knows she would not be accepted by society, her school or her peers if they knew the truth.

Her neighbours, relatives, friends and teachers do not know about her HIV status.

I could never tell anyone about my disease because no one would understand

me. They would misjudge me. Our society is not friendly towards us, she said.

“I do not become too close to my sister’s child. I never kiss the child although I love the child very much and the child likes me as well,” she said.

When asked why she doesn’t express her affection for the child, Alo replied: “Yes, I know it will not harm the child but I do not want to take a chance. I do not want to be the reason for anyone getting sick.”

“I treat the child as my own,” she said.

Alo shared her one great hope with the Dhaka Tribune and prays to God that her wish comes true.

She wants a job of her own and a worthy husband who is also HIV positive.

“It is very tough to remain unmarried. I want a husband who is also living with HIV. Only he will be able to understand me.”

Alo hopes one day she can reveal her identity, when there will be no social stigma or discrimination.

“I want to come out of my dark and lonely world.” l

HC orders preservation of Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose’s house n Tribune Report The High Court has directed the government to take steps to preserve the 300-year-old ancestral house of famed Bangali scientist Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose in Munshiganj’s Barhikhal.

The director general of Archaeology Department, the deputy commissioner of Munshiganj and the officer-in-charge of Sreenagar police station have been asked to carry out the order within seven days.

Following a writ petition filed with the court, an HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Ashraful Kamal issued the order yesterday.

It also issued a ruling on the government to explain as to why the failure to preserve the house, as per section 10 of the Antiquities Act 1968, should not be declared illegal.

The ruling also wanted to know why directives should not be given to preserve the house under article 24 of the constitution and why a gazette notification should not the issued declaring the house an archaeological site.

The cultural affairs, science and technology, and land secretaries, and Munshiganj police superintendent were also made respondents to the rule which is returnable within two weeks.

On behalf of lawyer Asaduzzaman Siddiqui, Advocate Manzill Murshid filed the writ petition on November 26. l

‘Self determination key to empowering disabled’ n Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique

The right to self determination is essential for empowering the physically challenged, said Saidul Huq, adding that he became the self-sufficient man despite his blindness because he has always been allowed to make his own decisions.

Saidul, who lost eyesight at six from typhoid, is now the executive director of Bangladesh Visually Impaired Peoples’ Society (BVIPS), president of the Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organisation (Berdo) and the president of National Disability Forum, Bangladesh.

Born on May 10, 1976 at Bakerganj of Barisal, he is one of the 14 children of his parents. His father used to look after their landed properties that generated the bulk of their family income.

Around 1973-74, his elder sister took him to a school for blind children in Barisal. Before that a local doctor, whose name he cannot remember now, was the first to inspire him to pursue education.

“I passed out from school and college without a problem. Then Shahidul Haque Bhai, my senior from college, encouraged me to try for Dhaka University,” Saidul said.

“I am grateful to the people who had given me the inspiration that I needed in those days. But, I had to decide and take the next big step. That is exactly what I did and most importantly, I was allowed to do so,” he said.

He passed SSC examination in 1983 from that school for blind children and HSC in 1985 from Barisal BM College.

Then he obtained bachelor and master degrees in Philosophy from Dhaka

University. Later he got another bachelor degree in Education.

He began his career as a lecturer at the Motijheel T&T College. Having taught there for four years, he joined the government’s National Council for Special Education (NCSE) as a teacher of the educators for the disabled.

Saidul achieved the Ashoka fellowship in 1994 and Robert S Maknamara fellowship in 2000 from the World Bank. JAICA regards him as a leader of

the persons with disability.

He now has a family of two daughters, one of whom has recently passed higher secondary examination.

At the Dhaka office of Berdo in Mirpur, he leads the activities for the visually impaired children. The organisation provides education with accommodation for free.

There is a computer training centre, a Braille library and a Braille production centre for university and college

Saidul Huq teaches visually impaired students the use of Braille books at Berdo

students. The services are provided at free of cost.

“Through out job placement centre, we have managed jobs for a total of 112 people in various sectors such as banking, school, colleges, and so on. We do it through partnership, lobbying and advocacy,” Saidul said.

There would be no development unless the people with disabilities could not be brought to the mainstream, he said. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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B3 US online sales spike

on a less chaotic Black Friday

B4 QE or not QE? Spotlight on the ECB as inflation dips

MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2014 www.dhakatribune.com/business

FIRE SAFETY EQUIPMENT

RMG owners smell rat in selecting suppliers RMG factory owners allegedly said the global retailers’ platforms, Accord and Alliance, are allegedly asking them to procure safety equipment from a certain company and conduct detailed engineering assessment by certain farms.

According to Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the allegations came from the factory owners that installed fire doors and needed to carry out the Detailed Engineering Assessment (DEA).

“We are receiving several allegations from the factory owners every day over fire door installation and DEA,” BGMEA Vice-President Shahidullah Azim told the Dhaka Tribune.

He claimed that fire doors are wrongly being installed at the factory entrances as no such door is seen installed at the entry points of factories across the world.

MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Baby diapers open new business window n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

The current market size of baby diapers is Tk400 crore LOCAL MANU TURERS FAC

Baby diapers have been emerged as a new business opportunity for the local manufacturers to capture domestic market through substituting imports.

A sharp rise in use of the product across the country has offered the opportunity, industry insiders said.

Since most of the working women prefer to use the diapers for their babies, the demand for nappies is on the upswing. Most interestingly, the number of the working women in Bangladesh is also increasing day by day.

Around 70% of its total demand is met by imports while the local manufacturers contribute the rest, said local manufacturers.

According to World Health Organismic report, Bangladesh will be the seventh largest users of baby diaper among the world by 2025.

Out of 14 available brands in the Bangladeshi market, only four brands are locally manufactured.

At present, the market size of baby diapers in Bangladesh is around Tk400 crore, of which 70% are totally captured by the multinational companies, according to an estimate by manufacturers.

At present, over 1% of total population uses baby diaper, while the country

BABY DIAPER MARKET PROSPECT

30% 70%

UG

O

According to BGMEA, over 100 factories have installed fire-rated door as per the requirement of the global buyers, but most factory owners allege that the doors at the entry points are developing technical problems due to their frequent use.

In regard to the doors, Azim said Accord or Alliance will not approve any audit report if there is any shutter or collapsible gate at the factory entrance.

On the other hand refuting the allegations, Alliance Managing Director M Rabin said: “We did not ask any factory owner to procure safety equipment from any particular company nor did we recommend name of any farms to conduct DEA.” Asked about the allegation that Accord and Alliance perused RMG owners to buy only UL certified doors, he said it is a false allegation.

“We will accept doors certified by UL, Intertek, SM Global, BS Standard and EU Standard.”

Rabin added that they replied to BGMEA about the allegation in black and white. The fire doors prevent smoke from spreading and thus pave the way for emergency exit in case of fire.

The Alliance MD also denied the allegation about the DEA by certain farms. He said: “We have received 10 DEAs conducted by chosen firms of the

A customer is making choice of baby diapers from a range of foreign and local items at a store in Dhaka

M ET THR

‘Accord published a list of suppliers of fire protection equipment and the list includes all suppliers that we are aware of’

factory owners.”

