16 Dec, 2014

Paush 2, 1421 Safar 22, 1436 Regd No DA 6238 Vol 2, No 252

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014 | www.dhakatribune.com | SECOND EDITION

24 pages plus 8-page children’s special Victory Day supplement | Price: Tk12

CHILDREN’S SPECIAL

8 | VICTORY DAY 2014

12 | SPORT

B1 | BUSINESS

A CHILDREN’S HISTORY OF THE LIBERATION WAR

BY MUHAMMAD ZAFAR IQBAL

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU HEARD NEWS OF THE VICTORY?

I MISS THE GAME BADLY: ASHRAFUL

BANKS ASKED TO BRING NPL BELOW 10%

Clean-up efforts Ecstatic victory, haunting losses n at Sundarbans veer off course Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique

“They are sensitive to oil partly because oil films on the breathing roots inhibit the supply of oxygen to the underground root systems. Sundari species, in particular, are more vulnerable than other species of flora in the forest,” the report said.

The Dhaka Tribune found that the Forest Department was making things worse for the environment by deliberately shovelling soil over oil-mixed mud to cover it up.

A forest guard in the Andharmanik area, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the cover-up of the oil slick was being done so that foreign tourists would not see the contamination.

As if nine months of atrocities and massacre were not enough, the havoc that the Pakistan army wreaked on the people of this country in the last days of the Liberation War in 1971 surpasses every definition of extreme.

As the Bangalis were inching closer to the long-cherished emancipation from Pakistani subordination, the occupation army was also sensing that something was going to give.

Here in Dhaka – one of the last remaining Pakistani strongholds by mid-December 1971 – like a kid with a paint gun, every now and then the soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians rather playfully. The spree of murders that began on the dark night of March 25, did not end until their ultimate fall on December 16.

The torture, perpetration, rule of lies, hatred and arrogance that characterised the nine-month killing mission of the Pakistan army and their local collaborators in Bangladesh, only intensified in the last days of what is now seen as one of the bloodiest yet greatest struggles for freedom in human history.

When asked how it really was when the victory finally came true through the surrender of 92 thousand Pakistani soldiers, Mahfuza Khanam who fought for nine months with constant fear; intense anxiety from the abduction of siblings and friends; and frequent scary blackouts; could not hold her tears, showing what this liberty meant for people who were trapped in then the deadliest city in the world.

“The situation was not simple to be explained. People achieved victory

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 PAGE 2 COLUMN 1

Cover-up alleged by forest officals to conceal ecological damage from tourists to respiration and evaporation caused Bakar Siddique back from n Abu by the oil, he said. the Sundarbans A long-term ecological disaster is in the making in the Sundarbans because the manual clean-up method being employed in the Sela River oil spill is further contaminating the forest floor, experts said.

The Forest Department and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) put local people to manually scoop up the spilled furnace oil four days ago.

Ecology and biodiversity researcher Pavel Partha, currently visiting the site of the oil spill, told the Dhaka Tribune that clean-up crews’ wading and tramping were causing oil to be mixed into the forest floor’s muddy soil.

“The photosynthesis of primary food producers like Phytoplankton and Zoo-plankton will be badly affected by oil entering into the mud, and will ultimately destroy the primary level of the mangrove ecosystem’s food chain,” he said.

The seeds of plants such as the Sundari, Goran, Gewa and Kewra will probably not sprout because of disruptions

A study titled “Oil-spill Impact on Mangrove Forest Sundarbans” conducted by the Asian Development Bank and the Bangladesh government in 2002 said the regeneration of mangrove forest plants is very sensitive to contamination by oil.

P3 10 SPECIES AT RISK

THE ANSWER IS BLOWING IN THE WIND

Bangabandhu’s family to come under presidential retirement scheme n Muhammad Zahidul Islam As members of a former president’s family, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s family members are coming under a government retirement scheme.

The government has already drafted a bill on the president’s retirement benefit.

The bill was placed in the weekly cabinet meeting yesterday chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It was sent back for further development, Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters.

“President’s retirement privileges were installed by a 1979 ordinance.

The government thinks the ordinance needs amendment. There is a court order for this as well,” Musharraf said.

In reply to a query, he said the reason behind the father of the nation’s family members being so far deprived of the retirement scheme needs to be investigated.

Sources said the cabinet sent the bill back because it was drafted in Bangla and they sought an English version.

A senior member of the cabinet said the proposed bill will bring the benefits  PAGE 2 COLUMN 4

NOTICE

With heads held high and the red and green flying higher, Bangladesh ready to celebrate the spirit of liberation once again on the eve of another Victory Day RAJIB DHAR

Today, December 16, is the Victory Day and a newspaper holiday. However, the Dhaka Tribune will be published tomorrow under special arrangements.

2

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

FREEDOM FIGHTER CERTIFICATE FORGERY

ACC accuses Liberation War Ministry of non-cooperation n Adil Sakhawat The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has accused the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs of being non-cooperative in providing information regarding its nine officials and staff charged with freedom fighter certificate forgery.

The anti-graft body is currently running an inquiry against the ministry employees, and it sent another notice to the ministry on Sunday asking for information in this regard.

Those accused of forging freedom fighter certificates naturally have liaison with corrupt ministry officials The officials charged with the forgery are Director General (legal and prosecution) Kamrul Hasan Mollah, Directors Golam Yahiya and Abdul Aziz Bhuiyan, Deputy Directors Dhali Abdus Samad and SM Golam Mawla Siddique, former deputy director Ranjan Kumar Majumder, Assistant Inspector Abdus Sobhan, and Court Assistants Nurul Islam and Ishak Fakir.

The ACC approved the inquiry on October 22 and appointed Deputy Director Julfikar Ali and Assistant Director SM Rafiqul Islam to this case.

“The commission sent several notices to the ministry asking them to

provide information regarding its nine employees and their freedom fighter certificates on November 24 and 26,” an ACC official, requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune.

The ACC officials met the ministry secretary in person on November 24 and December 6 to seek the information, but the ministry has yet to provide any, he said.

“We again sent a notice to the ministry asking them to provide the documents of those officials by December 18,” he added.

The Dhaka Tribune tried several times to contact acting ministry secretary MA Hannan, but he could not be reached.

However, the Dhaka Tribune was able to contact Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, who said he was not aware that the ministry had received the notices from the ACC. “I did not know that the ACC had sent us these notices for information. I will look into this the day after tomorrow [tomorrow], and if I find the notices, I will take all necessary steps to ensure the ACC gets the information it sought.”

When asked about the dilly-dallying by the ministry in working with the ACC, the minister said: “These people who have been accused of forging freedom fighter certificates, they naturally have liaison with the corrupt people in the ministry, who are delaying the process to aid the accused. Let me look into it; I will make sure the ministry cooperates with the anti-graft body.” l

AL to hold victory procession in the city today n Abu Hayat Mahmud The ruling Awami League (AL) will hold a victory procession in the capital today alongside the party’s day-long programmes all over the country to celebrate Victory Day. The ruling party lawmakers from Dhaka, leaders of Dhaka city unit and its associated organisations, activists and supporters from various areas will gather at Shikha Chirantani at the Suhrawardy Udyan, where the Pakistan occupation forces surrendered, to pay tributes to the martyrs, at 4:20pm, the time of the surrender.

Later, a procession will start towards Dhanmondi 32 to place wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

As per the day-long celebration programme, the national flag and the party flag will be hoisted at the time of sunrise at every AL office across the country.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, along with central leaders of Awami League, will place wreath at the Jatiya Smriti

Soudho (National Martyrs’ Memorial) at 6:30am. Sheikh Hasina, who is also the president of Bangladesh Awami League, will place another wreath on behalf of the party.

Hasina and her party leaders will then go to Dhanmondi 32 and place wreaths at 8am at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Meanwhile, another group of central leaders led by the party’s presidium member and the lawmaker of Gopalganj-2 Sheikh Selim will place a wreath at Bangabandhu’s grave at Tungipara at 10am.

Moreover, the Awami League will also arrange a discussion programme at 3pm tomorrow at the Krishibid Institution Auditorium in the capital. Party chief Sheikh Hasina will attend the discussion chaired by party’s presidium member and Jatiya Sangsad’s deputy leader Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury.

The AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam in a press release yesterday urged the party and its associate organisations and wing leaders, activists and supporters to make the celebration a success. l

Ecstatic victory, haunting losses  PAGE 1 COLUMN 3

but at the same time they were looking for people who were killed. People were freed from the occupation, but haunted by the loss,” she said.

Mahfuza Khanam was a vice-president of the Dhaka University Students’ Union (Ducsu) in the turbulent times in 1966-68. The historic six-point movement, now seen as the charter of Bangladesh’s liberty, came into being at that time and students played an instrumental role in that.

After graduating from DU – then the centre of all anti-establishment upheavals in Bangladesh – she wanted to go abroad for further studies, but the then Pakistan government did not allow her.

She wanted to join the war, but because she has by then become a mother, she decided to stay in Dhaka and help the freedom fighters.

She remembers how everyone used to keep their ears glued to the radio in those days.

“Initially, we thought the war would be prolonged. But when India extended support, we became confident of toppling the Pakistani regime. We were sensing victory as the freedom fighters, gradually freeing the other parts of the country, were progressing towards Dhaka.

“When India intensified air attacks on Dhaka...the Pakistan army here was literally cut off from everything in the face of a concerted attack by the freedom fighters and the allied forces.

“As more news about the freedom fighters’ triumphs started coming in, more people were coming out of the confinement in their own houses, defying fear and blackouts. The Pakistani soldiers killed many people who came

out on the streets to celebrate the freedom fighters’ success,” Mahfuza said.

December 16 is special because on that day, 92,000 men from the world’s most brutal army bowed down to a people who had only courage to fight with when they took a genocide face on.

Freedom Fighter Anwar Hossain, now a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at DU, four of whose brothers have been rewarded by the state for wartime gallantry, said: “On December 13, the Pakistan Army understood that they had nowhere to go in the face of relentless attacks by guerrilla fighters and the allied forces.

On December 14, they began retreating towards the capital from the outskirts.”

Prof Anwar, brother of Liberation War hero Col Taher, recounts: “I remember what I was thinking at that time. I was with Col Taher in a hospital in Guahati in India. He was injured.

Bangladesh was slowly drawing closer to victory.”

He said the resistance in the first phase of the war was spontaneous and the occupation forces tried to dismantle the spirit by launching brutal assaults.

The second phase however was much more organised with fighters getting trained in India. The local resistances against the army and their collaborators never ended despite the assault. “Sometimes the local fighters would snatch weapons from the army,” Anwar said.

“Millions of people fought the war and the people of the country were always by their side. Everybody wanted to end the war as soon as it could be done...The resistance that unarmed civilians started was given a formal

Labourers of the Forest Department are seen covering up damaged shore of the Sela River along the Sundarbans with mud in the name of cleaning up the place. The photo was taken at Andharmanik on December 14 SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Prime minister urges all to uphold democratic values n BSS

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged all to uphold the development and democratic values being imbued with the spirit of the freedom struggle.

In a message on the occasion of the Victory Day, she said: “Let us engage ourselves for the services to the country and its people. Let this be our vow on the Victory Day of 20l4.

“Today is the 16th December, the great Victory Day. This is the day of greatest pride for the Bangali nation,” the prime minister said, responding to the clarion call of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, following which the Bangali nation earned the ultimate victory on this day in 1971 after 23 years of intense political struggle and a nine-month bloody war against the Pakistani occupation forces.

She extended her sincere greetings and warm felicitations to the people of the country at home and abroad on the occasion of the 43rd Victory Day. “On this glorious day, I pay my deep homage to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

I recall with gratitude the four national leaders, and three million martyrs, who sacrificed their lives, and two hundred thousand women, who lost their innocence for the cause of our independence,” Hasina added.

She said Bangbandhu realised that the oppression, persecution and deprivation meted out to the Bangali nation would not end without achieving the

independence.

“Ultimately, on the historic March 7, 1971, Bangabandhu in front of a million people at the then Race Course Maidan declared, ‘This time the struggle is for our freedom, this time the struggle is for the independence.’ Virtually, from that day, the final chapter had started for achieving an independent Bangladesh” she said.

Betar is the biggest mass media for flourishing talents of about 10,000 singers, theatre artistes, 8,000 presenters, 4,000 children and juveniles and 800 performers in the rural areas “But, after Bangabandhu’s death, identified war criminals and killers of Bangabandhu were politically and socially rehabilitated. The BNP-Jamaat alliance government of 2001 had followed the paths of their predecessors.”

However, the Bangali nation re-established democracy and rights of the people in 2008 through a long struggle, the prime minister said, adding that the nation overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Awami League, the party that led the War of Liberation, in

the much-awaited parliamentary elections.

In another programme, Hasina underscored the need for further modernisation of Bangladesh Betar to sustain in the competitive era and assured that her government would extend all sorts of support to this end.

“The importance of Bangladesh Betar is endless. So, I hope that all concerned including officials, employees and performers of Bangladesh Betar would further modernise the organisation through its technological development by realising its importance,” she said while addressing the inaugural function of the Diamond Jubilee marking the completion of 75 years of the state-run Bangladesh Betar.

Earlier, she had inaugurated the four-day programme of 75-year celebration of Betar.

At the function, the prime minister handed over a crest and citation to family members of late Syed Abdus Shaker, late Belal Mohammed, late Abul Kashem Sandip and Abdullah Al Faruk as well as to Mohammad Aminur Rahman, Mohammad Rashidul Hossain, Mohammad Anwar Hossain Khan, A M Sharfuzzaman, Mohammad Rezaul Karim chowdhury, Kazi Habib Uddin Ahmad for their courageous and heroic contribution to founding Swadhin Bangla Bangla Betar Kendra in 1971.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh Betar is the biggest mass media for flourishing talents of about 10,000 singers, theatre artistes, 8,000 presenters, 4,000 children and juveniles and 800 performers in the rural areas. l

Clean-up efforts at Sundarbans shape by the Bangali officers and soldiers who left the Pakistan Army to join the Liberation war,” he said.

“In the later stages, more people started joining the war in groups.

Many, who collaborated with the Pakistan Army, braved their fear and joined in the war.

“As the war continued, people suffered inhuman torture; women were raped. Those who have not seen the atrocity will never realise what victory meant to the people.

“In November, we could sense victory, as India made some changes in the formation of forces, and finally decided to attack at a time when Pakistan and its ally china were in a really disadvantageous situation in terms of tactics. A superpower like the [erstwhile] Soviet Union also helped us achieve victory.

“When India decided to go all out, freedom fighters also decided to strengthen resistance. They got overwhelming support from the people who were by then badly tormented by the unending killing, torture and violence.

“We initially braced ourselves for a long guerrilla warfare. But we were determined to free our motherland at any cost,” said Anwar, a former vice-chancellor of the Jahangirnagar University.

“Victory was officially, achieved when the Pakistan Army surrendered to the allied forces in Dhaka at the end of a bloody war. We got the state that we dreamed of. But the seeds of the spirit of liberation, democracy and socialism were sown long ago, when an otherwise peace-loving people were fighting their hearts out for a land that they could say was exclusively their own,” Anwar ended. l

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Oil tanker Southern Star 7 went down eight days ago with 358,000 litres of furnace oil in its six holds, after being rammed from behind by empty oil tanker Total Cargo on the Sela River.

The accident site, in the Mrigamari forest of the Sundarbans, is a dolphin sanctuary.

On Thursday, forty-eight hours after the oil spill began, naval vessel Kandari 10 arrived on the scene to contain the slick with dispersant, but was stopped from using the chemicals by the Forest Department over fears that the fragile mangrove ecosystem might be damaged.

Residents of the area, pressed into service as clean-up crews, have reportedly lost interest in the effort after forest officials allegedly failed to pay them their dues.

On Saturday, the forest department engaged 200 day-labourers and 100 boats to manually scoop up the oil slick.

On Friday, government authorities urged local residents to collect the floating oil saying that Padma Oil Company would purchase it at Tk30 per litre.

Roughly 43,000 litres of oil have been retrieved manually as of yesterday.

Divisional Forest Officer of Sundarbans East Zone Amir Hossain Chowdhury said just 50,000 litres of oil would likely be collected in this way because the rest will disperse with the current or get mixed into the mud.

The sunken oil tanker was salvaged on Thursday morning with two undamaged holds containing around 100,000 litres of furnace oil. l

Victory Day celebrations n Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique Today is the 43rd celebration of Bangladesh’s Victory in the Liberation War, the day the Bangali people ended the Pakistani occupation of their country.

On this day 43 years ago, the enemy surrendered at the historic Dhaka Racecourse grounds.

The day marks the end of 23 years of injustice which led to the Liberation War that broke out on March 26, 1971.

As many as three million people were killed, more than two hundred thousand women were raped, no less than 10 million became refugees, and some three million were displaced in wartime from the night of March 25, 1971, when the occupation force launched the notorious Operation Searchlight aimed at crushing Bangali self-determination.

The nation is prepared to to celebrate the day with great enthusiasm.

President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Begum Rowshan Ershad in separate messages congratulated the nation on the occasion, BSS reported.

Elaborate programs have been chalked out to mark the day. The day will commence with a 31-gun salute, the raising of the national flag atop all national institutions and the laying of wreaths at the National Memorial Monument at Savar. Special prayers will be held across the country for the salvation of the souls of the martyrs of the Liberation War. The wreath laying will start at 6:34am at the National Memorial Monument at Savar and will continue throughout the day.

Wreath laying at the portrait of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Road 32, Dhanmondi will start at 8 am. At 10am wreaths will be laid at Bangabandhu’s mausoleum in Tungipara, Gopalganj.

By noon, leaders and workers of the Awami League, including MPs, will go to their respective areas to organise victory rallies and assemble at the sites where the Pakistan army surrendered.

In Dhaka, they will assemble at the Shikha Anirban at Suhrawardy Udyan at 4:20pm, the time when the Pakistan army surrendered in 1971.

Later the assembled people will go to Road 32, Dhanmondi. A meeting will be held at the Krishibid Institution tomorrow.

Sammilito Sangskritik Jote will hold a programme at 10am at the Central Shaheed Minar. Gonojagoron Moncho has also announced an elaborate programme at Suhrawardy Udyan at 4:30pm. l

Bangabandhu’s family  PAGE 1 COLUMN 6

for Bangabandhu’s family with retrospective effects.

He also said Sheikh Rehana, the younger of Bangabandu’s two daughters, will be eligible for the benefits, but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will not be.

“As Sheikh Hasina got married before her father’s retirement, she will not be eligible,” said a minister who is a practising lawyer.

Another member who attended the cabinet meeting told the Dhaka Tribune: “There is a clause in the amended act that says for family members to be eligible for the benefits, a president must stay in the post for at least six six

months.”

Sources said if the bill is finalised, only Khandakar Mustaque Ahmad’s family will not qualify.

At present, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad is also not getting any retirement benefits because he had been punished by a court.

But Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the former military autocrat has been enjoying the army’s retirement benefits.

“Not every former president or his family members are enjoying the benefits for different reasons,” Musharraf said.

According to the 1979 ordinance, former presidents or their family get

75% of the president’s basic salary.

The current basic salary of the country’s president is Tk61,200.

Cabinet sources said Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed and AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury are personally enjoying the benefits because they are alive.

The family of late presidents Ziaur Rahman and Abdur Rahman Biswas are also getting the benefits.

However, the cabinet secretary could not elucidate on the statuses of former presidents Syed Nazrul Islam, Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, Mohammad Mohammadullah, Justice Abdus Sattar, Justice Abul Fazal Mohammad Ahsanuddin Choudhury, Iajuddin Ahmed and Md Zillur Rahman. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Fence on Myanmar border suggested Shawkat Kollol and n Asif Mohammad Al-Masum Molla With a view to upgrading Bangladesh’s border management facilities, a high-powered government panel has suggested wire fencing along its border with Myanmar.

The National Taskforce on Implementation of the National Strategy Paper on Myanmar Refugees and Undocumented Myanmar Nationals yesterday asked the Home Ministry to take measures in this regard.

Myanmar shares a 271km border with Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban, of which 54km is with Teknaf upazila alone.

Md Ruhul Amin, deputy commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have requested the Home Ministry to set up a fence along Bangladesh-Myanmar border.”

The senior secretary of the Home Ministry was present in the two-day meeting held in Cox’s Bazar.

He also said the Water Development Board would make a 50km embankment on the Naf River along the border to ensure smooth motor patrolling by the border management authorities.

The local administration of Cox’s Bazar several years ago made a set of proposals that include establishing fences at the pocket gates for legal movement, a road on the dam sur-

rounding the Naf River and increasing the number of border outposts (BOP) in the Teknaf area.

Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque after the meeting told reporters that they had decided to send back the undocumented and refugee Myanmar citizens to their country. “The process will start in the near future. A survey would be launched soon to identify their number.”

He also said a high-powered delegation from Myanmar would visit Bangladesh soon to discuss security and other issues.

Representatives of several ministries, Cox’s Bazar civil administration and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were present at the meeting.

A BGB official said they had requested the authorities to set up a fence along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, improve road facilities in the border area, initiate registration of boats that ply the Naf River and a better mobile phone network.

Myanmar officials at a meeting with its Bangladesh counterpart in August this year agreed to take back in phases the documented Rohingyas staying in two refugee camps – in Noapara and Kutupalong. The process was supposed to begin in two months. There are around 28,000 Rohingyas living in the camps while the number of undocumented Rohingyas would be 2,50,000-

5,00,000.

Cabinet approved the strategy paper on September 9 last year. An inter-ministerial meeting of the task-force, chaired by the foreign secretary, held on October 24 the same year made a number of decisions.

Myanmar shares a 271km border with Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban, of which 54km with Teknaf upazila alone According to a document regarding that meeting, the issue of straightening the Bangladesh-Myanmar border management would be given the utmost priority.

It was decided that the Home Ministry would coordinate with the BGB and work towards expediting the approval and roll-out of the proposals submitted by the latter “in order to enhance their surveillance capacity along the border.”

The Cox’s Bazar district administration was tasked to issue registration cards, preferably based on national ID cards and interviews, to all Bangladesh

fishermen working in the coastal area “as a means of pre-empting their likely involvement with trafficking or smuggling of Myanmar nationals into Bangladesh territory.”

The Commerce Ministry was asked to review the border trading pass system in order to further regulate the duration and movement of Myanmar nationals beyond a specific time limit and destination within the Bangladesh territory.

The Statistics and Informatics Division was supposed to develop a project proposal in consultation with the local district administration on conducting a survey of undocumented Myanmar nationals residing in Cox’s Bazar and the surrounding districts.

The issue of humanitarian assistance for the undocumented Myanmar nationals living in makeshift camps outside the two refugee camps would need to be coordinated among the government agencies...in order to help the three international NGOs, which were asked to halt their activities in the area, to entirely wind down their work.

The document also mentioned that the IOM and the ICRC wanted to support the primary healthcare facilities in the Cox’s Bazar district and provide water supply and sanitation. The meeting observed that the Unicef, if necessary, could be involved in the process in line with their mandate and competence.” l

RAB raids baby theft gang, arrests four Jamil n Mohammad Khan

Ignoring reduced visibility, caused by dense fog at 2pm in the afternoon, vessels operate on the Shitalakkhya River at close proximity yesterday RAJIB DHAR

HC grants Rubel anticipatory bail n Tribune Report The High Court yesterday granted four weeks’ anticipatory bail to cricketer Rubel Hossain in a case filed by actress Naznin Akhter Happy under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The HC bench comprising Justice AB Mahmudul Haque and Justice Akram Hossain granted the bail yesterday.

The paceman’s lawyer SM Rezaul Karim told reporters: “The court granted bail after hearing a plea on Monday afternoon. But he will have to get extension from the court after it expires.”

The first information report (FIR) says Rubel told Happy that they would marry and had a nine-month affair that included physical interactions. Happy said they first met through friends and then stayed in touch on Facebook and mobile phone. l

SC summons Prothom Alo editors n Tribune Report The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has summoned Prothom Alo Editor Motiur Rahman and Joint Editor Mizanur Rahman Khan on allegation of contempt of court for publishing post-editorial on the appointment of chief justice.

Following a petition filed by SC lawyer Sirajum Munir, the 8-member full bench led by Chief Justice M Muzammel Hossain yesterday ordered the duo to appear on January 5 and explain. The court also asked them why contempt charges should not be initiated.

The newspaper published a post editorial yesterday titled “Selection of the Chief Justice” written by Mizanur

where he stated that although the chief justice would retire on January 16, there was little discussion on the appointment procedure.

Earlier in the day, the bench was set to hear another petition. But before that, veteran lawyer Rokanuddin Mahmud brought the article to the court’s attention. The bench then asked him to bring it in written.

Justice Shamsuddin said: “It is not possible for a half-educated man to realise the real explanation of laws.”

The court sought opinion of two senior lawyers and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam who also echoed Rokanuddin. Mahbubey said: “After 1974, no one maligned the dignity of the court like this through write-ups.” l

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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested four female suspected of belonging to a gang specialising in the kidnapping of newborn babies, in a raid conducted in the Lalbagh area of the capital yesterday.

A RAB intelligence team and a female officer made contact with the gang leader, Monoara, 50, under the guise of wanting to buy a baby. The asking price was Tk70,000.

A RAB 3 team then raided the house and arrested four female who were in it at the time.

But Monoara managed to escape.

The arrestees were identified as Farida, 42, Jahanara, 50, Ferdousi, 30, and Rozina, 50.

Lt Col Khandokar Golam Sarowar, commanding officer of RAB 3, at a press briefing on the premises of Dhaka Medical College Hospital said his team had been on the lookout for the baby theft gang for some time.

“We are handing over a 15-day-old female child to the Paediatric Department of the DMCH for treatment.

We do not yet know the infant’s identity,” he said.