In answer to the BGMEA query of the Accord requirement for fire doors in all factory exits, the Accord said the fire door requirements in its standard are consistent with requirements throughout the world.

It is not an only an Accord requirement, the BNBC, NTC Guidelines and Alliance all require the same thing, said the European buyers platform.

But seeking anonymity, a factory owner said: “The Accord and Alliance have business plans behind their recommendations for a certain firm and for procurement of safety equipment.”

He added that Alliance welcomes the products when certified by the UL. Another factory owner alleged that the European retailers’ platform, Accord, procrastinates while approving remediation plan and it does not also mention the reason when it rejects the plan.

He urged the government to look into the matter whether Accord is indirectly assisting a business group to cash in on the situation.

The safety issues are prone to ushering in a big market of safety equipment for global suppliers as Bangladesh is the second largest RMG producers with a huge potential.

According to an estimate of BGMEA, RMG sector needs to spend over Tk2,410 crore for importing fire equipment – sprinklers and fire-rated doors – to comply with fire safety conditions set by the Accord and Alliance.

Replying to a query, Brad Loewen, chief safety inspector of Accord, said they have approved many DEAs. “We do require that the structural engineering firms are approved by the Accord. This is not indirect, it is a requirement of our standard.”

He said: “Accord published a list of suppliers of fire protection equipment and the list includes all suppliers that we are aware of. We are very clear that none of them is endorsed by the Accord.”

Earlier, Accord asked factory owners to get prior approval before installing safety equipment.

It also provided a list of 55 companies to source fire equipment with a note that the list is neither an endorsement nor an approval by the Accord.

The issue of fire, electrical and building safety came under the spotlight last year following the collapse of Rana Plaza that killed over 1,100 workers and the Tazreen Fashions fire.

Since the catastrophe, Accord and Alliance had been committed to improving safety standard, including fire, electrical and structural safeties in the apparel sector.

The duo completed inspection, suggested Detailed Engineering Assessment, setting up of fire doors, sprinkler systems and auto-hydrant to ensure workplace safety for the RMG workers. l

H IM PORT

Over 1% of total population use baby diaper, with a 50% growth per annum

Though the market is currently dominated by the imported products, local producers are expecting to be able to capture over 70% share by next one year Currently there are over 14 diaper brands in Bangladesh with 3 local companies producing 4 brands

is witnessing a 50% growth annually.

Currently, Chu-Chu of Bangladesh Silicon Corporation, Bashundhara Baby diaper of Bashundhara, and NeoCareof Incepta are being sold across the country. Meanwhile, Square Group, the flagship entrepreneur in the baby care, is all set to launch diaper in the name of Supermom very soon.

The usages of the baby diaper are increasing day by day due to more women’s involvement in jobs, enhancement of purchase capacity and health awareness, Marketing Manager of Square Toiletries Dr Jesmin Zaman told the Dhaka Tribune.

MAI/DT INFOGRAPHIC

n Ibrahim Hossain Ovi

“Considering the demands, we are very close to launch our products,” she added.

The manufacturers demanded testing lab and import guidelines to ensure hygienic products as there is no testing lab and other facilities for the baby products.

The government should set standard for the products as already some substandard products had been marketed, they claimed.

The importers of the baby diapers are doing their business under invoice to pay lower tax to the government whereas the imported product are be-

Muhith submits tax returns last day n Tribune Report

The second deadline to submit income tax returns expired yesterday, with revenue officials saying the response was less than expected.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith also submitted his return at the eleventh hour, yesterday.

National Board of Revenue said as of November 20 it received a total of 650,000 returns and submissions made in last 10 days were still to be counted.

In first 20 days after the deadline was reset, only around 100,000 TIN holders submitted returns.

However, the total number so far (as of November 20) was much lower than the expected number of around 1.5m as last year the total submissions were over 1.3m, said a high NBR official.

Around 1.7m taxpayers across the country hold TIN (taxpayer’s identification number), according to the board which now plans to follow legal procedures against evasive taxpayers for

their failure to submit returns.

“We are planning legal actions against them,” said an income tax official.

NBR had extended the time twice after regular deadline ended on September 30 as such demand was placed from taxpayers including the country’s apex trade body FBCCI. According to the income tax ordinance, the revenue authority can fine Tk1,000 at a time and Tk50 for each day if any TIN holder failed to submit the returns within the deadline. l

An unhealthy competition among insurance companies continues unabated, prompting Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) to fine five of them recently for flouting rules.

The IDRA found that maximum companies are involved in doing business on credit, which led them to incur losses in the long run.

Business on credit in insurance sector refers to agreement signing for insurance coverage without taking required premium from clients.

IDRA imposed ban on such business in the year 2012 in the interest of company’s profit.

A major share of business in the insurance sector remains pending at every year end.

IDRA fined five insurance companies and its officials a total

of Tk1.35 crore, getting proof of their business on credit and cash transaction.

The five companies are Standard Insurance, Meghna Insurance, Bangladesh National Insurance, Republic Insurance and Eastland Insurance. The board, managing directors and branch managers are the main beneficiaries of unpaid businesses, said a senior executive of IDRA. He said the beneficiaries receive commission on unpaid premium from the clients instead of recovering dues, thus leading a heavy loss to the company.

The official said some companies were also found making cash transaction above Tk5,000 which is also a violation of rules.

IDRA restricted cash transaction of over Tk5,000 to remove financial irregularities, he added.

IDRA Chairman M Shefaq

Ahmed said: “We have started to strictly monitor such business practices by insurance companies.”

The companies are yet to come out of bad business practices, he said, adding that most high officials were found involved in various financial irregularities through cash transaction and conducting business on credit. At the year end, 40% of total business in the insurance sector remains unrealised, he said.

Standard Insurance: IDRA investigation team visited Matijheel branch on September 30 this year and Faridpur branch on July 17, 2012 of the company and found proof of business on credit.

The authorities asked the company six times to attend the hearing for flouting rules, and imposed fines every time. The company officials admitted that they performed business on credit.

Summit Meghnaghat Power plant may run full capacity early next year

n Reuters, Dhaka

IDRA decided to fine Standard Insurance and its officials a total of Tk39 lakh. Of the total amount, the company was fined Tk30 lakh, its Managing Director Amar Krishna Saha Tk6 lakh and branch in charge Abdul Matin Sarkar Tk3 lakh.

Meghna Insurance: IDRA investigation team found the same illegal business practice, plus cash transaction over Tk5,000 while visiting the company’s Matijheel branch, Jubilee Road branch in port city and Narayanganj branch. The insurance company was called for attending the IDRA hearing seven times and fined a total of Tk45.5 lakh.

Of the total fines, Meghna Insurance was fined Tk40 lakh, its Managing Director Talukder Jakaria Hossain Tk7 lakh and branch in charge Tk3.50 lakh.

Bangladesh’s leading private power producer plans to reach full capacity early next year at a 335-megawatt plant, a senior executive said on Saturday, as the country seeks to plug a shortfall in electricity supply.

The power unit of conglomerate Summit Group is implementing a $319 million project to raise electricity production from the current level of 210 megawatts.

“The combined cycle project is almost in its completion stage and we hope to produce with full capacity by the end of February,” A.N.M. Tariqur Rashid, deputy managing director of Summit Meghnaghat Power Co. Ltd (SMPCL), told Reuters.

Bangladesh’s current production capacity of 6,000 MW falls short of its demand of 7,000 MW, with only 65 percent of its 160 million population having access to the national power grid.

Summit has a 10 percent share in Bangladesh’s national power generation, however this is expected to rise to almost 15 percent, contributing around 1,200 MW in 2015, the official said.

The group, whose net worth is about $500 million with investments of $1.5 billion, has other businesses including port services, communications, hospitality and industrial parks.

“We look forward to our investments becoming $5 billion by 2020 and we intend to do this by investing in

 B3 COLUMN 6

 B3 COLUMN 6

Five insurance companies fined Tk1.35cr n Jebun Nesa Alo

ing sold at higher prices, said Rashedul Imam, senior Brand Manager. Incepta Hygiene and Hospicare Ltd. If substandard products are used for sensitive babies, it can cause health hazards to the babies, said Jesmin said.

As per the installed capacity of the country’s manufactures, they can produce double of the domestic demands.

Though the market is currently dominated by the imported products, but the local producers would be able to capture over 70% market by next one year, said Imam.

At the present context of Bangladesh, the use of baby diapers is not a luxury one, rather a necessity to every one as the mothers are keeping her child either to grandmothers or others and wants to avoid washing clothes, said Imam.

There should be a level playing field for the both importers and the local manufacturers. As the 100% raw materials are imported, the government should lower tariff to help the local industry growth, noted Imam.

As a service holder, there is no other option for my kid, rather than using diapers as it helps me to remain tension-free whenever I am leaving my child to domestic help, Afrin Mehrab, a banker, told the Dhaka Tribune. l

B2

Stocks end flat with persisting lacklustre trading n Tribune Report

including banks, pharmaceuticals and power lost marginally.

In terms of liquidity, power and pharmaceuticals were the most active sectors each capturing about 16% of the total turnover.

Losers outpaced the gainers, as out of 302 issues traded, 139 advanced, 123 lost and 40 remained unchanged.

Lanka Bangla Securities said investors’ confidence remained stumpy ahead of year-end as they are unsure about the market direction. “However, value hunters are being facilitated by the current consolidation phase of the market.”

IDLC Investments said amid shrinking turnover, market continued side way movement while investors remained largely inactive.

Repeating the historical trend, some of investors became active in small cap stocks in the down market. Consequently, Fuwang Ceramic was the highest gainer of the day rising 9.7%.

Zenith Investments said market still seemed to remain within striking distance from a bullish cycle, as index once again posted lower after heavy fluctuation. The total turnover volume also kept pace with the index’s sharp fall.

Western Marine topped the liquidity chart with almost Tk10 crore worth of turnover.

It was followed by Keya Cosmetics, Lafarge Surma Cement, Beximco Pharma, AB Bank, Beximco Ltd and Khan Brothers PP Woven Bag. l

Stocks closed flat amid volatility yesterday, with continued lackluster trading. The market swung between red and green, as investors played both sides of fence.

After rising around 40 points in the morning, the benchmark DSEX edged 3 points higher to close at 4,769.

The Shariah index DSES witnessed fractional losses of 0.08 points to 1,106. The comprising blue chips DS30 ended at 1,760, also shedding fractional 0.8 points.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, closed at 8,959 with a slight fall of over 6 points.

Trading activities also continued to decline as turnover at the Dhaka Stock Exchange stood at Tk232 crore, as some investors continued to prefer staying on the sidelines due to heavy volatility in recent months.

The figure was the lowest in the last four and a half months since July 16 this year and 12% lower over the previous session.

Among the major sectors, non-banking financial institutions gained highest 2.5%, driven by heavy-weight ICB that moved up by 4.7%, following its first quarter earning declaration.

Food and allied, and telecommunication also performed well registering 1.4% and 1.71% gains respectively. However, other sectors,

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSER Company Olympic Ind. -A Sonali Ansh -A GeminiSeaFood-Z Reliance Insur -A Monno Stafllers -A Atlas BD-A Shahjibazar Power-N Standard Insurance-A Pharma Aids A United Insur -A

Closing (% Change) -24.70 -7.49 -6.96 -6.90 -6.81 -5.27 -4.69 -4.58 -4.40 -4.37

CSE LOSER Company Shahjibazar Power-N Kay & Que (BD) -Z Alltex Industries -Z Fine Foods A JMI Syringes MDL-A Asia Pasific Insu. -A MeghnaCement -A Hakkani P& Paper -B Khan Brothers-N Sonargaon Tex -Z

Closing (% Change) -61.94 -6.72 -5.63 -5.05 -4.89 -4.46 -4.45 -4.32 -4.28 -4.00

4769.42793

(-) 0.07%

1760.05907

(-) 0.05%

14662.38210

(+) 0.03%

12101.88130

(+) 0.07%

8959.25260

(+) 0.07%

Average (% Change) -24.05 -8.50 -6.84 -6.90 -7.15 -4.30 -11.19 -4.93 -6.28 -4.55 Average (% Change) -3.88 -6.72 -5.37 -3.73 -5.50 -4.12 -6.20 -3.42 -4.57 -4.70

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 217.86 142.07 195.51 58.00 310.17 133.67 229.31 27.00 226.72 35.00

ClosingAvg. 561.47 12.50 20.09 9.55 175.30 19.30 124.60 29.07 47.82 9.53

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 223.18 126.02 18.20 285.72 93.50 380.36 9.08 171.26 378.59 12.42 113.09 16.42 34.94 103.73 84.11 18.27 25.37 38.00 36.66 154.80 0.04

▼ ▼ ▲ ▲ ▲

DHIGH

216.70 140.90 191.30 58.00 307.90 132.90 221.50 27.10 225.90 35.00

Closing

226.00 155.00 205.00 59.00 324.90 135.50 240.60 27.20 236.70 35.20

DHIGH

220.00 12.50 20.10 9.40 175.00 19.30 124.60 28.80 47.00 9.60

237.00 12.50 20.60 9.90 177.10 19.30 124.60 29.60 50.20 9.60

Turnover (Million Taka)

Company

2,323.75

Turnover (Volume)

56,602,650

Number of Contract

60,601

Traded Issues

302

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

121

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

175 6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,535.02

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.73

CSE key features November 30, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

189.37

Turnover (Volume)

5,239,420

Number of Contract

7,871

Traded Issues

203

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

83

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

112

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

7

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,431.85

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

29.48

Turnover in Million

200.00 138.10 190.00 57.00 306.00 127.00 203.00 27.00 221.10 35.00

202.30 12.50 19.80 9.40 175.00 19.30 124.60 28.50 46.30 9.50

Latest EPS

49.037 9.050 1.046 0.058 0.915 1.733 16.602 0.027 27.920 0.042

Turnover in Million

DLOW

1.011 0.006 0.653 0.029 0.614 0.019 0.012 0.145 11.429 0.014

% change 9.60 5.42 0.78 12.30 4.02 16.37 0.39 7.37 16.29 4.87 0.71 1.50 4.46 3.62 0.79 1.09 1.64 1.58 6.66 0.00