The arrestees denied involvement in the gang, but accused Monoara of being involved in baby theft. l

Nat Geo: 10 species at risk after Sundarbans oil spill n Tribune Report The massive oil spill in the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, has put many of the region’s fauna at severe risk.

The Unesco-listed World Heritage Site is the home to globally endangered species.

The National Geography Traveller, India has listed 10 species at risk from this terrible disaster. They are the rare Irrawady dolphins, the Bengal Tigers, leopard cats, great egrets, rhesus macaques, endemic river terrapin, blackcapped kingfishers, chitals, saltwater crocodiles, and the horseshoe crabs – known as a living fossil as it has been dated to 400m years ago.

“Although the wreckage has been removed, the damage may already be done given the intricate network of the various rivers of the Sundarbans,” Pradeep Vyas, director of the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve, told the National Geography Traveller, India.

“As of now, there isn’t any impact that’s been noted on the Indian side of the Sundarbans,” Vyas said. “But since it’s a single ecosystem, it’s only a matter of time and we’re closely monitoring the situation.”

The oil spill was not entirely unexpected, Vyas added. This situation had

been anticipated about six years ago.

He said: “Trade routes used to pass through the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve. We approached government authorities who conducted a feasibility survey.

Eventually, about four years ago, they diverted the route to minimise destructive impact. Now, the route goes along the periphery. Bangladesh still has ports within the Sundarbans forests, which continues to impact the biosphere.”

On December 9, a tanker carrying 350,000 litres of furnace oil sank in the Sundarbans Sela river that was salvaged after 55 hours. The oil spread along at least 80km of the river, seriously threatening the delicate ecology of the mangrove forest.

The Sundarbans delta contains the world’s largest unbroken mangrove forest, covering about 10,000sq-km across India and Bangladesh.

When contacted, Prof Monirul H Khan of zoology department at Jahangirnagar University said: “No scientific explanation is possible to provide in short time. However, the [Nat Geo] report may provide some awareness suggestions.”

The underwater living being, Masked Finfood, would be the worst hit, he told the Dhaka Tribune. l

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Deal penned for 383MW Bibiyana plant n Aminur Rahman Rasel The state-owned Power Development Board (PDB) yesterday signed a contract with Isolux Ingenieria SA of Spain and Samsung C&T Corporation of South Korea for the construction of 383MW gas-based combined cycle Bibiyana South Power Plant in Habiganj.

The joint venture of Isolux and Samsung will work in the project as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor at a contract value of $288.26m.

The plant’s total net generation capacity will be 383.51MW through its combination of simple cycle and combined cycle units It is expected that the project’s simple cycle unit will come into production in December 2016 and the combined cycle unit in June 2017. The PDB, under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, will implement the project.

Md Zahurul Haque, secretary of PDB; Jose Luis Dago Elorza, general manager of Isolux Ingenieria; and Sung Ki Na, general manager of Samsung C& T Corporation, signed the contract on behalf of their respective sides.

“The government signed the deal with two foreign companies to set up a natural gas-based 383MW combined cycle power plant with the best quality of technology at Bibiyana to mitigate the high demand for electricity,” State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid said while

speaking as the chief guest at the signing ceremony in the city’s Bidyut Bhaban.

Power Division Secretary Monowar Islam, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman AR Khan and PDB Chairman Md Abduhu Ruhullah spoke at the contract signing ceremony as special guests.

“The project cost has been estimated at $322.96m, while the EPC value is $288.26m,” Abduhu Ruhullah said.

The gas-fired combined cycle power plant project’s total net generation capacity will be 383.51MW through its combination of simple cycle and combined cycle units, he said.

Electricity production cost in the project will be Tk1.13 kilowatt per hour (kWh) considering the plant factor at 85%, while the power tariff was estimated to be Tk4.70 per unit. The project’s lifetime has been fixed at 25 years.

The project’s gas turbine, steam turbine, generator and other main equipment will come from Germany, Belgium, the USA, Spain and China. The plant’s energy efficiency is expected to be 53.37%. The power plant will consume around 60 mmcfd gas which will be supplied from the Bibiyana gas field.

The Bibiyana South project’s implementation process started few years back and initially, it was named as Bibiaya-1 and awarded to Summit Group to implement it as an independent power producer (IPP) plant.

For the first time, the government will be using the Energy Development and Maintenance Fund, which was created by introducing an additional amount with the price of electricity to finance this project, to build the plant in place of the cancelled Bibiyana 1 project with Summit Group. l

As the winter chill intensifies in the evening, roadside shops selling Bhapa Pitha, a traditional molasses-filled delicacy, become a favourite destination for Dhaka residents. This vendor was selling steaming Bhapa Pithas on the Dhaka University campus yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

Insurance official to face credit card fraud charge n Md Sanaul Islam Tipu

A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against an employee of Meghna Life Insurance Company Ltd in a credit card theft and fraudulence case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasibul Haque framed the charges under section 379, 419 and 411 of the penal code, rejecting a discharge petition filed by defence counsel. The court also fixed March 11 for starting the trial in the case.

Present before the court, the accused, Jobaida Nasrin, pleaded not

Chhatra league besieges CU VC demanding removal of proctor n CU Correspondent Activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) yesterday laid siege to the administrative office of Chittagong University and confined the vice-chancellor for two and a half hours, demanding removal of the proctor and immediate arrest of the killers of fellow activist Tapos Sarkar.

Under the banner of Choose Friend with Care, a faction of CU Chhatra League unit led by Sumon Mamun also vandalised windows of the ground floor of Dr AR Mallik Bhaban and pelted stones at VC Professor Anwarul Azim Arif’s office during the demonstration.

The VC was freed around 4:30pm following assurance that Proctor Siraj Ud Dowla would be removed within two days.

He, however, later told journalists

that as it was an official post, steps against the proctor would be taken after investigation.

Chhatra League leader Sumon Mamun said they had issued an ultimatum for realising their demands but the VC did not pay any heed and that is why they locked the CU administrative building.

Tapos Sarker, a first year student of Sangskrit, was shot dead by his rivals at Shah Amanat dormitory during a clash between two factions of Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League, on Sunday.

Following the killing, police raided Shahjalal dormitory and recovered a light gun and five rounds of bullets and a number of sharp weapons. “We went to Hathazari police station to lodge a murder case on Sunday night accusing 27 men but police did not take our case

for unknown reasons,” Sumon said.

In the morning, some 60-70 activists of Choose Friend with Care staged a sitin before the CU administrative building demanding arrest of Tapos’ killers and removal of the proctor.

The Chhatra League men kept the CU main gate under lock and key for half an hour halting the traffic movement.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police (North)’s Additional Superintendent Mohammed Shahidullah said they brought the situation under control after convincing the students of looking into their demands.

Officer-in-Charge of of Hathazari police station Ismail Hossain said they had filed a case against 55 persons, including five Chhatra League men, in connection with the arms recovered from the Shahjalal Hall yesterday. l

Banking services for garment workers n Tribune Report

Nasir Group chief skips ACC questioning

In partnership with the World Bank (WB), the City Bank has recently launched a research project to ensure that the country’s garment workers get easy access to the services of financial institutions, including banks and ATM booths.

Under its Innovations for Poverty Actions (IPA) programme, the WB’s Development Economics Research Group will provide all kinds of support to the City Bank in this regard, read a press release.

City Bank MD and CEO Sohail RK Hussain inaugurated the programme at the capital’s Westin hotel on December 14.

As part of the project, the City Bank has recently opened free bank accounts for RMG workers and installed ATM booths in cooperation with factory owners. l

Nasir Group of Industries Chairman Nasir Uddin Biswas and its nine other officials have skipped the Anti Corruption Commission’s scheduled questioning at its headquarters in the capital.

They sought one-month time before facing the watchdog over allegations of money laundering and tax evasion worth Tk200 crore annually. According to the time petition, Nasir was now ill and so it was not possible for him to face the questioning.

ACC Commissioner M Shahabuddin Chuppu, however, said yesterday he had not received any time petition though its Inquiry Officer and Assistant Direc-

n Adil Sakhawat

tor SM Rafiqul Islam said Nasir Group applied for time extension a month ago.

Seeking anonymity, an ACC official however said Inquiry Officer SM Rafiqul Islam quizzed the owner of SB Money Changer Sharif Arifuzzaman Shiplu yesterday for allegedly siphoning over Tk100 crore abroad in favour of Nasir Group.

He also asked Shiplu to submit all documents of transaction of SB money Changer from 2010 to 2013 during the questioning from 10 am to 11 am.

The commission is investigating the summoned individuals’ involvement in laundering over Tk200 crore annually by evading tax against every letter of credit (LC) to import products. The amount might be much higher. l

Jubo Dal leader killed in capital n Tribune Report Police recovered the body of a Jubo Dal leader from his house in Kafrul area in the capital yesterday.

The deceased, Maolana Nasir, was the convenor of Kafrul Thana unit of Jubo Dal, and also the president of Bangladesh Kazi Samity.

Police said some leaders and activists of the party went to meet Nasir to discus about the formation a commit-

tee of the local unit yesterday evening.

At one stage of the discussion, they locked in an altercation, and Nasir came under attack by the leaders and activists.

Nasir’s family members alleged that some miscreants entered their house and killed on the spot.

Police recovered the body around 7:00pm, and sent it to Dhaka Medical College morgue for an autopsy, said Kafrul Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdul Kaiyum. l

guilty and sought justice after the charges were read out to her.

The credit card belonged to Appellate Division Judge Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury.

According to the case statement, on June 27, the justice’s wife Sabera Ahamed Chowdhury went to the Banani branch of fast-food chain KFC with her child, where she paid the bill with an Eastern Bank credit card which was endorsed with her husband’s name.

But after some time, she received an SMS notification from the bank telling

her someone was using the credit card to purchase products from shops in Banani and Gulshan. In total, Tk84,975 was spent; including Tk20,524 in Banani’s Pharmacy Plus store, Tk16,983 in Gulshan’s Astorian store, Tk25,500 in Posh and Silk, and Tk21,966 in Shoppers World.

Realising that the credit card was missing, Sabera filed a general diary with the Banani police station. The police investigated the issue and identified the accused using CCTV footage from the KFC.

The culprit, Jobaida, who currently lives in the capital’s Uttara and works as a representative in Meghna Insurance company’s Shantinagar branch, was arrested on September 20.

Jobaida was also put under a threeday remand, following which the stolen credit card was recovered along with the goods that were purchased using it.

On October 31, Banani police station Sub-Inspector Mahmudul Hasan, also investigation office of the case, pressed the charge sheet against the accused. l

Police constable, 1 other held for mugging n Mohammad Jamil Khan A police constable and a police source were arrested in connection with robbing two men in broad daylight in the Capital’s Matshya Bhaban area yesterday.

“The arrestees were identified as Nur-e-Alam, driver of Police Headquarters, and police source Mizanur Rahman,” Shirajul Islam, officer in-charge of Shahbagh police station, told the Dhaka Tribune.

However, another Assistant Sub-Inspector Khalilur Rahman, who was also present at the spot with the duo, fled the scene with Tk23 thousand snatched from the men.

Victims Liton and Sony told the Dhaka Tribune that they dealt on currency exchange business in the Chawkbazar area. Yesterday noon, after changing money from Motijheel area, they were going back to Chawkbazar in a bicycle.

“Soon after we reached near High Court crossing, three police officials riding on a motorbike with a ‘Police’ sign on the front, stopped us,” said the duo.

“One of the police officials asked Liton to go with them saying that there was a case against him. When we refused, they threatened to arrest us,” said Sony.

At one point, they handcuffed Liton and started dragging him with the motorbike. “Feeling helpless, we started shouting and soon people stopped the police officials. But one police official left the spot immediately in the motorbike taking Tk23 thousands,” added Sony.

OC Shirajul said the angry mob handed over constable Nur and source Mizanur to Shahbagh police. “We have recovered Tk73,500 from their posses-

Police present a constable and his cohort to media at the Shahbagh police station. They were arrested while trying to mug two men in the capital yesterday MEHEDI HASAN sion. Also, Nur and Mizanur have been shown arrest in the case filed by the victims. We are in search of ASI Khalil.”

When contacted, Md Firoz, sub-inspctor of Motijheel police station, told the Dhaka Tribune that ASI Khalilur was not with Motijheel police any more. “He has been transferred to Police Investigation Bureau on December 6 of the year,” added Firoz.

Farmer shot dead in Comilla n Our Correspondent, Comilla A farmer was killed when stray bullets fired by some extortionists missed their target in Daudkandi upazila in Comilla yesterday.

Seven people were also injured in the incident.

The deceased is Ishaque, a resident of the area. He was rushed to Gouripur Hospital where doctors declared him dead, police said.

The miscreants opened fire at the trawlers of some sand traders in Gomti river as the latter denied to pay some extortion money, said Salam Miah, officer-in-charge of Daudkandi Model

Police Station.

The bullets hit Ishaque when he was working in his field, he said.

The miscreants have been collecting extortion money from the owners of the sand-laden trawlers in the in river for a long time.

The trawlers’ owners said they could not pay the money as the extortionist demanded a big amount on that day.

The critically injured people were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Ishaque’s wife Rizia Khatun filed case against 16 people by name, including Al-Amin, and seven others unnamed people. l

Earlier on November 1, five cops of Bhatara and Airport police station were arrested and suspended for their involvement in abduction and extortion near the Kuril Flyover.

Later Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a police constable from Dhanmondi area in the capital for his alleged involvement in abduction on November 11. l

Highway blocked over setting up bus counter n Our Correspondent, Munshiganj Workers and owners of Gun Gun, Ilish and BRTC paribahans blocked the Dhaka-Mawa Highway yesterday over setting up counter.

SI Yusuf Ali of the highway police outpost said there had been a longstanding conflict among the workers and owners of the three transport paribahans over setting up counter in the Shimulia Ghaat area. On the day, they blocked the highway for five hours disrupting vehicle-plying placing wood logs. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

News

5

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Mass killing ground on verge of obliteration Study: Integrated n Our Correspondent, Gaibandha The mass killing ground at Gowaler Ghat area of Sundarganj in Gaibandha is on the brink of extinction. Incomplete work of a memorial, lack of maintenance and erosion by the Teesta River are causing the historical place to decay gradually.

Even after 43 years of the independence, a memorial could not be built on the ground due to lack of funding.

Shrubs and plants have taken over the place making it a safe haven for drug addicts and miscreants.

Freedom Fighter Layek Ali Khan Mintu said, on December 9 of 1971, a group of 150 freedom fighters, led by Commander Mahfuzur Rahman Khoka of Kurigram attacked the Sundarganj camp of Pakistan Occupation Forces.

After 6 hours of fierce battle, the Pakistan army retreated. They left the camp for Rangpur.

Mintu went on to recall the horrific memory of the day they seized the camp. “When we went inside the building, we discovered a torture cell, where Pakistani army tortured Bangalees by hammering nails on their hands and

n Our Correspondent, Narshingdi

Unidentified goons hacked a security guard of a private firm to death at Mirpur in the capital early morning yesterday.

The victim, Md Shahjahan, 65, resident of Pallabi area, was employed as a security guard at Ahmed Food Products, located on the ground floor of a 10-storey building behind Purobi cinema.

Police said some unidentified miscreants attacked Shahjahan left him severely injured.

He was taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

The doctors on duty pronounced him dead around 9.30am. l

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feet. Some nails still had flesh on them!

We also found a number of saris and undergarments of women, lying on the floor torn and tattered.”

“On the north side of the lake, which was near the camp, we saw a large number of bodies. We could not do the count since many of the bodies were swollen and unidentifiable. We cannot forget the brutal massacre done by the

Pakistani force,” he continued.

Commander of the upazila Muktizoddha Sangshad, freedom fighter Imdadul Haq Bablu said the camp was set up at the CO office of Sundarganj sometime in April ‘71. “Since then till December, hundreds of men, women, girls, freedom fighters, pro-liberation people and local Awami League activists were detained, tortured and later

Two abducted children rescued

Security guard hacked to death n Tribune Report

Dhaka Chittagong Rajshahi Rangpur Khulna Barisal Sylhet Cox’s Bazar

Four years after the work began, the memorial at Gowaler Ghat mass killing ground in Sundarganj is yet to be completed. Moreover, lack of maintenance has made this historical place vulnerable to erosion by the Teesta River DHAKA TRIBUNE

Two days after their abduction from Dhaka, two children were rescued from Narshindi early yesterday.

Police also arrested two women for their alleged involvement in the incident.

On Saturday evening, Tousif Hossain, 5, son of Rafiqul Islam of Shahjadpur area in the capital’s Badda, and Minhaz Hossain,4, of Babul Mia of the same area, were kidnapped when they were playing at a place near their hous-

es, quoting the victim’s family members police said.

Monir Hossain, hailed from Taroa area in Narshindi and residing at a rented house in the capital’s Badda; and Mamun Mia, a resident of Kamartek area in Shibpur upazila, demanded Tk12 lakh from the parents of the victims on that night of the abduction, they said.

Later, parents of the victims filed general diaries with Badda Police Station and informed the matter to Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-1).

A team of police from Narshindi Sa-

GAZIPUR GARMENT WORKER GANG-RAPE

Case recorded as policeman’s misconduct revealed n Our Correspondent, Gazipur Police on Sunday night recorded a case in connection with the gang-rape of a young garment worker in Sreepur, allegedly after a policeman’s inappropriate behaviour came to light.

It was said that the officer-in-charge (investigation) of Sreepur Model police station contacted the girl himself and brought her to the police station after reporters came to know how he had mistreated her when she came to lodge a case after the rape.

A sub-inspector of the police station, who did not want to be named, said the officer-in-charge, Khan Mohammad Abul Kashem, hurled abuse at

the girl when she came to file a lawsuit and also forced her to leave.

“Three of the girl’s neighbours brought her to the police station and Kashem also threatened them, saying that he would accuse them in the case.

But he later brought the girl to the police station and recorded the case when his misconduct was disclosed to reporters,” he said.

But Kashem denied the allegation, saying the girl left the police station on purpose. He said he contacted her after collecting her address from reporters and then recorded the case. Meanwhile, the girl accused five men in the case but named only two – Asad Ullah Pradhan and Nayan. l

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killed. The bodies were dumped by the lake, which bears historical testimony to the atrocities. Four years ago, local administration took the initiative to build a memorial but it is still incomplete. Now the place has turned into a den for criminals.”

With much anguish and frustration, local journalist Abu Bakr Siddique said: “There were about 2400 members of Shanti Bahini in this upazila. People know very well what Salu Razakar, Maolana Aziz, Abdur Rahim and Tamij Uddin did during the liberation war. But it is unfortunate that we could do nothing to bring them under justice. Also, those who gave their lives for our freedom, we could not give them due honour.”

General Secretary of upazila Awami League Golam Mostafa Ahmed said there were three mass killing grounds in Sundarganj. “We have urged the administration to preserve those places many times. But our requests have fallen on deaf ears.”

When asked, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (acting) Rashedul Haq cited lack of funding for not completing the memorial and for the poor condition of the grounds. l

5:12am 6:31am 11:53am 3:37pm 5:13pm 6:33 pm SourceL IslamicFinder.org

Youth Forum CEO Tanjina Noushin receives a prize from Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury during a programme of Bangladesh Youth Parliament 2014 at Cirdap auditorium in the capital yesterday MAHMUD HOSSAIN OPU

Speaker: Youths pioneers of innovative thoughts n Rafe Sadnan Adel The youth are the pioneers of innovative thoughts and it is the duty of the senior citizens to guide them properly, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said yesterday.

She also suggested young people to work voluntarily for the underprivileged children of the society while addressing a programme of Bangladesh Youth Parliament 2014.

The programme, which had three sessions, was held at the Cirdap auditorium in the capital and saw participation of 300 young leaders from all over the country.

“Youths have to find out

the problems that exists in their own areas and have to discuss those in the forum to bring those to the attention of the policymakers.

This will help the policymakers to work on the problems,” said the Speaker.

CEO of Youth Forum Tanjina Noushin said the platform was established for the youth to share their views in a way which would make them feel like they are the future leaders. “This is how we are trying to ensure constructive leadership."

She also said they already have 25,000 youth-based organisations under their belt which is why they are hopeful that they can make the desired change. l

dar Police Station conducted a drive at a rented house of Monir in Taroa area of Narshindi, and rescued the children.

The law enforcers also arrested Shahida Bagum, 20, wife of Monir Hossain, and Rahima Aktar, 35, a sister-in-law of Mamun, for their alleged involvement in the abduction.

The children were handed over to their family members, said Narhindi Sadar Model Police Station Officer-inCharge Abul Kasem.

Drives were going on to arrest Monir and Mamun, he said. l

interventions can promote reproductive health knowledge n Tribune Report Integrated interventions can promote sexual and reproductive health knowledge among people and reduce violence against young women and girls in the urban slums, according to a recent study.

Findings of the study were revealed yesterday at a dissemination seminar titled “Growing up safe and healthy (SAFE): Addressing sexual and reproductive health and rights and violence against women and girls in Dhaka slums” at ICDDR,B auditorium in the capital.

The study demonstrated that combining workforce of all organisations working on legal rights of both males and females, launching community campaigns and activism, and providing legal and health service on the ground can reduce violence against young women and girls in the urban slums.

A consortium of researchers, service providers and activists worked together to develop and implement this project, led by the ICDDR,B (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh).

Other organisations which collaborated in the research include Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Marie Stopes Bangladesh, Nari Maitree, Population Council and We Can Campaign.

Speakers at the seminar said compared to women and girls living in the rural and other urban areas, those living in the slums experience higher rates of violence and poorer sexual and reproductive health.

The project was the first intervention to integrate group awareness-raising sessions, community campaigns, and activism of community members with easy access to effective legal and health services.

It is also the first of its kind in the developing world to demonstrate positive changes in the community at a large scale, the speakers said.

Tariqu-ul Islam, secretary at the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and chief guest at the event, said: “The SAFE project offers important insight into what works in addressing sexual and reproductive health and violence against women and girls in urban slums. It also offers a powerful model for how we can make a difference in these settings.

“The most important thing about this project is that the vulnerable women and girls have grown more confident. So, these findings will help the government to make policies and programmes on the slums accordingly.”

Barrister Sara Hossain, honorary executive director of the BLAST, said: “It is not just telling you that you have a right not to be beaten, but where to go if this happens, what you can do, who will help you, and having committed and competent people on hand to provide that help.”

Dr Sajeda Amin, senior associate at the Population Council, said: “There is still much to be done. We need to scale the project up, while it would be ideal to come back in a few years to evaluate the lasting community impact of this programme.” l

6

DHAKA TRIBUNE

SYDNEY HOSTAGE SITUATION

Siege ends as police storm Lindt Cafe n Guardian

An armed siege at a cafe in the heart of Sydney has ended after police entered the building shortly after a series of loud bangs were heard and groups of hostages ran out onto the street.

In dramatic scenes about 17 hours after a single armed man, named in reports as Man Haron Monis, first took an unknown number of hostages, heavily armed police stormed the Lindt Cafe, in a building on Martin Place, a pedestrianised street in the middle of Sydney’s central business district.

Several bursts of gunfire and loud bangs could be heard, and several people were seen being carried from the building, apparently injured. Some reports said a police officer had been hurt.

Paramedics moved in and took away several injured people on stretchers.

The chaotic scenes began as between five and seven hostages were seen running from the cafe, the second group of captives to escape since the siege began at about 9.45am on Monday local time. Later, other groups of what appeared to be hostages could be seen running out.

A gunman carrying a blue sports bag had reportedly entered the cafe and a hostage situation quickly developed, with heavily armed police surrounding the cafe and closing off the streets of the central area of Australia’s biggest city.

Early images showed some hostages apparently forced to hold a black and white flag against the window bearing the Islamic creed, raising fears that a terrorist attack was under way.

Other terrified hostages inside the cafe could be seen with their hands pressed against the glass.

A black flag in the window of the cafe appeared to bear the Shahada, an Islamic affirmation of the oneness of God, reading: “There is no god but the God, Muhammad is the messenger of God.” The creed is common in the Islamic world and appears on the Saudi Arabian flag, but has been embraced by Is-

Israeli PM rejects Palestinian UN bid as he meets Kerry n AFP, Rome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday angrily rejected a Palestinian bid to set a UN deadline for an end to Israel’s occupation as he headed to Rome for high-stakes talks with US top diplomat John Kerry.

“We will not accept attempts to dictate to us unilateral moves on a limited timetable,” the Israeli leader said in a statement before flying to Italy.

He was due to meet Kerry later Monday in the US ambassador’s residence here, as Washington seeks to avert an end-of-year showdown at the United Nations Security Council.

The Palestinians have said they intend to submit a draft text setting a two-year deadline for an end to the decades-long Israeli occupation of their lands as early as Wednesday.

France is also leading European efforts to cobble together a resolution which would require a return to the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

US officials have said Kerry is aiming to learn more about the European initiative, which could place the US administration in a quandary.

Traditionally the US has used its power of veto at the UN Security Council to shoot down what it sees as moves against its close regional ally, Israel.

But there is a growing impatience in Europe to end the impasse in the peace negotiations amid fears that the Middle East risks spiralling into even greater chaos.

Several European parliaments have called on their governments to move ahead with the recognition of a Palestinian state.

US officials told reporters accompanying Kerry that Washington has not yet decided whether to veto or back a European-led UN initiative.

The US administration opposes moves to bind negotiators’ hands through a UN resolution – particularly any attempt to set a deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the West Bank.

A US veto risks however running contrary to Washington’s avowed aims of a Palestinian state and would anger key Arab allies – many of whom have joined the US-led coalition against Islamic State militants.

Netanyhau seized on Monday’s hostage seige in Australia as proof that Israel had to uphold its security in its turbulent region. l

lamist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra and Hizb ut-Tahrir.