Million Taka 14.16 8.40 1.65 27.38 19.29 36.74 32.31 17.71 36.40 9.45 33.53 3.59 5.14 6.10 0.79 0.84 5.66 4.97 25.13 0.01

CSE

% change 4.90 2.90 0.57 9.46 6.67 12.70 0.00 11.17 6.12 12.58 3.27 11.59 1.24 1.78 2.11 0.27 0.29 1.96 1.72 8.69 0.00

Million Taka 237.34 134.42 19.85 313.10 112.79 417.10 9.08 203.57 396.29 48.82 122.54 49.96 38.53 108.87 90.21 19.06 26.21 43.66 41.63 179.93 0.04

Agni Systems -A Fu-wang Ceramic-A Kohinoor Chem -A ICB AMCL 1st NRB -A BDCOM Online-A ICB -A WesternMarine -N ICB Islamic Bank-Z Deshbandhu Polymer-A SAIF Powertec-N

Closing (% Change) 8.70 8.21 7.45 6.94 5.02 4.61 4.13 3.85 3.57 3.36

CSE GAINER

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

DLOW

Monday, December 1, 2014

DSE GAINER

DSE key features November 30, 2014

5.47 0.76 1.39 3.79 1.17 0.24 9.00 3.07 9.88 2.91

Latest EPS 9.00 -1.41 3.28 -0.48 4.48 2.32 6.71 0.64 1.36 -0.84

Latest PE 39.8 186.9 140.7 15.3 265.1 557.0 25.5 8.8 22.9 12.0

Company Fu-wang Ceramic-A Agni Systems -A AMCL 2nd MF-A Union Capital -A Safko Spinning-A Aziz PipesZ National Housing Fin.-B WesternMarine -N GSP Finance-A Peoples Insur -A

9.85 9.09 8.89 5.94 5.86 4.76 3.83 3.79 3.61 3.41

Average (% Change) 8.80 8.02 8.89 3.99 2.65 4.02 1.95 3.43 3.18 2.92

ClosingAvg. 27.22 14.33 378.00 23.10 23.05 1,456.02 60.00 5.35 20.03 74.09

ClosingAvg. 14.34 27.21 4.90 21.09 29.79 17.33 29.26 59.75 31.44 21.17

Closing 27.50 14.50 378.00 23.10 23.00 1,458.25 60.50 5.40 20.30 73.90

Closing 14.50 27.60 4.90 21.40 30.70 17.60 29.80 60.20 31.60 21.20

DHIGH 27.70 14.70 378.00 23.10 23.50 1,470.00 61.00 5.50 20.60 75.50

DHIGH 14.50 27.70 4.90 21.50 30.90 17.60 29.90 60.90 33.20 21.50

DLOW 22.80 12.50 378.00 23.10 21.00 1,438.25 58.50 5.20 18.00 72.00

DLOW 13.90 26.00 4.90 20.30 29.20 17.20 28.80 58.50 29.70 21.00

Turnover in Million 57.586 22.288 0.189 0.023 5.102 12.085 99.596 1.347 9.147 50.900

Turnover in Million 1.972 3.555 0.010 0.074 0.551 0.003 0.293 17.113 2.242 0.006

Latest EPS 1.32 0.40 10.40 3.24 1.64 94.16 1.80 -0.71 1.52 2.36

Latest EPS 0.40 1.32 0.72 0.89 1.24 -0.37 1.88 1.80 1.59 2.25

Latest PE 20.6 35.8 36.3 7.1 14.1 15.5 33.3 -ve 13.2 31.4

Latest PE 35.9 20.6 6.8 23.7 24.0 -ve 15.6 33.2 19.8 9.4

News, analysis and recent disclosures GPHISPAT: (H/Y): As per un-audited half yearly accounts as on 31.10.2014 (May'14 to October'14), the Company has reported profit after tax of Tk. 157.39 million with basic EPS of Tk. 1.32 as against Tk. 143.47 million and Tk. 1.21 respectively for the same period of the previous year. However considering bonus share @ 5% for the year 2014, restated basic EPS is Tk. 1.26 as on 31.10.2014 (May'14 to October'14) and Tk. 1.15 as on 31.10.2013 (May'13 to October'13). Whereas profit after tax was Tk. 69.75 million with basic EPS of Tk. 0.59 for the period of 3 months (August'14 to October'14) ended on 31.10.2014 as against Tk. 65.55 million and Tk. 0.55 respectively for the same period of the previous year.

However considering bonus share @ 5% for the year 2014, restated basic EPS is Tk. 0.56 as on 31.10.2014 (August'14 to October'14) and Tk. 0.53 as on 31.10.2013 (August'13 to October'13).

ICB (Q1): As per un-audited quarterly accounts for the 1st quarter ended on 30th September 2014 (July'14 to Sep'14), the Corporation has reported consolidated net profit after tax (excluding non-controlling interests) of Tk. 993.10 million with consolidated EPS of Tk. 23.54 as against Tk. 507.73 million and Tk. 12.04 respectively for the same period of the

previous year.

FUWANGCER: The Company has informed that the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to hold an EGM to increase Authorized Capital of the Company from Tk. 1.00 Billion to Tk. 3.00 Billion.

Date of EGM: 28.12.2014, Time: 8:30 AM, Venue: Spectra Convention Center, House # 19, Road #7, Gulshan 1, Dhaka-1212.

Record date for EGM: 10.12.2014.

IPO Subscription: C & A Textiles Limited subscription date 09 to 13 November 2014, NRB upto 22 November 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500. IFAD Autos Limited subscription date 23 to 27 November 2014, NRB upto 06 December 2014. @ taka 30, face value taka 10 and market lot 200.

Right Share: ICB: Subscription period for rights issue will be from 07.12.2014 to 30.12.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 09.09.2014.

BIFC: subscription period for rights issue of the Company will be from 09.11.2014 to 30.11.2014. Record Date for entitlement of rights share: 19.10.2014.

FIRSTSBANK: Subscription period for rights issue will be from 07.12.2014 to 28.12.2014. Record date for entitlement of rights share: 20.11.2014.

Dividend/AGM

BATASHOE: 175% interim cash dividend, Record Date for entitlement of interim dividend: 04.12.2014.

ICB: 45% cash, AGM: 20.12.2014, Record Date: 03.12.2014.

BATBC: 100% interim cash dividend, Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 03.12.2014.

BENGALWTL: 23% cash, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record Date: 02.12.2014.

MPETROLEUM: 95% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 16.01.2015, Record date: 04.12.2014.

ENVOYTEX: 12% cash and 3% stock dividend, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record date: 02.12.2014.

AFTABAUTO: 17% cash, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record date: 30.11.2014.

JAMUNAOIL: 90% cash and 10% stock, AGM: 07.02.2015, Record date: 11.12.2014.

GEMINISEA: 7.50% cash, AGM: 22.12.2014, Record Date: 08.12.2014.

KBPPWBIL: 10% stock, AGM: 29.12.2014, Record Date: 08.12.2014.

RAHIMAFOOD: No dividend, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record Date: 04.12.2014.

DACCADYE: 10% stock dividend, AGM: 12.12.2014, Record date: 25.11.2014.

ORIONINFU: 15% cash dividend, AGM: 18.12.2014, Record date: 25.11.2014.

KOHINOOR: 25% stock dividend, AGM: 18.12.2014, Record date: 25.11.2014.

62.4 -ve 6.1 -ve 39.1 8.3 18.6 45.4 35.2 -ve

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company

Total

Closing (% Change)

Average (% Change) 7.50 7.34 7.85 6.85 5.25 4.58 3.66 1.90 0.91 4.00

Latest PE

Amid shrinking turnover, market continued side way movement while investors remained largely inactive

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

% change 9.08 5.14 0.76 11.98 4.32 15.96 0.35 7.79 15.17 1.87 4.69 1.91 1.47 4.17 3.45 0.73 1.00 1.67 1.59 6.89 0.00

Prepared exclusively for Dhaka Tribune by Business Information Automation Service Line (BIASL), on the basis of information collected from daily stock quotations and audited reports of the listed companies. High level of caution has been taken to collect and present the above information and data. The publisher will not take any responsibility if any body uses this information and data for his/her investment decision. For any query please email to biasl@bol-online.com or call 01552153562 or go to www.biasl.net

WesternMarine -N Keya Cosmetics -A LafargeS Cement-Z Beximco Pharma -A AB Bank - A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Khan Brothers-N Jamuna Oil -A MJL BD Ltd.-A Agni Systems -A

SAIF Powertec-N SummitAlliancePort.-A Olympic Ind. -A Titas Gas TDCLA Meghna Petroleum -A Alltex Industries -Z CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company WesternMarine -N BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Khan Brothers-N SAIF Powertec-N Keya Cosmetics -A AB Bank - A Grameenphone-A LafargeS Cement-Z MJL BD Ltd.-A Agni Systems -A

SummitAlliancePort.-A FAR Chemical-N UNITED AIR-A Khulna Printing-N Meghna Petroleum -A

VolumeShares 1,659,900 3,200,861 767,000 1,199,361 2,419,300 1,791,429 1,372,000 255,911 515,384 2,115,821

Value in Million 99.60 93.59 82.03 73.57 73.20 70.84 65.82 63.95 60.68 57.59

% of TotalTurnover 4.29 4.03 3.53 3.17 3.15 3.05 2.83 2.75 2.61 2.48

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

687,000 709,758 225,087 601,660 161,854 4,845,000

286,400 317,232 239,000 76,000 164,550 148,681 14,000 34,500 30,764 130,662

49,053 104,200 333,150 128,000 9,950

50.90 50.00 49.04 46.41 40.85 113.67

17.11 12.53 11.43 5.61 4.78 4.48 4.41 3.73 3.63 3.55

3.45 3.24 3.06 2.96 2.52

2.19 2.15 2.11 2.00 1.76 1.51

9.91 7.26 6.62 3.25 2.77 2.59 2.55 2.16 2.10 2.06

2.00 1.88 1.77 1.71 1.46

ClosingP 60.50 28.50 107.40 61.10 30.50 39.10 46.90 250.00 118.10 27.50

73.90 70.10 216.70 76.60 254.20 22.90 ClosingP

60.20 39.20 47.00 73.80 28.60 30.30 318.40 109.00 118.60 27.60

69.50 31.10 9.10 22.90 256.00

Change % 4.13 -2.06 -1.92 -1.29 2.69 -2.01 -3.70 0.28 -1.17 8.70

3.36 1.45 -24.70 -1.16 0.71 4.09

Change %

3.79 -1.75 -4.28 2.93 -1.38 2.36 1.82 -0.64 -1.66 9.09

0.29 -0.96 -1.09 -2.97 1.51

ClosingY 58.10 29.10 109.50 61.90 29.70 39.90 48.70 249.30 119.50 25.30

71.50 69.10 287.80 77.50 252.40 22.00 ClosingY

58.00 39.90 49.10 71.70 29.00 29.60 312.70 109.70 120.60 25.30

69.30 31.40 9.20 23.60 252.20

DHIGH 61.00 30.00 110.10 62.80 30.80 40.40 50.90 259.00 121.00 27.70

75.50 72.20 226.00 78.20 254.70 24.20 DHIGH

60.90 40.30 50.20 75.00 30.00 30.40 319.90 109.90 121.10 27.70

72.00 32.10 9.40 23.60 257.90

DLOW 58.50 26.30 104.60 57.00 26.80 36.00 46.50 235.00 109.00 22.80

72.00 65.00 200.00 70.00 240.00 20.50 DLOW

58.50 39.00 46.30 72.80 28.50 29.80 313.00 106.30 116.00 26.00

68.60 28.50 9.00 22.60 251.00

AvgPrice 60.00 29.24 106.95 61.34 30.26 39.54 47.97 249.89 117.74 27.22

74.09 70.44 217.86 77.14 252.36 23.46 AvgPrice

59.75 39.51 47.82 73.85 29.05 30.13 314.94 108.04 118.03 27.21

70.43 31.10 9.17 23.09 253.32

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Monday, December 1, 2014

US online sales spike on a less chaotic Black Friday n AFP. Washington The top US shopping “holiday” saw a surge this year in online sales with smaller crowds in stores - but Black Friday still brought some of its trademark shopping mall pandemonium.

Businesses usually offer deep discounts starting early Friday morning, prompting massive crowds that have led to numerous injuries and a number of deaths in years past.

This year, businesses continued a trend in starting shopping deals earlier and extending them longer, leading to smaller crowds.

But many major retailers, including discount megastore Walmart, also emphasized online shopping as a way to get consumers purchasing faster.

An early report from commercial analyst ChannelAdvisor Corp showed up to a 22% increase in Black Friday online shopping compared to last year.

The firm also reported a 20% increase in online sales on Thanksgiving day.

For the first time the majority of online sales came from mobile devices, a report by IBM said.

“Online shopping started while turkeys were still in the oven and yesterday was our second-highest online sales day ever - topped only by Cyber Monday last year,” said top Walmart executive Laura Phillips on Friday.

Sales data from the National Retail Federation was expected Sunday. Last year’s figures from showed $57.4bn in total sales over the Black Friday weekend, a drop of 2.7% from 2012.

The largest day of online sales typically comes on the Monday following Black Friday, when stores offer a number of online-only discounts.

Shorter lines, less frenzy

In United States shopping malls, there were shorter lines and fewer packs of frenzied shoppers on Thursday night and Friday, US media reported.

n Tribune Report

Black Friday shoppers leave the Target store in Fairfax Still, several people were injured and three were arrested after a shopping fight early Friday morning at a department store in southern California, reports said.

And what appeared to be a murder suicide took place Friday night at a Nordstrom department store in Chicago. Police deemed it “domestic-related,” according to the Chicago Tribune.

This year the shopping day was also caught up in a furor over the decision

not to indict the police officer who killed an unarmed black teenager in Missouri. The shooting has put American race-relations under scrutiny and prompted demonstrations over how police, especially white officers, interact with African Americans.