The man reported to be behind the Sydney cafe siege, Man Haron Monis, who is currently on bail facing dozens of charges of indecent and sexual assault. A fringe figure in Australia’s Muslim community, Monis has been spurned by Shia leaders, who have reportedly urged federal police to investigate the man over his claims to be an ayatollah, or Shia cleric.

The Iranian-born 49-year-old, who apparently converted from Shia Islam to Sunni only last week, was infamously involved in sending ‘grossly offensive’ letters to parents and relatives of Australian victims of terrorism and troops killed in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009. He unsuccessfully challenged the conviction in the high court last year.

He has also been accused of being an accessory in the killing of his exwife, a charge for which he remains on bail.

He told ABC News in 2001 that he fled Australia five years earlier after falling foul of the Iranian regime, which he said had placed his wife and children under house arrest. ‘I can say they are hostage,’ he said at the time.

Tony Abbott, the Australian prime minister, made a short statement as the siege was ongoing, urging Australians to be resolute. “We don’t yet know the motivation of the perpetrator, we don’t know whether this is politically motivated although obviously there are some indications that it could be,” the prime minister said.

“We have to appreciate that even in a society such as ours, there are people who would wish to do us harm, that’s why we have police and security organisations of the utmost professionalism that are ready and able to respond to a whole range of situations and contingencies including this situation that we are now seeing in Sydney.”

Australia’s grand mufti, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, said he was devastated by the news of the standoff. l

World

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

n AFP

This year’s Miss World Rolene Strauss (South Africa), center, waves flanked by first runner up Edina Kulcsar (Hungary), left, and second runner up Elizabeth Safrit (USA), right, during the grand final of the pageant at the Excel London ICC Auditorium in London on Sunday AFP

n AFP, Stockholm

Sales by Russian arms manufacturers continue to expand thanks to Moscow’s investments despite a downturn in global defence spending, a Stockholm-based think-tank said yesterday.

“The remarkable increases in Russian companies’ arms sales in both 2012 and 2013 are in large part due to uninterrupted investments in military procurement by the Russian government during the 2000s,” said Siemon Wezeman, senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Sales by Russian-based arms firms grew by 20% in 2013, according to SIPRI. However, figures for the 100 biggest arms-dealing nations excluding China declined for the third year in a row, with a two-percent drop in sales in 2013 to $402 billion (322 billion euros).

SIPRI’s report does not include Chi-

na due to a lack of reliable data. China’s companies supply a military that enjoys the world’s second-biggest budget.

The Russian company with the biggest increase in sales in 2013 was Tactical Missiles Corporation, which registered a 118-percent hike, followed by Almaz-Antey, with a 34% increase.

Russia was the thirdlargest spender in defence after the US and China and has more than doubled its military expenditure since 2004 Almaz-Antey is now the 12th-largest arms manufacturer in the world, getting closer to the top 10, “which has been exclusively populated by arms

producers from the US or Western Europe since the end of the Cold War,” SIPRI said.

The think-tank mentioned the withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq as one of the main reasons for a 4.5-percent decline in arms sales by US companies.

Despite the decrease, the US still dominates the list with six companies in the top 10.

US group Lockheed Martin is number one, with sales of $35.5 billion in 2013, followed by fellow-US firm Boeing.

As for the buyers, world military expenditure fell in 2013 by 1.9%, mostly dragged down by cuts in the United States and other Western countries, SIPRI said in a previous report published in April.

Russia was the third-largest spender in defence after the US and China and has more than doubled its military expenditure since 2004, according to SIPRI’s April report.

Russia’s increasing assertiveness in neighbouring regions, including the annexation of Crimea and repeated airspace violations in Europe, has become a major concern for Western countries.

Pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine have been fighting Ukrainian forces since April in a war which has claimed more than 4,000 lives and driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

Moscow has repeatedly denied involvement but openly gives political backing to the self-declared separatist statelets in the east.

SIPRI was created in 1966 and is partly financed by the Swedish state.

It specialises in research on conflicts, weapons, arms control and disarmament.

The think-tank defines arms sales as “sales of military goods and services to military customers including both sales for domestic procurement and sales for export.” l

The Saradha plot thickens n Agencies

A drone belonging to the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, flies over Gaza City on Sunday during a parade AFP

Hamas flies drone over Gaza during anniversary parade The Islamic militant group Hamas staged a show of strength to mark its 27th anniversary Sunday, with a military parade through Gaza including a flyover by a drone.

Founded in 1987 shortly after the start of the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, Hamas was inspired by Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood.

Its charter calls for the eventual destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state on the pre1948 borders of the British Palestine Mandate.

The Jerusalem Post said the Israeli air force scrambled warplanes to monitor the Hamas drone, which did not cross into Israel.

“According to a military source, the jets were prepared to deal with the threat, but returned to base after the air force saw there was no threat to Israeli air space,” the Post website said.

An Israeli military spokesman confirmed the drone flight but would not comment on Israeli reaction.

On the ground, rocket and mortar launchers trundled through the rain-swept Gaza streets along with thousands of masked, black-clad and helmeted fighters of Hamas’s military arm, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.

Lorries carried larger rockets, such as the locally produced M75, which have a range of 80 kilometres (50

Workers from Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s party shut down major roads in the eastern city of Lahore yesterday in the latest round of protests against the government.

Dozens of supporters from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party gathered at different junctions of the city’s major roads and burnt tyres, forcing the suspension of public transport services.

Khan claims the 2013 general election was rigged and wants Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose power base lies in Lahore, to resign.

Local and foreign observers, however, have rated the polls as credible.

A heavy police presence is on the streets to try to prevent violence, following clashes at a similar protest in the city of Faisalabad last week.

Khan has vowed to paralyse major cities around the country as part of his efforts to topple Sharif’s government. l

Russian arms sales soar on domestic spending

IT WORKS

n AFP, Gaza City

Imran Khan leads anti-government protest in Lahore

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

miles), meaning they can reach Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Frogmen of the Brigades’ naval commandos posed in wetsuits and other militants rappelled down the walls of a building.

Qassam spokesman Abu Obeida praised Iran for its support.

“Thank you to all the people and the countries, first among which is the Islamic Republic of Iran which did not skimp on money, weapons and other things and provided the resistance with rockets,” he said in a speech.

During seven weeks of war this summer between Israel and Hamas, the main power in the Gaza Strip, militants fired 3,659 rockets or mortar rounds on the Jewish state, the Israeli army said.

The army said it hit 5,226 targets in Gaza, with air strikes, shelling or tank fire.

The Gaza health ministry said 2,143 Palestinians were killed, nearly 70% of them civilians.

On the Israeli side, 73 were killed, mostly soldiers.

During the conflict the military said it shot down two Hamas drones over Israel.

Qassam says the “Ababil” drone is manufactured in Gaza.

In 2012, during a previous major operation against Gaza, Israel said it had destroyed a military drone production workshop set up by Hamas. l

The CBI’s statement has contradicted the first charge, and as regards the second evidence for it has not been forthcoming even as Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool president and West Bengal chief minister, has again complained of her party being the subject of vendetta.

How deep the nexus was between the Saradha group and the Trinamool Congress can be assessed only after the CBI completes its investigation.

But the way the Trinamool has been behaving only reinforces suspicions of wrong-doing. Earlier a minister in the West Bengal government had talked about a “fishing and roving” probe by the CBI. Thereafter Ms Banerjee took to the streets after the CBI arrested her party colleague and MP Srinjoy Bose.

Though she had earlier said she had nothing against the CBI probe, which the Supreme Court had ordered, she herself accused the CBI of trying to

shield the “real guilty.”

As a result of all this, what people know least is the direction in which the overall probe is going. The CBI has reportedly initiated an inquiry on how Ripley & Company, owned by the arrested Bose’s family, managed to carry out cargo-handling operations at Haldia Port for 25 years, without supposedly paying royalty to the Kolkata Port Trust. In its second chargesheet, the agency put a value of almost Taka 850 crore as the sum involved.

The Enforcement Directorate, which was supposed to submit its chargesheet in November, has not done so and what accounts for the delay? People need to know more about where exactly lay the culpability of the people arrested in the scam, which laws of the land were broken and how.

This way a case for tighter supervision by the appropriate financial authorities can be made. l

Guantanamo 9/11 hearing to focus on FBI infiltration

‘CIA went too far’

The arrest of a West Bengal minister in the Saradha scam can be looked at in two ways. First, the investigation into the scam has gone further after the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI’s) second chargesheet, though it is not clear why the minister’s arrest came so late. The Saradha boss, Sudipta Sen, reportedly gave details to the CBI about the minister’s financial links with the firm quite some time ago.

Second, as expected, the scope for politicising the scam has deepened as the development has come after the allegation made by BJP president Amit Shah that ill-gotten money from the scam had been used to finance the Burdwan blasts, insinuating that the subversive act was the handiwork of Trinamool leaders, and that the West Bengal government was shielding the blast-accused.

n Reuters FBI efforts to infiltrate defense teams will top the agenda when a US military court hearing for suspects in the Sept 11, 2001, attacks starts yesterday, the first such proceeding since a Senate report on CIA torture was released last week.

The two-day pretrial hearing at the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will focus on the extent of Federal Bureau of Investigation intrusion into defense teams, according to the docket on a Pentagon website.

Judge James Pohl, an Army colonel, ruled in July that no conflict of interest arose for defense attorneys from the FBI approaching a security officer for a defense team. The allegations surfaced in April, further delaying a complex, slow-moving case.

Lawyers for accused Sept 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspects want Pohl to determine the extent of FBI contact with defense team members.

“Otherwise, we can’t dispel the idea we’re being watched, which chills the ability to conduct a defense,” said David Nevin, the lead counsel for Mohammed.

The Defense Department website shows a flurry of secret filings in recent

days, including from a special Justice Department team appointed to investigate the FBI’s role.

Mohammed and fellow Sept. 11 suspect Ramzi Binalshibh were among prisoners who underwent torture by the Central Intelligence Agency, according to the report by the Senate Intelligence Committee released on Tuesday.

The report on the CIA interrogation program implemented after the Sept.

11 attacks said Mohammed was subjected to waterboarding, or simulated drowning, “rectal hydration” and sleep deprivation.

Nevin and James Connell III, a lawyer for accused Sept. 11 plotter Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, said the Senate report was unlikely to be raised at the Guantanamo Bay hearing.

“It certainly will not be the central focus,” Connell said.

He added that the report showed alleged mistreatment not only of defendants, but of a potential witness, Majid Khan, an aide to Mohammed. He said prosecutors needed to turn material on treatment of defendants and witnesses over to defense lawyers.

Lieutenant Colonel Myles Caggins III, a Pentagon spokesman on military commissions, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. l

n Reuters

As former Vice President Dick Cheney argued on Sunday that the CIA’s aggressive interrogation of terrorism suspects did not amount to torture, the man who provided the legal rationale for the program said that in some cases it had perhaps gone too far.

Former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo said the sleep deprivation, rectal feeding and other harsh treatment outlined in a US Senate report last week could violate anti-torture laws.

“If these things happened as they’re described in the report ... they were not supposed to be done. And the people who did those are at risk legally because they were acting outside their orders,” Yoo said on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS.” As Deputy Assistant US Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel in 2002, Yoo co-wrote a memo that was used as the legal sanction for what the CIA called its program of enhanced interrogation techniques after the Sept 11 attacks.

The memo said only prolonged mental harm or serious physical injury, such as organ failure, violated the Geneva Convention’s ban on torture.

Aggressive interrogation methods like waterboarding fell short of that mark.

Yoo’s comments on Sunday contrasted with those of Cheney and former national security officials who invoke his memo to argue that the harsh treatment of detainees was legal. l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

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DHAKA TRIBUNE

Victory Day 2014

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Where were you when you heard news of the victory?

I

was in Norail, which was a subdivision of Jessore district back then.

Around December 3 at 3am, a group of freedom fighters came to my house asking for a little food to carry them through the night. After getting to know them, we offered to hide their firearms, which were mostly sten guns and rifles. They explained that the surrounding villages were currently under Bangladesh’s command. Among the villages that they had personally taken part in getting rid of Pakistani soldiers were Lokkhipasha and Lohagarha.

On December 9, they were at our house again asking to listen to the radio, and around 9pm it was announced that we had overcome the Pakistani forces.

I was overjoyed, but I could see that the joy felt by the fighters standing in front of me surpassed mine. Their faces exuded joy of a magnitude that left no doubt that the nine months of war and torture and suffering was well worth it. We had peace.

– Sabina Sharmeen

I

n Tribune Desk

I

was in Jatrabari, and I had been huddled with a few children inside a makeshift bunker. We had dug it up and put on a roof of some sort. The bunker was close to the road, right in the middle of the battles that had been going on for several days. But that afternoon, we saw the Pakistani army in retreat. Hundred of soldiers were walking down the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, along with tanks and lorries, retreating from frontline or wherever they had been fighting. We watched them go by for hours.

In the evening when I heard someone screaming “Joy Bangla,” I knew we had our freedom and our Bangladesh.

Until that moment, we could say it to one another, quietly, in the privacy of our homes.

That day we were finally able to go outside and shout freely: “Joy Bangla!”

– Muhammed Zafar Iqbal

W

e were in the Bandarban area when we first heard the news on an Indian radio that the Pakistani army had surrendered. We were not that sure about ultimate victory though, as the scenario was different in Chittagong than Dhaka. We approached the city from the jungle of Chittagong Hill Tracts, slowly, our feet ready for combat.

When we finally got in Chittagong proper, we realised: Yes we are free.

I was hugging each and every object that belonged to my country, be it a street dog or an unknown face that was also smiling at our joy of victory.

– Moin Ahsan

B

eing a Shadharon Shoinik (junior commander in the general infantry division), I was posted in a camp in a forester boat, in the Sundarbans on the Tetulbaria River. We had been intently listening to the radio since the afternoon, eagerly awaiting news.

Night had fallen, when suddenly

there was a deafening noise. An elder in our group suddenly leaped up in the air so high that we thought he was going to go right through the low roof of our boat. Right then we knew we were no longer at war, that we had won, and the moment was ecstatic.

It felt as if the darkness had come alive. The forests beyond the waters echoed and trembled with the roar that jarred our senses to the core.

Everything in that moment sang the tune of victory.

The roar had been the accumulated cry of joy from 14,500 soldiers posted on the river at the ends of its numerous tributaries. Afterwards people were laughing and hugging. There were smiles all around.

Khurshid Jahan Begum

I

didn’t really have to wait for any broadcast news. I saw it right before my eyes. I was living in my grandmother’s house in a village near Dhaka, where I saw Pakistani soldiers

chased by the freedom fighters, running for their lives, all the way from Tangail.

The occupational army was too defeated to even take their vehicle to run away. We knew we had won.

– Tahmina Begum

V

ictory? Oh, that was not all of a sudden. It was long awaited, long struggled and fought for. I was posted as the magistrate in Kushtia at that time, but I and one of my senior colleagues were in Mujibnagar. When Dorshona became free on December 6, we were eagerly awaiting news of Kushtia. We heard Kushtia was on December 10.

There was a kind of apprehension while I entered the free zone the next day. I knew I would not see many of us who were killed in the war. Victory: The tiny word has a vast history behind it.

– Arabinda Kar

was in Bagerhat, Khulna. By December I was getting traumatised, watching dead bodies floating by my house every other day. It was a terrible time.

I had the good fortune of being able to provide shelter to a group of nine Hindu kids, no older that 16 and 17, who were being hunted for their religion. I hung a gigantic lock on the front door and kept them hidden along with myself and my 6-month-old son.

When the military came looking, I kept them all pressed right underneath the ventilation grates on the wall.

When they peaked in, they couldn’t see the nine youngsters hiding in quite literally under their noses.

It was those kids I was thinking of while listening to the victory announcement on Bangladesh Betar. I wondered whether they had made it across safely.

Monwara Huda

I

was too young to take part in the actual fighting, but my father used to keep me updated on the war situation on a daily basis. In December I was in Dhaka, and when the radio spoke of victory I saw my father crying and thanking God for mercy, for bringing an end to the bloodbath that had ensued in March. We had won the right to speak Bangla in our motherland. We could finally live free in it.

– Anisul Islam

W

e all had been expecting it. It’s like the birth of a new baby – it doesn’t just happen. We knew it was coming, and we’d been waking up the last few days thinking: “It’ll be today!”

And then, it was. We gathered on our balcony to see those celebrating. We were too young then, so we couldn’t leave the house. But we watched the celebration from home.

– Syed Sadeque Mohammad Ali

T

he moment Akashvani (All India Radio) aired the declaration of independence, a rush of blood to my head screamed that we were free. I started shooting towards the clouds, embraced my brothers at arms, and then for a few moments, everything was an ecstatic blur.

– AKM Mozammel Hoque

A

lot of people were staying together for security reasons. We were in Bakshibazar, in a house whose owner had been sent to the village. I was working on community activities when the signing [of the surrender document] was taking place. People were joyous and celebrating. Many freedom fighters from just outside the city were pouring in. However, since the Pakistani army members in Dhaka weren’t aware that independence had happened, they were still shooting some of the Bangalis who had come out to celebrate.”

– Zubeida Rahman

I

was there! I was at the racecourse, standing 300ft from Niazi and Aurora when they signed the surrender document. It just happened by chance.

I had been standing on Fuller Road, talking with friends about rumours of surrender – when two freedom fighters drove by in a Pakistani jeep on their way to the racecourse.

They shouted the news to us excitedly, and asked us to join them, which of course we did. My father, a Dhaka University professor, saw me drive by, and at first he tried to stop me, but when he heard what was happening he jumped into the jeep with us!

We saw the Pakistani soldiers march into the racecourse and stand in an L formation. It felt dangerous even though they were surrendering, because they were still all armed.

There were only a couple hundred civilians present. I felt lucky to be there. I had no idea I would get this chance to witness history being made.

– Mushtaque Habib

‘God was with me. But so were a lot of people’ A mill manager from 1971 remembers the diverse friends – Bangali, Adivasi and expatriate – who helped his family out of the warzone

n Asif Islam On the banks of the Karnaphuli River, 48km from Chittagong, a Bangali chemical engineer, Kaiser Siddiqi (not his real name), was doing his best to keep the Karnaphuli Rayon Mill operating in the middle of a war.

With a staff of various ethnicities, he concentrated on keeping everybody safe, and the mill spinning, despite the unrest sweeping the country.

The Karnaphuli industrial site at Chandraghona was crucially important to West Pakistan. The nearby paper mill was one of the largest in Asia at the time. Securing the mills was a tactical priority for Pakistan’s military rulers.

From early October through the end of November, the Mukti Bahini was operating at a greater intensity and with greater success than before.

Attacks on infrastructure, rail and road communications, industrial installations and gas pipelines, coupled with the growing reach of the provisional government’s parallel administration, slowly unravelled the Pakistani administration’s grip on the province.

So it was that in mid-November, that Kaiser – caught in the turbulent eddies created by the Pakistani military – prepared to abandon the West Pakistan-owned mill.

“You have daughters, sir. You have to get out until things calm down,” Chowdhury, one of his staff members said. Kaiser was taken aback by the panic in his voice.

He replied: “Why? What has happened? Where would we go?”

Kaiser admits to me in our interview: “The truth is, I was naive. I knew what was happening and I knew we were in danger. But I focused on my work and prayed for the best. I had not really planned for the worst.”

Strained looks and hushed exchanges are common during wartime,

especially in a place like Chandraghona where members of both camps have to live and work side by side. But the urgency in Chowdhury’s voice was different that day.

“We cross the river, sir. I have a relative in a village on the far bank. He has a large house, owns a bit of land and enjoys the respect and loyalty of his neighbours. You will be safe.”

In a few days, Kaiser, his family, and another family of Bangali officers, were bundled into a waiting boat and moved beyond the threshold of imminent danger. They would not likely be pursued in the interior by the Pakistani forces, they thought. Open battles, like that fought at Rangamati-Mahalchari Waterway in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in April, were now being avoided by the Pakistan military as Mukti Bahini guerilla tactics became more effective. Chittagong, with its hilly terrain and myriad nationalities, kept them on the back foot.

Chowdhury’s relative in the village was a wise and thoughtful host. “The women will be safe here, scattered among my family members and neighbours. But the men cannot be found here. If the military sends out a search party and they find you, obvious city dwellers, they will assume you are Mukti Bahini and you will summarily be shot.”

Kaiser and the other men from the Chandraghona mill set off on a daylong trek to avoid avoid army trackers or informants sent to find them.

“We will walk through the village into the countryside beyond, and will stay there until nightfall. You must keep up and keep moving. Our lives depend on it,” Chowdhury said.

The little party trekked for hours, exchanging glances and smiles with people in the villages and wilderness they passed through.

Jum people, Bangali people and people of multiple ethnicities nodded

at and greeted the little party.

Kaiser tells me: “People of many backgrounds were quietly supporting our cause. Whether by offering a nod of solidarity, or sharing in the comradeship of conspiratorial silence or offering a drink or food as we made our way to nowhere in particular, all of the seemed to be saying to us: ‘We are in your corner, you are not alone, victory is ours’.”

Accounts of the Liberation War in Chittagong miss that, despite the

nightfall continued for over a week. As it turned out, no military patrols had been sent in search of the mill staff.

Kaiser crossed back across the river and found his house ransacked and learned that a young colleague who stayed behind had been murdered by the Pakistani forces.

It was near the end of November and Mukti Bahini engagements had intensified and were being met with desperate Pakistani efforts at rollback.

The international press had by now

‘The truth is, I was naive ... I knew we were in danger. But I focused on my work and prayed for the best. I had not really planned for the worst’ Chakma king Tridev Roy’s decision to opt for Pakistani citizenship after independence, his mother the Rajmata Benita Roy led Bangladesh’s delegation in the diplomatic effort to gain recognition for Bangladesh in the United Nations.

It is important to also remember Bir Bikram Euke Ching Marma, freedom fighter Karuna Mohan Chakma and martyred freedom fighter Khagendra Nath Chakma. They are just a few of the many members of the Jum people and other communities who supported, fought and died for independence in 1971. Their names and the memory of their valour must not be forgotten.

Kaiser says he was never entirely sure of Chowdhury’s ethnicity. The two communicated in Bangla and English, but Kaiser was aware that members of the Bandarban Chowdhury family did live in the vicinity.

The daily treks from sun-up to

given the world an idea of the carnage wrought by the Pakistan military.

Simon Dring, Colin Smith, Peter Kann, Peter Hazelhurst and Anthony Mascarenhas had sent off their seminal dispatches. Bangladesh’s struggle for independence found refuge in the hearts and minds of people everywhere.

So when Kaiser told two British doctors, who he had befriended when he first arrived in Chandraghona, that he had to get his family out of Chittagong and closer to family in Dhaka, they immediately volunteered to help.

The doctors, part of the medical staff at a missionary hospital, organised transportation from the mill to the airport. Kaiser put his wife and two daughters on a flight to Dhaka and then returned to work.

“I was not afraid,” Kaiser says, knowing that these were dangerous times: “And I was very fortunate.”

Everywhere Kaiser turned, he said,

people seemed to want to help. His British manager, understanding lives might be in the balance, gave him leave for Eid, no questions asked.

Kaiser’s British friends at the missionary hospital helped buy him an airline ticket and arranged to get him to the airport.

Two days after Eid, the intensely fought Battle of Hili began. The battle for control of Bogra and its cantonment, the seat of the military’s armoured divisions, augured ill for the occupied forces and set off a whirlwind of reprisal killings.

Late in November, Kaiser, whose daughters had been born in the United States, was given word that the girls and their guardians were eligible for evacuation. The US embassy provided a transport for the family and the young family took leave of their relatives and headed for the Intercontinental Hotel, which had been transformed into a halfway house for expatriates leaving the war zone.

The following day, as evacuees boarded buses for the airport, Kaiser was stopped by a disgruntled Pakistani soldier: “Where do you think you are going? This bus is for foreigners only!”

“You, come with me. We have some questions for you,” he barked.

Kaiser tells me: “We were winning the war. There was word that India was planning something big. This soldier was watching former international allies pack up and leave, and he was not happy.”

He continues: “I knew if they took me for questioning, I would not return.”

In this most personal of theatres of war – the battle of the civilian to resist the depredations of unlawfully constituted authority – survival and dignity are forms of victory, and he feared that the angry soldiers would win.

An American diplomat who was an old acquaintance chanced upon the

scene and intervened, probably saving Kaiser’s life.

“Don’t worry, there is no hanky panky here. I know him. He is with me. Carry on,” the American diplomat said with some authority.

An hour later, the family was sitting in the metal belly of C-3 military aircraft en route to Kolkata.

In Kolkata, where evacuees were being processed, Kaiser’s aquiline nose and fair skin caused more trouble, this time from the other side. A Bangali case officer was convinced that Kaiser was an Urdu-speaker hitching a ride out of the war zone.

“Do you not speak Bangla? Do I sound like a non-native speaker?”

Kaiser asked him in Bangla.

He was put on the telephone and spoke to a succession of officials.

Finally, a high official in the Kolkata police told the case officers to let him go.

A week later, the young family landed in Manila after a brief stop in Singapore, where Kaiser was reunited with a brother-in-law, himself on the list of intellectuals that the Pakistan military intended to murder. His brother-in-law had got word early from an insider and flew out with his wife and infant daughter in August, six days before the army came for him.

Kaiser pauses, and says: “God was with me. But so were a lot of people.”

Victory does not lie on the field of battle, but in the hearts and minds of women and men. While we rightly remember December 16, 1971 as the day the enemy surrendered, our victory was won long before that. Slowly the cost of this hard-won victory revealed itself. Many had perished. Some had disappeared. But none was lost in vain.

In early 1972, together with thousands of others, Kaiser and his family returned to a free country. l

Victory Day 2014

DHAKA TRIBUNE

9

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The march to victory G HA NC PA

Even though we celebrate national Victory Day on December 16, when Pakistan officially surrendered, the victories on the battlefield happened over the course of a month, district by district.

The first victory on the battlefield was in Jessore on December 6, although Pakistani soldiers had already begun fleeing districts from Nov 27.

Even after surrender, rogue Pakistani factions continued to hold out. In fact, the Mirpur area in Dhaka managed to hold out until January 31.

Nov 29

LA

LM

ON

IR

RI AMA

TH

Dec 15

DINA

Dec 13

Dec

HA6 T

AM

N AO

RG

U AK

KUR IGR

H NILP AR

Dec 3

Dec 17

JPUR

Dec 21

Dec 6

RANGPUR

Dec 20 Dec 19

GAIBANDHA Dec 7

JOYPURHAT

Dec 6

Dec 7

Dec 10

BOGRA

Dec 18

JAMALPUR

SUNAMGANJ

NETRAKONA

Dec 13

NAWABGANJ

Dec 10

Dec 18

SYLHET Dec 15

Dec 9

Dec 17

MYMENSINGH Dec 6

Dec 11

KISHOREGANJ HABIGANJ

KHULNA

JPUR

Dec 8

Dec 4

I ACHHA R FENI

Dec 7

NOAKHALI

Dec 6

Dec 8

BORG

Nov 27

Dec 10 RANGAMATI Dec 15

Dec 8

Dec 10

Dec 9 Dec 8

NG

PIRO

BARISAL

Dec 11

Dec 15

GO TA

Dec 17

CHANDPUR

IT

Dec 7

BAGERHAT

Dec 8

UR

CH

SATKHIRA

Dec 17

Dec 8

KHAGR

Dec 10 Dec 19

IYA TP

Dec 12

COMILLA Dec 9

Dec 16

AR

IPUR

Dec 10

J AN LG PA

NARAIL

Dec 6

SH

GO

JESSORE

Dec 13

Dec 16

MIPU R

Dec 16

Dec 14

Dec 8

MUNSHIGANJ

FARIDPUR

Dec 7

MAGURA

ATH I

6

R MADA

JH

Dec 11

LAK

A ENDec

7

Dec 19

D

Dec 12

LAKS

RAJBARI

AH ID

J

Dec 13

A HAK

UNA

GA

KGA N

JHA

R M EH ER PU

Dec 11

AN AD HU Dec

C

MA NI

KUSHTIA

Dec 16

Dec 15

BR

GAZIPUR

PABNA

Dec 16

Dec 8

IA

Dec 15

Dec 15

Dec 6

Dec 17

MOULVIBAZAR

AH MA NB AR

TANGAIL

NARSINGDI

Dec 14

A

SIRAJGANJ

Dec 21

BHOL

NATORE

GANJ NARAYAN

Dec 18

RAJSHAHI

PATUAKHALI

Dec 15

SHEREPUR

Dec 14

NAOGAON

Dec 7

Dec 17

BANDARBAN R BAZA COX’S

Dec 11

Dec 14

Dec 6 Dec 4 Dec 3 Nov 29 Nov 27

DT INFOGRAPHIC

Figures of the fearless n Farhana Urmee The tales of the bloody battle, the stories of our Liberation War, have been told with many artforms, such as: literature, poetry, painting and music.

But these public sculptures, in three dimensions and standing larger than life, weaving history and the spirit of the war into our everyday lives.

Jagroto Chowrongi This was the very first liberation-themed sculpture in Bangladesh. Abdur Razzaque created this 42ft figure (including pedestal) in 1973. The statue is located in Joydebpur, a landmark for those entering Dhaka from the north.

The spirit of courage and freedom emanate from the figure of this freedom fighter looking upwards at the sky.

Shongshoptok This is the work of painter and sculptor Hamiduzzam Khan. The 28ft sculpture is situated in Jahangirnagar University, Savar.

Its unique geometric shape portrays a freedom fighter’s indomitable spirit as he continues fighting, even after losing a hand, holding a rifle in the hand he has left.

Aparajeyo Bangla This statue has a story beyond 1971. Its construction began in 1973 when Syed Abdullah Khalid, a teacher of Fine Arts at Chittagong University, started the project. However, it was halted in 1975 following the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In 1977, the project came under attack by fundamentalists, before being finally completed on December 16, 1979.

As important as the work’s “aparajeyo” (the spirit of the undefeated) is the gender diversity represented, which reflects the contributions of both men and women in the war.

Shoparjito Swadhinota This sculpture, created in 1990 by Shamim Shikdar, is situated at TSC, University of Dhaka.

Another sculpture themed around inclusion shows freedom fighters as well as farmers. The carving on base tells the full story of the war, portraying intellectual killings, mass rape, the delcaration of independence, as well as the joy of our victory.

Nov 29 Panchagarh Dec 3 Thakurgaon Dec 4 Lakshmipur Dec 6 Feni Habiganj Jessore Jhenaidah Kurigram Lalmonirhat Meherpur Sunamganj

Jhalokati Moulvibazar Patuakhali Pirojpur Dec 9 Chandpur Netrakona Dec 10 Bhola Jamalpur Madaripur Mymensingh Narail Dec 11 Cox’s Bazar Kushtia Munshiganj Tangail

Dec 7 Chuadanga Gaibandha Magura Noakhali Satkhira Sherpur

Dec 12 Narsingdi

Dec 8 Barisal Brahmanbaria Comilla

Dec 14 Bandarban Joypurhat Sirajganj

Dec 13 Bogra Manikganj Nilphamari

Dec 15 Chapainawabganj Dinajpur Gazipur Khagrachhari Pabna Rangamati Sylhet Dec 16 Dhaka Faridpur Narayanganj Shariatpur Dec 17 Bagerhat Chittagong Khulna Kishoreganj Rangpur Dec 18 Naogaon Rajshahi Dec 19 Gopalganj Rajbari Dec 21 Natore

Information compiled by Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique from various sources: the national web-portal, local deputy commissioners, district information officers, and local news sources.

Note: Some areas within these districts were liberated a few days before or after the official date presented here.

Sending home hope:

From Trafalgar Square to war-torn Bangladesh n Syeda Samira Sadeque It was April 1971, in London.

“There was a knock on the door in the middle of the night. When I opened the door, he panted: ‘Dosto (friend), our country is finished! What do we do?’ And, handing me his car keys and documents, he said he was leaving for Bangladesh. In a few days, he did,” says Mohammad Alam about Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury.

We’re sitting at a cafe, far away from that April night in 1971 when a patriot decided he’d had enough and needed to rush back home. We are in 2014, sipping coffee early on a Friday winter morning. Dhaka isn’t even awake yet.

But this December morning, some old memories come alive. I sit down with Mohammad Alam and Shahana Khan, both of whom were in London during the Liberation War, to hear about their involvement in and contribution to the formation of an independent Bangladesh – all the way from London.

“And that’s where [Dr Zafrullah’s] hospital project began,” continues Alam, currently the CEO of Natasha Corporation. “He mobilised many doctors in the UK and the US to gather support for Bangladesh.”

“We’d collect free medicine samples from our local general practitioners, and send them to the Air India office. And they would distribute to Zafrullah Bhai,” says Alam.

In the wake of the war in 1971, Bangali supporters came out to the streets all the way in London, to share and express their support and hope for their home country – a country that was yet to be born.

Being away from home has its own challenges. But being away from a home caught in a war – one that seemed impossible to fight in the beginning, given the sheer imbalance between Pakistan’s equipment versus ours, was excruciating.

“We felt very separated,” says Shahana, who had just moved to London with her husband. “We’d been following the news, and studying what was going on. We were worried about our families.”

Unheard stories, unknown glories Shikha Chironton This monument commemorates March 7, 1971, the day of Bangabandhu’s historic “shongram” speech. The name tranlates to “eternal flame.” It is located in Suhrawardi Udyan, Dhaka.

Nov 27 Barguna

“In the beginning it was just shock,” Shahana says.

However, they decided to come out on the streets and gather support for their very own desh, even from a distance.

Many Bangalis living in London joined them, translating their passion for an independent Bangladesh into

‘We chose to come back. We made a conscious decision. We were hopeful for the country’ different forms of protest.

“Our biggest gathering was at Trafalgar Square in the beginning of August,” says Shahana.

“It drew about 2,000-3,000 people.

Many had come from outside of London,” adds Alam.

They also spoke of the strong support system of friends that included people with Irish, Goanese, and British backgrounds. Pakistani author and journalist Tariq Ali was very supportive of the protests and movement in London.

The rally was organised and led by Action Bangladesh, but drew donation from different sources such as local restaurant owners. Action Bangladesh was an organisation led by Mariatta Procope and Paul Connett, which sent an ambulance to Bangladesh. Both Connett and Procope played crucial roles in mobilising the Bangladeshis in London. Procope provided food on a daily basis for about 60-70 protesters, says Alam.

“We tried to know about any

actions being taken in London,” says Shahana, currently an architect. We protested outside the Pakistani High Commission in London. We wrote letters home.”

“I’d thought I wouldn’t have my own country,” adds Alam, who was then a student. “At one point, I thought I’d lost my country.”

Yet, amid this sense of helplessness, they did what they could from a distance.

“We heard about people starting off newsletters, such as Janamat. The editor lived close by and we would meet at his place,” says Shahana. “Everybody was in touch with other Bangalis in London. Eventually we renounced our citizenship.” “…. and burned our [Pakistan] passports,” Alam adds.

Birth of a new hope Fighting your own war from home is different from fighting it from miles away. The reality is almost imaginary – especially in an age without the internet circulating war images. And when hope is banked on something imaginary, it is a hope much stronger, much more tenacious.

Both Shahana and Alam eventually moved back to Bangladesh.

“Looking at the destruction, I was absolutely shocked. Still, I was very happy,” says Alam.

“When we moved back [in 1980], a lot had happened politically,” says Shahana. “But we felt like it was a new beginning. We chose to come back. We made a conscious decision. We were hopeful for the country.”

Enjoy today’s special Victory Day supplement, “A Children’s History or the Liberation War”

by Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, with illustrations by Khondoker Tofazzal Hossain.

Reprinted with special permission from the author, the translation of “Chhotoder Muktijuddher Itihash” was done in parternship with the Dhaka Translation Center at ULAB

by Arifa Ghani Rahman, assistant professor at ULAB’s English department.

10

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Editorial

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

CODE-CRACKER

Moving forward on Victory Day

A

s we complete 43 years of national independence, we once again remember the brave souls who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the people of this country.

We must also recognise how much we have accomplished on a global scale, in spite of considerable challenges and uncertainty over the past decades.

Around this time last year, this country was dealing with political agitation and violence pending the national elections. Lives were lost, and the economy suffered. The progress we have shown in regaining our footing in terms of political and economic stability within the course of a year is something to applaud.

We have come a long way, but we must pledge to keep moving forward.

The problems of corruption and nepotism need to be tackled so that we may reach our full potential.

We must encourage our youth to play an active but civilised role in the political sphere, and breed respectable and honest leaders. Most importantly, there needs to be space for new ideas and new people in our politics.

The fearless men and women who fought for our independence deserve our gratitude and solidarity on this day. Let us all come together to ensure a secular and democratic state, and see to it that their sacrifices have not been in vain.

Be heard Write to Dhaka Tribune FR Tower, 8/C Panthapath, Sukrabad, Dhaka-1207 Email letters.dt@dhakatribune.com Send us your Op-Ed articles: opinion.dt@dhakatribune.com www.dhakatribune.com Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

Walk the walk November 30

Let us see to it that their sacrifices have not been in vain

CERN’s inspiration for science

A

s the world’s leading research institute for particle physics, CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) provides tremendous inspiration for scientists everywhere.

The signing by Bangladesh of an International Cooperation Agreement with the Geneva-based laboratory heralds the promise of more valuable practical support becoming available to Bangladeshi scientists and students.

CERN’s giant particle accelerators attracted global attention when they proved the existence of the HiggsBoson particle. The so-called “God particle” was named in part after Satyendra Nath Bose, who undertook groundbreaking work at Dhaka University in the 1920s, in collaboration with Albert Einstein. It is apt then, that Bangladesh should look to the future by seeking to work closer with CERN. We hope that the unique opportunities offered by CERN will inspire more Bangladeshi students into the field, and help deliver major improvements to the resources and training we provide to our academics and researchers.

CERN is not just about high-end research in fundamental scientific laws. Projects in Big Science have often led to spin-offs that benefit daily life in ways which are now taken for granted, most famously in the case of CERN via the development of the World Wide Web by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. We hope that by facilitating technology transfer and inspiring new scientists and teachers, this agreement will help develop more worldclass scientists and research within the country.

Looking forward and planning a better future by building global collaboration is the best way to raise aspirations and make the improvements to education standards which the nation needs.

We hope this agreement will help develop more research within the country

Osmania “The DMP has been engaging in an awareness campaign. If a jaywalker crosses that zone by not opting for an underpass and/or foot over-bridge he/she will eventually be penalised and will be have to serve a jail term of six months, along with paying a fine of Tk200. To be honest, it is a pragmatic step towards prohibiting passersby from crossing busy roads by taking enormous risks.”

Is the writer serious? Let’s take a small problem, (as jaywalking is compared to speeding and overtaking dangerously) and make a bigger one, by giving the army powers of corporal punishment over every walker in the land. What’s pragmatic about that?

As for building more footbridges, how many could we fit in? Bear in mind also, a lack of bridges

Policeman caught illegally crossing the fence December 7

Iftekhar Samad Wasi “There is a foot-over bridge just a few yards away, but this policeman does not seem to care. He was seen crossing the busy road near the Farmgate bus bay in the capital, and even a barbed-wire fence does not deter him. The police authorities recently launched a drive against jaywalking on this busy road.”

They break the law themselves. Then why do they tell us to follow the law??

Yousuf Majumder Laws aren’t meant for them. They have no limits to follow.

Tasmia Hasin Nothing more to say. They deserve the same treatment they give us.

Abbas Hussain It seems like he’s getting some physical exercise.

Wouldn’t it be easier if he crossed the bridge? No wait, he is probably chasing some bad guys. Lol! Zahurul Islam He is going through a field test of crossing a 3-feet (quite high for our forces) obstacle!! Good snap, Syed Zakir Hossain.

How to solve: Each number in our CODE-CRACKER grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. For example, today 15 represents M so fill M every time the figure 15 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

and tunnels is not the main danger faced by people on foot. Anyone used to seeing people urinating in the street is usually brave enough to pass by the odd glue-sniffer or two.

If the writer did some independent research, they would see some drivers in Dhaka are not entirely courteous or patient to people using zebra crossings, which are meant to be safe but are not thanks to bad drivers.

Discipline vehicle owners and drivers if you really want to see positive change. Jaywalking is a fatuous car-based cultural concept that has no place in densely-populated cities, where people on foot, bicycle, and public transport should be put first.

Bass man Osmania: It’s not such a fatuous concept when you take into consideration the increasing number of cars whooshing all over our roads and highways. Sometimes, people need to be protected from themselves.

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.

Abellard the Greek-Lover Agreed that formidable measures need to be taken into making our over-bridges safer and more accommodating.

Bad education November 30

Sammy The continuation of ill-informed nostalgia is what ails us. It was never the “Oxford of the East” except in the minds of some of its alums from the 1940 and 1950s; never.

“Student politics” – a decided misnomer as the author correctly points out – has always been an extension of national politics. Claiming 1952, 71, and 90 were somehow organically different from that extension feels good, but is fundamentally dishonest. Be honest and blunt: Student politics is essentially about muscle power for the parties who may or may not work for whatever the national interest is perceived to be at the moment.

The author is simply parroting lines that have been repeated ad nauseum, and seems to be upset only because her sibling is going to be in that atmosphere.

The only way any fundamental change will come to this cancer is the way that nobody will openly admit for fear of being mislabeled, which is under a neutral, non-party, technocratic administration. Sorry to shock you, but in the “Bangla-style democracy,” this brand of “student politics” will always be front and centre of any environment, and wishing it away on nostalgia won’t change it.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Exhibit (4) 4 Strong winds (5) 8 Face (6) 9 Hurried (4) 11 Saloon car (5) 12 Region (4) 14 Disencumber (3) 15 Inventor’s grant (6) 19 Worn away (6) 21 Falsehood (3) 22 Spoken (4) 24 Thespian (5) 27 Frank (4) 29 Makes into a decree (6) 30 Use a broom (5) 31 Cult (4)

DOWN 1 Distress call (3) 2 Carry too far (6) 3 Broad (4) 4 Fuel (3) 5 Representative (5) 6 Was ahead (3) 7 Governing body (6) 10 Couple (4) 13 Copy (3) 14 Transmits in stages (6) 16 Fuss (3) 17 Pass away (6) 18 African river (4) 20 Male honey-bee (5) 23 Decays (4) 25 Golf mound (3) 26 Sharp blow (3) 28 Fastener (3)

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

The students of Dhaka University could doubtlessly take more interest in studies and extra-curricular activities, instead of wasting their time in ineffectual politics.

Born free, living in chains

CALVIN AND HOBBES

November 30

Karl Hungus “It should be our priority to save our women and children from human trafficking.” I think it’s safe to say that we are all unanimous in agreeing that human trafficking is despicable.

Dreampie Karl Hungus: I second it.

Qayyum Chowdhury dies

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS CODE-CRACKER

CROSSWORD

November 30

PEANUTS

TJ “He fell sick at the time of addressing the Bengal Music Festival at the Army Stadium around 8:40pm.”

He was one of the greatest artists of all time. RIP.

Risky living December 7

MA “City dwellers continue to risk their lives to return home after work, due to a lack of adequate public transport.

The photo was taken in the Farmgate area.” The public is not safe in Bangladesh, and especially in the capital.

SUDOKU

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Op-Ed

The fight for freedom today

Writing history – were not unfortunate enough to live it, and are, therefore, incapable of invoking their own memories. Their mothers are conspicuous by their absence from the pages that their own propaganda machines churn out.

So steadfastly focused have they and others of the ruling class been on repeatedly rewriting history at the expense of that which they have created and are creating, they have perpetuated that trite adage about history repeating itself. Everyone can agree that Bangladesh deserves better, that no one should suffer so again and again, in perpetuity.

The attainment of independence is cause for celebration. Its anniversary is a time to reflect on and celebrate the accomplishments of an independent state, too. Independence of a nation, however, ought not be confused with freedom of its people.

Both are burdens that will weigh heavily on Bangladesh when the sun rises on the December 17. They are confronted by every single individual who identifies himself or herself as belonging to the country.

As the embers of the generations that saw independence that brought it about expire, facing the erosion of freedom becomes a depressingly hopeless endeavour for the generations left behind to separate fact from fiction and try to shed the shackles of both.

If all of life is perceived as a permanent transitional phase, then at no point during the life of Bangladesh should it ever be forgotten that its independence was gained by the spirit and actions of its people, free, and equal.

That crucial aspect of history cannot be allowed to be written out, for therein lies an undeniable fact, a hope that cannot be suppressed nor extinguished. Tomorrow will come as a welcome challenge when the burden of independence is negated by the freedom of the people, to whom is owed, and by whom is defined said independence.

At 43, Bangladesh is still in its childhood

M

n Ikhtisad Ahmed

idlife crises are unpleasant, even if the results produced can be life-altering in a positive way at times.

A transitional phase brought on by the realisation of one’s mortality, one is filled with thoughts of the past, being incapable of seeing that there is a future.

Age, however, is relative. The 40s mark the midway point for human beings, while most other members of the animal kingdom never reach those heady heights. Nations, once born, are expected to be on natural trajectories that stretch to lifespans measured in centuries and millennia.

Barring acts of God and men that defy sense and decency in the severity of barbarism that brings an early de-

SYED LATIF HOSSAIN

mise, Bangladesh, at 43, is a child. It is unusual, absurd even, for a child to be beholden to its past. That is not to say that history should be forgotten: That can never be allowed to happen, especially a history that is evidence of resilience, hope and sacrifice, and the immeasurable cost of freedom that is paid from before conception to well into adulthood.

That most precious freedom was obtained over four decades ago today, not from a despised country and its criminal leaders, but from injustice, oppression, and despotism. To relegate the great victory of the latter to the narrow parameters of the former is to fail to understand what Bangladesh represents, to insult citizens past and present.

The appreciation of the past needs to come from a position of noble, unconditional patriotism, not vitriolic,

11

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

incentivised nationalism. In saying “the most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history,” George Orwell warned about the perils of the latter.

When history is used to govern and ghosts materialise to become more tangible than the struggling, crying, bleeding citizens presently alive, it cultivates injustice, oppression, and despotism to cruelly impose an absolute rule.

The unbridled, gleeful revisionism that has, as a result, been commonplace since independence – thus controlling the present and the past – has not been challenged or corrected by the last remaining members of the generations who made that history.

The current standard-bearers, the two scions, like the youth – children of the 90s, and, at a stretch, late-80s

n Mahdin Mahboob

A

32-year-old Bangladeshi man – Mohammed Rafiq Tajul Islam – was shot dead by a Saudi national for a very minor mistake a couple of days back.

Although the killer has been arrested by the Saudi police, the police said the killer was a psychiatric patient, which suggests he will probably not be eventually punished for this murder.

Expatriate workers and RMG workers have contributed most to development of the country since our independence The news was published by most of the major Bangladeshi media, but there has not been any hype or hoopla about the news from Bangladeshis or anyone in general.

There never was. This was the death of yet another poor working class Bangladeshi in the Middle East – not something to be bothered about apparently!

Earlier, on February this year, one of the major dailies of the country published a report stating that, on average, corpses of eight to 10 expatriate Bangladeshi workers arrive in the country every day.

From 2008 to 2013, in a period of only six years, 13,872 corpses of Bangladeshis have come to the country from 56 countries.

According to government sources, this is “not an alarming rate,” given that about 10 million Bangladeshis now work abroad. Reports by human rights organisations and international media have shown poor working and living conditions, overwork, torture, exploitation and many other factors

contributing to the sad demise of many of these workers.

The fact that our governments, present and past, do close to nothing about ensuring basic human rights of these workers, makes it even easier for the foreign owners to exploit the workers. The fact that workers from other countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka suffer similar fates does not remove the blood from our hands.

Similarly, the plight of readymade garment (RMG) workers in the country is well-known to almost everyone. The Rana Plaza and Tazreen Garments and other similar incidents are examples of how badly these workers are exploited in our country, by our own countrymen, every single day.

Interestingly enough, these people, expatriate workers outside the country and the RMG workers in the country, according to my personal opinion, have contributed most to the development of the country since our independence some 43 years back.

These two sectors, foreign remittance and RMG, earn the highest amount of foreign currency for the country, which lets us buy all the things we need and want from other countries of the world.

But have we done anything in return for them? It is easy to put the blame solely on the government or the factory owners, but are we not responsible too? Have we tried to put pressure on the government to ensure workers’ rights, both at home and abroad?

No, we have not – at least not to an extent that makes the government hear us and take effective steps about the issue.

We are too busy running after money and fighting amongst ourselves on trivial issues. We claim that we are very patriotic, but have done little, if anything, for the freedom-fighters of today’s Bangladesh – the workers at both home and abroad. l Mahdin Mahboob is a graduate student, based in New York, USA.

That precious freedom was obtained over four decades ago, from injustice, oppression, and despotism

A child having a midlife crisis is an anomaly that requires urgent rectification. It should never be allowed to be subjected to the mental and physical crises of confidence, happiness, integrity, identity, et al. Children, especially those born in testing circumstances or after struggles, are full of the promise of life, full of the dreams of the future.

Bangladesh is a child. Its present and future matter much, much more than its violent past. Let honesty define history and guide the debilitated child into a dignified adulthood. l Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer. He can be contacted on Twitter via @ Ikhtisad.

Going abroad to save home

why they took to the streets, looked for their voting rights, and their right to express themselves. The nation desperately wanted to get back to its roots, its golden achievements, to get its democratic rights back, to claim history ... it wanted to be Bengali again.

We relived the struggles of the past when despots came to power; proof of how Bangladesh could never ignore the call of democracy. And then when democracy was achieved, we were faced with newer challenges – the establishment of a proper democracy, numerous inequalities, the trial of war criminals, ensuring good governance, ending the use of violence and terrorism as a part of our politics, and combating militancy.

Thanks to the revival of democracy, and the post 90s media technology boom, we were able to rediscover our history which had been buried by almost three decades of oppressive regimes; and based on this, the newer generation is looking to have an even better democracy, a better living

standard, and a more just society – one which takes a more productive economy, further cooperation with the outside world, and further exchange of knowledge into account.

Four decades after our victory, the new generation has grown up with certain expectations from the nation that no government can afford to ignore anymore.

Despite corruption, despite frequent catastrophes both natural and political, the new Bangladesh showed a magnificent resilience and steadiness in maintaining its development, particularly when it comes to the empowerment of women and education, with a lowering maternal death rate, and ending child marriage, to an appreciable degree, being some examples.

Among the major developments that have been made at the state-level are the war crime trials, and the nearly revived democratically-formulated constitutions.

Of course, the new generation wants even more development, more

The virtues of victory n Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique

I

t has been 43 years since the victory of our nation, which was earned in exchange for the oceans of blood which our freedom fighters sacrificed for our emancipation from exploitation at the hands colonial regimes (which later culminated into the semi-colonial subjugation under the rule of the then West Pakistan elites).

The struggle against Pakistan’s domination ensued immediately after the colonial divide, as the intention of the rulers sitting more than a thousand miles away began to show through their first attempt at launching a cultural attack, in the form of imposing their language on us.

As a result of the partition, the Indian region was divided into two states – India and Pakistan – East Bengal was included in the latter on the basis of the artificial criterion of religion. But as there had remained a significant cultural difference and geographical

distance, Pakistani rulers soon began to tighten their grip and deprive the Bengalis from their rights, in pursuit of furthering their exploitation.