Black public figures called for Black Friday boycotts, and in Ferguson, Missouri, where the killing took place, protests briefly shut down a local mall.

In the west coast city of Seattle, pro-

AFP

testers chained a mall’s doors closed, and in California’s San Francisco, hundreds rallied and a police officer was injured by a bottle thrown at a police car, local media reported Friday.

Meanwhile, the FBI estimated it hit more than 144,000 background checks for Black Friday gun sales, CNN reported. Black Friday is one of the busiest days for gun sales in the US, the FBI said.

Retailers have been buoyed by predictions that a drop in gas prices and

higher consumer confidence could lead to higher sales overall this year.

The start of the US holiday shopping season has slowly been been broken up into a number of shopping days including “Gray Thursday,” “Black Friday,” Small Business Saturday,” and “Cyber Monday” to prompt December sales.

US president Barack Obama made a surprise visit Saturday morning to a landmark Washington bookstore to support small businesses. l

Prime Bank secures 1st position for best annual reports 2013 n Tribune Report

Oil market reveals its wild side again n John Kemp

Following OPEC’s decision on Thursday to leave production unchanged, Brent crude futures experienced the first three-standard deviation downmove since the flash crash of May 2011 and before that the depths of the recession in March 2009.

With US markets and financial institutions closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, limited liquidity probably exaggerated the scale of the move.

It was nonetheless indicative of the tremendous uncertainty around the market about how OPEC’s members would handle a lose-lose situation: Cut production and risk losing more market share to shale, or leave output unchanged and face a further decline in prices.

In the event, the organisation opted to defend market share, causing prices to fall abruptly as traders absorbed the strategy’s implications. It is important not to read too much into a single day’s move.

The sharp drop on Thursday could signal a one-off adjustment to a reduced price level, with volatility then returning to a low level. Or it could signal the start of a prolonged period of greater uncertainty and volatility.

Daily price movements in oil and other commodity markets do not follow a normal distribution.

Instead, the distribution is leptokurtic: there are more days with either very small movements or very large price movements than would be predicted by the normal distribution, and fewer days with medium-sized ones.

Moreover, the level of volatility in oil prices is itself volatile. Periods of low volatility alternate with periods of high volatility, with abrupt shifts between the two states.

Chinese firm to set up 30MW solar plant in Kurigram

Financial markets shift between “mild” and “wild” states, as the French mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot demonstrated, originally with an analysis of cotton prices.

Thursday’s price move signals a shift to a wilder market state after a long period in which volatility has been extraordinarily subdued.

Volatility ahead?

There is no way to know how long the wilder state might persist.

But there are good reasons to think oil prices could be more volatile in the months ahead than they have been over the last three years.

First, there is a much greater dispersion of views about the trajectory of prices over the next two years than at any point since 2010.

The common assumption is that oil prices must fall far enough and remain low long enough to curb the rise in shale output, postpone high-cost oil projects and stimulate faster growth in oil demand. But there is enormous uncertainty about how low and how long prices might have to fall to shut in excess shale production.

The reaction function of US shale producers is untested and will only be known after the event.

Second, OPEC’s own response remains unclear in the medium term.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, the only members able to make significant production cuts, have revealed that they prefer instead to play a long game, relying on low prices to recapture market share from higher-cost shale rivals.

The core Gulf producers have the financial resources to withstand a prolonged period of lower prices by drawing down reserves. But even their re-

sources are not unlimited. And prices could stay lower for longer than most producers now expect if shale output is more resilient than OPEC forecasts.

Since the start of the shale boom, OPEC and Saudi Arabia have consistently underestimated its disruptive impact on supply and price. It is possible they are now over-estimating how quickly shale output could stop growing.

Third, Iran’s oil exports seem set to rise as the stranglehold of sanctions weakens, even without a nuclear deal with the United States, though the pace at which sanctions become more leaky is hard to predict. Additional Iranian exports will weaken the market further.

Fourth, the global economy is slowing, and on this occasion the slowdown is affecting China and the other Asian countries that were the only source of demand growth for oil exporters in the last five years, adding an extra element of uncertainty.

Fifth, there may have been some structural loss of liquidity in the market as banks and hedge funds scale back in the face of stricter regulations and the lack of profitability in recent years.

Liquidity provision is itself cyclical.

After a period of high liquidity, when the oil sector was crowded by lots of banks and hedge funds seeking to speculate or make markets and competing away the profit margin, the market is now in a period of much lower liquidity, and the adjustment may not be over yet.

The upshot is that after three years in which volatility has been abnormally low by historical standards, there are plenty of reasons to think prices might start jumping around more than before as the market struggles to find a new temporary equilibrium. l John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

Prime Bank Ltd has secured first position among banks and IDLC Finance Ltd topped the list in the category of non-bank financial services for their best presented annual report 2013.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith handed over awards to the winners at a ceremony at a city hotel yesterday.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) arranged the ceremony like every year as part of awarding ICAB National Award to banks, insurance companies, nongovernment organisations and public sector entities for their best presented annual reports 2013.

Bank Asia Ltd and Islami Bank Bangladesh jointly secured second position while Eastern Bank Ltd and Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd got third position among all the private sector banks including co-operative banks in preparing and publishing annual reports.

Besides, 15 other banks received certificates of merit in the competition.

In the category of public sector banks, Janata Bank Ltd and Rupali Bank Ltd jointly won the first prize and Bangladesh Development Bank Ltd secured second position.

In non-bank financial service category, Prime Finance and Investment Ltd and Union Capital Ltd jointly be-

came the second and Lanka Bangla Finance Company Ltd secured third position. DBH Finance Ltd and Uttara Finance and Investment Ltd received certificates of merit.

Among insurers, Green Delta Insurance Company Ltd became the first and Reliance Insurance Company Ltd the second and Prime Insurance Company Ltd the third in the category of insurance sector. Eastland Insurance Company Ltd got certificate of merit.

Among the manufacturing entities, BSRM was awarded the top prize while Singer Bangladesh Ltd came out as the second and GlaxoSmithKline as the third prize winners. No one received certificate of merit.

Country’s largest telecom operator Grameenphone only bagged the top award wining first position in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. In the NGO category (including NPOs), BRAC secured the top position while Sajida Foundation the second and Uddipan the third. Buro Bangladesh got certificate of merit.

The first award in the category of Corporate Governance Disclosure went to IDLC Finance Ltd while Janata Bank Ltd and Prime Bank Ltd became the second and the third winners respectively.

The Investment Corporation of Bangladesh only became the first in the category of public sector entities. l

‘Data protection law must for privacy’ n Tribune Report Formulation of data protection law is crucial to protecting privacy and personal information from being abused, analysts said.

This was the observation that came at an event organised by VOICE, a rights group, at the TMSS’s Usha conference room in Bogra on Saturday.

VOICE Executive Director Ahmed Swapan Mahmud emphasised the need to bring agencies under accountability for their failure of protecting privacy of the citizens. He urged the government to formulate data privacy policy to protect citizens’ right.

Former lawmaker Engineer Mostafa Ali Mukul stressed that the companies that are doing business with personal information need to be brought under monitoring system.

He said they must have privacy policy so that citizens can take measures in case of violation of their rights.