Their intent of economic exploitation was unfolded, and then realised by the people of the eastern part of the state. Within the dominion of Pakistan and its ever-tightening clutches, Bengalis had emerged as indomitable.

When our deprivations, from political to economic rights, had reached its peak; when genocide was launched on the unarmed nation; when its women were subjected to rape and torture; our nation orchestrated an epic resistance which eventually went down in history as one of the most daring. Unarmed but united, irrespective of sex, religion, and ethnicity, we had achieved independence for the Bengali.

We fondly remember how Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman lead the nation to its independence, to victory, and to freedom; we mourn all the martyrs

who gave their lives in the name of liberation, and all the other souls that made innumerable sacrifices to this end. We then set our goals and erect the pillars of our society in accordance to the spirit of our struggle.

The newer generation is looking to have an even better democracy, a better living standard, and a more just society

We now see violence and corruption taking centre stage once again. Our nation has risen to remove the evils that had reemerged, struggling to remove the scars of the past, which is

transparency, more commitment from the leadership in every sector, and most importantly, they need further employment opportunities. One of the major concerns that remains is that the country is still quite prone to road accidents and hazards such as major fires breaking out.

In addition to the ever-lingering threat of poverty, the country is also battling newer forms of crime on top of the previous ones, which still remain a challenge. Plagued with many different challenges, the main thing we need to realise (if the expectations of the new generation are to be met) is that our continued development is the most necessary thing.

It is of the utmost importance that our nation forges ahead with the ideals which won us our liberation: The virtues of being human, taking democratic development even further, and leaving behind backwards beliefs. l Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique is a Staff Writer at the Dhaka Tribune.

12

DHAKA TRIBUNE Tuesday, December 16, 2014

13 Familiar foes

to meet again in CL last-16

14 Villarreal end ATM’s

28-game unbeaten home run

14 High-flying

Bayern chase more records

Sport

Did you know?

Shahid Afridi has been responsible for 12 of the top 67 ODI scores of 50+ at a SR of 200+

Negre eager to see Bangladesh hockey develop n Raihan Mahmood

International Hockey Federation president Leandro Negre (R) arrives at the BAF Shaheen School & College amidst a warm reception yesterday

FIH boss dances to Spanish tune! n Raihan Mahmood

By the looks of things, it seems International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre is quite enjoying his time in Bangladesh. Unbecoming of a senior sports official who is usually known to put up a serious face, Negre even danced to a Spanish tune in a felicitation programme arranged in his honour at BAF Shaheen School and College yesterday.

The students of the Bangladesh Air Force-administrated school presented a superb show, performing some songs that reflected the heritage and culture of the country. Songs of Rabindranath Tagore, Nazrul Islam, Hason Raja and James and beautifully choreographed dances and displays enthralled the audience for around half an hour. The anchors of the programme also tried to provide an outline and translated

the meaning of the songs in English for Negre. The FIH president clapped and smiled to the tunes.

However, he was surprised when a group of students came out crooning a Spanish song. A few girls, who were dancing, asked the FIH president to try out a few steps. The 68-year old could not deny the appeal and joined them for a while sporting a broad smile.

Air Marshal Mohammed Enamul Bari, the president of the hockey federation, Air Vice Marshal Nayeem Hasan, president of BAF Shaheen School and College governing body, Khaja Rahmatullah, the general secretary, Nasir Chowdhury, the adviser of Green Delta Insurance company, Farzana Chowdhury, the CEO and Managing Director of Green Delta Insurance company, Abdus Sadek, the vice president of the hockey federation and other officials were also present on the occasion. l

‘If I return, I’m confident of playing for Bangladesh’ n Mazhar Uddin Disgraced former captain Mohammad Ashraful, who is currently suspended from all sorts of cricket activities due to his involvement in match-fixing, returned to the country from the United States recently.

The youngest Test centurion in history was handed an eight-year suspension which was later reduced to five years, thus making him eligible for a return on August, 2016. However, both the International Cricket Council and the Bangladesh Cricket Board appealed against his latest verdict.

The 30-year old went to Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday to meet some board officials. During his visit to the home of cricket, Ashraful talked with the media and expressed his hope of making a comeback to cricket.

What kind of verdict are you expecting?

The first verdict that I received from

A 23-member Japan Under-21 football team will arrive in Dhaka today to play an international friendly against Bangladesh at Bangabandhu National Stadium this Thursday.

The young Samurais, who are considered the future of Japan football, are scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 12:40pm via TG-321 flight. 12 officials including head coach Teguramori Makoto will accom-

pany the 23 players.

This is the first time a Japanese football team will be touring Bangladesh.

Although the Japan Football Association did not send its national side, the U21s are no less formidable either.

While all the participating nations sent their U-23 teams to the Incheon Asian Games football competition last September, Japan played their U-21 side. The youngsters performed admirably before bowing out in the quarterfinals to eventual champions South

How much do you miss Bangladesh cricket?

I started playing the game when I was 12 years old. I started out with Ankur Cricket Academy. Obviously, I miss the game badly. This is the reason why I am looking forward to returning to cricket and training hard. I am hopeful of making a comeback In Sha Allah.

Did you get positive feedback from the BCB?

After whatever has happened, I think I am lucky. I received a lot of support from the cricket board and also the fans. I tried to remain honest as I want to make a comeback in cricket. The board has always supported me. The rest is upto me really.

How optimistic are you over a return to cricket?

If I am able to keep my fitness then I am confident that I can return to crick-

Do you want to make a comeback in the national side?

et. I am 30 years old now. Normally a batsman can play upto 38-40 years old comfortably. According to the second verdict I can play from 2016 onwards.

Obviously, I dream about it and why not? But, I know it will be tough but not impossible. First of all, I want to play cricket. Everyone cannot play for the national team. I am lucky that I was able to play in the national team for 13 years. If I can return to cricket I am confident that I can play for the national team, at least for a day. l

Big Bash will be useful, says Shakib

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and BJMC made a winning start in the Walton Home Appliance Victory Day Handball after beating their respective opponents at M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium yesterday. BGB defeated Bangladesh Ansar comfortably by 36-19 goals in the men’s event. BGB led the first half 19-6.

Imdadul Haque and Sudhan netted 10 and seven goals respectively for the victors. Meanwhile in the women’s event, BJMC thrashed Bangladesh Police 35-7, courtesy Shirina and Shahida’s 10 and seven goals respectively. l

Premier Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan believes a stint in the forthcoming Australian Big Bash Twenty20 League will be an useful experience for him keeping next year’s ICC World Cup in mind. Shakib said this while celebrating the occasion of Victory Day with the autistic children yesterday.

“Obviously, it will be a great experience for me ahead of the World Cup. The team are scheduled to travel two weeks before the event. If I can go there four weeks before the tournament, it

Japan U21 footballers arrive today n Shishir Hoque

At that time I will be 32 and I believe that if I can remain fit, I will be able to come back.

the Tribunal was a suspension of eight years. Later, it was reduced to five years which meant I would be able to return to cricket on August, 2016.

However, the case is still ongoing and I cannot say anything at the moment. At the same time I am preparing myself so that I can make a comeback whenever I get the opportunity. I am training and retaining my fitness level.

BGB, BJMC start with wins

n Tribune Desk

National cricket team pacer Rubel Hossain (C) and his lawyers talk with the media at the court premises yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK

International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre has termed the installation of the 25x40 metre mini-turf at BAF Shaheen School and College, Dhaka yesterday as his most important event of this year.

Negre earlier arrived in Dhaka last Sunday night and attended a felicitation programme arranged in his honour by the Bangladesh Hockey Federation at BAF Shaheen School and College yesterday. “A Dutch journalist asked me in India two days ago what was the most important event for me in the year 2014. I thought that we had a successful World Cup in Holland.

The newly-introduced Hockey Five received super success and we had a beautiful Congress in Marrakesh, Morocco. But, I said the installation of the turf on December 15 here, assisted by the International Hockey Federation, is the most important event for me in the year 2014. Because, I hope it will be producing future stars and is a contribution towards the development of Bangladesh hockey.”

Negre congratulated Bangladesh for exhibiting impressive performances in the Hockey World League and also in the Men’s Junior AHF Cup. “With the installation of the new turf I hope Bangladesh will move further ahead in the international level. The Bangladesh

Hockey Federation has been working hard towards the development of the game. I congratulate them.”

Replying to a question as to how he can help in the installation of floodlights at Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium, the FIH president said it depends on initiatives taken by the local authority. “There are two options. One is tower-based and the other is lights installed inside. The cost is different. Bangladesh government and the hockey federation will have to measure and compile the plans first. Then we can find out how the FIH can help.”

The Spaniard opined that Bangladesh can maintain their level and development through the services of European coaches. “At the moment the European coaches are quite expensive. I think Bangladesh will continue with local coaches for the national team. I think Bangladesh will be benefited with the appointment of short-term basis European coaches who can come over and train the national team for a month or 15 days. The FIH can help over it.”

The FIH president also acknowledged the process of bringing the national players under an insurance programme initiated by Green Delta Insurance company. The national players were also awarded Tk10,000 each for their triumphs in the Hockey World League Round 1 and the Men’s Junior AHF Cup. l

Korea.

The Japanese team have some quality players who have a bright future ahead, for instance Musahi Suzuki, Ayumi Niekawa and Yuya Kubo, who plies his trade with Switzerland’s top flight club BSC Young Boys.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh captain Mamunul Islam, who is currently with Indian Super League side Atletico de Kolkata, was scheduled to return home yesterday night and join the national camp for the Japan friendly. l

n Mazhar Uddin

will definitely help me and my team for the mega event. I am hoping it will be a good experience,” Shakib told the media yesterday.

Although the Big Bash will get underway this Thursday, Shakib is yet to confirm a team. The 27-year old, however, said he is confident of finalising a deal in the next two-three days.

“Actually, I am not willing to announce anything before confirming it.

In Sha Allah, you will get to hear a good news within two or three days,” he said.

Meanwhile, the line-up of the sixteam Super League phase of the Dhaka

Premier Division Cricket League has already been confirmed. Shakib is of the opinion that good performances in the Super League will help the national cricketers to cement their places in the final 15-man Bangladesh squad for the World Cup. “Super league has always been entertaining. The winner of the tournament is decided from this round. Each game is challenging for the cricketers. And, I think this is a good platform for the cricketers to perform well and cement a place in the world cup squad or to retain their form by performing,” he added. l

Ace Bangladesh allrounder Shakib al Hasan watches a presentation of the autistic children on the occasion of the Victory Day in Shyamoli yesterday. During the programme, Shakib expressed his hope of playing in the upcoming Big Bash Twenty20 League in Australia. The Big Bash will begin this Thursday COURTESY

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Celtic face Inter as Liverpool get Besiktas

QUICK BYTES

Air Force clinch Victory Day Kabaddi Bangladesh Air Force emerged as the champions of the Victory Day Kabaddi Championship after beating Bangladesh Army by 25-22 points in the final at National Kabaddi Stadium in Paltan yesterday. Earlier in the round-robin league, Air Force drew against Army.

The result was enough for both the teams to progress to the final. Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Arif Khan Joy distributed the prizes among the winners as the chief guest.

–Tribune Desk

n Agencies

Chelsea right to release Lampard Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has said he does not regret releasing Frank Lampard despite the midfielder’s impressive form for Manchester City, in comments published by several British newspapers on Monday. Lampard, 36, left Chelsea in June after a glittering 11-year spell in which he became the club’s all-time leading scorer and after initially signing for New York City, he was loaned to their sister club, Manchester City. Mourinho says it would have hindered the development of Chelsea’s young players if Lampard had stayed. “My view is that when you want to look forward, look to the future and have people like (Cesc) Fabregas and (Nemanja) Matic and Jeremie Boga (Chelsea under-21s midfielder), which are the next 10 years of the club, the project is to prepare for the next 10 years, not for the next year. We made the right decision,” said Mourinho.

–AFP

Luca Toni delighted to hit 300-goal mark Evergreen striker Luca Toni admitted his delight after hitting his 300th career goal in a 2-1 win over Udinese that helped the former World Cup winner shade Antonio Di Natale in a ‘battle of the veterans’ on Sunday. Toni scored his fifth goal of the campaign when he levelled Di Natale’s powerful 31st-minute header just before half-time after muscling his way past the Udinese defence to fire into Orestis Karnezis’s top corner. Lazaros Christodoulopoulos scored the winner for Verona seconds after the restart to end an eight-game winless streak and move Andrea Mandorlini’s men up to 13th in Serie A. But all the post-match plaudits went to 37-year-old Toni, who indicated he may not be quite ready to hang up his boots just yet.

–AFP

The match fixtures are shown on a panel following the draw of the round of 16 football matches of the UEFA Champions League 2014/15 in Nyon, Switzerland yesterday. The final is scheduled for June 6 at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin AP

Familiar foes to meet again

Chelsea face PSG, City tackle Barcelona in Champions League last-16 Real beat Schalke 6-1 in the first leg those two clubs together. in the quarter-finals. n Reuters, Nyon Last season’s beaten finalists Atleti- and 3-1 in the second leg last season en Last week Chelsea manager Jose European champions Real Madrid will face Schalke 04, Barcelona will play Manchester City and Chelsea will play Paris St Germain in three ties repeated from last season following the draw for the Champions league last 16 made on Monday.

Real Madrid knocked Schalke out of the last 16 last season 9-2 on aggregate, Barcelona beat Manchester City 4-1 while Chelsea beat PSG on away goals

Mourinho said he would welcome being drawn against PSG “because it will be easy for our fans to travel to Paris” -- and he got his wish when Karl-Heinz Riedle drew the pair together.

Riedle, who performed the draw in his role as ambassador for Berlin, the venue for this season’s final on June 6 and who scored twice when his Borussia Dortmund team beat Juventus 3-1 in the 1997 final, also drew

co Madrid face Bayer Leverkusen in another Spain-Germany match-up.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will face his old club AS Monaco in a competitive match for the first time while five-time winners Bayern Munich take on Shakhtar Donetsk. Swiss club FC Basel play Porto. Real Madrid crushed Schalke in last season’s Round of 16 and club director Emilio Butragueno told Spanish TV broadcaster Canal Plus:

DAY’S WATCH Ten Cricket 3:00PM Sri Lanka v England 7th ODI

Star Sports 2 7:30PM Indian Super League Chennai v Kerala

Star Sports 1 6:00AM (Wednesday) Australia v India 2nd Test, Day 1

Ten Action 1:45AM Capital One Cup Derby v Chelsea

Sony Six 9:30AM NBA 14-15: Regular Season La Clippers v Detroit 1:15AM Fifa Club World Cup Cruz Azul v Real Madrid

route to their 10th European Cup success. City director of football and former Barcelona player Txiki Begiristain told Sky Sports News: “Every tie in that draw is the same, it’s fantastic, so we’re looking forward to it.

The first legs will be played on Feb.17/18 and Feb. 24/25 with the second legs being played on March 10/11 and March 17/18 next year. The final is in Berlin on June 6. l

Celtic have been drawn against Inter Milan in the last 32 of the Europa League, with Liverpool facing Turkish side Besiktas.

Tottenham play Serie A side Fiorentina, Everton face Swiss club Young Boys, while holders Sevilla are up against Borussia Monchengladbach.

The two legs will be played on 19 and 26 February 2015. This season’s Europa League winners will qualify for next year’s Champions League play-offs. Celtic’s tie against Inter Milan is a repeat of the 1967 European Cup final in Lisbon, which the Glasgow side won 2-1 to become Britain’s first European champions.

Inter, who appointed former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini as their manager for a second time in November, are 12th in Italy’s top flight.

Tottenham could come up against England defender Micah Richards, who is on loan at Fiorentina from City. It is a first meeting between the London and Florence clubs. Liverpool, who entered the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group behind Real Madrid and Basle, last played Besiktas in the 2007/8 season, winning 8-0 at Anfield.

Everton have never faced Young Boys before. l

EUROPA LEAGUE LAST-16 Young Boys (Sui) v Everton (Eng) Torino (Italy) v At Bilbao (Spain) Sevilla (Spain) v M’gladbach (Ger) Wolfsburg (Ger) v Sp Lisbon (Por) Ajax (Ned) v L Warsaw (Pol) Aalborg (Den) v Bruges (Bel) Anderlecht (Bel) v D Moscow (Rus) Dnipro (Ukr) v Olympiakos (Greece) Trabzonspor (Turkey) v Napoli (Italy) Guingamp (France) v Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) Villarreal (Spain) v Salzburg (Austria) Roma (Italy) v Feyenoord (Ned) PSV (Ned) v Zenit (Rus) Liverpool (England) v Besiktas (Turkey) Tottenham (Eng) v Fiorentina (Ita) Celtic (Sco) v Inter Milan (Ita) The first legs will be played on Feb 19, the second legs on Feb 26

Scorchers knock off Legends n Agencies

Injured Clarke to go under knife Australian captain Michael Clarke will undergo surgery on his injured right hamstring on Tuesday, Cricket Australia said, as the 33-year-old fights to remain in the game. Clarke has switched focus to getting fit for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which starts on February 14, after being forced off in the victorious first Test against India at the weekend. “Michael was assessed by a surgeon in Melbourne early this evening (Monday) and will be undergoing surgery tomorrow to repair his injured right hamstring,” team doctor Peter Brukner said. “Whilst surgery is not always required with hamstring injuries, Michael has substantial damage to a key part of the hamstring tendon and it was felt the best course of action was to surgically repair the damaged area. “His recovery and the timing of his return to play will be dependent on the surgeon’s advice and how well he recovers in the coming weeks.”

Injury-jinxed Clarke admitted there was a chance he would never play cricket again after his latest setback.

–AFP

13

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

West Indian legend Brian Charles Lara signs autographs at the Perth Aquinas College field in Australia yesterday

INTERNET

A bumper crowd has packed Perth’s Aquinas College to watch some of the greats of past and players of the present as the Perth Scorchers beat the Australian Legends by 50 runs in the WA Festival of Cricket Twenty20.

The match pitted the KFC T20 Big Bash League reigning champions Scorchers against an all-star Legends XI led by Adam Gilchrist, but it was the youth of Ashton Turner that stole the show in a match that featured West Indies champion Brian Lara and Australian legends Dean Jones, Andrew Symonds, Andy Bichel and Michael Kasporwicz.

Turner blasted 75 from 38 balls in a knock that included four fours and six sixes, taking Symonds and Bichel out of the ground on several occasions.

The 21-year-old capped off the day with the prize wicket of state and BBL

Abahani top, Kalabagan CA progress

Smith named standin Australia captain n Mazhar Uddin n Reuters, Melbourne Abahani ended the 11

and final round of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League at the top of the points table after winning their last match against second-placed Prime Bank by 33 runs in Fatullah yesterday.

Although both the teams are locked on 18 points, Abahani finished top due to a better head-to-head record.

Besides the two teams, Kalabagan Cricket Academy (14 points), Prime Doleshwar (14), holders Legends of Rupganj (14) and Mohammedan (14) also confirmed their places in the six-team Super League phase of the country’s lone 50-over domestic competition.

Despite their 48-run win over Kalabagan CA in Savar yesterday, Victoria (14) failed to make it to the Super League due to an inferior head-to-head record amongst the five teams that finished on 14 points. Meanwhile in the other match of the day, Brothers Union thumped bottom side Old DOHS by 93 runs in Mirpur. th

Steven Smith will captain Australia’s Test team for the rest of the series against India, with regular skipper Michael Clarke’s career in serious doubt due to persistent injury problems.

Batsman Smith, aged 25 years and 195 days, becomes Australia’s youngest Test captain since Kim Hughes who was named in 1979 at 25 years and 57 days, and the third-youngest all-time.

Smith was in a two-horse race with wicketkeeper Brad Haddin to replace the 33-year-old Clarke, who suffered yet another hamstring strain during Australia’s victory charge on day five of the first Test in Adelaide on Saturday.

Haddin, who will deputise for Smith as vice-captain, had been seen as a viable short-term replacement for Clarke, but at 37 and in waning form with the bat, was not a long-term prospect.

Smith’s selection ahead of Haddin suggests Clarke’s hopes of leading Australia or even playing again remained in grave doubt, as Clarke himself suggested to reporters after Australia won the Adelaide test by 48 runs.

With Clarke sidelined, Smith could also be in line to lead Australia into the 50-over World Cup starting in February on home soil. The initial squad is due to be named on Jan. 7. l

Abahani v Prime Bank

Asked to bat first, Abahani were bundled out for 169 in 41.1 overs.

Opener Abdul Majid top-scored with a painstaking 102-ball 58. Zimbabwean recruit Hamilton Masakadza chipped in with a quickfire 26-ball 33 while skipper Ziaur Rahman scored 30.

Prime pacemen Taskin Ahmed (3/29) and Farhad Reza (3/30) broke through the Abahani middle- and lower-order.

In pursuit of a modest 170, Prime were only able to manage 136 before being skittled out in 39.2 overs. Mahmudullah played a lone hand, mak-

BRIEF SCORES Kalabagan CA v Victoria

Victoria 237/6 in 47 overs (maximum) Marshal 54, Enamul 44*, Nadif 41; Mehedi 2/25, Mahmudul 2/32, Sharif 2/55 Kalabagan CA 189 allout in 44 overs Nafees 48; Kamrul 3/37, Haider 3/44 Victoria won by 48 runs Abahani v Prime Bank

Abahani 169 allout in 41.1 overs (maximum 43) Majid 58; Taskin 3/29, Farhad 3/30, Mahmudullah 2/15, Enamul Jr 2/38 Prime 136 allout in 39.2 overs Mahmudullah 51; Saqlain 3/15, Al Amin 3/25, Shuvashish 2/9, Apu 2/39 Abahani won by 33 runs Brothers Union v Old DOHS

Brothers 195 allout in 49.4 overs Sadiqur 42; Raihan 4/38, Jayed 3/40, Shawon 2/34 Old DOHS 102 allout in 36.3 overs Shahjada 3/22, Denly 2/13, Sadat 2/17, Asif 2/21 Brothers won by 93 runs

ing 51 off 79 balls. Saqlain Sajib and Al Amin bagged three wickets apiece while Shuvashish Roy and Nazmul Apu scalped two wickets each.

Kalabagan CA v Victoria

Batting first, Victoria posted 237/6 in 47 overs.

Marshal Ayub was the highest scorer with 54 while Enamul Haque (44*) and skipper Nadif Chowdhury (41) narrowly failed to grab half centuries. For Kalabagan CA, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Mahmudul Hasan and Mohammed Sharif took two wickets each. In reply, Kalabagan CA were dismissed for 189 in 44 overs. Opener Nafees Iqbal scored 48 from 74 balls.

Victoria’s opening bowling duo Kamrul Hasan and Abu Haider shared six wickets between them while leftarm spinner Sohrawardi Shuvo picked up two wickets.

Brothers Union v Old DOHS

Ahmed Sadiqur’s 42 guided Brothers to a moderate 195 allout in 49.4 overs.

Raihan Arafat was the wrecker in chief for Old DOHS taking 4/38 while Abu Jayed and Saleh Ahmed Shawon shared five wickets between them.

However, even 196 in 50 overs proved to be a tall order for Old DOHS as they concluded their miserable campaign capitulating to their 11th defeat in as many matches. The bottom side were dismissed for 102 in 36.3 overs. l

coach Langer, though not with his best delivery, securing the wicket with a floating full toss that the batsman topedged to fall for nine.

A spectacular one-handed grab from evergreen veteran Brad Hogg removed Gilchrist for one, much to the dismay of the enthusiastic crowd, but the keeper’s wicket brought Lara to the crease.

The West Indian struggled for timing early, relying on the pace of the bowlers to guide and glide his way into his innings before upping the ante in the final stages to bring up his fifty and remain unbeaten on 51 as the autograph-hunting crowd members invaded the field.

The trial match was the first hit out for the new Scorchers recruits Michael Carberry (28 off 17), Michael Klinger (18 off 16), Andrew Tye (1-17) and James Muirhead (0-35), the latter the first player traded in the competition’s four year history, swapping with left-arm spinner Michael Beer to the Melbourne Stars. l

PSG, Marseille both beaten n Reuters, Paris

An early goal by Guingamp’s Jeremy Pied was enough to hand champions Paris St Germain their first loss of the French Ligue 1 season, leaving Olympique de Marseille still on top despite their own defeat by Monaco on Sunday.

In the first of the day’s twin 1-0 upsets - which saw the top two surprisingly felled - Pied’s diving header in the 11th minute secured a home victory for the unheralded Breton side.

It was PSG’s second defeat of the week, following their 3-1 Champions League loss in Barcelona on Wednesday.

Despite strong early possession and a searing shot over the bar by Edinson Cavani in the second minute, the Parisians often appeared jaded against an increasingly combative Guingamp, fresh from consecutive victories over Reims and Caen.

Guingamp’s break came when a Younousse Sankhare header steered a free kick to Pied, whose deadly lunge from near the penalty spot left a beaten Salvatore Sirigu fuming.

PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the most profligate, miscontrolling incoming passes and sending a free kick into the wall. Team mate Marco Verratti’s 19th-minute strike from outside the box found Jonas Lossl’s waiting gloves. l

14

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Sport

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Villarreal end ATM’s 28-game unbeaten home run n AFP, Madrid

Villarreal’s Bruno (L) celebrates the victory as Atletico’s Diego Godin (3R) hugs Mario during their Spanish La Liga match at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday

AP

Spanish champions Atletico Madrid suffered their first home league defeat in 28 matches as Luciano Vietto blasted home the winner six minutes from time to hand Villarreal a 1-0 win at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday.

An uncharacteristically error-strewn performance from Diego Simeone’s men was deservedly punished by the visitors, who could have been out of sight before the goal but for two fine saves by Miguel Angel Moya.

Defeat leaves Atletico now seven points adrift of leaders Real Madrid and still three off second-placed Barcelona, who were the last team to beat Atletico on home soil in La Liga back in May 2013, whilst Villarreal move up to sixth.

The result also rounded off a perfect weekend for Real Madrid as they extended their lead at the top to four points after sealing their 20th consecutive win in all competitions 4-1 over Almeria on Friday, whilst Barcelona stumbled to a 0-0 draw at Getafe 24 hours later.

“I can only talk about the match because I was concentrated on the play,” said Simeone, who gave Vietto his professional debut during his stint in charge of Racing Club in Argentina.

“They won the game with a goal by Vietto and I am happy for him despite the fact we had gone more than a year without losing here.”

Villarreal boss Marcelino, meanwhile, believed his side deserved the win after running Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla close this season.

“This group deserved a victory like this,” he said.

“We have been very close in other games against the big sides where we have played well but not won.”

Atletico were playing for the first time at the Calderon since a Deportivo La Coruna fan was killed in clashes near the stadium ahead of a meeting between the two sides a fortnight ago.

LA LIGA

2-1

Espanyol

Caicedo 34, Stuani 90

Granada El-Arabi 61

Sevilla

0-0

Eibar

Atletico Madrid

0-1

Villarreal Vietto 85

Real Sociedad Vela 3

1-1

Athletic Bilbao De Marcos 61

The club had promised to crackdown on their unruly ultras, but the unusually flat atmosphere in front of a half-empty stadium seemed to affect the Spanish champions in a first-half littered with errors.

Villarreal had the best chance of the opening half when Denis Cheryshev burst clear but opted to go for goal himself rather than square to the unmarked Vietto and Moya made a comfortable save.

Mario Mandzukic had a wonderful chance to continue his fine goalscoring form when he latched onto Diego Godin’s knockdown after the break, but former Atletico ‘keeper Asenjo bravely blocked the Croatian’s effort from point black range. l

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 DRAW REACTION PSG (France) v Chelsea (England)

Man City (England) v Barcelona (Spain)

Olivier Letang, PSG deputy sporting director, said: “Chelsea are a very good team but we also have our strengths.

The important thing is to be ready in February.”

David Barnard, Chelsea club secretary, said: “PSG are known to us as we played them in the quarters last year and they’ve got David Luiz playing for them too.

“It’s a good draw logistically too for our supporters.

“Both sides have very different squads from last year, so if it was PSG or anyone else, it would’ve been the same situation.”

Txiki Begiristain, Manchester City director of football and former Barcelona player, told Sky Sports: “Every tie in that draw is the same, it’s fantastic, so we’re looking forward to it.

“We have plenty of confidence with the way we qualified beating Bayern Munich at home and Roma away, so the players will be working hard to get fit and arrive in confidence for those games.

“We have improved our squad from last season and we have some real quality up front.”

Andoni Zubizarreta, Barcelona sporting

Bayern chase more records n AFP, Berlin Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich are in “another league” according to their rivals with more Bundesliga records set to tumble in this week’s final two rounds of matches for 2014.

Bayern host strugglers Freiburg on Tuesday enjoying a nine-point gap at the top of the table, then travel to face mid-table Mainz on Friday in their final match before the German league breaks for the winter.

Freiburg are winless in their last four league games and have never won in Munich after 13 defeats and two draws having been thrashed 4-0 on their last visit to Munich’s Allianz Arena in February.

“Now we must continue calmly into the next two games to try and take the points up for grabs,” said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Having conceded just three goals in 15 league games this season, Guardiola’s team are on course to break the

record they hold of seven goals conceded for the first half of a season set

by Stuttgart in 2003/04 and matched by the Bayern side of 2012/13.

Having conceded just one away goal so far, they are also on course to equal their own league record for the first half of the season, also set in 2012/13, at Mainz on Friday.

FIXTURES Bayern Munich Hanover 96 Hamburg Cologne

v v v v

Freiburg Augsburg VfB Stuttgart Mainz

This comes less than two years after Bayern broke or equalled 25 records when they won the treble of German league, cup and Champions League titles in 2013 - the first German team to achieve the feat.

“Bayern Munich are in a different league, I think we can all agree on that,” said Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl after his side were thrashed 4-0 at home by Bayern on Saturday. l

director, told Canal Plus: “It’s a great tie against a great rival, a team we know extremely well.

“There is no doubt that we will go to Manchester and be true to our ideas, pushing into the opponent’s half and going on the attack.

“There is still a long way to go until February and let’s see what shape each team is in when the tie comes around.”

Juventus (Italy) v Dortmund (Germany) Juventus director Pavel Nedved, said: “ We have to be very careful because Dortmund have young, talented players.

Windies bosses, players blamed for India tour fiasco n AFP, Port of Spain West Indies cricket bosses, players and their union representatives were all blamed Sunday for October’s catastrophic abandonment of the tour of India.

The West Indies team left India four matches into a five-game oneday series after a pay dispute between players and the board, with the fifth one-dayer, a subsequent Twenty20 international and three Tests abandoned.

It was a decision which prompted India to demand $42 million in compensation and damages.

A task force set up by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has spread the blame for the debacle and laid out a raft of recommendations ranging from clear guidelines for players’ contracts to appointing a team psychologist for touring parties. l

Shehzad, Afridi star in Pakistan win n AFP, Sharjah

Opener Ahmed Shehzad hit a swashbuckling hundred and Shahid Afridi made a fiery 55 and took three wickets to lead Pakistan to a crushing 147-run win over New Zealand in the third one-dayer in Sharjah on Sunday.

Shehzad’s 120-ball 113 created the foundation of Pakistan’s biggest-ever total against New Zealand of 364-7 before they dismissed the Black Caps for 217 in 38.2 overs to go 2-1 up in the five-match series.

Pakistan won the first game by three wickets in Dubai while New Zealand took the second by four wickets, also played in Sharjah.

The win was Pakistan’s second biggest win against New Zealand, just behind their 153-run win at Karachi in 2002.

“It is our strength to play aggressive cricket,” said Afridi. “We played our type of cricket and took advan-

tage of a good batting wicket.

“Ahmed (Shehzad) played a good knock and gave us an ideal start,” said Afridi of man-of-the-match Shehzad.

Shehzad’s knock -- his sixth oneday hundred -- was spiced with a dozen boundaries and two sixes while Afridi pulverised the bowlers with three sixes and six boundaries off just 25 balls.

It proved too much for New Zealand who were jolted right at the start with lanky paceman Mohammad Ir-

BRIEF SCORE, 3RD ODI Pakistan 364/7 in 50 overs

Shehzad 113, Afridi 55, Haris 39, Henry 3/69 New Zealand 217 all out in 38.2 overs

Williamson 46, Ronchi 41, Afridi 3/37, Haris 3/45 Pakistan won by 147 runs, lead series 2-1 Man of the match: Ahmed Shehzad

fan (2-26) dismissing Anton Devcich (nought) and Martin Guptill (12) by the sixth over.

Captain Kane Williamson hit 46 while Ross Taylor made 31 during a stand of 45 for the third wicket but Afridi (3-37) had Taylor bowled while Haris Sohail dismissed the New Zealand skipper to leave them struggling at 115-4.

Sohail also had Jimmy Neesham (two) and Nathan McCullum (15) to finish with 3-45.

Luke Ronchi was the last man out, bowled by Afridi for 41.

“Pakistan batted outstandingly from start to finish and when we chased we were not at par,” said Williamson.

The 23-year-old Shehzad, who has scored hundreds in all three formats this year, built invaluable partnerships after giving Pakistan a brisk start of 63 with Mohammad Hafeez who made a 26-ball 33 with five fours and a six. l

“There are a few teams who are almost impossible to compete with, so we are happy to have a side against whom we have a chance.

“I’m a big fan of (Juergen) Klopp and I’m curious to see our level in Europe. The games against Dortmund will give us a clear indication of that.”

Hans-Joachim Watzke, Dortmund CEO, said: “Juventus have great international experience. It will be a tough opponent, no question about that. It will be 50-50.

“We always had great meetings with Juve and we expect the same now. It (draw) could have been worse it could have been better.”

Schalke (Germany) v Real Madrid (Spain) Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes said on Twitter: “Real Madrid are currently one of the best sides in the world but we’ll do our best to stand firm against them.” Real director Emilio Butragueno told Canal Plus: “Let’s say that we are rather optimistic.

“We have the experience from last season, a very, very good experience when we essentially won the tie in the first leg.

But we know that football can be cruel and for sure everything will very different this time.

“They are competitive, with very loyal fans who will back them for 90 minutes, and

we will need a good result to be able to wrap things up in Madrid.”

Arsenal (England) v Monaco (France) David Miles, Arsenal’s club secretary, told Sky Sports News: “As the draw came out, it was evident a lot of the big teams had gone, so we’re pleased to have avoided them. But, we’re delighted to be here in the knockout stages for the 17th consecutive season and we’re very much looking forward to the games and a great atmosphere.”

Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev, said: “Arsenal are a great team with great European history. And we will welcome back Arsene Wenger, who coached Monaco.” l

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Entertainment

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

15

ON TV

The film “Guerrilla” will be screened on Channel I at 3:05pm. This film portray some incidents of cruelty committed by Pakistani army and their local collaborators on the night of March 25, 1971. On that night, Pakistani military started a mass genocide over the unarmed people of the country.

This film also depicts the stories of resistances by Bilkis Banu, Altaf Mahmud, Shahadat and many other to counter the cruelty with urban guerrilla movements.

A TV play ‘Bangladesh’ starring Aupee Karim will be aired on Ntv at 8:20pm tpday. This portrait the life and struggle of a female activist and journalist who runs an online portal titled Bangladesh. The lead character Shejuti formed a group titled 71.

A telefilm “Goodbye Commander” will be aired on Maasranga TV at 8:00pm. The telefilm depicts a story of researcher who discovers many unknown facts about the Liberation War from the caretaker of an abandoned house which was used as a special concentration camp by the Pakistani army in 1971.

A tele drama “Shaheed Mosammat Kulsum Begum” will be aired on GTV at 4:05pm. Directed

by Komol Chakma, the drama features Shoshi, Rawnak Hasan, Sajjad Reza, Jhuna Chowdhury and many more.

Theatre Mohakal Natya Sampraday will stage the “Mora Jhonjaar Moto Uddam”, a collage production, at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy at 6:30pm. The troupe will perform songs on liberation war, patriotic music, and folk songs.

A drama “Shakkhatkaar” will be aired on ATN Bangla at 11pm today. The story of the drama revolves around a journalist who has been assigned to interview war children on the occasion of the victory day. Some of them refused to give interview. But, he gets an interview of a war children and then he faces an unusual experience while interviewing.

Anchored by Sharmin Lucky, “Bijoyeer Ponktimala”, a recital programme, featuring Jayanto Chattopadhyay, Arman Parvez Murad and Dalia Ahmed will be aired on Gtv at 8:00pm.

The Liberation War as seen in films of 2014 n Entertainment desk

2014 has been an exciting year in terms of films made on the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh. More than 10 films, from Dhallywood and Bollywood, depicted various aspects of the war with top-notch quality and authenticity.

On the Victory Day, we have picked up some of the films which made news around the year.

Jibon Dhuli

A drama titled “Birangona: Women of War” will be staged at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital at 6:00pm tomorrow.

Produced by Komola Collective, the play highlights the stories of the female survivors of the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 when over 200,000 women were systematically raped and tortured during the war the Pakistani occupation army and their local collaborators.

‘Aajker Boithok’ by Stage One, Dhaka will be held today at 7:00pm at Dhaka University’s Natmondol.

Meghmollar: The coward in the brave-man’s coat The title of the film “Meghmallar” comes from a raga. There are ragas for different times of the day and also for different seasons of the year. “Meghmallar” is the name of a raga for the monsoon season, which has the power to evoke the mood of the rain. It is simultaneously exultant and ravaging. In Indian classical music ragas are like modes, made by permutations of five or six pitches selected from the sargam, that is the seven-pitch-collection – Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni. “Meghmallar” is an apt title since rain is used as a leitmotif throughout the film, where the mood of the people and the mood of nature get interwoven. Moreover, the meghmallar raga plays in the background to create the atmosphere. And thanks to the cinematography it really felt like monsoon. But the title is too esoteric for the audience and the original title of Akhtaruzzaman Elias’ short story “Raincoat”, on

which the film is based, would have been more accessible and perhaps a better choice. I like the name “Raincoat” – rain is trouble, coat is shield.

Rain. Coat. Shield from trouble.

“Meghmallar” is the story of a coward and his family- wife, little daughter and there is also a brotherin-law. The brother-in-law is the brave-man who later becomes the sole inspiration for the coward’s transformation. It is a folktale like “The Happy Man’s Shirt”. However, in that tale it turned out that the happy man did not have any shirt.

Here, the brave-man has a ‘shirt’, but it becomes both a curse and a blessing: it becomes the cause of the fall and the eventual rise of the coward.

The setting is a village in the backdrop of the Liberation War, in the month of August. There is heavy rainfall. The coward is a college teacher struggling to stay away from trouble at all cost, particularly from his brother-in-law, who has joined the freedom fighters. As destiny

would have it, one rainy day he goes to work wearing his brotherin-law’s raincoat and gets captured by the army, who mistakes him for his brother-in-law. Shahiduzzaman Selim is good as the coward, but I felt the brother-in-law, being such a pivotal character, was a miscast.

Just when the film was becoming interesting, it ended abruptly, as if the budget ran out. We may have mixed feelings about government-funded patriotic films, but we do not expect them to be

Shongram '71

The film is a romantic drama set against the backdrop of the Liberation War of 1971, story of which is told forty-three years later in London by a British-Bangladeshi freedom fighter Karim. He shares his experience with a reporter.

The film participated in the London Indian Film Festival for the first time as a Bangladeshi film.

Hridoye Ekattor

REVIEW

n Mosabber Rahman

for the US Film Festival to be held on December 27.

insufficiently funded. “Meghmallar” is among the better ones of the lot and I felt at least half-hour more was needed for the denouement.

The coward’s metamorphosis was too quick to be fully effective and undermined the overall impact of this otherwise well-made film.

In spite of that “Meghmallar” was successful in creating an ambiance of the wet monsoon and that is quite commendable. This film actually reminded me of Giasuddin Selim’s teleplay “Bhoy” (where Fazlur Rahman Babu played the coward) which dealt with a similar theme.

There is no doubt that we have talented filmmakers doing good work. But perhaps for certain kind of stories it is important to forget filmmaking altogether and be completely free from its burden.

In order to honor those who are no more, we must hold the hands of the ones who are in pain today and stand beside them, and that should be the source of our inspiration, not filmmaking. l

Tanvir Mokammel's latest venture “Jibon Dhuli” centres around an impoverished 'dhuli' (drummer) family during the Liberation War. Popular actress and model Jyotika Jyoti dons the role of Shondha Rani, the wife of a 'dhuli', who is tortured by the Pakistani Occupation Army. Shatabdi Wadud plays the role of the 'dhuli' in the film.

However, despite seasoned director Tanvir Mokammel on the wheel and few good actors in the cast, the film failed to impress the audience as a whole.

Ekattorer Maa Jononee

As its title suggests, the movie is about the glorious Liberation War of Bangladesh. The script is influenced by the novel “Jononi Shahoshini 1971,” written by Anisul Haque.

Directed by Shah Alam Kiron, the film features popular actors Nipun, Agun, MM Morshed and Chitrolekha Guho. Nipun plays the protagonist telling the story of the Birongonas. Uttom Guho gave the art direction and a theatre troupe also worked in making of the film.

The film, which is supported by government grants, will hit theatres on December 19. It has been selected

Directed by Sadek Siddique, the film was released on the Independence Day. Produced by Anandabazar Multimedia, the film portrays the mass devastation and destruction left by the war in its wake. At the end of it all, Bangladesh emerged as an independent country on the world map in 1971.

Children of War

A Bangla version of this Indian Hindi film was released in local cinemas.

Only the words spoken in Hindi have been dubbed into Bangla, whenever Urdu is spoken Bangla subtitles are used. All the Hindi background songs have also been rerecorded in Bangla.

This film is an amalgamation of two sub genres: firstly, Mumbai’s Hindi Patriotic films where the Bangladesh Liberation War is considered a misnomer for the Indo-Pak War; secondly, Kolkata’s Bangla parallel movies dealing with mature themes like adultery, rape, prostitution. l

16

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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

254 female freedom fighters honoured Our nightingale who

healed freedom fighters

Sajeda admits many female freedom fighters are denied due recognition till date n Tribune Report The Muktijuddho Academy yesterday accorded reception to 254 female freedom fighters for their contribution in the 1971 Liberation War. Speakers at the programme said the female freedom fighters had not been recognised properly because of the patriarchal society, and that they should be honoured before they die.

Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury distributed crests, certificates and flag among them at the National Museum of the capital.

The senior Awami League leader said: “Women played a great role in our Liberation War which cannot be denied. But many female freedom fighters still do not get the proper recognition they deserve.

“The country achieved independence for the contribution of all people regardless age, occupation, religion, nationality and caste.”

Sajeda urged all to identify and bring out those women from every corner of

n Our Correspondent, Savar

Speakers at the event arranged to accord reception to female freedom fighters of 1971 Liberation War in the capital yesterday MEHEDI HASAN

the country who had contribution in the war; no matter if they used to cook for the freedom fighters.

Muktijuddho Academy Chairman Abul Azad presided over the

programme.

He said: “Still, there is no final list of the female freedom fighters. The actual number of female freedom fighters will be more than what is in

the gazette.

“We are preparing a primary list of female freedom fighters following proper verification. It will be submitted to the government soon.” l

A DARING DESKMAN

The tale of a forgotten freedom fighter n Maria Salam Abdul Halim Mia – a pen pusher for the East Pakistan civil service in 1971 – was an unlikely hero of the Liberation War. One of the first martyrs of the Rajshahi resistance during the Liberation War, the legacy of Halim – the erstwhile chief clerk for Water Development Board’s Rajshahi office – is nearly forgotten, with almost no official recognition given to the man who stood up others cowered.

Halim’s eldest son Shamsul Alam, who was already married with three children in 1971, recounted the night of March 26. “We woke up to the sound of heavy firing,” Shamsul said.

Rumours soon started coming in about the local police suffering casu-

alties during their attempt to put up resistance.

When a curfew was declared in the morning, local young men hid in the bushes. But soon mortar shells hit the houses in the area, triggering panic among women and children.

It was then Halim who showed his mettle. Defying the curfew, the 50-yearold man came out on the streets to help the panic-stricken people.

“My father went from one building to another, making sure they were all right,” Shamsul said.

The Pakistani soldiers picked him up along with two young siblings – Kalu and Samu Sardar. The brothers returned in the evening, but Halim did not.

“We found his body, tied up and blindfolded the following morning in a roadside ditch near Bornalir Mor,”

said Shamsul, who himself recovered the body which bore stabs and a bullet wound in the back. The hero was given an unceremonious and secret burial at the family graveyard.

The Sardar brothers – both dead now – lived to tell the tale of a hero’s last hours. They told Shamsul that during detention, Halim stood up to the Pakistanis when many others pleaded for their lives. “They kicked him [Halim] hard on the chest and beat him. But he did not say a word,” Shamsul quoted the Sardar brothers as saying.

Met with defiance, the armed forces took Halim to another room, after which he was never seen alive again.

However, Halim’s story does not end there.

Abdus Salam, one of Halim’s neighbours who was an eighth-grader in

1971, told the Dhaka Tribune that the WDB clerk was also among the first organisers of resistance in the area.

At some point during the first couple of weeks in March, 1971, Halim paid a visit to Salam’s father – who had fought in World War II on the Burma front.

“He wanted to know if it was possible to fight the army with 20 firearms and 200 rounds of ammunition.”

Salam’s father instantly dismissed the idea as a foolish plan, but told Halim to organise a guerilla team instead.

The brave clerk, however, met his end at the onset of the war and was unable to realise his plans.

The only recognition given to Halim was a road in the area named after him. “However, the plaque was later removed for renovations. No one bothered to put it back,” Shamsul said. l

Kalpana Rani Dev had to become an unruly girl when her parents told her that they would not entertain her request to join the Liberation War in 1971.

But she was adamant that she would fight against the Pakistani forces for the independence of her country. At the time, she was still in her teens and was an eighth-grader at Bhiarab Girls High School.

Soon she realised that the thought of joining the war was easy but in reality it was an insurmountable task.

At the tender age of 14, Kalpana refused to give up. She could not accept the fact she would stay indoors when a whole lot of people were joining the war.

Kalpana kept thinking of how she could do what she had decided to do and the idea of nursing wounded freedom fighters suddenly popped into her head.

Kalpana and her family members were in Bhairab but moved to Nabinagar, where the family’s ancestral home was located, when the war began in March. The family again moved to Agartala on security grounds.

At the time, her maternal cousin Padma Rani lived at the Melaghar area in Tripura, where freedom fighters would be treated at a hospital. She passed out on the first day after seeing the freedom fighters in the hospital who had sustained serious wounds.

A doctor at the hospital was hesitant about whether she would be able to nurse the wounded freedom fighters but Padma assured him.

For young Kalpana, that was the beginning of her journey to indirectly contribute to the Liberation War but now after 44 years of independence, the intrepid woman leads an impoverished life and does not even have a place of her own to live.

She strove to secure government assistance but to no avail.

Recalling her days in the hospital, Kalpana, who is the eldest among her seven siblings, said she not only provided medical care for the wounded but also worked tirelessly to instil fresh hope and encouragement into them.

“Those of us who worked at the hospital especially focused on motivating the wounded freedom fighters to continue fighting against the Pakistani oc-

Freedom fighter laid to rest without state honour n Our Correspondent, Narsinghdi On the eve of the Victory Day, a freedom fighter was laid to eternal rest without state honours in Narsinghdi.

He died of heart failure on Sunday night.

Independence-loving people, particularly freedom fighters, brought the country’s independence from the clutches of Pakistan through a ninemonth struggle in 1971.

Freedom Fighter Farid Uddin, son of late Abdul Rahim, originally hailed from Rupshadi village in Brahmanbaria’s Banjarampur upazila.

He relocated to Kishoreganj Sadar upazila’s Dakkhin Shilamandi village 27 years ago and had ever since been living there.

He retired from the country’s army in 1994.

After his namaj-e-janaza at Shilmandi Primary School, he was buried in the village graveyard at 11am yesterday.

His son Faisal Hossain said: “After my father died, I informed it to District Freedom Fighters’ Commander Abdul Motalib Pathan and Banjarampur Upazila Deputy Commander Abdul Latif.”

“Yet my father did not get any state honours. It is very shocking that my father had to be buried without state honours.”

Narsinghdi District Freedom Fighters’ Commander Motaleb Pathan said he had got the news of freedom fighter Farid Uddin’s death too late and so he could do nothing like giving state honours to him.

“We will put forward a mourning motion over his death tomorrow (today).”

When Deputy Commissioner Abu Hena Morshed Zaman was asked about this, he said he had not received any written complaint until yesterday afternoon.

“However, it is the state’s responsibility to give a freedom fighter state honours at the funeral. I will take steps after looking into this.” l

cupation forces in order to defeat them and achieve independence for our nation,” she said.

Kalpana and her family returned to their hometown after the nine-month sanguinary war. She then converted to Islam and adopted the name Asma Akhter to tie the knot with Hazi Ataur Rahman, a resident of Bhairab Bazar, but the couple failed to have any children.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for the wartime caregiver when Ataur was diagnosed with cancer. Kalpana did everything she could, including selling the only house, to pay for the treatment of her husband but still could not prevent him from leaving her for ever five years ago.

The person who healed the wounds of many freedom fighters several decades ago now suffers from a wide range of old-age complications, including asthma.

The saddest thing is that she cannot afford medical care and is passing her days as a dependant in Savar’s Bank Town area without receiving any treatment The saddest thing is that she cannot afford medical care and is surviving as a dependant in Savar’s Bank Town area without receiving any treatment.

“It was the hope of freedom fighters that they will lead a happy life after the country’s independence but that did not happen in reality,” said Kalpana, her voice filled with deep resentment.

“At such an age, I have approached officials at many ministries in the last few years but did not get any help from anyone. Now I live on other people’s earnings and do not have an abode,” she said.

Kalpana wonders if she has to live like this till her death. But the woman, who still has those pictures taken with General MAG Osmani, Captain ATM Haider and Major General Khaled Mosharraf, refuses to be pessimistic, saying she would certainly find peace one day. l

ACC summons Westmont boss, Rupali Bank MD n Adil Sakhawat The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday summoned the chairman of Westmont Power (Bangladesh) Limited and the managing director of Rupali Bank for taking their statements in a money laundering case.

Westmont Chairman Kazi Tajul Islam Faruque and Rupali Bank’s M Farid Uddin were asked to appear before the commission on December 22.

The case was filed against Faruque and six others on April 21, 2011. The other accused are former assistant general manager of Janata Bank Rafiqul Haque Chowdhury and five nationals of Malaysia and Philippine. The case says Westmont took a loan of $12.96m (Tk79 crore) from Janata Bank in 2002 to build a power plant. But it later siphoned off the amount abroad in the name of importing machinery.

At that time, Farif was the general manager of Janata Bank’s branch from where the loan had been sanctioned.

Faruque filed a case against Sheikh Hasina on April 9, 2007 accusing her of taking Tk3 crore bribe. He later appealed to drop the charges on December 23, 2008. l

Taking advantage of lax monitoring by the authorities concerned, locals and visitors in the archaeological site Panam Nagar move freely inside the risky structures

RAJIB DHAR

DB arrests 10 for mugging and robbery in Dhaka n Tribune Report

The Detective Branch of police conducted a special drive in the capital’s Mugda and Rampura areas yesterday and arrested 10 people for their alleged connection with mugging and robbery.