Secretary of PAVE-Bogra KGM Faruque said women and children fall victim to stalkers, who put contents of their personal matters on line.

These are due to lack of policies and law regarding protection of rights to privacy, he added.

Women activist Babita Barman said personal data should not be used or disclosed for any purposes without prior consent to the individual.

“Law enforcement agencies and private companies should stop online surveillance to protect human rights of citizens,” she suggested.

She observed that freedom of speech and privacy is being violated due to communication surveillance at large. l

A Chinese firm has got the job of setting up a 30-megawatt solar plant in Kurigram as part of the government’s initiative to encourage use of renewable energy.

The Power Division’s proposal was approved yesterday at a meeting of cabinet committee on public purchase.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith presided over the meeting.

A Chinese consortium named ETERN-CCCE-Hareon will construct 30 megawatt power plant with a tariff rate of Tk13.18/KWH, Cabinet Division Joint Secretary Mostafizur Rahman told the reporters after the meeting.

As per the proposal, the Chinese firm quoted the lowest tariff rate at $0.17/KWH or Tk13.18/KWH. The other bidders for the tender were Bangladesh and Germany joint venture called Beximco-Active Solar consortium and China-based IntracoJuli Power Consortium.

The Chinese consortium will construct the power plant beside the Dhorola River in Kurigram for the next 20 years on a build, own and operate basis.

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, according to the proposal.

According to the government’s renewable energy policy, it has a plan to account for 5% of the total power generation, using renewable energy sources by 2015 and 10% by 2021.

Under the same project, six solar park projects will be built with a combined capacity of 152mw power at a cost of Tk4,000 crore. Upon completion, these projects will supply electricity to the national grid.

The five other planned renewable energy-based power plants are Rangunia 60mw in Chittagong, Sarishabari 3mw in Jamalpur, Irshadi 2mw in Pabna, Aricha 1.5mw in Manikganj, Sirajgang 1mw and Gonggachara 55mw in Rangpur.

Currently, 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, according to the PDB’s latest data. l

Five insurance companies fined  B1 COLUMN 5

Bangladesh National Insurance: The concerned authority found that the insurance company conducts business by opening illegal branch without taking approval of authority, besides the business on credit.

IDRA fined the company a total of Tk24 lakh. Of the fines, the company was fined Tk20 lakh whiles its Managing Director Sanaullah Tk4 lakh.

Republic Insurance: IDRA found proof of business on credit against the company.

Following the findings, the authority imposed a fine of total Tk14 lakh on the company, plus its officials.

Of the fines, Tk10 lakh went to the company, Tk2 lakh to its Managing Director AMM Mahiuddin Chowdhury and Tk2 lakh to the branch in charge Sirajul Islam Bhuyan.

Eastland Insurance: IDRA fined the company a total of Tk13 lakh on the proof of its business on credit. Of the amount, the company was fined Tk10 lakh, its MD Arun Kumar Saha Tk2 lakh and branch in charge and DMD Shekh Ahsan Habib Tk1 lakh. l

Summit Meghnaghat  B1 COLUMN 6

power plants, industrial and hi-tech parks and telecommunications,” Chairman Muhammed Aziz Khan told Reuters.

SMPCL is located in Meghnaghat, 35 kilometers (22 miles) South East of Dhaka. It is a dual fuel fired combined cycle power plant using natural gas, while it also has the capacity to generate 305 megawatts (MW) of power using liquid fuel.

The project will be financed through debt and equity. Germany’s DEG, Standard Chartered, FMO of Netherlands, OPEC Fund for International Development, Britain’s CDC Group and IDCOLBangladesh have participated in the debt issue, while Summit Group will provide equity worth $82.73 million.

“This financial close has brought a lot of confidence for the project as well as for Bangladesh,” Khan said.

Gas turbines and its related auxiliary parts have been supplied by General Electric. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Monday, December 1, 2014

QE or not QE? Spotlight on the ECB as inflation dips n Reuters, Paris The ECB’s monthly rate meeting will focus minds this week on the debate over quantitative easing in the euro zone, as a series of data releases on both sides of the Atlantic sheds more light on European woes and US strength.

Final purchasing manager indices for Europe and the United States, US monthly jobs data and the European Central Bank’s updated forecasts will all provide clues to assessing the relative health of both regions.

The ECB staff inflation and growth estimates for the 18-nation single currency union are much awaited after data showed on Friday that inflation in the bloc was back to a five-year low, putting more pressure on the bank to take action.

Particular attention will be paid to internal debate within the ECB over quantitative easing and to ECB chief Mario Draghi’s comments on the data at his monthly news conference on Thursday, after his pledge to act to lift “excessively low” inflation.

The ECB is expected to leave key rates unchanged and wait for next year to decide whether to take the leap to government bond-buying.

A decision on QE may come as early as the first quarter, Vice President Vitor Constancio said last week. But archhawk German ECB policymaker Jens Weidmann responded that there were “legal limits” on printing money to buy government bonds.

“The ECB’s communication has not always been crystal clear this year, but overall it has moved steadily towards a more dovish stance despite internal tensions within the Governing Council,” French bank Credit Agricole wrote in a note.

“We expect no sovereign QE announcement at the December 4 meeting but a more formal, albeit conditional commitment to broader asset purchases.”

Jobs and oil

Friday’s monthly US job figures will be the key data in the United States. Nonfarm payrolls are expected to show an increase of 228,000 in November, according to a Reuters poll.

The unemployment rate fell to a six-year low in October, underscoring the economy’s resilience in the face of slowing global demand. Wage growth remained tepid, though, suggesting little need for the Federal Reserve to hurry to start lifting interest rates.

On Thursday, the Bank of England looks set to keep interest rates on hold at a record low 0.5% - that’s the unanimous expectation of analysts polled by Reuters. The day before that, Finance Minister George Osborne will deliver his Autumn budget update to parliament.

The first hike in British interest rates is expected to come in the third quarter of 2015, six months later than previously thought, owing to low inflation, sluggish pay growth and a weak euro zone economy, a Reuters poll showed.

Final purchasing managers indices are published after flash estimates came in lower than expected for the euro zone. New orders fell for the first time in more than a year.

The US flash PMI showed a fifth consecutive monthly slowing in growth in services, although the pace of expansion remained robust by historical standards.

In China, the official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index is likely to show on Monday that manufacturing slowed slightly in November as demand remained sluggish, a Reuters poll

A euro logo sculpture stands in front the headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt showed.

However China’s central bank will wait until fourth-quarter economic data is out and monitor US and Japa-

nese monetary policy before considering any more rate cuts or easing, a central bank adviser said on Tuesday.

Falling oil prices will be another point

of focus, after producer group OPEC decided not to cut crude production last week despite global oversupply.

Besides adding to Draghi’s headaches

REUTERS

as it pushes inflation in Europe even lower, the fall in oil prices is also hurting the economies, currencies and financial markets of many producer countries. l

Analysts: Slowing inflation paves way for more ECB action

Eurozone-bound Lithuania builds ‘world’s largest’ coin pyramid

n AFP, Frankfurt

n AFP

Slowing eurozone inflation is likely to make the European Central Bank increasingly nervous and pave the way for further monetary easing, analysts say.