The suspects – Md Akther, Md Aftab Hossain, Md Hanif, Md Helal Matubbor, Md Sumon Ali Apel, Jewel Hossain, Riaz, Md Masud, Md Saiful Islam and Md Billal Hossain – were arrested

as two DB teams followed a tip-off and raided the areas, said Monirul Islam, joint commissioner at the DB, addressing a press briefing at the media centre of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

“The teams also recovered a foreign pistol, three rounds of bullets, two stolen microbuses, one private car, three machetes, one dagger and a knife from their possession,” the DB official said.

He also said the suspects had been involved in several robberies around

the capital, using microbuses. They sometimes robbed trucks entering the capital as well.

Among the arrested, Akhter, Aftab, Hanif, Helal, Sumon and Jewel, arrested by the DB team led by Assistant Commissioner Md Shahjahan, were planning a robbery when they were nabbed from Bashar Tower in Mugda last night.

The other four, arrested by the DB team led by Inspector Mahbub Ur Rashid

from Rampura, have been stealing private cars in the capital for a long time.

The DB joint commissioner mentioned one incident when they stole a car at gunpoint in front of Falcon Tower at Tejgaon around 11:45pm on September 30.

They mugged people using the stolen cars, he said.

The DB was preparing to take appropriate action against the arrested, the joint commissioner added. l

Hospital authorities dump body beside highway n Our Correspondent, Savar The authorities of Monorom Hospital and Diagnostic Centre in Shimultola area of Savar allegedly dumped the body of a man beside the Dhaka-Aricha highway to avoid police inquiry.

Police recovered the body of trader Mahmudul Hasan, 20, yesterday morning. Mahmudul, who lived in a rented flat in Kalma of Savar, was attacked in Kalma bus stop area on Sunday night.

He was taken to the hospital but doctors declared him dead. l

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Banks asked to bring NPL below 10% Muhith frustrated at Bangladesh Bank says the December deadline of reducing default loans should be met even by compromising with policy to some extent n Tribune Report The banks have been asked to bring down by any means the rate of default loans to single digit from over 11% by the end of December.

Bangladesh Bank issued the directive at the bankers’ meeting held yesterday at its headquarters in Dhaka after a long lapse of five months.

In response, the bankers demanded of the central bank to further relax the loan rescheduling policy if they have to bring it down below 10%.

“We have asked the banks to bring down their default loan through strengthening recovery, rescheduling and writing-off,” Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor SK Sur Chowdhury told reporters after the meeting with the managing directors and chief executive officers of the banks.

The CEOs have been advised to negotiate with the big defaulters to pay the loan instalment so the accounts could be declassified.

The previous relaxed loan reschedule policy is not applicable now, Sur said, adding that the banks might reschedule loans by taking a down payment, based on bank-customer relationship as per the general circular.

“We have sought for receiving benefit of relaxed reschedule policy further to reduce default loan rate,” said Association of Bankers Bangladesh (ABB) President Ali Reza Iftekhar.

He said the governor asked the bankers in the meeting to bring down average default loan rate below 10% by December.

Bankers wanted to get the advantage of relaxed policy further in the year 2014 as the general circular on loan rescheduling has some rigidity.

Bangladesh Bank said it would allow the banks to take the advantage case-

Grameen Bank board activities n Tribune Report

Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman addresses a meeting with bankers at the centra bank headquarters yesterday by-case basis following the banks’ recommendations about rescheduling the loans of any big group.

Though the central bank relaxed the reschedule policy by issuing circular, it would not issue any such circular now, he said.

Earlier, BB relaxed its loan reschedule policy in December last year considering political unrest, which continued till June this year.

Banks rescheduled loan of above Tk18,000 crore taking the advantages of relaxed policy.

The default loan rate reduced significantly in December last year to 8.93%

from 12.79% in previous quarter due to huge loan rescheduling.

But the trend of reducing default loans did not sustain. It went upward from March quarter and rose 11.6% till September due to alleged abuse of relaxed policy.

Ali Reza Iftekhar admitted that they failed to recover cash as much as they expected through rescheduling loan under relaxed policy.

Thought the banking sector did not get a total benefit of the policy, it had somehow a little benefit, he said.

State-owned banks, specialised banks and ICB Islami Bank, accounted

DHAKA TRIBUNE

for a majority of the default loan ratio.

Private banks account for only 4.5% of default loan rate, he said.

Despite the macroeconomic indicators in a positive trend, default loan rate increased in every quarter, Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman said in the meeting.

He asked the bankers to apply their all might to reduce default loan in last quarter of the current year.

“The main focus of the banks will be to reduce amount of default loans,” he said.

He said lending rate is reducing gradually but not at an expected level. l

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has expressed his utter frustration over the activities of the Grameen Bank board, which remains non-functional for long due to legal complexities.

“Though I am the founder member of Grameen Bank, the work of the bank has come to a complete halt because of the ongoing legal difficulties following an injunction issued by a court on the appointment of Managing Director of the bank,” he told a private television channel, Maasranga, in response to a question about the current status of Grameen Bank.

Terming it a tragedy, the minister categorically blamed professor Yunus for halting the progress of the bank.

He, however, admitted the fact that the bank was the brainchild of Yunus.

“If a renowned person creates any organisation, he does not want to quit the organisation, which is a big problem of the famous persons,” said the minister.

Muhith also said: “The chairman of Grameen Bank wanted to quit from his position on health ground, but I have declined to accept his resignation letter to avoid a vacuum like situation as we are already facing a vacuum in the position of managing director.”

Regarding the appointment of head of election commission to conduct polls in the Grameen Bank, he said, “I am still talking to the law minister regarding the appointment of a former district judge as the chief election commissioner for holding the election within a year.”

“We are now in a stagnant position on the development of the noble-prize winner Grameen Bank as all the ac-

BB to consider further exemption BGMEA, SEP-B sign MoU on provisioning against stock losses to train RMG workers n Tribune Report Bangladesh Bank has assured bankers of considering a plea to extend the exemption by one more year of provisioning against the losses they incurred through investing in the capital market in 2010.

The central bank would take the decision in this regard and inform the bankers soon.

At the bankers meeting in Dhaka yesterday, the bankers demanded of the central bank to extend the exemption so they could offer increased dividend for the shareholders.

The present exemption expires on December 31, and thereafter, the banks will have to adjust the provision shortfall in four quarters.

The bankers also demanded allowing banks to offer cash dividend to the shareholders now prohibited as a pre-condition of the exemption.

“We want to maintain provision in four instalments next year against the loss incurred from share market investment in 2010,” said Association of

Bankers Bangladesh (ABB) President Ali Reza Iftekhar. If the provision requirement is relaxed, the dividend capacity of banks will increase, he added.

‘We want to maintain provision in four instalments next year against the loss incurred from share market investment in 2010’

Earlier, the banks were given the provision facility on condition that they cannot declare cash dividends.

“But we seek to declare cash dividend in line with the same provision facility.”

Bangladesh Bank will come up with a decision about it within several days, said Iftekhar.

He said the share market exposure of some banks increased beyond the limit of 10% of their capital due to spike of index in recent times. But no banks have been found to have invested further exceeding the limit.

The central bank further reminded banks of reducing their excess investment gradually within the limit.

Banks had been running with huge loss in the share market portfolio since the market crash in 2010, said a senior executive of a private bank.

He said the investment that went through merchant banks is accounted for a majority of loss.

The dividend declaration capacity of banks fell gradually in last three years due to loss in stock market investment portfolio.

Banking sector investors experienced marginal dividend during the period while they saw highest dividend declaration in this sector in the bubble market in 2009. l

HC issues ruling on Shasha Denims IPO n Tribune Report

The High Court yesterday issued a ruling asking authorities to explain in four weeks why it should not be declared illegal the initial public offering of Sha Sha Denim.

The HC bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Badruzzaman issued the ruling in response to writ petitions filed by Barrister Ahsanul Islam Karim and Advocate Towfiqul Islam last week.

The ruling was served against Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, finance ministry and the company.

The petitioners said the writ petition was filed in the interest of investors as the company has fabricated its

financial statement during the IPO application.

Shasha Denim got green signal from the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission to go ahead with IPO plan in October last.

The company will raise Tk175 crore through the IPO with 88% of the fund to be spent on the expansion project. The export-oriented denim fabric producer is expected to increase its production capacity by 180% to 28 lakh yards in next one and a half years through raising fund from the stock market.

It will also use Tk18.23 crore for partial repayment of bank loans and the rest Tk2.77 crore for bearing the expenses of the IPO proceedings. l

n Tribune Report

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Skills and Employment Programme of Bangladesh (SEP-B) to train up the RMG workers for enhancing their productivity.

Under the MoU, which aims at developing private sector-led vocational training systems for the RMG sector between BGMEA and SEP-B, financial support will be extended to the industry-led initiatives for developing and implementingvocational training system in Bangladesh.

BGMEA Vice President Reaz Bin Mahmud and Paul Weijers, team leader of SEP-B, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations.

The development activities of the Centre of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industry (CEBAI) will be implemented under this deal, as SEP-B will also provide technical support.

“CEBAI has been established considering the fast growing industry and envisaging the potential expansion of

RMG market in the next 5-10 years,” said BGMEA President Atiqul Islam after the MoU signing ceremony.

He also said, “We need a platform that can demonstrate and implement the initiatives and make the best practices for the industry in terms of all sort of skill development and research.”

SEP-B is financed by UKAID through its department for Department for International Development (DFID) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The RMG sector is one of the focused sectors of SEP-B to establish integrated, market-driven, skill-training models that will enhance higher productivity, efficiency and investment among the trainees, said BGMEA Vice President Reaz Bin Mahmud.

On December 7, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association launched the Center of Excellence for Bangladesh Apparel Industry (CEBAI) to improve productivity through research and development.

The project would be implement with the help of International Labour Organisation (ILO) to reach the RMG export target of US$50bn by 2021. l

tivities of the bank is held up because of the anti-GB activities, which was launched by professor Yunus and his followers.”

On November 5, this year, the government strengthened its hold over Grameen Bank, amending the rules of election to the borrower-directors to give itself the authority to appoint board members for the micro-lender.

‘We are now in a stagnant position on the development of the noble-prize winner Grameen Bank as all the activities of the bank is held up because of the anti-GB activities, which was launched by professor Yunus and his followers’ According to a Bank and Financial Institution Division circular, the government will now form a three-member committee to elect nine members of the 12-member board, and not the central bank, which refused to take the additional responsibility.

The three-member body will comprise of two deputy managing directors, one from a state-owned commercial bank and another from Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation. A former district judge will serve as the chief election commissioner, said the amended rules. l

German loan to modernise power transmission n Tribune Business Desk The German Development Bank KfW, on-behalf of the German government, signed on Sunday an agreement with Bangladesh to provide fund for power transmission.

The fund of 60 million euros, which is a part of KfW’s 320 million euros to support Bangladesh’s renewable energy and energy efficiency of the Bangladesh power sector, would be used in the country’s western zone for modernisation of power transmission system.

Besides, the fund would help increase the efficiency in power transmission to a level well enough to provide electricity to nearly 200,000 additional households, reports BSS. The financing package includes grant of 15 million euros and a promotional loan of 45 million euros.

The Economic Relations Division (ERD) and KfW signed the agreement on the financing package on behalf of their respective sides.

Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) will implement the project. l

Rules for telecom social fund finalised though ‘incomplete’ n Muhammad Zahidul Islam

The government has finalised rules for social obligation fund (SoF) of telecommunication sector as law ministry gave approval after necessary vetting.

Telecom ministry officials said a gadget notification will be issued by next week although, according to them, the rules have not included some important aspects like ownership of infrastructures to be developed under the fund.

“One of the major weaknesses of the rules is that it has said nothing about ownership of infrastructures,” said a senior official adding they were under pressure to forward the BTRC’s draft rules to the law ministry for vetting and could not seek any clarification on the issues.

The SoF was formed in 2011 under the country’s Telecommunication Act

(Amendment) 2010. The law said all the telecom service operators including IGW and ICX companies would contribute to the fund mainly aimed at expanding telecom services to the areas yet to be reached.

Although there was no SoF rule yet, BTRC had already fixed a rate and started collecting money for the fund at that rate in clear violation of the telecom law.

As of September this year, the regulator has collected Tk511 crore from four mobile phone operators as 1% of gross revenue for the fund. The operators include Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel. However, the money lies idle as BTRC has been waiting for finalisation of the rules to use the fund.

BTRC is now happy that the rules have been finalised and await gadget notification.

“It is a good news that gadget notification on SoF rules will be issued soon,” BTRC secretary Md Sarwar Alam told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.

Earlier, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) sent draft rules to the telecom ministry in June 2012.

The telecom ministry sought opinion from finance ministry on the draft and then sent it to law ministry for vetting.

Telecom ministry officials said the rules lack a clear guideline on procurement of establishment materials.

Besides, if all the telecom service providers are brought under the SoF as per law, the regulator’s separate guidelines for different types of operator will need to be amended, said an operator official.

“Every individual guideline will require changes if all the providers are brought under the SoF rules,” he said. l

B2

Stock

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Stocks finish flat with volatility

DSE key features December 15, 2014

n Tribune Report

Number of Contract

Except food and allied, tannery and engineering that posted marginal gain, all other major sectors closed marginally lower.

Telecommunications posted the highest loss of 1.5% while sectors, including power, cement, non-banking financial institutions, banks, textile and pharmaceuticals edged down. BRAC-EPL said turnover saw an improvement as traders were getting accustomed to the new trading system.

Lanka Bangla Securities said DSE continued to taper off for four consecutive sessions owing to ongoing correction on large cap stocks.

It said investors showed buying interest on some sectors, specially small cap stocks like engineering, food and allied, and tannery.

IDLC Investments said market remained nonchalant throughout the session amid weak investors’ participation. It said the last couple of sessions witnessed a minimal turnover.

In the sectoral front, engineering captured the highest liquidity whereas investors also remained active in pharmaceuticals and textile.

Fuwang Food was the most traded stocks with shares worth more than Tk12 crore changing hands, followed

by Western Marine Shipyard, Agni System, Square Pharmaceuticals, Olympic Industries and Beximco Ltd. Fuwang Food was the biggest gainer rising 7%. Other top gainers include Anwar Galvanising, Western Marine Shipyard, Deshbandhu Polymer and Safko Spinning.

The worst loser is EBL NRB Mutual Fund, RN Spinning, Aziz Pipes, MBL First Mutual Fund, Exim First Mutual Fund and Meghna Pet. l

Stocks closed flat with volatility yesterday, extending their losing streak for the fourth consecutive session.

The market dipped at opening but there was some buying pressure. Stocks recovered some points at close.

The benchmark DSEX was down 14 points or 14% to close at 4,878, hitting the highest 4,904 before mid-session.

Market remained nonchalant throughout the session amid weak investors’ participation The Shariah index DSES inched 3 points or 0.3% lower to 1,147. The comprising blue chips DS30 ended at 1,804 with a slight fall of 3 points or 0.2%.

Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) Selective Categories Index, CSCX, settled at 9,152, falling over 15 points.

The market will remain closed today due to public holiday on account of Victory Day. Trading activities still remained low despite slight increase in turnover as the DSE turnover stood at Tk238crore, up 19% from previous session’s 14-month low.

Losers outpaced gainers as out of 304 issues traded, 79 closed negative, 152 declined and 48 remained unchanged.

Weekly capital market highlights DSE Broad Index : DSE - 30 Index : CSE All Share Index: CSE - 30 Index : CSE Selected Index : DSE LOSER Company EBL NRB M.F.-A R. N. Spinning-Z Aziz PipesZ MBL 1st M. F.-A EXIM Bank 1 MF-A Meghna PET Ind. -Z Khan Brothers-N Rahim Textile -A 7th ICB M F-A Hamid Fabrics -N

Closing (% Change) -10.20 -9.76 -9.59 -9.09 -7.81 -5.26 -5.11 -4.60 -4.54 -3.90

CSE LOSER Company Standard Ceramic -A Aziz PipesZ R. N. Spinning-Z Progressive Life-A Khan Brothers-N Prime Insur -A Alltex Industries -Z Imam Button -Z Hamid Fabrics -N Prime Bank-A

Closing (% Change) -10.00 -9.89 -7.29 -5.66 -5.61 -4.81 -4.44 -4.35 -4.11 -3.61

4878.65270

(-) 0.29%

1804.45110

(-) 0.20%

15027.82000

(-) 0.18%

12312.47580

(+) 0.04%

9152.75850

(-) 0.17%

Average (% Change) -8.26 -11.65 -10.11 -5.64 -5.31 -6.41 -0.52 -2.60 -4.46 -0.77 Average (% Change) -10.00 -9.06 -11.10 -5.66 -1.12 -3.26 -4.18 -0.98 -1.10 -2.34

ANALYST

ClosingAvg. 4.44 30.48 24.73 4.18 6.06 5.40 36.25 297.17 92.50 45.29

ClosingAvg. 39.60 25.50 30.99 90.00 36.28 17.83 27.94 9.06 45.16 18.76

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 242.13 144.36 36.28 352.29 244.85 229.76 2.97 245.99 342.97 11.47 82.76 11.11 9.72 78.83 100.37 15.47 27.70 65.57 20.18 121.07 0.00

DHIGH

4.40 29.60 24.50 4.00 5.90 5.40 35.30 290.50 92.50 44.40

Closing

5.10 32.80 25.70 4.50 5.90 5.40 37.80 310.00 92.50 46.80

DHIGH

39.60 25.50 30.50 90.00 35.30 17.80 28.00 8.80 44.30 18.70

39.60 25.50 33.00 90.00 37.50 18.00 28.90 9.40 46.70 19.20

DSE GAINER Company

2,385.84

Turnover (Volume)

65,509,331 80,634

Traded Issues

304

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

127

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

171

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

6

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,600.45

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

31.52

CSE key features December 15, 2014 Turnover (Million Taka)

264.51

Turnover (Volume)

8,316,957

Number of Contract

18,931

Traded Issues

246

Issue Gain (Avg. Price Basis)

104

Issue Loss (Avg. Price Basis)

132

Unchanged Issue (Avg. Price Basis)

9

Market Capital Equity (Billion. Tk.)

2,511.16

Market Capital Equity (Billion US$)

30.44

Turnover in Million

DLOW 4.40 29.50 24.40 4.00 5.80 5.40 35.10 286.30 92.50 44.00

3.912 26.830 0.790 6.167 0.007 0.011 24.333 3.175 0.014 35.467

Turnover in Million

DLOW 39.60 25.50 29.70 90.00 35.10 17.80 27.20 8.60 44.00 18.60

% change 10.15 6.05 1.52 14.77 10.26 9.63 0.12 10.31 14.38 3.47 0.47 0.41 3.30 4.21 0.65 1.16 2.75 0.85 5.07 0.00

Million Taka 22.52 11.45 2.44 42.36 17.15 15.50 55.11 25.04 10.97 9.48 7.82 1.71 9.19 5.60 1.22 1.28 12.08 5.31 27.48 0.01

CSE

% change 7.94 4.03 0.86 14.93 6.05 5.46 0.00 19.42 8.83 3.87 3.34 2.76 0.60 3.24 1.97 0.43 0.45 4.26 1.87 9.69 0.00

Latest EPS 0.64 2.19 -0.37 0.18 0.64 -0.44 1.36 11.00 8.52 3.12

Latest EPS

0.000 0.037 13.270 0.007 3.801 0.004 2.054 0.034 11.019 0.618

Million Taka 264.66 155.81 38.72 394.65 262.00 245.27 2.97 301.10 368.01 22.44 92.24 18.93 11.42 88.02 105.97 16.68 28.98 77.66 25.49 148.55 0.01

Jute SpinnersA Shampur Sugar -Z GeminiSeaFood-Z Northern Jute -Z Fu-Wang Food A Anwar Galvanizing-B WesternMarine -N Meghna Con. Milk -B PragatiLife Insu. -Z Deshbandhu Polymer-A

Closing (% Change) 9.82 8.74 8.59 7.24 7.05 6.80 6.33 6.10 5.81 5.07

CSE GAINER

0.60 -0.37 2.19 2.30 1.36 1.81 3.28 -1.72 3.12 1.87

Latest PE 6.9 13.9 -ve 23.2 9.5 -ve 26.7 27.0 10.9 14.5

Company Fu-Wang Food A Apex Footwear-A Anwar Galvanizing-B Kay & Que (BD) -Z WesternMarine -N Rahima Food -Z Deshbandhu Polymer-A FarEast Knitting -N ISN Ltd. -Z Legacy Footwear -A

7.92 7.30 5.95 5.60 5.32 5.18 5.09 4.80 4.24 3.94

Average (% Change) 5.47 7.30 2.24 4.56 8.34 5.81 3.62 3.15 6.39 3.58

ClosingAvg. 54.47 11.03 217.29 289.00 25.38 42.98 55.45 8.71 92.91 22.44

ClosingAvg. 25.46 500.00 42.94 13.07 55.35 38.82 22.35 28.19 12.15 28.93

Closing 54.80 11.20 220.00 289.00 25.80 44.00 55.40 8.70 92.90 22.80

Closing 25.90 500.00 44.50 13.20 55.40 38.60 22.70 28.40 12.30 29.00

DHIGH 54.90 11.30 220.00 289.00 26.00 44.70 56.50 9.00 95.00 22.90

DHIGH 26.10 500.00 44.80 13.50 56.30 40.30 22.90 28.60 12.90 29.30

DLOW 50.50 10.40 210.00 289.00 24.40 41.10 53.50 8.10 87.50 21.90

DLOW 24.60 500.00 41.00 12.30 53.20 37.00 21.70 27.40 11.50 27.70

Turnover in Million 0.246 0.253 0.289 0.000 122.099 8.973 113.174 0.155 0.219 41.704

Turnover in Million 10.894 0.001 0.570 0.013 18.412 0.217 4.547 4.804 0.023 1.378

Latest EPS -43.64 -52.72 1.39 1.00 1.80 0.84 1.80 -4.32 2.38 1.52

Latest EPS 1.80 20.48 0.84 -1.41 1.80 -0.80 1.52 2.28 0.13 0.28

Latest PE -ve -ve 156.3 289.0 14.1 51.2 30.8 -ve 39.0 14.8

Latest PE 14.1 24.4 51.1 -ve 30.8 -ve 14.7 12.4 93.5 103.3

News, analysis and recent disclosures PHARMAID: National Credit Ratings Limited (NCR) has announced the rating of the Company as BBB+ in the long term and ST-3 in the short term based on audited financial statements of the Company up to June 30, 2014.

FINEFOODS: The Company has further informed that due to inevitable circumstances, the 20th AGM of the Company will now be held on December 28, 2014 at 11:00 AM instead of December 27, 2014 at 11:30 AM. Venue of the meeting (Head office of the Company) will remain unchanged.

IPO Subscription: Shasha Denims Limited subscription date 14 to 21 December 2014, NRB upto 30 December 2014. @ taka 10, face value taka 35 and market lot 200.

Zaheen Spinning Limited subscription date 28 December 2014 to 04 January 2015, NRB upto 13 January 2015. @ taka 10, face value taka 10 and market lot 500.

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. 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 HFL: 10% cash and 10% stock, AGM:

30.12.2014, Record Date: 22.12.2014.

SONALIANSH: 10% cash AGM: 30.12.2014, Record Date: 21.12.2014.

KEYACOSMET: 20% cash, Record Date: 21.12.2014. Date, Time and Venue of the AGM will be notified later.

RECKITTBEN: 175% interim cash dividend (second time), Record date for entitlement of interim dividend: 15.12.2014.

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.

PHARMAID: 25% cash, AGM: 28.12.2014, Record Date: 02.12.2014.

TALLUSPIN: No dividend, AGM: 23.12.2014, Record Date: 01.12.2014.

MITHUNKNIT: 20% stock, AGM: 23.12.2014, Record date: 20.11.2014.

WMSHIPYARD: 5% cash dividend to the general shareholders only, and 10% stock dividend to all the shareholders, AGM: 21.12.2014, Record date: 20.11.2014.

PRIMELIFE: 10% cash and 15% stock dividend, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record Date: 20.11.2014.

OLYMPIC: 20% cash and 35% stock, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record Date: 27.11.2014.

PADMAOIL: 100% cash, AGM: 14.02.2015, Record date: 22.12.2014.

EASTRNLUB: 30% cash, AGM: 17.01.2015, Record Date: 25.11.2014.

ATLASBANG: 35% cash, AGM: 24.12.2014, Record date: 27.11.2014.

SAMORITA: 20% cash and 10% stock dividend, AGM: 07.01.2015, Record Date: 19.11.2014.

66.0 -ve 14.2 39.1 26.7 9.9 8.5 -ve 14.5 10.0

DSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company

Total

Closing (% Change)

Average (% Change) 9.64 7.50 7.29 7.67 5.09 3.72 9.33 5.83 5.98 3.55

Latest PE

DSE continued to taper off for four consecutive sessions owing to ongoing correction on large cap stocks

SECTORAL TURNOVER SUMMARY Sector

▼ ▼ ▼ ▲ ▼

Turnover (Million Taka)

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

% change 9.91 5.84 1.45 14.78 9.81 9.19 0.11 11.28 13.79 0.84 3.46 0.71 0.43 3.30 3.97 0.62 1.09 2.91 0.95 5.56 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

Fu-Wang Food A WesternMarine -N Agni Systems -A Square Pharma -A Olympic Ind. -A BEXIMCO Ltd. -A Keya Cosmetics -A Grameenphone-A Brac Bank -A Beximco Pharma -A

LafargeS Cement-Z SummitAlliancePort.-A Quasem Drycells -A Deshbandhu Polymer-A Jamuna Oil -A Alltex Industries -Z CSE TURNOVER LEADERS Company BEXIMCO Ltd. -A WesternMarine -N R. N. Spinning-Z Hamid Fabrics -N Fu-Wang Food A Grameenphone-A Keya Cosmetics -A SummitAlliancePort.-A AB Bank - A LafargeS Cement-Z

Familytex (BD) Ltd.-A Beximco Pharma -A FarEast Knitting -N Khulna Printing-N Deshbandhu Polymer-A

VolumeShares 4,811,315 2,041,123 2,465,151 271,325 284,544 1,747,216 2,188,647 167,092 1,567,663 922,525

Value in Million 122.10 113.17 80.04 69.93 67.77 67.71 61.29 58.87 58.86 58.59

% of TotalTurnover 5.12 4.74 3.35 2.93 2.84 2.84 2.57 2.47 2.47 2.46

VolumeShares

Value in Million

% of TotalTurnover

500,404 657,584 712,309 1,858,302 181,478 4,845,000

527,533 332,663 428,260 244,011 427,959 29,855 251,016 79,969 204,875 51,249

262,400 83,873 170,432 197,245 203,437

57.57 56.13 54.17 41.70 38.55 113.67

20.48 18.41 13.27 11.02 10.89 10.50 7.03 6.81 6.33 5.89

5.82 5.37 4.80 4.56 4.55

2.41 2.35 2.27 1.75 1.62 1.51

7.84 7.05 5.08 4.22 4.17 4.02 2.69 2.61 2.42 2.25

2.23 2.06 1.84 1.75 1.74

ClosingP 25.80 55.40 32.00 257.00 241.30 38.10 27.90 350.60 37.60 63.20

115.50 84.20 76.20 22.80 212.30 22.90

ClosingP

38.10 55.40 30.50 44.30 25.90 350.00 27.80 84.00 30.70 114.90

22.10 63.20 28.40 23.10 22.70

Change % 7.05 6.33 -1.23 -0.77 2.59 1.60 -0.36 -1.46 1.35 0.16

0.00 -2.77 1.87 5.07 0.00 4.09

Change %

1.33 5.32 -7.29 -4.11 7.92 -1.69 -1.07 -2.10 -0.97 0.52

-1.78 0.16 4.80 -0.43 5.09

ClosingY 24.10 52.10 32.40 259.00 235.20 37.50 28.00 355.80 37.10 63.10

115.50 86.60 74.80 21.70 212.30 22.00

ClosingY

37.60 52.60 32.90 46.20 24.00 356.00 28.10 85.80 31.00 114.30

22.50 63.10 27.10 23.20 21.60

DHIGH 26.00 56.50 33.00 260.00 244.00 40.30 28.50 355.30 37.70 65.90

117.00 87.50 77.00 22.90 213.10 24.20

DLOW 24.40 53.50 31.60 256.00 231.00 37.90 27.70 350.00 36.20 62.90

114.50 83.50 73.20 21.90 210.00 20.50

DHIGH

DLOW

40.00 56.30 33.00 46.70 26.10 360.00 28.40 87.50 31.30 115.60

37.90 53.20 29.70 44.00 24.60 346.20 27.60 83.00 30.50 114.50

22.60 65.00 28.60 23.90 22.90

22.00 63.00 27.40 22.70 21.70

AvgPrice 25.38 55.45 32.47 257.72 238.16 38.75 28.00 352.30 37.55 63.51

115.05 85.35 76.05 22.44 212.40 23.46 AvgPrice

38.81 55.35 30.99 45.16 25.46 351.68 28.01 85.17 30.89 114.91

22.16 64.03 28.19 23.14 22.35

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Business

B3

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Oil, coal and iron ore at 2008-09 financial crisis levels n Reuters, Singapore Tumbling oil, coal and iron ore prices are now all at levels last seen during or before the financial crisis of 2008/2009, signalling not only the impact of a glut of supplies but deeper weakness in parts of the global economy, analysts say.

The raw materials are among the most sensitive to economic health, with oil and coal the world’s two most important energy sources and iron ore used to make steel.

Brent crude prices have almost halved since June to slightly above $60 a barrel, a level last seen in early 2009 during the financial crisis. In the coal market, the benchmark European futures contracts has dropped below $70 a tonne to levels comparable before the boom and bust of 2007-2009.

Iron ore prices have halved to under $69 a tonne as demand growth in the biggest market, China, wanes.

Analysts initially pointed to rising oil and mining output, as well as energy efficiency and alternative sources such as renewables, as the main factors behind the drops.

But with no end to the price slide, it became apparent that a significant cooling of emerging economies as well as ongoing slack in developed markets such as Europe and Japan was also at play, especially after oil producer club OPEC said it would not cut output in support of prices.

“Softer global demand, coupled with unprecedented growth in supply are weighing on global oil indices, with prices falling to levels not seen since the Global Financial Crisis,” National Aus-

tralia Bank said in a note on Monday.

“Headwinds to global growth should come from weakness across Japan, the Euro-zone and Latin America,” it added.

Morgan Stanley also pointed to China as an explanation for falling prices: “Our economic team’s lower Chinese and global growth estimates... also prompted us to temper our demand outlook,” the bank said.

Oil dropped last

On the demand side, oil prices are driven heavily by events in major economies such as the United States, China or the European Union.

While Europe’s economies have yet to recover from the credit crunch of 2008/2009, growth in the United States and China had picked up, helping to stabilize oil prices.

But this year China’s economy has shown signs of cooling, and with the ongoing slack in Europe and Japan, as well as rising output especially in North America, oil started to fall in June. l While the rout in oil markets is relatively recent, coal and iron ore have been caught in downward trends since 2011, but it was early this year that analysts first pointed towards weakness in emerging markets as well as rising mining output.

Coal is closely linked to industrialization of emerging economies, being the cheapest fuel for electricity, and emerging market growth has been slowing since 2013.

Iron ore is seen as a key gauge of the economy in Chinese, which is by far the world’s biggest steel producer. l

A coal power plant is seen in Gelsenkirchen

China economic growth may slow to 7.1% in 2015 n Reuters, Beijing China’s economic growth could slow to 7.1% in 2015 from an expected 7.4% this year, held back by a sagging property sector, the central bank said in research report seen by Reuters on Sunday.

Stronger global demand could boost exports, but not by enough to counteract the impact from weakening property investment, according to the report published on the central bank’s website, www.pbc.gov.cn.

China’s exports are likely to grow 6.9% in 2015, quickening from this year’s 6.1% rise, while import growth is seen accelerating to 5.1% in 2015 from this year’s 1.9%, it said.

The report warned that the Federal Reserve’s expected move to raise interest rates sometime next year could hit emerging-market economies.

Fixed-asset investment growth may slow to 12.8% in 2015 from this year’s 15.5%, while retail sales growth may quicken to 12.2% from 12%, it said.

Consumer inflation may hold largely steady in 2015, at 2.2%, it said.

China’s economic growth weakened to 7.3% in the third quarter, and November’s soft factory and investment figures suggest full-year growth will miss Beijing’s 7.5% target and mark the

A farmer works on a wasteland near a construction site of new residential buildings in a suburb in Shanghai REUTERS weakest expansion in 24 years.

Economists who advise the government have recommended that China lower its growth target to around 7% in 2015.

Honda to expand investigative air bag recall globally n Reuters, Tokyo Honda Motor said it will expand an ‘investigative’ recall to replace potentially lethal Takata Corp air bag inflators across the globe, taking the total Takata-related recall tally of all brands to more than 19 million since 2008.

Honda earlier added about 2.6 million cars in the United States when it expanded nationwide a recall of driverside air bag inflators that was previously limited to 11 states and territories with hot and humid climates.

Honda is working out which models and how many vehicles would be covered under a similar recall in other markets, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Takata’s air bag inflators have been found to rupture and shoot metal shards into the vehicle, and have been linked to five deaths.

As consumer concerns grow over the safety of Takata air bags, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last month ordered the supplier to take nationwide a recall of certain driver-side inflators that had been limited to areas of high humidity.

Takata has refused, challenging NHTSA’s legal authority to order such a recall when the cause behind the unusual deployment of its air bags is still unknown.

Given Takata’s response, Honda’s US unit said on Monday it would volun-

tarily expand its regional recall to cover a total 5.4 million vehicles across the United States.

On Tuesday, Honda said it would recall more than 134,000 cars in Japan covering six models made between 2002 and 2013 that carry Takata driver-side air bags subject to the wider recalls in the United States. Honda will begin the recall in Okinawa, an island in southern Japan, at the end of the month.

Japan’s transport ministry has said that about 200,000 vehicles from Honda and Mazda Motor Corp would be subject to an expanded recall in Japan. Mazda is still considering whether to follow suit.

Unlike NHTSA, Japan’s regulator cannot order a recall unless the cause of the problem is known. Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta said the ministry would see whether it should change the law to be able to force an ‘investigative’ recall after gauging the current series of Takata-related recalls, but added there were no immediate plans.

Several automakers have called back millions of cars in the United States to replace Takata-made inflators and investigate the root cause of the problem in what is called a Safety Improvement Campaign, which is different from a typical recall to address known defects.

Takata is struggling to make replacement parts fast enough, and has forecast a loss this business year amid an escalating recall crisis. l

China’s employment situation is likely to hold up well next year due to faster expansion of the services sector, despite slower economic growth, said the report. l

REUTERS

Oil prices rebound in Asia n AFP, Singapore Oil prices bounced back in Asia yesterday on hopes of upbeat global manufacturing data to be released later this week, but remained near five-year lows after plunging more than 50% since June.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose 49 cents to $58.30 while Brent gained 68 cents to $62.53 in afternoon trade, reversing losses in both contracts in early trading.

“With preliminary manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data scheduled for release this week, it may give some support to falling oil prices,” said Daniel Ang, investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore.

“Expectations for this month’s PMI are favourable, which should prevent a further drop for the week,” he said.

“A large portion of crude oil is consumed for industrial usage, therefore making manufacturing PMI a gauge for crude oil demand,” he added.

Survey company Markit’s preliminary December manufacturing PMI data for the eurozone and the United States will be released Tuesday.

HSBC will also release a similar survey for China’s manufacturing sector on Tuesday.

The uptick in oil prices Monday follows heavy losses on Friday after the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) slashed its 2015 demand

outlook, despite plunging prices which would normally lead to increased consumption.

Demand is set to grow by 0.9 million barrels a day to reach 93.3 million barrels, some 230,000 barrels less than the previous forecast, the IEA energy watchdog said in a report.

Expectations for this month’s PMI are favourable, which should prevent a further drop for the week

The report triggered WTI to fall $2.14 to settle at $57.81 in New York, its lowest closing point since May 2009. Brent for January, which expires Tuesday, fell $1.83 to $61.85 in London, its lowest close since July 2009.

French bank Credit Agricole said a two-day meeting of the US Federal Reserve starting Tuesday would next be in focus, amid market wariness about the central bank’s timing of interest rates rises next year. l

Indonesian rupiah weakest since Asian financial crisis

n AFP, Jakarta

The Indonesian rupiah yesterday sank to its lowest level against the dollar since the Asian financial crisis 16 years ago, as emerging markets are hit hard by signs of recovery in the US. The unit was down 1.8 percent in early afternoon trade, at 12,690 to the dollar, its lowest level since August 1998, around the time Southeast Asia’s biggest economy was devastated by serious financial turmoil.

In earlier trade, it touched 12,699 to the dollar. Like other emerging market currencies, the rupiah has been hit by signs of recovery in the American economy that has led to expectations the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next year.

A strengthening US economy has led investors to pull out of riskier emerging markets, where they headed for bigger returns in recent years when Western countries were in the doldrums, and direct their money back towards developed markets. Analysts also said that investors had been withdrawing funds from Indonesian government bonds in December, which was starting to have a knock-on effect on the rupiah.

“There appears to be another bout of investor risk aversion on the global stage,” said Wellian Wiranto, an economist from Singapore-based OCBC Bank. l

CORPORATE NEWS

Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh has recently handed over blankets to Bangladesh Bank for distribution amongst the poor and cold-affected people around the country.

Bitopi Das Chowdhury, head of corporate affairs of Standard Chartered Bangladesh handed over the blankets to SK Sur Chowdhury, deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank

NCC Bank has recently concluded its month-long foundation training course fo its officers at the bank’s training institute. The bank’s chairperson, Md Nurun Newaz Salim attended the ceremony as chief guest

Gitanka Datta has recently joined MasterCard Bangladesh as its vice president of business development.

Gitanka has nearly 20 years of experience in the payments and banking industry, he was among the early pioneers in the payments industry in Bangladesh, having started the acquiring and issuance business of the previously known as ANZ Grindlays

Trust Bank Limited has recently opened its branch at Shumvugonj in Mymonshing. The bank’s director, Ashrafuzzaman Khan inaugurated the branch as chief guest along with the bank’s MD and CEO, Ishtiaque Ahmed Chowdhury

B4

DHAKA TRIBUNE

Back Page

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

OPEC chief says no target price, but oil slide beyond fundamentals

Fed faces big decision over a few choice words

n Reuters, Dubai

Federal Reserve officials will decide this week whether to make a critical change to their policy statement that would widen the door for interest rate hikes next year and effectively bet the United States will continue to shine in a gloomy global economy.

In one of the last major wild cards for financial markets in 2014, the US central bank’s policy-setting committee is to issue the statement and fresh economic forecasts on Wednesday at 2 pm (1900 GMT), following a two-day meeting. Fed Chair Janet Yellen will then hold a news conference at 2:30 pm (1930 GMT).

The U.S. economy has strengthened and jobs have been created at a fasterthan-expected clip since the Fed’s last meeting in October, when it repeated that benchmark rates were unlikely to rise for a “considerable time.” Officials will have to decide whether to replace that phrase despite below-target US inflation and economic weakness in Europe and Asia.

Top Fed officials have suggested mid-2015 is a reasonable time to start tightening monetary policy after six years of near-zero rates, and financial markets generally agree.

As investors search for clues on when and how aggressively the Fed might move, here are the key things to watch:

The head of OPEC said yesterday the group had no target price for oil, signaling no change to a policy to maintain production levels which has contributed to sharp falls in the price of crude, unnerving global markets.

Speaking at an event in Dubai, Abdullah al-Badri said the oil price, which dropped to a succession of fiveyear lows in recent days, had fallen further than market fundamentals should have dictated. He urged Gulf states to continue investing in exploration and production, saying the United States would continue to rely on Middle East crude for many years.

The comments were Badri’s first since OPEC, or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, left its output levels unchanged at a meeting last month, when it also said it had no target price.

“The fundamentals should not lead to this dramatic reduction (in price),” Badri, a Libyan, said in Arabic in remarks made through an English interpreter.

Oil’s relentless slide pounded energy stocks and currencies exposed to crude exports on Friday, doused appetite for riskier assets and pushed investors into the safety of government debt despite strong US consumer sentiment.

Adding to the effects of OPEC’s unchanged production level, a lower demand growth forecast from the International Energy Agency further put the skids under oil, raising concerns of possible broader negative effects such as debt defaults by companies and countries heavily exposed to crude prices.

There was also talk of the price trend adding to deflation pressures in Europe, increasing bets that the European

OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri addresses a news conference after a meeting of OPEC oil ministers at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna REUTERS Central Bank will be forced to resort to further stimulus early next year.

Badri said OPEC sought a price level that was suitable and satisfactory both for consumers and producers, but did not specify a figure. Asked if there was a need for an emergency OPEC meeting before June, Badri smiled and said: “I don’t know.”

The OPEC chief said November’s decision to leave output unchanged was not aimed at any other oil producer,

rebutting suggestions it was intended to either undermine the economics of US shale oil production or weaken rival powers closer to home.

“Some people say this decision was directed at the United States and shale oil. All of this is incorrect. Some also say it was directed at Iran. And Russia.

This also is incorrect,” he said.

However Saudi Arabia’s oil minister Ali al-Naimi had told last month’s OPEC meeting the organization must

Japan business confidence down in December quarter n AFP, Tokyo Confidence among major Japanese manufacturers edged down in the three months to December, a quarterly central bank survey showed yesterday, underscoring the lacklustre state of the world’s third largest economy.

The Bank of Japan’s closely watched Tankan survey showed confidence among large manufacturers stood at plus 12 against plus 13 in the September survey.

Economists had expected the reading would stay flat, according to a survey by the leading business daily Nikkei.

Confidence among non-manufac-

turing companies rose to plus 16 from plus 13, delivering mixed news to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition that scored a big win in Sunday’s snap elections.

“Today’s Tankan survey suggests that Japan’s economy stabilised in the fourth quarter, but a rapid recovery is not on the cards,” Marcel Thieliant, Japan economist at Capital Economics, said in a note.

The Tankan survey of more than 10,000 companies - marking the difference between the percentage of firms that are upbeat and those that see conditions as unfavourable - is the most comprehensive indicator of how Japan Inc. is faring.

The central bank’s report came after government data showed the world’s third largest economy shrank 0.5% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to September following a 1.7% contraction in the June quarter.

The two consecutive quarters of negative growth met a common definition of a recession.

Abe over the past two years has pressed ahead with a pro-spending growth bid, dubbed “Abenomics”, which boosted stock prices and pushed the yen down.

Abe moved ahead with a sales tax hike in April, Japan’s first in 17 years, which slammed the brakes on consumer spending. l

Oil price slump muddies ECB’s mission n AFP, Frankfurt The plunge in oil prices is making it tougher than ever for the European Central Bank to achieve its core mission of keeping prices stable at a time it faces looming deflation, analysts say.

In the short-term, the collapse of crude prices to five-year lows will curb inflation.

But in the longer term, the slump could boost growth, which in turn would reverse the stubbornly low inflation worrying the eurozone, economists say.

ECB president Mario Draghi voiced concern this month over the fall in oil prices as the Frankfurt-based central bank battles to boost low inflation of 0.3% dogging the single currency area.

Low inflation or even falling prices may sound good for the consumer but are not welcome from a central bank’s point of view.

They can trigger a vicious circle where businesses and households delay purchases, throttling demand and causing companies to lay off workers.

The ECB’s target for inflation is around 2%.

Draghi said the bank had stepped up preparations to undertake additional stimulus measures, on top of a raft of previous steps to help revive growth in

DILBERT

the fragile eurozone economy.

But the oil price slump may actually provide the ECB with a helping hand down the line, by giving consumers and companies a bump at the petrol pump or in their oil heating bills.

The chief of Germany’s central bank, or Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann has described the impact of lower oil prices on Germany and the eurozone as being “like a small economic programme”.

Economists at German bank M.M.Warburg see the benefit stretching even wider, with “a positive impact on the global economy”.

And Sylvain Broyer, chief economist at Natixis, said that, combined with the weaker euro against the dollar, the outcome could also help improve confidence and investment.

“It’s too early at this stage to see this,” he said, however.

Despite the ECB’s announcement that it is ready to act early next year should the euro area show signs of tipping into deflation, many are asking whether it wouldn’t be well advised to wait until the full effect of lower oil prices is felt.

‘Into negative territory’

The ECB’s chief economist Peter Praet said last week that the central bank, whose mandate is solely to guarantee price stability, “may not have that lux-

ury” of waiting.

Developments in the oil sector could nudge eurozone inflation into negative territory from this month, and possibly even lower in the following months, warned Commerzbank economist Christoph Weil.

Crude prices have collapsed by more than 40 percent since June, and are now trading around $60 -- levels last seen five years ago, as increased US shale production adds to oversupply.

And the International Energy Agency said that global appetite for oil would grow at a slower pace in 2015 than earlier thought.

“For the ECB, the symbolic movement of inflation into negative territory would be far from negligible” in terms of image and credibility, Gilles Moec, of Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, said.

But he warned against being over optimistic about the impact of oil on growth, as well as against the ECB waiting until deflation or recession hit before taking more action.

Consumers may well cheer if oil prices remain low.

But, cautioned Praet, it would pose a considerable risk for inflation expectations, which are closely watched by the ECB in its bid to avoid deflation.

The ECB has already cut its interest rates to new all-time lows, made unprecedented amounts of cheap loans available to banks and embarked on asset purchase programmes to pump liquidity into the financial system.

But it has also hinted at more radical action in the form of quantitative easing (QE), the large-scale purchase of government bonds and other securities.

The central bank will assess early in 2015 the impact of the oil prices on inflation in the medium term, it said in its monthly report released Thursday. l

combat the US shale oil boom, arguing for maintaining output to depress prices and undermine the profitability of North American producers, said a source who was briefed by a non-Gulf OPEC minister.

Brent crude settled at below $62 a barrel on Friday, more than 45 percent below its 2014 peak, after the world energy watchdog forecast even lower prices on weaker demand and larger supplies next year. l

n Reuters, New York

The lift-off language

The Fed has been toying with dropping the “considerable time” phrase since at least September. In October, it restated the pledge but made clear that rates could rise sooner if economic data were strong, and later if they weren’t.

If the phrase is dropped, as many Wall Street economists expect, the Fed

could replace it with a pledge to be “patient” in an effort to prevent an abrupt market reaction that could throw off the economy’s momentum.

If it is kept, as centrist Fed policymakers Dennis Lockhart and John Williams suggested last week, Yellen would have to explain the need for such caution in the face of falling unemployment and signs that wage growth is edging up.

Hitting the inflation target

There is no question the Fed is approaching its goal of full employment after years battling the recession and its aftermath, so it will need to somehow acknowledge that in the statement. Unemployment is at a six-year low of 5.8 percent and monthly job growth has averaged more than 250,000 over the last six months.

More troubling is the elusiveness of the Fed’s other goal of 2% inflation.

The Fed’s preferred inflation measure stands at just 1.6%, and with global oil markets tanking, the dollar soaring, and the economies of Europe, Japan and China weakening, the threat is that it will slip further.

“To some at the Fed that’s a chasm, to others it’s a crack,” said Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust. Many Fed officials expect any downward pressure on US prices to prove temporary. The question is where Yellen stands.

Fresh forecasts for rates, economy

The clearest hint of the Fed’s plans could come in policymakers’ fresh projections of how high rates should rise over the next few years. In September, they suggested the overnight federal funds rate could rise to about 1.25% by the end of 2015, and about 2.75 a year later. l

Central banks, oil price rout to rule markets in 2015 n AFP, Paris Addicted to liquidity and disconnected from the real economy, global markets are likely to dance in 2015 to the different monetary policy tunes played by the US Fed, the ECB and China, while plunging oil prices could spice up the mix.

In 2015, “like the last seven years, it is the central bank interventions which will have an influence over the markets,” said Romain Boscher, a stock portfolio manager at Amundi.

For the past several years central banks have tried to stimulate stalled economies by a mix of injecting massive amounts of liquidity into markets, lowering interest rates to ultra low levels and snapping up assets.

Well irrigated with this liquidity, stock markets have done well and government borrowing rates have fallen, but in the real economy the situation isn’t quite as rosy and the situations vary.

Thus in 2015 monetary policy will no longer be uniform, said Mathieu L’Hoir, an equity strategist at AXA Investment Managers.

“The divergence between the central banks ... will have the consequence of introducing considerably more volatility in the markets,” he added.

The United States and Britain, two countries whose central banks launched early and aggressive asset purchase programmes, are enjoying a recovery and interest rates are expected to begin rising in 2015.

But Japan has just launched more asset purchases as its economy has stumbled back into recession, while China is lowering rates and injecting liquidity to ensure no hard landing as its growth slows.

And pressure is on the European Central Bank to undertake a similar programme to

avoid the risks of deflation and recession.

“The ECB has its hands and feet tied and it has to meet expectations,” said L’Hoir.

“Action is needed quickly given the evolution in inflation.” But a rout in oil prices is complicating the situation.

‘Massive game changer’ Crude prices have almost halved since June to levels not seen since 2009, when the world was still locked in a financial crisis.

“Oil prices, it is like a massive global budgetary boost, especially for countries which subsidise energy,” said L’Hoir, pointing to India and Southeast Asia.

But for Europe, which is battling the spectre of deflation, cheaper crude is making it more difficult for the ECB to achieve its mission of keep consumer prices stable.

Falling prices may sound good for the consumer but are not welcome from a central bank’s point of view as they can trigger a vicious circle where businesses and households delay purchases, throttling demand and causing companies to lay off workers.

Nevertheless, if it manages to avoid skidding into deflation on cheap oil prices, Europe can expect cheaper crude to eventually help give consumers more spending power.

“The rout in oil prices could be a massive game changer for the world economy,” said Berenberg analyst Holger Schmieding.

“For users of energy, it is equivalent to a huge tax cut. In fact, it’s even better than that: the cut will not show up in bigger fiscal deficits and hence future liabilities of the energy users. Instead, Russia and other energy producers will have to foot the bill.”

The danger is what costs that could levy from energy producers.

Russia, already wounded by the impact of Western sanctions over Ukraine, has seen

its ruble tank.

“The risk that a badly wounded bear, Russia, may turn more aggressive in its increasing desperation is the key risk to global peace and to the European economic outlook which we have to watch next year,” said Schmieding.

Fed rate rises?

Beyond the geopolitical risk of a flare-up of the crisis in Ukraine, or uncertainty surrounding elections in Britain and Spain, the actions of the US Fed could also be stick into the equity market’s spokes.

The Fed raising interest rates may increase the attractiveness of bonds relative to stocks, and the effect it has on raising the value of the dollar can also hurt equities as it weighs on corporate performance.

But Christopher Low, an economist at FTN Financial, said “as long as the Fed doesn’t get carried away and raise its rates too high, stocks should perform just fine”.

A stronger dollar will also reverberate across the globe, particularly in emerging markets, which are particularly dependent on the value of the dollar given its importance in trade.

“When there is a change in monetary policy in the United States, there is a change in monetary policy across the globe,” said L’Hoir. Besides central banks, 2015 may also be the year the Chinese stock markets finally arrive.

The Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect launched in November 2014 aims to give investors worldwide direct access to Chinese shares. “China is in the process of giving birth to the world’s second-largest stock market,” said Boscher.

He said “this will take years to achieve but it can only be favourable to international investors.” l

A customer uses a petrol nozzle to fill up his tank in a gas station at a supermarket in Truchtersheim near Strasbourg