But the ECB looks unlikely to fire the latest weapon in its anti-deflation armoury as early as this coming week when it holds its last monthly policy meeting of the year.

According to official data last week, inflation in the 18 countries that share the euro slowed to 0.3% in November from 0.4% the previous month, feeding fears of imminent deflation.

Falling prices may sound good for the consumer, but they can trigger a vicious spiral where businesses and households delay purchases, throttling demand and causing companies to lay off workers.

“What pleases consumers makes the ECB increasingly nervous,” said Commerzbank economist Christoph Weil.

The central bank is scheduled to publish its latest updated inflation and growth forecasts on Thursday and it is worried that medium-term inflation expectations could become permanently de-anchored from the ECB’s target of around 2%. Given that the ECB has already launched a multi-pronged offensive against deflation, obtaining that objective could require more radical action, according to analysts.

The ECB has so far cut its interest rates to new all-time lows, made unprecedented amounts of cheap loans available to banks via its LTRO and TL-

TRO programmes, and unveiled asset purchase programmes (ABSs and covered bonds) to pump liquidity into the financial system.

But it has so far shied away from a controversial policy of quantitative easing (QE) that other central banks around the world have embarked upon in order to stimulate their economies.

“The ECB will meaningfully revise downwards its growth and inflation projections on Thursday. Given the already low starting point, this would strengthen the case for further stimulus,” said UniCredit economist Marco Valli.

“We expect Draghi to signal that a new dose of monetary easing is in the pipeline.”

‘Matter of time’

‘When and how big?’

QE is the large-scale purchase of government bonds and such a policy has many critics in Europe, not least the German central bank or Bundesbank, because it is felt that it takes the ECB outside its remit and is effectively a licence to print money to get governments out of debt. “Broad-based bond purchases by the ECB now seem to be only a matter of time,” said Commerzbank economist Weil.

Such expectations appeared to be confirmed last week when the ECB’s number two, Vitor Constancio, said the central bank would only be in a position to gauge whether the previous stimulus measures are working in the first quarter of 2015. “If not, we will have to consider buying other assets, including sovereign bonds in the secondary market,” Constancio said.

Just days prior to that, ECB chief Mario Draghi had vowed to “step up the pressure and broaden even more the channels through which we intervene... without any undue delay.” But ECB-watchers are sceptical that QE will be announced as soon as Thursday.

But the exact timing for action is “a close call”, Valli said.

“On the one hand, the ECB does not have any real incentive to delay a move that appears warranted by economic fundamentals. On the other hand, some governing council members seem to prefer to wait ... before considering new stimulus measures.”

Jonathan Loynes at Capital Economics agreed.

“It seems clear that the ECB will soon embark on a full-blown quantitative easing programme incorporating sovereign debt purchases,” he said.

“The key questions now are when and how big? While we think that the contingencies for QE set out by president Draghi have already been met, governing council members may want more time to assess their existing policies.”

Commerzbank economist Michael Schubert said he did not expect QE to be approved until one of the first three meetings in 2015.

“Only then will the ECB be able to assess the impact of the measures taken so far,” he said. l

Non-resident Indian Shashi Vyas poses with his indigenously developed 'green sports car', locally made in India's Gujarat state, during the first day of the CII Auto Show Gujarat 2014 in Gandhinagar on November 28, 2014. The car is known as the Super Nova Electric Vehicle (SNEV) which claims to cover 1,000 kilometers with a single charge of its batteries and at the speed of some 150 kms per hour. the cars, which Vyas claims has an order list of 250 units and awaiting manufacture pending approval of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), will cost between 1.5 to 2.5 million rupees (24,000 to 40,200 USD) AFP

The Baltic nation of Lithuania on Saturday unveiled what it billed as the world’s largestever coin pyramid ahead of its switch from the litas currency to the euro on January 1.

Volunteers spent nearly three weeks arranging one million coins, worth 10,000 litas (2,900 euros), into a pyramid over one metre (yard) tall.

“We have certainly beaten the world record. Previously, the biggest pyramid of this kind was made up of 600,000 coins”, said 26-year-old volunteer Domas Jokubauskis.

All the coins will eventually be donated to a children’s charity.

The Baltic nation of three million, which joined the EU in 2004, will become the 19th member of the eurozone on January 1, 2015.

Its neighbours Estonia and Latvia joined the European single currency in 2011 and 2014 respectively, eyeing improved investor confidence.

Lithuanians are divided over the currency switch, with 47% supporting it and 49% against it, mainly due to fears of

A man puts the finishing touches to a pyramid made of 1,000,935 Lithuanian cents in Vilnius AFP price hikes, according to a Eurobarometer survey in September. The litas helped to consolidate Lithuania’s statehood on the two occasions it restored independence from Moscow, in 1918 and 1990.

The new euro coins will still feature the national coat of arms - featuring a knight on horseback with a sword and shield - which has identified the country’s currency since the 14th century. l

Kuwait urges nonOPEC cooperation to stabilise market n AFP, Kuwait City

China home prices fall in November despite rate cut

Kuwait Oil Minister Ali al-Omair on Saturday urged non-OPEC crude producers to cooperate to help stabilise the oil market and prevent sharp fluctuations in prices, official KUNA news agency said.

The minister called on producers from outside OPEC to “cooperate with the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries to guarantee stability of the market and prevent major swings in oil prices.”

He was speaking from Vienna, where on Thursday the 12-member OPEC cartel decided to keep its production ceiling unchanged sending oil prices crashing.

Omair insisted the OPEC decision was “right” and the “best solution at the present time,” adding it was based on market information.

He said OPEC members agreed to hold their next meeting in June and decided against convening an emergency session unless necessary.

Global oil prices plunged Friday to new multi-year lows after the OPEC the decision despite 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. l

China’s housing prices fell on a monthly basis for the seventh straight month in November, a survey showed Sunday, with the market yet to feel the full impact of an interest rate cut.

The average price of a new home in China’s 100 major cities was 10,589 yuan ($1,736) per square metre in November, down 0.38% from October, the independent China Index Academy said in a statement.

The fall was a slight improvement from the 0.4% month-on-month drop in October, previous figures showed.

“We expect the interest rate cut to kick in next year,” Bai Yanjun, research director for the China Index Academy, told AFP. “We still believe the market is under downward pressure for the rest of 2014 because the current home inventory levels in first-tier and major second-tier cities are still high,” he said.

n AFP, Shanghai

DILBERT

China cut both lending and deposit rates just over a week ago, and analysts said home mortgage buyers would be among the biggest beneficiaries.

“The rate cut sends a strong signal that the property market will likely bottom out soon,” China economist for Merrill Lynch Hong Kong, Lu Ting, said in a research note.

On a year-on-year basis, China’s new home prices fell 1.57% from the same month last year, far sharper that the annual fall of 0.52% in October, the academy said. But for China’s ten biggest cities - which tend to have the most active property markets - new home prices rose 0.07% in November from October, marking the first gain after six months of declines, it said.

The commercial city of Shanghai was the best performing with housing prices rising 1.18% in November from October to 32,140 yuan per square metre, making it the second most expensive city behind the capital Beijing. l